James Beard House Dinner, October 6th, 2011

by Brigitte Fouch, L'Etoile cook

This last week, L'Etoile had the honor of cooking at the James Beard House in New York City.  The foundation hosts 200 dinners each year and Tory, being nominated for Best Chef in the Midwest, was asked to be a guest chef. So, we packed some coolers with some of the best products Wisconsin has to offer and set off for the Big Apple.

We were waiting nervously at the baggage carousel in LaGuardia airport and, almost in unison, let loose a sigh of relief when all four of our checked coolers and bag of dry goods and chef coats arrived, completely intact. After checking into our hotel in Brooklyn, we departed to meet up with Chef Tory (who was already in New York for Autism Speaks and Star Chefs). We caught our first glimpse of the island city skyline as we approached the Williamsburg Bridge. Taking a taxi into Manhattan in the middle of the afternoon proved to be not the most efficient mode of transportation, but we were all happy to take in the sites while stuck in traffic. We met Chef Tory at his friend's restaurant, Brasserie 8½ and went over the menu for the dinner, taking inventory of all the items we would need.

photo credit Brigitte Fouch

That night we had an amazing meal at one of Chef Tory's favorite spots, Diner. The food we ate and service and hospitality we experienced put us all in the mood to spend the next day in the kitchen! ...Which is exactly what we did.

Chef and Aaron started early and transported all the coolers from Brasserie 8½ to the James Beard House located in West Village. The rest of us arrived a bit later and began prep. Between the six of us and three volunteers from a local culinary school, the kitchen was packed. We had a comfortable amount of time to prep and handle any unexpected obstacles, which are inevitable in the kitchen. 

photo credit Tom Kirkman

Each of the five courses featured local products sourced from both Wisconsin and New York and was expertly paired with some of L'Etoile's favorite wines. We also prepared five hors d'oeuvres to serve during a cocktail hour as guests arrived.

The James Beard House is in fact the town house which James Beard once lived in. Because of this, dining arrangements are...creative. Tables are set up throughout the house in various rooms and guests must pass through the kitchen in order to reach the dining areas. Guests began to arrive around 7pm and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres until the first course was served promptly at 8pm.

Here's what we dished up:

photo credit Tom Kirkman

Pleasant Ridge Reserve Gougères with Prosciutto and Jam
Pheasant Pâté with Dijon Mustard and Pickles
Smoked Trout with Crème Fraîche, Chives, and Gaufrettes
Dunbarton Blue, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Alpine Renegade and Petit Frere with Honeycomb and Candied Hickory Nuts
Deviled Eggs with Crispy Pork Belly and Smoked Paprika
Nigl Sparkling Grüner Veltliner NV

Fountain Prairie Farm Beef Carpaccio with Pea Vines, Pickled Mushrooms, Crispy Shallots, Brioche Croutons, and Dunbarton Blue Cheese
Comtesse Bernard de Cherisey Red Burgundy 2008

Butternut Squash Parmigiana with Mozzarella, Duck Confit, and Spiced Tomato Sauce
Casanova di Neri Sangiovese 2008

Orecchiette with Homemade Sweet Sausage, Autumn Chicories, and Bleu Mont Dairy Raw Milk Cheddar
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling 2008

Dry Aged New York Strip Steak with Sweet Potato Puree, Brussels Sprouts, Spicy Peanuts, and Buttermilk Blue Cheese Crumbles
Turley Howell Mountain Rattlesnake Ridge Zinfandel 2009

Apple Brown Betty with Hook’s 15-Year Cheddar, Bourbon Ice Cream and Bacon Brittle
Warre’s Otima 10-Year-Old Tawny Port NV

After the last dish left the kitchen, confident that we did the Dairy State proud, we raised our glasses for a staff toast, gathered our things and headed out for our own celebration dinner at Fatty 'Cue.

photo credit Brigitte Fouch

photo credit Brigitte Fouch

On our last day in the city, we split up and all tried to take in as much as we could...and as much food as we could. Erin, Nic and Brent were able to have lunch at Per Se, a Thomas Keller restaurant in the Time Warner Building where one of our former sous chefs now works. I grabbed lunch to-go from Bouchon Bakery and found a spot in Central Park to enjoy my sandwich, macaroon and latte. While Aaron found a long line of patrons stretching out of a deli, figured it must be good, and joined the line. I know that none of us were disappointed in any of the food we enjoyed while in the city and I'm not sure how New Yorkers do not eat themselves broke in a city full to the brim of such wonderful food and restaurants.

Needless to say, we boarded the plane with full bellies and tired legs. We arrived to our connection in Milwaukee just in time to watch the Brewers secure their place in the League Championship Series before boarding our final plane back to Madison.

photo credit Tom Kirkman

I think I can speak for the entire group when I say this was a trip I will never forget. I feel honored to have been a part of the team and immensely grateful for the opportunity cook at the James Beard House. On a personal note, I enjoyed working with everyone and enjoyed even more the dinners and drinks we shared while out on the town.