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June 9-15 2008 was the annual 7 DAYS FOR SIDS fundraiser for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). I had the honor of serving on the Planning Committee for my second year.

7 Days for SIDS raises money for awareness and research towards the eradication of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), the number one cause of death of children from birth to one year, through the Sudden Infant Death Network of Ohio. And to sustain the Tatiana de Cavel Scholarship Fund at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

While we’re still sorting through everything, it looks as though Sunday’s Father’s Day Brunch (we’re still adding up the rest of the week’s donations)may put this year in line to be a record-setting year for this event!

I worked the Brunch on Sunday. My responsibilities included assisting chefs with load-in of their food (I worked at the dock to get the chef’s equipment and supplies onto rolling carts, which were delivered to the chef’s table by Erin and Melissa, two students), directing chefs on where to go, solving problems (like getting Jean-Francois’ (Taste from Belgium) power back on when the circuits kept blowing!), general cleanup, mingling with the guests, and announcing various things (for some reason, no one knew how to access the Public Address system in the building, so we resorted to, well, shouting).

Jean-Robert & Annette de Cavel (of Jean-Robert at Pigall’s) were busy most of the day greeting guests as they arrived to the event. While I’m sure being busy didn’t completely quiet their minds, I hope the positive nature of the busy-ness was a relief from the sadness associated with the timing of this event – it falls near the anniversary of the loss of their baby daughter, Tatiana.

During this year’s event, I learned a bit about the history of 7 DAYS FOR SIDS… After Tatiana’s death in 2002, Jean-Robert (“JR”) and Annette wanted to host a one-night memorial/fundraiser event in March of 2003. As word of the event spread throughout the Cincinnati restaurant community, offers of support and participation flooded in from chefs, restaurants, and other businesses to help out in any way they could. With such an outpouring of love and support, the event envisioned by JR & Annette, which was intend to be one-night-only, quickly expanded into a week’s worth of activities

Now, the week includes golf outings, special donations from restaurants (for example, proceeds from the sale of certain menu items during the week), cooking demonstrations (including live cooking demos from 10 chefs at the wonderful kitchens of Homearama), art shows, brunches, bowling, a silent auction, and new this year, a live auction event. Also new this year is a commemorative CD with recipes, chef bios, a video, and SIDS information.

Now in it’s 5th year, 7 DAYS FOR SIDS…

* has raised nearly $400,000 for SIDS research

* is the largest supporter of the Sudden Infant Death Network of Ohio

* is the second largest SIDS fundraiser in the country

It is our hope to eradicate SIDS so no family has to experience the heartache of losing a child to SIDS.

Because when we put an end to SIDS, we all sleep better at night.

On Saturday, April 5, 2008, Wendy & I dined at The Palace Restaurant in the Cincinnatian Hotel in downtown Cincinnati.

We were greeted warmly at the door by Maitre D’ John McLean who walked us to our table and helped us settle in for a multi-course menu prepared for us by Chef Romuald “Romy” Jung from the restaurant’s menu. It was exciting not to know what was coming out course-by-course, and we enjoyed the surprise when each dish was revealed as the cloche was lifted.

The first course was Chestnut Soup with Granny Smith Apples, which, before we tasted it, put us in the mind of my own Apple and Chestnut Soup, but upon tasting was entirely different. Romy’s soup was based on beef or veal stock, so the flavor was full and hearty with highlights of sweetness from the perfectly-cut batonnet of granny smith apple. Warming and satisfying, this was a very nice first course. This was beautifully paired with Perrier Jouet.

(I must, sadly, note that the server did not keep track of our wine and food pairings as requested. She provided us a menu of what we ate, and the wines are listed on the receipt but not in order. We enjoyed wines from the following distributors: Perrier Jouet, Irony, J. Lohr, Giesen, and Bridlewood.)

The second course was Risotto with Black Truffle Butter and Black Truffle Butter, Parmesan Cheese, and Mascarpone Cheese. Holy smoke was this delicious! Upon service, a wonderful waft of truffle essense delighted us (and the table next to ours). The risotto was cooked perfectly, and the starch made a wonderfully heady sauce, complimented by the cheeses (and, of course, the truffles!). It was truly a truffle overload… No small flavors here!

Third course was a real standout of the entire meal. It was Oxtail Ravioli with Foie Gras Sauce and a Port Reduction. This was truly spectacular, and the pairing with the J. Lohr Chardonnay (I remember that one!) was outstanding. We experienced richness on multiple levels with the oxtail and foie sauce, accented by the sweetness of the port reduction. It was so good, in fact, that we suggested to Chef Romy that it always be served with spoons for getting every last drop of that delicious sauce (they brought us spoons right away). It is truly an expression of the skill of the chef when he can transform humble ingredients like oxtail into something so delicious (throwing some foie gras in there doesn’t hurt!). It is worth the trip to the restaurant just for this dish, though if you eat only this dish, you will miss out on other delights, like…

The fourth course was an unexpected surprise (even our server was expecting halibut). This was French White Asparagus (lovely fat spears) seared with tomato confit, goat cheese, and balsamic reduction.
When the cloches were removed, Wendy & I both chuckled out loud at the novelty of a simple vegetable course like this — just two beautifully-cooked spears of asparagus, their white color tinged slightly brown from the cooking, and topped with the confit, reduction, and goat cheese. Chef Romy has a light hand with seasonings, so the fresh flavor of the asparagus really shone through.

Our fifth course was a seared Diver Scallop served with organic wild mushroom ragut and dry sherry. Beautifully cooked (ever so slightly translucent in the middle), the scallops were sweet with an accent of earthiness from the mushrooms and sherry.

The sixth course was a beautiful Duck Breast with braised endive (which I adore) and an orange demi-glace. Oh, how I enjoy duck, and this one was excellent. Dotted around the plate were little potato dauphinoise, perfect for stabbing with your fork and chasing around every bit of the demi-glace.

Finally, desserts were presented. We very much enjoyed our Pistachio Creme Brulee (I love pistachios and creme brulee, so this was a real treat for me). Wendy’s dessert (they pegged her perfectly) was their “Inside Out Fondue” with chocolate sorbet and a spicy orange sauce, which looked like beignets until cut with a fork, when they oozed warm chocolate ganache from within the crust.

An exceptional meal! Thanks Chef Romy & John!

About mid-way through the meal, the couple seated next to us leaned over and said, “Okay… Who are you two and why are you surprised at every dish? Didn’t you ORDER your food?”. I explained that I am a culinary instructor, and told them that they, too, could call ahead and ask the chef to select their menu. They were pleasantly surprised at this idea; apparently, they hadn’t thought before of this approach. I really enjoy doing this — calling ahead and asking the chef to show me the scope of his menu through a tasting. Chefs seem to enjoy this as well, especially if you go on a non-weekend night (Wednesday is a good choice) and give them plenty of advanced notice. Plus, it’s a great way to see, well, the scope of their menu. Of course, if you have any food aversions or allergies, make sure you inform the restaurant a> at the time of reservation and b> before your meal begins.

Tonight was Ted’s HAPPY MOUTH selection, and he chose RED in Hyde Park. RED is a new-ish restaurant in a traditionally difficult space. The long, dark, shotgun-style room feels intimate, but diners don’t feel like they’re sitting on top of each other. Our long table was near the back of the restaurant in the center.

Wendy tried their Lobster Bisque (which was velvety smooth and lovely) and I had a Seared Foie Gras appetizer, which was excellent. For my main, I had their Roasted Duck Breast with Lo Mein, Hoisin Butter, and Green Mango Relish and Wendy had a Gnocchi special. Her Gnocchi were light and flavorful and she made reasonably quick work of them. My duck was mostly well-prepared, but the fat had not been rendered out of the skin, leaving it flabby and inedible, plus the seasoning on it was very heavy and masked the rich flavor of the duck.

For dessert, Wendy & I split a lemon tart with fresh berries and a glass of Moscato d’Asti — a perfect pairing.

A very good pick, Ted!

On Saturday, June 16, 2007, I worked in the kitchens of Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. It was a good evening to work — the Chef de Cuisine and one of the line cooks were both out. Adequate plans for coverage were made, though — the sous chef from one of Jean-Robert’s other restaurants worked the “middle” (between fish and meat), I was there, and there were two high school-aged girls volunteering as well. It’s rare to see volunteers there because the kitchen is so small, but the girls stayed mostly out of the way.

Before service, I assisted with general prep. When Chef arrived, he pulled me downstairs to assist him (it was fun for me in a weird way to re-assign my mise en place to the high-school girls) with butchery & fish mongering. I worked my way (slowly, Chef would tell you!) through several skate wings and beef tenderloins. I enjoy butchery and fish mongering and have some skill at it (though I am a little bit slow, Chef would probably point out again, poking me in the ribs with his finger), and it was nice to give these skills a workout — not something I get to do often. An added perk was that Chef worked with me for much of the butchery. We had a good conversation while we worked, a rare luxury in such a busy kitchen.

After cleaning up from the butchery, I moved upstairs and shadowed Abby on Hot Appetizers for service. I helped with the soup and ravioli dishes, and helped Abby wherever I could. I didn’t start out the evening very helpfully — the first thing I did was drop a sizzle plate loudly to the floor (”it’s going to be that kind of night,” I thought). I messed up a couple other things that put Abby in the weeds, but she was cool and collected through the first turn. Or perhaps she was just relishing the quiet because she over-celebrated her 25th birthday the night before… I got my shit together for the second turn and feel like I contributed. Since morel mushrooms are in season, we sold a bunch of them — more than 20 orders, I think.

At one point during service, we ran out of prepared skate so Chef pulled me from Hot Apps and sent me downstairs to fabricate a few more. I busted them out, brought them up to Chef, and cleaned up. After service, Chef said that he was impressed that I jumped out, did what was necessary, and jumped back in.

After service, Chef asked if I wanted a soft-shell crab, which is currently on our menu. I said sure (it is bad form to say no when a chef offers you food!). The fish guy (Rob) told me that he’d cook it but I had to prep the crab. So, I followed the instructions Abby told me: “Step 1: Cut off the face with these scissors. Step 2: Lift up the skirt and cut out the gills. Step 3: Pull the tab (near the crab’s butt) and cut it off”. Abby has a hard time getting past the “cut off the face” part, but that doesn’t give me a problem. In culinary school, I went around behind the chef-instructor’s back and dispatched the lobsters of squeemish classmates. On Valentine’s Day (we call it amateur night) at the restaurant, I had to prep, dispatch, and par-cook 75 lobsters. The prep involved inserting a “booty stick” in the lobster’s, well…, booty (to keep the tail from curling when cooked) before dropping it in boiling water. After a few minutes, they were shocked in icy water and I broke down the bodies and cut their faces off for garnish.

Rob pan-fried the crab and served it with sauteed vegetables including fennel & fingerling potatoes and a caper buerre noir over top. It was delicious! I noticed that any time I’d turn my back on the plate, bits of the crab would disappear as my co-workers snuck samples. Fine with me.

After service was over, I helped everyone break down their stations and prepare to shut down the restaurant for their “weekend” — no service on Sunday or Monday. I was ready to go out for drinks, but owing to the over-celebration the night before, no one wanted to indulge, so I headed home, tired but happy to have helped out.

Upon reflection on the night, I feel like I passed a threshold in the restaurant with my participation during prep and service. I am not currently able to articulate what threshold it was exactly, but it feels like something very positive. I really enjoy working at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s.

 
One Night, Twelve Kitchens
April 29, 6-9 pm
Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State College 

Top regional chefs showcase the eleven state-of-the-art kitchens at Midwest Culinary Institute to benefit the Cincinnati State College Foundation culinary scholarships.

I have participated in this event for the last few years and was very happy to work it again this year. I was assigned to Chef Neace, representing the Summit Room, the restaurant at Cincinnati State. The event was very well attended — I would estimate more than 400 guests.

We prepared a smoked duck breast salad with cherry caponate quinoia, microgreen salad with peach vinagrette, and a drizzle of poppyseed yogurt dressing alongside. We sliced the duck breast thin and put it in a ring mold (okay, PVC pipes), pressed in a bit of the quinoia, then topped with the dressed microgreens. It was a very nice looking dish and our guests enjoyed it very much. We ’sold out’ fairly early, so I was able to get cleaned up and walk around to see what was going on at the other tables.

This evening, the members of the Happy Mouth Supper Club met at Jay’s selection — the Brown Dog Cafe in Blue Ash (a suburb of Cincinnati). I’d previously worked at an event with Chef Shawn McCoy but had not had the chance to eat at the restaurant.

Boy, am I glad we finally did! Our group — Ted, Tracy, Wendy, Holly, Angel, Debbie, Jay, and me — sat at a large table at the rear of the restaurant and enjoyed many dishes from the menu, starting with appetizers including Tic Tac Tuna; Crab and Lobster Roll; Open Faced Goat Cheese Sandwiches; and Maza (”tiny bites” of food), and a special tuna amuse bouche that Chef sent out for us.

Everything was exceptionally well-prepared and presented beautifully. Entrees were also wonderful, from the Duck, Duck — pan-seared duck breast with duck leg confit, a wild mushroom beggar’s purse, and some fresh vegetables; Duck, Here Comes Your Venison — pan-roasted venison loin with johnny cakes; to Bass in Harm’s Way — fresh Chilean sea bass with jerk seasonings over sweet potato acorn squash mash. Everything was top notch, appropriately seasoned, and served cooked to the proper temperature.

Desserts did not disappoint… I enjoyed my Apple Tart, Wendy loved her Alaskan Latte, and everyone else seemed to love their desserts too.

Service was friendly and knowledgable without being obtrusive. Ambiance was nice — it’s cozy enough for a romantic dinner, and large enough that our party did not overwhelm. I was particularly impressed that Chef Shawn visited each-and-every table during service. They have a nice wine list including several wines by the glass.

I am happy to see a local restaurant doing such great food. Kudos to the Brown Dog Cafe!