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By Manos Angelakis.
First Friday
When James Beard passed away in 1985, he left a legacy of culinary excellence to generations of American cooks and chefs. The American food community and such notables as Julia Child and Jacques Pépin, both of whom later-on became the guiding lights behind the James Beard Foundation, hailed him as “The Dean of American Cookery”. I never met Mr. Beard, though one of his aphorisms “I don't like gourmet cooking, or "this" cooking or "that" cooking. I like good cooking” certainly matches my own philosophy regarding food.
The first Friday of every month, the James Beard Foundation features a guest-chef preparing a luncheon at the Beard House, James Beard’s West Village residence. Julia Child once said, "The Beard House is like having Beethoven's house as a standard for musicians, because Beard is as important to food people as Beethoven is to the music world". On August 5, 2005, I was one of the tasters that experienced the innovative work of Michael Fiore of Tempo Restaurant and Wine Bar, in Brooklyn, NY and the excellent wines provided by Tempranillo, Inc., whose guest I actually was.
Mr. Fiore is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, also known as “the other CIA”, and has honed his expertise in such NY City establishments as Park Avenue Café, La Goulue, Lidia Bastianich’s Becco and Frico Bar, Osteria Laguna and Cucina. In London, he worked in Michael Roux’s Le Gavroche, refining his French technique.
Michael Fiore’s current style has roots inspired by the Mediterranean/North Africa region, though his original training was Italian and classic French. He uses very effectively spices and ingredients particular to the Moroccan, Spanish, and Greek/Turkish cuisines.
At the luncheon, for example, one of his outstanding appetizer’s was a “Crispy Duck Pastilla Roll with Feuille de Bric Pastry, Toasted Almonds, and Moroccan Barbecue Glaze” a variation on a North African classic, Bastilla, which is traditionally made with pigeon and blanched almonds.
The second appetizer was “King Salmon à la Plancha with Piri-Piri Glaze, Shaved Fennel–Green Apple Salad, and Juniper Berry Vinaigrette”. Piri-Piri is a fiery Portuguese sauce made with chopped red chili peppers including the seeds (the seeds are the spiciest part of the pepper).
Thankfully, a beautifully creamy 1999 Bodegas Ilopart Cava Rosado Brut sparkler was served with the appetizers, which was very useful in taming the result of the Piri-Piri glaze.
The third appetizer was a “Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Savory Pecan Bread Pudding and Golden Apricot Chutney”. Apricot as chutney or just stewed, is a culinary legacy of the Ottoman Empire that dominated the Mediterranean from the 15th to the 19th century.
When we sat down to lunch, the courses were just as noteworthy.
First Course: Porchetta with Three-Fennel Stuffing and Dandelion Greens; with a crisp 2003 Albariño from Bodegas Nora, Viña Nora.
Second Course: Bucatini with Sicilian Pistachio Pesto, Fagiolini Beans, Toasted Breadcrumbs, and Pecorino; with a Sierra Cantabria Organza 2002.
Main Course: Grilled Colorado Lamb T-Bone Rubbed with Moroccan Spices and Served with Mint Tabbouleh and Cucumber Raita; with a juicy, lush red Bodegas Finca Luzon, Altos de Luzon 2002 - a blend of old vines Monestrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tempranillo. By the way, the “raita” turned out to be a loose tzatziki, a Greek or Turkish yogurt sauce with slivered cucumber and a little olive oil, flavored with plenty of garlic and mint (in the Turkish version) or oregano (in the Greek version).
Dessert was a “Honey-Almond Torrone with Candied Almonds and Fresh Peach Nectar”; the dessert wine was a lovely Moscatel, Cia de Telmo Rodriguez 2003 from Malaga.
Beautiful food, interesting tablemates.
Thank you Jade C. Lopez of Tempranillo, Inc., and Arlyn Blake of the James Beard Foundation for the great experience.
© September 2005 LuxuruWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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