Click *here* for all pictures from this event

“Seriously Mom, I felt like a Midwestern tween who just met Miley Cyrus,” I gushed while describing my weekend at the second-annual New York Culinary Experience.  Of course, Mom had no clue that “Achy Breaky” Billy-Ray had a daughter.  “Remember the rush you felt when you saw Michael Jackson in concert for the first time?  Well, that’s probably the best way to sum up my weekend.  It was so surreal to be cooking side-by-side some of the world’s most renowned chefs, many of whom I grew up idolizing.  We’re talking about folks who have their own Food Network television shows, cookbooks and columns in famous culinary magazines!  I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, like, ‘Is this really happening to me right now?’”

Hosted by New York Magazine and the French Culinary Institute, theNew York Culinary Experience encompassed two full days of celebrating food in the most intimate and enjoyable way possible: side-by-side with 30 of the world’s most renowned chefs and restaurateurs.  This special weekend included: intimate master cooking classes (limited to 24 participants each), wine tastings, chef Q&A sessions, breakfast and lunch, and private end-of-day receptions.  For more details, including the roster of chefs, click *here.*

Though this hardly does my weekend any justice, here is the consolidated summary I conceived from 36 of the best hours of my life.  Enjoy & stay tuned for "Day 2!"

Saturday, 10/3

10am-12:15pm: “The New American Table” with Marcus Samuelsson

After checking in for day-1 of the NY Culinary Experience, I was led to the kitchen where I would spend the next 2+ hours.  Amidst FCI (French Culinary Institute) students nervously chopping vegetables and stirring the contents of steaming cauldrons stood the man himself, Chef Marcus Samuelsson. 

While the FCI’s staff was completing the prep work for our recipes, fellow class participants began trickling in to the kitchen and locating their assigned work stations.

“Well, it appears as though most of you are here,” Chef said as he looked around.  “I’m going to spend the next half-hour or so talking about my background, the industry, and the recipes that we’ll be making today.”  I remember glancing down at my watch and reading “9:30am.”  I looked over at my neighbor and gasped, “Thank God we arrived early.”

Where did Marcus learn how to cook and what’s his style?

Born in Ethiopia but raised in Sweden, Marcus’ maternal grandmother sparked his initial interest in food and cooking.

He coins his style of cooking as “flavor driven,” and believes that recipes should serve as guides, not bibles. Using a glass of whiskey-on-the-rocks as an example, Marcus explained the importance of flavor.  “Your first sip tastes strong and has a distinct, pungent smell and bite.  Now, if you took a swig 15-minutes later, would the drink still taste the same?  No, because the ice has had time to melt and dumb-down the alcohol.”  Mr. Samuelsson proceeded to explain that this is the reason he infuses the ice cubes used for his chilled melon soup with ginger.  “As the ice melts, the ginger essence becomes stronger.  This is what I mean by “flavor-driven food.”

What are his accolades?

• At the early age of 24, Marcus became the executive chef of Aquavit restaurant in NYC.

• The youngest chef to have ever received two highly coveted “three star” ratings by the New York Times (at Aquavit).

• In 2003, the James Beard Foundation named him “Best Chef in NYC.”

• Though he didn’t receive the title, Marcus competed on the Food Network’s infamous program, “Iron Chef.”

• He has authored four cookbooks, including “The New American Table,” which hits shelves on 10/26/09.

Which recipes did the class cook?

• Fried Yellowtail Poke with Wasabi Rouille

• Beef Tenderloin with Potato Apple Salad

• Lentil Soup with Pork and Lamb Dumplings

How was the class divided/assigned duties?

The 24 of us were split in to three teams of eight.  Each team was put in charge of one of the three recipes listed above.  Within each group, individuals were assigned specific tasks.

What was your team assigned to cook?

The Beef Tenderloin with Potato Apple Salad!

What was your favorite dish?

Why, the Tenderloin, of course!!

So…what’s Marcus like?  Is he as gorgeous in-person as he is on TV?

Humble, witty, charming, sharp, stylish, patient and personable are all words that describe Mr. Samuelsson.  I was struck by how down to earth he was!  And if you can believe it, he's even more gorgeous in person than he is on TV!

Lunch was served immediately after my cooking class with Marcus Samuelsson.  Was I hungry?  Hardly.  I’d just wolfed down more than a tasting’s-worth of: Fried Yellowtail Poke with Wasabi Rouille, Beef Tenderloin with Potato Apple Salad and Lentil Soup with Pork and Lamb Dumplings. But when I saw the lunch spread, I thought, “Diet Schmiet.” When in Rome, right? Justin Timberlake’s restaurant, Southern Hospitality, had graciously donated lunch for both days of the NY Culinary Experience. The smorgasbord included shell-on shrimp with 2 dipping sauces, Memphis-style pork ribs (dry rub, no sauce), toasted sliced baguette topped with pulled pork, mushroom sliders and your standard iceberg-lettuce-based salad…only this one was topped with an explosion of golf ball sized chunks of fried chicken breast.  While this was certainly a random assortment of dishes for a culinary event of this caliber, I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t go back for seconds (and thirds) of those plump chicken balls.

And before I knew it, the clock read “12:45pm.” Press, staff and event participants whooshed past me in a hurry, as if the building was ablaze and they were running for their lives.  “What the hell is going on?” I asked my friend, Alex.  “It’s 12:45!  Time for the lunch speaker series with Dorothy Hamilton, (founder of the FCI)and Ken Friedman (restaurateur extraordinaire). Let’s go!” I stuffed one more piece of fried chicken in my mouth, gathered my things, and proceeded downstairs to L’Ecole, FCI’s restaurant. As we tip-toed through a side entrance, Alex and I were shushed by a woman guarding the door.  The space was filled to the brim with folks hanging on every word that came out of Ken Friedman’s mouth.  Sadly, I was only able to catch about 5 minutes of the Q&A series before I had to hop off to my next event. And off like a prom dress I went! 

…

Until we eat again,

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle