The Play RED Captures the Essence of Cuisine without Ever Serving Food

A play entitle “RED” is currently appearing in various regional US theaters including Seattle Repertory Theatre about the famed abstract expressionism painter Mark Ruthko.

For those not familiar with Ruthko’s magnificent body of work, the play shares the extensive philosophy that motivated the artist’s efforts to reach the unique and the meaningful.

This includes his creation of paintings for and then withdrawal of those same painting from the walls of the famed Four Seasons Restaurant in New York’s elite Seagram Building.

RED (written by John Logan, who also wrote the film scripts for The Gladiator, The Aviator and Hugo) is a 90 minute exploration of the nature of creativity, truly worthy of the Tony Award that the play won in 2010.

And whether one agrees with Rothko’s startling decision to retain the Four Seasons canvases, his thoughts about the creative process are ones that any thoughtful culinary professional can relate to, especially if the words “art” and “painting” are replaced by the word “cuisine” as you read. :

“To us art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can be explored only by those willing to take the risk”.

“A painting is not about an experience. It is an experience.”

“The most important tool the artist fashions through constant practice is the faith in his ability to produce miracles when they are needed.”

“One does not paint for design students or historians but for human beings”.

Thankfully the Tate Museum in London was able to convince Rothko to show at least some of his Four Seasons canvases in their gallery to the applause of all who saw them.

But it is perhaps at the Rothko Chapel in Houston that one can see the full expression the artist’s commitment to meaning. The effect is stunning, simply stunning – spirituality without a restrictive creed, an expansive feast of simplicity that silently embraces everything. 

Today’s culinary professional will find a stolen evening’s viewing RED more than an evening off. They will, Instead, find the conflicting elements of their own career reflected in the play’s words and images.

As the curtain closes, one is left with the impression that if only Rothko had only spoken with the chefs, instead of the building’s wealthy financiers, he would have hung his paintings with pride at the Four Seasons, knowing there were others there who were ALSO artists just like him – those who create not with paint, but with the very ingredients of the earth itself: Chefs!

Post Note, March 1, 2012: Due to overwelling ticket demand, Seattle Repertory Theatre has extended the run of RED from February 24 to March 24, 2012. Fantastic! (Let's hope that all those who enjoy RED also enjoy dinner out before the play).  

Post Note, February 29, 2012: While RED plays in Seattle, the Portland Art Museum is hosting a not-to-be-miss exhibition of paintings covering Rothko’s entire career. Honoring this amazing show is the Hotel Lucia’s newest cocktail “Red on the Rocks”.

Following in the footsteps of Rothko, who believed that art should be enjoyed by everyone, the Hotel Lucia has followed suit and released the cocktail’s creative recipe:  

Red on the Rocks

• Layer .75 oz. of Cherry Heering Liqueur in a rocks glass.
• Soak 1 cube of sugar in bitters.
• Muddle sugar and 3 Cara Cara Orange slices.
• Add 1.5 oz. Bulleit Bourbon, .5 oz.  of Dolin Blanc Vermouth and ice in a mixing tin and stir.
• Pour into the rocks glass.
• Float .75 oz. of Campari Italian Liqueur on top.
• Garnish with one Amarena Cherry 

When done, raise your glass to honor creativity and then enjoy because life is short but art, real art, is forever! Thank you Rothko. Thank you John Logan!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012 

Discover Hollywood's Favorite Foods and Champagne Cocktail at the 2012 Governors Oscar Ball

Sunday, February 26^th is Oscar Night in Hollywood this year. And while the stars and artists of all things cinema will be watching the award ceremony at the L.A.’s Kodak Theater, chefs and event designers around the world will be analyzing the cuisine and décor at the offical post-gala Governors Ball.

Once again Cheryl Cecchetto will produce the must-be-at event with Wolfgang Puck overseeing the cuisine along with pastry chef Sherry Yard. This is the 18^th year that Chef Wolfgang has directed his Spago staff to cheer the winners and comfort the losers, all with his hallmark flare and creativity.

And this year is no different with some exciting changes in store. Unlike past evenings, this year’s event is no longer a formal sit-down dinner. Surprise-surprise. There will also be no buffet tables or long lines straining to grab a bite from crowded tables. Even bigger surprise.

Instead 550 pieces of customized furniture will be brought in to create a dazzling lounge, created with a welcoming open floor plan that will surely say ‘You can NOW relax and have some fun” to all with that sought after invitation card as all the food will be directly tray-offered to the lucky guests.

Yet soft suede, red roses, sparkling crystals and purple drapes still mark the event as one with classic Hollywood glamour.

And then there will be the food as only Tinsel Town can do it – 1450 pounds of Maine lobster for petit tacos for starters and finally dessert mouse served in golden hued eggs. Ah Hollywood!

But what’s a party without a cocktail – the Governors Ball has always had its very own signature one, thanks to the very elegant champagne of Moet & Chandon. So without further delay, card please – recipe card, that is…Enjoy!  

RED CARPET GLAMOUR COCKTAIL 

• Fill a chilled champagne flute ½ way with ice.
• Stir 1 ounce of fresh-squeezed sour mix (see below) and Hum Botanical Spirit with fresh ice.
• Strain into flute to fill ½ way.
• Top with Moët & Chandon Imperial.
• Garnish with a single rose petal.
• Continually refresh as needed with champagne.

Sour Mix: Combine 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water until sugar is completely dissolved. Add 1 cup fresh lime juice and 1 cup fresh lemon juice and refrigerate.

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012 

New York Health Department Plays Grinch to Algonquin Hotel Beloved Cat

‘Tis the holiday season, a time for fun and good cheer when all are friends and kindness fills the air.

Or should be…

In what can only be called a ‘cat-astrophe’, the New York City Health Department apparently forgot to refer to their calendar when they recently banned the Algonquin's ‘direcfurr of guest relations’, the beautiful kitty Matilda III from many sections of this historic hotel.

Now certainly the Health Department has a valuable job to do but perhaps this is an overreaction to a tradition that since the 1930s has harmed no one.

Matilda, the Algonquin's famed cat, is part of a proud line of feline greeters who have been delighting guests since the first kitty was welcomed, cold and hungry, out of a stormy night by the hotel's compassionate owner Frank Case.

Honored by no less than the actor John Barrymore with the names “Hamlet” or “Matilda”, depending on their sex, the current kitty can now only grace the registration area – and only while on a leash.

All these restrictions are thanks to the NYC Health Department’s grumpy ‘grinch-y’ attitude during a season of supposed cheer and good well.

Surely the ghosts of such legendary literarties as Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Mark Conley, Edna Ferber and George F. Kaufman, all members of the Hotel’s famed Round Table, would object to such an injustice against a noble kitty who is dedicated to the very spirit of a warm welcome and a gentle purr. 

One can hope that amidst all the glorious sparkle and glitter that typifies New York City during the winter holidays, the New York City's Health Department will perhaps review their decision and adopt a more objective perspective that honors both the values of the Season and the traditions of welcome that are the hallmark of our Industry all year round.

Post Note, November 28, 2011 - If you're interested in learning more about the Round Table of Literary Greats that gathered during the 1920's at the Algonquin Hotel, be sure to check out the film, Mrs. Parker and Her Vicious Circle. 

The hotel's insightful owner Frank Case often sent complimentary popover rolls and celery to their corner table as those gathered there tended to talk first, drink second (whiskey sours were a favorite) and eat last - a combination that anyone in the Industry knows is not the best for any guest no matter their talent or the season. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

There Is No Game like THE GAME Between Yale and Harvard for Tailgating Fun

November 19^th is fast approaching and that can only mean one thing - The Harvard - Yale Game is scheduled for one more mighty confrontation of brawn and brain.

Since 1875, there's been a game. For years it was called either "the Yale - Harvard Game", if one attended Yale or "the Harvard - Yale game" if one went to Harvard. 

Then in the late 1940s, the famous sport columnist Red Smith wrote about the game as “The Game” and the name stuck. Why such praise?  

Because as one of the first games ever played at the university level, this annual contest of Ivy League will significantly defined the game of American football, making it ‘the” major college sport in the U.S. 

This legacy would continue through the years, leading to such memorable games as the 1968 contest when the battered Harvard team made a miraculous last-moment comeback, scoring 16 points in the final 42 seconds to tie a highly acclaimed Yale squad. The next day the Harvard headlines read with justifiable pride, "Harvard beats Yale 29 - 29". 

This year The Game is at New Haven and Yale can’t wait to welcome the hardy Harvard Pilgrims (players, students and fans) down from Cambridge, near Boston.

Besides hoping to break a sad record of five years of straight losses, Yale students and alumni are also looking forward to enjoying another great tailgating event for which they are truly famous.   

And while the University administration has issued various 'rules of engagement' (no under 21 drinking, beverage ID wrist bands required, gas grills only and no glass bottles), that won’t stop the fun, given the combined IQ of both schools.

The joint student bodies are sure to enjoy beer and any other spirited beverage obtainable in the nearby vicinity. Food to hopefully balance the liquid intake is kindly being provided by Yale University’s College dining halls.

Those who have graduated have a far more elegant spread at their disposal be it from the assorted alumni groups or various association hospitality tents. Here the fare is far more gourmet and the beverages as memorable as the fabled ivy covered walls of Yale and Harvard.

If distance or duty keeps you from The Game, you can still enjoy the tradition and heritage of it all with these classic cocktails – ones sure to be enjoyed by many while waiting for The Game (and the fun) to begin. (Will M.I.T. appear and try another of their infamous pranks? Who knows).

Good luck all and remember classes (and work) commence once again, bright and early, on Monday morning.

Harvard Cooler

1/2 tsp. superfine sugar
2 oz. carbonated water
2 oz. applejack

Stir sugar and carbonated water together in a 12 oz. Collins glass. Fill with cracked ice and add applejack. Top off with more carbonated water, or ginger ale. Insert spiral of orange or lemon peel over the rim of the glass.

Yale Punch

1 tsp. sugar dissolved in a little water
1 or 3 dashes lemon juice
1 or 2 dashes lime juice
2 or 3 dashes raspberry syrup
2 or 3 dashes Bénédictine
1/2 oz. St. Croix rum (probably any decent dark rum will do here)
2 oz. brandy (the recipe specifies Hennessey)

Mix with ice in a glass. Garnish with mint. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

New James Bond Movie SKYFALL Launches at Massimo Restaurant and Oyster Bar

Yes, James is back and just in time for the 50th anniversary of Hollywood’s longest and most successful film franchise. The new film, entitled Skyfall, will premiere in the fall of 2012 and stars once again the fabulous Daniel Craig.

And where did the over 100 reporters from around the world go to attend the film's press launch?

Why none other than the famed Massimo Restaurant and Oyster Bar in London.

If you doubt this amazing restaurant’s popularity with celebrities, just consider that Johnny Depp also appeared there for the press launch of his latest installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series – On Stranger Tides. 

Given the setting for the film (water, water everywhere) – this legendary seafood restaurant seems the perfect destination for Depp and his fellow actors. (Not to mention the lucky attending members of the press – thank you Johnny!)

But back to Bond. The new film will be the 23^rd time Bond has dazzled and with Craig, acting as our daring savior from disaster, this film is sure to be a worldwide hit.

Speaking of worldwide, the film’s still closely guarded plot is projected to range from England to China to Istanbul and finally to Scotland.  Such a wealth of destinations is sure to trigger (pardon the pun) new culinary trends and flavors.

Hosting all this wonder at El Massimo is Chef Patron Massimo Riccioli himself.  

Beginning in Rome, he directed the culinary delights at La Rossetta, the oldest Michelin star rated restaurant in Italy.

Now London is the lucky city able to enjoy his memorable feasts from the sea to shining sea.

Let’s just hope that the celebrities attending the launch don’t forget to enjoy those vodka martinis that James made so very popular as they dine on the best that chef and the oceans can offer.  

To be sure, “Shaken, not stirred” should help boast beverage profits around the world as countless movie goers applaud Ian Flemings’ 007 hero one more time in true cinematic style. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011