Move Over Shirley Temple, Today’s Kids Want Harry Potter’s Butterbeer

With the release of Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Part 2, the epic tale of young wizard and his friends comes to a close, at least for now. 

 But have no fear – the fun (and profits) will continue through creative theme park destinations, official interactive websites and a popular new drink, now replacing the tried and true but rather dated Shirley Temple mocktail. 

First seen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Butterbeer is the beverage enjoyed by Harry, Ron and Hermione at the student popular Three Broomsticks Tavern in Hogsmeade near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

When Universal Parks & Resorts created the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, they asked Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef Steven Jayson to create the beverage which had, to that point, only been described by J.K. Rowling in her beloved magical mystery series. 

Yet, even for a culinary magician such as Chef Jayson, there are always restrictions, the boundaries of reality (and copyright). And this time they were set by none other than J.K. Rowling herself.

Rowling (in agreement with Universal Studio) required that the chef’s future creation contain no butter or other dairy product. And though this might seem a contradiction, the decision was based on a concern for any children with a lactose intolerance. In addition, Butterbeer was to be made using only real sugar, not corn syrup.

Beginning in 2008, Chef Jayson and his culinary team spent four plus months creating Universal Orlando’s version of Butterbeer. It took over 15 tries before the chef and his team stepped back and smiled knowing they had achieved the exact feel and flavor described by Rowling.

The resulting beverage has a butterscotch flavor base with a foaming head.  And though the brew served within Orlando’s Three Broomsticks Tavern is a carefully guarded corporate secret, here is an absolutely nonofficial mockup of the final flavor:

Blend and heat together only very briefly ¼ cup butterscotch syrup and ¼ teaspoon butter. Cool slightly and add 1 cup cream soda or club soda. Stir carefully. Add a dash of salt and vinegar to taste. Top with a head of frothed whipped cream.  Can be enjoyed hot or cold as well as a flavor base for ice cream or icing.

Simply magical! Children love it as will adults, especially with a bit of rum added, but only if Dumbledore, Hogwarts’ Headmaster, approves!

May magic continue forever - especially in the kitchen! 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

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Post Note: If you doubt the influence of the "Harry Potter Effect", just consider that the film brought in over $169 Million USA dollars during the first stateside weekend showings alone! (The previous top revenue holder, The Dark Knight, ranked in at a mere $150 million USA dollars).

And that's not counting what the DVD sets of the complete Harry Potter series will bring in as 25% of the audience are purchasers between the ages of 18 and 34! They must be happy at Hogwarts! That's going to buy a lot of Butterbeer for everyone!

Thoughtful Change Defines Rapoport’s First Bon Appetit Cover

The May copy of Bon Appetit is a must-see/must-read issue for all those who follow trend development in the culinary industry. The magazine’s new editor-in-chief, Adam Rapoport, chose a simple bowl of pasta al pomodoro garnished with grated parmesan as the front cover image.  

It’s a classic dish but not a cutting edge selection such as one might expect from, say, Ferran. But be assured that Rapoport knows what he’s doing and why. After all, he worked at GQ (Gentlemen’s Quarterly) before being selected by Condé Nast, the parent owners of the Bon Appetit publication. And no one can say that the prestigious GQ isn’t hip to all that’s hot.

Rapoport recently explained over breakfast in mid-Manhattan that startlingly fast change has never been his goal. With over 1.5 million readers, the magazine’s new directing editor's principal objective is to maintain and then to expand subscriptions through an in depth understanding of contemporary trends and interests.

An experienced hand at developmental design, Rapoport quickly repeated lessons learned at GQ that one’s supportive staff can make or break even the most gifted as no one truly creates successfully in isolation.  Soon such talented and experienced individuals as Christine Muhlke, formerly from The New York Times Magazine, were working beside him.

The first (and probably most pressing) problem facing Rapoport and his staff is how to stand out among the many spin-off magazines from the crowded field of T.V.'s celebrity chef shows. That other leading food magazine, Food & Wine, has very successfully co-branded with the Bravo Chanel “Top Chef” programing. And no one can miss Rachael Ray’s or Martha Stewart ‘s magazines at the grocery check-out stands, complete with nearly endless tie-ins to their daily television broadcasts.

So what’s Rapoport to do? In short, keep the best and then add the rest. For Bon Appetit, Rapoport believes that the positive starting point is the magazine's library of outstanding recipes, all tested and copyrighted. Add solid culinary technique, all captured in stunning photography that both defines and excites.

But Rapoport wants more. He wants snap and pop while always bringing the reader into the experience.  Story titles will become more intriguing with such lead lines as “How to Drink Like an Italian,” and “The Real Baconator.” Writers (and photographers) will abandon the standard studio stillife shoot and move out onto location, bringing back not just the story but also the authentic “feeling” of cuisine and culture.

Will there be celebrities? Yes, but one’s that are truly interested in cuisine, not just those using all matters food and wine to promote their image (and their bank account). The New York Post is currently reporting that the next issue will feature Gwyneth Paltrow. One can only hope-hope-hope they are right.

Go for it Rapoport!  We’re all rooting for you. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Hotel deLuxe Celebrates a Legend with the Elizabeth Taylor Champagne Cocktail

Many of us woke today to the sad news that a great star has passed away.  Elizabeth Taylor, a true member of Hollywood’s golden-era royalty, died peacefully of congestive heart failure at the Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, surrounded by her four children. She was 79 years old.  

When one speaks of the amazing life of Elizabeth Taylor, only the word “lengendary” will do.  And it is this great legacy that the Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon honors every day with a very special cocktail.

But first let’s meet Elizabeth Taylor. She came to Hollywood from war-torn Britain during the early days of World War II and rose to sudden fame as the courageous heroine in the heart-touching film National Velvet.

Her stunning beauty caught the eye of many men, starting with Nicky Hilton of Hilton Hotel fame. Seven other husbands followed and many more great movies including Cleopatra, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, BUtterfield 8, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Giant, Place in the Sun, Taming of the Shrew and A Little Night Music to name only a few.  

Lesser acknowledged is her skill as a business woman and her active support of HIV/AIDS research. She launched the first and most successful celebrity perfume, entitled “Passion”, named after her Love for life.

By 1991 her fragrant “Passion” had soared to sales of over $100 million dollars. A later perfume, “White Diamonds” would go on to rack up over one billion dollars in sales globally, making it the most famous star perfume ever marketed.

Elizabeth then gathered her star power (and dollars) and helped found the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) after the shattering death of her former costar and longtime friend, Rock Hudson. At a time when many wanted to ignore the growing health crisis or worse use the event to isolate and judge a valuable segment of society, she demand that the issue and loss caused by AIDS be faced squarely and publicly.

Showing the strength behind her beauty, she went further and founded the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation (ETAF), enlisting the aid of the rich and famous to raise funds and fight fear. Indeed, it is to this organization that she asked her many fans and friends to support if they wished to remember her after death. 

From charm to beauty to meaning – what a life she lived, what a legacy she has left us. Michael Robertson, lead bartender extra ordinaire of the Driftwood Lounge at the cinema–themed Hotel deLuxe, has created a fantastic champagne cocktail that captures the beauty (inside and out) of this amazing superstar.

An almost perfect color match to Elizabeth Taylor’s stunning violet eyes, this is a cocktail as unforgettable as the star’s beauty and personal courage.

Equally unforgettable is the Hotel deLuxe with each floor’s décor honoring the Hollywood made famous by the movies. Images of Grace Kelly, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow grace the walls in elegant art deco style.  It’s just the right place to enjoy elegance and a world class cocktail honoring a world famous star – Elizabeth Taylor.

But, just in case you can’t make it to the Hotel deLuxe in the near future, bar master Michael Robertson has graciously offered to help you honor Elizabeth Taylor by sharing the recipe for his original cocktail – Enjoy and remember: 

The Elizabeth Taylor Cocktail

Stir gently together:

4 ounces of chilled Champagne

¾ ounce of Rothman & Winter’s Crème De Viollete.

Mix slowly and pour into the most elegant glass available.

Gently top with an Amarena Cherry.

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Michael S. Smith Designs for Michelle Obama, the Oscar Green Room and Some Very Special Hotels

Did you watch the 2011 Oscar Award Ceremony? If you did, you were sure to see Krista Smith, Senior West Coast Editor of Vanity Fair Magazine in the stunning Architectural Digest Green Room created by Michael S. Smith, designer to the White House and some of the world’s most beautiful hotels.

Whether Michael is designing an interior in a beach house, town house, high rise or grand hotel, his clients include such greats as Michele Obama, Steven Spielberg, Lady Linda Rothschild, The Lowell of New York City and Shutters on the Beach in California. 

So it’s a natural that the insightful editors of Architectural Digest chose Michael as their designer extraordinaire for their Oscar sponsored Green Room.  One has only to look at the hotel interiors he has designed to see why. 

At the great Lowell in Manhattan, Michael took the Penthouse and created a calming world of elegant style that balanced the modern with the classic as only he can in signature style that has become his hallmark.  No one has a more perfect background to achieve that blend of unique and diverse elements than Michael, now a star designer.

Born in California, Michael studied first at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles before continuing his studies at London’s famed Victoria and Albert Museum. After leaving England he worked for the legendary American antique dealer Gep Durenberger and the noted designer John Saladino.

Step by step, Michael studied and learned, like a great chef, how to bring many different elements together into a complete experience that was simply stunning and totally unforgettable. In his acclaimed book Elements of Style he detailed how the magic is done.

Michael begins each project by gathering resource material from a variety of inspiring sources ranging from old magazine pictures to a single seashell. After discarding the excessive items through a focused editing process, he pairs the simple with the grand in a manner that both delights and endears.

One has only to visit Shutters on the Beach to see the final result. Once with only a rustic (and somewhat dated) lodge-y brown interior, Michael brought the breeziness of relaxing sea air indoors while maintaining an elegance that guests such as Hollywood’s A-listers treasure.

Today the property offers its guest simply the best in design without pretension or push – like a great dinner from a master chef, who understands the true nature of style - clarity without artificiality, trustfulness with wonder.

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Moet and Chandon Is the Perfect Oscar Party Champagne

Ah Hollywood - the glamour and the glitter. With Oscar night just a few days away, it's the perfect time to celebrate the style and elegance that is the stock and trade of the world's beloved Tinsel Town. And nothing says class like a glass of champagne - but not just any bubbly, please.

You see, it must be just the very best in order to match the fabulous designer gowns and legendary jewels that are the hallmarks of the red carpet. For over one hundred years, there has been one champagne that stars and producers have used to celebrate their successes and equally to drown their failures - Moet & Chandon, the favorite champagne of Hollywood (and the world).

But the fame of Moet & Chandon Champagne did not begin merely because it was favored by the movie moguls of California. The history of this great sparkling wine began centuries before in the court of the French kings who understood the power of luxury long before there was a Hollywood.   

In 1750 the initial firm of Moet et Cie was called upon to supply champagne to Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of Louis XV. As an arbiter of fashion and style, whatever firm Pompadour favored soon became the darling supplier of the nobility.  

Because the French court defined the elegance that all Europe sought, soon Moet et Cie were expanding their vineyards and their offices throughout Europe to serve the other international noble families. But change was in the air and few of those nobles noticed that the hot winds of revolution was blowing outside the windows of their candle lit dining rooms.

For quite some time many major economic problems had been ignored by France's rulers. High taxes, scoring food prices, unequal laws and costly foreign wars brought the final collapse of the centuries old reign. After a bloody period of adjustment, a new government, led by the young General Napoleon, restablished order and once again it was time to celebrate and enjoy champagne.

Napoleon himself was invited to Epernay, the chateau home of Moet et Cie, to enjoy with his staff the best sparkling wines available. He loved them all and, as during the rule of the former French Kings, soon the rich and famous of Europe (and America) were eager to drink whatever Napoleon was drinking. Ah fame!

It should come as no surprise that Napoleon's expanding influence and power soon led him to view himself as a great imperial monarch, not merely as the people's general serving the cause of freedom. Not long afterward he crowned himself emperor.

Well as they say, pride comes before the fall and soon he too was swept from power at the bloody Battle of Waterloo. The heads of the European states now needed to meet and reorder the confused map of broken nations leftover after Napoleon's many military campaigns. Vienna was chosen as the conference site and, of course, there had to be champagne, lots of champagne to drink.

With peace restored, soon everyone from the Russian Tsar Alexander II to Queen Victoria were enjoying Moet & Chandon again, now renamed to include the name of a new son-in-law, Pierre-Gabriel Chandon de Briailles, who had joined the firm.

Now the leading producer and exporter of French champagne, the employment practices implemented this great champagne house were far ahead of the times. Over 2,000 employees enjoyed free medical attention, housing assistance, retirement pensions, maternity benefits, paid sick leave and free legal aid when needed.  And this was all in 1872 at the height of the often indifferent industrial revolution then sweeping the world!

As you might imagine, Moet & Chandon's employees were very loyal so much so that by 1880 the firm was producing 2.5 million bottles of champagne, largely enjoyed by the upper classes. Yet soon all that would be shattered by the blast of endless cannon fire as World War I erupted not far from Moet & Chandon's priceless vineyards.

After the destruction of World War I, the manor at Moet & Chandon was rebuilt and a new champagne blend introduced: Dom Perignon. Named after the humble Benedictine monk who worked for decades at his monastery exploring the properties of the region's unique bubbling wine, it was soon the darling of the fast and wild flapper generation of the 1920's, who danced and drank to forget the horrors of the past war and rushed into all that was modern.

Once again the fortunes of Moet & Chandon soared but meanwhile a dark shadow of hate was slowly spreading out from Germany in the form of Nazi power and deceit. Once more war devoured Europe and the German soldiers who occupied France demanded bottles of the now world famous wine to celebrate their 'victory'.

Enraged restaurateurs in Paris and in France's other leading cities chose instead to hide their legendary champagne behind false plaster walls.  With smiles on their faces, the wine stewards poured the poorest champagne they dared as a substitute and then attached a Moet & Chandon price tag! It was a small victory, but one that kept hope alive.

After four long years of occupation, France was finally freed by the Joint Allied Forces. Joyous chefs and sommeliers broke down the protective walls and reclaimed their treasured bottles of Moet & Chandon as they celebrated a return of freedom and choice.   

With peace in 1950 Count Robert-Jean de Vogue became the director of Moet & Chandon and made the decision to transform the long family-owned business into a modern corporation or "Societe Anonyme" to use the French term. The resulting reorganization prompted the greatest expansion of sales the company had ever experienced.

The resulting funds soon enabled the firm to purchase their first out-of-winery investment: Parfums Christian Dior. Then in 1971 the firm merged with the legendary cognac firm Jas Hennessy. Two years later in 1973 they opened the esteemed Domaine Chandon winery in California.

One final merger with Louis Vuitton gave birth to the largest luxury marketing group in the world, one whose influence you will see up and down the red carpet during Oscar Week. One can only hope that with such a tale of courage, war, kings, queens, mistresses and monarchs, Hollywood will one day make a movie about this legendary wine and, of course, serve Moet & Chandon at the Oscar celebration!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011