i Trulli

Jeremy in front of i Trulli

Have you ever been to Puglia, (no?), well you should because the food is out of this world. On my trip to NYC we ate at i Trulli, a restaurant that serve’s the food of Southern Italy, the Puglia region to be exact. The owner, wine expert, and restaurateur, Nicola Marzovilla, opened i Trulli to show that Puglian food is both simple and delicious, but he can’t do it without the help of his mother Dora (who makes the pasta 5 days a week) and Executive Chef Patti Jackson.

Blue Hill

 

Blue Hill in NYC

 On my recent trip to NYC my dad and I ate at one of our countries most acclaimed restaurants, Blue Hill, which is located in Greenwich Village. Blue Hill focuses on farm to table seasonal produce. Executive Chef and co-owner (along with family members David and Laureen Barber) Dan Barber is a James Beard Award winning chef. In addition to the restaurant in New York City they manage a farm (about 30 minutes outside of the city) called Stone Barns that grows the restaurants produce and holds their livestock. There is also a Blue Hill restaurant at Stone Barns as well.

The James Beard House

 You might have heard of Julia Child but have you ever heard of James Beard? He’s better known as the founding father of American cuisine. James Beard was born in Portland, Oregon and moved to New York City in 1937 to pursue his dreams of acting and singing. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out, (lucky for us) so he fell into what would become his life’s work, food. He worked with his close friend Bill Rhodes in a catering business, which soon led to Beards first cookbook Hor’deurves and Canapés. He made many TV appearances and became the official face of all things culinary.  In the 1950’s Beard opened his first cooking school to teach fresh wholesome cuisine to the men and women of America. He also starred in his own cooking show, which was said to be the first of its kind making him the first TV Celebrity Chef. James was insistent on using only fresh seasonal ingredients, an idea that was years ahead of his time. When he passed away in 1985 at the age of 81 his good friend Julia Child decided to preserve James Beard’s House as a gathering place of all things food. Peter Krump, a former student of James Beard bought the house and started the James Beard Foundation. The foundation provides scholarships and awards to amateur and professional chefs.

World Champion Pizza

Learning the art of Pizza Tossing

You can’t go to New York City without having pizza and outside of Italy there is simply no better, and with so many choices. As you know I will be a judge at the American Pizza Championship, next month in Orlando. FL. Before the competition I needed to learn more about Pizza as a sport (who knew their could be so much to know about pizza).  I contacted my friend Steve Lieber (Director of the U.S. Pizza Team) and he suggested I visit team member Hakki Akdeniz.

Taste of the Nation heads to Miami

 It was the big follow-up to the Ft. Lauderdale Taste of the Nations presented by Share Our Strength. SOS is a national organization that works hard to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. Taste of the Nation is a spectacular dinner/auction that takes place in different locations all over the country, bringing together local and big name Chefs for a great cause. The Miami TOTN was held at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel in North Miami Beach. My dad and I ate our way through the event (no joke), samples of truffle macaroni and cheese with pulled pork was provided by the chefs at Preston’s. Wild Alaskan Halibut Ceviche with Aji Amarillo, lime and cilantro (featured by Bourbon Steak) was another of our favorites of the night. The most interesting dish came from “The Restaurant” (that’s the name of the restaurant). They served a Mango Infused Ravioli. I got a chance to speak to the pastry chef, Noah French (great last name for pastry chef). He said it’s a form of molecular gastronomy, as these little gelatin balls are injected with mango and then put in to a chemical bath which helps retain its shape. As soon as the “ravioli” hits your mouth it bursts open with an explosion of mango flavor!