smarty pants
April 9th, 2009 § 3 Comments
I was told not to leave home without it. No, it’s not my American Express card (although that will certainly be making the trip.) Nope. When I board Continental’s extended range Boeing 777 on Sunday for Delhi, a smallish book entitled Culture Smart! India will be securely fastened inside the backpack behind me. Move over Fodors. Eat dust Lonely Planet. Rather than the smartest hotels on a budget or best places to dine in a foreign city, it’s insight into local customs and etiquette in this latest must-have travel guide. Now granted, I have the ultimate version of this in my friend Mukund, whom I am visiting. But hey, it can’t hurt to get a leg up before setting foot in Asia for the first time.
Kitchen Interviews will morph into a photo journal of the people, places and foods of my travels from April 12 to 29.
Culture Smart! guides were conceived by people whose business it is to know the ins and outs of cultural buoyancy, Culture Smart! Consulting, a UK firm specializing in international management skills and cross cultural training. You can get yours at Amazon new for about $10 US, that is, if you don’t have an attentive friend in-the-know to give you a copy on the house. (Thanks Lily!) For a full list of guides, visit publisher Kuperard’s homepage.
Sunday brunch buffet
April 5th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
All the news you can eat…
We were contacted by the publicist for MICHELIN-starred chef Michael Psilakis and partner Donatella Arpaia regarding an invitation to attend an April13 media preview for their yet-unnamed 15th-floor restaurant at the Viceroy Miami (in developer Jorge Perez‘s IconBrickell complex downtown.) The New York Post first reported on March 11 that the dynamic duo who own Anthos and two other hot Manhattan eateries had signed with Kor Hotel Management to launch the restaurant, which we hear will focus on seafood. Here’s an excerpt from the press release.
Christy’s Restaurant in Coral Gables will host a winemakers dinner featuring the award-winning wines and olive oils of Long Meadow Ranch paired with Christy’s classic cuisine. The family-owned winery, located in the Mayacamas Mountains above Napa Valley, is one of less than 30 organically-certified vineyards in the county. Proprietor Chris Hall will be in attendance. For full menu and to reserve a spot, contact Christy’s at (305) 446-1400. Tuesday, April 21, 6:30 p.m., $65.00 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity.
Lifefood Gourmet is hosting its first chocolate dance “rave” party featuring the “super QPC nutritious, amazing synergy drink” and a presentation on the sacred tradition of fermented cacao and how all chocolate is not created equal. Go home happy too with a sensuous goodie bag of three original medicinal chocolate buttercups. Saturday, April 18, 8:00 p.m. to Midnight, $25.00 advance purchase or $30 at the door. RSVP here.
Patricia Jinich who teaches regional Mexican cooking at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C. was featured Wednesday in the New York Times (see the left sidebar for links to her Passover recipes with a Mexican flair.) Jinich grew up in Mexico, one of 40,000 to 50,000 Jews, most of them descendants of Eastern European immigrants. For her Jewish-Mexican cooking class at the Institute, she got suggestions from her family, including sisters Alisa Romano (who is a pastry chef near Miami) and Sharon Drijanski (who has written vegetarian cookbooks and lives in Miami.)
The Miami New Times featured a cornucopia of “Cheap Eats” this week, and conveniently recapped them on Friday for you here.
The Heart of a Chef Festival is Sunday, April 19, benefiting and organized by the Florida Heart Research Institute at the Tree Top Ballroom at Jungle Island includes restaurant tastings, wine seminars and tastings, children’s activities, cooking demos, and a local celebrity chef cook-off. Noon to 4:00 p.m., $25 for adults and $10 for children under 12. The purchase of a ticket entitles guests to purchase entrance to Jungle Island for the discounted rate of $12 per person. Event sponsors include Nespresso, Sonic, Whole Foods Market and MIAMI Modern Luxury. A detailed schedule of events can be found here.
Executive Chef Mark Militello of 1 Bleu at The Regent Bal Harbouris offering a five course prix fixe Easter Sunday menu, featuring his award-winning cuisine, a decadent dessert table of special Easter confections, ocean front views and a string trio. Sunday, April 12, Noon to 6:00 p.m., $65.00 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Includes a glass of champagne. A children’s menu, priced at $25.00, is available for children between the ages of 3-12. Reservations are required at 305-455-5460
hold the paper, hold the plastic
April 4th, 2009 § 1 Comment
For those of you who have ever ordered takeout or delivery, which I’m assuming is all of you, listen up.
According to the Clean Air Council, almost 1/3 of the waste generated in the U.S. is from packaging. The U.S. population tosses out enough paper and plastic cups, forks and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times. And plastics take 1000 years to decompose!
Most restaurants provide an overload of paper napkins, plastic utensils and condiments with their outgoing takeout orders, often way more than is needed. The New York State Restaurant Association reports that much of it goes directly into the garbage, creating a municipal solid waste disposal headache. Or it joins a cluttered collection in our drawers and cabinets. The practice costs restaurants money, and to add insult to injury, there is a major cost to the environment.
The folks at Eco-To-Go are taking action, beginning in New York City, and asking consumers to do their part. This grass-roots initiative began in March 2007 and is an Earth-conscious collaboration between businesses and the public. Customers call in food orders at participating establishments and request their takeout or delivery order “Eco-To-Go.” The restaurant will pack the order without unnecessary paper and plastic products. Created by EcoAgents Anna Ayers and Fabian Lliguin, the program has more than NYC 35 restaurants and 250 participants signed up to date, including Adinah’s Farm Deli and Buffet, A La Turka, Al’s Coffee Cart, Cafe 69, Carrot Top, Cilantro, Coogans, Dallas BBQ, Delizia, Dos Caminos, EJ’s Luncheonette, El Deportivo, Good Health Café, Giorgio’s Pizza, Gotham Coffee House, Grace’s Marketplace, Green Kitchen Restaurant, Happy Jade House, Jou Jou Inc., Korhogo 126, Le Gourmet, Melange, Mike’s Bagels, NoLita House Restaurant and Bar, Plum Pomidor, Shangri-La, Taco King, Tayrona Café Bakery, Tony’s and University Deli. For more information on Eco-To-Go including how to become a participating restaurant visit http://ecoagents.org.
Every little effort counts, so let’s encourage Miami-area restaurants to get into the act. Who knows… Maybe the movement will take hold down here, too. In the meantime, you can show your support by becoming a fan of Eco-To-Go on Facebook. If you know of restaurants in Miami who are already practicing responsible packaging policies, please leave a comment below!
