A Day In The Life

4-28-11 Harry Savoy Grill Taste Of A Nation Dinner

This was a great day. Thanks for everybody who made it possible. A lot of money was raised for Share Our Strength. A special thanks for my  friend , sous-chef for the day/photography assistant Alex Garfinkle.

7:15- Woke up, got out of bed, ran a comb across my head (showered and shaved).

7:48-Sharpened my knives on the wet stone.

8:14-Packed mis en place at Nage.

Junk in the trunk

8:47-Left Nage and went to borrow my mom’s camera.

9:35- Arrived At Bob and Barbara Russel’s farm.

Farm outside Milford Delaware. Bob Russel Harvesting.

9:50 -Picked chive blossoms and buds.

Taste Beautiful

10:05- Spotted and tasted beautiful lemony Oxalis.

Oxalis

10:20 -Left Bob and Barbra and headed up to Harry Savoy Grill.

11:00- Stopped for gas and Redbull.

11:58- Arrived at Harry Savoy Grill and unpacked car right before the rain started.

12:16 -Met with Chef David Banks, discussed the day’s agenda, and set up our work stations.

12:27- Delegated task and started prepping. I prepped hard the few days before the event and had an excellent plan of action so our time was spent putting the finishing touches on our dish.

12:29- Cleaned, peeled, and braised  160 cippolini onions while Chef Alex finished the reduction Sauce.

1:00- Scored Royal Trumpet Coins, poached tops, par-roasted Hen of the Woods mushroom, portioned  and seared 160 suckling pork bricks. Also worked on garnish.

2:00 – Met the other guest Chefs and prepped some more.

4:00- Completed all prep and organized mis en place.

4:05- Helped other Chefs finish their dishes.

5:00- Front of house meeting with the servers and sommeliers. Chefs were introduced and described their dish.

5:20 – Worked on passed hor d ‘oeuvres.

Chef du cuisine Pat D'Amico plating passed hor d'oeuvre

6:00-Show time. I helped greet the guest as they arrived. Guest drank Champange and were served by some of Delawares top Chefs.Ivan Torres of Ole Tapas in Newark, Dan Butler of Piccolina Toscana and Deep Blue in Wilmington and Jay Caputo of Rehoboth Beach’s Espuma  were invited to the reception.

7:30- Stood with guest to raise money as they pledged money for SOS.

7:45- Chef Walter Staib of City Tavern in Philadelphia plated 150 salmon escoveitch with the help of so many talented chefs and smiling faces.

8:15- Chef  Evan Deluty of Stella in Boston plated seared scallops with potato puree, black truffles, crispy onions.

8:45- I Plated suckling pork confit, with dried cherry, Kennett mushroom, spring onion, and braised mustard seeds.

9:15- Chef Marc Orfaly of Boston’s Pigalle plated a deconstructed Cassoulet.

9:45- Pastry Chef Robert Bennett of Classic Cake in N.J plated a Lemon Delight, lemon mousse encased in tender ladyfingers with a fresh raspberry center.

10:00- All of the chefs were introduced and were applauded by the guest.

10:20- Changed out of chef gear and headed for the after party for drinks and food provided by our gracious host Harry Savoy Grill.

Late night- We went to our hotel for much-needed rest. A very successful day and a great feeling of accomplishment.

What are you doing on April 28th?

I will be cooking in Wilmington Delaware at Harry’s Savoy Grill at a charity to benefit Share Our Strength. I’m very excited to be working with such a great organization and honored that they chose me. I have been asked cook a dish paired with a Bouchaine Pinot noir. I started to brainstorm about what to pair with such a great wine. The Pinot noir’s nuanced fruit of and the bright acidity led me to create a dish of Confit local heritage suckling pork, dried cherries, Kennett Square mushrooms, cippolini onion, and braised mustard seeds. Who doesn’t love pig and Pinot? I will post pictures and recipes of this dish in the future. Take a look at the information below for more details.

Share Our Strength

Taste of the Nation Dinner
Thursday, April 28, 2011

“NO KID HUNGRY”

Our commitment to ending childhood hunger never wanes! Join us for this unique five-course food and wine pairing featuring dishes prepared by guest chefs, which each course matched with a specially-selected wine. Our special emphasis this year will be on local products and our dedication to farm-to-table dining.

Proceeds benefit the Ministry of Caring, Food Bank of Delaware and the Claymont Community Center.

Scheduled to appear at this year’s event:

Walter Staib, City Tavern, Philadelphia PA
Robert Bennett, American Harvest Baking, Mt Laurel NJ
Host Chef David Leo Banks, CEC, AAC, Harry’s Hospitality Group

with more guest chefs to come!

To make your reservations for this year’s event, download and send in our registration form. Ticket/sponsor information is attached.

To donate to our silent auction, please complete and return our silent auction donation form. Its success depends on your generosity! Thank you for your consideration.

For more information, please contact Meg Morgan at 302-475-3000