[UPDATED] Chef Goes to Cooking School

New York, New York., here on the last day of New York City Wine & Food Festival, (Sunday, 10/10/10.)

UPDATE: Well lookie here. Joey got himself a nice big fish. Monsters indeed!

We love New York.  Michael cut his teeth in its kitchens in the mid ’80s.  It’s a place to find inspiration and to inspire others, an electric environment begging to be lapped up with fervor, whether living and working there for years or just quickly visiting.  It’s always worth it, and we’re looking forward to a fresh injection of creative juice over the next couple of days while Michael, Hedy, Bradley, and I are in town, again staying with our friends at The Ace Hotel, for Chef’s class tomorrow night at De Gustibus Cooking School and a few other business meetings.

Founded in 1980 by Arlene Feltman Sailhac, De Gustibus Cooking School is located on the 8th floor of Macy’s Herald Square and is now owned and run by the intrepid Salvatore Rizzo, former Director of House Operations and Events at the James Beard Foundation.  Michael’s taught here before, but this time the menu is based on his new cookbook.

AMUSE
Homemade Ricotta Crostini with meyer lemon jam

FIRST
Falafel with tahini sauce

SECOND
Caponata with pecorino romano

THIRD
Pan Roasted Striped Bass with tunisian chickpea salad & yogurt sauce

FOURTH
Grilled Skirt Steak with shaved fennel, orange & green olive tapenade

FIFTH
Banana Toffee Panini

If you’re thinking, it’s time to cue the coolers, you’d be right. Michael does things smart, and that means sometimes our food travels with us for away games. But it also means we source local, too.  This time chef Joey Campanaro is point, on the heels of his own De Gustibus class with brother Lou Campanaro of the Village Belle in Philadelphia.  Joey helped us plate Michael’s James Beard House Dinner a couple weeks ago and most recently spent a day learning our local produce supply chain with our forager Ali Lauria in Homestead while in town with chef Jonathan Waxman for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

We set Joey loose in Homestead with a camera, and he made fast friends of Hani Khouri's nubian goats!

Michael asked Joey to find us some great baguettes and brioche, which he is getting from Amy’s Bread, as well as wild striped bass.  The fish are monsters right now!, he wrote us yesterday. I got a guy bringing me a few to choose from. They are 15-20 lbs. and a great price, I got him to donate.

Our  fish come into the market late tonight, but Joey may snag one this morning for The Little Owl and run a dinner special.  We might get lucky with a picture, too.  More from the City later on Twitter.