Taking a recipe and making it your own is one of the greatest lessons cookbooks can impart. And last week, about 30 popular New York City chefs--many who are also cookbook authors--did just that to celebrate the publication of The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser, just out from Norton, and In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark, a new cookbook from Hyperion. The event, which took place November 2 at Chelsea Market, was a true food fest, combining cookbooks, great food, and some big names in food writing--all under the roof of one of the city’s veritable food temples.
The first hour featured some very good pork shoulder from Bill Telepan of Telepan (Telepan also wrote Inspired by Ingredients, which S&S published in 2004); vegetable sushi from Bruce and Eric Bromberg of Blue Ribbon Sushi and coauthors of Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook, a 2010 title from Clarkson Potter; spicy shrimp toast from Marc Murphy at Landmark; an interesting heirloom carrot and goat cheese terrine from Dan Silverman of Standard Grill; and, our personal favorite, a Roman pizza with panatela and anchovy from Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli of Frankies Spuntino and authors of The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Manual and Cooking Companion, which Artisan published this year. There were also two fabulous desserts: an apple crème brûlée from Dan Barber of Blue Hill, and a deliciously buttery sablé cookie from Dorie Greenspan, who had a brief stint as the proprietor of a pop-up cookie shop earlier this year and also wrote the wonderful Around My French Table, just out from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Hour two brought lamb meatballs from the excellent Alex Raij of Txikito (Raij contributed to The Book of Tapas, which Phaidon published in June); bite-sized grapple pie with grape swirl ice cream from Locanda Verde’s Karen Demasco, whose book, The Craft of Baking Clarkson Potter published last year; and veal and pepper sandwiches from Marco Canora, author of Salt to Taste (Rodale, 2009) and partner at the East Village wine bar Terroir. There were also offerings from Pichet Ong, author of The Sweet Spot (Morrow, 2007) and owner of Spot Dessert Bar; Porchetta’s Sara Jenkins (Olives and Oranges, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008); and Amy’s Bread, which spawned Amy’s Bread, Revised and Updated (Wiley, 2010).
Guests ranged from editors at Bon Appétit, Edible Brooklyn, Edible Manhattan, Food & Wine, and T Magazine to Nora Ephron, who told us last year of her attachment to Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Ephron gabbed with Greenspan; Molly O’Neill, whose One Big Table is just out from S&S, tasted the sablés; and Food & Wine restaurant editor Kate Krader tweeted, “Oh my goodness what a party in the kitchen.”
