Blog of Award-winning authors
ANDREW DORNENBURG & KAREN PAGE
May 2009

Named one of GourmetFood.About.com's "Top 10 Food Blogs"

Named one of The Fifty Best Links for Epicureans

Named to MUG 400 for "distinctive contribution to life in New York"

"Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page monitor the pulse of the food world like nobody's business. There's a fantastic database of restaurant reviews, too."
— Babbo pastry chef Gina DePalma

"Page and Dornenburg also write one of the most informative and engaging food/wine blogs on the planet. Check it out."
— Bestselling author Michael Gelb

"If you asked me what I came into this world to do,
I will tell you: I came to live out loud."
— Critic and novelist Emile Zola (1840-1902)

"There is nothing under the sun better for man than to eat, drink, and be merry. Go, therefore, eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with cheer.”
— Ecclesiastes 8:15

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"John Gutekanst was the only American chosen in the Heinz Beck trophy award, which is Michelin-rated. John placed 17th out of 100 contestants from around the world."
—WorldPizzaChampions.com

Friday, June 5, 2009 — Here's one from our emailbox....We love hearing from our readers. It keeps us going, more than any of them could ever know. The email we received this past week from Athens, Ohio, is a case in point:

"You are FABUOUS! It's people like you that make cooking a wonderful experience.

Yesterday was the glorious death of my tattered and torn cooking
companion CULINARY ARTISTRY. It has gone to the World Pizza Championships 3 years running and has recently helped me become the only U.S. finalist to make it into the final round of the Heinz Beck Trophy (3 Michelin star Chef-La Pergola) at Salsomaggiore, Italy.

It fell into my 20-gallon bucket of wonderfully fragrent poolish that was destined to help make just over 300 Fougasse, Couronnes, Pizza al Taglio, Pissalidiere, Flamiche, etc. (I knew I should have done a Biga instead!)

Your compendium has been the best and most useful reference for me in my business.

I now have to break out THE FLAVOR BIBLE, which I've been keeping in the 'On Deck' circle in my home kitchen. It's much better — I love what you do. Keep it up.

Thank you — from a small town pizza guy,
John Gutekanst
Avalanche Pizza and Baking Co.
Athens, Ohio
http://www.avalanchepizza.net


John, congratulations on your culinary accomplishments — which we were tickled to read were inspired even in part by our book CULINARY ARTISTRY, and impressed to read more about on your Web site:

First Place
USA World Pizza Championships
Salsomaggiore Italy, 2009

First place
Gourmet Category
North American Pizza Competition
Columbus Ohio, 2006

First Place Finalist
U.S.A. Heinz Beck Competition
Italy, 2009

Sustainability Award
for a cleaner earth 2005

Best Pizza in the United States of America
World Pizza Championships
Salsamaggiore Italy, 2004

Winner!
Vegetarian Category, International Pizza Expo
Pizza Festiva Competition,
Las Vegas 2004

Winner!
First Place, Gourmet Category,
North American Pizza Competition,
Columbus Ohio, 2004

Winner!
Second Place, Gourmet Category,
North American Pizza Competition,
Columbus Ohio, 2004

Winner!
Third Place, Gourmet Category,
North American Pizza Competition,
Columbus Ohio 2003

Voted Best Pizza NINE Years Running!
2001 to 2009
Athens Ohio News Readers Choice Award

We can't wait to try your pizza for ourselves. Hmm....when are we due to be in Athens, Ohio?!

Former Emeril's pastry chef Jenny McCoy, who is now ensconced at A Voce in New York City, writes:

I have finally written an entry on Emeril's blog about THE FLAVOR BIBLE....It will post on June 5th.

Thanks in advance, Jenny — we're looking forward to reading it when it posts later today!

Great view of Boston from our window at Nine Zero Hotel

Arriving in time for Nine Zero's complimentary
wine reception in the lobby from 5-6 pm

All guests at Nine Zero drink and eat well -- even canines!

Pitchforks on the 2nd floor, signaling K.O. Prime's entrance

Ceiling of K.O. Prime continuing "American Gothic" theme

Our salad at K.O. Prime with Wisconsin feta cheese was
one of the best salads we've had in recent memory

We loved our deconstructed raspberry cheesecake dessert

Arriving for Dutch Leonard's presentation on Shackleton

Karen spied this bunny contentedly snacking on grass at HBS

Our fantastic sausage and 'shroom pizza at Picco in Boston

Hot fudge was unnecessary on the amazing caramel ice cream

Section B-ers Anders Fauerskov, Karen Page, Jim Balsillie,
and our own Section B couple Greg Alonzo & Linda Shein

Andrew Dornenburg, Karen Page, Steve Wilson, and Don &
Tish Burton at Friday night's Section B dinner

Karen Page, Dave Sikora, Rona Haig-Fairhead, Steve Wilson,
Karine, and Don Burton on Friday night

Lamb pizza was the winner at brunch at Scampo in Boston

The irresistable bakery case at Flour in Boston's South End

Sunday, May 31, 2009 — We're happy to be back in New York City after reconnecting with many of Karen's former classmates at her 20-year reunion at Harvard on Friday. ("There's no B.S. like H.B.S.," as the saying goes.)

Nine Zero is at 90 Tremont Street in Boston. (617) 772-5800. Web: www.ninezero.com

K.O. Prime is on the 2nd floor of 90 Tremont in Boston. (617) 772-0202. Web: www.koprimeboston.com

Flour is at 1595 Washington St. in Boston. (617) 267-4300. Web: www.flourbakery.com

Picco (Pizza & Ice Cream Co.) is at 513 Tremont St. in Boston. (617) 927-0066. Web: www.piccorestaurant.com

Scampo is in the Liberty Hotel at 215 Charles St. in Boston. (617) 536-2100. Web: www.scampoboston.com

Harvard Business School is at www.hbs.edu.

Andrew contemplates the menu at Locanda Verde over a
glass of Falanghina and some housemade focaccia

Crispy artichokes with yogurt and mint at Locanda Verde

Marinated beets with walnuts under grated pecorino

Lamb meatball sliders with caprino and cucumber

Chef Andrew Carmellini and his team in the open kitchen

Andrew Carmellini's book Urban Italian

Monday, May 25, 2009 — Loving Locanda Verde....We've been missing chef Andrew Carmellini's cuisine terribly ever since he left A Voce. But with his shiny new spot (that opened Thursday) in Robert DeNiro's Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca, Andrew's definitely back — and better than ever.

Let Josh Nadel (ex-Cru and Veritas sommelier) help you select a wine from the jam-packed list on the back of the menu. Start with housemade focaccia, accented with tomato paste. Beyond that, you're on your own — we loved everything we tasted, so it's not like we can be much help to you in narrowing down your own choices. The kitchen (where Carmellini again has his right-hand man chef Luke Ostrom at his side) is equally adept with vegetables as it is with pastas as it is with fish.

We'd happily return for the Piccolini (including Blue Crab Crostino with jalapeno and tomato), Antipasti (including Rabbit Terrina with sour cherry mostarda and Lamb Meatball Sliders with caprino and cucumber), Pasta (including Spaghetti with lamb amatriciana), or Secondi (including Roasted Trout with new potatoes and giallo sauce).

We couldn't guess the source of the bread we enjoyed on other dishes, after realizing it wasn't one of the usual suspects ("Amy's Bread? Tom Cat? Sullivan Street?..."), so Andrew finally shared that he uses Royal Crown Bakery in Bensonhurst. There's a breakfast menu in the works, which we hope might include some of Royal Crown's chocolate bread.

Locanda Verde is at 379 Greenwich Street (bet. No. Moore and Franklin) in Tribeca. (212) 925-3797.

Just last month, we visited the Pond du Gard aqueduct
featured on the cover of today's NY Times Travel section

Talk about an "insider's tour": Karen walking
through the top of the aqueduct, where the
water used to travel, last month

Sunday, May 17, 2009 — Today's New York Times Travel section cover story "Roman France" features a gorgeous sun-gilded photo of the Pond du Gard aqueduct in southern France. It brought back delicious memories of our own visit to the region just a few weeks ago, where our "insider's tour" of the attraction had us walking the span of the aqueduct from inside its stone walls.

Two bees in a seemingly never-ending field of dandelions

We made the acquaintance of several donkeys on Friday...

...when they were introduced to us by their friend Don

Karen's birthday weekend rainbow later became a double!

Karen's birthday dinner: lamb (& 2006 Etude
Pinot Noir & 2003 Iron Horse Russian Cuvee)
with Susan, Andrew & Bernard

Friday, May 15, 2009 — It's been a week since we traveled hours outside New York City to celebrate Karen's birthday weekend with our dear friends Susan and Bernard, but the memories are still vivid. After all, it's not every weekend that two Manhattanites make the acquaintance of nine donkeys and two newborn calves — or see such blinding rain followed by a burst of sun that results in a double rainbow!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009 — In the e-newsletter we sent out on Sunday, we asked our 27,000+ readers to keep their collective fingers crossed for THE FLAVOR BIBLE at last night's James Beard Awards, which were held at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. Well, it worked! We couldn't be more thrilled by our 2009 James Beard Book Award win:

"Congratulations on your win last night. You guys gave the
absolute best acceptance speech. Very sweet...."
—Jessie Price, Deputy Editor, EatingWell

"Congratulations to each of you on the award for THE FLAVOR BIBLE... Your acceptance speech was among the highlights of the evening...."
—Pamela Chirls, Senior Editor, John Wiley & Sons

"...You two were adorable onstage at Beards! Love, love, love your 'BIBLE.' Used it yesterday, in fact...."
—Hank Shaw, 2009 James Beard Award-nominated blogger
at Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

We were really touched by how many people — friends and especially strangers — complimented us on our acceptance speeches, with a number even admitting that listening made them teary-eyed:

Karen: Thank you — from the bottom of our hearts — to the James Beard Foundation and especially the Book Awards Committee for this incredible recognition of our eight-year labor of love, which means more than we can say.

THE FLAVOR BIBLE has been described in reviews as both "radical" and "revolutionary," so it definitely took a leap of faith on the part of many to bring it to this moment.

Our thanks to everyone at Little, Brown, and especially our editor Michael Sand, for not freaking out when he saw that the manuscript for our "cookbook" didn't contain a single recipe (Thank you, Michael!); our literary agent Janis Donnaud; our photographer Barry Salzman; and most importantly, all the amazing chefs and pastry chefs [and other experts] featured in THE FLAVOR BIBLE — many of whom are here tonight — who were so generous with their time and insights, and who trusted that we'd do them proud. We hope they're feeling proud tonight!

I'd like to dedicate this award to my alma mater for its own leap of faith: When I was a high school senior, I dreamed of becoming a writer, and of one day writing books that would make a difference in the world. However, I was the first person in my family to apply to college, so I didn't understand that writing a college essay was important and foolishly didn't submit one. Yet Northwestern University took a leap of faith by believing in a bright but naive 16-year-old and admitting me to its journalism program anyway — which changed my life forever.

And before turning over the mike to him, I'd like to especially thank Andrew — my incredible husband of 18 years and co-author of 16 years — for every day spoiling me with his wonderful cooking, and "everlong" for "promising not to stop when I say when." Thank you, sweetheart.

Andrew: I'm really glad that this year's James Beard Awards are celebrating "Women in Food," because there are so many women who still haven't received their due. Tonight, I would like to pay a special tribute to a woman I work with every day. On our first 7 books, Karen and I listed our names alphabetically. This led some to believe that I — a dyslexic former line cook — was the lead author. Tonight, I'm happy to set the record straight: Karen has always been the lead visionary and writer of all of our books. It's been my pleasure and privilege to work with a co-author whom I not only respect but deeply love. And on this night of recognizing women, I could not be prouder that the James Beard Foundation is recognizing our first book on which Karen's name comes before mine!

It also happens to be Karen's birthday this week, so I can't thank you enough for giving her the perfect birthday present and taking all the pressure off me! I can't imagine a better gift than this. Thank you very much.

Scenes from a magical night:

Daniel Boulud (l.), Deann & Rick Bayless (c.), arrive in rain

On arrival, with L.A. uber-restaurateur Barbara Lazaroff

Co-host Stanley Tucci with Karen and Andrew

Andrew & Karen with Emeril Lagasse & Traci Des Jardins

Andrew & Karen flank Patrick O'Connell (The Inn at Little
Washington) & Phyllis Richman (long of Washington Post)

Andrew and Karen flank Ellen Rose (of The Cook's Library)
and Matt Sartwell (of Kitchen Arts & Letters)

The stage at the James Beard Awards at Avery Fisher Hall

The 2009 James Beard Award goes to...THE FLAVOR BIBLE!

With Little, Brown editors Judy Clain (edited Julie & Julia)
& (our own!) Michael Sand

Celebrating with our literary agent Janis Donnaud

We were almost as happy about Babbo pastry chef Gina
DePalma's 2009 James Beard Award win (as 2009
Outstanding Pastry Chef) as we were about our own!

With Best Chef: New York nominee Terrance Brennan (of
Picholine, Artisanal, Bar Artisanal, et al) & friend

With 2009 Outstanding Wine Service Award winner Aldo
Sohm of Le Bernardin and his wife Margit

With uber-Michelin-starred chef-restaurateur Alain Ducasse

Andrew Dornenburg, David & Karen Waltuck of Chanterelle,
Karen Page, Marisa May of San Domenico, and Chloe Mata

With A Voce chef Missy Robbins & pastry chef Jenny McCoy

With 2009 Award presenter Lorraine Bracco

With San Francisco chef Gary Danko

With Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver

Joanne Weir, Emily Luchetti, Andrew, Joe Yonan & Karen

With Who's Who inductee Dorothy Cann Hamilton (of the
French Culinary Institiute) & her very proud daughter

With 2009 Outstanding Chef Dan Barber (of Blue Hill and
Blue Hill at Stone Barns) & friend

With chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin and his wife Sandra

At Bar Boulud, with The Bazaar chef Katsuya Fukushima

With legendary Jacques Pepin at the Bar Boulud after-party

At The Modern after-after party w/sommelier Belinda Chang
and 2009 Best Chef: New York City winner Gabriel Kreuther

With Washington Post Food Editor Joe Yonan

By the way, we were also very happy to be a part of yet another 2009 James Beard Award-winning team: The Washington Post took home the 2009 James Beard Foundation Award as Best Newspaper Food Section. Our congratulations to Food Editor Joe Yonan — who had submitted for consideration last year's June 18th and October 29th Food sections that featured our wine columns "Grape and Grill Sessions" and "Big Flavors Need Big Wines" — and the rest of our colleagues at the Washington Post Food section for such outstanding work in 2008!

For a complete list of winners of 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards, click here.

"The Lucky" cocktail at Bar Artisanal features Scotch Whiskey,
Sweet Vermouth, Lapsang Souchong Simple Syrup, and Fresh Lemon Juice; Recommended pairing: Aged Gouda & Montgomery's Cheddar

Sunday, May 3, 2009 — We're happy to have had lots going on to distract us from thinking about tomorrow night's 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, where our book THE FLAVOR BIBLE is up for a Book Award. (Fingers crossed....) Last night, we checked out Terrance Brennan's new (and already hopping) restaurant Bar Artisanal at 68 West Broadway, one block south of Canal. With chef Bradford Thompson (ex-Lever House, Mary Elaine's, Daniel, etc.) newly in the kitchen and sommelier Jason Ferris (ex-Gilt) overseeing the wine and cocktail list, we're confident that it will only get better and better. Yet we're already in love with that amazing goat cheese-stuffed lamb burger...MMMmmm!

Armagnac & food pairing at Per Se: Marquis de Montesquiou 1865

On Friday, May 1st, we were invited to join a group of journalists at Per Se for a fascinating experiment: a seven-course tasting dinner pairing mostly vintage Armagnacs with each course. While Armagnac is more often served as an after-dinner drink, we were already well-acquainted with its affinity for foie gras and/or prunes, and our eyes were opened by how beautifully it complemented duck and veal in this menu:

Per Se
May 1, 2009
Menu

White Truffle Custard
with Black Truffle Ragout
Marques de Montesquiou 1967

Terrine of Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras
"Gelee d'Agrumes," Meiwa Kumquats, Wild Lettuces, Belgian Endive
Marques de Montesquiou, Cuvee Louis 1er

"Aiguillette" of Liberty Farm's Pekin Duck Breast
Buckwheat "Spaetzle," Michigan Sour Cherries, Purple Top Turnips "Parisienne" and Duck Jus
Marques de Montesquiou, Cuvee Comte d'Artagnan

Herb-Roasted Rib-Eye of Marcho Farm's Veal
Glazed Carrots, Oregon Morels, Caramelized Spring Onions with Black Truffle Veal Jus
Marques de Montesquiou 1934

"Roquefort"
Armagnac Poached Prune "Marmelade," Candied Pistachios, Petite Arugula and Pistachio Butter
Marques de Montesquiou 1904

Valrhona Chocolate Sorbet
with Manjari Pudding, Orange Oil, and Saigon Cinnamon "Financier"
Marques de Montesquiou 1893

Bartlett Pear and Almond Tart
Almond "Pain de Genes," Compressed Pear and
Honey-Ginger Ice Cream
Marques de Montesquiou 1865

"Mignardises"

Carrie Crespo, Jordan Mackay, Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave,
Aaron Hicklin, Scott Hocker, winemaker Jerome Margnat,
Julie Besonen, Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg at La Borie

Sunday, April 26, 2009 — This week's press trip to the south of France was an eye-opening introduction to the pleasures of Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, and even lesser-known grape varietals as expressed through the terroir of the Rhone Valley. Having spent the past seven days with a delightful band of colleagues, we pay tribute to them today by posting this group photo thoughtfully provided by Chateau La Borie winemaker Jerome Margnat (in the unforgettably cool orange pants!).

Chateau La Borie is at www.chateau-la-borie.fr.

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