Award-winning authors of BECOMING A CHEF, CULINARY ARTISTRY, DINING OUT, CHEF'S NIGHT OUT and the 2004 IACP Cookbook Award Finalist THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF

(Circulation: Our e-Newsletter has grown to 9,458 subscribers — among the most passionate food and wine lovers across the United States and around the world — since it began monthly publication in February. For a FREE subscription for your favorite food enthusiast, simply email CookbookRave@aol.com, or enter an automatic subscription at www.becomingachef.com)

I. JULY NEWS FROM ANDREW & KAREN

II. ANDREW & KAREN TAKE MANHATTAN: From Citymeals-on-Wheels to Le Cirque

III. WHERE WE'RE HEADED NEXT: Toronto (July 15th) and Ottawa (July 16th)

IV. WHERE WE'RE EATING: All Around New York

V. STUFF WE LOVE: Red Meat! Red Wine!

VI. IN THE NEWS: Ink and Air Coverage of Our Latest Books

VII. OUR READERS WRITE: From Across the U.S. and Around the World

Dear Friends & Colleagues:

What memories does summertime bring up for you?

When she was growing up, Karen's idea of summer meant annual visits to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, where between cherry snow cones she would test her nerves on the latest, scariest roller coasters in the amusement park. Back home in Michigan, summer meant sweet corn and watermelon and backyard barbecuing.

To Andrew, it meant his family's annual two-week visit to Bass Lake, just outside Yosemite, where they would swim, water ski, hike and play volleyball and shuffleboard when they weren't grilling up burgers and chicken. Back home in Concord, California, it meant eating the bounty of his parents' overflowing garden, and plums and cherries fresh off the tree in the backyard.

Today, living in New York City, Central Park has become our backyard, the subways our roller coasters, and the Union Square Greenmarket our overflowing garden. Now, replacing yesterday's home movies, our filmmaker friends are creating the next summer blockbusters:

Nearly 30 years after the summer of Steven Spielberg's terrifying second feature film “Jaws,” we got chills all over again seeing the recent previews for our friends' Laura Lau and Chris Kentis's forthcoming movie “Open Water,” about a couple accidentally left stranded in shark-infested waters during a scuba-diving tour. At this year's Sundance festival, even the most jaded audience members were left breathless and white-knuckled, buzzing how the film was “The Blair Witch Project-meets-Jaws.” (“As harrowing as films come,” attests the Associated Press, while Entertainment Weekly calls it "a startlingly intense thriller.") So, we're hoping to get to enjoy at least a little time in the water before being scared right out of it after Chris and Laura's movie opens in August! (For details, visit www.openwatermovie.com.)

It's been a very busy (but equally delicious) past month, and we've loved having a chance to:

- check out some terrific restaurants (see Section IV),

- see a few summer movies (from the not-to-be-missed “Fahrenheit 9/11” to “Spiderman 2” to “Super Size Me”),

- run a few races (including the Father's Day five-miler in Central Park, where we literally ran into Harry Belafonte, whom we'd had the pleasure of meeting last fall and to whom we were happy to have a chance to say hello again),

- tour the Concorde (at the opening of the new museum at The Intrepid), and

- catch up with some friends. We're happy to be the bearers of their good news:

A Bun Out of The Oven: On July 8th, famed baker Amy Scherber of AMY'S BREAD and her husband Troy Rohne just had a baby boy: Harrison Arthur Rohne. Welcome, Harry — Karen knows you'll be the most fashionable kid on the block after seeing the cool duds you received as gifts at Amy's baby shower! A Book In the Oven: Pastry chef extraordinaire Gina DePalma of BABBO just closed a deal to write her first cookbook on Italian desserts. In Living Color: Photographer Michael Donnelly (who did the black-and-white photography for our four most recent books) has his four-color photography featured in the 2004 issue of INTERMEZZO magazine. Congratulations to all!

We hope you're in the midst of a great summer, and that you'll stay tuned — we expect to have some exciting news of our own to share with you very soon!

Delicious wishes,

Andrew & Karen

P.S. You can always find the latest on what we're up to during the month at:
www.becomingachef.com.

- CITYMEALS-ON-WHEELS' ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO JAMES BEARD

"The first 'American Chefs and Winemakers al fresco feast in the gardens of Rockefeller' was planned to celebrate the 82nd birthday of Citymeals' co-founder James Beard. When he passed away a few weeks prior to the event, the gala salute to America's harvest and American talent became our tribute to him.”
—Gael Greene, co-founder, Citymeals-on-Wheels

That first year, 12 chefs who trained with Beard — including Wolfgang Puck, Alice Waters, Bradley Ogden, Ed Brown, Edna Lewis, Alfred Portale, and Tribute founders Larry Forgione and Jonathan Waxman — gathered in his honor to prepare tasting portions of their signature dishes for a small crowd of gourmet enthusiasts. Some of the most highly regarded chefs from across America have joined this esteemed roster of chefs year after year, and the event keeps getting bigger and better.

If you've not yet had the pleasure of attending, the event is held on the covered ice rink of Rockefeller Center in front of the fountain. A huge enclosed tent is filled with a culinary fantasy camp of chefs and vintners, who — given this year's theme “Feast of Many Moons” — included the likes of Floyd Cardoz, Susanna Foo, Nobu Matsuhisa, Masa Takayama, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Takashi Yagihashi, and chefs from as far away as Australia, Hawaii, Malaysia, and the UK.

We attended this year's Tribute on June 14th in two very different outfits: Karen in silk and heels, Andrew in a chef's coat and clogs. Andrew was there to lend a hand to chefs Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur of DEVI (opening in NYC this fall), who wowed the crowds with their signature lamb chops marinated in yogurt and Indian spices. The recipe was enhanced by the quality of the lamb itself, which was donated by Jamison Farm, which many top chefs attest to be America's best. John and Sukey Jamison slipped away from the farm to attend, and stopped by the table to sample the lamb and give their enthusiastic approval. An added bonus was the station's location next to that of Eddie Schoenfeld, who served his legendary dumplings (which we hope will be featured at his new restaurant, also opening in the fall).

For photos from the event (including one of Steven Richter's stunning color photographs of Asia that graced the surroundings), click here and scroll down to June 14th.

- BOOK PARTY FOR SIRIO AT LE CIRQUE

“Are we seeing you tomorrow night at the book party? One thousand A-list people, as THE NEW YORK TIMES reported yesterday…and you two are at the top of my A-list!”
—Peter Elliot, co-author, SIRIO: The Story of My Life and Le Cirque

The next night (June 15th) was the book party to celebrate the publication of SIRIO: THE STORY OF MY LIFE AND LE CIRQUE. Sirio Maccioni and Le Cirque are both an important part of restaurant history and Peter Elliot does an impressive job of bringing this story to the page.

From the decibel level of the party at Le Cirque, it sounded as though all 1,000 A-list guests actually showed up! After spotting everyone from Donald Trump to Martha Stewart, we had fun meeting our friend Lis Wiehl's Fox News colleague Bill O'Reilly and running into Richard Johnson of The New York Post's "Page Six."

The restaurant opened its stellar kitchen for guests to stroll through: We were greeted by a chef slicing prosciutto served with figs, then walked to the hot line to sample different dishes from the kitchen. Past the hot line was an oyster bar which led the way to the pastry department that was filled with tables of petits fours, freshly-made doughnuts created from brioche batter (of which we had to have seconds), as well as Le Cirque's signature creme brulee (introduced to New York by our friend and former Le Cirque pastry chef Dieter Schorner).

We'd interviewed Sirio for our book DINING OUT, and it wasn't just to hear the war stories of taking care of Sinatra and Onassis. Our favorite Sirio-ism from DINING OUT: “There should be a law that you use products only seasonally.” That's the kind of looking out for your guests that's kept Le Cirque in vogue since it opened in 1974.

In our book CHEF'S NIGHT OUT, we asked chefs where they eat on their nights off and which restaurants they thought were must-visits. Both David Waltuck of Chanterelle and Rocco Di Spirito of Union Pacific recommended Le Cirque not just for the food but for “the experience,” with Rocco attesting, “It is one that can't be duplicated.”

Our congratulations to Sirio and Peter on SIRIO's publication!

Click on the titles for more on our books DINING OUT and CHEF'S NIGHT OUT.

- TORONTO (Thursday, July 15th):

We are looking forward to our visit this coming week, as we haven't had the pleasure of visiting Toronto in several years. We're happy to have the opportunity to talk about THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF on the local #1 morning show. And as luck would have it, our friend actor-comedian Kevin Meaney (who opened for Jerry Seinfeld on his road show) is onstage in “HAIRSPRAY,” which we can't wait to see. (For a taste of Kevin's hilarious comedy, visit www.kevinmeaney.com — and for a great shot of Kevin in drag, click here and scroll down to July 15th.)

- OTTAWA (Friday, July 16th):

We couldn't be happier or prouder to be hosted by what's widely considered to be the best restaurant in Ottawa — BECKTA DINING & WINE — for a special event this coming Friday, July 16th. Run by wunderkind Stephen Beckta (whom some of you will remember from his years as sommelier of Café Boulud and Eleven Madison Park in New York City), he wrote of our upcoming event in his restaurant's inaugural e-Newsletter:

"James Beard Award-winning culinary authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page will join us from New York City for an exclusive reception and book signing in our private dining room from 6-7 pm on Friday, July 16th. This dynamic duo has co-authored five bestselling books — including BECOMING A CHEF, CULINARY ARTISTRY and their latest, THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF — winning just about every culinary writing award possible, and are considered by many (from National Public Radio to The New Yorker) to be two of the greatest fountains of knowledge and insight into the subjects of food and wine. Their books offer unprecedented access to the world's top chefs and food and wine experts. If you share a love of the culinary arts, this will be a must-attend event!

“I should also say that Karen and Andrew were a huge part of my success during my four years in New York City. They have introduced me to many legendary people including my two former employers and mentors, Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer, and have been a constant source of encouragement and support both personally and professionally. Nicholas Hoare Books will be on hand at Beckta to sell Andrew and Karen's unique books and our staff will be serving special canapés and hand-chosen wines while you chat with the authors. Cost is $20 per person. Space is very limited so please reserve early by emailing Stephen Beckta at sbeckta@beckta.com or by calling 238-7063."

Steve is too kind: It's his own talent and efforts that catapaulted his rising star career in New York City, just as they have propelled him into the strata of being named last month to OTTAWA LIFE magazine's 4th annual list of the top 50 people in Canada's capital city.

For more on BECKTA DINING & WINE in Ottawa, visit: www.beckta.com.

BLUE HILL
75 Washington Place, New York City
(212) 539-1776

We have been fans of Blue Hill and chef Dan Barber for many years. We so love this place that last year Karen chose to celebrate her birthday here, which is one of the highest compliments you can pay to a restaurant.

There is always a moment of trepidation when you haven't been to a favorite restaurant in a while, and are left to wonder, “Will it live up to my memory?” Fear not at Blue Hill: Despite Dan's splitting his time between two restaurants (this one, and the new Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico, the 4,000-acre country estate of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.), the food and service were so wonderful they managed to turn a Thursday night dinner out into a special occasion.

We don't know what the kitchen does to its vegetables, but through bite after bite (or, in the case of an ice-cold tomato water, sip after sip), we were amazed at the brightness and clarity of their flavors. At Blue Hill, all the cooking is solid. Even the flavor and texture of the chicken will spoil you for life. The special of rabbit stuffed with foie gras and greens was topped only by the good humor of our waiter's reply when we asked if every customer responded to his mouth-watering description with an enthusiastic “WOW!” (as we did) — to which Alex admitted, “They say either WOW — or WHAT?” Tasting the dish was even more of a “WOW!”

A special nod also goes to the restaurant's wines by the glass, which are beautifully chosen. This is a very refined, comfortable restaurant that sets a standard for aging gracefully — providing inspiration to those of us who've celebrated birthdays there.

JACK'S LUXURY OYSTER BAR
246 E. 5th Street, New York City
(212) 673-0338
Our dear friends Cynthia and Jeff Penney landed a spur-of-the-moment reservation at Jack's over the July 4th weekend and graciously invited us to join them for dinner. We got there a few minutes early, so we busied ourselves with reading the menu posted in the window outside. Shortly thereafter, out walked VOGUE food columnist Jeffrey Steingarten, whom we'd previously interviewed for the JAMES BEARD HOUSE MAGAZINE, followed by 2004 James Beard Rising Star chef Allison Vines-Rushing, who works the kitchen side-by-side with her husband Slade Rushing. Shortly after that, we met Jack (Lamb) himself, the restaurant's dapper namesake. This warm introduction to the restaurant continued through the dinner itself, which was a tasting menu ride of charmingly-prepared dishes. The restaurant experience is a cross between fine dining and eating in your most stylish friends' dining room at home. What a treasure!

PEARL OYSTER BAR
18 Cornelia St., New York City
(212) 691-8211
Chef-owner Rebecca Charles was the sous chef at Arcadia, where Andrew first cooked after we moved to New York in 1992. She was a demanding perfectionist who could cook circles around most, and made everyone around her a better cook. After a dozen years of knowing her, not a single thing has changed: her dedication is evidenced in every bite. So pop into Pearl and enjoy a taste of summer: oysters (the so-called rule about only eating them in months without Rs be damned!), lobster (steamed, or in her signature lobster roll sandwich), and blueberry pie or chocolate mousse (or both!). All that is missing from Rebecca's ode to Maine is sand in your shoes when you leave.

SAN DOMENICO
240 Central Park South, New York City
(212) 265-5959
The Regional Minister of Economic Development hosted an elegant lunch on June 28th in celebration of mineral waters from the Lazio region of Italy, and we even learned a thing or two about pairing water with food. (Think of high mineral content and big bubbles as akin to red wine, and low mineral content and small bubbles as akin to white.) Despite the focus on water, chef Odette Fada created some standout dishes to accompany them, including pasta tossed with a little butter and chickpeas, and braised artichoke with the best mozzarella we've ever tasted.

SHAKE SHACK
in Madison Square Park (23rd St. & Madison Ave.), New York City
(212) 889-6600
We've lived in New York City long enough to remember the days that you were well advised to avoid Madison Square Park, a run-down, creepy-feeling section of the city. This past sunny Sunday, the Park was packed with laughing children, couples holding hands, and elderly newspaper readers. While we witnessed arguably the largest number of smiles we've ever seen per square inch anywhere in Manhattan, the largest grins in the Park were our own. We knew this miracle of transformation had much to do with the involvement of restaurateur Danny Meyer, whom we admire not only for his legendary hospitality (at the likes of UNION SQUARE CAFE, GRAMERCY TAVERN, and ELEVEN MADISON PARK), but also for his leadership in community redevelopment.

Having previously enjoyed the Chicago-style hot dogs served at his hot dog cart in the Park, we were floored by the new full-fledged stand serving not only hot dogs but also one of the best new burgers to hit the city, along with a classic Midwestern treat: frozen custard. We had ours in the form of one of the best chocolate shakes we've ever tasted. (You can find photos on our Web site here by scrolling down to July 11th.)

SOLERA
216 E. 53rd Street, New York City
(212) 644-1166
While we are typically fearless eaters, one of the things that does make us recoil in fear is excess creativity. Last week we had a dish that we would never have ordered but for the insistence of maitre d' Ron Miller, whom we've grown to know (and love) and trust over the years: a salad of mixed greens, wild strawberries, pistachios, and goat cheese, tossed in a wild strawberry vinaigrette. The dish sounded like one made by a young chef who had just watched a “Creativity Gone Wild” video. However, Ron explained that the dish was actually inspired by something he'd tasted on a recent visit to Spain. It was amazing: clean, tart, sweet, rich and perfectly of the summer. The salad is currently on Solera's tasting menu, but can be served as tapas upon request. Don't miss it!

For more on other restaurants where we're eating, click here.

- RED MEAT!

We don't want to mislead you with all this talk of fruits and vegetables and seafood: We love cattle for more than their part in producing cheese for the Artisanal Cheese Center! Even after Karen vacationed on an all-women cattle ranch in Kansas in the 1990s (where she branded calves and watched bulls turned into steers, which then turned at least one fellow guest into a vegetarian on the spot), we both remain confirmed carnivores.

Every good cook knows you must start with the best ingredients. We stake our claim to two of the best steak purveyors around. Both shops are family businesses that dry-age their meat, cut it to order, and can answer any question you might have. Shipping nationwide, either will ensure a barbecue that's a cut above the rest. Alphabetically, they are:

FLORENCE MEAT MARKET
5 Jones Street, New York City
(212) 242-6531
The don't-miss cut of meat here is the “Newport” steak. There is much legend and myth about this cut, but you can take our word that it is fantastic. The steak's flavor is a cross between sirloin with a little of the richness associated with rib-eye. It is well-marbled and an incredible deal. If you stop into the shop you will find sawdust on the floor, photos of their famous customers on the wall, opera playing in the background, and three butchers bent dedicatedly over their woodblock cutting boards. It is Greenwich Village's Red Meat Nirvana.

LOBEL'S
1096 Madison Ave., New York City
(212) 737-1373
www.lobels.com
The guys at the Upper East Side's Red Meat Nirvana are legendary for all their cuts of meat, and the sirloin has always been a standout. Any sharp-eyed foodies (or taste-challenged males) who watched “Queer Eye For the Straight Guy” last year surely saw owner Evan Lobel butchering a rack of lamb for said straight guy's big dinner party. In New York, people will stroll up Madison Avenue looking at museums and shops, then stop to stare at the meat aging in Lobel's windows with equal awe. This summer, check out their hot dogs.

Special Note:
NIMAN RANCH Dry Salame
www.nimanranch.com
A colleague of Andrew's father made his own salami, which was a fixture in Andrew's home every holiday season — and which started Andrew's life-long affection for this favorite snack and sandwich filling. To our great delight, Niman Ranch is now producing a dry salame that has Andrew no longer talking about “the good old days” of salami. Those days are here! You can see Niman's name on many menus across the country, thanks to their outstanding signature cuts of steak and pork. Their salame is well-balanced with a nice pop of pepper and enough fat to make it rich but not too fatty — and promises to make you the hit of any summer picnic when served with cheese or between a couple slices of bread!

- RED WINE!

WINE-OCEROS
www.wineoceros.com
If all this talk of red meat has made you ready for a glass of red wine, then you are in for a treat! We mentioned last month what big fans we were of Karen's fellow Harvard MBAs Stiles and Wendy Bennett's wineoceros.com and their insider selections of little-known California wines and the newsletter that accompanies their delivery to your door. But unfortunately we ran the incorrect URL. So, to make it up to you (and Wineoceros!), we're mentioning it again — and passing along a very special introductory offer for 50% OFF the first month of any Wine of the Month Club membership. For details, contact sbennet@wineoceros.com.

- Karen is interviewed for Gary Soulsman's fascinating piece in the July 3rd WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL on competitive eating, taken to new heights (or lows) by ESPN's televised coverage of the July 4th Nathan's hot dog eating contest.

- The July/August issue of MORE magazine mentions that Karen ran 20 races last year, including two half-marathons.

- The June 26th “Page Six” in THE NEW YORK POST reports on our recent dinner out as part of a table of 7 — who'd written 14 books among us!

- The 2004 four-color glossy magazine published by STEINWAY & SONS mentions THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF at length in an article by Julie Sturgeon.

- Natalie MacLean's James Beard Award-winning e-Newsletter NAT DECANTS (www.natdecants.com) announces our upcoming visit to Ottawa.

- “THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF demonstrates just how creative we are as a culinary nation,” writes Susan Miller in the June 2004 issue of HOME MONTHLY.

- The June 15th “Page Six” in THE NEW YORK POST reports on our gifting San Francisco's First Lady Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom with a basket of culinary delicacies from San Francisco and New York on the occasion of welcoming her to Manhattan after she bought an apartment here (where she provides legal commentary for Court TV and “Good Morning America”).

To read these and other stories, visit our Media Room here.

“Keep up the awesome work.  Saying prayers for you.”
—Dr. Judi Bowman, motivational author and AME minister — who performed Andrew and Karen's marriage ceremony 14 years ago next month! FYI, there's a photo from our wedding day here.

(In response to last month's tips for eating in Baltimore): “Just want to tell you about a great place to stay in Baltimore: The Inn at 2920. It's wonderful, relaxing, hypo-allergenic and features all-natural breakfasts made by the chef-owner, David Schwartz. It's in the Canton section of the city, slightly funky and absolutely delightful. David and his wife, Debbie, know all the best places to eat in the city and willingly share that info.” [Thanks, Susan!]
—Susan Holaday, editor, FOODSERVICE EAST / Woburn, MA

“Luisa, David and I are looking forward to your Ottawa visit. You won't have to eat poutine this time.” [Christopher, you must know that tasting French fries covered in gravy and curds was actually a highlight of our last trip! Thanks so much for introducing us to this local one-of-a-kind specialty.]
—Christopher Hudson, chef / Ottawa, Canada

“Another great newletter; I'm keeping a file of them for dining recommendations and reference…It was delightful to meet you at Cascadia (loved the presentation and panel; it was the best) and hope we'll get a chance to see you at Marche one of these days.”
—Stephanie Pearl Kimmel, chef-owner, Marche restaurant / Eugene, OR

“Love the newsletter! And yes, Nathan's is still a must for Coney Island.”
—Amy Krakow, Propaganda Marketing Communications / New York City

“What a great little food diary you have put together of your time in Seattle and Vancouver. I think I'll have to plan a trip to Seattle, for a ‘food-crawl' through your list of restaurants, and a visit to the new library. I was doing some styling for Stu Stein the week before last -- he owns the Peerless Restaurant in Ashland, Oregon, and has a new book, THE SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN. He had attended the Cascadia Culinary Arts Conference you spoke at. He was mightily impressed with your keynote and spoke glowingly of your work and the conference itself. A little second-hand feedback, but sometimes that's the most honest!” [Thanks for sharing this, Adrienne –- and it had been our pleasure to get to meet Stu at the Cascadia conference as well.]
—Adrienne O'Callaghan, food stylist / Vancouver, Canada

"I am a dyslexic chef working at a catering company that has been in business for 21 years. Recently I was certified as an executive chef (CEC). My spelling is awful and I lean on my computer for spell check, and on my wife to check after that. [Andrew's] article on ChefTalk.com ('Dyslexic Chefs of America, Untie!') was inspiring. I am 38, and hopefully younger people with this problem will be inspired as well. Thank you.”
—Craig Pincus (chef@att.net) / Tarzana, CA

“How happy was I to see THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF at my favorite Sydney bookstore yesterday!  When's the Sydney book tour?”
—Barry Salzman / South African executive living in Sydney, Australia

“I love reading your newsletter — it's so informative. On another food note, have you had a burger at Paul's on 2nd Avenue and 8th Street? I made my first visit there last week with a chef friend. Very juicy and cheap.”
—Nicole Slaven, MARTHA STEWART LIVING / New York City

“I was inquiring today if you had an interest in appearing at one of the largest food and wine events in the South, the Wine South Festival Atlanta. The event dates are Sept. 18-19, 2004…Please let me know if this is of interest to you both.”
—Dan Thompson, founder, Wine South / Atlanta, GA

“Always looove receiving your newsletter.  Have a wonderfully delicious summer!” [Thanks, Don — but we're sure to see you soon, as we find the three-course $12 prix fixe dessert-only menu at ChikaLicious irresistible.]
—Don Tillman, owner/manager/dishwasher, ChikaLicious / New York City

“As a fellow foodie, a fan of your books and now a reader of your newsletter, I wanted to share a sample of my own. They are usually not as long as this, but I thought you'd enjoy this one in particular.” [We enjoyed your newsletter, Tish, and already look forward to reading the next.]
—W.R. Tish, www.wineforall.com / New York City

“I've been enjoying your newsletter, quite ambitious and entertaining.”
—Dennis Ray Wheaton, chief dining critic, CHICAGO magazine / Chicago, IL

Dept. of Corrections: In last month's e-newsletter, we mentioned the incredibly talented team of four chefs that prepared an exceptional dinner for us and guests at Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks in May — but neglected to mention the full name of the restaurant where you can find chef Scott Baechler's cuisine: Metropolitan Hotel's DIVA at the MET in Vancouver. Check it out — and be sure to tell Scott we sent you. www.metropolitan.com/diva/