by contributor Donna Shor
Photo credit: Neshan H. Naltchayan
Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation, presented a sumptuous gala dining event featuring a nine-course dinner prepared by all-star chefs and hosted by the Italian embassy.
Susan Ungaro, David Adler and Capricia Marshall
Minister Luca Franchetti Pardo, the embassy’s deputy chief of mission, welcomed guests to “Amici e Cucina”―linking friendship and cuisine―which could have referred to the happy tables of diners as well as to a perhaps slightly cooler-but-friendly rivalry behind the scenes, where nine chefs whipped, mashed and grilled their proud presentations.
Host chef for the evening was Sina Molavi from Occasions Caterers.
The dinner honored Ambassador Capricia Penavic Marshall, the former United States Chief of Protocol, who in addition to her duties in that diplomatic position, also led an innovative new program which links the U.S. State Department and the James Beard Foundation in showcasing the American culinary community. This widely acclaimed diplomatic effort uses food as a universal language to help bridge the cultural and communications gap with other nations.
Chef Mike Isabella (L)
Under her leadership, the creation of the American Chefs Corps involves leading chefs from across the United States as a resource for the State Department in preparing meals for foreign leaders and engaging foreign audiences abroad as well as in the U.S.
A special guest was Donna Brazile, a veteran political strategist, author, educator and syndicated columnist and television commentator, who is also the first African-American woman to head a major U.S. presidential campaign.
Capricia Marshall and Donna Brazile
James Beard, whom the JBF (the James Beard Foundation) honors, was an ardent lover of fine food who became a pioneering television chef, the author of a shelf full of best selling cookbooks, an appreciative promoter of American cuisine, and an inquisitive “foodie” world-traveler with an encyclopedic knowledge of international foods.
“As a tribute to his legacy,” Susan Ungaro announced, “we are taking our Foundation on the road for a national culinary festival, James Beard Foundation’s Taste America. With generous support from our presenting sponsor, Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature, we are able to explore the nation’s unique local cuisines.”
Chef RJ Cooper of Rouge 24 (R)
She explained that ten cities will participate with once-in-a-lifetime dinners and free public events to celebrate excellence in American cookery. The tour includes Miami, Chicago, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston and Phoenix, plus the dinner in Washington, (which also featured a day-long event of free chef’s cooking demonstrations and cookbook signings sponsored by Sur La Table.)
Susan Ungaro and Chef Nora Pouillon
As part of the Beard Foundation’s myriad missions, it will donate locally a portion of proceeds from the planned dinners for specific causes. In Washington this will go to FRESHFARM Markets, a charity whose mission is to build and strengthen the local, sustainable food movement in the Chesapeake Bay watershed,
The evening’s Honorary Chair was the The Ambassador of Italy, Claudio Bisogniero. Co-chairs included former Washingtonian David Adler, down from New York where heserves as CEO and Founder of BizBash, a multi-city event-planning, marketing, meeting venue, business event and trade show coordinator. Always energetic, he is known here as founder and publisher of the legendary Washington chronicle, Dossier Magazine.
Robert Cole and Capricia Marshall with David Adler
Co-chairs included Ken Crerar, The Rogers Collection, Extraordinary Foods; Eric Kessler, Arabella Advisors and JBF Trustee; and Eric Michael, Occasions Caterers.
Chef Mike Isabella led off the evening with his reception-time hors d’oeuvres, which made good use of the bounty of the Chesapeake region. Plump oysters on the half-shell, then a scungilli salad, mixed seafood combining calamari, shrimp and octopus with salsify and crispy parsnip batons, were followed by Chimney Rock and Red Hawk cheeses from the Cowgirl Creamery. Especially appreciated were shards of flavorful cheese from Spain.
Susan Ungaro, Chef RJ Cooper, Amb. Capricia Penavic Marshall and All-Star Chef Sean Brock
Dinner opened with a fine assortment of charcuterie, pork in several forms, from lush paté to pistachio-studded terrine from Chef Haidar Karoum of Proof Restaurant. Next, sun-dried organic beets garnished with yoghurt topped with Petrossian’s trout roe was dreamed up by Chef Tony Conte of the Oval Room andTodd Gray of Equinox.
Capricia Marshall, Chef Sean Brock and Susan Ungaro
Rasika’s Chef Vikram Sunderam’s offering was a chaat, a savory, the small square-molded avocado mousse shapes had a surprise banana slice hidden inside. Chef Scott Drewno of Wolfgang Puck’s The Source offered Nantucket Lighthouse Diver Scallops paired with Lapsong Sausage Siu Mai, Chinese sausage pork dumplings.
The night’s menu was created by the all star team, includeing James Beard Award-winning All-Star Chef Sean Brock, who also arrived from McCrady’s and Husk restaurants in Charleston, S.C to serve a dish of heritage pork belly with farro, topping the tan round grains with huckleberries, benne (sesame seeds) and matsutakes―mushrooms from the pine forests.
Margot Bisnow and Chef Mike Isabella
Dessert was created by Alison Reed of Ripple – reconstructed the little cakes known as financier, making them with pistachio flour and a delicate olive oil instead of the traditional almond flour and browned butter. It was a delicious update of the nineteenth-century Parisian pastry. On the plate beside it, a silky Panna Cotta dome of goat’s milk, the “cooked cream” complementing the financier perfectly.
The whole dinner was a stunning creation, and how Jim Beard would have loved it!