Night of Discovery

This weekend I was at the Center For Discovery in upstate New York, where I worked with 6 other amazing New York City chefs to create a menu out of one 500 lb Berkshire pig. We each claimed a piece of the pork and cooked a dish for 200 people from it. The event was hosted by actor Aidan Quinn, and the evening featured an Exclusive Sneak Preview of The Michael Ritchie Big Barn Center for Environmental Health and Education at The Center.
The following chefs joined me:
April Bloomfield, Spotted Pig
Anne Burrell, Food Network Host
Kevin Garcia, 'Cesca & Accademia di Vino
Mark Ladner, Del Posto
Julian Niccolini, Four Seasons
David Arnold, French Culinary Institute

The menu looked like this:

April Bloomfield, The Spotted Pig
Appetizer - Canapes with Ramps and Bacon
Dinner - Pork Rillettes with Mustard and Cornichons, and Potato Bread

Kevin Garcia, ‘Cesca & Accademia di Vino
Farrotto con Ragu di Chiannina e Verdure Primavera
Farro with Chiannina Ragu and Spring Vegetables

Mark Ladner, Del Posto
Panino of Prosciutto Cotto with House Cured Coppa and Smoked Caponata

Julian Niccolini/Fred Mero/Christian Albin – Four Seasons
Hors’doeuvres - Crisp Potato Skins with Caviar
Rabbit Sausages
Dinner - Crisp Pork Loin with Fingerling Potatoes and Spring Vegetables

Anne W. Burrell, Food Network
Brined Pork Leg with Fingerling Potatoes and Thanksgiving Farm Parsnips and Leeks with Ramp Salsa

David Arnold, International Culinary Center
The Swedish Chef - Caraway, Apple Juice, Cucumber Juice and Elderflower
Cucumber and Gin Tonic

We started the weekend the day before, on Friday, when all of the chefs took vans 2 hours north to the Center and cooked ourselves an enormous meal of Chiannina steak, pork ribs, and fresh spring vegetables. Before we went to sleep, we helped Rob, the farmer, put the chickens to bed. It resulted in late night antics in the chicken coop and lots and lots of chicken droppings covering us all from head to toe. (More photos to come!)

The next morning we revisited the chickens and picked our own eggs. Kevin Garcia fried up blue, pink and white eggs, with exceptional olive oil and topped them with fresh ramps. I also made salami by Caruso's Very Fine Swine which was given to each guest as a parting gift on their way out. The Farm made this beautiful "drying" board.

It was an amazing weekend filled with good people, beautiful surroundings, and great food.

More photos to come!

Ciao! Cesare