Gotham Gal: a very special night at Fedora

A one night only event at Fedora happened this past week. The fabulous chef at Fedora Mehdi Brunet-Benkritly and M. Wells' Hugue Dufour who cooked with Mehdi at Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal got together for a night of extreme decadence. The menu was under-wraps until plates starting to show up in front of you. Wine was served by the magnum. It was fun, communal, discussion oriented and all and all a super fun evening. Molson on top all night for whoever wanted it.

We started out with a Sancerre which I stuck to all evening. The appetizer plate was a tasting of a mixture of things. Crispy cheddar sweetbread poppers, amberjack sashimi, blood sausage with a dried meat, smoked mussels and oysters with a coffee cream. The poppers were innovative, crispy and delicious. Loved the smoked mussels and sashimi. Coffee and oysters just didn't do it for me.

Round 2. You have to love this. BBQ Barbie carpacchio which is a nod to Lady Gaga...the chefs are fans. It was really delicious and the green sauce is made from charred scallions. Everything was edible except barbie.

One look at this picture and you can see how rich this soup is. Delicious chicken meatballs, crayfish and vegetables. On the side was deep fried chicken feet. I am a bone suckin' girl so I was happy to see that. The soup was so rich. Wow.

The main course was a roasted duck that they have taken all the meat off. Pretty impressive actually because there was literally no meat left on the bone. Sliced pieces of medium rare duck with a pistachio puree..and the duck was roasted in a maple syrup. On the side is a stuff potato cabbage.

Also a salad with duck confit, cheddar cheese, sliced radishes and the house vinegarette. Showing to us all how you can literally use every piece of the duck.

Luckily I took notes because the next day I could barely remember dessert. Upside down pineapple cake which I managed to write down but not take a picture of. That sums up how the night came to an end.

Wonderful evening. Love that Gabe and GIna brought these two chefs together for a one night only bash. Looking forward to more evenings like this.

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books of the moment

Rachel Kushner: The Flamethrowers: A Novel
A beautiful intelligently written book that threads together NYC and Rome in the 1970's. The prose is just amazing. There is an underlying theme about lies and trust. The main character, Reno, whose eyes the book is written through is like a sponge taking in a world and essentially educating herself. I admit I did not love the ending and the book bounces around a bit although an interesting look at a time that bounced around too so the story defines those times.
Peggy Riley: Amity & Sorrow: A Novel
A mother drives for days with her daughters and ends up in a random Oklahoma town after crashing the car. They come from a polygamous community where there were 50 wives. The mother had grown up knowing life outside that community. Over time, after leaving, she almost becomes deprogrammed. The realization of what she did to her daughters who no nothing outside the world they came from including how to read. Then there is the family that brought them in. It is a fascinating story. Well written. Worthy read.
Charles Graeber: The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder
An amazing true story of a male nurse who was arrested in 2002. I actually remember the story as I followed it in the papers. This nurse was a serial killer who had probably murdered over 400 patients that were under his care. A seriously well researched book. Great read.
Meg Wolitzer: The Interestings: A Novel
Wolitzer writes about a group of camp friends who all come from different walks of life (some on scholarship) as their friendships continue through their mid-50s. At the beginning the story seems trite but as you continue to read there is a lot of be said. The story is sticking with me. She makes the case that everything that happens to you from your childhood makes an impact on who you become or don't become. Worthy read.
Elizabeth Strout: The Burgess Boys: A Novel
Strouts last book won a Pulitzer. She focuses on family issues. I enjoyed this book much more than Olive Ketteredge which I found utterly depressing. This book follows two brothers and a sister who live in the shadow of their fathers accidental death. Like most siblings, all have turned out very different yet they are connected. I did not love any of the characters, like her last book, yet as The Burgess Boys moves forward and memories are revealed, it is an interesting perspective on human character.
Tamara Shopsin: Mumbai New York Scranton: A Memoir
Great book. A witty spare inventive personal diary of Tamara journey from Indian to New York to Scranton. Really really enjoyed the book.
Michael Lavigne: The Wanting: A Novel
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Alessandro Piol: Tech and the City: The Making of New York's Startup Community
A history of the Internet that I lived through. Great job of recording what happened.
Amity Gaige: Schroder: A Novel
Not sure how much I loved this book. A father loses his child in divorce and decides to kidnap his own daughter. He is not a stable person but he obviously loves his daughter. His own childhood has made him a disconnected human being. An interesting journey but not sure I'd recommend.
Ernest Hemingway: The Old Man and the Sea
Classic.

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a very special night at Fedora

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