Needless to say, I love the excitement of it all. Vancouver was spectacular, as usual. It was wonderful cooking for those attending the Dalai Lama’s Peace Summit and teaching my chefs our new fall dishes.
Shanghai was great too. I landed Tuesday and held a cooking class first thing the following morning. My students suggested I start a cooking school in the city—a very interesting idea. For now, my Shanghai chef and his team don’t need more training. They’re running an incredibly tight kitchen, executing dishes perfectly and efficiently. As impressive is the local produce now available in China. A year ago, the figs were hard as a rock and tasted terrible. This year, they’re so sweet and perfect. Almost all of our produce comes from local farms and most of it is organic.
The same local, organic ethos is alive and well in Maine, where I cooked for a benefit for the Island Culinary and Ecological Center. The organization teaches regional and sustainable cooking. Along with Boston chef Michael Leviton and Maine chefs Lawrence Klang and Melissa Kelly, we put together a meal celebrating Maine’s seafood. I made lobster with a sea urchin and jalapeno butter. My friend and seafood supplier Ingrid Begis provided the lobsters. Here’s our catch:
Do you see how shiny and fresh the lobsters are? They’re so amazing up there. I should know—I sampled lots of lobster rolls while there.
I love New England cuisine and am putting my own spin on it this week. I opened the new Market restaurant in Boston’s W Hotel last night. More on that soon…
