The Brooklyn Taco Experiment – It was everything and more

The awards presentation

I might sound trite. I might sound like a sap. I might sound like an ego maniac. I might, I might, I might…

This is difficult for me to write, but the Taco Experiment was an utter success. What made it a success? The People. Whether chefs or audience, it made no difference. Everyone was prepared to have a good time. This was the most exciting event for me because of the grand prize. We had two round trip tickets to Mexico to hand over. It feels great to reward hard work. I wanted to secure this prize for the winner ever since we decided to put on this little shindig. I sent 50 emails looking for a connection. Finally, my friend Isela of Hernan Housewares emailed me with a contact for a representative of Aero Mexico, a cool cat named Oscar. I see why Bob Barker never wanted to retire or why Reggis Philbin asked who wanted to be a millionaire.

The chef’s made some incredible food. I am not exaggerating. I felt as if our chefs were hitting their stride.  It wasn’t just pork my friends. We had duck, short ribs, brisket, oxtail, goat, chicken, marrow, and a giant sized Lipitor. Even though I felt I had an alien bursting from the side of my gut, I could have had more. It took the judges a longer time than usual to come up with a winner, everything was so good.

It wasn’t easy for Nick and myself either. We had much debate over the winner of the Nick and Theo prize. To call it a debate might be a slight exaggeration, Nick was slipping in and out of a meat coma. After taco 20, we both started to lose it. Unlike other events, where we usually only have a bite of each competitors dish, we were eating entire tacos.  I have seen Nick in a meat coma once before at The Food & Wine Meatball Madness competition. The first symptom is broth flavored sweat, followed by confusion and hallucinating. It finally concludes with a meat bomb gently resting against all one’s major organs. Now I know where my spleen is located, I still do not know its function. Oddly enough, I left the stage, missed a taco, and in a state of panic rushed over to the competitor to get  a taste. I had already had 25 tacos!!! What was I thinking?? With meat filling all the space in our heads, making a decision was rough. I admire the Judges as they plowed through competitor after competitor looking for greatness.

Love it

The best was having secret judge, Fernando Martinez of the Red Hook Ball fields, examine the lot. He had a totally different perspective than the rest. After all, he makes meat tacos everyday. The last thing he is going to favor on his day off is another meat taco. Thank god I am not a betting man because I feel vegetarians are operating with a handicap when they enter these contests. YET, he chose the grilled Halloumi Cheese taco as his favorite, a VEGETARIAN option. The world is flipping sideways and now my Fiancee can stick a feather in her cap. Oy vey!

Fiancee Rockin the Voting Box

On a side note, we had the tortillas GENEROUSLY provided by Tortilleria Chinantla. The reason we sought out a tortilla sponsor was to relieve an expense to the chefs. We know its difficult – remember Nick and I compete (though I did retire recently for the second time). But, I did not think the logistics through. It was difficult for some chef to get the corn tortillas heated properly. I take blame for that and I feel guilty. I know its hard work. Our job is to make the chefs’ job easier, even though I give them shit. It’s out of love and respect. For the upcoming Egg Experiment, we will be providing eggs to everyone in advance.

Holy Goat

I think anyone who credits themselves for the success of an event is an idiot. I am no idiot. The people to thank are numerous. Starting with the Chefs, all of you! and Mark Kupa, Dick Swizzle, Naomi (I am so sorry that the room was left a mess), all the various volunteers, the clan de Suarez, the judges, the sponsor, and most of all my Fiancee and future wife!

THE RESULTS:

The Grand Prize Winner - Serious Business

AUDIENCE AWARDS

1st Place – #12 John Schnapp Serious Business Taco (2 Round-trip
Tickets to Anywhere in Mexico Courtesy of AeroMexico)

2nd Place – #24 Mike Leahy Fat Mikey’s ($100 Cash + $250 Jimmy’s 43
Gift Certificate)

3rd Place – #2 Jason Marcus Breakfast Taco ($50 Cash + Whisk Gift
Certificate + $25 Calexico Gift Certificate)

JUDGES AWARDS

1st Place – #1 Andrey Ayrapetov Carnitas ($50 Calexico Gift
Certificate + Red Hook Vendor Private Tour + Red Hook Vendor’s Lunch
with 3 Friends

2nd Place – #20 Mike McGowan Shredded Beef Rib Tacos ($50 Cascabel
Gift Certificate + Red Hook Vendor Private Tour + Red Hook Vendor’s
Lunch with 1 Friend)

3rd Place – #24 Mike Leahy Fat Mikey’s (Bark Beer Growler + $35 Bark
Gift Certificate)

SECRET JUDGE PRIZE – Judge by Fernando Martinez – Country Boys Taco
Truck – 2009 Vendy Award Winner

#17 Sabrina Mossberg Halloumi Steak Taco (Hernan
Botanero/Tortillero/Tequilero Set + $25 Calexico Gift Certificate)

NICK AND THEO PRIZE

#15 Alyssa Lees Beef/Pork Chile with Tequila Creme and Spicy Toffee
Dessert (Ultimate T-shirt Prize + Crif Dog Skateboard + Tortilleria
Chinantla Clock + 4 Tickets to the Sold Out Lost Premiere at the Bell
House)

Cassoulet King! Still Humble?

Cassoulet - the starting line

Does that picture qualify as food porn? I heard the term ‘food porn’ will soon be eliminated – finally. Although it makes me kind of sad is that I never had a chance to use it.

When I saw the announcement for last year’s Cassoulet competition I was too late to sign up. To say it saddened me would be an understatement. It actually pissed me off. A year ago, I had just started to get a taste for competition, like blood to a prepubescent vampire. A year later, what a change my life has taken – Jimmy emailed me to let me know the cassoulet contest was coming up and asked me to enter. I was honored.  Jimmy is a great guy and I love Jimmy’s 43.  I was upset I missed the deadline last time because I really enjoy making cassoulet. I think I used that frustration as inspiration for this year’s event, and worked twice as hard.

Maybe, I tried twice as hard because I have a reputation to uphold, or I would like to retire from competitive cooking on top, like Barry Sanders. Whatever the reason, I worked hard and won against some meaty competition. Before I get to my dish, first, let me remind everyone that we all had come out in support of the Greenmarket, and second, let me espouse on the specialness of others…

Peter Hoffman and Daughter

Many familiar faces were in the line up. Some new to competing, but familiar none the less. Peter Hoffman, of Back Forty and Savoy, and his daughter were stationed near me.  It is no surprise that he came out to support the Greenmarket; he has made a real difference in the way New York eats. He was the Greenmarket Chef a decade before anyone else. He made a great cassoulet, tender rabbit, balanced beans, and crunchy bits. Yet, I was distracted, not by his wonderful cassoulet, but by his great looking cast iron vessels/kettles – not sure what to call them. I started to covet my neighbors cookware. I started dreaming of having that cookware, dreaming of a hearth to set it upon, dreaming of a fiancee who eats meat so I can make stew in them.  At least, I know what is going to be the first item we register for. (On a side note, please feel free to pick and pay for any item off our future registry.)

Of course, Cathy Erway was in attendance. What would a cook-off be without her? like the sky without blue. She plunked down a beautiful canary yellow le creuset pot containing a Moroccan themed cassoulet with dates and curry. I thought it was a great entry. Across the way from me was Tom Harvey and son with one of the most surprising and delicious entries. A newbie to the cook-off scene, I hope he intends to stay. He is the nicest guy – came over the table and handed my Fiancee and me a bowl. He was so humble, like really humble – not my fake humble. Couldn’t put the bowl down, it was salty with a strong tomato base. The goose was tender and he did not screw around – he brought two matching orange le creuset  pots. I think the real winner of this contest was Le Creuset. Everyone was using one. I was distracted by the colors. It might be stupid to say, but they make the prettiest pots and I think that makes anything inside taste better by a factor of 10. By the way, my creuset was baby blue and Nick’s was vibrant green.

I was really disappointed I did not get to try everyone’s dish. In particular, I missed Ms. Feigenbaum’s. I get so wrapped up in serving everyone that I sometime forget to eat. She won 1st Place in the very important category – audience’s choice. I feel that is what it is all about, winning the audience.

He's the one with the beard

My toughest competition tends to come from Nick, Nick Suarez. He is not only my rival, but partner in thefoodexperiments. It is always bittersweet to compete against one another, at least that is what I think. I want to beat him, and at the same time I would like to see him do well. Second place is doing well – right? Anyway, his dish was very good and it had the Suarez hallmark of richness. It was rich, properly seasoned, and I kept wanting to eat more. He topped it with some great duck “crispies.”

As for my dish, it was a simple affair. I made two sausages: lamb crepinettes which are made from braised lamb shoulder pressed and wrapped in caul fat and

Lamb Crepinettes

duck and roast garlic sausage. I added a little cream, eggs, and poached them in red wine. They had great flavor.

Staged Shot - Theo Peck drinks red wine while making duck sausage - how edgy

For the beans, I cooked them in two reinforced stocks, mushroom and lamb. Once the beans were cooked and they were ready to bake, I added duck fat, salt, shiitake mushrooms, a bit of both sausages, and a puree of garlic, bean, cream, duck fat. I also cut up and placed a smoke / roasted pork belly to the beans.

Bastin Belly

The belly I got from butchering a pig at The Queens Farm Museum.

To top this meat-acular beast – kale, of course. I needed something to make this potential gut bomb lighter. I realize that you cannot spell cassoulet without gut bomb, but the crispiness is an essential characteristic. I made kale chip in a low oven and crumbled them with some garlic, lemon, duck fat, and butter.

I was nervous throughout the day, the judging panel was GOOD. It wasn’t a slouch panel. It is another reason to work hard and make the best dish. I presumed they would have high expectations, and as they grilled me on my cassoulet I knew they meant business. They all had the credentials. Chef Matt Weingarten of Inside St. Barts, Josh Ozersky – the Original Mr. Cutlets, Alex Van Buren – accomplished food writer, and Betty Fussell – also an accomplished food writer…so it was an honor and surprise that they called me out for first place. It has been a long time since I felt the joy of victory and I plan on savoring it.

Thank You

Success

There are plenty more photos over at metromix.  Take care all, I plan on writing a recipe post soon.

The New Year – What does it really mean?

First off, it means a really cool article in the Brooklyn Paper that placed me and my partner in the top 20 to watch in ‘10. I like the affirmation of an article that tells me that the next year is going to be good.

And Now A Word From Our Sponsor

That Man Loves Pate!

The Underground Pate Movement Has Started!!!

Gourmet Pate is here. I know it is unfathomable, but local (Brooklyn), artisan, organic chicken liver pate is here….for a limited time only!!! Get your JAR ON!! My Girlfriend says it only looks like fancy feast, but tastes like vegetable medley. The pate is unique, it is my own recipe which has been developed over years working as a charcuterie chef.    Each Jar is $10 dollars and will be good until Jan 10th.  I do not know how you will get your jar, but you will. It makes an excellent gift. Leave me a comment if you would like a jar.

Eat like the pros, eat chicken liver pate!

You want to add an extra inch of ‘love’, eat chicken liver pate!

Want your teeth model white, eat chicken liver pate!

Need to add distance to your golf swing, eat chicken liver pate!

Want to feel like a Frenchman who drinks red wine and gets lots of girls, eat chicken liver pate!

Have you ever imagined a career in broadcasting: chicken liver pate!!

You want to smooth out those crows feet: chicken liver pate!

Do you get morning breath? No Longer, chicken liver pate!

Pate is the new Pate: think about it…

I’m a Sell Out!

Maybe not, but I certainly came close. I sold a healthy amount of paté and rillette  at the Greenpoint Food Market on Saturday.  If you weren’t able to make it, don’t fret – there is bigger news…

I am now available at a market here in Brooklyn! I am proud to announce that Brooklyn’s very own Choice Greene Market on Greene and Grand is now carrying my paté and rillettes. They bought all my remaining stock. I was so thrilled that I might have let down my guard and acted somewhat unprofessionally. I think I yelled, “Holy crap, you’re really going to buy it!” Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but I was really excited.

So, thank you Choice Market for being the first place to take a chance on a scrappy charcuterie maker who hails from the mean streets of the Upper West Side (they were much meaner in the 70’s).

Rillettes Already, The Wait For More Paté Is Over!

Peck's Pate

Hello Everyone!

To all my fans, each and everyone of you, I am back.  And, I did not come alone. I brought along my good fatty pals: Paté and Rillettes.  Nothing says I love you quite like a little jar of meaty goodness.  I will be selling them tomorrow at The Greenpoint Food Market.  After my successful visit last time, I cannot wait until tomorrow. I’ll be there with my patient Girlfriend who will kindly be spreading ungodly amounts of paté and rillette on crackers while I tell people about the health benefits of  Charcuterie.

It is so exciting because I get an opportunity to cook the way I am supposed to…plus, I get to start with all of this:

Starting Point

Remember, you will look like a Rock Star at Thanksgiving if you show up with the best Brooklyn-made, artisanal  charcuterie.  Besides, you need something in your system to soak up all the alcohol as you listen to your relatives drone on about how cool they used to be.  It’s also the perfect gift for the food-obsessed hipster (which Brooklyn seems to be teeming with lately).

It boils down to this: If you love someone, set them free with jars of deliciousness.

By the way, it is taking place at the Church located at 129 Russell St.

RECAP – MAD CAP – The Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment

What a day! What a life. It is the day after and I feel blessed to have been a part of The Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment.  For the Beer Experiment I was inexperienced – I finished, but it was too quick. And I am not sure she had any fun, but the cigarette afterwards made me feel like a man. Wait, what the hell am I talking about?

Doling out the Goods

It was game day my friends and all the competitors brought their A-games. Normally, I look for Bonnie Suarez to be leading the pack, but she had her equals. This was easily the best food we had at any competition. There were no stinkers. No dishes that lead me to believe I would be going to the hospital. The chefs delivered.  In kind, we responded. Nick and I vowed to give something to everybody who participated.  I hope everyone loved their “Beat Me or Eat Me” T-Shirt. You can wear it anywhere from the gym to your next PTA meeting. I can’t please everyone all the time, except for my girlfriend (fat chance). Seriously, the chef’s well-being and enjoyment are very important to us.  Even though, I told Nick that people have to “Suck it Up,” I was totally referring to something else. Not weed – smart ass!

Team Peanut

I was really impressed by some dishes that were under my radar. Can you believe how good the vegetarian chili was? Team Peanut, you stole my vegetarian girlfriend’s heart. I am not joking. If you read this, can you post the recipe so this “dumbass” can know make it. I had her thinking that you could only make chili with meat. Plus, I was absolutely convinced that the last thing I want to eat at an “Experiment” was a tame old brownie – but it was great. Who knew that Attic Sugar Bakery was for real? I like the crisp top the most. I feel texture is often overlooked.

Attic Sugar Bakery and their Hazelnut Brownies

We gave the Nick and Theo prize to Rebecca Marx and Pervaiz Shallwani. I thought that their hush puppies were very good and the crunch of the cereal benefitted them tremendously. (On a side note, if you win the “Nick and Theo” prize, thank BOTH Nick and Theo.)  Alright, I have to give some space to one of my favorite competitors, Bonnie Suarez. I know she is Nick mom. I have been to her house – duh. But she can really cook. Her dish was a complete pleasure. A dish that was subtle, that still managed to stand out at a food competition.

I want to give a shout out to two of my sentimental favorites: The Righteous Burn Pirates and The Working Class Foodies!!! First, WCF’s dish was a total save. They actually had a colossal shit show trying to make marshmallows for their original idea. Yet, they still pulled off a surprisingly good dish. Alas, not a winner, but the Creme Anglaise was very well done. Second, The Pirates, the idea was great, but I think that the conditions were a challenge for the dish. With that said, I have the upmost respect for them. Their desire and sweat is hard to match.

Sara Haines from the Today Show tasting the "Burn"

I waited to talk about the big winners until the end. They got tons of good press already. ROOPA, way to go kiddo. She got married and brought the hurt. Who knew she could do it. That was some ice cream, and homemade cones… Then, the Pig in Drag was just perfect. The meat was well-cooked and the sauce was perfectly seasoned. Tremendous dish guys. I hope to see you both at the next one.

Lei Takahashi - "Pig in Drag"

yours truly

Roopa Sweeps Audience and Judges First Place

With that said, we still do not know what we are going to do next. We have some ideas. So until then, keep experimenting!!!

The Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment Results:

Judges Award

1st – Roopa Marcello – Thai Chocolate Ice Cream
2nd –  Bonnie Suarez – Chocolate Black beans with cauliflower and pork belly
3rd –  Attic Sugar Bakery – Hazelnut Brownies

Honorable Mention Sweet  -   Alyssa Lees – Deconstructed Truffles
Honorable Mention Savory  - Lei Takahashi – “Pig in Drag”

Nick and Theo Prize –  Pervaiz Shallwani + Rebecca Marx – Chocolate Hush Puppies

Audience Award

1st –  Roopa Marcello – Thai Chocolate Ice Cream
2nd –  Lei Takahashi – “Pig in Drag”
3rd –  Team Peanut – Chocolate Chipotle Chili

Recap RoundUp:

• Fork in the Road
• Raspberry Eggplant
• Time Out
• MetroMix
• Smith & President
• Foodzie
• Always Hungry
• Amy Blogs Chow
• Thin Crust Deep Dish
• Experimental Culinary Pursuits

The Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment!

I am truly excited for The Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment. I was nervous about the Beer Experiment, and I was worried about lactose intolerance for the Cheese Experiment. For the Chocolate Experiment, I am feeling energized – in a good way. It has been a hectic day as we have had some last minute contestants get in under the wire. Some contestants emailed me their final dishes, WOW, I am psyched to try them. Yes, they are experimental, but I can see them working out in a really good way. This might be the best group of dishes I have seen. I am handicapping the dishes in my head. This will be the best cook-off we have ever thrown (sorry beer and cheese).

Let me not forget, and let me give this news it’s own paragraph – The NBC Today Show is bringing a crew to film the festivities. I am finally going to  be famous, by hook or by crook! What the hell does that expression mean anyway?

Plus, we are constantly getting more great prizes to give away. We’ve got a chocolate of the month certificate from Ricard Chocolat, four copies each of La Maison du Chocolat and Jacques Torres’ A Year in Chocolate from Abrams Books, gift certificates, limited edition skateboards, more chocolaty goodness and of course, CASH. There is chocolate all over my apartment right now – all to be given away. My girlfriend had to stop me from peaking inside the sealed  deluxe chocolate pack from Taza.

I hope to see the 11 people who read this blog on Sunday at the Bell House. If you are one of those lost souls who accidentally stumble upon my blog looking for a photo of a penguin cake, welcome, and check out The Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment. It’s worth the trip.

I will see you there!!!

One Year Later…

How Am I Doin?

I realized last night (when I started this post it was “last night”) that it had been a year since I began this quixotic quest to recover.  Recover basically after I lost it all. This has been no easy task. I got so close to owning my own business that sometimes I lose sleep at night thinking about it. I have had so many restless nights that my light sleeping Girlfriend is more tired than she needs to be.

What could have been a terrible year has turned out to be surprisingly uplifting. I was just thinking about my choice of word, uplifting. I feel more positive about my future even though I do not show it for fear of ruining my reputation as a neurotic Jew. I will admit that most of it is due to my incredibly supportive, super patient Girlfriend.

the crowning of last year's king

The reason for looking back is that last night was the Casserole Crazy contest at Brooklyn Label. A year ago I was introduced to the world of competitive cooking and was anointed Casserole King. Though I did not win last night’s casserole contest, I realized later on (much later on) that I didn’t care about winning. All I had to do was look around and see how it has all changed for the better.  I was happy that my friend won the contest. A friend I did not have a year ago. I am writing about it on a blog that I did not have a year ago. A year ago I lived alone in Manhattan. Now, I am in an apartment that I share with the Girlfriend in BROOKLYN. This makes me really happy. Is this getting sappy yet? I could get a lot worse. I mean, the new apartment is filled with mosquitoes and it is October.

To be honest, I thought that I would have a clear direction by now, that I would be laser focused on a single challenge. Yet, I feel constantly pulled in different directions. I have the cooking competitions, freelance catering gigs, underground restaurant work, paté entrepreneur, consulting, etc. It might seem great to have unique challenges present themselves constantly, but the grass in always greener. The idea of one solid paycheck is tempting. It would ease my worried heart. I live in New York, not South Dakota. You need a good paycheck. How else am I going to eat well? My friends, I like to eat well….

Overall, I’m happy-ish and that is alright for now.

Kentucky Fried Casserole - yum

 

 

Happy National Chocolate Day

What an appropriate day to announce The Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment. I am excited to let everyone know that it is taking place November 15th. This is going to be the best one yet as we are collaborating with Food52’s Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs. The judges are going to be fantastic, the food, the freebies, the prizes – Simply the best.

So what is the best gift idea for the chocolate-obsessed in your household? Besides a fudge shower (whatever that is), it’s tickets to the Chocolate Experiment.

My Girlfriend loves chocolate AND cats, what am I to do?

Girlfriend Loves Cats Too Much