This post is dedicated to a fellow foodie and my friend, Dave. Wish you were here!
Combing through a mountainous heap of press releases at my new internship (a temporary stint at the Metro newspaper) I do a double take upon seeing the "Saveur" logo emblazoned across an e-mail. It's a food magazine I've come to revere lately, for its worldly sensibilities, commitment to simple--and almost primordial--home-cooking and breathtaking layout. The mag released its acclaimed 100 must-have food items list, aka, The Saveur 100, last week and I'm psyched to know that the big cheese himself, James Oseland, is available for interviews. A flurry of phone calls leads me to an enjoyable conversation with the Epicure-in-chief, a pleasant and spirited gentleman with a penchant for pressure cookers, DIY ketchup and Indonesian fare.
Upon identifying my desi connection, James fills me in on an Ahmedabad trip he took last year to shoot a spread on Gujarati cooking. "It's really a work of art," he gushes, forcing me to re-examine a world of cuisine I've apathetically consumed for the majority of my life, never really paying special attention to seemingly inconsequential details--vibrant flecks of cilantro that accessorize most vegetable dishes, the glittery film that coats traditional date and nut rolls (aka, varak, or thin sheets of pounded silver) and even the Zen-like patience required to sprout lentils, a prominent feature in many typical Gujarati meals. James excitedly informs me that the article will most likely run next year, and before I know it, he's inviting me and a guest to a Saveur event the following evening, a celebration in honor of the 10th anniversary of the publication's hit 100 list. Rumor has it that a secret 101st item will also be announced that night.
The next evening, with my favorite foodie in tow (thanks, Raj) I find myself in a crowded test kitchen midtown, bowled over by the scent of caramelized onions and baked goat cheese. Saveur's breathtaking evening menu includes a tart, made with the aforementioned ingredients, a succulent veggie lasagna, a pork and white bean cassoulet, bite-sized black and white brownies, and the piece de resistance--two oversized cheese trays, overflowing with slivers and slices of cheddar, brie and camembert, sprinkled with unlikely embellishments including thyme and parsley. We can hardly contain ourselves as we join a line full of fellow food journalists and wide-eyed plus ones, eagerly clutching their disposable bamboo plates (attractive AND biodegradable? I'm digging this!). Mid-bite, I spot an animated man in a breezy, carrot-colored Balinese shirt, ushering crowds of people towards the dinner spread. We walk over and introduce ourselves to James, while I share a Saveur-inspired anecdote: months ago, Raj and I ditched an afternoon of what was, in theory, supposed to be wedding planning and opted to churn our own butter instead, thanks to an intriguing recipe from the magazine (try it, it reads more like a magical potion than a set of instructions). James laughs appreciatively, chats for a minute or two, asking me when his interview will be published, and thanks us for coming before resuming to mingle.
During the course of that delicious evening, we warmly laud the announcement of the highly anticipated 101st item on the Saveur list (parchment paper), catch a glimpse of the Italian home-cooking sensation, Lidia Bastianich, and even squeeze in a quick, jittery hello with one of my all-time favorite writers, Suketu Mehta--needless to say, those few hours were rich with all the ingredients for a night to remember.
Stay tuned for a Metro NY piece on the Saveur 100, scheduled to run on Jan 21, 2009.
