2009 Chef's Alliance Dinner Announced

Chef Ryan Nelson sent the news over yesterday. He's schedule the 5th annual Chef's Alliance Dinner for Sunday, April 19 and put together a fantastic line-up. One of the best dinners of the year, this event is one night when local chefs partner to both celebrate food and raise money for the Riley Children's Foundation. Nelson organizes the dinner and hosts at the Oceanaire each year.

Who's cooking? Last year's line up returns with Chefs Greg Hardesty, Tony Hanslits (Chef's Academy), Eli and Nicole Anderson (H2O Sushi), Karl Benko, Regina Mehallick (RBistro), Marc Urwand and Deidra Henry (Taste Cafe) and, of course, Dave and Krissy Tallent (Restaurant Tallent). Book your space now. This dinner will sell out.

6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 19
$150 per person
For tix, call Sheryl Parks, 317.955.2277

Chef Greg Hardesty Wins Battle Lamb

Congratulations to Lungs for Life and The Chef's Academy who put together a terrific fundraiser on Sunday afternoon. Cooking for a Cause featured six local chefs working with a secret ingredient revealed just before cooking started. Chefs had 90 minutes to prepare three dishes using a beautiful, fresh lamb from the fabulous Knudsons at Viking Lamb. We judges were stationed in kitchens and Chef Tony Hanslits and Wish TV's Joy Dumandan did a great job emceeing the entire event with cameras rolling. (I really liked how they video running with commentary the whole time. The kitchens were a little warm so guests could easily watch the chefs and action from the cooler rooms.)

Competing chefs included Greg Hardesty (formerly of Elements), Neal Brown (L'explorateur), Ryan Nelson (The Oceanaire), Brandon Hamilton (Trader's Point Cafe), Jason Alexander (Chef's Academy), and Tommy Thompson (Fireside). Tommy and Brandon were last minute pinch hitters as flooding kept a few folks busy at home.

Judges included Bob Whitt (White River State Park), Paige Horrigan, Patty Denton (Too Many Cooks), Gary Bravard (Too Many Cooks), Terry Kirts (Indianapolis Monthly), Dennis Dunn (Elements), Dave Poole (St. Elmo's), and Jake Brenchley (Scholar's Inn). We even had guests at our judges table who got to taste alongside.

We only tasted six dishes at our table (one from each chef) but the stars were a cornmeal crusted fried green tomato with seared lamb loin from Neal Brown, a potato "risotto" with cheese, red pearl onions, and cherry tomato with lamb chops (Ryan Nelson), and lamb tenderloin seared and served on a bed of spring vegetables with basil oil and a red wine demi glace (Greg Hardesty.) We didn't get to see the whole spectrum but we hear it was close. Greg Hardesty was the overall winner with Ryan Nelson second.

Congratulations to the organizers, chefs, and all their crews who came out on a Sunday afternoon to support a great cause. (Plus, Greg took home a tasty $1000 check.) And the rest of you, make sure you put this event on your calendar for next year. It's sure to become one of the year's best.

Cooking for a Cause: Battle Secret Ingredient

Mark your calendars for Cooking for a Cause, on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at The Chef's Academy. There have been a spate of "Iron Chef-style" cooking challenges lately, but this one looks to be one of the best if the sheer talent involved is any indication. A benefit for Lungs for Life, the event will feature 6 of the city's best chefs making 3 dishes with a secret ingredient. Chefs will have 1½ hours to prepare 3 dishes incorporating the unknown delicacy which will, of course, only be revealed just before the competition. Guests at the event will be able to view the chefs through the kitchen windows and organizers even tout commentators! ("I wonder what he's going to do with those cuttlefish eyeballs.") Judges award points, you know how this works.

Event starts with a brunch at noon and final awards by 4:00 p.m. And the lineup?! Cheftestants include:

Chef Eli Anderson, H2O Sushi, Indianapolis

Chef Jason Anderson, Chef’s Academy Instructor, Indianapolis

Chef Neal Brown, L’Explorateur, Indianapolis

Chef Dave Tallent, Restaurant Tallent, Bloomington

Chef Greg Hardesty, Elements, Indianapolis

Chef Ryan Nelson, Oceanaire Seafood Room, Indianapolis

General Admission tix are $100. If you want a seat at the chef's table for the up close tasting and action: $250. Reserved Table (seats 8) for $700 or the Chef’s Table (seats 6) for $1300. For tickets or information, contact Heather at 317-578-3521. Tickets are already going fast for this one.

Dates to Save for Food/Wine Events

That last weekend in April is starting to look a little crazy! Not only is Thursday, April 24 Dine Out for Life night, but the rest of the weekend is a star-studded food and wine fest!

Midwest Cabernet Experience
Friday, April 25
One of the best catalog tastings of the year, this one is all collector cabs and worth every penny! 75 Cabs all $30 retail and above (plus a spread from the Montage). Benefits Riley Heart Center at the Riley Hospital for Children. $75 in advance/$100 at the door. Collectors Club tix (cabs that retail for $100 or more) $125 in advance/$150 at the door. Get tickets at Kahn's or through Riley Hospital.

Chef's Alliance Dinner
Sunday, April 27
Don't miss the annual Chef's Alliance Dinner hosted by Chef Ryan Nelson of The Oceanaire. As he's done for the past three years, Nelson brings together some of his top peers to cook an 8-course feast benefiting Riley Children's Hospital. Look for Chefs Nicole and Eli Anderson (H2O Sushi), Tony Hanslits (The Chef's Academy), Regina Mehallick (R Bistro), Greg Hardesty (Elements), Karl Benko (nee Peterson's), and James Beard nominee Dave Tallent (Restaurant Tallant) and Marc Urwand and Deidra Henry (Taste Cafe and Marketplace). $125 per ticket. Contact a participating chef or their restaurant for tickets.

April in Paris
Sunday, April 27
This yearly benefit for Ivy Tech is a perfect showcase for culinary students and diners alike. Seven courses at The Fountains Banquet Center in Carmel. $125 per person. Information and tickets online.

Food Fight Winners!

Great work to all the cheftestants in last night's PACE/OAR Food Fight fundraiser. Hosted at The Chef's Academy, three chefs participated in the inaugural event using individual kitchens and cooking from a mystery basket. Ingredients included a chicken, purple potatoes, risotto, peppers, red pearl onions, asparagus, bell peppers and shitake mushrooms. Each chef had two hours and two student assistants to complete their dishes.

First prize went to Chef Sean Bartosiak, the executive chef at Kiss Z Cook in Carmel. A Cooking and Hospitality Institute grad from Chicago, he's a Something Different alum with Steve Oakley, pre-Oakley's Bistro days. Second place was Chef Daniel Carter who after stints as executive stints at the Downtown Marriott and Convention Center is co-owner of Delectable Comfort Cuisine Catering. And third place was Steve Ongley, currently a student at The Chef's Academy and working with Chef Kathy Jones at the new Bistro de Paris in Carmel. (Many will recognize Steve from Goose, the Market where he's often behind the counter!)

Great work by the organizers, chefs, and students -- (and special thanks for the excellent goody basket for us judges.) And a shout out to Jill Ditmire of Mass Avenue Wine Shoppe for pouring such great wines and Alcatraz for the microbrew.

What I Learned in this Month's Dine Magazine

Absinthe is really legal? Apparently so, since testing shows that most commercial brands of absinthe carry legal quantities of the banned chemical (thujone) found in wormwood. Fans will tell you hand crafted absinthe, even by a trusted and experienced herbalist, can still be dangerous. But if you've been wanting to try a trusted brand, it should be easier to find. Who knew?

Blank of the Month Clubs: I've always loved the idea of ___ of the Month clubs. They're gifts that keep on giving year round. And today, they're moving past wine, chocolate, and flowers into the realms of coffee, olives, loose-leaf tea, and even cheese-and-wine (from our local Frasiers). Also, there's a nice mention of Artisanal in NYC, the cheese shop that's come up in many conversations in the past few weeks. I've heard more than a few foodies swear by them for mail ordering of hard to find and region specific cheeses. (On their website, you can search for and sort cheeses by milk type, country, and wine pairing.)

Best of Indy -- Pies: With pies, I didn't post a long analysis after judging like I usually do. Frankly, we had such a fun panel and we were all so sugar-fueled, all I remember of that day was just manic tasting, laughing, talking, and making some notes. I suspect all of my comments were gibberish after 34 pies. (I calculated later that I ate the equivalent of an entire pie *myself*. And was still hungry 2 hours later.) But really, how can an afternoon with judges like Krissy Tallent, uber-foodie Bob Whitt, and Pierre Giacometti not be a blast? We taste blind with a "reveal" at the end after we've turned in all our scores and we were pleasantly surprised that Peterson's pastry chef Joseph Allford blew us away with his two wining pies. (He didn't blow us away with his third entry -- a strange blueberry and banana concoction, but that's the life of a pie maker, I suppose.) Along the way, as usual, I learned a ton about baking, assembly processes, the qualities of lard and butter crusts, good fruit, bad fruit, and what works in the realm of fillings. The vast majority of the pies we had were just much too sweet (like chocolate crust, chocolate filling, and chocolate candy). One judge found a pastry tip in her piece of pie (oops!). And I also learned that pastry chefs who work with dairy toppings must have a pristine refrigerator. Toppings pick up all kinds of tastes and odors not great for your pie. All in all, it was a great day, and I may be making a trek up to Mama Bear's for that terrific berry pie this fall. That was one I could have eaten all on my own -- with no prompting.

Great Minds Think Alike! After my own visit there a week or two ago, it was such a treat to see the write up on Sandra Rice and Noodle, the fresh, new Vietnamese restaurant on Pendleton Pike. Sang Nguyen came out and chatted with us the day we were there making spot on menu recommendations. It's nice to see their interesting story and philosophy on food in print.

Three Latest and Best

Dessert at The Chef's Academy: What a great turnout for this week's Dine magazine event at The Chef's Academy. Along with lovely summer prosecco, we snacked on treats prepared by Chef Tony Hanslits' students including house-cured salmon, chorizo in pastry, and all the fabulous finds in the dessert room! And hey, if you want to learn to cook, check out their new cooking classes starting this summer. (More to come on those.)

Steak Sandwich Minis at Ruth's Chris: While you're out enjoying the fireman in town this week, don't forget to check out the new bar menu at Ruth's Chris downtown. Along with new snacks including coconut shrimp, try the mini filet sandwiches with juicy fresh tomatoes and perfectly tender steak slices. And, the best part? The bar menu is half price between 4 and 6 p.m.

Tuna Salad at The Pub: Just like I make it at home, mayonnaise-y and with sweet pickle relish. It was so gooey I had to eat it with a fork. Served with a thick slick of tomato and a leaf of lettuce on a toasted bun it was little kids lunch at home in the summer complete with Ruffles on the side. Welcome back to this Mass Ave standard. Simple but good for the start of summer.

Tidbits Tidbits Tidbits

Puck's Out at IMA? Possibly. Based on an article in a recent IBJ, the museum eatery was late on a catering assignment for the museum two weeks ago and the IMA has put them on notice that they may terminate their contract. Puck's denies there was a problem, but it may be that museum officials are looking for reasons to get out of their relationship with the expensive enterprise. Rumor has it that the restaurant has been losing money (or not making minimums) for months and the museum has paid extensive sums to fulfill contract commitments. It's no surprise the restaurant's location and pre-packaged meals fresh from their corporate center haven't been a draw for diners or chefs. Word is that several caterers in the city are eager to take over the IMA's event contracts. Look for some changes in the next few months.

Hardesty Represents! Star columnist Susan Guyett reported Sunday that Element's chef Greg Hardesty will represent Indianapolis in the annual Taste of the NFL in Florida on Superbowl Sunday. Chefs representing NFL team cities prepare a tasting sample every year for this hunger relief charity event. Hardesty will prepare 3000 portions of carpaccio with Fischer Farms beef and Trader's Point Creamery cheese.

The Chef's Academy: I recently spent two afternoons with Chef Tony Hanslits, director of culinary education for the new Chef's Academy on East Washington downtown. The state-of-the-art new facility is setting a new bar for full-time culinary students and will be ramping up their next classes and pastry program in the coming weeks. If you get a chance to visit their school, part of the Indiana Business College, make sure you do!

Sometimes It's the Small Things: Hey, did you notice? Sunflower Market finally put handles on their paper bags! Paper bags lugged the old fashioned way was my least favorite part of this quick little market. Thanks!

There's Always a Catch: While I love R Bistro, I find my opportunities more limited each time they send out one of their menu announcements. On New Year's Eve, they made it clear they would be asking people from the first seating to leave if they delayed the next round of diners. Now for Valentine's Day, they've announced a special menu but with the caveat -- two-tops only! Since I almost always dine in larger groups -- with or without a date, it sounds like we'll be skipping RBistro on Wednesday, February 14.

Speaking of Tasting -- Indy's Best Soup

This past couple of weeks has been a whirlwind of tastings, some my first as a judge. While it can be odd, I found that drawing on a structured points system has been a great way to use all this useless culinary knowledge. Last week, I was honored to judge wines on a panel put together by Chef Thom England at Ivy Tech, and this week, I've been one of four judges rating soup for the upcoming Dine Magazine Best of Indy. Not only have we had some interesting and delicious soups, but we've learned to pace ourselves. We'll have tasted nearly 90 soups, stews, broths, chilis, chowders, and purees by the end of this afternoon. Thanks for Dine for asking and also Chef Tony Hanslits at the brand spanking new Chef's Academy for hosting us.

(And, for those who are asking, yes, it's difficult to taste so much soup! Over a four hour period yesterdat, we tasted, rated, scored, then sipped water -- because soup can be salty! We're were all stuffed at the end. On the other hand, soup is good for you, right?)