Top left: Karen Page with Dana Ivey; Middle left: Table 1; Middle right: Emcee Jane Krakowski; Bottom middle: David Rockwell; Bottom right: Betty Rollin with Karen Page

Top left: Karen Page, Andrew Dornenburg, Lauren Vernon; Top right: Lauren Vernon, Karen Page, Barbara Lazaroff; Middle: Liz Neumark; Bottom left: Karen Page, Lauren Vernon, Mariebelle Lieberman, Barbara Lazaroff

Emceed by actress Jane Krakowski (“30 Rock”), Citymeals on Wheels’ 33rd Annual Power Lunch for Women at New York City’s Plaza Hotel gathered more than 300 of the city’s most powerful women on Tuesday, raising more than $1.1 million to fund 160,000 meals for homebound elderly New Yorkers.

Honorees included Grace, Chloe and Wendi Murdoch, Studio Museum in Harlem’s Thelma Golden, and architect/designer David Rockwell.

Samantha Boardman, Margo Nederlander and Lizzie Tisch co-chaired the event, where notable guests included attorney Harriet Cohen, Rotisserie Georgette owner Georgette Farkas, Citymeals founder Gael Greene, actress Dana Ivey, restaurateur Barbara Lazaroff, TV host Sandra Lee, chocolatier Mariebelle Lieberman, attorney Julie Menin, author Karen Page, author Betty Rollin, TV anchor Rosanna Scotto, philanthropist Lauren Vernon, and actress Ali Wentworth.

“Love never ends.”
–1 Corinthians 13:8

Today, we posted on Instagram and Facebook:

Our hearts are joyful that in a spirit of reaffirmation and recommitment, we were married — again! — in a private church ceremony yesterday, on the heels of a challenging year. For months, we’d been struggling to rebuild our relationship, one day at a time. On social media, we’d share our happier moments while suffering the agonizing ones privately. Turning to God, individually and together, we’ve discovered renewed faith, hope, and love. “No one has ever seen God. But as long as we love one another, God will live in us and his love will be complete in us.” (John 4:12)

Within minutes, we were enormously touched by the expressions of love and congratulations that ensued.

While acknowledging its difficulties (“To love someone is not for the faint of heart,” commented one chef on Facebook), everyone still seems to be rooting for love to triumph.

We are, too.

“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

“Love never ends.”

–I Corinthians 13:4-8

Our readers are well acquainted with our love of the Inn at Little Washington in Virginia, which we have been writing about as our single favorite property in America for more than half of the years it’s been in existence.

This we know as it was announced that the Inn is celebrating its landmark 40th anniversary this year — including with a once-in-a-lifetime dinner on Saturday, June 16th, at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

If you haven’t been in the loop about the festivities, you can read about them at http://theinnat40.com.

And as we were honored to be invited to be a part of this weekend’s celebration, you can also keep an eye on our social media feed at Twitter.com/KarenAndAndrew, Facebook.com/KarenAndAndrew, and Instagram.com/TheFlavorBible for all the latest.

“This year’s top spot goes to a Russian River Valley Chardonnay, the first No. 1 white wine in over 10 years! For its display of excellent quality, competitive pricing and wide availability — a veritable triple threat — the Gary Farrell 2015 Russian River Selection Chardonnay [$35] could not be overlooked as the top wine this year.”
—Wine Enthusiast magazine

“Our Russian River Selection is a symphony of vineyards in the Russian River Valley, and we are grateful to these fine growers for their dedication to quality. Their hard work affords us the opportunity to make beautiful, refined wines.”
—Theresa Heredia, winemaker, Gary Farrell Winery 

But the other night, Gary Farrell Winery‘s winemaker Theresa Heredia and general manager Nancy Bailey were in Manhattan and we were invited along with a fellow wine writer and her guest to attend an event primarily focused on consumers.  Where else could we meet hip-hop artists and video producers — not to mention an entire lacrosse team — as they enjoyed some of their first wines from California’s Russian River Valley?

As opposed to diving into the science and technical specifics of the winemaking process, it was refreshing to see the Gary Farrell team playfully making their wines accessible to a broad audience.  The key characteristic of Gary Farrell’s Russian River Pinot Noir, which was described by the team as “the sexiest varietal known to man”?  “FOG!”  “Pinot Noir is very expressive of place,” it was explained.  “Fog puts the fruit in the fridge for the night — and that change of temperature from day to night is the secret of Russian River Pinot Noir.”

Heredia, who assumed her position at Gary Farrell in 2012, credited her approach to winemaking to everything she learned “at the University of Joseph Phelps.”

In addition to the award-winning 2015 Russian River Chardonnay, other standouts of the evening included the 2014 Gary Farrell Olivet Lane Vineyard Chardonnay ($45), the earthy-noted (with hints of mushroom, soy sauce, and tobacco) 2015 Gary Farrell Rochioli Vineyard Pinot Noir ($80), and the black-fruited 2014 Gary Farrell Maffei Vineyard Zinfandel ($50).  While the minty-noted Zinfandel was paired with a bittersweet chocolate dessert, it could have held its own against any savory mushroom or meat dish with ease.

Top left: 92nd Street Y’s Christine Chen, MacArthur Fellow choreographer Elizabeth Streb, and Karen Page — at STREB Lab’s SEA

“Elizabeth Streb‘s cavernous Brooklyn space is known as SLAM (Streb Lab for Action Mechanics), which is also a frequent move that occurs at one of her shows. For the month of March, her fearless team of action heroes, as they’re called, will navigate intimidating industrial contraptions and fling themselves from unnatural heights, seemingly defying physics with the pep of cheerleaders [in] the hourlong show, ‘S.E.A.’ (‘Singular Extreme Actions’)….”
—The New York Times

Women’s History Month Salute #1:  Elizabeth Streb of STREB

Thanks to the 92nd Street Y’s Christine Chen — with whom we’ve had the pleasure of working on a number of programs around our and others’ books — we attended Sunday’s performance of Elizabeth Streb’s ‘S.E.A.’ at SLAM in Williamsburg.  Check out our Instagram posts at instagram.com/theflavorbible for a video and more photos.  One post read:

“Ever wonder what happened to all those kids who didn’t listen when their parents told them not to jump on (or off!) their beds??  Now you know….Still EXHILARATED to have witnessed our first live @strebslam performance — choreographed by MacArthur Fellow / choreographer / creativity daredevil Elizabeth Streb on Sunday, thanks to an invitation from @92ndstreety’s lovely and multitalented Christine Chen (who was a member of @strebslam for 4 years)….This show ‘S.E.A.’ is amazingly artful and entertaining and thrilling and should NOT be missed….Luckily, it’s been extended two weeks, so catch it before it closes April 8th!  #nyc #newyork #newyorkcity #brooklyn #williamsburg #greatpopcorn”

Four shows remain:  Saturday, March 31 at 5pm; Sunday, April 1 at 3pm; Saturday, April 7 at 5pm; and Sunday, April 8 at 3pm.

Get your tickets here:   http://streb.org/seaanhrofaction/

8 Dance Performances to See in NYC This Weekend

Our guide to dance performances happening this weekend and in the week ahead. BALLET NACIONAL DE ESPAÑA at New York City Center (March 2-3, 8 p.m.; March 4, 7 p.m.). The flamboyant Ballet Nacional de España returns to Midtown for the first time in nearly two decades to open this year’s Flamenco Festival at New York City Center.

Top left: Jody Oberfelder surrounded by the cast of “Zaubernacht”; Bottom left: Jasper Oberfelder-Riehm, Karen Page, and Yana Oberfelder-Riehm, above Jody Oberfelder; Bottom right: Andrew Dornenburg, Mary Madsen (aka the “Witch”), and Karen Page

“Now, the ‘Zaubernacht’ (‘Magic Night’) music as [Kurt] Weill wrote it will be heard in New York for the first time since 1925, in a new production with choreography by Jody Oberfelder and with Gary Fagin conducting the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan.”
—The New York Times

Women’s History Month Salute #2:  Jody Oberfelder of Jody Oberfelder Projects

We served on the committee for Jody Oberfelder‘s March 14th gala celebrating the premiere of “Zaubernacht” at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan — which turned out to be a magical night indeed.

Our Instagram post after the event read, “Congratulations to dancer-choreographer Jody Oberfelder on the historic premiere of her dance piece set to Kurt Weill’s “Zaubernacht” tonight as previewed in The New York Times — and kudos to the ace catering team of Jasper [Oberfelder-Riehm, who cooks professionally with Chef Bill Telepan at Oceana] & Jana [Oberfelder-Riehm, who’s back in Manhattan after a stint in pastry under Portland chef Vitaly Paley] & Penelope [Simons] & Associates, who nailed it!  We also had fun congratulating Mary Madsen, who reprised her scene-stealing role as the “Witch” for us over cocktails….Hats off to the entire amazing cast!  #nyc #newyorkcity #dance”

Kurt Weill’s Music for a Magical Dance, Lost and Now Found

I saw video of a performance that was done in London. I was like: Oh god, I don’t want to do this piece. They followed it note for note and had a dancing stove. It was really cutesy. I tried to invent some new characters. It’s very much a mash-up of different fairy tales.

Top, left: Winemaker Fabrice Darmaillacq with Andrew Dornenburg; Top, right: Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave, Baroness Ariane de Rothschild, and Karen Page

Top, left: On behalf of Edmond de Rothschild, Boris Bréau welcomes guests to The NoMad; Top, right: The NoMad sommelier Sarah Plath; Center: Karen Page, Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia Managing Director Ignacio Calvo de Mora Brito Cunha

“He who knows how to taste wine does not drink it but tastes to tease out its secrets.”
–Salvador Dali

Edmond de Rothschild Heritage had us enraptured at a wine tasting lunch at The NoMad on Friday afternoon.  However, we were surprised that our rapture wasn’t reserved exclusively for its wines — which included an elegantly restrained 2017 Rimapere Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (and were told we were the first in the world to taste the new vintage) and a 2016 Merle Blanc de Chateau Clarke Baron Edmond de Rothschild Bordeaux (a compelling lemon and grapefruit-noted blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc, rounded out by Muscadelle and Semillon Gris).

However, we turned out to be just as gaga — if not more so! — over its Perigord black truffle cheese.

Bottom, Left: One of our very favorite goodie boxes of all time, Edmond de Rothschild Heritage allowed us to take home a generous portion of its heavenly black truffle cheese — which The NoMad served alongside Rothschild’s own honey (Bottom, Right)

As our lunch’s gracious host Baroness Ariane de Rothschild explained to us, all it took was one family member (her father-in-law) who mourned the sad state of the French cheeses he’d been tasting — and knew he could do better, leading him to pronounce, “I’ll make my own!”  His passion led him to craft Bries de Meaux cheese, half it lengthwise, and fill the center with a mixture of black truffles and triple-creme cheese.

The result — Le Fermier a la Truffe Noire du Perigord — is one of the most jaw-droppingly delicious cheeses we’ve ever tasted.  Paired with the family’s own Miel Toutes Fleurs du Domaine, no one needed dessert (which the restaurant whisked away too quickly for us to taste anyway).

While not yet available in the United States, fortunate cheese lovers should definitely hope for a taste during their next visit to Bordeaux.

P.S.  This post is merely Part I — Part II will go into the wines further.  Oh, yes, never forget that Edmond de Rothschild is still perhaps best known for estate red wines — and if you’re ever lucky enough to stumble across the 2001 Chateau Clarke Baron Edmond de Rothschild Listrac-Medoc, with its notes of leather and smoke, you just might remember it for a very long time.

In the studio at NPR member station KCRW Radio in Los Angeles

“That’s Karen Page.  Together with her husband, photographer Andrew Dornenburg, she’s written some of the most respected tomes on modern cooking today.  Karen and Andrew recently released their 11th book — called KITCHEN CREATIVITY.  In it, they offer culinary education from the world’s greatest chefs, without relying on a single recipe.”
—Evan Kleiman, host, “Good Food” on NPR member station KCRW (Los Angeles)

It’s always a joy to be interviewed by a really thoughtful, passionate radio host — and former restaurateur Evan Kleiman is one of the most thoughtful and passionate radio hosts by whom we’ve ever had the pleasure of being interviewed.

She’s hosted KCRW’s “Good Food” show for more than two decades now, bringing out the insights of thousands of food experts and chefs through weekly conversations on this must-listen radio show and its podcasts.

During our unforgettable book tour stop in Los Angeles (which we’ll share more about soon!), we had the privilege of being invited to join Evan in the studio for one of our favorite conversations to date about KITCHEN CREATIVITY.  If you listen to only one interview about KITCHEN CREATIVITY, we hope you’ll make this the one:

Kitchen Creativity, Deb Perelman, and the myth of ‘easy cooking’

We’re looking inside the modern home kitchen. Cookbook authors Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg are unleashing creativity. Deb Perelman looks back on Smitten Kitchen and talks everyday meals. Amy Trubek says home cooking has come a long way. And food historian Rachel Laudan explains why ‘easy cooking’ is far from it.

What was the most transformational moment in modern gastronomic history? What can we learn from those who were in the room where it happened? How can we apply the lessons of the world’s most creative chefs to make ourselves more creative, whether in the kitchen or beyond?

You’ll hear insights into the creativity of chefs like Ferran Adria (3:00), Rick Bayless (9:41), Daniel Boulud (8:22), Jeremy Fox (1:57), Daniel Humm (10:47), Eric Ripert (10:05), Michael Scelfo (5:38), Joshua Skenes (10:40), Jacques Torres (3:00), and more.

“I feel like every time I open one of your books, it’s like peering into the heads of all of these really amazing chefs.  And I feel like — particularly with this book — I’m wondering….Would it have been possible, this book, without all the previous conversations you’ve had with chefs for all the other books?”
—Evan Kleiman, host, “Good Food” on NPR member station KCRW (Los Angeles)

And you’ll learn our resounding answer to Evan’s provocative question as to whether a one-of-a-kind book like KITCHEN CREATIVITY would even have been possible were it not for the conversations that were started in books like BECOMING A CHEF, CULINARY ARTISTRY, WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT, and THE FLAVOR BIBLE.  

Enjoy!