All in the family...

Remember

that evening

I told you about; the one when I witnessed a lovely union, the one when we were charmed by anecdotes from the Maccioni family?

Marco's stories piqued my curiosity. The family behind

Le Cirque

, where I have dined several times, and several other jewels in NYC and beyond, was definitely successful and I wanted to understand their secret. I was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered while lunching with

Marco Maccioni

, at the flagship restaurant. During our leisurely conversation, he insisted I meet rest of the family as well. Now, that should give you a clue.

Over a lunch of meandering stories and memories interspersed with wine, delicious food and several hellos and goodbyes from clients and staff, I came away with three words that I felt captured their essence -

Friendly. Charming. Familial.

Photo Courtesy: Bill Cunningham

Although none of these words sound like business jargon, they resonate deep within the heart of this hugely successful enterprise.

Let's start with the obvious. Why does an Italian migrant who is very close to his Italian culture chose to start a French restaurant? The answer simply came down to commonly accepted myth and market economics. In the seventies,

when Le Cirque was born

, after years of Papa Maccioni's experience in the restaurant industry, Italian cuisine did not accredit as being refined to the rich and fabulous. The French were in command of the upscale market and so he went with popular demand; that makes justifiable business sense as well.

In of itself, it gives a clue to one of the most successful strategies that the family has adopted over the years - to

be close to the customer

. This particular trait has guaranteed the success of not only Le Cirque but every subsequent restaurant that they have opened in NYC and beyond. Mr. Maccioni's motto was to always put the customer first. What the client wants, the client gets. In an industry where hostpitality is largely a unactioned buzz word and, especially, in the echelons of French cuisine (where the chef reigns), this was a refreshing attitude from a restauranteur, which, I am sure was more than welcomed by their clientele.

Walk into the restaurant today and ask for an item that is off-the-menu but you really want; perhaps a childhood memory or a comfort dish that is your pick-me-up, and it will be served to you. That is their promise. The diner is king/queen! By being friendly and accomodating, they have built a loyal following amongst their diners. Infact atleast 50% of the lunch and dinner crowd are repeat diners!

Having built a reputation and a deep engagement with their clients the Maccionis were poised for the next stage. They partnered with old friends and clients to open new restaurants in Las Vegas, Delhi, Dominican Republic, aboard the international seas and soonly in Dubai! In all of their partnerships, Sirio Maccioni, used

one rule of engagement - trust

. He looked in his partner's eye, found the clarity he was looking for and closed the deal with a handshake. There was an implicit and full understanding on all sides of a fair deal, the nitty gritties of which were not to haggled over but mutually agreed with.

In an era, where corporate scandals abound and activist investors haggle over the last penny, it is refreshing to see the old family values of business still thrive and make a case for themselves!

the monkeys say the story...

Marco has cherished the idea of opening a restaurant in London for several years. So far, the right partner has yet to come give the family a trusty handshake. But, it is a wish that will doubtless be fulfilled in the coming years!

On the subject of family, my greatest curiosity was to understand how a family of strong individualities manage to work together and cohesively. To observe their interaction at lunch was insightful. There is abundant respect for individual strengths laced with a humor that can only exist among the intimate and affectionate. They tease each other, argue and fight like Italians {:)} about the business yet they all work towards the single common goal of the family. In keeping their roots and goal firmly in mind, they succeed where it would be very easy to fall by the way side. Mama Maccioni also helps in keeping this bond strong and fluid as the strong and inspiring matriarch.

Photo Courtesy: Sabrina Wender

In the end, everybody becomes part of this family and business. The staff, who have stayed for years, are treated not as those who work for but those who work with. The clients have always ruled the dining rooms and the legacy will only continue for several decades. The family, well, happily grows and manages to bring everyone into the fold. Marco's wife, Sabrina, is the vocalist on Musical Mondays at Le Cirque, an experience I look forward to enjoying one of these days!

This post has deliberately been not as much about the food, which, I feel the photographs do more justice than words ever can. Le Cirque has always a dining delight for me and it is stupendously thrilling to find that the family is just as charming and friendly!

Weekend Edition: Brooklyn - Celebrating 50 years of Parma Ham in Style

I confess, I have been a staunch Manhattan-er for the worse part of my life in the city, which, well, is a long one. Yes, I say 'worse' because really I missed out on so much! Call it lethargy, call it reluctance, call it bedazzled, the truth is until two years ago, I sniffled crossing the borders of the microcosm I live in and even when I did huddled back to my UES cul-de-sac with alacrity!

I do sound rather stiff, don't I? Oh well! I make no bones about it. That was then. In the past... Phew! I am a

butterfly now flitting away towards the sun

....Thanks to dedicated efforts of friends, I have managed to shrug off that silly cape and molted into an adventurous soul

seeking pleasure wherever it is on offer without geographic discrimination

.

So, anyway, I have been making rather frequent trips across to the different parts of Brooklyn! It really is not all hip or hippie, but it does have something for everyone and every mood. There are the European strongholds in Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, the younger neighbor Cobble Hill that is slowly becoming a Williamsburg II and there is, of course, Williamsburg. When the arty party bug hits, it's the latter you head to. There is art, there is adventure and there is a revolution. Many woe the yester days of casual artistic gatherings giving in to orchestrated elitism and superlative rents. But, hey, that is the story of New York, isn't it?

One of my favorite places in Williamsburg is the Wythe Hotel. It is a boutique hotel that hosts many food related events and itself has quite a good offering in its restaurant. Plus, it has a rooftop bar with a stunning view of Manhattan. That is the advantage of height-controlled Brooklyn - panoramic views all around. Last week, I was invited to

celebratory event marking 50 great years

indulging in the perfectly cured leg of ham, organized by

Parma Ham USA

as part of the Parma Palooza. Since 1963, the

Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma

has ensured that every ham branded with the Parma crown meets the highest standards of quality and taste!

The company joined hands with 10 brilliant New York city chefs and restaurants to create an evening of pure dining pleasure. There were new concepts and new chefs as well as established favorites. The tasting event was a wonderful exploration of how beautifully prosciutto marries and enhances flavors from simple to elegant. Chef's creations included simply wrapping it with fruits or bread and cheese to pairing the crispy ham with seafood to inducing Asian flavors to churning it into a rich, savory ice cream. Every bite and they were conveniently bite sized was perfectly cooked and it was a great opportunity to meet the brains and talent behind some of the best places to eat in the city.

There are not too many times in one's life that you get these see chefs cooking for you in front of you and everyone present made the most of it. What made the event more interesting and engaging, was the ability for diners to provide instant feedback by voting for the best bite they had tasted during the evening. Ryan Hardy of Charlie Bird needs no introduction. He walked away as the Prince of Parma Ham having been adjudged to have the best small plate. His Octopus Saltimboca with Proscuitto di Parma sitting on a bed of braised chickpeas was indeed a brilliant creation.

Some others I loved were eternal favorite Elizabeth Faulkner's scallop and crispy ham, prosciutto ice cream by Odd Fellows Ice Cream & Co., Sea Urchin and prosciuttopaired by Mission Chinese, Autumn Squash saltimboca by Reynard. The surprise of the evening was the sourdough crust pizza made by Wild Rise NYC in the engineering genius of an oven that takes a mere 90 seconds to bake an incredibly flavorful Roman style pizza! The parma ham event was organized on a Thursday and I told everyone I spoke to since about this pizza and promptly visited their pop-up joint in Dumbo last Sunday. I can't get enough of it and I not a pizza person!

The event was very well attended and made even more entertaining by a giveaway of whole cured legs of ham to anyone who was brave enough to get the parma crown tattoed on their skin. On last count I heard atleast seven legs had been spoken for and I had a couple of amusing conversations with those who got them done! Entirely fascinating indeed!

On the whole, the event was very well put together and even if you had not been a fan of prosciutto going in, they definitely made it very hard to not be one coming out. I had not such qualms already being a die hard fan of that particular cut of the pig meat and

absolutely reveled in the opportunity to sample such varied creations

. Kudos to the firms organizing the event for bringing together such an eclectic cast in perfect harmony and making it so much fun.

For a Tuscan Bite.. A review of Giulia's cookbook - I Love Toscana

As I have often said, when I first started blogging, I had few expectations of it. I did it because I had nothing else to do. Today, I stand at quite a different place with dreams and castles built on this delicate piece of virtual space. Air Castles you say? Air Chrysalis, perhaps :)

Nevertheless, my biggest joy of having this virtual presence has been the very real and tactile human relationships I have formed over the years. I have met and continue to meet such incredible people with such deep passions for this world that it leaves me awed by the magic of humanity and inspired to be worthy of that company. It's like when you go to support a marathon runner, somehow, briefly as it may, you feel the desire to run one as well.

Many a time, I have considered these interactions casual, yet they have persisted so long, it has dawned on me that there is something deeper after all. It has always intrigued me to meet people through my blog as they were so entirely different, in backgrounds, experiences and outlooks, from me and the social circle I was familiar with, thus far. Yet, they are equally ambitious, resourceful, smart and inspiring without being ruthless, calculative or materialistic. It has been such a great eye and mind opening experience. I have met some amazingly warm, true to their soul, genuine people who have welcomed me with open arms and no judgement! What? No Judgement??! Yes, really, have you met me?!

I am incredibly honored to call as friends some of the most talented, beautiful and amazing people I have ever met in my life! They have in various ways inspired and motivated me and I have the utmost respect for their work and even more so for the largeness of their hearts. I cannot but not keep talking about them in my posts, so you know who they are. I am thrilled that three of them are (or soon to be) published and will be able to bring the joy of their work and their cuisine to millions of people through their cookbooks.

Today, I wanted to

talk about my Italian journey with

Giulia

and her cookbook,

I Love Toscana

, which, is a

testament to her passion for Tuscany

, it's land and savoring the fruits of it. I stayed with Giulia for a week last year and after having engorged myself, during that time, on several of her homemade dishes, I can, with hand on my heart, say that she is simply a brilliant chef! Her love for Tuscany is so distinct in every bite of her food. There is no way you can escape falling in love with the region when a beautiful and accomplished friend gives such a passionate presentation of it. I also blame her, in jest of course, for the pounds of happy weight I added on that trip!

There was, of course, no hesitation at all, when her cookbook came out, in ordering it. I wanted the piece of heaven I had visited, on my plate, again, in the urban chaos of NYC. I begged and pleaded with her to come visit me... with the secret hope of reliving all that joy from a mere few months back. I am still working on that but, meanwhile, I decided I could not wait for Heaven any longer. As soon as I had her book in my hands, I earmarked a number of recipes that I had to try!

Oh! I wanted to cook that

Coniglio ad arrosto morto

(altho I have never even cooked rabbit before!) and that

Fresh herb Arista

(Such simple elegant flavors but such a bold dish) and that

Capon braised in tomato

and...that and...that and...that! The list of course was the entire book! There were meats that I had never cooked before but could not wait to. I am still asking my farmers for rabbit! Her book gives you recipes to make wholesome, hearty, heartfelt dishes that are at the same time so elegant and so well-put together that you cannot but feel the chef's heart on the table!

So, after all this, browsing, salivating etc. I have yet to make many of those dishes. One day I will. Meanwhile, an epiphany hit me, as I sat one cold day, posturing to myself and desiring some warmth. Not much more. Just that. For no reason, I picked up Juls' book, thumbing through my bookmarked pages and then thumbed through it again, because I had none of the ingredients for the more elaborate ones that had caught my fancy. I landed on page 63, which, was a Spelt Soup. It called to me. And then it hit me.

The pure joy of Tuscan food is in the simplicity of it! As Tessa Kiros says in her prologue to Juls's cookbook "

These are dishes that are honest and strongly respect their main ingredients

". Indeed!

So I made soup with mustard greens, beans and dried morel mushrooms. It was inspired by the Spelt Soup.

Simple. Rich. Comforting. Laced with love. I smiled.

That's all! Need I say more?

Then another day, I wanted something sweet. Page 140. Rice pudding tarts. OK, I don't like rice pudding but I love tarts! And, the thing about Giulia's short crust pastry recipe, it has none of the fuss of cutting in cold butter and worrying about it melting in the heat of your hands. In hers, you gently rub the butter into the flour and see the magic of lending your hand to the recipe.

In short, her recipes are about being real and comfortable and thus bringing out the best in the ingredients and the dishes.....

I have also reenacted a number of recipe from

Giulia's blog,

Jul's Kitchen

. One of my absolute favorites, which, I think should be a pantry staple is her recipe for

Sugo Finto

, a vegetarian pasta sauce that is rich and meaty in flavor, without the meat. It is super easy to make and fantastic for feeding large crowds (which I did) and an easy base for add ons!

And, one of my favorite sweet recipes from Jul's blog is this stunningly simple

Crostata

!

Inside a Restaurant Kitchen - Lacroix, Philadelphia

When you walk into the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, you are instantly transported away into an era of understated indulgence. Oxymoron-ish as that may sound, the discreet elegance reminiscent of a bygone era is upheld in this stately hotel with notes of the European through a sumptuous English afternoon tea and an ethreal modern French dining experience at, what is, in my humble opinion, the best restaurant in the city -

Lacroix

.

Captained by a beguilingly young (only 29!!!!!) but very talented chef, Jonathan Cichon, the restaurant is a brilliant confluence of comfort served with couture. I had the fortunate experience of being served by the chef himself in a paradisaical evening of perfectly executed and stunningly plated courses accompanied by an immaculate choice of spirits. So decadent was the gastronomy that I returned the very next day for a very long and leisurely Sunday brunch. Oh! And, a note about the brunch, the spread runs through the restaurant

and the kitchen

! And, the staff are more than friendly to have a bit of banter with.

This restaurant is indeed on par with the best in New York. If you are looking for an excuse to visit Philly, this one will provide ample amounts of it!

{This is a photo heavy post.}

Executive Chef Jon