The verdict is in, New York loves Italian brunches!
Photo: Sunday mornings at the Beard House. Chef Desi and Kate Mulligan warm up the brunch atmosphere in the kitchen. Courtesy of Kimberly Polito.
Let’s Do Brunch!
Brunch: a culinary adventure for some, a heavy/stressful weekend cure for others, a universal tradition for Anglo-Saxon countries. And for almost everyone, a time to spend with friends and family. We all brunch for different reasons. For the food, the company and sometimes due to the inability to wake before noon. But this weekend for the Apicius students and staff, it was to invade the late morning meal Italian style!
Sunday October 24th concluded our last event at the James Beard House – the perfect ending to our time spent at the West 12th Street address. A highly anticipated event, I was really looking forward to seeing how well a Tuscan menu beyond a cappuccino and cornetto was going to hold up with the American public. The result – amazing!
As the weather held out for a sunny reception in the courtyard, guest gathered to sip on a Loacker Vermintino, while enjoying passed hor dourves. The energy was high in the kitchen after a successful Gala dinner the night before and the Apicius team was anxious to give their Beard guests a proper farewell.
The kitchen brigade began preparing to plate the first course, as guest were moved into the dinning room where they received a warm welcome from the James Beard and Palazzi staff. With the help of a dedicated James Beard service team, dinners began their meal with a warm cannellini bean soup with Tuscan pancetta and kale. As it passed from the kitchen to the dinning room, the rest of the event team and I couldn’t help but sneak a taste from one of the extra bowls not needed. It was delicious!
The next two courses consisted of a poached egg served with potatoes and shredded Chianti blue cheese. Again, we got our hands on one of the extras, piercing into the eggs so the yolk could coat the potatoes it was a well put together dish full of just enough flavor and texture to savor every bite. My favorite, however, was the stuffed gnocchi with wild boar, topped with butter and sage. A simple dish by the looks of it, served as a single ravioli, but a savory delight with the combinations of a soft and chewy texture that allowed the mix of flavors to be enjoyed.
The menu truly gave the American buffet style brunch a run for its fame. Guests leisurely read through the menu, written newspaper style complete with crossword puzzles and horoscopes. I only wish now that I had the chance to experiment this approach to brunch more often while in Florence, but am very satisfied by the experience the Apicius team provided this passed weekend, not only to our guests but to everyone involved.
The meal was nothing but satisfying, comforting, Tuscan style.
– Kimberly Gilroy, Special Event Management Team