I am so addicted to Facebook. I have met a lot of chefs from all over the world just by using it. Some connect with me via my Facebook badge located on the left hand side of my website, others I have met through my friends or communities that I belong to on Facebook. Either way it's been great.

It's a symbiotic relationship.  I drive traffic to them, and they drive traffic to Hungrychef.com.  I definitely take advantage of the fact that I can post pictures on Facebook.  That way friends, colleagues and potential clients can see what I have done. By doing this I also don't have to use up server space to store all these pictures. I also have an RSS blog feed application  on my profile page so anyone can see new articles that have been posted. I like that I can send messages to readers and friends, also I can make it a little more personal by recording and sending them all small video emails. So check it out!!!

-Erio

technorati tags: Chef Erio G. Cavalieri, Erio G. Cavalieri, Erio Cavalieri, Chef Erio, Chef Cavalieri, Erio, Chilean Chef,Hungry Chef, www.hungrychef.com, Facebook

Today I worked at the brand spanking new Astor Center located at 399 Lafayette at East 4th street in Astor Wines and Spirits in NYC.

Eater has a write up of last weeks grand opening for the Astor Center. Check it out here. 

It was a media event for the Department of California and Tourism, in conjunction with the Food Network. I was hired as one of the sous chefs for the event. The guest chefs were Guy Fieri of the Food Network, and husband and wife team Duskie Estes and John Stewart of restaurants Zazu and Bovolo.

Man was I blown away!  First it was great working with Guy and his team.  We served Kumamoto oysters with Mignonette and Oysters Rockefeller using Blue Point oysters. Guy told me that they came from Tomales Bay, California (40 miles northwest of San Francisco). Seared quail with salsa verde was also served.  Lots of fun!

Chefs Duskie and John... Wow!  What a great couple.  Intelligent, hardworking and ready and wiling to answer all my questions.  After talking with them, I now want to move to California for a bit and see and taste how things are done over there.  Chef John is a hard core butcher who makes the restaurants' salumi.  I am huge on all things charcuterie. They brought with them two types of salamis.  One had Italian black truffles and the other seasoned with juniper berries. He sliced me off a piece of both around 8 AM.  Seriously, the best breakfast I've had in a long time. 

They served baby lamb, which was slaughtered near their restaurants in California and fabricated by John. Chef Duskie told me that the lamb was three months old, and what is usually sold can be as old as 10 months. The parts used included the loins with the flap still attached. The flap was wrapped around the loin and tied with butcher string.  The shoulder, loins, legs, and riblets were all seared, then wrapped in aluminum foil, placed into a hotel pan and then in the oven for a pseudo braise and roast. 

A panzanella salad (classic Italian bread salad)  using local bread, arugula, shallots, Californian olive oil, vinegar, currants, capers, salt and pepper.

Gigante beans This was a secret dish that I forgot to ask about (I'll get clarification from them later on). 

I think it had the following:

obviously gigante beans and I believe that they puréed some of the beans to give it its delicious texture. Sautéed mirepoix, cumin, vegetable stock.   I had about three bowls. I couldn't stop.  Duskie and John garnished this dish with toasted bread crumbs, shaved Parmesan, chopped parsley and drizzled extra virgin olive oil.

I discovered these beans a while back when working on the set of Bobby Flay's "Boy Meets Grill". Members of the runner bean family they originate from Spain and Greece.  My new friend Ilya another sous chef (of Greek heritage) at the event corrected my pronunciation.  Gigante is pronounced Yigante.  Thanks Ilya!

Dessert was a fried goat cheese and Meyer lemon empanada served with drizzled chestnut honey.  They were so darn good.  I ate three hahaha, I was so greedy eating them right out of the deep frier that I burned my tongue on all three occasions .

At one point during the event, I stopped in my tracks, and like some old dog sensing an impending culinary earthquake, my palate woke up and said, there it is Erio, there it is. I haven't smelled nor tasted that kind of cooking in a while. So fresh, so flavorful, so local (well, local for them of course).

I playfully mocked them for knowing everyone that grew, raised, or produced their products.  They knew the names of the lambs, or the pigs used in the salumi, the name of the cheese maker that made the goat cheese for the empanadas, the beekeeper that sold them the chestnut honey! 

I think the name of the cow that was used to make my hamburger last night was #4350468.  Hmmmm...

- Erio

technorati tags: Chef Erio G. Cavalieri, Erio G. Cavalieri, Erio Cavalieri, Chef Erio, Chef Cavalieri, Erio, Chilean Chef,Hungry Chef, www.hungrychef.com, Astor center Astor wines and spirits, Department of California and Tourism, Duskie Estes, John Stewart, Zazu Restaurant and Farm, Bovolo Restaurant, Guy Fieri

Okay I am sooo sorry for posting this, but in the spirit of my last post Scientology and Sushi: What's the connection? I really felt like this would be a great follow-up.  Hahahah!!!  This is.... well you fill in the rest.

Within the the last 48 hours or so there has been a huge up-rise against everything Scientology related.  I am completely flabergasted.  I have never seen anything like this.  It's like watching the crazy villagers hunt down Frankenstein, a cyber-space lynch mob if you will.

Oddly enough, sushi has been getting tons of negative feedback as well.  From finding over the top levels of mercury in fresh Blue Fin Tuna, to reports of severe over fishing of the Blue Fin. I found a wonderful report done by the CBS news on "The King of Sushi. 

I wonder if Xenu enjoyed this Japanese street food?

I was really excited to find this video as it actually shows Tsukiji fish market in Japan and the "Mattanza"(the slaughter) in Sardinia all in one clip. 

Tsukiji Fish Market

Ahhhh Tsukiji fish market.  I know a couple of colleagues that have actually visited this ode to the sea.  This is the largest fish market in the world.  Imagine putting the New York Stock Exchange into Sea World. That is what I think it would look and feel like.  Strange and exotic Fish from all swims of life, and hundreds of people buying and selling these oceanic commodities.  What a party! One single blue fin tuna can command prices of $2,000 to $20,000. Depending on the quality and size of course.

La Mattanza

Now, La Mattanza is an ancient fishing ritual used to catch the blue fin tuna off the waters of Sardinia and Sicily.  It is one big round up that requires a lot of boats, people, nets, coordination and patience.  I read about the Mattanza a long time ago but I have never seen it in any sort of media. I can imagine the crimson colored ocean water splashing around as theses guys fight to escape.  This is a ritual that is quickly dying out as there are now commercial ships with spotter airplanes (which is supposed to be illegal).  The crew of these  technologically advanced behemoths can spot, catch, sort through and sell the fish to their clients, whom by the way, wait on the ships to purchase the bounty. This is all done in a matter of a few hours.

Thank you CBS for documenting this quickly fading breed of fish and fishermen.

Mercury in Blue Fin Tuna

Last week in an article written by Marion Burros for the New York Times disclosed that high levels of mercury were found in blue fin tuna samples from 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants .  Five of these samples she wrote, where so high that the FDA could take legal action to remove this fish from the market.  According to the article mercury has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and neurological symptoms.

-Erio

I received an email from a colleague the other day inviting me to visit this website called www.freerice.com which is the sister site to poverty.com.   For every word that you define correctly, freerice.com  will donate 20 grains of rice through the United Nations to help end world hunger.

So go ahead and improve your vocabulary and help rid the world of hunger.  You can't go wrong.