Chefs for Obama Fundraiser @Cyclorama-Boston Center for the Arts, South End

A Gastro-Democrat's dream!

Chefs for Obama was one of the best fundraisers I've been to...a cooking competition and food tasting judged by Governor Deval Patrick, First Lady Diane Patrick, Chef Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger), State Treasurer Steve Grossman, and one lucky event attendee.

Top Boston area food artists displayed their great talents all in support of a second term for Obama-Biden.







The chefs all utilized healthier alternatives for some or all of their ingredients in keeping with First Lady Michelle Obama's platform.  Many of the chefs were quoted (in the Massachusetts Chefs for Obama cookbook) sharing their concerns about healthy eating, especially for children.



My favorite cold dish:
Chef Tiffani Faison of Sweet Cheeks (http://www.sweetcheeksq.com/ , Fenway) and Bravo's Top Chef (Season 1) prepared a lovely cooled roasted and raw brussels sprout salad tossed in olive oil and champagne vinegar with cooked farro, hazelnuts, and cut red grapes and topped with grated parmesan.  After a few bites, I suddenly realized I'd never eaten brussels sprouts.  I consider myself lucky to experience them for the first time prepared by this amazing chef.  Sweet Cheeks' table also had the best energy.  Tiffani and her staff were especially upbeat and inviting.

My favorite hot dish:
Chef Marc Orfaly of Pigalle and Marco (www.pigalleboston.com, Theater District/http://www.marcoboston.com , North End) absolutely blew me away with his rich, creamy, and simply amazing butternut squash mac and cheese.  THIS, people, is comfort food at its very core!  Topped with panko crumbs and made with three cheeses (grana padana, comté, and pecorino), this mac and cheese just may have surpassed B. Harris' (sorry grandmother...love you!)
Those who know me or have visited my yelp page (www.devotedfoodie.yelp.com) and discovered my Mac n' Cheese list, understand my obsession with this baked classic.
The healthy alternatives:  whole wheat pasta, 2% milk, squash...

The sweet dish:
After about 6 savory dishes, Chef Brian Reyelt of Franklin Cafe (http://www.franklincafe.com/, South End, Southie, and Cape Ann),  Citizen (http://www.citizenpub.com/, Fenway)/ and his latest venture,Tasty Burger (http://www.tastyburger.com/ , Fenway) drew me in with a torch...

The "Great Lawn S'mores" were delectable!
The Cookie:
Oatmeal and flax seed with toasted coconut.
The Toppings:
Homemade marshmallow (torched table side), carob dark chocolate drizzle, and "Peanut Butter Snow"= agave-coated roasted peanut brittle.
I have never been a s'mores gal simply because I am not a fan of marshmallows, but this treat changed my mind in an instant.



My truffled nightmare...
One ingredient that will never move me is truffle and truffle oil.  Two dishes of the evening featured truffle oil and my palate found this unforgivable.  The winning dish of the evening was my least favorite (purely because of my repulsion for truffle oil)...Chef Evan Deluty of Stella (www.bostonstella.com , South End)
came in first place with his whole wheat pizza with a trio of mushrooms and white truffle oil.  This dish looked amazing and it was just my luck that I was handed two pieces : / ...oh the irony.
The toppings: pecorino romano cheese, crimini, shitake, and oyster mushrooms, white truffle oil, and arugula salad...and more truffle oil.

Chef Rebecca Newell of The Beehive (www.beehiveboston.com , South End) served her grandmother's truffled potato and cheese pierogi recipe, which was darling, but I could have done without the truffle oil.  Chef Rebecca was friendly and personable so that made up for my personal intrinsic disappointment.  I am a fan of her menu at The Beehive, so it was nice to finally meet her!

The most aesthetic and creative dish:
Chef Christopher Coombs of Dbar (www.dbarboston.com , Dorchester) and Deaxave (http://deuxave.com/ , Back Bay) presented a beautiful plate.
A pan-seared diver scallop resting atop black quinoa in the center of a delicata squash ring.  The plate was garnished with a piece of crispy pork belly and thin honeycrisp apple 'straws'.  The maple aioli was a nice touch.
Chef Coombs served the type of dish that you see on a television cooking competitions and envy the judges!  It was simple but layered and beautiful with complimentary components.

The healthy AND environmentally friendly dish:

Chef Seth Morrison of The Gallows (www.thegallowsboston.com/ , South End) was openly praised by Governor Patrick and others for serving his amazing squash spaghetti in a compostable ladel-like spoon dish...not one plastic utensil or paper plate was in sight.

My favorite new thing is pasta made from something unexpected!  Chef Morrison served a dish using spaghetti squash topped with a mushroom bolognese.  I absolutely adored this dish!

The first time I experienced "non pasta pasta" was at Chef Jay Santos' Blue, Inc Boston where he created pasta made from shredded calamari topped with a pastrami bolognese...it was terrific (See my review: http://travelingfoodie2006.blogspot.com/2011/10/131-broad-st-boston-ma-02110-financial.html )
Just as an aside...you may remember Chef Santos as the blue-haired finalist  on Chef Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen!


Chef Maiden of Hungry Mother (www.hungrymothercambridge.com , Kendall Sq. Cambridge) presented grilled catfish tacos with halved grape tomato and collard greens kimchi ...all in keeping with his style of cooking...having a southern 'twang'...an elevated twist on deep southern cuisines and ingredients.
I've never been much of a catfish girl, even after 9 years of undergrad and veterinary medical school in Southeast Alabama.  I actually think I may suffer from what I've coined "Regional fish snobbery"...I was born and raised in Northern New Jersey which means my family's Friday night fish frys featured whiting and porgies. After almost 4 years living in New England, I still cannot appreciate cod or haddock the way the locals do.  Most of my immediate family have migrated to South Florida over the past 10-15 years and grouper is another fish with which I haven't necessarily fallen in love...
But I digress...Chef Maiden's collard greens kimchi/slaw was delicious and I was overall pleased with the dish and the concept behind it.

Chef Barbara Lynch of No. 9 Park (www.no9park.com , Dwtn Xing)/Drink (www.drinkfortpoint.com )/The Butchershop (www.thebutchershopboston.com , South End), etc. etc...served a lovely tomato basil soup with grilled cheese french country bread submersed in the cup.  It was delicious and a perfect palate cleanser!

Honorable Mentions:
Chef Gordon Hamersley served pan-seared duck breast over an autumn salad.  The duck was cooked perfectly and it was fun to tease him about how impressed I was that he traveled sooooo far for the event. (literally 4 doors down on the same block).  Hamersley Bistro, www.hamersleybistro.com , South End)

Chef Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa (www.coppaboston.com/ , South End) and Toro (www.toro-restaurant.com , South End) served fresh shucked oysters with a refreshing citrus foam.


Ironically, I did not try the 2nd or 3rd place winners' dishes.  Second place went to Chef Jody Adams of Rialto (www.rialto-restaurant.com , Harvard Sq. Cambridge)/Trade (www.trade-boston.com , Waterfront/Financial District) with a spiced cornish game hen with figs and orange.  Third place went to Chef Ting Wen Yen of Oishii (oishiiboston.com ,South End) with his shiitake sushi, tuna sushi, Kobe beef maki and Japanese yam tempura maki.  I was able to try the tuna sushi as this was all that was left by the time I reached their table.

Boston was the inaugural city for the Chefs for Obama campaign.  Word on the street is that Miami, NYC, and other cities will soon follow suit.  I think this is a grand idea!