The Truth Behind Vegetarians

This is the second post for dinner #23, the one before it I wrote and than deleted four days later.  

I had the pleasure and luck to sit down during a meal next to Ze Frank, who I told about our Thursdays at Worth Street experiment. I asked for his opinion on the project and he replied to me with a question that gave me a totally new and insightful perspective. He asked: Are you telling the truth about the dinners when you write about them on the blog? My knee jerk reaction was to reply yes, of course! But his question also came just at the right moment where my truthfulness in my writing was about to be put into question. The TRUTH is, I do find something very unique and special about all the dinners we have had so far, but of course, there are some things that go wrong, that are off, that don’t catch flow or connect in the way we would want them to. His question made me question my writing, in a good way of course! It made me shove it a little bit against the edges of social correctness and create a new filter I can evaluate my writing against: Complete and utter truth. I will now document the pink, sweet and fluffy but also all those gray areas in between.

The second expression of dinner #23

The night felt a bit off right from the get go. I was leaving to go to a conference in Mexico early Wednesday morning and we didn’t want to cancel dinner for the week so instead we decided to have the dinner take place on a Tuesday.  Like the butterfly effect, this had an impact in just about everything leading up to the dinner: Brainstorming the menu, going to the market, confirming guests, consulting wines, and many other endeavors that happen in between dinners. On top of that, it was a complicated dinner since it was all vegetarian. Not to blame our vegetarian friends, but these dishes, rather than more simple can become very complex and elaborate, especially when one is trying to escape the traditional and present an exciting menu to a group of people who are usually limited in their options. We wanted to allow our guests to rethink their possibilities when it came to food and create something  for them that was rich and fulfilling. Very beautiful in theory, much chaotic in practice.

This complexity quickly became apparent in what a real, full on restaurant would be the back of the kitchen, but unfortunately for this particular night, was front and center and completely visible to all the guests.  The kitchen became a HOT MESS, there was barely any room left to prepare the food, the kitchen counter was FULL with ingredients, sauces, plates, skillets, pans, you name it! It looked like a crazy Turkish bazaar. It was so crowded with stuff that even I felt there was no room for me in it. Felipe was maintaining composure but I could tell he was getting flustered. While he wasn’t making it apparent, he had on that undeniable vibe only couples pick up from each other. For the first time, I was not let in, I became a guest rather than a player, I sat on the bench, waiting for my turn to join in on the game.  And suddenly, still on the bench, I started seeing all the pieces coming together. All of these food elements were actually randomly connected. The kitchen started to make sense and that tension all of a sudden started wearing off. At the end, this was one of the most delicious dinners Felipe has made. It was exceptional, delicate, unique and just exquisite! Best of all, I got to see it all. I got a sneak peak into the imagination of his brain and its ability to deconstruct and build back up again. I got to see and enjoy the food from the perspective of our guests.

So to all our vegetarian guests, which also came randomly together, thanks for pushing Felipe’s culinary limits and challenging us in just about every way.

Even if you try, you will never be TOO ready...

...was the big learning coming out of Thursdays at Worth Street, dinner #14. After the experience of dinner #13. where I will say we "lacked organization" to keep this as free spirited as possible (it really was a bit chaotic), we decided to get a head start and do the grocery shopping as well as the dessert, one night before the dinner. This was MONUMENTAL, we were surprised at how ahead of the game we were, we felt we had it all figured out, we were ready to go, our upcoming Thursday dinner would turn out to be impeccable! It had to! We were inviting editor and creator of Tribeca Citizen, who wanted to write about us and had even asked if he could take notes and pictures. The pressure was on, and this time, I wasn’t about to use wine as a resource again (another learning from the last dinner). We also had invited Lee, the director of strategy at 360i, who I had only met once, and his wife, an art historian and now interior designer, who I was going to meet for the first time. The other two guests were good friends of ours, there to ease some of the tension and bring with them a familiar element. So there we were, Felipe and I, 7:30 PM on Thursday, already prepping for the food with dessert done and an appetizer that was almost ready to go. We couldn’t believe how little we had to do and how small the chances were that things could go wrong with the plates. To be completely honest, we had also played it a bit safe with the food, making figs and balsamic vinegar two of the overarching ingredients (how can one go wrong with figs!).

The night started out beautifully. Since we had done much of the prepping, we were able to take the time to enjoy the guests, ease drop on the conversations, contribute on the topics of discussion, and sip on the beautiful bottle of Champagne Lee had brought over. We sat down for dinner at a very reasonable hour for us (9:30!) and opened up the dinner with an appetizer that was small and perfect to open the appetite. Things were going so smoothly, I began feeling we were really starting to get a hang of this, we were discovering the right combination, the right process to go about these dinners, the perfect formula! After making some time between plates, I got up and began picking up the plates so that we could start serving the second course. And as I was almost on the last plate, I turned around to see Felipe wave to me, asking me to come closer. He had a small, mischievous smile on his face so I figured he was just as relaxed as I was, and was just enjoying the night. As I got closer to him, he asked me to get closer, close enough to whisper in my ear. As I leaned over, I heard the words which I was not expecting at all: "Honey, I forgot to put the chicken in the oven". I pulled back, we looked at each other and all of a sudden, we were both caught in an uncontrollably, non stop laugh attack. It was a nervous type of laugh, it was also a laugh of disbelief, how can that have happened! There was so little we had to do, putting the chicken in the oven was if not one of the only cooking activity, the main one for sure. After we were done laughing, I asked Felipe exactly how much more time he needed and he replied 13 minutes, which I calculated would really be about 15 to 20. So after trying to figure out what to do, we decided to just be open and honest about it. We held hands as we walked to the table, where all our guests were wondering what in the world was going on with us. Felipe sat down to deliver the confession and began with - “we got something to tell you”, which scared everyone for a moment and also made everything that came afterwards so not a big deal (good strategy Felipe!). People cheered and were happy to keep drinking and talking.

The chicken turned out tasting delicious and the night ended up being a remarkable one filled with great company, great wine and food, and great stories. We left to go to Mexico early the following morning, and the chicken became the topic of conversation. What turned out to be an ordinary stuffed chicken made it into conversations overseas, lucky chicken and lucky us!

Honesty Sells!

At least I hope it does because what I am about to say is blatantly honest. It isn’t so much a commentary about the guests, or Felipe and the food, or the wines, oh wait, it is about the wine. Last Thursdays at Worth Street, dinner #13, I have to confess I may have had a few too many glasses of wine. As I sat down to write about the experience, I realized the experience was….blank, plus, a headache too big for it to be a Friday morning hangover headache. I did remember a couple of things. For example, I remember I dropped wasabi peanuts all over the floor. I also remember challenging Felipe (and myself) to cook dessert all by myself (again, don’t ask me how that turned out, ask the guests or refer to pictures). But let me take a few stops back before you label me as a drunk. Dinner #13 was what could be called the first dinner with strangers. Besides my best friend’s roommate, and Stanton, who is turning out to be a good friend of ours, the rest were people who we barely knew, in fact two of them we had never met before, only via email, a cousin of a friend of a friend, one of those connections which takes about 2 minutes just to explain. Don’t get me wrong, the guests were outstanding, but the fact that we didn’t know them is a reality. It also didn’t help that the night was chaotic right off the bat.

Both Felipe and I were running very late, the first guest arrived before we had time to begin any food prepping. We heard our first guest arrive, I opened the door to see a girl who I had only met once, during a recruiter interview (her being the recruiter, me trying my hardest to be placed). She brought with her a beautiful bottle of Proseco and right then and there, won both of our hearts over, mine and Felipe’s. She began to tell us about her travels through the world, this girl has been pretty much everywhere! Adventurous at heart, a snowboarder who had just recuperated from a tough knee injury. The conversation was wonderful, the experience so different to the last (and the only) time we had seen each other. I was so amazed at how things turn around, and how they do so, so quickly. Next up at the door was Stanton, crazy guy, gotta love him though. Up next Sophia, my best friend roommate, she brought with her sunflowers, my favorite! The last two guests arrived a bit later, and these were the two girls who we didn’t know. One of the girls was a yoga instructor and interior designer, the other, a lawyer. While they were both originally from Mexico, tt was amazing to see how different they were in character. It really is amazing to see how much your nationality unites you once you are far away from you country. And here we get to the part of the night where it begins getting a bit complicated (hence the heavier drinking). It is known by many, that I am a horrible muti-tasker. I got to a point during the night, where I was trying to split my attention in too many different places and in too many different directions. I couldn’t ignore anyone or anything because I had to be polite, I had to have things together, I had to be part of it all, but at the same time remove myself from everyone, focus on the kitchen and make sure people felt at ease and were comfortable. Let’s not forget while I play victim here, that after all, I was also a stranger in my guests’ eyes, and they had kindly, with no doubts or hesitations, accepted my invitation.

At the end of the day, dinner was great and all the chaotic energy eased at the “sobremesa” (conversations after dinner). In fact, it ended being one of the longest, most enjoyable after dinner conversations. Everyone was comfortable and relaxed, I could sense everyone had settled in and felt at home. So in the midst of my wasabi throwing undercover drunkenness (at least I hope I wasn’t so obvious), and my playing chef and playing host, and sort of failing at both, I have to say it was a great night. I am thankful for the new people that I know now well enough to have them over at my apartment for dinner.

Can we please borrow your brain for just a tiny bit longer?

This post is about dinner #12, but I will actually take you back to Monday night, three days prior to the dinner, the moment that gave birth to its theme: Flowers! It came from my sister in law who over a glass of wine on a Monday night was telling us about her experience as a Colombian who is now living in Mexico City. She was telling us how impressed she was of the amount of flowers used in the Mexican cuisine. Myself, being Mexican, hadn’t noticed but as soon as she said it, it actually made a lot of sense and seeing it in retrospect, I agree and in fact have eaten many, many flowers growing up! And there we had it! The theme for the our upcoming Thursday dinner. But even though the story of how many flowers and flower petals we have ingested in our past is a promising one, there is a bigger story to be told here, and that is the amazing ability this project has had to let people in. This experiment has really been a collective creative process filled with discoveries and surprises that has pushed us all to the limits of our imagination. And when I mean all, I really do mean ALL of us. In the same way my sister in law came up with the theme for dinner, right now, we have my mom creating the Worth Kitchen logo, my best friend Christina planning the future of the Worth Kitchen, Felipe’s cousin coming up with a business plan, friends contributing to dinner development brainstorms, friends who we use as guinea pigs to test new recipes, colleagues who send us recipes we can interpret, and the list goes on. It also has really opened up my relationship with Felipe to all who are very close to us, allowing them to participate, to see first hand our first months as a married couple, to capture those moments that are filled with just about every type of emotion. So I write this with much gratitude not just to previous guests, but to all who have followed us through this journey, opening up new roads for us, showing us some shortcuts, allowing us to see beyond one, two, even three streets down the road. I raise my glass to you all as we continue on this fascinating journey, hoping all of you stay on board!

The Beauty Behind being Sous-Chef

I have one word for you, well, actually two words, a one in two word to be precise which I have grown extremely fond of lately: SOUS CHEF.

Here is the wiki definition for all of you kitchen amateurs:

The sous-chef de cuisine (under-chef of the kitchen) is the direct assistant of the executive chef, and is second in command. Last Thursday, I felt for the first time, I may just truly be the “second in command” at the Worth Kitchen. And although my cooking skills are not nearly as experienced, delicate and refined as Felipe’s, I have to say I am starting to master the role of the assistant and best of all, I am starting to love it!

Beyond the peeling and the chopping, which could potentially be somewhat fun, there is something else I am growing much more fond of, and that is, sharing a kitchen with Felipe. Before this project began, my space in the kitchen was just taking up space, in a very crowded and small NYC kitchen. Because of that, for the most part, I would refrain from stepping in and instead would idly sit by on a stool across the kitchen counter. The only times that I would step back into the kitchen to either set the table or clean the dishes. But before you go judging on the fairness or the unfairness of the splitting of chores, let’s get back to where the real story is, let’s revisit my latest little favorite word…SOUS CHEF! During the last few dinners, especially the last one we had, Felipe has really let me into the kitchen. And I gotta say, the two of us working the kitchen is truly an incredible experience. Given the limited space and the limited time available to execute a three course dinner, all movements have to be completely synchronized. The communication has to be precise and simple, and you have to really put all trust in each other that at the end, everything will taste, look, and smell deliciously.

I love being in the kitchen’s circle of trust, taking sensory leaps of faith, and knowing I can impact the outcome of the food, even it its only a tiny bit. I am happy to assist and shall continue assisting!