As the second decade of Fork begins to unfold, it will do so in the absence of Chef Thien Ngo, who recently announced his retirement from cooking. Aside from being an inventive and visionary chef, Thien has always been a gracious friend and an excellent teacher.
Last summer when Chef Thien Ngo announced his intention to retire, I didn’t take him seriously at first. We had spent so many memorable nights around the table learning about new foods and sharing bottles of wine, it was surreal to think Thien would no longer be the commander of our kitchen… a position he held for nearly a decade. When Thien departs at the end of January, it will no doubt leave a sense of emptiness where his personality and culinary inventiveness once so modestly filled.
I knew that replacing Thien would not be an easy feat, and so I began contacting numerous friends in New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. After months of searching, my partner and Wine Director Roberto Sella and I officially sealed the deal with Terence Feury. Terence’s résumé includes many of our region’s premiere restaurants. Most recently he opened Maia in Villanova, with his equally acclaimed brother Patrick, and before that he honed his craft at the Ritz Carlton of Georgetown and Philadelphia, the original Stripped Bass and Le Bernadin in Manhattan. Terence is a natural fit and shares Fork’s vision in terms of simple, straightforward, ingredient-driven food that focuses on fresh local fare with an emphasis on artisanal items such as breads, pastas and charcuterie. As you may know, Terence has a passion for seafood which no doubt will be a highlight of the menu. Though rest assured, Fork is not going to become a seafood restaurant. Terence’s masterful style, affinity for highlighting natural flavors and his sophisticated palate for wine and beer will figure prominently on our menu as well. As we continue to move the restaurant’s concept forward in its second decade, I am excited about collaborating with Terence to reinvent and refresh Fork’s new American bistro style cuisine. Welcome Terence!
I invite you all to join us at Fork to wish Thien a final farewell. I highly encourage you to make a reservation during these final days of Restaurant Week, which ends January 30. The three-course menu is one of the last opportunities to enjoy Thien’s outstanding cooking before his retirement.
January 28, 2009
December 12, 2008
Little Shemogues
Jody Feigenbaum from Delaware Valley Fish called me a few months ago to see if we were interested in buying oysters from her company. She had attended one of my book events and thought Fork might be interested in the oysters she and her husband were harvesting from New Brunswick. We had been serving predominantly West Coast oysters for a while, so I was open to trying Jody's for a change. Besides, I had just returned from Paris where I discovered a wonderful boite in the 6th called Huiteries St. Regis. It was a very tiny spot that seated only 15 to 20 people at maximum capacity and served oysters and fruits de mers exclusively. I enjoyed the best Belon oysters I've ever had; they were so briny and plump. After that trip, I definitely had a palate for good oysters.
Jody and her husband Mitch arrived the other morning with several boxes of oysters and an oyster knife. It was a little early in the day for oysters, but we tried them anyway. First we had the Little Shemogues (She-mo-GWEE), which the Feigenbaum's and their business partner Barry Kratchman own and harvest themselves. Then we sampled their Peacock Cove oysters, which come from southeast New Brunswick. Both are equally delicious, but we opted for the Peacock Cove as they proved to be a real treasure of the sea and boast a high salt content. Fork is thrilled to add these delights to our menu, and I hope you enjoy them. To learn more about Little Shemogue Oyster Farm, check out their website at www.lsoysterfarm.com.
Jody and her husband Mitch arrived the other morning with several boxes of oysters and an oyster knife. It was a little early in the day for oysters, but we tried them anyway. First we had the Little Shemogues (She-mo-GWEE), which the Feigenbaum's and their business partner Barry Kratchman own and harvest themselves. Then we sampled their Peacock Cove oysters, which come from southeast New Brunswick. Both are equally delicious, but we opted for the Peacock Cove as they proved to be a real treasure of the sea and boast a high salt content. Fork is thrilled to add these delights to our menu, and I hope you enjoy them. To learn more about Little Shemogue Oyster Farm, check out their website at www.lsoysterfarm.com.
December 7, 2008
Ciao bella gioia
Fabrizia Lanza, the daughter of our dear friend Anna Tasca Lanza, visited from Sicily to help us prepare a Sicilian holiday dinner: Dinner of the Seven Fishes. Interestingly enough, upon Fabrizia's arrival I learned that the dish is not a Sicilian tradition, at least not for Fabrizia who knew anything about. Fabrizia eats turkey for Christmas, just like many of us! For me, the highlight of the dinner was the baccala e patate zafferano (salt cod with braised saffron potatoes), which was served with a mint sauce.
Our dinner on Saturday night was probably the highlight of the trip for Fabrizia. We made our way down to Kim's Barbecue as a motley crew comprised of our Vietnamese chef Thien, Kaitlin McCann (one of Thien's new understudies), Fabrizia and her boyfriend Gianni (who speaks very little English), my boyfriend Wayne and I. Kim's Barbecue is a very ethnic restaurant. Many of the servers don't speak English, but since some of the servers are Chinese Koreans who left China during the Communist Revolution, I can typically order in Chinese (my mother tongue). The conversations at the table were crazy and confusing. Picture this: Wayne, who spent three months in Italy, was conversing with Gianni in limited Italian. Gianni was speaking to Thien in broken French. And I was speaking Chinese, Italian, and French, all poorly at best! What a sight we must have been. The one thing we had in common was a great bottle of wine that Thien brought, which certainly helped to forgive any misunderstandings that were created at the table that night.
Our dinner on Saturday night was probably the highlight of the trip for Fabrizia. We made our way down to Kim's Barbecue as a motley crew comprised of our Vietnamese chef Thien, Kaitlin McCann (one of Thien's new understudies), Fabrizia and her boyfriend Gianni (who speaks very little English), my boyfriend Wayne and I. Kim's Barbecue is a very ethnic restaurant. Many of the servers don't speak English, but since some of the servers are Chinese Koreans who left China during the Communist Revolution, I can typically order in Chinese (my mother tongue). The conversations at the table were crazy and confusing. Picture this: Wayne, who spent three months in Italy, was conversing with Gianni in limited Italian. Gianni was speaking to Thien in broken French. And I was speaking Chinese, Italian, and French, all poorly at best! What a sight we must have been. The one thing we had in common was a great bottle of wine that Thien brought, which certainly helped to forgive any misunderstandings that were created at the table that night.
November 9, 2008
Comfort Food
I can't imagine life without my family, which is why I have always tried to create a "home" at Fork for our chef Thien Ngo, who was orphaned during the Vietnam War. Although Thien would share stories about his adopted mom, he maintained an aloofness that he only recently explained to me as a self-defense mechanism.
When the First Person Arts Festival approached me about hosting Kim Sunée, author of Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home, I was intrigued as I wanted to hear her life's story and how she got into cooking. Kim was born in South Korea and adopted by American family in New Orleans. Thien was also adopted, though by director of the adoption agency in his home country Vietnam. Although Kim and Thien's stories are much different, there are significant parallels. Chief among them is that both found comfort through cooking. When Thien learned that he would be meeting Kim, he became very nervous, fearing that he might lose control of his emotions hearing Kim's story. Kim's friendly, warm, and caring nature helped to smooth out the meeting. Thien's wine consumption probably helped a bit too. The meeting went well, and I think that we all gained something positive from the experience.
Interestingly, we only featured one item from her Korean heritage for brunch, the Kim Chi Soup.
Kim Chi Soup from Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love and the Search for Home (Grand Central Publishing, 2008)
1 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into chunks
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
2 teapoons fresh-grated ginger
6 cups chicken or pork stock
2 to 3 cups cabbage kimchi
4 green onions, sliced
garnishes: fried ginger, fresh green peas, sliced rice cakes, korean red chili paste or sambal oelek, sliced nori, a drizzle of sesame oil
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat. Season pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and add to pot. Let pork brown about 8 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and stir. Add stock, stir, bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low. Skim fat as it starts to simmer and froth. Add 1 to 2 cups of kimchi, stir, and let simmer about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until pork is fork tender. Stir in green onions and remaining kimchi (if desired). Taste and add more salt, as needed. Server with garnishes, if desired.
When the First Person Arts Festival approached me about hosting Kim Sunée, author of Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home, I was intrigued as I wanted to hear her life's story and how she got into cooking. Kim was born in South Korea and adopted by American family in New Orleans. Thien was also adopted, though by director of the adoption agency in his home country Vietnam. Although Kim and Thien's stories are much different, there are significant parallels. Chief among them is that both found comfort through cooking. When Thien learned that he would be meeting Kim, he became very nervous, fearing that he might lose control of his emotions hearing Kim's story. Kim's friendly, warm, and caring nature helped to smooth out the meeting. Thien's wine consumption probably helped a bit too. The meeting went well, and I think that we all gained something positive from the experience.
Interestingly, we only featured one item from her Korean heritage for brunch, the Kim Chi Soup.
Kim Chi Soup from Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love and the Search for Home (Grand Central Publishing, 2008)
1 teaspoon peanut or vegetable oil
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into chunks
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
2 teapoons fresh-grated ginger
6 cups chicken or pork stock
2 to 3 cups cabbage kimchi
4 green onions, sliced
garnishes: fried ginger, fresh green peas, sliced rice cakes, korean red chili paste or sambal oelek, sliced nori, a drizzle of sesame oil
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium high heat. Season pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and add to pot. Let pork brown about 8 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and stir. Add stock, stir, bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low. Skim fat as it starts to simmer and froth. Add 1 to 2 cups of kimchi, stir, and let simmer about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until pork is fork tender. Stir in green onions and remaining kimchi (if desired). Taste and add more salt, as needed. Server with garnishes, if desired.
September 26, 2007
Welcome to Fork Restaurant's Blog
I am thrilled by the enthusiastic response we've received to our recent publication of Forklore: Recipes and Tales from an American Bistro. As I embark on the book tour, it occurred to me that I want to share my experiences with others as I meet new people, see new places, and taste new flavors. And so begins this humble chronicle that I hope you enjoy...
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