Food fest not by the book

Twenty years ago, a handful of famous cookbook authors arrived in Philadelphia for the first edition of the Book and the Cook. This now-internationally known event pairs famous chefs and authors with chefs at area restaurants.

I was fortunate to cover the first Book and the Cook and have been covering it ever since. The 21st edition, which opens tomorrow night, is named the KitchenAid Book and the Cook after the company that has sponsored it for the last few years.

"Our restaurant events are designed to provide guests with one-on-one interaction with their favorite Food Network personalities, PBS cooking-show hosts and celebrity chefs," said Judy Faye, the weeklong event’s executive producer and a longtime South Philadelphia resident.

"The event has changed since I first became involved in 1987," she added. "I’ve seen the emergence of celebrity cookbook authors, but not all of them host cooking shows. [Instead], they have great restaurants."

While plenty of folks still chop, dice and saut� on television, a number of nationally known chefs participating in the KitchenAid Book and the Cook fit Faye’s description. They tour the country to promote both their award-winning restaurants and their cookbooks.

I am looking forward to covering a number of luncheons and dinners during the KitchenAid Book and the Cook.

Chef Gino Sena and his brother Giuseppe, owners of La Famiglia, 8 S. Front St., will host chef Tony Mantuano, whose Chicago restaurant, Spiaggia, has won numerous awards and accolades from the media and patrons. I’ve dined at Spiaggia and know the meal will be on the delicious cutting edge of authentic Italian cucina. The dinner will be March 17.

Bob Kincaid, who has been cooking in Washington, D.C., for many years, gained prominence at 21 Federal and now has his own restaurant, Kincaid’s, which takes an international approach to fish and shellfish. Kincaid will cook in the kitchen at Old Original Bookbinder’s, which recently reopened at 125 Walnut St. after a three-year hiatus.

Another local institution, Georges Perrier, welcomes author Patricia Wells to Le Bec-Fin for lunch on Saturday. Wells, no stranger to the Book and the Cook, is the restaurant critic for the International Herald Tribune and offers cooking classes at her farmhouse in Provence.

Tucked away in the beautiful mountains of Virginia stands the Inn at Little Washington, Patrick O’Connell’s jewel-box boutique inn and restaurant. The interior is appointed with American antiques from the Federal period. O’Connell’s unique cuisine is an interesting mix of new American with a distinctive French flair. The restaurateur will join culinary forces with executive chef Jean-Marie LaCroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel for a luncheon on March 19.

All sorts of cuisine are offered during the KitchenAid Book and the Cook. Avrom Hornick, owner of the delightful bistro Loie, just steps from Rittenhouse Square, has invited Matthew Kenney for a distinctly different vegetarian dinner on Saturday.

American barbecue has not been overlooked. Waldy Malouf, one of America’s barbecue mavens, will team up March 18 with the chefs at The Smoked Joint, Philly’s newest barbecue restaurant at 1420 Locust St.

Although he’s seen on the Food Network, I’m looking forward to meeting Tyler Florence when he prepares dinner March 20 at Washington Square. Florence’s style is down to earth and he lets the ingredients speak for themselves.

The Culinary Market and Kitchen Showcase will take place March 18-20 at the Fort Washington Expo Center. The fair features cooking demonstrations, cookbook author signings, food tastings and more than 150 culinary exhibitors. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $12 for children under 12. For more information, call 888-742-1336.

Visit www.thebookandthecook.com for a complete list of participating restaurants, chefs, cookbook authors and events. Reservations for luncheons and dinners are an absolute must.

Here is a recipe from Patricia Wells at Home in Provence.

Caramelized Fennel Soup

Ingredients:
2 pounds fennel bulbs, trimmed and minced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
1 bouquet garni filled with a generous bunch of fresh rosemary, parsley, bay leaf and thyme, tied securely with twine
1 quart chicken stock, preferably homemade

Directions:

In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, combine the fennel and oil. Cook, covered, over low heat, and sweat for 10 minutes. Coat the pieces of fennel with the oil, stirring from time to time to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pot.

After about 10 minutes, remove the lid and let the fennel continue to cook over low heat. The pieces should gradually brown and caramelize. Add the bouquet garni and stock and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Using an immersion mixer, roughly pur�e the soup directly in the pot. You also can pur�e this soup in batches in a food processor. If you use a food processor, return the soup to the pot.

This soup should have a creamy consistency but not be totally smooth. Taste for seasoning. Serve piping hot in warmed shallow soup bowls.

Serves four.  

Note To make a bouquet garni, cut off a piece of cheesecloth large enough to accommodate the herbs. Wrap the herbs in the cheesecloth and tie with twine. You can buy cheesecloth in kitchenware shops such as Fante’s or you can buy small bouquet garni bags. This recipe calls for a large bunch of herbs, so if you go with the little bags, use two or three of them.

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