First: Watch this video
OMNIVORE WORLD TOUR_MOVIE 2013
Now, I hope you're in the mood. Let's begin this post.
Actually, watch this video too
Omnivore World Tour 2012
Ok, now let's start.
So, a few months ago, one of the chefs (Chef Clergue) walked into our demo and told us there would be this food festival going on in March here in Paris. It would be a food festival featuring chefs around the world and they would need volunteers, so we should think about it.
About 2 weeks ago, I had the chance to sign up. If you remember in October, I signed up as a volunteer to prep an event at the New Zealand Embassy and wrote about it here. Signing up for Omnivore was much in the same process and form.
Anyways, because this food festival was during our break between Intermediate and Superior, I decided to sign up for all three days of the festival. Plus, I knew there would be American chefs at the event and I hoped I would get the chance to work with at least one of them.
So, one week ago on this past Sunday morning, I rolled out of bed at 5:30am and made my way to the conference center for this Omnivore Festival thing.
I had no idea that I was walking into three of the best days possible.
Basically, there were about 12-15 LCB students there each day (about 8 of us were there all three days) whose main jobs included: helping chefs in the Prep Pastry Kitchen, helping chefs in the Prep Cuisine Kitchen, helping make the tasters for passing around the conference, and helping prep the Masterclass demonstrations.
Despite the fact that I have no pastry knowledge, the first day I was put in the pastry kitchen (probably because the other two girls who were assigned to pastry from school speak English before French and are friends of mine). It turned out well because working in that kitchen helped me figure out where everything was, who everyone was, and what was actually going on.
But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me explain what Omnivore is:
It is a food festival that highlights up and coming chefs in the cuisine world. The festival travels around the world to 10-12 different cities holding these festivals and highlighting these up and coming chefs who hold these "Masterclass Demonstrations". Each year, they kick it off here in Paris, probably because it is a French idea/thing first.
So, back to my experience- after running up and down multiple steps in search of an ingredient or tool that one of the Pastry chefs needed the first day (which despite being 13hrs of work went by in a flash), the second day, I was moved into the Cuisine kitchen!
In the cuisine kitchen, I was assigned a chef each day. On Monday (day 2), my chef was Massimiliano Alajmo from Italy. At first, I was a little confused because 1. It was 7am and 2. I was the only American volunteer all week and there were two American chefs that day and they assign me the Italian chef?? But, then I realized that the day before (the first day aka pastry kitchen day), someone had asked me in the pastry kitchen to find a PacoJet container for one of the cuisine chefs. So, I had run around looking for a PacoJet container for this chef and when I had finally found an extra one, I was told he had gone to the basement where the refrigerators were. So, I run back downstairs and see him at the end of this long hallway that leads to the freezers and he sees me with the PacoJet container he has been looking for a good 30mins at least. He and his assistant for the festival start cheering that we finally found one!
Anyways, being a little giggle-tired after the full day, I start slow sprinting down the hallway as if I'm in Chariots of Fire. Well, Chef Max and Silvio totally bought into it and played along with me overemphasizing how ridiculous all of us were running around looking for this stupid container that they actually really did need for Chef Max's demonstration the next day.
So, back to that second day, when I found out I was assigned to my Chariots of Fire friend, I said to our Chef and the Omnivore organizers, "Oh, don't worry- he's awesome. We're buds. This'll be great." (They just laughed at me. But again, it was 7am.)
And it was great. I could not have been more impressed with Chef Massimiliano (Also- how great is that name??). First- he is a complete class act and really cared about our experience in helping him. He went around to all of the other chefs in the prep kitchen and introduced himself and chatted with them as he speaks fluent French, English, Spanish, and Italian- at least! When I saw this happening, I just figured he was networking and schmoozing and being his friendly self. It was not until later that I found out that in fact those chefs were in awe to be in the same kitchen as him!
Turns out, Chef Max is one of the best Italian chefs, has 3 Michelin stars, 3 restaurants, and is really famous. Who knew?!? I didn't until after he left. Plus, he has a great attitude. Case in point: on his chef jacket where the restaurant logo usually goes, Chef Max has a cross-stitch of a stick figure wearing a toque and cooking over a stove top. When I pointed out how great I thought this was to the chef, he told me, "You have to stay young! Always having fun." What a great attitude. Seriously. (Can you tell that I am star-struck, in awe of this chef? I know I'm being super subtle about it...)
Anyways, in his Masterclass, which I acted as an assistant for as well, he made a coffee and caper risotto, a tomato-based ratatouille style dish, and an apple meringue dessert.
Can we have a serious discussion about the coffee and capers for the risotto? I was surprised when he told me about it originally, but it plain, flat-out worked. I've told about 30 million people about it this week. (Okay 40, but who's counting?) It is also very easy to make- just add in 3 coffee beans while you stir your risotto, remove them after cooking and then finish it off with some espresso powder and crushed capers on top. Ok. Done. Got it.
The apple meringue dessert, he filled with the apple sorbet (made with the elusive PacoJet) and shaped it into an apple, adding a stem for a final touch. He showed me a video on his Iphone of how to do it before we went on stage, really including me in the whole process. Plus, we both agreed it kept in with all of the fun we were trying to have in the kitchen.
Back to the Masterclass demo. Basically, my face was on the big screen (in the back, to the side) while he worked and used my knife, so I feel pretty famous about the whole situation.
After the demo, Chef Max's assistant for the day and the Executive Chef at his restaurant, Quadri, in Venice, Silvio Giavendoni, gave me his card. Then later when I was running down a flight of stairs (probably running a PacoJet container to some other chef!) I ran into Chefs Max and Silvio on their way out of the conference center.
I stopped to thank them again and wish them well and Chef Max looked at me and said, "You have Silvio's card, if you need anything or are in Italy, send us a message."
What did I tell you? Class act. It blew me away that both of these amazing chefs cared that much about some silly American start-up kid who has no real cooking credentials.
They also gave me two gifts from Chef Max's product line, Ingredienti:
Olive Oil (which is incredible- we're talking sediment on the bottom of the bottle)
Lemon spray (almost like perfume, but for finishing off food)
Needless to say, my first two days at Omnivore are completely unforgettable. If you would like to learn a little bit more about Chef Max's restaurants and Chef Silvio, check out their website (it's in English!) here
Here's a picture of us in the Cuisine kitchen after the first day of Omnivore
(The two guys on the Left in plain clothes are Pierre and then Michael, our fearless organizers from Omnivore. On the far right is Chef Clergue, the LCB chef in charge. I'm on the back left peeking out above the heads!)
Here's a video of an interview with Chef Max. The interviewer is SUPER boring, but it's still cool to see the chef and his attitude. I think you'll understand why I call him a class act.
Here is Chef Max cooking a dish. Some highlights to look for: the emblem on his jacket, a PacoJet container, the Ingredienti sprays.
Look out for the next post for the rest of Omnivore highlights including all of the American chefs and the third day!
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