Avec Eric, Many Cooking Adventures on the Horizon

WE MET ERIC RIPERT!  

A foodie dream come true.  Here's the scoop.

We have been a fan of Eric Ripert for many years.  We first started to appreciate his warm personality and incredible talent when he would guest judge on Top Chef.  Then when we first started dating, DJ surprised Mel with a birthday dinner at Ripert's restaurant Le Bernardin.  From that moment on, he was placed on a very high pedestal in our humble opinions.  At that birthday dinner, Mel actually saw Ripert come into the dining area to talk to a table.  She was completely starstruck even though she had no part in his conversation nor any actual direct contact with her chef hero.  Being in his vicinity was enough for her to get giddy.  So when we saw that he'd be coming to do a talk at the 92nd Street Y, we figured it could be a fun night out.

 

The talk itself was quite entertaining - a great chance to learn about the evolution of Ripert's career and his interesting opinion on sustainability and the future of seafood cuisine.  Then, lo and behold, they announced that he would be signing his cookbooks right in the next room!  Since it was a relatively intimate setting, we knew that the line wouldn't be infinitely long so we went for it.  Within minutes, we were chatting it up with one of our favorite chefs!  Considering how Mel undoubtedly loses her cool in the vicinity of fame, the conversation was somewhat comical.  Allow us to provide a brief transcript.

Meeting Eric Ripert

Guard gestures that we can approach the table

Ripert appears to glance up, then Gopnik says something to him and they are exchanging words

Melissa interrupts (in retrospect, a bit rude; but in her defense, there was a line of people waiting and Gopnik's chitchat was eating into her personal time with Ripert; it's NYC - gotta keep it movin')

Melissa:  It's such a pleasure to meet you!  My husband and I had one of our first dates at your restaurant, and it was such a memorable experience.

Ripert:  Oh really?   Well, I'm glad it brought you luck.

Melissa starts beaming

DJ:  Do you mind if I take your picture?

Ripert:  Sure.

Melissa (a little slow on the uptake): So you can make the book out to...

DJ:  Uh, Mel - what about the picture?

Melissa:  OH!  

DJ:  Her last name is actually Bernardin.  We were hoping she'd get a discount when we went to the restaurant.

Ripert (amused & intrigued):  Oh really?

Melissa:  Yes, well my maiden name.  My dad is from Haiti so it's a French name.  But I changed it when I got married. (why is she rambling about names, you may ask?  excellent question, which she also asked herself the entire way home)

Ripert (places marker on book page and looks at DJ):  So what is your name?

DJ:  Haile-Mariam.

Melissa:  He meant what name should he write in the book.

DJ:  Oh, you can just put DJ.  (3 precious minutes with a famous chef and we're hung up on names; yup, you're allowed to laugh at us)

Then we got down to the business of him writing our names inside the book and signing it, wished him well, and went on our merry way.  It's safe to say Mel skipped down the street for approximately 5 minutes.

So yes, thanks to an unexpectedly exciting evening at the 92Y, it looks like we have lots of new recipes to try!  And yes, that means lots of new blog entries to write about the hits (and misses) as we attempt to emulate one of the best in the business.  And most importantly - yes, Mr. Ripert remains high on that pedestal as he showed us that his sincerity is not just for the cameras.  He is truly a class act.  Can't wait to get started on his book!

Wepa! Arepas!... at Caracas

Hana and Josh told us great things about Caracas Arepa Bar, and invited us to check it out on a quiet Sunday for brunch.  We admittedly started salivating that morning as we read the menu online.  All the stuffing options for the arepas sounded amazing.  

Josh's sister joined us as well (hooray for finally putting a face to the name!), and we decided to start with fried sweet plantains and a bit of guacamole since we were all pretty hungry.

The plantains were prepared nicely, with nice slight caramelization and soft centers.

The guacamole was a bit bland; it needed salt and more spice.  But the plantain chips served with it were crisp, fresh and beautifully salted, so the flavors balanced out.

Now for the main event: the arepas!  The actual arepas (flatbread made of maize) were nicely browned on the outside while remaining soft and fluffy on the inside.  Translation: the inside was soft enough to soak up the juices of the fillings, while the outside was hardened enough to make it easy to eat the arepa without any of the filling seeping through or falling out.  And the fillings did not disappoint.  Between all of us we wound up trying a wide variety and enjoyed every bite!

La De Pernil 

(roast pork shoulder, tomato, and spicy mango sauce)

La Surena

(grilled chicken, chorizo, avocado, and spicy chimi-churri sauce)

De Pabellon 

(shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese and sweet plantains)

Leek Jardinera 

(leeks, sundried tomatoes, and onions)

 

At first we all thought we'd want to go for seconds on arepas, but we wound up feeling pretty full after the first round.  However... we did have just enough room for a sharing dessert, and unanimously decided on the Coconut Tres Leches.  Great decision!  Each bite was bursting with the delight of sweet milk and delicate coconut. 

Since the waitress could tell we were wavering on whether to order two desserts, she suggested one of their special cookies with dulce de leche filling.  She assured us it was perfect for sharing and not a huge commitment.  We weren't sure what to expect, but understood what she meant as soon as she set it down.  Huge cookie, but very light!

Two large wafers (they reminded Mel of communion wafers) spread with a deliciously sweet dulce de leche cream (a flavor like a cross of caramel and hazelnut) in between.   You can't go wrong!  The perfect ending to a savory meal.

If you love arepas (or the general concept of meat in bread pockets), Caracas is definitely worth a trip to the East Village.  Its dining area is a bit small, so you might have to be prepared for a wait during busy times.  But it will be worth it!