Dan Barber: A surprising parable of foie gras

DAN BARBER...Executive Chef and Co-Owner

In May of 2000, Dan opened Blue Hill restaurant with family members David and Laureen Barber.

Since then, his writings on food and agricultural policy have appeared in the New York Times, along with articles in Gourmet, The Nation, Saveur and Food & Wine Magazine. Dan’s efforts to create a consciousness around our everyday food choices have led him to the World Economic Forum’s 2010 annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland as well as to TED2010, where he looked toward a new ecological approach to cuisine.

Appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, Dan continues the work that he began as a member of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture's board of directors: to blur the line between the dining experience and the educational, bringing the principles of good farming directly to the table.

As chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Dan has received the James Beard awards for Best Chef: New York City (2006) and for Outstanding Chef (2009). In 2009 he was named one of the world's most influential people in Time’s annual "Time 100". 

http://www.bluehillfarm.com/food/overview/team/dan-barber

PRAVDA! Pierogie Recipe

If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony.                                    Fernand Point  

  It is the unlikely story of a guy from New Orleans, trained in French Cuisine, making Pierogies at a Russian Absinthe bar in the French Quarter.  But like life, there is no formula, just make it happen.  So here is the recipe that I have been using at PRAVDA! If you have any questions, shoot me an email and will get to the answer for the both of us.

PRAVDA! Pierogie Recipe

    - 4.5C All Purpose Flour
    - 2C Sour Cream
    - 2T Melted Butter
    - 1T Oil
    - 2Each Eggs
    - 1Each Egg Yolk
    - Salt

Combine sour cream, butter, oil, and eggs in a bowl; whisk until mixture is smooth and lump-free; salt the flour; make a well in the center of the flour; pour sour cream mixture into center; incorporate into dough; let rest 15 minutes at room temperature; pinch off and roll out into desired size.  Place them into some berrling water until they float...done.  Pierogie!

If this is too much, the recipe conversion factor can be used to scale it up or down.  For instance, if you only have three cups of flour, divide three by four point five, then multiply the other quantities by that number to yield your new recipe amounts.  If you get stumped, convert all the measurements into the same category, i.e., 1C = 8oz; 1T = 0.5oz; 1 Large Egg = 2oz, etc.  Just use the intraweb and find the needed conversion.

    Once you conquer the dough, it becomes a blank canvas for flavors and imagination.  At the top is a quote from my Gastronomic Hero, Fernand Point, he shaped the way we eat.

For those of you about to cook, we salute you.