As we prepare to turn the page into 2013, we want to take a look back at 2012 through the lens of our last meals. It’s become a tradition for us to close each year with a dinner event that remixes the top responses from that year to the question, “you’re about to die, what’s your last meal?”

For this year, our dinner event focused on the B-Sides–the meals that only one person wanted and also evoked a vivid time, place, or emotion. To go even further on this theme of finding pleasure in rarities, we paired our dinner with all wines from non-major wine producing countries. I can’t think of any better way to close out the year than with that night’s event, and you can recount the evening with a beautiful photo gallery/timelapse below.

Another part of our annual Last Meals tradition is the year in review info graphic by our very own Soomin Baik. This year we wanted to show the variety of dishes that can come out of the top 10 most popular ingredients. These dishes were taken from 2012′s responses only, and you’ll see all the different ways people like to consume these ingredients. Soomin’s beautiful work is pictured above and clicking on the image will allow you to download a hi-res PDF for a closer look.

It was a great year for us and we look forward to so much more in 2013. We have lots of ideas in the hopper and cannot wait to cook for you soon. Happy New Year!

Time Lapse

Photo Gallery

All photos by Steph Goralnick.

LAST MEAL 2012: THE B-SIDES

December 16th: 6:00 & 9:00p
7 Courses / Wine Pairings / $125

For the past 5 years we’ve collected thousands of responses to the question, “you’re about to die, what’s your last meal?” And for the past 2 years, we’ve created a dinner based on each year’s most popular items. This year, as per tradition, we are doing it again.

But now, we’re going after the most delicious rarities from our database. The dishes that evoke a hyper specific time, place, tradition, or odd fetish.

TO RESERVE
http://lastmeal2012.eventbrite.com

This year’s Studiofeast Last Meal is not about the popular vote, it’s about the hidden gem. The B-Sides of the Last Meal collection. We will feature our seven favorites from our member response database, not for their popularity, but for their potential to reach the sublime in a special way:

“You’re About to Die, What’s Your Last Meal?”

Hainanese Chicken Rice
“My mom’s Hainanese chicken rice”

Peruvian Ceviche
“A traditional Peruvian meal – pargo or corvina ceviche…”

Lebanese Kibbeh
“Freshly made kibbeh, in the mountains outside Beirut”

New Mexican Tamale
“Well I’d wanna feel comfortable going into the afterlife so it
would have to be pork tamales from the Gallup, NM flea market”

Marco Pierre White’s Harvey’s 1988
“Dinner at Harvey’s 1988″

Alsacien Choucroute Royale
“…”

Port & Peanut Butter
“they don’t go well together….but wine and peanut butter!”
[actually, they're pretty fu*king tasty together]

And to go even deeper on our “B-Sides” theme, we will pair each course with a wine from a non-major wine producing country. Forget France. Nevermind Italy. We’re taking you on a ride to discover new, outrageous tastes from places Georgia, the Canary Islands, Lebanon, and Bulgaria.

We hope you’ll join us to close out our 2012 with a bang.

TO RESERVE
http://lastmeal2012.eventbrite.com

Apologies, but we cannot accommodate any substitutions or vegetarian options.

Nine courses, 24 people, three supperclubs, and over $500 raised to benefit the Governor restaurant recover post-Sandy. This was the tale of the tape from our last event, Supperclubs for Sandy, a first time collaboration (and not the last) between Studiofeast, Wolvesmouth, and A Razor, A Shiny Knife. The event was hosted in the apartment of Brian Quinn and New York Tech Meetup‘s Jessica Lawrence, with Brian pairing wines and slinging some excellent Averna & Bulldog gin cocktails.

Here is the full menu from the night:

• Beef Ribcap - Wolvesmouth / coconut, green apple, bok choy, cucumber, pickled green tomato, rice paper
• Fall Veg - WM/ carrot, grape, delicata squash, cocoa coffee, yogurt, potato, cabbage, crosnes, turnip
• Rabbit - WM/ lobster, crepe, baby kale, lime curd, squash, chive
• Cod - A Razor, A Shiny Knife / celery root, truffle, duck demiglace, compressed celery
• Scallop - Studiofeast / watermelon radish, preserved lemon, grapefruit, uni
• Matsutake - SF / clam, jalapeno, benton’s ham, dashi
• Lamb Rib - SF/ shallot confit, yellow pepper, pickled garlic, sichuan sauce, carrot
• Almond - ARASK / chocolate, averna
• Black Sesame - WM / yuzu, berry tofu, strawberry, pop rocks

An amazing time was had by all and I want to thank everyone who came out to volunteer, perform (shout out to Max ZT and his epic hammer dulcimer skills) and dine with us. Above all, we hope the money raised will help ease the recovery efforts at the Governor as they work to repair their space and re-open to the public.

As an additional boost, Studiofeast is matching the donation amount with an additional contribution of $500 going to help the Occupy Sandy effort. Occupy Sandy has been one of the most prolific, effective, and organized efforts for Sandy recovery all over NYC. We are happy to help them out and encourage you to visit the Supperclubs for Sandy website for more worthwhile charities to donate to. I’ve listed them below, along with a photo gallery from our event, and hope you find one to assist.

There is so much more to do to help those affected by Sandy along on the long road to recovery. Every little bit counts!

Organizations to Support for Sandy Recovery

• Occupy Sandy - http://occupysandy.org
• Restore Red Hook - http://restoreredhook.org
• Rebuild Staten Island - https://www.facebook.com/RebuildStatenIsland
• Sandy Relief Amazon Wish List - http://amzn.to/Wz6plX
• Recovers.org – http://recovers.org
• NY Red Cross - http://www.nyredcross.org

This past weekend I had the extreme pleasure of attending Eat Retreat 2012. It was a jam-packed weekend in the woods of Los Altos, CA with 40 of the most colorful, friendly, and quality people in the world of food, who I’m proud to have forged friendships with.

The weekend kicked off with a lamb butchering demo by Andrew Plotsky, a butcher from Farmstead Meatsmith in Washington State, which we cooked for that night’s dinner. Ample supplies of David Scheidt’s great “Mastro Scheidt” wine and Jesse Friedman’s excellent Almanac Beer provided tasty social lubrication as we all got to know each other. Eat Retreat co-founder, Kathryn Tomajan, led us around the campfire for introductions, which segued nicely into a ceremonial Malort tasting by Rachel Adams. (Malort, that infamous spirit hailing from Chicago, easily comes through on its dual claims that “these pants won’t shit themselves” and “kick your mouth in the balls.” I cannot disagree with this assertion.)

The next morning, we kicked off with animal farmer/butcher extraordinare, Heather Marold Thomason, taking us through chicken butchering. This was one of the more profound activities of the weekend, since virtually no one at Eat Retreat had ever killed their meat, despite the vast amount of collective culinary experience in attendance. Knowing that you killed your own food certainly added a substantial layer of meaning and satisfaction to dinner later that night, when we ate our slaughter. From there, it was a back-to-back day of one great workshop after another, including:

• Salmon smoking the Chinook Indian way from Neil Davidson of Mission Gastroclub,
• Food media discussion with Bruce Cole (Publisher, Edible SF), Anna Roth (Restaurant Critic, SF Weekly), Clare Leschin-Hoar (Food Journalist), and Molly Watson (Food Writer)
• Olive oil making/tasting/science, by Sara Feinberg of the California Olive Oil Council
• Salt 101 with Spice Hound owner Tammy Tan
• Wine Tasting from David Scheidt of Mastro Scheidt and Samantha Buyskes of Simply Red Culinary Center
• Cheese Time with Emily Morgan of Cowgirl Creamery
• Food & Tech Talk with Will Turnage
• Coffee Class with Stephen Wade
• Pie making by Maggie Rice and Natalie Galatzer
• 3AM Grilled Cheese Masterclass by Michael Davidson, the one and only Grilled Cheese Guy 

While there were activities and meals galore, the real value of this weekend was getting into the mix with the people. The organizers take applications in advance of the weekend and they somehow manage to build a roster of not just accomplished individuals, but a roster with great diversity and generosity. You can’t just come into Eat Retreat with accolades, you need to bring an original voice and the humbleness to give and take with others. This is the key to why the weekend was so successful.

How all of this fit into two days, I have no clue, but I’m glad that I walked away with the relationships with these people to keep it all going. It was a thought provoking and highly educational weekend, but the chances to bond and get into trouble with my fellow Eat Retreaters was what I’ll remember most. Like summer camp, the true value isn’t so much learning how to make a canoe, it’s creating a lifelong memory with the people that were in your canoe when it flipped over in the lake.

At Eat Retreat, the content takes a back seat to the camaraderie. And with that, I know that Eat Retreat won’t have to ever end. Can’t wait to see you guys again…and again…and again…

Full Photo Gallery via Flickr

INDIEGOGO video from erik shirai on Vimeo. Donate to the “I Am What I Eat” IndieGoGo campaign!

In the fall of 2011, Erik Shirai contacted me and was interested in doing a web short on Studiofeast. He had read about us following the Doppelganger Dinner and was looking to feature us in the first episode of a series of food films he was producing called, “I Am What I Eat.” I was into the idea and we decided to focus on the Last Meal Dinners we do each year as an angle. I thought it’d be a few hours of Erik filming us as we prepped and served the meal, he’d make a 2 minute web short, and that would be that. I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

Instead, I had the pleasure of witnessing a master craftsman of visual storytelling do his thing, helping to shape our story unlike any other person or media outlet has ever done. The fruit of his genius is above, and was also the focus of our most recent event, “We Love Pork and Whiskey.”

Erik Shirai & Mike Lee

The film captures Studiofeast’s past, present and goals for the future. And the core message that Erik captured so well is this simple truth that speaks to the heart of what we believe: cooking for others can change your life. Studiofeast began as a passion project five years ago with the carving of a pig on a dresser and 20 close friends. It was an extension of a certain brand of fun, sewn together and amplified by the presence of food.

Bacon Roses

That dinners grew in scale and scope as we began inviting strangers into the fold; life started to change as those strangers turned into acquaintances, then friends, then became some of the closest, most important people in our lives. All of that traced back to food and if nothing else, we at Studiofeast want to do our part to inspire and educate people. We aim to show that cooking is not only a gateway to great eating, but the key component of living a great life.

The Bacon Rose Queen: Soomin Baik

Our story is the first in the series for Erik, and he’s raising funds right now to keep making his wonderful films. Check out his Indiegogo page to hear more about his story and donate to his talents. There’s also some wonderful prizes from us for those who pitch in.

Benton’s Country Ham

Monday’s event was our chance to explore our deepest edible/drinkable passions with our 7 course pork and whiskey menu. The night began with a set of amazing cocktails created by Brian Quinn with help from Booker & Dax’s Jane Elkins. I’d be hard pressed to tell you which one was my favorite, as that’d be akin to choosing a favorite child.

They Love Pork & Whiskey

Our first set of courses paired with those dangerously brown spirits introduced guests to the perfectly safe and wonderful world of raw pork (Flying Pigs Farm Pork Tartare), my childhood Saturday morning breakfasts (Spam Fries), and the thing that’s been filling my apartment up with a wonderfully persistent smoked pork aroma for the last month (Benton’s Country Ham).

With three dishes down and four to go, we unleashed the second wave of porky goodness with our mains: Kakuni Bo Ssam (a SF classic), MaPo Porchetta (Porchetta, Sichan style), and our souped up, fancified version of the glorious, elusive beast that is the McDonald’s McRib (ours won’t give you massive heartburn). To close, we served up a Char Siu Pork Donut with Prosciutto ice cream and powdered bacon fat–a dessert I believe belongs in the pantheon of classic desserts such as Peach Melba, Bananas Foster, and the infamous Flourless Chocolate Cake.

Premiere of “I Am What I Eat: The Last Meal”

After five years, I’ve pushed this passion project along into something much bigger than I thought it’d ever be — and we still have so much more to do. Monday’s event wasn’t about making a shit-load of money or making a splash in the big newspapers. Monday’s dinner was the culmination of our passion to create and our dedication to support others who create, like Erik.

If you were there, or wanted to be there, we thank you for your support. I can think of no happier endeavor than to be able to turn imagination into reality and have someone on the other end to enjoy it. Here’s to pork, whiskey, and passion projects.

The Studiofeast Crew

All photos by Dave Christiansen & Alessandro Vecchi

Event Photo Gallery

Pop-Up-Studio Photo Gallery

Our next Studiofeast event is Monday, June 25th at 7:30pm.

For years, the unofficial motto of Studiofeast has been, “We Love Pork and Whiskey.” On June 25th, we take this motto to heart and bring it to life with a veritable orgy of all things swine and brown spirit.

Join us for an evening of small bites and whiskey cocktails that will show the many dimensions of pork in all its forms. This will be a festival setting of sorts with multiple food/drink stations, live music, as well as the premiere of “The Last Meal,” a film short chronicling the Studiofeast story and the exploits of our last meal dinner series.

The evening will consist of an assortment of dishes and cocktails for $115, such as:

• Shaved Benton’s Country Ham
• Pork Tartare Crostini
• Kakuni Bo Ssam
• Ma Po Porchetta, Grilled Rice
• “McRib”, Vinegar Slaw
• Pork Donut, Sweet Bacon Snow

Please RSVP with your donation at this link:
http://porkandwhiskey.eventbrite.com/

This event is located in lower Manhattan, and participants will be emailed the specifc address 24 hours before the event. Reservations are non-refundable and are first come, first serve. We cannot make any menu substitutions, nor do we have vegetarian options. Please note this event is a standing cocktail party format and not our typical seated dinner setting.

I do hope you’ll join us and can’t wait to cook for you.

I had the pleasure of speaking at the first annual Food Book Fair during their Pecha Kucha* night entitled, “The Dimensions of Food.” In my talk, I tell the story of Studiofeast in three acts. From modest beginnings as a way to have more fun with our food, to throwing some really amazing events, and then looking to the future on where we want to take things next. I talk about how the power of creating food and experiences can change the world around you and preview some of the ways we want to help spread this idea to others. And there’s a bit of food porn thrown in there for good measure.

The slides and audio from my presentation are above and an iPhone captured video is below, after the jump for your viewing pleasure. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments.

*The Pecha Kucha presentation format consists of a series of presenters each speaking over 20 PowerPoint slides of their design, with each slide set to auto-advance every 20 seconds. The constraints make for a brisk evening of focused ideas and that night’s event—completely centered on food—was no exception. Pecha Kucha nights happen regularly all over the world and I highly recommend checking one out near you.

We love to cured meat. Certainly, the pleasures of the great long cured meats of the world don’t escape us–Iberico, Benton’s, etc.–but we’re also huge fans of the power of quick-curing proteins prior to cooking. Like us, meat is mostly water and to the extent you can extract this away, you can intensify the flavor of a meat. Recently we described this as a key step in our Bo Ssam framework and we’ve even packaged together one curing blend that we’ve used with great success.

The Studiofeast Cure for Meats was a limited edition giveaway at one of our recent dinners. There are some left in limited quantities, so email me if you’re interested in getting your hands on one. The labels and the name were lovingly designed by our very own Soomin Baik and we think they’re wonderful…

This cure is best applied to large, red meats and is applied at a ratio of 1/4 cup per 1lb of meat. Things like pork shoulder, beef brisket, and lamb shank are perfect with this. We simply cover the surface of the meat with the cure, place in a large container and refrigerate overnight. You’ll be left with a small pool of liquid and cure in the bottom of your container which you should discard as you rinse the excess cure off of the meat. With that, you’re left with a quick cured protein that’s lost some of its water content and has a slight sweetness imparted onto it from the cure. Cook the meat as you wish and I swear you’ll taste a great difference. Quick curing is a simple, but effective force multiplier that’s great at amplifying flavor in your proteins.

Interested in getting your hands on some cure? Email me!

An Open Framework for Bo Ssam (click image to download PDF)

Over the years we’ve cooked a lot of recipes. Some have called for a battalion of ingredients and some have even begged for certain items to measured within a tenth of a gram. Taken literally, a recipe inherently calls for some semblance of perfection in the kitchen–you have all the ingredients, all the equipment, all the spices, etc.–and depending on whose recipe you’re reading, deviating from the script can be hazardous.

This sort of cooking is fine and well for the situation that calls for it, but more often than not in our lives, we cook in a much looser format. Life isn’t perfect, we aren’t perfect, so why live under the engineered construct of cooking by the recipe, where the ante is usually some level of perfection that most kitchens don’t have?

And while I learned to cook to some extent by following recipes, what stuck with me has not always been the exact composition of a recipe, but the underlying structure that most good recipes follow. The simplest example is pasta. Why does Yummly need to show us 300 variations on Pasta Primavera? Why do we need 300 separate units of information to tell us how to make different versions of the same dish structure? The formula for Pasta Primavera is: 1) Pasta, 2) Vegetable, 3) Meat, if you wish. Why don’t we just tell people the basic structure of Pasta Primavera, tell them the characteristics of each element in the structure (e.g., Pasta: any long pasta works great, don’t use stuffed pastas; Vegetables: sturdy green veggies work best, don’t use potatoes…) and implore them to find the combinations that they like?

This is a question I aim to explore more. I believe that if you pay attention to how a dish is structured, rather than cooking each variation of it one by one in a recipe, you can have a much more fulfilling experience in the kitchen. You will gain intelligence about cooking, not just knowledge, and you will be more adept in the kitchen as a result.

A recipe is written like classical music–you follow the score, and note-by-note on the page, you create music. What I’m proposing is that we all start thinking of cooking more like Jazz–learn the basic scales and the right chords, then go off and jam out.

The Jazz approach brings cooking back down to Earth, embracing our culinary imperfections and whims, not making us feel bad that we don’t fit the rules dictated by a recipe. If we can teach people to become better improvisers in the kitchen, we can lower the barriers to cooking at home, and hopefully create new a new habit for the average American. I believe that we are smarter than the caricatures of chefs (professional and otherwise) that we see on the Food Network, and that we can teach people how to be intelligent in the kitchen, not simply follow orders.

Which brings me to the image at the top of this post. Here is a structure for Bo Ssam, that carnivorous Korean classic that has sat at the center of many a dinner party for us. In the image, the key elements of a Bo Ssam are unpacked, but we try to give guidelines rather than instructions on how to create your own. It’s an imperfect, initial attempt, but I want to see if it makes sense to people and if it can be the first step toward getting people to approach cooking a different way. This is the start, and it will evolve.

Go on, download the Bo Ssam Framework here and try it on your own. Let us know on Twitter or in the comments below how you did.