The past weeks have brought all types of varied
activities—charities, art fairs, auto shows, fashion shows, all with the requisite drink hour involving either Champagne or innovative cocktails.
The most unusual of all the recent events happened a few weekends ago. I received an email from a Michelin-star chef inviting me to an aphrodisiac-themed cooking class. He said he had seen my writings on-line (I used to write a sex column for Cosmopolitan) and he insisted I come to his class called “Sex on the Table: Horney Haute Cuisine.”
How could I resist this on two fronts? First, who wouldn’t benefit from learning how to seduce a man with aphrodisiacs? And second, in his note the chef mentioned it was BYOB. Uncannily, I had the perfect wine that was just waiting for such an occasion: a brand called “Sexy” wine from Portugal.
Sophie Harris
The chef went simply by the moniker, ChefFed, which was even more seductive to me since he wasn’t revealing his full name. No last names, please. It was daring and a little dangerous. I made sure to invite along a strong guy in case the class took on a B&D tone or devolved into an after-party that interpreted “sex on the table” literally. (Years back, I accepted such an innocent yet titillating invitation to a “cuddle party” in an eastside loft and it turned out that the guy kept a boa-constrictor in the apartment. I didn’t stay too long.)
Sophie Harris
When I arrived to the kitchen-focused loft on the Lower East Side, we were given huge knives and a cutting board to chop up what would be a three-course meal. ChefFed, who hails from Switzerland and has a sensuous mildly Germanic accent, started his talk on who’s turned on by what. “Fennel enhances estrogen and is good for women,” ChefFed began, as we were prepared a grapefruit, garlic, coriander, and fennel salad. The chef likes to experiment in odd food pairs: grapefruit and garlic, chicken and chocolate, peppered strawberries with sage whipped cream.
We ground up the coriander and then all took a whiff of the erotic Moroccan scent. The mood was heightening with the soulful music of Al Green as background to our chopping. The chef and the young male student across from me (part Peruvian, part Irish, another unusual pairing) were really hot, so I figured it was time to uncork the Sexy rosé. I did my little wine presentation to the couples in the intimate cooking group telling them how Sexy was made by a serious winemaker in Acentejano, Portugal. Even though the brand name Sexy might sound like an inexpensive gimmicky wine, it actually got good rating from European critics (where it has been on the market for several years). The red, white, sparkling and rosé are just now available in the US. ChefFed seemed impressed with my wine knowledge and he liked my Sexy rosé. I felt that glow that comes from making a good choice—the feeling of being the teacher’s pet.
Sophie Harris
As we were chopping away obediently, ChefFed went on about how chickpeas get men going and strawberries (soon to be dessert with a port wine reduction sauce) are powerful for both sexes. He talked on and on, but I was so distracted by this handsome Swiss muscular guy that, honestly, I didn’t absorb most of the lecture or cooking lesson. He said something about watermelon having some ingredient that drives men wild. Nuts, pomegranate, ginger and chocolate, all aphrodisiacs, get the blood flowing and have the right chemicals to hit people’s pleasure spots. I definitely heard that mango increase the sensation of “the moment of arrival” in women. I marked in my notebook to stock up on mangos.
Suddenly, ChefFed set a frying pan on fire with a splash of Pernod. The pyrotechnics really got us all exited. Soon our class members settled down to eat our handy-work and drink more, Sexy rosé. As to the homework, I cannot reveal.
QUICK HITS.
Charity parties are getting more and more creative with their link-ups, venues and food and drink offerings. Here’s a little sketch of the best of the best.
Joe Schildhorn and Benjamin Lozovsky / BFAnyc.com
The East Side House Settlement (benefiting students and families in the South Bronx) linked up Jeep at the New York International Auto Show. We had a preview of the 2014 Grand Cherokee while sipping the Grand Cherokee cocktail (silver tequila, pear nectar, triple sec and lime). Jeep had nothing to do with the car-themed cocktails, but it was a fun idea.
“From Scotland with Love” served fabulous Chivas cocktails. Chivas Regal is sometimes forgotten amidst the craze for single malts. I look forward to this Scottish event every year just to see an array of men in kilts. I also love the sexy sporran (the men’s purses hanging in front of the family jewels). The exciting fashion show goes on for over an hour with lively commentary. Of course there’s more than kilts in this show to benefit the Wounded Warriors Project, American soldiers returning from war zones, and also noble causes to promote contemporary and changing images of Scotland in America.
My favorite recent evening brought out star power. At the “I Dream of …” gala for the Art Production Fund held at ABC Carpet, Yoko Ono pontificated. She wore her signature white suit and white hat, tipped slightly to one side and her oversized Yoko dark glasses. Designer Richard Pandiscio was honored. As I entered the huge space, I immediately was directed to hang a wish card on Yoko Ono’s wishing tree. (Let the movie version of my “Baroness” book finally be made.) The event had every touch from sitar music wafting over the crowd; a room decorated with piles of gorgeous Oriental carpets, Buddha sculptures and vibrantly colored pillows and poufs; and a farm to table menu by Jean-Georges. Guests wore Asian-themed clothing and sipped Dom Perignon (my dream Champagne which met the night’s theme) before dinner. The fund, which commissions ambitious public art projects, certainly knows how to put on a good party.
Though in this case more of a sponsorship than a charity donation, Champagne Pommery sponsored the VIP lounge at the Armory Show at Pier 92 and 94 on the Hudson River. You could see the icon blue labeled bottles of Pommery Brut Royal in the large modern lounge and at the many bubbly bars. The Armory Show is not only the largest art fair in Manhattan but also one of the international art market’s most important. Contemporary art is Pommery’s passion and it has linked itself globally with art exhibitions and creative endeavors. Located in Reims, France, Pommery’s aging cellar features contemporary art pieces in changing exhibitions. Pommery is another one of the original great houses of Champagne run by a very ambitious widow who promoted her brand. The prestigious cuvee named in her honor, Cuvée Louise, is a true gem.
Yes, I am spoiled….dinners by Jean-Georges, lunches by Eric Ripert at Le Bernadin. But someone must be witness to all the fine wines served. I was delighted recently to see all my friends from Bordeaux’s Right Bank (or, as some like to think of it, the correct bank). Anyway, it is the Merlot-driven bank of the Gironde River. Le Cercle Rive Droite de Grands Vins de Bordeaux hit town in April with 32 prestigious chateaux presenting their 2009 and 2010 vintages.
Le Cercle Rive Droite’s mission is to convince the Bordeaux drinking world that their softer and luscious Merlot-blends from the Grand Cru Classés properties are ever so much more exciting than the Left Bank’s tannic Cabernet-driven wines. And the winery owners made a huge point that their prices are softer and gentler too.
They were preaching to the choir as I am a convert already, having visited many of the Right Bank chateaux and the wonderful village of St. Emilion. I have on my master bucket list to be inducted one day into the Jurade, the society of those who love and promote Right Bank Grand Cru Bordeaux.
I am also impressed at the number of women chateau owners and winemakers. I sat next to the lovely Brigitte Rullier-Loussert of Chateau Dalem. A beautiful property and 18th-century chateau in Fonsac, it looks onto Pomerol and the hills of Saint-Emilion. Chateau Dalem 2010 vintage has already achieved high scores from top critics. And Florence Decoster from Chateau Fleur Cardinale also greeted me and let me taste her Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.
Over lunch, lobster lasagna, crispy black bass with acorn squash and Peruvian chicha sauce and Madagascan chocolate torte—I tasted all the wines of the winemakers present at the table. Yes, Bordeaux with fish is an odd coupling but these less tannin Bordeaux did work (somewhat). From across at the round table, Pierre Rebaud offered me a wonderful Chateau Gaby from the Canon-Fronsac AOC. My true price discovery that afternoon was a beautiful balanced Chateau du Courlat Cuvée Jean Batiste at a mere $25 a bottle.
Blind tastings are always fun especially when one has to guess the ringer. There was a single crémant against four champagnes. Veuve Ambal, a lovely Crémant de Bourgogne, put their prestige cuvée “Rare Marie Ambal” against four leading brands of Champagne. Very daring indeed.
The organizers invited sommeliers from top restaurants along several wine writers and gave us all rating sheets and space for flowing commentary about each wine. For a good fifteen minutes we tasted the 5 wines blind and scribbled our notes. The competition was tense. The big brands: Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, Perrier Jouet and Nicolas Feuillatte, cost between $32 and $47 and Marie Ambal is a mere $25. AJ Ojeda-Pons of Lambs Club (pictured in the bowtie) was there sitting next to me and I tried to spy on his notes. I knew his palate was so good that he’d sniff out the crémant.
The results: mixed. No one picked the Rare Marie Ambal as the ringer. Though the organizers looked crestfallen that their crémant had not swept to the top of everyone’s rating sheet, they were happy to have a list of comments to use in their publicity. “Pretty, aromatic expression of apple, pear and fresh almonds” came from Alexandria Cubbage, head sommelier at Veritas. “Herbaceous and citrus notes, high finesse, elegance, and excellent balance,” wrote David Pemice, sommelier at The Modern. Even though the tasting group didn’t declare Ambal number one, we all still got lunch—and at the four star restaurant Le Bernadin no less. Well, for me the second time in a month. Spoiled, I know.
