Mouthing Off

Wow. Sweet peas, tangy mint, crunchy macadamias and buttery white chocolate. Smooth coconut milk, floral kaffir lime, peppery coriander and sugary watermelon. Creamy Anson Mills grits folded with a spinachy borage puree and a piquant nasturtium foam. Last night I got to eat some of the most exciting, delicious combinations I've tasted anywhere, let alone at the James Beard House. At the foundation's first vegetarian dinner in more than 20 years, Jeremy Fox of Ubuntu in California's Napa Valley, an F&W Best New Chef 2008, pretty much knocked our socks off. And then his wife—Ubuntu's pastry chef, Deanie—knocked us all flat with her unbelievable vegan (vegan!) carrot cupcakes with teeny-tiny candied carrots on top. (All the produce came from Ubuntu's biodynamic garden—is it Rudolf Steiner's gardening methods that pack such incredible flavor into a matchstick-sized baby root vegetable?)

The energy of the event was so refreshing. Beard dinners can get a little staid, but the terrace during the cocktail hour felt more like the Barney's warehouse sale than a formal dinner; guests snatched up the demitasse cups of that watermelon and coconut milk velouté like they were Jimmy Choos at an 80-percent discount. My elbows got a little bruised. During the main meal we settled down a bit, but the atmosphere still resembled a happy kindergarten class at recess, the way we all chattered away about the food. Some things didn't quite work; I was a little perplexed by the fried egg that came with unctuous porcini "coq au vin," and I wasn't that nuts about the French beans that came with grilled peach "panzanella." But I was delighted to be so challenged, surprised and sated by just about every last dish put before me. It's now been said many places, but the Foxes are some seriously talented chefs.

Our excellent Lily Barberio food intern Emily Carrus, formerly part of the pastry team at the Modern and a baker at Levain Bakery, shares the following news: 

Good news, chocolate-lovers: technology—or at least IBM—is on our side. Turns out this mega tech company recently partnered with Mars, maker of some of America’s favorite candies, to develop better cacao trees. By reworking cacao’s DNA, IBM hopes to produce trees that can flourish even through poor growing conditions like drought and damaging fungi growth. This is good news not just for the mid-afternoon chocolate craver, but also for cacao farmers worldwide, who face economic stress when unhealthy cacao harvests can’t generate enough income to support their communities.

The announcement seems to come at a pertinent time. Just minutes before learning of this partnership, I came across an article in the Chicago Sun Times about how Americans are still feeding their sweet tooths by indulging in their favorite treats despite the not-so-great economy. Candy sales are even up from last year, according to the National Confectioners Association. Clearly, demand for cacao won’t diminish any time soon.

Chocoholics who can’t wait for the IBM project to get off the ground may want to stock up on their favorite chocolate bars and candies, just to be safe. Or, there’s always Askinosie’s C-Ration, a cleverly packaged month (or even year’s) supply of dark chocolate—good to keep on hand for emergencies.