What Great French Chefs Eat

Spent a few hours at Brooklyn Kitchen yesterday, while Eric Ripert, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and David Bouley reminisced about restaurants past and peered into the future of food. They all had wonderful stories about the chefs they’ve worked with and the kitchens they’ve been in.

Bouley fed me that amazing sea urchin/caviar/dashi creation – a dish I’ll be dreaming about. The roe was suspended in a barely-jelled broth that seemed held together by little more than a wish. It was as lovely as a Florentine paperweight, and for one crazy moment I felt as if I was inside the terrine, wandering around in a wonderful new world. The flavors pushed each other forward, and if you concentrated, each bite provided a different experience.

Meanwhile, what were the chefs eating? Robust and juicy sausages, lemony kale salad and fat chunks of hearty bread. And what did they drink? Cans of beer.