One of the coolest things about being a culinary student at Sullivan is the opportunity to confer, converse, and otherwise hob-nob with our fellow wizards.  Once per quarter, the school brings in a “Distinguished Visiting Chef” for a students-only demonstration and lecture.

So far my Sullivan experience has included a visit from Chef Lee Conway (AKA the “Camouflage Chef), who specializes in wild game and teaches hunters and fishermen how to make the most of their catch; famed TRU chef and cookbook author Rick Tramonto has also been a recent guest.  Both were interesting, of course, but by far the most rewarding, in my personal opinion, was yesterday’s visit from Chef Frank Brigtsen.

Brigtsen is chef and co-owner (with wife Marna) of Brigtsen’s, an uptown New Orleans restaurant on Dante Street that’s well worth the cab fare out of the French Quarter.  I first ate there back in my radio days when an industry pal took a bunch of us broadcast types to dinner at his good friend’s place.

At the time, Brigtsen, a protégé of legendary Cajun cuisine-meister Paul Prudhomme, had already been named by Food & Wine magazine as one of America’s Top Ten New Chefs and had garnered a prestigious James Beard Award, and has won numerous equally prestigious awards since.  All are well-deserved.  Brigtsen’s remains my hands-down favorite place to eat in New Orleans, one of my fave vacation destinations and undisputedly one of the best food towns in America.

Brigtsen’s menu is a delight, full of locally grown and raised foods, artfully prepared in the true Cajun tradition, albeit more upscale.  Brigtsen himself was an equal delight, very approachable, humble and genuine, with none of the unnecessary affectations you see on shows like Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef, etc.

His presentation was engaging, informative, and entertaining; he was generous with tips, techniques and recipes.  His demonstration included a shrimp etouffée, a seafood jambalaya, and the fried rice cakes known as calas (his version included crawfish, along with a green onion mayonnaise for dipping).  I’ll never make brown roux the same way again, and can’t wait to try out a few of the recipes for the upcoming Father’s Day meal, as my history buff dad is suddenly fascinated with the origins and development of Cajun cuisine.
Chef Frank wasn’t the only one cooking during his visit to Sullivan, however.  Chef Dave Moeller and other Sullivan faculty and students presented a fabulous menu for him the evening prior to his day of demos.

The seven course menu included a trio of soups – roasted cauliflower, carrot, and shelled pea; an appetizer of roasted loin of rabbit au jus with wilted napa cabbage, spaetzle and foie gras; a fish course of sautéed skate wing with morel mushrooms, caramelized cipollini onions, sea beans, and a champagne vinegar beurre blanc; an intermezzo of verjus sorbet; an entrée of roasted lamb rib chop au jus with sweetbreads, corn and leek cream, and Parisienne vegetables; a salad of tomato and pink grapefruit with house-cured bacon and a frozen yellow tomato and grapefruit vinaigrette; and an absolutely killer goat cheese cake with figs in a port reduction (I know it was killer because I got to assist with that part).  Chef Frank was still raving about it the following morning.

And, obviously, I’m still raving about the whole experience today . . .

James Beard is considered the father of American gastronomy and the prestigious awards given in his honor have come to be known as “the Oscars of the Food World.”  Michel also made the semifinals for last year ‘s award; the only other Kentuckian nominated for Best Chef Southeast is Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville. Winners will be announced May 4 at the foundation’s Awards Gala in New York City.

To sample Michel’s culinary handiwork yourself, check out these upcoming events at Holly Hill Inn in Midway:

The fifth annual Fat Tuesday Feast begins at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 24. Lisa Laufer, Holly Hill Inn’s sous chef, will lend a hand in creating this dinner, a tribute to the foods of New Orleans and Louisiana. The four-course menu will feature Lisa’s famous crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, Ouita’s boudin with Creole mustard sauce and bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Drink specials, beer and full bar will be available. The cost is $40, and reservations are highly recommended.

On March 11, a Wine Tasting & Seminar will showcase wines of the Pacific Northwest. Limited to 18 people, the class begins at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by an optional meal cooked by Chef Ouita. Each session is $25, and includes six wines, as well as cheese and crackers. Dinner afterward is only $15 more. For reservations, call Donna at (859) 846-4732.

by David Dominé, The Bluegrass Peasant

Holland Geauxing Cajun?- Franchising guru Dan Holland, of Papa John’s and Pizza Magia fame, could be the next CEO of J. Gumbo’s. “I may end up over there,” he told Business First. (subscribers only) “I think they have a sound financial model.” Landing Holland, a seasoned executive with a proven track record, would be huge for the local franchisor, as it plans to expand to more than 50 stores by the end of 2008. In other news, the Seattle SuperSonics say they may end up in Louisville for the 2009 season.

Dedrick to Enjoy Scholarly Pursuits- Can’t get enough of those high-level personnel moves? Neither can we. KFC’s president of domestic fast-food operations, Gregg Dedrick, left the company after five years to focus on “outside business ventures and academic coursework.” Dedrick was instrumental in KFC’s health conscious re-branding campaign, which included the axing of trans-fat from its products, and a new line of grilled chicken. Dedrick’s successor is Roger Eaton, Yum’s chief operating and development officer. Eaton is billed as having the most apropos name in the business. (C-J)

The Obvious Progression?- Staying on the local conglomerate theme, check out this Yum! spoof, done by the masters over at The Onion. The foodbags really do seem like the next logical step after the KFC Famous Gravy Bowls. Maybe Mr. Eaton can bring this idea to fruition?

New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less

Underground Witty Tagline: A new nightclub will be opening a block south of 4th Street Live, an area which is quickly becoming known as “Bump and Grind” Central. OK, I don’t know if anybody really calls it that, but with the addition of Club Underground on the 500 block of South Fourth Street, Louisville is sure to have more nightclubs in a 300- yard radius than any other city in the world. No word yet on when the club will be open for business, but work crews are already on the job prepping the site.

Landmark, or Not a Landmark?- The city’s Landmarks Commission will hold a public hearing tonight to determine the future of the old Azalea property on Brownsboro Road. Area residents are lobbying the city to designate the property a historical landmark in an effort to prevent the building’s razing. Eats will be at the meeting tonight at 2nd Presbyterian Church on 3701 Brownsboro Road. We’ll have the full story for you tomorrow. Check out the Voice-Tribune’s coverage last week. (Voice-Tribune)