Duck, Duck, Goose
by Mike Roberts
December 2, 2010
DigBoston
Aptly prepared, but slightly delusional from a severe lack of sleep, I set out for Cambridge last night holstering an orange NES Zapper. “Duck, Duck, Goose,” an event celebrating the age-old culinary tradition of preparing and eating our migratory, feathered friends, was just about to begin cross-river at The Hotel Marlowe. My sincere condolences in advance, I thought, to the select few who didn’t quite make it South for the winter–though, know this, surviving mallard kindred, they will be commemorated by proceeds going to Boston’s hungry person feeding nonprofit, Lovin’ Spoonfuls.
With the main ingredient provided to the chefs by New York farm Hudson Valley Foie Gras, the task of seducing and dancing with the crowd’s palate was left only to their recipe concocting competencies.
Delicious elegance met heart-warming philanthropy as attendees roamed the large, dimly lit room conversing, sampling. Most made attempts to taste all eight dishes. As expected, interesting flavors arose when the chefs, presented with a single ingredient, took on the task of standing out among others.
Jay Silva, host of the event and the chef of Bambara, offered hot turkey sliders with a Foie Gras stuffing, Tremont 647’s Andy Husbands plated Oaxaca Seared Foie Gras with Chile, chocolate and almonds, and Josh Buehler from KO Prime made a Duck Confit slider with duck breast ‘bacon’ and seasonal relish. All delicious. However, Stella Chef Evan Deluty stood on the top of my mind podium by the end of the night after eating his sliced duck breast with shallot gastrique.
Other chefs participating were Marc Orfaly from Pigalle, Hudson Valley Foie Gras’ Michael Ginor, Garden at the Cellar’s Will Gilson, and Dante de Magistris from Dante.
Well fed, I stood there sipping scotch as I slowly drifted into this fog of reminiscence, thinking about what Duck, Duck, Goose meant when I was much younger–jovially slapping my sister as hard as I could on the back of the neck, then sprinting around the circle to safety. Flash back forward, present day, I found myself standing within a group of twenty-somethings who were contesting the value of Massachusetts’ universal health care, wondering how much they really cared. Oh, the woes of growing the duck up…
Lovin’ Spoonfuls founder, Ashley Stanley, concluded, thanking everyone for supporting what the organization has done so far, which, as it turns out, is pretty damn awesome. Aimed at providing hunger relief, its members collect excess consumables from grocery stores, restaurants, and local purveyors that would probably have been disposed of otherwise. Utilizing this previously overlooked abundance, Lovin’ Spoonfuls is filling the void in Boston’s stomach with one almost expired, but still edible, can of soup at a time.
Check out their site to learn more.
[Pictured: Ashley Stanley, Founder of Lovin’ Spoonfuls and Will Gilson, Executive Chef of Garden at The Cellar]