Harrietts Tomato

Chefs Rock Out Over Foie Gras

Literally - D'Artagnan, the American-based, French family-owned purveyor of foie gras and patés, threw a 25th Anniversary party Monday night at Gaustavino's.  It was well attended, as are many free food and drink fetes in New York, but this one was studded with several well-known culinary personalities.  Toward the end of the evening, some of them picked up a microphone or an instrument and rocked out - surprisingly well.

Below see Drew Nieporent, Tom Colicchio, Ming Tsai, and Daniel Boulud all strutting their musical stuff.  Cellphone photography thanks to Elizabeth Bachner.

Nieporent and Boulud.

Ming Tsai.

Colicchio and Nieporent.

Ms. Tomato with a glint in her eye.

Food Porn

Ms. Tomato wishes she could take credit for this little series, as the hilarity of food is a favored subject of hers, but alas, this is on today's HuffPo Green.  Above is the photo called "Size Matters Cucumber".  There are more where that came from.  Cough.  Well worth a peekaboo.

The Perfect Blend: Scotch & Antarctica

Any girl worth her weight in Antarctica - literally, as we have to be able to carry 40 pounds of stuff as a prerequisite of getting to work down there -  has a bit of a crush on Ernest Shackleton.

Ms. Tomato does.  Just look at him with his brooding brow, sad eyes, and smile-ready ripply lips framed in a natty ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) outfit.  Irresistable.

An Irish-Anglo Polar explorer,  Shackleton had street smarts, a passion for no-man's lands, fluctuating finances, a supportive wife, and a theatrical mistress on the side. From all accounts he was adored by his men and was a really good boss.  In fact, a glimpse of his management style came to light recently when NZ restoration experts unwedged a generous stash of whisky from the ice under the floorboards of his hut.  

The booze was distilled by McKinlay and Co. of the Isle of Jura.  According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, "current distillery owner, drinks group Whyte & Mackay, launched the bid to recover the Scotch whisky for samples to test and decide whether to relaunch the defunct spirit."  Read the entire article here.

As a recent resident of Antarctica, Ms. Tomato can attest to the fact that drinking Scotch continues as a firm tradition on the continent.