ilili

I received my first taste of Lebanese cuisine many years ago at a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Brooklyn.  I didn't know what to expect of the cuisine before heading in.  With a friend's help, she navigated me through the menu and after one bite of the fresh baked bread covered in za'atar (a fresh herb blend mixed with sesame seeds, sumac, and lemon), I fell in love.  I will never forget that first taste, and that first meal.

For years that followed I became intrigued by Lebanese, as well as other Mediterranean cuisines. Small plates of mezze (think tapas) of traditional hummus, baba ganoush (baked eggplant mixed with various seasonings), tabbouleh (bulgar and herb salad), to large skewers of meat (mainly lamb and chicken), fresh pita breads, and heavy seasonings of garlic, lemon, fresh herbs, cumin, aleppo pepper (a mild type of chili flake), and sumac (a dried reddish berry powder with a lemony flavor, but not as tart).  There are few that could dislike this cuisine, and if you have yet to try it, I am hoping my descriptions have made you willing to do so.  

At nighttime it can easily be seen as a restaurant

However, it has always served as a medium-profile cuisine.  Small restaurant owners setting up shop serving traditional small plates of hummus, pita sandwiches, and grilled meats over rice.  With the introduction of ilili into the NYC restaurant scene back in 2008, Lebanese cuisine has finally come into the major spotlight.  

Located just a short distance from Madison Square Park, it is very easy to pass by ilili in the daytime.  Like the service staff inside, the restaurant is painted black.  Unless you notice the brown lettering sketched into the black awning over the front doors, the space looks vacant.  Step inside, though, and its a whole other story.  

Meatopia 2011

"The Woodstock of Edible Animals"

Floyd Cardoz and Joshua Ozersky

The name says it all.  It's a festival of meat.  Every animal.  Every cut.  Every method of cookery.  If you're a meat lover, Meatopia is your heaven.  And that is exactly what it is to the founder of the event, Joshua Ozersky. 

Joshua is very well known in the food world as a food writer and meat lover.  He was one of the founding editors of Grub Street, has written two books including one on hamburgers and a carnivores guide to NY.  It is no surprise that he is the man that brought over forty chefs from all over the country to celebrate his favorite thing.  

Although many people think this year marked the second year of Meatopia, they are actually mistaken.  This event has now passed its seventh year, with the first five years being a small invitation-only event.  Every year was themed, and Joshua invited 5-7 chefs to cook pork, lamb, beef, etc. for about 200-300 guests.

Floyd Cardoz and I were invited to cook at Meatopia two years ago during the lamb event.  "Lamb Bam Thank You Ma'am" was the slogan.  We witnessed six chefs grilling whole baby lambs over spits.  Spraying and brushing the animals with marinades, and sitting back and waiting patiently for hours until the perfect doneness.  At the end of a long, hot day, the animals were brought over to picnic tables, and broken down to serve the diners. It was magical.