La Varenne Alumni News – Spring 2011

Antoine Bouterin former La Varenne instructor, is the Executive Chef at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

Laura Calder’s FRENCH FOOD AT HOME won a 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Television Show, in a Studio or Fixed Location. The series airs on Food Network Canada and on The Cooking Channel in the USA.

Robert Carmack’s Sydney, Australia home was featured in the October 2010 Australian edition of Marie Claire magazine.

Tarla Fallgatter is a private chef and caterer in Orange County, California and owner of Tarla Cuisine; she recently joined the Southern California chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

Ken Gordon co-owns Portland Jewish Delicatessen Kenny and Zuke's. The deli specializes in house-smoked pastrami and house-made pickles, bagels and bread.

Amanda Hesser's THE ESSENTIAL NEW YORK TIMES COOKBOOK, published by W.W. Norton in 2010, recently won a 2010 Gourmand Cookbook Award for Best Cookbook of the Year – USA. The book has also been nominated for both the 2011 IACP Best Compilation Cookbook Award and for the James Beard Foundation General Cooking Book Award.

Tanya Holland is chef and proprietor of Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, California. The bistro specializes in new-style down-home Southern cooking.

Kelly Swiff Loft is the Member Events Director at the Petroleum Club of Houston.

Christine Matsuda is now the Western Regional Coordinator for Share Our Strength, a national non-profit organized to end childhood hunger best known in the food world for its chef-driven Taste of the Nation fundraising events.

Nathan Myhrvold co-researched, co-wrote and published MODERNIST CUISINE, a six-volume, 2,438-page set, in 2011. The series uses thousands of original images to illustrate and explore the science and technology of cooking. The work received a 2010 Gourmand Cookbook Award in the Hall of Fame category.

Cynthia Nims' latest book GOURMET GAME NIGHT: Bite Sized, Mess-Free Eating for Board-Game Parties, Bridge Clubs, Poker Nights, Book Groups and More was published by Ten Speed Press in 2010. She was also a contributor to MODERNIST CUISINE.

Vivian Pei’s first cookbook, AWAKENING THE APPETITE: Simple and Essential Recipes for Asian Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones was published in 2010 by Parkway Cancer Center and proceeds will benefit the Singapore Cancer Society. Viv has started teaching cooking classes at ToTT in Singapore and she also recently contributed to the 2011/2012 edition of the Miele Guide, Asia’s guide to the region’s top restaurants.

Randall Price has recently launched a new website, ChefRandallPrice.com. He is also working on a book, CHRONIQUES CULINAIRE & CAUSTIQUE (Caustic & Culinary Tales), based on his experiences as private chef to the Countess Joy de Rohan-Chabot.

Marah Stets co-authored with Dean Rusker, THE GOLDEN DOOR COOKS AT HOME, Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa, from Clarkson Potter, which was nominated for a 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Healthy Focus Cookbook.

Denise Vivaldo's THE FOOD STYLIST’S HANDBOOK, published by Gibbs, Smith in 2010, won a 2010 Gourmand Cookbook Award for Best of the Year in the Design – For Professionals category.

Ana Sortun, Chef/Owner of Oleana in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Jonathan Waxman, Chef/Owner of Barbuto in New York City, both competed in the 2nd season of TOP CHEF MASTERS on Bravo.

Leon Zelechowski, former chef at La Varenne, has been teaching French cuisine in Japan and China. .

As always, please send any contributions for our next issue of Alumni News to lvcontact@lavarenne.com.  We look forward to hearing from you!

La Varenne Alumni Susy Davidson, Judy Hill, Charles Pierce and Tina Ujlaki, and friends, gathered for dinner in New York City, March 2011.

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