Johanna Kolodny brings the farm to the table
By Francine Cohen
Pop culture is full of references to people on a quest; there’s Don Quixote and that whole windmill thing, and we can’t forget Monty Python’s search for the Holy Grail. But in real life many of us are on a personal quest too; quests to live longer, happier, more productive lives, lose weight, succeed in new business ventures, not tumble down the slope the first time we try to ski. Johanna Kolodny, forager for Print restaurant at Kimpton’s Ink48 hotel in Manhattan (www.ink48.com), is one woman who has turned the quest for fresh food into a full time job.
Kolodny, who joined the restaurant as soon as it opened has an enviable job – she spends her days chatting up farmers and sharing their bounty with her chefs. She explains just what she does, “My official role title is forager. My job consists of seeking out farmers or artisans both in the region as well outside, when it comes to food items like citrus/dates things that don’t grow in our climate, and bringing Read the full article here »
Tags: forager, Ink48, Johanna Kolodny, Print
Posted in: PPX
August 23rd, 2010
Culinary School Instructor Molds The Next Generation of Chefs
By Darren Atkins
Photo by Adam Rosenberg
From an early age Chef Erica Wides had an obsession with food; she would painstakingly craft and sculpt miniature fake representations of food, housing them alone in her doll house. Now an instructor at The Institute of Culinary Education (www.iceculinary.com), Wides is now sculpting the next generation of chefs and teaching them how to carve their own niche in food.
Wides took a while, as most people do, to find her own niche. As a young woman she attended the School of Visual Arts (www.schoolofvisualarts.edu to study art and photography. In her final years of college, her artwork and photography started to incorporated food; Wides created still lives out of food with a political/feminist theme and then photographed them. She remarks, “I guess I was working a few things out through my work.”
Her explorations in college led her to pursue her career dreams of being a photographer in New York, but she quickly realized it was an expensive and difficult way to make a living here and so she took stock of the situation and realized that she didn’t have anything else, but her love for food. So, she did what every other struggling artist does in New York, at some time or another- she waited tables. While doing that, Wides realized she was much more interested in what was going on behind the scenes. But then, something happened that would force her to make a change. Wides explains, “I was waiting tables and thinking about food a lot, and then all of my photography equipment got stolen. I saw it as a sign Read the full article here »
Tags: Alan Harding, celebrity chefs, Erica Wides, Food Network, Institute of Culinary Education, Nosmo King
Posted in: Columns, PPX
June 28th, 2010
Spice and Sentiment: Chef Michael Psilakis Opens Up About His Latest Understanding of Food
By Jenny Adams
Many New Yorkers, and visitors drawn to the city for its culinary prowess, probably feel as though they know Chef Michael Psilakis through his food, his three restaurants in the city – Anthos, Kefi, and the latest, Gus & Gabriel –from his appearances on The Food Network and consistent accolades in Esquire, Bon Appetit and the New York Times. What Chef Michael Psilakis wants is for you to know, however, is yourself – through his food. It’s an interesting approach to the true heart and soul that lies within marrying ingredients and creating great dishes. He’s aiming to bring you flavor, but also memories – spice as well as sentiment.
Read the full article here »
Posted in: Columns, PPX
January 31st, 2010
