Al Dente: My Day at Tom Douglas Culinary Summer Camp

Lightning really does strike twice. For the second year in a row I have had the extraordinary luck to attend a day of Tom Douglas Culinary Summer Camp. After last year's amazing day at camp, I spent the next 12 months crossing my fingers that such an opportunity would arise again. And, after hours, days, weeks (months?) of toiling over the Tom Douglas by Pinzon Store, I found my reward--another day at camp! Hurrah!

This year's camp experience was as exquisite as last year's and any hardcore food lover and home chef should be so lucky to attend a day...or a whole week. It was an eating and learning extravaganza! For those on Twitter, I actually live tweeted between bites, chronicling the day. You can relive the whole event at #tomcamp. But, for the rest of you devoted Al Dente readers, here are a few of the highlights.

The day started with Nancy Oakes from Boulevard, accompanied by her husband, Bruce Aidells. Oakes demonstrated a lovely Hawaiian hearts of palm carbonara with a 62.5-degree egg. The hearts of palm stood in for the noodles and the egg's precise cooking added a luxurious creaminess to the dish. During each presentation small bites of each dish were passed out to us campers. All we had to do was watch, learn, and eat! Next up from Oakes was southern fried chicken with a cilantro slaw and some of the best biscuits I've had. The secret? Barely enough cream to hold the dough together and a coating of melted butter and sugar before baking! I'm glad to have that recipe!

Following Oakes was Eric Tanaka, who gave us a trio of ways to cook lobster: lobster tail grilled and served with compound butter, lobster bisque, and classic lobster rolls (see photo below). He mixed up a couple compound butters, including an amazing one with ground star anise--incredibly fragrant!

Bruce Aidells was up next, plying us with lots of information about cuts of beef and sustainability. He led us in a blind tasting of three beef types--Wagyu, grassfed, and Costco USDA Choice. Each was seared up at a different station and we all tasted and voted. Wagyu was the favorite of the group--and mine too. It was so much more flavorful than the others! We did a second tasting of cuts of meat and the bavette cut won that round. Though, all steaks in this round were served with a balsamic reduction that was voted the real winner!

Believe it or not, we then enjoyed a four-course meal at Dahlia Lounge. Thankfully the portions were small. And only two wines, which at that point I was grateful for, as we'd already had glasses of Champagne and red wine...all before noon! And I'd forgone the breakfast Bellinis. A hard choice, but a good one, it turned out.

After lunch we had a fabulous lesson in cocktails from local Sambar mixologist Jay. The cocktails were ones to aspire to for the home mixologist, using ingredients like rhubarb jus, lychee cordial, basil simple syrup, cucumber juice, hibiscus tea, and cinnamon-chipotle syrup for a trio of phenomenal colorful and complex cocktails (see photos below).

As if this all were not enough, we were then treated to a nailbitingly amazing juggling/balancing show and a backstage tour at Teatro Zinzanni. When we returned to the Palace Ballroom, it had been transformed into a sultry bayou with a terrific Zydeco band welcoming us to the closing dinner of crawfish, jambalaya, shrimp rolls, and, of course, more wine and cocktails! The campers seemed sad to go, but perhaps just a little bit glad to let their stomachs rest for a bit. Me? I'm ready to go back tomorrow! Unfortunately Tom Douglas and crew will be taking a well-deserved rest. That leaves me to start crossing my fingers for next year's camp!

--KitchenMaus

Continue for more photos from the event (click for a larger view):

Eric Tanaka's lobster roll