Let's Celebrate Great Leaders in the Kitchen | The Alt-Weekly, Issue No. 19. (Patreon)

Notes, News, and Nerdiness from JKLA World HQ

A couple weeks back she asked if we could have some friends over and learn how to cook a dish together. Today marked the inauguration of my daughter Alicia's Kids' Cooking Club. Eight kids between 4- and 9-years-old (and a couple of adults) gathered in our kitchen to make dumplings and a smashed cucumber salad together. It was a smashing, purse-folding, vinegar-dipping success.

Today's class had no live-fire cooking for the kids (the only hot cooking was a pot of boiling water for the dumplings), but I was amazed at how well they handled knives and respected each other's space while working with sharp objects. Smashing garlic in the mortar and pestle was a favorite task, as was smashing cucumbers under a big pot ("This is so satisfying," said several of them. Do other parents of almost-tweens hear that phrase daily?).

Each kid had a chance to twist and squeeze a bundle of salted cabbage wrapped in a dish towel to wring out its excess moisture (and I managed to sneak a quick lesson on osmotic pressure and how salt can draw liquid out of vegetables into the mix). Of course, the highlight was actually folding the dumplings themselves. We had four "levels" of dumpling folding, each one getting progressively more difficult once the earlier method was mastered: a simple folded moon shape, a tortellini-style fold, simple pleats towards the center, and proper uni-directional pleats from one corner to the other, followed by a "free fold" session where the only rule was you had to end up with filling inside a wrapper.

The dumplings were delicious, of course, and there is no group of hands that are more enthusiastic (or better at cleaning) than kid hands. I'm really looking forward to our next classes. Hit me with ideas for kid-friendly cooking if you got'em!

The other big, unavoidable bit of news in the food world this week was the opening of NOMA's Los Angeles popup, and the stepping down of head chef René Redzepi from his position after the Julia Moskin published an extensively-researched account of the physical, verbal, and sexual abuse inflicted by the chef during the years of his leadership, with over 30 former workers interviewed.I've said a lot about the situation over on my Instagram feed, and I don't want to repeat all of it here, but I did want to bring some attention to a rare social media feel-good moment.

When it comes to workplace violence, abuse, and exploitation, calling out bad actors and demanding accountability and amends is important. What often gets lost in the social media shuffle are the chefs out there who are doing truly exceptional work, not just culinarily, but as mentors, teachers, and leaders.

Yesterday, I asked folks to chime in with stories of chefs who have demonstrated exceptional leadership. A name and fame, if you will.

The response was really heartwarming and inspiring. Here's just a taste of them, starting with my own experience with Jason Bond, who was the Chef de Cuisine at my first fine-dining job in Boston in 2002.

@jwadebond was my first chef. I had some restaurant experience but no fine dining and no culinary school when I started working for him. He was the kind of leader that took the time to teach you how to do something properly and would not hesitate to put you in situations that would challenge you, but always had a contingency plan if you ended up in over your head at a critical moment. If you were struggling, he stepped in to help then dissected and course-corrected afterwards to figure out what went wrong and what I should focus on to improve.He never shut me down for asking too many questions (and I asked an annoying amount of questions). He never raised his voice beyond what was necessary to hear during service. He was meticulous and curious and passionate. And he supported me for years after I stopped working for him, even as I changed career course to lean into writing.I’m really grateful to have had such a great chef so early in my career. It solidified my love of cooking and hospitality and propelled me to where I am today. Thanks, Jason!

@Jordospoppa called out Chef Mike Anthony at New York's Gramercy Tavern (one of my favorite restaurants in the city!):

@chefmikeanthony. I worked at @gramercytavern for over 10 years. In that time, I never heard him raise his voice to scold anyone nor have ever I seen him reprimand anyone in front of others. In fact the only time I did hear Mike raise his voice, it was out of praise. He celebrated the accomplishments of the team and the restaurant. I call him Mike rather than ”Chef”because that’s what he preferred. He’s one of the humblest people you will ever meet. Empathetic, inspiring, and a great leader. While maintaining the highest standards, Mike knew how to coax the best out of people by being supportive and always willing to share his knowledge and passion rather than being a bully or tyrant. If there are any young chefs out there that want to learn from the best, go work for @chefmikeanthony at @gramercytavern

And multiple folks, including @shipwreck_ed claimed Yasuaki Saito, of The Wayland Mill, St. Bread, Tivoli, and others in Seattle as a truly wonderful leader:

Yasuaki Saito @saintbreadseattle @thewaylandmill @tivoli.in.seattle let that name ring out in the streets. IYKYK

There were countless more, and the list keeps growing, so I urge you all to take a look (and chime in if there's someone else you'd like to see celebrated or thanked). You can find the post here.

What Frienjis Are Cooking

As Cookbook Club members will know, when we send out our monthly feedback survey—where members provide feedback on in-development recipes from Kenji's upcoming book—we ask what else you Frienjis are cooking. And as this is a community dedicated to home cooking, the results never disappoint!

Frienji "Porcini" shared a heartwarming tale from the far North:

Lamb biryani—our friends, who grew up in Bangalore, gifted us a massive bag of ingredients for it with the best quality spices and basmati rice and a personally handwritten recipe card. We will treasure this forever. I don't know how we'll ever match this gift in effort as traditional Scottish food is a bit naff, and they've been living here for over a decade anyway, but eventually we'll make enough delicious meals back to make it up to them!

Robert H. is developing his own (delicious) dish, and promises to share more in the Super Frienji Patreon chat:

I'm working on my own recipe testing for a Japanese Curry Mac 'n Cheese. Essentially it's sautéing some onions and carrot in butter, blooming a few spices, and then adding a little flour to make a roux. Then adding in evaporated milk for a béchamel, stirring in 2–3 blocks of curry paste, and a mix of shredded cheese. After the sauce is tested for seasoning/thickness, add in leftover chicken, frozen peas, and noodles then layer in a baking dish with some shredded cheese in the middle and top before baking to melt/brown the cheese. I've been messing around with other add-ins like potato, sweet potato, squash, peppers, and either grated apple or diced.

There were quite a few of our recipes in circulation as well, including this baked ziti; the hambagu au poivre from Cookbook Club Recipe #2; a hearty vegetarian chili; and a refreshing cucumber salad. We also saw preparations taking shape for the upcoming festivities (St. Paddy's Day, of course) with Jeffrey H. preparing to make a slow-cooked leg of lamb and both Dave and "SonOfABaker" making homemade corned beef and cabbage. Sláinte, Frienjis!

ICYMI: The Full Wok AMA is Now Live!

If you’re curious about all things woks—how to season them, if they can be used on induction stovetops, or you're looking for a demonstration on how to perfect your flipping technique—you can now head over to the YouTube channel to rewatch the full AMA replay or read the transcript here on Patreon.

Thank you for being a Frienji!