In lieu of our (now) traditional Friday snack program, today I'm going to confess a little ... and you'll have to do your snacking vicariously. The last Friday of Lent seems like a good time for a confession - and this one's all about lust. My lust for the shiny, happy, ultra cool Electrolux ICON Professional appliances pictured above.Tuesday evening, the good folks at Electrolux treated a number of the NYC Foodbuzz bloggers to an evening of fun, facts, and some seriously good eats featuring the food of Chef Brad Steelman from The River Cafe. The event was held at the Desiron Gallery and a more delicious way of spending an evening I cannot imagine.
Chef Steelman kicked things off with a few passed hors d'oeuvres - my favorite among them was this delightful curried lobster salad on a crisp, savory lentil wafer. What an amazing combination of flavors! The salad contained some golden raisins that had been plumped in Sauterne and was garnished with micro cilantro. ~swoon~ I could have devoured a plate of these on my own ... and I don't even like lobster!
Some seared tuna on a bed of seaweed and wasabi mayo, and a beautifully seared breast of duck with a rhubarb reduction followed. Will anyone be surprised if I tell you that I passed on the tuna? No? Right. I did try the duck and it was delicious. Moist, tender and the piquant rhubarb reduction was the perfect foil for the rich duck.The Electrolux ICON series really shined in the two demonstrations that followed. Chef Steelman prepared an exquisite spring risotto while highlighting some of the unique features of the ICON Induction Cooktop. The asparagus bedecked risotto was so good I failed to take a picture of it ... because I was too busy scarfing it down! I did take some notes on the cooktop though and I must say - its impressive. Induction cooking is fast, accurate and thoroughly eco-friendly. The pans heat as a result of an electromagnetic connection between the burner and the pan - meaning the pans heat rapidly, evenly, and both the surrounding air and the chef stay cool. How sweet is that?!
He then prepared a luscious loin of lamb that was dusted with some dried porcini prior to being rolled inside a mixture of ground lamb, rosemary and mushrooms. Chef Steelman pan seared the roulade on the cooktop and finished it in the super sexy ICON Wall Oven. He used the convection setting and the whole dish was finished in about 12 minutes. And to think ... I usually spend 7 hours crafting my Easter leg of lamb!
A braised spring onion accompanied the finished lamb, and a happy combination it was indeed. Magnificent! The wall oven features smooth-glide racks, a stay cool door, and a stunning wave-touch control panel. I want it. I want it now.
Again, it should come as no surprise that the molten chocolate cake was the star of the show for me. Chef Steelman used this classic dessert to highlight the features of the ICON High Speed 3 in 1 Oven. Its a convection oven, microwave and high speed oven all wrapped up in one sleek little package. These stunning little, gold dust-topped treats were ready in about 4 minutes. Will wonders never cease?Suffice it to say that I am in lust. Deep, deep lust with the ICON series. I want it all. And I would have it all ... if only the husband would let me renovate the kitchen ... again!
HUGE thanks to both Electrolux and Chef Brad Steelman for treating us to such a spectacular feast!
Have a beautiful weekend and bon appetit!
I'm drooling all over again just looking at your photos of the food and those super sexy appliances!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tracy! Such fun to hang with you in person and I hope we'll do it again soon. :)
ReplyDeleteI could swear I took a picture of that risotto ... where did it go???
Exsqueeze us. What? This is too much. Too much!!!! All of those appliances. More enticing than the food. But that tuna and the duck. We can't even speak in full sentences anymore...
ReplyDeleteAll that food looks amazing!! Looks like such a fun event!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to live your life for a day. No wait, make it a week.
ReplyDeleteno, no, a month.
Indefinitely. Yes, indefinitely.
Duo - I know, right? I'm dying to rip out all of my appliances and replace them with this delicious stuff.
ReplyDeleteMissy - it was fun! Nice to meet the other blogger too.
Sassy girl - careful what you wish for ... if you get the life you also get the fat ass that goes along with it! ;)
Wow, what an amazing meal! I am particularly intrigued by the duck with rhubarb reduction - two of my favorite ingredients - I am definitely making that soon!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to go to this event so bad!! But a 5 hour drive away... a little too far unfortunately!
ReplyDeleteYou actually ate the duck????
ReplyDelete(And for all you readers out there, the a__ mentioned in a previous answer really isn't that fat!)
Wow, that oven is much fancier than *my* oven! And I don't say that very often.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little too picky to enjoy most of the meal, but ME WANT APPLIANCES. I've love a super kitchen like that instead of the crappy old tiny apartment kitchen I labor in.
ReplyDeleteAnd wow, being a blogger can get you invited to stuff like this? Who knew!
Why don't we have Foodbuzz events like this in MN?! The meal, the appliances . . . what an awesome evening. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I'm probably going to have to wait about a century until we have a Foodbuzz event in Dublin! I want those appliances, I do. I especially want an induction hob. Chances are slim, but I can dream, can't I? :)
ReplyDelete5 Star Foodie - I'll bet you can make a version to rival the one we had. You've got the mad skillz to do it!
ReplyDeleteSteph - aw, it would have been so cool to meet you at the event. But, yeah, the drive would be too much. Sometime though ... :)
Pixelgal - yes! I ate the duck! And the lobster and lamb. Shocked, aren't you?
Cookie B. - its so fancy you might even be able to make ziti in it. Does anyone even know what that is?! ;)
Words Words Words - believe it or not, I'm quite picky myself. But when in Rome ... and all that. Dude, I know you've got the culinary chops ... switch to being a foodblogger and the tasty invitations will start to roll in!
Tangled Noodle - Foodbuzz didn't organize this one. They did an event like this last Fall and I think Electrolux kept our names ... hence the invite.
Daily Spud - I'd love to pop over to Dublin ... you, me, Aoife and the rest of the Dublin foodbloggers can put together our own event! :)
Oh my gosh both the food AND the appliances look to die for.
ReplyDeleteI am drooling. How fun!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou DON'T LIKE LOBSTER?! Ah, here is where we differ my dear diva - I love lobster - I love it any way, but particularly with a dressing. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteAh, but we can't like every food we came across. Personally, I'm not a great fan of red meat - particularly pork. Yuck.
Ciao
Scarlet xx
That is some amazing kitchen porn. It all looks amazing!
ReplyDelete