COOKING FOR LOVE

I had the privilege of attending the “Savor the Season” 2010 event on Sunday commemorating Domestic Violence Awareness Month, hosted by “Break the Cycle”, a national organization working to end teen dating violence. Their motto ‘Cooking for Love’ is absolutely wonderful. Cooking and sharing a meal is, in my opinion, one of the best ways the show love and to strengthen people, families and communities. A German proverb says “Liebe geht durch den Magen” - the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. How true! The event featured Los Angeles chefs, among them Stefan Richter (Stefan’s at L.A. Farm), Susan Feniger (STREET), Gloria Felix (Reservoir), Paul Rosenbluh (Firefly Bistro) and Todd Barrie (Upstairs2), who served a couple tapas-style dishes at individual stands. I skipped the word “top” before Los Angeles chefs, as the invitation stated. Yes, I am going to be bitchy again. Even though is was fun to roam through the fair-like event, taste a little here and a little there, the dishes served were mostly disappointing. I didn’t feel the passion and love that ‘Cooking for Love’ promised. Rather, I was confronted with blandness, soullessness and little mastery. I am concerned that many Angelenos actually think that chefs like Susan Feniger and Stefan Richter are “top”. Truth is, they would never stand the test if they competed with top chefs in New York, San Francisco or Chicago, and they would utterly fail on an international level. Los Angeles, if you have any intention of becoming a serious food city, you will have to raise the bar and become more demanding.