Tuesday, September 12, 2000
Chefs cause a stir with non-stop party
Don't chefs ever sleep? Here they were, 21 of them, up early prepping food for Saturday's Gourmet Sensation, the Hospice benefit that flies in 20 of the best for a grazing event.
They did what they had to do Saturday, then got to Gourmet early to supervise setup, then stood over grills and stoves for three hours.
Then partied again. Late. Today is Maisonette chef Jean Robert de Cavel's birthday so Cutting Edge, the local wine outfit, organized a party for him and the chefs at Over-the-Rhine's Main City Bar. (After they went to their hotels to change, then, reassembled at the Palace bar for, uh, fortifications.)
Main City was tasty wines, loud music, a cake from LaNormandie icon Mary Lou Lind (chocolate orange, doused with plenty of orange liqueur) and food talk that went 'til last call.
Cluckers: Happy news for people who like to walk around with a chicken on their heads. Rob Hearn is official.
Hearn is the guy who has shown up at the past three Oktoberfests with chicken hats. But no booth. People who wanted a hat had to hunt him down. Not this year. Now, he's an official vendor in a booth at Fifth and Vine streets.
The hat is white felt with floppy yellow legs, red beak and long tail feathers. It covers the head and fits over the ears.
Hearn, from Dallas, began making the hats four years ago when he entered a clucking contest in East Texas. Then, he started selling them to chicken dancers at Oktoberfests.
“Cincinnati is our biggest. We'll sell 3,000 hats.
“People see them and say "I'd never wear that.' After a few beers, they're forking over $10 and turning into chickens.”
Barefoot: Sometimes, it gets a little bit scary when dress codes appear on an invitation. Like this one: “Attire: Clean socks or a really sensational pedicure.”
It was for a Saturday do for 100 at the Indian Hill home of Barbara Gould and Bill Motto. Complete with chefs from Tibet, India and Bloomington, Ind., it was to introduce their house guests: Eight Tibetan Buddhist monks, most from the Tibetan monastery in Bloomington.
“Awhile ago, I got very, very sick. I saw a zillion doctors and they all recommended this horrible back surgery. While I was feeling sorry for myself, I discovered Buddhist meditation and met the monks from Bloomington.
“They teach empowerment and they practice healing. Now, I no longer need surgery and I'm pain-free. I'm also a different person. More mindful. I wanted my Cincinnati friends to meet them.”
The monks, including Kyabje Dagom Rinpoche, in from India, wear saffron-colored robes, a burgundy layer beneath and no shoes. Hence the “attire.”
Oh, and they cook: Vegetable and beef dumplings, several rice and vegetable dishes and Tibetan tea.
All the talk? How the monks are pretty much like everyone else — shopping, going out to dinner, laughing constantly, as opposed to the image of them walking around all the time praying.
There's also talk about opening a study center here to serve the local Buddhist community, which Gould says numbers about 1,500.
Contact Jim Knippenberg at (513) 768-8513; fax: 768-8330.
