On Tuesday, October 14th, Fork welcomes New York Times food columnist and author Amanda Hesser for a special harvest dinner based on her award-winning cookbook, The Cook and the Gardener, A Year of Recipes and Writings from the French Countryside.

In addition to seasonal recipes, the book outlines the year Amanda spent as a cook in a chateau in Burgundy. During this time, she found that her culinary life was inextricably bound to the seasons and to Monsieur Milbert, the caretaker of the chateau's kitchen garden. The menu for the Fork dinner will be developed based on the harvest of Fork’s “Monsieur and Madame Milbert”, Mark and Judy Dornstreich of Branch Creek Farm, Perkasie, Bucks County. This fall's weather will dictate the availability of produce for the menu.

The dinner may include recipes such as Pumpkin Soup with Leeks and White Wine; Flatbreads with Vine Grapes and Rosemary aside Black Mission Figs and Greystone Farm Goat Cheese; Roast Duck aside Celery Root with Wild Thyme and Warm Roasted Shallots with Balsamic Vinegar; Cod with Bay Leaf, Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil aside Shaved Fennel and Apple; or White Wine Risotto with Softened Beet Greens and Chard.

Branch Creek Farm is Fork’s primary supplier of organic local vegetables and greens. The farm has a reputation for high quality produce used in some of the best restaurants in Philadelphia including Fork, the Four Seasons, LaCroix, Le Bec Fin, White Dog Café and many others. The Dornstreichs have been farming in Bucks County for more than 25 years and supplying restaurants for more than 15 years.

The dinner includes a complimentary copy of Amanda’s most recent book, Cooking for Mr. Latte, the story of her courtship with her husband Tad Friend, a writer for The New Yorker Magazine. Amanda’s column and books are extremely popular, so be sure to make reservations early!

Get ready for the Holidays!  Fork’s Cookbook, From Our Restaurant’s Kitchen, will be on sale in October and November for $20 a book!  Contribute to a good cause (we’ve raised more than $12,000 already) while enjoying recipes such as Spicy Black Bean Soup, Grilled Feta and Olive Crusted Lamb Chops, Moroccan-Spiced Halibut with Eggplant Relish or Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.

Regularly $35, this stylish and informative cookbook features recipes and artwork from the restaurant and its talented staff. All of the proceeds from the book go to the Fork Scholarship Fund, which is awarded annually to local high school students interested in pursuing a career in the culinary arts. This spring, Fork awarded $4,500 in scholarships to André Anderson, Benjamin Franklin High School; Matt Samarco, Northeast High School; and Michael Fuller, Frankford High School. Michael is currently working with us prior to attending the Art Institute of Philadelphia. Scholarships are awarded based on overall academic performance, essays, interviews and performance in culinary competitions. Without the scholarships, some of our students would not be able to attend post-secondary school. Thanks for supporting the Fork scholarship fund and helping these students achieve their dreams.

Fork gift certificates are also a perfect companion to the cookbook. Order books or gift certificates by clicking here or by calling 215.625.9425.

On Monday, November 17th, maître fromager Max McCalman from New York City’s renowned Picholine and Artisanal Restaurants returns to Fork to host our second cheese and wine pairing. As one of the country’s leading authorities on artisanal cheese and author of The Cheese Plate, Max will guide guests through the tasting process, discuss how cheese is made, and how to select cheese and pair it with wine.
 
At last year’s dinner, Max gave us a tour of the world’s finest cheese producing regions and explained how cheese can be incorporated into any part of a meal. The evening will include a series of cheese plates that explore the different characteristics of cheese when made with goat, sheep or cow’s milk. Guests will enjoy fresh breads from Metropolitan Bakery and fruits to accompany the cheese and wine selections. Downtown Cheese, one of the city’s premier distributors of farm-made exotic cheeses and Fork’s cheese supplier, will provide the evening’s selections.

Tasting cheese is remarkably similar to tasting wine with descriptors such as color, density and texture. Fork’s wine director, Roberto Sella, will choose wines to complement the different cheese characteristics. Don’t miss the fun and informative tasting!

PART ONE
Every Sunday night at Fork, Chef Thien Ngo and Wine Director Roberto Sella have the same argument. Chef has made an incredible dinner sampling new menu items and Roberto has often five to ten wines to test for the wine list followed by one great wine from his wine cellar, typically a French Burgundy. After the group finishes five to ten wines, the argument typically begins — which is better, Chef’s Wine of the People (Bordeaux) or Roberto’s Wine of the Princes (Burgundy)? Fortunately, we have two excellent examples of both on the wine list for you to help resolve the debate: the Cuvelier, LeCrock, Saint-Estéphe, 1997 from Bordeaux and the Nicholas Potel, Volnay, 1998 from Burgundy.

The Bordeaux region of France produces some of the most famous wines in the world, many of which are collected because of their long aging potential and their ability to develop complexity of flavor and bouquet. But wines from Bordeaux span the spectrum of status from everyday wines to wines that go to auction for a big price.

The LeCrock comes from the Saint-Estèphe appellation in the prestigious Medoc region. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The Cuvelier family has been making wine for nearly 200 years. The family bought Château Le Crock in 1903, a cru bourgeois in Saint-Estèphe, 32 hectares of which juxtapose the vines of the great classed growths of the appellation. Over the course of the past century, they have acquired other quality Chateaus confirming their commitment to Bordeaux. Today, this prestigious family holding is still intact and consists of 112 hectares under vine. For a wine under $45 this represents a true wine of the people. Stay tuned for the ongoing debate!