The Whole Kitchen Caboodle

Kitchens are the center of the home. They are where we gather to laugh, to cry, to console, and to entertain. This introduction from curator, Juliet Kinchin, marked the opening night of MoMA’s exhibition, Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen.The exhibit, which opened at the MoMA yesterday, “explores the twentieth-century transformation of the kitchen as a bridgehead of modern thinking in the domestic sphere,” particularly the role in which the Frankfurt Kitchen of the 20’s played in this evolution.  What better way, then, is there to honor the epicenter of food creation than by celebrating with a very lovely, very German feast.

My dearest friend and Queen Employee of the MoMA invited me to this event. I was anticipating “MoMA Goes Haufbrau House”- an event, in my apparently Frat-like imagination, replete with long, wooden benches, beer, streudal, and pretzels of every size and shape. The Upper West Side-residing, intellectual, predominately Jewish (Kugel was involved, but more on this in a minute), art and/or German-appreciating crowd in attendance, however, had other, more refined plans for me. And good thing they did. Catered by Union Square Hospitality Group (supes famous chef, Danny Meyer, is Group’s CEO), the event was beautiful and completely unexpected.

The tables of Café 2, MoMA’s on-site eatery, were beautifully set and laden with thinly sliced and smoked speck, black plum chutney, pickled vegetables, pate, and traditional German brown breads. Labeled “communal food” on the program, guests dined on this co-op of treats as Ms. Kinchin introduced and explained the event.

After a brief Napkin Folding lesson (!), taught by the Group’s General Manager, Tracy Wilson, the appetizer- a  smoked trout salad with shaved fennel, cucumber and celery root, local fall greens, and Yukon gold crisps-was brought forth. But my friends, the surprises don’t end here! With each course came a perfect wine pairing and the appetizer’s was no exception. The sweetness of the Riesling Kabinett (German, obvs) 2008 complimented and subdued the slightly overpowering saltiness of the Trout.

Now, as I mentioned this was an event at the MoMA, which all you proletariat out there may not know, is an acronym for the Museum of Modern Art. So of course we saw some modern art as soon as the last of the trout had been polished off. Nicolas Dumit Estevez, was the performance artist or whatever in residence. Placing mini-marshmallows in his nostrils and ears, le artiste Estevez proceeded to slather himself with melted chocolate, Cool Whip, and Maraschino cherries. Oh and he was naked except for a dainty little apron! Mmmm, modern art.  So progressive. So boundary pushing.

Moving right along. After Nikki’s little song and dance came the Entrée, consisting of a traditional German sauerbraten with braised red cabbage, local apples and chestnuts, and herb dumplings, paired with a Blaufrankisch Pinot Noir (Austria 2008). Translation: brisket, a kind of cabbage gravy, matzoh balls, topped with thin coils of onion rings. The brisket-pardon- the SAURBRATEN was perfectly tender and fell away from the meat in soft, shredded pieces.  I am probably wrong about this, but I would have bet my weight in lederhosen that I could detect a hint of soy sauce in the gravy. Whatever the secret ingredient, it was equal parts savory and sweet, and nicely complimented the rest of the meal’s components. A a devout appreciator of texture variation, the crunchy onion rings were a welcome offset  to the softness of the matzumpling balls.

Months before the event, MoMA hosted a completely obscure competition for Best German Dessert Recipe. Here’s the kicker: the recipe had to predate 1950. The winning dish was a family kept recipe for Pflaumkuchen, or German Plum Cake. The delicate pastry was accompanied by a rich, vanilla bean cream masquerading deceptively as ice cream.  Second place? Noodle Kugel! Certainly in keeping with the Entrée’s theme, don’tcha think? I’ll admit I was stuffing my face with too much Pflaumkuchen (and also repeatedly saying, Pflaumkcuhen, Pflaumkuchen to everyone around me) to try the Kugel, but it looked great and the way a good Kugel should.  Anyway, my table buddies seemed happy with it.

So that was the great Frankfurt Feast of 2010. We certainly ate, drank, and made merry. Unfortunately for anyone not in attendance last night, the feasting was a one-night only affair. The exhibition however, though less tasty but equally as German, is open until March.  So high-tail it on over to 53^rd and 5^th, because this exhibit is not to be missed.

Auf Wiedersehen and Gluckliches Halloween to all!