Fun, Food, And A Fabulous Time…. My Taste Buds Will NEVER Be The Same Again!

On Tuesday, I had a chance to attend Macy’s Culinary Council 10 year celebration at the Herald Square Store in New York City. Now although, I am sure that my diet is still trying to recover, boy was it worth it!

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 15: (L-R) CEO, Chairman of the Board, President, and Director at Macy’s, Inc. Terry Lundgren, Chefs Takashi Yagihashi, Ming Tsai, Nancy Silverton, Tom Douglas, Todd English, Marc Forgione, Marcus Samuelsson, Johnny Iuzzini and Macy’s VP of foodservice Warren Wolfe cut a cake on stage at Macys Culinary Council 10th anniversary celebration at Macys Herald Square on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013 in New York, NY. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Macy’s)

Just like painters, I believe chefs make magic everyday. They know how to take normal everyday items and create a works of art, and they know how to make it look easy. So, being in a room surrounded by a group of the most talented chefs in the country was exhilarating, to say the least.

I have always been amazed as I watched chefs turn ingredients that don’t even seem to work together into something that could be on the front cover of a cookbook. So, talking to these chefs, hearing their stories, and tasting their specialty dishes, left me speechless.

Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised to find out the Macy’s had so many opportunities for their customers. During the celebration, the chefs talked about their experiences with their fans in the cooking classes, and how touched they were by the people who came to learn. Who knew Macy’s had cooking classes with chef like this, how did I miss that!

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 15: A view of atmosphere at Macys Culinary Council 10th anniversary celebration at Macys Herald Square on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013 in New York, NY. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Macy’s)

The Culinary Council Celebration was awesome from beginning to end. I found though that the dishes the chefs created were only half of the story, nothing compared to the huge smiles on the faces of those who attended. Listening to those chefs talk about their love of cooking, warmed my heart and speaking with many of them during the course of the event left me with moments that I will treasure for years. One message that came through all of the stories that they shared was that they really were chasing their passion. They all loved cooking and even to this day, enjoyed creating dishes for people to enjoy. A lesson all of us can learn from!

During the event, the chefs took pictures tons of pictures, they told jokes, created awesome dishes, and they made us laugh all night. They were so approachable I felt like I was hanging out with old friends. The diversity of the group was also a true delight. There were people from so many different places, and cultures, and all of that was represented in the food we ate.

NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 15: Chefs Todd English, Tom Douglas, Takashi Yagihashi and Marc Forgione attend Macys Culinary Council 10th anniversary celebration at Macys Herald Square on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013 in New York, NY. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Macy’s)

You could tell that this was a labor of love for them all, not only did they talk about their experience serving on the council, they also talked about their connection to one another, and about Macy’s for bring them all together, and creating opportunities for them to meet and teach so many of their fans.

Outside of the stories they told, we had a chance to look at the pictures of the chefs teaching their classes, and you could see how much the shoppers were enjoying learning from them. And then there was more of that incredibly delicious food!

I tried everything, but let me just tell you I can still taste Nancy Silverton’s melt in your mouth Lamb Chops.

I also enjoyed Wolfgang Puck’s Spicy Chicken Pizza fresh out the oven. It was quite fun to watch them make it while I sat there, and the taste…mmmm. The Bruschetta by Cat Cora, Ming Tsai’s pork wontons, Doro Wat Tacos by Marcus Samuelsson, Tom Douglas’s Avocado and Crab Salad Cakes, Takasi Yagihashi’s Proscutto-Shrimp Spring Rolls, Star Marshmallows, Red Velvet Cupcakes, and the list goes on and on. The food was beautiful and the taste was incredible!

At the end of the night, I was so full I could barely walk out the door, but I left with so much more than that!

The memories of the smiling chefs, the camaraderie and the food will live with me. I have tons of beautiful pictures that I will treasure of a fabulous night with great food and tons of fun.

I also left with beautiful stories about a group of people who chased their dreams, and never let them go, which was priceless!
Each and every one of those chefs, truly loves creating beautiful works of art with food for people just like me who truly enjoy eating as much as they enjoy making them, and that is a match made in Heaven!