MY HOTEL LIFE: The Final "Gourmet" Supper

Spice Route Truffles

Food lovers around the world were saddened by the publication of the final issue of Gourmet magazine this month. My friend and JW faithful, Lisa Rose Starner, came up with the idea of hosting a tribute dinner for Gourmet magazine as a culinary ode to the gourmand's bible for more than a half century. The twist, however, is that this meal was going to be created by foodie cooks who are fans of Gourmet and not by professional culinarians (though the JW culinary team helped a lot!)

So Lisa and I recruited several friends: Margaux Drake, interior designer and founder of The Giving Gardens; Wesley MacAllister, engineer and master saucier; Tommy Allen, lifestyle editor for Rapid Growth Media; and Pat Colander, editor of Shore Magazine. With assistance from Chef Andrew Voss, Joel Wabeke, Lindsey Vandentoorn and their kitchen brigade, our team embarked on a three week journey of scanning past issues of Gourmet, numerous email, phone and text exchanges, team lunches before honing in on our dinner theme of "The Spice Route."

The Menu

Ginger "Bang Bang" Cocktail

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

Chantrelle Cream

Shaved Beets and Bitter Greens Salad

Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Moroccan Lamb "Tagine"

Cous Cous, Cranberry-Orange Relish, Mint-Cilantro Chutney

Spice Route Truffles

Wines

Wyncroft Chardonnay, 2005

Chateau Musar, 2000

We invited fifty of our closest friends and family to six one six restaurant to share in the festive evening of fantastic wines, flavorful food, colorful discussions, and best of all, the pleasure of everyone's company. Through the years, Gourmet magazine brought many people together through her imaginative pages of recipes, travel destinations and global food explorations. We couldn't think of a better way to pay tribute to the joys Gourmet brought to our lives than by sharing our evening with those closest to us.