ZOOFARI 2009..

Last week I had the opportunity to experience Zoofari at the National Zoo here in Washington DC. Of course I was in the mix of it all, getting wet from, rain, teary eyed from grill smoke, kissed by clouds of liquid nitrogen and working hard. I was the designated cook for the night in the booth representing my current job at Cafe Dupont. Our restaurant served its signature crab cakes with a carrot and cabbage slaw. Of course they are always a crowd pleaser, especially here in the Mid-Atlantic region, where you DO NOT mess with their crabcakes, but for one night they took a backseat and made room for another star to take center stage . Our Chef de Cuisine, who is often referred to as the Mad Scientist, came up with the idea to mix liquid nitrogen, popcorn, white chocolate powder and peanut butter powder. The combination made for some exciting moments, and priceless looks on the faces of those who experienced the oddly pleasurable sensation in their mouth. The images are forever frozen in my brain. The entire evening was a great experience, seeing so many people enjoying food from over 100 of the cities best restaurants, was amazing. I look forward to experiencing the whole thing again next year but, as a guest.