just spent a couple of days somewhere in ny near westchester at the ge corporate center. richard blais, carla and i were all brought in as part of a ge leadership conference, filled with over 200 very successful and intelligent women. i have to say, i underestimated how much fun it would be.

featured recipe: seared halibut with creamy brandade and blackberry gastrique

i think richard had the biggest reason for feeling slightly out of place since he was one of the only males in a mile radius. i was a bit nervous too though….you never know how crowds are going to enjoy your demo and your food. it was great. the women were fun and enthusiastic and ready to enjoy the evening.

this was my first experience watching richard on stage. he is hilarious and great at getting the crowd excited about his food. he has found a great balance between molecular gastronomy and straight up tasty food, and it fits him well.

carla is also a joy to watch. she has a hint of sarcasm, which i love and has a real connection with people while she is cooking. i was bummed that i watched her create a delicious tart and did not get a chance to taste it. watching her whole season on top chef i was curious to try one of her tart crusts since they went over so well with the judges, especially tom, who can be hard to impress. guess i will have to wait till i see her next.

i decided to invite some of the ladies up for a quickfire challenge of their own while i was preparing my halibut dish. i was very impressed by the food that the ladies came up with in under 15 minutes. i threw some eggs in the mix in hopes that they would lean towards omelettes and they did (an easy dish to do on the fly). i wish i could have declared a tie, but i only had two miniature chickens laying eggs key chains so i had to pick one team. gonna have to stock up on the random toy prizes next time.

thank you to ge for having us and i look forward to another visit to the small town of crotinville that does not even exist in google maps.