Stone Soup: Snow Day Supper

Ston e Soup Snow Day SUPPER

SerieS

by JUDITH MARA

Snow Day Supper is part of our occasional Stone Soup series based on the iconic tale of villagers coming together to create a grand meal that fed the entire town. Working with this issue’s theme of Winter Wonderland, we chose to host a potluck supper with guests contributing nourishing onepot dishes that would warm a group of 18 Chicago villagers right down to their toes.

portraits by

SMILEBOOTH

Pastry Chef Gale Gand Author, Partner in TRU Mom’s Braised Short Ribs with Winter Vegetables Chef Giuseppe Tentori BOKA, GT Fish & Oyster Smoked Duck Cassoulet Chef Tony Priolo Piccolo Sogno, Piccolo Sogno Due Borlotti Beans with Venison Sausage

Chef Ina Pinkney Owner of Ina’s Moroccan Sweet Potato Stew Steve Dolinksy Hungry Hound ABC 7 Georgian Pork Stew

Vince Gerasole, Reporter CBS 2 Vito Gerasole, Girasole, Pittsburgh PA Braised Chicken, Eggplant and Tomatoes Sandro Miller, Photographer Szechwan Shrimp Nick Cave, Visual Artist Chicken, Mushroom and Potato Casserole Alexi Giannoulias, V.P. at BNY Mellon Josephine Terlato, Southern Wine and Spirits Lentil Soup Steve Hamilton CeCe Campise Hosts

Ina Pinkney, Chicago’s legendary “Breakfast Queen” was the first to arrive at the Snow Day Supper. Her new Lodge Dutch Oven was gently simmering on the stove when the second guest arrived. Ina, spying the new guest, rushed to greet her, opening her arms to embrace friend and pastry chef Gale Gand. “Some days are just perfect,” Ina sighed. And with that, the party had begun.

So often the success of a party depends on the guest list. We developed ours by asking one simple question: Who would we like to spend time with if we were cooped up during a blizzard? After a bit of brainstorming, we came up with a delicious mix of chefs, food-focused TV personalities, artists, professionals and a former politician. Invitations arrived on guests’ doorsteps in the form of large cast iron pots, generously supplied by the wonderful folks at Lodge Cookware. What the guests made in those pots was up to them.

Ina Pinkney, Moroccan Sweet Potato Stew

Alexi Giannoulias & Josephine Terlato, Lentil Soup

There was no snow on the eve of the Snow Day party, but it was plenty frigid. Before a glass of wine was poured, the room filled with people, introductions and chatter. The stove was soon covered with Dutch ovens holding curious bubbling concoctions, the scent of garlic, onions, spices and herbs wafting throughout the kitchen.

While many guests knew one another through foodrelated work, there was no interest in shoptalk––topics of conversation ranged from historical to hysterical. Reporter Vince Gerasole and chef Gale Gand, bonded over spirited conversation about Downton Abbey. Hungry Hound’s Steve Dolinsky and his wife Amy readily listened to anyone who had tips on traveling to Japan. And former politician Alexi Giannoulias honestly admitted that he had initially been baffled by the 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven that arrived at his house. Luckily, his girlfriend Jo came to the rescue and suggested that he read the pre-invite email.

Everyone was curious about what the others had cooked and all had a story to tell about how they approached their dishes. Artist Nick Cave had the chefs laughing as he described the dish he brought as “chicken and some sort of sauce.” The chefs ticked off ingredients as if reciting dishes on a menu, and more than one guest gave their mother-father-aunt full credit for the recipe.

As the Dutch ovens were carried to a buffet table for the grand reveal, everyone crowded around with anticipation. In a cloud of steam and a burst of fragrance, supper was served. Most dramatic was the uncovering of Giuseppe Tentori’s sealed pot, which released a truly heavenly aroma. Inside was a cassoulet of smoked duck confit, flageolets and a generous shaving of truffles.

Gale Gand, Mom’s Braised Short Ribs with Winter Vegetables

Vince & Vito Gerasole, Braised Chicken, Eggplant and Tomatoes

All of it was delicious, from a hearty stew of handmade venison sausage and borlotti beans to a comforting braise of chicken, thick with eggplant and tomatoes. Most unusual was a Georgian (as in Russian, with Asian influences) pork stew that sported a lovely combination of spices such as fenugreek and dried marigold. The cinnamon scent that pierced the air was from a creamy Moroccan sweet potato stew, and the only soup of the evening was a peppery lentil family recipe.

When it was time to sit down to dinner, the room grew a little quieter as everyone enjoyed their meals. Those well versed in food swapped tasting notes as the happy feeling of sharing good food swelled throughout the night. Photos taken by Matt Savage’s Smilebooth captured the joyful mood of each guest.

On evenings like this one, with good food and a glass of wine in hand, everyone could just be themselves, making our Snow Day Supper more than a potluck—it was oh, so lucky. Special thanks to Lodge Cookware for providing a bevy of gorgeous cast iron pots for use at our potluck.