Cuisine Contra is a Pink Line Project hosted event, in which guests enjoy an evening of delicious food, thought-provoking and dynamic art, and fun conversations with delightful people. Each Cuisine Contra takes place in a different location. While most details of the evening are kept under wraps until the day of the event, such as the actual location of the event, guests can expect a delicious meal and a large dose of creativity and the arts.
Performers at the Valentine's Day Cuisine Contra (photo by Ben Droz)
A selection of tastings from our first pop-up dinner party
Our first pop-up dinner party was hosted on Valentine’s Day 2011 at the Mexican Cultural Institute and featured “Top Chef” and D.C. celebri-chef Mike Isabella. Guests enjoyed performances by Miloz, “therapy” by “Dr.” Danny Harris (People’s District founder and author of “D.C. Double Lives), live banjo music, and dance from a Parisian burlesque performer.
In August 2011, The Pink Line Project hosted the second Cuisine Contra of the year with a special “green” themed summer garden dinner party. The event featured Chef Barton Seaver and a deliciously sustainable menu from the chef’s new book, For Cod and Country: Simple, Delicious and Sustainable Cooking.
The Textile Museum served as the perfect architectural host for the event and the evening weather could not have been more pleasant. (Especially if you had remembered to dowse yourself with bug repellant prior to the event!) VIP guests arrived at the Textile Museum at 6pm for a cocktail hour adorned in summer whites. Guests chatted with Chef Seaver and he signed copies of his recently released book. Following an hour of book signing, candid photography, and garden mingling, guests sat down for a delicious three-course dinner that had been designed by Chef Seaver using recipes from his book.
Steamed clams, watercress – ginger miso dressing
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Enoki mushroom – snow peas goyza
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Phillo of baby squid, garlic butter
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Campari tomato “Nicoise crab style”
Orange and Fennel Salad with anchovy vinaigrette
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Wild Striped Bass with Cilantro-onion Salad
yogurt – avocado puree and pistachio piccata
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Speculoos flan
Sour raspberry – passion fruit ice cream
Throughout dinner, guests experienced performances by Glade Dance Collective, Danny Harris, Kevin Boggs, and BanjerDan’s DangerBand. Between courses, Chef Seaver spoke about his experience as a National Geographic Explorer and fielded questions that audience members “tweeted” from their dinner tables.
In the spirit of the event’s “green” theme, a portion of the proceeds from the evening went to DC Greenworks, a non-profit organization that provides green roofs for residences and businesses throughout the city. These environmental initiatives improve air quality, help cool buildings and assist in making DC on the forefront of “green” living.
About the Chef:
National Geographic Fellow and Washington, D.C. chef Barton Seaver is an influential voice in the culinary world because of his take on seafood and sustainability. In his first book, For Cod and Country, Seaver introduces an entirely new kind of casual cooking featuring seafood that hasn’t been overfished or harvested using destructive methods.
Organized by season, For Cod and Country is a full-color exploration of recipes showcasing a wide variety of fish caught at specific times of year combined with fresh vegetables and vibrant spices.
Thanks to the wonderful photographers Ben Droz and Danny Harris for capturing the evening. Check out more pictures of the event on Flickr and the Cuisine Contra (Video by Danny Harris)
For recaps and press clippings of our pop-up dinner parties check out:
Deliciousness is the New Green