Good vs Evil:

An evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert

Last Thursday evening the Foodie Girls
went to see Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert
in the show Good vs Evil at the IU Auditorium.

Eric Ripert was the Good
while Anthony Bourdain was the Evil,
and played the part of the Devil's advocate
with relish.

These two unlikely friends opened the show by taking turns

grilling each other, 

asking pointed and often embarrassing questions.

The answers were honest and often just as embarrassing.

Just so you know, this was not a child-friendly venue.
Anthony can out-swear a sailor
and you will find out that truffle oil is better used
as a personal lubricant than a cooking oil.
And now we all know - whether we wanted to or not.

Ahem...

After that,
the two gentlemen visibly relaxed, took more comfortable seats,
popped open beers,
and began discussing all things food.

They finally closed the show out with a Question and Answer
segment; taking questions from the audience.

It was obvious that both chefs were enjoying themselves.

It was also quite obvious that the audience had fun listening to 

the two men chat, pontificate, and sometimes rant.

What did we learn?

Eric Ripert dislikes rude chefs and

believes that a professional kitchen can be run well

without the executive chef screaming and swearing

at the help.
He even asked that the house lights be raised so that
he could ask for a show of hands from the audience:
"How many of you like to go into work and be
screamed at and bullied by your boss?"
Point taken.

The Grand Tasting Menu with wine

at Le Bernardin, 

Eric Ripert's four star restaurant in New York City,

will set you back $325 per person.

 

Eric believes strongly in being responsible stewards 

of our planet as we are merely visitors here.

Anthony posed a hypothetical question for Eric:
suppose there is one Blue Fin tuna left on Earth
and the Japanese have killed it.
Not only is it the last Blue Fin tuna,
but it is the very best Blue Fin tuna.
Would you eat some of it?
Eric adamantly said no,
he would not and could not.
Anthony said F**k that,
he's eating that fish.
I have to say that I agree with Anthony on this.
The fish is already dead at this point.
I would hope that a few cells had been saved so
the fish could be cloned, though.

Chef Ripert would never have hired Anthony Bourdain

as a chef at his restaurant.

Anthony laughed and agreed that he was never 

a good enough chef to work at Le Bernardin.

Anthony bristles when asked if he is qualified

to be a judge on Top Chef,

given that he isn't good enough to compete on the show.

His counter is that after spending the last

several years eating his way around the world,

he knows if a "risotto is (expletive deleted) good or not."

Anthony Bourdain spends about 250 days a year

on the road and adores his young daughter and wife.

Anthony firmly believes that as a guest,

you should always eat what you are given and

be thankful for the food and gracious to your host.

Anthony also believes that we should eat more

organically grown foods.

Anthony is hopping mad about the hypocrisy of

Paula Deen pushing her unhealthy take

on Southern food, while hiding the fact that 

she had Type II diabetes until she sealed

a deal with a drug maker to hawk a 

diabetes medicine.

He is very concerned about the rising rate 

of obesity in America.

During the Q & A segment,

the chefs were asked whether one should

go to culinary school first or just start working 

in a restaurant if one wants to become a chef.

Eric answered that one should not believe

that one is a chef after coming out of 

culinary school.  

One still needs the experience of the kitchen.

Anthony replied that before going to culinary school,

spend a year in the kitchen so you can be sure

that being a chef is what you really want to do

before you spend the money for school.
Also, one should be in good physical condition.

And both agreed that one shouldn't expect 

to become rich and famous if one becomes a chef.

When asked what is American Cuisine,

Eric said that it is fusion cooking, 

a mixture of all the foods from all the other countries.

Anthony answered that it is what we are 

cooking now.

It isn't what our great-grandparents

or even our grandparents made.

All in all,

it was an evening filled with laughter

as well as insights into the world of food

and the minds of these two very different men.

The Foodie Daughter and I also had purchased

VIP tickets to the after-show backstage party.

Hors d-oeuvres were provided by 

Finch's Brasserie and Restaurant Tallent.

A cash bar was set up for those who wished to drink.

Books by the chefs were available for sale 

and the gentlemen were seated at a table,

ready to sign autographs.

The Foodie Daughter had a tiramisu ice cream

and I tried some meats and cheeses 

from a charcuterie board.  

The meats were from Smoking Goose,

a meat shop in Indianapolis.

I then purchased the book

Avec Eric, by Eric Ripert

and the book Medium Raw,

by Anthony Bourdain.

The Foodie Daughter very nicely stood in the autograph line

for me while I waited in the food line for Restaurant Tallent.

I decided to be brave and try my first raw oyster.

It was good and I would do it again!

I didn't take any pictures of the food as the lighting was so poor

and it was very crowded.

I joined my daughter in line and we chatted while we waited.

And there they are.

Look, we're on stage!

Finally we got to meet Anthony and Eric.

They both were gorgeous and gracious.

I got both books signed 

and the Foodie Daughter got her program autographed.

We then got our picture taken with the two men.
I have to admit that I don't remember much after
shaking hands with Anthony Bourdain.
I think I also shook hands with Eric Ripert?
I do recall telling both men that they just had
to come back to B-town and try out the restaurant scene
some time.

Le sigh.

It was a wonderful evening and I had so much fun.

The Light Totem stands outside

the Indiana University Art Museum.

Another light column inside the atrium.

The art museum was designed by 

world-renowned architect, I. M. Pei.

The Light Totem reflects colored lights

 against the facade of the Art Museum.

Many thanks to my dear husband for paying for the evening

and to the Foodie Daughter for putting up with me.

I was, as she put it, "like a child in a candy store."

I think she was ready to ground me.