This week, in Philadelphia, Chef Aliza Green who recently published an Aruba Cookbook, orchestrated an Aruba Cookbook dinner, in collaboration with chef Joncarl Lachman, at Winkel Restaurant. Chef Joncarl is Philly-born, but his restaurant promotes his Dutch heritage and Dutch cuisine.
It must have been a perfect fit for island recipes to be served at one of the only few Dutch themed restaurants in the USA. It must have been gezelig.
The evening benefited an organization supporting professional education, Les Dames d’Escoffier Scholarships, LDEI, who award women pursuing a degree from an accredited educational institution in culinary or pastry arts. LDEI inspires, advances, and supports women in food, beverage and hospitality with the goal of creating a global network of women leaders in those industries.
The evening was supported by the Aruba Tourism Authority, and Bodegas Papiamento Rum.
We celebrated the publication of Chef Aliza’s book, not too long ago, at Infini in Aruba. The evening in Philadelphia celebrated the publication in the USA. Check out the book here at the Plaza Book shop and select restaurants: Aruba’s Papiamento Cuisine New Caribbean Cooking Celebrating its Creole Roots and Multicultural Flavors.
In case you are curious about the menu:
Cocktail & Hors d’Oeuvre
El Azaroso Pasionato Cocktail (Azar Open-Fire Cuisine)
Cheese Kroket with Raspberry Dip (Quinta del Carmen Restaurant)
Seared Duck Breast with Chichi Morada Sauce, Cashew Puree & Watercress (Lima Bistro)
Plantain Chips with Venezuelan Avocado Guasacaca (Infini Fine Dining) VEGAN
Appetizer
Caribbean Salmon Gravlax with Red Quinoa Blini (Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino)
or
Yemanja Superfood Salad with Carrot Chips (Yemanja Woodfired Grill) VEGAN
Main Course
Korean Short Ribs, Sweet Potato Puree & Grilled Bok Choy (Azar Open-Fire Cuisine)
or
Roasted Cauliflower with Mole Sauce & Tortilla Nut Crumble (Lima Bistro) VEGAN
Dessert
Bolo Preto Cake with Rum Raisin Parfait & Strawberry-Rum Sauce (Infini Fine Dining)
or
Tropical Fruit Salad Coconut, Cashew Crema, Tonka Beans & Strawberry-Rum Sauce (Yemanja Woodfired Grill) VEGAN
Bodegas Papiamento Rum Shot, the rum was introduced in 2023, in London, at a spirit competition, and received #1 rating.
About the book: Aruba’s Papiamento Cuisine New Caribbean Cooking Celebrating its Creole Roots and Multicultural Flavors (Panamericana, Bogota, Colombia, October 2023 $40.00 US), written by award-winning cookbook author Aliza Green, is both a love letter and an introduction to Aruba. Local food artisans, creative farmers, fishermen, bakers, distillers, and restaurateurs share their heritage in this book written in close collaboration with renowned Aruban Chef Urvin Croes. The island’s top chefs, legendary home cooks, and mixologists have shared over 120 recipes that vary from home style to elaborate and traditional to modernist. The book is available in the US only at Barnes & Noble Philadelphia, 1708 Chestnut Street.
Aliza Green is an influential chef, author, and culinary consultant with a deep and broad knowledge of international cuisine, culture, and technique who helped make the city of Philadelphia a premier dining destination starting in the 1980s. She is the author of more than 15 cookbooks and food guides and numerous articles and received a James Beard Award as co-author of Ceviche: Seafood, Salads, and Cocktails with a Latino Twist. She now runs international small-group culinary and cultural tours.
