Chef’s Adam Brown and Daniel Ramos, Demonstration Dinner 02/27/2023

Photography and Blog by Merina Ingram

As guests entered the dining area and greeted one another with warm hugs, smiles and laughter, a lively atmosphere filled the space. Daniel Ramos and Adam Brown, two renowned chefs, were joined by excellent friends, and accomplished chef’s Fernando Lemus and Tasha's Table. They arrived at their current positions through a special culinary journey that started in the restaurant business and then expanded into the world of private chefs, where they were able to express the art of cooking without boundaries. Red Splendor Farm's owner and chef, Daniel Ramos, grows fresh herbs for use in his cuisine. Chef Daniel's African blue basil and mint were a treat for our taste senses. Daniel is also a skilled sausage maker, and in the third course, guests had the opportunity to sample some of his creations. In 2015, while he operated the restaurant "The Cooper," chef Adam Brown first met owner Diane Cordeau. She was his source for produce, and she also invited him to events involving cooking on the farm. Adam returned to farm for his first demonstration dinner, that displayed his growing appreciation for Kai-Kai’s vegetables. In the midst of a kitchen rush, the chef team developed a bond unlike any other that I have witnessed.

The first speaker was Chef Adam Brown, who demonstrated how to prepare perfectly churned homemade lemon verbena custard and strawberry compote using lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and a dash of sea salt. Adam also demonstrated how to layer the components in an Asian green salad and talked about how a salad dressing should be properly seasoned to prevent its flavor profiles from being diluted by the water content of the greens. Fresh shrimp, fennel, and white wine were sauteed by chef Daniel Ramos before they were served on kalamata olive bread, cherry tomatoes, and herbs. The Kalamata olive bread was charred on the grill by Chef Daniel. Every dish, both colorful and flavorful, complemented the one before it.

While each ingredient was incorporated in the demonstrations of each dish, diners eagerly turned the pages of the recipe pamphlets and read the literature the chefs produced. They enjoyed the material and exchanged notes and ideas with one another. I could see and sense people's interest in the demonstration. Chefs and guests were conversing about cuisine and praising the varied four-course meals that were served. It was clear that the majority of the visitors enjoyed cooking at home.

Menu of the evening

1st course: Kai-Kai’s Asian green’s salad mix of mizuna, tatsoi, and pac choi. Greens were paired with Kai-Kai’s rainbow carrots, khol rabi and watermelon radishes, and topped with crispy wontons, scallions and flavorful Chinese mustard vinegarette.

2nd course: Shrimp and Kai-Kai’s fennel sauteed in white wine, paired with Kai-Kai’s cherry tomatoes, chef Daniel’s African blue basil, and oregano over kalamata olive bread to make a delicious bruschetta.

3rd course: Roasted loose chicken sausage accompanied by Kai-Kai’s Chinese broccoli, mixed in with roasted garlic, orecchiette, chili, and pecorino over pasta.

Desert: Lemon verbena custard drizzled with strawberry compote, paired with a lemon short bread cookie.