Art

Item Description

In 1979 it became apparent to me that almost all game bird available in restaurants were farm raised. These birds while good did not have the full rich flavor of the birds in the wild. My first venue into wild game birds was the mallard and it was incredible. This preparation incorporates the flavors of late autumn. The breasts are slowly grilled over burning vine trimmings, Satsuma oranges from Louisiana, Pomegranates, local Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Onions and of course the puree of Parsnips enriched with Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Three cooking methods each with separate garnishes and flavors is such a wonderful way to enjoy the Mallard. -Chef Larry Forgione

This is an original piece from the limited edition series, Photography for Philanthropy, a Culinary Art Auction to Benefit City Harvest. The culinary masterpiece was created by renowned pastry chef, Larry Forgione and captured through the lens of famed photographer, Diana DeLucia. In addition to this artwork being brilliant in color, it is personally signed by the chef/artist, Larry Forgione.

Frames are a high quality painted black frame made in Italy (2.5 high by 1.5 inches on the top). The image was framed by preservation experts who have handled this piece with exceptional care. This photograph is framed with quality glass and acid free matting that will help protect it from long term degradation.  The mat is a soft white top and a black bottom mat that enhances the brilliant photo and creates a very clean and modern piece of art.

The outside dimension is 27” x 33” and the image size is 17” x 27”.

About Chef Forgione:
Larry Forgione’s influence on the American dining scene has been so far-reaching that, in June 1996, Life magazine identified him as one of the “50 Most Influential Baby Boomers”, the only person chosen from the restaurant industry. Born on Long Island in 1952, Larry Forgione attended the Culinary Institute of America, from which he graduated in 1974. Larry took a job with The River Café in 1979.  An enthusiastic fan of America as well as American cooking, Forgione has made plenty of room in his career for food lovers outside New York City. If cooking is an art, then Forgione opened his first masterpiece in 1983 when he introduces An American Place to Manhattan’s Upper East Side. In 1988 the restaurant relocated to a larger, grander space at Two Park Avenue and at the termination of the lease in 1999, moved to 525 Lexington Avenue at 50th Street. An American Place Restaurant, as well as, Larry Forgione’s Signature Café is now part of Lord & Taylor’s Fifth Avenue flagship store. Larry’s Signature Café is currently in three store locations. In 1991, Forgione opened The Beekman 1766 Tavern at the Beekman Arms, the oldest inn in America, in Rhinebeck, New York.  It was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants that year and The New York Times’ Bryan Miller selected it as one of the 10 Best Destination Restaurants. Forgione’s efforts in the kitchen have been recognized by the two most revered institutions in the industry.  The Culinary Institute of America named him “Chef of the Year” and the James Beard Foundation honored him with the award “America’s Best Chef” in 1993.  In 1997, in a fitting echo of that fateful moment at the Connaught Hotel restaurant, he was the only American chef invited to cook for the hotel’s Centennial celebration, joining such legends as Paul Bocuse, Roger Vergè and Pierre Troisgrois. In 1996, he published An American Place cookbook which won the 1996 James Bear Foundation Award for “Best American Cookbook.”  He was also a contributing editor with his own column in both Traditional Homes Magazine and Cook’s Magazine. He is a founding trustee of the James Beard Foundation and is credited with the actual funding drive that purchased Jim Beard’s West 12th Street brownstone as headquarters for the foundation.  He is also a passionate supporter of the CIA’s externship Program and a founder of Fresh Start, where chefs teach inmates at Riker’s Island how to cook and work together in a kitchen.  Additionally, he is a co-founder of the Annual American Chefs Tribute to James Beard, a culinary gala benefiting Citymeals-on-Wheels. That event to date has raised over $9.0 million dollars. In 1999, Forgione spearheaded a coalition of chefs, restaurateurs and health professionals to promote the National Taste for Healthy Living Collaborative, a nationwide effort to offer guests interesting and flavorful low-fat menu items where the calories and fat do not exceed 30 percent.

Item Special Note

Shipping Information:
All artwork will be shipped out the week of March 17, 2008 and will be shipped from the UPS Store in Farmington, Connecticut, who specializes in the shipment of artwork.  Auction winners will be contacted directly by a UPS representative by Friday, March 14, 2008. Payment for shipment must be made directly to the shipper. For shipping estimates, domestic and international, please contact the UPS Store directly at (860) 676-0660 or by email at mbe3937@yahoo.com.