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Kamilla Seidler was a name unfamiliar to me until this year’s Twelve Days of Christmas at The Restaurant at Meadowood. Committed to championing social equality, in 2012, this Danish chef moved to La Paz, Bolivia to open a culinary school and restaurant (Gustu) to bring culinary education to an under-developed part of South America. Since, she has received worldwide recognition for her work, which has enabled her to take her initiatives worldwide. She has now returned to her native Denmark to continue her work at home. You can read more about Seidler’s work on her personal website.
Seidler was the fifth chef to cook at this year’s Twelve Days of Christmas with host chef Christopher Kostow.
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Having traveled the world (she has participated in over 500 events worldwide), Seidler takes a revisionist approach to cooking, often incorporating an international cast of flavors. Vol-au-vent, for example – traditionally, a puff pastry “cup” filled with chicken, and sometimes fish, in a saucy stew – Seidler filled with a creamy mixture of Dungeness crab and an oyster. This was served as a pre-dinner canapé.
Scandinavian waffles, those carousels of heart-shaped wedges often served with jam and sour cream, she topped with sea urchin and a colorful salad of herbs from The Restaurant at Meadowood’s farm.
And, in keeping with Danish Christmas tradition, Seidler served duck. But her duck was presented elegantly – a slice of the breast with chanterelles and a croquette made of duck confit.
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Kostow anchored the menu with a delicious cut of aged bavette (beef). This was served with melted onions and sauced table side with a rich marrow gravy out of the hollowed cow femur. This was excellent.
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For dessert, The Restaurant at Meadowood showcased a local product – California bay, a fragrant tree also known as spicebush (it resembles bay laurel). The bay was infused into ice cream, and also into a chocolate bon bon, which was served skewered on a sprig of the bay tree.
Following is the entire menu from the fifth night of the Twelve Days of Christmas with chef Kamilla Seidler, formerly of Gustu in La Paz, Bolivia, now working on projects out of Copenhagen, Denmark. Here is a link to all of the photos.
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Canapés
Vol-au-Vent
Dungeness crab, oyster.
(Seidler)
Sunchoke Beignet
Leek Bread
Wild onion.
(The Restaurant at Meadowood)
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1st Course
Spot Prawn
Ginger, marigold
(Seidler)
2nd Course
Trout
Citrus, herbs from our farm.
(Seidler)
3rd Course
Malted Waffle
Sea urchin, pickled chanterelle.
(Seidler)
4th Course
Sturgeon
Foie gras, cabbage.
(The Restaurant at Meadowood)
5th Course
Duck, Croquette
“Danish Christmas Eve”
(Seidler)
6th Course
Aged Bavette
Garden onion, nasturtium, gravy.
(The Restaurant at Meadowood)
7th Course
Raw Sugar Meringue
Sorrel.
(Seidler)
8th Course
Wild California Bay.
(The Restaurant at Meadowood)
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Warm Chestnuts
(The Restaurant at Meadowood)
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Wine Pairing
Beauregard Chablis 1er Cru, 2015
Dönnhof Oberhäuser Briike Riesling Spätlese, 2007
Enfer d’Arvier, Vallé d’Aoste, 2016
Hudson Vineyards Carneros Syrah, Napa Valley, 2010
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, S.L.V., Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 1994
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Below are links to my posts and photos from all Twelve Days of Christmas dinners I have attended. Each chef is listed with the restaurant with which they were cooking at the time they participated in the event (some have moved on to other projects and restaurants).
2012
Scott Anderson (Elements; Princeton, New Jersey)
John & Karen Shields (Formerly of Townhouse; Chilhowie, Virginia)
Phillip Foss (EL Ideas; Chicago, Illinois)
Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski (State Bird Provisions; San Francisco, California)
Jason Franey (Canlis Restaurant; Seattle, Washinton)
Matthias Merges (Yusho; Chicago, Illinois)
Mori Onodera (Formerly of Mori Sushi; Los Angeles, California)
James Syhabout (Commis; Oakland, California)
Nick Anderer (Maialino; New York, New York)
David Toutain (Agapé Substance; Paris, France)
Josh Habiger & Erik Anderson (The Catbird Seat; Nashville Tennessee)
Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood; St. Helena, California)
2013
Andy Ricker (Pok Pok, Portland, Oregon & New York, New York)
Rodolfo Guzman (Boragó; Santiago, Chile)
Carlo Mirarchi (Blanca and Roberta’s; Brooklyn, New York)
Tim Cushman (O Ya; Boston, Massachusetts)
Ashley Christensen (Poole’s Diner; Raleigh, North Carolina)
David Chang (Momofuku; New York, New York)
Matthew Accarrino (SPQR; San Francisco, California)
Mark Ladner & Brooks Headley (Del Posto; New York, New York)
Rasmus Kofoed (Geranium; Copenhagen, Denmark)
Nicolaus Balla & Cortney Burns (Bar Tartine; San Francisco, California)
David Kinch (Manresa; Los Gatos, California)
Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood; St. Helena, California)
2014
Matthew Orlando (Amass; Copenhagen, Denmark)
Frank Castranovo & Frank Falcinelli (Frankies 457, Prime Meats; New York, New York)
Kobe Desramaults (In de Wulf; Dranouter, Belgium)
Alexandre Gauthier (La Grenouillère; La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil, France)
Blaine Wetzel (Willows Inn; Lummi Island, Washington)
Joshua McFadden (Ava Gene’s; Portland, Oregon)
Virgilio Martinez (Central; Lima, Peru)
Grant Achatz (Alinea; Chicago, Illinois)
Corey Lee (Benu; San Francisco, California)
Esben Holmboe Bang (Maaemo; Oslo, Norway)
Ignacio Mattos (Estela; New York, New York)
Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood; St. Helena, California)
2015
Daniel Humm (Eleven Madison Park, NoMad; New York, New York)
Nenad Mlinarevic (Focus; Vitznau, Switzerland)
Christian Puglisi (relæ; Copenhagen, Denmark)
Jorge Vallejo (Quintonil; Mexico City, Mexico)
Joshua Skenes (Saison; San Francisco, California)
Matthew Wilkinson (Pope Joan; Melbourne, Australia)
Kim Floresca and Daniel Ryan ([One]; Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Isaac McHale (The Clove Club; London, The United Kingdom)
Kyle Connaughton (Single Thread; Healdsburg, California)
Atsushi Tanaka (A.T. Restaurant; Paris, France)
Justin Yu (Oxheart; Houston, Texas)
Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood; St. Helena, California)
2017
Mark Lundgaard Nielsen (Kong Hans Kælder; Copenhagen, Denmark)
Manish Mehrotra (Indian Accents; New Dehli, India; New York, New York; London, U.K.)
Jeremiah Stone & Fabián von Hauske Valtierra (Contra & Wildair; New York, New York)
Jeremy Fox (Rustic Canyon & Tallula’s; Santa Monica, California)
Ben Sukle (birch & Oberlin; Providence, Rhode Island)
Sean Brock (McCrady’s, McCrady’s Tavern, Husk, & Minero; Charleston, South Carolina)
Yoshiaki Takazawa (Takazawa; Tokyo, Japan)
Thomas Keller (The French Laundry; Yountville, California)
Eric Werner (Hartwood; Tulum, Mexico)
Jock Zonfrillo (Orana; Adelaide, Australia)
Alexandre Couillon (La Marine; Noirmoutier, France)
Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood; St. Helena, California)
2018
Jose Enrique (Jose Enrique; San Juan, Puerto Rico)
David Pynt (Burnt Ends; Singapore)
Jessica Largey (Simone; Los Angeles, California)
James Lowe (Lyle’s; London, The United Kingdom)
Kamilla Seidler (formerly of Gustu in La Paz, Bolivia; Copenhagen, Denmark)
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Photos: Seidler’s waffles with sea urchin; Kostow with Seidler at line-up; saucing aged bavette with marrow gravy out of a hollowed cow femur; table side saucing of sturgeon with koji-cured foie gras wrapped in cabbage; John Hong grilling bavette over binchotan; David Guilloty hollowing out a cow femur for the marrow gravy; Seidler’s waffle with sea urchin; the wine pairings for Day 5; Kamilla Seidler with the team at The Restaurant at Meadowood; the Bar at the Restaurant at Meadowood; Seidler’s dessert of raw sugar meringue with sorrel.
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