Sub-Zero’s corporate Chef Phil Raspanti talked about advances in urban farming and prepared delicious, locally sourced bites alongside local wines. Cookbook author Leeann Lavin talked about using botanicals from the garden to enhance cocktails with a demo for her “Let’s Make it Interesting” cocktail. It was the signature cocktail of the evening and featured in her book The Art of the Garnish: Over 100 Cocktails Finished With Style.

Leann also presented her own farm-to-table insights during a Q&A moderated by Manhattan Chapter Programs Chair Joan Ravasy, with a special introduction by Past President Toni Sabatino. Toni shared anecdotes from their friendship, which began after Toni discovered Leeann’s The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook. “It was the beginning of a food love story,” said Toni. Since then, Toni has experienced Leeann’s herb garden and culinary magic first-hand in a range of settings from Long Island to the mountains of Ecuador. 

Leeann’s presentation explored the deep connection between gardening, cooking and interior design. “All require balance, color and taste. Taste is defined as the love of beauty. When I think about the passion and magic that infuses what we do, I think taste is what brings it all together. And we share the desire to gather,” added Leeann. "For us, in these professions, we like to share what we create.”

Leeann also touched on the shift away from gourmet cuisine that requires exotic ingredients. Today, we crave dishes prepared with fresh, local ingredients that are readily available in the “backyard,” even in Gotham—in the window box, terrace or rooftop. Or from the local green market. Eat with the seasons (root vegetables in the winter for instance) and remember that you can use your refrigerator or freezer to preserve the season’s bounty for later.

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Photos: Jeff Siegel / Video: Charle-John Cafiero