I just have to tell all you Slashfoodies about the new Astor Center in New York City. Some of you may have heard me mention one of my favorite shops, Astor Wine & Spirits before; like when I reviewed St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. When I lived in NY I stopped by there on a weekly basis, now it's more like 6 times a year, which is pretty good when you consider it's over 400 miles from my new home in Mid-Coast Maine.

For the past three years I have been hearing rumors about the Astor Center being developed by Astor Wines & Spirits and they finally opened just last month. The Astor Center is a state or the art culinary education and events center where they have panels, workshops, symposia, seminars, courses on every aspect of the food and beverage world. They have three beautiful spaces for their events, courses, and seminars. The Study- a seminar hall with stadium seating looking down to a teaching kitchen and podium from comfortable seats set at counters set up for professional tastings; with a light box, running water, and a sink for every seat. No spitting in nasty slop buckets here. The Kitchen- A huge, top of the line teaching kitchen with every gadget you can imagine. The Gallery- a multi-use space for wine pairing dinners, food festivals, lectures, and other events.

Their presenter list is nothing short of amazing with top experts in all areas of the culinary world joining together to explore both the cutting edge and historical aspects of food and beverages. There is a strong focus on wines, spirits, and cocktails; something you would expect from the Astor Wines folks. F Paul Pacult, Jim Meehan, Maximilian Riedel (of Riedel Crystal), Kara Newman, Brian Van Flandern, Timothy Sullivan, Henry Sidel, and more experts on various libations are on hand to delve into the glorious world of all that is wet and tasty; for beginners and experts, consumers and those in the trade.
Not to be outdone by the beverage side of things are all those dedicated to food. Fergus Henderson, Harold McGee, Ariane Daquin (founder of D'Artagnin), Herve This, Michael Ruhlman, Chris Cosentino, Pichet Ong, William Weaver, Betty Fussell, Grace Young, and numerous others are guiding lights through the vast depths of all that is to be eaten and savored.

The courses available are on every topic you can imagine. There's a series called Sommelier's Secrets, another on beer; spirits courses like Single Malts, American Whiskeys, Sake, Absinthe, and the Art and Craft of Cocktails. Food courses, dinners, and offerings like Shakespeare's Kitchen: An Elizabethan Dinner, The Chemistry of Sweet, Ph.Meat, and my favorite- An Offal Good Q&A about head to tail eating. Add in a plethora of courses from the Culinary Institute of America like CIA Professional Development courses, CIA Boot Camp, Cooking Fundamentals, or Gourmet meals and you have all bases covered.

Stay tuned to announcements here on Slashfood about events at the Astor Center because every now and then we may be able to offer special discounts.

I'm signed up for several workshops, courses, and dinners over the next few months. Most especially and eagerly I await the Offal Good Q&A on March 2, 2008 presented by Chris Cosentino; to be followed by Chris's Head to Tail Dinner with Michael Ruhlman as host on March 4th. This seminar and dinner will be focusing on that new trend that goes back to the rustic cooking of yesteryear. Using all the parts of the animal with minimal waste; and long, slow, rustic, cooking techniques to make all the unusual organ and offal meats tasty and edible.

To be honest, I haven't tried eating every part of an animal, but not for lack of trying. I've tried and mostly enjoyed sweetbreads, trotters, tendons, brains, tripe, liver, heart... but not kidneys, cockscombs, eyes, or reproductive organs; but I'm more than willing to give them a shot. Check out the menu for the Head to Tail dinner. It may not be to everyones tastes, but for those who are aficionados of offal, it will be the place to be on March 4th. As I said before, I can't wait! See you there.

NEWSFLASH: Special Discount for all Slashfoodies.

If you plan to attend the Head to Tail dinner at the Astor Center enter code SF030408 for a 15% discount on the dinner ! ! !