Few weekends ago I photographed a supper at the Goat Farm Arts Center hosted by Ciera of SOFIA XIV. The chef was local, the food was bird themed and the ambiance was perfect. Here’s a blurb about the chef from the event’s invite ~
BLKKMORRIS is an Atlanta success story: an international figure in the music world and one of the creative geniuses behind the lifestyle brand +FRESH.i.AM. The word’s been out about this for quite awhile. But to the surprise of many (or maybe not surprising at all) BLKKMORRIS is also an incredible, self taught chef. Cooking alongside and learning from his Jamaican/Filipino Grandmother, and eventually working in restaurants, this passion could have been a pretty damn good Plan B. Fortunately for all of us his success remains on the rise and we’re happy that we could grab him while he’s in town between touring.
I rented an 85mm L series lens to give a try because I’ve really wanted to see how it performs. The weight and size of the lens were a little overwhelming but I did love the clarity and the way it handled low light. When I got there the space had great natural light pouring in which always makes for great photos but even when it got dark and most of the light was by candles, it still operated well. Very happy with how all the photos turned out! Here’s a glimpse into the event + the menu below—
Snacks
Crispy duck skins w/ dipping sauce
Pickled quail eggs
Krungthep tea punch
Course 1
Confit duck drums
Panko crusted egg yolk on a nest of daikon, green onion, and kimchee
Course 2
Thai smoke salad
House smoked turkey breast with sliced cucumber and tomato on top of a bed of lettuce; topped with a hot and sour Thai chili dressing
Paired w/ S & A Verdelho Calaveras County 2014
Course 3
Thai boat soup
Savory enriched duck stock with five spice chicken meatballs and slow cooked duck breast, buck wheat noodles, Chinese celery and spinach topped with bean sprouts, cilantro and Thai basil
Paired w/ JC van Staden Petite Sirah 2013
Course 4
Braised duck thighs w/ collard greens and bok choy
Paired w/ JC van Staden Petite Sirah 2013
Course 5
Homemade Chinese Donuts
The two things I tried were the panko crusted egg yolks and the confit duck wings. Both were delicious! For the yolk snack they cooked only the yolk while the egg whites weren’t cooked at all so they stripped them away from one another, rolled the yolks in panko flakes and then flash fried. It was like an egg truffle-solid on the outside and smooth on the inside. Being a lover of eggs it was heavenly! The wings were best duck wings I’ve had, moist and fell off the bone. Not only does C Will get crowds moving to his dance mixes but he can also whip up a damn fine meal!
For more info on upcoming SOFIA XIV visit the Facebook page.