April 1 NYC: Madhur Jaffrey & Aasif Mandvi Pop Up restaurant

Join Aasif Mandvi of The Daily Show and Indian cookbook guru Madhur Jaffrey for one night only for a pop up restaurant styled on the restaurant featured in the film Today's Special. Tickets are $150 and benefit The Culinary Trust, the philanthropic partner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Two seatings will be held in the space normally occupied by L'Ecole, the restaurant of the French Culinary Institute at 462 Broadway at Grand Street. Funds raised will support programs of The Culinary Trust, including programs that preserve culinary heritage.

Aasif Mandvi co-wrote and stars with Madhur Jaffrey in Today's Special. The film tells the story of Samir, a sous chef who dreams of becoming the head chef at an upscale Manhattan restaurant. When he is passed over for a promotion and his father suddenly falls ill, Samir is forced to take over Tandoori Palace, the nearly bankrupt family restaurant in Jackson Heights. A journey of self discovery provides Samir with the opportunity to rediscover his heritage and his passion for life through the enchanting art of cooking Indian food. Today's Special has just been released on DVD and on demand. The dinner will celebrate The Culinary Trust’s new Stories About Food program, connecting teens and seniors through an interactive oral history project that collects and preserves food memories and recipes.

The pop-up restaurant features a three course menu designed by Madhur Jaffrey, regarded by many as the world authority on Indian food. Her books have won awards from the James Beard Foundation and have made top ten cookbook lists in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

The first seating is at 5:30, the second begins at 8:30. Tickets may be purchased online at https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk/4984

This event is part of the International Association of Culinary Professionals' annual conference, and the only dining event that is open to the public. For more information about the IACP conference visit ww.w.iacp.com. Product for the dinner has been generously provided by the Lamb Cooperative, Inc., Melissa’s Specialty Produce, Kalustyan’s and Chatham Imports.

About The Culinary Trust
The Culinary Trust is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization founded in 1984 by Julia Child and other members of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (www.iacp.com). It gives culinary professionals the tools and opportunities to understand and act on critical issues in the world of food. The Trust preserves culinary heritage by providing funds for the restoration of important cookbooks, including worlds oldest extant cookery manuscript, the 9th century Apicius manuscript. The Trust's Stories About Food pilot program is creating a unique archive of culinary heritage by bringing together high school students and senior adults to elicit memories (and recipes) of foods from their respective childhoods. Since 1984 the Trust has been a leader in providing scholarships and grants to entering culinary students and culinary professionals and is a partner in the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, providing grants to chef volunteers in schools. For more information visit www.theculinarytrust.org.

Would love to see this here or rent it. I will ask Frank to see if he can get it. He is a film buff and has probably seen most movies ever made but you scooped him and I do not think he has heard of this!!!

I watched it a week or two ago on Netflix streaming.

Good but not great was the general reaction. I wanted to like it more. It's a fine watch, but breaks no new ground.

But the dinner in NYC sounds like a lot of fun, and if I was in NY, I'd love to go. (I'll be there two weeks later, but I guess the pop-up won't.)

Yes Judy we also found it on Netflix streaming and watched it. Cute movie but not great. I enjoyed it nontheless.