Metro
CULINARY STAR
Cutting Edge from page 13
ness relationships with locals before I
went to college that I wanted to pursue
after I was done at school: he says. "And
I knew the market and what it had to
offer from growing up in the area, which
was very advantageous when I was sit-
ting down with my clients. I knew what
they were looking for and I knew what
they had already seen, so for us to be
outside that box was a non-issue:'
And they've brought a whole new vibe
to the synagogue's food offerings.
"Gone are the days of prepack-
aged, shortening-filled cookies at oneg
Shabbats," pastry chef Kurtz said.
"Forty-five minutes before services are
over, we're pulling hot oatmeal banana
chocolate chip cookies out of the oven
and tempering chocolate for homemade
truffles:'
This summer, Sklar suggested adding
a barbecue picnic prior to Shabbat ser-
vices on Friday evenings.
"He brought more people to services,"
said Rabbi Moskowitz. "He's always
willing to do something differently. It's
DETROIT
INSTITUTE
OF ARTS
FINAL DAYS!
THROUGH
man t es
The European in African Art, 1500—Present
April 18—August 8,
2010
Portuguese sailors landed on the shores of West Africa more
than 50o years ago. Strangers at first, Europeans became
trading partners, settlers, and eventually colonizers. African
artists recorded every stage of these changing relationships,
and now you can experience this fascinating history—for the
first time—through African eyes.
Tickets: dia.org or DIA Box Office
Members see it free! join today. 313.833.7971
FAAAA
DTE Energy
Foundation
MC'
, ..11".
aca
,r1 IMe
This exhibition has been organized by the Detroit institute of Arts. Generous support has been provided by the Friends
of African and African American Art. the DU Energy Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the
i ■ Jatinal Endowment for the Arts. Additional support has been provided by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural
Affairs and the City of Detroit. Any views. findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed M this exhibition do not
necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Kongo culture, Democratic Republic of Congo. Memorial Figure in Frock Coat intadilldetail), 1800s. Carved steatite
(soapstone), pigments. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Frederick K Stearns.
DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS I 5200 WOODWARD AVE. I 313.833.7900
14
July 8 • 2010
never the same old, same old.
"Zack's Temple Shir Shalom connec-
tion is a cool thing. He understands
Temple, he appreciates Temple and he
cares about Temple.
"He's a phenomenal chef; what he cre-
ates is suburb and amazingly delicious,"
Moskowitz said. "He's gotten stronger
over the past two years. It's definitely a
positive thing for us."
Sklar added, "What's really been fun
for us to see is that congregants from
other temples are bringing their events
to Shir Shalom."
Andrea Teitel of West Bloomfield, a
Temple Israel member, had planned to
have her son Levi's bar mitzvah party
on a sound stage to tie in with his music
video awards theme; then she heard his
friends on the bar mitzvah circuit buzz-
ing about Chef Zack's food.
"I hired him on the spot:' Teitel said.
"I didn't even need to do a tasting. It
was his drive and work ethic and his
respect for the integrity of my budget
that sold me. I was looking for some-
thing innovative, not the usual plated
chicken and, most importantly, because
I work full time, I wanted him to take
the decisions out of my hands."
So Sklar sat down with Levi and got
him talking about all his favorite things.
The foods he loves and his sense of
fun became the inspiration for a casual
evening affair that included "to-go" bag
meals for the kids and an elaborate
entrée salad station for the adults, load-
ed with unusual ingredients like grilled
cauliflower, fried chick peas, marinated
smoked tomatoes, grilled eggplant,
seared monkfish, grilled flank steak and
homemade vinaigrettes.
As guests filled the dance floor, the
wait staff brought dessert directly to
them, passing homemade Oreos with
milkshake shooters and little jars filled
with deconstructed apple pie.
"We prefer not to do sweet tables:'
Kurtz said. "We want to keep the flow of
the party going, so it's much more fun
to have the wait staff swing by with a
tasting. Who says you can't have a little
chocolate mousse while you're doing the
hustle?"
Bloomfield Hills-based wedding
planner Beth Lipin said, "They bring a
playfulness to the party that you don't
often see. Everything has a special twist
to it, which is really important when you
want to put a signature on a special day."
Carolyn Bellinson, a guest at the Teitel
bar mitzvah who has hired Cutting Edge
Cuisine for several events at her home,
said, "If you told Zack you wanted to
create a menu around a specific ingredi-
ent, he could do it.
"I was helping to plan a 50th birthday
party for my husband's best friend and
there were very specific items the guest
of honor liked. We gave Zack the list and
he came up with the most incredible
menu — brown sugar and arbol chili-
crusted wild salmon and these wonder-
ful Colorado lamb chops with sweet pea
and basil puree."
Creating Excitement
The Cutting Edge team prides itself in
being innovative caterers who bring
their distinctive tastes to the ambience
of an event as well.
"We'd walk into corporate events and
our food didn't match what they were
setting the tables with:' Sklar said. "We
started taking over the linens and light-
ing and flowers. We want the entire
experience to be memorable:'
Memorable is exactly what Lexa
Leatherdale, public relations manager
for Neiman-Marcus at the Somerset
Collection in Troy, had in mind as she
organized a special customer event at
the Cloverleaf Loft space in Royal Oak.
"We were introducing our fall lines
and there was an edginess to the fash-
ions and the venue. We wanted the food
to be equally as interesting."
Birmingham event planner Mickey
Gardner-Mood brought Zack to the table
and the three created a menu equal to
a major event in New York, but with all
the comforts of home. Homemade mou-
lard duck pastrami was topped off with
stone-ground mustard and ginger pick-
led onions. Root beer-braised short ribs
with sweet potato polenta were served
with five-spice onion rings, and every-
one's favorite mac n'cheese got a make-
over with roasted pumpkin, gruyere and
cornbread croutons.
"Having trained in New York, the level
of his food presentation and the flavors
are very fresh to this market and that's
part of the excitement:' she says.
"There's lots of competition in New
York for our type of cuisine Sklar says.
"When we came to Michigan, we were
able to make a name for ourselves by
letting our food and presentation speak
for itself. It was something totally new
to the market that excited people.
"Shir Shalom has been the stepping
stone that has allowed me to build a
reputation for myself," he says. "As my
business grows, so does theirs, which
allows me to give back to the "home"
that has given so much to me
For more information on
Cutting Edge Cuisine, visit
http://cuttingedgecuisine.com .