Stepping into the unofficial home of Penn's (almost) official Cooking Club would make any aspiring student chef feel slightly inadequate. The kitchen in Will Heyer and Jon Jesselson's house is so stocked with appliances and gadgets that you would think they were sponsored by Williams-Sonoma. But in fact, sponsorship is just one of the many ideas the Cooking Club tosses around in their informal meetings. Other aspirations include taking over a dining hall-sized kitchen to perform Penn's very own Iron Chef tournament.
The club was created this year by Heyer and Jesselson along with two other co-founders, Eric Lemor and Jordan Abram. Together, they are the celebrity chefs of Penn's cooking scene. Each began his culinary career in a different way, but they have all climbed their way through the kitchen ranks at noteworthy restaurants from New York to Hong Kong. Heyer began with a summer job at Splendido, a restaurant in Beaver Creek, Colorado and has since worked at Le Bernardin and Gramercy Tavern in New York City. Abram, the club's honorary chancellor, comes from a Middle Eastern family and grew up in Hong Kong, and his cooking has Lebanese and Chinese influences. Jesselson has spent time working in the kitchen at Coco Pazzo in New York. Lemor, president of the club, specializes as a pastry chef and has worked at Cipriani in Manhattan.
I was lucky enough to attend one of the club's dinner meetings to sample their culinary skills and chat with the founders about their love of food and wine. The meal began with a carrot and butternut squash soup topped with a truffle and cream emulsion, perfect to warm up that bitter winter night. Next the boys served two pasta dishes, ziti alla vodka and gemelli with pesto and fresh mozzarella. But the real highlight of the meal was the bison short rib, braised in red wine and tomato sauce and served with baby carrots. Jesselson had ordered the short ribs online and had them shipped straight to their freezer. The meat fell off the bone with every bite, evidence that it had been slow-cooked all day. For dessert, they served a rich banana and chocolate challah bread pudding along with creamy strawberry ice cream (see recipe featured to the left).
Since most Penn students may not have the time or energy to slow cook bison ribs all day long, these four boys represent the exception. But if you also love to cook and need an outlet for your gastronomic talents, check out the Cooking Club. Right now the club meetings are informal, but if you would like to join the listserv and hear about upcoming meetings, contact them at cooking.upenn@gmail.com.
