East Coast foodies who never had a chance to attend Worlds of Flavor conference at CIA in Napa are in for a special treat this week-end in New York.

Starting on the evening of November 12 and continuing all day on November 13, they can dive in the Alchemy of Taste and Smell at Astor Center with Daniel Patterson of COI flying in from San Francisco as master of ceremonies.

"Cooking is alchemy: the transformation of raw materials into a new and perfect form. In “The Alchemy of Taste and Smell,” our celebrated guest instructors explain how chefs and bartenders create new dishes, cocktails, and flavor combinations. Our aim is simple: to shed light on the creative process in cooking and mixology. All are invited to attend; join us for the entire series or choose the topic that interests you most."

If you just want to mix and mingle, enjoy new flavors and see mixologists and famous chefs up close, Opening Party with cocktails by Dave Arnold and Audrey Saunders and chefs cameos by David Chang, Alexander Talbot and Aki Kamozawa, Daniel Patterson, Nils Noren, Bill Corbett is the place to be on Friday evening (7:00 to 10:00 PM).

Since this event is about exploring Smell as well as Taste, Daniel Patterson invited perfumer Mandy Aftel to help us get to the essence of things.

Pastry chef, Johnny Iuzzini, of Jean-Georges whose book Dessert Fourplay I covered recently will create dishes looking at flavor and aroma alongside Daniel Patterson on Saturday at 2:30 PM.

I almost failed to mention Harold McGhee who will have us Thinking about flavor, chemistry and perception at 1:00 PM, also on Saturday.

Contrary to most events where you have to purchase tickets at least for a day, this one is a la carte.

Pick and choose themes that speak to you at times fitting your schedule and book your seat.

All tickets can be purchased via Astor Center with links for each session under This Week's Events.

For those of you, here in the US and abroad who wish they could be there. I will share what I learned from couple sessions I will be able to attend.

FULL PROGRAM

Friday Evening (November 12)

6:00 p.m:
Dave Arnold and Audrey Saunders
Demonstration:  Using Aroma in Cocktails (The Study, up to 36 people) $55

Dave Arnold and Audrey Saunders will demonstrate how they use aroma in cocktails, including distillations, essential oils and infusions.

7:00 - 10:00 p.m:
Opening Party (The Lounge and The Gallery, up to 250 people) $75
Creative cocktails by Dave Arnold and Audrey Saunders
Participating Chefs: David Chang, Alexander Talbot and Aki Kamozawa, Daniel Patterson, Nils Noren, Bill Corbett

The party will feature stations spread throughout the two rooms, with chefs and mixologists on display, making food and cocktails. There will be some passed food as well, and white and red wines will also be served.

Saturday  Day (November 13)

11:30 a.m:
David Chang, Wylie Dufresne
Demonstration:  New Flavor Combinations (The Study, up to 36 people) $55

Chang and Dufresne will demonstrate some of the dishes that illustrate the strikingly original approach for which they have become famous.

1:00 p.m:
Harold McGee
Lecture:  Thinking about Flavor (The Gallery, up to 100 people) $45

McGee will outline the chemical and biological nature of flavor. He will describe the molecules that stimulate our senses of taste and smell, how taste and smell work together to create the perception of flavor, and how that perception is influenced by past experience and by context.

2:30 p.m:
Daniel Patterson and Johnny Iuzzini
Demonstration:  Flavor and Aroma (The Study, up to 36 people) $55

Patterson and Iuzzini will demonstrate dishes that focus on the interaction between taste and smell. They will each make dishes starting from the same flavor combinations, demonstrating a range of styles and techniques.

5:30 p.m
Mandy Aftel
Demonstration:  Creating with Aromas (The Study, up to 36 people) $35
Aftel will demonstrate the process of how she creates with scent --- showing you how to orchestrate the interactions between pure and natural essences when blending a flavor or fragrance. The design concepts include register (top, middle, base),relative intensity, evolution, locking, and
burying. This architecture of aromawill be illustrated graphically by smelling some unexpected combinations, overa range of concentration ratios. The goal is to produce beautiful and innovative aromas.

Saturday Evening

7:00PM
Dinner. The Lounge (40 people) $300

David Chang, Wylie Dufresne, George Mendes, Carlo Mirarchi, Alexander
Talbot and Aki Kamozawa, Nils Noren, Daniel Patterson, Bill Corbett. The
chefs will each make one dish. Some of the dishes are in collaboration
with perfumer Mandy Aftel using her essential oils. The price includes
beverage and service.


PARTICIPANTS
Mandy Aftel (Owner, Aftelier Perfumes; Author)
Dave Arnold (Director of Culinary Technology, FCI)
David Chang (Chef/Owner, Momofuku, ** Michelin Stars for Ko, World’s 50
Best Restaurants #26 for Ssam Bar)
Bill Corbett (Pastry Chef, Coi)
Wylie Dufresne (Chef/Owner WD-50, * Michelin Star, World’s 50 Best
Restaurants #45)
Nils Noren (Vice President of Culinary and Pastry Arts at The
International Culinary Center)
Johnny Iuzzini (Pastry Chef, Jean-Georges, *** Michelin Stars)
Harold McGee (Author and NY Times Columnist)
George Mendes (Chef/Owner, Aldea)
Carlo Mirarchi (Chef/Partner, Roberta’s)
Daniel Patterson (Chef/Owner Coi, ** Michelin Stars)
Audrey Saunders (Mixologist, Owner Pegu Club)
Alexander Talbot and Aki Kamozawa (Chefs and Authors, Ideas In Food)

(* illustration from How to Taste Chocolate by TCHO)