The CulinaryWomanNewsletter for 3/26/23

A chef is back, on his own terms

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A Chef Returns, On His Own Terms

Six years ago, Jason Goodenough’s Carrollton Market was named the best restaurant in New Orleans. In 2020, he shut it down, burned out from the challenges of Covid and verbal abuse from customers unhappy with his support of Black Lives Matter.

He vowed he would “never, ever” own a similar restaurant again. But next month, Jason will be back cooking for guests, in a much different way.

He has just launched the Goodenough Supper Club, following a trend that has taken hold in a number of cities, from Toronto to Chicago, and down this way. Customers buy tickets in advance for a multi course meal, including gratuities and beverages.

Some supper clubs stick to the format for years, but others use them as a springboard to becoming restaurants. That’s happened here with Mosquito Supper Club and Dakar Nola.

The seats for Jason’s inaugural dinner sold out on Tock in two minutes, proof he has a fan base ready to eat his food once more.

Crafting a culinary portfolio

That should be no surprise. Jason has an impressive resume and a wide network in the food world. He grew up in New York, and spent summers traveling with his family to England, France and Italy. Food was an early passion; he calculates that he ate in his first Michelin-starred restaurant when he was six.

After boarding school and undergrad, he earned a degree at the Culinary Institute of America. He trained and cooked in places such as Cafe Boulud, Morimoto, and Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant, Nola, before heading out on his own.

Carrollton Market became one of those rare restaurants where he played an active role in every aspect, from the café’s appearance to ingredients to designing the menu. Most of the time when chefs reach his level, they are delegating those tasks and spending as much time representing themselves as they do in the kitchen

“Carrollton Market was my personality,” he says. “It lived and died with me.” But when Covid restrictions made it impossible for his cottage restaurant to operate, Jason decided he was badly in need of a break.

Disillusioned by what was happening to the restaurant profession, he went on hiatus. He spent time with his father, wife and daughters, cooked for high end clients and launched a cooking school called The New Culinarian. Since I arrived last year, Jason has been my New Orleans Sherpa, providing advice on where to shop (like the Crescent City Farmer’s Market, where we bumped into each other last week), introducing me to people and answering my endless questions about the local food world.

Although he could have gone back to restaurants at any point, he was not looking to do “the full Monty” again. By this winter, however, he was ready to try something of his own design on a regular basis. “The things I miss,” he told me, “are the creative process, and cooking for people” who appreciate his creativity.

Thematic menus

The Goodenough Supper Club will convene every three weeks or so, and feature a different theme each time. The first menu, called Mom, is very personal. It is drawn from dishes his late mother served at her elegant dinner parties. There will be caviar to kick things off, followed by oyster stew, chicken tarragon and chocolate lava cake for dessert. All will be updated by Jason from those original retro recipes.

He’s adding one specialty of his own: sleepover cookies, which get their name from rich cookies he whipped up when his daughter Penelope hosted her friends. They were such a hit that they’ve joined his repertoire.

Jason hasn’t settled on a permanent venue yet. The first few supper clubs will be held in different places, and will be limited to a couple of dozen guests. Eventually, he wants to open reservations up to 50 to 60 people per evening. Some diners may balk at spending $175 plus tax for the experience, but Jason has to hire staff - eight for 28 guests - rent tables and linens, buy ingredients and devote days of his time to planning. Food costs, he says, are much higher than when Carrollton Market was operating (see more in the next item).

If you’re interested in knowing when and where Jason will cook next, follow his Instagram account (@) GoodenoughSupperClub. Also keep an eye on his Tock listing. I suggested to Jason that he might take the supper club on the road (that’s a hint, Ari Weinzweig, if you have read this far), so who knows, you may see him cooking beyond the Crescent City.

Food Insecurity Is Rife

A new study offers a sobering note about Americans’ financial stability. About 25 percent reported experiencing food instability in 2023, up five percentage points from 2022. Food instability is defined as skipping a meal because someone could not afford to eat, or foregoing a grocery purchase.

The study by the Urban Institute is based on a survey of almost 8,000 adults in December. A variety of factors have collided to cause the crisis. Grocery costs are up surged 20 percent in the past two years, while rents have increased 13 percent. Inflation surged last year to a four-decade high just as pandemic-related benefits ended.

In addition to skipping meals and shopping, the survey found that about one in six adults relied on charitable food, such as free groceries or meals, last year. By comparison, about one in eight adults relied on food charity in 2019, prior to the pandemic, the study noted. 

There are some steps being taken that could help offset the situation. Minnesota recently became the fourth state to fund free school meals for all K-12 students, joining California, Colorado and Maine.

If you have a program in your community that fights food insecurity, consider becoming a donor or a volunteer. One to check out is the free community fridges movement. Refrigerators in neighborhoods are regularly stocked with meals, ingredients and even toiletries for people to take as needed.

Freedge, a database that tracks a map of community fridges around the world, displayed 12 fridges in the US in March 2020. Now, 160 fridges can be found across 28 states, including Nola Fridges, which I support.

McDonald’s Tries Plant-Based Nuggets, Although Not Here

As other fast food and fast casual brands have embraced plant-based eating, McDonald’s has lagged behind. It tried a plant-based burger in Canada a few years ago, and touted a program called McPlant, only to discontinue a U.S. test of the burger without taking it nationwide.

But, McDonald’s is active in the plant-based chicken market overseas. Last month, it introduced McPlant Nuggets at restaurants in Germany, following a test at nine outlets in Stuttgart.

McPlant Nuggets are made from peas, corn and wheat, with a tempura batter. They are the second product McDonald’s has developed in conjunction with Beyond Burger, which also came up with the McPlant burger patty.

European customers have generally been receptive to McDonald’s plant-based meat products, according to the Associated Press. The McPlant burger is now a regular menu item in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria and the Netherlands. Last month, McDonald’s rolled out the Double McPlant burger in the U.K. and Ireland.

I’m curious to hear whether you are interested in a McPlant variation, burger or nuggets. I was always a fan of the little McDonald’s cheeseburger, but having tried a McPlant in Ontario, I didn’t find it that appealing. It was also expensive, on a McDonald’s level, and having trained its customers to expect low prices, I wonder if it can charge a higher level for vegetarian food.

Our Latest Book Giveaway: Ramen For Everyone

Meet Hiro, the star of Ramen for Everyone. It is a delightful new picture book by cookbook author Patricia Tanumihardja with illustrations by Shiho Pate.

Hiro loves ramen. Every Sunday, Hiro’s dad makes delicious, perfect ramen for dinner, using a recipe passed down from his dad. There’s nori seaweed, briny like the ocean; nitamago egg, the yolk golden like the sun; and chashu pork so tender, it melts in your mouth.

Hiro’s dream is to make his own perfect bowl, and he’s sure he can do it after watching his dad and taking notes. But when he gets started, things don’t go according to plan. That is where the fun begins.

Just imagine reading this with a ramen-loving kid, or a child you are trying to convince to eat more adventurous food. Maybe you love illustrations (I certainly do) and would like this for your shelf.

Ramen for Everyone is the next giveaway for CulinaryWoman paid subscribers. They are automatically entered to win a copy, and you can join them by upgrading your subscription. The winner will receive it directly from the publisher.

Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman

Today, I’ll be joining chefs and cookbook writers at the inaugural Writers Festival at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. The speakers include Megan Braden-Perry, who you recently met in the newsletter. If you’re in New Orleans, stop by the museum between 1 pm and 5 pm. You just might receive a Zingerman’s treat.

You can contact me via email at culinarywoman at gmail dot com. I’m happy to hear from authors and publicists promoting upcoming books for inclusion in the CulinaryWoman Reading Room.

You can follow me on Instagram (@) MichelineMaynard and my New Orleans adventures are (@) Micki_In_Nola.

Please take care of your health. I’ll see our paid subscribers tomorrow with Red Beans and Advice, and everyone else next week.