Scenes from SAVEUR supper with Chef Amy ThielenChef Amy Thielen’s memoir Give a Girl a Knife combines cuisines from midwest and New York City

Chef Amy Thielen's new memoir Give a Girl a Knife illustrates how passionate Thielen is about cooking. In fact, in her book, she writes: "My cooking bug, which had begun innocently enough as a way to stave off the agony of writing papers throughout my college years, was growing into a serious habit. Or as Aaron described his own art practice: It was becoming an affliction." Her "affliction" manages to combine two worlds that seem almost impossible to reconcile: the midwest, specifically northern Minnesota, and New York City. But somehow, Thielen is able to connect them in a way that seems almost natural. At our recent #SaveurSuppers, she explains, "They're places that are polar opposites, but both are actually really severe and intense, and it's food that knits those two places together."

Her menu was a perfect reflection of this combination, and not only because of the food. The kitchen was packed with her past mentors, and they all cooked shoulder-to-shoulder. The night started with warm deviled eggs, chicken rillettes (made from chickens she raised and butchered herself), chef Galen Zamarra’s broiled oysters, and chef Edwin Bellanco’s delicious and addictive pulled pork mini tacos. Later in the evening, David Bouley served up a porcini flan with dungeness crab and black truffle dashi, followed by Shea Gallante’s vegetable ravioli. There was also plenty of meat: Thielen served pork loin and a big plate of roasted babyback ribs.

As we finished the last course, Amy explained why she wrote the book, saying, “I learned a lot about cooking, but I needed to put it together, so by writing the book I tried to figure it all out, and I think I did.” Yeah, we think so too.

Everyone was ready to celebrate Amy Thielen's new book, Give a Girl a Knife.
"There's too much pie!" - Nobody ever
SAVEUR Editor in Chief Adam Sachs laughs with Amy Thielen
From left to right: Chef Edwin Bellanco, Chef Galen Zamarra, Chef Shea Gallante, Chef Amy Thielen, and Chef David Bouley.
Cocktail hour, courtesy of Stefan Trummer cocktails
This spinach salad was packed with turnips, which went perfectly with the horseradish dressing
The chefs toast to Amy's successful supper
Publisher Greg Gatto with Christophe Attard and his wife Nefissa Attard
A guest gets another glass of Brash Higgins wine
Writer Gabriella Gershenson, Eater editor at large Helen Rosner, and SAVEUR deputy editor Andrew Richdale pause for a photo
The second dessert of the evening: Kalvdans made with colostrum
Chef Amy Thielen with her husband Aaron Spangler, Thielen's agent Janis Donnaud, and writer Raquel Pelzel
Amy Thielen with one of her mentors, David Bouley
It's not easy being green. Unless you're this Celery Collins, one of the night's three Stefan Trummer cocktails.
MATT TAYLOR-GROSS
Culture

Scenes from SAVEUR supper with Chef Amy Thielen

Chef Amy Thielen’s memoir Give a Girl a Knife combines cuisines from midwest and New York City

Chef Amy Thielen's new memoir Give a Girl a Knife illustrates how passionate Thielen is about cooking. In fact, in her book, she writes: "My cooking bug, which had begun innocently enough as a way to stave off the agony of writing papers throughout my college years, was growing into a serious habit. Or as Aaron described his own art practice: It was becoming an affliction." Her "affliction" manages to combine two worlds that seem almost impossible to reconcile: the midwest, specifically northern Minnesota, and New York City. But somehow, Thielen is able to connect them in a way that seems almost natural. At our recent #SaveurSuppers, she explains, "They're places that are polar opposites, but both are actually really severe and intense, and it's food that knits those two places together."

Her menu was a perfect reflection of this combination, and not only because of the food. The kitchen was packed with her past mentors, and they all cooked shoulder-to-shoulder. The night started with warm deviled eggs, chicken rillettes (made from chickens she raised and butchered herself), chef Galen Zamarra’s broiled oysters, and chef Edwin Bellanco’s delicious and addictive pulled pork mini tacos. Later in the evening, David Bouley served up a porcini flan with dungeness crab and black truffle dashi, followed by Shea Gallante’s vegetable ravioli. There was also plenty of meat: Thielen served pork loin and a big plate of roasted babyback ribs.

As we finished the last course, Amy explained why she wrote the book, saying, “I learned a lot about cooking, but I needed to put it together, so by writing the book I tried to figure it all out, and I think I did.” Yeah, we think so too.

Everyone was ready to celebrate Amy Thielen's new book, Give a Girl a Knife.
"There's too much pie!" - Nobody ever
SAVEUR Editor in Chief Adam Sachs laughs with Amy Thielen
From left to right: Chef Edwin Bellanco, Chef Galen Zamarra, Chef Shea Gallante, Chef Amy Thielen, and Chef David Bouley.
Cocktail hour, courtesy of Stefan Trummer cocktails
This spinach salad was packed with turnips, which went perfectly with the horseradish dressing
The chefs toast to Amy's successful supper
Publisher Greg Gatto with Christophe Attard and his wife Nefissa Attard
A guest gets another glass of Brash Higgins wine
Writer Gabriella Gershenson, Eater editor at large Helen Rosner, and SAVEUR deputy editor Andrew Richdale pause for a photo
The second dessert of the evening: Kalvdans made with colostrum
Chef Amy Thielen with her husband Aaron Spangler, Thielen's agent Janis Donnaud, and writer Raquel Pelzel
Amy Thielen with one of her mentors, David Bouley
It's not easy being green. Unless you're this Celery Collins, one of the night's three Stefan Trummer cocktails.

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