Honeysuckle cocktail created by Aisha Sharpe of Contemporary Cocktails for the event.

Because of my not-so-secret foodie crush for Grant Achatz, my husband, Willy, and I went to the panel Gender Confusion: Unraveling the Myths of Gender in the Restaurant Kitchen held at the Astor Center Monday night. The panel included not only my favorite molecular gastro-genius of Alinea, but also heavy-hitters Dana Cowin of Food & Wine, Ed Levine of Serious Eats, and writer Gwen Hyman.

Panelists were presented with five courses, each consisting of two preparations of the same main ingredient (say squab or pasta + asparagus), one by a male and one by a female chef. The question: could the panelists tell if each dish was the man’s or the woman’s? (more…)