I am co-conceiving a dinner that takes a new look at the “local” (info in next post) with Michael Connor and Alex Freedman at The Artist’s Institute (Anthony Huberman/Hunter College space in the LES) on Monday Jan 16. A lot of amazing people were involved –

– Environmental artist Oliver Kellhammer helped us forage at Marine Park, thanks to good tips from Wildman Steve Brill

– Andrew Nundel, a forager in Gloucester MA , whom I met through the Forage Ahead Yahoo Group generously donated his stash of frozen Japanese knotweed

– The chefs Lauryn and Albert from Lucullan Foods are fabulous and exciting to be around, they know so much are are truly adventurers

– and Bun Lai, the owner and genius behind New Haven’s Miya’s Sushi, whom I found through this  GOOD article:  “When Life Gives You Invasive Species, Make Sushi”  that  10 different people sent me. Bun Lai is a gustatory superhero.
Here’s the text he sent Michael today:

I just finished foraging.  I caught roughly fifty Asian shore crabs, thirty wild oysters and a bunch of wild rock seaweed.   I also made you all five bottles of sake from fresh pine needles.  Native Americans used to eat the inner cambrium of pine during winter months when scurvy would be a problem because pine contains a lot of vitamin c.

Check out Bun Lai’s blog