The best way to understand and appreciate other cultures? Tasting them.
Such is the philosophy of a Manhattan dinner party, entitled Fishmongers, Not Fearmongers, which Luke's Lobster president Ben Conniff will be hosting to celebrate his birthday on March 16.
On the menu: Four seafood courses inspired by the immigrants who helped create them, from Cambodia to Cuba and beyond, all created with donated ingredients.
Guests will feast on Turkish Stuffed Mussels (mussels donated by Bangs Island Mussels), Seared Scallop Num Pang (scallops donated by Downeast Dayboat), Croquetas de Langosta (lobster croquettes, with lobster donated by Luke's Lobster) and Shrimp Matfi (shrimp in a Yemeni-style spiced tomato sauce, with shrimp donated by Luke's Lobster). Other donations from Baldor Speciality Foods and Sir Kensington's will help allow 100% of the ticket sales from the feast to be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union.
"The idea for the dinner occurred to me at the rally in Battery Park the weekend of the first immigration ban," Conniff said. "It meant a lot to me to be among the passionate masses, but I also knew I could do more than just be a voice in the crowd."
Though he's not a legal professional, or an attorney for that matter, Conniff is a seafood expert, and he wanted to use his expertise to help support immigrants and refugees. "I just starting thinking about how I could use my seemingly irrelevant skills and network to provide meaningful support to people on the front lines in this critical cause," Conniff said. Seafood skills are hardly irrelevant when they're creating a memorable feast for a good cause.
To create the menu, Conniff considered the seafood he loves most and works with most frequently, and then imagined which international dishes worked with those types of fish.
"I didn't want to focus on banned countries alone, because as soon as one nation or culture is targeted, everyone's rights are endangered," Conniff said. "So from Yemeni shrimp dishes my thoughts opened up to Cambodia, where many of the most skilled Maine shellfish pickers hail from; to Turkey, where my culinary director, Lauren, had an amazing stuffed mussel dish that inspired her...and on from there."
Dish by dish, the feast will pay homage to immigrant cooks who have built America's rich and diverse palate and food culture.
"I hope diners leave the dinner remembering how much of the hard work, ingenuity, and rich flavor that we all take for granted in America comes from the immigrant community and their descendants," Conniff said.
Fishmongers, Not Fearmongers will take place on Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at Jimmy's No. 43 (43 E 7th St. New York, NY). Tickets are $50 per person and 100% of ticket sales will be donated to the ACLU.
