Angie Mar of the Beatrice Inn is among five chefs who will be battling it out at Cochon 555 on Sunday
Weylin B. Seymour’s
175 Broadway at Driggs Ave., Brooklyn
Sunday, January 24, $125 (5:00 entry) – $200 (4:00 VIP entry)
www.cochon555.com
www.weylinbseymours.com
New York City turns into New Porc City for the Cochon 555 culinary competition, in which five chefs — Justin Smillie of Upland, Hillary Sterling of Vic’s, Michael Poiarkoff of Vinegar Hill House, Angie Mar of the Beatrice Inn, and Danny Mena of Hecho en Dumbo — will battle it out over more than three dozen dishes that feature locally raised heritage breed pigs, seeking to become the Prince or Princess of Porc. The two thousand pounds of pig will be paired with wine, beer, and other spirits; there will also be such pop-up eateries and drinkeries as TIKI Isle, Luxe Butter Bar, Ramen Shop, Wines of Germany, and Swine & Sweets. The winemakers pouring potent potables are Abe Schoener Pax Mahle, Rajat Parr, Jeff Pisoni, and Paul Draper. Other highlights include a Welcome Punch Reception, an Artisan Cheese Bar, a Butcher Shop (with Jocelyn Guest and Erika Nakamura), a Vermouth Experience, a TarTare Bar (with Francis Derby), Seafood Shelf, Mezcal Expressions, and the Perfect Manhattan Bar, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Piggy Bank, which states, “By breaking down all the barriers and flattening out the distribution of knowledge, we will advance the mission of creating an ecosystem of improved education and knowledge sharing required by emerging farms to succeed.” General admission to Cochon 555 is $100 for 5:00 entry, but $200 gets you in an hour early so you can get first dibs on the food while also meeting the chefs and judges. The event, with fundraiser emcee Billy Harris, will culminate in an awards ceremony, followed by an after-party. In addition, the Piggy Bank Dinner Series will host an Asian Speakeasy late-night pop-up dinner at Hecho en Dumbo on January 22 ($130), with Chinese, Sichuan, Korean, Thai, and Japanese dishes.
“There are some stories which we are not only an audience to, but may become their participants,” Canadian journalist Joe Schlesinger says at the beginning of Matej Mináč and Patrik Pašš’s poignant, powerful documentary Nicky’s Family. Schlesinger is one of hundreds of Czech and Slovak men and women who, as children, were saved from the Nazis by unassuming Englishman Nicholas Winton on the eve of World War II. Winton’s story remained virtually unknown for sixty years, until his wife found a suitcase in the attic filled with documentation detailing her husband’s quiet heroism. Over the last fifteen years, the “British Schindler” has been celebrated around the world, being knighted by the queen, meeting many of the people he helped save, and inspiring children who are not directly part of “Nicky’s Family” to help others in what is called the “Winton virus of good.” It’s an unforgettable story centered around a man who didn’t set out to be a hero and still appears to be somewhat uncomfortable with all the accolades, which include being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The film interviews such members of Nicky’s Family as Alice Masters, Ben Abeles, Liesl Silverstone, Dr. Lenata Laxova, Tom Berman, and Tom Schrecker, who have made significant contributions to society that might have never happened had they not been rescued as children by Winton. Director-producer-cowriter Mináč and producer-cowriter-editor Pašš include unnecessary staged re-creations of some of the events of 1938 that actually detract from the central narrative, and the documentary overplays the emotional card in its final scenes, but it tells a story that needs to be told, of a remarkable man who, up to his recent death at the age of 106, continued to be an inspiration and proved that one person can indeed make a difference. Nicky’s Family is screening on January 26 at 7:00 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage and will be followed by a Q&A with Winton’s daughter, Barbara Winton, author of If It’s Not Impossible: The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton, and Budd Mishkin.
