Dog lover, dumpling addict and overall rock star, Chef Anita Lo is the chef/owner of Annisa, an award-winning restaurant in NYC. Anita generously gives her time and talents to No Kid Hungry and still manages to hang with industry friends, visiting the city’s newest restaurants. Anita Lo has served as Culinary Co-Chair of Night Out for No Kid Hungry in NYC for the past two years and is reprising her role in 2017. She is always eager to rally fellow chefs across the country to stand with her in support of No Kid Hungry. From private auction dinners to our large spring fundraiser, you can find Anita sharing her strength in the hopes of ending childhood hunger. We couldn’t appreciate her more.
Why did you become a chef? How long have you been cooking?
I became a chef because it dovetailed nicely with my degree in French--I figured going to work in a French restaurant would be a good way to keep up my language skills! And what else can you do with a French degree? I love working with my hands, and I'm naturally a night owl, so the industry suited me. But in the end, I really got into it because I love to eat.
What is your most memorable experience in the kitchen?
That’s hard to say. Maybe when I was at Bouley slicing scallops that were so fresh they were still moving around the edges? Maybe working in Paris at L'Espadon and having the whole kitchen explode with the scent of black truffle when a single one was cut across the room? Maybe cooking with Mary, my better half, on the line at Annisa and having everything go right? There have been so many.
What ingredients will we always find in your kitchen? Do you have seasonal favorites?
You'll always find shiso in my kitchen at Annisa. It’s such a pretty flavor. And of course I have seasonal favorites like Frog Hollow Farm's warren pears and kabocha in the fall. In the summer, I love corn from Long Island. The list could go on forever.
How did you become involved with No Kid Hungry?
For chefs there are many opportunities to work with charities and Share Our Strength is a big one. My good friend Moira Sedgwick helped me get more involved, including bringing me in as a co-culinary chair of Night Out for No Kid Hungry.
Do you have a favorite memory from your involvement with No Kid Hungry?
I went down to New Orleans with No Kid Hungry earlier this year to see their work on the ground. It was so inspiring to see breakfast in the schools, cooking classes and the Edible Schoolyard, which Share Our Strength helped to support. Sometimes cooking for charities can almost feel theoretical or rote because we do so many a year, but experiencing No Kid Hungry’s work firsthand was a true privilege.
Why is ending childhood hunger important to you?
It’s a basic and critical need. And filling the need impacts our future.
What are your family’s holiday food traditions?
My parents have passed away, so we've created our own traditions. I love cooking Thanksgiving on Long Island, though I've decided I really only like that cylinder of canned cranberry puree from my youth! And, I always make foie gras dressing.
Would you be interested in sharing that recipe with us?
Of course!
Foie Gras and Maitake Bread Pudding
Anita Lo, Annisa
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts stale plain French baguettes, bottom crusts removed and diced (not sourdough)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups hen of the woods mushrooms, cleaned
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 8 oz foie gras mousse, roughly cubed
- 3-4 cups chicken stock (more or less, depending on dryness of the bread)
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
In a small sauté pan, sweat the onion in the butter on medium low heat, stirring until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add to a bowl with the cubed bread. Sauté the hen of the woods mushrooms with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms to cubed bread mixture. Add remaining ingredients, stir, allowing bread to soak up the chicken stock. The bread should be quite wet, but no stock should pool at the bottom—you may need to let the mixture sit a bit, then stir again so that the bread soaks up the liquid. Add more stock as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings. Place in a shallow baking dish and bake at 375° until golden brown and crispy on the top, about 45 minutes. Serve in the baking dish.
