This is a group for true food enthusiasts. This is for people who have so much to give, that all other food groups seem inadequate. This is for those who want both an outlet and an audience.

I want us to create extraordinary dishes together. Extraordinary does not necessarily mean complex. For me, it means bringing simple dishes back to their full glory.

When was the last time you had Bucatini all'Amatriciana that echoed of the fabled dish of Rome and Amatrice? When was the last time you had Spaghetti alle Vongole that tasted of the sea? When was the last time you had Risotto that was, if not sublime, at least correctly done?

I am not an extraordinary chef, but I do faithfully execute the Italian food tradition. For the group's introductory dinner, perhaps to be repeated yearly, you can expect the full progression of cucina italiana's brilliant series of courses: antipasto that reflects the season, primo to sooth the stomach, secondo to appease the appetite, contorno to provide balance, and formaggio e dolce to close.

My specialty is Italian, and that is all I can offer to this group. But this group is not about Italian cuisine. The purpose of this group is to prepare extraordinary meals together, and to honor the world's great food traditions.

I imagine this group to be a group of specialists. I would love for someone to demonstrate the depth of French cooking. I long to learn all the intricacies of Japanese cuisine. I want to meet not one, but three chefs to represent the food of China, so together, we can contrast and compare the difference between the dishes of Beijing, Sichuan, and Guangdong.

I don't imagine this group to be large, but I do expect its members to be faithful. Because if you're still reading this, you know how hard this is to come by.

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