There I was, having lunch with Rich Labriola at his new cafe and bakery on Grand Ave. The chef, Chris Macchia, came over to say hello and when I asked him where he studied he said the Culinary Institute of America. Well, lo and behold! I had an award from them!
So I told them I was once a Celebrity Chef for the March of Dimes Gourmet Gala (you know I owned a catering business called The Happy Cooker, right?) and they were both shocked and asked the five Ws (who, what, where, when, why). I told them about my award-winning, first place dessert, Boccone Dolce (sweet mouthful in Italian).
Of course there's always more to the story...I grew up in New York and danced in the theatre district, and after shows we would hang out at the famous Sardi's restaurant. The actor Vincent Price (millennials are saying, "who??") was a gourmet cook, with cookbooks to his name and a great culinary reputation, and he made a signature dessert for Sardi's. I played with that recipe and adapted it for my catering functions.
When Rich heard the story, he said, "Make one for us and if we like it, I'll put it on the menu and name it after you."
And the rest, as they say, is history!
It is debuting on the menu as Mikki's Trifle,