Friday, October 11, 2013

For one night, America's favorite fast food @McDonalds went highbrow! #Photo Highlights from the #McDChefEvent



For one night America's favorite food went highbrow and gourmet, and I stand pleasantly surprised. Not that I'm surprised that McDonalds wasn't afraid to re-invent itself, but when I think gourmet they are not necessarily the first name that would have come to mind... Until now that is!

New York City Tastemakers, Press/Media, Bloggers, Nutritionists (and I even met a few dietitians and nurses in attendance) were all presented with a three course gourmet meal where Chefs came together to put a creative spin on the ingredients we all know and love.

Check out the menu:


Menu for the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event
Menu for the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event!




































Don't worry if the menu is a bit hard to decipher, here are the photos of the dishes with captions naming each dish below:

Kicking things off!


Table 15 Centerpiece at McDonald's 2013 Chef Event in New York City
I had to focus in on the floral centerpieces at Table 15 where I was seated!


Old Fashioned Cocktail with Applewood Smoked Bacon by Chef Jessica Faust, RD
Old Fashioned Cocktail with Applewood Smoked Bacon

Chef Jessica Foust, RD prepared the Cocktails and Hors D'oeuvres for the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event in New York City
Chef Jessica Foust, RD prepared the Cocktails and Hors D'oeuvres for the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event in New York City!

Above: This was the best Old Fashioned I have ever tasted! It Featured McDonald's Applewood Smoked Bacon as a Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry too and it was super flavorful and really delicious! So good in fact I forgot to sample or even photograph the other cocktail which was the Mango Pineapple Mojito that used McDonald's Mango Pineapple Smoothie as the Base! If only they added this to the menu at my local franchise location! LOL! This cocktail really does prove the theory that everything is better with bacon!

Chef Dale Talde discusses the inspiration behind his dish
Chef Dale Talde discusses the inspiration behind his dish, the Kung Pao Chicken Appetizer Pictured Below:


Kung Pao Chicken Appetizer by Chef Dale Talde at the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event in New York City
Kung Pao Chicken Appetizer by Chef Dale Talde!

Above: Chef Dale Talde presented us with a Kung Pao Chicken Appetizer featuring McDonald's Chicken McNuggets, Sweet and Sour Sauce, Rice Wine Vinegar, Peanuts and Iceburg Lettuce. YUM! (and I thought I could get creative in the kitchen at the end of the month!)

Chef James Tahhan discusses the inspiration for his dish pictured below
Chef James Tahhan discusses the inspiration for his dish pictured below

Entree One: Tortilla Española with Garlic and Saffron Aioli at the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event in New York City
Entree One: Tortilla Española with Garlic and Saffron Aioli with an Apple and Cucumber Chipotle Salad by Chef James Tahhan.

Above: Entree One by Chef James Tahhan was a Tortilla Española with Garlic and Saffron Aioli featuring McDonald's Hashbrowns, Eggs and Onions paired with an Apple and Cucumber Chipotle Salad with Cucumbers, Red Onions, Chili Lime Tortilla Strips, Fresh Limes, Spring Mix and Chipotle BBQ and Honey Sauces. Um, YES PLEASE!

Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr. discusses his inspiration for the dish pictured below at the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event in New York City
Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr. discusses his inspiration for the dish pictured below at the McDonald's 2013 Chef Event in New York City!


Entree Two: Bold BBQ Chicken by Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr.
Above: Entree Two was Bold BBQ Chicken prepared by Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr which featured McDonald's Crispy Chicken, Hashbrowns, Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Espresso, Cheddar Jack Cheese, Onions, Eggs, Applewood Smoked Bacon and the Salad included: Cucumbers, Red Onions, Tomato, Fresh Lime, Cilantro Lime Glaze, and Grill Seasoning! 

Entree Three: Slow-Cooked Beef with Blueberry Pomegranate Sauce prepared by Chef Jessica Foust who was already pictured above as she also prepared the Hors D'oeuvres and Cocktails.

Above: Entree Three was a Slow-Cooked Beef with Blueberry Pomegranate Sauce and Mac Fry Gnocchi featuring McDonald's French Fries, Eggs, Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie Base, Carrots and 100% Beef Ground that is the same that McDonald's uses for their hamburger patties!

McDonalds 2013 Chef Event New York City Dessert Pumpkin Spice Biznut Biscuit Donut by Chef Jessica Foust
Dessert Pumpkin Spice 'Biznut' (Biscuit Donut) by Chef Jessica Foust

Above: For Dessert Chef Jessica Foust prepared a Pumpkin Spice 'Biznut' (Biscuit-Donut hybrid) which featured McDonald's Biscuit Mix, Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup, Praline Topping, Cream Cheese and Whipped Cream. For those that know me I don't eat pumpkin flavored stuff and I don't tend to like Pralines much but I really enjoyed this and that was my absolute biggest surprise of the evening! Kudos to Chef Jessica she worked her tail off with the Cocktails, Hor D'oeuvres, Entree Three and Dessert all being done by her!

Big Mac inspired macaroons
Check out the Big Mac inspired macaroons in the little gift box on the left of the coffee cup for us to take home!

Above: See the cute gift box to the left of the coffee cup? That little big mac inside which replicates the details of an actual McDonald's Big Mac to the tee, is actually comprised of Macaroons! The pain staking detail was off the hook, and it was really good too! (and odd for me because I'm usually not a big Macaroon fan).

Left: ME! Ascending Butterfly, Center: Melanie from Melanie in the Middle Blog and Right: Rick Wion, Social Media Manager for McDonalds!


My Jacket and Dress pictured above are both by IGIGI by Yuliya! I am wearing the Aileen Dress, and the Jacket is the Monroe Jacket in Black. You can tweet with Rick and McDonalds on twitter at @GoMcD - and because I like to keep things entirely transparent, this is NOT a sponsored or compensated post in any way. Ascending Butterfly and Melanie are both RMHC Ambassadors, that Ambassadorship is a pro-bono one as well and it is NOT compensated! I was excited to be reunited with my team-mates from my recent Chicago Immersion Experience!

My Take:

I love events that help you see a brand you think you know in an entirely new light. This was unique, super creative and fun. I have always been a creative cook and that's what I appreciated most about this event, none of the ingredients weren't something you can't find and they were all ingredients that McDonald's uses daily, just prepared in a whole new way!

They have also been offering more 'healthy' choices on their menu and we learned that for 2014 you will have the choice of getting a side salad as an alternative to French Fries with an Extra Value Meal! I know many people have been asking about this for awhile now, they really are listening folks!

Which Dish would you have loved to try most? (Sorry it's been so long, hopefully they will come back for a giveaway soon!)


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FTC Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored or compensated post. No monetary compensation or other form of compensation was exchanged for our event recap coverage. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

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