Serving up Kindness;
Duo surprises restaurant patrons with `Random Apps'
By Mat Schaffer
Previous Article | Back to Media Index | Next Article
Serving up Kindness;
Duo surprises restaurant patrons with `Random Apps'
By Mat Schaffer
Julia Shanks and David Karp are making the world
happier, one plate at a time. Since October, the two friends have been
surprising strangers at restaurants with the gift of a free appetizer. They
chronicle these ``Random Apps of Kindness'' on their blog,
www.randomappsofkindess.com.
Shanks is chef/owner of Interactive Cuisine, a company that offers corporate
team-building through cooking lessons; Karp is a software marketer. When the two
go out to dine, they peruse both the menu and their fellow patrons.
``You try to read the customer and figure out what they'd enjoy,'' Shanks
explained. ``The idea is that it's supposed to be a treat for the person - if
they're getting a dish that they don't like or they don't want to be intruded
upon it defeats the purpose of the kindness.''
``We have two rules,'' Karp added. ``Nothing that looks like a couple on a date.
And mother-daughter pairs are good.''
There's also an element of serendipity. Some Random App recipients might be the
next people who walk through the door.
At B&G Oysters, one recent evening, they happened to be Rebecca Roth, a chef,
and her longtime friend, law student Pratt Wiley. Shanks and Karp debated what
to send over. Fried Buffalo rock shrimp or seared bay scallops with pear brown
butter and celery root?
The scallops won out. ``We don't know what looks good to them, so we have to go
with what looks good to us,'' Karp said.
Good choice. ``I love bay scallops,'' cooed Roth, after dinner when she came
over to thank Shanks and Karp. Everyone began talking.
``Some people really get into it and it's a conversation starter,'' Shanks said.
``You get to meet new people and hear their stories.''
``We're widening the circle and sharing the wealth,'' Karp chimed in. ``We're
doing our best to spread the gospel.''
Successfully. When Roth saw a familiar face at a neighboring table, she and
Wiley sent over a gratis butterscotch sundae. But when the person left before
the dessert could be delivered, it went, instead, to Shanks and Karp.
``They were paying it forward,'' said Shanks. ``How interesting would it be if
this caught on?''
B&G OYSTERS' BAY SCALLOPS WITH PEAR BROWN BUTTER, CELERY ROOT AND BABY BRUSSELS
SPROUTS
3 Bartlett pears
2 c. white wine
1/2 c. sugar
1 bay leaf
1/4 lb. unsalted butter
1 medium celery root (celeriac), peeled and diced
1/4 lb. pancetta, diced
1/4 lb. baby Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed and cut in half
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb. bay scallops, muscles removed
Peel and core the pears and cut into slivers. Place the pears in a saucepan with
the sugar, white wine and bay leaf; cook, over medium heat, for about 15 minutes
until the pears are cooked through and translucent. Strain and remove the bay
leaf.
In a small saute pan, over medium high heat, cook the butter until it turns
brown and has a nutty appearance, about 8 minutes. Puree the pears and butter in
a blender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, saute the pancetta over low heat until it renders all its fat.
Strain, discard the fat and cool.
In a saucepan, cover the diced celery root with salted water and cook, over
medium heat, until tender but not mushy, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and
cool.
Drop the Brussels sprouts into salted boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain
and pat dry.
Salt and pepper the scallops.
Film two saute pans with canola oil and heat over high heat. When almost
smoking, place the scallops in one pan. Cook on one side for 30 seconds without
moving, then shake the pan and cook the scallops another 30 seconds.
In the second pan, quickly reheat the pancetta, celery root and Brussels
sprouts.
Decoratively place a line of pear butter on four plates. Top with the celery
root-Brussels sprouts saute and the scallops. Serves 4.
B&G OYSTERS' BUTTERSCOTCH SUNDAE
1 lb. butterscotch chips
2 c. heavy cream
1 qt. French vanilla ice cream
Miniature marshmallows
Whipped cream
In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butterscotch chips and heavy cream until
thoroughly combined. Set aside, keeping warm.
Divide the ice cream in 4 bowls, sprinkle with the marshmallows and cover with
warm butterscotch sauce. Garnish with whipped cream. Serves 4.
(B&G Oysters makes its own ice cream and uses homemade meringue chips instead of
marshmallows.)
B&G Oysters, 550 Tremont St. (South End), Boston; 617-423-0550.