Lefty Fourchette, cuisinière

Lefty Fourchette est dans sa cuisine creating her prix fixe, table d’hôte, holiday menu.

- TODD NELSON

It promises gustatory revelations. De rigeuer. Comme d’habitude, for the wee future Michelin chef, though she eschews the customary toque. She’s working on her fine dining motor skills, measuring her meals with plastic spoons. She is veritably on top of the stove. And she’s giving her family a sneak peek by hosting a special tasting— all just 20 months into her cordon bleu schooling. Reservations are going fast.

Ever since she moved into her petite practice kitchen, she’s been working on sauces (Bechamel, Meuniere, des Tomates), roulades, sundry amusebouche, hors d’oeuvres, pasta, crème caramel, and Proustian madeleines. The madeleines especially are just as one remembers. Buche de noel could be on the holiday menu too! La bouche de Lefty is an infallible guide to delight. Some day she will be able to say these words, and order off an à la carte menu. For now, “umami” is her favorite word and she repeats it all day long like a mantra. Or is it “yo, mama?” Sometimes her pronunciation is difficult to understand, as when she is twirling her pasta between mouthfuls. We just say, “Yes, chef!”