The biggest food news in Missoula this week is the inclusion of Paul Myers of Restaurant 515 on the long list of nominees being considered for the coveted James Beard Award given annually by the James Beard Foundation.Myers was nominated in the "Best Chef-Northwest" category - arguably one of the most difficult groups in which to stand out since there are so many talented chefs in the Northwest region.
For the last five years, Seattle and Portland have dominated the category, and lesser-known places like Missoula have yet to make it to the party.
Both of Myers' mentors in food and fine dining have also made the long list this year: Molecular gastronomy pioneer Wylie Dufresne of "WD-50 Restaurant" - famous for serving better food through chemistry - was nominated in the category for "Best Chef-New York City," and Tom Douglas of Seattle's Tom Douglas Restaurants (which includes eateries like Dahlia Lounge and Palace Kitchen) was nominated for "Outstanding Restaurateur."
Myers stands alone in Montana as the only chef in the state nominated for the distinguished culinary award this year.
Last year, Big Sky's Rainbow Ranch Lodge made the top 20, but the long list was not released.
Myers said he knows many of the chefs from Seattle and Portland who received nods this year, and considers it an honor to be in such exalted company.
"It would be great to make it to the final five and get to go to the ceremony," said Myers, "but chances are the people on that committee will not have eaten at 515."
Myers said he feels deserving of being on the list because of the kind of menu he said he is doing in relation to other nominees. But he also credited his nod to the fact that Greg Patent, the 2003 James Beard Foundation book award winner and Missoulian columnist, has been a supporter from Day One.
Patent, he said, is also on the nominating committee for the awards this year.
In the week since Myers confirmed that his appearance on the long list is not just a dream or rumor, he continues to cook - and pinch himself.
"It's such a significant honor. It validates what we're doing," said Myers.
The James Beard Foundation will officially announce its top five contenders in each category on March 24.
Cross your fingers for this local boy. A nod for top five bodes well for Missoula's dining scene.
High-concept cooking aside, Missoula has too little ethnic variety in the way of restaurants offering authentic foods from foreign lands.
So many people - such as myself - are transplants from larger cities. Finding several restaurants in each ethnic category wouldn't be unusual in a larger metropolitan area.
When I moved here from southern California, I felt deprived for years that I couldn't find meaty Indian food swathed in cream and ghee. (Tipu's Tiger, an Indian restaurant here, for years offered only vegetarian fare.) My husband and I were so desperate, we'd forge weekend trips to Spokane just for a taste of creamy tikka masala or korma.
Learning how to cook Indian has saved a lot of gas in recent years.
So it goes without saying that this Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m., I'll be in ethnic food heaven as the 2008 International Festival kicks off at the University Center on campus.
The University of Montana is home to more than 500 international students. Festival organizer Mona Mondava said the university recruits internationally on a regular basis.
She said the international festival is a way for community members to acquaint themselves with the various cultures represented here.
I caught up with Raj Kailasam, from the South and Southeast Asian Cultural Organization, to talk shop about Indian cooking. For the third year running, he is bringing his delectable Tandoori Chicken recipe to the table to raise money for this large student group.
Along with the tandoori, he said that festivalgoers can also sample traditional Daal - a lentil and tomato-based vegan dish - and Aloo Mutter's Potatoes and Peas.
I find Indian cooking interesting because it seems to supercede most of what we understand about taste here in this country.
It's all about layering and bursts of flavor at staggered times, which Westerns often confuse with heat, Kailasam said. Our palates are unfamiliar with a lot of the spices used in his native land, he said.
Kailasam has an advantage going into the festival because it isn't as hard to describe what Indian food is to most folks, since it's become one of the most popular choices of Asian ethnic food in the United States in recent years.
Dara Laobeul, from Chad in central Africa, isn't as lucky.
He says he has a harder time describing food from his native continent to people in Missoula because most here have no frame of reference for African fare.
Laobeul, who is a graduate student in mathematics, said he thinks the festival is a great opportunity for people to experience African food for the first time.
"They don't have to go to Seattle or Portland to taste the food," he said.
Check out Alloco - fried plantain - and a lovely dish called Muru.
Both students said the festival is a chance for those who want to learn how to cook dishes from places like Ethiopia, Senegal, or the Ivory Coast to connect with students willing to share authentic recipes.
Both in India and in Africa, food varies from region to region. A plate of korma in Madras will taste much different from a plate of korma served in Delhi.
"That's what makes it interesting," said Kailasam.
Regional crops, preparation traditions, and overall interpretation of a dish can create very different results, both students agreed.
New to the festival this year, according to festival food coordinator Scott Gray, is the Gaelic Society.
Entry fee for the event, which includes cultural activities, is just $2 for adults and $1 for children.
Small food plates average between $2 and $3. Try to save room for a treat or two and the ethnic bake sale on the third floor of the UC.
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