Catching Up with Yvan Lemoine

When you’re meeting New York based chef and mixologist Yvan Lemoine for a cocktail, you know you’re going to have a good time … and a worthy drink. Yvan Lemoine, the finalist in the most recent (and last!) season of The Next Food Network Star on Food Network is far from cocky, in fact, he’s one of the most humble and hard working chefs/mixologists in the world of celebrity chefs.

What’s most important to him? It remains, as it always has, to be family, friends and good food. What’s instantaneously gravitating about Yvan is his mixture of boyish charm, inventive culinary chops and appreciation for his Venezuelan roots, all of which reflect his style as a chef and personality as a man. Having moved to the United States from Venezuela when he was 13, Yvan’s interest in food spurred him to high-end experiences with notable chefs such as Jacques Torres and Rocco DiSpirito, but what remains his inspiration and sense of stability, is his support network.

His debut cookbook, Comida U.S.A. is a collection of American favorites written for the Spanish-speaking audience he’s so passionate about, one of the first in a vastly needed market. The recipes, elaborated and elevated versions of the food Americans eat on a daily basis, demonstrate Yvan’s combination of American classics and Latin roots. He writes about what he grew up eating and experimenting with, combining his heritage into his current life within the circle of New York City food.

Yvan is all about the experience; atmosphere, mood, lighting, ambiance, cocktails, patrons, and of course, food. In case he wasn’t busy enough with the close of his reality show triumph and cookbook. Yvan’s latest restaurant adventure, in combination with the Tao Team and BLT American Brassiere, is The Arlington Club, located in New York’s Cassa Hotel. Yvan explains the concept as a combination of high-end sushi and steak presented in a unique and modern way. There will be incredible cocktails, inventive yet comforting food, and a good time. Just like Yvan.

Creamy Tomato Soup

Get the full recipe.

Turducken

• 1 red apple
• 1 head plus 3 cloves garlic
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1 turkey (10 to 12 pounds), de-boned (except for the drumstick and wings)
• 1 duck (3 to 4 pounds), de-boned
• 1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds), de-boned
• 1 pound butter
• 2 shallots, peeled
• 10 sprigs fresh parsley
• 5 sprigs fresh rosemary

Get full recipe and ingredient list.