Michael Symon Dishes on Dan’s Taste of Two Forks

Dan’s Taste of Two Forks presented by Farrell Building Company, the not-to-be-missed foodie event of the summer, returns to Sayre Park in Bridgehampton on July 18. Featuring a who’s who of local culinary culture, the event will be co-hosted by celebrity chef Michael Symon, star of ABC’s The Chew. Symon, a James Beard award-winning chef, will helm the event with Katie Lee, co-host of Food Network’s The Kitchen.

A Cleveland native who runs numerous restaurants in and around C-Town, including the popular Lola, which was named one of America’s Best Restaurants in 2010 by Gourmet magazine, Symon is a big advocate of eating local. “The less distance food has to travel, the fresher it is, the smaller the carbon footprint, and it also helps strengthen the local economy—it’s a win-win-win to eat and buy local,” says Symon. Symon was the first chef to host the non-annual Farm Aid benefit concert, which raises money to help support family farmers across the U.S. Here, Symon discusses hosting Taste of Two Forks and dishes on his favorite eats.

How do you feel about hosting Dan’s Taste of Two Forks?
I’m excited to be hosting Dan’s Taste of Two Forks—it’s a great event with so many talented local winemakers and chefs.

What are you most looking forward to the night of the event?
Working with local purveyors and wineries.

This year Katie Lee is your co-host. What can guests expect to see from the two of you?
Just a general good time, Katie is wonderful!

What does the phrase “local” mean to you, and why is eating locally so important?
I’m all about supporting farmers and purveyors within the community—the less distance food has to travel, the fresher it is, the smaller the carbon footprint, and it also helps strengthen the local economy—it’s a win-win-win to eat and buy local.

One dish everyone should try at least once:
Oh man, this is a tough question, so I’ll go with something from my Greek routes: Moussaka. It is the ultimate Greek comfort food and was one of my favorites growing up. It’s basically a baked casserole of ground lamb, eggplant and creamy béchamel.

Where do you find inspiration?
Recently my wife, Lizzie, went vegetarian, which has really inspired me to cook with less meat than I have in the past. I’ve been finding tons of creative ways to build big flavors with vegetarian ingredients.

What are your favorite local ingredients?
Whatever is in season is usually the best. Corn, peaches, tomatoes, berries, you name it.

Come join Michael Symon, Katie Lee and nearly 70 restaurants, wineries and purveyors at Dan’s Taste of Two Forks! Dan’s Taste of Summer kicks off with Dan’s GrillHampton presented by Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors on Friday, July 17, and continues on Saturday, July 18, with Dan’s Taste of Two Forks presented by Farrell Building Company, both at Sayre Park, 156 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton. For tickets, visit DansTaste.com.