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Desmond-Fish Library Announces Hosts for Literary Lions - Dinner At Eight! Events
The Desmond Fish Library announced the names of the hosts who will open their homes to the highest bidders in its upcoming Silent Auction of literary-themed private Dinners. The series of dinners, called Literary Lions - Dinner at Eight!, is part of the Library's 13th annual Gala Associates Dinner to be held at The Garrison on Sunday, June 3rd. Chair Betty E. Green and Co-Chair Nicole Jandrucko express their gratitude to these supporters of the Library for serving as hosts, underwriting the costs, and for putting on display their culinary skills:
Inspired by author Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim, Naomi Brantjes will create Indonesia's elegant native dish, Rijsttafel, which consists of 12 - 18 small courses, which she learned to make when she married husband Rob in Indonesia over thirty years ago. Naomi's talent as a cook and baker are wellknown in Philipstown - she and Rob look forward to welcoming guests to their new home in Dicks Castle.
Cary Downey's spanking new contemporary Hudson River home, adjacent to the Chapel of our Lady in Cold Spring, is architect Jamie Copeland's rendering and realizing of Cary's dream, his This Side of Paradise (by F. Scott Fitzgerald), with its sweeping views of West Point, Storm King, and Cornwall. Joan Downey, notable cook and Downey family matriarch, will provide a memorable dinner.
Based on Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's, Dorothy and Jim Klein's dinner at East Point, their riverfront home on Indian Brook Road, is appropriately named Dinner at Tiffany's because their home is a veritable homage to Louis Tiffany's artistry, containing at last count, nineteen of his lamps. A bonus for the eyes and for art lovers: a vast collection of 19th century Hudson River School paintings.
High above the Hudson on Beverly Warren Road is a house made three-fourths of glass, bringing indoors the out-ofdoors which one sees from every room. Designed by Joe Chapman for himself, the structure exemplifies "modernist simplicity, harmony, and proportion at their most pristine." The views are breathtaking. Joe, a consummate world traveler, is a gourmet cook and will create an authentic Curry with its multitude of condiments. Welcome to E.M.Forster's A Passage to India.
Constructed in the Federalist style in 1850, the classic townhouse of realtor Robert McCaffrey - located directly across from his office on Cold Spring's Main Street - is elegantly furnished in its three floors of living space. There's also a gym in the basement. Bob, a knowledgeable raconteur, welcomes guests to an evening of fine wines, exceptional cuisine, and amusing tales of historic and present day Garrison and Cold Spring. Hence, The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton.
The Gilded Age (by Mark Twain) lasted in America until the early 20th century and is represented to near-perfection by Wyndune, the estate located on Rte. 403 built in 1878 by Samuel P. Sloan as a wedding gift to his daughter. The influence of the English landscape designer, Fletcher Steele, on the plantings and grounds is evident. Liza Bailey and Michael Musgrave have spent over two years restoring Wyndune to its former Gilded Age glory and promise a fitting and splendid dinner.
Isak Dinesen's Babette's Feast serves as inspiration for John D. Svirsky. A tittle known fact: John received training as a chef at The Culinary Institute. Drinks will be enjoyed in a gazebo in Jeanne Livingston's (Mrs. Svirsky) colorful flower garden and dinner will follow in their hillside home on Old Manitou Road overlooking the Hudson River. It is John's pleasure to consult in advance with the winning bidders in preparing the menu and will include favorite dishes if requested.
Two extraordinary contemporary homes for the price of one! Inspired by Ayn Rand's bestseller The Fountainhead, the two locations represent the essence of modernity. Architect Frank Dushin's mountaintop home built for Virginia and Peter Sirusas on Old Albany Post Road is the setting for dinner - a Lobster Feast prepared by Peter, for which he is justly famous. The home boasts a gallery of contemporary art connecting its two wings. The evening begins earlier with drinks and hors d'oeuvres served at the home of Bill Sadler and Bill Hicks on Avery Road. Designed by Joe Chapman in the International Contemporary style, The Bills' home is a trove of antiques and overlooks both a unique stream garden and Indian Brook.
Bidding in the Silent Auction for each of the literarythemed dinners will start at a minimum bid of $500. Each of the dinners is planned for six guests; additional persons cannot be accommodated. The winning bids will be announced at the start of the Dessert Course at the Associates Dinner. For tickets and further information, please call the Desmond Fish Library at 424-3020.
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