Friends of Graza: Emma Macdonald & Rowan Spencer
The duo behind the MPC pop up series shares the chefs that inspire them, their top songs for cooking, and the raw scallop dish they can't stop thinking about.
Q: How would your describe yourself?
E+R: The two of us are behind Mon Petit Canard (MPC)— a pop-up series here in New York that came from our obsessions with hospitality, food, and music.
Q: What is your go-to dish to bring together a dinner party or WOW the guests?
E: I'd say a really good salad. At the moment a Caesar, but it could be a Niçoise, caprese, or something with radicchio, endive...endless possibilities depending on the season and always most fun to make for a group.
R: My favorite kind of cooking is generally slow cooking: roasts, stews, etc. And these also happen to be what I would suggest for cooking for friends, since the only time that really needs your attention is hours before anyone will arrive.
Q: What is something we can always find in your pantry?
E: Maldon.
R: Hot sauce(s).
Q: Who do you turn to, watch, or follow for food inspiration?
E: Maxime Padrié (Zimmi's in West Village) and Rosie Healy (Gloriosa in Glasgow) are two for sure. And I love seeing David Zilber's home cooking and Lauren Schofield's pastry wonders.
R: Fergus & Margot. F&@k That's Delicious. And anything Jp McMahon (Aniar in Galway) gets up to.
Q: A dish you feel describes, encapsulates, or reminds you of each other?
E: Hard to narrow down, but I would say something cozy like a perfect ragu.
R: A jambon-comté baguette!
Q: Can you give us your current five favorite songs to cook to or listen to while eating?
E: Definitely whatever Rowan is currently playing for us.
R:
Moodymann- "Don't You Want My Love"
Jeff Parker & ETA IVtet- "Freakadelic"
Anything from the 'Big Night' soundtrack!
Q: Do you lean more towards Drizzling or Sizzling?
E: Drizzling into an aioli or tonnato.
R: Sizzling for me.
Q: What's a dish you can't stop thinking about?
E + R: This is a shared answer: We just had a raw scallop nigiri at Hasaki in East Village that we've been thinking about a lot. MPC menus end up including a lot of small plates and seafood so, while we're not going to start making nigiri anytime soon, it could inspire something fun. We're also usually thinking about what shape the next au-poivre-inspired dish on a future menu of ours will take.
Q: What's on the horizon for you?
E: Very related! Japan! We're taking a belated honeymoon next month, and looking forward to the time away for a change in perspective on food, music, and design, and a chance to look ahead.
R: And we'll be back in time MPC's two-year anniversary: save the date for March 27, at Public Records where it all began.
