3 weeks Ago
This morning — Aug. 20, 2024 — we’re gathering to celebrate an incredible milestone: 70 years of ! And if you know Al, you know his favorite way to celebrate is with — so what better to way to honor him than with a morning filled with delicious dishes (and a drink) crafted for him by some of his favorite chefs? To kick things off, Matt Abdoo, chef and partner of restaurants, makes jalapeño-garlic ribs. “I know that Al loves his jalapeños, so I’m making him a unique and special rib and rub for his birthday,” says Abdoo.
“I’m topping it off with some ‘ ’ (aka candied jalapeños) to double down on all that jalapeño goodness for my buddy!” Abdoo offers him a sweeter take on ribs, too: His oven-baked baby back ribs with a finger-lickin’-good peach-honey glaze. Getting even more decadent with it, chef and restaurateur makes crispy pork rillons in a spicy sauce. “I know Al loves crispy bacon, and so do the French, but we have a different way to make pork crispy,” says Boulud.
“It is poached and then fried and seasoned with a sauce named after the devil: sauce diable.” For a lighter option, Boulud offers grilled chicken paillard with Southwestern-style toppings: corn salad and sweet pepper coulis. “Paillard is the best method for grilling a healthy and flavorful chicken breast (or veal),” he says.
“It is something very old-fashioned but never out of style because of its versatility — there are endless ways to garnish it.” Then, chef and restaurateur brings Al’s “taste buds to the beach for his birthday,” he says, by making jerk prawns with pineapple slaw and coconut sauce, as well as barbecue snapper with sweet corn grits and tomato salad, as a nod to the weatherman’s Bahamian roots. “This is something he can make for a big cookout that is so refreshing and perfect for summer grilling,” says Samuelsson.
“Grits are a staple of the Bahamian diet — and for good reason. They have a wonderfully creamy, rich texture that goes great with barbecue, and are they’re easy to whip up.” After all that flavorful food, it’s time to wash everything down with a drink.
Tim Sweeney, head bartender and partner at in New York City, takes Al’s favorite drink, the Aperol spritz, and turns it into a sour. “If the Aperol Spritz is Al’s favorite cocktail and an egg white sour is arguably my favorite cocktail, what better way to personally say ‘Happy 70th Birthday, Al!’ than by combining the two things?” says Sweeney. “The result is a tasty concoction that pops visually.
” For dessert, Jocelyn Delk Adams, founder of , whips up her “birthday cake of choice growing up”: strawberry shortcake. “I’ve been doing demos on TODAY for almost nine years. Over that time, I’ve developed a wonderful friendship with Al,” Delk Adams says, ending his birthday celebration on a sweet note.
“He is just such a wonderful light. There is never a time that I come on the show that he doesn’t ask how my mom is or check on my daughter. His energy and wonderful joy is something I look forward to.
” Happy birthday, Al! Hope it’s everything you’ve ever dreamed of eating!.
