Jean-Louis Palladin Foundation

Chef Jean-Louis Palladin, master of classical and contemporary French cuisine, is acknowledged throughout the culinary community as having had a great influence on American chefs as well as French cuisine. The search for the highest quality American produce led Jean-Louis to a long relationship with Browne Trading's Rod Mitchell. The pairing of Rod's research and sourcing expertise with the culinary genius of Jean-Louis created many new and unusual seafood products and preparations for the American gourmet.

Following Chef Palladin's death in 2001, the Jean-Louis Palladin Foundation was formed in 2002 to preserve his memory and continue his legacy of passionate cooking. Part of the Foundation's mission is to promote learning among young chefs by increasing their understanding of sources for high-quality ingredients.

As a member of the Founding Board of Directors for the Foundation, Rod was pleased to assist and the Rod and Cynde Mitchell Internship was formed. This week long Trade Internship provides the awardee the opportunity to work within our business, to experience first-hand how fish and caviar is selected and handled, and to work with the dayboat fisherman and scallop divers off the coast of Maine during the height of the winter diver scallop harvest.

To learn more about the Jean-Louis Foundation please click here.

To read about our interns' experiences, please click here.

Browne Trading on The Fretz Kitchen

Browne Trading Company is regularly featured on The Fretz Kitchen, a culinary program that features awarding-winning chefs from around the country. The program is televised to over 21 million viewers throughout New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Florida, and nationwide on the DISH Network.

In August of 2005, Cynde and Rod Mitchell were pleased to host The Fretz Kitchen at their island home in Maine. Chefs Eric Ripert of LeBernardin, Chef Edward Brown of The Sea Grill, and Chef David Pasternack of Esca were all invited to the Mitchell's kitchen to demonstrate their culinary talents on film for The Fretz Kitchen.

"Of all the joys of exquisite food, perhaps the greatest is the opportunity to share the experience with friends. The following photographs were taken at our home during filming of the Fretz Kitchen Tips & Techniques in August of 2005." - Cynde Mitchell

Chef Eric Rippert of Le Bernardin is firmly established as one of New York City's and the nation's top chefs. Accolades include 4 stars from The New York Times, the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant of the Year, and the 2003 James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef in the US. In 2005, Chef Ripert expanded his consulting endeavor by partnering with the Ritz Carlton to open two restaurants bearing his name at the Ritz Carlton Resort and Residence Grand Cayman as well as continuing to consult on properties in California, Miami Beach and New York City.

Says Chef: "Rod Mitchell and Browne Trading very simply offer the best quality products on the market. I rely on the quality of Browne Trading's seafood everyday at my restaurant. Visiting Maine and spending time with Rod and his team this summer gave me the opportunity to see the products at their source and made me appreciate the dedication and commitment of Rod to bringing the best products to market."

Chef Edward G. Brown, executive chef of The Sea Grill in New York since 1994, has impressive talents for bringing out the best in seafood. His philosophy has always been to serve the freshest seafood possible by sourcing local waters and searching the country for perfect ingredients. He is one of only a few chefs honored with membership in the prestigious French Vatel Club and is one of 200 North America's Outstanding Chefs, an honor bestowed by the Chefs in American Awards Foundation.

"It was a great honor to see first hand, the commitment to quality and service at the source," says Chef Brown, "amazing quality product was everywhere. Spending time with Rod and his family as well as the extended family at Browne was a great experience, it is truly a team effort with a common goal of providing the best products and services. Cooking is my passion, cooking fish in particular is my love…Rod and his team get it!"

Chef David Pasternack's first taste of cooking came at the Jolly Fisherman in Rosyln, NY where he spent a year before moving on to Provence in Manhattan. Since opening the restaurant Esca with partners Mario Batali, Joseph Bastianich and Simon Dean, Dave has received a great deal of attention form the press and received many industy accolades. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper and magazine articles, has been featured in The New York Times, Chef Series, and has starred in a TV Food Network special with Ruth Reichel, the editor of Gourmet Magazine. Esca was one of five nominees for the James Beard Foundation's "Best New Restaurant in America" and in 2004, Chef Pasternack won the "Best Chef in New York" award from the James Beard Foundation.

"One thing about working with Rod is knowing his ability to go out and seek unique products that no one else has. He is the supplier of fish. We've been friends for 15 years, and with Rod it's more than a professional relationship - our families are friends."

In March of 2006, Browne Trading Company's Chef Jason Kennedy joined the program and demonstrated the culinary construction of a Lobster Caviar Tower, along with Prosciutto Wrapped Cod with Littleneck Clams.

To learn more about The Fretz Kitchen and see the recipes prepared by these chefs on the program, please click here.

The James Beard Foundation and James Beard House Dinners and Workshops

The James Beard Foundation is a world renowned non profit organization that is dedicated to recognizing culinary excellence. The James Beard House in New York hosts dinners for the public prepared by top chefs from restaurants from all over the country. In May 2006, Rod Mitchell and Chef Jason Kennedy were pleased to be included in the
Maine Event, a culinary showcase of chefs and purveyors from the state of Maine that celebrated the region's unique food culture.

To learn more about The James Beard Foundation, please
click here.