Coconut and blood orange mini cupcakes

Last week at the 60th Berlinale Film Festival, the lovely Alice Waters asked a few of us Chez Panisse alums to join her in making a meal overlooking the Brandenburg Gate. The occasion was to honour her friend, the incredible artist Christina Kim who is the creator of the beautiful and socially responsible clothing company DOSA. Based in L.A., Christina makes the softest scarves in the world and the lady knows how to wear neon pink like nobody (see below)! This year the Berlinale commissioned her to make a curtain to cover the Brandenburg Gate that was then pulled back for the opening of the festival to reveal a newly remastered print of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.

The Mayor of Berlin came along with the Berlinale’s entire international jury and Tilda Swinton too. She looks so stunning in real life, you just feel like jumping in a trash can. But she is completely cool and bohemian and she brought her adorable kids who gobbled down the mini cupcakes!

Watching the curtain go up

The curtain

Metropolis at the Brandenburg Gate

view from the dining room

It was freezing, but we wore our vintage furs and new fleeces and puffer jackets to source organic food from the Berlin area for the dinner. Here are some pics for you of the process.

David Tanis and David Lindsay choose the best veg for our lasagna

Our menu

Best rosé in the world x

Spinach pasta

Black truffles for the creamy sauce

The spinach and kale lasagna with truffle cream

I served my apple galettes with buttermilk ice cream. I LOVE German buttermilk