Asparagus Soup

If you said "asparagus soup" to me, I would probably yawn and go back to searching for a good recipe for butterstoch-miso or chocolate parmesan gnocchi. At this point I have to realize I've completely lost touch and need to come back to reality. Asparagus is a wonderful spring flavor and a king among vegetables. It deserves to star in its own dish and not just take second stage to beef or chicken.

I was looking at an old recipe I wrote for a chilled green asparagus soup and it got me thinking about how I would make it today. The fact that its a green vegetable is really what drew me back to the idea, because care must be taken to preserve the color. I start to get a little more excited when I think there really is no cooking past the stock and the asparagus destined for puree.

At this point I'm engaged in a brainstorm focusing solely on my methods. It has actually been quite a challenge to completely omit, garnishes, flavor combinations etc from this thought process.

We can break it down and focus on the elements. A vegetable soup is basically a vegetable puree that has been thinned with a water-based liquid to a soup consistency.

So we have 1) the liquid and 2) the puree. So how can we infuse and preserve the flavor of the asparagus, at the same time controlling the heat to preserve the nice emerald green color?

We can infuse the base liquid or stock with the woody end of the vegetable and the peelings that we normally discard. We can steep the liquid with raw asparagus. We can use the raw juice of the vegetable.

Asparagus juice

Juice the stalks in a juicer over an ice bath. We could always juice white aspargus and reduce it down.

Asparagus Stock

vegetable, chicken or bean stock
mirepoix and herbs
parmesan rind
whole coffee bean (3 per liter)
asparagus, woody ends and peelings
thinly sliced raw asparagus

bring the stock, mirepoix, woody ends and peelings up to a boil and cook 10-15 minutes. Strain over the sliced asparagus and allow to steep another 10-15 minutes. Strain again and cool completely. Save the asparagus juice for the finished soup.

Asparagus Puree

Normally we would blanch the asparagus in heavily salted boiling water and shock it in ice water. There are a lot of aromatics and flavors lost in this process. I don't want to completely eliminate the cooked element, but how much do we really need to cook it to make a puree? Can we sous vide it for a very short time and use the pacojet? Pressure cook it? Pressure cook it sous vide? If we can boil the asparagus in a bag, we can save all those nutrients, but it may discolor before its cooked in time.

Use the asparagus stock and juice to thin out the puree to a desirable soup consistency. But we can still add more flavor. Since we are not reheating the soup, we can cold infuse it with more asparagus and herbs.

Cold infusion

thin sliced asparagus
herbs

Add the asparagus and herbs to the finished soup and cold infuse until the soup is ready to be served. Strain and serve.

Is this the best I can do? What about asparagus powder? Can we use a gastrovac to reduce asparagus juice without heating it enough to discolor?

Tokyo Stars

This isn't really news, but looking at Michelin's 2008 rating of Tokyo is pretty crazy - 150 restaurants adorn Michelin stars in this city. More than Paris or London combined? Well London, don't get me started... According to Michelin, Tokyo has around 190,000 restaurants compared to its count for NYC of 18,000 in 2005 and 25,000 in 2008. This makes sense considering most people in Tokyo don't even have kitchens in their apartments, and homecooking is not an option. But what the hell? 150 restaurants? they care less about stars than we do. At least Robuchon can tack on another three and Gordon Ramsay is dicked once again. haha, EAT IT!

New Menus

We started work this week on a spring menu for a restaurant in Montreal. The process of writing a new and seasonal menu is so challenging. We look at the same ingredients every year and try to keep them interesting to both the customer and ourselves. We think dredge up all the recent ideas and things we find interesting and write it all down. At this point I stand back and look at and think, "that's it?" What about the lamb, the morels, the fava beans, the pork belly, the zucchini, the artichokes? Oh my god the artichokes. Oh boy.

There are a few specific reasons for the seasonal defectiveness of some ingredients. However, most of these dishes need some spring-ification. Here is the brainstorm process:

mosaic of lightly-cured salmon and avocado
quail egg, horseradish, gazpacho sorbet

sauteed veal sweetbreads
spring peas, saba, bacon vinaigrette

rabbit terrine
pickled ramps

hot and cold or swirl of asparagus soups
shaved crudites, parma ham (crisped)

ravioli of braised lamb/wild boar and swiss chard
reconstituted raisins, crispy chard, golden raisin puree (cumin, tumeric)

pork cheeks braised in milk and honey
fennel pollen, shaved fennel salad, lavender, lemon vinaigrette

(Soup)
cockles, sauteed garlic scapes, wild mushrooms

hot and cold foie gras

Mains

braised beef cheek/short rib (brined and cooked at 56C for 72 hours)
rhubarb puree, madeira-coffee jus, asparagus, potato fondant

bacon-wrapped monkfish
ragout of white beans, tomato confit, "sauce bordelaise"

butter-poached lobster
golden beet puree, sauteed spinach, chorizo emulsion

tea-smoked duck breast
(or poached in french toast stock)
pain perdue, black olive caramel, pickled daikon

terrine of squab breast
chicken liver, tellicherry-currant coulis

Spice Quiz

I love cooking with spices. You can give any ingredient or recipe an instant sense of regionality as well as a fiery heat or delicate complexity. Spices can breath life into a dish and they can bog it down and remind us why we started using them in the first place, before refrigerators came into fashion.

Do you know (without looking up on google) what what makes up the chinese 5 spice? How about Arabic or Turkish 7 spice (baharat)? French "quatre epices" (4 spice)?
I started thinking about this the other day when I ran across one that I hadn't heard of before; vadouvan. What are characteristic elements of less clearly defined mixes like, cajun, pickling spices, tex-mex? Or older mixes like shichimi togarashi, zaa'tar, garam masala, ras-el hanout, chermoula, harissa, berbere?

A little while back David brought this website to my attention: Gernot Katzer's Spices. Its really an amazing resource.

I was able to find recipes I was happy with:
berbere
vadouvan
pickling spices
tex-mex

Manufacturing Deliciousness

Nowadays we can use gas chromatography and olfactometry techniques to analyze different foods and see why they go together. There are a number of commercial databases that list thousands of popular ingredients and their threshold levels of volatile compounds. For the most part, this information is best used to explain a tasty combination. However, we can look at compounds and try to predict interesting combinations with varied success. This idea is the very heart of what we refer to as "Molecular Gastronomy" - to completely deconstruct something down to its most basic elements. This can mean the physical and chemical process behind heating a dish, flavors and textures of a classical dish or aromatic compounds in a specific combination of ingredients. How we reassemble the data is the interesting part.

I've barely begun to scratch the surface of this topic personally. In the spirit of science, I've decided to post these limited findings. Most combinations are based on similarly high levels of specific compounds. Of course these are not guaranteed to work. I was really excited to find things like lavender and juniper occur so frequently, because I like them both very much and find them really hard to work with. My combinations go from simple and typical like orange, cilantro and cardamom to very strange like, asparagus, coffee and popcorn. Here's what I found.

Combination #1:
orange
lemon
dill seed
fennel
juniper berry
lavender

Combination #2:
lavender
banana
coffee
honey
gin
allspice

Combination #3:
bay leaf
cheddar cheese
gin
allspice

Combination #4:
caviar
cilantro

Combination#5:
asparagus
coffee
popcorn

Combination #6:
orange juice
cilantro
cardamom

More on this topic visit, Khymos.org, TGRWT, Leffingwell.com

Sugar as a Cooking Medium

This is just a thought... We can use syrup to cook things at a high temperature like when we pour it over nuts to make peanut brittle so why not other things? Heat a pot of hot syrup and immerse ingredients in it to cook the same as you would water or oil. You could use it too cook sous vide over 100C. We could poach scallops in honey or glaze root vegetables in hot syrup. A solution of 99% sucrose can be heated up to 154C/310F without breaking down - the temperature of a low oven. But since its considerably more dense than oil it would cook faster than in a fryer. Glucose syrup is 1.5 times more dense than water and can be heated well past the boiling point, making it much more efficient. If you cook a beef roast in syrup at a hard-crack temperature it should form a crust when it cools that will chip off. Something to think about.

Glucose Density (g/cm3) = 1.54
Water Density (g/cm3) = 1
Oils Density (g/cm3) = .91-.93

Lentils

I'm really glad I can post about these because they are a great love of mine and have tremendous sentimental value. My Indian friends would make them with spices in the consistency of a porridge with chopped tomatoes and scrambled eggs. Ruth loves lentils cooked with spices and I made them for her often.

Lentils have a natural delicious and deeply satisfying quality that is extremely easy to bring out. When I graduated culinary school I didn't have the slightest clue how to cook them. I feel they are often neglected. It is a unique quality to both add to and benefit from the liquid in which they are cooked - you can create a stock and an delicious product both at the same time, which is not the case for meat and animal protein. I think a good bean broth rivals chicken stock and is no comparison to vegetable stock for a non-meat alternative.

Because this technique is really economical, its easier to use less efficient techniques like gelatin clarification which can easily yield as little as 50%. A bean/lentil consomme is an amazing medium for poaching and braising. We braised salt cod in curry-lentil consomme which turned out very nice. I've also used lentil stock as a cooking liquid for lentils which yields great results.

At Daniel I was taught a standard way of cooking dried beans and legumes.

Soak overnight, or as needed.
Place in a pot and cover with cold water
Bring to a boil
Skim off any scum and strain liquid
place in a pot again and add cold water, this time with a sachet of standard mirepoix herbs and spices
simmer until tender
remove and discard sachet
strain liquid and discard
allow the beans to cool

This was really the first exposure I had to a proper technique of bean cookery. I'm not quite sure if there is any value to the blanching process. I later learned the value of smoked pork and salt in addition to the mirepoix. The bean/lentil soaks up more water as is comes close to being cooked so the liquid must be well seasoned. If not you have a lentil that tastes like tap water.

At Lucias restaurant in Minneapolis they have a standard preparation for braised white beans.

2-3# dried beans
1 tomato, halved
1/2 bu. thyme
1/4c. olive oil
5 garlic cloves
2-3T salt

the beans are brought to a boil and allowed to rest for 1 hour. Then they are simmered until tender.

The "hot soak" is not desirable and the method is definitely a regression from the aforementioned but it includes the tomato which completely dissolves into the water in the time it takes to cook the beans. It also includes oil which is of questionable value.

At The Fat Duck, the lentils are placed in a vacuum sealed bag with de-ionized water, mirepoix containing leek and garlic and cooked at 90C for 5 hours. This method is perfect. Using filtered water gives you more control over the water. I'm not sure if the process controls the pH, but I know that affects the texture and the way they cook. The vegetables create an acidic environment and probably add to the cooking time.

In his book titled Molecular Gastronomy, Herve This states "...the percentage of lentils that burst open during cooking increases exponentially as a function of time as the temperature rises above 80C...above 86C, the proportion of lentils that fall apart exceeds the proportion of lentils that become soft while retaining their form..lentils should be cooked at a temperature lower than 80C." I suspect my experience with the higher cooking temperature is designed to reduce the cooking time.

Here's how I cook them:

1 1/2 cup lentils
1/4 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 whole tomato, peeled and chopped
1T curry spice blend
1 tsp corriander, ground
dash cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp cumin, ground
1/8 tsp cayenne, ground
salt and water

cook the onions in oil until golden, add the garlic 5 min. Add spices and cook 1 minute. Add the tomato and cook until it starts to fall apart. Add lentils and cook 30 seconds. Add water - the amount depends on what you want as a finished result. I usually add about 2 cups of water and let most of it cook off. The cooking liquid should taste fairly salty. Simmer until the lentils are tender.

A Quiet Dinner

Most of the time my trips to the heartland are filled with unrestrained indulgence and experimentation in food. Fortunately I've been busy and enterprising this trip which - while unexpectedly lucrative - has left little room for me to play. As much as I would like a full blown 12 course plated dinner I don't have the time. But there is possibility for a more intimate and limited dinner, maybe 3-4 courses for 5-6 people.

This got me thinking about the importance and meanings of a highly complicated meal vs a simple one. You have progressions of textures, intensities and flavors to take into account. Is it harder to make a three course meal vs a 7+? With 5-7 courses, one or two can miss and the meal will still be a success. A three course can only get better with each plate or it will be a dissapointment. On the other hand with each addition it becomes increasingly difficult to create a meaningful succession.

This is all I had in mind so far:

Soup

Fresh Pasta

Braised Meat

Dessert

Catering Event

I survived my first catered event ever. I was to provide 4 appetizers for a Christmas cocktail party for 50 people. The food cost ended up being about 28% which I'm really happy about. The menu was nothing special and the food wasn't my finest, but it was a really good experience. This is the platter I made for the spring rolls to go on.

The Menu

Classic Bruschetta
Mini Vegetarian Spring Rolls
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Sesame Chicken Skewers with Soy Dipping Sauce


This is the dressing I made for the tomatoes which were tossed right before I built the bruschetta on site. I will probably make it again because it went so nicely with the mushy hot house tomatoes - it is December.


Sherry-Tomato Vinaigrette

1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1T amontillado sherry
3/4 cup good EVOO
1 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs chopped garlic
1 Tbs minced shallot
25 grinds black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt

Heat 1-2T of the olive oil in a pan. Add the tomato paste and cook until both oil and tomato paste are rust colored. Add sherry and reduce au sec. Set aside to cool. Combine all ingredients in a small container with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to emulsify right before serving.

Thanksgiving Plated Dinner

A work in progress.

Warm Cauliflower Panna Cotta
Smoked Sablefish, Caviar, Roasted Cauliflower, Persimmon-Lemon-Thyme Sauce

Cream of Watercress
Poached Lobster, Hearts of Palm

Terrine of Duck
Duck Ham, Chanterelles, Foie Gras, Pecans

Butternut Squash Ravioli
Rasin-Brown Butter, Glazed Squash, Sage, Walnuts

Intermezzo of Apple Sorbet
Calvados, Candied-Ginger

Venison Loin with a Chestnut Crust
Juniper Mustard, Braised Red Cabbage, Madeira Jus

Turkey
Leg Braised with Cranberry-Turkey Chorizo, Traditional Stuffing, Glazed Roots
Breast Roasted with Cranberry-Oyster-Cornbread Stuffing, Skin Crisped in Orange Honey

Pear Tart
Pear-Honey, Lavender, Vanilla-Goat Milk Ice Cream, Pink Peppercorn Mignonette

Pumpkin-Spice Egg Nog
Bourbon, Maple Syrup, Crispy Gingerbread

Thanksgiving

I want to create a feast of orgasmic proportions. Something that celebrates the harvest and the end of the season. Fall is the best time of year for food. I don't want to mess with turkey or thanksgiving too much, no one will as happy. This is what comes to mind when I think of fall and thanksgiving.

apples
bourbon
cauliflower
celery
chestnuts
cranberry
cru beaujolais
dessert tart (not pumpkin pie)
duck
fennel
figs
lobster
maple syrup
marjoram
oysters
pears
pumpkin pie spice
sage
spices, star anise, cinnamon stick, clove,
squash
turkey breast, sous vide
turkey sausage
turkey stock
valpolicella
venison
walnuts
wild mushrooms

I really want to make a turkey sausage this year, regardless of how I use it. Maybe something with cranberries and cinnamon for a kind of chorizo. I'll likely adhere closely to traditional favorites based on this list. It would be fun to do a really extravagant 7-10 course plated dinner though

Croton-Harmon to Corton-Charlemagne

I'm going bitches!

"French Kisses"

Eddie Leroux gave this name to a cheese-flavored pate a choux puff (gougere) piped full of truffled goat cheese, or a stiff truffle bechamel. Bechamel works the best because the sauce thins as its heated inside the gougere and comes out creamy and earthy. The flour doesn't dampen the truffle flavor at all. The goat cheese is a lot more acidic and will make the gougere soggy after a short time. Still delicious and you should eat them immediately regardless.

There's really no end to what you could pipe into these little bad boys. I'm particularly fond of smoked salmon mousseline.

Gougeres

700g milk
700g water
750g AP flour
300g butter
200g gruyere
14 eggs
30g salt

1. combine milk, water, butter and salt together in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add flour and stir vigorously 15 minutes.
3. Put the appariel in a mixer and add eggs one at a time.
4. add cheese
5. Pipe into tear drop shapes. Smooth out any wrinkles with fingers.
6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese
7. bake at 350 until puffed and golden. Turn down oven to dry out.

Fish on Sunda(e?)ys

I appreciate all the work of a complicated meal a lot more when I can throw together something like this in ten minutes on a lazy sunday afternoon. This is the striped bass trimmings I had leftover that I sauteed with a watercress salad and sweet pepper vinaigrette. Normally I wouldn't bother putting up something with zero effort and such a crappy photo, but this was so damn good I just had to post about it.

One of the dinner guests friday was allergic to citrus so I made her this same salad with shrimp in place of the regular shrimp dish. The peppers are pureed with the skins on, making it slightly bitter. It worked suprisingly well with the watercress. I think of complementing bitternesses as a kind of culinary russian roulette with slightly worse odds, but this turned out very nice. The dressing is and sweet and greasy with the fish and crispy greens- mmmmmmm. I'm gonna eat some ice cream and take a nap.

Sweet Pepper Vin.

2 sweet peppers, stemmed and seeded
3/4-1 cup off-dry white wine
2 sprigs thyme
1 small fresh bay leaf
1oz chopped sweet onion
3/4 tsp rice vinegar
1-2T olive oil
salt

Puree the pepper and wine in a blender. Strain the liquid into a pot and reduce with onion and thyme to about 1T. Add the vinegar and oil.

I make this a little heavy on the oil and light on the vinegar so it's more like a sweet emulsified sauce than a dressing. I just put the reduction in one of those little brandname plastic 2oz containers and shake it up with the oil and vinegar.

6 Course Summer Dinner

Menu

Serrano Ham, Marinated Olives
Chateau St. Michelle Blancs de Noirs, Columbia Valley NV

Chilled Hierloom Tomato Soup, “Panzanella” Crouton
Thyme, Basil
Honig Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2005

Shrimp with Chilled Charentais Veloute, Avocado Puree
Meulenhof, Riesling, Erdener Treppchen Auslese, Germany 2003er

Warm Buttermilk-Poached Poularde with Sweet Corn Emulsion
Radish, Smoked Paprika
Domaine Weinbach, Pinot Blanc Reserve, Alsace, France 2005

Grilled Wild Striped Bass with Green Curry, Pickled Mango
Grilled Scallions
Theo Minges, Riesling, Gleisweiler Holle Kabinett, Pfalz, Germany 2004

Braised Oxtail Ravioli, Glazed with Red Wine Jus, Roasted Shallot Puree
Santa Rita, Cabernet Sauvignon, Medalla Real, Chile 2004

Tasting of 4 Cheeses
Roquefort Le Vieux, Cave Aged Tallegio, Raw Milk Manchego, Hook's 10yr Aged Cheddar
Brazil Nuts, Dried Fruit

Vanilla Panna Cotta, Blueberries, Honeyied Macadamia Nuts
Bonny Doon Vineyard, Muscat, Vin De Glaciere, California 2005


9 guests, I cooked, my loyal droog waited the table. This never would have worked without an experienced server. In reality most of this food was mind numbingly simple, almost everything was based on a fruit/vegetable puree. I'd like to think everything was perfectly balanced and delicately nuanced. A few things fell a little short. The sweetness of the ravioli was a little out of control as was the spiciness of the curry sauce. The star anise adds an entirely new dimension to the dish. If I made it again I might simplify the profile and single out spices. The flavor of thai basil is amazing, I would have liked for it to come through a little more. It was a fun meal. More photos here.

My biggest regret of the night is not getting the good pictures I wanted. Clearly the presentations in general needed a little work. The shrimp might have benefited from a green melon sauce, the pink on pink wasn't too nice. The chicken looked great, even though the picture sucks.

The soup was about half raw tomato puree folded into the cooked soup. The tomatoes on the crouton were blanched, peeled and marinated in olive oil with salt and thyme. I spooned some of the delicious oil over the grilled bread.

I have developed a new appreciation for chicken breasts. I marinated it for two days in seasoned buttermilk. Brought it up slowly up to about 145-150F in a ziplock bag, mimicking a sous vide method. Right before service I dipped the portioned meat back into the warm salty buttermilk. The result is incredibly tender and delicate.

I have no idea what happened to the sauce for the fish. I added a green chili puree at the last minute to a mussel based sauce with the idea that it would brighten up once heated. It turned a nasty camo brown when it hit the hot liquid. Maybe pureeing the raw chilis affected this somehow. The flavor was good and it seemed to be one of the favorites of the meal.

Anyone looking at the flickr from the party would find it hard to believe that the brown turd on a plate was the most delicious course of the night. The oxtail was braised in red wine, port and beef stock which was reduced to glaze the finished ravioli that sat atop the roasted shallot puree. The filling was just shredded meat seasoned with salt, pepper and a little of the jus.

Steve started eating the last panna cotta before I got a picture.

Green Curry Sauce for Fish

2 1/2 cups white wine
2 stalks lemongrass, crushed, sliced
1 (2") knob ginger, crushed
1 1/2tsp cumin seed
1 star anise pod
1T corriander seed
1 1/2# mediterranean mussels, cleaned
1 sprig basil
5 stalks cilantro
1 bay leaf
6 white mushrooms, chopped

Add everything except the mussels to a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Add the mussels and cook until they open or are apparently dead. Strain and discard solids, reserve mussels for another use. Reduce liquid to about a cup. Thicken as deemed appropriate. At the last minute stir the green puree into the sauce and adjust seasoning.

Green Chili Puree:
5 jalepenos
1 1/2 bu. green onion, green part only
1 lime, zest and juice
salt and pepper

using a vegetable peeler, peel the jalepenos. Remove the seeds. Puree the ingredients in a blender and strain. Chill immediately.

Sweet Corn Emulsion Sauce

5 ears corn, cut off the cob
3T butter
5 saffron threads
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp white vinegar
3T water
3T olive oil
salt, sugar

Brown the butter in a pan and add the corn. Sweat until very soft. Puree with remaining ingredients. Strain. Should be sweet with a smooth velvet mouthfeel.

Roasted Shallot Puree

3# shallots
2 heads of garlic
2T butter
2T grated parmesan
olive oil

Toss the shallots in olive oil and roast at 375F until very soft. Do the same with the garlic. Puree everything together and strain.

Charentais Veloute

1 charentais melon, chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, crushed
1 2" knob ginger, crushed
lemon juice, and zest
1/2 cup white wine
salt

Add the wine, half the melon, lemongrass and ginger to a pot and cover. Cook over low heat until melon is very soft. Remove the ginger and lemongrass and discard. Puree with the remaining raw melon. Strain.

Salmon Gravlax

I've wanted to do this for awhile and finally got around to it for an afternoon lunch with a couple friends. I first encountered this recipe during the Zachy's Wine Auction held at Daniel. Usually a side of salmon is enough for both days of the auction, but last time they went through two whole fish. I think its that good. When it's done well it's wonderful with citrus and dill fragrances complementing the salmon flavor. It's one of the best expressions of one of my favorite fish.

1kg coarse sea salt
500g sugar
1 orange, juiced and zested
1 lime, juiced and zested
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 bu. dill, chopped
1/2 pound salmon filet

Combine the ingredients except for the salmon. The mixture should be like barely wet sand. If it's too wet add more salt and sugar in the proper 2:1 ratio.

Trim the salmon to a uniform shape. Remove any excess belly flap and reserve for another use. Use a flat container like a pyrex baking dish. Pack the cure all around the fish. Make sure every bit of the fish is covered. Refrigerate overnight 8-12 hours.

Afternoon Lunch

Sangria

Salmon Gravlax with Arugula

Potato Salad

Grilled Sardines with Zucchini and Red Pepper

Cinnamon Panna Cotta with White Peach

I saw these molds at the local kitchen store and immediately thought of John Canner who never really understood what panna cotta is.

This turned out nicely because I used lighter dairy than cream. I peeled the white peach a little too early so it kind of oxidized which I didn't realize would happen. I owe this whole presentation to Ruth who taught me how to unmold panna cotta. The first one I tried dipping in hot water and it completely melted.

If I did it again I would add a little gelatin to the peach syrup which kind of ran off instead of nicely glazing the peach. The red wine was reduced slightly with sugar added. This was a nice end to a dinner of fresh pasta with sun dried tomatoes and basil and an arugula salad with pears and crispy lardons.

Panna Cotta for 2
100g half and half
30g whole milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
dash buttermilk
1 cinnamon stick
1/8th tsp vanilla extract
sugar (as desired)
1/3 sheet of gelatin

bloom gelatin in cold water. bring the other ingredients to a boil and add gelatin. Stir to dissolve. Pour into molds and let it set in fridge for 8 hours.

Peach Glaze

1 peach, chopped, skin on
36g sugar
36g water

heat the sugar and water over medium heat to dissolve. Add peaches and simmer 5-10 minutes. Strain and discard solids.

2 years to the day!

Happy birthday sandwich cult! I've watched you grow from a picture of beer and sushi to an elongated stumbling conquest of discovery. I'm so proud of you! I started baking class today and I baked you a cake.

I should also take this time to clarify the may 2005 post "Ketchup? Not on My Frites!" post. I really do love ketchup which is why it's so painful to watch it's abuse.

I'd also like to thank Pierre Leblanc, who taught me that cream can be a sauce.

Zen and the Art of Cast Iron Maintenance

I can't think of anything better on a Saturday than curing my cast iron. When I moved into my current apartment I bought three cast iron skillets for $10. They proved to be not the highest quality so I'm taking the liberty to redo the "seasoning" myself and make my house unlivable for a short time. It has taken me a little while to get right so I thought I'd share my findings.

When you cure a piece of cast iron, you burn a lipid enamel onto the surface to protect it from rust and mold. Since it's made of oil, soap - especially strong dish soaps - will eat away or dissolve the cure. Because you never really wash it the seasoning grows and becomes strong over time.

Axiom: The hotter the metal gets, the more effective the cure will up to about 700F when it starts to burn off.
It will smoke no matter how you go about it. I recommend using a grill. If you do it in an oven you'd better have a powerful hood or a fan with serious horsepower and a well ventilated house. The most success I've had is to get the pan screaming hot ~600F and add the oil in stages by painting it on with a paper towel and a set of tongs. It burns very thin even, layers onto the surface almost immediately . I don't recommend this because it's really dangerous. For some reason hydrogenated fat or fat solid at room temp with the exception of butter work the best. Lard is traditional but vegetable shortening seems the popular choice.

1.Heat the Oven as hot as it will get or a grill to about 600F.
2.Scrub the pan aggressively with dish soap and steel wool until it's gray and lifeless.
3.Dry the pan with paper towels and put it on the grill or in the oven face down to dry it
4.apply add a thin, even layer of shortening or oil.
5.Place face down in oven/grill 15-20 minutes.
6.Apply more fat. Repeat at least 3 times.
7.Cool and enjoy.

If you want to skip the re-application process just add a single layer and leave in oven/grill 1-2 hours. The resulting surface is a beautiful jet-black. If there's nothing stuck to the pan all you need to do to clean it is rinse it in hot water and wipe it out with a paper towel. If something is stuck to it you need to use kosher salt to abrade it off the surface without

To Clean:
1.Rinse with hot water.
2.Pour in a good bit of kosher salt.
3.Scrub with a paper towel (the salt will abrade the crusted on stuff)

The most delicious way to cure your cast iron: If your cure is in need of a little mainentence, this recipe evens it out really nicely.

Cinco de Mayo

I feel like maybe I should preface this with the fact that I did absolutely nothing today I have no Mexican heritage to celebrate, but I do love to sit at home and dream of mexican food. Instead of looking up and learning about regional classics I decided these dishes would be appropriately delicious and deliciously tacky.

I finally gave in to the bottles of pomegranate juice placed in strategic promotional positions throughout the local market which in turn led to the pomegranate margarita. Not Mexican at all but it tasted good. I thought if I were to celebrate this holiday this is what I'd like to make today. Veracruz snapper would be great, but I wanted to keep it simple and not ruin it with a real Mexican dish.

Cinco de Mayo Menu

Pomegranate Margaritas

Crabcake with Pumpkin Seed Sauce

Smoked Pork Tamales with Apricots

Banana Mousse with Cumin and Mexican Chocolate


Pomegranate Margarita

puree pomegranate juice, pomegranate molasses, lime juice, triple sec ice and fresh mint. Serve immediately


Crabcake with Pumpkin Seed Sauce

prepare a crabcake with brunoise, celery, red and yellow pepper and chopped cilantro.

onions
garlic
red jalepeno
vermouth
chili de arbol, rehydrated
tomato paste
cilantro stems
pumpkin seeds
oil
salt
chicken stock

Toast pumpkin seeds in the oven and allow to cool. Grind in a spice grinder to make a pumpkin seed flour. Reserve.

Sweat onions in oil 5 minutes. Add garlic and chilis 2 min. Add tomato paste and cook another 2 min. Add vermouth and reduce au sec. Add pumpkin seed flour and cook 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Make more roux with the pumpkin seed if the sauce is not thick enough. Strain and serve.
prepare a crabcake with brunoise, celery, red and yellow pepper and chopped cilantro.

Banana Mousse with Mexican Chocolate

1 mexican chocolate tableta, highest quality
2 bananas, ripe
1/2 tsp fresh ground cumin seed
1 T chopped toasted peanuts
1 T banana liquer
ground unsweetened, un-alkalized cocoa powder
small bit of fresh vanilla bean scrapings or tiny bit of vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 sheet gelatin
salt


Bloom the gelatin in cold water. Add the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Heat 2 Tbs of water until very hot. Dissolve the gelatin in the water and cool slightly. Puree the banana and banana liquer with the gelatin water and a pinch of salt.

whip the cream to nearly stiff peaks. Fold a third of the banana puree into the whip cream. Slowly fold the rest of the banana into the cream in installments. Serve right away or refrigerate.

Crumble mexican chocolate pieces over the mousse.

Pork with Green Apple Curry

This is a really easy dish made with little effort. I took bone-in pork chops about 3/4" thick and removed the rib section. I seared the chops and the rib pieces. Added some onion, green apple and few pieces of red pepper. Deglazed with about a cup of white wine. Braise for about an hour and a half until the meat is tender. Add the chops back in and cook through, another 5-10 minutes. Degrease and stir in about 2 Tbs of curry paste and bring to a boil.

curry paste:
1 medium onion diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs oil
3-4 Tbs curry powder

Sweat the onions 10 minutes and add garlic for another 10 or until garlic is cooked thoroughly. Add the curry powder and cook until it starts to smell nutty and fragrant. Puree in a blender, adding water as necessary. If you want to make a curry oil or vinaigrette it would be best to toast the spices in the oil and puree all of it together before straining.

Extracting Essences

(picture coming soon)

Living in Hyde Park, I suddenly have way too much of two things I never had in the city; time and space. I recently moved into an apartment following my dutiful return to CIA. Since then I've also been able to do something else I never could in the city; cook. The school's resources provided an easter weekend feast, which proved therapeautic, even in the midst of a chaotic move. Despite the havoc the move has wrought on my bank account I could still swing for the $2 a pound strawberries the local market had on special. It seemed like a good deal even though the price reflects the quality.

I tried making jam using a different technique. I cleaned and quartered the strawberries and crammed them into a pyrex bowl, covered with a tight fitting waterproof lid. I then put the bowl into a pot of cold water - about half submerged - and brought it up to a boil for about 40 minutes. I wasn't really sure what affect this would have. I guess I assumed it would cook the berries slowly and I would open the container to find a rich viscous preserve. This is not what happened. When I opened the container the strawberries were gray and lifeless floating in a pool of rich syrupy liquid. This process had somehow pulverized the berries causing them to give up everything except their cell structure. The liquid tasted amazing and was very clean and free of solids. It was like a pure extract of strawberry. If you were to freeze and thaw the berries it would have a similar result to a lesser extent. I don't really know what to do with it, but it's exciting. I reduced some down and poured it over pancakes. If I had an ice cream maker it might make for a good sorbet.

I remember reading about this in an excerpt of On Food and Cooking. Mcgee has a passage from the medieval chef Taillevant. He describes using this method to extract juices from meats to make jelly for invalids. It's exciting to think about the potential. Is it possible this technique would have the same results with anything, animal or vegetable? I'm going to play with it more.

Now here's a recipe for Pickled Ramps cause spring has sprung and these are delicious.

1# ramps
1 cup good apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
2 1/2T sugar
1T salt

Clean the ramps. Trim and discard the leaves and root ends. Wash thoroughly in water and dry. Bring the water and vinegar to a boil. Add the salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Taste the pickling mixture to make sure it's delicious. Put the ramps in a jar or whatever container will be used to store them. Pour the hot pickling liquid over and cover. Let the ramps steep 10-15 minutes and refrigerate. Let sit for at least 24 hours. Great for sandwiches and salads.

Easter Weekend Dinner

Clams David
steamed in a bouillabaisse broth with bread

Cold Asparagus Salad
Mustard Dressing, Poached Egg, Pecorino Toscano

Fresh Pasta with Wild Mushrooms

Grouper Two Ways:
lightly cured with a blood orange reduction and sauteed with a chervil sauce

Top Round of Lamb Roasted with Herbs and Garlic
warm fava bean salad with mint vinaigrette

Strawberry Pie with Chantilly

Braised Hake with Red Pepper and Green Onion

1 ½ pounds skinless hake filet, portioned
½ white onion, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 jalepeno, minced
1 bunch green onions, cut into 2” lengths
1 red pepper peeled and diced
1 fresh bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 T olive oil
2 T tomato paste
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 cup chardonnay
2/3 cup dry sherry
2 ½ cups good fish stock
1-2 T sherry vinegar
salt and pepper
2# white potatoes, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 350. Toss the potatoes with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast until tender.

Sweat the onion in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, jalepeno, celery, bay leaf and sweat 5 minutes. Add the spices and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until rusty colored about 2 minutes. Add the white wine and sherry and reduce until sauce is very thick. Add fish stock and bring to a boil. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Check for seasoning. Strain vegetables and discard, or leave in if you want that. Add sauce pack to a large saute pan and bring to a boil. Add the hake, green onions and red peppers. Braise until hake is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Finish with sherry vinegar and a little olive oil. Serve immediately over potatoes.

Happy New Year Message

The kitchen staff of Daniel and I wish the Sandwich Cult a happy new year. I've learned much after a few months of adventure in the culinary mecha of new york city. I will dutifully share the tips, secrets, joys and dissapointment of this exceptional reality.

I'm trying to turn this blog into a more accessible publication. Hopefully this process will be finished sometime before spring. It should be kicked off by a short series on my experience of total immersion in haute cuisine, which has - to say the least - changed my life. Until then there will likely be more gaps in publication.

Escape to Foodopolis

Every once in awhile a train leaves to a place where lost recipes are remembered, but no one has ever returned from foodopolis - except me.

This post is as belated as it is important. This is also being dedicated to Gabe who's suffering culinary oppression, in hopes that the spirit of improvisation and creation of great food will transcend him. A few weeks back I was invited by David and Sarah to partake in one of my most interesting and satisfying culinary adventures. The evening started at 8 and went until around one. Food was being prepared and served as it was finished, the gaps lubricated with an abudance of wine. I can't really take credit for any of the creations. Two highlights included a rustic mussel soup made with a chili paste, mussel broth and cream and a braised cod with onions and patty pan. I didn't pay close enough attention to the cod preparation, but this is what I remember. The food was original, delicious, inspired, simply beautiful.

I also want to take this moment - since my postings have been so few and far between - to mention some things I think are really cool.

Sourdough starter: it's a living that you bake into your bread. It can be sustained indefinitely and has flavor characteristic of geographic location due to the wild yeast - the air-oir.

Jean-Robert Pitte said in his book on french gastronomy, "The success of a gastronomic event owes as much to the appeal of sensations already familiar and known by heart as to the effect of surprise, novelty, exoticism in the raw materials, how they are used and the surroundings.

Jacques Pepin wrote about serving Indian diplomacy while he was chef for the head of state. He said he would not try to replicate traditional Indian dishes because the diplomat's own cooks could do that much better, obviously. However, he would sprinkle a little garam masala over the roast chicken. This is really minor, I just think it's an awesome diplomatic move.

Braised Cod Pierre

1# cod filet
onion, diced
fennel, diced
garlic, chopped
white wine
touch of cream
bacon and mushrooms
patty pan
sliced onions

Render the bacon in a sautoir and sweat the mushrooms in it. Set aside for another preparation. Drain out most of the rendered fat at add the onion, fennel and fennel, sweat until cooked slightly. Add the white wine and water, enough to poach in. Bring to a boil and place cod filet in the pan. Cover and place in a 350 oven until cooked tender, should not take long. Meanwhile sweat the onions and patty pans together in oil. Reserve. Remove the fish and reduce the cuisson slightly. Add a touch of cream to finish the sauce. Plate the fish with the onions and patty pan as a garnish, pour the reduced sauce over.

This dish is heavenly, easily the best preparation of cod I've ever seen.


Mussels in Adobo Broth

1# mussels
1/2 onion, sliced
1/4 fennel bulb, sliced
1 serrano chili, seeded and chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 cup dry white wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
~1 cup ancho-guajillo paste (recipe follows)
salt and pepper
1/2-1 cup cream
water as needed

Combine all ingredients except cream and mussels in a pot with a lid. Bring to a boil and cook 5-6 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse and clean the mussels. Add them to the pot and cover. Cook 5 minutes or until most of the shells have opened. Spoon the muscles into a serving bowl. Add the cream to the broth and bring to a simmer, cook 1-2 minutes. Pour the finished soup over the muscles. Garnish with fennel fronds.


Ancho-Guajillo Paste

8 grape tomatoes, halved
2 Tbs olive oil
2 ancho chilis, toasted and seeded
2 Guajillo chilis, toasted and seeded
1/4 cup white wine
2 tsp honey
salt as needed
juice of half a lime
2 Tbs chicken stock

Sweat the tomatoes in olive oil until softened. Add the white wine, chicken stock and chilis. Cook until the chilis are softened. Transfer to a blender and puree with the lime juice and honey. Mixture should be a thick paste that's very spicy and slightly bitter.

Restaurant Daniel

last night was my second trail at the famed restaurant daniel. I wasn't working on the line. Highlights included one of the sous chefs picking up a piece of fat back I was dicing and popping it into his mouth. I was grinding meat when the bundle of bamboo skewers I was using to push the meat down got caught in the grinder. After failing to pull it out, we ran it through. At the end of the night Daniel said I was a shitty stagiere. However I was offered the extern position, whatever it may be. This is the actual kitchen.

Waiting For Jadot

This is just to say

I have eaten the
plums
that were in
the icebox
and which you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

William Carlos Williams

Summer Break

Sadly my summer break is coming to an end. I don't have much to say about it except all the stuff I cooked. I still have a week left, I don't know how much food I'm going to make. Amanda wants me to make a swirl of red and yellow roasted pepper soup for her. So far I made a

a soft-ripened cheese plate with a
Sweet Onion-Lemon Compote
Pickled Cherries and a
Brut Grapefruit Bellini

I love bellini's and this one was perfect for the hot summer day. I added just a tiny amount of grapefruit juice with a grapefruit supreme in the glass, giving it a subtle hint of the fruit that was not in the least bit sweet. The cherries were sweet-pickled with rice vinegar, salt, water and sugar.

Sweet Onion-Lemon Compote
1 large sweet onion (walla walla, vidalia, texas 1015 etc.)
1 lemon
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 Tbs sugar
2 Tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 Tbs butter

Julienne the onion. Cut off the peel including the white part. Small dice or julienne the lemon peel. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Sweat the onions, lemon peel, salt and sugar. DO NOT CARMELIZE. Add the white wine and cook covered 45-60 minutes until onions are very tender. It might be necessary to add more water from time to time.

Gnocchi with Braised Oxtail
Corriander-Apple Turkey Burgers with Carmelized Onions and Apricot Chutney
Spicy Garlic-Chicken Stir-Fry with Coconut Rice.
Sweet Potato-Vanilla Bean Souffle
Rotisserie Chicken with Walnut-Glazed Celeriac and Braised Kale
Tapenade Pizza with Smoked Tomatoes and Basil
Crème de Potage d'Aubergine

I had some fun with coconuts and bananas. Banana muffins with dark rum and chocolate chips were pretty good, but the baked banana pudding with a coconut whipped topping and ginger sorbet was better. This was inspired by a desert served at monsoon restaurant in nyc. The recipe is below.

I got a ton of apricots one day and made a Vanilla-Apricot Custard by poaching the apricots in a vanilla cream and pureeing it. I served this with a baked apricot, apricot marmalade and a scoop of almond ice cream on top. Idea courtesy of Daniel Boulud.

Recently I've been smoking a lot (food of course, jeez!). There were ups and downs.

Smoked Salmon with a Glaze made from Cognac and Figs
Smoked Sea Bass with Lemony Kalamata Tapenade
Smoked Scallops with a light Dijon-Mint Cream sauce
Smoky Salsa

Smoky Salsa:
5 medium sized vine-ripened tomatoes, blanched and peeled
1/4 sweet onion, sliced
2 Jalepenos, seeds and ribs removed
juice from 1/2 lime
1 Tbs chipotle with adobo
1 1/2 tsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, stem end removed

Smoke the tomatoes, onions, jalepenos and garlic. Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse to desired consistency. Allow to steep in the fridge for a day before serving.

Banana Pudding with Coconut Topping and Ginger Sorbet

Banana Pudding
5 ripe bananas
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup dark rum
1 egg
5 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 275. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Corsely mash the bananas in the mixture. Pour into an appropriately sized baking dish. Cook until custard has set, about 45 min. Serve warm or room temp.

Coconut Frosting
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp dark rum
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

Allow the coconut milk to sit undisturbed so it separates. Carefully remove the thick cream without any of the water. Combine the coconut cream and rum in a stand mixer. Whip the sugar in until sweetened to desired amount. Refrigerate immediately.

Ginger Sorbet
1/2# ginger root
simple syrup
1 T light corn syrup
water

Peel the ginger and puree in a food processor with water as needed. Wring out the mixture using cheesecloth. Bring the mixture to a simmer in a small saucepan, skimming as necessary. Reduce the mixture slightly. You should have about half a cup. Add the corn syrup and simple syrup. Mixture should be very sweet. Chill thoroughly and churn in an ice cream maker.

To plate: Cut a square of the banana pudding out and cover with a layer of coconut frosting. Top with a scoop of ginger sorbet.

4th of July Casserole

I love casseroles, both the food and the dish. Some of the oldest and most delicious meals including stews and braises have come from the one-pot-dinner. Bechamel is one of my favorite sauces to add to unify a casserole. The sauce mornay used in this recipe is based on it. What could be more american than a casserole - throwback to the family values that america was all about in the 50's on the 4th of july. I'm not trying to tear down an institution like grilling on the 4th, I just thought it would be cool to make this dish. That and it sounded really good to me. I've seen variations of it in a lot of places but this is my version.


Shrimp and Tomato Casserole

1# shrimp P&D
1/2# large tubular pasta, cooked
2 cloves garlic
1-2T olive oil
1/4c. minced onion
1/2 large can whole tomatoes in puree
1/2c. gruyere, shredded, plus 2T
1/2c. white cheddar, shredded, plus 2T
1T butter
1T flour
1 1/2c. milk, half and half or cream
salt and pepper

If you happen to be using shrimp that are not peeled and deveined, reserve the shells. Simmer them in a pint of water for 30min. Strain and reduce down until very thick. Reserve this liquid for the casserole.

In a small saucepan heat the butter and sweat the onions until translucent. Add the flour and cook 5min. Slowly whisk in the cold milk and stir until thickened. Add the cheese a small amount at a time until the sauce is thick and cheesy. Season with salt and pepper. Strain or use as is.

Preheat the oven to 350. Heat the olive oil in a casserole. Add the onions and sweat until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another 2-5min. Meanwhile, crush and seed the tomatoes reserving the puree. Add the shrimp and stir just until they start to curl up and turn pink. Add the tomatoes and cook another minute. Add the cheese sauce and pasta and stir until incorporated. Add the shrimp reduction (if using) at this point and tomato puree if mixture is too thick. Place into a greased pan and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake until the top is golden brown. Remove and allow to rest 20 min. SERVE

If you have to grill something and this is unacceptable for you, I've found a compromise.

Cheeseburger Casserole

mise en place for cheeseburgers:
buns
burger patties
onions, sliced thickly
pickles
tomatoes, sliced
2x cheese sauce from above
butter

grill the burgers and the onions and set aside. In a greased casserole place a layer of hamburger buns over the bottom. Place a layer of grilled beef patties over the buns. You do not have to be careful to line up the burgers. Layer the tomatoes, pickles and onions. Pour the cheese sauce over the top and bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese is golden brown. Serve.

Satan Gave Me a Taco and it Made Me Kind of Sick

I'm stumbling home, battered from the excesses of food and drink after a weekend with Sara and David in Rhinebeck. The following menu speaks for itself.

Anti-pasti Plate
assorted cheeses, watercrackers, artisan bread, proscuitto, red pepper - kalamata tapenade

Asparagus Proscuitto Bundles
baked crispy and sprinkled with parmesan cheese

Mixed Green Salad
spicy anchovy-dijon vinaigrette made with champagne-shallot reduction

Oyster Mushroom - Chevre Ravioli
Served with a garlic brown-butter sauce

Champagne Scallops
Pan-seared with an orange black-pepper sauce

Berries and Cream
minty mascerated berries with hagen-daas vanilla ice cream


The ravioli was amazing but the scallops were the best. By the time we got around to the scallops we were so drunk we didn't know what garlic was going into what and what not; so the preparation is very simple but effective. If you get a good sear on the scallops the fond with give the sauce a beautiful deep orangish-brown color. You could make it more classical by adding a small amount of brown veal stock and shallots after the chamapagne is reduced.

Champagne Scallops

1# large sea scallops
olive oil for sauteeing
salt and corse ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. brut champagne
juice from 1/2 a large orange

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the scallops and sear on both sides to a deep golden brown. Deglaze with the champagne and reduce to a medium nappe. Check for seasoning, strain if solids remain. Finish with the black pepper and orange juice. Serve immediately.

Oyster Mushroom- Chevre filling

4 oz cultivated mushrooms (we used oyster and cremini)
4 oz chevre
1/4c. brut champagne or dry sherry
2 large cloves garlic
2 Tbs minced white onion
2 Tbs chopped parsley
2 1/2 egg yolks
salt and pepper
olive oil

Chop the mushrooms by hand to a small mince. Sweat the oil in a medium-large pan over low heat. Cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another few minutes. Add the mushrooms and wine and cook until all the liquid is reduced down. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Combine the mushroom mix, chevre and egg yolks in a mixing bowl.
We used and herbed store-bought chevre so you might want to add more garlic and misc chopped herbs if using a plain chevre. We also used wonton wrappers from the grocery store, but obviously it would be better with fresh pasta. I would suggest adding the chevre in small amounts to desired consistency because it can over power other flavors. This would make a great duxelle, you could roll it up in a ballotine or use it for stuffed peppers or portobello mushrooms. As far as other pastas go it would probably be a little too intense for a manicotti but it would make a badass veggie lasagna with some tomato sauce. You could do an haute french thing and stuff it inside a boneless chicken wing and use it as a garnish. It's extremely delicious. You might consider omitting the egg yolks depending on the application.

Cucumber-Shiso Shooter

I love cucumbers in the summer. My favorite preparation is the cold soup made with mint and honeydew. This is sort of a simpler version of it. I absolutely love cucumber water, it has an amazing sweet subtlety that is as indescribable as it is refreshing. Paired with the spiced-cured plums it makes a nice aperitif for a hot summer day. I grate the cubcumber into a seive and put it over a bowl to collect the water. You could also puree it altogether with the shiso and strain out the solids to fold into a risotto to finish or something, but I prefer this way. I like using english cucumbers because they have a little sweeter flavor.

Cucumber Shiso Shooters

Cucumber water:
2 large cucumbers
small pinch salt
small pinch sugar
1/4 tsp lemon juice
2 shiso leaves, fine chiffonade plus 2 more for serving

Combine the ingredients in a blender and puree. Serve well chilled.

for the brined plums:
1 large plum, semi-ripe
1 qt water
2 c. salt
1 1/2 Tbs allspice berries
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns

Slice the plum into wedges with the skin on. In a dry skillet heat the spices until fragrant and grind. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or appropriate container and allow to sit at room temperature 24 hours. Serve at this time or refrigerate. Serve room temp.

to make this a little more interesting, shave a 4" piece of daikon radish. Poach until softened in a mixture of 2 parts rice vinegar, 1 part salt, 1/2 part sugar. Puree the cured plums and wrap in the daikon wrapper. With the plum-daikon dumpling you could omit the shot glass entirely and serve the cucumber as the sauce under the ravioli.

For serving:

Serve the cucumber water in a 1 1/2 oz shot glass. Place a whole shiso leaf on a small plate with the shot glass on top. Arrange 2 plum wedges fanning out from the shot glass. Sprinkle with lemon zest.

Breakup Brownie Sundae

Both love and desert should be slightly bitter, short lived and served with coffee.


Breakup Brownie Sundae

1/2 c. whole espresso beans
1/2 c. sugar
2 c. water
2 bananas ripe, but still firm
1 T lemon juice
fudge brownies (box or homemade)
zest from one lemon
mocha ice cream


Combine the coffee beans and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 min. Add sugar and simmer another 5 min. Thinly slice the bananas on a bias and toss with lemon juice. Pour the coffee syrup over the bananas and steep 10 min.

Cut the brownies into large squares. Top the brownie with the ice cream, followed by the bananas in syrup and then sprinkle the lemon zest over. Finish with whipped cream if especially broken hearted.

Lamb disclaimer.

Why all the leg of lamb? I don't know. It's fairly cheap, extremely easy, people like it. The more I pull away from leg of lamb the more it pulls me in. To be quite very honest I'm getting a little sick of it.

Weekend Culinary Extravaganza

This weekend I cooked, along with David and Sara; two friends from culinary school, for a total of 8 people. It was wonderfully intense and those served were as thankful to us as we were to them for facilitating a weekend culinary extravaganza. The setting was a small cabin in upstate new hampshire. The house was old and we were the first to arrive. Cell phones didn't work and the basement was very creepy and had a hidden boarded off room - altogether something out of a teen horror film. Fortunately the only horror was the storebought chicken broth that fouled (pardon the pun) our roasted garlic-potato soup up something awful - that and the lack of roasted garlic. Altogether a fantastic time. It was extremely nice to get off campus with some good people and drink my brains out.

The sheer epicurean delight is enough to make your head spin. Armed with all-clad, school issued knives, chicken and veal glace and all the ambition of eager young culinary students, we banged out the menu that follows:

Friday

Turkey at Midnight
Whole roasted turkey, green and wax beans, mashed potatoes, turkey demi-glace


Saturday
BREAKFAST

Eggs Mornay
Scrambled eggs, sauteed cremini mushrooms and yellow squash, white-cheddar mornay sauce


LUNCH

Turkey Sandwich
Toasted grain bread, roasted dark meat turkey, crispy bacon, arugula, turkey-mayonnaise


DINNER

Lobster Wonton Soup
Sesame-seared lobster dumplings, rich lobster broth

Greek Salad
Romaine mixed greens, feta cheese, kalamata olives, red wine vinaigrette, sliced purple onion

Cumin-spiced Leg of Lamb
Spicy lamb jus, tzatziki sauce, creamed spinach

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vanilla ice cream, amaretto whipped cream


Sunday
BREAKFAST

Lamb and Eggs
Leg of lamb topped with poached egg, basil oil

Mimosas


LUNCH

Cream of Asparagus Soup
garnished with blanched asparagus tips


DINNER

Classic Caeser Salad
Spicy anchovy dressing, garlic croutons, pecorino romano cheese

Lasagna Bolognese
sliced mozzarella, homemade tomato sauce, ground lamb, pecorino romano, bechamel

Garlic Bread


Did I mention there was TONS of alcohol? There was no desert on sunday night and if there was, no one would've been able to eat it. We made off like bandits monday morning, leaving our hosts burried under a mountain of beer cans. Sara's salad dressings are amazing. The turkey demi was AWESOME, made with equal parts turkey jus reduction and veal glace. The demi was later added to a homemade mayonnaise to make the turkey mayo. It was quite an anarchistic recipe but David is a true anarchist, so it worked well. The lobster was a last minute addition to an already greek menu which is why it looks a little strange, but turned out to be my favorite. I'm very fortunate to have been able to cook so much great food. Thanks Sara and David!

An Evening with Bari Kessler...

I found this image when I googled "kessler," other than that it has no relevance. The important thing is I got to see one of my good friends whom I haven't seen since high school. After we graduated when went to different coasts and lost touch. So this last weekend after a chance reunion I drove up to saratoga springs and hung out for the night. Dinner consisted of:

Roast Leg of Lamb with Sauce Bourguinonne
1 (4#) boneless lamb roast
4 oz cultivated mushrooms
olive oil
2 c. good syrah
1 sprig marjoram
1/2 medium shallot, diced
1/4# butter
1 garlic clove

preheat oven to 450. Rub the lamb and mushrooms with olive oil and roast to internal temp of ~110F. Takes about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the mushrooms when cooked, they take less time than the lamb.

Add the wine, garlic, marjoram and shallot to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce to about 1 cup. Strain the ingredients and place over low heat. Vigorously whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure the sauce does not get too hot. Hold at ~145F. Do not make the sauce until very close to service because of the risk of it breaking.

Cream of Parsnip Soup
12oz parsnips, peeled, medium chopped
1/4 white onion
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup golden delicious apple (or pear), peeled, chopped
2 oz fresh mint
1/2 oz parsley
olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar

Sweat the onions in a soup pot with the olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften and become shiny. Do not carmelize. Add the parsnip and garlic and sweat another 5 minutes. Add the apples and white wine. Cook until the wine is reduced. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook 30-45 minutes. Puree the soup. Hold hot until service. Finish by stirring in the cream and ~1 tsp of wine in each serving.

While the soup is cooking crush the lemon juice, mint and parsley together in a small food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it becomes a viscous sauce. Garnish the soup by swirling the mint sauce in.

After all of this we were really tired. We threw in a movie and then fell asleep. It wasn't very exciting (other than the delicious food of course) but the important thing is I got to cook in a real kitchen. Also, I didn't make the mint sauce cause I couldn't find any fresh mint at the store, but I guarantee it will add another dimension to the dish which is kind of sweet and needs something a little more earthy to round it out.

Careme

I haven't posted in awhile, mostly cause I haven't been cooking very much. Who would've thought at a cooking school. I made stirfry for my friends the other night, it was good, but too salty. In skills we made a vegetable beef soup and french onion soup. Tomorrow is consomme which I'm really looking forward to. I wanted to share with you all a quote from the escoffier guide to modern cookery.

"Our illustrious master, Careme, was talking one day to one of his colleagues who was complaining bitterly of the unrefined habits and uncouth tastes of his master, habits and tastes which shocked him to the extent that he had made up his mind to leave his post rather than go on ignoring the priciples of high class cookery which he had followed all his working life. 'You would be quite wrong to behave thus,' replied Careme, 'in matters of cookery there are not a number of priciples, there is only one and that is to satisfy the person you are serving.'"

Anniversary

The first post of The Sandwich Cult appeared 1 year ago today. Everybody please celebrate responsibly.

Last Meat Post

Due the last day of class, we were assigned one page about each kobe beef and kurobuta hog. I'm a little aprehensive posting this because it's so weak and half assed. It's interesting though so, enjoy!

Traditional Kobe Beef

The term “Kobe Beef” refers to the meat from a particular breed of cattle traditionally raised and slaughtered in accordance with the strict specifications of the Kobe region of Japan. It is highly prized for its extensive intra-muscular fat or “marbling.” Since USDA grading is largely based on visible marbling, Kobe beef is considered better than prime grade. It is very expensive – in Japan over $100 per pound - and coveted as the most tender and flavorful beef in the world.

The meat in question comes from the “Wagyu” cattle, which is genetically predisposed to marbling (Morgan Ranch). Imported breeds of cattle were isolated by the country’s unique geography and crossbred to create the Wagyu cattle breed. The animals are slaughtered at ~24-30 months and can yield up to 40% marbling (Mcgee 138). The name Wagyu originally referred to all Japanese beef cattle.

Kobe, Matzukya and Hokkaido are all notable Wagyu beef producing regions of Japan, Kobe being the most notable. The Japanese government imposed strict export regulations in order to protect its beef industry and until 1976, the Wagyu was not exported (O’Connell).

The process of raising the cattle includes feeding them beer, as the yeast was thought to increase the appetite and marbling. The limited space for the cattle to move required the muscles to be hand massaged to decrease stress and offset the likelihood of toughness. The resulting meat is flavorful, tender and rich (Mcgee 138).

Kobe Beef Today

Due to limited space In Japan, today most Kobe producers contract with cattle ranchers in either California or Australia. Most Kobe beef today comes from these two places. The Wagyu are fed and raised according to very specific Kobe specifications and sent to Japan for slaughter and fabrication.

The same Wagyu cattle is used for “American-Style” Kobe beef but production methods do not include the beer feeding and massaging. The quality comparison is debatable. In some places in NYC it can be found for less than $20 per pound.

According to meat scientists, only about 1/3 of the flavor, tenderness and juiciness of meat comes from the marbling. The rest is due to the breed, age, exercise, diet and stress at time of slaughter (Mcgee 137).

Though I have never tasted kobe beef, It is my opinion that the high prices probably have more to do with marketing than actual flavor.

Kurobuta Hog

Pork 100 years ago and up until the 50's contained large amounts of fat, both intra-muscular and inter-muscular. At one time it was the most popular meat in the US, but started losing ground as people became more health conscious. To combat the trends, pork farmers started breeding hogs with up to 1/5 as much fat as in 1980 (Mcgee 139). This resulted in a much leaner meat, but it also robbed the pork of it's marbling and it became dry and flavorless. This is the pork we know today. The Kurobuta hog is closer to those bred a century ago in that they contain marbling and are said to be the juiciest and most flavorful available. The Kurobuta/Berkshire hogs however are still lean, like those of today, they just contain the marbling that is so desired among chefs and consumers.

Kurobuta black hog is the Japanese name for the English “Berkshire hog.” It was reputed to have been discovered by Oliver Cromwell's Army in Reading, England. The hogs were bred for specific characteristics in the 1800's and have remained purebred ever since (SRF). Some time later Berkshire hogs were given to the Japanese government by England as a diplomatic gift, where it became the “Kurobuta” hog we know today (McAllister).

The Berkshire hog was larger than others of its time and was renowned for exceptional quality and flavor. The breed is genetically predisposed to marbling (McAllister). Because it is naturally moist and tender, chemicals commonly added to pork to help it retain flavor and moisture are never added to Berkshire.

The Pork is in high demand these days both by restaurants and consumers. Restaurants such as Spago and The French Laundry go to lengths to acquire purebred hogs, claiming it has a “very specific taste” (Greenwood). Hogs are unique in that they acquire the flavor of the feed they eat (Greenwood). Most Berkshire hog farms use natural methods of raising to maximize the flavor.

MEAT madness

Overpriced Meat Cuts:
Flank Steak
Skirt Steak
Hanger Steak

These cuts are low quality but have become popular because of their flavor and are now overpriced. Originally the appeal was their cheapness.

Under-Utilized Meat Cuts:
Top Round
Flat-Iron Steak
Chicken Steak

These cuts are very tender. The flat iron and chicken steak both come from the chuck portion of the beef critter, but are isolated muscles and second in tenderness only to the tenderloin (seriously). Top Round comes from a tender inner muscle in the leg of 4 legged animals. In beef it is very affordable and makes great steaks and roasts. In lamb it is the really good part of the leg roast and in veal it can run $15+/lb.

Also, be very weary of "Sirloin" steaks at casual dining restaurants. more on all of this below.

Meat can be really confusing because so many identical cuts have different names. Add on to this marketing confusion and it becomes impossible. Here are some key facts:

The PRIMAL cuts are the main sections the carcass is cut into. On a beef animal they are (from head to tail) CHUCK, RIB, LOIN and ROUND.

The loin section (not primal) on a 4 legged animal runs from the top of the hip bone to the last 1-2 ribs. When you cut cross sections of the Loin on hogs, veal and lamb it's called a "loin chop." But the same cut from a beef critter is a t-bone, porterhouse or shell steak. So a lamb, pork or veal "loin chop" could be thought of as a lamb, pork or veal t-bone.

The t-bone, porterhouse and shell steak are all the same cut, the difference is where on the loin section the fall. The porterhouses come from the round or hip end, the t-bones from the middle and the shell steak from the rib end. The names have to do with how much tenderloin appears in the steak.

In beef, the loin is broken down into three different sub-PRIMALS, the tenderloin, the sirloin and the strip loin. Both the strip loin and tenderloin can be left whole as roasts or cut into steaks. From the tenderloin: filet mignon, beef medallions, tournados, noisettes and more. From the strip loin - strip steak or new york strip steak. Steaks cut from the sirloin are often used in casual dining restaurants because they cheap and can be sold for a high price under the name "sirloin." These include "ball-tip" and "Tri-tip" steaks.

The Rib section of 4 legged animals contains the ~6-11th rib. The muscle that runs peripheral to the spinal cord is NOT the tenderloin, but the RIB EYE. (The tenderloin is on the inside of the vertebrae of the loin section and surrounded by a significant layer of fat.) In beef, cuts that come from the rib section are "prime rib", bone-in rib roast, bone-less rib roast. And if you were to cut steaks from the rib-roast they would be rib steaks or if the rib bone is removed, "Delmonico steaks." The same rib section of pork, is sold whole as "pork loin roast" bone-in or boneless. Cross sections cut from the pork loin roast are "pork rib-chops." If you were to remove the rib bone from the pork loin roast you would have "baby-back ribs." The baby-back ribs on beef are referred to as "beef back ribs."

Non-primal cuts are termed "market forms" and in beef include, the plate, the brisket and the foreshank. None of these are particularly useful aside from brisket and are most often ground. Flank steak actually comes from the LOIN primal but is often removed because the excessive fat makes it a bad buy for the money.

Economy cuts sold in restaurants that have become popular are skirt steak and Hanger steak (aka hangar steak, hanging tenderloin, hanging tender, butchers steak, onglet or butcher's tenderloin.) both from the belly muscles of the beef animal. These are generally thought of as low quality cuts of meat but have high resale value because of growing popularity.

ULTIMATE BURGER

Daniel Boulud, former executive chef of Le Cirque turned restuaranteur has created a monster. This is new to me though its been around for at least 5 years.

This burger is ground sirloin wrapped around short ribs braised in red wine with foie gras and truffles. This is pretty anti-thetical to everything I hold near and dear about a burger. However, there's something about the kitsch of putting foie gras and truffles on a burger that taunts me. I'll let you know how it is when I eat it!

You can get this badboy for $29 on 76th st and central park east. Now who wants ice cream?

Food Photography

For the most part I sustain myself, but every now and again I feel a great loss the further I move away from photography. It's interesting to think about these two interests of creating food - something whose beauty lies entirely in it's ephemeral qualities, often down to the minute - and a photograph which is static, 2 dimensional and created to last forever. It's almost contradictory; the whole idea of food photography. But when we take a picture we "appreciate" a certain frame/moment in time space forever the same as we'd enjoy a dish. In this sense a picture has it's own fleeting nature.

I just want a camera, but my azz is broke.

I'm sitting on a balcony in the amber afternoon. The sun barely setting. The servant brings up a bottle of cabernet. He pops the cork and hands it to me. The rich earthy aroma matches that of the vineyard below. A host of new smells flow by on the gentle current. Could life be any better than this?

El Beardo

Anniversary

The first post of The Sandwich Cult appeared 1 year ago today. Everybody please celebrate responsibly.

Borgen's Wednesday Night Special

It's 12:20, I'm drunk, next exit. This is all I have to say:

1 shot bacardi cocoa
2 shots cranberry juice
dash sour
dash bitters

MOVING

I'll insert an image here later. I'm moving and at this point I'd just like to be back in mn. I just had my last day of work at ldc. I miss my family. I'll be back in mn on friday night (hopefully).

I'd like to give a shot out to a few things: Luisas mexican grill; when you're too emotionally broke to eat at a real place. Mrs. Renfros Habenero Salsa, delicious and firey. and last but not least Stephanie, whom I wish more than anything I could spend valentines day with.