IDEAS IN FOOD

Rib Eye in Three Services

Here is the newest demonstration we are preparing for the ship.  Because of the code red on board we had to adjust our cooking classes and convert them into demonstrations.  Similarly, we needed to assemble additional material.  The rib eye in three services is the result.

Rib eye In Three Services

Steak tartare with slow roasted potatoes (from the upper section near the bone)

Minced steak through food mill
Extra Virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
Pickled jalapenos
Soft boiled egg
Lemon juice and zest
Shiso raw and blanched
Anchovies
Capers
Stale white bread
Chives
Russet potato
Butter

Run the sinew filled top portion of the rib eye and any other small pieces of meat through the food mill.  Season with salt, olive oil, and black pepper.  Make a puree of the soft boiled eggs, pickled jalapenos lemon juice, anchovies, and capers and stale bread.  Puree with the blanched shiso and strain.  Cut the potatoes into long planks and bring to a boil in salted water and simmer until just tender.  Cool in ice water.  Melt butter in a pan and when foamy add potato planks to begin browning.  Continue to roast until golden and crispy on the exterior, the interior will be soft and tender.  Drain on a paper towel.  Season the minced steak with sliced shiso, lemon zest and chives.  Arrange the tartare, potato plank and shiso salsa verde.

Grilled Steak and Watermelon Salad (A large plank cut from the center of the rib eye)

Steak Plank
Cumin
Black pepper
Mint
Ginger
Watermelon
Celery Leaves
Salt
Shaved red onions
Sliced scallions
Extra virgin olive oil
Tequila
Lime juice and zest
Agave Syrup

Season the steak with salt, cumin and mint.  Set aside.  Cut the watermelon into large steaks and season with salt, pepper, lime zest and ginger.  Marinated shaved red onions with salt and olive oil.  Mix lime juice with a pinch of salt, agave syrup and tequila and then reduce down to a syrup.  Brush the mint off of the steak and grill.  Set aside to rest.  Chop the celery leaves and fold into the agave-lime syrup.  Slice the watermelon steaks into fingers and arrange with the steak.  Top with the marinated onions, sliced scallions and finish with the celery-agave syrup.

Rib Eye Cap and Center Cut with Potato Hash and Papaya Ketchup

Cleaned rib eye cap
The round portion of center the of the rib eye
Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Butter
Rendered beef fat
Heavy cream
Shiitake mushrooms
Blanched basil
Dijon Mustard
Skim milk
Ripe Papaya
Heinz Ketchup
Sherry vinegar
Soy sauce
Cardamom

Take the rib eye cap and arrange it around the center of the rib eye to check the fit.  Butterfly and pound out the cap to an even thickness, which will later be wrapped around the center of the rib eye.  Season both pieces of meat with salt and then tie the cap around the center.  Bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water and cook until just tender.  Drain, pat dry and then begin sautéing in the rendered beef fat.  Turn the potatoes often in the pan.  Partway through the cooking add the heavy cream, lower the heat and allow it to become absorbed by the potatoes. 

Meanwhile, begin roasting the shiitake mushrooms in browned butter.  Drain on paper towels and set aside in a warm oven.

Mix the mustard and skim milk to make an intense mustard milk.  Puree that with the blanched basil and strain.  Warm sauce in a small pan or pot and swirl in cold butter to finish and then set aside in a warm spot on top of the stove. 

Marinate papaya chunks with sherry vinegar and ground cardamom in a pot.  Set the pot over medium heat to begin cooking the papaya, add a splash of soy sauce to taste, and the ketchup.  Cook until just bubbling and slightly thickened, stirring often to keep the it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.  Puree in a blender and strain. 

Start searing the rib eye in olive oil in a heavy sauté pan and turn it often to brown on all sides.   Once it is the desired color, add a large knob of butter to the pan and baste the meat continuously.  Cook for a few minutes in a 350ºF oven for 5-10 minutes to desired temperature and then rub with butter and let it rest on a warm plate for five minutes.  Slice the steak and assemble the dish with the roasted mushrooms topped with the basil mustard, the papaya ketchup on the plate, the steak sliced and the potatoes off to one side.

Foodscapes

I have moved beyond just sketching drawings with culinary associations and have been able to capture several moments on camera which have inspired me aesthetically.  I have now begun calling these images and the sketches foodscapes.

Snapshots from Hilo

Today we were in Hilo.  We took our chances at finding a tour outside of the cruise ship and hit paydirt a few hundred feet from the gangway.  We found Shark's Tours and spent most of the day with Tom and another couple from the cruise.  We traveled in the comfort of a Toyota Sienna (some of our other methods of transportation were a bit more rustic) and were treated to Tom's view of Hilo which was both interesting and informative.   We learned about history and botany,  discovered the waterfalls and the remnants of an old sugar plantation,  heard stories of tsuanmis and lava flow,  absorbed gorgeous views of nature and Alex was able to jump off the side of a bridge into cool, snow fed waters.  He actually filmed the jump with our digital camera and once we figure out how to do it, we'll have a link to the video on the site.  Speaking of which, we actually have copies of the first two demonstrations but are struggling to figure out how to use i-movie and quicktime to bring the video to the site.  If anyone has any helpful input please feel free to drop us a line or leave a comment.  Thanks!

The tour ended at Tom and KC's home, a tiny paradise on two acres.  Tom is growing coffee, cacao, macadamia nuts, curry leaves, and oranges.  He is experimenting with a vanilla vine trained around a cacao tree and if all goes well he will have chocolate and vanilla living together in perfect harmony.  He even has a small fish pool with tilapia so in case of any emergency he and KC will be well fed from their backyard.  Wandering through his bounty was an amzing experience for us as were able to see coffee and cacao in all stages of their growth. 

We tasted cacao that was straight from the pod, which was lightly coated in a white mucous, crunchy and gelatinous like green almonds, crisp, and juicy with a  slightly bitter and acidic  finish.  Tom sells some of the raw pods to a local raw foods restaurant.  Apparently they are appreciated for their high level of antioxidants.  He is experimenting with fermenting and roasting the beans to make his own chocolate and we had great fun discussing theories and techniques.

We also got to play with the coffee beans.   We tasted coffee made from beans grown in Kona versus beans also grown on the island but from the more mountainous areas.  Tom grows some of the beans himself and buys the rest from other famers on the island.  He roasts the pure Kona coffee to a medium toast and the big island coffee to a dark roast.  Using terminology from his previous life as a winemaker, Tom refers to the Kona as his pinot noir and the big island as his cabernet.  We played with the beans and smelled each batch before conducting our taste test of the coffees.  The Kona was the universal favorite, at least among our small group of judges.

Even the macadamia nuts tasted different.  Since our arrival in Hawaii we have discovered that all of the crops that we have traditionaly associated with the islands such as pineapple, macadamia nuts and sugar have all departed.  There seems to be just enough left of each to satisfy the tourist trade.  As it was when they originally brought sugar to Hawaii, it is now much less expensive to produce these agricultural products somewhere else.  I have never been particularly fond of macadamias, they seemed much too fatty and rich tasting for me.  But Tom and KC's nuts were a revlation.  They were dark roasted and flavorful without that mouth coating fattiness that I associate with commercially produced macadamias.  They were actually a great match for the Kona coffee and ideas for new dishes were bouncing around as we tasted them. 

Actually, there were lots of ideas bouncing around in general as we explored this new agricultural and culinary landscape.  We made Tom a quick non alcoholic refresher with fresh orange juice from his tree and curry leaves from his garden.  Add a splash of tequila and triple sec and you have the perfect sunset margarita.  I'm sure you will see these and other inpirations echoed here in future days when we return to our kitchen and bring them to life.   We didn't know when we woke up this morning that Hilo would be  a culinary destination but we were certainly happy to  discover it's bounty.

Chocolate-Vanilla

I knew I was not the only one who was crazy enough to find the appeal and lure of chocolate and vanilla.  Today we took a tour of Hilo which ended at the home of our tour guide who grows and roasts Kona coffee, grows, ferments and makes chocolate and has now begun to indulge in vanilla.

Here is a shot of a vanilla vine growing on the cacao tree in what will soon be a symbiotic relationship as structure, canape and space unite. 

Honolulu

It’s pouring rain in Honolulu. Apparently yesterday while it was raining in Lahaina, Honolulu had their only sunny day in three weeks.  But once our ship pulled into the harbor the rain swept back into town.  This afternoon we were caught in a torrential downpour, the second in two days and returned to the ship looking like a couple of drowned rats. We wanted to go to Alan Wong’s for dinner but they are closed for renovations until next week. So even though this is our last chance for a dinner in Hawaii off the ship, we may very well stay aboard tonight.  It just doesn’t seem worth the trouble of braving the weather again. We are finally warm and comfortable and feeling pretty mellow and a bit worn out from our afternoon.

We still managed to have some fun today.  We went on a local food tour with Matthew & Keira and tasted some new things and had some very interesting conversations.  The best thing we ate was something called a coco puff at the Liliha Bakery.  The bakery itself is something of an institution and snot be if you find yourself in Honolulu or Waikiki. The coco puff is their specialty. It’s a large cream puff shell filled with chocolate cream (which was actually more like a pudding) and covered with a chantilly icing made with evaporated milk).  It was surprisingly light, creamy, chewy, and well balanced.  I loved the pudding-like consistency of the filling and the icing was almost salty with a bit of a tang.

The beaches at Waikiki were beautiful, even in the rain. People were still out surfing and as I watched them I wished for my bathing suit. When I was a teenager we vacationed on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.  There was a brief rain shower each afternoon at around three. It was amazingly restful to float there in the warm Caribbean waters while this soft shower cascaded down from the sky. I wished that I could experience something like that here but the afternoon was chilly and the idea was more fantasy than reality.  Oh well, tomorrow we will be in Kauai and the sun may come out to play with us there.

Sky Shades

Fanny Brennan.  Her artwork is truly remarkable.  The size of her canvas rarely exceeds two and a half inches square.  The amount of detail and intricacy in each lithograph is extraordinary.  And that is at first glance.  Looking closer at this tiny portal of a moment you notice more: whimsy, irony, unbridled commentary, details which turn the petite focused nature of her works into inspiring masterpieces.

Before today I did not know who Fanny Brennan was.  I still know very little about her, her inspirations, her life story and all the other information one is supposed to know about an artist.  What I do know is that her works provided an inspirational association for Aki and myself.  She has a book Sky Shades, published in 1990, which presents sixty of her works.  I had the time to thumb through it this afternoon and I await purchasing it when we get off the ship. 

What I draw from Fanny Brennan’s works is a focus on the detail of a scene blended with an exquisite sense of the necessary counterpoints that turn a small square into a stadium of ideas.

Sunday at Sea

Due to a communication snafu today’s demonstration did not make it into the daily program. The daily program is sort of like an evening newspaper here on the ship. It lets people know what all of the next day's events are and it usually includes some recreational information on where the ship is, where we’re going and occasionally some background information on key members of the staff like the captain and the executive chef. The result of the omission was that we went from well over a hundred people at our first demonstration to about half that for the second.  Fortunately we had mentioned that we would be working with tuna today during yesterday’s lobster demonstration. The cruise director made an announcement about a half hour before we started so some people were still able to find us in the Wang Theater.   Many of the people who came to the second demo had been to the first and were much less shy with questions and comments. This made things a lot more interesting on both sides of the counter.

The ship is still in a code red situation so we haven’t been able to do any of our culinary classes. Code red happens when only 2% of the people on board the ship are sick. Apparently on the previous cruise there was a mini-epidemic of the Norwalk virus and because of that we began this cruise in a code red situation. We are hoping that the code will be changed to yellow in Honolulu, as are most of the passengers and crew members on board.  During a code red situation there is no self-service of any kind for any food or beverage. When you walk through a buffet a staff member must assemble your tray with silverware and hand it to you. There is a rope between the passenger and the buffet table and a server at each station to pass your food to you. You are handed coffee and water. There are hand sanitizer stations all over the boat and when you are entering the main dining room stewards greet you with a squirt to the palms as you walk through the doors. We were originally supposed to let passengers taste one of the dishes from our demonstrations but with a code red that’s no longer possible. Even when we move to a code yellow I believe that during the cooking classes we (and the passengers) will be required to wear rubber gloves whenever handling the food. It’s a tough situation for everyone but the crew is handling the extra workload quite gracefully. It can’t be fun to chase people around with sanitizer or toss salads to order on a buffet line but there seems to be no growling, however quietly, at the strain.

On the plus side, we are feeling fine, the weather is warm, the feedback has been good and we are about to enter Hawaii for the very first time. I should mention that we have been having difficulties with e-mail here on the ship.  Apparently the Internet service provider does not support Entourage, which is the mail program we both use.  So, if you have sent us something please be patient.  We may not receive it until we return to NYC.  It’s actually quite strange because we are getting some of our e-mails and there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to what makes it through and what remains in some digital holding tank. I only realized it was an issue when I stopped receiving a few of my daily messages. But perhaps a break from civilization every once in a while is a good thing.

Lobster Demonstration

This morning concluded with our first cooking demonstration on board ship.  Let me tell you that cooking in a pendulum where you have to procure ingredients from the bowels of the beast is not as easy as they let on.  With that said, we had a tremendous time working out the finer points of the three recipes, truly working together as an improvisational act.

The menu was Lobster in Three Services:

 

 

Lobster Broth
fried dumplings, celery leaves, shiitake mushroom

 

Lobster Salad
avocado larded with vanilla bean, banana guacamole, scallion-lime relish

Lobster Sausage and Peppers
green and black olives, basil, fresh mozzarella

And here are a few action shots as well. 

We are waiting to see the actual show on DVD.  If it is any good and we can edit it perhaps we will drop some content here as well.

Natural Inspirations

I have begun to look beyond the kitchen doors.  I believe I have written about our trip to the MOMA and its profound effect on my culinary vision.  If not, I have now said it.  Recently I have been drawn to sea and landscapes.  There is more to the world beyond the plate at hand and the ingredients in the walk-in.

The interaction between land and sea triggers many ideas with an aesthetic which is raw and ever changing.  Similarly the juxtaposition of shapes, sounds and textures for edible ingredients is equally stimulating.  What I enjoy about these external stimulations is the process of translation.  I may see an outcropping of rock covered in moss and be really excited about how its place in nature makes it unique and appealing.  I must then capture that outcropping, usually a quick sketch in a notebook and then translate the sketch into a composition of ingredients.  Many times I just sketch and place generic associations to the varied parts of the drawing, looking to become specific in the kitchen.  Other times, I can see a complete dish with accents and garnishes all aligned as a representation of a scenic inspiration.

My notebook is growing worn as I continue to sketch these land and seascapes, being inspired by the time outside the kitchen rather than in.

Cru

I was reminded of something very important while dining at Cru.  When you give the chef freedom to fly you will visit many places you never expected, some good, some great and some not worth visiting again.  In our own kitchen we change the menu daily though our freedom is influenced or corralled--depends whom you talk to--by the guests who visit with us.  We are definitely exploring food though it still must remain grounded.  I have difficulty with that at times, though Aki is able to help filter and edit my adventurous side.

The menu at Cru reads well with the ingredients coming from near and far though with distinct leanings toward Japan in the selections and seasonings of the crudo, and more firmly towards Italy with the homemade pastas.  Though there is more to offer than what you see on the menu.  Ask for the kitchen to cook for you.  Be willing and open to taste and see what the chef, Shea Gallante, and his team has to offer.  We arrived at dinner with a couple of tastes for the kitchen as well.  Last year we ran into Shea in Aspen and gave him some vanilla salt.  We felt it only fitting to bring some chocolate salt this time around.  We also brought a bottle of tequila vinegar, with his affinity for raw fish we felt the vinegar would be a fun ingredient to work with.

After we were seated and had perused the menu we were given the opportunity to have the kitchen cook for us.  Just say yes.  If the opportunity arises just nod, explain any allergies or food dislikes and perhaps a culinary spark from the menu at hand and let the kitchen cook.  We did and that was key to a wonderful evening.  Oh, and they also offered to pair wines with appropriate courses.  That meant we had absolutely nothing to do but eat, drink and enjoy an evening with Reiko.

The first course, in this case bite, came after an array of canapés.  I do not have a written menu in hand and even if I did, not much that we were served came from the printed menu.  I am thus recreating the meal from memory so there may be a few slips, though as can be shown from my recall that the menu was memorable.

Canapés:
Carrot cone with goat cheese and tarragon
Miniature Cuban sandwich
Arancini with cocoa nibs and butternut squash
Whipped Robiola tartlet with pine nut and olive oil

Chilled oyster with pearls of tequila vinegar, soy and chocolate salt (The re-gift: Shea was the first to use what we brought as a present in the meal for us.)

Miniature Bocconcini with tomato concentrate and jelly

Crudo:  Kampachi with radish, needlefish with red and yellow peppers, langoustine with grated black truffle

Dungeness crabmeat with whipped green apple and sesame oil powder

Black sesame seed crusted blue marlin belly with ginger and tamarind

Warm terrine of sweet Maine shrimp with horseradish, sea urchin and micro shiso

Hamachi tartare with wasabi ice cream

Truffle crusted Turbot with cauliflower puree and caramelized cauliflower crust

Fideos of Farro spaghetti with chestnuts and calamari and Papardelle with fennel and duck sausage

Squab breast with curry bubbles, tahini and black trumpet mushrooms

Lamb loin with wild rice and mole

Short Ribs with potato puree, young beets and parsnip batons

Yogurt sorbet with yuzu grapefruit consommé

Amaretto ice cream with pineapple and cake

Chocolate ice cream, pudding pop and cake with aerated caramel

Mignardises

The dishes were fun and exciting.  The only real mis-steps came during dessert.  They just did not mesh with the rest of the menu.  Something is out of sync and that is unfortunate for if the desserts could become part of the whole Cru would be truly spectacular.  Sure there were a few other small stumbles in the menu, in spite of these we can honestly say that as an overall experience Cru was well worth the journey.  We can add Cru to the list of places that we'd return to and that list is not a long one this year.

Embarkment

It's a beautiful morning in San Diego.  The skies ar clear and blue and the sunlight is streaming over the ocean.  Yesterday was a bit cloudy and gray.  It was a good day for walking around the zoo.  At least we thought so.  The guy operating the skyfari tram felt it was a bit too cold.  "Anything under 70 degrees is cool.  Anything under 60 degrees is considered freezing in these parts."  So I guess we were freezing and didn't know it. 

The Zoo was great fun.  The only low moments came as we walked through the horn and hoof exhibition.  Unfortunately we've seen most of those animals on display in Alan & Barbara's various trophy rooms.  We couldn't help comparing the beauty of the live animals to the perfectly preserved memorials we had seen before.  This is simply an observation, I respect the responsible way that Barbara and Alan conduct their hunting.  To be honest zoos make me a little bit sad in general.  Although some of the animals seem at home in their areas, many of them have an air of caged energy or apathy, as though their essence is stunted by being trapped in a display.  They are still incredibly beautiful but as you observe them you can't help but wonder how you would feel if the situation were reversed.  We have the freedom to move around and to guide our own explorations.  We just need to remember to cherish and to exercise those rights more often.  We all feel trapped at times but usually we are the biggest obstacle to change in our own lives.

Today is embarkment day for the cruise with Holland America.  I've never been on a cruise and neither of us has been to Hawaii so we are looking forward to the trip.  We get a whole new set of experiences and we get to share our love of food with a new group of people.  What could be better?  It's also a rare opportunity for us to get away and reconnect in a new setting.  We spend so much time together that sometimes we forget  what a rare partnership we have.  This will be a nice opportunity to enjoy each other's company outside of kitchens, wine rooms and dining rooms.  We'll still be cooking and eating  and teaching but there will be many other things to experience once we're done in the kitchens.  I'm looking forward to being on the water for an extended period, we both miss the ocean when we're in Colorado.  It will be a real treat to look out on the water first thing in the morning and before bed in the evenings.  Moonlight playing on the ocean is one of my favorite views of all time.

We will continue to post from the ship.  There definitely is an internet cafe but there are only seven terminals for 1300 passengers and who knows how many crew members.  We're hoping for hotspots along the deck so that we can use our laptops.  We never leave home without them.  As I mentioned before it's a beautiful, breezy day, clearly an auspicious beginning to our next adventure.

The San Diego Zoo

This morning we were able to watch others eating, relaxing and enjoying life.  Sometimes we need to get out of the kitchen to look at the picture.  It is amazing where inspiration can come from.

The Fish Taco

A way to early flight this morning has allowed us the additional freedom to add several more bites to our time in San Diego.  We flew out a couple of days before our cruise to allow our bodies to adapt to warm air and a relaxed atmosphere.  Actually, we are getting to catch up with family who we have not seen in years and they were willing to put up with us for those pre-cruise days.  As we toured the city this morning my cousin mentioned lunch at the beach.  I could only laugh.  It has been years since I had lunch at the beach and I do not think it was ever a common thought.  Anyway, he said his wife Kim insisted that we eat fish tacos if we were going to be in town.  Fish tacos.  When was the last time I had an authentic fish taco?  I think it was right around never.  Sure I have eaten fish tacos in casual Mexican joint in Maine or as a playful dish on a fine dining menu or a quick nod to Southern California on a sushi menu.  I have not had the delight of eating a fish taco on the beach near its believed point of origin, Mexico.  Well, I am off to taste tacos, hopefully I can convince my cousin to try as many taco stands as possible in order to really gain a brief glimpse into the world of fish tacos and beach side dining.

The Twelve Course Notebook

Notebooks are fun.  They are a place for ideas to blossom, thoughts to be remembered and recipes to be collected.  My notebooks are rarely organized.  I assemble thoughts on pieces of paper, usually post it notes, and when the pile gets big I type them into the computer.  I have recently started carrying a small notebook, a moleskine, which has a hard cover, lined pages--actually you can get them blank, with grids or even divided into panels-- and works well as an idea mule so that I will not forget.  I still forget, but at least the idea is written or scratched onto a piece of paper.

With regards to notebooks I am reminding and informing individuals that I have put two long and extensive notebooks on this website.  I mention this again because when I first started putting notebooks on line we had just a few loyal readers.  We now have more loyal readers and I felt it would be fun to bring these notebooks back to the forefront of everyone's minds.  These notebooks are long and not for the faint of heart or time.  I know there are misspelled words, run on sentences and more.  On the positive, they are chock full of unedited ideas and inspirations we have come across through the passage of time.  That is why they are notebooks and not published works.

With that in mind, I am also adding a third notebook.  This one is actually organized, the contents are arranged by course.  This notebook is based on our, really my, ideal menu length.  Aki thinks it is a bit long and too much food, but she is half my size.  (What Alex is failing to mention here is that this particular notebook was originally designed as the outline for a book that we have been working on for the past few years.  The reason that I agreed to twelve courses is that readers can pick and choose from any and all of the courses to create a meal of their own choosing.  It's like giving people basic leggos and seeing what fantastic structures they can come up with on their  own.)  We are still working out the kinks.  Anyway the notebook is Twelve Courses, the password is twelve.  If you happen to go in and read these notebooks good luck, they are voluminous but compiled with passion.  (As it happens, the longer we worked on the project, the larger it became.  Trying to narrow down the list of dishes to things that we both felt were essential was especially difficult without an editor to restrain us.)

And if this notebook is of interest, check out the other two as well.  All three are posted with the appropriate links in the notebook category of our site.  Peruse them with an open mind and at your leisure.  As always we are open to questions and comments on anything you find of interest.

Food and Environment

The other day we broke one of our cardinal rules and went to a place that had been open for less than a week.  I really like to give a place at least a month before visiting because we all know there are kinks to be worked out.  On the other hand, you don't want to wait longer than three or four months because you might miss the very best of what a restaurant has to offer once the reviews start rolling out.  We made an exception in this particular instance because we will be leaving for our cruise on Monday.  There are no guarantees that we will have time to visit the place on our brief return to the city after the cruise, so we gave in to temptation and subsequently paid the price.  Since the place is so new, I won't go into the details here.   I'm sure that this location will smooth things out given a bit of time to soften the edges.  The interesting part of the whole experience to me was how the grimness of our meal bled over into the rest of our afternoon.

We had squeezed in a quick bite before our last dinner party.  As we walked the streets of Manhattan after the meal we discussed the final details for our menu, the parties that had already occurred and our plans for the cruise.  We thought that we had put the (rather expensive) meal behind us but our moods were cloudy and sparks of temper threatened below the surface of our conversation.  We were snapping and unusually cross with each other while our gait quickened to a soldier's march as we glared stoically ahead, taking no notice of the rich environment which surrounded us.  Until finally we stopped and realized what had happened.  We had been tainted by a negative experience, our personal issues had been exacerbated by the intense levels of stress that surrounded us as a multitude of anxious and indifferent staff members tried to adapt to a new environment.  We had absorbed all of these emotions unwittingly and carried them with us as a kind of unwelcome karmic doggie bag.

Once we realized what had happened we were able to shake it off for real.  We talked about the experience and how disappointing it had been for us.  We had been expecting a lot and were excited about the opening.  Things that would be considered average elsewhere were just not acceptable at this particular establishment.  We talked about what we liked and what we thought could improve and what had sparked new ideas for both of us.  Then we mentally sent the money up in flames as a sacrifice to new experiences.  A few deep breaths to clear our lungs and our heads and we were ready to move on.  It was as though a weight had been removed from our shoulders.  It was not the burden of a bad experience per se, it was the burden of disappointment.  It taught us a good lesson about the insidious effect of a negative experience.  We will always strive to make sure that no one leaves our place under a  shadowy cloud.  No matter how faint its outlines may be, a cloud will feed off its environment and grow.  Our job is to make sure that what's growing has a silver lining somewhere in it's composition.

Oysters and Fries

We finished the last of our events here in New York last evening and we decided to go out for a bit of culinary relaxation for lunch today.  We ended up at Aqua Grill.  The menu was simple, really I was there for the oysters.  As we looked at the menu we ordered some french fries to take the edge off.  OK, finding parking took longer than anticipated and we were ravenous.  The fries came and went and somewhere amidst our eating we ordered a dozen oysters and a bottle of wine.  Midway through the fries our waiter returned saying the wine we had chosen was not in stock, did we have another choice.  We chose a Marcel Deiss 2003 Beblenheim Riesling.  Before I put the menu down I noticed an oyster sampler on the menu.  Try one of each oyster for a base price.  In actuality I think they just added the price of the individual oysters, but so what.  The opportunity to taste 25 oysters at once is rare and the fact that the oysters are arranged so that the diner can put a name to a taste and an oyster is truly remarkable.  As we waited for the oysters the wine arrived and we decompressed reminiscing on the past weeks events and sipping the refreshing wine.

When the oysters arrived--two giant platters--a second plate of fries showed up, I guess I ordered them, and we began a truly special tasting, working our way along the nautilus like arrangement of oysters.  Each bite brought us flavors, textures, tastes and ideas from all over North America.  If you truly enjoy oysters I recommend taking the journey we traveled today.

The Oysters
(From the oyster to the right of the lemon, working inwards)

Blue Point-Connecticut
Pearl Point-Washington State
Skookum-Washington State
Sisters Point-Washington State
Dungeness- Washington State
Falmouth- Massachusetts
Malsapina-British Columbia
Narragansett-Rhode Island
Piper's Point-Prince Edward Island
Imperial Eagle-British Columbia
Whaletown-British Columbia
Buzzards Bay-Massachusetts
Duxbury-Massachusetts
La St. Simon-New Brunswick
Martha's Vineyard-Massachusetts
Moonstone-Rhode Island
Watch Hill-Rhode Island
Willapa Bay-Oregon
Eastham-Massachusetts
Pacific Blue Point-Washington State
Kumomoto-Oregon
Kumomoto-Washington State
Wellfleet-Massachusetts
Royal Miyagi-British Columbia
Simpson Bay-Alaska

The Ides of March 2006

                                                 Tequila Cured Steelhead Trout Roe
                                              yellow fin tuna, charentais melon, sorrel

                                                                 Lemon Sole
                                        shrimp spaetzle, black cabbage kimchee, yuzu

                                                        South Texas Antelope
                                          watercress salad, mango puree, rhubarb

                                                Twig Farm Goat’s Milk Tomme
                            piquillo pepper puree, crumbled olives, smoked cicerchia

                                                  Freeze Dried Strawberry Cake
        bergamot marinated strawberries, white chocolate mousse, green tea croquant

White Chocolate Mousse

One of the things that drives me crazy about dining out these days is the need to make things complicated.  A great dish has a range of textures and flavors incorporated in it so that each bite is a little different from the one before, and the diners' palate doesn't become sated and indifferent.  There are several different ways to achieve this layered effect in a dish.  One of my favorite ways is to take several simple, focused layers and combine them to create a kaleidoscopic effect.

For example, tonight's dessert is a freeze dried strawberry cake served with white chocolate mousse, macerated strawberries and a green tea croquante.  This sounds complicated but is actually comprised of several simple layers of different elements.  For example, the cake is a play off of the original 1-2-3-4 cake, slightly reducing the sugar, bumping the butter, substituting Greek yogurt for milk and folding crushed, freeze dried strawberries into the batter at the very end.  We found some amazingly fragrant strawberries at Citarella which we will clean and macerate with a touch of salt and lime juice right before service so they are still firm, delicate, slightly acidic and bursting with juice.  The white chocolate mousse may be more accurately described as a white chocolate whipped cream as it is made up of only white chocolate, heavy cream and a pinch of salt.  Finally we have the green tea croquant.  We started with an amber caramel and tipped in coarsely chopped Marcona almonds.  We spread the caramel-nut mixture onto a buttered pan and dusted the entire surface with green tea powder.  This will be pulverized to a sandy texture for the final element on the plate.

For me, this dessert is a nice return to the basics.  Sometimes when we play with gums and gels and various new and enticing techniques things get a bit muddled.  Every so often it's good to remind ourselves that while it's important to stretch our horizons and try new things, sometimes a few simple techniques can be used to create something close to perfection.

White Chocolate Mousse

2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
6 ounces white chocolate

Melt chocolate and set aside.  Whip cream with salt to soft peak, temper in chocolate and whip to desired texture.  Chill for two hours before using. 

March 14, 2005

                                                                      Tequila Cured Steelhead Trout Roe
                                                             gala melon, cumin shoots, powdered coconut

                                                                                          Lemon Sole
                                                      rhubarb and poblano pepper relish, soy-lime sauce

                                                                                            Short Rib
                                               minced shishito peppers, smoked cicerchia, tamarind-maple

                                                                                            Hoch Ybris
                                                               black olive streusel, pineapple, celery leaves

                                                                            Freeze Dried Strawberry Cake
                                        white chocolate mousse, marinated strawberries, green tea croquant,

Balancing Tastes (again)

For us, writing is a constant process of editing and re-editing.  Since we posted the first draft of a statement of some of our food philosophy, we thought it only right to share the more complete version as well.

We believe that creating great food entails capturing the essence of natural ingredients and then magnifying the experience into something arresting and memorable. We find beauty in every aspect of the cooking process and have discovered that inspirations are everywhere. The crash of waves upon a rocky shoreline becomes a briny, frothy broth, studded with shrimp spaetzle and roasted shiitake mushrooms, garnished with a scattering of fresh herbs.  The broth is stabilized with lecithin, the spaetzle bound by transglutaminase.  We use modern science and technology to enhance textures and flavors while trying to remain true to an ingredients original essence.  There are those who claim that cooking is an art where chefs create beauty on the canvas of a plate.  Some say that cooking is a craft, a set of skills learned through years of experience.  Others claim that it a science and that there are set principles and guidelines to follow.  In our minds the art, science and craft involved in cooking must be seamlessly woven together so that the finished product appears simple, looks natural and tastes extraordinary.

Black Olive Streusel

The great part about coffee cake is the streusel topping.  Of course that is only my opinion, Aki really only likes the yellow cake part.  I guess between us coffee cake works out.  In a recent dessert we made a simple rhubarb cake topped with a tasty streusel topping.  It was tasty and our minds began to wander.  We were also talking about the unique and delicious combination of olives and pineapple.  With both of these concepts bouncing around and a bag of dried olives on the counter we assembled olive streusel which we then paired with olive caramel marinated pineapple and freeze dried fruit cake.  (In the first rendition we used only pineapple and coconut, but think of the possibility of making the infamous fruit cake with freeze dried fruit.  That is for another day.)  Alright, so back to the olive streusel.  We knew we could not bake our dried olives or they would burn.  With that in mind, Aki made a white pepper streusel and baked it in a shallow pan.  When it was done we combined it with the dried olives and pulsed the two together.  The result is a black streusel topping with an intense olive flavor and a semi sweet crunchy texture.  The streusel worked well with the pineapple and it sparked many more applications and combinations for this and other semi traditional streusel toppings.

The Most Eye Opening, Palate Satisfying, and Life Inspiring Meats

This is not just an award for a food product, but rather it is for a mentality and an approach to life.  We have been very fortunate in getting to know Alan Higgins and Grass Roots Meats  and the relationship was established through no fault of our own.  Actually, the phone rang one day in our kitchen and Alan was at the other end.  He explained who he was and a bit about Grass Roots Meats.  To be honest all we heard was that he would like to stop by with some samples and talk about meat.  I said sure, come on by, and that has made all the difference.

Alan showed up in his pick up truck with a cooler in the back.  He stuck out his hand, waiting for me to shake.  I did, but Aki and I were both eyeing the cooler.  We wanted to get to the meat and see what kind of product he carried.  At that point we still hadn’t found many local producers who were able to meet our needs so the prospect of Alan’s grass fed meats was an enticing one.  As he pulled the different cuts of meat from the cooler we realized it was frozen.  Years ago I would have said sorry, nothing frozen and called it a day.  That was when I was young and arrogant and stood comfortably on top of my soapbox.  Instead on that distant day we examined the various meats that he pulled out of his cooler and just started talking about them.  I asked questions, he asked questions, Aki asked questions, and occasionally we came up with some answers that looked like they might work. 

After Alan left, we thawed out the various meat samples, simply seasoned them with salt and began cooking.  I was openly skeptical as we began the process.  The steaks and chops were thin, they had been frozen, they were much leaner than prime meats; there was a litany of reasons why the meat would not be up to our standards running through my head. I had no true hopes for the meat.  What the heck is going to come from a small grass roots operation in the middle of nowhere?  Aki was a bit more optimistic and carefully followed Alan’s admonition to cook the meat gently, at slightly lower temperatures than other meats. As she slid them gently from the pans and off the grill, the steaks and chops were golden brown and surprisingly succulent looking.  As they rested, the aroma quietly permeated the air with it’s brown beefy scent and a small pool of juices gathered on the platter.  Well, it was the most intensely flavorful and juicy lamb and beef I had tasted in eons and as I slowly savored each bite I also ate a bit of crow.  Alan could not have been gone for more than a day and I was already calling and asking about every cut of meat from the simple (rack of lamb) to the obscure (lamb bellies and necks).  And the beef is equally flavorful.  It is not Kobe or prime with rich marbling.  It is something different, tasty, meaty, and juicy.  Alan’s meats have a unique character, kind of like Alan himself.

Alan’s approach to meat is bespoke.  Tell him what you want, how you want it and that is what you will get with his final approval.  It is not worth his time and energy to provide anything but the best.  And if he cannot get you exactly what you want he lets you know immediately that there may be problems.  He is straightforward and true, as are his meats and his approach to life.  That is why we are awarding GrassRoots Meats the Award for The Most Eye Opening Palate Satisfying and Life Inspiring Meats.

A big thank you to everyone at Tasting Menu for taking the time to organize the awards.  They were a lot of fun and we learned a lot about food from all of the other bloggers that participated.  If you haven't already, please check out the other awards here.

March 9, 2006

                                                                                Charentais Melon Confit
                                                    sake roe, sprouted caraway, armando manni olive oil

                                                                                Warmed King Salmon
                                                                cumin shoots apple relish, dried sausage

                                                                                South Texas Antelope
                                                        king trumpet mushroom, date-mustard, tarragon

                                                                                Artisanal Roquefort
                                                            daikon radish, celery leaves, maple vinegar

                                                                                Freeze Dried Cake
                                            olive streusel, marinated pineapple, powdered coconut

Smoked Potato Bread

The other day we made a make shift smoker.  As it turns out, I cannot go long periods of time without my smoker.  Anyway, the smoker consisted of a hotel pan and tin foil, with compressed apple wood shavings for the smoke.  My first project was to smoke cicerchia.  These were first cooked with garlic and the smoky flavor worked great with the legume.  Well, the smoker was still kicking out smoke so I decided to put some potatoes in as well.  The potatoes picked up the smoke and were equally tasty.  Once the potatoes were cool we stored them away with hopes of using them in the future.  We could make home fries, that would be neat, and then it happened.  We were talking bread for the events we were doing and a led to b.  Aki put together smoked potato bread.  In all fairness, I under smoked the first round of potatoes and the smoke flavor was a bit muted in the bread.  That is alright for the bread was delicious.  Next time the potatoes will just need to smoke a bit longer and then the bread will sing.

March 8, 2006

Tonight's menu:

King Trumpet Mushroom

marcona almond vinaigrette, young epazote, fresh wasabi

Chilled Day Boat Scallop
cream of radish top soup, borage, apple relish

South Texas Antelope
kohlrabi hash, date-mustard, lovage

Artisanal Roquefort
watermelon radish, arugula, crispy pistachios

Freeze Dried Cake
olive, pineapple, coconut

The World's Fastest Tasting Menu

Today we did a lunchtime tasting at Food and Wine Magazine.  It was an informal occasion, we put up four plates of each course and everyone tasted and shared the plates amongst the group.  We had a great time cooking and talking about food.  Due to the group dynamic it was a very fast paced meal, six courses in less than an hour.  Fortunately we were up to the task.  We'd especially like to thank Ratha Tep for setting up the tasting and Grace and all of the other test kitchen staff members for so cordially allowing us to share their space for the occasion.

                                                                              Steelhead Trout Roe
                                sake cured: gala melon confit, arugula granita, armando manni olive oil
                                    smoked salt cured: cream of radish top soup, japanese chili, borage

                                                                              Blended Oatmeal
                                                    mitsuba puree, dungeness crab meat, shaved myoga

                                                                                  King Salmon
                                   mandarin infused daikon radish, yuzu puree, shrimp spaetzle

                                                                                    Short Rib
                                        smoked cicerchia, black cabbage kimchee, tamarind-maple

                                                                         Pecorino Foja de Noce
                                            shishito peppers, dried sausage, spanish olive caramel

                                                                        Rhubarb Streusel Cake
                                    triple crème sorbet, freeze dried strawberries, balsamic vinegar

Two Salts

As a parting gift, the guests at the tastings that we will be cooking for over the next two weeks will receive two finishing salts, chocolate and vanilla.  We thought that these would give our diners something fun to remember us by.  We wanted to give them a gift that would make them think a little bit about food and still be easy to play with.  We've refined the chocolate salt since it was first shown here. It's even more chocolate-y than it was in the beginning, softly drenched in bittersweet Scharffen Berger and Callebaut chocolates.  As for the vanilla, what can we say, the longer it sits, the better it gets.  Vanilla salt is a great way to use up old vanilla beans and add a touch of vanilla to savory dishes without overwhelming the other flavors.  In the pantry, though not seen here, are a variety of other spiced salts from cardamom to szechuan peppercorn to toasted cumin seed.  Any highly aromatic dried spice will easily share it's flavors with your favorite salt  The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

HAL Demonstrations

Last week we finally finished the outlines for our demonstrations and classes for the cruise. So here's a sneak preview of what will be happening at our demonstrations on board ship:
         
                                                                                   Ideas in Food
                                                                               Demonstration One

                                                                           Tuna in Three Services
                                                                    From a Four Pound Loin of Tuna

Raw: Finely minced in a food mill and prepared as tartare with basil and lemon zest. As sashimi paired with melon confit (salt, sugar, mint for the cure), tamarind sauce and coconut milk-ginger froth

Warmed: Paillard seared on one side and served with a hot fruit and vegetable condiment: green apple batons, scallions, radish quarters, lime segment, and papaya cubes prepared as tempura and accompanied by a soft boiled egg mayonnaise flavored with lemon and habañero.

Roasted: Filet mignon style tuna loin with Asian creamed spinach (Blanched spinach stewed down with yuzu juice, sesame oil, sesame seeds.), miso-chile-butter potato puree (Potatoes are thrice cooked—water poached for 30 minutes at 165ºF, chilled, cooked till done, strained through a tammis, and finished with chile infused butter and white miso.) and an Asian steak sauce (Soy sauce, umemboshi, Heinz Ketchup, balsamic vinegar, pickled ginger).

                                                                                    Ideas in Food
                                                                               Demonstration Two

                                                                          Lobster in Three Services
                                                        A Two and a Half Pound Lobster Per Person

Soup: Earl Grey Tea, shiitake mushrooms, celery leaves, soy sauce, jalapeno, lemon zest, heavy cream, butter served with pan fried lobster-shiitake dumplings (Dumpling skins filled with coarsely chopped lobster knuckles, scallions, lemon zest, smoked paprika, soft butter, charred onion and jalapeno, shiitake mushrooms, nori).

Salad: Lobster claws with roasted avocado larded with whole vanilla bean and accompanied by scallion-lime relish (scallions, lime juice and segments, honey salt) and banana guacamole (Bananas, diced jalapeño, lime juice, toasted cumin, cilantro, tomato dice, scallion, whole milk yogurt).

Braised:  Sausage and Peppers: Lobster tail rubbed with sausage spices (toasted fennel, caraway, cumin, black pepper, onion and garlic powder, lemon zest), ground sweet Italian sausage, piquillo or roasted red peppers, black and green pitted olives, onions, tomato, parmesan tuiles, fresh mozzarella, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, fresh basil.

Art and Science in the Kitchen

Someone asked us to write a few words about our food philosophy.  It was an exercise that caused us to think about our recent work in the kitchen and in the dining room.  The following passage is what we came up with.  Just thought we'd share it with you.

Our personal philosophy demands that everything on a plate should be both edible and beautiful.  Gone are the days of colorful garnishes that serve no purpose. Science has allowed us the luxury of precision cooking at a level that could not have been imagined fifty years ago.  There are many missteps along the path to discovery, kitchens where beauty is revered above flavor or where speed is revered above all.  We are in the process of finding a balance between the beauty of the of the food, the science that makes technology possible and the nurturing instinct that drives us all to cook.

Many would say that cooking is not art or science but a craft.  It is a profession that is learned through experience. There is beauty to be found in every aspect of the cooking process.  A drop of water sizzling on a hot pan has as much grace as a gorgeously roasted piece of fish with it’s crisp delicate skin and moist tender flesh. 

The creation of a dish for the dining room is a compendium of many elements.  There are vegetables, proteins, sauces, and condiments with the very plate itself forming a canvas for the final presentation.  In these modern times, the array of shapes and materials used to create this backdrop is astonishing as chefs go to ever increasing lengths to woo the eye along with the palate. 

Beyond the china are the techniques used to enhance the food.  Terms like molecular gastronomy, sous vide cookery, enzymes and food gums have now become commonplace in contemporary kitchens.  Cooks are using the available science—from all industries-- to create new techniques for better cooking and eye-catching presentations.  The very best have found ways to marry the two into a harmonious end product.

A Few Quick Bites

As we get busier, writing about our dining experiences in New York seems to fall by the wayside.  Not because there isn't anything to write about but because there isn't time to do it justice.  So, here are a few quick bites. memorable moments from the first half of this journey.

The Corner Bistro was the perfect spot for a quick lunch last week.  I have been meaning to bring Alex here for years as it is a place that is entwined with my past.  I began visiting the corner bistro in high school and have returned periodically over the years.  The place never seems to change and the burgers are always greasy and delicious.

After the Herve This lecture we stopped by Five Points on the way back to the car.  It was early and we were starving so were happy to discover that between 5-6pm they have $2 oysters and $5 martinis.  We stayed for dinner and I have to say that our experience that evening would lead one to believe that appetizers and pastas are definitely the things to order.   Alex has been on a quest for the perfect short ribs and we'll just say that he's still searching and leave it at that.  The special that night was a Fritto Misto with shrimp, calamari, sea bass and skate.  It was a beautiful dish, we could have just eaten oysters and the Misto and been perfectly happy.  Knowing when to stop is a gift we don't always posses.

Steak Tartare at the bar at Artisanal while waiting for the packages to wrapped next door was a winner.  They have a really nice rendition of that classic bistro dish.

Another bar, this time at Balthazar , was the scene of a great plateau de mer.  We got the Balthazar to share between us and although the crab claws were Jonah and tasteless and there were more periwinkles than six of us could have eaten, we had a ball because everything else was utterly pristine.  The oysters were fresh and briny, the shrimp fat and succulent, marinated Taylor bay scallops, seviches, huge mussels, lobster and a variety of condiments.  We shared the remainder with the two charming ladies beside us and finished up with onion soup (me) and a so-so financier (him).

Couldn't resist visiting David Burke at Bloomingdales after all the talk about the sliders.  Not a great experience, the space is cramped, the butter was dirty (as in dropped on the floor and put back on the plate dirty) and the food was simply not good.  The sliders were edible and nicely pink inside, they were just too tall and with too many things going on for such a small package.  The fries were incredibly salty, the meatloaf was tender and tasteless and the lobster mashed potatoes were cold, grainy and vegetarian.  The short ribs were just a mess, tough as shoe leather and accompanied by a jumble of overcooked and under seasoned pasta.  It was disappointing.

Another disappointing experience would be lunch at the Bar Room  at the Modern.  The food itself wasn't bad but the service was horrendous.  It's as though the Bar and the Dining Room are different worlds within the same restaurant.  Almost two hours for three courses and when we were finally able to make our escape, a back waiter who we hadn't seen all afternoon suddenly materialized, brushing by us, glaring at our coats and stepping over our chairs in his haste to clear away the dishes as we began to vacate the table.  It was kind of amazing, after slowly dehydrating through the course of the meal because we could never find anyone to pour us some water, he couldn't wait ten seconds for us to actually step away from the table before clearing away all evidence of us.  But the museum was fabulous, we went in for the Munch exhibit and stayed to absorb everything else.  There is a lot of inspiration to be found within those walls.

So let's wrap this up on a positive note.  Thankfully our old standby the 5 Burro Cafe in Forest Hills still makes good nachos, quesadillas, tacos al pastor and one of my favorite Cadillac margaritas.  It's not fancy but the food is tasty and the same staff has worked there for years, which is a wonderful thing in this ever-changing business of ours.

The Japanese Grill

Monday was a crazy day.  I spent the better part of the day zipping, yes zipping through Manhattan--I was not driving and this particular driver does zip, dodge and narrowly avoid Manhattan's minefield of traffic.

Monday also provided a boost of culinary excitement.  When you get together and surround yourself with passionate individuals more often than not you will come away with something great.  As we zipped through the streets and visited many purveyors of  fine ingredients, ultimately we were able to uncover ideas which were somehow buried deep in our culinary consciousness.

The end result of our forays resulted in the discovery of a Japanese grill and a smokeless compressed hardwood charcoal.  This is a grill that we have been searching for for several months and I was finally able to purchase it at Korin, a Japanese store on Warren street.  I could spend many words and too much time describing the knives, pottery and tools that are sold there and still not do the store justice.  You can shop there on line but if you're in town it's definitely worth a visit.  After all, you can't know if a knife really suits you unless you hold it in your cutting hand.  Anyway, we walked in and in the corner was the grill I had been looking for.  And right next to it was an incredible long-burning smokeless charcoal.

As it turns out my friend and I both bought the grill and split a case of the charcoal.  When I got home, we began cooking.  I began simply with grilling jalapenos for a bacon-jalapeno lacquer.  However,  I foresee this grill getting a work out in the near future with ideas ranging from imparting the finishing touch to Axis Venison cooked sous vide to a table side presentation of s'mores where guests are given a tray of raw materials and can revisit childhood by toasting up their own creations.