IDEAS IN FOOD

Grind Control

Coffee folks are very specific about grind size. They are also very specific about the tools they use to achieve the results. The Hario hand cranked coffee grinder allows for precise adjustments. Patience is needed to unscrew, adjust and test the grind. With the grind narrowed down the tool is amazing. How often are we changing the grind of our coffee? In our world, not so much. What we do need to control, change and adjust on a daily basis is the spices we grind. The Hario is the tool for the job. We can even blend assorted spices in a mix and grind them together. Gone are the days of the frying pan cracked peppercorns. The mortar and pestle is reserved for wet pastes. The electric spice grinder is now retired.

Wait till you see what we do with the aeropress espresso maker.

 

Years Past:

September 30, 2011

September 30, 2010

September 30, 2009

September 30, 2008

September 30, 2007

September 30, 2006

September 30, 2005

Tristram Stewart

 This one is about food and really should be watched by all of us. Those of us in the business know a lot about food waste, what we don't know is how to solve the problem. We all want the best and most beautiful ingredients but what do we do with everything else? The first step is identifying the problem, the next step is figuring out how to get the most flavor out of every ingredient and putting as much as possible on the plate.

 

 

 

 

Years Past

September 29, 2011

September 29, 2010

September 29, 2009

September 29, 2008

September 29, 2007

September 29, 2006

September 29, 2005

Turkey Confit

It is that time of year. The weather cools and we start rummaging through our minds for new ideas. Wild game, chestnuts and dried fruits are the first ingredients to surface. Eventually we get to turkey. It is not an afterthought. A turkey is big. It is not difficult to work with. It's difficult to find a use for all the meat. We have found that preparing turkey confit allows us to have turkey on hand and be able to draw upon it as we want instead of serving it all at once. We cure the thighs with onions, parsley, garlic, smoked paprika, and salt for 2 days. We cook the turkey in lard in a 250°F oven for 4 hours, until fork tender. Then we transfer the thighs to a clean container and strain the cooking fat over them. Cool the meat and then refrigerate in a covered container for up to a month in buried in the fat. When we pull some turkey out we make sure the rest is still completely covered with the fat to prevent exposure to air during storage. We have pan roasted whole thighs for a quick dinner and shredded the meat for croquettes and rillettes. Of course we fold large chunks of the meat into pasta ragouts and combine them with beans and spices for a quick chili. Interestingly we have not brought turkey confit to the Thanksgiving table, yet. Maybe it's a project for this year...

Years Past:

September 28, 2011

September 28, 2010

September 28, 2009

September 28, 2008

September 28, 2007

September 28, 2006

September 28, 2005

 

 

 

 

Stand Them Up

We were having trouble with larger diameter noodles. As we extruded the noodle and arranged them flat on the trays they would hold their shape. The extruded noodles would begin to sag and loose their round shape. When we cooked these noodles they would cook up flatter than round. Then it dawned on us. We could stand the noodles up as we extruded them. This would allow them to hold their shape and set.  And if we stored them this way we would make sure their shape was preserved. The large paccheri we made held their shape beautifully through the making, cooking and eating process.

Years Past:

September 27, 2011

September 27, 2010

September 27, 2009

September 27, 2008

September 27, 2007

September 27, 2006

September 27, 2005

Seamless Ravioli: Buried in the Sand

Years ago we had an incredible cheese course at Per Se. One component of the dish were what appeared to be spheres of pasta which when bitten were filled with ricotta. They had created seamless ravioli. I have spent years looking for a recipe to recreate them and continued to come up empty. We had explored traditional gnudi rolled in durum flour to enclose the ricotta base. But somehow that did not translate to these ravioli without seams. I was missing something. What I was missing was right in front of me.

When I was in San Francisco I was fortunate enough to be able to spend time chatting food with James Ormsby. He shared the story of a brilliant dish he had recently at SPQR. The dish combined small meatballs and seamless ravioli filled with ricotta. I was slack jawed. The chef at SPQR is Matt Accarino. I started connecting the dots. I knew Matt from years ago when he was the Banquet Chef at Olives NYC. Matt went on to work at Per Se. He could have been at Per Se when I ate these ravioli years ago. I am not sure if it is his recipe or someone else's. I was able to link the two and realize they were one and the same. Matt was kind enough to share the technique with James who openly shared it with me. A ricotta filling is shaped into balls and packed in durum flour. It is then covered in durum and refrigerated for several days. The balls of ricotta are then removed from the durum and cooked.

The technique for this is similar to the idea behind our one minute pasta, three minute rigatoni and 6 minute risotto. The separation of hydration and gelatinization. In the case of the seamless ravioli the ricotta moistens the durum and hydrates it around the ball. Then we cook the pasta and the starch gelatinize, forming the ravioli skin. The principles are simple and were in front of me the entire time.

I am not patient and we did not have any durum in our kitchen. With the idea in hand we tried the process with semolina flour. The seamless ravioli were incredible. The semolina creates a slightly coarser exterior than the durum. Both flours have their place with this application. And taking the idea further we begin to ask what can be flour and what can be ricotta? We are now just scratching the surface.

Years Past:

September 26, 2011

September 26, 2010

September 26, 2009

September 26, 2008

September 26, 2007

September 26, 2006

September 26, 2005

Pappardelle Time

We finally have what I would consider a true pappardelle die for the machine. The noodle is about 25mm/ 1 inch wide. The noodles extrude in silky ribbons. The combination of wheat gluten and baking soda in the base forms noodles with a snappy and silky texture. We use 0.25% of each based on the total dough weight.

 

Now it's time to have some fun with the flavoring. A pepperoni pappardelle would be fun. Although the flavor may not translate from noggin to noodle. It is better to look at the sauce. Pepperoni braised duck would blend the idea and deliver the flavors. And we're off.

Years Past:

September 25, 2011

September 25, 2010

September 25, 2009

September 25, 2008

September 25, 2007

September 25, 2006 

September 25, 2005

Chicken Fried Steak

 

 

We start with skirt steak and marinate it in a seasoned kefir. Then we dredge it in ground cornflakes and freeze it. We dust the frozen portions in corn starch and fry it from frozen. We serve the steak with coffee-roast garlic mayonnaise, charred lemon and scallions. 

Years Past

September 24, 2011

September 24, 2010

September 24, 2009

September 24, 2008

September 24, 2007

September 24, 2006

September 24, 2005

What are they Thinking?

Too often we are concerned with our own approaches, ideas and thoughts. It helps to take a step back and look at the works of others. See how they created, developed and designed. Look into their thought process and ask what were they thinking. Take someone else's viewpoint on your own idea and see what happens. The pretend Q&A you ask yourself will spark a number of ideas. One of them is usually good. If not, you have gotten a bunch of bad ideas out of the way.

 

Years Past

September 23, 2011

September 23, 2010

September 23, 2009

September 23, 2008

September 23, 2007

September 23, 2006

September 23, 2005

Vanilla Rye

 

It is amazing how well vanilla and rye go together. We added 30 grams of rye to our vanilla ice cream base and it amped up the flavors of the vanilla and the sweet dairy. It added a richness and complexity to the base. Until we made it we did not know what we were missing. Since making this ice cream we have used rye as a seasoning in other applications from lobster stock to marinating steaks. Perhaps it is not the vanilla rye combination that just works. It may be the developed flavors of the rye which compliments and enhances many other ingredients.

 

Years Past

September 22, 2011

September 22, 2010

September 22, 2009

September 22, 2008

September 22, 2007

September 22, 2005

Monte Cristo Dog

We started with a French toast batter seaoned with smoked maple syrup. After dipping the bun we griddled it and then lightly dressed it with ketchup. The ham and Swiss cheese were griddled together to caramelize and crisp them both. Initially we tried making the Monte Cristo with a turkey dog but its flavor did not deliver so we went back to an Applegate Farms Stadium dog. We topped the assembled dog with a maple-Crystal hot sauce puree that we thickened with gellan and pureed into a pourable sauce. Taking the idea of the Monte Cristo to the hot dog was a delicious endeavour.

 

Years Past

September 21, 2011

September 21, 2010

September 21, 2009

September 21, 2008

September 21, 2007

September 21, 2006

September 21, 2005

Swordfish

We started with a thick slice of swordfish and broke it down into three separate parts. This lets us think of three separate preparations and dishes based on the structure of the fish. We have the center loin which we marinated in citrus olive oil. There is the belly section of the swordfish which is rubbed with a 5 Mexican chile condiment. And the triangular piece which is fatty and and a bit coarser in texture is rubbed with our garlic-bacon fat-olive oil blend. We cooked all three pieces in the CVap at 52.5°C for 20 minutes. When the fish was cooked we were able to apply finishing touches to each cut: the loin was sliced and lightly dressed, the belly glazed with a roasted chicken jus, and the triangular piece grilled and basted with more of the garlic-bacon fat-olive oil. The whole is much better when it is broken down into its parts.

Years Past:

September 20, 2011

September 20, 2010

September 20, 2009

September 20, 2008

September 20, 2007

September 20, 2006

September 20, 2005

Working To Code

Inspired by the comments and reactions to yesterday's post we're sharing this:

10 Bullets. By Tom Sachs.

 

 

The video is a little campy but taken with a grain of salt these bullets could be the backbone for running a kitchen or any other dedicated creative space that needs to produce consistently. Yes this is contrary to bullet 1 but creativity actually flourishes with a structured environment.

Years Past

September 19, 2011

September 19, 2010

September 19, 2009

September 19, 2008

September 19, 2007

September 19, 2006

September 19, 2005

90°

At ink., Michael Voltaggio has instilled the idea of 90°.  Everyone and everything works and is arranged at 90°. It is part of the organization and fundamentals of the kitchen. At first I did not notice this approach and arrangement. The kitchen is well organized and everything is in place. I did not not notice until a single roll of plastic wrap was out of place on the counter. Michael asked one of the cooks whether or not I had asked them to work not in 90°? The cook quickly said no and the plastic wrap snapped back into a parallel position on the countertop. I asked Michael what 90° was. He was tired of cooks working unorganized with stuff just on the counter with no particular order. The idea gave him a language in which to express what he wanted when he wanted the kitchen clean and organized. Instead of just getting upset with the kitchen being disheveled he had a languge and a model to show his cooks. If everything is in its place we have time allow our minds to wander and allow creativity to flourish. After my lesson in 90° everything I see and work with takes on a new light. I can no longer look at countertops where stuff is just on it. I am hooked and a believer.

 

*This type of organization is known as knolling. Thanks to Chester Carlson who shared this link with us via twitter after we first published this post.

Years Past

September 18, 2011

September 18, 2010

September 18, 2009

September 18, 2008

September 18, 2007

September 18, 2006

September 18, 2005

 

 

 

Blueberry Pancakes

 

Ideas do not come from thin air. They are influenced and inspired by our experiences and memories. This bowl of whole wheat blueberry pancake batter, swirled and fluid was the spark for our blueberry pancake dessert that we prepared for the 5X5 dinner at Michael Voltaggio's restaurant ink. . We tried to capture the flavor and texture of pancakes, the messiness of syrup and melting butter and even the notes of smoke and varied textures. The dessert combined our microwave cornbread with a modified version of our cornflakes ice cream made with buttermilk. Blueberries were cooked in a maple-rye caramel to make the sauce for marinating and warming boba tapioca and the blueberries. And I have fond memories of pecans and pancakes so we wove them into the dish as well. We candied pecans and made pecan toffee which was lightened with tapioca maltodextrin. The goal was to capture the great experiences of eating pancakes and focusing the idea into the dish.

 

 

Years Past

September 17, 2011

September 17, 2010

September 17, 2009

September 17, 2008

September 17, 2007

September 17, 2006

September 17, 2005

 

Garganelli Comb

I was fortunate enough to get a tour of the the Dough Room, (envision Willy Wonka's inventing room of pasta) by the chef of Flour + Water, Thomas McNaughton. While looking around I noticed a piece of equipment, really a tool I had never worked with or seen before. It turns out it is a traditional garganelli comb. The design allows for finer ridges to be made in the noodle which adds a great amount of refinement to this hand rolled noodle. Unfortunately these combs are near impossible to come by and Thomas has his held together with hope and promise. Now begins my quest to find a traditional garganelli comb. The limitation of availability triggers the question what else we could use that is finely ridged? A fine toothed comb.

 

Years Past

September 16, 2011

September 16, 2010

September 16, 2009

September 16, 2008

September 16, 2007

September 16, 2006

September 16, 2005

 

 

Zoom In

Change your perspective.

Years Past

September 15, 2011

September 15, 2010

September 15, 2009

September 15, 2008

September 15, 2007

September 15, 2006

September 15, 2005

Huitlacoche

We were fortunate to get a case of corn infected with corn smut. We removed the huitlacoche from the cobs, rinsed it to remove fibers and other corn particles and then we stewed it with butter, sherry, soy sauce and salt. We cooked out most of the moisture keeping the kernels plump and whole and finished the mixture with charred jalapenos. We served the stewed smut on top of fresh corn polenta which we accented with corn cob smoked sea urchin.

Years Past

September 14, 2011

September 14, 2010

September 14, 2009

September 14, 2008

September 14, 2007

September 14, 2006

A Dialogue Dinner

It was a pleasure cooking last evening with Dominique Crenn at Atelier Crenn. This is the menu we prepared. It is exciting to see how the environment and cast of characters helps guide and shape the final product.

 Hamachi, Comte, Mint, Onion

Crustaceans, Beet, Caviar, Apple-Celery*

Venison, Eel, Sesame*

Corn Polenta, Uni, Huitlacoche

Carrot, Rutabaga, Aloe Vera, Coconut, Mullet*

Grains & Seeds, Yuzu Kosho, Dashi*

Mussel Poached Squab, Pear Barigoule

Pork Ribs, Japanese Yam Aligote

Cornflakes Ice Cream & Figs

"Poire"*

D. Crenn*                         A. Talbot

The surprise element of fresh huitlacoche was thanks to Evan Rich of Rich Table. Make sure to stop in and try his take on corn smut.

Years Past

September 13, 2011

September 13, 2010

September 13, 2009

September 13, 2008

September 13, 2007

September 13, 2006

September 13, 2005

The Fringe Benenfits of Failure

A Harvard commencement speech by J.K. Rowling.

 

 

Years Past

September 12, 2011

September 12, 2010

September 12, 2009

September 12, 2008

September 12, 2007

September 12, 2006

September 12, 2005

 

Blueberry Cobbler

This is a rustic dessert that will please almost everyone. You scoop it up with a big spoon and ladle the warm berries and biscuits into shallow bowls. Then you top them with freshly whipped cream that melts into the sauce or with vanilla ice cream to provide a wonderful temperature and flavor contrast to the mix. The poppy seeds in the biscuits and the raw sugar on top add a delicate crunch as the blueberry juices soak into their soft interiors. People tend to hunch over their bowls when they eat this and silence at the table is not unheard of. It's that good.

*And you make it gluten free using either the What Iif or Batch Two flours.

Blueberry Cobbler

Serves 8

 

 830 grams/ 3 Pints fresh blueberries, cleaned and picked through

150 grams/ 3/4 cup sugar

3 grams/ ½ teaspoon salt

0.5 grams/ 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

425 grams/ 2 ½ cups all purpose flour

6 grams/ 1 teaspoon baking powder

1.25 grams/ ¼ teaspoon baking soda

6 grams/ 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

zest from 1 lemon (preferably Meyer)

170 grams/ 6 ounces diced unsalted butter, cold

7.25 grams/ 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

300 grams/ 1 ¼ cups buttermilk

12.5 grams/ 1 tablespoon raw sugar or other coarse non-melting sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C

 

Put the blueberries in a deep 8-inch square baking pan. Put the sugar, 3 grams (½ teaspoon) salt and cardamom in a small bowl and whisk them to blend. Pour them over the berries and mix them gently to blend. Set aside.

 

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 6 grams (1 teaspoon salt) and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse 3-5 times to blend. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add the poppy seeds. Stir with a rubber spatula to blend. Add all of the buttermilk and mix with the rubber spatula until it forms a coarse, shaggy dough. Turn it out onto a floured counter top and knead 6-8 times until it forms a smooth, cohesive dough. Roll it out into a rough, 8-inch square approximately 1/2-inch thick. Trim the edges on all four sides. Cut the dough out into different shapes and then fit them into the pan on top of the fruit. Scatter the coarse sugar over the top. Bake for at least 45 minutes or until the biscuits are a deep golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

Years Past

September 11, 2011

September 11, 2008

September 11, 2007

September 11, 2006

September 11, 2005

 

Crab Salad Lessons

 

We seasoned the crab with our yuzu-fish pepper hot sauce and Dukes mayonnaise. We also used the hot sauce to dress the tomatoes and then the resulting spicy tomato water (think asian bloody marry) to dress the greens. The dish was bright, flavorful and punchy. The crab was not lost in the spice and citrus. Upon eating the dish we did encounter a flaw. (no, not crab shells, I picked those out) For those that know us the missing ingredient was fresh herbs. The picture easily tells the tale but it took a few bites as a diner to realize what was missing. Thankfully we could run to the weed patch and harvest some lemon basil and lovage leaves. We tore these fragrant herbs onto our half eaten dinners and immediately felt the herbal impact. We learned two key points here: one you will forget ingredients and dishes will not always sing and two, you can correct a dish mid-stream but you must be self aware and humble enough to interupt yourself and make the adjustments.

Years Past

September 10, 2011

September 10, 2010

September 10, 2009

September 10, 2008

September 10, 2007

September 10, 2006

September 10, 2005

Charred and Scruffed

We are loving this new book by Adam Perry Lang with Peter Kaminsky. We actually met Peter at the IACP conference this year and he was telling us about these steaks that Adam cooked directly on the coals that were perfectly medium rare, pink and juicy throughout in way that is hard to come by these days without a little help from an immersion circulator. We were immediately intrigued, good cooking is always of interest and put the book on our "to be read" list. Time passed and somehow we missed the book's release. We stumbled upon it just a couple of weeks ago and immediately picked one up. While some may say it's a little late in the season we grill almost into winter so there's plenty of time to play with these recipes. It'll be a nice counterpoint to Alex's grilled pizzas.

This is a wonderful reading book and there's lots to learn. The steak Peter described comes in the section on "clinching" an interesting technique that Adam explains with style and absolute clarity. I'm not going to tell you about it here because you really should buy the book but I will say that I appreciate the fact that explains why the technique works in addition to how to do it. Because as we've learned, if we know why, when push comes to shove, we can extrapolate and figure out the rest for ourselves. I love when cooks and chefs are willing to share their break-through moments to make us all better in the kitchen.

Charred and Scruffed is a book with a definite personality. Adam has strong views on how he likes to cook. He's not afraid to break with tradition, hence a chapter on cooking high and slow rather than the expected low and slow of classic barbecue lore. There are some great salads and side dishes, spackles, sauces and even an array of finishing salts. The photography in this book, by Simon Wheeler, tells a story. It is the perfect accompaniment to the writing and recipes in a way that we don't often see in traditional cookbooks these days. There really isn't anything I don't like about this book. It makes me want to run from the kitchen and start cooking.

 

Years Past

September 9, 2011

September 9, 2010

September 9, 2009

September 9, 2008

September 9, 2007

September 9, 2006

September 9, 2005

Chicken Liver & Radishes

We marinated these livers in red wine with garlic, onions and fish sauce. Then we threaded them onto skewers with the radishes and grilled them. We cleaned the radish tops, sauteed them with garlic and then chopped them up and folded them into soft butter. We finished the grilled skewers with the radish top butter, which we also slathered on grilled bread that was served alongside. The juices from the livers and radishes mingled with the melting butter, soaking into the toast and creating delicious do-it-yourself tartines for our guests (and us) to enjoy.

Years Past:

September 8, 2011

September 8, 2010

September 8, 2009

September 8, 2008

September 8, 2007

September 8, 2006

September 8, 2005

One Bite Wonders

  

Sorry, you'll have to wait for Book 2 for the recipe.

 

Years Past

September 7, 2011

September 7, 2010

September 7, 2009

September 7, 2008

September 7, 2007

September 7, 2005

Suhey Peppers

 

Photo from the Suhey Website

We picked up a bottle of these hot peppers at DiBruno Bros on a whim. We like to keep a few jars of hot pepper rings in the pantry for everything from sandwiches to marinades to pizza. The Suhey Peppers were beautiful, thinly sliced and colorful and they were from Pennsylvania. When we opend the jar up we realized they were packed in oil and upon reading the ingredeint list we discovered that they have: peppers, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, spices and garlic. That garlic is in the form of whole cloves and these peppers are delicious. They aren't cheap, a 3-pack of 15.5 ounce jars sells for $22.35 on their website (there are two kinds: original and hot) but I can honestly say they are totally worth it. We put these peppers on everything and if you like heat and flavor you will too.

 

Years Past

September 6, 2011

September 6, 2010

September 6, 2009

September 6, 2008

September 6, 2007

September 6, 2006

September 6, 2005

 

Focus

 

It's what drives creativity.

Years Past:

September 5, 2011

September 5, 2010

September 5, 2009

September 5, 2008

September 5, 2007

September 5, 2006 

September 5, 2005

The 22 Rules to Delicious

We just read these The 22 Rules of Storytelling by (former) Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats. Her approach to storytelling immediately resonated with us and we have taken her work and adapted it to create The 22 Rules to Delicious.

 

The 22 rules to Delicious

#1: You admire a dish for what it tries to do more than for its success.

#2: Keep in mind what's interesting to you as a diner, not what's fun to do as a chef. They can be very different.

#3: Trying for a specific inspiration is important, but you won't see what your dish is actually about until you've created it. Now taste, redesign, recook.

#4: Today I have X-ingredient. Most people use it for _____.  My favorite dish I ever tasted with it was _____. Because of that I would like to ______.  It will work because ________.  Now cook.

#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine dishes/ingredients. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

#6: What are yours cook good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?

#7: Come up with your dish before you figure out how to make it. Seriously. It’s easier to work towards a goal than stare at a blank plate.

#8: Finish your dish, make it delicious, and then send it, even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time or you’ll work on that one plate forever.

#9: When you're stuck, make a list of what you WOULDN'T add. Lots of times the ingredient you need will show up.

#10: Pull apart the dishes you like. What you like in them is a part of who you are as a chef; you've got to recognize it before you can use it.

#11: Putting it on the plate lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone.

#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.

#13: Give your dishes a point of view. Universal appeal might seem like a good idea, but if they can make it at home why come to a restaurant?

#14: Why must you make THIS dish? What's the belief burning within you that your dish feeds off of? That's the heart of it.

#15: If you were a customer, paying for this dish, how would you feel? Honesty with yourself creates value for the diner.

#16: Why do you need to use this ingredient? What makes it special? Why do you want to work with it? Why does your customer want to order it?

#17: No work is ever wasted. If a dish isn’t working, let go and move on - the ideas will come back around to be useful later.

#18: You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Cooking is testing and executing, not constant refining.

#19: Building on past ideas to bring ingredients together is smart; relying on past dishes to get a new idea to completion is cheating.

#20: Exercise: take the building blocks of a dish you dislike. How would you rearrange them into what you DO like?

#21: Identify with your environment/ingredient/occasion. What would YOU want to eat in this setting?

#22: What's the essence of your dish? Most economical/functional way to create and share it at its peak? If you know that, you can build out from there.

 

 

Years Past:

September 4, 2011

September 4, 2010

September 4, 2009

September 4, 2008

September 4, 2007

September 4, 2006 

September 4, 2005

Cucumber and Tonic

Irony has us putting this truly delicious drink together just as summer comes to a close. Today was wet and cooler than it's been in a while. There was a generous sprinkling of brown, curling leaves littering the sidewalk and deep puddles along side of the road. There was no thunder and lightning, just occasional bouts of rain and a bright gray light that led Amaya to pronounce the day "rainy and sunny all at the same time."  Thankfully our personal tastes and not the weather dictate when we will enjoy this refreshing thirst quencher.

The plan was a non-alcoholic play off of a gin and tonic. It started with giant cucumber juice ice cubes in a short glass. Aki picked up some deliciously rounded and bitter tonic made by Fentimans, which contains: carbonated water, cane sugar, citric acid, tonic flavor (water, lemon oil, ethanol, lemon grass oil), quinine. She poured it over the cubes and gave the glasses a quick swirl before serving. Amaya and I happily crushed several glasses of this as an afternoon pick-me-up. I wish it looked more complicated, to spotlight the hard work it took to create it. Fortunately good cooks and bartenders know that simplicity is the hardest thing to pull off in the kitchen and behind the bar.

 

Years Past:

September 3, 2011

September 3, 2010

September 3, 2009

September 3, 2008

September 3, 2007

September 3, 2006 

September 3, 2005

How Great Leaders Inspire Action

 

 

A TED Talk by Simon Sinek.

 

 

Years Past

September 2, 2011

September 2, 2010

September 2, 2009

September 2, 2008

September 2, 2007

September 2, 2006

September 2, 2005

Cheese

 

I can't believe it's September already. The summer flew by. We were busier than expected and lots of things were changing and evolving. We finished book two, though most of you won't get to see it until next August. It was a great project that expanded and contracted over the course of several months. It took a lot of hard work from us and our editors to get it to where it is now and while we did have to cut a lot of recipes in order to fit into the allotted number of pages we are happy with the way it turned out. It's not entirely done yet but the basic structure is finished and any additional work is fine-tuning.

Of course as freelance artists we certainly had a few other projects going along the way. Our photography work is picking up again and we were excited to spend some time working with MouCo Cheese. They are a favorite of ours and cheeses like the one above just make us happy. Serving cheese is a process that evolves from the moment you choose your piece and bring it home. Hopefully you've already tasted it in the store but each time you unwrap a new piece it is a revelation. The aroma hits you first, slowly unfurling and gathering strength. On a good day it complex and earthy, slightly sweet with faint hints of musk and meadows. This particular cheese was soft and velvety to the touch with a gentle flexibility that hinted at the creamy center. We let it sit out for about half an hour before cutting it open and it didn't disappoint. Runny and slightly chewy at the same time, it melted on the tongue and washed over my palate leaving layers of sweet milk and ash balanced by a hint of acidity, a touch of soil and a slight bitterness from the edible rind. It's a seductive mouthful that leaves you wanting just a bit more. Apparently we aren't the only ones who think so because it just won a gold medal from the American Cheese Society last month.

One of the things I like about cheese is that a good cheese demands your complete attention. Much like a good wine, a great cheese involves all of your senses and makes the rest of the world disappear for a brief time. It can teach someone how to taste because it illustrates the difference between eating blindly and tasting thoughtfully. Eating great cheese makes me happy. Cheese isn't the only ingredient that can do this but it is one of the most easily accessible. Great ingredients treated with respect by the diner are all you need to appreciate why we aspire to become chefs in the first place. It's the total experience.

 

Years Past

September 1, 2011

September 1, 2010

September 1, 2009

September 1, 2008

September 1, 2007

September 1, 2006

September 1, 2005