IDEAS IN FOOD

Blending Old and New

We slowly reduced Minus 8 vinegar in the rotary evaporator. The vinegar became sweeter, thicker, and richer. It did not take on any cooked flavors. It was bright and clean. We have been using it liberally as a sauce. I wondered if we could incorporate even more complexity. We carefully added small amounts of cold evaporated/separated bourbon to the vinegar. The combination added toasty wood notes to the syrupy liquid. The whole is exponentially greater than the sum of the two delicious parts.

 

 

Years Past

December 31, 2012

December 31, 2011

December 31, 2009

December 31, 2008

December 31, 2007

December 31, 2006

December 31, 2005

 

Customer Service

This Christmas Alex's sister Meredith and her family stayed in London for the holidays. We sent Amaya's cousin Maddie a toy and we slipped some books in a package that Alex's mom was mailing to them. For Mer & Brian we found (hopefully) a cool cheese store in London and sent them some holiday indulgence. As luck would have it on the very day their cheese was delivered we received a gift from them from Murray's Cheese in NYC. When we lived in the city Murray's was a favorite and we were happy to unpack the box and discover several pristine cheeses and a box of crackers. It arrived a few days early to be safe. As my mother had just decided to stay in the city with a sick friend for the holidays I was struck by inspiration. I would send her some cheese too.

 

 

What followed followed was a comedy of errors, which I won't bother to relate. Suffice to say that my mother did not get her cheese. The messenger service explained in great detail on Christmas Eve why it wasn't their fault and there no one was answering the customer service line for the store. A few days later we still had no answers and so Alex reached out to Murray's via Twitter. The response was instantaneous and they took care of the problem in a way that went above and beyond the call of duty.

Two lessons came from this. Twitter is apparently more effective than phone calls or email. And customer service really does matter. My mother waited at home all day for a delivery that never came and yet they were able to turn that around with a heart felt apology and a relatively quick  response. It took a few days and a few attempts but I was a loyal customer already and so I was predisposed to forgiveness when I felt like someone actually cared about what happened. Last year a favorite local business messed up a special occasion and they couldn't be bothered to apologize or even act as if they cared. Needless to say we never went back. On the other hand we will still visit Murray's when we're in the city and send gifts to our loved ones from their store. We can't control everything but we can control how we respond to a difficult situation and that makes the difference.

 

Years Past

December 30, 2012

December 30, 2011

December 30, 2010

December 30, 2009

December 30, 2008

December 30, 2007

December 30, 2006

December 30, 2005

 

Scored Chicken

 

We now butterfly and score our chicken thighs for fried chicken. Our marinade penetrates faster. We get extra crispy crunchy goodness by increasing the surface area. The meat cooks more quickly and evenly. Even better, we avoid any pink areas around the bone, which has the tendency to freak people out. All in all it's a win-win technique.

 

Years Past

December 29, 2012

December 29, 2011

December 29, 2010

December 29, 2009

December 29, 2007

December 29, 2006

December 29, 2005

 

Kimchi Crepes

Take your favorite recipe for crepe batter. Remove some of the liquid. Add kimchi. Puree the batter smooth and strain. Kimchi crepes. We're on a kimchi kick but it could be anything. Pumpkin puree, mustard greens, sauerkraut, sauteed mushrooms. If you imagine it, it can be a crepe.

 

Years Past

December 28, 2012

December 28, 2011

December 28, 2010

December 28, 2009

December 28, 2008

December 28, 2007

December 28, 2005

December 28, 2005 (2)

 

Set it and Think about it

Cooking involves the ability to pay attention to details. And what you pay attention to is as important as how and why. The mentality of "set it and forget it" cooking using circulators, crockpots, pressure cookers, CVaps, and smokers has to improve. The use of technology: old, new, and hacked gives us a certain freedom in and out of the kitchen. The freedom allows us to pay attention to other steps and processes. The freedom provides time to step away and think. The freedom lets us herd cats. The control we get from these important kitchen tools allows us to achieve consistent and delicious results. The flaw in the system is the forgetting. We get on the fast track from A to Z. All too often the rest of the alphabet is forgotten.

On Christmas Day we were away from our kitchen and its many resources. We did have a solid roasting pan, a working probe thermometer and an oven. We salted and then seared the roast beef in the pan. Once done we added thickly sliced onions and laid the meat on top. We inserted the probe into the center of the roast. We set the oven at 250°F. We set the thermometer's alarm setting at 122°F. We started cooking the meat. The temperature on the probe did not move for a very long time. Finally it slowly began to rise. We looked at the clock and pondered the amount of time until dinner and increased the oven temperature to 300°F. After a half an hour we noticed the temperature increasing more rapidly. We turned the oven back down to 250°F. Two hours into the roast we added a bottle of red wine to the roasting pan. The meat was starting to smell good, the onions were breaking down, and the temperature was gently climbing. As the time to to dinner lengthened due to circumstances beyond our control, we turned the oven temperature down to 200°F. With about an hour before dinner the meat heat 120°F. We pulled the roast from the oven, slathered it with butter and herbs. Then we covered it with foil and let it rest. The carryover cooking effect slowly increased the internal temperature of the roast to 127°F.

We put the roast, still tented in foil on the cutting board and poured the onions, wine, meat juices and butter into a smaller pan to make the sauce. We cooked everything together and added two large spoonfuls of prepared horseradish. We put the sauce into the blender and pureed it smooth. As we finished the sauce the plan was to broil the roast for 5 minutes right before serving. But by the time the sauce was blending the roast was already halfway sliced. Not a problem at all. It was nice and warm all the way through, juicy, and medium rare.

 

Years Past

December 27, 2012

December 27, 2011

December 27, 2010

December 27, 2009

December 27, 2008

December 27, 2007

December 27, 2006

December 27, 2005

December 27, 2005 (2)

Yes and No

How you say them matters.

How you approach them determines the outcomes.

What you're willing to do with them changes the possibilities.

Might as well have fun with them while you're at it.

 

Years Past

December 26, 2012

December 26, 2011

December 26, 2010

December 26, 2009

December 26, 2008

December 26, 2007

December 26, 2006

December 26, 2005

December 26, 2005 (2)

Merry Christmas

 

 

 

Years Past

December 25, 2012

December 25, 2011

 

December 25, 2010

December 25, 2009

December 25, 2008

December 25, 2007

December 25, 2006

December 25, 2006 (2)

December 25, 2005

 

 

Pepperoni, the Eighth Fish

We are getting ready to eat profound amounts of seafood. At least 7 fishes. In years past we made miso (and pepperoni) marinated monkfish, lobster noodles, rolled fluke filets, and fried fish collars. This year we continue to trumpet the glories of pepperoni. We are doing steamed mussels in a pepperoni sauce. Sure, chorizo steamed sounds chic. But pepperoni steamed mussels are equally salty, greasy, and delicious. They make everyone at our table happy.

 

Years Past

December 24, 2012

December 24, 2011

December 24, 2010

December 24, 2009

December 24, 2008

December 24, 2007

December 24, 2006

December 24, 2005

 

 

Top to Bottom

 

 

You never know exactly what you have until you see the whole picture.

 

Years Past

December 23, 2012

December 23, 2011

December 23, 2010

December 23, 2009

December 23, 2008

December 23, 2007

December 23, 2006

December 23, 2005

December 23, 2005 (2)

Christmas Spirit

For the record, a January 1 deadline for any kind of manuscript is a very bad idea. And when for some unknown reason you picked that date yourself you have no one else to blame. Holidays must be celebrated and books must be written and there's not much else to say about that...except sometimes you have a child who you want to appreciate the Christmas spirit. You want them to have the best Christmas ever and not be overly affected by impending deadlines and that takes a strength of character and focus that I have not always maintained as well as I would have liked this year.

Still Amaya has assured me that what she wants most is for all of us to be together as a family and enjoy ourselves. There's a special emphasis on that word because all too often lately we've been consumed by thoughts of work. It's too easy to be distracted these days with the internet and email a single finger's swipe away and haven't we all we been guilty of looking at a phone while a child patiently, or not so patiently, waits for our attention. In spite of this the tree has been decorated and the stockings have been hung. The presents have been bought (but not yet wrapped.) There's stollen in the pantry and cookie dough in the fridge. The next few days will be a whirlwind of activity and joy and that's what all the hard work is for. It's the joy. It's the big smile and the squeeze of hands and that moment when she leans against me and whispers "I love you." That moment is what makes all the hard work worthwhile and it's what the holidays are all about.

 

Years Past:

December 22, 2012

December 22, 2011

December 22, 2010

December 22, 2009

December 22, 2008

December 22, 2007

December 22, 2006

December 22, 2005

December 22, 2005 (2)

 

 

 

Masa Drops

We were revisiting our masa puree. This time we pureed the pressure cooked masa while still hot. It was smooth and lava like. Half of it we used for a masa and cocoa pie we are working on.The rest sparked another application. We dropped small spoonfuls into cold oil. What formed were irregular drops of tender masa. They resembled river stones. When the masa drops were cold we rinsed them off. They were intense with corn flavor. These delicious little bites have us examining how to use them to their best advantage.

 

Years Past

December 21, 2012

December 21, 2011

December 21, 2010

December 21, 2009

December 21, 2008

December 21, 2007

December 21, 2005

December 21, 2005 (2)

Stollen-uts

We were working on stollen. As we rolled the dough thoughts of donuts popped into our heads. So we gave it a shot. Our stollen, like many, has a layer of marzipan running through it. We rolled our stollen dough flat. We used a donut cutter to create our shapes. We fried the dough. Then we dusted the doughnuts first with granulated sugar and then with powdered sugar. The stollen-uts were crispy on the outside. The semi-molten marzipan laced bread was studded with nuts and drunken dried fruits. These were not light, ethereal donuts. They were rich, slightly boozy, and delicious.

 

Years Past

December 20, 2012

December 20, 2011

December 20, 2009

December 20, 2007

December 20, 2006

December 20, 2005

December 20, 2005 (2)

 

Caramelized Candied Ginger Taffy

We had not pressured cooked candied ginger before. So, we figured why not.  We put the candied ginger in a mason jar and closed the lid. We set it on a rack in our pressure cooker with 2 inches of water. It took 2 rounds of ninety minutes at high pressure to get some color and flavor development. It was worth the wait. The spice from the ginger is intense. The caramelized notes from the sugar add sweetness and balance to help tease out the complex flavors of the root. The texture is amazing, super soft with a great chew. It has become a natural ginger taffy. Looks like the pressure cooker will be working overtime tomorrow. 

 

Years Past

December 19, 2012

December 19, 2011

December 19, 2010

December 19, 2009

December 19, 2008

December 19, 2007

December 19, 2005

The Power of Quiet

  

 Introverts and extroverts working together via The RSA.

 

Years Past

December 18, 2012

December 18, 2011

December 18, 2010

December 18, 2009

December 18, 2008

December 18, 2007

December 18, 2006

December 18, 2005

December 18, 2005 (2)

 

Pickled Squash

 

We combined smoked maple syrup, roasted squash juice, yuzu juice and salt. We vacuum sealed the mixture with thinly sliced butternut squash rounds. The raw squash picked up the smoky notes from the syrup and the roasted notes from the squash juice. It softened slightly while retaining its fresh crunch. The floral aroma and acidity of the yuzu juice highlighted the melon characteristics of the squash. They were sweet, earthy and slightly acidic. They draped lightly over agnolotti but would do equally well with fresh shrimp or delicate shavings of country ham.

 

Years Past

December 17, 2012

December 17, 2011

December 17, 2010

December 17, 2009

December 17, 2008

December 17, 2007

 December 17, 2006 

December 17, 2005

 

Charred Rosemary Oil

This flavored oil was a quiet star. We developed it with the chefs of Charcoal BYOB. Eric took the lead after the initial discussions. He lightly charred 50 grams of rosemary needles. He vacuum sealed the needles with 500 grams of grapeseed oil. He cooked the oil at 80°C for 1 hour. Then he cooled it down. He blanched 4 bunches of parsley. (Not an accurate measurement, but roll with it.) He pureed the oil and needles with the blanched parsley. Then he strained it through cheesecloth. The parsley added tremendous color and seemed to add a bright, fresh herbal flavor to the charred rosemary. The oil was vibrant and intense. The few drops we added to each bowl of brodo carried the aroma and set the tone for the dish.

 

Years Past

December 16, 2012

December 16, 2011

December 16, 2010

December 16, 2009

December 16, 2008

December 16, 2007

December 16, 2006

December 16, 2005

Maximum Flavor at Charcoal BYOB

The Restaurant

+

The Book

= The Menu

Gluten Free Potato Bread

 

Butternut Brodo

roasted squash agnolotti, charred rosemary oil, smoked maple pickled squash

 

Nantucket Bay Scallops

woodlands pork mountain ham, sherry syrup, arugula

 

King Trumpets & Asian Pears

pine nut cream cheese, pine bud syrup, pine nut oil

 

Pepperoni & Venison Heart Bolognese

watercress elbows, parmigiano reggiano

 

Lamb and Seaweeds

lamb neck, merguez sausage, tarbais beans, hakurei turnips

 

Polenta Budino

meyer lemon curd, bourbon caramel, shaved coffee shortbread

 

 

Years Past

December 15, 2012

December 15, 2011

December 15, 2010

December 15, 2009

December 15, 2008

December 15, 2007

December 15, 2007 (2)

December 15, 2006

December 15, 2005

December 15, 2005 (2)

Pears in Pine Nut Whey

We took the pine nut whey and vacuum sealed it with under-ripe Asian pear pieces. We refrigerated them overnight and then cooked them at 84°C for 2 hours in the CVap. We had expected them to soften lightly after an hour. The pears remained extremely firm to the touch. We believe the extended cooking was needed because of the under-ripeness of the fruit. We cooled the pears down and cut open the bag. They were crisp and juicy. The roasted flavor of the pine nuts gently infused the fruit via the whey. They had a clean sweet flavor and a surprisingly gentle crunch. The lactic flavor of the whey blended with the Asian pear juices producing us a surprisingly rich liquid. Once again it stole the show. We used the whey to warm up the pears with stewed king trumpet mushrooms and served them with the pine nut cream cheese. Everything just fell into place.

 

Years Past

December 14, 2012

December 14, 2011

December 14, 2010

December 14, 2009

December 14, 2008

December 14, 2008 (2)

December 14, 2007

December 14, 2006

December 14, 2005

 

Latkes

Now that we no longer live in New York I don't get to celebrate Hanukkah with Uncle Steve. Fortunately Amaya celebrates every holiday under the sun at school with her teachers and friends. I love the way they embrace all of the different traditions and talk about them. It makes it easier if kids know right from the beginning that everyone is different and that's just fine. The underlying core of almost all the different holidays is about bringing people together and sharing the love and there's nothing bad about that.

Since I missed Hanukkah with Uncle Steve I'm late with the latkes this year. Amaya had them at school with applesauce and has been asking for them ever since. I love latkes so making them is no hardship. Finding the time is a whole other ball of wax. When I do make them I make a big batch. I don't have a real recipe, I grate my potatoes into cold water and then grate an onion. I drain the potatoes, mix them with the onion and its juice. Add some fresh potato starch, a pinch of salt, and a beaten egg or two depending on how many potatoes I've grated. The acidity of the onion and the coating of egg keeps the potatoes from browning. Then we fry. A well made latke is still crunchy straight out of the refrigerator the next morning, yet another reason I adore them. Amaya and I both had them again for breakfast today.

 

 

Years Past

December 13, 2012

December 13, 2011

December 13, 2010

December 13, 2009

December 13, 2007

December 13, 2006

December 13, 2005

 

Pine Nut Cream Cheese

We combined 530 grams toasted pine nuts, 2700 grams buttermilk, 160 grams sugar, and 17 grams salt. We blended the ingredients together into a smooth paste. We put the mixture into the centrifuge and spun it for 30 minutes. When it was done spinning it separated into 3 parts: pine nut cream, pine nut whey and buttermilk cream. We decanted off the whey. Then we combined the pine nut and buttermilk creams to become a nutty cream cheese-like spread. The whey has a delicate yet intense flavor that captures the essence of buttemilk and pine nuts. We were looking to make the cream cheese, which is delicious. Surprisingly the whey may have stolen the show.

 

 

Years Past

December 12, 2012

December 12, 2011

December 12, 2010

December 12, 2009

December 12, 2008

December 12, 2007

December 12, 2006

December 12, 2005

 

Oh Crepes

 

Have you ever had a crepe cake? They are surprisingly wonderful creations. They are their own little niche with companies devoted to them. I've seen them glazed with chocolate, brûléed, and tiered into wedding cakes so clearly we are not the only ones to feel the love. A crepe cakes in its simplest form is simply crepes layered with sweetened whipped cream. Of course from this humble structure there are a million extrapolations. Nutmeg crepes layered with lemon curd, cinnamon crepes layered with chocolate pudding, vanilla crepes layered with thinly sliced strawberries and whipped cream, pistachio crepes layered with sweetened mascarpone. Seriously, the possibilities stretch into infinity.

Our favorite crepe? Made from leftover cookies. Recipes testing and holidays tend to leave us with more cookies than we can consume. So when the cookie jar overflows we make crepes. Then we share the love by giving away a cake. Or we make blintzes or glaze them with butter and sugar for a quick dessert. Truly though there's nothing better than a cookies and cream crepe cake (say that 10 times fast). It makes people happy and that makes us happy too.

 

Cookie Crepes

1 ¾ cups / 400 grams whole milk

12.3 ounces / 350 grams leftover cookies

3 large eggs

½ cup / 75 grams all purpose flour

 

Put the milk, cookies, eggs, and flour in a blender. Turn on low and increase the speed to high for 10 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter off the sides of the blender. Turn the blender on low and increase the speed to high for another 10-15 seconds. The batter should be perfectly smooth with the texture of heavy cream. Pour the batter into a large measuring cup or deep bowl. Set a non-stick pan over medium heat and let it heat up. Use a 2-ounce ladle to pour batter into the pan. Quickly tilt the pan so the batter coats the bottom evenly. Set the pan back over the heat until the crepe is just set, about 10 seconds. Use a non-stick spatula to loosen the edges and then flip the crepe and cook for 2-3 seconds more. Flip it out onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter to make about 20 crepes. Once cool the crepes can be stacked on a plate and covered with plastic wrap.

 

 

Years Past

December 11, 2012

December 11, 2011

December 11, 2010

December 11, 2009

December 11, 2007

December 11, 2007 (2)

December 11, 2006

December 11, 2005

 

Sugar on Snow

Today was Amaya's first snow day. We're reading through the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder at bedtime so of course my mind turned to sugar on snow. With one thing and another we never did get to it today. But there's more snow forecast later in the week and I think a new tradition should be established. Theoretically it's the easiest thing in the world. Heat maple syrup to 235°F and then pour it on fresh clean snow. Once the maple candy firms up it's ready to eat. We'll have to report back and let you know what happens. In the meantime if anyone has a sugar on snow story we'd love to hear it.

 

 

Years Past

December 10, 2012

December 10, 2011

December 10, 2010

December 10, 2009

December 10, 2008

December 10, 2007

December 10, 2006

December 10, 2005

 

 

 

It's almost time

 ...for stollen. It's one of those special holiday things that Alex grew up with. Last year we made individuals, dipped them in brown butter and rolled them in powdered sugar. The coating made them even more delicious and helped keep them fresh. I love tricks that do double duty like that. This year, well, I have no idea what I'm going to do this year. Though I do know they'll be gluten free so that all of you will be able to make them next year. Alex is talking about making home made almond paste for the filling, maybe I'll candy some Meyer lemon zest. Almonds, citrus, vanilla, and...dried cherries? cranberries? chewy figs? Hmmm...

 

Years Past

December 9, 2012

December 9, 2011

December 9, 2010

December 9, 2009

December 9, 2008

December 9, 2007

December 9, 2007 (2)

December 9, 2006

December 9, 2005

December 9, 2005 (2)

 

 

Frozen Beef Bites

We started with some beautiful Wagyu beef. We cut the meat into large domino sized slabs. We put them onto skewers and then froze them in the Irinox. When they were rock solid we positioned the skewers in a chicken roaster. And we put the rig into the blazing wood fired oven. The fat melted. The exterior browned. We pulled the roasting rig out of the oven and let the meat hot rest near the ovens mouth. We gave it a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and tasted. The crust stayed crispy. The inside was warm, juicy and melting. The flavor of the beef washed over us in silken wave of flavor. This was a great way to cook and enjoy meat.

 

 

Years Past

December 8, 2012

December 8, 2011

December 8, 2010

December 8, 2009

December 8, 2008

December 8, 2007

December 8, 2006

December 8, 2005

 

Make What You Want

I was after concord grapes without seeds.  Concord grapes are full of seeds and their skins are tough. That is why we see so much concord grape jelly and not preserves. The other stipulation I had was capturing that uncooked grape flavor. Nothing like making it easy. We started with green seedless grapes. We cut them in half and mixed them with concord grape juice. Then we froze them. When the grapes were solid we put them into the wide mouthed Virtis freeze dryer flasks we use with our rotary evaporator. We set the machine up and let the grapes cold cook. The vacuum removed the moisture. The freezing and thawing broke down the cell walls. The results were concord flavored green grapes. They were juicy, retaining a little of their snappy texture and yet soft and slightly jammy as you chewed. The flavor was bright and floral retaining the delicate flavor of uncooked grapes. Mission accomplished.

 

 

Years Past

December 7, 2012

December 7, 2011

December 7, 2010

December 7, 2009

December 7, 2007

December 7, 2006

December 7, 2006 (2)

December 7, 2005

 

Go Further

We had to make these 6 layer rainbow cupcakes twice. We're on a deadline and were working with a full baking schedule before adding in the cupcakes. After mixing the batter I discovered my unopened all natural food coloring was several years out of date. We had to run out for more tint, which happily led to better colors. Then a measuring error doubling the first batch of batter led to bouncy bombs. Haste made waste. This was probably for the best since the batter sat around waiting for color anyway. Thankfully the second attempt was perfect. My mind wandered while whipping the buttercream and it curdled. Attention to detail. I ran out of butter and there was no time to run to the store so seven minute frosting saved the day. We made a bunch of mistakes. And we learned from them. We will always make mistakes. It's just a fact of the kitchen. Those mistakes make our food better.

 

 

Today we were trying to shape the scene for a special birthday. There was no option for failure and perhaps that made it inevitable. In the end the cupcakes were a success and the birthday girl was happy. That's really all that matters.

 

Happy Birthday Amaya! We Love You.

 

 

 

Years Past

December 6, 2012

December 6, 2012

December 6, 2010

December 6, 2009

December 6, 2008

December 6, 2007

December 6, 2006

December 6, 2005

 

Perspective

 

 

 Change the way you look at things and the world changes too.

 

Years Past

December 5, 2012

December 5, 2011

December 5, 2009

December 5, 2008

December 5, 2007

December 5, 2007 (2) 

December 5, 2006

December 5, 2006 (2) 

December 5, 2005

December 5, 2004: when it all began 

 

 

Simple Milk Syrup

We were working on a mascarpone frosting. We wanted to use granulated sugar. The cheese broke as soon as we started mixing the sugar into it. A substantial amount of milk sort of brought the mixture back together. Later, reading the label of the mascarpone, we saw the makers recommend blending maple syrup with it to make a dip. A dip could easily be a frosting. But we didn't want maple frosting. We thought of the stellar mascarpone sorbet from The French Laundry Cookbook. But we didn't want to add water to our frosting. So we asked ourselves if we had ever made simple syrup with milk? Shortly thereafter we combined sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt in a pot and brought it to as simmer. We cooked the syrup for one minute. Then we cooled it down. When it was cold we stirred it into our mascarpone along with the juice of a lemon. The finished frosting is soft and spreadable. The flavor is all about the mascarpone, subtly accented by the flavors of the syrup. The simple milk syrup is a new ingredient that is full of potential.

 

Years Past

December 4, 2012

December 4, 2011

December 4, 2010

December 4, 2009

December 4, 2008

December 4, 2007

December 4, 2006

December 4, 2005

December 4, 2005 (2)

PX Redux

We ran Pedro Ximenez sherry through the rotary evaporator. Hard to believe but the sherry became even better. The resulting elixir is a complex liquid raisin, complemented by notes of wood and spice. It is the tastiest ingredient we have gotten through cold reduction alone. It is delicious drizzled over vanilla ice cream. With a little tweaking it will become the sauce for a raw Nantucket bay scallop dish we are preparing for the Maximum Flavor dinner at Charcoal BYOB next Friday, December 13.

Years Past

December 3, 2012

December 3, 2011

December 3, 2010

December 3, 2009

December 3, 2008

December 3, 2007

December 3, 2006 

December 3, 2005

 

Cold Season

 

 

Gently warm bourbon

(with water or cider or tea)

Add a spoonful of honey

and a generous squeeze of lemon.

Stir.

Sip.

Be soothed.

 

Years Past

December 2, 2012

December 2, 2011

December 2, 2010

December 2, 2009

December 2, 2008

December 2, 2007

December 2, 2006

December 2, 2005

 

Potato and Egg

We revisited our false egg. This time instead of using cauliflower to wrap an egg yolk we used potatoes. Yesterday, in a workshop, we made a puree of potatoes enriched with 1% Methocel A4C. We used plastic wrap to encase an egg yolk in the puree. We simmered the potato-egg package to set the Methocel and cook the yolk. When the potato gelled we removed it from the water and unwrapped it. To gild the lilly we topped it with our reheatable lime pickle hollandaise sauce.

 

 

Years Past

December 1, 2012

December 1, 2011

December 1, 2010

December 1, 2009

December 1, 2008

December 1, 2007

December 1, 2006

December 1, 2005

December 1, 2005 (2)

 

Dinner at Charcoal BYOB in Yardley, PA

Join Us on

Friday, December 13, 2013
Dinner and a Book with Chef-Authors Aki Kamozawa & Alex Talbot

Featuring A Collaborative Six Course Tasting Menu
Inspired By Their New Book
Maximum Flavor, Recipes That Will Change The Way You Cook
Every Guest Will Receive A Signed Copy
To Cook From Or Share This Holiday Season

$85/Per Person
Dinner Will Be Gluten Free
Please Let Us Know About Any Allergies When Reserving Your Table

Reservations: 215.493.6394