Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Moet Champagne Sushi Dinner

Seared Salmon Nigiri, Crispy rice, Soy Smoked Almonds, Avocado, Orange Yuzu
Hokkaido Scallop Sashimi, hearts of palm, myoga, yamamomo peach jus
Snapper Carpaccio with Olive Oil, Kinome, Sea Urchin, Caviar

Rare Wagyu Beef Tataki Inspired Lakalinau "Roll", Wasabi Pepper Sauce, Truffled Sprouts, Sesame Puree


Interesting....

http://cookingissues.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/fish-anesthesiologists/

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Modern Cooking Techniques: Don't get it twisted

A lot of people either hate or love "modern cooking techniques," "molecular gastronomy," "food science" or whatever you want to call it. People dislike it because so many try to experiment with these techniques without any foundation of classic cooking. Classical french, Asian, Spanish, European, or any food style or race is the base of everything. Your grandma's, mom's, and dad's cooking is the "base" for our future culinary world. If you cannot cook and have zero knowledge of our culinary fathers and mothers, what is the point of adding kelcogel, transglutinamese, and liquid nitrogen to your food? It sure does not make the dish taste any better. Guaranteed. You do not just add an air or foam because of appearance or trend. You add a foam to balance a dish or add another dimension to your food. People need to understand this. To me, Molecular gastronomy is the process of taking classic techniques and totally transforming it to stimulate every sense of a human being. It is the modification of textures, aromas, and basically makes eating food fun again. The process of taking you on a journey from childhood and adulthood through food cannot be expressed with words.

I love cooking and respect my upbringing. Thank you to all of my mentors, you know who you are. I have so much respect for Escoffier and the long line of french chefs. Bocuse, Robuchon, Ducasse, T Keller, H Keller....to many to name...

Bottom line....for the youngin's, including myself....grab a foundation..."You'll never be a Grant Achatz unless you've worked for a Thomas Keller."- Bauti

"Meat Glue" ing....

Ajinomoto activa has been sitting in the walk-in for the 3-4 months now with limited use. So I decided to pull it out for some meat gluing fun. For those who don't know, meat glue is an enzyme called transglutaminase. When it comes in contact with a certain enzyme like lysine and glutinamine it forms a covalent bond that acts like a glue. Virtually all fish, meat and poultry contain enough lysine and glutinamine for this reaction to happen. (Via Wylie Dufresne"wd-50")...In non scientific terms, you can glue virtually all proteins together...including your fingers. With this inspiration I bound slipper lobster pieces together to make a Lobster roulade, mocking the most succulent piece of a lobster, the tail....




The makisu helped in making a uniform shape and pushing a lot of the air bubbles out....



cryovacing at full pressure to eliminated air pockets and pulling lobster meat together nice and tight...









I sous vide the lobster roulade in a bath of 59.5 degrees C (131 degrees F) for 15 minutes...and chilled it.





sliced in to medallions.....








tempura and panko fried lobster medallion...accompanied by a lobster coconut pumpkin bisque, and cinnamon balsamic air.....





I had a large leftover pumpkin sitting in the restaurant with no use and somehow this process came to life in 2 hours....enjoy






Wednesday, November 4, 2009

New thoughts...coming soon? pics as well

Crispy Lake Superior Whitefish
Sous vide pan roasted sweet pearl onions, warm grapes, hydroponic mache, pickled hen of the woods/honshemeji mushrooms, Celeriac puree, brown butter powder, port molasses syrup

Seared U-10 Diver Scallops
Cauliflower Couscous(Grated cauli flower, lemon zest, pine nuts, fine herbs, butter), Chorizo sherry emulsion, heirloom tomatoes, mint/thai basil fluid gel.

Pork Tenderloin "Jamon and Melon"
Parsnip Coulis, Compressed Melons, Basil, Pancetta Jam, Pork Fig Glace

"Fish N' Chips"
Crispy Exotic Snapper, Pomme puree, Fingerling BBQ potato coin "chips", Malt Pear Vinegar Gastrique, Pickled Brussels

Heirloom Tomato "Poke"
Heirloom Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Aerated Mozzarella, Sherry Gel, Basil Blanket, Brioche Croutons


Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Second Gayot Dinner Series @ THE BAZAAR

Going to this next month, im excited

Second Gayot Dinner Series

Posted using ShareThis

Books for Thought...New and upcoming releases...

Ad Hoc at Home: Family Style Recipes by Thomas Keller

Momofuku by David Chang (Oct.27)
Food For Thought, Thought for Food by Ferran Adria
All different parts of the food/culinary spectrum. All hard hitters. All innovators in their own way. Buy them, I am...Hardly think you'll regret it...