Santa Barbera Wine Dinner

First course: Faygo Red poached Lobster with carbonated Asian Pear and Garlic Mango Relish.

Second Course: Foie Gras with Bacon Gelee, Pinenut Brulee and Bacon Salad.

Third Course: Pink Peppercorn Tuna, Spiced Crackers, Whipped Beets.

Forth Course: Gooseberry stuffed Breast of Veal with Dandelion Greens.

Fifth Course: Table Smoked Lamb with Parsnip puree and Morel Bearnaise.

Sixth Course: Macerated Fruit, Sourpatch Ice Cream.

Fun with Consomme and gelatin

Just a couple flavors I've been playing around with. Anything is possible really.

About 3grams of powdered Gelatin to 1 Qt. "stock", freeze then let thaw over coffee filter in walk-in over night.

The amazing thing, is the mouth feel the small amount of gelatin leaves in the final product.

Sake dinner, course five

Juiced, simmered, gelatonised, frozen and slowly strained watermelon. Then gelled again into cubes (too hard), with more cubes of tuna tar tar and compressed water melon. With Wasabi Ice Cream, ginger-soy sauce, Tobikko vinaigrette and

a little fun with poprock powder.

Served with: Yuki No Bosha “Limited Release” Junmai Ginjo Sake

Versus Dinner

Quick run down:

I'll come back and elaborate later.

Chilly Avacado Chili with Ancho and Leek Cornbread, Avacado Ice Cream

Caramel Smoked Pear, stuffed with Horseradish Brie and Lobster salad with Kielbasa Consomme. (Simple but good)

Duck Coq Au Vin, Red Wine and Chocolate "Pudding", OJ and Bacon.

Lamb Osso Buco, Minted Carrots and Mushroom Risotto.

Kielbasa Consomme

Pressure cooked and then fortified with some grilled and blistered pieces.

So FULL of flavor.

There was a Sauerkraut Sorbet that went with an earlier version of this attempt.

Play On Thier Favorites

Espresso Vodka, Brown Sugar water Iced Tea topped with Xanthan Gum whipped Moccachino.

Swedish Fish Consomme with Fruity Pebble fried Shrimp.

Walnut Fried Brie

Using the Yogurt consomme,

Along with Bacon Crackers.

Just damn tasty.

Yogurt Consomme

With inspiration (over a couple years) from Alex and Aki and their website Ideas in Food I wanted

to work on a Maple Consomme. I am in Maple country.

All the flavors that were to be addressed on the plate where as follow: Fried Brie, Maple, Strawberry, Horseradish and Bacon. Very southern, but hey, fried fat in fat with more fat flavor added? How can you resist? Something simple that can be put out in a timely manner and be shared by a table.

Strawberries, Horseradish and Brie have been a long time favorite of mine. I was also trying to figure out some way to incorporate this combo into the plate as well.

When it came time to construct the Maple Consomme, I didn't know where to start with it. What would I be clarifying? Stuck. I looked back at Ideas In Food to their Balsamic Consomme, the pureeing of items helped me.

As all my mise en place lay around me, at various ends of the kitchen, the ingredients came together a little differently in my head. It all ended up together.

And when I reached in the cooler for some more berries, I was looking at two "Fruit on the Bottom" Dannon yogurts. Why not use the protein in the yogurt to clarify my fruit stock?

It's deep in color and flavor. You know there is yogurt in there somewhere, and the mouthfeel is really something. There is a creaminess that coats your mouth that you just wouldn't expect.

So, maybe cheese based consomme? Curds?

Candy Apple Consomme

Caramel, Apple juice, and Apple Pucker.

Star Anise and Cloves. Coffee Filter.

Fig Tuille

With Smoked Chocolate, Ancho Tuna, Chocolate Broth and Masa Meringue

Buffalo Wings

I'm not happy with this one at all.

The flavors are so close.

The idea is there.

But....stuck on the plate, or lack there of.

Wings and Beer! with Buffalo Sauce and Celery and Blue Cheese. It's all there........... What's missing?

Skate wings, buffalo powder breading, Freezer poached celery, guiness and blue cheese ice cream, buffalo fried chicken consomme. I've added taragon puree since this picture was taken. But, it needs so much more.