Poached and Roasted.....Poasted???

Lamb Loin Nicoise

Olive Puree, Olive Crumble, Olive-Potato-HOP-Feta salad, Pine nut relish.

This needs more.....just a different plate?

There's a perfection just waiting to happen. There is something more. Always. But, like they say "Perfection, is almost there"

Even when all the blocks are filled in, there are still cracks.

When all the pieces fit, bump the table.

The flavors are there. Just to make it into a portrait.

www.terraspice.com

Christmas came a little late this year.

Just a little.

All the credit applications went through and the first Terra Spice order came in today.

Thank You Judy.

Click HERE. to see what they've got.

Failure

The article stated "Don't worry, there won't be Spaghetti and Meatballs on the menu". Sadly, there wasn't.

An article refering to the Benefit for the blind that acurred on Dec. 21st 2006, in which all the participents would be blindfolded, the organizer of the event stated to the press that Spaghetti and Meatballs wouldn't be served at this type of BlindFolded event. So, of course, I felt challenged.

So many variaions and ideas came out of this one simple family favorite. Maki roll was going to be the one, but I couldn't get ahold of any Gellan gums before the due date. (any info on how to acquire Gellan gums???) The thought being I could suspend the sauce in the middle of the rolls. Then there was wrapping the noodles and sauce inside the meatball, and several others.

What I ended up trying was Spaghetti and Meatball Dim Sum. It was tasty and one bite, and all the ideas and flavors where right there. This was the HA! no spaghetti and meatballs ey? ..............

They all stuck together. I mean they really stuck together. Suck!

Blind Dinner

Everyone was blindfolded to raise money for the local blind community.

They ate and drank wine...all while being blindfolded.

Food for this event was a challange. trying to come up with food that can be consumed without being messy nor to involved. I played around with some ideas and flavors a little bit though.

Praline Cracker with Frissee, Balsamic powder and Blue Cheese Sheet. Sauerkraut poached pear stuffed with pork carnitas. And, "Paella Maki Rolls".

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.

Blue Cheese Sheets

First attempt. A guessing game with PURE-COTEB790 from www.grainprocessing.com . I didn't have thier paper work with me when I tried this attempt, but I like this version so far bettet than the one That's drying tonight somewhat following thier procedure.

This is being created for the Tasting Blind benefit that will be held tomorrow at the restaurant. The goal, for me, is to create one to two bite courses. this one being a salad. The usual, endive (or chicory/frisee) with candied pecans, balsamic reduction and blue cheese. (Balsamic powder www.provesta.com)

Tuna, Melt!

Someone said this a couple weeks ago. I can see it now though.
You know how melted cheese reaches that perfect point in its life when it's no longer hard or at room temp, it's not completely broken, it's at that beautiful point of simply being melted. Right when it comes out the broiler on French Onion soup, Bubbling on top of a pizza, running down the sides of a griddled sandwich.
Perfect cheese at the perfect moment. How to make it last?
Tuna Stock: I don't know how yet. tuna stock, consomme, with the color of bright raw tuna. Churnned into sorbet, with some Methocel I would imagine, or not.
A hot flat stone. with melted swiss "pudding", tomato in some form, and a bright raw colored scoop of tuna. ready to melt. tuna melt!
I guess with Methocel it would last a little longer.
If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I would love to make this dish.

Loaded Baked Potato

Baked Potato Ice Cream with Brocolli, Cheddar, Bacon and Chives.

Not sweet. Just Fun.

The Caviar Thing

Root Beer Caviar

Pineapple Poached Shrimp

with coconut and RootBeer Caviar

Respect

A message to all current and future cooks and chefs.

Food.

This is it. This is where it comes from. Cute, little, harmless animals that are killed for our future enjoyment.

This animal was alive. He felt the sting of death.

We don't think of this when food is ingested, but it shoud be thought of when it is prepared.

The respect given to food should always be thought of with this in mind, this image. DO NOT waste what's in front of you. DO NOT mis-season. DO NOT burn. DO NOT leave out in the TDZ. DO NOT let something die without treating it with the proper respect and love that it deserves to make it into an incredible piece of perfection.

In short, if this IS your career, THIS is your clientelle and if he's not happy you shouldn't be either.....and he's dead. Better make it worth it.

Chicken Shanks

Bacon and Eggs

bearnaise sheet with bacon fat powder.

Bearnaise Sheets

Soda (or Pop) poaching

Poaching. Brining. Sauces.
Cherokee red poached......
Egg?
Cherokee red pickled Endive?
Root beer pears
Ginger ale Ginger
Nehi Grape Foie Gras

Wine Dinner 11-16-2006

Tongue in Cheek
Braised Red Onion, Veal Vinaigrette
Mache Salad

Scallops
Fennel Risotto, Carrot Broth

Truffle spiked Wings
Skate,Shitake Tapioca

Artic Char
Stuffed with Short Rib,
Peas and Carrots, Pecorino Broth

Cipollini
Stuffed with Duck Confit, Foie emulsion
Smoked Chocolate smear

Pork Tenderloin
Apple Brined, Cinnamon Parsnip Puree,
Vanilla Apple Crisp

Dessert
Liquid Center Goat Cheese Cake

Butter Foam

1lb of butter melted. a gelatin sheet and some Soy Lecithin.

Charged in an ISI canister with two charges. At room temp.

"White Scented?"

Wow, this rice smells just like a blank piece of paper!

More Shrimp with Beets

First plating.
Beet and Goat Cheese Borsch, grilled shrimp, "cocktail tomatoes", and saffron pickled fennel.


Any ideas?

Shrimp Cocktail

The idea of flavors and how they happen.
FIRST. Shrimp cocktail revisited.
Poached shrimp with cocktail sauce. It's a beautiful thing and we all love it. I need more ways to ingest horseradish to be honest with you.

This is the infusion of beets plus Horseradish plus Shrimp. Not in the usual way though.
Not that that would be usual.
Just take apart "Shrimp Cocktail" Poached shrimp with a tomato based sauce of lemon juice and horseradish.
Here you get it all in one bite. Grape tomatoes pickled in horseradish juices, stuffed in a lemon and beet pickled shrimp. along with some extras.
Beet powder crepes, stuffed with goat cheese. a Horseradish vinaigrette dressed salad, beet puree, and beet powder.

Give me MORE> on. shrimp cocktail

Poaching in other liquids

The BASE of this dish is a slice of Butternut squash, cryovaced in Pineapple juice and cooked Sous Vide. The title of the dish as it apears on the website is: "Duck Breast" Confit, on pineapple braised butternut. beets and turnups, seared Foie Gras.

The thought is...Taking somethng and making it taste like something else. The Butternut squash takes on the pineapple juice so well that it makes its own flavor profile.

Sweet potato juice. reduced by 50% and allowed to set.


Then covered with sugar and bruleed. A straight brulee of a liquid.
No gelatin. No gellan. Just The juice of the bruleed item.

A juicer can provide.