Scallops

Squared and tied with Honey Basil puree, Danish Blue, Radish Sprouts.

"Dr. 15904"

Turkey breast enhancement.








Venison sausage stuffing.

This years Christmas turkey was that much better with this addition plus a long brine, an accidental longer-slow roast, and being shared with actual family members. Nothing against work family of course.

Prime Rib Poached NY Strip

One of the most anticipated things in my life was Prime Rib at the revolving dining room in the sky at age 8 on a family vacation to Niagra Falls.

The way I remember it, there was more build up to "prime rib" from my Dad then there was to the falls....I was not disappointed. The Prime Rib I had that night set forth a craving for slow roasted fatty laden proteins smothered in Horseradish that would last forever.

Whenever we cook off a prime rib for a banquet, I still gorge myself on the lip. The tender, filthy, salt collected, disgustingly eye rolling back in the head, fat absorbing, stringy pieces of meat at the bottom of a roasted prime rib that (usually) gets trimmed off due to excess fat surrounding it, and usually makes the whole cut to big for the plate.

I don't like NY Strip or Filet Mignon. Two over priced pieces of a cow that I will gladly cover with A1 sauce or let the rest of society pay more for to keep the price of ribeye down.

But what to do with all those drippings (fat) from the prime rib? Smell so good, so unhealthy though, smells so good, smells like a slow roasted-herb-salt-pepper-horseradish smothered piece of ribeye should smell after some time in a slow oven. "Save it, I really want to use it for something." I've been saving all fats lately.

This one is gold though.

Zach's Dinner

Hot Dog Sushi with soy ketchup, wasabi mustard and soy drizzle.

Rice Crispy fried shimp salad with pop rocks to make it talk.
Third course (not pictured) was StarBurst Candy Cane dusted Scallops on Old Bay risotto with Creamy Cream soda foam.
Prime Rib Poached strip steak with Goat Cheese creamed cous cous.


Fried and BBQd Venison stuffed chicken (Sweet Baby Rays)
Blue Cheese brownie with Thyme Chocolate and Grenadine.

It's always fun to cook for your employees. When there's time to really have fun with what they're going to be eating that night. You get to insert some of their favorite
food items in some not so familiar ways.

Hot Dog Sushi

Oh yeah, I love hotdogs.
Fried up in tempura cornmeal batter and served with Soy Ketchup and Wasabi yellow mustard.

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Basil Panna Cotta

With Pumpernickle french toast and honey caramel.

Antelope Enchiladas

Perrin from Broken Arrow Ranch persuaded me into a whole antelope leg from thier Texas ranch.
Here it is served with Cranberry Tapenade puree, Braised leg meat mixed with fig mole, and a couple slices of sous vide loin.

Pumpkin Pie Salad....

.....Just another picture of it.

Pork Tenderloin....

....vanilla and honey poached.

Creamy Cous Cous, Chard-Lady Apple-Sage, Goat Cheese fritters.

Vodka-Sechuan peppercorn syrup.

Duck and confit, true love.

Orange Duck, confit pad thai, sake and pineapple cucumbers, and pinacolada sheet.

Scallop Lasagna

Activa!
Wonderful thing.



Puree scallops, bind scallops, spread scallops, cut scallops


sear "scallops"

Stack scallops with crab, apple, truffle, sauerkraut syrup, and basil xanthan.

German/Alsace Wine Dinner

Pumpkin Pie Salad.



Finally, after a little asking and nagging towards TerraSpice they got some Gellan.



Combined with pumpkin paper and cinnamon watercress salad and soy molasses.



And I'm going this direction with wine tastings...up....
The progress will proceed upwards.
Usually 5 to 9 courses.

Feast Or Famine

I don't imagine that I have many followers on this Blog. I pretty much put this together for two reasons.
1. I wanted my parents to be able to see what my life is like in a kitchen. To see what kind of food I enjoy making and why I spend so much time working. To try and let them (and others) understand why I love what I do for a living.
2. For my own personal collection of "Ideas, thoughts, mis-hearings and random spouts of my brain." Something I can direct others to, wether employers, employees, family members, or the curious.

I've been slacking on producing anything of any intrest lately. I realize that. And in some disturbingly sad way, I've actually worried about it.
In the sense that....I haven't been inspired. Inspiration comes and inspiration goes.
After ten months without the two sous chef positions I had filled when I moved here, after three months with only two line cooks (both in thier teens), after a summer/theatre/into fall season doing everyone in 4... thirty minute increments twice a day, as banquets/ordering/blah blah blah everything work/working saute shit goes on..........Now we're pretty much dead.
Sure, the one or two "big" Christmas parties a week are happening, but it's not enough. Not here. Not what it could be. Nothing is ever what it could be.
I find myself taking as much time off as possible. Not really a bad thing....but when you love to work and your work is your love, it has an effect on you. On top of that, still having to be at work when nothing is going on. The only person in the kitchen. No reservations, maybe just driving in to do ordering....KILLS motivation. Being the guy that takes gas money (I was gonna say rent money, but everyone of my employees lives with thier parents, except one and her son works for me to) from them with no hours.
In addition to my excuses, my camera has been broken. BUT, I just got it back yesterday. Thanks to two friends that helped me out. (It's hard to get packages delivered to your house when your never there).
SO! On with new pictures and posts.
Look above.

Soy Ketchup

Beef Chain Confit

Pretty much all profit.

Truffle Pickled Green beans, Arugula Salad, Crispy onions.