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White Truffle Oil-Infused Custard, "Ragoût" of Black Winter Truffles.
Please look at the original dish here.
Few things are worth mentioning, I think:
- I used White Truffle oil to flavor the custard, just as French Laundry cookbook suggest. White Truffle Oil, however, is typically olive oil with "white truffle flavorings", which are not necessarily made from real white truffles. The ultimate way to do it would be to infuse grapeseed oil with white truffle shavings, but the cost of that exercise would be prohibitive. Still, I don't exclude a possibility of something like that being done for FL/Per Se VIP roster;
- I should have let the custard cook for a lot longer than 40-45 minutes @275C, as per Chef Keller's recipe. The flavor was outstanding, but my custard was a bit too runny to support the weight of veal stock;
- Chive Potato chips were excellent, but I was not happy about their shape - will use a metal stencil next time;
- this dish absolutely needs veal stock made as per Keller's specification, i.e. without roasting the bones. Veal stock made this dish to me, period. I flavored the stock by freeze-dried truffles, BTW.
Overall, this was a success as far as taste is concerned, presentation needs work.
"Quickie" Lunch - Kobe Sirloin, Uni, Veal Stock Reduction, Spices
I am a straight male, yet one wouldn't fight pornography on my computer, or in my house. I have a stack of Food&Wine, Gourmet and Bon Appetite , but no Playboy or Penthouse - some have found it ironic in the past. ;-) Yet, I will make an excuse for taking a pornographic image you see above - sweet debauchery , at it's best.
American Kobe Beef Sirloin, grilled rare, CA Purple Uni, Veal Stock Reduction, Black Pepper and Kosher Salt seasoning, touch of Yuzu juice to offset Uni sweetness - that is all.
My lunch was quite enjoyable, how was yours?
What can I say? I have no imagination of my own - tonight.
Ulterior Epicure has pictured and described the original dish from Tocqueville and suggested it to me - it was intriguing.
I used unbelievable fresh CA Purple Uni - easily, the highest quality product I've seen, made pasta from scratch using fresh Farmer's Market eggs, and incorporated organic soy, touch of rice vinegar, sea salt and yuzu in the sauce. Just like the original - this pasta features seal lettuce in the sauce, and sprouts as a garnish.
I am at a loss for words ... this plate is in the league of it's own...
This is a very interesting exercise: a while ago I came across The Best of 2011 blogpost written by www.thecriticalcouple.com
They selected a dish of "Squid and Cauliflower, Clear Roasted Squid Juice"
from Pollen Street Social ( a London restaurant previously unknown to me) as The Best Twist.
This plate was as intriguing to me, as it was enigmatic - short of having a picture, I have absolutely nothing to go by! Allright, so this is what I knew: "The squid 'risotto', using diced squid rather than rice is simply brilliant. " Well, not much, but better than nothing, I guess.
So, here is what I did:
- squid was cut in small dice ( approximately the size of rice kernels) and flash-cooked with the starchy liquid from koshihikari sushi rice risotto, which was in turn cooked with konbu water and lobster stock;
- clear roasted squid broth was made with roasted squid, pan roasted garlic and nori;
- raw cauliflower was thinly shaved for garnish;
- nori flakes were used instead of dark strips of what I thought was some kind of seaweed;
- sea beans were not available, so I had to omit them all together;
OK, the resulting dish was definitely interesting... I would make it again, but with a few tweaks - risotto would be better if seasoned with rice vinegar ( just to envoke sushi flavor memories); roasted squid broth would benefit from kombu and shitake water; will keep the roasted garlic and skip nori. Should be a fun run! I wonder if I can sushi rice risotto with the cauliflower stock...
Just after I ate, I found this passage written by fortonfood.wordpress.com:
"...listed on the menu as cauliflower and squid, clear roasted squid juice. Hmm. That’s a bit bald for what actually appears, which is a risotto of squid, in which the squid had been cut and cooked to look, feel and taste like, more or less, rice cooked in squid stock. The cauliflower had been cut and stained with squid ink to look like slices of black truffle. There were wafers of raw cauliflower, too. All this might seem a bit effortful if the finished dish, itself, was anything less than a delight to eat. And it is. It’s just a dish to leave you smiling. It is clever, witty, and above all delicious. It is the apotheosis of squid, squid raised to a higher level, with a scintillating intensity, sweet with the essence of cephalopod, fascinating with a spectrum of contrasting textures."
Well, I am not so sure I would have poached ( "stained", as it was) cauliflower with the squid ink in the first place, but I know more about the original plate now!
There are a few more blogposts about this dish, but none are really informative - I would love to try the original dish and tell you more about it someday.
Asparagus Veloute: this soup could be served hot or cold, tonight I opted for the former.
First, I made veg stock with pearl onions, shallots, garlic, scallions, celery, carrots, asparagus, turnips, spinach, black pepper, bay leaf, celery seed, fenugreek, allspice and ajuwan - quite rich, yet quite simple.
I poached asparagus in the veg stock with a touch of brown sugar, pureed it, pushed it through a tamis,added salt and thicken it a little with heavy cream. The result is very silky and quite tasty veloute. Personally, I would add a touch of heat, but my dinner date wanted it "as-is" .... ;-)
Typical dinner at home...whatever pasta that is on the shelf tossed with whatever ingredients that are in the fridge. :)
(Pesto made from this recipe from the MediterrAsian Cooking blog.)
"Surf & Turf":
Monkfish with Braised Oxtails, Oyster Mushrooms, Salsify and Oyster Mushrooms.
This is an enormously successful dish: oxtails braised in veal stock match very well with shellfish-rich taste of monkfish, and oyster-like salsify, veal stock literally ties everything together - rich, delightful, provocative taste just takes one's mouth over.
This dish was made according to the original "French Laundry" recipe, although Chef Keller serves this dish with cèpes, whereas I opted for Oyster mushrooms - fresh, albeit much cheaper ingredient.
As good as it is, this plate still can use some improvement - generally, I like my veal stock based sauces to be a lot thicker, and hold a circular shape when presented. Also, I wonder if the dish would benefit from cooking oxtails sous-vide, or even using veal shanks instead of the oxtails.
Does this picture look familiar to you? I hope so. LOL
"Le Bernardin" chocolate cake has been pictured on flickr many times - by lanaflickr, sundaydriver, and yours truly among others.
This is not exactly a replica of the "Le Bernardin" dish, but rather an attempt to make a better dessert in the similar style .
OK, here it goes:
Cake - Velvet Chocolate vs. Spiced Chocolate I made last time.
Advantage: Even
Ice Cream: Kumquat/Marmelade Orange vs. Sweet Potato
Advantage: Kumquat/Marmelade Orange
Presenation/Misc. :
No Caramel Sauce this time - it should be there, I think;
Crushed Candied Orange Peel, replacing Pistachios - I prefer crunchy peel;
Kumquat Marmelade, instead of Sweet Potato Pearls - toss-up;
Overall, I prefer traditional Orange-Chocolate pairing to Sweet Potato-Chocolate approach. Either way, it's a great plate!
Anatomy of "Le Bernardin" style Chocolate Cake Dessert - see notes.
My favorite part of the dish is the Caramel Sauce - made with "La Perruche" Brown Sugar and unsalted Irish Butter ( it's also the only thing on the plate that is better than it's original "Le Bernardin" counterpart).
I love elegant food, but sometimes - just like today, I crave a whole lot of hearty home-made goodness. Also, I wanted to finally introduce
Borscht - the real deal
to friends everywhere. On a personal note, I made this dish solely by my taste memories, against the grain of cookbooks and popular misconceptions. This soup tasted very good at the end.
This picture could have been taken in my Granny's kitchen well over thirty years ago, and it would look exactly the same. Traditionally, borscht is made with braised meat ( back in the days of the former CCCP it was not always available, but when it was - it would give an every day meal a certain aura of festivity), cabbage and tomatoes. Other ingredients vary greatly from region to region, and from family to family, which is why there are "Green Borscht", "Beet Borscht", "NAVY Borscht" and my personal favorite - Ukranian Borscht (pictured above). Noteworthy, my Granny would throw a few potatoes in her borscht pots, whereas her daughter (my Mom) would almost never do that - creativity of a cook is not to be disputed, I guess.
OK, so I browned beef chuck ( shoulder) with salt and pepper, and used a pretty traditional mise-en-place from that point forward. I would like to point out though, that before borscht broth is made aromatics and root vegetables should be sauteed with tomato paste, for the sake of both color and taste. The borscht simmered on the the stove for a few hours for the meat to become fork-tender, which is when I added cabbage and extra tomatoes, and left it simmering for another 20-25 minutes.
I served my borscht with sour cream, parsley and crusty bread and a few garlic cloves on the side ( garlic is typically rubbed on the bread crust and eaten with the broth).
The most amazing thing to me still - borscht I made today tasted exactly like how I remembered it. Is there anything that can beat the taste of one's childhood? I don't think so....
Salad of Hearts of Palm, Radishes, Orange "Supremes" and Microgreens with Avocado Puree
Please compare this to the original dish.
I used organic Red Radishes, Watermelon Radishes and Daikon, and added a touch of Yuzu, Orange Juice and Long Balinese Pepper to the Avocado Puree. Overall, a very successful dish, albeit I would use fresh Hearts of Palm when I make it again.
Avocado Puree was amazing. I don't even like Avocado, but had to lick the bowl and spatula clean - it was that good!
I wanted to make a non-traditional dessert for Easter, and settled on a Lime Tart ( recipe from "Le Bec Fin" cookbook). Luckily there was some Pate Sablee and Lime-Kumquat filling left, so I made a plated version as well.
Pate Sablee is made with all-purpose and cake flours and almond paste, custard filling made with juice of lemons and kumquats, as well as finely minced kumquat rind.
Noteworthy, I airbrushed a little of raspberry sauce on the plate - just for the sake of experiment.
I can't predict future, well... not always. LOL However, I bet someone in the house is going to perform an unannounced late night/early morning fridge inspection ( I am not pointing fingers, people - you know who you are), which will result in unapologetic consumption of the lime tartlet and custards - hope you enjoy those, because I made them just for that reason. :-) XOXO
Chocolate-Chip Cookie Banana Pudding
Just a simple substitution makes for an incredible dessert!
Ingredients
1 box (small) banana cream pudding
1 box (small) chocolate pudding
4 cups cold milk (2% or whole (2 cups for each box))
4 bananas (peeled & sliced)
18-24 chocolate chip cream sandwich cookies (reserve at least 4)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips morsels
Instructions
In a medium size mixing bowl add the pudding powder from both boxes. Mix together all 4 cups of milk according to the instructions on the box with either a wire whisk or hand mixer. Once pudding has come to the right consistency set aside to prepare the banana and cookies.
Using a cutting board or what ever you fill comfortable using. Peel and cut each banana into slices approx. 1/2 in or so and set aside. In a medium serving bowl add a layer of the pudding mixture to the bottom of the bowl alternating pudding, bananas, cookies and chocolate chips. For this particular dish I separated each cookie sandwich and alternated the cookie layer with one side of the cookie down and the other side up. You can choose to layer them whole or as stated above.
With the remaining 4 cookies you reserved earlier, place these in a plastic zip lock bag and crush until cookies become a crumbly topping. Sprinkle cookie crumbles over the top as the finial step. Chill or eat right away. I’m not sure why but when chocolate and bananas are served together it’s more than delicious. Enjoy!
Had almost forgotten about this image, after posting the the second image in comments section ages ago. A recent discussion on the same cake triggered this post.The image had a very high key corner on top (perhaps due to which i didnt post this image back then).The section had to be cloned off to make the image more easier for the eye.
Chaource, Asian Fragrant Pears, Honeycomb, Microgreens, Clove-Allspice Oil
This was one of my favorite dishes of the entire dinner. Everything worked, flavors, textures - everything. I loved the local honeycomb - very complex.
California Purple Uni - easily the best sea urchin I have ever had: it was creamy, rich, sweet, obscene...
Grilled Prawns
Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawns, Kosher Salt
I was lucky to score live (!!!) Santa Barbara Spot Prawns, so I just wanted to give it a taste both raw and cooked.
This is simplicity in its earnest: prawns were seasoned with kosher salt, and quickly grilled on a flat top.
Absolutely amazing - nothing else is needed.
Tonkotsu Ramen
- roasted pork, poached egg, fish cake, scallions, pickled bamboo, abalone mushroom
This was the centerpiece of my New Year meal. Real ramen, let alone tonkotsu broth are rarely made at home ( in Japan or otherwise), but I wanted to give it a try.
Tonkotsu broth was made with roasted pork bones, pig's feet, ginger, garlic and Tokyo scallions. Although it took 15 hours to make it ( obscene amount of time, by home cooking standards), the result was very satisfying. The broth was rich, flavorful, shiny and a touch sticky, because of the emulsified collagen. I added approximately 2 tablespoons of concentrated and clarified bacon dashi, just to add saltiness and smoke ( will add more next time though). My next attempt at the tonkotsu broth will include more smoke, a touch of miso and maybe a spoonful of dried scallop/dried shrimp essence. I would rate this broth as 8/10, with space for improvement.
I did not have time to make alkaline noodles, which would have made this ramen bowl considerable better than the plain, albeit freshly made noodles I had to use.
Most of the toppings were the usual suspects ( pork, egg, scallion, fish cake, pickled bamboo), with the abalone mushroom being a last minute substitution. The latter was unsuccessful, as it added only texture, but not much flavor and none of the umami - will absolutely use wood ear mushrooms next time.
Roasted pork absolutely worked, although I should have sliced it a lot thinner, or even served as "pulled-pork" style, just like they do at the Momofuku Noodle Bar. Also, I am toying with an idea of roasting a pork butt with the mixture of honey, five-spice powder, red fermented tofu, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce and Shaoxing wine - i.e. traditional char siu sauce, on my next attempt. But then again, salt-sugar-pepper-coco nibs mix worked quite well this time.
My ramen remains the work-in-progress and I humbly hope to reach ramen excellence sometime in the future.
Truly unique dish inspired by a meal at Ssam Bar (unusual main ingredient: Korean Rice Cakes ). It's spicy, crispy and very satisfying. Rice Cakes are easily available from Korean food markets - texture of rice udon noodles and gnocchi-like shape are quite enjoyable.
SESAME FISH (Serves 2)
From an Isabel Cruz recipe that appeared in the August 2007 issue of Self Magazine.
Ingredients
8 oz. piece of salmon or sushi-grade tuna
Dark sesame oil
Soy sauce
1/3 of an avocado, diced into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 cup cooked brown rice
Directions
Cut fish into chunks. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Cook fish, turning occasionally (for salmon - cook 6 minutes, for the sushi grade tuna - 2 minutes).
Whisk 2 tablespoons of soy sauce with 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil.
Toss 1 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds with fish, avocado and sesame-soy mixture.
Divide the cooked brown rice between two bowls, and spoon half of the fish mixture over each.
Enjoy!
This is my interpretation of a very similar dish by Ivan Orkin
It was really an outstanding plate: poached, roasted, powdered and black garlic puree in sesame oil all made an appearance.
I would like to challenge Ivan Orkin to a garlic mazemen contest., if I may.
Smoked Duck, Asian Pickles, Tomato Pearls, Hawaiian Black Salt.
This dish is meant to be a replica of Sushi Kaji plate from Renee's latest set.
I smoked duck breast over oak saw dust for just a few minutes, brushed it with marinade made with light and dark soy sauces, Xaioxing wine, Five Spice powder and a touch of Kafir lime leaves ( similar marinade sans kaffir lime, is usually used in a Chinese dish called "Smoked Fish", although fish is not smoked at all, but rather gets said flavor from five spice mixture). The duck breast was then poached Sous-Vide at 61F for about 35-45 minutes, and served with home-made Asian pickles ( carrot, turnip, shitake mushrooms, pickled in rice vinegar with Rock sugar, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns and smoked chilies - I wanted to enhance smoked flavor, without using a lot of actual smoke). Also, I added a touch of pickled eggplant , but kept in on the side - a nod to a common friend SiFu Renka and I happen to have.
Plain tomatoes would be a little boring, so I made Beefsteak Tomato Pearls for garnish, and added a touch of black salt for color contrast.
This dish would pair very well with sake, but today I opted for Belgian Kriek Cherry beer , which worked really well.
Overall, this was an outstanding plate - great flavors, texture and secondary flavors. Will do again in a hearbeat!
Sashimi of Fluke, Togarashi-Spiced Koshihikari Rice Cake, Choy Sum Juice with Microgreens.
Please take a look at the original dish.
I cooked CA Koshihikari rice just like I would for sushi, but added a touch of Kaffir Lime as well as Togarashi spice. Freshly squeezed juice of Choy Sum ( variety of Chinese Cabbage) was actually better than it's original counterpart at Per Se, although I shouldn't have missed the scallion, which was present on the original plate. Also, I added a touch of Hawaiian Pink Salt, which ultimately made the dish for me - menu at "Per Se" did not make a mention of any added salt.
I need to find someone who had this dish at "Per Se" to be an objective judge of this plate. Any volunteers?
Roasted Veal Loin
- rhubarb, pomegranate, shallots, chives, butter
This is almost exact copy of a plate I have never had - Roasted Veal Tenderloin from Le Comptoir in Paris, as described and enjoyed by Anthony Bourdain ( take a look at the actual video: No Reservations 100th Episode. Paris.)
I am rarely happy about everything on my plates, but this was one. Easily one of my best dishes.
Aji Panca Ceviche
- halibut, Aji Panca, lemon, rock sugar, black pepper, sea salt, fresh garbanzo beans
Again, another attempt to make a blind replica of a plate I have never tasted before. This one worked, although I went a little too heavy on the pock sugar in the cure - to be adjusted next time.
I am certain that the original plate is made with peas, but I was I too intrigued by the flavor of extremely rare fresh garbanzo beans (chickpeas) - very similar to peas, but not quite.
Overall, a decent plate - could've used a bit more heat, definitely less sweet and perhaps a touch of more "mineral" salt - like Hawaiian pink, or Japanese white.
Eggplant Caprese with Tomato and Basil
Made from a recipe from the August 2007 issue of Shape Magazine.
INGREDIENTS
1 medium eggplant
2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 fresh basil leaves
8 thin slices unsalted fresh mozzarella (about 4 oz.)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425F. Slice the eggplant and tomatoes crosswise into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Place 8 eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Set 8 tomato slices aside.
In a small bowl combine the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Brush the mixture over the eggplant and tomato slices, then set the remainder aside.
Bake the eggplant slices for about 10 minutes. Turn them over, brush with more of the olive oil mixture, then bake for another 10 minutes. Remove eggplant from the baking sheet and set aside. Place the 8 tomato slices on the same baking sheet and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Remove tomatoes and set aside.
Put four slices of cooked eggplant back onto the baking sheet. On each eggplant slice, stack up a tomato slice, a basil leaf, a mozzarella slice, another tomato slice, another basil leaf, and finish with another eggplant slice. You will have four stacks in all.
Place stacks in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and top each with a drizzle of the remaining olive oil mixture and a fresh basil leaf.
Enjoy!
OK, let's look at it:
Beef Tartare (Kitfo) with Spiced Clarified Butter (Niter Kebe), Feta Cheese (Ayib), Teff Flatbread (Injera), Spicy Sauce (Awaze) and Bird Eye Chili Spice (Mitmita )
This dish has no less than 30 different spices and aromatics, and is truly quite tasteful.
Devil's Food Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Ganache, White Chocolate Cream, Mint Marshmallow Frosting
Over the top, and so good!
Does this look familiar? Those of you how are familiar with SiFu Renka and her adventures will hopefully think so - this is a replica of a dish lovely Renee had at Sushi Kaji.
I have not had the original dish, but used Renee's picture and blogpost blogpost for guidance.
OK, silken tofu was house made, incredibly sweet and flavorful purple uni came form CA, broth was made with bonito flakes, wasabi and fresh scallion, with a touch of organic soy sauce. I like the contrast of sweet uni against creamy tofu - delightful pairing.
Pennsylvania Lamb:
- broiled Pennsylvania Lamb Chop, Raisin-Caper Relish, Roasted Sweet Corn, Blue Cheese, Broccoli
This was a rehearsal dinner, of sorts - I am planning to make a Leg of Lamb for Easter.
Absolutely a free-style plate, but worked out to the point where I can put this dish on the menu anytime, anywhere.
Lamb - seasoned with S&P, Madras Curry, broiled on high;
Raisin-Caper Relish - golden raisins, salt packed capers ( 2:1 ratio), garlic, shallot, lemon juice;
- very-very nice, albeit nothing new. I may use Yuzu or Meyer Lemon on Sunday, as well as add some parsley and some blood orange zest (Yuzu rind would be too tart)
Roasted Sweet Corn - seasoned with salt, can use a touch of butter;
Blue Cheese - Valdeon, in this case, added umami;
Broccoli - I did not have any greens ( micro- or otherwise), so I used it for color - turned out it added a touch of pleasant bitterness;
All I could ask for is Steelite In.Gredienti plates - this plate is ready to debut.
This is yet another replica of a dish by a great Chef - Debbie Gold/The American Restaurant in Kansas City, MO. Some meals and restaurants are close, yet the seem so far... This Chef and her restaurant are just an arm's length away, I've been told. Not sure when there is a chance, but I am enormously excited about trying the food of The American Restaurant.
Also, and as always, there are some credits due: Many Thanks to the Ulterior Epicure for sharing original Foie Pastrami pictures and his insight, as well as the entire American Restaurant photo collection.
Few details:
Foie is Hudson Valley Foie Gras, cured for 18 hours in salt/Lyle's Golden Syrup/curing mix brine with pickling spice I traditionally use to prepare Corned Kobe Beef brisket, and then flash smoked over oak and cherry sawdust.
Disclaimer: original preparation seem to be considerably more refined - my guess they separate the lobes into smaller pieces, cure those,then put them through a tamis, and reshape the liver in a terrine mold, but I may be wrong. Anyway, I want to preserve the natural shape and feel of foie gras.
Also, I went for a pretty coarse pastrami spice spice, whereas Chef Gold seem to have chosen a finer grind.
Kumquat/Pink Grapefruit marmelade was made with two principal ingredients with 4 whole cloves (ground cloves would be completely overpowering) and touch of Berbere African spice ( chilli, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, cardamom and many others, with predominance of chillies).
Chocolate Sauce - made with 70% chocolate, cream, butter and a touch of glucose for extra viscosity.
Caraway crackers - home-made crisps crisps with roasted caraway.
Overall, this is a phenomenal dish - will make again anytime.
I saw an interesting dish on a menu at Congee Village in NYC:
"Boiled Conch with Asparagus" ( item S520 on the menu, "Seafood" section, $20.95)
Although I did not try it, primarily because of the cost - I still wanted to make a replica of that plate. This is how it turned out.
Conch was cooked sous-vide @ 77F for 12 hours, and had almost abalone-like texture, asparagus was quickly blanched, sauce was simple light soy with soaked fermented beans and preserved lemon. Unfortunately, I ran out of fresh chillies - my idea was to quickly pickle them and use as a garnish on the conch, perhaps with strings of orange zest.
This is a very light and enjoyable appetizer.
Farfalle with Chicken Italian Sausage, Peas, and Cremini Mushrooms
Made using a recipe from a Giada De Laurentiis cookbook that I received in a workplace Yankee Swap over Christmas. (The recipe originally called for turkey sausage but I could only find chicken, so I used that.) Giada says that traditionally, this recipe uses pork sausage but this is a healthier alternative. My boyfriend who comes from an Italian American family was quite happy with the results...healthy or not, it just tasted good. :)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb spicy Italian chicken sausage, casing removed (Giada's recipe uses turkey)
10 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 10 oz package frozen peas, defrosted slightly
1 lb dried farfalle pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or similar (I used grana padano)
Directions:
In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over a high flame. Add the sausage and saute until golden brown, breaking up any large clumps, for about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate and set aside. Heat 2 more tablespoons of ol in the same pan. Add mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Saute until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Return the sausage to the pan and cook until the sausage is heated through and the flavors are blended, about 3 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, saving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and add the sausage mixture. Toss over medium heat to combine and heat through, adding some of the pasta cooking water to moisten. Drizzle in the remaining oil, season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and add the grated cheese and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Beef Heart:
- Beef Heart, French Fries, Horseradish, Demi-glace
This is a replica of Grilled Beef Heart plate I have tried at "The Spotted Pig"/"Fergus Stock 2009" ( meal shared with thewanderingeater, original plate pictured by SiFu Renka) :
beef heart ( purchased at a local grocery store for $.70) was soaked in brine with pickling spice for 24 hours, and cooked sous-vide at 79.5C for 24 hours in a bag with veal stock, thick cut potatoes were steamed for 40 minutes and fried in canola oil, horseradish mixed with sour cream for a quick sauce.
Very nice result, and - in your hopefully-sober-by now face, Fergus Henderson! :-)
Small steak with roasted onions and homemade potato salad. Accompanied by tomatoes, with onions and Persian cucumber.
This is yet another replica of a dish by a great Chef - Debbie Gold/The American Restaurant in Kansas City, MO. Some meals and restaurants are close, yet the seem so far... This Chef and her restaurant are just an arm's length away, I've been told. Not sure when there is a chance, but I am enormously excited about trying the food of The American Restaurant.
Also, and as always, there are some credits due: Many Thanks to the Ulterior Epicure for sharing original Foie Pastrami pictures and his insight, as well as the entire American Restaurant photo collection.
Few details:
Foie is Hudson Valley Foie Gras, cured for 18 hours in salt/Lyle's Golden Syrup/curing mix brine with pickling spice I traditionally use to prepare Corned Kobe Beef brisket, and then flash smoked over oak and cherry sawdust.
Disclaimer: original preparation seem to be considerably more refined - my guess they separate the lobes into smaller pieces, cure those,then put them through a tamis, and reshape the liver in a terrine mold, but I may be wrong. Anyway, I want to preserve the natural shape and feel of foie gras.
Also, I went for a pretty coarse pastrami spice spice, whereas Chef Gold seem to have chosen a finer grind.
Kumquat/Pink Grapefruit marmelade was made with two principal ingredients with 4 whole cloves (ground cloves would be completely overpowering) and touch of Berbere African spice ( chilli, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, cardamom and many others, with predominance of chillies).
Chocolate Sauce - made with 70% chocolate, cream, butter and a touch of glucose for extra viscosity.
Caraway crackers - home-made crisps crisps with roasted caraway.
Overall, this is a phenomenal dish - will make again anytime.
Sashimi of Fluke, Togarashi-Spiced Koshihikari Rice Cake, Choy Sum Juice with Microgreens.
Please take a look at the original dish.
I cooked CA Koshihikari rice just like I would for sushi, but added a touch of Kaffir Lime as well as Togarashi spice. Freshly squeezed juice of Choy Sum ( variety of Chinese Cabbage) was actually better than it's original counterpart at Per Se, although I shouldn't have missed the scallion, which was present on the original plate. Also, I added a touch of Hawaiian Pink Salt, which ultimately made the dish for me - menu at "Per Se" did not make a mention of any added salt.
I need to find someone who had this dish at "Per Se" to be an objective judge of this plate. Any volunteers?
I came down with a bad bug at the beginning of the year and was unable to stomach much food for a while. I knew I had to eat something but was uninspired until I remembered the ultimate Asian comfort food...rice congee.
Inspired by the "cháo" I like to get from a local Vietnamese restaurant, I cooked my congee with chicken broth and sliced ginger and stirred in some cooked, shredded chicken.