To get a picture of what it means to staige and what young (or older) chefs do to get that valuable experience see Greg Kuzia-Carmel's latest blog post. We are almost to 50% of our goal.
February 2010
February 28, 2010
Taste of the Week - February 1st-27th: Bee Pollen
While the glowing health claims are quite dubious and there may be significant risk in eating bee pollen, especially for those with severe allergies to substances like ragweed or bees, bee pollen remains interesting to me from a culinary point of view. It has much of the flavor of honey without honey's overt sweetness and also has an interesting texture. I used some this week to brighten some Greek style whole milk yogurt from The Argyle Cheese Farmer. I purchased both products last week at the Saratoga Farmers Market. I can see it used in any number of applications in which I may desire a honey like flavor without the extra sweetness or calories. Any additional nutritional benefit would be gravy. How have you used or tried bee pollen?
February 27, 2010
Blue Hill at Stone Barns: Reflections on a Meal
Grant Achatz, Andoni Luis Aduriz, David Kinch, Paul Liebrandt, Daniel Patterson, Rene Redzepi, these are but a few names of chefs that have been linked to a style of cooking combining pristine ingredients, precise technique and profound creativity. Another is Daniel Barber, the chef of Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Westchester County, New York, who has taken the farm to table movement to the uppermost echelon of fine dining. Set within a structure that was formerly a barn, but is more reminiscent of a manor, the restaurant and Barber's food combine rusticity and elegance in ways few can match.
This style of cooking has been described by the noted Catalan food writer, Pau Arenos as technoemotional, an accurate, albeit non-mellifluous term that has never really taken hold outside of Spain and more recently "reflective" cooking, more amorphous, but still accurately descriptive of the style.
A beacon for the sustainable farming movement, Dan Barber has become so well known and associated with it, that he was recently invited to address the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to speak on "Better Food for Better Health" and "Catalyzing a New Vision for Agriculture." Though Barber, has transcended the kitchen, he remains devoted to his craft and art. I recently had the opportunity to return to Blue Hill at Stone Barns for dinner with my brother, just after Barber's return from Davos.
At Blue Hill at Stone Barns the star of the show at any given time is the principle ingredient on the plate, often taken directly from the Stone Barns farm. Whether from the property or not, the product is always top quality and produced in a sustainable fashion. Though not strictly local, the bulk of the product used comes from as near to the restaurant as possible. Barber practices what he preaches and his restaurant has become a model, showcasing the deliciousness of sustainability.
Starting with a cocktail, a blood orange Margarita was well balanced and delicious and hit the spot. Food commenced with Barber's signature amuse of simple, perfect vegetables direct from the farm - salad without dressing and more importantly, salad without need or want of dressing. The ideal of baby carrots, pristine romaine and other vegetal elements at their peak of freshness makes an impression beyond one's reasonable expectations and redefines the genre. The same applied to vegetable crisps that followed, the beet burger after that and then a plate of canapes that included smoked apple with red sauerkraut, pickled eggs, cured goose breast with walnuts and farmhouse greens with parmiggiano. Salsify wrapped in house cured pancetta and deep-fried in buckwheat was presented Alinea-like on sticks. It was marvelous.
Barber's hand was no less deft when it came to bread, seafood, meats and pasta. Bread service, a little unusually, came with lard and honey for a topping. Great stuff! It also came with cottage cheese with black pepper, in addition to butter and several combined salts. The house made charcuterie was simply superb, especially the mortadella and coppa, both of which deserve special mention. Maine shellfish with spinach and potatoes from the farm was an exercise in finesse and flavor with the spinach providing bright green color and balance to the sweet, lovingly cooked shellfish. The clams, in particular, stood out as being just barely cooked and still full of all their wonderful, briny flavor and texture.Blue Hill at Stone barns is justly proud of their eggs. I still recall the first time I ate there was also the first time I ever had a an egg perfectly cooked with solid whites, a runny yolk and a coating of fried batter. That was a great dish. This time, the eggs were used differently, but still effectively. They were used without the fried coating. They were served in a poached fashion in a spectacular plating along with locally cultivated mushrooms, quinoa from Penn-Yan, N.Y. and minutina from the farm. Breakfast-like, combining egg and cereal, this was subtle and elegant. The fennel-frond like minutina added a lovely haunting note to the dish.
Eggs were also used in pasta, a Meyer lemon and embryonic egg pasta with black trumpet mushrooms. "Embryonic eggs" are taken from the chicken before the formation of the white and the shell. These were folded into the pasta like a mature egg. In addition, they are cured for a couple of days in salt and sugar. left to dry in cheese cloth for a couple of weeks until they resemble a hard cheese. This egg "cheese" was then grated over the pasta. Slightly acidic on the palate, this delicious dish did something that is very difficult to do - put a new spin on pasta.
The next course was the one that defined the evening and to me, at least, defines the culinary genius of Chef Dan Barber. We were presented with an item that appeared to be some sort of meat or ham, though it was unlike any meat or ham I had ever seen before. Flattened and slightly elongated, clearly roasted with beautiful exterior browning, we were told that it was a parsnip, a very, very large parsnip that had just been harvested after having been planted the previous March. Almost one year in the ground, this massive parsnip was left in the cold ground to encourage the root to convert its natural starches into sugar to help prevent freezing. To assist even further development of the root's sugars and their caramelization, Barber roasted the parsnips under the weight of bricks. Once presented to us, the roasted parsnips were returned to the kitchen to emerge just a short time later fully transformed. Furthering their pork-like impression, the parsnips re-emerged in a form that, to me, resembled a strip of suckling pig meat under a rich porcine gravy. Served alongside the parsnip was a red cabbage ketchup. As sweet as the parsnip was, the dish, thanks largely to the "gravy" was very much a savory dish. Unfortunately, I never did get what the "gravy" was comprised of. It tasted of pork or even turkey, rich and meaty with plenty of umami, but could this dish really have been served with anything but vegetable components? To me, this dish was a sterling example of a trompe l'oiel style of cooking. It was a veritable faux pork dish. This parsnip was superlative in every way - delicious, beautiful and down right mind-boggling and fun. It was Barber at his absolute best, taking an ordinarily mundane ingredient and without any overt tricks transforming it into something truly remarkable. I could not imagine a parsnip being presented as a parsnip being any more enjoyable than this was.
With the parsnip a very difficult act to follow, the next course, Hudson Valley Venison with salsify and hazelnut puree, Belgian endive and "golden frills" from the garden did its best, which was quite delicious indeed. The venison was served both roasted and as sausage. The golden frills added a little mustard like element. This dish finished the savory portion of our meal.
The dessert portion of the meal commenced quite successfully with a dessert amuse, palate cleanser that consisted of pink grapefruit with Campari, sugar and Blue Hill Farm's cow's milk yogurt. The next dessert wasn't as successful. Golden delicious apples with Fricke(?) cracker and rosemary ice cream was more appealing in concept than it was on the palate. It had a nice combination of textures and combined, the three elements were good, better than they were individually. However, the dish didn't sing. The flavors were generally flat with the rosemary ice cream being the most enjoyable component. This was the only disappointing dish of the meal. The enjoyment of the dish was not enhanced by the wine with which it was paired.
Wine service was generally excellent and well-matched to the food, though there was one selection that had my brother and I scratching our heads. A 1996 Savenniere "demi-sec" was bone-dry, with not a hint of sweetness. Paired with the apple, ice cream and cracker neither the dessert nor the wine played to the others strengths. Not previously familiar with this wine, we spoke to the sommelier, who handled our discussion with aplomb.
We didn't end on that note though. We received one more dessert, based upon the farm's summer produce. We were shown pickled raspberries that were to be incorporated into the dessert. They were incorporated beautifully int a dessert that helped us forget the lackluster one that we had just finished. In addition we were served a 1927 Solera Pedro Jimenez from Alvear that was more in tune with what we were expecting. The Alvear went beautiful with the dessert we were brought, a Sacher Tort as well as preserved apricots from Red Apple Orchards and pickled raspberry sorbet. These were marvelous.
Danny Meyer gets accolades (deservedly so) for the level of service at his restaurants, but the service at Blue Hill at Stone Barns was no less wonderful. They are able to adopt an approach that combines the best of both American and European service styles. Warm, informative and accommodating, they are also efficient and elegant while remaining at an appropriate distance. It is service that makes one comfortable and at ease, while also feeling pampered.
This was a meal worth reflecting on. I'm not sure if that is the idea behind the etiology of the term "reflective cuisine," but it fits. Food that is delicious, but from the soul of the chef, reflecting his or her personality and creativity while also respecting the integrity of ingredients is certainly worthy of contemplation and reflection. But like with Adria, Roca and Dufresne, the food of Dan Barber is not without whimsy.That combination along with Barber's dedication to top quality food raised and grown responsibly continues to make this restaurant a winner to me.
February 26, 2010
February 25, 2010
February 24, 2010
Bonne Bouche
Another gem from The Vermont Butter & Cheese Company, this ash-ripened aged goat's milk cheese was creamy and ever so slightly piquant. These hand batched cheeses aren't ubiquitous, but well worth buying when found. I have yet to try any of their products that I haven't enjoyed. This was purchased at The Upper Valley Food Co-op in West Lebanon, N.H.
February 23, 2010
February 22, 2010
Mugaritz Fire - Stagières' Knives Appeal
Early on Monday February 15th, fire severely damaged the kitchens at Mugaritz, the world-famous restaurant in Spain's Basque Country. Luckily, no-one was hurt. For the management and staff of Mugaritz, the destruction of their workplace was a tragedy. But for three other young people, this was also a calamity. 
Stagières are unpaid apprentices, usually young, without whom no top restaurant can function. Driven by a common passion to learn from the world's best chefs, they travel from all corners of the globe to train at world-class restaurants. When the dust settled on Mugaritz after last Monday's inflagration, Mattias from Sweden, Diego from Guatemala and Greg from the US found themselves without their most valued possessions. Their precious knife sets, not covered by the restaurant's insurance, had been incinerated. Read Greg's story here. |
Fellow food blogger Aidan Brooks of Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef, his father Mike Green and I are setting up a special transatlantic fund to help them recover from their combined $2,500 losses and re-equip themselves for work. As Aidan says, "This is something I understand well - two and a half years ago I set off for Spain as a novice stagière myself. It's taken me years to put together my knife set, so I know exactly how devastated these lads must feel." Can you please help with a personal pledge? Donations will be so welcome, no matter how large or small. Email me at docsconz[at]gmail.com at with your pledge and we'll get back to you with details of exactly how you can contribute to the fund. Would food bloggers please copy part or all of this post and publish similar appeals. Together we can make so much difference to a group of people who really deserve our support. Update: Please see here for details on how you can donate through firstgiving or Paypal. |
Simply Delicious - Catfish in Parchment
My wife whipped up a simple but delicious main course the other night - catfish in parchment. She added good, fresh feta, olive oil, pitted kalamata olives, ground pepper and fresh basil to some catfish fillets, wrapped them in parchment and baked them. It was outstanding! While this can be done with any white fleshed fish, catfish are generally considered sustainable and, in the US at least, are readily available.
February 21, 2010
Taste of the Week - February 14th-20th: Cereal
Yes, cereal. Not just any cereal, though. Frankly, I don't care for most cereals on the market. They are generally too high in carbs and simple sugars for my taste and either lack good texture or good taste. However, this cereal, Heritage Heirloom Whole Grains High Fiber from Nature's Path really stands out.
First of all, it is delicious with or without milk and with or without fruit. I like it best with non-homogenized whole milk from the nearby Battenville Creamery. It stays crisp in milk and has great flavor without being too sweet. While it has 24g of total carbohydrates per 30g serving, only 4g are sugars with 6g dietary fiber. The cereal also contains 4g per serving of protein. All in all, not bad for a breakfast cereal. While I believe the term "certified organic" has lost a lot of its meaning, all in all, I still prefer to eat "organic" than not. This is certified organic. The grains this is made from include wheat, spelt, oats, barley, millet and quinoa.
It seems fitting that with the Winter Olympics ongoing in Vancouver BC, my taste of the week would come from Canada. We purchased it, though, in New Hampshire at the Upper Valley Food Co-op while visiting our son for Dartmouth's Winter Carnival Weekend. While we can get other, less satisfying Nature's path cereals locally, for some reason this one isn't carried near us. As a result, we took advantage of the generally excellent Upper Valley Food Co-op and bought 5 bags of the cereal, unsure when we would return. Of course, the cereal was not the only item we purchased there. Their cheese department has a wonderful selection of Vermont and New Hampshire cheeses, many of which are hard to come by elsewhere and they carry a wide selection of my favorite beers - those from Unibroue, especially Fin du Monde. I was both surprised and taken aback at their seafood counter though. They have beautiful product and go so far as to employ a labeling system for their different seafood products as to whether they are considered sustainable, threatened or unsustainable, which I applaud. I was shocked, however, to discover that they actually sell fish that they have labeled as "unsustainable" such as Chilean Sea Bass and others. I queried the saleswoman about it. her response was that as a member organization, all they could do is educate, thus the labeling system. If members want specific product, they have to sell it! I asked her if they would sell Panda meat if members requested it? She didn't answer. I don't understand why an organization generally devoted " to supporting social and environmental responsibility" as they say on their website doesn't act even more responsibly when it comes to selling fish at risk of extinction or fished by processes destroying ocean ecosystems? What concerns me the most is what kind of chance do these fish or ecosystems have if even the "good guys", the people who are supposed to be doing things responsibly, don't act responsible?
February 20, 2010
Elements - The TypePad Dinner Part 2: The Balance
...and with the preliminaries behind us, we moved on to the main body of the dinner. We learned that the chefs source organically, sustainably and locally "whenever possible", especially within a 50 mile radius, though they do not limit their search for the best product there, "going to the ends of the Earth" to find special ingredients.
The next dish was larger than the previous dishes, but still genteel in size, Fluke sashimi with daikon radish, cucumber and Thai Prik curry was a marvelous dish combining the subtlety of the fluke with a moderate level of heat from the daikon and Thai curry. The combination of the daikon and the spicy curry was reminiscent of a nicely aged kim chee, which led to a discussion of that Korean condiment and devolved into a fascinating discussion of dry aging fish including techniques such as those used to make mojama - aged salted and dried tuna loin, dried scallops and bacalao and more! Alex wondered what he could do with the water used to reconstitute salt cod. Oh, the flights we took!
Our conversation continued on the salt cod, arroz con pato and other wonderful dishes at Aldea until the next course arrived. This was Kindai Shimaji with Monterey Bay abalone, tomburi, ginger, scallion and white soy, which brought our focus back to the meal at hand. The texture of the abalone really added to the dish.
This dish, a take on Sauce Grenobloise - turbot with parsley puree, crispy capers, smoked potato and caper emulsion, spinach, Meyer lemon and brown butter caramelized milk solids, totally knocked me out. It was delicious and one of the best deconstructed dishes I have had in some time. The individual elements shone on their own and together. The brown butter solids ("tuiles") atop the fish had been inspired by Alex's work on milk solids. They were the element that brought the whole dish together. I considered the preparation, a "platelicker."
Another blockbuster followed sandwiched in amongst reminiscences on how all of us first met each other. Arctic char with the house cured and smoked steelhead roe that I had seen being cured earlier that day and potato faux risotto with roasted garlic and watercress emulsion provided great flavor, balance and texture. The caviar, inspired by Steve Stallard's Blis Caviar, the caviar was wonderful with a perfect pop-in-the-mouth sensation and just enough smoke and brine to provide flavor and depth without overwhelming. The fish itself was wonderfully cooked and flavorful as was the "risotto." I'm not sure the restaurant fully understood the specialness of this dish as we had to ask for spoons in order to greedily retrieve every last morsel and drop off the plate. Had they fully understood, the spoons would have been already set for the course! I suspect they now know!
Previously firmly in the sea, the next course began a progression towards the land combining a surf and turf of Kindai tuna cheek atop sea beans, black garlic, watercress and spinach along with sunchokes, seared foie gras and a pomelo beurre blanc sauce. The dish was harmonious while allowing for extended solos amongst the various ingredients. Shola likened the dish to Carmina Burana. Of course the meaty tuna cheek and the rich foie gras stood out, but so did the other elements like the toothy sunchokes and the black garlic. One element that did not stand out separately, but was perhaps all the more valuable was the understated but still vibrant pomelo sauce, which married everything.
Joe Sparatta explained to us that the tuna cheeks are an often
overlooked part of the fish, often just thrown away with the rest of the
head.At Elements they put it to extremely good use.
Red-leg partridge with broccolini, local squash puree and ricotta and goat cheese stuffed raviolo, a dish liked by all, was proclaimed by Shola to be his "favorite dish so far." The partridge reminded me of well-prepared pheasant. This was perhaps the most classically European dish of the evening. Following up on an unrecognized element on the menu we learned that Zone 7 refers to a company run by Mikey Azzara that delivers produce from local area farms similar to what Farm to Chef Express has done with farms from my region delivering to NYC restaurants.
The next dish really raised my eyes in anticipation when it came to the table. Suckling pig three ways: neck braised in dashi with persimmon chutney, foreleg with aji amarillo and shishito pepper and rack with stuffing and porcini puree. There was actually a fourth way as cracklins were brought to the table too. While certainly not a bad dish (can suckling pig ever be bad?), this was the only relatively disappointing dish of the night. It was disappointing because it was suckling pig and it wasn't great. The cracklins were nicely done, crispy and delicious. The neck meat worked well with the dashi and persimmon. The rack was succulent, but needed some maillard and additional seasoning to put it over the top and the stuffing, really a sausage, was probably the most delicious part of the dish. These elements all worked reasonably well, but the foreleg with the aji amarillo and shishito pepper lacked cohesiveness within itself or the rest of the dish. My shishito happened to be a spicy one, which didn't enhance the dish for me. I suspect that the intent was to let the suckling pig speak for itself, a noble thought. i just wish the overall volume would have been raised slightly.
Any disappointment that may have lingered from the suckling pig disappeared with the arrival and first bite of the next course. Kagoshima (true Kobe beef) chuck rib with preserved garlic, kim-chee, broccoli, maitake and eggplant featured the juicy, explosive mouth feel and flavor of Kobe, cooked to the perfect temperature with a nice sear along the edges. !The house-made kim-chee provided a controlled kick that was added to with black garlic and Korean chili-paste sauce. This course completed the savory part of the meal.
"Bacon & Eggs," a house signature bridged the gap from savory to dessert. The egg was layered with the bottom consisting of a brioche French toast bread pudding, the middle layer a creme brulee like bacon custard and the top an aerated house-smoked maple infused milk with linen-smoked sea salt. To the side of the egg was french toast, bacon strip and Blis bourbon-barrel maple syrup. The French toast, bacon and Blis was very good, but the "egg" stole the show. It was a sensational combination of sweet and savory that rocked our table. The plate itself was notable as it contained the upright egg perfectly.
Just prior to dessert we were treated to house-made limoncello, zesty and not too sweet, making a lovely, aromatic digestif. For dessert we received a tray containing a wide array of the restaurant's dessert offerings. Adhering to the same philosophy of using diverse and unusual ingredients as the savory portion of the meal, each of the desserts was very good, especially considering that they are made without the benefit of a dedicated pastry chef. Joe Sparatta, the sous chef, is also responsible for the desserts. Amongst the items on the tray was his version of a "kit-kat" with gianduja, similar to one served at Michel Richard's Central, but not as sweet and therefore preferable to me. There were also various cchocolate ice creams, a delightful meyer lemon tart with an almond-lemon-grass chibouste, toasted almond ice cream, medjool date bread pudding with Albert T. Lee single barrel bourbon, medjool date ice cream with bourbon creme anglaise, chocolate malt "Snickers bar", malted milk balls, bay leaf creme brulee,and satsuma tangerine ice cream. The desserts were truly delightful. Sparatta is clearly multi-talented. I could only imagine what he could do with dessert if he was a full-time pastry chef.
One thing that surprised me about Elements was the level of luxury within the restaurant. make no mistake, this is an unabashed fine dining restaurant, even if the dress code is relatively casual. From the setting to the chairs to the plates to the silverware to the glasses, everything about the setting is top notch.Though we didn't have wine, the food and beverage program matches and even exceeds the sophistication of the environment. The main dining room is beautiful as is the private dining room, but if one enjoys the action of a kitchen, the kitchen tables at Elements are the place to be. The table and chairs are exceedingly comfortable, set back far enough from the kitchen so as to be unobtrusive, but close enough to get a sense of the action.
While the restaurant has all the creature comforts and is quite sophisticated, the reason to go there remains its culinary cornucopia. From the bar program to the food, the restaurant is a clear original, doing what it does with personality, taste and skill. We did not have wine, so I can not personally speak to the wine program, but I have no reason to think that it would be any less stellar than the rest of the restaurant. In building this restaurant, Principle owner, Stephen Distler, seemingly spared no expense and put together a real winner of a restaurant. The one question I have is, Why couldn't he have chosen Hanover, New Hampshire?
February 18, 2010
Elements - The TypePad Dinner Part 1: Small Plates
As a graduate of Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., it is exceedingly difficult for me to admit that there may be anything of extreme excellence in Princeton, N.J. Well, I must say that there is at least one institution of excellence in that burgh and that would be Elements, the relatively new creative contemporary restaurant with Ryland Inn alumnus Scott Anderson commanding the kitchen. Elements is a restaurant that I have been wanting to dine at ever since I heard the first glowing reports from my good friends Alex and Aki. I was sorry that I had not been able to make it to either of the dinners that Alex collaborated on with Chef Anderson and determined that i would make it there as soon as i could.
That opportunity came came when I was going to be heading south to attend the Bocuse D'Or USA competition at the CIA in Hyde Park. Why not go a little early and check out Elements? Why not indeed, especially when I would be joined by Alex and two other good friends who I met through food, Shola Olunloyo of Studio Kitchen and and Linda from Playing with Fire and Water!
I drove down to Princeton on Tuesday arriving at the restaurant at 3PM, in time to get the lay of the land and say hello before driving over to Alex and Aki's. I drove back with Alex to find Shola already there. Linda, coming from Connecticut would be a little late due to train issues. Not to worry, as the three of us had a chance to observe the kitchen and chat. Once Linda arrived, we sat down and let the games begin.
Of course, we would have a tasting menu with Chef Scott Anderson and his extremely capable sous chef, Joe Sparatta, selecting our dishes. I had already observed Chef Sparatta prepare some fresh smoked steelhead roe caviar earlier that afternoon as well as break down a beautiful halibut and we saw some other delights as we waited by the kitchen. Elements, befitting its name, handles their tasting menus somewhat differently than other restaurants. Most tasting menus list the individual dishes with the components that comprise them. Not Elements. Instead of describing specific preparations, they simply list the various individual ingredients that will be found throughout the meal, a listing of the "elements" of the meal, if you will. Ours was certainly intriguing, containing abalone, hamachi, shiro dashi, porcini puree, Nantucket bay scallop, sunchokes, zone 7, tangerines, arctic char, series, chile amarillo, foie gras, chocolate, Kindai tuna, bacon & eggs, head cheese, truffle, beets, turbot, apple, house-cured steelhead roe, malt, venison, avocado, 64.5 degree egg, Kagoshima, persimmon, white soy, mackeral, sweet Maine shrimp, sucking pig and smoked maple. In the end, we did not detect all of those ingredients, but there were probably a few that had not been listed either. In either case, those that may have been omitted weren't missed as the food that was brought out made us focus on what was at hand and that was plenty and plenty good.
The first dish was scallop ceviche with pappadews and champagne vinegar. The main element of this dish was clearly the scallop. As with any good ceviche, it was bracing with a nice citrus finish. The Nantucket bay scallop was pristine and sweet. We were off to a great start! It was at this time that i also started enjoying my first cocktail.
Smoked mackeral, avocado and boquerone was a tour de force of balance and texture with a crispy outer shell. Perfect in one bite!
Salt roasted beets with a pear puree and huckleberry made for a nice bite, though ultimately it was not one of the most memorable moments of the meal, though at this point we evolved into a discussion of the state of bread service in restaurants and their role during a tasting menu. The various breads served at Elements were all delicious, but we refrained from doing more than tasting them. The consensus was that when done well as it was here and as it was done at Gilt under Paul Liebrandt and at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, bread service can very much add to a meal. Of note, Shola's meals at Studio Kitchen were notoriously absent of bread despite his love and appreciation of the product.
The tempura battered sweet Maine shrimp brought us back to our senses. This was simply eaten whole. Delicious!
The Red Rye with Rittenhouse rye, Carpano Antico vermouth, Chinese five spice, fresh pomegranate and flaming hibiscus candied ginger was another winner of a cocktail from Mattias Hagglund, though not quite as wonderful as the Maple Loch. It had a strong, but appealing finishing taste of coconut, which was most definitely not one of the ingredients. I got to taste the Carpano Antico later on. It was complex, deep and slightly bitter, a Vermouth full of character and personality.
Eaten over a discussion of different butters and butter making, the next dish was a table favorite and one of the most sensational of the evening. Resting on an eel-skin tuile, eel, rice, crispy shallot and cilantro, wasn't the most visually stimulating dish, but it did stimulate the palate with great flavor and texture. The eel-skin tuile was particularly exciting from both a conceptual and gustatory perspective. It was as satisfying and delicious an eel dish as I've ever had. Linda, "wow!... I'll take ten more of those please... I don't ever want that taste to go away!" The bite was an umami sledgehammer.
Though coming after a very difficult act to follow, herbed hamachi with apple and sesame did a creditable job leading Shola to expound on his love of hamachi collar.
Salt cod croquettes with flavors of chowder including a chowder aoili, bacon and potato combined tradition and imagination in a wonderfully comforting way. A good croquette is hard to beat and this was a good croquette. While it was billed as having bacon flavors, I tasted smoke more than bacon. The dish led to a discussion on the national origins of croquettes or croquetas. Since my mother made croquettes, I grew up thinking that they like a potato and egg omelet were Italian. Of course, Naples used to be part of Spain, which is where that tradition came from for me. But then, what about the French? Using the wonders of modern technology, Alex googled it and for the moment determined that the croquette was indeed a French invention.
Chicken and foie gras terrine with pomme puree had great flavor, though mine was a tad salty for me. The preparation reminded me of Alex & Shola's "Chicken Marsala" While the preparations were entirely different, both involved using chicken in a forcemeat role. At this point, we entered into a discussion of small plate dining. Our consensus was that there is a time and place for it (such as this time and place) and that small plate dining and large plate dining are not mutually exclusive.
64.5º egg with cauliflower puree appeared pedestrian on first look, but was considered "sensational!" with great flavor, texture concept - a great homage to Arpege. It was at this point that we were presented with our "menus" with the explanation of its meaning and the statement, "Now that we are actually beginning the meal..."
February 17, 2010
Knives in the Fire - Fallout from Mugaritz
By now, most of you have likely learned of the fire that devastated one of the most well known and revered restaurants in the world - Andoni Luis Aduriz's Mugaritz located just outside of San Sebastien in The Basque country of Spain. Many regular readers of this blog are also likely to be familiar with Greg Kuzia-Carmel, an American stagiere at Mugaritz, who recently wrote a guest blog post for this blog in addition to maintaining his own blog, Braised & Confused, documenting his experiences. The good news about the tragic fire is that neither Greg, Andoni nor anyone else were physically hurt by it. The bad news is that so much was totally lost. For Greg, the biggest personal loss was his knives, which he had left in the kitchen.
For anyone who doesn't know, knives are generally considered to be a cook's most important tool and many, like Greg, have put in a lot of time, money and effort to make sure their knives are as good as they can be. Greg's loss is personally devastating to him. While those particular knives can never be replaced, Greg is now without anything to work with. He would appreciate any help he can get in replacing them. Greg can be contacted through his facebook page.
February 16, 2010
elBulli - Losing a Love?
I had written the following over the weekend in response to the original New York times story saying that elBulli would not re-open as a restaurant after the 2011 season. Since then, Ferran Adria has clarified his position and following that,the Times has clarified theirs. Whether the restaurant re-opens in some limited capacity or not, it will undoubtedly be different than it currently is, with an even greater emphasis on exploration, education and training than it currently has, as hard as that may be to imagine since elBulli already does more in those regards than probably any other restaurant in history. I beleive the sentiment expressed below still applies.
In so far as I know, there will still be at least two more seasons. Along with everyone else, I was expecting the restaurant to re-open as a restaurant once again in 2014, but, while I am profoundly saddened that such a glorious and wonderful era will come to an end, I can't say that I'm surprised at Ferran Adria's announcement that elBulli will not be re-opened as a restaurant after they close following the 2011 season. Sure, once they close I will miss the opportunity to dine again as I have at the restaurant that has so far provided me with the two greatest meals of my life, but at least I have had the opportunity to experience Adria's genius and generosity. I feel bad that others won't have the possibility of experiencing it, at least not directly or in the form in which it has so far existed.
I'm not surprised that the restaurant is closing, because what else does Ferran Adria and his staff have to or even can they prove by re-opening it? Expectations would be iPad like and nearly impossible to live up to, no matter how great the product (though if anyone could, it would be Ferran Adria). I imagine the scene over these last two seasons will be much like an all-time great athlete or a legendary musician on a farewell tour prior to retirement.
However, the saving grace, is that Ferran Adria is not actually retiring. The restaurant may not exist as it has anymore, but the influence of elBulli will still be exerted where perhaps it most matters - the education and inspiration of chefs, who can spread the Gospel according to Ferran much farther and wider than the restaurant itself ever could. That Adria and company will basically devote themselves to teaching and exploring, if I understand what is happening correctly, eases my disappointment and profound sadness at the loss of this wonderful dining establishment. Adria is a great teacher and has lots to teach. The setting of elBulli in Cala Montjoi is a magical one for the restaurant. It should be an equally magical one for the academy he is planning, too. So, rather than bemoan the loss of this great restaurant, I am excited to see what will come from it. I expect great things... and with some luck may yet be able to experience the genius of Ferran Adria again.
February 15, 2010
Taste of the Week - February 6th-13th
Sports fans do a lot of little things to show their support and maybe add a little positive mojo for their team. I'm no different. Rooting hard for the New Orleans Saints in last Sunday's Super Bowl, I added a little touch of Louisiana to our dinner – tasso from Savoie's, which had been sent to me by a very good friend in New Orleans. I cooked it along with garlic, supple sun-dried tomatoes (freshly made and purchased at DiPalo's in NYC a few days earlier), parsley, Parmiggiano and cream and tossed it with pasta for a delicious and satisfying dish. The tasso added nice smoke and porkiness to the dish that was balanced by the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes, the salty umami of the Parmiggiano and the lushness of the cream. That, good wine and a wonderful dessert made by our good friend, Amy, made for a lovely dinner. The dinner, company and the Saints winning made for an exceptional evening. I would like to think that using that tasso mojo had just a little to do with it.
February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!
May your day be as sweet and romantic as this strawberry passion bon bon from The Chocolate Mill!
February 13, 2010
A Slow Dinner at Cafe Lazio
It's not called “comfort food” for nothing. The most recent Slow Food Saratoga Region monthly restaurant dinner was held at what has become my favorite local restaurant (as regular readers of my blog most likely already know) – Cafe Lazio in Queensbury, N.Y., a marvelous location for great Italian and Italian-American comfort food. We filled the restaurant to capacity and were treated to family style service of Chef Adriano DiMario's marvelous cooking.
Chef Di Mario started us with his house-made foccaccia with tuna and arugula. Not a complicated dish, but so good and satisfying, this was an example of one of the best elements of Italian cookery – keeping it simple and letting good ingredients shine and paly well together. Sometimes simple isn't easy – at least not easy to do very well. DiMario's deft touch with ingredients and balance really helped this shine.
Two pastas came next, linguine with two different sauces. The first was a white clam sauce and the other a deceptively simple pomodoro with pancetta. White clam sauce is one of my favorites and DiMario makes it about as well as anyone, though this version was not his best, perhaps having suffered somewhat from being prepared in volume. Nevertheless, it was still quite good. The pomodoro, though, was just superb. The tomato sauce was bright and deep from the pancetta. I could have just eaten that and been happy. DiMario's freshly baked Italian bread made a great mop for left-over sauce.
The main course was a medley of porchetta, the best eggplant parm on the planet, wonderful roasted potatoes, broccoli rabe and cauliflower with a bagna cauda sauce, all delicious and satisfying with generous portions of each placed on the tables.
DiMario's tira misu suffered a technical mishap, but retained it's wonderful flavor. That DiMario could put out such wonderful food for so many at the same time in his small kitchen, essentially by himself is a small miracle and a testament to his skill. That he could do it for the special Slow Food Price of $35pp (for members) inclusive of tax and gratuity makes it that much more special.
February 12, 2010
Elements: A Peek Into the Kitchen
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Elements, the Princeton, NJ contemporary fine dining restaurant helmed by Chef Scott Anderson. I drove down specifically to have dinner there with three good friends, Alex Talbot, Shola Olunloyo and the semi-anonymous Foodplayer Linda. I had heard many wonderful things about the restaurant, initially from Alex and Shola and subsequently from Steven Plotnicki. Indeed, Plotnicki's Opinionated About 2010 Dining Survey, just released, listed Elements amongst the 30 Most Important Restaurants in the entire USA, despite the restaurant being less than a year old.
Bartender Mattias Hagglund
While I would meet up with my friends later on for dinner, I arrived early at the restaurant to check it out and get a sense of the place. I expected a nice space, but not as seriously beautiful as this restaurant is. The small, but incredibly efficient bar manned by Mattias Hagglund sits just in front of the entrance to the restaurant. The main dining room, to the left of the bar as one enters, is elegant and lovely, outfitted in rich and warm wood and earth tones. There is an equally lovely small, enclosed private dining room with a round dining table just off the kitchen. In addition there is more space upstairs for additional dining as well as a wine room with a small table for tastings. The last dining area is in full view of the kitchen, off to one side. That is where I decamped with my friends later on.
The restaurant itself sits adjacent to a gas station, the only sign of the location's former existence, as a gas station service area and garage. The building bears no resemblance to those functions at all. An additional benefit of its previous function is the ample parking area in front and behind the restaurant.
Sous chef Joe Sparatta and Chef Scott Anderson inspect a fresh halibut
As wonderful and beautiful as the service spaces of the restaurant are, the most beautiful space is the efficiently designed, but still generously apportioned kitchen. With two dual-sided work spaces in the center and additional work space around the periphery, the kitchen can handle its small brigade of cooks. The opposite end of the kitchen from the Chef's dining tables are the clean, large walk-in and pantry areas as well as a room for cleaning. The pass lies between the kitchen and the main dining rooms.
The kitchen staff functions mostly silently and with little rushing around or commotion. That probably comes from most of them having worked together for quite some time. Chef Anderson, his sous chef, Joe Sparatta and the bulk of the kitchen had known each other from working under Chef Craig Shelton at The Ryland Inn. Their comradery and ability to work well together is apparent from watching them in the kitchen for just a little bit.
Working on Kagoshima Prefecture Kobe beef
I left to change clothes and returned a little early later on with Alex. Shola was already there. While we waited for Linda to arrive from Connecticut, we observe the opportunity to watch the kitchen in action during service. That was a treat. After Linda's arrival we sat down for dinner. That deserves its own post. Please stay tuned!
February 11, 2010
Yerba Buena - Fun Dining on Avenue A
Yerba Buena, the Latino inspired East Village hot spot on Avenue A and East 2nd Street in NYC is not a place for fussy dining nor is it a restaurant that will be described as "ingredient centered." Driven by Executive Chef Julian Medina's pan- Latin menu, it is a place for fun, hearty dining and drinking.
The space is tight, dark and somewhat mysterious. The food is bright, flavorful and satisfying. Medina's food at Yerba Buena is not about having individual ingredients shine through. The Chicharron de Calamar really could have been anything but calamari under the blue corn meal crust and the tomato salad with tamarind vinaigrette, as the squid was not particularly identifiable by taste. In other renditions and places that might have been a problem for me, but here, squid or no squid, the overall pleasure of the dish remained high. The fried items were appropriately crisp and did not have any sense of bad frying oil or over-frying that can mar more common preparations. The sauce had wonderful flavor balance with a little bite and not too much sweetness, a common problem with preparations like this. Ordinarily, I insist on having a pronounced squid presence in fried calamari. While that may have made this one even better than it was, it was still quite tasty.
Tacos de Pescado
The other fried items were also well fried and tasty, especially the Papas Rellenas, potato mushroom croquettes with truffle jalapeño sauce. While I did not get much of a sense of mushrooms in the croquettes nor any real "stuffing" like I have had in Peru, they remained immensely satisfying and delicious in the comforting way the best potato croquettes are. We all loved them. The sauce added a nice touch. While truffle oil is often looked down upon, it has its place as a relatively inexpensive flavor enhancer. It worked really nicely here.
Ceviche Limeño
The ceviches were highlights, especially the hamachi, which was prepared, as billed, in a Peruvian "Limeño" style with citrus, miso, jalapeño, jicama, cucumber and crunchy Peruvian corn kernels. The Ceviche Mixto with octopus, shrimp, clams, rocoto, cilantro and maiz conxha was also quite tasty, with the octopus proving to be a particular favorite component. The ceviche juice from both dishes was excellent. That from the Mixto was bright, but took on a lot of broth from the clams, mellowing the acidity compared to the absolutely wonderfully bright Limeño, which was the best ceviche I have had in some time. It brought back wonderful memories of Peru.
Leche de Tigre Cocktail
The Limeño ceviche juice, or leche de tigre was so tasty, I asked the manager if they made cocktails with it. He said that in fact they have made them with Pisco, though it is not on their bar menu. He generously offered to make some for us and comped them. They were bracing and wonderfully balanced. While it may not be to everyone's taste, I would return there just for them even if everything else was not as good as it was.
Speaking of cocktails, that is clearly a major strength of the restaurant. In addition to the wonderful leche de tigre and Pisco, we sampled a few others. The Hemingway with flor de caña 4 yo rum, maraschino liqueur, fresh lime juice and fresh grapefruit juice really grew on me and the Pisco Guava was a nice variation on the classic Pisco Sour but the cocktail that really stood out was the Poquito Picante, which consisted of Tanqueray gin, jalapeño, cilantro, cucumber, Cointreau and fresh lemon juice. It had great flavor and balance and true to its name was just a bit hot, enough to give it a kick, but not so much to overwhelm the rest of the drink. It is a winner.
Lechon
The main courses were good, especially the Lechon, suckling pig with yucca puree, habanero mojo de ajo and chicharron. The meat was fully porky, moist and tender and the supporting elements added depth without overshadowing the pork. Another surprisingly good dish (a surprise in that I did not expect it to be anywhere near as wonderfully good as it was) was the ginger rich arroz y frijoles, Peruvian chufa-style fried rice. Given the long and deep tradition of Chinese cooking, I really shouldn't have been so surprised. It was delicious.
The bottom line is that Yerba Buena has good, fun food at reasonable prices. We had a blast!
John Sconzo
I'm a practicing Anesthesiologist and family man who enjoys all things culinary.
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