Docsconz- The Blog

TGRWT #20: Pumpkin and Cooked Chicken

OK, I am more than a little embarrassed, but because I didn't fully understand how the Food Pairings Website  worked, I initially chose a combination that I thought was within bounds - pumpkin and lemongrass. While I feel that the two ingredients really do go well together, they are not explicitly listed as such within the specific purposes of this database and therefore can not be the two principle ingredients for this exercise. Please feel free to use lemongrass in your dishes if you so desire, but please also use "cooked" chicken (as opposed to roasted - though roasted is also compatible according to the chart). This post has been edited to reflect the change.

 

I am excited to host the latest round (20) of “They Go Really Well Together” (TGRWT) and am honored to be following a tremendous group of food bloggers in this endeavor.

This food blogging event  was initiated by Martin Lersch in April 2007 to explore flavor pairings suggested by the hypothesis that if two foods have one or more key odorants in common it might very well be that they go well together and perhaps even compliment each other. A list of all previous rounds with links to announcements and round-ups can be found at:http://blog.khymos.org/tgrwt/. I have personally participated in only one pairing so far, but have read through and enjoyed the others. They are great fun and a fine way get past more common ingredient pairings.

Pumpkins are plentiful and quite seasonal at this time of year in the northern hemisphere and useful in so many different types of preparations from soups to appetizers to main courses to desserts. In the U.S., they are probably most often used in the form of a dessert pie, though in recent years the pumpkin's popularity has expanded greatly. I have never really had chicken and pumpkin together before, so this should be interesting.

Participation is easy - just follow these steps:

 1. Prepare a dish that combines pumpkin and cooked chicken. You can either use an existing recipe (if there is any) or come up with your own 

2. Take a picture of the dish and write an entry in your blog by December 8th, 2009  with TGRWT #20 in the title. Readers will be particularily interested in how the flavour pairing worked out, so make an attempt at describing the taste and aroma and whether you liked it or not.

3. A round-up will be posted here with pictures. Please send an email to [email protected] with the following details: Your name, URL of blog, URL of the TGRWT #20 post and a picture for your entry in the round-up. If you don't have a blog, email me your name, location, recipe and a brief description of how it worked out and I'll be glad to include it in the final round-up.

So get those pumpkins and start carving out some new dishes!

My Claim to Fame - Skoal!

Cooking Issues

TGRWT #18 Plum & Blue Cheese Round-Up

Trig has posted the cumulative results from his challenge on his blog, Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef. As might be expected, the dishes are creative and wide ranging from my initial look at the most basic combination just to see how the flavors married,to the dish that Trig judged to be the best representation of his savory dessert challenge, Larry Pike's Cabrales Cheesecake with Pickled Plum Sorbet, Sablee Nuggets, Cabrales Crumble, Plum Slices & Plum Coulis. The post is very much worth reading.

For those who are interested, TRGWT #19 is underway with results due by October 1st. The flavors to combine are tomato and black tea. See details here.

TGRWT #18: Grilled Veal Chop with Blue Cheese/Plum Sauce

In my first look at the flavor combination of blue cheese and plums as suggested by Trig in his blog, Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef, I kept it very simple, as basic as it could be to see if I liked the combination. I did and decided to take it a step further, although as befits my modest culinary skills, I still kept it relatively simple. 

 

For a luncheon, I marinated 2 inch thick veal chops from Brookside Farm in a sauce of Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue Cheese and a skinned Japanese Redheart Plum that I had combined over low heat on the cook top and brushed onto the chops. I wrapped the coated chops in plastic wrap and cooked them for 3.5 hours at 130ºF in the CVap before finishing them on a charcoal grill to provide sear. To accompany the meat, I made a sauce with additional Rogue Smokey Blue and several more skinned plums, but this time I added the strained cooking juices from the meat and salt and pepper, combining them with a stick blender. The dish of sliced grilled, marinated veal chops and blue cheese plum sauce was well received by our guests. I could see this working quite well with pork or duck too. 

 

I paired the veal with a 1997 Chateaude de la Negly la Porte du Ciel by Chateau de la Negly from the Languedoc, a 100% Syrah, a combination that worked well with the fruit in the sauce. A German or Alsatian Reisling would have been another good choice. The meal was rounded out by fresh green beans with a mint and walnut oil vinaigrette and fresh grilled corn on the cob and my wife's amazing blueberry/gooseberry/sour cherry pie for dessert.

TGRWT #18: A Basic Approach

What the hell is TGRWT18, one might ask. TGRWT stands for "They go really well together" and represents a project started by the Norwegian blogger Martin Lersch of Khymos to explore unusual flavor pairings that have a basis in science. Previous pairings have included strawberry and coriander, mint and mustard and chicken and rose amongst others. This latest round of exploration and the first I am participating in, was put forth by Trig from Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef. Trig describes the rationale behind the product as:

"TGRWT is all about unusual flavour pairings - combining culinary ingredients in ways that we aren't familiar with from classical cooking. The scientific hypothesis behind these experiments is that if two foods have one or more key odorants in common, they might go well together and perhaps even complement and enhance each other. With the advent of modern analysis tools and the establishment of the Volatile Compounds in Food Database, this research has become much easier to undertake. But, as they say, the proof of the pudding..."

For this round he has chosen Plum and blue cheese, with wide discretion on the specific plums and blue cheeses to be used. Fruit and cheese have been served together for ages, so this isn't a huge stretch, however, blue cheese is not necessarily the easiest pairing. For example, my wife had a sip of orange juice after eating some blue cheese and nearly gagged.

 

I decided that I would approach this very simply to start. I toasted some Rockhill 8 Seed whole grain bread, sliced some Stilton like Boucher Blue from Vermont and sliced a basic Califonia plum and layered the cheese and the plum on top of the toast. It made for a lovely breakfast with the fruit, cheese and bread harmonizing nicely. The Boucher Blue is a firm, full flavored, assertive blue, but it mellowed considerably when paired with the plum. The toast and seeds added nice background flavors and textures. I can easily envision a gorgonzola-plum tart or perhaps something even more savory - a blue cheese-plum sauce over grilled sliced medium rare beef.

BTW, if you are not familiar with either Khymos or Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef, they are absolutely worth checking out.

Blog Find: Hudson and Saratoga Local Foods

This blog, written and maintained by Noah Sheetz, the chef at the Governor's Mansion in Albany, N.Y. is a treasure trove of information on local foods in the Hudson Valley and the Saratoga Region as well as other parts of the state. Chef Sheetz is committed to the world of high quality local foods of New York State. I know that at least a few of my readers will be interested in this, his personal blog.

Ideas in the Studio - Round Two

No, I wasn't there, but I certainly wish I was. The photos and the menu indicate a particularly extraordinary meal, having incorporated so many of my favorite foods including soft-shell crabs, sweetbreads, pig cheeks, foie gras, sea urchin, goose eggs, squab and so much more. Alex discusses a need for flexibility here. Given that the diners and the beverages they bring for meals at Studio Kitchen are always interesting, there is no doubt in my mind that this was a truly incredible evening!

Blog Find: The People Who Feed Us

There is little that I respect more than a well run farm growing and raising top quality produce. This blog produced by Staci Strauss and Craig McCord, does a wonderful job of highlighting the people behind some of the very finest farms and artisanal producers around the country. Check it out!

Aidan Brooks: A Great Developing Story

I became an instant fan of Paco Morales and Rut Controneo the moment I met them and had what is still my meal of the year at Senzone in Madrid this past January. I reported on their move to the Hotel Ferrero in the Spanish region of Valencia this past February. That was picked up by Aidan Brooks, a young British Chef-in-training and food blogger, who has been advancing his craft in Spain, most recently in Barcelona. Trig, as he likes to be called, was intrigued by this young couple of Morales and Cotroneo and applied to work for them and  got a job. He started work a few weeks ago and after a period of no reports has finally written his first breath-taking post  about this experience, which promises to be a fascinating culinary adventure! I  plan on going along for the ride and can't wait until I can get back there myself.

John Talbott's Paris

Going to Paris? Looking for restaurants and restaurant news? Check out John Talbott's Paris, a blog featuring the restaurants of France and more written by a good friend from eGullet, Dr. John Talbott, perhaps the foremost expert on Parisian restaurants writing in the English language.

Food Blogger Ethical Guidelines

Recently there has been a spate of interest in the ethics of food blogging with a variety of people weighing in on the topic from food blogs like Varmint Bites, FoodWoolf.com and Spicy, Salty, Sweet.com to an organization like The eGullet Society for Culinary Arts and Letters. The Code of Ethics developed by food bloggers Brooke Burton and Leah Greenstein can be found here. The one developed by the eGullet Society can be found here. Though I find neither document to be perfect for all parties or situations, they are both laudable efforts to fix a problem that I'm not really sure needs to be addressed. I have always made every effort to conform to the spirit of these codes and don't see any reason not to be transparent about it. As such, given my longstanding membership in the eGullet Society, I have signed on to the eGullet ethics code for online writers.

While the eGullet Code is pretty complete, I want to take it a little further and explain my point of view for anyone who may not already know it and who may be interested. I don't post from the point of view of a food critic. I don't write about every restaurant that I visit or item of food that I eat (although it may sometimes seem that way). I am first and foremost a culinary enthusiast, which means that I tend to write about the experiences that turn me on. That doesn't mean that I don't approach those experiences critically. I do and I do discuss elements of food or a dining experience that I find less than titillating within a generally positive report. However, unless I have a particularly egregious experience or am particularly disappointed by a generally highly regarded culinary experience, I tend not to write about things that don't excite me. I am not here to try to ruin anyone's livelihood.

I will accept comps to try various products or even a meal. If I like it, I will write about it. If I don't, I generally won't, except as stated above. If everyone is raving about a particular restaurant and my experience differs, I will write about it to express a dissenting opinion. That is true whether I pay for something or it is comped. I do not and will not write positive things about an experience, a business or a person because of a comp or a personal relationship. I make no effort to be anonymous though I generally am, since I am not particularly well known to most establishments. I write about my experiences, some of which may be a bit more special because of relationships that I  have, but I try to make those relationships (developed from mutual respect and never from financial considerations or a quid pro quo.) as transparent as I can in my posts.  

I hope  that the point of view expressed above has been clear all along from my writing. I apologize if it hasn't.

Ideas in Food Meets Studio Kitchen: The Action

In addition to world class food and excellent company, one of the major attractions of a meal at Stdio Kitchen or with Ideas in Food is the personability and interactiveness of Shola and Alex and Aki. Here is a photo tribute to the artistry of the team at Studio Kitchen on May 1st, 2009.

Ideas in Food Meets Studio Kitchen: The Dinner

I have had the great fortune to have experienced the cooking of Alex & Aki and Shola on a number of occasions both fee-based and not and have come to know all of the them to the point of considering each of them a good friend. Being acquainted with them and their cooking, it has struck me for some time that they would work very well together in the kitchen. Their styles are complementary and their outlooks similar. I have been trying to get them to come up to my area together, but for various reasons doing so jointly had previously been unable to come to fruition. With the recent move of Alex & Aki to Buck's County, PA, essentially becoming neighbors to Shola, everything changed. Though it wasn't happen in my backyard, I was thrilled when I heard that they would be collaborating on a Studio Kitchen style dinner. I simply would not miss their first effort together, which as fortune would have it, would occur on the weekend just prior to my 50th birthday. What better way to start a celebration?!

I will post my experience in three parts, including the first post, published to provide a preview of the event.This post will focus on the food, offered under the theme, Shades of Green, Tastes of Spring and the last on Shola and Alex in the kitchen.

Upon entering the studio, introductions were made by and for those who had been previously unacquainted, while those who had previously been acquainted renewed those acquaintances under the anticipatory energy of the coming dinner. As with all previous Studio Kitchen dinners, guests were encouraged to bring libations to share. We started with a delicious little French bubbly.

After a period of time to get to know each other, we guests took our seats for dinner. The initial four courses were described as an amuse, but they were served separately and in succession.

The first dish, called "Liquid Lovage" was a crisply flavored, delicious lovage soup that enveloped succulent crab, a combination heretofore unique to me and simply delightful, providing a sensational jumping off point for the rest of the meal to come. The dish captured spring on the palate and in it's palette, wearing the color that I like to call "incipient" green.

"Mozzarella Pudding, frozen rhubarb, olive oil" wasa nice concept with a pretty presentation. The most subtly flavored dish of the evening, however,  was probably the least memorable dish for me. Neither a bomb nor a home run, this dish paled next to the others presented, yet it was still good. In another situation it may have excelled.

One of the reasons the mozzarella may have lagged was its placement between the snappy Liquid Lovage and this, "Cream of Watercress Ice Cream, sake cured steelhead trout roe (Blis), croissant croustillant." This dish was the epitome of synergistic balance with the salty, smoky roe popping in the mouth, along side the slightly sweet peppery creaminess of the ice cream and the crunchiness of the croustillant. This dish would thrive on either end of the menu.

"Wild King Salmon, pecorino, fava beans, pimenton" consisted of three main parts. The first was a slice of salmon sashimi, the second was a salmon tartare that incorporated oregano and the third, resembling wasabi, was a combination of favas, pecorino and pimenton. Those three ingredients along with lemon olive oil and some others were combined and ultimately extruded via the Paco Jet. The dish worked nicely. Somehow I neglected to photograph it myself. Fortunately, Shola was kind enough to let me use his photo.

The first four courses were paired with a Sake from Granville Island near Vancouver brought by David & Rachel from a recent trip. We drank the JunMai Nama which was excellent.

The first four plates were billed as amuses. The "meat" of the meal followed.

Once again, balance reigned with "Russet Potato Gnocchi, ramp leaves, country ham, shaved l'etivaz." This dish was not one of contrasts working off each other, however. It was a seamless blend of silky, pillowed goodness. The benton ham provided some salty and smoky notes, but the over-riding sense of this dish was one of supple luxury.

 

"Wild King Salmon, grilled zucchini puree, lemongrass sabayon, rye bread" - how do they come up with these combinations? How can something like this work so well? I don't have the answer to either question, but clearly  they do and I can attest that it does, very, very well. Justice was done for this magnificent salmon.

At this point I opened the first of the wines that we brought, a 2000 "Y" from Ch. D'YQuem. I brought this wine specifically, since I had brought one to my first Studio Kitchen dinner on March 17, 2006. This was a tribute to that amazing dinner and experience. Despite the difficulty extracting the corks, the wine drank well. It was served with the following course.

"Chicken Marsala. egg yolk, morels, nasturtium" - this was not my father's chicken marsala, though it was no less enjoyable. The deceptively simple looking chicken was the product of an elaborate process. First chicken carcasses were pressure cooked with marsala wine and other ingredients to make a stock. This stock was then used to poach the morels, which were then set aside. The remaining liquid was reduced and pureed with the white and dark raw chicken meat, mixed with activa and set in blocks. The blocks were cooked sous vide, chilled then sliced thin. For service the silky, mortadella-like chicken ribbons were warmed in a C-Vap. The chicken itself contained all the flavors of a classic chicken marsala. Combining it with the morels, nasturtium leaves and a sauce from rich egg yolk created a delicious, fun and unique dish all their own.

This was the second wine we brought, 1997 Gaja Barbaresco. Still in its youth it paired well with the next course, my favorite of the evening.

"Skirt Steak, honeydew melon, rosemary, fermented vadouvan" married perfectly cooked skirt steak with the plate's principle green element, the honeydew in sublime fashion. Cooked sous vide and finished on the grill, the meat melted in my mouth. The best part was that additional meat remaining after the initial plating was passed around for much appreciated seconds. The rosemary actually came from rosemary flowers, which left a lovely, yet subtle perfume. The vadouvan provided a perfect compliment.

This dish surprised even though the menu description was explicit. "Langres, strawberry-lychee mostarda, red ribbon sorrel" clearly stated lychee and not rhubarb as one would expect from looking at the strawberries and considering the season. This was an original and tasty composed cheese course.

Our final wine of the evening, 1993 Royal Tokaji Co. Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos. Made from botrytised Furmint grapes, this was the dessert wine of choice for the Russian Czars. The 1993 vintage was one of the first after the fall of communism in Hungary. It provided an excellent much for the evening's final course.

Listed on the menu as "Aero Chocolate, blood orange infusion, crispy cashews", this was a tasty and satisfying dessert despite the fact that the "cashew" missed its intended "crispy" texture. It was chewy rather than crispy. Ironically, the texture worked anyway. The flavors were on and the chocolate was indeed light and airy. If any of the descriptions had to miss a little, then ththe cashew's was the best one to do so.

Ever since Ferran Adriá participated in a Q&A on eGullet in December of 2004, I have used a quote from that session in my eGullet signature: "Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster." Since then, Adriá has expounded further on that idea, emphasizing the pleasures of taking ordinary, non-luxury ingredients and using the alchemy of a chef, creating something special from them. With the possible exceptions of the beautiful wild Alaskan King Salmon and the morels, none of the ingredients utilized by Alex and Shola for this dinner can really be classified as "luxury." There were no truffles, foie gras, bluefin tuna, Wagyu beef or Ossetra caviar. Neither lobster nor Mediterranean gambas found their way onto the menu. That is not to say that the ingredients were poor or inferior. Far from it.The ingredients were chosen with care and were top quality. The Blis roe, though not readily available, are the product of a superior artisan who has taken relatively mundane ingredients and created something special. The same goes for the Benton ham, the vadouvan spice mixture, the cheeses and any other quality ingredient that was used to prepare this meal. The greatest alchemy, however, came from the minds and hands of Alex and Shola themselves. Their creations are original, beautiful and most of all delicious. Combine that with the intimate setting of Studio Kitchen, fine wines and great company and the result is an unforgettable evening. An experience like that makes a drive from upstate NY a no-brainer. I look forward to the possibility of making that trip many more times for any future collaborations between these talented individuals that may occur.

Ideas in Food Meets Studio Kitchen: A Preview

I don't know too many people more creative or skilled at what they do than Shola Olunloyo of Studio Kitchen and Alex Talbot and Aki Kamozawa of Ideas in Food. I have been trying to get them together for a meal for some time, so when I heard that they were finally doing it, I had to be there. Unfortunately, Aki will not be there due to other obligations, so it will just be Alex and Shola.

The dinner is tonight, but I stopped in this afternoon to drop off some wine. While there I had a chance to catch some of the prep, whetting my appetite even more for tonight's dinner if that is possible. Here are a few photos ffrom this afternoon at Studio Kitchen:

Dinner to come.

An Impact

How is blogging rewarding? I must say that so far it is not the money, because there hasn't been much of that since I started doing this. The main reward to date has been making friends and having an influence, however, small. This post, from Aidan Brooks, trainee chef, is one that, money or not, makes it all worthwhile. Best of luck, Aidan, and please give my warmest regards to Paco and Rut! This is an exciting combination. I can't wait to try Ferrero. Look for it soon on upcoming San Pellegrino 50 Best Lists. Sooner or later the restaurant will be there if Paco and Rut have anything to say about it. I have a feeling that Aidan will be making his mark as well.

Blog Find: The Quenelle

Francisco Migoya, an Assistant Professor at The Culinary Institute of America has started a blog called, The Quenelle "to be a means for the discussion and illustration of ideas on pastry, confectionery, bread baking and cooking (and anything related to food and drink) from a professional standpoint for professionals and for serious food enthusiasts." It looks to be quite promising. I now have it on my Reader.

Madrid Fusion Day Two - Whither "Molecular Gastronomy?"

 
The panel was moderated by José Carlos Capel and Juanma Bellver

Perhaps the biggest single most eagerly awaited discussion of the 2009 Madrid Fusión was that of the discussion between Ferran Adría, Heston Blumenthal, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Harold McGee and Davide Cassi on "Does 'Molecular Cuisine' Exist?" The auditorium was indeed packed and cameras were out in full force. Indeed much has already been written about this discussion. In a nutshell, all agreed that the term "Molecular Gastronomy" useful when it was first coined at a conference on Science and food in Erice, Italy in the early 1990's, no longer applies and certainly doesn't apply to actual cooking, no matter how creative or science supported the cooking might be. Science is inherent in every aspect of cooking. The very nature of cooking is the manipulation of ingreedients. Many commonly accepted ingredients such as chocolate or sugar are the result of intensive processing, much like what these and other chefs do in their kitchens. The participants only got to discussing possible alternatives late in the discussion and in that short time were unable to come up a with mutually acceptable terminology. For a more detailed and excellent report on the content of the discussion please see Heather Sperling's article in Starchefs.com. For a special perspective on the discussion, please see Grant Achatz' piece in The Atlantic Online.

Here, I will share some photos from the event with more available in this album.

The Participants:

 
Andoni Luis Aduriz

 
Harold McGee

 
Heston Blumenthal

 
Davide Cassi and Ferran Adría

The Discussion:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NewsFlash: Molecular Gastronomy is Officially Dead!

The recent discussion at Madrid Fusión featuring Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Harold McGee and Davide Cassi was apparently not enough to put the controversial term "Molecular Gastronomy" to rest. I have just received word through a private communication of a meeting going on at this very moment that not only sheds that term forever, but has found one that all can (hopefully) agree is a better one (unfortunately not technoemotional, which I like, but apparently not many others, at least in the English speaking world do). I will post the gist of the message that I received here:

A group of influential international chefs have sequestered since yesterday at the Alicia Foundation in Catalunya. Their mission has been to find a more palatable term for the dreaded "Molecular Gastronomy". The consensus seems to be leaning towards ORGASMIC, an acronym for ORganoleptics, Gastronomy, Art, & Science Meet In Cuisine. A final vote is scheduled for tomorrow morning, followed by the unveiling at a press conference.

More information is available here. Tomorrow morning is now today and they are six hours ahead. I will report on the final vote once word is received.

Taste of the Week - March 22nd-28th

Last week, my Taste of the Week was a version of a classic shrimp cocktail as interpreted by my brother, Greg. It was a particularly excellent example of a dish that I grew up with and still love. I received a comment on that post from Cristina Potters, who writes the excellent award-winning blog, Mexico Cooks!. She suggested that I try a recipe for a Mexican shrimp cocktail that she had posted on her blog and which she considers "the best in Mexico." The recipe comes from Rosario Reyes Estrada who employs this recipe (and others) at her small food booth El Ostión Feliz (the Happy Oyster) in  Guadalajara's Tianguis del Sol market.

Last night was a perfect opportunity to try the recipe as my wife and I were hosts to another couple for dinner. We opened the dinner with a Mexican theme. I made some Meyer Lemon Margaritas with fresh Meyer lemon juice, Cointreau and Gran Centenario Plata Tequila. The glasses were rimmed with red beet salt (obtained from roasting beets on a bed of Kosher salt). My wife made some killer guacamole and I made the cocteles de camarónes  using the recipe Cristina sent me - more or less.

Since I am far from Mexico, I made a few minor adaptations. I used U20 wild Gulf shrimp (previously frozen) rather than the presumably fresh U25's that Sra. Estrada likely uses. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as closely as I could.

I used enough water to cover the ingredients then brought that to a simmer before adding the shell-on shrimp. Watching the shrimp closely, I scooped them out as they were ready and put them into an ice bath. Once they cooled, I peeled them and put the shells back into the broth to simmer further while reserving the shrimp in the refrigerator. After straining the broth, I blended in the tomato using a hand blender.

 

Since I had a lot of broth I wasn't sure how much I was supposed to add to the ketchup. The recipe was a little sketchy on this. I added a little bit at a time until I could taste some influence of the broth without the sauce becoming too thin. I also added a fair amount of lime juice. At this point, the sauce itself was rather mild. I toyed with the idea of adding some of the Cholula, but I wasn't sure how much of an effect the minced serrano would provide.

In the meantime, I chopped the rest of the ingredients, substituting a delicious locally grown hydroponic hothouse tomato from Shushan, N.Y. for the Roma tomato called for in the recipe, and layered them in the ice cream glasses as directed along with the shrimp and the sauce. It was delicious!

This is a wonderful recipe, but when I make this again, I would do a few things slightly differently. Rather than layering the chopped ingredients in the glasses, I would add them to the sauce along with the shrimp and mix them so the flavors are more even and I can adjust the overall heat level. I would then place the shrimp and combined sauce in the glasses and garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges.

This is a wonderful shrimp cocktail that, like my brother's, I would gladly eat any time. The flavors and textures are full and balanced. Combining the ingredients of each recipe with the toothsome shrimp allows them to reach synergistic levels. In each case, the context of the meal served to strengthen the appeal of that particular version. Similar, but different both are worthy Tastes of the Week!

Shola

Shola Olunloyo is one of the most talented and creative cooks that I know (and I know a few). He is equally adept at cutting edge technique and traditional. One of the most memorable meals of my life was at Studio Kitchen, his now legendary private supper club that he had in Philadelphia. He has also become well known as a blogger and food photographer. After being down for a while for re-tooling, his blog has returned along with an all-new and simply gorgeous website. The blog and the website are amongst the very best food and cooking sites on the internet. I have not seen better.

Back in February I had the pleasure of a brief visit with Shola at his new studio in Philadelphia. Along with a kick-ass cooking area with all the toys and a pantry to match, this Studio Kitchen has about as incredible a view of Philly as one could imagine.

With Shola and the recent move of Alex Talbot and Aki Kamozawa to Buck's County in addition to its other culinary attractions, Philadelphia has become a major draw for me personally and should be for anyone seriously interested in food that is creative, beautiful and delicious!

some of Shola's incredible pantry

I eagerly await Shola's future projects.