cbarre02
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Posts posted by cbarre02
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I always wondered if Indy was ready for a 4 star fine dining restaurant. There really isn't anything in the downtown area at all. They have two professional sports teams, the race track, RCA, and somemoney that can be spent. I must admit I reaserched the idea about a year ago, and gave it consideration.
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Tribute is in Farmington Hills and they are doing very well for themselves. I know that Ann Arborites are willing to take the trip to this restaurants, do you think that other well to do Southeast Michiganders would be willing to make the trip to Ann Arbor? One must consider too that 35,000 of the population is made up of college students, who want quick, cheap, and tasty food. I think that the clientele is available, but I don't think that they are available to fill seats five nights a week.
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Steve, thank you for your response and you patience.
I don't really have any more questions about this, and feel as though I may have annoyed my reader. If I have I appologize.
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So based on your dining in Ann Arbor, what would you consider number one for dinner? Money is not a consideration, only the restaurant's preformance.
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Thanks for the input. I guess that I don't have as broad of a spectrum as you do, as I still see some things from the educational/ACF side of things. While teaching we are told to promote competitions and even compete ourselves, I guess I have always wondered why. I under stand that the competitor as a whole has little to nothing to gain as far as monetary rewards, as they seem to put as much or more into the competition as they can get back. I know that major teams are back by large companies, but I am sure that a bit of their own change is in the mix (let alone allot of time). I also understand that winning a pastry competitions will accomplish very little in the way of furthering ones career, except the occasional hotel gig (Which I tend to think hotels like there chefs to be a billboard, just as much as competition sponsors).
What I trying to get at is this: "Has there been any new techniques, or ideas, in recent competitions, that can be applied to today’s modern pastry chef?" Recent meaning with in the last two years.
I am sorry for being so vague before; from now on I will get to the point.
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Competition chefs... fine dining pastry chef... why can't we all just get along?
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What about whipped Brie, or Camambert? Or a yogurt sorbet?
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With wine what is the average bill at the chop house?
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I am aware of the use of lentils in Indian desserts. I recently made a brittle from chickpea flour, and I found it quite interesting. I have done a bit of research on Indian cuisine (and actually the Hindu religion) as of late, and find it quite interesting. I believe that the pastry world could discover some new things if we were to delve deeper, instead of just skimming the surface.
I think that screw pine essence is a fascinating additive to foods, as well as the other perfumes used in Indian cuisine. Jaggery is a wonderful sugar alternative, and has much of the same characteristics as Colombian panela (which is intriguing when paired with anise flavors). Thanks for the input.
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I know the chef and the owner at Pacific Rim personally. They are trying to source great ingredients, and are not satisfied with average products. I like their menu (except their salads) and where they are trying to go. They've only recently change from being Kana, so they are still on the journey to their final destination. I know for valentines they are doing a five course-tasting menu, and would be worth checking out.
I too would love to see a chef put our Ann Arbor assets together. I myself have dreamed of opening a fine dining restaurant in the Ann Arbor area, but am scared of the Ann Arbor diners. I don't know that they are willing to pay for a tasting menu, or give up 3 hours of their night to enjoy food.
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Sorry about the confusion, let me clarify.
Are competitions used as the pastry world, inventive engineering. Or are they just a way to prove who is better than the other. I my self have competed in a couple of pastry competitions. Out side of finding new centerpiece techniques, I don't know how much I learned that could be applied to my career.
However I do know that for the competitor that the organizational skill that they acquire, are very important. It is one of the things that I find very important. But what in the way of cooking techniques, and flavor. Do competitions help?
One more thing… Do you think that pastry competitions and molecular gastronomy share any common ground?
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Ann Arbor offers a wonderful diversity both with students, and citizens. It has one of the most prestigious public universities in the United States. There are some decent food destinations, but none that I am overall impressed with. It surprises me that such a nice city goes with out equally nice food. Zingerman's, EVE, Pacific Rim, seem all to be on the right track. Does anyone have suggestions?
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How much progress has pastry competitions brought to the every day pastry chef, the 4 star pastry chefs, restaurant cunsultants, teachers, and pastry in gerneral?
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I have seen a few post (and have made a few myself) that relate to the use of unconventional pastry incidents. The introduction of savory herbs, animal fats, vegetables, grains, legumes, etc. I am rather fascinated with these ideas and would like to explore the possibilities that are presents.
I was wondering what extremes you have seen or have thought of that pastry could possibly take advantage of. Possibly the introduction of proteins into our dessert courses (as to me desserts are a part of savory items and should not be segregated). We have foams, air, gellees, and wide array of avant-garde techniques. I understand and respect all of these ideas... but new flavors, am exciting to me too. I don't want to bend the rules with our responses, and I don't want to break any rules either. Lets play this one like there are no rules. Ideas and dreams are just that, they are not real. We don't have to put them into action unless we truly believe in them.
For me... I would like to see tubers and squash play a bigger roll in our desserts, as well as legumes. I think that smoke could play a wonderful part in desserts that are based with fruits. I think that cured meats (or derivatives of cured meats i.e. fat) could be used as well. Miso is something else that has caught my attention as of late. It has a unique flavor that could (in the background) offer an interesting perspective to desserts. I like the idea of doing things in the style of crème brulee. Such as pressing squash through a tamis seasoning and placing in a ring mould and finishing with sugar like a brulee.
Just more room for thinking. It is the most fun part of our job, at lest to me.
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M65, What was it that didn't satisfy you?
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Has any one used onion juice in any recipes, or reduced it to a caramel consistency. I think that spiked with acid this caramel would pair well with foie gras.
Any other odd onion uses?
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So last night it was very cold... and snowing like crazy. So I thought that I would give the snow thing a try. I did a little research on how artificial snow is made, and it turns out that it is made the very same way that I described with the Wagner sprayer. Water just above freezing is forced through an atomizer in to 15 degree or below, and it freezes before it hits the ground (hopefully). In artificial snow there is a bacteria added to the water to encourage crystal formation at a lower temperature.
We I didn't have the bacteria, and I’m not about to mess around with things like that. So I just put in some cold water, and set the canister outside for about 20 minutes. Hooked it up to the gun, and started it up... well I can't believe it but it worked. The snow accumulates very fast and holds well in a frozen 6-inch hotel pan. I didn't try it with flavor or the addition of sugar (which I think is going to mess up this formula a little... who knows), but nonetheless there it was snow.
When I woke up in the morning there was four inches of the stuff on the ground, and I never hated "SNOW" more.
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If the Wagner method works (which honestly I have no idea if it will) I thought of spraying ice cream bombes with this, as it could add an even lighter texture and look to the bomb. Or flavoring it with bold acidic flavor (citrus, ginger, pineapple), serve it with barley frozen fruit bruniose. Even could be used as an intermezzo course. Could also be floated on a gelleed liquid: Gelleed root beer (with the spices broken down in to layers), and float vanilla snow on top for a variation of root beer float.
Granted this is just an idea, and I have not yet even begun to explore the possibilities. That is one of the great things about this forum, is to share ideas. I have even given thought of using the Wagner in savory dishes. Spraying a mayo enriched raw tuna salad (that has been in the freezer for about 20 min) with some concoction of coconut oil, coconut milk, and wasabi. I think that this is an under utilized tool, and the chocolate application that it produces isn’t all that tasty.
This could be one instance that yellow snow is okay to eat.
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Winter months bring so much snow...
I was wondering if any one has tried to make snow (besides shaved ice). I was thinking of using a Flavorful liquid (at 33 degrees) and spraying it form a Wagner onto a frozen sheet pan.
Has any one had any experience with spraying any thing besides chocolate (or paint) from a Wagner? What about melted compound butters, or other fats?
Just another thing to think about on those cold winter days... it's either food or the lingering Christmas bills.
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By the way this is my boyfriends accound and I, Holly, am the one that is going.
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Today I looked at a menu on Moto's web site, and they have "smoked" watermelon present. The parentheses make me wonder if the smoke is present by some non-traditional means, such as the smoke oil. First time I think that I have seen it on a menu
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The best of luck to you!
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I have been to the Botero Museum, and yes it is fabulous. Bogotá is my only stop this time, however I do frequent other parts of Colombia (I try to go once every 6 months). The soup that you spoke of is one of my very favorite Colombian dishes, and I love all of the condiments that are served with it: caper, crema, avocado, etc. I am exited to back again, to see family and all the empanadas in the streets.
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Knicke. I was thinking about what you said about the character of butter being the reason for its use in pie dough, and I do agree. However I believe that you can use rendered, strained, and chilled bacon fat for 30 percent of the piecrust (savory pies... or if you are creative sweet ones too.) I have never tried it but I think that this could be a possibility.
I was also thinking that higher gluten flour could be used, and maybe (maybe?) all bacon fat could be used. One may have to add a little water to the mixture, but I won't know till I try. I don't know if this will work or not, but I think it has a chance.
Any thoughts.
Hibiscus
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
For an upcoming dinner I am serving a Coconut Milk Panna Cotta with Hibiscus Gellee, and coconut daquiose. I have all ready made the actual panna cotta element, and it tastes quite nice. The coconut is rich while the hibiscus has a bit of an acidic bite to it, and seems to compliment it well. I would like to offer some more "light" components in the dessert, with out loosing the hibiscus in a bunch of other fruit flavors.
I would like a sauce element, and possibly a fruit bruniose (though this is the part that scares me). I don't think that I want a frozen element, but am still not ruling it out all together.
Suggestions?