gfron1

Thanks guys. I'll be sure to let you know if this project moves forward.

A group has approached me about the town installing a horno community oven. They want to know what I think of the idea as the resident foodie. I've never heard of such a thing, nor would I use it...I think. Has anyone seen one or used one? My money is on hummingbirdkiss on this one

An even funnier mis-read since it was the patè course. And a special invitation is extended to you for my Valentine's Day weekend Winter menu

The bean soup dish was the one that I had been playing with the longest. I originally wanted to find a way to separate the flavors in the bowl itself, with all of them being liquid. In the end I decided to change composition. It really is simply inspired by my mom's bean soup - although she never made it quite like that. Thanks for the kind words Shaya.

Look at the post above yours...

Yep. Simply deep fry your darkest wild rice. And since we're talking Halloween - be sure to stuff a blueberry in a lychee fruit and set it in a champagne jello shot for eyeballs!

And for that meal I made a 5-year cheddar cheesecake and served it with warm apple cider and lemon cotton candy I also served a riesling marshmallow which was very good.

I'll have to break this down into two sections. I have pics from courses 5 on, but not the first four since during that part of the meal I was working into a frenzy trying to keep everything on time (meaning 5 and 6 courses ahead). I did have a photographer there so hopefully she took decent pics, and when I get those I'll add them since they are some of the more dramatic pics. Course 5: Tuna Tempura This has become my signature dish (if I'm allowed to have a signature dish). I fill a chile vessel with everclear and flame it. This was then enclosed in an oil lamp chimney. On top of the chimney was a skewered, tempura battered prickly pear tuna (fruit) filled with chuchupate (an indigenous herb), white chocolate ganache & blueberry. Its a great dish since it tastes great and folks really think its tuna fish. Both times I've done this there have been table arguments about whether it was tuna fish or not, and I enjoy having that diversion at that point in the meal. Process note: While this course has tremendous ooh and ahh value, and it is a fantastic tasting dish, and really highlights a local food that most people view as a weed, it is incredibly challenging to serve. The high school servers were very afraid of the flames and ended up serving one at at time so very, very slow! I'm attempting to create a base that will provide stability, and allow for air flow to keep the flames burning a bit long. Course 6: Oyster Terrine Locally foraged oyster mushrooms & morels set in a terrine, served with a savory cocoa soil, basil powder and lemon olive oil pudding. Process note: This was the first substantive course - the rest were bites. I wanted something more low-key, but with a nice finish. I soaked the shrooms in brandy for three days before setting them in the terrine hoping to find a good balance between the earthiness and the brandy - it seemed to have worked. But I had to follow up with a wow! Course 7: Bean Soup This was my favorite course to make. As a child I loved fall and winter nights where my mom would serve us bean soup. She would soak white beans over night, then cook them all day the next day with a ham hock, and typically with corn bread. We would wrap up in blankets in front of the TV and eat and fart - those were great times! In my updating of this family classic I started with two varieties of rare beans: Spotted Horse 4-Corner beans and Chaco Canyon River Runners. Both or gorgeous: I cooked these with La Quercia organic pancetta from Iowa and made my mom's soup. I pureed the soup, finished it with chestnut oil spread it on a sheet (adding some elements to help it keep its structure), added a sliver of summer black truffle, and baked the soup into crackers. I then cooked a bunch of Niman Ranch bacon and converted the juices into bacon powder using tapioco maltodextrin. At the farmers market I found a rare corn - Hopi White Flint corn. That was roasted, juiced, and made into a soup with a bit of brown sugar, green chile and other cornbready type seasonings. In the final service I plated the cracker over the powder, and did a tableside pouring of the corn soup. Tyler said that this was one of his favorite courses of the evening. Process note: This was the most challenging course to prepare. The crackers were so damn fragile that I had to go through four trials and finally opted to rest the cracker on the bowl. I intended to hang them from a clip above the bowl (you'll see this set up when I get the pics from course 3). Still it provided the flavor follow up that I needed, and headed us in the direction of the entrees. Course 8: Patè Having just secured 10 locally raised, freshly processed rabbits, and being gifted 7 pounds of rabbit liver, I set out to make a patè - my first ever. I added some brandy, currants and braised apple. I formed it in a PVC pipe to make a round. And then served it with a ginger pulp triscuit and baby carrot candied with palm sugar and sechuwan pepper, and asparagus espuma. Process note: I didn't allow enough thaw time for the pate. I had previously cut the slices, then froze them for transport, but I only took them out about 45 minutes before plating. They were rock hard. At the last second I had to throw them in the microwave to soften them which worked, but I wanted a uniform texture and temperature, and I did not get that. Still, all in all, this was the course that was declared the best by all patè lovers. Course 9: Lobster This was another great tasting dish. I infused a couple of lobster tails in coconut milk with saffron, then did a gelatin/agar mixture to allow me to create a warm "noodle" of the mixture. Next, I created a chestnut flour w/black truffle pasta, filled it with summer squash and made ravioli. The final plating included a squiggle of 25-year balsmico. muscovado smear, and balsamic glazed squash seeds. (hanging head in shame - this was clearly the most disasterous plating of the night. You may argue with me when you see the next course, but it was damn tasty!) Process note: Sometimes you just don't have time to test. I had been PMing Tri2Cook frantically while making the noodle since I had never used agar before, but when it set up it just felt right. I wanted to create a ribbon that I could move around, but obviously it broke. I should have corrected for this error by simply cutting strips and laying them flat on the plate - it would have been an equally nice effect. The smear was also hideous, but so incredible with this course - I took it as far to the burnt side as I could without going over. Then I froze it in a pastry form...but dumbshit! it had too high of sugar contect to fully freeze, which left me with few options other than smear - the lazy chef's plating technique. Course 10: Rabbit Goat Speaking of not the prettiest... We've been having fun with this one in the regrettable foods topic. No, I didn't serve maggots! This is wild rice that I puffed for a savory granola (celery root, onion and rice). And again, speaking of not the prettiest... Sous vide cooked rabbit that was later shredded and filled into the granola. In the final plating: the granola rabbit topped with a sunchoke gratin filled with truffle cheese; fresh tortilla, avocado mousse, goat carnitas and a squirt of juniper berry cream. The plating sucked because we had some dish washing issues, but it was all good, if not a bit much for one plate. Process note: A bit much indeed. I probably should have killed one of my golden calves - either the goat or the rabbit, but I didn't. Then confound the problem with a dishwashing backup and I didn't have my large plates to work with which might have saved this mess. So, the course that should have been the keystone of the meal was relegated to "some goat and rabbit dish." I do want to say that I found each component really wonderful, and especially the juniper cream which I will use again. And finally the desserts: Course 11: Apple Pie and Cheddar Cheese 5-Year Cheddar cheesecake with warm apple cider and lemon cotton candy Course 12: Riesling Marshmallow I'll post the first courses as soon as I get the pics. Our greatest challenges were a kitchen smaller than we remembered, a sous who had only cut vegetables (but again he was really, really good), and front of the house oversights. All will be fixed on the next meal which will be Valentines weekend. It should be interesting finding locally sourced foods that time of year.

from dockhl's recommendation: I set out to make a patè - my first ever. I added some brandy, currants and braised apple. I formed it in a PVC pipe to make a round. And then served it with a ginger pulp triscuit and baby carrot candied with palm sugar and sechuwan pepper, and asparagus espuma. I'm not a fan of liver, but almost all of the guests said this was the best patè they had ever had and this is the dish they were talking about after the meal. You can see the full meal HERE.

The day of my tasting menu I was in such a hurry that all I had time to do for breakfast was some dough scraps rolled out filled with the usual cinnamon, dark muscovado, crushed pecans, baked, then topped with a huge squeeze of white chocolate ganache left over from one of my courses. Mmmmmm....

I had to look back at my notes from my trip in March and Russell took me on the grand dessert tour. We focused on pastries and ethnic, but certainly had our share of plated desserts. Hatfields came out on top for me. Portos has the strongest memories however, possibly because we hadn't started drinking yet - but they are pastries and not plated. On a previous trip I really enjoyed my plated dessert at NV in Napa. Don't know if it is still around, but it was very good. (A little bit of googling shows its closed)

Not foreseeing this current mess, we had set up our cafè to be on the lower end of the price scale, so we haven't seen much impact. My desserts have held steady. But I also am in a small town where we rely on customer loyalty and first name basis. Time will tell.

Puffed wild rice that went into a savory granola...it was much tastier than it looks.

I've been testing some of the theories expressed here. I've done a couple days recently when I prepped my bacon 1) with the kitchen window closed, and 2) with the window open. Its the strongest, most enticing smell. Results - no connection. I was bacon slammed and bacon dormant in both scenarios...this is a fool's task trying to figure it out.

Great report, and you and Dennis were a joy to entertain. I hope someday the cafè allows me to allow you to reciprocate the hospitality (minus the plastic cheese and closed brew pubs). Unfortunately all green chiles are now a memory of the past and we go into hibernation until next August.

A few closing thoughts about the process for me and I'll post the pics later. It was a great meal. Only two flops out of the 60 components; about 10 saves/adjustments; and 4 knock-out hits! First, I'm tired as shit. My body is aching for recovery time. We were on site til 2 am cleaning and still didn't finish- the home owner ultimately kicked us out. I ate almost nothing throughout the night and so right now my body is screaming for me to put anything in mouth - cardboard would be fine. Second, my sous was a rock star! But, I learned that not every chef gives their sous the same responsibility. Zach kept saying, "Thanks so much for trusting me with this much responsibility." I didn't understand why he was saying that. He had the two flops - burnt my savory granola encase rabbit and killed the fresh corn tortillas - no problem - guests didn't know. But, at the end of the night as we were re-capping, he said, "you're the first chef who actually let me do anything other than chop vegetables." WTF. 10 years in the business in some nice places and that's all he's been able to do as sous?! Hell, my high school interns do more than that - that's how they learn. I should have explored his experiences a bit more and that would have helped me define his role (and mine) better. I focused my time, since 80% of the prep was done before Zach ever saw the kitchen, on shmoozing guests and plating...and any task involving an offset Third, I alluded to this earlier - be willing to let go of your cherished babies and adopt the orphans. I was so excited to make a few dishes that ended up being just okay, while the overall hit of the night was the dish that I chalked up as a disaster and ultimate filler - bean soup. The theme for the night was Memories of Fall, and I preceded the meal with a speech that talked about my favorite memories of fall, especially sitting in front of a football game under a blanket with a big bowl of my mom's bean soup with ham hocks. So I made bean soup paper, embedded with black summer truffle, set that on top of the dish that held Niman Ranch bacon powder, and did a plate side pouring of hot cornbread soup. I thought each component by itself was fun and interesting, but just okay. Well, combined they apparently were amazing - everyone wanted more...all I could say was, "Don't worry, there's 9 more courses to go." Alright - I need to eat, sleep, clean, eat, sleep and then I'll get pics up.

Here's my final day itinerary (apologies for formatting issues):

Final thoughts before I post the results (probably tomorrow). Since I am now cooking for a living, I have to create the same foods day after day. Unlike common restaurant practice, my specials are my opportunity to play (versus using up old food - which isn't as bad as it sounds). But even with that I have to make food that I think will sell. A chef's tasting menu is my opportunity to play, to push myself, to experiment. Its also at the core of what I like to do - push others' limits of what they believe should be on their plate. I fully expect my bean soup to be the hit tonight: bean paper embedded with black truffle, served over bacon powder, and with a poured hot corn soup. That little dish has a lot of cultural importance to our area, and is mostly locally sourced (less the truffle). I had to sacrifice a technique/gimmick to make the taste work since I wanted to hang the soup paper from a clip in the air, but the paper continues to be too fragile. Anyway, I think anyone passionate about their food (not just a hard core cook) should do a tasting menu at some point, for some special reason. They are the ultimate expression. And finally, I'm solidified at 12 courses, 60+ components and a busy ass day ahead of me on top of my cafè work. And I would still like to hear how others handle this process

The night before - This is the point for me where fatigue sets in - it has - I'm pooped. I'm in pretty good shape, just working on some truffle chestnut pasta which I'll freeze. I'm thinking mostly about quantity - will it be enough but not too much. I believe that you should walk away satisfied but not feeling like a glutton. Right now I'm not sure that I have enough so my plan is to scour the farmers market for any last minute fillers. I'm very much looking forward to my fresh kitchen help stepping in. If his creds are true, then he'll be able to pick up where I've left off.

I don't have the definitive answer, but the progression is key to me. I discussed my philosophy in the first or second post. I don't want foods that just go together, rather I want progression in taste, intensity, emotions, etc. To me, I want to hit crescendos and orgasms, but give time and space for the refractory period. For example, last night I made my roasted beet sorbet - it was incredibly good...too good for that point in the meal (course 3). My experience at my last tasting menu suggests that the sorbet might emotionally overpower the next three or four courses. Maybe that's not bad - its what happens at Alinea every time they serve Truffle Explosion, but I want people to enjoy and remember courses 4-6. Last night I reworked the menu again, moving things around, eliminating components, adding components, restructuring the plating. I'll do this at least once more before tomorrow night. These are the elements that I think define a tasting menu versus a multi-course meal.

Staffing is slowly coming together. Last night I met a new guy in town who used to be a sous at some fancy restaurant in Houston. I think he said it was Shade...sound familiar to anyone? I don't have time to look it up. Anyway, he's going to help out which should be a huge relief for me. I've fixed my bean soup disaster and today I get all of my gels, bases and dry bakes done.

I'm not stingy with recipes...but this is in my head, so adjust to taste. Green Chile Corn Chowder (serves a small restaurant crowd on a tepid day) 1 L Onion, diced 3 Stalk Celery, diced 1 Stick butter (don't ruin it by trying to make it healthier!) 4 C. Red potatoes, chopped 1 C. Green Chiles, roasted, chopped (canned if you must) 2 C. Corn kernels (fresh when available, otherwise frozen does okay) 2 T. Thyme Salt and White pepper to taste 1/2 Gal Whole Milk Melt butter, sautè onion and celery until soft. Add potatoes, chiles, corn and seasonings. Cook for a few minutes, add milk (should cover plus an inch). Bring to a soft boil and immediately bring it down to your lowest setting. Cook uncovered for at least 2 hours or until tender, adjusting to taste throughout. Simple!

I don't know if he could be convinced. Silver Citians are an odd lot. They think "life" should come before work. Clearly that's not a concept that has sunk in for me (he grumbles after his third straight 16 hour day prepping for a tasting menu)

THIS topic on top pastry chefs might be helpful. You'll see the CA representatives on the list.

Damn good suggestion! Thanks. And that reminds me to take the oxtail out of the freezer. With only a few days to go, my messy wall now looks like this: And for those of you who like detail: which reminded me that I softened my butter but didn't re-form it. Since I started this topic to share and hear about process. Today was the day that I started pairing my courses with plates, which includes mid-service washings. Here is what I am working with: I also knocked out a couple of components that can sit for a few days. The first was the P in the PBJ - black sesame paper with French grey salt and Garam masala: I think that's beautiful! I also worked on my bean soup, and ran into some difficulties (hence, why I did it today instead of later in the week). These are the beans I'm trying to show off: On the left are Spotted Horse 4-Corners beans and on the right Chaco Canyon River Runner beans. Both are fairly rare and historic to our area. They are so beautiful, look at them again! I have two tasks here. First, I want the meat for the soup. Second, I want the skin for the soup display. The latter is the more difficult. I attempted three methods for de-skinning. From left to right (below) I did a traditional boil/soak, then a non-boil, hot water soak, and finally a dry sousvide for 8 hours. The water washed the pretty spots away, but the sv method didn't quite release the skin. Then I decided to split the beans with a razor blade and just set in warm water for a while...and...voila! That's all it took. And just to leave you with a little gift: