David Ross

Last night, Halibut,Kale with Applewood Smoked Bacon and "Brandade" Mashed Potatoes- This is fresh Alaskan Halibut, seasoned with just salt and a bit of Cajun spices then dusted with Wondra four. The halibut was sauteed for a couple of minutes with a dash of olive oil in a hot cast iron skillet then roasted in the oven for another ten minutes- This is a wonderful side dish for fish over regular mashed potatoes because it adds another level of seafood flavor. Since halibut is not an overly bold flavored fish, I didn't want to serve it with pure brandade because that would have been too salty and fishy tasting. The mashed potato addition tempers the strong flavor of the brandade. (Brandade spread on toast is also very good as a garnish for fish stew)-

This is the halibut I prepared last night--a filet that was seasoned with salt and some Cajun spices then dusted with Wondra. I seared the fish in olive oil in a hot pan on the stovetop for about 2 minutes and then finished it in a 425 oven for 10 minutes or so. (I like halibut cooked through and not "medium-rare" like salmon). You can see the Wondra helps aid in the browing and gives just a bit of crisp texture to the crust covering the outside of the halibut.

If you follow the cooking of Chef Eric Ripert (Le Bernadin), you'll find that he regularly uses Wondra flour to dust fish filets before sauteeing them. I always keep two cans in the cupboard for just that use--along with many others. Wondra is specially milled to be finer than all-purpose flour, thus the silky texture it lends to sauces and gravies. A kiss of Wondra on a filet of fish allows for a nice, brown color and a light yet crisp texture--without the heavy, cloying flavor and texture you'd get from all-purpose flour. Every supermarket in the Northwest has Wondra.

There are so many things I've learned from Robuchon's books. Last May I was lucky to garner a copy of The Complete Robuchon signed by Chef himself. Every fall I start the first of many batches of duck confit to use in dishes during the cold months. I've used my own recipe for years and never thought I would try another variation--until I turned to Chef Robuchon and his recipe for duck confit. While it is basically the same recipe as my own, a little spice is added to the duck as it rests in salt and herbs in the first few days--whole cloves. I would have never dreamed of using whole cloves to add flavor to duck confit, yet it's a masterful touch, adding just a hint of spice and fragance to the finished confit. I doubt I'll ever go back to my old recipe again. It's the little touches that Robuchon shares in all of his books,(like stirring those mashed potatoes in a warm pot to leach out as much moisture as possible before adding the butter, like a few whole cloves added to a duck confit), that inspires me as a home cook to bring my dishes up to another level.

Your blog has indeed been fascinating Steven--from the pleasure of making your son lunch to the issues facing the gulf seafood industry and ending with a lunch representing classic dishes that would make Beard smile. I have a number of books by Beard and I refer to them regularly. I never tire of his musings on food and cooking. Thank you.

I'm really interested to hear about what seafood they are currently harvesting and what the perceptions are of the people walking into local diners and cafe's when they read the words "fresh" and "local" seafood on menus. Are they scared to eat the seafood down there, regardless of what scientific studies are telling us?

Now that head cheese looks really delicious.

Last week I was watching an old episode of “Cooking with MasterChefs” on the Cooking Channel. The original series, hosted by Julia Child, first appeared on PBS in the early 1990’s. The episode I saw last week featured the home-cooking dishes of Chef Andre Soltner, renowned Chef of the legendary New York French restaurant Lutece. Sadly, Lutece shuttered the doors in 2004, but Chef Soltner still teaches at the French Culinary Institute in New York. After watching the episode with Chef Soltner, I remembered that I had the companion cookbook to the PBS series and so I thought it would be fitting to re-visit this topic by preparing two of Chef Soltner's favorite Alsatian dishes. Alsatian Flammekueche-Bacon and Onion Tart with a Crème Fraiche Filling on Puff Pastry- Bacheofe, Alsatian Meat Stew-Lamb, Beef, Pork and Pork Feet Cooked with Potatoes and Onions in Riesling. Preparations for the Bacheofe begin a day in advance by marinating the meats in Riesling and onion, garlic and a bouquet garni- The next day, a casserole pot is lined with a layer of potatoes, the marinated meats, a layer of sliced onions and a final layer of potatoes. The strained marinade is poured into the casserole and a cup or so of dry white wine is added- The key to cooking the Bacheofe is to create a seal around the casserole with a paste of flour so the lid is locked down and no steam escapes during cooking. I had seen this technique in photographs in old cookbooks, but I hadn’t used it myself so I was a bit unsure that it would work- After 3 hours in the oven, the Bacheofe was finished. It takes a sharp paring knife and prying to lift the lid off the casserole, revealing the fragrant scent of the wine and meat stew. Bacheofe, Alsatian Meat Stew- Chef Soltner’s menu ends with a Tarte Citron "Mama"-a Lemon Almond Tart. But seeing that I live in Washington State and that we are in the midst of Apple harvest, one wouldn’t think of preparing a lemon dessert the first week of October. Really, only an Apple Tarte Tatin can be on the menu tonight- Tarte Tatin- You can review our Tarte Tatin topic here. .

I agree. I leave the skin on and I've never noticed a difference in the end result. The skin can be used as a sort of natural handle to hold the meat of the salmon in place while you thinly slice it.

The first Tarte Tatin of this season. This year I made the Tarte with Golden Delicious apples harvested not too far away in the Wenatchee Valley of Central Washington. The Golden Delicious is sweet and holds its shape quite well during the long baking process. I used my standard pastry crust base, but in a few weeks I'll make another Tarte using puff pastry for the base.

What kind of potato do you prefer to use? dcarch I've always used the Russet--mainly because I prefer the flavor and I think it fries the best. I don't fuss with any other type of potato. I also have a soft spot for the Russet potato because my Grandfather used to grow them on his farm in Central Oregon.

Dinner last night started with French Fries served with Lemon-Herb Mayonnaise. I've worked for years to perfect my technique for making fries and I'm finally there. It's sort of like getting to a point where you're satisfied with your chili, pie crust or meatballs.

Last night I spit-roasted a chicken. A classic method of spit-roasting you might say, but I did something with the recipe that I hadn't done in the past--I stuffed the chicken. I faced a number of questions before I started. I wasn't sure if stuffing a chicken and then spit-roasting it would be a good idea. Would the stuffing fall out of the bird as it rotated over the fire for an hour and a half? Would stuffing the chicken increase the cooking time? Should I use a traditional stuffing recipe like I use for stuffing the Thanksgiving turkey or go with something out of my comfort zone in terms of creativity? I found the inspiration for the stuffing recipe in Chef Laurent Tourondel's new cookbook, "Fresh from the Market." (John Wiley & Sons, 2010). Chef Tourondel includes a recipe for Tomato and Chorizo Eggs Cocotte--basically eggs in a ramekin with a base of tomato and chorizo and then baked in the oven in a ramekin. I adapted the tomato and chorizo base from the egg recipe by adding roasted garlic, fresh bread crumbs, basil, thyme and lemon juice. The key to the recipe is using Spanish Chorizo which is a dried sausage. Do not substitute the poor, fresh substitutes called "Chorizo" that are mass-produced and found in supermarkets. They don't come near to having the authentic, smoky flavor of Spanish Chorizo. The chicken was trussed tightly in order for the stuffing to hold inside the chicken during spit-roasting. Cooking time was about an hour and 45 minutes over a fairly low flame using charcoal- To accompany the chicken, I made a very easy salad of green beans, yellow bell pepper and red onions. I blanched the beans quickly and then chilled them in ice water. The dressing was olive oil, lemon juice and this beautiful pear, white balsamic vinegar that I found, a few fresh thyme leaves and salt and pepper. Spit-Roasted Chicken served with Tomato and Spanish Chorizo Stuffing, Green Bean and Yellow Pepper Salad- Spit-Roasted Chicken is always juicy-

Edited to say that while the aroma of the peaches today was not technically a "cooking" aroma--it will technically become one next week when I bake these dear peaches in a Tarte Tatin.

Today, it's the aroma of late harvest Washington peaches bathing in peach liqueur distilled in Hood River, Oregon--one of the Northwest's glorious cherry, peach, apple and pear growing regions.

Oreo cookies. I haven't had an Oreo cookie for years and so today I couldn't resist the end of the of aisle display at the Supermarket. I tore into the bag when I got home and started to scarf them down. According to the package, the only difference with the filling from an original Oreo is that the filling is orange and the cookies are stamped with special Halloween themes. Sure didn't taste the same as the Oreo cookies my Mother used to put in my school lunch box 45 years ago...

I've been a subscriber to Bon Appetit for many years and I hope many more to come. Like food, cooking and dining, Gourmet and Bon Appetit always fit different tastes in style, format and both editorial and culinary content. The same differences hold true between diverse magazines like Food and Wine, Saveur or BBC Good Food. To each his own as it were when it comes to our tastes in food publications. It's hard to say one magazine is better than the other. Some "food" magazines tend to be heavily swayed toward the professional side of the pendulum, (Food Arts), while other magazines focus only on serious or advanced level cooks (Saveur), who seemingly must possess a deep knowledge of ingredients and world-travel in order to attempt to replicate the recipes printed in the magazine. Another level of food magazine (Food Network Magazine), focuses primarily as a platform to promote celebrity Chefs that appear on their cable network, along with easy-level recipes using branded products that can be found in supermarkets. Now some of us may consider an Editor purely in the journalistic sense, but remember, a large part of the responsibilities involve a consideration for the cycle of subscription numbers, newsstand sales, advertising pages and advertising revenue. All of those elements go hand-in-hand and feed the bottom line-money, money, money--bringing in the applewood smoked bacon for Conde Nast. The most graceful, delicious writings of M.F.K. Fisher would not necessarily be enough to keep a print magazine afloat in today’s economic times and New World of electronic media. (The shocking and sudden fate of Gourmet last year after 69 years in print is the most stark example). Americans are no longer willing to wait each month for the "Specialities de la Maison" feature to appear in Gourmet reporting on just three New York restaurants--and advertiser's won't wait that long to get their message in front of the public. Barbara Fairchild seemed to be an Editor that had the unique quality to bring together Chefs, home cooks and trends in restaurant dining to the pages of Bon Appetit. I think she balanced those different interests quite well. Yet at the heart of the magazine has always been the promotion and education of cooking and good eating at home. On a number of levels, I think that’s what I worry about could be lost with a corporate move East and the loss of a long-term Editor. Only time will tell.

Conde Nast announced Tuesday that later this year Bon Appetit will close the main editorial offices in Los Angeles and move to New York. Barbara Fairchild will sheperd the move, but will be leaving her post as Editor-in-Chief once the transition is completed. One hopes this is a matter of corporate consolidation and isn't the precursor of Bon Appetit suffering the same fate that befell Gourmet Magazine.

Barring a trip North to Vancouver, B.C., for authentic Chinese Dim Sum, I decided to venture out this weekend to the two Asian markets in town to see if I could find the ingredients for Sticky Rice steamed in Lotus Leaves. Luckily I wasn't disappointed. The lotus leaves came dried and had to be reconstituted in hot water for about 30 minutes. I added dried scallops to the rice while it was steaming and then once the rice was finished cooking, I added some diced Chinese sausage, garlic, green onion, ginger and some dried mushrooms that I had reconstitued and chopped. It took about a 1/4 cup of the rice mixture for each packet. The lotus leaves are quite large and so I cut one leaf into 4 quarters and used it for stuffing. The packets steamed for about 25 minutes- Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage and Dried Scallop-

Last night I made a Seared Opakapaka with Slow-Roasted Tomato Butter made from the grape tomatoes off the Topsy-Turvy planter that I tended to this summer. You can read about my Topsy-Turvy adventure here.

Last Thursday, I was in Las Vegas for the 2010 Epicurean Affair. (You can read my report here). I made it a long weekend and one of the restaurants I visited while I was in town was Tableau at the Wynn for lunch on Friday afternoon. Finding a fine-dining restaurant open for lunch on the Strip has always been a challenge in Las Vegas and the continuing woes of the local economy has only added to that problem. Rooms that were once open at noon are now dark. One is hard-pressed to win a bet on the ultimate trifecta-lunch, high-quality cooking and a quiet respite from the throngs of tourists, gamblers and conventioneers to find a decent mid-day meal. After lunch at Tableau with a friend who lives in Las Vegas, I would venture to say we won the bet. Tableau is located in the Tower Suites and one enters through a separate entrance from the main hotel and casino. The main restaurant is set in a round atrium with floor to ceiling glass windows looking out toward the garden and pool areas with outdoor seating on the patio. Chef David Spero’s focus is on preparing American cuisine using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Mr. Wynn recently changed his dietary persuasion to Vegan and as a result, Tableau offers a separate Vegan menu. I must say I was surprised, but impressed, to presented with a separate Vegan menu at lunch as if it were a wine list. (Quite surprised given my carnivorous appetite). Some diners would probably turn their noses at the thought of a Vegan menu. In most cases, a vegan dish is listed in passing at the bottom of the menu and the word "wheatgrass" scares most diners from ordering. But at Tableau, the concept is presented with options in the appetizer, entrée and dessert courses and is sure to be popular with today’s tastes. The Vegan items included a Chop Salad, Creamy Corn Soup, Napoleon of Savory Tofu, Ratatouille of Eggplant and Chocolate Cake. We started with one of the Vegan starters, (designed by Chef Spero to be a play on “Tuna Tartare”). “Watermelon, Peach, Mango and Kiwi with Beet Gastrique”- For lunch, we shared three dishes, starting with the un-Vegan "tartare." “Yellowfin Tuna Tartare, Mango, Avocado and Soy Vinaigrette”- “Lobster ‘Danielle’ with Orange, Pickled Fennel and Mango Crème”- The next dish was new to the menu within the past two weeks. It was fresh and simple, composed of three main ingredients-Turbot, chanterelles and fresh peas, yet it was full of vibrant summer flavors and contrasting textures. Chef Spero poached the turbot in olive oil, and then appeared to have lightly crusted the fish with breadcrumbs and run it quickly under a salamander. “Olive Oil-Poached Turbot, Chanterelles, Pea Puree”- While we were waiting for dessert, the kitchen sent out two of the popular dishes off their breakfast menu. “White Chocolate and Orange French Toast with Orange Blossom Honey Butter” and the “Housemade Elk Sausage, Poached Egg, Marble Potato Hash and Charon Sauce”- I don’t think I’ve actually ever seen a soufflé offered for dessert on a luncheon menu-at least not in my lifetime. But I relied on the recommendation of my friend and we ordered the restaurant’s signature dessert. “Milk and Cookies Soufflé, Chocolate Chip Soufflé served with Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream”- One final note. Given my professional background in customer service, I was impressed with the attention to detail and the personalized service we received from our waiter. One typically doesn’t find such gracious service in Las Vegas during the noon hour. If you are looking for a quiet oasis for lunch and fancy a glass of champagne with superior American cuisine, I would recommend Tableau at the Wynn.

Still picking the small grape tomatoes and they've reached nearly to the front porch. Alas, I don't think the full-size tomatoes will ever turn ripe this year. Yet I'm not alone. I have friends in upstate New York, San Francisco and in my neighborhood that are also suffering from green tomatoes in mid-September. One fellow at work said I could put them in a brown paper bag and they would ripen in a week. I haven't tried that yet, but all in all, the Topsy-Turvy was a success. I'm just not sure Mother Nature agreed this Summer.

The pools at The Palazzo presented the perfected outdoor setting for the Epicurean Affair as only Las Vegas can and the fun was tempered with a serious note since proceeds from the event sponsored by the Nevada Restaurant Associaton benefit educational programs for people entering into the culinary arts. Nero's Steak and Seafood at Caesar's Palace- Guy Savoy at Caesar's Palace- Nobu at the Hard Rock Hotel- A local cupcake bakery- I was visiting with some of the Chefs and Sommeliers at the event and I asked them about the local economy in Las Vegas and how it was affecting their businesses. As we all know, the national unemployment rate is hovering at hearly 9%, (depending on which poll or media outlet you listen to). According to a friend of mine who lives in Las Vegas, the unemployment rate in Clark County is upwards of 15% and Southern Nevada continues to lead the nation in home foreclosures. All these factors have had a negative influence on travel to Las Vegas, which in turn has had an impact on the people who work in the industry. I've learned that the steakhouses in the large strip hotels have traditionally been the top wine-selling restaurants in Las Vegas in terms of both volume and revenue. 2007 was the peak year for travel and excess in Las Vegas and then the big slide began. Since then, the figures for wine sales have fallen drastically and so far in 2010, wine sales are off upwards of 35% at some restaurants. While volume may not be off that far, bottles that formerly sold for $200, (and were marked-up at horrific levels), are now being listed at $50-$80. The points are not surprising--a city of indulgence is suffering far worse than other parts of the country. Yet it did give me pause to reflect and realize that supporting the Chefs, restaurants and employees of their establishments during these hard times, (and by association, the vendors and farmers who provide them with products), is all the more important--whether it be in Las Vegas or the much smaller city where I live.

He's the chef at Valentino in the Venetian right? He had one of the best dishes at the Uncork'd Grand Tasting. And he was at the station all night cooking and plating it for everyone. He is the Chef at Valentino indeed. And, just like he did at the Grand Tasting at Uncork'd, Chef Pellegrini was at The Epicurean Affair all night at his little station cooking and plating alongside with his staff. I spoke to Chef later and he told me that while the Escargot were described as being "wrapped in bacon," that was merely the simplest way to explain the dish to the large crowd of people that would be passing by for a tasting. The snails were actually wrapped in guanciale that he buys from a special source. And that's the perfect introduction to begin the photo portion of the report.

The Epicurean Affair at the Pools at the Palazzo tonight was a great success. I'll be posting photos tommorrow. In the meantime, my award for best dish of the night goes to Chef Luciano Pellegrini's "Roast Suckling Pig with Escargot Wrapped in Bacon," served over creamy polenta. Now imagine that folks, such a dish served on a small plate at a tasting event. The baby pig was delicious, but the combination of smoked bacon wrapped around a briny, rich, snail was the stunning element of the dish. One would expect nothing less from an unassuming James Beard award-winning Chef. Delicious.