David Ross

Recently we split some of the posts in this topic discussing customer attire at Eleven Madison Park into a new discussion topic, "Restaurant Dress Codes and Attire Is it appropriate in the age of "casual?" which you can find here.

It seems that we are living in a much less formal age when it comes to the attire of customers in fine dining establishments today. Recently, the discussions in the Eleven Madison Park topic focused in on this issue of whether or not a certain level of dress is appropriate when one is dining in a high-end restaurant. Should the apparel of the customers meet the expectations of the sophisticated food on the plate seems to be the question. (There is another topic that was inspired by the Eleven Madison Park discussions, “Rating a Restaurant, What criteria are fair game?” here. ) I’m a product of a generation where fine-dining restaurants regularly posted dress codes, yet somewhere in the past 25 years or so, it seems the culture has moved to one where men can comfortably wear dockers and a golf shirt while dining on caviar and foie gras served by Waiters wearing expensive Armani suits. The previous posts speak to this issue as it relates to Eleven Madison Park, but it’s a separate topic that is ripe for discussion on its own. Are the restaurant dress codes of the past appropriate today and secondly, should customers feel compelled to “dress-up” when they are patrons in a fine dining restaurant?

It was a pretty big week for Las Vegas when you consider that Top Chef was being filmed and "Vegas Uncork'd" was going on. I can imagine the PR and coordination that had to have taken place behind the scenes to bring all the schedules together at one place and time. Colicchio was doing Top Chef during the day and then did a book signing at an event at "Uncork'd" in the evening. Guy Savoy, Robuchon and Alain Ducasse we're all in town for "Uncork'd"--and Robuchon also judged Top Chef. For a few days in May, some of the greatest Chefs we know were in Las Vegas.

By far my favorite Top Chef episode of any season-largely due to the fact that I was in Las Vegas on the days that they were filming the "French" episode and so I've been anticipating seeing this one since last May. I was in town attending "Vegas Uncork'd," and had the pleasure of meeting Robuchon at a private event at L'Atelier. (You can read my report here ). I was surprised that Robuchon voiced the words "I don't speak English very well" at the Top Chef table. Trust me when I tell you that he doesn't speak any discernible English as far as I could tell when I met him. (Maybe he's really just fooling us all). The filming of the "French" episode began in the morning and carried into the late afternoon. That evening, the last day of "Uncork'd," I joined some friends for dinner at a very off-off-off Strip Asian restaurant. One of the French Chefs who was on the judging panel joined us and he told me that all of the judges, including Robuchon, were very impressed with the talents of the young Chefs who presented the top dishes. And yes, all were incredibly nervous--which of course is understandable under the pressure of any Top Chef challenge--add to that pressure the presence of Robuchon at the table and the stress quotient increased by a considerable amount. Would you want to craft a bernaise and serve it to Robuchon? My favorite dish of the episode wasn't really the star on the plate-it was that tiny, little puffball Pommes Souffle that Bryan gently tilted next to the trout. Une petite pomme de terre délicieuse.

Wow, great tip about the dental floss. Thanks, I'll add that to my pastry rolling techniques.

It's very easy: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cake flour 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 stick salted butter, chilled 1/2 cup Crisco 1/3 cup ice water Blend the dry ingredients together and then add the chilled butter and Crisco. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour using a pastry cutter until the butter and shortening are the size of small peas. Add the ice water, stirring into the dough with a fork, until the dough starts to come together and you can easily form it into a ball. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour before rolling out. NOTE: Sometimes I'll add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. It gives the finished crust flavor and it helps make the crust flaky. When I start the process of rolling, I shape the chilled dough ball into a small circle/slab with my hands. I then place it on the floured pine board work surface and I start rolling from the center outward. I turn the dough a quarter turn, dust with flour a bit and keep rolling/turning until I get a basic circle large enough for my pie pan. I like my pastry crust fairly thick, so I'll roll the dough out to just under 1/4" thick.

That's a very good point-keeping the dough cold. I make a dough with a mix of both butter and Crisco so given that high content, it tends to naturally roll out very well and might roll out well immediately after mixing. I haven't taken the chance and so I chill the dough after mixing so the butter can cool down. I chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour before rolling. Then I'll take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter about 15 minutes to soften before I roll it out. It's still cool, just not bone chilling cold. I try to limit the amount of flour I use to dust the pastry dough while rolling it out because I don't want too much extra flour making my pie crust too gluey or dry.

Since we are in the midst of the end-of-Summer fruit season--and looking to the Fall crop of pears, peaches and pumpkins, I thought it would be a good time to discuss the best techniques for rolling pastry dough into the perfect pie crust. While I vary the fillings for my pies, I always use exactly the same recipe and technique for my pastry dough--including the method I use for rolling out the dough. I use a heavy, marble rolling pin. Somewhere over the years the handles and the middle "axle" in the rolling pin broke and fell by the wayside. Not to worry, the marble rolling pin soldiers on. I cover the rolling pin with a cotton cloth cover that was my Mother's and is probably over 50 years old. Yes, through the years of being dusted with flour and the occasional turn in the washing machine, the cloth cover endures. If I use a rolling pin "bare" the dough seems to stick. With the cover, dusted in flour, sticking is never a problem. I roll my pastry dough on a pine board that I cut and placed on top of one of my kitchen counters. It's not the most pretty of countertops, but it's sort of "rustic" looking. With a dusting of flour, pastry dough never sticks to my trusted pine board. I suppose my techniques are a bit unconventional--but they work. I get incredibly soft pastry dough that is very easy to move over from the rolling pin/board to the pie dish. What techniques do you use for rolling pastry dough into pie crust?

Forgive me but I'm still stuck on Cheftestant Jesse's lip piercings. For some odd reason I keep envisioning undercooked chicken and unsanitary lip piercings. Ugh. Once I get beyond that phobia I'll get back on track with critiquing the chefs. My early season favorites to get far in the competition are Kevin, Jennifer and Bryan with Eli and Robyn as my darkhorse candidates. Bryan has the technique down, but doesn't seem to show what I would call the "WOW" factor so far. Pretty plates, tasty food, nothing overly memorable. It's like eating at a dining room in a Four Season's Hotel. You know the food will be good, it's expensive and it looks nice on the plate, but was it really a memorable dish?

For me it's when I make pastry crust--for a couple of reasons--both for personal and practical. I use a very old-fashioned method for preparing my pastry crust, pie crust if you will. I cut the dough and butter and crisco by hand using a pastry cutter that is older than I am. And I'm getting pretty old. I love the beauty and symbolism of cutting the fat into the dough, the time it takes and the reflection and appreciation of knowing that is exactly how my Grandmother and Great Aunt Bertie made pie crust, by hand. They didn't have the convenience as some now call it, of using a food processor to pulse the ingredients. Yet somehow I suspect were they both alive today, they would still take the time, like I do, to cut the pastry by hand. So for me, the extra time spent on this simple kitchen task is very personal and well worth it. Hung can chop eighty onions in 3 minutes. I'll take 10 minutes to cut my pastry for one little pie. I've tried making pastry crust using a food processor. Yes, it took a few mere seconds to process the ingredients into a dough ball, but from a technical standpoint, the finished pastry crust just didn't have the same flaky, crisp texture of pastry cut by hand. So from a practical standpoint I think taking that extra bit of time results in an incredibly delicious pastry crust.

What cut of meat did you get? If it's stew meat, you're pretty much resigned to having to make a stew. If you've got a roast, a braise is of course the best cooking method. I can't tell you that I'm jealous. My Mother attempted to cook a bear roast that a family friend once gave us and I think our family thought we would have to condemn the house in order to get that roasted bear smell out of the kitchen! I love most wild game, bear excepted.

I agree--and proof of this point was demonstrated by Bayless with the "Chorizo Air" in his seafood stew. It appeared to be done primarily as an afterthought--every dish has to have a "foam" or "air" sort of trendy thinking. And it appeared that the judges, led by Gael Greene, agreed that the dish would have stood alone just fine, (as long as the seafood had been cooked properly), without that silly sausage "air."

Yeah, that deep-fried steak, served to Chef Puck at CUT no less, was really awful. My guess is that the rib it was cut from was prime grade, probably aged in the coolers at CUT. The poor dufe didn't seem to have a clue that he was crucifying a beautiful piece of meat. I thought the judges went easy on him. If he sticks around for judgement in front of Robuchon, he better show a higher level of skill in treating the ingredients.

I thought the first show demonstrated a lot, a lot, of talent--much more than in past seasons. And if you didn't already guess my not so subtle hints in earlier posts about who would be a judge this year, you saw a clip of him during the opening scenes--Robuchon. Yes, these lucky Cheftestants will have the opportunity to face Chef Robuchon who will pass judgement on their ability. I don't know what the specific challenge is, but it will more than likely have a French influence. All I can say is I'm glad I don't have to present my food to Robuchon!

Does anyone know of a reliable, quality source for purchasing mutton online? I've been searching and haven't had much success in locating an online source. I suppose I could probably contact one of the vendors that sells lamb online, hoping they would also have mutton. Any good sources that you know of for buying mutton online? I've been craving the taste of mutton for about 35 years now--ever since I last tasted mutton stew. Lamb stew just doesn't have the same depth of flavor of mutton.

All in all, I think the final show was good and it appeared that the Chefs presented some incredible dishes. I always qualify my comments on "Top Chef," by saying it "appeared" the food looked good because without actually experiencing the senses associated with food, i.e. actually tasting and seeing the dishes in front of me, I'm only going on the comments of the judges and what I'm seeing on the screen as the basis for my comments. I thoroughly enjoyed this "Masters" series because it provided us with a window into the world of cooking at the top levels--without the realitydramady of the regular Top Chef series. It was quite refreshing. I was disappointed that Chef Keller didn't win. I know him personally and he's such an incredible talent, not to mention a gracious host and gentleman. But I did think his presentation of the Salmon dish didn't appear to be at the precise levels I would have expected. The Choucroute Flan just sat over to the side by itself. The elements just seemed to be on the plate without a garnish or something to tie them together. Likewise with what I felt appeared to be a lack of precise presentation in his lamb dish. The small, carved potato holding the sauce just looked sort of 70's Continental cuisine and out of place. And while the spinach-wrapped loin presentation was quite beautiful, the spinach-wrapped chop looked a bit sloppy. Overall the plates didn't have the contemporary, sophisticated yet delicious look of his plates at his restaurants. Maybe it was a timing issue or being out of his own kitchen that rattled Chef Keller, I just expected more. I was a bit surprised that after the gushing of the judges over Chiarello's Short Rib, you would have expected they would have come out from the judges table and kissed the guys feet--and then followed that with crowing him as the winner. I didn't feel his dishes showed a cohesiveness from course to course--Polenta with Rabbit, Asparagus and Wild Mushroom, Grilled Duck & Rabbit Liver followed by Ginger Stuffed Rouget, Mango Salad, Fresh Wasabi and Bottarga--but I suppose if you apply the challenges for each course in terms of the progression of the Chefs work, Chiarello's dishes made sense. And the variety demonstrated with each dish showed that Chiarello's talent is much deeper than the casual Italian fare we see him prepare on Food Network. (And wasn't it cute to serve the polenta in that little glass crock? How precious.) I thought the best line of the night was voiced by Gael Greene. Something about that silly "Chorizo Air" Chef Bayless fluffed on top of his seafood stew. Help me understand--now we've come to calling "Foam"--"Air." "Air" garnish and over-cooked seafood asisde, good for Rick Bayless. He seemed genuinely flattered to have won, in spite of not having the same type of formal training of some of the other Chefs. I'm hoping the creativity and skill shown by Chef Bayless will be demonstrated by the new crop of "Top Chef" candidates.

As mentioned in earlier posts, the Bing cherry crop has been quite exceptional this year--especially in Washington State. I for one don't think that you'll see the popularity of the Bing cherry wane. I live not far from the huge cherry orchards of Central Washington. The Bing is still one of the largest crops that we produce. I use the Bing both for cooking and baking and as a simple eating cherry. The Ranier is much more expensive, and is primarily an eating cherry. One's ability to find Bing cherries does depend on where you live--and I think the further away from the source that you get you'll have a decreasing chance of getting good Bing cherries at a reasonable price. I'm pretty luckby because I live in the heart of Northwest cherry country and I have a close source for loads of local cherries. We still have lots of fresh, local cherries in our markets. Typically we start seeing Bing cherries in our markets around the third week of June and lasting into the first part of August. Gauging the start and end of the growing season this year was a bit tricky because we had a very harsh winter. The best cherries didn't arrive until mid-July and tapered off around the first of August--although there are still some good Bings in local u-pick orchards.

Yep, a few more days to go before we see the brother Chefs duke it out on Top Chef. The few people I've talked to in Las Vegas that were witness to the proceedings have also said it is the most talented group of Top Chefs to date.

One of my favorite "delicacies," are fried frogs legs. They aren't overly popular in restaurants where I live in the Pacific Northwest-rarely appearing on but a few Asian or French Bistro menus. Though apparently not popular in restaurants, somebody is eating a lot of frogs legs in Spokane, Washington, as I can find them in three different Asian markets, one seafood store and occasionally at two grocery stores. The ones I buy are farm raised in Southeast Asia and sold frozen. Over the course of about three years, I've perfected what I tend to believe is the most delicious method of preparing Frogs Legs--deep-fried with a crispy panko coating and served with a tangy parsley sauce. I start by soaking the jumpers in milk. Then they get dusted with Wondra flour, (the fine mill of Wondra flour doesn't get gummy on the meat), then in an egg bath, and finally a roll in panko. I deep-fry them in canola oil until golden and crispy. Sometimes I'll "French" the bones like you would for lamb chops. It's a delicate, time-consuming task but one that will result in trendy little "Frogs Legs Lollipops." (I didn't take the time to "French" the frogs legs this weekend). The sauce is basically a combination of a French parsley sauce, an Argentinian chimichurri sauce and few of my own additions. It's made of curly leaf parsley, (I think it has more flavor than flat leaf parsley), cilantro, garlic, green onions, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil--all processed in the food processor to a thick, chunky sauce. The tangy sauce is a nice contrast to the richness of the deep-fried frogs legs. And no, frogs legs don't taste like chicken. Frogs Legs taste like seafood with a very indirect texture somewhat akin to the texture of white chicken meat. Some purists, I suppose I am one of them, consider them to be a delicacy. How do you prepare Frogs Legs?

No, they are not hot. Think of them like a small black peppercorn, yet brown in color and looking like a tiny dried flower that has opened. They are incredibly fragrant, sort of a mix of pepper, flowers, spice and smoke. You can find them in plastic bags in Asian markets. I can buy a 10oz. bag for about $3.00, much cheaper than a plastic bottle of black peppercorns. In a pinch you could substitute black peppercorns.

Do you have more specifics on the ribs? (I almost ate the picture!) I have my pretty standard recipes, but none with Sichuan pepper. And, how did you get that beautiful crust in a low oven? Last minute high temp? ← This was actually sort of an experiment that ended up pretty delicious. I had planned on cutting the ribs into small "riblets." I bought a rack of baby back ribs, but my meat saw wasn't sharp enough to cut the rack in half to make small "riblets." I was a bit worried at how a rack of ribs would cook in the braising liquid, rather than small riblets. I ended up cutting the rack in three pieces so the ribs would fit in my slow cooker. I didn't really measure the amounts of ingredients for the braising liquid. I started with about 3/4 cup of dark soy sauce, about 1/3 cup rice vinegar, about 4 slices of fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves crushed, about 1 tbsp. of whole Szechuan peppercorns, a couple of green onions, about 3 chunks of rock sugar (I wrote rock salt above), and about a 1/4 cup honey. The dark soy gives a deep color and richer soy flavor than regular soy sauce. The Szechuan peppercorns give that exotic fragrance and the rock sugar and honey add sweetness and help thicken the braising liquid. I braised the ribs for about 6 hours in the slow cooker. Then gently placed them on a rack over a cookie sheet and put them in the slow over to roast. I put a small bowl of water in the oven to help create some steam to keep the ribs moist. While the ribs were roasting, I reduced the braising liquid down to an almost syrup like consistency. I used that reduced braising liquid to brush the ribs during the roast in the oven. I think it was that combination of steam in the oven, dry heat and basting that gave the ribs that finshed dark, yet moist, crust. (And the sugars in the braising liquid helped in adding to that caramelized crust). As you can see in the photos, there weren't any bones. The meat literally fell off the bones. The leftovers should be pretty delicious cold.

David- was the squid just cross-hatched and blanched? My squid craving is out of control and I am playing with different methods. ← Yes. I cut the larger squid bodies in a cross-hatch pattern and blanched them for only about 20-30 seconds. The cuts give the squid a nice, soft texture.

Two recent dishes- Warm Squid Salad dressed with sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, Szechuan pepper, salt, a dash of soy sauce and cilantro garnish- Pork Ribs that were braised for 6 hours in dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, Szechuan peppercorns, green onions, rock salt and honey. I finished the ribs in a low oven at 225 for an hour while basting them with some of the reduced braising liquid-

I did. It's a little bit of an odd, "Gourmet Cooking For Under $10" show. Surprising number of references to her life in France, for a network that in the past has looked down on that type of stuff. She made an interesting potato/bacon/gruyere/cream gratin encased in pastry that looked delicious but had a zillion calories, plus salad and an applesauce granita. Also threw out a lot of tips that I think most people would find useful. She seemed very nervous. I would call it an OK start. ← I didn't see it, but you've mentioned something that got me to thinking about a previous "star". Wasn't there a winner two years ago named Amy Findley (sp), who did a couple of shows with a "my time in France and cooking French easy," sort of loose theme. Whatever happened to her?

Our local PBS station, KSPS, ran "Baking with Julia," repeating the same six episodes throughout the day. My favorite, Julia baking scones with Marion Cunningham. How many Food Network "stars" even know the name Marion Cunningham? I would pay a Kings ransom to watch original black and white reruns of "The French Chef." I could care less about the movie "Julie and Julia," saw it, thought it was dreadful. But if the hype of the movie and Streep playing Julia inspires more of these delicious marathons of Julia's work on PBS, so be it.