David Ross

My quest to find out if I could make great enchiladas at home was a journey that took three days-most of that time being taken-up with slow-braising beef in beer. I started with making homemade enchilada sauce. I couldn’t take the easy route and pour canned sauce over enchilada’s stuffed with beef that took three days to make. And canned sauce has a thin, runny consistency and basically tastes like canned tomato sauce with chili powder. If I was going to do this cook-off right, I was going to have to make the sauce from scratch. I found that true enchilada sauce is really nothing more than dried chilies re-constituted in water and then pureed into a sauce with a few spices added. Natural flavor doesn't come out of a can, it's found in those dried, (and sometimes, smoked), chilies. Varying the variety, and heat index of the chilies, allowed me to tailor how hot I wanted the finished sauce to be. The ingredients for the sauce included dried chilies, (for this sauce I used dried chipotles and dried California chilies), garlic, honey and dried oregano- For this recipe I used about 9 dried chipotle chilies and about 6 large California chilies. I re-constituted the chilies in plain water, brought up to a boil and then turned down to a simmer for 30 minutes- Once the dried chilies were re-constituted, the gloves came on. Follow what you see Chefs do on television-wear plastic gloves when you handle any kind of chilie. Forget the gloves, and your eyes, (and anything else you scratch), will suffer. I scraped the seeds out of the chilies and pulled off the stems. The chilies are delicate at this point so it’s important to tear them very carefully so as to not rip away too much of the flesh- The meat of the chilies is separated from the seeds and will be the main ingredient in the sauce. The water from re-constituting the chilies is saved for thinning the sauce. (And the “chili” water is wonderful in Mexican-style soups or stocks)- The cleaned chilies go into a blender with a bit of salt, a drizzle of honey, some dried oregano, and a few cloves of fresh garlic- Although the chipotle’s are smoked, dried chilies, I like to enhance the smoky flavor of the sauce with a few drops of liquid smoke- The sauce is pureed in the blender-the result is a smoky, spicy, hot, moody, enchilada sauce- Next up-braising the beef for the enchilada filling, pickling red onions, prepping corn tortillas, heating re-fried beans and making a pickled cactus salad. (And finding exactly the right corn tortilla to stand-up to my rigorous dipping, stuffing, rolling and plating).

Welcome to eG Cook-Off 46! Click here for the Cook-Off index. We spent the last Cook-Off perfecting french fries, delightful yet leaning toward the one-dimensional. This time we're shifting gears and making the multi-dimensional Mexican dish, enchiladas. The variations on enchiladas are endless-there doesn't seem to be one "definitive," classic, enchilada recipe. They can be filled with beef, pork, chicken, smoked duck, smoked turkey or steamed octopus. An enchilada might be slathered with melted cheese, sprinkled with queso fresco, or have no cheese at all. It seems as though the only thing that enchiladas have in common is that all versions are wrapped in some type of tortilla. There are lots of possibilities for saucing an enchilada, everything from what one finds in a can on the supermarket shelf to homemade salsas using dried chilies. And of course, the variety of dried chilies to use for the sauce -- from mild to devil hot -- is also endless. In her definitive Art of Mexican Cooking, Diana Kennedy describes the two methods for making enchiladas. In one, you lightly fry the tortilla before dipping it into sauce; the process is reversed in the other. For both versions, you then fill the sauced and fried tortilla and roll it up. Kennedy's enchiladas placeras are sauced with a garlic, serrano, and tomato salsa and then filled with shredded beef; her enchiladas de Santa Clara uses an ancho and garlic sauce and an egg and cheese filling (and sounds delicious). Enchiladas benefit from corny, lardy homemade tortillas but also can mask mediocre ones to good effect, and they are an excellent way to showcase a perfect salsa. The previous main enchilada topic can be found here. You can also find topics on making tortillas at home here and a pictorial topic on Making Mexican at home is here. I've eaten hundreds of enchiladas in restaurants, but I was never able to duplicate that "restaurant-quality" enchilada flavor at home. My tortillas were either mushy or were too cold and broke when I rolled them with the filling. I also didn't want to serve my enchiladas with the requisite mushy beans and marginal "Spanish rice." What would be a unique side dish for Enchiladas? And what tortilla recipes would best stand up to the abuse of enchilada manufacture?

Great questions, thanks. As for my background, no, I am not a "professional" chef. I'm what I would describe as a very studied self-taught home cook. And while I've cooked and worked in restaurant kitchens, I've never done so professionally. I'm an average guy with a day job that happened to find a love in food and cooking, and that led me to cooking on television-which has led to me writing about food, cooking and dining. Unlike most people who find a career in television, I didn't start in a small market and then go Hollywood. I actually started my stint in tv by entering a competition that was filmed in Hollywood and ran nationally on PBS-"MasterChef USA." Years before there was "Top Chef" on Bravo, "Iron Chef America" on Food Network, and the abysmal "Hell's Kitchen" on Fox, "MasterChef" on the BBC was the pre-eminent cooking competition on television-with competitions for both professionals and amateurs. The BBC brought "MasterChef" to PBS in 1999 and thus began the competition to name America's top "amateur chef." I happened to catch an episode of Season One of "MasterChef USA," and at the end of the program, I decided to write to the producer's for information about the competition. The competition format for “MasterChef USA” began with written entries. About 20 of the written recipes were selected and the "chefs" were invited to regional cook-offs where three would be selected to be a part of the show. The final group of 26 amateur cooks from around the country came together in Los Angeles for filming a 13-week competition. After 12 weeks of eliminations, I “survived” as one of the top three contestants that would go on to vie for the title of “MasterChef USA,” in the 13th and final episode. You can read about my adventures and travails on “MasterChef USA” on PBS by going to these links: http://www.themediadrome.com/content/artic...asterchef_1.htm http://www.themediadrome.com/content/artic...asterchef_2.htm http://www.themediadrome.com/content/artic...asterchef_3.htm http://www.themediadrome.com/content/artic...asterchef_4.htm After starting my television cooking career on PBS at such a lofty level, I guess there was one direction to go-back down the media ladder to cooking on local television. But I wouldn’t call it a fall from grace. Rather, after my fast start on PBS, I returned to my roots and found a home cooking on local television in Spokane. I didn't know "who can talk to who"-I didn't know a producer, director or cameraman. I just sent them a letter telling them my story and they responded by inviting me to come cook on "Sunday Morning Northwest." Once I settled in at KXLY, I discovered a respect and admiration for sharing the craft of cooking through the intriguing medium of television. I don’t think I would have found that same appreciation had I gone directly from “MasterChef USA” to become the star of a cooking program on the biggest food network on cable television. One could say that in my case, being humbled by starting big and then finding my way back home became a gift. KXLY-ABC 4 in Spokane, 1950’s television studio architecture at its best-- We tried to vary the people who came on the show to present a dish. One week I might be showing the viewers how to mash potatoes, then the next week it might be the junior winner of the Hershey's baking chocolate competition at the fair. The next week might showcase a local Chef cooking a specialty from their restaurant, or a group from a local Church promoting a Holiday cookie drive. That variety of cooks, chefs, kids and just plain people who liked a good molasses crinkle cookie is part of what makes live, local television so fun and memorable.

Nice to hear from a fellow resident of the Northwest. Thank you. Teresa has been at KXLY for many years. Although Sunday Morning Northwest was cancelled, she and Rick still do their morning show on KXLY-AM 950 radio, and she still appears on the various news programs. As I mentioned above in the story, Teresa was the perfect host to work with. (And I've worked with other hosts-er, news personalities-who didn't have a clue as to the difference between a Dungeness Crab or a Blue Crab). Teresa's timing was impeccable. She would always let me take the lead, then would ask questions at precisely the right time. If we were using fresh bread crumbs to make crab cakes, she'd ask why they were better than canned bread crumbs. If we sauteed the crab cakes in clarified butter, she knew to ask how to make clarified butter-and why it was better for frying crab cakes than regular butter. Over the course of the years that we worked together, we developed a level of comfort with one another that I think came across to our viewers. Thanks again.

As of today, no, we don't have a link at KXLY that would allow you to see videos of past shows-another one of the interesting little details that are unique to cooks on local television. We aren't dealing with the most technologically advanced editing equipment at my level of television. As you can see in the above photo, the normal course of action was to give the director a blank VHS tape to record each show. At the time I started cooking on KXLY, we didn't have the capacity to record the shows directly onto CD's. (The photo also depicts the "script" I use on-set, including a copy of the recipe. You can also see my invoice for the groceries, with the huge budget of just over $75 for the Shrimp Stuffed with Crab). Then we convert the VHS to a CD and add graphics and subtitles. It's a very lenghty and somewhat expensive process. It seems unimaginable now, but I started cooking on television years before anyone had even heard of YouTube, I-Phones or any of the other means for instant posting of video on the internet that now pervade our daily lives. I will see what I might be able to do. Thanks again.

Thanks Peter, I appreciate the kind comments. The true story about cooking on local television is deeper than my appearances on KXLY or Mike the fish guy's Dungeness Crabs. The real story is about the often-overlooked world of cooking on local television. Yet it's also a story about the birthplace of food on TV-local television. I'm but one of any number of cooks across America who work in near-anonymity, presenting food and cooking on local television. I'd like to think that in some small way we are doing our part to celebrate and promote the foods, farmers and purveyor's in our communties that provide us with the products we use in our shows. That is a part of the grass-roots effort that you are speaking to. I often say that we must respect the traditions of the past in order to value what we have today-and that applies to food on television. The first cooks who appeared on television built the foundation for today's mass-marketed world of food on tv. It may appear that "Meals in 30 Minutes" or "Semi-Homemade" don't have any link to the past whatsoever. They do. If it weren't for Mrs. Florence P. Hanford cooking on Channel 3 in Philadelphia in 1949, there just might not be an entire network devoted to food and cooking today. (Nor would we likely see brand-names like Rachel Ray or Sandra Lee). My hope is that the story of my travails with a diva Dungeness Crab on KXLY will provoke some thought and discussion about how the cooks on local television today carry-on the traditions of the past. Thank you again.

I've found 1 white and 3 whole wheat Rhodes frozen dough loaves in the deep-freeze. I love these ideas.

That pizza looks delicious-and another great idea for a week without shopping that I'm adding to my list for the next time I take up the challenge. Two questions-What type of flour did you use in your pizza dough? I typically use regular all-purpose four, but I'm wondering if something else would work better-especially for doughs that are made, frozen and then thawed. Looking at your results I can see that your dough held in the freezer quite well.

You'll find delicious pastries in both restaurants and shops on the Strip. Two restaurants are the home to Pastry Chefs nominated for a 2009 James Beard Award-Restaurant Charlie at The Palazzo, (Chef Vanessa Garcia), and Michael Mina at Bellagio, (Chef Sarah Kowsikowski). I've had decadent desserts at Alex at The Wynn, Guy Savoy at Caesar's Palace, Daniel Boulud Brasserie and The Wynn and L'Atelier at the MGM. Those are just a few restaurants with outstanding desserts. My favorite pastry shops are Payard Patisserie at Caesar's, Jean-Phillipe at Bellagio, Lenotre at Paris, the cannoli at Tintoretto Bakery at the shops at The Venetian, and the carrot cake at Canter's Deli at Treasure Island. These are great shops to pick-up something sweet to take back to the hotel room.

Thanks, and yes, Mike the fish guy is a character-and one heck of a nice man. He's part of a member of a vanishing trade, old-fashioned Fishmongers who actually know how to scale and filet fresh, whole fish. He's fished commercially in Alaska and is an expert on the seafood and shellfish that comes from the waters of the Pacific Northwest. And the story of course wouldn't be complete without some photos of Mike and his shop. Mike's shop-tucked in a small strip mall- Mike, the critic of Dungeness crab, cutting fresh tuna steaks-

Thanks Maggie. After being admonished by Mike for having a dry crab on the previous show, I vowed not to let him down again by putting a tired crab in front of the camera. (I take on the burden of not only being the cook, but also the role of food stylist). I bought two crabs for the show-one to use in the recipe- And this beauty, which I named the “Display Crab”. This would be the crab that would be misted before going on-camera- The other crab was used for the mixture that would be stuffed in the shrimp- In addition to being schooled on dry crabs on the set, Mike also told me to make sure the crab shell didn't break in transit from my home to the studio. The display crab getting wrapped for the trip to the studio- The mister for the display crab. (All display crabs now have this water mister written into future television contracts)- The “fresh from the sea” display crab and other ingredients on the set-

My cost figures are in line with what JAZ reported. I did a rough estimate and figured that I saved about $65.00 by not going shopping during my challenge week. And I didn't need to shop. Had I done so, I would have come home with superfluous items I didn't need. Using my rough calculations, I would save about $130 a month if I reduced 4 big shopping trips into two. That would pay the monthly cable bill. In a year, I'd save around $1,560-or 5 car payments. So I learned that the challenge became much more than just making do with what I had in the pantry and in the freezer. Aside from the money I saved, I actually gained time at home by not stopping at the market on the way home from work. My normal pattern is to stop by the market during the week and pick-up something ready-made, figuring it will save me the time of having to cook at home. At least that's the theory. Well, like all of us, time is precious for me during the work week. I leave my house at 415am and return about 630pm. That includes two one-hour airplane rides as the bulk of my commute time. I went into the challenge dreading the thought that I'd be spending hours in the kitchen-searching the pantry, freezer and cupboards for some dried beans to gnaw on for dinner. What would I do without that quick-stop at the market for a rotisserie chicken? Well, the end result was that with a little planning and creativity, I crafted quite delicious meals. I saved money, and that extra hour saved by not stopping to shop on the way home meant I had another precious hour at home to cook and enjoy the creativity inherent in the challenge. And of course, another benefit has been seeing the dishes everyone else created.

Thanks doc. I didn't get copies of the other three "quadrant" menus, but given the talent, I'm sure they served some incredible dishes. A few of the recognizable Chef's that were cooking in the other quadrants that evening were: Patrick Connolly, Bobo, New York Traci Des Jardins, Jarniniere, San Francisco Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans Shawn McClain, Spring, Chicago Adam Siegel, Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro, Milwaukie Holly Smith, Cafe Juanita, Kirkland (Seattle) Johnathan Sundstrom, Lark, Seattle Luciano Pellegrini, Valentino, Las Vegas David Burke, David Burke, Las Vegas

I'm far from the Gumbo expert, but I'm wondering if adding some chopped okra or chayote would be acceptable in an "almost" vegetarian gumbo? Would okra melt into an unappetizing texture?

It’s been six weeks since I last posted on the James Beard Foundation, "Taste America" Events that were held last October in Las Vegas. Far too long for most reports. But time has a way of uncovering treasures that would not have been discovered in the moment when I wrote the last entry on January 19. Saturday, October 25, 2008-“Gala Dinner, The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino.” “A Coast-to-Coast Celebration of our Country’s Bounty.” The finale to the past few days of celebrating the life and legacy of James Beard came to a crescendo with the grand gala benefit dinner and auction at The Palazzo. The press release promised that the dinner would “feature more than a dozen James Beard Foundation award-winning chefs joining forces to create a “once-in-a-lifetime” gastronomic experience.” If one considers the fact that this was the largest partnership of James Beard award-winning chefs working in one kitchen, then yes, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And by the way, awards notwithstanding, the food was delicious. The Gala Benefit was a party on an impressive scale-a gathering of glitterati from the food world and some of the most gracious charity donors known in Las Vegas. The evening began with a silent auction, cocktails and appetizers in the foyer of the Grand Ballroom. Beard would not have settled for anything other than his name in largesse- Tables were set with descriptions of the auction items and guests had the opportunity to offer a “silent” bid. Proceeds from the auction went in part to fund scholarships for hospitality students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Some of the more popular auction items were tickets to the 2009 Beard Awards in New York and a dinner at Rao’s in New York hosted by Alan Richman. The bars were carved out of ice- The second-best dish I tasted that night was this delicious little mound of Foie Gras Mousse on Brioche with Fig Chutney and a sprinkle of Sea Salt- Smoked Salmon, American Sturgeon Caviar on Grain Bread. The Salmon and Sturgeon were delicious, but the bread was a bit greasy and had a strong flavor of raw grains- Vegetable Tart in Phyllo Crust- The concept behind the dinner was to take guests on a “Coast-to-Coast Celebration of our Country’s Bounty.” The ballroom had the typical set-up of a stage and round tables, yet any similarities to your average chicken and steak Friar’s Club dinner were cast aside on this night. The room was composed of four quadrants. Each “quadrant” would be served by a team of Chefs composed of James Beard nominees, Chefs who had won a Beard Award and Chefs from The Venetian and Palazzo. Each quadrant of the dining room was served a different four-course meal. The “Carnitas Tacos” we enjoyed at our table wouldn’t be the same opening course served to the table in the far corner of the ballroom. The Chefs for each quadrant came from a wide cross-section of America, meaning no table had a “regional” themed menu. The Chefs serving our section- Celina Tio of Julia(n) Restaurant, Charlotte, NC Fabio Trabocchi, Fiamma, New York David Robins and Matt Hurley, Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Las Vegas Jean-Louis Gerin, Jean-Louis, Greenwich, CT The fabulous table setting of fresh white roses, lilies and wine glasses, wine glasses, wine glasses- Course #1, Chef Celina Tio, Julia(n) Restaurant, Charlotte, NC. “Carnitas Tacos with Egg, Cilantro and Lime.” Served with “Contratto Arnelle, 2007, Gavi.”- Course #2, Chef Fabio Trabocchi, Fiamma, New York. “Alba White Truffle Risotto with Vacche Rosse Parmigiano-Reggiano.” Served with “Au Bon Climat, 2004, Hildegard Estate”- The best dish of the evening was the simplest-perfectly cooked fresh sea bass with a stunningly light, fresh tomato vinaigrette. And who was it that said you couldn’t transport an incredibly ripe, flavorful tomato to Las Vegas in October? I don’t know where the tomatoes came from, possibly the farmer’s market in Los Angeles. Bravo to Wolfgang Puck and his talented Chefs for presenting us with a passionate, yet simple dish. Course #3, Chefs David Robins and Matt Hurley, Wolfgang Fine Dining Group, Las Vegas. “Pan-Roasted French Sea Bass with Micro-Basil and Warm Tomato Vinaigrette.” Served with “Silverado Vineyards, 2004, Napa Valley Chardonnay”- It’s a tricky under-taking when a Chef invokes the name of Escoffier-at a celebration of James Beard no less. But Chef Gerin did justice to the Masters with a deliciously moist, tender quail with a deep-flavored sauce- Course #4, Chef Jean-Louis Gerin, Jean-Louis, Greenwich, CT. “Escoffier Quenelle and Mushroom Stuffed Boneless Vermont Quail with Devil Sauce.” Served with “Contratto, 2004, Panta Rei Barbera d’Asti”- Imagine the staging area and the prep, cooking and plating that had gone on behind the huge black curtain that was the back-drop for the stage? No doubt a ballroom kitchen and staging area filled with America’s finest Chefs would have been an impressive sight. The celebration continued after dinner, beginning with an introduction by Susan Ungarro, President of the James Beard Foundation and Chef Charlie Trotter- The true entertainment followed-the fund-raising portion of the evening where the auction continued live. Off course, the raucous portion of the entertainment was served-up by two Food Writers. (Chefs don’t always make for boisterous auctioneers). Only two of the most charismatic Food Writers of the day could reap such benefits for the Beard Foundation. In this fuzzy photo, one can make out the images of two titans of the food world-John Curtas, (aka eatinglv.com, KLAS, KNPR, and decidedly the King of Las Vegas), and the multi-platinum James Beard Award Winner, Mr. Alan Richman- Richman and Curtas were solely responsible for drawing out thousands of dollars for the Beard Foundation. A few other less notable personalities took to the auction stage, but they didn’t get a whimper of a bid compared to Richman and Curtas. The dinner at Rao’s in New York went for the staggering price of $7,000! Transportation to New York and accommodation were not included in the final bid, but Richman did say he would bring the wine to the dinner at no extra cost. I have no doubts that if the market for Food Writers were to shrivel up and fade away, we would see Richman and Curtas on the “Speed Channel” auctioning off a 1967 Shelby Mustang. The introduction of the Chefs after dinner- After the ceremonies concluded, the black stage curtain was pulled back to reveal a stunning display of pastries, desserts and confections- Beard would have loved this feast of food, wine and celebration. I’m glad I waited a while before finishing this report. Had I ended this story weeks ago, it would have simply been a trip report on the Taste America events with a few unique encounters with white truffles and an old cookbook along the way. As time often reveals, waiting to share some final thoughts allowed my story to come full-circle. In the months since Taste America, something quite amazing has been announced that bodes well for the Las Vegas restaurant trade. And that wonderful announcement answers some of the critics who argued that the restaurants of Las Vegas were not worthy of national recognition, and those who said that bringing the Beard Foundation to Nevada would have no long-lasting influence on the American dining scene. Just two weeks ago, some of the talented Chefs and Restaurants of Las Vegas were awarded with 10 nominations for the prestigious 2009 James Beard Awards. The list includes: Best New Restaurant- Raku Las Vegas Rising Star Chef of the Year- Vannessa Garcia, Restaurant Charlie, The Palazzo Sarah Kosikowski, Michael Mina, Bellagio Outstanding Pastry Chef- Kamel Guechida, Joel Robuchon, MGM Grand Outstanding Wine Service- Picasso, Bellagio Outstanding Service- Le Cirque, Bellagio Nobhill Tavern, MGM Grand Best Chef, Southwest- Paul Bartolotta, Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, Wynn Las Vegas Saipan Chutima, Lotus of Siam Claude Le Tohic, Joel Robuchon, MGM Grand This group represents not only the nominees, but the teams of chefs and employees who ply their craft in the kitchens and dining rooms of Las Vegas. The winners will be announced at the 2009 James Beard Awards on May 3-4 in New York City. At Taste America, we had celebrated the life and legacy of James Beard in one of the most exciting restaurant cities in America. We debated whether or not Las Vegas was worthy of that status-or if it was merely a city of gilt dining rooms with no talent behind the façade-a city searching for a food culture with “soul.” Through Taste America, thousands of dollars had been raised to further the educational and scholarship missions of the Foundation-insuring that there will be future funding for students studying for a degree in hospitality and the culinary arts. And finally, the talents of Las Vegas have now been recognized through the Beard Award nominations. Nominations for the Beard Awards certainly won’t end the debates about Las Vegas. Yet it is recognition that can’t be denied. Beard himself has to have the last word. I return to “The Fireside Cookbook,” (Simon and Schuster, 1949). Sixty years ago Beard wrote about the movement to create an American cuisine. A movement that is being practiced every day in kitchens in homes and restaurants across the country-and in Las Vegas. “More than other countries with longer histories or narrower tradition in food, however, America has the opportunity, as well as the resources, to create for herself a truly national cuisine that will incorporate all that is best in the traditions of the many peoples who have crossed the seas to form our new, still-young nation.”

I just heard about it this morning. I haven't been before, but I'm probably going to fly down for it. I think it would certainly be worth the $100. I can't compare it to last year's Grand Tasting at Vegas Uncork'd, but I would imagine it will be well attended and will feature some recognizable chefs. It's being held at The Flamingo, which is part of the Park Place Corporation-that includes Caesar's Palace. These are as much marketing events for the restaurants as they are events for the public, so my guess is that many of the top chefs of Las Vegas will be there. And since Caesar's is part of the Park Place family of hotels, I would think some of the Chefs from the restaurants at Caesar's might be there-i.e., chefs from Bradley Ogden and Guy Savoy. I'll see what kind of information I can get on a list of Chefs. The setting around the pools at the Flamingo is very nice and a great atmosphere for a tasting event.

Question for you-did you add plain water or any other liquid to the pot or do you just let the meat juices and fat serve as the braising liquid? Tell me what spices and herbs you add to your chili seasoning mix. Do the dry ingredients freeze o.k. without getting "watered down?" Now I have another great idea for a dish to make during my next run through the challenge. Your chili looks delicious.

Two events have already sold out-the Thursday night "Master" series dinner at Mesa Grill with Bobby Flay and the late, late, Thursday night event with Joel Robuchon and Cirque du Soleil's "KA." It's billed as "Theater in the Kitchen." It will be interesting to see if the other events will sell out. One would think given the economic times that the turnout might be bleak. But then again, it's Las Vegas and people might need some relief by taking a food trip. Hotel prices are down and people probably love the idea of having dinner with Bobby Flay. I'm passing on that one and going to dinner at Payard Patisserie and Bistro on Thursday night. I find the company of Chef Payard and the Host, Alan Richman, far more interesting than Mesa Grill. A lot of professionals will be in attendance at Vegas Uncork'd, and my guess is that they snagged most of the tickets early on to the Robuchon event.

It appeared they were provided access to everything in the kitchen - maybe there was veal stock and/or demi in the house, which you would expect in CP? ← That's what I was thinking. I'm pretty sure Commander's Palace would have had just about everything available. If that's the case, it certainly helped the chefs along with their sauces. The challenge at Le Bernadin seemed to be close to asking the Chefs to create their sauces from scratch. I remember Stefan prepared hollandaise from scratch for his lobster dish. Carla mentioned veal stock in the red wine sauce she did for her fish dish at Le Bernadin. I'm assuming the veal stock came from the pantry at Le Bernadin. It sure would be interesting to see a challenge in the future where the contestants would be tasked with having to create a classic sauce totally from scratch. Of course, that may not make for exciting television-roasting pounds of veal bones and reducing stocks over the course of a few days.

I have a couple of questions about ingredients that I'm hoping somebody can answer. Maybe it's been discussed already and I missed it. I saw Richard was checking the scallops that were used in Hosea's scallop and foie gras dish. I noticed Richard pulled a scallop out of a can. I've never seen scallops come out of a can. I would have thought the pantry for the finale would have included fresh diver scallops in the shell. Has anyone ever used canned scallops? During the competition we saw a number of dishes with traditional sauces. In the case of the finale it was a sauce for Carla's beef and a sauce that went with Stefan's squab. I doubt they had the time to do a traditional veal stock or demi-glace. Does anyone know if the Top Chef pantry provides the contestants with pre-made reduction sauces?

I'm sadly unable to continue on. After the elk dinner on Wednesday night that ended my challenge week, I took a trip to the market on Thursday afternoon. And I spent more than the new rules will allow. So I'll have to "sit this one out." But I just may take it on again, keeping within our guidelines, but........attempting to go a month without shopping!

Wednesday, February 25, Day Seven, Dinner- Wednesday night was the final day of my challenge-the culmination of an interesting, enlightening, and reflective week. I would have posted my final dinner earlier, but I had a nasty little turn with some scurvy to deal with. (I use the term scurvy tongue-in-cheek. I was sick, but I didn’t have the illness of the pirates-my affliction wasn’t precipitated by not eating an adequate supply of fresh fruits and vegetables during my challenge week). I only portrayed two breakfasts and lunches (on my days off work), during the my challenge. The remaining five breakfasts and lunches were a mix of leftovers and bits and pieces I scavenged from the cupboards and freezer. I must thank Peter the Eater for inspiring me to create a dish using huckleberries-a fruit I consider to be the holy grail if you will of all the world’s foods. (Those of you who have followed some of my previous posts know of my love of the wild huckleberry). The thoughts that were provoked during my challenge week were brought to the fore-front as I prepared the final dinner on Wednesday night-a dinner composed primarily of locally-sourced ingredients that I already had on hand. These local ingredients were at the peak of their flavor when they were harvested and their flavor didn't suffer for sitting too long in my freezer. The challenge brought forward the idea that if I had properly stored these seasonal ingredients, they would be wonderful months later if I used them in an appropriate dish. Fresh huckleberries in late September make for one of the world’s most delicious pies. Yet frozen huckleberries pulled out of the freezer in late February make a delicious fruit compote to accompany wild game. One of my employees feeds me a supply of venison and elk. He had given some elk loin steaks from the 2007 Fall hunt that I had sealed in a foodsaver bag and put in the freezer. This particular animal was harvested from the Blue mountains of Eastern, Oregon. The elk had a very hearty, beefy flavor-not a hint of gaminess. In fact, I’ve eaten farm-raised elk that had a more disctinctive game flavor. Of course, wild animals aren’t fed with care by man and as a result, the meat wasn’t as tender as one would find with a beef loin steak. I marinated the elk with juniper berries, black peppercorns, dried thyme and sage. I ground the juniper berries and peppercorns in a spice grinder and then added the dried herbs. This was the last of my black peppercorns. The elk steaks marinating in aromatics, herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. I was at a loss for the side dishes to serve with the elk. My original thought was to use some frozen peas-possibly a pea puree garnished with dried shallots. I was focusing on the green color of the peas to enhance the color of the dish and then I realized that while color was important, flavor was more important. So I scanned the refrigerator and sitting in the back was a jar of a classic condiment for wild game-red cabbage. It wasn’t hard to decide on a sauce for the elk. Peter the Eater had asked on these pages about whether or not I would be using some huckleberries during my challenge week. I had all but forgotten my huckleberries up to that point. They are so rare, expensive and precious, I think I only thought of using them for a special occasion later in the year. This past Fall I purchased two gallons of freshly picked huckleberries. The price this past season was a reasonable $40 per gallon. That price point may shock you, but huckleberries only grow wild and must be picked by hand. The actual growing season runs from mid-July through the end of September, but the window for the peak flavor of the berries is typically only about 10 days in mid-September. The pickers must compete with bears for every last berry. So you can understand why they are so expensive. These berries were picked on Mount Spokane, about 30 miles from my home. Nothing compares to a wild huckleberry, and no other berry is a more appropriate accompaniment to wild game. My Northwest themed menu of locally-sourced products was starting to take shape-Seared Loin of Elk, (Oregon), served with Huckleberry Compote, (Washington). The frozen berries must be thawed, but while they thaw, a very tart, yet sweet juice drains from the berries Have you ever had a “Huckleberry Martini?” I did on Wednesday night. (And I certainly didn't think I would have the ingredients to make a chi-chi cocktail during my challenge week). The huckleberries would be cooked with wine and spices into a warm compote to serve with the elk. The ingredients for the compote included Pinot Noir from the Erath Vineyards located in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The other ingredients are sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of lemon juice. As you can see, my last, tired lemon is getting wrinkled around the edges. I created the huckleberry compote recipe when I appeared on the PBS series “MasterChef USA,” back in 2001. The compote was served with vanilla ice cream. The compote cooks down for about 20 minutes. I added about a tablespoon of cornstarch/water to thicken the compote. The final side dish for the elk would be “Pommes de Terre Macaire”-a Jacques Pepin recipe that is a classic. I live just a couple of hours drive from the fields where Washington’s prized Russet potatoes are grown. The potatoes are harvested in the Fall and then stored in cold warehouses. We are lucky to be able to buy these prized, locally-grown potatoes throughout the year without them having to travel from hundreds of miles away. This dish starts with baking Russet potatoes a day in advance. (I had two potatoes left in the pantry). Cooling the potato overnight in the refrigerator helps the starch to relax and firm up the flesh of the potato. On day two, you cut the potato in half and scoop out the meat. The potato chunks are then fried in clarified butter, (made from the last of my butter supply). The seasonings for the potatoes included salt, pre-ground pepper, (I used up the last of my peppercorns in the elk marinade), dried thyme, dried parsley and dried sage. During the week, I worried that not having fresh herbs would deprive my dishes of flavor. The reverse held true. Like the frozen huckleberries, dried herbs presented a challenge, but only in terms of my creativity. Dried herbs, used in the right recipe, offer a different flavor profile than fresh herbs. After going days without fresh herbs, I have a new appreciation for those bottles sitting in the Spice Islands rack above my stove. Here is a close-up photo of the finished “Pommes de Terre Macaire”- I seared the elk in a small amount of olive oil in a hot cast iron pan for three minutes per side. Loin of Elk, Huckleberry Compote, Red Cabbage, “Pommes de Terre Macaire”- It would be difficult to prepare a dessert that I could call “Northwest” regional cuisine using locally sourced ingredients. But again I just had to search the cupboards and use my creativity to come up with what would end up being one of the best dishes of my challenge week. The ingredients for dessert included canned apricots, Tillamook Ice Cream, (from the Tillamook Dairy Cooperative on the Oregon Coast), honey and toasted hazelnuts, (also from Oregon). I had originally planned to use walnuts in the dessert, but then I found a small container of toasted hazelnuts in the refrigerator left over from holiday baking. My family sends me bags of Oregon “filberts” every year. I was raised in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, which is the home to some of America’s finest “filbert” orchards. (We always called the nuts “filberts.” It wasn’t until the marketing people decided a few years back that the term “hazelnut” would be more attractive to consumers that the old-fashioned term "filber" was thrown out of fashion). Another kitchen cupboard staple would find its way into dessert-chocolate milk powder. When I was a kid, a friend of mine used to sprinkle chocolate milk powder on his ice cream. I’ve done it for over 40 years now and it’s delicious-sweet, fine and full of chocolate flavor. I just never used chocolate powder in a “fancy” type of presentation. I tried to grill the apricot halves to caramelize some of the sugar in the fruit. Well, that didn’t work because the fruit was swimming in so much syrup it wouldn’t caramelize. I pulled out the butane torch to get some color on the apricots. Vanilla Ice Cream with Grilled Apricots, Toasted Hazelnuts and Honey- I would have added some crumbled bleu cheese on top of the apricots for a savory note, but the last chunk of Rogue Creamery Bleu from Oregon was eaten for lunch on day five of my challenge week. It was a bit of a surprise this morning when I took a tally of the fresh fruit supply. I was quite surprised to find I had one red apple, one tangelo and one lemon sitting in a basket sitting on an open shelf in the back pantry. I suspect what happened when I thought the fresh fruit had been used. I had apparently gotten past any cravings for a fresh apple, so I didn’t go on a search to find one. It was only after I discovered that apple in the basket this morning that the craving for fresh fruit came back. The week ended with no fresh greens or vegetables. I did end up with two root vegetables-two Russet potatoes. I have plenty of garlic, yellow and red onions. The dairy case holds four eggs that are past their prime, about half a quart of three-week old milk, no butter or sour cream. In spite of the lack of fresh products, I have enough food to sustain myself for at least another week. I could honestly do the challenge and go nearly a month without having to shop. A startling realization I would have never guessed would have come true prior to the challenge. I’ll be adding more thoughts as we go along. Specifically, how this challenge brought back memories of my Grandmother Ross and how she subsisted on a farm for days without going into town to shop-especially during winters in Central Oregon spanning the years from her birth in the 1890’s up to when she acquired modern refrigeration in the 1930’s. And I reflected back on Aunt Bertie and the wonderful watermelon rind pickles she put up every fall in her home in Twin Falls, Idaho. Those tangy pickles would be just one of the condiments Aunt Bertie would have put on the table when fresh watermelons weren’t available in Southern Idaho. I’m looking forward to seeing your dishes, and I’ll be interested if you found some of the same challenges and joys I discovered during the week.

How delicious! Bravo. ← I was pretty proud of myself. Then, last night, working on a totally different project, I stumbled across the Ducasse dish that inspired mine. It was better. ← You mean you didn't have any fresh, white truffles from Alba sitting in a little dish of rice on your counter? Oh my does that take an egg dish over the top. Bravo again.

How delicious! Bravo. This is a wonderful example of why I find the challenge so exciting. And in what is a reversal in how we typically create new dishes, rather than start with a shopping trip, you began with ingredients from the pantry. Now I've got an idea for breakfast this weekend.

Tonight is the last night of my challenge, dinner on day seven. I'm ending the week with the realization that I really don't need to shop for at least another week, maybe longer. I still have a bounty of wonderful products. Over the course of the past week, my tastes for fresh foods have waned as I've shifted my thought process to crafting dishes out of what I've got in the cupboards. The ingredient list for tonight includes- -Elk loin given to me from one of my employees who harvested the beast in the mountains of Eastern Oregon. (Frozen). -Huckleberries from the ranges of Mount Spokane, about 20 miles from my home. (Frozen). -Washington Russet potatoes. (From the cold storage warehouse). -Butter from Darigold dairy of Spokane, Washington. -Ice Cream from Tillamook Dairy, Tillamook, Oregon. -Walnuts from a local orchard in Spokane, Washington. -Canned Apricots, (origins unkown). Photos to come.