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ducphat30

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Everything posted by ducphat30

  1. From a stabilizer standpoint for hot and cold emulsions what are some of the differences of micri vs. zanthan gum?
  2. ducphat30

    pork roast

    I'd recommend low and slow with a probe thermometer, you could roast it at 250F until the thermometer read 155 and I'd think that you'd be pretty happy with the results. As I remember a Boston butt has a good amount fat so your results should still be very succulent..
  3. Justin, Really interesting thread. I would fathom a guess that your "more than average" experienced palate has helped you in school? What are your plans after graduating? Where else are you hoping to experience before your time expires? ducphat
  4. A quick question for Chef Cantu, Is the lounge a more "approachable" way to experience your cuisine without commiting to a tasting menu or is it a segue into a dining experience with you? Or is it both? BTW It is a really inviting looking space.
  5. Are you thinking of MacFarlane Farms? They seem to have the market cornered on domestic pheasant production.
  6. ducphat30

    fluted mushrooms

    As someone who has fluted several hundred mushrooms, I can tell you, that you will handle the mushrooms correctly, this usually involves blanching them shortly afterwards in "un blanc" (acidulated broth). We then had to sear them golden brown. The closest comparison I could make was to when you lightly brulee meringue. It seems to highlight the curves you put in, not hide them.
  7. I cannot speak from experience using sheet or powdered gelatin to provide thickening and texture to sauces, but as for agar, we use it quite often, especially with vegetable base sauces that we emulsify with oils and want to use warm. It gives a nice texture, viscosity and works very well in this application. Another ingredient to think about using is micri, it is something I am not extremely familiar with, but it too may give you the results you are looking for.
  8. If you register with their website, they are very helpful. They will send samples and help you set up ordering with them. They are very forthright with their information on the stuff, as well. They(the people at ajinimoto) are looking for ideas to use the stuff, as much as we are.
  9. If I say trans*&(%+)m!nase would I be close??
  10. This past monday my wife and I celebrated our anniversary at Vie Restaurant in Western Springs, just south of the train station. I felt that it was time to start this topic, as of yet this Chicago magazine top ten must tries, had yet to be mentioned. I will add that my review and discussion of the restaurant should be taken with a grain of salt because I consider the chef, Paul Virant, and his family very close to my own. He and I have worked together in the past and talk on a regular basis. You walk into Vie and the first thing that you do is check in at the host stand. It is right inside the entrance, but you'll notice the woodburning fireplace inside the lounge which has bar space for 10 and a lounge area. Monday they were using it for dining room seating. The dining room, twists and turns through the restaurant, is done in shades of white, gray and black. The tables are well spaced, and the banquettes are extremely comfortable and wide. Some banquettes can be so narrow, they are almost uncomfortable. It is a very modern/chic look which is tempered by beautiful chandeliers and black and white photography of the area around Western Springs. I know that my description does not do it justice, but believe me it is a very well thought out space. I did not take notes during the meal, and my wife is not the most adventurous of eaters, but I will try and go into detail about the different aspects of the meal as best I can. The middle courses are in no peticular order, as I could not remember how they came out. Amuse-Gently poached fluke on beluga lentils, light mustard vinaigrette: IMO fluke can come out extremely dry if not handled perfectly. They poached the fluke over very low heat until it was just cooked through, over the lentils with a whole grain mustard vinaigrette that was not overpowering, very light and creamy. Nice start to the evening. Fried Quail, housemade gardiniera relish, creamy blue cheese: This is a fun little riff on buffalo wings. The quail was still medium in the middle and crispy on the outside with a housemade gardiniera (don't think fontano's relish) but a very petite cut of vegetables for it, plus the creamy blue cheese dressing (using Mindoro Blue). Nice little app, and who doesn't like fried chicken? Ale and Cheese soup: Flavors of Wisconsin beer cheese soup hightened to fine dining status. It had the flavors of Sierra Nevada Pale ale and a young white cheddar cheese, nicely emulsified and yet still a light soup. It wasn't thick, nor was it grainy (both can be problems when making this soup). With a little herb oil, for garnish, it was a very good soup. Gnocchi with braised rabbit legs: Outstanding gnocchi (featured in the Tribune) with shredded braised rabbit, and the flavors of tarragon and chervil. These are very well made gnocchi, soft and creamy but still holding their shape. Whatever the chef does with these, they are always good. mixed lettuce salad, crispy goat cheese: I got a 1/2 bite of this, my wife was not to into sharing. It was a tasty salad, with a nice balance in the walnut vinaigrette, warm goat cheese and candied walnuts. Braised veal cheeks and roots: Chef Virant is talking about taking these off the menu come the New year, which is a total bummer. These were outstanding. A lot of time and effort had been put into cleaning and properly braising the veal cheeks, they were tender, juicy and succulent all at the same time. Two of them came on a bed of small diced root vegetables and a reduction of the braising liquid. I asked for more bread to sop up the juices. Wood Grilled Ribeye: Nice piece of meat, perfectly grilled with pommes frites, haricot vert and colmannaisse (colman's mustard flavored mayonaisse). A simple dish, really done well. This was my wife's entree and she was so kind as to bestow upon me a perfect bite ( a la When Harry met Sally) with a little bit of the meat some frites and colmannaise. It was very tasty. Wood Grilled Venison Loin: Very good piece of meat, grilled perfectly, rare-medium rare, served on a bed of glazed salsify with black trumpet mushrooms and juniper reduction. This was one of the best venison dishes I have had in a long time. Desserts: We ordered three, although we were at the point where we should have ordered one. Peanut butter mousse: It was a rich dish with the flavors of peanut butter. This is a dish that they advertise for 2 normally. If you like peanut butter, you'll like this dish. It has some milk chocolate mousse, and is enrobed in dark chocolate mousse. Warm Venezuelan Chocolate Cake: A warm chocolate cake with a rich, moist center and served with mint ice cream. Gooey Buttercake: Gooey buttercake, think a warm coconut macaroon, that is served with housemade coconut sorbet and vanilla bean roasted pineapple. This was our favorite. It was one of those desserts that your still thinking about the next day. Really good. Perfectly matched with a beautiful sauternes. We did drink a 1/2 bottle of Veuve Cliquot Orange label to start, a bottle of a light, yet full-bodied bordeaux and finished with an incredible 1/2 bottle of an Oreganian (sp) Pinot Noir. I apologize I cannot remember what they were. The wine list is about 85 bottles strong and it is an eclectic, affordable bunch of wines, that are well thought out in my opinion. You can find something for anyone in just about any price range. They do have reserve selections, as well. I really think that this restaurant has that something special that makes restaurants great. I want to reiterate to take my review/observations with a grain of salt, but it is definitely a place to check out.
  11. Do you have a more "specific" address, I tried what you gave in your quote, as well as googling and no luck. Thanks
  12. Mariano Rivera chef at Charlies on Leavitt, Chicago Francisco Lopez, sous chef, The Everest Room, Chicago
  13. I am not going to claim that I am a grit expert, but I have had quite a bit of luck making grit cakes once you understand a few of the principles. Hydration is key for the grits, especially with stone ground grits they need to have up to 5 times the liquid (by volume) so that the starch granules can swell and release their starches into the body of the grits, this will help to hold them together. I am guessing, stress guessing, that they were not cooked long enough. The recipe that I would reccomend for making grits involves bring 2 cups of water and 2 cups of whole milk to a boil with a touch of salt and pepper, whick in 1 cup of grits and place in a 325 F oven. Whisk every 10 minutes or so. You may need and additional cup of liquid to help keep the grits wet. After about an hour, check and make sure the grits are cooked, adjust the seasoning, butter, herbs, cheese salt and pepper, if so pour them out onto a lightly oiled sheet tray and allow it to chill. Once they have completely cooled, they are easy to cut and lightly pan sear so you get a crisp outside and creamy inside. It also takes a more attentive touch to make sure that the cakes do not get beaten up. If you are going to fry them (deep) I would omit additional butter as the fat will coat the starches not allowing them to bond and they would break up totally immersed in the hot fat. If you want to dust them, why not with some fine cornmeal? Do not be too aggressive with the cheese either, unless it is for soft grits, because as they heat up they lose their structure, as well. These are all based on observations, trial and error. I cannot provide you with any empirical evidence. Best of luck, hope this helps.
  14. Not to switch subjects, but there is a nice spread in metromix today, more so about the caramel orb, which looks like an incredible vehicle for a number of things, and an interview with chefg. For anyone who's interested
  15. Chef, I remember a "dessert" course in the TDF that was a rutabega sponge, was this the same ratio that you used for that? And have you used other "gelling" agents to be able to do the sponge warm? Thanks in advance for the info. Really enjoying the thread.
  16. Fear not, IMO they will survive despite customers like this because of their combined Four Seasons training. I know (as an FSH alum) that the customer experience is fore front, whether it is a plain piece of chicken with everything on the side to upstanding restaurant patrons, like yourself. This is never an easy job, but I would be willing to bet the farm that this is a group of people who are probably more prepared than most to handle very fussy clientele and create positive experiences for them, as well.
  17. I don't know exactly where I read it, it may have been an el bulli thread, but what if you took caramel (hard) microplaned it and mixed it with pulverized corn or sweet smoked paprika, whatever (crushed nuts, too!) Take that and spread a thin layer on a silpat and heat in the oven until the sugar melts and reconnects everything. Or (I got this idea from the Alinea thread) use a paint stripping gun to melt it. Although it is an intense heat not quite the focused heat of say a blowtorch. Definitely add a touch of salt, maybe afterwards as the caramel is cooling so you get the two kinds of crunch (sweet and salty). Just a couple of ideas. Let us know how it goes
  18. Doc, If I am not mistaken, that is a bowl, so the broccoli stem is underneath the bread.
  19. Really enjoying the thread and am very thankful for your candid responses to such a normally private and often elusive topic, the business plan. I have a couple of questions feel free to answer as broadly, specifically, as much/little as you'd like. 1) What was the cost of planning the business plan? I know that architects are always looking for an initial investment before they start doing drawings. Did this then become part of the expenses in the business plan? 2) Are you planning to return the reserve as soon as you have a cash flow established? 3) Was a minimum per person investment set, or were you more interested in finding investors that were in tune with the business plan and Alinea as a project on the whole. Thanks for your time, Looking forward to the months ahead.
  20. It may have been in another thread, but the chef from Cru, Shea Gallante, was quoted as using weather stripping in the seal of the bag that way you put a digital thermometer, the ones with the long wire, pretty thin needle into through the weather stripping, then seal the bag. I have not yet found any literature on the net yet pertaining to measured results of plastic leaching, and because the technology is new what long term effects there are, but because they are "considered food grade bags" and the lower temperature method I would think that it is a safe method of cooking. What I am assuming is that through higher temperatures there would be more of a release of plastics, granted this is an assumption. If I recall sanitation correctly, these forms of anaerobic growth takes a few hours to develop, now with menu items that are cooked on a daily basis, this is from my own experience and procedures, they are packed sous vide and kept refrigerated until it is time to poach them at service. With long cooked items, there is a little bit more potential for growth, if not handled correctly, but if you keep it out of the temperature danger zone, even those few degrees, you will be alright. As with all thing in the kitchen it always comes down to proper handling of the ingredients and maintaining good sanitation, no matter what the cooking method. IMO there is a little bit of a leap of faith with using this cooking method, because it is so different than what we have all grown up with or have been trained in cooking. As you said earlier, the results are incredible, when done correctly.
  21. I vote with both hands for the exoglass matfer. It is a great piece of equipment and the sturdiest chinois we have used. It has lasted over a year, I know that sounds ridiculous but we went through 5 chinoises last year. We have definitely changed the handling procedures for it, but it is a tough chinois. You can find it for around $45 from Previn Inc out of Philadelphia.
  22. ducphat30

    gellan

    Hi Nhumi, I was looking at the cpkellco website and it mentioned "shearing" is this a reference to having it come in contact with an abrasive during its set-up time? Or is this a professional term that I have no idea what I am talking about. Ducphat30
  23. ducphat30

    gellan

    I know they use it at WD-50, You might want to give them a shout and see, they are pretty open to questions.
  24. What is the total square footage of the restaurant? Is there only going to be the main kitchen, or will you have additional prep area?
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