Your Daily Menus

[CSASphinx]

Hello Chef Hamilton,

Thank you for joining us.

I'm interested in how you create your menus for the Spiced Pear, creating them daily from what is in house as opposed to ordering what you need for specific dishes.

Why do you choose to create your menus this way and why is it important for you to make these determiniations essentially every day on the fly?

[Richard Hamilton]

Hello Chef Hamilton,

Thank you for joining us.

I'm interested in how you create your menus for the Spiced Pear, creating them daily from what is in house as opposed to ordering what you need for specific dishes.

Why do you choose to create your menus this way and why is it important for you to make these determiniations essentially every day on the fly?

←

Hello, thanks for that question. Changing our menus daily allows us to use the freshest, best ingredients we can find. When we speak with our vendors, farmers, fishermen etc.. we ask what looks best. When the product arrives, sometimes there are problems or delays in shipping. I cannot decide it is quality enough to go on the menu till we see it in house. Thats when I will design a dish around what is in house.

Some prodcuts come in very limited quantities and we sell out in a night. So again, redesigning the menu the next day allows us the flexibility or buying in smaller quantities and more allocated products. We are not married to a dish only to the ingredients we recieve.

[snowangel]

Thanks so much for participating in this Q & A. They are one of the many goldmines on EG.

Further to this question, from where do you get inspiration? So, lets say for 4 days in a row, you get pretty much the same great stuff in. How do you decide what to do with it? Although I'm a home cook, it can be so hard to look at the same set of great things in fresh and inventive ways.

[Richard Hamilton]

Thanks so much for participating in this Q & A.  They are one of the many goldmines on EG.

Further to this question, from where do you get inspiration?  So, lets say for 4 days in a row, you get pretty much the same great stuff in.  How do you decide what to do with it?  Although I'm a home cook, it can be so hard to look at the same set of great things in fresh and inventive ways.

←

Well its very easy to get "bored" with the food and not be inspired. My inspiration comes from many differen places and I am blessed to have seen and eaten alot of great food in my travels and career.

On a daily basis I get inspired from the seasons, other chefs in magazines, my restaurant or in my memory. Foods from my childhood also bring up ideas for food in the restaurant or sometimes just personal cravings for other things I cannot find to eat locally. I , as most chefs, pull upon all things in my career to cook in my restaurant. Also, sometimes just looking at an ingredient in a different way gives me and idea. Like I love cauliflower puree, but when I get bored of it, I think of ways to make the puree differnt by incorporating different herbs, spices, other purees or flovors into. Also cooking it a different way or in a different broth will make it different. Sometimes I will look at another ingredient and think of a different ingredient. Like if I have Zucchini but want eggplant, my mind will try and bridge the gap between the two flavors giving me what I want without the ingredient I was hoping for. Confused yet? In any case, there are many ways to get inspired, but the key is to be inspired when you cook because when its uninspired, its usually a flop.

[Rien]

When composing a menu with such eclectic sources, what consideration do you give to the harmony of the menu and the ability of diners to compose coherent meals?

Do you find that there's a tendency not to select menu items from divergent regions or do they feel free to select an Asian inspired entre with an Italian inspired main?

Thanks,

rien

[Richard Hamilton]

When composing a menu with such eclectic sources, what consideration do you give to the harmony of the menu and the ability of diners to compose coherent meals?

Do you find that there's a tendency not to select menu items from divergent regions or do they feel free to select an Asian inspired entre with an Italian inspired main?

Thanks,

rien

←

Rien, Inspiration and actual are very different. I will never truly do an actual Italian dish but maybe with ingredients and style inspired from that country. All the food is mine and is all eventually designed by me. I take alot of consideration as to how one dish will flow to the next and yes, an Asian insppired dish will have to meld with an Italian inspired dish. But eventually its all in the tastes of the diner and what I feel works, must really be what our guests are looking for. I try and read this on a regular basis and the more I get comfotable with what they expect and hit it, the more they become comfortable with me. Its always progressing.

The format for us is we have 3 menus daily. One 4 course menu with 5-6 choices in each course plus the option of a cheese course; we do an 8 course tasting and a 12-14 course chefs table menu. I like this style as opposed to a smaller 3 course menu. i love smaller more intense courses allowing to try a various amount of flavors as opposed to 2 or 3 of very large same flavor ideas. Not everyone likes this and I understand but this is my feeling of what works for me and what our guest as a whole are looking for.

[intraining]

hi chef hamilton,

with regards to the daily changes, are you working around best seller main ingredients or are the main ingredients changing as well? i ask because i know somebody doing daily menu changes and asked to see examples which i noticed that there was 'loose' pattern to the changes. are you creating brand new menu offerings each day or do you revert back to some, say, in the case of an emergency?

i'm not sure this is such a good question.

thank you

[Richard Hamilton]

When composing a menu with such eclectic sources, what consideration do you give to the harmony of the menu and the ability of diners to compose coherent meals?

Do you find that there's a tendency not to select menu items from divergent regions or do they feel free to select an Asian inspired entre with an Italian inspired main?

Thanks,

rien

←

I think I answered this in another post. Is that correct or am I wrong and still need to answer this one?

[Richard Hamilton]

hi chef hamilton,

with regards to the daily changes, are you working around best seller main ingredients or are the main ingredients changing as well?  i ask because i know somebody doing daily menu changes and asked to see examples which i noticed that there was 'loose' pattern to the changes.  are you creating brand new menu offerings each day or do you revert back to some, say, in the case of an emergency?

i'm not sure this is such a good question.

thank you

←

This is a fine question. I have some things (main ingrediants) that are always there for example:

Elysian Fields Lamb

Kobe Tenderloin

Lobster

and maybe a few others

They are always different and not always on the same course. We have alot, and I mean alot, of regulars who eat at our place at least once a week. They come because its always different and new for them. Its very challenging doing this but very rewarding at the same time. I love the challenge and I think it pays off with the guests. Our changes are not loose at all but very broad and very deliberate. My sous chef who works in purchasing tries to make sure I mix up the ingredients a great deal and always tries to sneek in a few surprises for me, the guests and the team to play with.

[intraining]

ok, the hog in me is coming out - just curious - what's your favourite season? and of course, favourite ingredient that is due to be available?

it is my final question

[Richard Hamilton]

ok, the hog in me is coming out - just curious - what's your favourite season? and of course, favourite ingredient that is due to be available?

it is my final question

←

Well I have to say fall and spring are my favorites for different reasons. i love the comfort foods of fall and the color and freshness or spring.

I cant resist white truffles in fall as well as all the squashes and in spring I love spring Lambs, english peas and morels. Oh I love it all but those are very special in flavor.

[intraining]

hello again chef hamilton,

i've been staging every day now for about 3 weeks and i'm wondering if any of your staff (under sous) have been the brainchild behind your dishes? and what were they? how do you draw out food information form your staff?

because i like to understand the thinking behind the creativity side of cooking. not just the mundane, we've been making this sauce for years this way approach (which i need to understand anyway).

thanks again,

intraining

ps: do you think it's a good time to ask for some compensation?

[Richard Hamilton]

hello again chef hamilton,

i've been staging every day now for about 3 weeks and i'm wondering if any of your staff (under sous) have been the brainchild behind your dishes? and what were they?  how do you draw out food information form your staff?

because i like to understand the thinking behind the creativity side of cooking.  not just the mundane, we've been making this sauce for years this way approach (which i need to understand anyway).

thanks again,

intraining

ps:  do you think it's a good time to ask for some compensation? 

←

Well at my restaurant no one, including sous chefs, participates in the creation of dishes. I keep a very tight reign on the food and actually create all dishes myself. Its the only way I can guaranty that the food follows my vision and my style. In the early days of creating a restaurant and building a team( about 3 or 4 year) chefs almost always do it like this to get on course and build sous chefs repetoire of food. (did i spell that right?)

Its not a dis on the sous chefs or other staff, its just about getting and staying on track. All chefs eventually have their day when the get to be creative in their restaurant. It just takes a while.

As far as asking for money, you know its never a good time to ask. Seriously, I couldnt say one way or another. If you bring and invaluable service to the table, are under payed, they cant like without you, and its been awhile...maybe its time. Dont say I said so.