Cryoseared duck….

A great technique from the upcoming 1500 page book in the works that Dr Nathan Myhrvold ,Chris young and their team is preparing for next year…. It was a great technique demonstration to watch at the starchefs congress this year and is already creating waves in culinary as well as in scientific circles….

The New York Times has the full article and the video so please visit the link to watch part of the Starchefs Congress demo…</a>

Last days of Gourmet…..

Pictures of a sad goodbye … You will be missed…..

a href=”http://www.lastdaysofgourmet.com/”>

True….

Amen brother ….. Amen….

Playing with Gastrovac…..

The Gastrovac is a really interesting toy …. It has been out quite sometime now but not every kitchen can acquire one due to its price … Its also a new concept, a tool you have to “figure out” how to make it work for optimal results and use since there are very few resources and recipes to give you an operational idea….
Here is how it works….
By creating an artificial low pressure, oxygen-free atmosphere, the Gastrovac considerably reduces cooking and frying temperatures, maintaining the texture, colour and nutrients of the food.
Moreover, the Gastrovac creates the “sponge effect”: when the atmospheric pressure is restored, the food absorbs the liquid around it, allowing infinite combinations of foods and flavours…

During my visit in Orlando i had the opportunity to see first hand and get a glimpse of how a Gastrovac works… Chris Windus , Sean and i run off to the garde manger kitchen to set up the gastrovac and watch Chris Windus do a test run for the EPCOT upcoming demo …..

Chris had this idea about a lobster dish he had in the works… But Chris Windus is like any other great chef i have met… He is not afraid to improvise and he is constantly improving the plating and components untill he is satisfied enough…. The lobster is on his mind sure , thats only one component… The ergonomics of plate up , time to prepare , demo time available, ingredients and components , how these are prepared , testing , tasting , adjusting thinking and rethinking until its “done”…
The design of a new dish and its components is pretty much a rigorous exercise and not something you just drop on a plate… Some dishes are certainly easier than others but when you are at the top of your game you are not looking for something “just simple” but something extraordinary …It may look easy or straightforward but most people will not realize how much process goes behind closed doors until that dish is “complete”…
Anyway i will take the opportunity and post some pictures from our “adventures”with the gastrovac …

cooking....

ready....

slicing....

and tasting.....

The taste was light and the texture of the lobster resembled poaching or sous vide …. The test was successful in determining some questions , raising others and creating new ideas to light the road ahead…I am sure this is not the last time we will see the gastrovac in use……
The rest of the information about the final dish and the EPCOT demo are going to be on Bluechefs blog … Bluechefs blog

Best in Hampton Roads 2009…

We recently did another great event , March Of Dimes …March of Dimes is a great event for a great cause…The money we raise support programs in our community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the serious problems that threaten our babies…
Our dish based on local fresh seafood was Puppy drum…
Here’s the list of winners:
Outstanding Presentation Dish – Richard Boone, Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro

Best Decorated Booth – Rich Cuocco, Harbourway at Atlantic Shores

People’s Choice Award – Eric Doarnberger, The Founders Inn and Spa

Outstanding Dessert Dish – Richard Boone, Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro

Chef’s Choice Award – Mike Farrell, Still

Most Environmentally Friendly Dish – Nigel Jenkins, The Great American Grill

The 2009 Dish of Hampton Roads – Executive Chef Pete Stine, Hilton Oceanfront Virginia Beach (Catch 31 & Salacia)

He prepared: Pan Roasted “Puppy Drum”, Corn bread, ragout of duck, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms.

This dish will be featured in our establishment in January and showcased in the 2010 Annual Food Issue of Hampton Roads Magazine.

The chefs’ restaurants donated packages for the live and silent auctions.

The money raised allows the March of Dimes to continue research and community education to help mothers have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.
Congratulations to our chef team for another great event …

puppy drum ....

Tasting menu @ Bluezoo….

We had the distinct honor to dine at Bluezoo and get a taste of their menu in a multi course tasting dinner prepared by Chef Chris Windus and his team … We gave chef carte blanche to prepare whatever he wanted any way he wanted to … Its a great option to not have an option sometimes…. No menus no complicated orders, just food….
Pictures were not that great but we were shooting in low light conditions without flash … Partially because this was not supposed to be a photo shoot and partially because we did not wish to interrupt or disturb customers dinning all around us…

1st course

Octopus Sous Vide /Garbanzo beans/ Tomato

Sweetbreads

The parsnip puree was excellent….
2nd Course

White Homini Grits /shrimp/Pickled Okra/tomato

Seared Scallops / Shortrib/ Cauliflower Puree/Jus/Mache

3rd Course

Chilled lobster / Shaved fennel ,Orange , lobster/ Nasturtium/ Orange fluid gel

Another shot...

4th Course

Chefs Pasta...Fresh made Agnolotti ....

5th Course

Pork dish..Pork belly/ apple kraut quenelle /pork / warm potato salad

Pork belly brined in beer is divine …. Pork, Potatoes and super cold beer for dessert!!! Because after all this food this was the last thing i was able to fit… I would have done dessert in any other case but this was more than enough for us …. The beer was Tucher and it was cold and poured in extra chilled beer glasses … The perfect ending to a perfect dinner…..

Bluezoo has an exceptional menu …Heres a few more pictures from the “regular ” offerings and the outstanding desserts of Bluezoo…..

Again a special thanks to Chris windus and his team for the amazing tasting dinner and Doug and the FOH for the outstanding wine and service…

EPCOT Dinner @ Bluezoo… Behind the scenes…..

A picture is a thousand words they say… This is what goes on behind closed doors ,before a high end multi course dinner takes place… and the people behind it….

Cleaning Micro veg using a paring knife...

Chefs Garden Micro greens....

Shiso....

Turnips....From Chefs Garden in OH....

Carrots from Chefs Garden OH....

Beets from the same source....

Garbanzos ready for blanching.....

Making garlic chips.....

Yes another one...

The subtle sound of the circulator .....

Liquid Nitrogen on wheels......

Cauliflower pickle....

Sweetbreads.....

Pork belly C.S.V.

Octopus...

Apple Chips in Dehydrator...Final step.....

Red pepper gel .....

Clams packed ready for flash blanch ,chill and shuck......

Hamachi.....

Wagyu sliced for service.....

Cleaning chestnuts....

Making the porcini pasta.......

sweetbreads.....

picking out the best......

Laurent preparing the dessert....

Chris Windus talking to the FOH staff.......

Ready for Nitro raisin powder.....

Cryo grinding Raisins using liquid nitrogen.....

Taking another look....

Plate up time....

Our audience while chef Todd english thanks the kitchen.....

I could probably had taken even more pictures but actually plating up, taking multiple pictures of the demo plates, taking notes and synchronizing with the to do list can be pretty challenging…. Overall though i feel really fortunate that i had the opportunity to do this Dinner with Chris and to be able to have Sean with me to assist and learn in the process…
A special thank you to the Bluezoo Chefs , especially executive chef Chris Windus, Danny & Aaron as well as Tyler, Brian , Ken, Diane, Lupe and the girls, Marcos , Eric and the rest of you that made this dinner possible , as well as the Executive team of the hotel and the management of Bluezoo (thanks Doug) and the Swan & Dolphin for having us as guests and for organizing and executing this amazing event…

EPCOT Food & Wine Dinner with Chris Windus at Bluezoo….

Working with Chris Windus and his team for the past week was an absolute blast…. Chris Windus was graceful to allow me and a friend to stage and help with the preparations of their Annual EPCOT Food & Wine dinner at the Todds English Bluezoo restaurant in Orlando Florida …

For those that are not familiar , Bluezoo is a 4 diamond AAA restaurant inside the Swan and Dolphin Property, in World Disney … Bluezoo and the chef team of the hotel are known for pushing the boundaries in central Florida for quite some time now and display some very very refined food …Most Recently Bluezoo was named Best seafood restaurant in Orlando ….

Bluezoo is a Todd English restaurant and a very fine one… So if you are ever in Orlando please do not miss the opportunity of having dinner at the Bluezoo …

Without further delay here is the menu for the event and pictures from the plate up….

Starting up with some passed appetizers and “antennas”…..

Lobster /orange gel/ Fennel/ Celery leaf

Pork belly/ apple kraut/ Cauliflower puree/jus

Hamachi /daikon radish pickle/ Miso caviar/ shiso

Octopus Sous vide /Tomato/ garbanzo beans

And on to the menu….

Amuse
Apple Cider/ Celery

1st
Scallop Lobster Jus /Littleneck Clams/Iberico Ham Broth/Sorrel

2nd
Porcini Papardelle/ Fall mushrooms / Ricotta Salata/ Focaccia Breadcrumbs

3rd
Vitello Tonnato /Sweetbreads/ Toro/ lemon /garlic chip

4th
Wagyu shortrib/ Cauliflower/ petite vegetables

5th
Humboldt Fog / chestnut/ Brioche/ Nitro Raisin

6th
Pear and Caramel Millefeuille / Tonka bean ice cream

Ruffino has paired the menu with wine…

Thanks to Chef Chris Windus and his team… This past week was endless fun….

There are even more from this adventure into Florida, i will make sure to post in the next few days…..

Until then make sure you check the Bluechefs blog

Trip to Orlando….

In any given opportunity i really enjoy staging for other chefs … The invitation to attend and stage in Orlando Bluezoo is that perfect opportunity …After last years “expedition” i must admit that i was left hungry for more..
Staging allows us the opportunity to exchange knowledge and gain valuable experience …. And what a great dinner , year after year bluezoo has increasingly been promoting quallity events in central Florida…
In a few moments i am picking up a friend to join me to this road trip… I will be posting more pictures from the Bluezoo preparations and dinner …
More food coming up .. Stay tuned…

Sean Brock and the renaissance of American Cuisine….

After seeing Sean Brock pretty much making the grand finale of ICC Starchefs even greater on tuesday i must admit that hands down Seans presentation was completelly in tune and on point with the theme of the conference of what American Cuisine is …

And that because not only his food is balancing between Avant Garde technique and true tradition but also because his food represents the past present and future aspects of what good food is .. There was never any doubt that Sean Brock is the New Iconic American chef for Southern cuisine and one of the great creative forces of our times… Constantly pushing for improvement while keeping himself humble ,his food approachable and a wealth of information exchange flowing … Farmer , chef, mentor…. Sean has all the fine qualities to influence the way we think and eat food without detaching true tradition and flavor…..

If you haven’t been to McCradys yet and you are in the surrounding area please make your way to Charleston for a Dinner …If you live anywhere in the US, and haven’t been to Charleston, and want to visit, or would consider a visit, please don’t make no plans without including McCradys … Because Sean is cooking the new American Great cuisine today.. And McCrady’s Restaurant has become the pinnacle of iconic southern fine dining….

Please Visit McCradys page for more info and to make a reservation today!!
McCrady’s
2 Unity Alley
Charleston, SC 29401
843-577-0025
www.mccradysrestaurant.com