tartare

Flavor Pairings

It's a crazy week -- May and June are insane months for caterers, so much so that I am considering starting a petition drive to have both months combined into one ugly 60-day month called "Helldorado".  Blogging may be fits and starts this week. 

<elegant segue to next topic would have gone here>

So, the next few posts are going to be about new flavor pairing ideas and I was hoping people might want to play along using the home version of the game.  You can get a really good start with the excellent tool (with the curious name of) Foodpairing.  You know that parmesan cheese goes well with tomatoes, but did you ever expect it may work with chocolate or banana?  More about the underlying science in a future post, but in the mean time, enjoy the inspiration that comes from the unexpected.  Pick out something you like and make a dish using some radical departures from what you may usually do. 

Jean Robert de Cavel Joins Midwest Culinary Institute

This is fantastic news.  Jean Robert will be "the face" of Midwest Culinary.  Sure, I wish this had happened prior to my graduation from school, but still and all, very awesome.  More please.

Hunting Morels

The Wall Street Journal has a great piece on morel hunting.  We found morels (well, a morel) on our property last year and while we haven't found any yet this year (well, we haven't looked), hope springs eternal.  It's getting a bit late for Ohio, but I am going to try anyway on Sunday. 

Great Dan Barber Talk on Foie Gras

Dan Barber speaks at the Taste 3 conference on foie gras and why animal husbandry need not be cruel or demeaning.  Two of my favorite things: Dan and foie gras  Now, if I can just find some toast points...

"This is why you're fat"

We've all seen food that is a bit over the top (like Homer Simpson's Good Morning Burger, which was eighteen ounces of sizzling ground beef, soaked in rich, creamery butter, and topped with bacon, ham, and a fried egg.) or the world's largest sandwich (which apparently requires haz-mat gear to work on), but "This is why you're fat" covers some really insane stuff.

Though I must admit, it's not the artery-stopping cholesterol or the days-worth-of-calories-in-one-sandwich that gets me; rather, it is the frighteningly bad presentation that seems to go hand in hand with it.

You'll come for the totchos (Tater Tots covered in ground beef, jalapeño peppers, cheese, salsa and sour cream); you'll stay for the sausage fatty (a giant Jimmy Dean Maple Sausage filled with bacon, cream cheese, mushrooms, jalapeños and colby cheese).

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

Where To Buy Activa RM (Transglutaminase)

As far as getting questions from folks, by far the one I receive the most is: "Where do you buy transglutaminase?"

Try here: L'Epicerie or here: Le Sanctuaire

Alinea Mosaic: Initial Impressions

I have been having the best time using the the Alinea Mosaic website. If you aren't familiar, access to the website is granted along with the purchase of the upcoming Alinea cookbook. Of course, one immediately thinks:

"Sheesh! What must that cost? I know really high-end cookbooks set you back for a bit of change. Heston Blumenthal's The Big Fat Duck Cookbook lists for $250 (though right now about $100 off at Amazon). And the four El Bulli books, that would set you back for more than a grand."

How about $50 for access to both the website now and a copy of the cookbook upon release later this year?
My first impressions have not disappointed me.

The website has two parts: first, a section of highlighted techniques and recipes, including demonstration videos and second, a discussion forum where Grant Achatz and other members of the Alinea team interact directly with you. This morning I was reading Grant Achatz's post describing their emerging "aromatic handle" technique, a concept that I am currently a bit obsessed with. Aromatic handles are as they sound: items such as lemon grass and tonka beans used to deliver food, along with an aromatic scent. Too cool.

Also, I am very excited about trying the Cheese in Cracker recipe that is currently featured (it actually goes back to Achatz's days at Trio). I think I will be using a variation of it for an upcoming event I am cooking at.

More as I discover it.

Alinea Mosaic Access!

Just received my Alinea Mosaic access credentials today! Going to dig into to it and try and post some preliminary thoughts/reactions later on tonight.

Top Chef Season 4

I don't think the world needs much in the way of reality television, much less much more, but Top Chef has been my exception. I was looking forward to Season 4, but it just hasn't caught my attention the way previous seasons had. Joe DeSalazar of foodieNYC nailed it for me:

What could I possibly criticize about the current state of Top Chef, considering it's must see TV and it's probably at its peak of popularity? In a nutshell, I think the move to almost exclusively cast executive/sous/line cooks from high-end restaurants across the country has resulted in a homogeneous set of cooking styles and techniques on the show, resulting in Quickfire and Elimination challenges that serve up dishes from contestants that are all coming from the same perspective - that of the the two-four star, big city restaurant chef.

Exactly, Joe. Well put. It was the diversity of backgrounds and the sense of possibility that drew me in previous seasons.

A few other thoughts:
- I'd love to see someone get popped for a sanitation violation. Tom Colicchio at least made reference to the disarrayed and potentially risky condition of Mark's station in the tailgating cookoff. Seriously, next person to really do something obviously risky for their diners, send 'em packing.
- By the way, Mark is a kiwi, a New Zealander. I think a few times now he has been called "the Australian". I'm sure that has to be as frustrating as someone who keeps calling you "Larry" regardless of what your name is (nor how good a name Larry is).
- Consider including catering chefs if the challenges are going to be so catering oriented. We know how to deliver the stuff to the field, looking *and* tasting good (Erik's mushy corndogs come to mind).
- To future contestants: Don't say disparaging stuff on camera about the judges. After being dismissed from the show, you will always have to wonder whether it was *only* the mushy corndogs that sent you home...

FOOTNOTES
(1) Hat tip to David Foster Wallace, from whom part of the first sentence is lifted.

Popcorn Soup Pt II

[Looking for Part I?]

I tried the popcorn soup a few times and it came out really well. I thought I'd post the final popcorn soup recipe. It goes something like this:

INGREDIENTS
2 small (or 1 medium) yellow onion(s), small dice
2 leeks, white parts only, small dice
2T+2T sweet butter
16oz frozen corn, thawed
1/2C popcorn, unpopped
1/2C popcorn, popped
6C+ white stock (vegetable or chicken)
TT kosher salt
TT white pepper
pinch cayenne pepper

METHOD
1) Heat 2T butter in heavy-bottomed 4QT saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and leek, sweating them , being careful not to brown. Lower heat if necessary. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes or so.
2) Add frozen corn, unpopped popcorn, and popped popcorn. Bring to the boil, then back off to gentle simmer. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, adding additional stock if required. Carefully skim off any foam that forms.
3) Purée soup with blender. Strain through fine mesh sieve. Repeat.
4) Add pinch of cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4) Prior to service, mount soup with some of the additional butter.

NOTES
- I wrote the recipe from memory, so it may need some refinement. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out and what modifications, if any, are required.
- Garnishes: I served this with sous-vide shrimp, some brunoised purple potato, and a few drops of clarified butter. It was very well received.