IDEAS IN FOOD

Smoke Brined Trout

 In order to be able to control both the cooking of our trout and its size I decided to create a smoke brine in which to impart seasoning and flavor before the final butchering and cooking of the fish.  The brine consists of water, 2.5% salt and 5% smoked maple syrup.  We brine the trout for two hours, then we bond it with Activa and compress it in a batterra sushi mold.  Once the trout is set, we cut individual squares which we may then cook to order.  We have found that cooking the fish for twenty minutes at 48 degrees Celsius works ideally for our smoke infused trout.  The fish is firm while retaining a delicate flake and a moist texture.

While the trout part of our recent dish came together relatively easily, the accompaniments and composition took a fair amount of trial and error.  The dish we have now assembled combines a rhubarb hoisin sauce with the smoke brined trout and a rhubarb and jalapeno relish.  We finished the dish with a few leaves of compressed lamb's quarters.  The final arrangement eats well, although as we reflect further in retrospect, the next version will feature crisp lamb's quarters instead of the compressed leaves pictured.

The Best Laid Plans

I like lists.  I like to plan.  I like to practice, refine and try to perfect.  Then I like to throw the whole lot out the window and live in rehearsed chaos, a world of improvisation where ideas, ingredients, aromas, accidents, pigs, figs, and farms drive the direction of the food we will cook.  Cooking is all about understanding.  Understanding is about knowledge.  Knowledge is about having an open mind.  Therefore cooking is an open minded endeavor which depends on practice and a willingness, an openness, to making adjustments.

We arrived in Charleston with ideas based on conversations with Sean and information about what is seasonal in this neck of the woods.  As we set foot into McCrady's our minds started reeling.  We looked about, asked questions, talked with Sean and his team and pulled ideas from the ingredients on hand.  Our original ideas were left behind.  Then we started calling purveyors.  The list grew, some ideas evolved, some became extinct.

Then Sean loaded us and some pig food into the truck.  Time to see the farms.  During the drive to and on the farms we were exposed to Sean's radiating passion for food.  We had experienced it before although here at the source the energy is much stronger, it exudes from him and easily affects everyone he encounters.  As we toured the farms, picking, tasting, talking, our ideas improved.  The list expanded and contracted.  The ideas were gaining a pulse of their own. 

We cut our farm trip a bit short since Sean needed to return to the restaurant for service.  Though we did return with some incredible treats: fennel blossoms, coriander on the stem, basil shoots, wild eucalyptus, and sunflowers.  The stream of consciousness approach to the dinner will soon be whittled down to a few of those lists I like so much.  While they will provide a backbone for our organization and cooking, it will not dictate the our paths of inspiration.

Fruit Salad

Occasionally ingredients just come together. The green market yielded some beautiful strawberries and delfina cilantro. The fruit and vegetable store at the Chelsea market produced fresh, juicy litchis. James in S.F. had gifted us with, among other goodies, some beautiful green almonds. The finishing touch was a bit of smoked balsamic from our own pantry. Simple, easy, and delicious.

Natural Synergy

Over the past few weeks we’ve been discussing the use of ice cream stabilizers and the question of what the heck they actually are.  Often times these stabilizers are composed of a number of different hydrocolloids blended together to capitalize on each one’s specific characteristics, in addition to the synergy that can occur when you blend them together.  An issue that has bothered us is a certain reliance on blends of hydrocolloids.  What we find frustrating is not the results of using these blends, rather it is the lack of information about what is in the blends and the quantities, really the ratios, of the blended ingredients.  We are searching for a better understanding of hydrocolloids and if we become reliant on the blends of others we are stripping ourselves of the ability to control our creations and comprehend the processes we are employing.

The conversation gradually evolved.  We started discussing individual hydrocolloids that control water systems and ice crystal formation, specifically in sorbets.  While carrageenan began the conversation, we ended with the huge possibilities of integrating LM pectin into sorbets.  This is not a monumental idea, pectin is derived from fruit which is what we use to make most sorbets, although its use as a sorbet stabilizer is brand new to us.  Pectin is naturally present in a variety of fruits, and this has actually helped us control ice crystallization without our even knowing it.  In fact, upon further examination we’ve realized that the structure of fruits such as mangos and figs and their high sugar content and available cellulose have helped shape the results of our frozen confections.  Perhaps we need to look at using the actual composition of the ingredients we are utilizing to help bring a more natural support to our sorbets, ice cream and frozen creations. For example, strawberries contain calcium and small amounts of pectin, which then logically leads us to using LM pectin as a thickener in strawberry preparations, utilizing the calcium available to thicken the sorbet.

Rainbow Trout

One Wednesday as we were shopping the Union Square Green Market we were inspired by trout. Max Creek Hatchery is there on Wednesdays and at the moment he has incredibly fresh, beautiful rainbow trout. Trout is not a fish we normally pick up, that particular day we were simply inspired. Max Creek Hatchery is not the cheapest trout on the block, as I recall the fish set us back about $10.95 per pound, although the fish were so fat and meaty that we decided to find out if they were worth the price. The short answer to that question is yes, they were definitely money well spent.  The long answer, in no way did they set us back, in fact they raised the bar on what trout may be.

Alex and I have sort of a routine for prep. It's a actually a bit of a free for all, the rule with ingredients is first come, first served. So if one of us particularly covets a bunch of lovage or that container of strawberries, we had better be on the ball in the kitchen. Occasionally one of us will buy something for a specific purpose and there is a clear hand's off signal to the other person. Even that only lasts for a day or two.  If the ingredient has not been utilized within 48 hours, all bets are off and the other person can request it for immediate use. We usually discuss ideas before running off to prep in our separate areas so that we have a general idea of what direction we're going in, occasionally even with these conversations things can go awry.

The first time I reached for the trout at home I was appalled to discover that he had glued (actually bonded) the fillets together to form a solid plank of fish. A heated discussion ensued because we had talked about using the trout for a tasting menu. I was under the impression that the plan was to showcase it's natural beauty. To me that meant simply cleaning the fish and serving pieces of the individual fillets. As it turned out, Alex's vision was different from mine. His idea was to create a thick plank of fish, which could then be cooked and sliced to show off it's meaty texture and juicy flesh.

By the time we realized that we were coming at it from different directions the fish had already been cleaned and glued together using transglutaminase. So that night we did it his way. We cooked the trout sous vide at 52.5 degrees Celsius for twenty minutes and let the fish rest for an additional five minutes before slicing. We paired it with a mosaic of fava beans and Cabot cloth bound cheddar. I have to say that it was delicious. I don't think any of our diners even noticed that the trout had been served differently. They only registered that it was succulent and flavorful and a pleasure to consume. Which is of course is exactly as it should be.

Avocado Tests

We have been chasing the theory/rumor that when avocados are warmed in their skins for an extended period of time and then cooled, the process will kill the enzyme which causes oxidation/browning of the flesh.  While we have toyed with the idea for some time, we had yet to test the results.

The series of pictures from left to right looks at raw avocados, one cooked for one hour, and one cooked for two hours, both times in a water bath at 40 degree Celsius and then cooled to ice cold before peeling. The photos begin when the avocados are first cut and are taken at one hour increments with the last photo taking place four hours after the first.

These pictures illustrate what time and direct exposure to air does to the flesh of the avocados.

We believe the tests show promise, though 40 degrees is not the answer.  Although there seems to be less browning taking place in the third set during the first hour, by the fourth hour they have caught up to the others and almost seem to be oxidizing at a slightly faster rate than the other two sets.  Clearly this is still a work in progress.  Time to try 41 degrees and perhaps find some scientific data to back up the initial rumor.

The Pleasures and Difficulties with Lists

ramps
stinging nettles
wild garlic
young garlic
black garlic
rainbow trout
chicken
duck breast
pork belly chops
parsnip ice cream
nigella puree
morels
fava beans
wood sorrel
rhubarb
fingerling potatoes
turnips
sake cured steelhead roe
fiddleheads
small shallots
goat cheese sheets
pullet eggs

We are in the middle of preparing a 12 course dinner and this is our list.  We have yet to visit the fish store, so the list will grow.  We have a number of ideas and directions where we may take these ingredients, although at the moment the list provides stimulus for thought.  We may mentally arrange and combine ingredients, thinking about tastes and textures, editing and re-writing.  These are the benefits of a list.  They allow you to see the elements and allow our own experiences and the tastes of the ingredients dictate the direction of our assemblage. 

The difficulty of the list is making cuts.  What will not be used?  What idea needs refinement?  What did not come together the way it was imagined?  How may we get to the essence of an idea?  Where are we going with these ingredients?


Still, without these eliminations, these difficult and necessary edits, the list would grow uncontrollably and there would be utter chaos and confusion in our cooking.

Interchangeable Parts

The movement of ingredients in a dish, a menu, or even in a fluid concept is exciting.  To us the idea of interchangeable parts is really quite compelling.  Once a framework is formulated or perhaps a technique is adjusted to calibrate the act of exchanging one ingredient for another to create either a completely new dish or a modification of an existing one you have created a real tool to work with.  This is the result of viewing the world with a flexible eye and an understanding of the benefits of change.

The concept that one or two or even three ingredients or ideas may easily substituted for one another may seem frightening to some and to others it can be equally exhilarating.  While working aboard the ship we are often faced with substitutions.  It is not easy to run out to the store or even order an ingredient for the next day’s demonstration.  Even with months of preparation, if an ingredient is not available when a ship is in port, that ingredient will not make it on board and into a class or demonstration.

What question starts the conversation?  It can be water or stock, what will be the best aromatics to complement the main component, what the best cooking technique is, or why something is not normally done?  These queries and many more like them allow us to break down walls of stagnant thought and return to our constant quest to refine tasty food.  The use of interchangeable parts in cooking is essential for our evolutions.  We believe a greater understanding of the concept that looking at the parts of a working mechanism from a different angle often allows for a break through and an “ah ha” moment which might have previously been overlooked.

Fruit Glue

While the idea of gluing fruit together may sound novel, it was pointed out that the process is nothing more than an extrapolation of a fruit terrine.  Still, we find that the ability to layer fruits and vegetables together is really exciting.  Especially when we look beyond using just gelatin, which is the traditional bonding agent in fruit terrines and only effective at cold temperatures.  Instead, we were inspired by the synergy of hydrocolloids.  The first combination of ingredients we played with utilized the gel which occurs when alginate is introduced to a calcium.  The product, which acted as the catalyst for our ideas, was designed for gluing meat pieces into uniform blocks, cylinders and whole new structures.  The product consists of two components, one a sodium alginate and one a calcium lactate.  While the idea of using these two ingredients to bind proteins was interesting we were more excited by its other possibilities: binding fruits and vegetables.

We tested the theory of using the combination of these two ingredients to glue planks of melon together.  The adhesive worked and the results were a beautiful terrine.  Then, we heated the melon terrine.  It held, the glue kept the pieces of melon together through the cooking process.  As it turns out the reaction between alginate and calcium is thermo-irreversible.  (In fact, we already knew this, though we did not pay it much attention in the beginning.  Remember to pay attention to all the details throughout the process of any experiment, as it will only save you time and effort.)  We were thrilled with the results and equally full of dismay.  The dismay was generated because at that moment we were reliant on a proprietary blend of alginate and calcium to create our bonds. Obviously the next step would have to be to create our own blend.  While we began thinking about the alginate-calcium reaction it dawned on me that we should try using LM pectin and calcium.  We know the reaction forms a thermo-irreversible gel.  Also, to our taste, pectin and calcium seem to form more palate friendly gels.  The release of flavor is cleaner and more forward, while the gel itself is delicate and soft.

With both the alginate and pectin ideas to work with we set about a few tests.  I also dropped an email to Wylie to ask for his thoughts and help in testing our ideas.

I began with what we had in our kitchen, sodium alginate and calcium lactate/gluconate.  At times I am my own worst enemy.  I was starting to conduct tests with an unknown alginate and a blend of calcium sources, where I did not know the blending ratios.  Thankfully my attempt at using these ingredients as glue failed and the failure was a whack to the side of my head.  With failure leading the race I set about getting several varieties of sodium alginate, to create a firm strong gel and a medium firm gel.  We also needed pure calcium sources and we looked towards calcium lactate and gluconate.  We felt both varieties would be necessary depending on our applications.

Since I was waiting on alginate and the calcium arrived first, I started working with the pectin.  In order to answer a number of our pectin questions I gave Ted at CP Kelco a call.  Thankfully Ted was locked out of his car and had time to discuss our ideas and approaches.  Once Ted answered a few of our questions, we set about applying the idea of fruit glue to pectin.  Along the way we had a few flops, although each failure was successively closer to the desired end result.  We were also lucky to have Wylie testing out his versions in his kitchen and sharing the process, this way we only had to make half as many test runs on our own.

It turns out that both pectin and alginate form bonds which will hold fruit together and which are thermo-irreversible.  We found the alginate bond to be a bit more gel like and slightly stronger than that of the pectin.  Yet, the pectin gel is seamless and the flavor of the gel itself is tasty and has great mouth feel when and if you realize it is there.

As it turns out, the approach to both using the alginate and pectin is quite similar.  It seems that the calcium reaction would be at the root of the similarities.  To begin with, we make fruit solutions with .5% calcium lactate or gluconate.  The choice of one over the other is based on taste.  The reason for making a flavored solution is to boost the taste of the final gel.  Once the solution is made, we vacuum seal the fruit to be glued in the calcium solution.  This impregnates the fruit with calcium.  It takes about five minutes for the calcium to be absorbed by the fruit, after which time we open the vacuum bag and pat the fruit dry.  For a LM pectin application we dissolve 3% pectin in water at 95ºC to hydrate it and then cool it down.  Once the pectin is cooled, we brush it on one piece of the calcium infused fruit and lay another piece on top.  Then we vacuum seal the fruit to compress it together and let is rest in the refrigerator overnight.  The following morning when we cut open the bag, we will find that the fruit has been sealed together with a pectin gel.  In the case of the alginate we dust the calcium soaked fruit with sodium alginate and vacuum seal the fruit together.  There is enough moisture in the fruit to hydrate the alginate and allow the reaction of calcium and alginate to occur.  Once again we let the fruit rest overnight to allow the bond to fully occur.

We are simply at the beginning of what we consider to be a ground breaking idea.  While the initial outlook may be just an extension of a fruit terrine we believe the integration of pectin and sodium alginate as bonding agents for fruits and vegetables is truly remarkable and the possibilities are endless.

Currently we are also working with these ideas in pureed fruits and vegetables to see what is possible.  Time and our imaginations will see what we come up with next.

Lobster Salad

Lobster salad is a fickle preparation.  The idea that the lobster should be dressed a certain way or contain specific ingredients often leads to flops and failures.  In a recent dish we made lobster cubes which we paired with compressed spinach, grated almonds, and a grapefruit-yogurt consomme.  The flavors were delicate and the lobster stood out.  Unfortunately the accompaniments were so subtle that they just could not balance the strong briny flavor of the crustacean and were themselves completely washed out.  The dish contained wonderful flavors and textures yet the lack of harmony between the elements emphasized the inherent disconnect in the dish.

Upon further examination the lobster cubes do have a place in our kitchen, just not in this particular composition.  The grapefruit-yogurt consomme is now a staple.  It is tangy, sweet, spicy, slightly bitter, rich, and still light on the palate. With the warm weather beginning to make its presence known it will be invaluable for future dishes.

The Repertoire

There aren't many staples in our repertoire. Our need for constant evolution and Alex's short attention span often translate into constant change. We have to really love something for it to make multiple appearances in a variety of incarnations. The newest addition to our culinary repertoire is the pressed chicken thigh bound with Activa RM.

The thigh is both of our favorite joints on the bird. It has a rich texture, with a variety of juicy muscles bound together with rich pockets of fat and a gorgeous crispy skin. The variety of textures and flavors can be revelatory when handled properly. In the terrine, the chicken retains all of it's positive properties and the bone is eliminated. This makes it versatile, beautiful and easy to eat. You can season the meat with anything you wish before pressing it together and the time in the mold allows the flavors to permeate the meat. For fans of dark meat it is the ultimate expression of the bird.

Pictured here is a crispy, chicken terrine seasoned with vaudovan and paired with cauliflower and egg yolk. The flavors balance beautifully, both suave and aromatic, creamy and crunchy, earthy and meaty. It is today's culmination of of chicken and vegetable.

Hollandaise Sauce on Demand

When to sauce a dish?  That is always a question. We have continued to work with re-heatable hollandaise sauce.  Today we took another step.  We wanted to incorporate hollandaise sauce in a dish and we wanted to keep its integrity  and consistency intact until the diner actually began to eat the dish.  The solution was to encase a spoonful of warm sauce in a thin skin of pectin which is easily pierced by fork or spoon. Using our method the sauce stays warmer and may be released at the last moment.  The sauce may be dipped in, spread, moved about or even eaten in one luxurious bite according to the whims of the diner.

Tonight we used our sauce on demand to compliment shattered shrimp.  A few leaves of tarragon act to pique the sweet flavor of the shrimp and unify the sauce.  We are quite happy with the composition and with the control of the sauce which we have now handed over to the person enjoying the dish.

Dusting Off the Glass

We were asked to revisit onion glass for a private lesson.  It was fun to go back and look at an idea which was getting dusty on the shelf.  The crispy texture and rich favor is redolent of onion soup.  I suppose we could call them onion soup crisps, though there is no cheese.  With the onion glass back in our pantry fresh ideas are starting to blossom.

My initial thought was to cover a tartare or a raw fish preparation with the glass.  That way the diner can break it and then incorporate crunchy bites of onion with the cool refreshing fish beneath.  Of course, my short attention span and lack of patience may not see this dish develop.  Tonight we're munching on shards of onion glass.  Tomorrow will tell whether or not we do more.

...yes, steak and egg

All right, so hopefully by now you have seen the video.  Now what did we end up doing with our new eggs?  We did not make any giant leaps.  In fact, we looked to the beautiful rib eye cap we had on hand from the previous video for a sense of direction.  We followed the arrow and ended up with a delicious steak and egg dish.  While I am not sure it solves my steak dilemma, it certainly was fun to eat.  We topped the caulifower-lime pickle hollandaise egg with grated nutmeg and Lampong pepper.  The sauce is our smoked balsamic, heated and enriched with a knob of sweet butter.  The finished dish is simple and delicious, exactly the type of food we like to create.

Double Cut Skirt Steak

In working with our double cut skirt steak we brought this dish to light.  The skirt steak is cooked sous vide and then slowly griddled over medium heat in whole butter to add a bit of texture and depth of flavor.  A sprinkling of smoked Maldon salt (thanks Swain) really piques the meaty nuances.  The cabbage leaves are compressed with Meyer lemon juice and then warmed in the steak infused butter.  A giant cube of smoked mozzarella grits finishes the dish. The grits are pressure cooked with skim milk, cayenne and onions and then cubes of smoked mozzarella are folded into the finished grits. They are set in cube shaped molds, dusted with flour and friend in butter. The grits are creamy and smoky, the cabbage is crisp, acidic and earthy and the meat is rich and beefy. It's not quite perfect but we're getting closer.

Potato Gnocchi

It all began with a craving for crab cakes. The craving led to potatoes, because I like to use potato puree in my crab cakes. The crab cakes were made with homemade bread crumbs because I couldn't wait for the potatoes to finish baking for my original recipe.  Our recent experiments with starch led us to revisit the famous potato cooking method, well publicized by Jeffrey Steingarten, with Yukon golds that were originally purchased for another purpose. The combination of potato puree+ricotta cheese+YG Activa+Pacojet proved to be irresistible.  The ricotta both enriches the potatoes and enables the YG to cross link the proteins in the cheese, thus holding the gnocchi together.

What we have here are potato gnocchi that could arguably be considered better than the original. They are light, fluffy, flavorful, and almost idiot proof. What more could you ask for in a single delicious bite?

Here they are paired with juicy sauteed pears, sage, and Cantal cheese. The gnocchi and the pears are very close to each other in texture and it is quite an experience to sink your teeth into two similar and yet very different morsels of food. The flavors explode in your mouth and are nicely offset by the soothing textures against your tongue. These gnocchi are simply delicious and the newest addition to our permanent repertoire.

Fried Rice

I over cooked the rice.  I should have let Aki do it. 

I was working with Japanese rice.  I wanted to see the effects of par-cooking the rice--30  minutes at 65 degrees C in a water, wrapped in cheesecloth, and then chilled--and whether the starch would be completely held in check by the process.  I think it mostly is.  As I said, next time I will have Aki cook the rice.

Yet, the overcooked rice had an interesting texture.  It may not have been truly overcooked, just not the expected texture of Japanese rice.  Alright, it was overcooked.  So I took the rice and added some milk and smoked maple syrup to it.  I then pureed the mixture in the Pacojet three times using the four blade in the coupe set.  The result was a silken puree with fine particles of rice scattered throughout.  I could have used a tammis to eliminate this coarseness, instead I took the batter as it was and spread it thinly on acetate sheets.  I then placed these sheets in the dehydrator.  When the rice batter was dry, I peeled them from the acetate and returned them to the dehydrator to completely dry out.

I then took the rice sheets and dropped them into a pot of hot oil.  The sheet puffed slightly and gently browned.  The result is the lightest, crispiest, and most delicate fried item we have ever made.  While today's fried rice is flavored with smoked maple syrup, the results show that we can use almost any flavorings to season the rice, from lobster to passionfruit. It was a serendipitous ending to my faux pas. Now I just have to figure out how to get the rice cooked properly to be used as itself....Aki!!!!

Zest

When we purchased both our Grenada and Aji Dulce seasoning peppers we were told to store them in the freezer to preserve their life span.  When we needed a bit of flavoring for a dish, we could just pull out a chili, mince it up and fold it into the dish at hand.

Since I am not patient, I was not willing to wait for the chili to thaw so I could mince it.  Instead, I used our microplane  to zest the flesh of the chilies and keep the frozen interior and seeds for the bin.  What is exciting about zesting frozen chilies is the fine consistent texture which we can fold into marinated fish preparations or use to finish a sauce.   In this instance we have zested the Aji Dulce on top of minced Kona Kampachi.

Similarly, if you look at our gingerbread bisque preparation the Benton's ham is also zested.  We have frozen smoked foie gras and guacamole so that they could be easily zested as a final accompaniment to dishes.  The zested ham is our first foray into frozen and zested meats.  Though, we have been able to zest dried chorizo  as it is quite firm and zests beautifully.

Cardoons

Most recipes for cardoons, a member of the thistle family and a relative of the globe artichoke, begin with trimming, peeling and poaching them in acidulated water for an hour or more until softened and silky-textured.  Once the cardoons have reached this prepared state they are then ready for final preparations ranging from gratins to soups to an accompaniment to a roasted veal shank as sweet, tender bites of vegetable, dripping in pan juices, both sticky and rich.

Why are cardoons prepared in this manner?  I understand the trimming and peeling, after all, no one want to eat the tough, fibrous outer edges. It is the long simmering in lemon water that I wonder about.  Sure, there is definitely a need for tenderizing, although lemon water itself has only so much flavor.  Frankly to mind it's a bit dull. Why not start layering your flavors from the very beginning of the cooking process?

A vast number of recipes seemed to feature the cardoons bathed in Bechamel sauce, sprinkled with cheese and browned to a bubbling gratin in a hot oven.  What if we cooked the cardoons in a rich flavorful medium from the start?  We also wanted to speed up the cooking process. To our minds, the process of simmering the thistles for an hour in water would only leach the flavor from the cardoons without adding anything special in return. 

With these goals in mind, it should be no surprise that I reached for our pressure cooker and the eggnog.  I loaded the pressure cooker with the trimmed cardoons, seasoned them with salt, added a cut up Meyer lemon and covered them with the eggnog.  Why eggnog?  Think about the traditional bechamel and its various incarnations as sauces and gratins.  Eggnog echoes their intrinsic flavors and characteristics in a sweeter and sometimes spicier variation.  I felt that the inherent sweetness of the eggnog would work well with the bitterness of the cardoon.  I added the Meyer lemon because I did not want to have the vegetable out of balance. I thought that the acid and floral qualities of the lemon would benefit the thistles.  I set the pressure cooker for seven minutes and hit start.

The pressure cooking actually caused the eggnog to separate into curds and whey.  The resulting stew may have looked a bit rough at first.  On the positive side, this separation allowed us to strain out the curds and marinate the cleaned cardoons in the not quite crystal clear, cooking liquid.  The eggnog added a layer of flavor that was surprisingly subtle.  The finished thistles were softly toothsome and redolent with sweet spices and a whisper of richness from their bath. The additional marinating in the broth keeps the cardoons juicy and crisp while allowing the flavors to meld and develop.

You do not need to use eggnog.  Buttermilk or even ranch dressing would be equally delicious, as would prosciutto broth or brown butter consomme.  We could have even taken the path of cooking the cardoons in the style of Artichokes Barigoule and they would have been delicious.  What we found exciting is that by combining a flavored medium and a pressure cooker, we were able to impart flavor and texture quickly and efficiently into a vegetable which is often overlooked because of its lengthy preparation time. The next time you stumble across cardoons in your local market, take them home and see what 7 minutes in the pressure cooker will do for you.

Pretzel Praline

We have finally added pretzel pralines to our culinary arsenal.  These sandy sugar and butter crusted salty crunchy treats may be the ultimate bar snack. 

Since I cannot leave anything alone, we have partnered the pralines with a turnip-comte and Benton's country ham soup.  A few leaves and stems of parsley complete the dish. 

Now if only Aki will give up the recipe for the praline.  Currently she is claiming to have not written down a thing and that she made it up as she went along.  That sounds so unlike her. 

Perhaps if we beg and plead she will delve into the depths of her memory banks and release the information.  If not, I may have to really bastardize the praline in hopes of her making more in my presence so I can then record her every addition.

After the Cart

With a shopping extravaganza like ours, alright mine, I needed to get cooking.

What we have so far:

Pistachio vinegar
Almond spice vinegar
Passionfruit vinegar
Turnip and Benton's Country Ham soup
Black fennel puree
Blue cheese brined short ribs
Blue cheese brined and cooked turkey wings
Goat cheese-ricotta gnocchi
Avocado mosaic
Shrimp mosaic

And then my computer died.  Pictures are being taken though the editing and uploading will be forthcoming.

Butter and Miso