IDEAS IN FOOD

Timing

Timing is essential and is often overlooked, in the preparation of food and also in our everyday lives.  If we paused and thought a bit more about timing, taking into account both the giver and the recipient, delivery of any offering would be more effective because it would reach an anticipatory audience. 

Without timing there is no punchline.  Without timing dinner service is a disaster.  Without timing there is no romantic kiss at sunset.  Without timing sun kissed and juicy fruit are either rock hard or mushy and rotten.  Without timing there is no slice of fresh baked pie.

Every day we learn a bit more about finessing our timing, some lessons are good, others, well let's call them life experiences.  What we've learned is that without good timing, even the best experience can fall flat. On the other hand, with some well executed timing, a bad experience can be turned into something spectacular. Just a little something to think on.

Potato Links

We recently attended a seminar on miso at the French Culinary Institute which was incredibly inspirational.  We learned about tempering miso's astringency with egg yolks and dashi.  We witnessed miso blending, both as itself and with other ingredients like yuzu and walnuts.  In fact, the demonstration rekindled our own thoughts on working with miso from the white miso-yellow cake with smoked pecan ice cream we are working on to our myriad range of fruit infused misos, from cranberry to apricot.

The miso blends and the ideas they sparked truly caught my attention.  Though it was the links of daikon radish which were used to accent an elaborate sushi platter which had me transfixed.  The links were interlocked without any seam.  It was a mastery of knife skills and practice.  I could not figure out how it was done.  As I sat there, staring at the links the inherent structure formed in my mind's eye.  As the demonstration concluded they humored my question about how the links were made.  They took a piece of daikon and started carving.  I watched transfixed, with my eyes on each swift movement of the knife tip.  Someone stood in front of me for a moment and I almost broke the silence and shouted "Get out of the way!"  Thankfully the person moved and the outburst became unnecessary.  It was amazing to watch the chef's knife work shape the daikon into links.  I needed to learn how to do this.  I made rough sketches and tried to capture the steps in my mind.  After the links were cut, the chefs pulled out a baby carrot which they had carved into an eight link chain with the carrot top and bottom at either end.  The carrot certainly trumped the simple daikon links.

We returned home and I let the demonstration settle in my brain.  This morning I headed to the market in search of potatoes.  I wanted to master the link technique.  I bought three potatoes.  Perhaps I was a bit optimistic about my memory and knife skills.  I started cutting and at first bumbled.  After a brief pause and a moment of reflection I started again.  The next three attempts took me from rough edges to completed links.  That was truly an exciting progression.  Now we need to apply our twice cooked potato approach (starting with whole potatoes in their jackets) to the links so that we can make a smoked potato link which will then be fried.

The goal, smoked potato link fries.  The venue, Sean's place, next weekend.

Garnet Cherry, a true Gem

Enthusiasts

Enthusiasm is the solution.  Thankfully there is plenty out there.  The key is to appreciate, cherish and understand it. 

Remember how Tinkerbell helped save Peter Pan?

The answer is easy, the execution is difficult.

Beet Greens

As I was leaving the store I was given a simple recipe for beet greens.  The reason for the suggestion was that the bunch of beets I had just bought had a lively top of the often discarded greens.  The women at the checkout counter casually instructed me on how to prepare them: wash gently and then saute in olive oil with a bit of garlic and crushed red pepper. She informed me that I would love them.  Funny thing, because I was buying the beets for the beets.  I had no plans for the greens.  In fact, I was anticipating cutting them off and getting started on my beet project.  Her little nudge, a gentle coaxing of thought sparked a new idea. (Go figure, whenever I suggest that we use the beet greens he rolls his eyes and ignores me.)

How could we sharpen the preparation and presentation of beet greens?  I cut the greens into little rounds.  With the trimming done, we made a light brine flavored with garlic, salt and red pepper flakes and then soaked the greens for five minutes.  We removed them and then vacuum sealed the rounds while they were still damp.  The vacuum sealing infused the flavors into the greens and compressed the vegetable so that it took on a cooked appearance while remaining essentially raw.

The rounds of beet greens are full of flavor and now may be integrated into a dish at the last moment to retain their bright, crisp and clean flavors. Sometimes it takes the suggestion of a stranger for an idea to take root.

Under Cover

The arrival of packages, presents, and written mail from a loved one all arrive with a sense of discovery.  What is inside?  What kind of surprise awaits me?  The anticipation is wonderful, it heightens the senses and has the body on edge with excitement.  The sensation of receiving a gift is wonderful and if we could capture that first moment of anticipation which accompanies a positive surprise, then we would be able to heighten the reception of a dish and its ingredients.

One method of stirring anticipation is to hide a dish with a cloche.  Another, which currently has my fancy, is to tuck ingredients under a blanket or sheet of sorts.  With the evolution of our Fruit Glue, we are able to assemble sheets of vegetables which may then be heated and draped on top of other ingredients, gently disguising the bounty beneath.

A recent dish we were quite happy with used a zucchini sheet to cover a hot spring egg.  The diner sees a round of round zucchini slices garnished with basil with something softly bulging underneath.  What lies hidden is a soft, pliable egg resting in a nest of grated cheese scattered with leaves of spicy basil from our garden. As the diner's spoon or fork presses into the dish, the bounty is revealed and the dish comes into its own. It's a simple technique with very pleasing results.

Soft Shell Crabs in May

This is without question, one of the best soft shell dishes that we've ever created. It is incredibly simple, a cleaned soft shell, gently sauteed in butter paired with a terrine of yellow watermelon and honeydew and finished with wood sorrel leaves. The crabs were just set so the flesh was tender and the insides were creamy and juicy. Pair that with the unusually sweet (for this time of year) flavor of the melons and the bright lemony flavor of the wood sorrel and nothing else was needed. Every so often a few beautiful ingredients come together and all a chef needs to do is step back and let them shine. This was definitely one of those moments.

Brining Morels

One of the pleasures of ship board travel for me is the library. On these extended trips it doesn't make sense to carry the number of books I need to keep myself happily occupied and so I rely on the shipboard selection for my reading pleasure. During this past cruise I picked up Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Having never read any of her other books, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed her family's story. It was an engaging read that really made me think about food in new ways.

One of her stories is about foraging for morels. She mentions in the book that the foragers in her area recommended that she give the mushrooms a brief soak in salt water before cooking. That made me stop and think. Against conventional wisdom, Alex and I always wash our mushrooms. We believe that worms and dirt are not a happy addition to any plate and find that a warm water rinse (or three) followed by air drying on a rack has beneficial effects on almost all wild mushrooms. The salt water soak was something else entirely. I shared that particular passage with Alex and he was equally intrigued. We decided to try it the next time we got our hands on some morels.

As luck would have it, just a few days after we returned to New York we purchased some beautiful morels from Tyler's traveling van and had the opportunity to put the salt water bath to the test. Barbara was somewhat vague as to her particular method for soaking the morels. We decided that a ten minute soak in a 2% brine would extract any critters from the various nooks and crannies with the added benefit of seasoning the mushrooms during the process. We soaked them for ten minutes with the occasional swish and stir, gave them a quick rinse, patted them dry, and cooked them gently in just olive oil until they were just tender. No additional salt was needed.

How did they taste? They were seasoned throughout with a nice depth of flavor. They seemed somehow earthier and mushroom-ier than their more traditionally cleaned counterparts. The simple cooking in olive oil made them very versatile. We actually finished them with a vaudovan consomme, although there were any number of other paths available to us. We think that brining morels definitely works. We'll have to experiment with other mushrooms and see if they do equally well.

An Orb

I was struck by this beautifully shaped salt sphere while we were walking through the farmers market the other day.  I had not seen perfectly round pieces of salt before.  We have worked with blocks and chunks, though there is just something about a perfectly round piece of salt that appeals to my senses.  My first thought for the salt sphere was to use it for a striking presentation of salt grated table side.  I hope other people are equally excited about perfect shapes created from irregularly shaped objects and ingredients.  A round ball of salt is unexpected.  I like that.

While our first idea is interesting, I am wondering about other uses.  Actually, Aki's first idea was not to buy a round piece of salt when an irregular shaped block would do.  She wondered what the point was in having a perfectly shaped piece if I was just going to file it down into something irregular in the process of its use. That is why I am looking for other ways to utilize this orb of Himalayan salt.

Unsurprisingly I was less enamored by the sphere. I found the jagged chunks on the table with their craggy edges and irregular veins more appealing than the smoothly polished orb. Certainly there is room for both kinds of salt in our pantry. On this day I was more struck by Alex's pleasure and fascination than I was by the salt itself. I'm sure he'll find a way to put it to good use.

Creative Think

Do you know A Whack on the Side of the Head?

Just recently I found out that Roger von Oech has revised this ground breaking work and also he has a blog which acts as an open voice and interactive companion piece to the ideas in the book and a continued look at creativity and ways to spark, breakthrough, understand, appreciate and uncover new thoughts.

What is equally exciting is that the "whacks" resonate differently with individuals.  The use of approachable stories and often taken for granted questions and their assumed answers helps to clear the path to an oasis of creative thinking.

Here is the post which motivated me to write this morning.

Eating Noodles in Tokyo

 



















 































 

 

Multiples

I was particularly intrigued by the idea of multiples in the piece on Nathan Myhrvold, written by Malcolm Gladwell.  The idea that several individuals could come up with the same idea almost simultaneously is remarkable.  I was also interested in facts behind the difference between a genius and a smart innovator.  Theoretically the distinction is the quantity of ideas produced and executed.  The genius shares breakthrough ideas with many individuals.  What this means is the genius mind may come up with thirty or more brilliant breakthroughs while thirty innovators will each come up with one great idea each. 

Being either a genius or an innovative thinker is a remarkable achievement.

The article continued on to detail the concept that artistic genius does not occur in multiples.  What does this mean?  It may actually solve the answer between what is an art and what is a craft, particularly in the field of food.  While I believe an aesthetic, even an artistic approach to food is essential, the fact remains that the science behind the ingredients, their interactions, and the new cooking techniques that are appearing in kitchens all across the globe almost simultaneously point to the fact that food is more scientific than we thought.  We are not writing concertos nor painting or sculpting original pieces.  We are working with food, an organic substance that behaves in accordance to scientific principles.  That means the combination and development of dishes is not the completely original forum we like to think it is.  Yet, the individual arrangement and presentation of these ideas may be where the true creative process lies.  In fact, based on these insights it is the balance of flavors and the presentation of food that may distinguish a chef craftsmen from a chef artist.  Now that is interesting.

Ideas and Taste

Often times it is the stories that matter.  Today we came across two interesting stories in the New Yorker.  The first is written by Malcolm Gladwell about our friend, Nathan Myhrvold.  The piece looks into ideas.  The other piece is about Grant Achatz, his creativity and the invaluable power of taste.

Both pieces are worth reading and certainly sparks for plenty of ideas and inspiration.




Nathan's Story

Grant's Profile

Leek Sheets

Leek sheets are a relatively new addition to our repertoire.  Leeks themselves come and go in our kitchen like many other ingredients and inspirations.  The use and preparation of the leek sheets came about several days before our departure.  In our previous work with leeks we braised them, sautéed them, diced them, cut them into rounds, melted them, made terrines with them and occasionally assembled a bouquet garni.

Still, we did not look at the many layers and rings of a leek as individual items until the other day.  I was cleaning some large specimens for a leek salad, which never reached fruition.  Instead, I became side tracked by unfurling large sheets of leek from each long, rounded bulb.  I set about carefully removing each layer and then rinsing them in cold water.  I seasoned them lightly with salt and then vacuum sealed the sheets so they lay flat and were compressed down.  I then set them in an 83 degree Celsius water bath to cook for one hour.  When the time was up I chilled the luminous green sheets and then opened the bag to check the results.  Each sheet of leek was tender, while still retaining it’s shape and intense flavor with the added benefit of a soft melting texture in the mouth.

While our first use of the leek sheet involved pairing it with a shrimp sheet and some rhubarb, the actual applications of being able to drape the allium are just beginning to present themselves.  A slow cooked egg hidden beneath a veil of tender leeks would be delicious, as would a fricassee of oysters and their mushrooms.  The sheets can also be used as a nest of sorts in which to cradle succulent baby squid or crisp-tender slices lamb neck. These uses and integrations are merely scratches on the surface of possibilities for the incredibly flexible leek.

*we have a picture though our connection is proving to be difficult

A Note on Markets

We have received several questions about the markets in Japan and the differences between them and the markets in the US.  After visiting just a few open air markets and a couple of food courts in the basements of department stores we came to realize our fascination with food is often inspired by its vast variety and seemingly limitless quantities.  In Japan we witnessed quality.  The quality was not just in the ingredients being sold, it was an approach to food, an appreciation for the ingredients and a desire to experience and share the pristine beauty exemplified through their ingredients.
Here we give you three pictures of different types of crab available last week in Tokyo and Osaka.  They are all equally beautiful in their different ways and none of them can be found in our local markets at home.  Wandering through the vast array of offerings was certainly an awakening.

The pictures are of tiny live crabs stored with what appear to be cedar branches, vibrant King crabs still swimming in their tanks, and a prepared hairy crab with its flesh exposed for examination (and easy consumption) and all its innards neatly arranged for use.  While our photographic skills are not perfect, these ingredients are close to some of the finest we have seen. The only thing we didn’t have was a kitchen to take them home and cook them in.

Sliced Chocolate

An expression of flavor may be both focused and harnessed by eliminating distractions.  In order to elevate the inherent nuances in a chocolate dessert we set about removing extraneous, flavor muting elements, namely fats.  In place of the fats we used water to allow the complex flavors of the chocolate to really bloom.  To give the dessert some structure we incorporated LMA pectin.  The finished chocolate preparation is sliceable and still soft and melting on the palate.  All of the fruity and floral notes of the cacao come through.  The smooth, ganache like texture is something to experience.  In fact, while we were immersed in working on a sliceable chocolate we completely overlooked the opportunity to make a more chocolate forward ganache and play with chocolate fillings.  Those will be projects for when we return to New York.  Since we are building off of our initial idea, instead of water we could use a vast number of liquids from fruit juices to tea in order to compliment and accent the chocolate in those types of applications. 

In this initial presentation of the sliceable chocolate we paired it with banana crisps.  It is a classic combination wih good reason. The two flavors harmonize well, each bringing out the best in the other.  As we move forward with a new perspective and panopoly of ideas, we shall see what develops.

Brown Butter Gnocchi

We continue to modify and update our base recipe for flourless potato gnocchi.  In our most recent class we added brown butter puree to base.  The rich caramel notes of the brown butter accented the entire batch of gnocchi adding a richness to the earthy notes of the potatoes.  We have also taken to marking the gnocchi after they set so they capture the ridging often associated with hand rolled gnocchi.  These brown butter bites will see a fair amount of action in a number of dishes this spring and summer.

Place Card Holder

The simplest solution to an everyday problem is often right in front of you.  While I have had this idea for some time, it was only yesterday that I was actually able to get my hands on these shiny cubes designed for displaying place cards.

Of course place cards are the last thing we plan to use these for. As you can see, they are perfect for serving our beautiful and extremely delicate crisps. In the photo is a zucchini, one of many in our culinary arsenal.

There is no doubt that other uses will evolve. For tonight we are perfectly content with the simple beauty of silver and green. Now if only we had a bowl full of crispy morels atop a mound of fresh pasta simply dressed with butter, pepper, and a dollop of fresh ricotta to go alongside it.

Chicken Tails

When you roast a chicken in our house, the rule is the roaster gets the tail.  Why?  Because there is only one.  Though I am sure there has to be a glut of chicken tails somewhere.  The market for boneless and portioned chicken parts means that these delicious tails are being left on a carcass destined for stock.  That is truly terrible.  These tails need to be freed from the stock pot and put on a pedestal or at least in a paper cone after they have been fried and served alongside some yuzu kosho mayonnaise.

For now, we get one tail at a time.  Hopefully soon we will have more than one to fight over.  Of course with only one tail it certainly motivates both of us to be the one to cook dinner.

*We are currently looking for sources for a variety of tails: chicken, duck, turkey, pintade.  Perhaps a frito misto of tails is in order.

Crispy Duck and Spring

We wait for the actual signs of Spring.  Somehow the arrival of fresh tender fava beans, pungent ramps and early morels provides a fresh start for the mind, wiping away stagnant ideas and replaing them with tentatively, blooming inspirations.  A hold over from the chilly winter months is a boneless duck leg which we flavored with salt and pepper and a bit of garlic.  We braised the leg and then when we are ready to eat we deep fry it.

With the beginning of Spring's gifts becoming available we have chosen to lighten up a presentation with the duck leg.  We paired the duck with beet noodles flavored with smoked balsamic vinegar.  A quick saute of fresh wood ear mushrooms add an earthiness and a tender, chewy element to the dish.  Leaves of tangy wild wood sorrel help cut through the meaty duck and accent the dish. It is a celebration of springtime and it's vibrant aura of renewal.

Crackers and Jam

I was talking with Sean about low country cooking, oysters, hot sauce and Saltine crackers.  My mind jumped and I found myself pondering a Saltine puree with oysters.  I felt it might be too heavy.  What about Saltine pudding pearls?  I set about testing the process and failed miserably in front of an audience.  I ended up with noodles, extremely dense noodles, of Saltines.

Still, I was not going to let this one get away.  I made a much lighter Saltine base.  The flavor was still intense, although it tasted more focused than my original version.  That is the beauty of failure.  We get a chance to rethink and correct our mistakes.

Yesterday the Saltine pearls worked perfectly.  While my initial idea was to pair the pearls with oysters, I took another path.  I thought about after school snacks, for me there was jam spread on Saltines, a way to curb hunger and pass the time.  I really enjoy the combination of salty and sweet.  With that in mind we set about creating a raspberry base which we could form into similar pearls.  In this case, failure was not an option.

The result was magnificent.  We have tiny pebbles of Saltines and raspberry jam which may be eaten individually and together.  I opted to take the two flavors and use them to compliment peekytoe crab meat which we flavored with tarragon.  At first glance you may think that we perhaps we are stretching.  The doubt is whisked away with the first bite.  The different bites are salty, sweet, tart, herbal and redolent of the ocean.  It brings to mind hot summer afternoons under a clear blue sky. The dish is quite simply delicious.

Crabtastic

Every day beauty comes in a variety of shapes, forms, moments, and visions.  I am lucky enough to work every day with my better half.  While I look from afar, delicate hands gently mix crab meat with herb and garlic bread crumbs, bound gently with Russian dressing.  I asked her to pause so that we might capture this moment, two delicate pieces intertwined, making dinner.

Skirt and Hangar Steak

In looking at the characteristics of different steaks and cuts of meat we have become inspired to blend the rich decadence of the usually thin skirt steak with the meaty flavor of the sometimes chewy hangar steak.  We butterflied both steaks and seasoned them with sea salt.  We used our jaccard on both pieces of meat and then rolled the hangar steak into a roulade.  Once we had a uniform piece of hangar steak we placed it in the center of the the butterflied skirt steak.  Then we rolled the hangar inside the skirt steak. 

A light dusting of Activa RM on both the hangar and skirt steaks united the two pieces of meat into what I consider a truly wonderful piece of meat.  The rich, marbled skirt steak encases the intense, meaty essence of the hangar steak.  Tomorrow we start working on dishes with this hybrid steak.