I was very inspired after dinner at wd~50. They have a foie gras dish similar to my dessert version.
Their foie gras dish is a torchon with a liquid beet center. My dessert version is a bittersweet chocolate mousse with a peppered raspberry liquid center.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
... and they still haunt me
Soma will soon open and i couldnt be more excited. Ive been out of a kitchen for about 2 months now. The kitchen is where i create my art. Take me away from the kitchen and i become irritable and depressed. Its been a boring and tough 2 months, but i am finally behind a stove/oven!!
Chef Gadsby and I are working on Soma Restaurant. It will be located at 4820 Washington Blvd (at the corner of washington and shepherd). Last week we finally started working in the kitchen. Working on our menu items. I'm done with my dessert menu and am ready to move into the kitchen side.
Soma is the most anticipated restaurant opening in Houston. We are ready to please and raise everyones expectation on what a japanese restaurant and sushi bar should be. Our food will be more approachable than that of Noe's. BUT. the quality and creativity will not be disregarded.
Well ... heres a little tease. These little beautys will be part of our bar menu. I've tried to get away from making cupcakes (i used to make them for a living at a bakery!), but they still taunt/haunt me. This time i will make them how i want. Not how they wanted them. This is my take on cupcakes.
Sweet: Granny Smith Apple Cupcakes / Vanilla Bean Buttercream / Sesame Granola
Savory: Vidalia Onion Cupcakes / Duck Confit Buttercream / Bacon Streusel
Monday, December 3, 2007
Todd Richards vs Cat Cora
Yet another proof that Iron Chef America is a joke! An abomination to the art of cookery.
Tonights challenger was Chef Todd Richards. I dont know the chef and, to be honest, didnt expect much from him. I absolutely hate his chef coats. ugly! But nevertheless, his food looked great. He was serious about his food and he had a keen eye on detail.
His food pairings were great. It was all creative, tasteful and plated beautifully.
What did cat cora do?
she did shit. not one judge gave her a compliment. Wait, they did compliment her on her carrot soup. Nothing else. So why did she win? WHY?!!
Her food looked ugly. the lady cannot plate. Her style is very haphazard. Her plating is very rudementary. Her creativity ... well. she doesnt have any! so why did she win?!
Her meek attempts at modern cooking is shameful. Actually, this applies to the vast of chefs who try their hands at modern cuisine. No one knows how to do it correctly. The only chefs who do are succesul at what they do. Wylie Dufresne, Grant Achatz, Ferran Adria, Paul Liebrandt, Alex Stupak, Sam Mason, Jordan Kahn, Homaro Cantu, Richard Blais and a few more.
The vast simply do it because they feel its something they need to do to keep up. Its not. The reason the chefs [listed above] are succesful at it is because they understand it. They understand the novelty and ingenuity of new techniques and chemicals. They dont do it simply for the sake of doing it. They do it because they want to understand food. They want to learn food and present it in a new fashion.
Keeping that in mind. Why did cora make carrot caviar? Was there a need for them? Did they improve her dish? By doing it, does that make her creative?
Ferran Adria developed faux caviar. He taught the world how to do it. But they way he does it is in a correct fashion. He serves cantaloupe in a tin; much like caviar is sold.
Needless to say, i am very angered by iron chef america. The judges did not like cat coras food. The judges loved Chef Todd Richards food. Yet, cora won?!
the show is a joke and it is completely rigged. the show sucks. i hate it, but i will keep watching it.
bah!
what do you think?
p
Tonights challenger was Chef Todd Richards. I dont know the chef and, to be honest, didnt expect much from him. I absolutely hate his chef coats. ugly! But nevertheless, his food looked great. He was serious about his food and he had a keen eye on detail.
His food pairings were great. It was all creative, tasteful and plated beautifully.
What did cat cora do?
she did shit. not one judge gave her a compliment. Wait, they did compliment her on her carrot soup. Nothing else. So why did she win? WHY?!!
Her food looked ugly. the lady cannot plate. Her style is very haphazard. Her plating is very rudementary. Her creativity ... well. she doesnt have any! so why did she win?!
Her meek attempts at modern cooking is shameful. Actually, this applies to the vast of chefs who try their hands at modern cuisine. No one knows how to do it correctly. The only chefs who do are succesul at what they do. Wylie Dufresne, Grant Achatz, Ferran Adria, Paul Liebrandt, Alex Stupak, Sam Mason, Jordan Kahn, Homaro Cantu, Richard Blais and a few more.
The vast simply do it because they feel its something they need to do to keep up. Its not. The reason the chefs [listed above] are succesful at it is because they understand it. They understand the novelty and ingenuity of new techniques and chemicals. They dont do it simply for the sake of doing it. They do it because they want to understand food. They want to learn food and present it in a new fashion.
Keeping that in mind. Why did cora make carrot caviar? Was there a need for them? Did they improve her dish? By doing it, does that make her creative?
Ferran Adria developed faux caviar. He taught the world how to do it. But they way he does it is in a correct fashion. He serves cantaloupe in a tin; much like caviar is sold.
Needless to say, i am very angered by iron chef america. The judges did not like cat coras food. The judges loved Chef Todd Richards food. Yet, cora won?!
the show is a joke and it is completely rigged. the show sucks. i hate it, but i will keep watching it.
bah!
what do you think?
p
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
best sushi in houston: Kubo's
Kubo's Sushi and Grill
2414 University (in the Rice Village)
simplicity at its best. nothing pretentious. no fucking rolls! (well, they had one or two for the idiots who think that is sushi)
the food was clean. solid flavors after solid flavors. the portions were great. the simple ingredients and pairings of seasonings made for a complex and amazing flavor.
AND!!! kubo's did not have that club feel like all the sushi places in houston. the interior design was very simple. very zen. i loved it!
... or maybe the service and food was amazing because i was dining with Chef Gadsby?
2414 University (in the Rice Village)
simplicity at its best. nothing pretentious. no fucking rolls! (well, they had one or two for the idiots who think that is sushi)
the food was clean. solid flavors after solid flavors. the portions were great. the simple ingredients and pairings of seasonings made for a complex and amazing flavor.
AND!!! kubo's did not have that club feel like all the sushi places in houston. the interior design was very simple. very zen. i loved it!
... or maybe the service and food was amazing because i was dining with Chef Gadsby?
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Iron Chef Vs Iron Chef America
really?! i mean, REALLY?!!
The Food Network has totally bastardized Iron Chef; much like any American adaptation.
The original Iron Chef had integrity - it was real. It pitted the world's best chefs against the [much deserving] Iron Chefs. The show was great to watch. It was funny as well as close as cooking comes to being a sport. It encouraged many kids to become chefs.
The Iron Chefs were masters at their skills, so battling one of them was a great honor. Who the f?@#! is Batali, Cora, Flay and Symon? Who decided to make them Iron Chefs? Why? Is it because they all coveniently live in NYC? Is it because they all coveniently have/had shows on the Food Network? When you start to think about it, it all makes sense. I mean, what have those chefs contributed to the food industry? So how can they possibly be called America's best chefs?! It's a joke! Iron Chef America is a f-ing joke!
The Food Network has become what MTV was in the 90s.
So tonight they aired Iron Chef America - All Star Holiday Dessert Battle. The competitors were Team Paula Deen/Cat Cora vs Robert Irvine/Tyler Florence. All who have shows on the Food Network. Seriously, was there a lack of chefs in America to produce this work of sh@t?
The whole show is a joke. No challengers ever win. And if they do win, it is a pitty win. John Besh won because during his battle Katrina was going on. Anita Lo won because she was the first female to battle on Iron Chef America, and so on and on and on.
Here are some notable losers:
Morimoto lost to Puck?!!!
Roberto Donna
Wylie Dufresne
David Burke
Susur Lee (had a draw, but thats a joke!)
Cristophe Eme
Mouro Outtara
Rick Tramonto & Gale Gand
David Bull
Richard Blais
Ian Chalermkittichai
Graham Bowles
Robert Gadsby
David Myers
Ben Ford
I was on Iron Chef America. I was sous chef for Robert Gadsby. I'm not being bitter. I know what i am talking about, i was there! I am happy to have lost, i am with a really good crowd.
Anyway, the fact is that Iron Chef America is a joke. Its really sad that America has yet again bastardized something foreign and with integrity.
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