evolution of american cuisine: japan

9.22 - 9.28 at gravitas.

dessert course
ginger cake/ azuki cream/ citrus/ shoyu sorbet


shoyu sorbet (soy sauce sorbet)

3 cups sugar
3 cups water
0.5 cups shoyu (soy sauce)
0.5 tsp xanthan gum
1 oz light corn syrup
2 ea gelatin sheets

pumpkin fondant

pumpkin fondant
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

when in culinary school, i used to love this dessert. i was amazed by it! but after years it got boring that no one did anything different. its like it became an unspoken rule for restaurants, you must offer a warm chocolate cake/ fondant/ coulant/ molten cake/ lava cake, whatever you want to call it. if you must, why not do something different?

i first tried this at noe with good sucess. i havent seen or read about anyone doing a pumpkin fondant, so i guess this would be one of my signature desserts.

i am now offering this as part of my fall menu at gravitas. its selling like hot cakes!! literally!

come try it.

pumpkin fondant/ brown butter ice cream/ walnut brittle/ pecan streusel/ caramel

crispy chocolate

the name implies two sensations brought on by this brittle. its crispy and while you masticate, your teeth make a paste from the sugar and cocoa nibs thus creating chocolate.

cocoa nib brittle

2.5 cups sugar
0.5 cups light corn syrup
3 oz butter
8 oz water
0.75 tsp baking soda
0.5 tsp salt
1 cup cocoa nibs

heat sugar, syrup butter and water until caramel color.
remove from heat. add baking soda, salt and cocoa nibs.
return to heat and stir to disperse dry ingredients. 5 minutes.
pour brittle onto silpat mat.
cover brittle with another silpat mat and roll out thin.
cool and store in air tight container.

manjari "torchon"

manjari "torchon"
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

this has become my signature dessert. it's very versatile to every season and it satisfies every chocolate lover. thank you wiley for the foie gras torchon!

like the others, the center of this "torchon" is a liquid. cranberries to be exact. cut the torchon right down the middle and await a glorious red sauce ooze out.

my favorite part about this one is the cocoa nib brittle. as you masticate the brittle, your teeth grind together the sugars and the cocoa nibs creating chocolate. while you chew you make chocolate in your mouth. how cool is that?!!?!?!?!!

a question ...

i was making ice cream bases today. i use the same recipe for vanilla and burnt caramel. the only thing i do different is caramelize the sugar until its almost burnt. it tastes amazing, trust me! oh, its also salted.

as is my habit (and every chef in the world) i taste my food as it progresses. when all the bases where finished and cooled, i stirred and gave them one last taste. i noticed something different.

the vanilla ice cream was sweet. the caramel ice cream tasted like caramel, but it was no where near as sweet as the vanilla. how could this be (aside from the salt)? its the same recipe. its the same amount of sugar ...

does sugar loose its 'sweetness' as it caramelizes? why? what happens?

who likes corndogs?

tried this tasty treat while at americas, but it wasnt the right venue. maybe jj could use this at beavers ...

corndog batter

yields 2 quarts

3 cups Cornmeal

1.5 cups AP Flour

1.5 tsp Baking Soda

0.75 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Sugar

1.5 cups Buttermilk

1.25 cups Water

1 ea Egg

Banana Mustard

yields 2 quarts

4 cups Pastry Cream

1 cup Honey

1.5 cups Yellow American Mustard

8 Tbsp Banana Extract

Pastry Cream

yields 3 quarts

12 ea Egg yolks

2 ea Eggs

1 qt Heavy Cream

2 cups Sugar

0.5 tsp Salt

1 ea Vanilla Bean

8 oz Butter

Banana Ice Cream

yields 3 quarts

12 oz Butter

3 cups Milk

4.5 cups Heavy Cream

0.5 cup Light Corn Syrup

0.5 cup Milk Powder

3 cups Sugar

1 tsp Xanthan Gum

2.5 Tbsp Banana Extract