investors! investors! investors!

i need your money.

i want to open an indian taco truck in the midtown/montrose area. open from midnight to 4 am targeting all the drunkies. offering delicious classic indian dishes.

gimme money!

1 minute farro puffs

this stemmed off from the original idea. can you pop farro like popcorn? tried it, and no. there is one way though, but it involved using liquid nitrogen (which i dont have!!)

so next options were corn nuts or puffed grains. did a combination of both methods and got a very very nice result. and in a minute!!

1. put grains and flavored liquid in a vacuum seal bag. (1:1 ratio by volume)
2. seal.
3. cook in microwave (power 9) for 30 seconds.
4. remove from bag, drain excess liquid. (if any)
5. fry for 30 seconds in fryer set at 350.
6. drain on paper towels.
7. season to taste.

and since ancient grains are healthy, (for the health conscious) these make for a very healthy snack.

ideas ... chocolate and puffed farro bark, puffed farro brittle, candied farro, farro streusel, etc

we are going to order sorghum and amaranth soon, try this method and the popcorn method. will report with results.

bacon fried brownies

bacon fried brownies
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

bacon fried brownies, bourbon pudding, ancho chili ice cream

yeah, its good. (needs a more pronounced bacon flavor, though)

spring spring spring!!

spring is around the corner and i can't wait! new menus!!!

gravitas spring menu
gravitas favorites:
chocolate and hazelnut mousse, caramel ice cream
butterscotch bread pudding, vanilla ice cream
smoked chocolate brownies, spiced peanuts, chocolate ice cream

seasonal:
peanut butter tart, banana ice cream, caramel
coffee flan, chicory soil, shortbread
tx style cheesecake, white chocolate bbq, pecan pralines
warm almond cake, strawberry sorbet, sesame granola

textile spring menu
"strawberry shortcake", pistachio scone, compressed strawberries, buttermilk ice cream
ginger cake, grapefruit in two textures, cocoa nib praline
"peas and carrots", carrot cake, molasses, sweet peas, dairy maids crescenza cheese
bacon fried brownies, maple pudding, ancho chile ice cream
"turtle", bittersweet chocolate torchon, liquid pecans, caramel, pecan brittle

dessert tasting, 3 course
dessert tasting, 5 course

off menu items possible for dessert tastings:
sweet potato beignets
bacon ice cream
1 second pisco sour
banana pudding lollipops
gianduja and potato ice cream cones


i still have a week to finalize my menus. what do you think so far? any suggestions? any items you would like on my menus?

i can still bake!

maddie cake
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

not everything i do is modern or "molecular". see!!

... on brownies

is there more than one way to cook a brownie?

the one way i know (and have followed since i first started baking) is to mix the flour, eggs and sugar. meanwhile, melt the butter and chocolate in a separate bowl. then mix them all and bake.

but could we do it faster?

sure, stovetop brownies!

the french laundry cookbook is still a source of endless inspiration. the idea for a stovetop brownie stems from thomas keller's veloute of bittersweet chocolate recipe. in the recipe sebastian makes a veloute of bittersweet chocolate, folds it with meringue and then bakes it. a veloute!! (on a side note: the french laundry cookbook instigated my determination to end the line between savory and sweet. we should not separate it like that. it should be more start, middle and end. afterall, its food and we all eat. and as chefs, we should excel in all fields of cooking.)

so a veloute.

stovetop brownies.
make a blond roux with the butter and flour.
add the sugar and eggs. (the flour prevents the eggs from curdling - a tip from molecular gastronomy by herve this)
cook until mix resembles a thick custard.
remove from heat and add chocolate.
mix until chocolate melts.
pour into prepared pan.


this is an idea. i have not tested it to see the results, but in theory this sounds solid. just imagine, if you cooked the roux further than blond. imagine the flavors built by adding a dark roux to a brownie.

of course, this method produces a custardy and gooey brownie. (personally, its how i like my brownies.) if you seek a brownie that is more like cake, abandon this procedure.

i will test this out over the weekend and post an update with results.

was textile reviewed today??

yes, textile was reviewed today by katharine Shilcutt.

and it was a good review, but i think/know we will be definitely overlooked by another restaurant review.

alison cook wrote a stellar review. actually, its the best review i've read by alison. she reviewed an amazing chef and friend, randy rucker of the rainbow lodge.

go randy!

its rodeo time!

rodeo brownies
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

and in the restaurant industry, we know this means business is going to be slow.

inspired by the rodeo, i have created a brownie with the flavors of the rodeo.

applewood smoked brownie, white chocolate bbq sauce, spiced peanuts, bbq crisps