bakin 'n' bacon

coming soon

2010-10-17T19:51:00.001-07:00

cannele brioche
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

I've been without a home (kitchen) for too long. awesome things are coming soon.

ganache brulee

2010-03-15T14:54:00.001-07:00

ganache brulee
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

this dessert came about as what my friend calls, 'a gentle rebellion

since i started at textile restaurant, i've always said i wouldn't do a molten cake or a creme brulee. not because those dishes are bad, they are not, they are delicious! but because i wanted to offer our diners something they can't get anywhere in houston. i wanted to offer them something new, yet familiar. something fun to look at and exciting to eat.

this dessert combines the best parts of two desserts: molten cake and creme brulee. the best way to eat any chocolate is warm (hence molten cakes popularity). the best part of a creme brulee is the crunchy sugar. my ganache brulee is a thin ganache that gets bruleed. during the carmelizationof the sugar, the ganache warms up and develops a warm pudding texture.

and because we are in texas, decided to include texan/ mexican influences. cumin pecans and popcorn ice cream.

ganache brulee (an adaptation of alex stupak's pliable chocolate)

50 grams water
100 grams agave nectar
3 grams agar
1 ea gelatin sheet
50 grams light corn syrup
900 grams heavy cream
375 grams chocolate (70% or more)

place chocolate in bowl, reserve.
heat water, agave nectar and agar to a boil. whisk.
bloom gelatin, add to agar mix.
heat for 1 minute, whisk.
add light corn syrup. whisk.
slowly add heavy cream, whisk.
bring mixture to a boil.
strain and pour into chocolate.
whisk to combine.
pour into prepared 1/4 sheet pan
(prepared: nonstick spray, plastic wrap, nonstick spray)
chill in cooler for at least an hour.
cut into thin strips and cover one side with sugar.
wrap chocolate strip alond inside lipof bowl.
torch.

popcorn ice cream

1/4 cup popcorn kernels
as needed oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/8 cup light corn syrup
6 oz butter
1 tsp salt

place popcorn kernels in pot with just a touch of oil.
place pot over high heat and cover.
move pot back and forth over heat to prevent scorching.
once popcorn has popped, remove from heat.
add remaining ingredients, whisk, bring to light boil.
blend on high for 3 minutes.
strain, chill, and run in ice cream machine.

cumin pecans

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups pecans
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup sugar

place first sugar, water and pecans in pot. stir.
heat on low heat for 30/45 mins.
strain
fry until golden brown in fryer at 325
combine salt, cumin, cayenne, smoked paprika and second sugar.
toss fryed pecans in cumin mix.
spread in single layer in pan to cool quickly.
store in airtight container.

there it is.
enjoy!

very rich man's brioche

2010-02-25T09:54:00.001-08:00

Les Petites Brioches à Tête
Originally uploaded by jytyl

one course of the new menu at textile includes foie gras crouton. this is an item that i will be contributing to the savory side. (because i miss baking breads dearly, i may even start a breads program solely for textile)

so the best brioche recipe i came across is Peter Reinhart's Rich Man's brioche; named because of the high butter content. this is my play on his recipe and name: the Very Rich Man's brioche (foie gras brioche)

this is an adaptaion of pete reinharts recipe.

sponge
1/2 cup bread flour
1 1/2 Tbsp instant yeast
1/2 cup milk, lukewarm
5 eggs

dough
4 1/2 cups bread flour
10 oz butter
6 oz foie gras fat*
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp honey
to taste sea salt

sponge: whisk all ingredients until smooth. cover bowl with plastic and set in warm area. let rise until doubled. once doubled, whisk in eggs.

* foie gras fat: sear foie in hot pan. whisk and cook foie until all that is left is fat and little chunks of foie. add butter and heat until butter is just melted. blend on high for 2 minutes. strain. cool, but reserve warm

dough: combine flour, honey, sugar and foie/butter mix in mixer with dough hook. run on low until dough forms. add sponge/egg mix. run on medium until dough is formed.

continue running until gluten develops. add salt. taste dough. add more salt if it needs it. always always! taste your dough for seasoning.

remove from mixer and place in well oil container. lid. chill in refrigerator for 1 to day.

next day: remove dough from cooler. portion. shape. place in mold(s). spray non stick over dough do prevent from drying.
proof for 45mins or until dough doubles in size.
brush tops of brioche with eggwash (eggwash=egg yolks).
bake @ 350

enjoy.

possessed by the devil's water

2010-01-24T10:32:00.001-08:00

Fernet Branca
Originally uploaded by Morten Iveland

just for kicks i made fernet branca ice cream a few days ago. it is awesome!!

ever had fernet branca?

now im wondering what to pair with it. some ideas are gingerbread cake, carrot cake, orange zeppole ... seems like a spiced cake is the way to go. suggestions?

so for your enjoyment: fernet branca ice cream

2 oz fernet branca
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 oz butter
2 oz fernet branca
1/2 tsp ultra-tex 3

cook off alcohol from first 2 oz fernet branca.
reduce fernet by 3/4.
add sugar, milk and cream. bring to a light simmer.
add butter. whisk.
remove from heat.
add last 2 oz fernet branca and ultra-tex 3.
blend on high for 2 minutes.
chill.
run in ice cream machine.

enjoy!!

down in the south ...

2010-01-21T18:23:00.001-08:00

Allens Boots Austin Texas Cowboy Boots
Originally uploaded by Sean Greenberg

last weekend i went to nyc for much needed vacation (last one was 4 years ago!!) and inspiration. we ate a lot. tastings every night at the countries best restaurants, nougatine by jean-georges, wd~50, morimoto and corton.

i was blown away by the service at these restaurants. i was more blown away by the food. i needed this, inspiration. i cannot compete with those guys, they are light years ahead of me. but i can create desserts a southerner like me will enjoy.

after all the food, i came back to texas filled with ideas. a new dessert menu ensues.

southern desserts:
soft ganache brulee, popcorn ice cream, cumin pudding, pecan praline

"egg in a basket" caramelized TX toast, sweet yolk, bacon brittle, jalapeno butter

textured lemon: curd, sorbet, crisp, honey-tea granola

TX ruby red grapefruit granita, whipped honey, pickled pear

banana bread bread pudding, whipped brie, piloncillo, grapefruit

goat cheese and grit zeppole, green tomato sorbet, sweet basil sun tea

what yall think?

Sweet on Texas

2009-12-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

So i decided to make a Texas themed tasting for Ms Lisa Fain because of her twitter handle @homesicktexan. What better way to welcome a Texan home than with a pea-can pie? sent out a cry for help on twitter, and within 5 minutes, my menu was written. i love my twitter family, so very helpful.

Texan Dessert Tasting

pecan tart, milk jam, coffee ice cream

apple and cheddar hot pockets, vanilla ice cream

"corndog" corncakes, hot dog ketchup, mustard ice cream

tres leches - my way

fried pumpkin cupcake, buttercream ice cream

texas toast pain perdu, bacon ice cream

sweet potato beignets, brown butter ice cream

oaxacan hot chocolate, alfajores

sweet sweet foie

2009-12-22T03:25:00.001-08:00

foie cookies
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

order seared foie at a restaurant. chances are you will more than likely get something super sweet that pairs with its. gastriques, pineapples, brittle, etc. so why hasn't anyone used foie as a full on dessert?

i mean, why not?

so far i have to applications with foie (more to come in the future): buttercream and ice cream.

pictured are oatmeal cookies with foie gras buttercream and dulce de leche. the other dessert i have with foie is butterscotch bread pudding, nutella, foie gras ice cream.

coming up with the recipes was quite simple. and in sharing fashion (and if you just happen to have foie laying around), here are the recipes:

foie gras buttercream
4 oz foie gras
14 oz butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream
pinch salt

cook foie in pan over medium heat. be sure to contantly whisk to avoid burning.
cook foie until all fat has been rendered out and foie protein has caramelized.
strain through fine chinois, press down on chinois to get as much of the caramelized foie fat (remember, foie is expensive, no waste!)
chill over night.
next day place foie fat, butter, sugar, cream and salt in bowl of electric mixer.
with paddle attachment, mix until buttercream is smooth and light. done and enjoy!

foie gras ice cream
6 oz foie gras
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
pinch salt
1/8 tsp xantham gum

cook foie in pot over medium heat. cook until all fat from foie has rendered out and is caramelized.
add remaining ingrediemts, whisk until hot.
once hot, place in blender and blen on high.
strain foie ice cream base with fine chinois.
chill.
run in and according to ice cream machine.
done and enjoy.

if you attempt these recipes, lemme know if you need any help.hope all goes well and enjoy foie as a dessert

let them eat cake

2009-11-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

lately i've been noticing (after a few cocktails) alot of crazy ideas are born at anvil. for example, riding the MS150 next year. and now this: a 10 course all cake dessert tasting!! very excited about this one.

heres the preliminary menu:

carrot cake souffle (charlie palmer) w/ spiced ginger ice cream
red velvet cake w/ cream cheese ice cream
german chocolate cake w/ coconut ice cream
warm pumpkin cake w/ brown butter ice cream
devils and angels food cake w/ apricot sorbet
cheesecake
"breakfast" donuts, bacon, jelly, egg
sweet potato beignet w/ bacon ice cream
funnel cake w/ spam ice cream
brown butter pound cake w/ goat cheese ice cream

also, after a few cocktails i too said that i would pair each course with an ice cream.

oh! and if you would like to do this tasting, email me. lets set a date psandalio@yahoo.com

before/after dessert tasting

2009-10-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

a few days back i posted on twitter about doing a before and after dessert tasting. this was in response to my own fear that people think i can't make classic desserts. in order to prove to them (and myself), i will be doing very classic desserts as part of this tasting. the tasting will consist of a very classic preparation on a dessert followed by a modern preparation.

this is the tentative menu

1. classic: creme brulee / modern: vanilla custard in textures

2. classic: lava cake / modern: toasted chocolate sponge, warm chocolate spheres

3. classic: cheesecake / modern: graham cracker cheesecake, crispy cream cheese crust

4. classic: souffle / modern: 10 second microwave souffle

5. classic: lemon meringue pie / modern: lemon frozen custard, hot meringue, liquid sable

still have no date for this tasting, but if you interested email me. also, if you have any dessert requests you'd like to see on the before/after tasting, email me.

houston press interview

2009-10-21T23:12:00.001-07:00

plinio by fabio
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

a few days back i was interviewed by david buehrer for the houston press' eating our words blog.

read the interview herehere

tenacity

2009-09-30T02:17:00.001-07:00

ceviche
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

randy has brought back his tenacity dinners.

jj, justin basye, joseph gentempo, rainbow lodge crew and myself were fortunate to be at the tenacity rebirth.

press, reviews and links

2009-09-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

just a word or two about textile

texas monthly: textile

gourmet: first taste of textile

houston chronicle: hot, new restaurants grace the houston landscape

houston chronicle: textile

houston press review: the tastes of textile

food in houston blog: houston's top 10 restaurants

food in houston blog: halcyon days: a dinner at textile

great food houston blog: textile

great food houston blog: textile revisited

tasty bits blog: first taste of textile

eat me houston blog: textile

just a word or two about desserts at textile

dirty kitchen adventures: dessert tasting

houston chronicle: houston's best dessert spots

houston press: best of houston: best desserts

i'm never full blog: how to spoil a girl like me

great food houston blog: crazylicious dessert tasting

from the gutt blog: textile

barley vine blog: textile

pondering fall

2009-09-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

photo credit lancastrian @ flickr

some ideas for fall menu at textile

nutella bread pudding, roasted foie gras ice cream, butterscotch

gouda cannolie, pumpkin mousse, salted caramel ice cream

figs, brown butter pound cake, goat cheese ice cream

pear tart, mushroom iced tea

apple - lucuma terrine, apple sorbet, sweet potato chips

molecular gastronomy or not?

2009-07-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

a few days ago i was watching a midsummer night's dream on TCM, the 1935 version. it got me thinking about my favorite shakespeare quote (from romeo and juliet).

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

so i started thinking in food terms. what's in a name? that which we call food by any other name would still be delicious.

molecular gastronomy is the study of food. molecular gastronomy explore textures, scents, temperatures and flavors in food. it's a progression of food. so why all the hate? because we dont really understand it? sometimes it's better to vent and hate than to do any research. no?

so i pose a quiz. you tell me: is it molecular gastronomy or not?

frozen aerated butter foam

encapsulated beef and mushrooms

dehydrated meat

encapsulated jalapeno and cheese

encapsulated ganache

sous vide cheese emulsion

explosion of corn

compressed and puffed grains

compressed liver

molded fat and air molecules

aerated sugar cookie

potato paper

slow oil poached flour

hot foam

dehydrated fruit puree

dehydrated ocean water

carbonized sugar crystals

extract of bones

suspended vinegar and oil emulsion

what do you think?

[photo from howstuffworks.com]
[oh, for the record, i hate the term 'molecular gastronomy']

coconut and avocado

2009-07-12T01:45:00.001-07:00

coconut and avocado
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

part of summer a la carte menu at textile:

coconut pound cake, avocado ice cream, horchata, cilantro, citrus

peach melba vacherin

2009-07-12T01:44:00.001-07:00

peach melba vacherin
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

part of summer a la carte menu at textile:

"peach melba vacherin", peach sorbet, vanilla meringue, white chocolate mousse, raspberry sauce

houston modern luxury magazine

2009-07-03T15:26:00.001-07:00

houston magazine cover
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

the cover photo of the restaurant issue by houston modern luxury is of my goat cheese and rhubarb dessert.

photo by julie soefer

watermelon and feta

2009-07-03T10:47:00.001-07:00

watermelon and feta
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

summer dessert at textile: watermelon and feta

watermelon sorbet, spiced streusel, balsamic compressed watermelon, pickled watermelon rind, feta cheesecake

corndog dessert

2009-06-19T12:20:00.001-07:00

corndog dessert
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

fried corncake, hot dog ketchup, yellow american mustard ice cream.

corndog batter

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 ea egg
1 cup milk

combine dry ingredients. in separate bowl combine egg and milk. add to dry ingredients. refrigerate for at least 1 hour before use.

mustard ice cream

1 qt cream
3 cups milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
12 oz butter
9 oz yellow american mustard

heat cream, milk, sugar, light corn syrup and butter. once butter is fully melted, remove from heat and chill completely. once chilled, whisk in mustard and immediately run in ice cream machine.

hot dog ketchup

8 oz ketchup
1/4 oz molasses
6 oz light brown sugar
2 ea hot dogs

heat ketchup, molasses and light brown sugar until sugars have melted. chop hot dogs and add to ketchup mix. cook for 3 minutes. remove from heat and run in blender. strain through chinois.

fried chicken dessert

2009-06-11T01:57:00.001-07:00

fried chicken dessert
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

on monday june 8th, houston had its second throwdown. this time the throwdown was fried chicken. i entered the creative category with chicken ice cream and all the fixins'. it was a tough and fun battle. at the end i came in second. first place was a deep fried chicken sausage balantine with watermelon salad and watermelon ice tea.

this was my entry.
chicken ice cream, buttermilk biscuit, guajillo honey, chicken fried chicken skin

what really surprised me was the amount of food fans dying to taste the chicken ice cream. its so awesome to live in the a city with such a diverse food scene, hungry mouths and amazing chef community.

and now, the recipes

chicken ice cream

2 ea whole chickens, bones only
18 oz butter
6 cups heavy cream
4 1/2 cups milk
4 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper, ground

blanch chicken bones for 1 minutes in pot of boiling water.
drain water, reserve bones.
toss bones in small amount of oil, place on sheet pan with roasting rack.
roast chicken bones at 325 for 30 minutes.
remove bones from oven. place in pot.
pour milk and cream over bones.
heat milk and bones mix on low heat for 30 minutes.
remove from heat. pour into container, bones and milk (chicken veloute), and store in cooler over night.
next day, heat chicken veloute until a light simmer for 10 minutes.
remove from heat and strain. discard bones, reserve chicken veloute.
pour chicken veloute back into pot, add butter, sugar, light corn syrup, salt and black pepper.
heat over medium heat for 15 minutes.
remove from heat and let chill.
pour into ice cream machine and run as machine instructs.

buttermilk biscuits

6 cups flour
6 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp spice mix
12 oz butter, cold
1 1/2 cups mozzarela, grated
2 1/4 cups buttermilk

place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spice mix in electric mixer with paddle attachment.
run on low to mix all ingredients.
cut butter into small cubes, add to flour mix.
mix until mixture resembles corn meal
add mozzarela.
once fully mixed, add buttermilk.
mix until dough barely starts coming together.
remove from bowl and knead by hand. knead just until dough forms.
roll to about 1 inch thick. portion.
bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes.

spice mix

1 Tbsp cayenne
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp chili powder

mix well.

seasoned flour

4 Tbsp spice mix
2 Tbsp salt
1 cup flour

mix well.

crispy chicken skin

2 ea whole chickens, skin only
1 cup seasoned flour
as needed spice mix

carefully remove chicken skin from chicken. keep whole.
scrape off excess fat with knife; careful not to tear the skin.
season skin with sea salt.
sandwich in between two roasting racks.
roast at 325 for 15 minutes. this will get rid of excess water and fat.
chill, vaccuum pack, store in cooler.
to order, pat skins in seasoned flour. fry at 350 until golden brown.
season with spice mix.

guajillo honey

6 oz guajillos, stem and seeds removed
1/2 oz chile de arbol, stem and seeds removed
2 lbs honey
8 oz water
1 tsp salt

thinly slice guajillos and chile de arbol
heat pan over high heat with no oil.
add chiles into hot pan, toss constantly to prevent burning.
after 2 minutes of tossing, add water and mix.
add honey and salt.
lower heat and let simmer lightly for 20 minutes.
remove from heat and store in container in cooler over night.
next day, heat on low heat for 15 minutes.
strain, discard chiles and reserve honey.
let chill at room temp.

enjoy.

egg ^ 3

2009-05-14T12:39:00.001-07:00

egg on egg on egg
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

one of the best sandwiches ever! egg on egg on egg.

bacon gribiche and egg salad, baby romaine, fried egg and baguette

bacon gribiche
3 ea Eggs, hard boiled
5 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Parsley, chopped
1 tsp Cayenne
1/2 tsp Lime juice
4 oz Bacon, extra crispy

chop the eggs, add mayo, mustard, parsley, cayenne and lime juice. mix well.
chop the bacon, add. mix well.

now assemble the sandwich.
toast baguette
spread a thick layer of bacon gribiche
baby romaine
top with fried egg

enjoy!

pastry cream: can you get any unhealthier?

2009-05-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

unhealthier: yes.
more delicious: yes.

how?

i remember back in culinary school always being amazed by making mayonnaise. the ingredients are simple, the technique is simple, the end result is amazing! but what amazed me most was the texture. it was very similar to pastry cream.

so i thought, can we make pastry cream like we would make mayonnaise?

the ingredients are similar too, so in theory it should work.

mayonnaise: egg yolks, vinegar, fat, seasoning.
pastry cream: egg yolks, milk, fat, sugar.

my only concern was the sugar, how would it contribute to the emulsion? will it break it or will it stabilize it? sugar helps the structure of meringue and sabayon, so i assumed it would do likewise here.

initial test recipe.
7 eggs
12 oz brown butter
1 cup milk
2 cups sugar
pinch salt

results:
it was nowhere near like mayonnaise. instead it was more like a thick anglaise. since it had such a fat content, i decided to refrigerate it and hope for the best the next day. the next day the custard set into a beautiful thick custard, pudding.

so it kind of worked, but i'll keep working on the recipe.

future applications?
mayo style custards: bacon, olive oil, foie, nut oils, etc.

goat cheese bavarois

2009-05-03T16:26:00.001-07:00

goat cheese bavarois
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

new dessert at textile as part of our 7 course tasting menu.

goat cheese bavarois, peppered blueberries, basil mint syrup, basil mint crisps, rhubarb compote, candied rhubarb

fried sauerkraut balls

2009-05-03T16:20:00.001-07:00

fried sauerkraut balls
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

had lunch yesterday at wunsche bros cafe, a really nice little cafe in old town spring.

this was our appetizer. fried sauerkraut and sausage balls. and it was amazing!!

i am convinced that any food in ball form is delicious ... think about it, beignets. donut holes. rochers. pb balls. fried ice cream. fritters. takoyaki. cheese balls.

idea: HOUSTON BALLS TOUR!!!
purpose: hit every restaurant in houston that offers food in ball form and rate it on a delicious scale. also, find weird food balls.

or maybe the word balls is just too funny not to say multiple times.

balls balls balls balls

donut jucy lucy burger

2009-04-30T09:36:00.001-07:00

donut jucy lucy burger
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

this was my dinner last night. as you can see, its almost as big as the lone star bottle.

if you have not tried it, i urge you to do so. i was in food coma last night. this was awesome!!

recipe for sucess:
glazed donuts
jalapeno monterey jack stuffed burger (jucy lucy)
bacon
fried egg

if i ever have a heart attack, i know where it started.

cocktail vending machine?

2009-04-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

the pisco sour started my fascination with cocktails out of a siphon. i've been joking around with the idea of creating a "serve yourself" cocktail machine. it would work much like the soda machines. convenience or nuisance?

when you think about it, soda used to be made to order by a person. the person was known as a soda jerk. he would take the syrup you liked and added carbonated water. years later the soda machine came and it did the same thing. can we do this with cocktails? would we want to do this with cocktails?

i dont.

i like the idea as a novelty item, but nothing more than that. i like my mixologist making my cocktails. as you all know, i'm a huge fan of anvil. i'm there practically every other night!!

but the idea of a cocktail vending machine still lingers. its doable. its fun.

tonight at textile i served ramos gin fizz from a siphon. it literally takes me 5 seconds to put the whole thing together. 5 seconds!!

the mix is made. orange flower water, gin, st germain, lime juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, cream, egg white. then its put in the siphon. first its charge with a co2 cartridge to make it fizzy. then its charged with no2 cartridge, so that when its dispensed its foamy. the last step is to add a little of the mix (not in the siphon) and give it a stir.

haha! soon i'll just have a row of siphons with different cocktails. serve yourself.

fruit plate

2009-04-12T22:30:00.001-07:00

fruit plate
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

sometimes all you want at the end of a meal is a bowl of fruit. enjoy!

fruits: grapefruit, orange, mango, plum, peach, apple
garnishes: yogurt, micro basil, olive oil

cheese and crackers

2009-04-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

i thought this would be a hit at textile. much more so than the bacon fried brownies. maybe i haven't given it time yet (just put it on the a la carte menu). its not a cheese plate, but a play on it. its not a cheesecake, but a play on it. so technically, i still have not done a cheesecake at textile. woo!

crescenza "cheese whiz", graham crackers, farro "smacks", kumquats.

[picture coming soon]

olive dessert

2009-04-03T10:38:00.001-07:00

olive dessert
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

part of 7 course tasting at textile. a savory dessert. pre dessert is a 1 second grapefruit pisco sour

olive.
pistachio oil sponge, candied olives, olive chips, olive "granola", rosemary creme, grapefruit

on a side note. i absolutely detest olives! but in this form, i will gladly eat them like a snack.

the olives are first blanched in water. blanched a second time in light simple syrup. blanched a third time in heavy simple syrup. and finally reserved in a rosemary simple syrup. the final result gives the olives the texture of canned cherries, but with a mellow salt and briny olive flavor.

investors! investors! investors!

2009-03-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-25T23:17:00.001-07:00

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!!

2009-03-16T00:25:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-03-15T10:32:00.003-07:00

maddie cake
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

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

... on brownies

2009-03-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

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??

2009-03-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-04T22:29:00.001-08:00

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

pisco sour pop 'ems

2009-02-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

when you dont have it, you really want it. while at america's we had liquid nitrogen readily available, but i didnt have any use for it. now i have an idea that requires liquid nitrogen, but i dont have it.

i believe alex and rick first played around with foams and liquid nitrogen. they would fill balloons with a siphon charged with no2 cartridges. then they would spin the balloons in liquid nitrogen to quickly freeze the foam. [if you recall, homaro cantu used this technique on his iron chef battle]. the result is a hollow orb.

idea.

what would happen if i filled a balloon with my siphon pisco sour and spinned it in liquid nitrogen? a hollow orb?

i predict the result would be a hollow orb. what then when i let it rest and thaw in the freezer? the alcohol would thaw, but the eggwhite and the syrup would remain frozen. where would the alcohol go? will it fill the hollow orb? will the end result be a crispy orb with a liquid center? how would it taste? my idea is to make pisco sour pop 'ems. a frozen orb of crispy "meringue" filled with pisco.

will it work?
dammit! where is the liquid nitrogen when i need it!

bacon ice cream

2009-02-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

the first time i read/heard about this was from the fat duck where they featured a smoked bacon and egg ice cream.

the second time i heard and finally tasted bacon ice cream was at beaver's.

and now its featured at textile.

bacon ice cream

12 oz applewood smoked bacon
3 cups sugar
3 cups milk
4 cups cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp xanthan gum

chop bacon into small pieces.
cook in large pot until bacon is crispy.
add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
run in blender on high for 5 minutes. (you'll have to do it in batches)
pass through seive.
run on ice cream machine.

enjoy!

answer: yes there is!

2009-02-22T13:33:00.001-08:00

pisco sour
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

pisco sour made in a siphon charged with 2 no2 cartridges.

sour mix:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 ea limes, juice only
3 ea lemons, juice only

pisco sour
3 cups sour mix
4 oz pisco
3 ea egg white
1 ea whole nutmeg, zest only

pour the pisco sour into the siphon. close tightly and shake to integrate the ingredients. charge with 2 no2 cartridges. chill for at least an hour.

enjoy!

question: when your alc'is order 7 pisco sours at the same time, is there a quick way to make them?

2009-02-22T13:10:00.000-08:00

so two nights ago, i was at beavers with friends; seven of us. we walk up to the bar and order 7 pisco sours. granted, the bar was busy at the time, but the whole process in making the pisco sours takes time. its mainly the shaking of the drink until the egg white creates a nice foam.

3 minutes into the shaking, i turn to randy and tell him they could probably make the pisco super quick in a siphon. so randy starts teasing them by telling them he's got siphons in his car.

so with that idea, last night i experimented with making pisco sour in a siphon charged with no2 cartridges.

when you think about it, it makes perfect sense! siphons (with no2 cartridges) turn heavy cream into whipped cream in seconds. could it do the same for the pisco sour?

textile dessert menu - revision

2009-02-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

i've been saying it since i put it on there, and its finally off. the season has been done, it was time to go [aside from many other reasons]. the liquid pumpkin pie is no more. if you loved it and need to get your fix, go to Gravitas.

so here are the revisions:

a la carte

coffee and milk/ pain perdu, milk jam, ice milk, bacon streusel, coffee foam

pb/ peanut butter fudge, orange jam, candied bread, spiced peanuts

apple/ vanilla pound cake, apple confiture, blue cheese ice cream, butterscotch

chocolate/ manjari “torchon”, liquid cranberries, cocoa nib brittle

fried/ sweet potato beignets, cinnamon pudding, honey, bacon ice cream

5 course

dessert – sweet potato beignets, cinnamon pudding, honey, bacon ice cream
- or –
cheese – artisinal cheeses

7 course

intermezzo – cucumber, orange, yogurt

pre-dessert – quince, honey, milk

dessert – banana, caramel, corn fritter, mustard pudding

color menu no.1 - yellow

2009-02-18T22:19:00.000-08:00

i have been wanting to do desserts based on color for some time now. i think this idea started after seeing will goldfarbs desserts (based on color) on art culinaire.

this week at textile i am featuring one of seven color desserts, yellow.

banana, caramel, corn fritter, mustard pudding.
[picture to come soon]

v-day at textile

2009-02-14T00:09:00.000-08:00

i've been so inundated with work at gravitas that i completely forgot about a v-day menu at textile. so here its kiddos.

gravita's valentine's day desserts:
lavender creme brulee, citrus madeleines
or
white chocolate bavarian, strawberry sorbet, almond twists

textile's menu is a bit different. since its the day for love, i tried to cater to aphrodisiacs. chocolate obvious. and i remember a few years back reading or hearing about sweet potato/pumpkins and men. it turns out that is a scent women find arousing in men. soon after that i was first in line at bath and body works with my pumpkin body soap and shampoo and conditioner.

textile's valentine's day desserts:
for him: sweet potato beignets, cinnamon pudding, honey, bacon ice cream
for her: bittersweet chocolate terrine, lavender anglaise, compressed strawberries, almonds

happy valentine's day!

intermezzo

2009-02-04T23:35:00.001-08:00

quince intermezzo
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

quince juice (encapsulated in bittersweet chocolate), honey and milk.

apples and potatoes

2009-02-01T12:57:00.001-08:00

apples and potatoes
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

one night (after reading ideas in food blog about potato and apple terrine) i decided to try what apples and potatoes taste like together. we had mashed potatoes available and i had apple jam. mixed them together and then took a small bite.

inspired by the complex, yet simple, flavors, a new dessert is available as part of the seven course tasting menu at textile.

apple bavarois, apple jam, apple chips, apple sorbet, potato puree, potato chips, caramel.

this week is over and the dessert has gotten great response. though, i dont think the potato flavor is very apparent. theres alot of apple elements and not enough potato.

a few changes i will make the following week. change the apple bavarois to a potato bavarois. use less sugar in the potato puree. change the potato chips to crispy potato skins. garnish with fleur de sel and fresh cracked black peppercorn. change nasturtium leaves to micro cilantro. add a few drops of lime juice.

inca kola and saltenas

2009-01-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

for the most part, i was raised in houston. my parents moved here when i was 3 and my sister 1. we didnt join our parents for another 5 or 6 years. so doing the math, ive been here for almost 20 years.

and even to this day, if i dont know something that is popular in american culture, i use the excuse that i am a foreigner.

that being said, i also take foods that i grew up with for granted.

have you ever drank an inca kola?
have you ever ate a saltena?

no?!!!!

well then, you my friend have not lived.

i was surprised to find inca cola at hubbel and hudson (in the woodlands). and as for saltenas ... a saltena is a spiced beef or chicken stew encased in a pastry made from lard and annatto. my grandma makes them on the weekends by orders from other bolivians in the city. want an order?

chocolate and peanut butter

2009-01-08T08:27:00.001-08:00

this one is for ruthie!

ruthie has compiled a new year's wish list, in which she mentions banana pudding.

as it turns out, i have a dessert at textile and gravitas with banana pudding.

textile: chocolate and peanut butter terrine, banana pudding, peanuts, salted vanilla wafer [pictured]

gravitas: soft ganache, banana pudding, spiced peanuts, cranberry jam

textile - hot new restaurant

2009-01-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

read it

alison cook has composed a list of ten great restaurants of 2008. textile made the list.

eggnog

2008-12-23T01:12:00.001-08:00

i love eggnog, but am not a big fan of the raw egg most recipes call for (or for that matter, the separating of the whites and yolks ... seems like unnecessary work!) i like simplicity.

eggnog
1 qt milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 Tbsp nutmeg, freshly grated
pinch salt
3 cups sugar
1 cup whiskey
4 ea eggs

heat all ingredients, except eggs, to a light simmer. in bowl, whisk eggs. slowly drizzle in, while whisking eggs, half of the heated milk mixture (tempering). pour egg and milk mixture into the pot with other half of heated milk. heat on low heat whisking constantly. keep mixing until mixture thickens lightly. remove from heat and chill immediately.

serve either cold or warm.

tip: if you cook the mixture too long and the eggs start to curdle, dont worry, act fast. blend the whole mixture well in blender or with immersion blender. chill

to spruce it up:
serve chilled with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream and bacon streusel.

make a dessert out of it:
serve it with french toast and apple jam.

or better yet, come to gravitas and try it this week.

bon bons

2008-12-18T00:53:00.001-08:00

bon bons
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

a selection of our bon bon tray at textile:

bittersweet chocolate truffles, pumpkin truffles, guanaja, white chocolate truffles, pistachio "tootsie rolls", shortbread and smoked brownies

sweet potatoe beignets

2008-12-11T00:02:00.001-08:00

sweet potatoe beignets
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

sweet potato beignets, spicy bacon honey, pecan streusel, cinnamon pudding

back to classics

2008-12-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

well, this isn't really a classic. i did a version of it about 10 months ago for the america's in the woodlands. and well. its a good dessert, but it needed something else.

soon to come to textile.

sweet potato beignets, bacon honey, pecan streusel, spicy cinnamon ice cream

gianduja "frosty" in potato cone

2008-12-04T07:53:00.001-08:00

gianduja "frosty" in potato cone
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

a play on wendy's french fries and frosty.

gianduja "frosty", potato cone.

i wonder what kind of effect would bacon have ...

what's worse than a health inspector on a really busy night?

2008-12-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

a food blogger.

frosty and french fries

2008-12-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

tonight i sent out an early version of frosty and french fries to our guests. they loved it! tomorrow i will finalize the presentation and preparation. so come and try it! in the meantime, here's my frosty recipe:

gianduja "frosty"

1 lb gianduja
2 Tbsp valrhona cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
3 cups milk
1 qt heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum

potato ice cream cones:
i use michel richards method of making potato baskets. in japanese vegetable slicer (attached with julienne blade) make long "noodles" of potato. wrap the potato around a cornet mold. place inside another cornet mold (to keep its shape). bake at 350 for 10 minutes. check for doneness. continue cooking until golden brown and crisp.

[picture soon to come]

wendy's

2008-12-01T00:11:00.000-08:00

i never quite understood my friends fascination with wendy's frostys and french fries. it quite disgusted me. i mean, why dip a french fry in a frosty?! it sounded really absurd until the day i accidently tried it.

after a long day of work, i stopped by the local wendys to pick up a combo and a frosty. put a fry in my mouth and at the same time took a sip of the frosty. didnt event think twice about it. continued eating my food until the last fry was gone. then it finally hit me!! i have just been eating wendy's french fries and a frosty together. it tasted great! i guess the only thing that really inhibited me with the dipping was the dipping. i could not get around dipping my fries into a frosty, but if there was a way around it, i would be ok. funny.

few weeks after the opening of textile, i was wondering what new desserts to make. one night i was asking erika of what stuff she grew up eating. foods that would make people think about their childhoods. foods that would bring back happy memories. we spoke about peas and carrots (now on the menu) and she finally said i should do a wendy's french fries and frosty dessert. i was excited, but how do i do it?

i thought about doing the inverse. chocolate fries with french fry ice cream. though this may sound really interesting, how do i make it presentable? would people be okay eating french fried chocolate? what about potato ice cream? after a few more weeks, i think i've settled on a fun and playful presentation. i am hoping to put it on our seven course tasting menu this week.

ice cream cones! gianduja frosty, potato cone, salted potato flakes

pet peeves

2008-11-27T00:05:00.000-08:00

allison cook posted a blog a while back about foh customer pet peeves. so now i thought i create an open forum for boh to post their customer pet peeves.

here is mine:

to go orders:
as chefs, we search every nook and corner for the perfect china. a search that will never end. we love plates. its our canvas because we are artists. the way we plate our food is done on purpose. the location of the foods is premeditated. the colors we use, the cuts we make, the molds we use, the temperatures we use, it all comes to play in our presentation. so when a to go order comes in, its all thrown out the window. everything that we work for has to be placed in a plastic container. a container where it will (in no doubt) be thrown and messed about on your commute home.

how do you want me to plate hot foods with ice cream in a to go box? how do you expect to have the same experience?

ice creams:
ice creams are nothing more than a frozen sauce. a sauce accompanies food, not muffles it. so why, as a pastry chef, am i expected to give you a GIANT scoop of ice cream with your dessert. the ice cream accompanies the dessert. it is an element of the dish, not the dessert. it is a sauce.

would you like the sauce that goes with your steak to weigh more than your steak? no? than why do you expect my frozen sauce to weigh more than the dessert?

fruits and berries:
really? really? do you really want fruits and berries (a summer abundance) at the end of fall? do you really want to pay for out of season produce that tastes like nothing?

sorry to sound like a whiny brat, but this is my open forum. this is my passion, this is my career.

kitchen: what are some of your pet peeves?

peas and carrots

2008-11-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

pea sphere/ carrot cake/ pickled carrot/ yogurt/ peppermint/ ginger foam

textile on texas monthly

2008-11-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

we've made pat's pick

sweet peas

2008-11-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

after watching the kitchen make wasabi caviars for their strip, i had an idea. the caviar resembled peas ... wasabi caviar ... wasabi peas ...

but thats just a snack that i'm not sure i want to turn into a dessert. instead i'll play off the idea of making pea caviars.

peas and carrots?

"peas and carrots"
sweet pea pearls, carrot cake, minted yogurt, molasses crunch

alinea and under pressure

2008-11-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

i've been so busy at work that i barely had time to read these new books. when i was at the bookstore and saw them (i didnt pre-order them like everyone else, i know. i'm lame.) i was giddy and hopping. i felt like a kid at a candy store.

but looking through them, neither book mentions jordan kahn and alex stupak. why? maybe they do, but you have to read the really fine print.

i think jordan kahn is one of the absolute best pastry chefs around. from what i understand he created liquid sable (as he describe on a food arts magazine). under pressure has a sesame oil sable that reads exactly like jordan's liquid sable, yet no mention of jordan kahn. but maybe jordan developed this recipe when he was working with sebastian at the french laundry.

and alex stupak. i havent seen his name in the alinea cookbook, yet there are pictures of him and jordan.

well. maybe i havent read too much into it, but i highly admire these two pastry chefs and hope they get proper acknowledgements

new at textile

2008-11-07T00:07:00.001-08:00

pb & j
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

some new things to look for at textile. today, chef scott tycer has launched his 7 course tasting. it's incredible, you must come try his food. its solid and beautiful, but please leave some room for dessert.

pictured is my take on a pb & j:

peanut butter terrine, quince jelly, quince butter, peanut butter powder, candied bread

(visit the flickr site for more pics)

some changes. due to a post on b4ueat, i have tried to minimize the use of the pumpkin fondant. its a solid dessert, but i agree, a bit simple for what is expected at textile. the pumpkin is now only found on the 5 course tasting. it has been replaced by the pb & j (pictured) on the a la cart menu.

new items for the seven course tasting menu:
intermezzo: carbonated citrus, coriander syrup, watermelon
pre-dessert: apple and celery lollipops, peanut butter
dessert: gianduja ganache, curried popcorn, maduros foam, chicory soil

savoy truffle

2008-11-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

shortly after finding out about this event (and also finding out from the website that gravitas was participating), i started planning on what to do. what are you doing?

i could do something traditional, but none of you are expecting that.

i coud do something with savoy cabbage as a play on the name, but ...

and well, for the last 2 years i have been playing around with smoke, chocolate, bacon and bbq without any success. not until recently.

at noe i tried smoked chocolate cake, bbq sauce, candied cherry-tomatoes. i tried the similar at soma. and at americas i tried smoked chocolate cupcakes, bbq buttercream and candied bacon. none worked very well.

at my tenacity dinner, i made smoked brownies as part of my mignardises. success!! they all loved them.

shortly after i was at gravitas pondering on how to make a brownie better. i searched for the perfect recipe before landing on elizabeth faulkner's brownie recipe. i loved it! i changed it up, i add a little more brown sugar and omitt the baking powder. i like my brownies to be very dense so that you dont need to put them in the oven. (pet peeve: hot brownies? you had to do that because the brownies were like a brick. you needed to warm them up to soften them. but mine have so much chocolate and sugar, that they are amazing right out of the cooler.) so i made smoked brownies, spiced peanuts and vanilla ice cream.

the interplay of the spiced peanuts and chocolate reminded me of mole. the only thing missing was the chicken. but how to do that?

so here are some thoughts on my savoy truffle ... and because we are in texas, there has to be texan influence.

smoked brownie on a stick! white chocolate bbq, crispy chicken skin

smoked brownie on a stick! white chocolate bbq, bacon streusel

smoked brownie on a stick! white chocolate bbq, spiced peanuts

smoked brownie on a stick! white chocolate bbq, crispy chicken skin, spiced peanut

i like the 'on a stick' sch-tick. because we all know we cant refuse food on a stick. but i am not sure how many people will be ok with bbq, chicken and pork being introduced as dessert form.

but we will see ...

just messing about

2008-11-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

here's a few ideas i have been messing around with ...
(i think im just trying to use sam mason's peanut butter powder and homaru cantu's fizzy grapes/citrus techniques all in one dessert)

pb & j
brioche ice cream/ peanut butter terrine/ peanut butter powder/ fizzzy grapes/ quince jelly

pb & j
bread pudding/ peanut butter powder/ fizzy grapes/quince jelly/ peanut crumbles

quince
celeriac cake/ quince sorbet/walnut cream/ carbonated ruby reds

quince
celeriac terrine/ quince sorbet/ candied walnut

quince
celeriac terrine/ quince sorbet/ peanut butter powder/ salted wafer/ carbonated ruby reds

oh. and i have been getting alot of compliments on my brown butter ice cream, so i thought i share my recipe with you. actually, my recipe is a play on barbara lynch's salted butter ice cream.

brown butter ice cream

12 oz butter
1/4 cup milk powder
3 cups milk
4 cups heavy cream
3 cups sugar
4 oz light corn syrup
pinch sea salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum

heat butter on high until milk solids separate from fat.
add milk powder and keep cooking, the point is to brown the milk solids.
(the addition of milk powder intensifies the flavor and adds a nice brown color)
once its riche deep and a dark brown, add all of the remaining ingredients.
whisk and bring to a boil.
blend on high for a minute and cool for an hour.
then its all left for your ice cream machine to do its magic.

enjoy!

dessert menu at textile

2008-10-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

some desserts for the fall at textile.

liquid pumpkin pie/ pecan shortcrust/ brown butter ice cream

manjari "torchon"/ cranberries/ cocoa nib brittle

lemon blancmange/ candied fennel/ pistachio gelato/ yogurt croquant

apple jam/ pound cake/ butterscotch/ blue cheese ice cream

"coffe & milk"/ iced milk/ milk jam/ french toast/ coffee foam/ bacon streusel

a few things ...

2008-10-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

it has been some time since i've written anything on here. to be honest, i dont have any spare time. i work in the mornings at gravitas and then go finish the day off at textile. it's busy work being a full time pastry chef at two of houston's top restaurants. on top of that, ive spent the last weeks trying to find steady help at gravitas.

what is it about the majority of culinary students thinking that out of school they will be making the wages of a sous or pastry chef? this is a very tough and demanding field. its very hard and requires you to put all your effort forth for little pay. its the nature of the beast. it separates the chefs from those who were lured by the stardom and celebriti-ness that recent tv shows have elevated this blue collar field into.

i had a tough time getting to where i am at now. after a week stage at a hotel i will not name, all the sous and executive chefs sat me down in an office. each then took turns telling me why i would not and could not be anything in this field. why they were so high and mighty and why i will never be like them.

since then i went to work for joseph sanchez at rickshaw. he is an amazing chef and friend. after a few months there he promoted me to his sous. i loved working at rickshaw. i learned alot from joseph and it introduced me to the flavors of asia. while at rickshaw we participated at the cesar salad competition. i competed against the afor mentioned hotel and came out victorious. i won for best presentation while they won nothing.

with my background there i went to apply at noe. mike potowski (sous then and former exec chef at rickshaw) immediately took me in with open arms. noe was an amazing experience and i still refer back to the beginning of my career as my noe days. it was amazing working along side robert gadsby and mike potowski. i admire both chefs highly. unfortunately we all had a falling. but the memories of an amazing team will always be there. at noe i really learned to branch out from the normal pastry chef routines. at noe i started developing my style.

a year into noe, chef gadsby was invited to participate on iron chef america. to this day i am very shock and honored gadsby decided to take me along. he had other sous in la and chicago. so we went. we fought hard and lost to mario batali. a few months after we taped, the episode aired. we had a viewing party at the omni hotels. i invited all the sous from the afor mention hotel, but non showed. to this day, i know none have seen the iron chef battle.

then i had short stints at a little bakery, soma and the americas in the woodlands. their i created new and profound friendships with jonathan jones, justin bayse and randy rucker. we all talk, hang out and talk all things about food. 'its a groovie thing'

and now i am working double time with jason gould and scott tycer at gravitas and textile, respectively. i am now working for two of the cities top chefs. its incredibly intimidating, but i push forth to keep up. its alot of work and i'm constantly having to question everything i do and why i do it and how it affects my product and when to do it and on and on and on. its a great experience and i'm learning alot about food and why i am in this field.

and on my spare time i read and write about food. and some of you read my ramblings. thanks.

well. come see me gravitas in the am and textile in the pm. if im not there, i am more than likely grabbing a beer at beavers, hanging out with justin or lending a helping hand at randy's tenacity dinners.

art culinarie

2008-10-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

for those who dont know what art culinaire is, or are not subscribed to it, do it now.

i was flipping back a few issues and looking at the pictures. food is very visual to me. i first look at the ones that catch my eye. the ones with colors, textures, unique china, chocolate, modern techniques, etc. its where i get inspiration on flavor combinations and how to plate my food.

one night i was looking throught art culinaire #78 fall issue 2005. i was reading a bio on jason carter and flipping through his food. then i came upon a pastry chef who does indian desserts. honestly, his presentations are horrible and i can see why i ignored him for the last 3 years. but this time i trekked on and read his recipe for curry-filled chocolates with saffron mehendi. as i read, his description read very similarly to my torchon! the pastry chef is jehangir mehta and he has been doing my torchon since fall of 2005 (or earlier, the magazine was published then). what i thought as original, is no longer.

my torchon was inspired by the foie gras torchon with beet filling i had at wd50.

i was a bit disappointed, but i got over it. the last time this happened was when i thought i was being original by making pastry cream in the microwave for 10 minutes. a month after i bought happy in the kitchen by michel richard, i read his happy kid pudding. as well as his reconstructed lemon egg (which i did a mango version of it on iron chef).

i was upset to find out i wasnt the first. but jj eased my pain. he said it makes sense. sharp minds think alike ... or something like that.

anyway. the whole point of this entry is to share ideas like the ones my mentors do. so without further ado, here is my torchon recipe:

2 1/2 lbs guanaja chocolate (valrhona 70%)
6 cups heavy cream
1 tsp sea salt
16 ea gelatin sheets (bronze)
20 ea frozen liquid filling (1 oz, any flavor, thickened with xanthan)

bring cream to a scald, pour over chocolate. whisk until chocolate has melted. (ganache)
add salt.
bloom gelatin in cold water. melt in microwave and whisk into ganache.
let cool at room temp for 15 or so minutes.
meanwhile, prepared 2x2" molds.
spray molds with nonstick spray.
line the inside of molds with acetate strip.
pour ganache into mold and fill halfway. freeze for 5 minutes.
remove from freezer. place frozen liquid filling in center and fill with remaining ganache.
freeze overnight.
the next morning place torchons in cooler and let thaw for 3 hours before use.

there you go. ENJOY! or come see me and ill make you one.

my table awards

2008-10-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

congratulations to all the winners!

it was really exciting to finally meet all the chefs i talked to erika so highly about. it was an honor being nominated. better luck next year, no?

oh! and please come by gravitas!
jason continues pumping out amazing food. im trying to keep up. this is my current menu

gravitas favorites
smoked brownies/ spiced peanuts/ vanilla ice cream
buttrescotch bread pudding/ butterscotch ice cream
caramel and chocolate/ gianduja mousse/ salted caramel ice cream

fall
pumpkin fondant/ brown butter ice cream/ streusel
goat cheese cheesecake/ tarragon anglaise/ walnut brittle
pear tart/ grapefruit creme fraiche/ balsamic gastrique/ vanilla ice cream
lavender pot de creme/ braised figs/ orange sable

cafe con leche

2008-10-01T21:43:00.001-07:00

cafe con leche
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

now at gravitas for this week only.
evolutions of american cuisine: spain

dark chocolate 'torchon'/ coffee milk liquid center/ cocoa nib brittle/ almond orxata/ coffee 'soil'

evolution of american cuisine: japan

2008-09-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-20T23:04:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-09-09T22:38:00.001-07:00

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 ...

2008-09-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-09-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

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

flickr tag game

2008-08-20T13:29:00.001-07:00

flickr tag game
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

heres mine.

marco pierre white on the corporate world

2008-08-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

"... it was my first experience of the corporate world and i thought it was horrible. you think blue-chip companies are run perfectly, but in my opinion they are worse than private companies. board meetings are painful. we'd have an hour-long meeting about the price of coffee, with them wanting to produce coffee for five pence a cup and spending sixty minutes talking about how every penny counts. "you can get spectacular coffee for twelve pence a cup," i'd say, and then emerge from the meeting brain dead. it was all about percentages rather than working out what's going to make the customer happy."

breakdown

2008-08-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

after a night a drinking, whats better than a late night frito pie??

newfound respect: mario batali

2008-08-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

i was bitter over losing to him on iron chef. i mean, mario batali?!! but really, how much did i know about the guy before meeting/battling him? nothing. absolutely nothing. all i knew is that he had 2 shows on the food network before being an iron chef. i knew nothing of his past. i knew nothing of his encounters with marco pierre white.

i am reading 'the devil in the kitchen' by marco pierre white. the more i read, the more i like mario batali. its like im being introduced to an awesome mario batali. and now i feel bad for being ignorant and not researching history on who i were to battle. why didnt i? arrogance. because ... well, what else do you learn from an egocentric chef. you learn not to be like him. i like mario batali and i feel incredibly honored to have met/battled him.

here's excerpts from marco pierre white memoirs:
'sturdy mario, whit his mass of red hair, was an interesting and special guy, but not half as interesting as he would later become. after getting a degree in sealttle, he came to london to train at le cordon bleu, but he got bored with the college course and chucked it in - cordon bleu's loss was my gain. he used to work hard during the day and play hard during the night and the he couldn't get out of bed in the morning. so he loved his sleep and he loved joy division (he'd incessantly hum "she's lost control"), but he also loved his food.

which makes me wonder ... what do you listen to in the kitchen?

beat up. tossed and torn. finito.

2008-07-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

so i was wondering. what cookbooks do you have that are at the end of their run. cookbooks whom pages are falling out.

mine
the professional pastry chef, bo friberg.
the french laundy cookbook, thomas keller.

My Table 2008 Houston Culinary Awards

2008-07-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

i just received an email from fred espinoza (vp of marketing for cordua). in it was this link

http://www.my-table.com/section/news/4.html

i am flabbergasted. wow!

tenacity's supper club, 07.14.08

2008-07-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

a few shots of last night's dinner

shaved kampachi painted with ketup manis & cold smoked, lime, powdered caramel & brown butter

amberjack tiradito, coco, yuzu koshu, sour orange & crunchy rice

santa barbara abalone, hijiki, yaegaki nigori sake, fresh thai chili & macerated citron

santa barbara abalone, hijiki, yaegaki nigori sake, fresh thai chili & macerated citron

guest enjoying dinner and engaging in conversations

"SOS, we need help. SOS"

2008-07-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

well not really, but randy has 5 spots left for his dinner on monday. a dinner i will be the guest chef at providing dessert goods.

sos - save our soire

contact randy for more information rrucker79@hotmail.com

growing trends

2008-07-07T10:17:00.001-07:00

growing trends
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

there has been a growing trend where chefs are growing what they eat. why does it sound absurd to some? to most?

there is a reason why there are seasons. there is a reason why vegetables are named after their seasons (winter vegs, fall squashes, etc!)

so under much influence, and just trying to keep up, i too have began growing my own plants, fruits, vegetable and herbs.

this actually started a little over a two years ago. jennifer bought a bunch of plants and seeds; planted them in the backyard and cared them patiently. i look from inside the house (it was way to hot outside!) half intrigued, half bored. i didnt get it. why go through so much trouble (and money!) to grow something you can easily buy at the grocery store. why?

i asked that question for months! slowly the plants started budding, baby peppers started growing, the seeds started blooming. it was an awesome sight! i was very intrigued, yet still a bit bored. i'm impatient!

day after day jennifer would be in the backyard taking care of her little plants. babying them.

then the day came. picking time. now i knew why go through so much trouble. its not trouble actually, its passion. the hard work, the long time, the heat, all for a moments pleasure. the taste of ripe fruits/vegetables picked seconds back from your garden. this was food.

in the french laundry, thomas keller mentions taking his chefs to butcher shops. makes his chefs watch the animal while alive and being butchered. it may seems gruesome and cruel, but you must understand where your product comes from. what your animal goes through to get to the table and into your belly. it makes your respect the animal. i never experienced that, but would like to.

growing plants and fruits may not be as intense as killing your food, but the principle is the same. respect what you eat. from seed to fruit is a long but worthwhile wait.

when i was at soma i did a citrus dessert, all the citrus fruits came from my backyard. it was a meyer lemon pudding cake, candied kumquats, lime-yuzu sorbet and keffir lime leaves spritzer. fortunately, misha dined with us on one of those few nights.

so as i was saying earlier. there are reasons i dont use some ingredients in my kitchen. all mostly due to personal reasons, chefs are a very vain and egotistical breed. heres a small list of my blacklisted items:

strawberries - why are they available year round?! their flavor is extremely bland and their sizes are unreal. i've only had one good strawberry and it was at dai due supper club.

coconut - im just not a fan of the stuff.

mango - im still a bit bitter about losing to a soggy nasty mango tart tatin on iron chef. i made a beautiful 4 part mango tasting - cheesecake brulee, souffle (made in the microwave!), parfait, lollipop (fried custard)

almonds - very common nut with bland flavor

liquors/alcohol - once you open a liquor bottle, every single person in the restaurant is all over you. watching you. its creepy. liquors also sometimes drown or mute the flavor of the main ingredient. if i do use alcohol it would be champagne or sake.

food coloring - if your food isnt naturally that color, why use food colorings? you can achieve color with natural ingredients. saffron - yellow/orange. herbs - green chlorophyll. annatto - deep orange/red. squid ink - black. beets - deep purple.

artifical extracts - they taste like alcohol and are nasty! get the pure stuff, its only a few dollars more but well worth it.

back to my original point. chefs should have the utmost respect for their food. they should know how it was grown, how it was kept, how it traveled and how it is handled in the kitchen before it goes out to the diner. what better way to control all that then to do it yourself.

as for my plants and fruits. in due time they will be featured in tastings.

summer dessert menu

2008-07-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

summer menu

guanaja "torchon"/ liquid acai/ spiced pop rocks/ creme anglaise

picarones/ aji amarillo honey/ peanut butter powder

texas state fair banana corndog/ banana mustard/ banana ice cream

torta de lucuma/ chocolate biscuit/ hazelnut frangipan/ pistachio cream

summer citrus curd/ tarragon syrup/ macaroons/ pitahaya sorbet

tres leches/ meringue

"raspados"/ lucuma/ pitahaya/ chocolate soy/ coconut/ banana

new dessert items

2008-07-05T10:48:00.001-07:00

tx state fair banana corndog
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

this is my homage to the texas state fair where, as we all know, the corndog was invented. this is my take.

texas state fair banana corndog/ banana mustard/ banana ice cream

summer citrus curd

2008-07-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

summer citrus curd
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

this dessert is due to heavy influence by jordan kahn, alex stupak and sam mason.

summer citrus curd/ macaroon/ hazelnut streusel/ tarragon syrup/ pitahaya sorbet

hello/goodbye

2008-06-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

due to a high demand from loyal americas guests, the tres leches has been restored. misha you were right.

hello

goodbye

summers almost here!

2008-06-19T00:07:00.000-07:00

in two days it will be summer. time to change menus. heres a proposed summer dessert menu

tres leches/ sponge/ meringue

guanaja "torchon"/ pop rocks/ acai/ creme anglaise

smoked chocolate cake/ bbq/ cherries/ bacon

lucuma chiffon/ honey/ lucuma sorbet/ summer citrus fruits

platanito corndogs/ banana mustard/ vanilla ice cream

"raspados"/ pitaya/ coconut/ chocolate-soy/ lucuma/ vanilla

roasted stone fruits/ piloncillo/ buttermilk ice cream

monotony evokes creativity

2008-06-12T01:14:00.000-07:00

i measured out my flour, sugar and butter. i was cutting my butter into the flour. all by hand, because we all know no machine can replace your hands in cooking.

so there i was. bored. just cutting butter into the flour. making a pie dough. and i started thinking ... i have butter and flour. what else is made with flour and butter?

BEURRE MANIE!!

now i would skip out on beurre manie and go for either xanthan gum or methocel. but then i started thinking about roux. roux is flour and butter. when i think roux i think gumbo. i love to browning of the flour and butter. its creates an amazing aroma and taste.

so. what if i made a roux, like for gumbo, seasoned it and let it cool. once cooled bake it in the oven like a cookie. gumbo cookie?

what else uses roux ... bechamel??? bechamel cookies?

not just cookies. streusels, powders, liquid sable (i have the utmost respect for jordan kahn)

its an idea now. i'll play around. look for upcoming posts

my poor baby!

2008-06-11T23:19:00.001-07:00

my poor baby!
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

wednesday night i got hit. this is what my car looked like in daylight.

i wasnt in a good mood that night. i thought about drinking, but an amazing and very caring friend told me i should go home. get rest, be safe.

so i went home. my light turned green and i advanced. i didnt see anything, i didnt feel anything. but when i opend my eyes, my car was in the middle of the road. i was facing in a southern direction (i was driving north). my airbag went off and my door would not open.

im lucky to be alive.

my poor baby.

flips and flops

2008-06-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

it tasted amazing yesterday. why not today?! it was sweet, tart and smoky. what happened?! it was tart today and lacking in flavor. the only thing that helped today was the bacon. but even the almighty BACON was not enough. what happened?!

you're probably wondering, "what is he talking about?"

well obviously. a cupcake!!

tonight was our first night of the food and wine event in the woodlands. our event was called 'it's a guy thing.' the host was master sommelier guy stouts - its a guy thin - get it? so tonight we had a bunch of guys come taste wine and mingle (teehee!)

fortunately the gentleman were stuffed to their gills before dessert came out. there was no room for dessert. its a good thing because i was not happy with my cupcakes. they tasted fine, but they were not up to my standards.

smoked chocolate cupcake/ BBQ buttercream/ bacon streusel

my idea was to try recreate a very manly activity in a not very manly fashion. it was humorous. tonights event was referred to as guys night out. and well, drinking wine and mingling, you get the point. hence the cupcake.

yesterday they were amazing. the smoke level was right, the sweetness of the tomatoes shined in the buttercream, bacon was smoky and salty. it was a great balance of sweet tart salty and smoky. it was very reminiscing of a summer bbq. but today it was very tart.

i have no idea what happened. i'll have to revist that cupcake later.

misha and tasty-bits.com

2008-05-25T18:25:00.001-07:00

misha was to come last night for dinner with his wife and friends. unfortunately they could not make it because americas does not offer vegetarian options.

i did not speak to him early enough. we had 350+ reservations. included were a wedding, birthdays, etc. we did, however, out of some miracle find time to make 2 vegatarian plates, plus my desserts (all vegetarian friendly)

anywho, misha was able to come this afternoon for lunch. we were slow today and i was able to do a dessert tasting for him and his two companions. it was a delight for me to have a chance to do one, as much as it was for him to eat it. win win, no?

i'm looking forward to your pics and blog!!

i had a sesame "granola" on your cheese course. after reading your blog about desserts at 17, i was a bit worried!

oh! i didnt realize i did not have you on my list of blogger friends. im adding you, do likewise!

dessert tasting and elvis costello

2008-05-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

seems every blog has been dormant for weeks, mine included. what, with mothers day, private grand opening party, beos, its been a bit hectic to find a second to write. alas, i write once again.

on a recent post on allison's blog, she wrote about pet peeves from both sides of the restaurant industry. i said that i do not like to go orders. when food is presented as art and with different temperatures and textures, the end product in a box does not do it justice. it's just not right!! i'm sure randy would agree with this. his food is incredibly beautiful and extremely artistic. it does not do any justice to put it in a box.

aside from that, yesterday i had two great friends come to america's to try my desserts. i treated them with a 6 course dessert tasting. i love doing tastings. its exciting and spontaneous. if you want to do a dessert tasting, please let me know. i will gladly do it ... actually, i would beg you to let me do a dessert tasting. (next time i do a tasting i will take pictures) this was their dessert tasting:

picaron/ pb powder/ aji amarillo honey/ brown butter ice cream

tres leches/ vanilla fluff/ creme fraiche

lucuma souffle/ bacon streusel/ apple-yuzu spritzer

texas goat cheese/ white truffle honey/ blueberries

annatto ice cream/ vanilla croquant/ sesame granola

guanaja "torchon"/ acai/ creme anglaise/ spiced pop rocks

they loved it! i had fun. win win. OHHHH!! and afterwards they reminded me that they were in the neighborhood for the concert: the police with elvis costello. I NEARLY FORGOT!! im a huge elvis costello fan. i have not missed any of his shows in the last 4 years, and i wasnt about to miss this one. i had to leave work early. i had to. im sorry. but i've been working 12-15hour days with half day off since we opened. i needed a break. i needed to do something for myself.

and so it was. i was waiting in line at the cynthia woods mitchel pavillion. it was a short walk to get there (YES! a walk. we are literally that close to the venue) bought my ticket, sat down on the lawn and enjoyed an amazing 45 minute set.

once elvis was done i announced to my friends i would be leaving. they insisted i stay for the police, i gave in. i had a bad feeling about it. i was right. i was bored out of my mind during the police. i was completely dissapointed with their performance.

they played everything extremely technically. great skills, not one missed note. but with so much technicality, they lost all passion ... or so it seemed to me. i just wanted to see them play their hits as they were 20+ years ago. they didnt. instead they dragged each song out. everything she does is magic was extremely mellow. what happened?! when i was in college, my band covered that song. we did a ska/punk cover because thats what we listened to and because its easy turning everything into ska/punk. the song dragged out for what seemed hours. it was slow. there was no foot stomping beat. it didnt make me feel like skanking. or even singing along. it was slow and dull. same goes for the following songs, don't stand so close to me, roxanne, doo doo doo da da da, etc. the only song that fit their new jazz/jam style was every breath you take. but even that song dragged on.

i love the police as much as the next guy, but this new sound they are trying to do is not befitting of the police i new; the police i grew up listening to.

wine cheese and crackers

2008-05-12T21:48:00.001-07:00

wine cheese and crackers
Originally uploaded by fuzzzycatt

after a long weekend all you need is something familiar and comforting.

i miss wine, cheese and crackers with my friend.

(pictured: riesling, camembert, whole wheat crackers)

cutting corners

2008-05-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

why do chefs shun modern cookery? i was told that i cut corners and that it disrupts the quality of the product. i beg to differ.

you can only cut corners when you understand the science behind your ingredients; why food reacts the way it does. i do extensive research before i introduce anything new. i dont just throw things together without thought.

classic french cookery seems like an orthodox religion. whereas, if they are not doing it, it's wrong. if one doesnt follow their strict guidelines, that one is wrong. where if anything is done outside their proxy, it's wrong. i dont get that ego!

so back to cutting corners. if a new technique using a modern vessel improves the speed of production, is it wrong? to a point. i am very passionate about bread. i love bread. i do not use instant yeast, active dry yeast. i use fresh yeast. i use starters. i dont you s500 or whatever that agent that speeds fermentation is called.

so. the french custard. does it have to take an hour to make? what if you could make it in 10 minutes? what if you could pour into holders that are otherwise impossible to bake in? what if it is cutting corners but without destroying quality? would you do it?

i made a classic creme brulee for the escoffier society. i used modern cookery and they never knew. i made 100 creme brulees in 10 minutes. i made 100 souffles in 10 minutes. and they didnt know the difference. so if i can fool the escoffier society, i think job well done.

yet im being told i cut corners.

what about the chawanmushi? its a custard and it is made in 12-15 minutes. its traditional. its been done for years. so how are they able to make it in such a short time, yet the french need hours?

the japanese use the steamer.
i use the microwave.

microwaves are amazing cooking equipment. ferran adria uses microwaves. what about that? the chef with the number 1 restaurant in the world is using microwaves. what do you say to that?

tasting voice: voice tasting

2008-05-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

i'm out to have dinner at voice with friends. i got my camera ready. i got paper and pad ready.

if any of you kiddos feel like joining us, please do! even you mg.

paul bo-who?

2008-05-05T20:29:00.001-07:00

question: who is mg?

whatever happened to the four seasons?

2008-05-01T01:15:00.000-07:00

its spring. its been spring for a while. its soon to be summer. so why are chefs still serving winter soups? at that, winter food? what happened to cooking seasonally and locally.

so what is it with butternut squash soup and braised short ribs in late spring?

it just doesnt make sense. come on!

be passionate about your produce, meats, location and their seasonality. cook for your guests, dont cook for yourself.