chadzilla

year of the dragonfruit

In my backyard, the only tree of substantial size is a ficus just inside the back fence.  Although a boring tree (as far as trees go, and absolutely undesireable to some... it is the 'wandering fig'), the only redeeming quality of mine is that it acts as a support for a very long succulent that extends far up into its branches.  Until about a month ago, I was unaware that this succulent was actually a dragonfruit.  I was psyched to walk out one morning and find a small red globe protruding out of the tip of one.  This discovery was made even more special when I was informed that dragonfruit do not self-pollinate.  Although the plant produces rather large horsetail shapped yellow flowers several times a year, this was the first time a flower yielded a fruit.  Now I am debating whether or not to get one of those brushes on a long pole to assist during the next flowering phase.

How appropriate for the upcoming new year... year of the dragon.

guasacaca... an english version

Our yearly trip to Venezuela always has us looking forward to eating guasacaca (pronounced as "wah-sa ca-ca"... accent on the 'wah' and 'ca-ca' pronounced as the synonym for crap).  This is a green sauce kept in a plastic squeeze bottle at the register of every food stand and corner eatery we've been to over there.  They use it like we use ketchup.  You get your food, and squeeze some of this awesomeness into it no matter what it is.  Whenever we'd ask about the recipe, we'd get a rundown of something that sounded like guacamole although it has very little in common.  There is avocado in it, but it plays a bit more of a minor role than we were led to believe.  Internet searches turn up a few recipes that aren't quite the exact flavor of the traditional (garlicky, herbal, hint of fresh pepper brightness, not a squeeze but a pinch of lime).

Now I have a pretty good recipe.  This rundown is from Rogelio, a Venezuelan chef who joined our chef team a couple of months ago.  It's a quick blender sauce, and the simplistic awesomeness of it is as addictive as Peruvian chicken.  There are actually 2 versions.  The basic blended (and typically broken) version and the creamier "cowboy" version that contains a bit of mayonnaise (pictured here).  The cowboy recipe is better as an applied sauce while the mayo-less one can be used like chimichurri and makes a hell of a marinade.  So, here it is courtesy of Rogelio... a good English documentation of the Venezuelan all-purpose sauce... guasacaca.

Cowboy Guasacaca

1 medium Florida avocado or 2 hass avocados (soft and brown spots removed)

2 each aji dulce or substitute 1 small green bell pepper (seeded and chopped)

1 bunch green onion (green tops only... no white)

1 bunch parsley (both leaves and stems... bottoms of stems cut off)

1 bunch cilantro (both leaves and stems)

8 - 10 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 Tbsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

juice of 1 lime

1.5 Cup corn oil or vegetable oil

1 Cup mayonnaise

 

Put all ingredients except for the oil into the blender.  Add the oil slowly.  If you need to add a little oil to get the blender going, then work with it and try to maintain an emulsion.  Work in the mayonnaise.

Place the guasacaca in a container or squeeze bottle and leave refrigerated for a day to allow the flavores to harmonize a bit.

Use on anything, but especially chicken and pork.  Commonly used on arepas or tossed with pulled chicken meat inside of an arepa.

art basel on the pod

We did a couple of fun casual dishes off of the Gastropod at the Awarehouse this past Sunday.  Art Basel is something we don't normally participate in, but it's like crunch week for Jeremiah.  If we could cook outside in the weather Miami has right now all year long, we would jump on a truck tomorrow.  Sol belongs in the Sun.

Ya-ka-mein:  This was a light riff on the traditional New Orleans hang-over hybrid dish (African American/Chinese).  We've always been fascinated with ya-ka-main as a dish and a history and even moreso as a ghetto classic.  This is actually the first 'true' version we've done since we cooked in New Orleans years ago.  After eras of reviving old hungover souls, it may be time to revive the dish.

braised shortrib, smokey soy ham broth, slow-poached egg, golden noodles, chili oil

Just like the original, we topped it with green onion (cilantro is not traditional, but we like it).  Ming had recently made a kick-ass batch of XO sauce, and a select few or us enjoyed ours topped with it.

Chicken & Biscuits:  Kurtis tried to replicate Popeye's biscuits for this.  It's hard to even come close to that, but his were pretty damn good.  We were just conversating about how neither of us has ever made a biscuit that we were truly impressed with (and we've made a few through the years).  Still not on the money, but not bad.  These biscuits got topped with pulled chicken confit and a spoonful of country sausage gravy.

chicken confit, butter biscuits, sausage gravy, leeks & frites

Thanks to Jeremiah for letting us play once again.

Working on our Yakamein broth for this Sunday's brunch with Chef Jeremiah and the Gastropod.

We're doing 2 dishes...
Yakamein: The famous New Orlean's hangover hybrid Chinese/African American ho-dish. Golden noodles and braised shortrib in smokey soy broth. Topped with a slow-poached egg, scallion, and pepper oil.
Chicken & Biscuits- Chicken confit over biscuits. White sausage gravy to top it off.
The event will take place at the Gastrocave in Little Haiti.

eating the weeds

Whenever there is a chance to break away from the kitchen and actually get out into the dirt and learn something, I feel discouragement that these moments don't happen with more frequency.  Especially when learning about foraging in South Florida, there isn't a huge wealth of information out there on the subject.  Foraging is also one of those things that is much better to learn from a person rather than a book.  Fortunately for me, I had a walking talking encyclopedia give me an initiation.  The problem with tropical environments is that they break all of the rules that typically apply to the mass of information out there because those sources are based on climates further north.  The reality of it is that South Florida has more in common with the Caribbean and Central and South America than with the rest of the United States.  Also, while hot environments are perceived to be an agricultural paradise by many, the truth is that most of the plants that happen naturally much further north will not grow here (also, the damn state is called Florida... which would also suggest a paradise of flora).

My foraging guide was Andres Mejides of Tropical Delights farm in Homestead, FL.  I posted on Andres and his farm a few years back, and to say that he's knowledgeable on tropical climates and agriculture is a great understatement.  Much thanks to him for taking time out of his schedule to walk the farm and educate me on 'eating the weeds' as he put it.  Here's a little of what I learned (or can remember... I'm doing this fresh so as to forget as little as possible).

moss rose-  The leaves of this plant were fairly neutral in flavor.  They are a little plump and the texture is nice.  It reminds me of a landscaping filler plant, but I don't think it's the same.  (Note:  Thank you, James for the purslane hint.  Turns out this is a variety of purslane that favors sandy soil.  It is also a muscilage, which I forgot to note, and thus can be used as a thickener for soups or stews.  It is native to a few South American countries and is spread throughout the tropical world.  In Vietnam, it is known as the 10 o' clock flower because of it's tendency to bloom at a particular time of day.)

Nigerian spinach-  This was very nice in flavor... slightly tart, a mild bitterness, and grassy.  I liked it very much.  Andres warned me that the African population who brought this plant here strongly believes that it is bad luck to give it away.  It must 'volunteer' on its own.

bidens-  Not the Vice President.  This was an important find for me because it's growing all around my house and yard.  The flavor of the leaves are slightly hoppy at first, then rounding out into a typical 'greens' flavor.  Bidens is the genus and it contains many species... although I do not know what this one is.  Andres informed me that the leaves are often stir fried to hinder their bitterness although they tasted great 'as is.'

oxalis-  The largest family of wood sorrel.  I have not seen an oxalis with leaves this large and beautiful.  The flavor was booming... is that a result of the species or the freshness.  As expected, the leaves are tart with green apple flavor.  I believe it is a variety know more in tropical regions though do not quote me.

toothache plant-  I can only compare this to the Szechuan buttons that have been out for a couple of years.  The leaf has a numbing effect on the tongue and mouth (hence the name).  Very interesting although it would take some true creativity to find a place for it in a dish since the after effects would affect the tasting ability for the next couple of courses.

pereskia-  Andres explained this as a Virgin Islands ancestor to the cactus plant.  The stem has long thin thorns that are very much like the needles on a cactus.  The plant has thrived in North America for a very long time, and when the Rocky Mountains eventually rose and blocked off the moisture coming from the west the drier climate forced the plant to lose its leaves and expand its stem... thus becoming more like the cactus we know today.

Jamaican mint-  We noticed this huge woody mint plant on our first trip here.  It is now even bigger.  The leaves are used as mint would be, and have a unique flavor.  Apparently this is a difficult plant to reproduce within organic guidelines since the only hormone available for propagation contains many ingredients that would violate its organic status.

Brassicaceae-  One of my favorite flavors of the day.  The leaves have a slightly fruity and basil-like flavor (almost a light flavor of gin... just my interpretation).  There are also tiny pepper-like pods along the stem which have a mustardy and sweet flavor slightly reminscient of wasabi.  Andres gave me a small shoot to bring home.  I'll let you know how it works out.

violets-  Not sure if these are native or not.  They are growing in abundance though.  The flowers are not in yet, but the leaves are edible.

sawgrass-  This is the grass that gives the Florida Everglades their historical nickname of the "River of Grass."  I can relate the blades to that of the sugarcane I ran through as a kid.  The edges are jaggedly sharp and will cut you up if you're not careful.  We did not try it, but the heart of the base of these stalks are edible.  The base becomes rounded like lemongrass, and the outer layers can be pulled and cut away revealing an edible interior.  Definitely something to try in the future when I get my hands on an abundant growth of the stuff.

tree chiles-  Just some medium hot chiles on a woody plant.  I have a couple of these and have not yet decided if I will eat them or dry them to plant.

Caribbean tree basil-  A woody basil plant with a unique flavor like that of so many other basil varieties... just how many basil varieties are there anyway.  I'm always hearing of new names.

holy basil-  Hey, here's another one.  The overtones of this variety have an anise-like flavor.  The story of the name comes from a tale of Buddah taking shelter under a particularly large specimen... and so, the plant was obviously blessed with its religious name.

coffee-  There are just four or five of these trees growing in the back.  Andres explained that there is actually a coffee plant native to Florida, but it is inferior to the beans we know and love.  Apparently birds here find the native coffee berries good to eat, but since the caffeine in these is about 10 times greater, the birds will wig out and fly irratically around the farm.  At least that's what Andres said, and I'm never quite sure whether or not he's joking.  Like many geniuses, his sense of humor can leave the lay person in a state of confusion.

chicory-  Coffee and chicory... together in the cup, together in nature.  This chicory was exceptionally bitter.  The reason may be that the leave I ate came from a flowering plant.  I do like the bitterness, but this was pushing it.

heirloom brown cotton-  Not edible, but an interesting plant.  I assumed (like with most things) that cotton was cotton.  Apparently, this brown variety was undesired by the plantation owners back in the day, so they would give all of it to the slave-workers.  Just like those parts of the pig that they didn't want and gave away also which are ironically on every fine dining menu today for a fine dining price.

Remember I said that it was bad luck to plant the Nigerian spinach oneself.  Well, Andres had me cuff up my jeans and place the plants in them so that they could 'hitchhike' home with me.  This was obviously a voodoo loophole of some sort, so that the African demon Saint that curses this plant would leave me alone... let's hope it worked.

I did not get pictures, but we also ate the white part at the bottom of blades of St. Augustine grass.  These are edible too.  It's not great, but as Andres explained it... it's there if you ever need it and you won't starve.  We'll keep this in mind in the event of an economic collapse.

Also (missing a picture) was the cycad, known as coonte by the native Indian population.  It is native to South Florida and is referred to as arrow root here.  Like some plants that are not readily consumable in their natural state, the root of the coonte must be boiled 3 separate times before the resulting paste is edible and nontoxic.  I've often wondered, as Andres suggested also, how this discovery came about during more primitive times... how persistent and brave was the soul that decided to add a 3rd boil and eat it after people had died from boiling it only once or twice.  The olive has  confounded me in similar ways... it is such an ancient food source, yet the processes by which is becomes edible seem strangely complex for ancient peoples.

shake 'n bake

potato chip-crusted shake 'n bake wings

I'm usually partial to the frying method when it comes to wings, but had to give this a shot.  We came up with the idea here for this week's Sol Sunday menu.  As usual, when something seems too cool to be totally original a quick web search confirms that intuition.  The first 2 or 3 Google hits were links to a Paula Deen potato chip crusted chicken.  The photos looked horrible though.  In fact, pretty much all websites that had recipes for potato chip crusted chicken looked undesirable and weak (to put it nicely).

The first plan we had was actually to recreate Shake 'N Bake chicken.  Most online sites attempting to mimick this are using seasoned flour or breadcrumbs.  I've never eaten Shake 'N Bake chicken in my life, so I honestly don't know what the texture is.  I was only going by the assumed texture of the picture on the packaging.  It should look and crunch similar to eating fried chicken.  Shake 'N Bake ingredients are basically flour, seasonings, fat, dextrose, coloring, and yeast.  Bringing potato chips in as an ingredient helped by adding fat to the mix.  This has to be beneficial to the ideal crust because the starch needs something to meld with.  Anything water-based needs to fully evaporate before crispiness is achieved.  I put the chips in a food processor with panko, sweet potato flour, potato flakes, salt, and seasoning.  The wing sections were brined for 24 hours, then soaked in buttermilk for 4 hours, pressed into the shake and bake mix, and baked.

I need to make some modifications, but the jumping point is solid... and the potato flavor is strong.

some fall flavors

Here is a dish that Chef K and I put together for an Easter Seals dinner last night.

Black cod (maple brined, maple smoked, then SV), caramelized onion gel (Chef K has been playing with the Modernist Cuisine pressure cooker method with different types of onions), kabocha pickles, popcorn butter (made with 4:1 cream to butter ratio heated then into an iSi), dill, salty kettle corn, cracked black sesame, butter-fried wheat toast.  Though some of these flavors are easily autumn themed, the rest of the elements invoke feelings of campfires and heavy fall cooking... in a light manner.  One of my favorite elements is the cracked black sesame.  I found a grinder like this one many years back in an Asian market (this was before you could just buy any damn thing on the internet).  Cracking the toasted seeds right before serving releases their amazing aroma... reminiscent of hog cracklings.  Sometimes the simplest things have the most presence.

This was an auctioned dinner from an Easter Seals event organized by Chef Michael Gilligan of the Rusty Pelican, who also contributed a course (The Pelican is temporarily closed for renovations, but is scheduled to reopen mid November).  Jorge Montes of Chef George Catering created a gorgonzola soufflé and also brought along some truffled mushroom empanadas which were incredible.  Jouvens Jean of SAWA contributed a dish of braised shortrib, tostones, and brie.  All in all another night of good times and fun with local chefs.

icc 2011: (some of) the chefs

As I mentioned in the last post, the brightest light at the Star Chefs Congress is the community of chefs present.  I did not touch upon the highlights of this, and so I wish to do so now.  While still fairly fresh in my mind, I've gone through my scribbled notes from the event and compiled them into a form that is more easily accessible for me.  Below is a list of some of the chefs who did mainstage presentations.  This is not an all encompassing list, but only a rundown of those professionals that made an impression on us, and that we had the privilege of watching presentations or simply getting to say "hi" to while walking the floor.

This is a long list, so if you find it boring just scroll down to any names that may interest you or don't bother with it at all.

Grant Achatz- This was an interview format type of presentation with Kim Severson providing the questions and bouncing board.  Although it is always a pleasure to hear Chef Achatz's philosophies on food and art and life in general (and we have heard him speak several times) I really wish he would do a culinary demo once.  The man has solidified so many great techniques.  I would be great to see some of these demonstrated instead of getting a run down on Kastner's serviceware and how different it is from round plates.

Laurent Gras- I have never before seen Laurent Gras doing a presentation, but there was obviously a bubbling anticipation for this one... especially after getting glimpses of the man's mind from his blog and his eccentric character.  His demonstration embraced the theme of the 6th sense by focusing on creating a representative presentation of a fish through the medium of analytical cubism.  If this sounds strange, it is (and obviously is open to interpretation from anyone).  He focused on visual references to fish (eyes, silverly scales, sense of freshness).  While we did not learn any technique from this, the doors were open to ideas and thoughts... which is the most important thing to take away from any chef presenter.  This concept would have fared equally well for last year's 'Art vs. Craft' theme.  For those of you who follow the food scene, Chef Gras has long been gone from L2O in Chicago and now resides in New York.  When asked if he could give any details on his forthcoming restaurant, he simply replied "no."  Interestingly enough, an article on Laurent Gras on Eater popped up as I was typing this section.

David Burke- This was the 2nd time we've seen Chef Burke doing a presentation.  Both times were focused on meat... I'm cool with that.  He is an authority.  When we saw him 4 or 5 years ago, he was buying his own cows, aging the meat, and even created an aging process where the meat was left in air controlled rooms lined with Himalayan salt blocks (the salt actually transferring to the meat through the air).  As of his current demo, the process has been patented by him.  He also demonstrated some new interesting cuts of meat mostly focused on lamb.  The standout for me was the double lamb chop... taking the loin slice from one end of the saddle and rolling it over to bind with the other loin piece all with one rib bone to create a hearty lamb chop.  Some of the other notable points of the demo... coating meat with pastrami spice before drying and cutting off the outer dried edge to use as pastrami jerky, roasting meat inside of a wooden box filled with hay to infuse the wood and grassy flavors to the meat, head & shoulder pie, and making candles into a warm vinaigrette (an idea we tried with flavored butters a few years back, but were not nearly as successful as he was).  I always walk away from a Burke presentation inspired.  If I may be so bold as to add (of course, using Ricky Bobby's segway), "with all due respect" Chef Burke is one of the sloppiest chefs I have ever seen do a plate-up, but damn he's inspirational.  I hope he keeps coming back.

The Swedish Guys (Björn Frantzén & Daniel Lindenberg)- As a representation of the ever food news blazing Nordic movement, this savory/pastry team brought forward some interesting ideas.  The most shocking of these... aging fish.  This goes against every bit of chef mentality in our veins (or in our brains).  Working on creating better textures, they age fish for up to 20 days.  They showed us how to slightly cook and flavor fish by holding a piece of binchotan charcoal between the torch flame and a slice of fresh eel.  They made leek ash by roasting leeks until black and pulverizing it into a powder.  Very interesting.  Our 2nd favorite Swedish chefs after Nils Noren (best of luck, Nils, wherever you are and whatever you're doing... Sköl!).

Daniel Boulud & Gilles Vérot- Daniel Boulud is like royalty at these events.  He is very smart to utilize the incredible talent he has under his empire.  This year he brought Vérot, who is a master 3rd generation charcuterie master from France, along and everyone was at attention.  They demonstrated how to make a classic 7 meat pie (fortified with typical French lavishness such as foie gras, sweet breads and also including duck, venison, and wild boar).  I was not one of the lucky few who got to try the pie afterwards, but damn I know it had to be good.  Vèrot also has a recipe for his classic pâté de campagne in the ICC book, and we will definitely make this soon.

Angel Leon- There seems to be an endless basket full of amazing Spanish chefs to select from for these types of events, and Chef Leon was a great choice this year.  He emphasized sustainability in our oceans by focusing on seafood as an endless pantry of ingredients... not just fish and shellfish.  His demonstration showcased the use of plankton in various ways.  He dehydrates it and reconstitutes it immediately before service (insisting that freshness is necessary when dealing with plankton due to the bacterial risks involved... probably from the unsanitary conditions of the Chum Bucket).  I like Chef Leon's motivation.  He uses plankton to flavor a particularly bland and unpopular oyster and elevate it into something extraordinary.  He also takes a well-known 'trash' fish and by changing it's environment and as a result, its food source, gave it an exceptional flavor.  He does not, as our friend Frodnesor suggested to me, use it to flavor crabby patties.

Pierre Herme- Another member of the respectable French culinary royalty, Pierre Herme has a presence onstage that is befitting of his stature.  His demonstration was simple and intriguing, focusing on his approach for matching flavors in his flagship store in France.  I do not normally crave desserts or feel the need to sugar indulge, but I was almost salivating during Chef Herme's presentation.  Combining many savory flavors into his design may be commonplace now on many dessert menus, but watching these evolve in the hands of a perfectionist master is amazing.  Getting a couple of his macaroon recipes in the program book was icing on the cake.

Paul Liebrandt- An all time favorite chef of mine (as of many others).  I've never eaten his food, but it speaks of meticulously concentrated flavors and a sense of finesse that is unmatched.  Just watching Chef Liebrandt hover over a plate with intent focus and careful movement of hands is a testament to the care put into his food.  His demo food was a reflection of his feelings of Autumn.  The seasonal dishes were represented with huckleberry (in various forms and techniques including a cure for Japanese sea bream), red shiso tops, black-toasted flour to resonate the flavors of crusty bread, smoke, and a praise for peanut oil.  He was one of two chefs presenting new ideas using the ancient practice of nixtamalization (the other chef being Andoni Aduriz).

Chris Young- If you don't know who Chris Young is then just be aware that he, along with Nathan Myrvold, is responsible for the huge cooking tome that made waves over the last year titled "Modernist Cuisine" (on every chef's Christmas list... poor Santa).  If that isn't enough to get you excited, then also consider that he was once the Chef de Cuisine at the Fat Duck.  The stage for Chef Young's presentation was elaborated with so much specialty equipment, it's a wonder he was able to touch on it all in the time slot of his demo.  He talked about pressure cookers... pressure cooker onion soup (which has made it's way around the internet), using baking soda to encourage the maillard reactions, pressure cooking bananas to create a dark 'chocolatey' rich substance, pressure cooking barley seeds, using the technique to caramelize carrots for soup.  He discussed their rare beef jus method using sous-vide and enzymes to break down the meat and release the ruby red juices.  The pastrami he showed on stage looked so amazing, it made you want to sack Josh Ozersky for being the only person in the room who had a chance to taste it.  He then went on to discuss the incredible results achievable from centrifuges, some DIY equipment ideas to save thousands of dollars, and equilibrium brining (a 'doh' common sense technique introduced to us by Michael Ruhlman which allows you to brine indefinitely without over-salting).  The bonus was hearing Chef Young talk about their love for barbeque (which goes mostly unmentioned in most articles focused on the book... let's be real, there is much much science in the art of barbeque).  A few onstage jabs towards Dave Arnold, who was in the audience, led me to believe that a round table type discussion between these two geniuses next year would make a great presentation (although it would probably just fly over most of our heads).

Andoni Aduriz- Speaking of royalty, Andoni is King!  Somehow, somewhere I had seen Chef Aduriz's accompanying video online sometime before the ICC (I believe he may have done the same demo at MAD food camp).  The big initial focus was using nixtamalization to change the texture of pectin-rich vegetables (he used sunchokes and salsify).  A soak in a 2% lime solution followed by roasting yielded crispy exteriors and flaky soft interiors.  A Jerusalem artichoke dish was paired with crab meat (cooked sous-vide at 70ºC for 40 minutes) because of the resemblance between the two.  He presented a playful dish titled "cat's got your tongue" which used partially dried braised tongue pulled into strands and called for the diner to guess what they were eating.  The other three dishes showcased were more on the sweet side.  He used molds to create both incredibly realistic walnut shells and egg shells.  The walnut shell was made of a mixture of gianduja chocolate, cocoa butter, and white clay.  The eggshell was made from sugar and was inspired by a dish he ate in Japan.  A playful dish titled rusty nails consisted of nails made from clove and something else (possibly chocolate?  My notes are vague here.  Does anyone out there remember?).  I thought the use of clove in a nail was creative on other levels (also considering French word, clouet, for nail which is used to describe cloves in certain applications).  Part of the dish consisted of a 'meringue' made from 1 liter milk, 50g flax seeds, and sugar soaked for 30 minutes, heated to 60ºC, then strained and chilled.  The mixture must be very cold, but in that state can be whipped up like meringue... very very interesting, especially considering the health benefits of flax.  He used a mixture of gelling agents in most of the dishes and promoted the slight use of xanthan gum to prevent syneresis (seepage).  Too many notes taken too fast.

Stanislav Vadrna- This wasn't a planned event for us.  We were standing near the entrance after just entering the Congress talking with Food Player Linda and Kevin Sousa.  Spontaneously, someone invited us to participate in a mixology demo if we were interested... of course, we were.  Call it fate or chance, you don't mess with destiny when it involves learning how to make drinks.  The class was, however, focused on other matters behind the bar.  Instead of learning cutting edge mix-master skills, we were handed toilet paper and reminded to just be ourselves... the point being that we are all constantly play-acting in our daily lives whether it is with our families, friends, or co-workers.  The only time we are truly ourselves according to Stanislav is when we are wiping our asses.  As funny and off the wall as this seems, it was a great presentation.  It focused on engaging the guest and the quality of the product.  All in all, it reminded me of the classic Allan Benton business philosophy, "Don't worry about the bottom line.  Focus on quality and the bottom line will take care of itself."  Stanislav relayed various stories of his career to us after moving from Slovakia to New York.  He told of the revelations he had which led him to focus on getting handshakes instead of tips.  Engage the customer, make eye contact, and stay in the moment and the tips will come without you thinking about them.  Amusingly enough, he has a watch that instead of featuring hours and minutes simply reads "NOW."  What time is it?  It's now... go out and live in it. 

Michael Laiskonis- It's funny that in the ICC book interview questions, Michael states his favorite chef is Thomas Keller for being a constant "beacon of professionalism."  It's funny because this is exactly how we view Chef Laiskonis.  He is one of the most erudite and detailed pastry chefs in the business.  Aside from that, he is an amazing writer.  We've had the pleasure and privilege of assisting Chef Laiskonis during his past trips to Miami for his dessert courses in a couple of the tribute dinners for the SoBe W&FF.  As a result, he has always been courteous to us and we are proud to know him.  It's hard to imagine that a place like LeBernardin could exist... with all of the amazing press and astounding leadership of Eric Ripert, to have as a bonus an amazing pastry chef like Michael Laiskonis as part of the package is just incredible.  If I could be so bold as to add anything else to this section, it would just be this... "Please bring back the blog posts!"

H. Alex Talbot & Aki Kamozawa- These two have been a presence of the ICC long before they were official participants.  We've had the pleasure of knowing them for a few years now and even getting to work with Alex when he came to Miami for a Cobaya dinner.  This year, they did a work shop on sous-vide (a great recap of which is here).  They will be down in South Florida soon (west coast) to do a workshop, and hopefully we can make the drive out to check it out.  It's also fun to watch how much Amaya has grown over the last couple of years as she is just a couple of months older than my own daughter.  What else can I add to this?  Oh yeah, Alex is a freakin' genius.  The word now is that they are already working on a second book, and if it's anything like the first you might as well just go ahead and pre-order now (just kidding, it's too early but keep your eyes open and jump on it as soon as pre-orders are available).

Kevin Sousa- We haven't seen Kevin since the 2nd Star Chefs ICC, and it's awesome to have him around again.  He has spent the last few years working towards developing his restaurant, Salt.  It's been open for more or less a year now, and the tweet pic's of the dishes and the guest feedback all suggest that it was worth the long wait.  It's awesome to see someone so thoughtful and creative as Kevin get his dream.  He's a great chef and a family man, and he once left a comment on my blog when my daughter was born which reminds me everyday how important it is to be both.  Thanks, Kevin.  I look forward to seeing you revive your blog.  You have far too much to share to leave it dormant.

Linda Anctil- More famously known as "Food Player" because of her blog, Linda is brilliant for her ideas.  She seems to know more about plants and horticulture than any other chef I personally know, and she has been great company for us during the last few trips to NY.  Her intelligence is balanced by her personality which is very down to Earth.  We've eaten some great food together, and look forward to more great times in the future. The ICC is unfortunately the only time of year we see her.

Shola Olunloyo- This is the chef behind the Studio Kitchen blog.  Some very interesting things have been shown on this blog over the years.  I still don't fully know what Shola's background is or how he manages to supply himself with so much expensive cutting edge equipment.  You can either feel jealousy towards it or just sit back and soak up the inspiration.  I've had the pleasure of meeting Shola twice over the last couple of years and he is very polite and approachable... basically, a damn nice guy.  Cheers.

Katsuya Fukushima- Once again, hanging out in the Gastropod.  Katsuya looks all too comfortable in the airstream now.  In actuality, he is very close to opening a restaurant in DC.  The place will be called Daikaya, and the focus will be ramen.  Not the typical ramen joint, Katsuya will be getting back to the Japanese side of things while throwing in some of the more eclectic things he has become well-known for.  This is all good news.  Katsuya needs a forum of expression.  He is too talented.  He remains to be one of the most bad-ass chefs I know.

Dave Arnold- We didn't see Dave until the last day.  Not sure why the FCI of NY wasn't involved with all of the behind the scenes work of the ICC this year, but Dave looked incredibly more relaxed than usual.  He was drinking cocktails instead of making them.  Either way, it was great seeing him.  What a talented and smart guy.  You could almost hear the gears in his head crankin' while you speak to him.  The only question I forgot to ask him... "Where's Nils?"

Greg Grosman- I'm not sure how old Greg is now, but he made a bit of PR splash a couple of years back by being the youngest 'molecular gastronomist' out there.  This could easily be dismissed as some BS marketing hype, and we've all seen similar themes of kid 'prodigies' out there.  Honestly, it takes years of study and apprenticeship to become a chef so where does some teenager who for some reason fancies him an Adria-like wizard get off calling himself a chef?  I mean, even if he could learn a few modernist tricks and went right from the childhood chemistry playset to the El Bulli Texuras kit without learning about true cuisine from the school of Hard Knocks, how could he actually create food that was worthy of acknowledgement when most kids his age are still learning how to make peanut butter sandwiches?  The only real problem with this assumption anyone would have about Greg is that he doesn't come across that way at all.  I was very pleasantly surprised to find that he is a very humble and down to Earth person.  He doesn't seem at all to feel privileged or take for granted the blessings he has thrown upon him.  In fact, he exhibited all of the necessary qualities we would normally look for in any line cook aspiring to become a chef.  Basically, he's a good kid.  I'm fortunate to have met him a couple of years in a row now, and we would love to get him down to Miami for some sort of dinner or event in the future.  As long as he continues to be inspired and willing to learn, he will be a great chef no matter what his age is.  He is worth the investment.

The Miami Chef Contingent- The list is growing.  This year we had a posse representing from the 6th burrough.  The most visible was Jeremiah (it's hard to miss a shiny silver airstream parked on the showroom floor).  Alberto Cabrera was there.  Timon Balloo showed up for his first year (funny how we have to go to New York to meet chefs from Miami) and we hung out for a while.  Chris Jones who isn't in Miami, but on the Naples side of the 'island.'  Kyle Foster, formerly of Talula, was there on the gPod.  Sean Brasel of Meat Market was in attendance.  If I'm missing anyone here, my apologies.  Can we consider Daniel Boulud a Miami chef now also... maybe not.

starchefs icc 2011

It's the end of that time of year... when we get to actually do some travelling and take a break from the usual day to day.  Actually, it's the end of that time of year (I just said that, didn't I?).  Now begins the process of digesting, revisiting notes, remembering, and processing.  In the past (this was the 6th annual Chef Congress and the 5th that I've personally attended), we would come back with pages and pages of notes, huge video files, and tons of photos.  These days, we travel back a bit lighter but richer with information than ever.  I still need to get down to recapping the Venezuelan trip on top of this.  The information these days comes more in the form of affirmation and inspiration.

The theme of this year's congress was "The 6th Sense."  This was partly because it was the 6th annual (and it actually took me 2 days into the event to figure that one out).  Getting to meet up with so many of the chefs we've made the acquaintance of through the years is the best part.  These contacts are so vital to progressing as a chef.  Perhaps the 6th sense is in reality the 'sense of community' present among the chef world today.  It is certainly as important as the other senses when you consider the necessity of information flow.  I could not even begin to name all of the amazingly cool people we had the pleasure to meet up with.

Fried Chicken- Yes, it makes my world go round.  Our trip to New York was dotted with some pretty good fried chicken experiences this year.  We stayed in Brooklyn with a friend.  This was, more now than ever, a great 'headquarters' for some great food experiences.  We ate at a small place called SoCo on our first night.  Although not a well-known place by any means, the food was good and it was as good a spot as any to begin.  Fried chicken and red velvet waffles and the okra dishes were good.  Later that night after more drinking, we had the craving for the Jay-Z chicken special from Crown Fried Chicken 2 doors down from our friends apartment.  I hate to say this about yankee chicken, but I wish I had a CFC in my hood.  The Jay-Z special seems to stem from the fact that our location is right across the lot from Jay-Z's old hood and also (I think) because the subway stop is right on the JZ green line.  That's a double J-Z!  The best chicken yet would not come until our last night in NY.  We stalked down Mad for Chicken for some Korean awesomeness.  Not fully aware of the whole BonChon/Mad for Chicken story, we probably did not pick the best location, but the chicken was super solid.  I will be spending many evenings over my fryer trying to get that crust texture... it just doesn't seem humanly possible.

Gastropod- It would not be right in any way to exclude the gPod from mention in this trip.  I want to express how fully proud anyone from South Florida should be at the way Jeremiah represented at the ICC.  This is an event where the floor is full of amazing chefs... no, not just amazing chefs, but some of the most bad-ass chefs in the world.  Jeremiah nailed down a great menu, and we heard nothing but positive feedback the entire 3 days.  It was great to see Kyle Foster (formerly of Talula) on the gPod team as well.  The Benton's ham fried rice with a perfect egg on top seemed to be an all around favorite amongst those who discuss such things.

We went to NY on a super budget this year, and still came out with some great food experiences.  As you may infer, we did not have the tasting menu at Corton.  Some simpler locations provided their own label of awesomeness to our trip.  Roberta's was amazingly good... the kind of good that sends you home wondering how possible is it to make an entire menu taste like every dish is a signature.  The sweetbreads, tripe, octopus, pizza (with cannelini beans), and even the table butter were ridiculous.  We also had the great experience of eating at Empellon (smoked cashew 'salsa' = "Holy Shit!").  During our stay which happened to coincide with my birthday, we made a late night run to a Milk Bar location (if there was a Miami location, we'd all be in trouble... compost cookies... seriously, just go online right now and order some and you'll see why).  I cannot say how fortunate I feel to have a piece of crack pie as my birthday cake this year.  Crack is whack.

Antonio Bachour- If you were at the Jeremiah Cobaya dinner in Miami and you still don't know who Bachour is, then just know he was the bad-ass pastry chef who was responsible for those amazing ending courses.  His techniques are solid and his flavors and textures so balanced.  I am mentioning him here because Antonio was one of 20 selected pastry chefs to participate in the pastry competition portion of the Congress.  This meant 3 days of advancing in the ranks and working early mornings and late evenings to perfect his submissions.  Bachour went on to the last 3 finalists, and although did not take the main prize I feel it is an amazing honor considering the list of top pastry chefs that were in competition.  Salut!  Awesome job.

So, that's the boring run-down portion of our program.  I'd like to revisit my personal theme interpretation later since it coincides with some of the inspirations I had in Venezuela.  What else is there to add?  I'm super-motivated now, and ready to push fast forward into learning something new.

casiquiare

Our 4 years participating in Trilogia en Fusion have given us some interesting eating experiences.  Arepas seem to take on an ethereal quality that is difficult to translate in even the best areperas in Miami.  The deep soulful flavors of cheeses such as queso telita and queso mano don't transcend over the Gulf and Carribean to our Latin markets.  Some defy definition or classification... natilla (not the custard as the name implies in Columbia, Spain, and other parts of the Spanish speaking world), but more like the richest butter that tastes more like the step child of butter and sour cream.  Contrary to popular belief, Christopher Columbus did not hold that the world was round, but rather pearish in shape.  He described it as mostly round with a 'nipple' on it, and on that nipple was Eden... complete paradise.  In a later journey following his 1492 'discovery,' he was convinced that he had found that nipple.  Geographically, what he had found was Venezuela.  We can thus concur that Venezuela is the nipple of the world.

As part of the entertainment provided to us each year, we are treated out in groups to restaurants in the Valencia area and also for some very interesting dinners at the Les Gourmets culinary school where the students push themselves to create meals showcasing their learned techniques mixed with the flavors of Venezuela.  We are also taken out each year to a great little restaurant called Casiquiare (named after a branch of the Orinoco and also a major affluent of the Amazon).  Although I do not know the full story behind this place, we were told that it used to be a club of sorts until an older Italian gentleman took it over and transformed it into something a bit more memorable.  Specialties of the house include a range of smoke grilled meats and some great versions of Venezuelan classics (house-made tequenos with a unique sauce of passion fruit and cachapas with telita are among the best).

Here are some great pictures that really do justice to the charm of Casiquiare.  They were taken by our friend, Neiza Hernandez, using Fabian's camera.

Separate from the restaurant itself, in an open building is the pizza factory.  This is usually staffed by 2 or 3 employees and houses a good-sized wood-burning hearth... the only way to make truly great pizza.  Since our first year here, we've watched the embers in this thing crank out the most amazing pizza.  The only problem... we had never gotten to experience it.  Maybe they thought a bunch of chefs would not be interested in such a thing, so this year we started dropping hints early.  "Say... maybe this year we could try one of those pizzas, huh?"  Well, they hooked us up, and it was worth it... best pizza in a long time.

 

A closer shot of the coal fire oven... there are few things more beautiful.  This will be in my backyard one day... one day.

Is it a grill?  A smoker?  A big pit full of smoldering citrus wood that delivers some of the best flavored meats you will ever bite into?  It's all of the above.  The flavor of smoke from this pit instantly takes my mind back to childhood tasting meats cooked over open flame in my grandfather's yard.  It's amazing how flavors and food have the power to transcend time.  I love the soul of smoke.  Smoke is universal.

Broad view of the kitchen/production area.  The staff here basically runs itself.  Complete consistency.

The Christian version of those shrines you see in every Chinese restaurant... I love the sacrificial glass of vino tinto for Jesus (Hay-Soos).  Beautiful.

The wooden boards:   Every meal we've had at Casiquiare has been served family style.  What made the very first experience special was that everyone had one of these wooden cutting boards set to eat off of.  Now of course this would be a huge Health Department 'no-no' anywhere in the US, and apparently it is now also in Venezuela since every meal since has utilized plates.  We were told that these boards will be gone very soon.  They are each knife-scarred and oiled deep with animal fat.  It's kind of sad actually.  I get the risk factor, but how great it is to devour great amounts of meat by slicing and eating it off of one of these.  They also wash and dry them on this customized rack so that they air dry perfectly... what love.  Wish we would have thought to ask for some.  I'd hang it on the wall.

A caricature of the proprieters.  Don't ask me to translate, cause I can't remember.

The owner, Señor Fantozzi.  He is constantly in the dining room, walking the floor, checking in on every aspect to make sure that everything is perfect.  His presence is regal and humble at the same time.  We could only gesture and speak in broken Spanish to express our appreciation at how attentively he has catered to us each year, but I think he gets it.  Big pimpin'.

Cachapas with queso telita... and one of the national beverages, Solera (same makers of Polar).  With the amount of food we consumed there, light beer was a necessity.

A meat platter of sausages, rib cuts, and other slices I couldn't readily identify before they disappeared on my plate.  That kiss of smoke is perfection.

Pretty much one the only vegetable representation the entire meal.  A nice balanced salad.

Heir to the throne.  The owner's son, Felice Fantozzi, and Chef K.  

A good section of the dining room to waddle over to and digest.