in and out the kitchen

Here are just a few happenings of the past days...

this was my first time with romanesco.  It tastes sort of like broccoli, until you warm it in whole butter... then it takes on a pecan-like flavor... and they look like shrubbery.

 

Trying the salt dome crusted beets a la Alain Passard.  A fun technique, although it had never dawned on me to try it with vegetables.  These were golden beets, and the salt crust contained orange zest, fresh mediterranean herbs, and horseradish.  Very fun to hammer open in front of the guests.

 

... a little salty, but nice.  very nice.

 

And here are some red beets reserved for another purpose.

 

I once had a bass player friend years ago who quit our band, and went to play with a guy who had a voice exactly like the singer from Queensryche (this was many many years ago).  On one hand, I thought this was a cool move since the guy could really really sing... on the other hand, it sucked because everything they played sounded like Queensryche.  This is sort of how I feel about our new crucial details bows and peacocks.  They're really great, they look great, and we appreciate the great deal from Kevin, but it really requires a lot of thought to avoid looking like Alinea rip-offs.  How to get around this?  I believe it's possible.  It's just got to be a little deeper than clipping some mini clothes pins to the damn thing.  Just another mental challenge for us... we are so mentally challenged.

 

Chef K really really likes to make marshmallows and burn them.

 

Karina Nuvo has a great voice.  She played a concert in our ballroom in conjunction with our Beaujolais Nouveau event, then graced us by dining at Paradigm the following night.  Definitely very cool.

 

I love organic and local produce, but I'm not particularly crazy about organic and local produce markets.  Maybe it's all of the things that have nothing to do with the real 'meat' of it... such as hippie hemp weavers, juice bars, pretentiousness, cash-only check out, and people selling stuff that has nothing to do with organic produce... while simultaneously taking up space that should be occupied by organic produce.  Why can't I just browse the variety of interesting stuff and talk to the actual farmers who grew it?

 

Television perspectives are interesting, to say the least.  It's always good to get attention.

Comments

[josh]

that's funny about the produce markets, i too avoid them as much as possible. on the same token myself and the owner of the restaurant where i work are trying very hard to dispel any notion that we 'trade' food for hemp necklaces...most people get it but some people tend to confuse local/organic/green/socially conscious with hippies and wannabe beatniks. chefs (the ones i know and have met, including myself); while we listen to JGB or read kerouac and do our best to support farmers and sustainable life habits have no 'time' for that other shit. this is our life not a fad or trend and we protect it as such.

[Steve]

I love the romanesco broccoli...I used to saute it quickly with a little brown butter and sliverd garlic, then toss it with quartered black prince tomatoes. Whatever tomato you have on hand will do, but there is something magical about the black princes....

steve

[Roberto C]

I can see the dilemna with conformity tied to someone else's ideas. Pushing the envelope should drive you to discover your own style with a new piece of hardware. I was in a band once, I would have left my band for a Geoff Tate type of singer anyday!