This is a really simple soup that I usually end up making at some point every fall. Green apples are peeled and cored, then quartered and sauteed with whole butter, ground cardamom, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and dark brown sugar.  They are cooked until golden brown, then deglazed with apple juice. For the butternut squash, I cut it in half and remove the seeds.  I … Continue reading Roasted Apple and Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Creme Fraiche, Spiced Bread Croutons, Shaved Foie Gras Torchon

This was a photograph that I took of an intermezzo for one of our dinners by pastry chef Rebecca McLean.  It is Strawberry Sorbet with Olive Oil Powder.  Producing powders from fats was described briefly in a previous post, seen here. Intermezzo has become one of my favorite courses and it is usually seen in a five-course menu or larger.  Traditionally it follows a seafood … Continue reading Strawberry Sorbet with Olive Oil Powder

This was a really fun dish, both to cook and plate.  I’ve always enjoyed cooking scallops; there’s another post that describes the process in detail here. It was also great to utilize cauliflower, which seems to be an often overlooked or under-appreciated vegetable that was interesting to showcase here.  Cauliflower has such a subtle, earthy flavor that adding just a little cream, onion and seasoning … Continue reading Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Cauliflower Puree, Chipotle Powder

This was a nice, light seasonal salad featuring some great Fall flavors and some fun textures. On this plate is Tega Hills greens tossed with a red wine and roasted apple vinaigrette, blood orange gelatin, local baby beet, candied walnut and a spiced pumpkin tuile. Gelatin is a throw-back that seems to be coming back into fashion. The secret to putting gelatin on the plate … Continue reading Baby Beet and Blood Orange Salad with Candied Walnut, Spiced Pumpkin Cracker

I made this dish the other evening to pair with a big Italian cabernet, it’s braised osso bucco with roasted garlic polenta and honey glazed root vegetables.  It was served with a reduction of the braising liquid and gremolata. Osso Bucco is an Italian favorite, literally meaing “Bone with a hole”.  This would of course be a reference to the huge bone protruding from it.  … Continue reading Braised Osso Bucco with Roasted Garlic Polenta, Honey Glazed Root Vegetables

In honor of October being named “American Cheese Month“, this post is focusing on my favorite local cheese producer here in Charlotte, North Carolina. Bosky Acres is located in Union County, just around the corner from Waxhaw and Charlotte.  These guys raise dairy goats using healthy and sustainable practices and provide fresh, unripened goat cheese to local restaurants, farmers markets and whole food grocers like … Continue reading Field Greens with Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette, Citrus Segments, Candied Walnuts, Raisins, Duck Confit and Chevre Crostini

This dish was a kind of surf and turf, with sauteed spinach and duck fat poached creamer potatoes.The lobster was poached in the immersion circulator at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for about fourteen minutes.  This seems to be the perfect time/temperature for lobster tail, leaving  it fully cooked and with the perfect texture.  The beef tenderloin was cleaned, left whole, and bagged with garlic, shallots, rosemary, … Continue reading Butter Poached Lobster Tail with Sous Vide Beef Tenderloin, Duck Fat Poached Creamer Potatoes

This shellfish terrine was made of shrimp and lobster and using a product called Activa.  Activa is a “transglutaminase” produced by a Japanese company called Ajinomoto.  It is a dry powder that acts as a protein coagulant, using a naturally occurring enzyme to link proteins.  While large companies have been using this for years with unfortunate results (think chicken nuggets), it has slowly been trickling … Continue reading Warm Shellfish Terrine with Roasted Corn and Leek Risotto, Beurre Noisette

Hog Nose Snapper is known by several different names…Hogfish, Hog-Nosed Snapper, Hog Snapper. Whatever you call it, it is an outstanding fresh-water fish. Hog Nose Snappers are found in tropical-temperature waters, usually trolling for shellfish around shipwrecks and coral. The meat is bright white, tender and has a very mild flavor. This snapper was spear-fished and brought in by Tim Griner, owner of Charlotte Fish … Continue reading Hog Nose Snapper with Brioche Crust, Prosciutto Inlay

The theme of this party was “Out of This World”. What was initially an intimidating theme (space food?) turned out to be pretty awesome. The main buffet was “Third Rock From The Sun: A Tasting of Earth’s Animals and Plants From Land and Sea”. It featured Summer Rolls, Tempura California Rolls, Oysters, Shrimp, Crab Claws, Petit Beef Short Rib Pot Pies, Chicken Kabobs and Beef … Continue reading Out Of This World