This dish was a saute of duck confit, potato gnocchi and fresh spring vegetables, served with shaved Parmesan-Reggiano, a medley of Italian micro greens and a red wine reduction. For this dish I began by sauteing mushrooms and fresh pearl onions in clarified butter and seasoning with kosher salt and  toasted freshly ground black pepper.  The mushrooms were sauteed until they were caramelized.  The pan … Continue reading Potato Gnocchi with Duck Confit, Spring Vegetables

  Spring is always one of my favorite seasons in the kitchen, with bright and fresh ingredients replacing the deep, rich flavors of winter.  This salad featured some very fresh seasonal ingredients, including ramps, baby carrots, radishes and baby greens from Lucky Leaf Gardens. The ramp greens were used to make a chimichurri for another dish and the ends were reserved for pickling.  The pickled … Continue reading Spring Vegetable Salad with House Ricotta, Brioche Crouton, Poached Quail Egg

For this preparation I adjusted the temperature that I normally use for preparing beef sous vide.  I increased the temperature from 122 degrees Fahrenheit to 130 degrees and let the steaks cook for an hour, fifteen minutes.  The New York strips were previously portioned into twelve ounce steaks before being vacuum sealed with whole butter, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic and shallots.  The packaged steaks … Continue reading Prime CAB New York Strip, Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes, Bacon-Spinach Puree

This was a course prepared for a Chefs Table in the kitchen last night that was a lot of fun to eat.  It is a terrine of foie gras served with compressed apple butter, apple-cognac gastrique, brioche puree, spiced walnuts, black truffle and field mache. The terrine was prepared by separating and deveining a lobe of foie gras.  After breaking it into chunks, it was … Continue reading Foie Gras Terrine with Brioche Puree, Compressed Apple Butter, Spiced Walnut, Black Truffle

The Caesar salad dates back to the 1920’s when restauranteur Caesar Cardini faced a dinner rush that wiped out all of his mise en place.  The resourceful Mr. Cardini hobbled together some coddled eggs, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce and whole leaves of romaine lettuce.  For added flair, Mr. Cardini prepared the dressing table side, tossed the leaves, and presented a salad to be eaten with … Continue reading Contemporary Caesar Salad