Aki Kamozawa and Alexander Talbot at Ideas in Food have created the perfect scallop recipe, it appears in their book by the same name that was released last year. For this dish I used U-10 (unit of measurement indicated there are under 10 per pound) dry-packed sea scallops.   I removed the “foot” from the scallop and reserved it for use in the reduction for … Continue reading Twice Cooked Scallop with Celeriac Puree, Apple-Bacon Butter Sauce

In the middle of winter it’s nice to sit down comfort food like this every once in a while.  For this dish I used Prime CAB New York Strip that was prepared sous vide, triple cream brie mashed potatoes and a hearty ragout of asparagus, mushrooms, pearl onions and the trim from the strip loin. The New York Strip was portioned, then placed in cryovac … Continue reading Prime CAB New York Strip, Saint Andres Triple Cream Potatoes, Hearty Ragout of Winter Vegetables and Braised Beef

For this dish pork shoulder was braised for six hours while completely submerged in duck fat. The shoulder was portioned after chilling down completely. For service it was seasoned and seared, then glazed with fortified veal stock before going into a low oven to gently reheat. It was glazed a couple more times with veal stock while in the oven to add color and deep, … Continue reading Duck Fat Poached Pork Shoulder with Bacon and Apple Foam, Celery Root Puree, Beluga Lentils, Crispy Mushrooms

This was a very different kind of salad, inspired by a course that Chef David Quintana from Kobe’s Kreations made for a pop-up dinner at the Atherton Mill and Market here in Charlotte. The salad consists of hot smoked duck ham, ground pistachio, beet powder, various microgreens including Lucky Leaf amaranth and micro beet and a white balsamic and pear foam. Everything was packed into … Continue reading Smoked Salad of Duck, Pistachio, Beet and Microgreens with White Balsamic and Pear Vinaigrette Foam

Last night after working on Christmas cards for a couple hours I went digging through the refrigerator for something easy for dinner.  What I found was very disturbing…a container from a local restaurant  containing what was definitely Kraft Easy Mac.   I ate enough of it in college to be an expert on the product and I couldn’t believe that a restaurant was pawning this off … Continue reading Butter Poached Lobster, Angel Hair Pasta, White American Cheese Sauce, Caramelized Onion

Gnocchi are traditional Italian fare with their name originating from the word “nocca”, meaning “knuckle”. They are prepared a variety of ways mostly using a flour of some kind, eggs and usually a potato or cheese. They are thick dumplings that are typically poached, then sauteed. They are often served as a first course in Italian cuisine and their smaller counterparts, gnocchetti, can often be … Continue reading Duck Roulade with Sweet Potato Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries, Bacon and Toasted Pecans, Cherry and Bourbon Gastrique

This dish was another variation of Shrimp Cocktail, with the horseradish panna cotta and spicy tomato gelee acting as a kind of deconstructed cocktail sauce. The shrimp terrine was made by blending shrimp with sherry, heavy whipping cream and shallot, seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper.  The shrimp mousseline was rolled into cylinders in plastic wrap, then a needle was used to … Continue reading Shrimp Terrine with Horseradish Panna Cotta, Spicy Tomato Gelee, Candied Lemon Zest, Micro Basil

Last week when the vanilla cured foie torchon was used for the Roasted Apple and Butternut Soup, some was reserved for this preparation. For this preparation a loaf of brioche was thinly sliced, then the strips were sauteed to soften and brown them.  The strips were then laid out side-by-side on a sheet of plastic film before being topped with the cherry preserve.  The torchon … Continue reading Vanilla Cured Foie Gras Torchon and Cherry Preserve en Brioche, Cherry and Bourbon Gastrique, Pistachio Powder

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