Raspberry / goat cheese / lemon / dry salted caramel

The raspberry puree was blended with agar agar and shaped into a cylinder with acetate. The caramel was blended with tapioca maltodextrin to create a powdered substance. the cake was red velvet with a goat cheese lemon icing.

"Cobb Salad"

Today we served a Cobb salad that was reorganized. All your favorite components were represented in some form or fashion. The brioche toast point was smeared with bacon jam, quail eggs were soft boiled, cherry tomatoes were charred, chicken breast was smoked, and maytag bleu was crumbled on top of the greens. A lemongrass vinaigrette was drizzle on top with some creme fraiche on the plate.

Beets with Wisconsin bleu, smoked almonds, frisee lettuce, and sherry vinaigrette

First course from lunch today

Wild striped bass with chipotle buffalo sausage, asadero risotto, apricot coulis

Here is what became of the sausage we made in house on Friday. The dish was fresh striped bass pan seared until crispy. The sausages were sliced and served with an apricot coulis. I made a butter sauce from the fish stock and lime juice. A roasted garlic spinach with piquillo peppers brought it all together.

Smoked Chipotle Buffalo Sausage

Here is some ground buffalo meat that i decided to turn into a sausage for tonight's dinner. The ground meat was seasoned with chipotles, cumin, dried chiles, and fennel seeds.  I binded the mixture with activa and rolled tightly in plastic wrap overnight.  With activa, no casing are required.  The sausages were smoked over hickory wood chips until caramelized.

White Bean Stew with Smoked Ham Hock Broth, White Truffle Oil, Swiss Chard, Dried Tomato

This was the soup course from lunch today. The white beans were simmered in a smoked ham hock broth until tender. Rainbow swiss chard was added towards the end to add that hearty green component. The soup was garnished with an oven dried tomato and white truffle oil before service. 

Beef, Creamy Faro, Kumquat Carrot Emulsion, Tapenade

Here is the lunch entree from today. The new york steak was cleaned into rectangle medallions and seared hard in a cast iron skillet to develop a hard crust. The faro grain was boiled with mirepoix until tender and then creamed with leeks and parmesan cheese. The carrot emulsion brought a vibrant color to the plate and also gave the guests some hidden flavors of preserved kumquats and anise. A topping of hot peppers and olive finished the medley of flavors. The final touch was some hickory smoked almonds that added some depth in flavor and texture.

Working on a menu proposal

Start

"Candied Yams"

Sweet Potato Bisque, Marshmallow Torch, Ginger Chili Oil, Shiso Leaves

Main

"Organized Cobb Salad"

Hydroponic Lettuce, Smoked Chicken Breast, Bacon Jam Toast Point, Quail Egg, Avocado Marble, Buttermilk Crème Fraiche, Cherry Tomato Confit

Finale

"Milk and Cookies"

House-Made Oreos and Root Beer Milk

Quail stuffed with creamed leeks and rabbit ravioli

Here is the lunch from Monday's service. The quail was completely boneless and stuffed with creamy leeks. The rabbit ravioli was filled with braised meat and liver mousse. We made a salsify cream sauce for the freshly made pasta and garnished with a dot of apricot habanero jam...

Beet Trio w/ Endive, Sherry, Goat Cheese

This was the salad course tonight. There were three type of beets slowly roasted and diced: gold/ red/ and candy cane. The endive was shaved and tossed in a sherry vinaigrette with a sprinkle of gremolata.  Olive dust, soft herbs, and almond crusted goat cheese were used to round the dish out. 

Rabbit Ravioli

Today we made some raviolis for our lunch entree. The rabbits were braised for a few hours in stock until they were tender enough to shred. The livers were marinated in cognac and blended into a mousse. The raviolis were filled with both forms of rabbit and quickly boiled. We topped the raviolis with a salsify cream and apricot habanero jam.

Olive Dust

This is a fun garish that we always keep in the kitchen.  I've taken some kalamata olives and chopped them up roughly. After spreading them flat and evenly over a plate lined with a napkin, the olives are placed in a high powered microwave.  I cook the olives for about 10 minutes  or until they dry out, just keep an eye on them. Once the mixture is cool, we crumble the dust and reserve in a dry space.

Yukon Potatoes / Meyer Lemons / Smoked Paprika

Just finished the salad for tomorrow's party.  The Yukon potatoes were slowly simmered until tender in ocean salty water. After rinsing the potatoes with cold water until they were  completely chilled, I reserved them to the side. Hard boiled eggs, scallions, celery, and chopped bacon were lightly mixed together. The potatoes were medium diced and tossed in a creamy dressing infused with Meyer lemons and smoked paprika. The balance between the sweet citrus and spicy smoky powder really create a unique flavor balance. This will be another small dish for tomorrow's super bowl party. This recipe profile really gets me excited about the upcoming days of warmth.

Orange Tumeric Pork

Here is some pork shoulder that will be simmering for the next 12 hours. I've marinated the large pieces of pork shoulder in a spicy tumeric rub with dried Peruvian chiles and garlic. The pork was browned in hot fat until deeply caramelized and then placed in a slow cooker. The broth is orange juice and beef stock. I will be shredding this meat in the morning and serving up some sandwiches with onion rolls, kumquat ketchup, and pickled fennel salad as a super bowl party hor d'oeuvre.

Blogging on the go

I've upgraded my phone and now have the ability to blog and take high quality pictures on the go.  This will really take away all excuses about not having the time to blog. Look forward to updates from the new phone.