Peach Tamale with Lime Ice Cream

One lesson that I strive to teach my staff is too continuously challenge the techniques and flavors of what you are preparing. Tamales are classically made with masa harina (corn flour), shortening or lard, and liquid. After spreading the dough into corn husks, it's rolled and steamed for approximately hour. For this preparation I cooked some grits in milk with a touch of cinnamon, honey, and toasted almond. After spooning the hot mixture into softened corn husks, I placed some caramelized peaches in the center and allowed them to chill in the cooler. Once the grits were completely cool they became solid resembling the same results as using a corn dough. A simple salsa of strawberries and mint are used to garnish with a scoop of lime ice cream.

Cheyenne Mountain Resort Garden

After 3 years of requests, pleading, and begging; our garden is finally here. The resort has put together an amazing team of individuals who really made this project special. The engineering department has constructed 9 different raised garden beds and added a 9 foot fence to keep all the animals out. The grounds keeping team dug the area and installed an irrigation system with multiple sprinklers timed to start 5 times a day at 2 minute increments. Finally our club food and beverage manager (Steve "Saus" Kander) has organized and executed an abundant list of herbs, fruits, and vegetables. The thought behind how everything intertwines with each other is phenomenal and I'm looking forward to seeing the results. Partnering with a local organization (Pikes Peak Urban Gardens www.ppugardens.org) headed by Larry Stebbins has been not only been educational but also inspiring enough to start my very first garden at home. He has been involved in this project from the beginning to consult and ensure that we would see maximum returns from our labors. The list of ingredients that have been planted reach over 30 items but here are some highlights:

Berry Box: Alpine Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Currants

Mint Box: Ginger Mint, Apple Mint, Grapefruit Mint, Chocolate Mint

Herb Box: Pineapple Sage, Curry Plant, Stevia (Sugar Plant), Garlic Chives, Lemon Verbena

Vegetable Box: Spring Lettuces, Collard Greens, Carrots, Onions, Squash, Horseradish

Chalices: Dragon Beans, Concord Grapes, Baby Cucumbers

Avocado Fries

This dish was inspired by my good friend Ben Henion (http://www.chefbhenion.blogspot.com/) who started playing around with the idea deep frying avocados in tempura. The avocados are sliced and dipped into a light batter before being deep fried until golden brown. I mixed some fresh limes with sour cream for the base, a simple pico de gallo went on next, then a really nice jalapeno syrup was drizzled around the plate ( I boiled 2 freshly sliced jalapenos in a equal mixture of sugar/water). The creaminess of the avocados surrounded by a very light crunchy batter really pops in flavor when combined with the spicy/sweet jalapeno syrup and tang of the pico. I'm thinking about submitting this recipe for an upcoming contest, all of the staff who were fortunate to try this stated that it was a winner in their books.

Lobster Fest

Lately we've been bombarded by lobsters in the kitchen and what a great problem it is to have. Here are some pictures from a function the other day that required 400 live lobsters to be boiled and cleaned. It took a total of six chefs to complete this 60 minute task right before the guests arrived. We boiled gallons of water seasoned with salt to taste like the ocean and added the live lobsters for about 10 minutes. After they were cooked, we scooped them out and partially broke down the lobsters for the guest to easily access the meat. The tail was split in half and both of the claws were cracked. Cracking lobsters is a messy job and it always changes the atmosphere of the kitchen to fun. As an experienced chef you never realize that what we consider "common knowledge" when cooking, our younger chefs have no understanding. The basic anatomy of a lobster was a mystery to half of my staff since the economy has been in the dumps and nobody has purchased high cost items like lobsters, which enables them the education and experience. I wonder if any of them have actually smelled the sweet perfume of a large black truffle or tasted the creamy center of a seared piece of foie gras. Hopefully, the recent increase of purchased lobster dinners are a hint of a $$$ flooded market.

Herb and Vegetable Garden

I'm excited to finally have the pleasure of announcing our herb and vegetable garden at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. We have built a 30 x 30ft garden that has 10 different raised garden beds and over 30 different vegetables and herbs to be planted. Having the option to walk out to the garden in the morning and harvest baby carrots, fresh basil, or garlic is a true pleasure for our chef's and of course myself. I cannot wait to teach the staff the importance of fresh product and have them understand how the food flows from farm to table. We will be planting next week and hopefully harvesting certain items within the next month. I plan on using these truly fresh ingredients primarily for the country club menu and a few specials at the resort. I will be adding pictures as soon as I get out there with a camera.

Roasted Lamb w/ Red Chile Mole

Here is new dish on the menu that truly represents our southwestern twist on Colorado ingredients. The lamb is frenched and marinated in garlic, rosemary, oil, and black peppercorns before being roasted to a beautiful medium rare temperature. A potato corn hash is placed in the center of the plate and covered with the lamb rack after resting for a few minutes. A red chile mole sauce is drizzled over the lamb and colored with a cilantro puree. The mole sauce (which means concoction) is made with ancho chiles, garlic, onions, raisins, almonds, water, and of course chocolate. All those amazing ingredients are simmered together and then blended until smooth. Salty cotija cheese is crumbled over the lamb to garnish before arriving at your table.

Banana Split Cheesecake

Here is another dessert offering the will be making an appearance on the upcoming menu starting May 3rd. This idea started with the thoughts of a shared dessert and what could be more appropriate than a banana split. Our pastry chef made the comment that a cheesecake is always a big seller on the menu and we should consider having one. After going back and forth on different flavors and how to differentiate ourselves with a cheesecake; we decided on a banana split cheesecake. Our pastry chef made this beautiful Neapolitan cheesecake with layers of strawberry, banana, and chocolate. The sauces drizzled on the plate are mango, chocolate, and berry. Sliced bananas are placed on the plate with a coating of caramel sauce. A pile of candied walnuts were added for texture and it was only right to top the cheesecake with whipped cream and a cherry. This is definitely a beautiful dessert that will make people say "WOW" when it arrives at the end of their meal.

Fry Bread with Tamarind Honey and Jalapeno Jelly

One of my favorite food memories from living in Arizona was eating the warm fry bread at the state fair each year drizzled with honey and dusted with powdered sugar. It was extremely hot, puffy, crunchy, and delicious. The honey would be all over the place and your face would be covered with a mustache of powdered sugar. I wanted to create a cleaner version of this dessert for our new spring/summer menu in the restaurant. It's the perfect dish to eat during the warm season and a perfect representation of the "Colorado Fusion" concept. The fry bread dough is cooked in 350 degree oil until puffy and golden brown on both sides. After draining the excess oil, we drizzle the bread with a tamarind honey that is sweet and tangy. A traditional dusting of powdered sugar and a warm jalapeno jelly is placed on the side for dipping pleasures. This is by far my favorite dessert and has all the components I look for in a dessert: multiple layers of flavor, creativity, and the ability to trigger a childhood memory or feeling.

Colorado Lamb Chop

This was a simple dish that had lots of flavor to challenge the taste buds of each guest that night. The lamb racks were frenched to expose the bones and cut into single chops. The lamb chops were tied with butcher string to create a perfect coin and pan seared until medium rare. A simple polenta with creamy Gorgonzola cheese and curry spices was spooned in the center of the plate. A reduction of pinot and black figs served as the sauce and a garnish of mint oil brought the marinade of the lamb.

Oyster Rockerfeller

This was a fun dish that was quickly devoured by everyone once it was dropped on the table. I love fried oysters and wanted to bring the traditional flavors of a Rockefeller to the dish. The mixture of bacon, spinach, and cream baked onto an oyster is amazing and that's what I wanted. After scraping the oysters out of the shell, we breaded the meat in herb breadcrumbs using panko (a Japanese breadcrumb that is much lighter when fried). The shells were cleaned and reserved for presentation purposes. After chopping spinach and watercress into bite sized pieces, the greens were simmered in cream, salt, and nutmeg. A crispy slice of pancetta was placed in between the fried oyster and the cream spinach to create the same flavors of a classic.

Buttermilk Frog Legs

Here is a picture and description from the first course of the wine dinner on Saturday. Crispy Frog Legs with Shaved Tart Apple, Lemon Essence, and White Balsamic Raisins. Frog legs are a simple thing to make and don't require much work. They are fairly cheap and can be found at most Asian markets. I soaked these bad boys in buttermilk and then tossed them in seasoned flour before deep frying until golden brown (350 degrees). The salad was a colorful medley of shaved apples, cilantro, carrots, black sesame seeds, and golden raisins that had been cooked in brown sugar and white balsamic. This was my favorite course of the night because it was such a conversation piece and I was able to show off my southern cooking influences. For anyone that hasn't tasted frog before, I would say it's like a cross between catfish and chicken.

Amuse Bouche: Smoked Trout on Bagel Chip

Latest amuse bouche to hit the restaurant; Smoked Trout on Bagel Chip with Spicy Cream Cheese and Pickled Red Onion. This is truly a Colorado inspired snack that becomes a regular during the warm season for all the trout that will be caught in the local lakes higher up in the elevation. The trout is lightly smoked with hickory chips and then placed on a spicy cream cheese infused with chipotle peppers. The bagel chip is a fun touch that adds a great crunch and the small bursts of capers and cured red onion give the necessary balance needed to achieve a complete palate awakening. We also hosted the wine dinner at the country club last night to much success and I have some great food pictures for everyone that will be posted over the next few days. We totaled the night with 85 people whiles serving some phenomenal food and wine pairings. I'm looking forward to the next event and with the increase of attendees wouldn't be surprised if they become a frequent thing.