Spring
SPONGE CAKE, Tonka Bean, Dried Cherry, Vanilla Fragrance
Alinea Restaurant’s humorous take on traditional Victoria sponge cake — on a stick, coated with a layer of hard candy, sprinkled with dried cherry and grated tonka bean, and served with a delicious tonka bean cream and foam. It’s a cherry-vanilla cake pop — with a crunchy candy shell, and a side of danger! Read More
KUROGE WAGYU, Cucumber, Honeydew, Lime Sugar
Kuroge Wagyu, Cucumber, Honeydew, Lime Sugar – Alinea cookbook recipe, pages 78-79. I must admit that this was the first Wagyu steak I had ever prepared. And according to my family, it turned out to be the best steak they’d … Read More
FOIEMAGEDDON
On July 1, 2012, vitriolic, part-time vegetarian John Burton’s Senate Bill 1520 went into effect, outlawing the selling or buying of foie gras in the State of California. Prior to Foiemageddon, local eateries brave enough to serve it were inundated … Read More
Dinner at Alinea, May 5, 2012
In celebration of reaching just beyond halfway through the Alinea cookbook, I finally dined at Alinea Restaurant! I was joined by several friends who also came to Chicago for the National Restaurant Association tradeshow. I had made a reservation back … Read More
Garnish Key for Alinea Restaurant’s Lamb 86 Recipe
Tweezermania. When we went to Alinea Restaurant for dinner, one of the mind-bending showstoppers was their lamb course. Perfectly prepared sous vide lamb three ways with a rich jus. But that wasn’t all — accompanying the lamb was a glass … Read More
SOUR CREAM, Sorrel, Smoked Salmon, Pink Pepper
Alinea Recipe, pages 58-59. Ever have an appetizer with sour cream and smoked salmon at a party? How about the ubiquitous sour cream and spinach dip, or the ever-popular sour cream and onion soup dip? This easy recipe from Alinea … Read More
SURF CLAM, Nasturtium Leaf and Flower, Shallot Marmalade
Alinea Recipe, pages 56-57. A bite of seafood and a fresh soup of greens to wash it down, this dish is full of surprises. In your first bite, you taste and feel the texture of fried clam, the sweetness and … Read More
LIQUID CHOCOLATE, Chicory, Dandelion, Banana
Recipe, pages 126-127. Happy New Year! I’m back. After the holidays and some time off, it’s time to start in again. It’s also, I think, time for dessert. What better way to usher in a new year, than a rich, … Read More
ICEFISH, Horseradish, Asparagus, Shellfish (Part Two)
Recipe, pages 72-75. Continued from ICEFISH, Horseradish, Asparagus, Shellfish (Part One) Day Two Shellfish Being on the West Coast, the local seafoods available to me are somewhat different than in Chicago. So I opted for using a few different shellfish … Read More
ICEFISH, Horseradish, Asparagus, Shellfish (Part One)
Recipe, pages 72-75. This is a great party dish. Just don’t tell the kids they’re eating clams, mussels and snails. I made this for a neighborhood barbecue — two large plates loaded with seafood — and everyone loved it. And … Read More
AYU, Kombu, Fried Spine, Sesame (Part 2)
Recipe, pages 96-99. Continued from AYU, Kombu, Fried Spine, Sesame (Part 1) Day 2 (Saturday) Sesame Pudding (Continued) The next morning, the sesame milk had steeped to a wonderfully aromatic goodness. I strained it into a medium saucepan. And brought … Read More
AYU, Kombu, Fried Spine, Sesame (Part 1)
Recipe, pages 96-99. This is an interesting presentation for an unusual fish. Unusual in the sense that if you go to a ‘mainstream’ seafood restaurant — say like The Fish Market — they’ll never have it. However, you can find … Read More
ENGLISH PEAS, Tofu, Ham, Pillow of Lavender Air (Part 3)
Recipe, pages 68-71. Continued from ENGLISH PEAS, Tofu, Ham, Pillow of Lavender Air (Part 2) This is a modern American take on a classic English dinner of peas and ham. Think English lavender from the garden and fresh gooseberries from … Read More
ENGLISH PEAS, Tofu, Ham, Pillow of Lavender Air (Part 2)
Recipe, pages 68-71. Continued from ENGLISH PEAS, Tofu, Ham, Pillow of Lavender Air (Part 1) Day Two (Friday) First thing I did this morning was to take a trip to Specialty Produce for some fresh gooseberries, yellow pea shoots, and … Read More
ENGLISH PEAS, Tofu, Ham, Pillow of Lavender Air (Part 1)
Recipe, pages 68-71. This was another three-dayer. As these recipes get a bit more complicated, I’ll break them up in multiple posts. Unless I hear from you about it 😉 It’s like I had a friend over for dinner — … Read More
YOLK DROPS, Asparagus, Meyer Lemon, Black Pepper
Recipe, pages 100-101. This dish is a deconstructed, modern take on the classic side dish, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. It uses all the main elements: asparagus, lemon, egg yolks and butter. And the technique of spherification, making solid or semi-solid … Read More
OYSTER, Ginger, Steelhead Roe, Beer
Recipe, pages 95-95. I must preface this post by saying oysters are not my strong suit. Nothing from the phylum Mollusca, for me thanks. I’ve always hated them in shooters, and just generally in speaking. “‘Hate’ is such a strong … Read More
RASPBERRY, Goat’s Milk, Red Pepper Taffy, Pistachio (Alternate Servings)
Based on the recipe from pages 90-91. I had a bunch of stuff left over from the last recipe, RASPBERRY, Goat’s Milk, Red Pepper Taffy, Pistachio, so I decided to do a dinner entrée and a salad with it, instead … Read More
RASPBERRY, Goat’s Milk, Red Pepper Taffy, Pistachio
Recipe, pages 90-91. So. It’s just my luck. The week I decide to do this dish, you know what happens? The biggest recall of tainted domestic pistachios in the country’s history. Some 2 million pounds of the damn stuff. Recalled. … Read More
GREEN ALMOND, Sweet, Hot, Sour, Salt
Recipe, pages 76-77. This is a relatively simple recipe from the Alinea Restaurant cookbook. It’s a pretty easy recipe. Not too many ingredients or steps. All you have to do is find some green almonds. I was at my local … Read More
TRANSPARENCY of Manchego Cheese
Recipe, pages 82-83. Ahh, spring is here! And a whole ‘nother chapter in da cookbook… Is it a tostada, or queso fundido? Sorta both. Kinda great. It’s got the elements of a taco, with Spanish ingredients, deconstructed. I made this … Read More
BACON, Butterscotch, Apple, Thyme (Trailer Park Trash Remix)
Recipe, pg. 116 I made this “hacked” version of BACON, Butterscotch, Apple, Thyme in eight minutes and 42 seconds, from ingredients readily available at most supermarkets. And felt guilty every second of it. My deepest apologies to Chef Grant Achatz, … Read More
BACON, Butterscotch, Apple, Thyme
Recipe, pg. 116 Although it’s a Spring recipe, I decided to try this out now. Actually, my kids made me do it. They thought it would be a yummy experiment — and a reward for me making them try MATSUTAKE, … Read More