There is a very old saying that “the wind from one door closing open’s another.” I do believe that destiny will always present to you at least one option. Some do not believe in pre-destiny, but rather a person has total control over what lies ahead. I believe that it may just be an undetermined combination of both. The trick here is to figure out the plan as you go. For example, I believe that a higher source has decided who become rich, and who washes pots. I think, in looking at the state of the world today it is better to be holding the brillo pad. Those CEO’ and such are left holding the bag, and I hate to tell you what may be inside that bag. This too may apply to the world of food. So many people have been mezmerized by cooking shows…hell, even cooking networks. So many catch phrases like “Bam!!” or “in the words of my uncle…ALA CUISINE!!!!” America has a new breed of heroes and for some they are either going to be top chef, or made out of iron. I think it is good to see shows based around cooking and chef’. I know for me, they are probably the only thing I will watch. I don’t think there are very many good quality shows out there, so since I am a chef…these shows hold my interest.
I do think that they have created a monster, and that isn’t always a bad thing. More and more of us are learning to put healthier things in our bodies, and that is always good. It also raises our awareness to the bad things like fast food. Transfats are being removed from menu’s across the nation, and people are taking charge of their lives instead of blindly “super sizing” them. With the recent outbreak of Ecoli-0H757 at america’ favorite mexican take out joint one must ask themselves…”did it taste that good??…good enough to die for?” “Fast food” can also be blamed for the increase in type 2 diabetis in americans, as well as all the other problems out there. I imagine the point I am trying to make is that america has started to get more involved with healthy eating and avoiding all of those other alternatives. There is nothing wrong with eating eggs and butter and the like. It is a better alternative than what we are starting to see and realize…so break out the pots n pans, dust em off…and let’s start cooking. I promise you will not regret it.
Well, that’s it for today. I know I have been a way for some time, and I want to say that I will be back a lot sooner next time I promise. I’m not sure where I will go, but it will be great none the less. See you all soon…bye!
As a kid I played that self same card game…as a grown up it takes on a whole new meaning. Names like Cod, Flounder and Pollack all bring back childhood memories. But wait…there are a few new kids on the block. Some are Hamachi, Escolar and Bronzini…which you might mistake as the name of a law firm. Oddly enough people were satisfied with Monkfish, which is delicious and in its natural state looks fairly pre historic. Monkfish which was viewed as the “poor man’s lobster” can actually cost you more per pound. It looks like a big ugly flounder and it has a lobsteresque flavor while retaining a fish like texture. The skin is dark gray, and fairly smooth. The flesh is an off white with pinkish red tones. Bronzini on the other hand looks more like a cross between Bass and a Perch.
I recently used Escolar, which in french is pronounced Escolier. The flesh has the texture of Sword fish, but is white rather than bluish gray. The bones are quite large which makes me lean also toward Halibut and Cod. The flavor is clean with a sweetness you would associate with the upper North Atlantic coast. The flesh itself is firm when you cook it, but still has some give when you test it for doneness. It sears pretty well and does very well with pretty much any aplication you use. As we all are learning fish are high in omega 3 which is good to fight off bad cholesterol. Salmon being the one most people think of, I’m sure it isn’t holding the title for being the ONLY one high in this catagory. They say it has a lot to do with “fish oil”, so I assume that the oilier the fish the better…right? People long before us new of such qualities…remember back in the day when people would give “cod liver oil” as a cure for pretty much everything? Things have changed, but not as much as we think. The bottom line in this is just this…you need a good ballance of things to stay on track for a long and healthy life. Fish being a resorce we are just tapping into…it is a good plan for health, and for an awesome alternative in you dining pleasure too.
Every beginning also comes with an ending…so before we get to the end, I would like to share another recipe with you. It is one I recently used with Escolar. It is a little harder to find, so if need be you can substitute Halibut. The feed back I received on this dish from one customer at the restaurant was that it was the best meal they have ever had. Pretty good if you ask me. This recipe will serve 4 people, but you can adjust it up or down depending on your needs.
4 Escolar or Halibut Filets about 10 oz. each
20 Asparagus Ravioli or which ever type you prefer.
20 pieces of Asparagus, woody end removed
12 oz. Home made Parmesan cream sauce (Reduced heavy cream infused with Basil, black peppercorn, bay leaf and fresh grated parmesan cheese.)
Green Herb oil, for garnish
Thyme sprigs for garnish
Parmesan foam (add some soy lecithin to the sauce, and foam with a capuccino machine) optional
Pre heat an oven safe saute’ pan to almost smoking. Add some canola oil to the pan. Season the fish with salt & pepper and sear on all sides. Place the pan into a preheated 350 degree oven to finish. In a salted pot of boiling water cook the ravioli until done. Remove from water, lightly oil to prevent sticking and set aside. In another pot boil the cream, add all the ingredients except for the cheese. Reduce the cream to the thickness you desire, strain and whisk in the cheese. Set aside and keep warm. If you desire you can do the step for foaming. It is a really neat trick and with practice you will become a foam master. If you choose not to use this step it is ok.
To Plate this dish place four reheated ravioli into the center of each large soup bowl ( I recommend the oversized ones that are about 12 inches around.) Take the last of each ravioli and harpoon it with the thyme sprigs which will help hold it on top of each Escolar filet. Spoon the sauce around the base of each ravioli bed and place the fish on top of the ravioli beds. If you did the foam, spoon some over the top of each fish close to the thyme sprigs. It adds a cool effect and will wow them at the table. Drizzle some herb oil around the sauce and serve. A note before I go is that Soy Lecithin can be found at www.gnc.com and is a good source of Choline which supports good heart, liver and brain health.
Thats all this time…you you next week. Bye.
Remember when you were a kid and you looked foreward to dressing up for halloween? The clock was ticking and you didn’t know what you wanted to be. Mom wanted you to be in a “cute” costume while you fought tooth and nail to be scary. Times have changed and it seems that halloween isn’t what it used to be. Back in the 70′ and 80’s your biggest concern was to get through a night of trick or treating witout being egged or shaving creamed. Mom was very adamant about checking your candy before you devoured it. Remember those times?? It seems too that the luster of this holiday has dimmed. Being the big kid that I am I loved it…so much that I endured 15 years of going to Salem Mass to celebrate. Salem is quite a cool town, even beyond October. There is a lot of history there…but this isn’t about Nathanial Hawthorn…it is about ghosts and goblins.
If you pick up any number of magazine around this time of year…someone including Martha will focus on helping you to enjoy the “spirit” of things. Some of the things they might suggest to you are “luminaries” made from paper bags with faces painted on them. Pumpkin carving too is a big thing. All in all they try to stir your creative imagination so that you have a successful party and holiday. I too am one of those bastians of culinary info.
Using a festive paper bag is one of many things to set the mood…using ideas you might have gotten from your favorite horror movie could be another. Try if you will to avoid the sudo cobwebs you buy in a bag at party city. They might be fun going up…but a horror coming down. One thing I have done in the past was to take a piece of cardboard and wrap it with tin foil shiny side out. Then mount it in a picture frame and in red paint write “REDRUM” on it. The effect is cooler if some of the paint runs down. If you have seen the movie “the Shining” you will understand the mirror thing. Another thing you can do is the fog thing. Very simple…place chunks of dry ice into a bucket with water and voila…fog. Dry ice is easy enough to get. Usually sold by companies that supply ice cream trucks. Be careful though…dry ice is like 168 degrees below zero. The bottom line is that you can go to the nines or keep it as simple as pie…just do it your way.
Halloween is no exception to the rule, so I am going to supply yet another recipe. Chocolate Raspberry Tombstones in Dirt are a really great thing to serve at your next spooky dinner party.
The first thing you need to do is go to the candy supply store and get some chocolate molds in the shape of head stones. You will also need to get some dark chocolate covertures…which are sold in bags at the same store. Follow the directions for melting and mold as many “headstones” as needed. The dirt is ground up chocolate cookies and the raspberry “blood” is raspberry syrup. On plates spread out the dirt. Place a headstone into the dirt (write on them if you like with white frosting) and drizzle the blood down them. Be as creative and creepy as you like.
Thats it for today. Have a great holiday and I will see you next time. Bye.
Look out the window…and tell me what you see. What do I see? Well, besides the fact we are on our way to an incredible autumn season, I see pumpkins and apples and cinnamon. Hold on a second you might be saying…”where do you see that?” All of those ingredients and more are what I like to call the “legends of the fall.” Undeniably these and other flavors dominate our lives. You remember your grandma’s apple or pumpkin pie just out of the oven? Or maybe the turkey and sage stuffing? Any of these ring a bell? All of these do for me…and I carry it over year after year. Now, being a chef I use lots of sage, rosemary and alike in my every day life. I don’t think it is possible not to want to use them. A lot of people just aim for the isle with the dried herbs…and I ask why? I would imagine that they are not familiar with all of the good fresh herbs you might find in your local market. I am not a gardener by nature, so I do rely on the market for all of my herbs…and you can too. All you need to do is trust in your self. Rule number one…dry herbs are 1.5 times more potent than fresh, so you need to go easy on them. Secondly, add the herbs closer to the end of cooking to keep them bright and flavorful. Storing the herbs is easy too. Place them inside a damp paper towel and then in a zip lock bag. They will keep for 7-10 days. Once you master the use of fresh herbs you will never go back to dry.
This week I am going to offer a few tips for your fall entertaining. The recipe for success in this matter is creativity. If you are not good at baking for example, a good store bought pie from a bakery is the way to go. One thing I like to do is to make “pumpkin truffles.” Truffles are either expensive mushrooms or candy made from “ganache” and dusted with cocoa powder. Well, since Martha and the like are taking liberties, why can’t we? Take small bite sized balls of pre baked pumpkin pie and roll them in flower. Coat them with a little beaten egg and roll them in either crushed graham crackers or nuts and freeze them. After they are hardened deep fry them until golden. After you remove them from the oil, roll on paper towel and dust with powdered sugar. You can also dip the pumpkin pie truffles in some magic shell and freeze them til the shell is hardened. At any rate, all of these and more of your own creations will do the trick in a pinch.
Thanks once again for join me tonight and remember one thing…all of this is easy as long as you give it a try. Night.
There is a saying…that “Less is more.” I would have to agree with that when it comes to food. In the 80’s there was the Nouvelle movement where there was a huge plate with a tiny bit of food on it. A dinner for two cost an arm and a leg for that…and people just couldn’t get enough. Power brokers entertained their most respected clients at restaurants in New York…demanding such service. The man who started it all was Joel Robuchon. His foreward vision was to make food as art. Using a big white plate as his canvas he set the standard of what we know today. Later on we would trade in the term “nouvelle” for “minimalistic.” Once again to put a little on a plate for a lot. Minimalistic evolved into artistic…and soon after we started to call it “Prix fixe.” Price fixed menues started to pop up every where but again we hit some snags along the way. As financial times became less and less, people just couldn’t shell out as many “clams” for these high priced meals. As creatues of habit…survival is one of those habits. Chef’s got smarter. They said to themselves…”Hey, what if I lowered the price so people could enjoy my food…but not go broke?!” Hmmm, now there’s a concept. So, the Mario’s and Emeril’s and the lot did just that. They banned together and offered Prix fixed lunches, and left the high priced dinners for the more affluent. Hence, they got more famous for being less greedy…and everybody wins. It doesn’t stop there…once again another evolution. Now the prix fixe meal multiplied to an array of multiple courses…and the top number so far is about 36 courses. Sure, if you have like five hours to kill…and somewhere around $250 bucks. Most of the items in those tasting are basically one bite portions. Thomas Keller once said that he wants his diners to say “wow…I wish I had just one more bite.” He and many other chef’…super star or not are following the trend. With the addition of gastronomic hokus pokus, some creativity and even the use of lab equipment chefs are coming into their own as inventors and engineers. I was going to say “what’s next…astronaut food?” Well, Homaru Cantu from Moto makes his own…and even does his own version of “dippin dots.”
Remember one thing…that less is more, and the next time you go out to dinner…dudge for yourself.
Below is a recipe for something you just might be able to use at your next multi-course dinner party. The dish is a deconstructed Crab Tostada. This dish is very fun to make…and of course fun to eat. It serves 4.
2 oz. Canned lump crab meat, picked through for shells.
4 corn tortilla disks 2 inches in diameter, fried crisp and salted
4 T. guacamole, divided
4 t. chopped tomato, divided
4 .t shredded iceberg lettuce, divided
fresh lime segments, chopped
sour cream for garnish
place a tortilla on each plate. start to build your tostada guacamole on the bottom. Top that with crab, tomato lime and lettuce. Top with a dollup of sour cream, and garnish plate with a dusting of chili powder if you like.
Well, that’s it for this issue…see ya soon. Bye
I know you have had that burning desire to ask one simple question, one that would mystify even the highest of IQ’s. That one question would be…”what’s a spork?” I know you have seen this odd utencil, usually at a convienience store, between the self serve condiment stand and the slushy machine. An odd creation of plastic, it was designed to make our daily “meal on the go” less complicated. In your mind you ask, “do I need a fork, or spoon to eat that?” I imagine some guy asked himself that very same question and boom, the birth of the “spork.” I, being a product of the on the go generation have actually used them on several occassions. It served its purpose, but to me was actually quite annoying. My rule of thumb…if it is soup or cereal…pick the spoon. The choice is rather simple. I do however want to get your interest piqued, but don’t want to write a whole article on such a silly thing like that. I do however want to discuss other really cool inventions that might be used by the “modern day chef.” These “homme culinaire’s” or culinary men (and women) if you will are a force to be reckened with. We as a food oriented society won’t be satisfied with the every day tools sold in the super market. We have even turned away from the average restaurant supply company, and turned to more scientific applications and tools. If you remember your sauces 101 class from culinary school, a demi glace’ is the reduction of espagnole sauce and veal stock. The resultant sauce is a very small amount of concentrated flavor with a unique texture. The texture comes from as we all know the collegen, or bone marrow from the veal stock. It is extracted through the process of stock making which takes hours. Then, when you reduce that liquid further you get this wonderful liquid. The same holds true for anything else…time and patience and you have perfection. In getting back to my point, what would you do to deliver these labors of love and art in a different vehicle. Why not use a little science. If you have ever seen a bio or d.n.a. testing lab you might come across this funny little “turkey baister.” Actually is called a pipette, and it can be a great little tool to have. It can be used to deliver controlled “droplettes” to exact locations on the plate. It can also be used as a flavor injector at the table. Chef James George Sarkar, a graduate of the famed NY Restaurant school (my almamater) uses them at his restaurant “Venue.” Venue is in Hoboken NJ, and from what I have heard it is a must on your dining list.
The way they work is simple…you take the pipette, place the tip under your tongue and “shoot” the contents into your mouth. The result is amazing. Other tools of the trade are flavor injectors that look like hypodermic needles. These are more redily available and can be found in cooking supply stores. The idea…take a liquid and shoot up the turkey or beast of choice. I have used this to inject butter into a TG turkey, and it was a great success. Any liquid will do. A theory I am in the process of working on is this. Combine the liquid with gelatin, use the injector to make little droplettes on a parchment lined half sheet pan that has been frozen. If my idea works I will have little Gelee’s that will be “button’s of flavor.” They will have the texture of panna cotta, but can be applied to almost everything. All in all, there are many “tools” you get you hands on to achieve many unique results. It takes just a little creativity, patience and a willingness to think “outside the box.”
Today’s recipe is for a “Deconstructed” Surf & Turf. The idea is to take what you know, rip it apart and put it back together. It is a little “unorthodox” to some, but is riding the wave of the future. So get out your boogie board and hang ten.
4 good sized short ribs, bone-in.
1 cup mire poix (carrot, onion, clelery)
4 cups chicken or beef broth (canned is ok)
1/2 cup good red wine
2 or 3 T. flour
1/2 t. tomato paste
1 cup home made creamy clam chowder or lobster bisque, pureed in blender and strained well (keep liquid, discard solids)
Heat a roasting pan or fairly large oven safe pot (one with a cover) on the stove top. Add a little oil, and brown the seasoned shortribs on all sides really well. Remove from pot, add vegetable and brown them. Add tomato paste and cook several more minutes. Add flour and start to cook for the roux. Deglaze with the wine, and cook til almost dry. Add the ribs back in, add stock and cover. Place in a 350 oven for one hour, lower to 250 and cook until meat in almost falling off bone. Remove from pot, set aside and strain off liquid. Reserve for sauce, and excess for later use.
To serve. Fill each pipette with hot seafood broth. Place ribs, one on each plate in center, pour just a little of the jus from braising over each rib, and a little “painted” on plate. Lay the pipette onto the plate, resting the tip “upward” on top of each rib. Instruct your guests to take a bite of the rib, then “wash it down” with the ”soup.”
That’s all I have for today. Join me next time as we journey deeper into the world of extreme cuisine. Remember, it’s ok to play with your food.
There is a huge influx of new and innovative chef’ out there who’ kitchen look alot like a laboratory. They are praised as “avant-garde” using what some people think as “unorthodox” methods…they are taking the culinary world by storm. Armed with a keen intellect and a dead eye pallet these “mad scientists” are running head long into the frey with much acclaim. You might ask where it all began? The movement is called Molecular gastronomy and it goes far deeper than just flavor…it makes you “re-think” how we do things. The science of food has been going on since the very first guy discovered corn starch. Through trial and error we now know that it must be diluted in cold water, and will only activate if the said liquid for thickening is at a rapid boil. But, it goes even further than that. Herve’ This (pronounced Teess) wrote a book called Molecular Gastronomy and it concentrates on the science of flavor. A sort of text book on why things are, it goes beyond even that. Ferran Adria, is as most chef’ know one of the greatest chef’ since Escoffier. Chef Adria, of El Bulli fame has redesigned the way certain things are done. He is in my opinion the most influential chef on the forefront of the modern cooking world. My guess would be that I am not the only one who thinks that as well. Many restaurants to include WD50 in NYC, Mini Bar in Washington DC, Venue in Hoboken NJ and Moto in Chicago have all incorporated the techniques of chef Adria. Grant Achatz (rhymes with Jackets) of Chicago’ Alinea is to me one of the greatest chef’ there is. He graduated from the CIA in New York, worked for and trained under Thomas Keller at the French Laundry in Napa Valley, was the chef at the now closed Trio restaurant and is co- owner and chef at Alinea. He has taken food and turned it’s world inside out…breaking down food, and reassembling it with great skill. I have yet to dine at Alinea but hold onto the hope of getting out to Chicage and scoring a table there. Homaro Cantu also practices these techniques. His approach is quite different, using a more cerebral scensory aproach to dining. He uses everything from edible menues to an industrial laser to help achieve just that. He holds 30 or so patents on a wide variety of items for dining…including a “polymere cube” that retains heat so well…it can cook food right before your eyes. Not the “easy bake oven” from when I was growing up. Due to it’s overwhelming success the list is long.
Many chef’ including Achatz use a lot of “gizmos” in their kitchens…from commercial homogenizers to “anti-griddles” to chemicals such as sorbitol (which is a sweetener found in toothpaste) to transglutaminaise. TG which I like to call it (easier for most to say) is an enzyme that is used to bind proteins. You can find it in the butcher section of your local market. On the back of the package of sausage it will read on the ingredients list as “enzymes.” A lot of science goes into all of their works, exact measurements are needed as well as controlled temps and environments.
The kitchen at both Alinea and Moto (both in Chicago), as I have read and heard are like laboratories, and from the pictures I have seen on their websites, they do indeed. The use of new and innovative cooking equipment is vast. Induction cooktops (using similar methods akin to that of microwave technology) which concentrate the energy into the pan and not the surrounding kitchen. The result is a much cooler kitchen and precise cooking. Anyone who has worked a restaurant line would be very envious of that alone. The “anti-griddle” as I mentioned earlier in a devise that will instantly freeze part or all of the volume of food that is placed onto it. The surface is like an freezer on steroids.
Transglutaminaise which binds proteins can be used in other ways as well. At WD50 it is used to make shrimp “noodles.” The puree’d shrimp is combined with the TG, excruded and slowly cooked with the help of an emersion circulator that will maintain extremely low temps for a desired time. If the temp goes too high, the “noodles” will not cook properly and the dish is ruined. Other “chemicals” have made their way into the kitchen…they include agar, gellan, carageenan, methocellulose and tapioca maltodextrin…all used as a thickener or stablizer. Chef Cantu also uses liquid nitrogen on one of his dishes. I have seen the demo on it, and it looks pretty wild.
I do doubt that the world will turn it’s back on the traditional methods of cooking. I don’t see every home fitted with Iduction cooktops or Turbo Chef ovens any time soon. They are very cool and I aspire to get into a very close working relation with all of the items and products I have talked about. It is great to see the culinary world filled with such pioneers. I believe that with all we do, and all we know it doesn’t stop here…but can have a long and healthy marriage together for years to come.
I have yet to master any of those techniques, but I can offer something along the middle ground between science and tradition. The following recipe can be used at your next dinner party to make them all say “WOW!”
Sea Bass w/ Asparagus and Oregano “Foam”
4 10 oz. Sea Bass Fillets, skinned
20 pieced pencil asparagus
2 or 3 bay leaves
6 black pepper corns
3 sprigs fresh oregano
juice of 1 lemon
splash white vermouth
2 cups heavy cream
4 T. corn starch sollution
4 oz. cold unsalted butter, cubed
kosher salt for seasoning
1 1qt. No2 whipped cream cannister with No2 cartridge
Make the sauce first. Place herbs and spices into a small sauce pan. Heat pot and add juice and wine. Reduce to almost dry, add cream, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and reduce sauce to half volume. Bring back to a boil, stir in corn starch and let thicken for about a minute. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. When cooled a bit more, add to cannister, charge with No2…shake and set aside. Place a non stick saute pan ( the kind without a plastic handle…only oven worthy pans) over high heat, add a little olive oil to the pan. Season fish (presentation side first in pan) and sear until crispy, then turn and continue on other side…when fully cooked through, keep warm in 175 degree oven. Season, oil and grill asparagus until done.
In 4 large soup bowls ( the kind in fine restaurants) place asparagus first, then a cloud of the foam, then the fish on top. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Well, that’s it for now. See you next time…bye.
The term, “The salt of the earth” was primarily aimed at the working class man. He was the back bone of society. The blue collar worker was part of the core of industialism and what america has been build on. Today many people including most chef’ are using that term on a much wider scale. The salt, or sodium chloride as most scientist know it as isn’t just for the tableside shaker variety. All over people are turning to sea salt. For years chef and foodie alike have been using kosher salt. It is cheap and can be gotten at any corner super market. It contain no iodine, which is good all around. Once that trend started to wayne, we started to use more exotic types. First at bat is Fleur de sel. A natural french sea salt with a unique flavor all it’s own. With trace ellements to include magnesium, it isn’t very “salty” and has a distinct clean feeling and finish. The french haven’t been the only ones getting in on it. All around the globe you can find pristine salts which even include black, and hawaiian volcanic “pink” sea salt. Other ways to market salt is to create your own varieties. Companies are blending, or even using other vehicles to flood the market with this delicious seasoning element. One fine example is a “chardonnay smoked oak” fumee sea salt. A lightly smoked salt, it has a smokey flavor with a wine like finish.
The influx of “salt experts” is growing at a high rate. It is like they are the “sommelier’ of salt.” The art of pairing the right salt with the right food is booming.
Sea salt and all of it’s designer counterparts are best used as a finish. You can use them in dishes, but work best as a “garnish.” The crunch as you take that first bite, as well as the texture and complimenting flavor is absolutely wonderful. Fine dining is taking on a whole new meaning with this new addition. You might want to check out www.artisansalt.com for a complete list of retail and whole sale gourmet sea salts.
Today is the first in a long list of recipes and reviews. Each week will be another example of what to make or where to go. Today I am going to use this mineral to help you enhance your dining pleasure. The following recipe is for scallops. It can be used as a main course, or an amuse bouche. According to chef Rick Tramonto, owner and chef at Chicago’ Tru restaurant an amuse-bouche should be playful. I agree. Culinary arts shouldn’t always be so rigid and serious. If you cannot have fun with food sometimes I think you just may have a break down.
“Scallops with cream of polenta and smoked sea salt”
8 lg. dry sea scallops (I recommend U10’s)
4 Tblsp. instant polenta (follow instructions for soft polenta)
Basil oil (for garnish)
Smoked Chardonnay Sea salt (for garnish)
Micro greens (for garnish)
Heat a heavy non stick saute pan over medium high heat. Pat the Scallops dry of any moisture so they will brown properly and season with salt and pepper. Add some olive oil to the pan and when it starts to smoke add the scallops. Once in the pan, in a clockwise order DO NOT be tempted to move the scallops around. You must let them do their cooking. Once caramelized on one side, turn over and don’t touch them before they are done. Remove them from the pan, and blot on a paper towel. In the meanwhile, prepare the polenta as per the box directions, season to taste. To present, place 4 oversized soup bowls on your work surface. Place a tablespoon of polenta in the center of each bowl. Nest two scallops on the polenta in each bowl, garnish the scallops with a dash of the salt, then drizzle the oil around the polenta and top with micro greens. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Well, that’s it for this week. Join me next time for more. I promise you that you won’t regret it. Until then.
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Unless you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, or your family is loaded…you had humble beginnings. So as they say “Let’s get down to brass tacks!” You might be asking yourself “who is this guy?” My name is Brian K. Fowler and I have lived my whole life on Long Island, NY. I have been a chef for the last 14 years of my life, but have been in the kitchen since I was a kid. I know I know, you hear the same thing all the time. How a chef was raised by his grandmother and learned how to cook on her farm when he was like 12…right? Well, in some cases that is probably true, but not here my friends. It is very true that my grandparents taught me how to master pancakes in their upstate home, but that wasn’t my whole entire history. My mom had a hand in it too, as well as in high school. I went on to walk through life not really knowing what I wanted, but always involved in food some way or another. I found myself in Deli’ more often that less, and at the ripe old age of 28 I took a chance. I enrolled in Culinary School, worked during the day and ended up graduating in the top five percent of my class.
I soon ended up getting an externship at the famed “An American Place” in NYC under executive chef Richard D’Orazi and owner Larry Forgione. I was hired after graduation and stayed for about a year and a half. I soon went on to work for several corporate restaurants, the Garden City Hotel and started to do my own thing here and there. You might be asking where am I going with all of this? Well, I aim to take you along with me on a quest for knowlege, to share my views and maybe even learn a few things myself. I’m not sure what lies around the next corner…so come along for the ride with me. I promise you won’t be disapointed. Until then.
