Gastronaut Jones

Baked Beans Natto

2012-01-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

natto in the style of baked beans

Midnight Goat

2012-01-27T06:32:00.001-08:00

A mix of goat leg & shoulder braised in:

Guinness Draught

coffee

beef stock

onions

brown sugar

Vietnamese cinnamon

cloves

star anise

worcestershire

Angostura bitters

homemade garam masala

I decided to split up the goat into two vessels for comparative braising.

One half in a traditional stovetop braise, no lid on lowest heat possible.

The other half in a Crock-Pot, with lid.

Yes, a Crock-Pot.

A friend of mine, Joanna, gave me one that she wasn't using recently and though they have always reminded me of the clichéd housewife with a deranged Stepford smile simmering beef and starches for her chauvinistic and complacent husband, I've realized that I too was fooled by an initial demographic.

In the end, a Crock-Pot is a stoneware pot in a controlled temperature environment. Not quite sous-vide, but if you apply similar practices why wouldn't the result be close? The key here is to not simply throw all your ingredients together and plug it in. There's some important prep work involved (browning of meat, caramelization of onions + sugar and deglazing). After these steps, you combine everything else. I started prepping around midnight, had everything simmering by 12:30am, leaving me to go to bed and wake up at 8am to some successful goat.

The stovetop braise ended up losing all of it's liquid and a drier result of meat, thought It had more intense flavor.

The Crock-Pot braise yielded a much more tender cut still swimming in delicious goat broth, though the flavor was not as pronounced as the stovetop braise.

What's more important? Texture or flavor? In this scenario I favor texture. Flavor can always be added and improved upon (i'll probably reduce remaining liquid and adjust seasonings from there), but once meat has dried out, it's a lot harder to come back from that.

Though there are many kitchen gadgets that are cringeworthy and seemingly useless, we should also be as open minded as possible to try everything and see if it can actually be useful for you, whether or not it was advertised or intended that way. Rice cookers, egg separators, microwaves; these all have their place in a home or a fine dining kitchen. Certain methods by hand and labor are linked to tradition and stubbornness, set your machismo aside and make it easy on yourself.

Smoked Tuna Melt

2012-01-19T04:36:00.000-08:00

Very often time and money collectively become almost impossible to obtain. In these cases, you may make unhealthy decisions out of desperation. However, there is usually a way to turn your decisions into something worthy of your limited time and money. Case in point: canned tuna. As a child, I hated canned tuna. I didn't understand why cat food was so appealing to everyone. Tuna melts and salad sandwiches adorned the lunch boxes of my peers. But lately I find myself craving the canned stuff, so in a fit of reverse nostalgia and frugality, I bought some. I used a Smoking Gun to make that fish meat more worthy, mixed with Colman's mustard aioli and served on whole wheat with charred muenster, tomato, pickled fennel and cilantro. I no longer think I can have canned tuna without smoking it first.

Accidental Ham

2012-01-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

I was cutting away at a picnic shoulder to make cubes for pork stew leaving behind a healthy amount of meat on the bone, almost purposely. I say almost, because I knew I wanted to do something with the bone meat, but was unsure though I wanted it to be in the realm of bo ssam or pulled pork. I coated the rest of the meat in salt and brown sugar (didn't even weigh it out) and set it aside hoping to just roast it or something the next day. The next day turned out to be the next 2.5 days and after I brushed and drained off the excess salt/sugar cure I popped it in the oven first thing in the morning at 225ºF. Almost a couple hours later, when I remembered the hunk of pig flesh roasting away, I raised the temp to 300ºF and then finished it to broil at 450ºF. Let it cool a lil', then knifed a sliver to make sure it was decent enough to add to something. After the first bite, I thought to myself "This is fucking ham!". After the feeling of foolishness settled in I said to myself "Of course this is fucking ham..." and my usual process of conception worked its way backwards.

Though chefs are often meticulous and methodical, they are just the same spontaneous and advocates of the willy-nilly. The latter is one way that chefs themselves continue to be excited by food, even if it's an obvious moment or a moment of unexpected discovery. Many a happy accident has gone on to be essential and often iconic in the world of food and the way we perceive it.

The Shape of Things to Come

2012-01-09T21:45:00.001-08:00

Julienne. Oblique. Chiffonnade. Fine Dice.

These are some examples of predetermined shapes applied to mostly vegetables in the world of fine dining. Usually for the sake of presentation, they are designed to be visually striking by way of uniform precision. Sort of like....military art. Ok, that's a bit harsh. I do love the squares, stems, isosceles, spheres and rotundas immaculately displayed on white plates of similar shapes; but as the world of cuisine moves forward, we're always looking for game changers. What is plating like nowadays? How will it change? There are those like Grant Achatz, Heston Blumenthal & Massimo Bottura who have always taken a closer look at the vessel as presentation and how it effects the way we dine. But I am most in admiration of those who are experimenting with the way the food itself is displayed like John Shields & Karen Urie, Magnus Nilsson & Andoni Aduriz. They create the largest sense of wonderment as you probably don't know what you're about to eat from just looking.

As I was peeling some newly roasted beets, I was thinking of the best way to cut and display these purple bulbs. I randomly went to them with my knife creating whatever shapes were being allowed with swiftness and a carefree nature. In the end, I was just making a salad, but the erratic knife work made for a more interesting plate than perfect slices or cubes. Almost as if nature intended it.

This is why I prefer this over this

Dishes of the Year: 2011

2011-12-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

This is not something I normally do, but I've come across some great food this past year and decided to compile a list of my favorites. Now, some of these I've had since before this year and they were so good they conquered this year's list as well.

Here it is:

Koji-Pickled Horse Mackerel

NAOE

[Sunny Isles, FL]

Chef: Kevin Cory

Utilizing the bacteria used to create miso, soy sauce and sake for the pickling of an already stellar ingredient such as horse mackerel, koji (also known as aspergillus oryzae) made for a great agent in flavoring and inspired me to no end. This was a part of Kevin's 13 course omakase offering from one of the best , if not the best, Japanese restaurants in Miami.

Pork Belly. Butterscotch. Bok Choy. Kabocha. Corn Powder.

Pubbelly

[Miami Beach, FL]

Chefs: Jose Mendin & Sergio Navarro

This was the first dish I tried on my first visit to Pubbelly around the first month that they opened. Was absolutely blown away by the tenderness and great marrying of butterscotch and pig. A welcome kabocha purée and bright bok choy to soak it all up.

BBQ Shrimp

Redlight

[Miami, FL]

Chef: Kris Wessel

An undeniable classic. A definitive signature of Kris Wessel's amalgam of New Orleans and Southern Florida cuisine. Served with a side of bread to soak up the Worcestire-laden sauce that is absolutely addictive.

Diver Scallops. Pickled Plum. Sea Beans. Lardo.

Roberta's

[Brooklyn, NY]

Chef: Carlo Mirarchi

Though I was squeezed into a cramped corner of the bar in this hipsterful establishment last minute, I knew I was in for something spectacular. The standout dish of the evening was this lovely plate of perfect diver scallops. What most impressed me was the genius pairing of sweet and acidic freshness from the pickled plum, salted fat in the form of thin lardo strips and a rounded and snappy salinity from the sea beans. It all made so much sense.

Sticky Pork Belly. Cream Soda. Crunchy Turnip. Charred Scallions.

Ideas in Food Cobaya

[Miami, FL]

Chef: Alex Talbot

What most made me happy about this dish was the fact that I could actually taste the cream soda flavor in the pork belly. The crunchy turnip representing a preserved turnip without the overwhelming salinity. Charred scallions are always delicious. A great pairing overall.

Soft Shell Crab

Fatty Crab's

[NYC]

Chef: Zak Pelaccio

Seasoned and fried to perfection. Don't remember what it was served with but I know it was successful. Washed it down with a barrel-aged cocktail.

50/50 Burger

Norman Bros. Produce

[Miami, FL]

Best burger I've had to date. 50/50 means the beef is ground with 50% bacon. Served with avocado, a delicious sauce and all the other fixin's. Only available on Friday's. Worth the trip down south.

Smoked Brisket

ChowDown Grill

[Surfside, FL]

Chef: Joshua Marcus

I don't stop craving this perfectly smoked cut of beef. Served with spicy pickles (usually cauliflower and brussels sprouts). It's been on Chow Down's specials board for a while now. Good thing I'm in walking distance.

Staff Meal

2011-11-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

Pan-fried Marlin

Buttered Kohlrabi-Honeydew Mash

Sumac BBQ Pulled Pork

Kohlrabi Greens

Jalapeño Vinegar

The idea of the staff meal has always intrigued me.

The dichotomy of chefs creating high-end, well crafted and beautiful dishes every night sitting down to take a quick break enjoying homely rustic practically leftover fare.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

It may even ground a chef, digging deep into a soulful bowl of top quality ingredients almost as if your grandmother started a catering company. Bulking up to have the energy to continue service through the rest of the night.

Clearly, I don't have a staff of any kind but I utilize this same application to my everyday meals. Through experimentation, I usually yield enough for one or two dishes. There is a lot of leftover product and makes for an easily composed dinner or a more interesting breakfast.

Here I topped some marlin steaks with the leftover sumac BBQ pulled pork that i made plenty of sandwiches with, stuffed into squid bodies and used to garnish fried eggs.

The kohlrabi-honeydew mash plays off the flavors of the honeydew-pickled broccoli from previous posts and the classic application of buttered broccoli (the stems begin my favorite part, which I find kohlrabi to essentially taste like one giant broccoli stem with cabbage tendencies)

The wilted kohlrabi greens were a last minute given, enhanced with a touch of jalapeño vinegar. Ideally, I would prefer to braise the greens in a ham hock broth to compliment to the southern BBQ flavors.

Overall made for a very satisfying lunch.

Sumac BBQ Pulled Pork

2011-11-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

Dry rub of sumac, paprika, brown sugar, cinnamon, cumin, ground mustard, ginger, pepper & salt.

Oven roasted pork ribs for 200ºF for 4 hours, then dropped to 175ºF for 3 more hours.

Pulled by hand.

Pressure cooked fatty rib trimmings in ginger ale, ketchup, onion & water for 1 hour.

Reduced pressure cooked stock with garlic, thyme, jalapeño, worchestire, aji amarillo & dijon.

Folded in pulled pork.

Thanks to Harold McGee & Ideas in Food for the researched influence and tips.

Coffee XO Sauce

2011-10-19T17:31:00.001-07:00

dried shrimp

ancho chilies

garlic

espresso with sugar (colada)

fish sauce

shoyu

oyster sauce

raw cocoa

bacon

thyme

sesame oil

chili oil

olive oil

black pepper

black shrimp paste (blacan)

Clearly, a last minute XO sauce (hence the already made colada). This is an idea that's been in my notebook for quite some time and finally decided to make it happen with whatever was around. It was delicious, don't get me wrong, but I do love how open something like an XO sauce is to a myriad of flavor combinations.

The basis for XO is generally: dried seafood, garlic, oil, smoked meat and chilies. Think about how many ways that can go.

I cooked the mixture until almost dry and rehydrated it with more espresso and the water used to originally hydrate the dried shrimp and chilies. The espresso and cocoa rounded it out nicely, lending bitter-ish tones for a more complete thought.

Broccoli & Honeydew

2011-10-17T14:20:00.001-07:00

Broccoli stems marinating in honeydew brine

Separated, peeled & trimmed broccoli stems.

They are currently marinating in a mixture of honeydew juice, salt, brown sugar, coriander & vinegar. (This could be great with kohlrabi) I used the leftover trimmings to cover and keep the stems submerged in the brine.

Marinating vegetables in fruit juice is an open door to countless possibilities. Revealing a surprising sweetness from something as vegetal as say, a broccoli stem.

Pickling can change the character of a vegetable. Incorporating fruit juice gives it nuance.

Other ideas off the top can be:

Bamboo shoots in pear

Beet stem in rhubarb

Daikon in plum

Carrots in orange/apricot

Equal Treatment

2011-10-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

Crispy Pig's Foot

Five Spice Broccoli Floret

Boiled Stem

In most dishes there is a main focus. A protein, if you will. This is the star of the dish to which all supporting elements bow down by sacrificing their best qualities and lift the focal protein to new heights. Something to look forward to could be the equal treatment of ingredients. What if a juicy ribeye sat underneath the humble potato or roast chicken was the underlying flavor to a plate of root vegetables? What I've done here is given pig's feet and broccoli a chance to work together in creating an overall flavor and allowing their distinct textures to bounce off of one another.

Please don't think I simply sprinkled some five spice powder on broccoli. I toasted and ground sichuan peppercorns, star anise, ginger, cinnamon, cloves & brown sugar. Sifted into a pan, brought to heat and added oyster sauce, chili oil, fish sauce & sesame oil. Added some of the broccoli cooking liquid to loosen it up and tossed the charred broccoli florets in the sauce.

The pig's foot was simmered in vegetables, kaffir lime leaves, thyme, chicken stock & Leffe Blonde Ale until tender (5+ hours) removed from the bone, layed flat on a dry pan and weighed down. Heated the pan on low heat until crispy then glazed with reduction of strained cooking stock.

The broccoli stem was simply boiled in salted water (though pickling in cucumber & apple juice might be the better next step).

Together it brings forth the flavor of Char Siu Pork.

Equal treatment to both ingredients.

Turf & Turf.

Shredded Shiitake Stems

2011-08-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

ideas are a-flowin'

A Breath of Fresh Air

2011-08-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

The next time you're at the office or by the cup holder of your Scion, reconsider that jug of Dentyne Ice (usually something like Polar Bear, Ice Thunder or Global Warming flavor) or the "interestingly" flavored Altoids in your ironical lunch box. Look to the wet & dry mukhwas and paan's of India. A breath of fresh air to dub you a heir of fresh breath.

Mukhwas is most commonly sold and served dry, usually with fennel seeds being the dominant character. Paan is slightly different in that it is often made from crushed betel leaf and areca nut with an endless array of other grains, seeds, nuts, essential oils, fruits and spices. The wet varieties I prefer ten times over the dry. It's like chewing tobacco potpourri, as unappealing as that may sound. Overwhelmingly floral, I've been chasing it with various flavors to see how it pairs. Goes great with chocolate and citrus. This will make for an interesting dessert.

Beef Tendon "Sticky" Rice

2011-08-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is a quick meal for the afternoon. I've been recently experimenting with the notion of beef tendon stock acting as a great gelatinous addition to rice, giving it a more glutinous or risotto-ish texture. The dish is far from pretty but flavor is intact and up for exploration

Here I paired the "sticky" rice with shiitakes, brussels sprout leaves, beef tendon, crispy cauliflower and sunchokes.

The Leftover Pan

2011-08-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes laziness can spark a good idea. In no way do I promote laziness, but through it I discovered the leftover pan. The same pan I cooked bacon on in the morning, I also made popcorn in the afternoon, seared beef in the evening, wilted greens, sauteed garlic and then fried eggs in the next morning. Everything adding more flavor to the next. Not entirely developed, but a simple and interesting concept. Should be interesting if ever deglazed.

Pandebonito

2011-08-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

Though meant to translate as a miniature pandebono, "Beautiful Bread" could be a better translation. Not that my bread is all that beautiful, but pandebono in general is a beautiful thing.

pan - de - bonito

P.S.

I found this in my photo archives from a couple months ago. I was toying a lot with them, so I'm not sure which flavor this was. Could be made with Campo de Montalbán cheese & fenugreek, or maybe not.

Frying Cabbage

2011-08-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been frying the leftover cabbage I used for the lamb neck dish and just adding to everything I eat. It has a very lovely and nutty aroma (especially when fried in bacon fat). I'm using savoy cabbage; i'm sure other cabbages will fry just as well. Cabbage tends to be underrated, but I've always found it delicious. One of my favorite "meals" sometimes consists of just boiled cabbage, salt, pepper & olive oil. There's an attraction I've always had to seemingly peasant dishes. Some peasant, rural & rustic dishes seem like masterpieces out of necessity. I had pigeon peas & rice with pork from my Grandmother this week and it was the best meal I had all week. It's important to take inspiration from as much as possible. Whether it's something you'd like to improve or honor, understand the difference between being inspired and copying. This concludes my very distracting and tangent ridden post.

Merguezish Crépinette of Lamb Necks

2011-07-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Cabbage

stuffed with the following:

Calabaza Squash Braised Lamb Neck

Dried Apricots

Pickled Jalapeño

Toasted Squash Seeds

followed by:

A Vinaigrette of Fenugreek, Lemon & Cilantro

The lamb neck was braised in the roasted juice of a calabaza squash as well as a tea of the roasted skin and seeds plus coconut milk for about 1.5 hours simmering (unfortunately, I am missing a piece on my pressure cooker)

It was then pulled from the bone, minced and mixed with the diced dried apricot, pickled jalapeño & toasted seeds as well as chili powder, cumin and black pepper.

I reduced the leftover braising liquid with miso and rosemary and added it to the mix.

This was then all stuffed into a blanched cabbage leaf, rolled, sauteed & basted.

Eating it reminded me of something along the lines of a merguez crépinette.

There is a missing element in this dish and I intend to discover what it is very soon.

Roasted Calabaza

2011-07-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

There's something medieval and beautifully menacing about it.

Midnight Bánh Mi

2011-07-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

Homemade Cha Lua

Gentleman's Butter

Pickles(carrots/radish/onion)

Jalapeños

Basil & (obviously) Cilantro

normally enjoyed with an iced coffee, but not when it's a late night craving

Pickle

2011-07-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

I guess this is what happens when you throw onions and radishes in the same wash

Egg White Glass

2011-06-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

Thinly spread over a buttered pan on medium heat until crispy

Kimchee-Pickled Rainier Cherries

2011-06-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

These were popped in some leftover kimchee brining liquid i had used for red radishes and watermelon rinds previously.

I know I have the urge to kimchee almost everything I see (just as long as I don't kimchee anyone's grandmother I think we're ok), but who wouldn't? Spicy fermented pickling is just too desirable a method to let any produce slip by.

I'm not entirely 100% thrilled with the flavor on it's own. But it is unique and might be a nice and surprising unknown in a salad or any dish for that matter.

2011-06-01T03:32:00.000-07:00

Made from banana peels, star anise and cinnamon simmered in water for one hour.

Takes on a great roasted flavor and can either be applied to savory or sweet.

Not sure which path to choose first...

Research

2011-05-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

The unknown can be so exciting.

Asparagus

2011-05-25T03:44:00.000-07:00

• Watermelon Pomodoro •

• Bacon-Cured Egg Yolk •

• Basil Seeds •

• Rosemary Oil •

• Campo de Montalbon & Parmesan Broth •

Watermelon

2011-05-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

-breakdown & prospect-

Banana Galaxy

2011-05-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

those dreaded, overripe bananas.

For me a banana has to be just green yesterday and still have a hint of green along the edges.

So every time I get home and am bombarded by the hot waft of this forgotten fruit, I pucker in disgust

But I think I can turn this around.

Taking interest in the peels, they will no longer be the backbone of slapstick comedy nor just a component of compost.

The flesh is easy: make a smoothie, make some bread, make some ice cream.

It's time to explore the spotted and slippery land of the banana peel.

Kitchen Sink Tofu Lunch to Go

2011-05-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

Made some lunch for Christina to take to work using some familiar faces in the fridge.

•Kimchee Red Radish•

•Dehydrated Asparagus Trimmings•

•Bacon-Cured Egg Yolk•

•Shaved Bonito [served separately]•

•Onion & Celery stewed in a sauce of Coffee, Shoyu & Worchestire•

•Firm Tofu•

-the kitchen sink is jealous-

Bacon-Cured Egg Yolk

2011-05-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

finished product after 1 day of curing

• bacon

• salt & sugar; equal parts

• thyme

Avocado Ice Cream

2011-05-16T02:58:00.000-07:00

better than Avogadro's ice cream.

better than Abogado ice cream.

let the desserts begin.

Dehydrated Asparagus Trimmings

2011-05-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

Egg Yolk Cured in Bacon

2011-05-14T09:22:00.001-07:00

As well as salt, sugar & thyme.

But most importantly...bacon.

New Addition

2011-05-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Most new and creative ideas from chefs used to call for a certain level of secrecy. Earmarking jots and doodles that you wrote with your hand cupped over your notebook dreading peers from your peers. Luckily, especially nowadays, the new chef is not as secretive as their predecessors. With aid of the web, a plethora of information is being deployed daily to the masses, or to those who seek it. With such sites as eGullet or the Alinea mosaic, the new El Bulli foundation, even YouTube, Ideas in Food, Cooking Issues and various other blogs, tweets, videos and responses expose new ideas and ways of thinking about food bringing more people to the same level and deleting a certain level of elitism.

Intrigued by their stream-of-conciousness layout and feeling the need to share as much information as I can through my research or what I stumble upon, I've decided to create a tumblr account to organize great findings and sources of inspiration.

Go there. Hopefully there is something to learn or be inspired by.

gastronaut jones tumblr

2011-05-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

•Raw Asparagus Tagliatelle•

•Anchovy Pomodoro•

•Salt-Cured Egg Yolk•

•Asparagus Reduction•

•Campo de Montalbon•

•Rosemary Oil•

Asparagus Tagliatelle

2011-05-07T18:11:00.001-07:00

It's often important to trim your vegetables.

You want to refine your produce by deleting stringy fibers and removing exposed skin.

Say you lost track of such a task to the point where you kept peeling until the vegetable was no more.

In fact, it could very well become much more.

Case in point.

I gently attacked these asparagus stalks after separating the outer green layer and detaching the shoots.

I peeled until long, flat, thin strands were formed, producing ribbons that closely resemble flat pasta.

I simply reserved these raw and ribboned stalks in cold water while I blanched, roasted, blended and reduced the outer layer trimmings with some rosemary oil.

Corn Husks

2011-04-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Roasted

Steeped like tea in a corn cob stock creates a roasted corn flavor base great for soups and braising liquids.

Corn Silk

2011-04-22T03:36:00.000-07:00

This week I am taking a closer look at corn. Examining the dissection like a Taino surgeon, curiosity builds at the separation of the floss-like silk located between the corn and it's husk (maybe more like a Taino dentist).

Not knowing much about it, I decided to use two basic methods of applying heat to peruse it's potential

Boiled for a few minutes in salted water, it produces a lovely color reminiscent of zucchini flower. Texture of fibrous noodles, as you can imagine.
Deep frying was a much better application. Crisply woven with a hint of corn flavor. I dusted them with paprika and salt. Made for a nice basket to surround a pear & radish salad I paired with veal breast.

It's important to take time with your produce and proteins. Discovery comes from taking nothing for granted.

Tripe Krispies

2011-04-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

With the coconut milk-braised honeycomb tripe I slice them into thin strips, dust in peppered flour and give it a quick deep fry.

These are nicely crisp and tender with tripe flavor lingering throughout the bite.

Not as chewy as we're used to this cow stomach to be. Really enjoyable.

Like little meat fries.

Will tripe find it's place in America's trend chamber? Although veal breast may be the new pork belly for the incoming year, can tripe be the new sweetbread? This seems like a good place to start...

Dandelion Raita*

2011-04-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Made from dandelion stems pulverized with Greek yogurt, coconut milk, salt, sugar and lemon

This is a great condiment.

The bitterness of dandelions easily compliments the tang, creaminess, salinity and acidity of the other ingredients.

Tonight, it was paired with honeycomb tripe (which was pressured cooked in coconut milk) curried chickpeas and peanuts for a last minute dinner.

*Alternate Post title: Paperback Raita

Yolk Implosion

2011-03-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

There's little less satisfying than a rich and runny egg yolk.

However, they always taste the same.

Nothing wrong with that, but how can we impart flavor the same way we do for meats and vegetables and practically everything else without sacrificing it's viscous and texturally delicious integrity? Reverse trickery, perhaps...

Hard-boiled, half-salty and 1000 year old egg's have a flavor profile all their own.

But what if we could have those preserved and marinated flavors with the texture of a runny egg yolk?

Maybe I'm a fool, but it's a work in progress.

Here I've made an alginate bath that I steeped a mixture of salted duck egg yolk, butter & calcium lactate into for a few minutes.

I then poached the newly formed "yolk" in water for a minute.

After fishing it out and straining it I achieved what you see above. A runny egg "yolk" made from a previously cooked egg yolk.

Only one problem: it didn't taste very good. The texture was way too chalky.

These are the kind of failures that promote perseverance. So I will be doing further experiments to see if some kind of breakthrough can be made and I can move on up to "New Yolk"

2011-03-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

•Pork Blood Pasta

•Mussels

•Beef Heart-Tomato Sauce

•Fennel

This is the first time I've made fresh pasta (except gnocchi), so my noodle shaping skills are not worthy enough for a name or any sort of distinction outside of "pasta".

The sauce is very much a tomato sauce.

The mussels and beef heart combo is my little surf 'n' turf.

This is a rather nice dish.

Groceries

2011-03-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

New ingredients automatically create new inspiration

Corned Beef & Cabbage

2011-03-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

•Corned Beef Tendon

•Brussel Sprout

•Fennel Frond

•Colman's Mustard

The beginning's of a new dish and ode to the week ahead...

Rottweiler Farm Interview

2011-03-07T19:30:00.001-08:00

Here's an interview and overview of "Dinner No. 1" from last month for Rottweiler Farm

Filmed by Jorge Rubiera [Rottweiler Farm/Swamp Valve]

Gastronaut Jones Dinner Series: Part I Presented by Rottweiler Farm from Jorge Rubiera on Vimeo.

2011-02-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

Beef Sweetbreads

Fennel

Blueberries

Hazelnut Pork Ragout

Miso Mustard

•Marinated the sweetbreads in lemongrass & blueberries, then crisped and glazed in miso butter

•Charred the fennel and glazed with chicken liver butter

•Used the left over crispy liver bits and mixed it with minced roast pork butt, toasted hazelnuts, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, white pepper, apple cider vinegar. Reduced.

•Miso Mustard is simply red miso & Colman's.

Now time to edit...

Dinner No. 1 Recap

2011-02-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

Earl Grey Dashi•Roasted Sunchokes•Black Radish Kimchee•Enoki Mushrooms•Ponzu•Scallion

Shrimp•Chayote Emulsion•Carrot-Cardamom Pudding•Green Papaya•Bacon•Charred Carrot•Oregano

Tofu•Crispy Cinnamon-Roast Chicken Neck•Sichuan Barley "Popcorn"•Pickled Bamboo Shoot•Anchovy Sambal•Bonito

Ribeye•Confit Potato•Strawberries(fresh & dehydrated)•Valdeon•Chicken & Potato Skin Crumble•Celery Salad•Basil

No. 1

2011-02-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

GASTRONAUT JONES

DINNER No. 1: An Introduction

Tuesday: February 8th, 2011 9pm

4 courses

$25.00 [minimum donation - all inclusive]

Seats are extremely limited

Email me if you're interested [milleniumjit@gmail.com]

Once I reply, I'll let you know if you got a seat or if we're fully booked.

If I reply saying you've got a seat, then I will reply with a PayPal donation request via your email.

*Any dietary restrictions: let me know beforehand

Honey & Lemon

2011-02-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the most common home remedies can be a great source of inspiration.

Pro Log

2011-01-10T04:07:00.000-08:00

The satisfaction of Sharpie and tape.

The importance of trial and error.

The ability to improve and progress.

The knowledge that is learned and taught.

The perspective that is gained and reimagined.

The anticipation for results and outcome.

The satisfaction of Sharpie and tape.

2010-12-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

Oxtail-Cassava Terrine

Tamarind Consommé

Blistered Okra

Cilantro

Soy Sauce & Chili Oil

Tamarind Consommé

2010-12-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

Mini Me

2010-12-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

You know those miniature pumpkins used to make the office more festive or replace the apple on your elementary school teacher's desk? Those decorative gourds are very edible and before November is over, you should confiscate them and decorate the inside of your stomach with easy and delicious fall flavor.

I'm looking closer at personal-sized proteins and serving them whole. Thai eggplant is another great example. What if we stuffed them with other meats and fish before roasting them, to make an even greater presentation and impart flavor from surrounding vegetable?

Above I've roasted two baby pumpkins @ 350F for about 1 hour.

One with licorice/chili oil/brown sugar

The other with nothing.

Cut 'em open. Handheld enjoyment with a little salt a long the way

Fat

2010-12-08T04:30:00.000-08:00

is a beautiful thing

be it swine or poultry

I always reserve rendered fat from bacon or when crisping chicken skin.

Keep it in the fridge and use it as you would butter or oil.

Imparts flavor in an easy way.

Elemental Efficiency: Liquid Nitrogen

2010-11-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

At Super Bowl MCVDLVI, the final minutes of the game come to a close. The winning team bends the cap on their fresh championship hats and the coach starts to cry. In celebratory form, the defensive linemen go to pour Gatorade over coach. Due to the heat of the moment, they accidentally choose the wrong keg and the whole crowd freezes (not to mimic) as the coach, actually frozen, starts to fall apart. His tear is the first to fall and it breaks into these beautiful fragments.

Inside the wrong keg was liquid nitrogen. There is a lot of appeal, intimidation, curiosity and danger involved. However, it has become a more common ingredient in restaurants, bars and catering.

This week, when Raquel flew into town we immediately bought a 5 gallon keg from Gala Gas Co on 24th & NW 1st Ave in Miami at a reasonable price. I must say, intimidation settled quickly once we got into the groove of things. Nothing was previously prepared (which would've been a smart idea....next time) so we experimented with what was around. Here's a quick picture show of some of the try outs.

Liquid Nitrogen
Broken Raspberries
Ham Chips
Scrambled Egg Ice Cream Ingredients
Ice Cream Preparation

Creations included:

Ranch Potato Chip Curry Ice Cream (would've been better with regular Lay's, only had ranch)

Butternut Squash Soup Dome (a la: Sweet Corn Soup, Coconut, Charred Husk [amongst other examples])

Scrambled Egg Ice Cream with Bacon (the best ice cream of the day)

Mozzarella Ice Cream (didn't really work. I want to make it work though, will try other methods in the future)

Apple Chips (delicious, dissolves to be very fresh tasting)

Banana Curry Ice Cream ( also with nutmeg; good flavors, needed more sugar)

Ham Chips (a novel idea, but nothing spectacular; maybe with better ham)

Green Tea Ice Cream (made from Gunpowder Green Tea, rather than matcha)

The reason why we did mostly ice creams is because, surprisingly enough, it was the quickest thing to make!

The quicker ice cream freezes, the smaller the ice crystals will be, resulting in a smoother ice cream. Liquid nitrogen freezes so quickly that ice cream is literally formed in less than a minute. Making it great for presentation. Table side dessert, best demonstrated here, as a bootleg video from Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck restaurant in the UK.

I love the nitrogen's endless possibilities and the role it can play in surprising and delighting the palette. I will definitely be using it again. I was definitely nervous as the first time using this stuff. But if you generally treat it the same you do with hot oil or boiling water (ie: DO NOT PUT YOUR HAND IN THERE) then you will be just fine. I would still read the Liquid Nitrogen Primer listed below as an overview and safety guide before purchasing.

Read First

Liquid Nitrogen Primer: Cooking Issues FCI blog (Dave Arnold & Nils Noren)

Where to Buy

Gala Gas Co

121 Northwest 24th Street
Miami, FL 33127-4413
(305) 573-1388

{Don't be afraid to ask questions!}

Experiment

2010-11-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

Smoked Almond-Chicken Breast

Beef Tendon

Watermelon Rind Kimchee

Fish sauce Caramel

Yuzu

-Marinated the breast in a smoked almond & buttermilk brine, steamed it, sliced it thin.

-Braised beef tendon in broth and spices, semi-froze, sliced paper thin

-Marinated watermelon rind in salt, sugar, chilies & fish sauce for 2 weeks (so far...)

-Equal parts fish sauce and sugar, reduced and cooled to a loose caramel.

-A few dots of yuzu over the top.

I really enjoy how the beef tendon looks almost like pancetta draped over the chicken breast, which, after a 3 day brine, infused a great deal of smoked almond in the breast without losing the essential chicken flavor. The rind kimchee I can't get enough of, I always reach in the fridge and snack on them, tasting the transformation of a Korean-inspired southern s(e)oul food time lapse. The caramel needs some work, but I know I want to go somewhere in the direction of "Umami caramel". This was not only an experiment, but an improvisation. I didn't harbor over notes, jots and doodles for weeks, doubting myself and then reassuring. I just had an open fridge and an open mind which will, hopefully, lead to an open heart {purgarey}

Experiment.
Make it your motto day and night.
Experiment and it will lead you to the light.
The apple on the top of the tree is never too high to achieve,
So take an example from Eve, experiment.
Be curious, though interfering friends may frown,
Get furious at each attempt to hold you down.
If this advice you always employ, the future can offer you infinite joy
And merriment.
Experiment and you'll see.

-Cole Porter

Smoked Almond Roux

2010-11-14T21:27:00.000-08:00

Not Milk?

2010-11-07T06:15:00.000-08:00

After observing a freshly strained Thom Kha Gai broth, you wonder what whimsical interpretations could be made between a bowl of broth vs a bowl of milk. Could cereal be the next soup? That film of fat that forms atop a pot of warm milk, could that be recreated with something else? Another fat, perhaps. What's going to be hiding underneath?

Charred Citrus

2010-10-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

A blowtorch is, ironically, a delicate way to sear and caramelize citrus and fruits without it turning to mush. Cooked fruits could be easily horrible, but cooking with fruits is truly an amazing way to add freshness to any dish. I usually don't do much to the fruit. Imagine watermelons, mangos, blueberries, cantaloupe and the perfect orange or apple. Notice how distinct and different they are from each other. How indescribable and uniquely delicious their flavor is. No need to tamper with too often.Texture is a fun way to tamper, if you must. Juice selected fruit and set to a gel, make alginate spheres, foam it up. Staying true to its raw flavor while giving it a surprising new mouthfeel and appearance.

Here, I've torched some raw grapefruit segments and paired it with a fennel salad (thinly sliced and dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper). Tarragon would be a nice addition, though I didn't have any at the moment.

2010-09-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Pig's Tongue Confit

Crispy Lentils

Peach

Ginger Salt

Mauby-Balsamic Reduction

Pickled Leeks

Sage

2010-08-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

Another late night snack.

Maduros

Bleu Cheese

Basil

Pumpkin Seeds

Watermelon Rind

2010-08-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

I love to leave a sliver of flesh on the rind, for a touch of sweetness and the beautiful gradient. The gradient that won't matter once ground into a delicious chutney. Yes, there is much to do with the remainder of fruit. The outer layers. The same way I'll dehydrate potato skins and grind them for a crust or powder; I'll kimchee, pickle, preserve, ferment and chutney a watermelon rind. It's a fun way to take apart an ingredient and reincorporate it, sort of deconstructed, in a dish. Imagine how much more fun watermelons would be to eat if they were bite size and eaten whole.

Preventing waste is something I grew up on, and finding creative ways to do it excites me even further. The chutney I made is inspired by my grandmother. Simply:

-Saute lemon slices (rind on) in a bit of olive oil; medium heat

-Add minced serrano chilies and ginger

-Add chopped watermelon rind (green and white)

-Cook for a couple minutes, until the lemon flesh has melted into the pan

-Add salt, sugar & white vinegar. Cook for 1 more minute

-Remove from heat. Blend all the ingredients in a blender or grind finely in mortar and pestle.

-Refrigerate. It's best served cold with just about any hearty dish. Preferably curries.

2010-08-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Coffee & Potato Skin Crusted NY Strip

Bleu Cheese Panna Cotta

Strawberries Three Ways

Fresh

Macerated in Gin

Oven Dried

Basil Powder

Celery Strips

Editing:

-Needs a starch and a sauce.

Where are the confit potatoes?! In the fridge, of course, as my fork arrived at the plate it's face turned strawberry-red (if it had a face; a cute little fork face) embarrassed by the fact that it didn't have any fat-soaked confit potatoes to sink its' claws into.

The sauce didn't turn red, but probably grey as I left the strawberry and celery leaves in their respective china waiting to be blended into a vibrant green emulsion, only to better accent the already plated flavors. Now the only green left is of envy. Also a balsamic-mauby reduction was supposed to be in the works.

-Don't plate the panna cotta too soon.

I've never made panna cotta before. For some reason, I decide a savory bleu cheese one would be a great place to start off. Don't get me wrong, the flavor was on point. I wanted to plate it ahead of time to see how it came out, because I didn't want to make the dish if the panna cotta didn't hold up. It held up, but started to melt as I was setting up everything else to be plated. I felt I needed to rush which also attributed to the loss of sauce and starch.

-Don't get caught macerating....the wrong way

An hour ahead I sliced strawberries and marinated them in sugar, salt and Plymouth gin. The raw flavor of the gin was very unpleasant. Here's what I can do: 1. Remove the idea from this dish 2. Cook the gin to remove the raw flavor 3. Macerate with another spirit: red wine or tequila perhaps.

In conclusion:

I am happy with this dish, but it is definitely a rough draft. It's actually an idea (flavor combination) from 3 or 4 years ago that I've always been excited about and finally felt ready to give the flavors the proper treatment. Food editor sounds like an interesting job to make up.

Late Night Simplicity

2010-08-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

Thyme Infused Potato

Bleu Cheese

Kalamata Olive Oil

Celery

Basil

Scallion

Truffle Oil

Fig White Balsamic

Black Pepper

I don't know what the verb for confit is, but that's what I was doing to some potatoes I had squared off into planks for a sooner than later ribeye dish I'm working on. I had a lot of leftover, irregularly shaped tater ends and could not waste them. So I boiled them ever so easily in salted water with thyme sprigs and a bay leaf. Planning to fry them the next morning, I was ready to pack them up when I realized that midnight wasn't the only thing that had struck. Hunger calls and what better way to tame it then the beautiful and starchly simple tubers that drain before me. I donned my superhero persona as the Refrigeraider and improvised my way to a late night snack. It's about 2:30 in the A.M. and I am not about to reduce, simmer, fry, poach, steep, marinate, macerate or saute anything else. A warm and somewhat elegant potato salad suited fairly and I must say was quite tasty and not too filling. This would be a delicious bar snack. Maybe for a sports bar that only has medium-width screen TV's showing cricket and badminton during the off season. Oh, a pretentious sports bar. I think I'll call it: Miami Prime II: The Squeakquel

2010-08-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

Pork Belly

Watermelon

Watermelon Rind Kimchee

Tomato Seeds

Reduction of Braising Liquid & Coconut Milk

Supporting Herbs: Thyme, Celery, Basil

When life hands you fenugreek...

2010-07-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

...you make French toast?

Faced with a leftover sourdough baguette, no blender to make gazpacho and a brunch sun peering through the venetians, you're forced to get creative. This force is mostly stemming from the fact that I don't have any maple syrup. In all honesty, it's fairly expensive (I'm not talking about that imitation crap) and the usefulness does not outweigh the cost. Though it's one of my favorite flavors, I wish it had more savory abilities. It is a great sugar/honey substitute. Love to throw it in a balsamic reduction and to candy bacon with it.

Speaking of imitation crap, I learned recently that fenugreek is used in making most manufactured imitation maple syrups. This makes a lot of sense when you taste fenugreek.

In the end I had some mauby concentrate on my shelf and decided to reduce it to a maple syrup consistency. Mauby has a bitter note to it which made for a more interesting syrup. I coated the sourdough baguette in an egg wash whisked with dried fenugreek to reincorporate the maple flavor. I also made a nice discovery when washing out the left over mauby syrup in the pot, which I will hopefully reveal very soon in another dish.

Souse #2

2010-07-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

Pigfoot Mosaic

Cucumber

Pickled Onion

Fennel Seed Vinaigrette

Serrano Pepper

Indulgence, NY

2010-07-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

In the end of June I traveled to New York City to meet up with the rest of Animal/Tropical to entertain a few North Eastern states. As i was aerially aligned with the Atlantic Ocean I had taken note, done research and made plans to gorge on the haute hot heat of NYC's best kitchens and dining rooms. Focused on the Prince's more than the King's, I had sought out the best tasting menu's within my budget, time frame and preference. Some on the list were Eleven Madison Park, the Modern @ MoMa, Bouley & WD~50. However, I ended up at the newest establishments of some of NYC's Culinary King's which in turn ends up being their "Prince" restaurants, essentially. Pretty much all of them were born earlier this year. It almost felt as though I had made a composition book of Sam Sifton clippings and used it as a map. Allow me to elaborate: a breakdown of where I feasted. (and boy, don't take the subject line lightly, I definitely needed to be rolled out of most of these restaurants).

DBGB

The newest from seasoner Daniel Boulud is a real sausage fest. No, it actually is! He's made a wiener-centric upscale establishment that's the best of the wurst of them. I stepped in with a small appetite and a resulting sweat of 100˚+ outdoors. Not sausage-stuffing weather. I mostly wanted a drink, but took opportunity to at least taste something from the supervision (at some point) of such a restauranteur as Boulud. I started my day with a delicious Gimlet after a fussy debate between me and the bartender over what REALLY goes into an Aviation cocktail. After coming to a consensus that they can be made either way we settled down and he gave an enthusiastic thumbs up with his eyebrows when I ordered the Chilled Spring Pea Soup w/ Rosemary Cream. His thumbrows were right! The soup tasted like a garden. A fresh and pure taste of peas and stock seasoned perfectly. The rosemary giving it an herbal boost. Most importantly, I asked the bartender which beer HE thought would go best with the soup. After letting me have a flight of them to figure it out, the Peak Organic Summer Ale was great beyond words. A beautiful match. After more chatter, he let me taste a rum by Smith & Cross which completely changed and blew my mind about rum. Amazing.

Moral of the story: ALWAYS TALK TO YOUR BARTENDER. That is, if you actually have something to say that might interest them. Start with questions and don't be a dick.

ABC Kitchen

It's a Girl! I would assume so of this newborn from Jean Georges-Vongerichten judging by the sheer atmospheric elegance and farm-inspired freshness involved in the food. I would like to thank my friend, Robyn for taking me to have an unexpected and delicious feast of a lunch.

Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Parmesan Dressing

Mackerel Sashimi w/ Ginger & Mint

Peekytoe Crab Toast

Kasha & Bowtie Pasta with Veal Meatballs

Morels, Parmesan, Oregano & Farm Egg Pizza

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sundae w/ Candied Peanuts & Popcorn, Whipped Cream & Chocolate sauce

Rhubarb Crumble

Green Market Cocktail w/ Tarragon & Pernod

I'm sure I'm leaving out something, because food kept showing up on the table faster than I could digest. I will say that the Green Market cocktail also tasted like a garden. Delicious. However this experience still does not change my mind about the over-gourmetizing of pizza. Pizza is pizza. I would've preferred the morels on their own. I still think pizza should be left alone a little bit, and believe me I don't say that about most food. On that note, don't get me wrong, this was still a great meal I will not forget.

Fatty 'Cue

Stumbling upon is used in the truest sense considering that the drinking had begun since noon and everything after that seemed to be a bar hop away. Which also explains why I don't even remember how or when we arrived at the latest installment from the Fatty Crab crew. But when we planted our lush tushies on the low stools of this hole-in-the-wall inspired "joint", I felt like my hangover was already cured. But not as well cured as the 'Cue Coriander Bacon served with a yellow curry custard. Served with bold rusticity along with the Nasi Ulam, a well executed rice bowl with Ikan Bilis (tiny fried fish), cilantro and all the Malaysian fixin's, Hand Pulled Lamb Shoulder served with a garlic & mint tinged goat yogurt, a handsomely spicy bowl of noodles, and thinly sliced and smoked Pork Loin with green peppercorn aioli and herbs. Oh. There was one more thing. Simply titled: Dragon Pullman Toast with a side of Master Fat. Although it sounds like something Shang Tsung would be sick of eating everyday for breakfast, it was a fatality of an appetizer, and quite Toasty! A delicious message proving that this restaurant does not put anything to waste. A nice piece of grilled toast served with a cup of the leftover liquid smoky fat from the 'Cue. (To also mention: they serve a soup made from the leftover smoked bones as well). Very admirable and a nod to the current future of sustainability becoming so important in the biz.

Momofuku Ssam Bar

The fact that Elvis Costello named a very bad album after David Chang's ever-growing hipster foodie empire of Korean-bred French modern New American cuisine has always intrigued and displeased the notion of eating here. Of course, it's always important to see what the fuss is about. At the same time, I just happened to be walking about the East Village to see a corner space with simply a cutesy peach icon and nothing more. Opting for the lunch prix-fixe is a very smart choice at $25 for a three course meal.

The Spicy Honeycomb Tripe w/ ginger and pickled tomatoes was most impressive in it's knife skills of creating the perfect texture to enjoy tripe (be it, Western or Eastern palette). Although it does not come close to the cold tripe dish at Grand Sichuan.

Second came the Corned Beef Terrine with Fried Egg Sauce and Tea-Brined Egg Salad. A whimsical and rich dish appropriately balanced by the acidic tea-brined egg salad with watercress. Fried egg sauce was brilliant.

Though I had no room for it, it was too good an idea and dish to pass up. Thai Tea Parfait was another whimsical take on those often craved flavors in a Thai Iced Tea deliciously executed in this dessert.

Overall, a successful trip. Played music I love. Met great people. Had delicious food. You should try it some time.

Thanks: Gispert, Pabon, Haueisen, Burchard, Nguyen, Lloyd, Luna, Spain, Rubiera & Castello.

Cornmeal Tuile

2010-06-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

Tweaking

2010-06-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

Olive-Brined Chicken Thigh

White Chocolate Potato Pureé

Burnt Onion Jus

Fava Bean

Carrot

Yuzu Vinaigrette

The top photo is first attempt and assembly of dish. Knowing it needed something more, I tweaked it a bit the next night. I brined the chicken thigh's overnight, rather than for one hour. I added carrots and yuzu for acidity and snap. I added horseradish and parmesan to the white chocolate potato pureé and Angostura bitters to the burnt onion jus. Thus, the bottom photo.

It's still missing something. As tempted as I am to add fruit to every dish, I'm trying very hard to not throw apples on the plate. It would give it the juicier component, but it might be too sweet with the white chocolate. I thought of pecans because the chicken brine was a mixture of natural olive brine and fenugreek that i steeped in a simple brine (water/salt/sugar). I always find fenugreek and pecans to have a natural maple flavor to them and feel they should be paired for that reason.

I will say my favorite combination on the plate is the fava beans and wh. choc. potato pureé. I could eat that by itself for lunch.

It needs another sauce. Maybe a carrot pudding/yogurt infused with the yuzu.

Maybe a crumble of sorts. More crunch. More acid. More wetness.

Any suggestions?

Human Beans

2010-06-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

There's a lot to be noticed about the fava bean. Between stalk and bean lies a thin white layer that resembles wet styrofoam (yummy). Like polyester pajamas, these stalks are undressed to reveal off-chartreuse pods, newly born as if they were opening their eyes for the first time. So, tonight I'm the OBeanGYN, giving birth to these fresh, in season favas.

Now, of course, the next question is to what to do? How do I raise these little pods to grow into cultured and sophisticated individuals? Never cooking them before, I decided to gnaw on a raw bean, took a nibble of the outer layered stalk (tastes like tough bean sprouts), even slurped a sliver of the styrofoam-y lining. I find it very important to explore all possibilities of produce in its raw state as possible (I'm still considering making a salad of the spongy styrofoam). Finding the raw bean chalky, as expected, I went to the next logical step of blanching. Then I just went for a full boil of about 5 minutes.

Once tender, they tasted great. Didn't even really need any salt, although I tested one with salt and olive oil.

With the proper pairings, I don't think I should touch these beans any further. I've put them on standby in the fridge and will only use them that way. Cold and pure. I'm very excited.

2010-05-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Crispy Stuffed Gnocchi

Artichoke Ham-Hock Broth

Sweet Florida Corn Pudding

Shaved Chicken Breast

Steamed Cabbage

Charred Leeks

Thai Basil

Pecans

Pork Skin Cannoli v1.0

2010-05-14T07:48:00.001-07:00

This is v1.0 due to the impromptu-ness of the dish. I didn't use a cannoli tube or a traditional ricotta-based filling. I figured I'd start at the deep end and swim my way up to the surface of a complete dish. The filling I tried here is a yuca (or cassava) mousse. I added cinnamon, cumin and nutmeg to bridge the sweet/savory gap. Yuca is a funny substance, I must say. The starch contained gives it this undeniable gumminess that doesn't quite equate to the "fluff" you're supposed to get from a mousse.

Well, not quite a dish. This is 1 out of 4, so far, of my amuse-bouche series. I've already posted all but one at this point. They are as follows:

Oreo

Caesar Salad

Cannoli

Cantaloupe

Sounds like a strange yet normal selection of food. However, the oreo is made from zucchini, the Caesar Salad has no dressing, the cannoli is not a pastry and the cantaloupe will taste more than it looks. (Wow, I really should've worded this to be more appealing). Trust me! They're meant to be one bite and they will taste good.

Now I'm off to the pastry supply store and/or Italian market to fetch me some real cannoli supplies and try this again!

Oreo

2010-05-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

Zucchini . White Cheddar . Cocoa

now all I need is some milk...

Chicago En Ti

2010-05-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

Returning from Chicago there are reflections to be had. Not only on the river, but above it as well. Throughout the city there is this glow of sophisticated progression and metropolitan intelligence with less pretension of known coastal corners. The best way to experience this city's progressive offerings is through it's dining. Any gastrobsessive (yes, that's me trying REALLY hard not to use the word "foodie") like myself, might agree that Chicago is the latest U.S. culinary epicenter. From veterans like Charlie Trotter, Rick Tramonto & Rick Bayless to future veterans and whiz kids: Grant Achatz, Homaru Cantu, Laurent Gras and Paul Kahan/Mike Sheerin (tip of the iceberg, folks). You wonder if the coastal city's are taking their environment and agriculture for granted. (I know Miami doesn't need another goddamn steak house). With this said, you can imagine me & Christina's excitement descending into O'Hare airport. With a William Eggleston exhibit at the Art Institute to top it all off, there was a luxurious time to be had in Chicago. Due to the wedding in Arlington Heights we attended, fun was shared amongst friends and family, not to mention running into my friend Dana, the crowd thickened. It ended in a fine cocktail bar, that actually carried the pretension that was missing from the rest of the city. Let me wrap it up, here's a breakdown of restaurants to visit when in Chicago, period. (Don't just let the wind carry you)

Alinea

Moto

L2O

Blackbird (also visit their sister restaurants: Avec and The Publican, oh and the pretentious yet delicious cocktail bar mentioned earlier: The Violet Hour)

The Gage

Avenues (at the Peninsula Hotel)

Topolobampo

Tru

Charlie Trotter's

Also, from the makers of Alinea, a new restaurant and cocktail bar. Here's the trailer...yes, trailer. Next Restaurant

I know there are establishments left out, I'm just too excited. Keepin' an eye out for cheap tickets and the lottery.

Caesar Salad v1.0

2010-04-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

I looked over romaine for a long time. Even in my arugula post from last year I literally said "fuck romaine".

But it's been haunting me lately.

There has constantly been a bubbling craving for those romaine hearts. I always enjoyed how juicy and crunchy they were and the way they bring the Caesar dressing together.

Here I isolated the heart from all other parts of the lettuce, then I separated all the ingredients involved in a Caesar dressing and made powders out of them. This way the "water" from the heart liquifies all of the dried ingredients to end in what tastes like a Caesar salad.

This is v1.0 because it can taste better. Look better. The idea is for this to be an amuse-bouche with enough punch to feel like you spent the last 20 minutes eating a Caesar salad.

Caesar Salad v1.0

Anchovy Powder

Pat anchovies as dry as possible

Deep fry in canola oil @ 350ºF until completely crispy

Strain and pat dry on paper towels

Grind fried anchovies in a coffee grinder to a fine powder, scraping down the sides as needed.

Garlic Powder

Peel garlic clove and slice as thinly as possible

Deep fry in canola oil @ 300ºF until there are no more bubbles around garlic slices (about 10+ min)

Strain and pat dry on paper towels.

Grind fried garlic in a coffee grinder to a fine powder, scraping down the sides as needed.

Egg Yolk Powder

Hard boil one egg.

Separate whites from yolk, keeping yolk intact.

Set aside whites and save for another use

Put whole yolk in a container in the freezer for at least 1/2 an hour (or until frozen)

Romaine Lettuce Hearts

Break off a whole leaf of lettuce, with stem attached

Cut off top, leafy portion, leaving just the white portion of lettuce

Trim the ends, leaving just the heart intact

cut into 3-4 equal sized small portions

To Finish

Toast bread crumbs in oven or over a dry pan until lightly toasted

Put about 3/4 tbsp. lemon juice in a bowl

While whisking, slowly add olive oil in a steady stream until fully incorporated

Whisk in salt and pepper

Coat romaine hearts in olive oil dressing

Put one coated lettuce heart on small plate

Sprinkle garlic and anchovy powders equally ( a small amount, these are very powerful concentrated flavors) onto hearts

Take egg yolk out of freezer

Using a small, fine grater, grate egg yolk over romaine hearts

Grate parmesan cheese over hearts

Sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs

wow...

2010-04-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Underdog Ingredient

2010-04-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

Some food gets a bad rep. Some get no rep at all. Zucchini tends to fall in the latter category and on the categorical ladder, it's usually at the bottom (not to mention alphabetically as well). There's no underdog like zucchini. I bought some this weekend in hopes to let zucchini shine and have a leading role for once. It's won for supporting roles in ratatouille, pupusas and mücver. It almost won for tempura, but has often been defeated by carrot and sweet potato.

Here, I've fried slices of said squash in bacon fat that was rendered from the finely ground bacon trailing the back of the dish. Sandwiched between slices of extra sharp white cheddar, it sits atop a sauce made from brown butter, lemon, burnt onion stock, rosemary and cocoa. I love the way the zucchini crisps up, soaks in the fat and has a Maillard crust.

What other unsung produce is out there? Cuts of meat, fruits, vegetables, herbs. Maybe the future of cuisine lies in bringing forth the ingredients behind the scenes.

2010-04-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

Veal . Cocoa . Zucchini . Cippolini . Fennel . Corn . Parmesan
Crispy Veal Leg . Pickled Fennel + Fronds . Parmesan
Cocoa-Braised Cippolini's
Zucchini & Corn with Black Pepper & Rosemary

2010-03-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

soaking tripe for dessert

The Deception Exception

2010-03-18T07:36:00.001-07:00

I love to play with the eye. It can most often be our biggest deceiver in expectations. We have also trained ourselves to rely on it way too much. The dining experience would be a lot different if the diner were blindfolded, or even had their dinner presented to them with no menu and no description as to what they are eating. Being comfortable with familiarity only makes sense, but why not trust a chef? Omakase in Japanese restaurants translates to "it's up to you" (the "you" referring to the chef). Most likely, we wouldn't be able to understand the chef composing on the spot, so we just accept and hopefully enjoy.

The dish above is a very simple setting of watermelon radish with arugula tossed in olive oil and fig white balsamic. I love how the radish, thinly sliced, resembles a well-marbled piece of high quality beef. It'd be great to make a carpaccio of said radish with kobe or wagyu looking identical and never being sure of which you're going to bite in to. Surprise is an element of progression in contemporary cuisine. Let us never be prepared.

Chorizo Stock

2010-03-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

This should bode well in cooking mollusks, poaching fish and adding to a basic pomodoro (which is currently simmering). I love extracting those spicy, smoky, meaty flavors to enhance seafood and vegetables that can handle it. Just thinking about the way clams pair greatly with bacon and how lovely this would bring familiar flavors in toying with paella. I hope to use it a lot very soon!

Surf on Turf

2010-02-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Kingfish.Chickpeas.Radish.Carrot.Mustard.Pumpkin Seed
Sauteed Kingfish

Chickpea Puree

Braised Carrots

Truffled Watermelon Radish

Braised Mustard Seed

Pumpkin-Seed Coffee Powder

Fallbruary aka Warming Global

2010-02-19T16:44:00.000-08:00

Squash.Shiitake.Pumpkin Seed.Hazelnut.Bacon
Butternut Squash Soup

Braised Shiitake Mushrooms

Cilantro-Bacon Vinaigrette

Pumpkin Seed Powder

Micro Oregano Leaves

Toasted Hazelnuts

Has anyone noticed the seasons are happening later and later every year? Maybe Al Gore has a point, everyone. Global warming might cause the seasons to completely swap in the far future. Not saying that Al Gore said that, I'm just piecing together some observation. With this theory in mind, my culinary receptors are longing for fall. It could also be that in Miami, fall does not exist. No one is raking up fallen palm tree leaves for suburban children to dive into. Rather, they sweep water off of porches and their children are forced to play with quivering mulatto canines. It's more Rottweilerian than Rockwellian.

Alas, one of the most beautiful things about food is that it can transcend your home's stubborn climate and give you access to flavors in seasonal and cultural representation. Global warming is exactly what food does. It warms our bodies while giving us a global tour of agriculture and resources.

The shiitakes were braised with fig marmalade, chipotle, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, soy sauce, fig vinegar and a couple throws of chicken stock.

The soup was made with roasted butternut squash (simply, with olive oil and thyme) then skinned and roughly cubed added to some sauteing ginger (lots of ginger!) and onion. Covered with chicken stock and water, brought to a simmer and thrown in the blender with couple pats of butter and salt to taste.

Toasted pumpkin seeds & hazelnuts. Grounded the pumpkin seeds to fine powder and chopped the hazelnut interiors.

Vinaigrette: bacon, cilantro, garlic: all diced with fig vinegar and olive oil.

Topped with picked oregano leaves.

Really a quite simple dish, it just takes a little care. You can make the mushrooms and squash soup at the same time, essentially. The point was basically to make a very simple squash soup and put all of the bold, intense flavors into the mushrooms, so it sort of pops in the middle. The pumpkin and hazelnut are for texture and familiar flavor. The acidity of vinaigrette with smokiness of bacon and freshness of oregano and cilantro round out the whole dish to achieve a "well-balanced fall"

2010-02-17T16:05:00.000-08:00

Salmon,Watermelon Radish.Hass Avocado Puree.Peach.Braised Mustard Seed.Cranberry.Jalapeno

Mass A Peel aka TGI Freaky Friday's

2009-12-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

before
after

I was peeling potatoes to make silky pommes puree (apple & potato). Reserved the skins and baked them @ 275F for about 10-15 minutes. They curled up and made these wonderfully crispy potato skin....chips...crackers....leper batons? I actually planned on frying them and was just simply baking them at low heat to dry them out for premium frying. However, I lost track and this is the result. It's healthier too. This would be great to throw in a coffee grinder and make potato skin powder. Give TGI Fridays a run for it's...creativity?

Or just to fuck with such a franchise, make a dish of fried pork skins with potato skin powder, whipped roasted scallion puree and candied jalapeno or a jalapeno sambal. Something like that.

I might be able to market these in a vacuum-sealed bag and flavor them accordingly. A healthier potato chip would be exactly designed for those who drink Diet Coke, Sprite Zero and are fooled into thinking that Lipton Green Tea actually contains antioxidants.

I love potato skins. Dried and crispy versions should not go unnoticed. I've been also craving to dehydrate and grind random items into powder.

And I will...

Roasted Butternut Squash Gnocchi

2009-12-11T05:56:00.000-08:00

Roasted 1/2 a squash (1.5 hours) and 2 potatoes (1 hour) in the skin with no seasoning at 375F

Once cool enough to handle, peeled and pushed potato through a food mill (or through a sieve or ricer)

Scooped out the flesh of the squash into the same bowl with potato

Replaced 1/3 of standard gnocchi recipe's potato measurement with the squash

flour, 1 beaten egg, parmesan, nutmeg and salt were added and kneaded into a dough (adding flour as necessary considering the squash will make the dough a bit limp)

Once kneaded to a pliable dough, rolled out into a fairly thin log on a floured work surface and cut 1 in. pieces.

Tossed those pieces into a bowl of flour to coat evenly.

Boiled in salted water 3-4 minutes.

The rest is up to you.

To test out my recipe, I browned butter over medium heat and added a few whole leaves of sage to crisp them up. Added salt and pepper. Tossed a few gnocchi in the pan. It faired pretty well. Actually, it fared pretty well.

mehhh...

2009-12-10T18:53:00.000-08:00

Potato-Crusted Haddock . Bosc Pear . Golden Beets . Cranberry Red Wine Reduction

I have to be honest. This dish was...okay. Actually, it was good, but I wasn't too excited. This is another exercise in using what I have in my fridge. For that, it's not so bad. But as a conceptual dish, there's nothing special or apparently cohesive going on. Looks nice, though. There was even some mishaps with the fish. I had shingled the potato slices (dipped in brown butter and flour, which smells fantastic!) over one side of the haddock (skinless) fillet. I let it rest in the fridge for 1/2 hour to sort of cement itself to the fillet. Upon flipping, I realized that I did not let it sear long enough on potato side for it to set. Shingles went flying like a mild hurricane just passed through my fry pan. I was able to rearrange them afterwards, but it's not what I wanted. Premature flipping calls for a do over.

Anyways, my point is for readers to not be fooled by what I post. I will never post something just because it looks pretty. It has to have flavor. In this case there was flavor, just not the right flavor I was looking for.

Trust me to be honest with you. I had another shingled fillet leftover and I just cooked it about 10 minutes ago. Simple, with some sliced Shiitakes tossed in soy sauce and lemon. The fish was more successful in flipping, but a bit more black than golden.

Whatever, I feel like I'm rambling.

Moral: flavor is more important than presentation

Eye vs Mouth

2009-12-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of factors involved in eating. Our brains associate with color, aroma, aesthetic and texture way before we even taste anything. What do you think this post is about? What are the dishes and ingredients above? What if you gave the diner a preconception of the dish and completely turn your taste buds against the rest of your receptive triggers resulting in a battle of the senses. Your eyes see one thing, nose smells another and tongue tastes something completely different. Would this be unpleasant? Will it give the adventurous eater a boner or the universal palette of an eyebrow-raising gourmand another eyebrow to raise?

I believe the second picture gives it away, but the focused ingredient above is mushroom.

King Oyster Mushrooms, to be precise. I dethroned these from a local Asian grocery, at an affordable price, mind you.

Upon wielding my chef's sword to these tree trunk mushrooms, I noticed an extreme resemblance to a friendly mollusk.

Keep in mind, this is a mushroom that's named after an oyster, looks like a scallop, and tastes meaty.

Above is Espresso-crusted King Oyster Mushroom with Caramelized Onions, Celery, Garlic-Red Wine Reduction, Lemon and Shaved raw King Oyster Mushrooms as well.

It's not my ideal dish for this discovery, but it's in the making.

What can I do to best compliment the mushroom and make it the centerpiece?

Thanksgiving Ragout aka Leftovers from Scratch

2009-12-02T12:10:00.001-08:00

Farfalle with Turkey & Pumpkin Ragout

Sometimes leftovers go right over your head. You figure you'll reheat it, or not, or just put it in a sandwich. What if you made leftovers from scratch? I guess that's pretty much what I did here. I went shopping the weekend after Thanksgiving to find most of said holiday items were appropriately reduced in price. Taking advantage of that, I brought home some belated festive ingredients. I've been obsessed with notion of authentic Italian cuisine, or at least delicious Italian food. Being as though it's nearly impossible to obtain in Florida, let alone North America. If you do find it, you tend to pay a pretty penny. So, I thought if I can't make it authentic, let me at least make it delicious. Here's what I did:

-Browned three turkey legs (gotta love dark meat) on all sides till golden (not cooked) in olive oil.

-Meanwhile, I caramelized a whole spanish onion, sliced in a separate pan and preheated the oven to 350F.

-I also boiled a saucepan with water and sugar and added about two handfuls of fresh cranberries until they popped, then I let them cool in the pan with the liquid.

-Set the browned turkey legs aside, added a mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery) plus diced Calabaza squash to the same oil the legs were browned in.

-Let it saute and then deglazed with red wine.

-I threw the caramelized onions in the mix and deglazed that pan as well. Added the deglazing juice to the mix.

-Reduced everything over medium high heat until dry.

-Added back the browned turkey legs, threw in two cans of peeled San Marzano tomatoes and enough stock to come up 3/4 way up the sides.

-Brought that to a simmer and put it in the 350F oven and covered (here I used aluminum foil to cover)

-Left it to cook for roughly 1 hour.

-Took out the turkey legs and shredded the meat.

-Meanwhile, I threw the sauce in the blender to mash it up. Not too fine, leave a bit chunky.

-Added the shredded turkey meat and sauce back to the pan.

-Added fish sauce, salt, fresh oregano, black pepper, chipotle puree, ketchup and the cranberries strained from its liquid.

-Adjusted seasoning.

-Served with farfalle (bowtie) pasta, parmesan cheese, chili flakes, olive oil and chopped celery leaves.

Anyone Who Had a Heart

2009-11-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Marinating beef hearts

garlic, ginger, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, coco vinegar, aji amarillo, fish sauce

Oregano Gangster

2009-11-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

Knaus Berry Farms is in town.

They're a group of Dunkers (not Amish) who have planted themselves in South Miami soil. Excited, Christina & I took the Oldsmobile in flight to the Redlands to see the varied display of produce and baked goods in store for us. There's a buzz about the cinnamon buns which doesn't really interest me, but I was still intrigued by the hype. Upon arrival I was slightly disappointed that it was as small as it was. There was more baked goods than produce. But this beautiful zip-loc bag of fresh micro oregano was well worth the trip (as well as the satisfaction of supporting farmers and local produce of any kind).

But now I have this fairly large amount of oregano and it needs to be used. I've so far sprinkled it here and there and had it in a labor-intensive bolognese (inspired by Heston Blumenthal) that was well worth it.

Oregano reminds me mostly of Italy and Peru so my plan is to do a beef heart risotto for the best of both worlds. Very soon.

P.S.

The cinnamon buns were pretty good.

Hey, don't throw that away!

2009-11-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

You've just braised a lot of meat. It takes a lot of liquid to cover it. After fishing out those succulent, bone-hugging, tender morsels of whatever protein it may be there's usually a lot of braising liquid left over. Generally you would spoon some of this over said morsels when serving, but notice I said: spoon.

My point being that the rest of that liquid or stock is not to go to waste. I had a mini tub full of left over braising liquid. So I strained some over a fine sieve into a sauce pan. Added salt, pepper, honey and tamarind. I let that sucker boil and then simmer for at least half an hour until it was reduced by more than half (eyeballing that) leaving a spoon-coating sauce that will go great on any future beef, pork, game or poultry.

We need to be wise, resourceful and creative especially in such modern times of Depression-era potential. Plus, it just makes sense! Make a meringue out of those separated egg whites, use that rendered bacon fat to fry something else. Forfeit your French forefathers willingness to "discard". That word is starting to look uglier in every cookbook I read it in.

Notes

2009-11-13T13:43:00.000-08:00

Roasted Pig's Head (three course menu)

Celeriac Soup with Dried Peaches

Thanksgiving (in coordination with family's fussy taste)

Tendon/Tripe

Dehydration without a dehydrator

Perfecting my curry

Indian-inspired braised meats

Kohlrabi

Dinner for my Father (not fussy, but specific)

Celeriac experiment (roasted vs boiled)

Toying with egg whites

Sticky rice!

chili's and sambals.

Breakfast

2009-11-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

This is an unconscious practice in getting closer to monochrome dishes. I'd like to try this again with lardo instead of bacon and garlic chips to replace the crisp aspect and add some extra flavor. I've made lists of ingredients in order of color and now its a 1st grade game of mix & match. Maybe i'll get a happy face sticker on my menu, but only if I give each diner an apple at the beginning of the meal (and if it tastes good).

Let me list some ingredients in white off the top of my head:

salt

egg

onion

sugar

asparagus

garlic

potato

fish (white-fleshed of course, too many to list)

fat

butter

marcona almonds

macadamias

Please, everyone add to this list!

Simple Pleasures

2009-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

the melon coated smell of a fresh cut butternut squash.

if only scratching the screen made a difference...

About Last Night...

2009-11-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

Roasted Fennel Salmon . Five-Spice Purple Potato Puree . Tamarind Gravy .

Pickled White Asparagus . Cilantro Chimichurri . Fuji Apple Chips

Geographical Gems

2009-11-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

Whether this were food or rock, it's quite a discovery. These starchy jewels are purple potatoes. Reminds me of Peru and how these would look beautifully roasted against some golden Huancaina sauce or sliced thin and dehydrated to pair with a salmon tiradito. Imagine settling amongst condor-ridden mountains, your molars gummed with bits of coca leaf and discovering these amethyst tubers almost of currency quality. If this were a crayon, it would be sitting to the left of "Chicha Morada". The masses must be notified immediately! Don't let these beauties go to waste.

Although, they taste like they contain less sugars than your average white, they hold well up to spices and after all make a lovely presentation.

Purple prince of papas prays to be poked and prodded, positively prompted to Promethean product and playfully presented on the plate.

2009-11-06T06:47:00.000-08:00

Short Rib Nihari . Butternut Squash Soup . Crispy Asparagus .Oven-Roasted Campari Tomato

Flour Child

2009-11-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

Found this while visiting my close friend Arik in South Philly. We passed by at least three cheesesteak stands and this is what I end up purchasing. (Well, I also bought a palmful of licorice sticks to chew on). There's actually a cute little open Italian market that spans a few blocks. This spice market was indoors amongst all the butchers and produce specialists. From Gambinos to garbanzos, I'd say. They had a lovely array of fairly exotic and fairly average spices. Unfortunately no curing salt, which offed my hope considering the door to door butchery that was occurring.

There was a sparkle in my eye when I passed by this bag of Pumpernickel flour, because If you take a look at some previous tweet-like note jotting posts of mine you'll notice my interest in making Pumpernickel Crepes.

You will be seeing this 1 lb. bag's progress, and I hope I get some good use out of it because replenishments are miles away and I'm not about to have Arik smuggle Pumpernickel Flour though the airport with each visit. Maybe I can just find it around here.

Ideas are in flight, and once time and money are on board we'll be ready to land.

I'll keep you posted.