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Showing posts from March, 2009

Braised Lamb Shank with Wild Mushroom and Asiago Risotto

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I had to take a mountain view picture with this lamb dish. This lamb was braised for about 5 hours and came out incredibly tender. It just fell off the bone. I did a traditional braise, incorporating port wine to deglaze , dalmatian sage, whole caraway and cumin seed, and a fair amount of garlic. For service, I tightened the sauce slightly, and served it with risotto which contained portabello and oyster mushrooms with asiago cheese. Very much a Rocky Mountain dish. Its a huge portion, and it is not too complex. The braising technique really brings all the flavors together and balances the sauce very nicely. For $22 I would be thrilled to have this plate set down in front of me. As you can see from the outdoor picture, the restaurant is name very appropriately , the Mountain View Restaurant.

Current Menu Items

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Here is our Colorado Rack Of Lamb. I love the Colorado Lamb so much more than the smaller New Zealand lamb chops you normally see. This dish is one of the most popular at the resort, and for good reason. The flavors in this dish are beautifully balanced. Brie whipped potatoes, roasted baby beets, raspberry demi-glace, and a drizzle of juniper honey. Just perfect.

Buffalo Filet Mignon, Cedar Planked Salmon, and Stuffed Poblano Chile

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(Click pictures to enlarge!) The item on the left is our buffalo filet Mignon . It is served with chili spiced apples, sauteed oyster mushrooms, and a port demi . Second is our cedar planked salmon dish. It is crusted in a hazelnut pesto, served with cherry infused jasmine rice, and lemon-saffron cream sauce. Our vegetarian option is also terrific. It is the smoked cheddar corn and potato hash stuffed poblano chile . It sounds hot, but is actually mildly spicy. It comes with Indian fry bread and an ancho chile sauce. These are three of our current entree options in the Mountain View restaurant at Cheyenne Mountain Resort. For those of you that I had a chance to speak with at Sunday brunch, this should give you an idea of our menu. I hope to see you all again for dinner some time.

Fig Bread With Melon, Asiago, Prosciutto, Mint and Jalapeno Honey Vinaigrette

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This one sounds a little strange, but the different flavors don't over power each other. We did a similar dish for the Colorado Restaurant Expo on Sunday March 8. I only refined it a bit to be a little more pleasing to the eye for our amuse. We make the fig bread in house, similar to a banana bread. Then I used a small piece of cantaloupe , prosciutto ham, and a disc of a siago cheese. The dish needed moisture and more complexity so I used a jalapeno -honey vinaigrette. The flavor combo and mise en place are going to be on the upcoming menu, but in the form of an appetizer. It is a nice, refreshing spring dish that I can only hope people give a chance.

Pistachio Duck Terrine

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This started as a March of Dimes sample. Its a really easy and tasty little terrine. After the March of dimes, it was put on our banquet menu which is why I made this one. Its a chicken mousse, re-hydrated cherries and roasted duck terrine. I rolled the terrine, just after it was poached in crushed pistachios. Though not in the picture, it will be served with a chive creme friache and strawberry balsamic. Its nice and its gotten a pretty good response.

Gone Fishin'

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I  miss my dad. I realized today, that without any culinary training my dad made a breaded bluegill dish that truly tasted great. I miss the stench of fish in the house when dad cleaned whatever fish  he was able to bring home. He would bread and fry these tiny fillets of crappie or bluegill, and it was absolutely delicious. There are very few home cooked meals that compare to my dad gathering us together to have some true "fresh catch". It makes me happy thinking of ' ol T.L. and how he influenced my career.  FYI: The picture above is a man OUTSTANDING in his field!

Louisiana Surf & Turf

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This picture was taken with a phone, so the colors seem a little off. It is tonight's dinner special, Louisiana surf and turf. We blackened a couple pork wings and Cajun butter poached three whole crayfish . I used the roasted ancho sauce from another dish as a base for a roasted chili -corn puree. Some good old fashioned collared greens and asparagus along with some baby carrots served as the veggies. Finally, some fried okra for garnish and a little more texture finished the dish. All in all I was very happy with how it came out. Though we only served one tonight, we had a very positive response. Tomorrow we are sure to sell more.

Pork Wings with Bourbon BBQ Demi & Roasted Peaches

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Yes, Pork wings. These are about 3 oz each, and absolutely delicious. Pork wings are a cut that needs to be braised. It is from the Achilles tendon, and if not braised will be very tough. These are actually a pre -braised product, and this is the first time I have used them. I have to say, I am impressed . I made a BBQ demi , which is the base for the sauce, and the liquid I heat the tender little suckers up in. I do a quick saute of the wings, hit it with some bourbon to deglaze , and pour in the demi . I cover the pan and simmer about 10 minutes, until the sauce has reduced to the right consistency . Separately , I saute roasted sweet peppers, bacon lardons , and spinach for the veggies. I just used the garlic whipped potatoes, because this dish doesn't need any crazy starch. I also roasted of some peach slices with a little brown sugar. Nothing in the dish is overpowering, but you can differentiate all the components as they come together to make a terrific dish. We will be