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Showing posts from August, 2009

Monkfish Bruchette on Avocado Marble

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I saw the avocado marble in the newest Art Culinare and thought it looked cool. I used the technique described in the magazine to add a really neat looking component to tonight's amuse. These little skewers are one bite, consisting of portobella mushroom, heirloom tomato, diced onion and one cube of monkfish . The avocado is cold, so it gives the dish a contrast in temperature and texture. I used a pinch of Hawaiian pink sea salt to enhance the already flavorful first bite. The avocado marble is an easy way to make a dish unique. This takes no time to do, and sets up in about an hour in the freezer. Just start with avocados in a mixing bowl, and gently mash the together to blend the colors slightly. Place the mixture on a pan lined with plastic wrap. Place a second piece of wrap over the avocados and roll to about 1/4 inch thick with a rolling pin. Freeze for an hour or so, then cut with ring molds, or a knife.

Pheasant Mousse and Roasted Veal Terrine

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Its been a while since I've done a terrine for an amuse- bouche . Today proved to be the right day for one. This one consists of only a few items, which work very well together. First, I roasted a couple veal chops with nothing but salt, pepper and a touch of garlic. I also sauteed a mixture of portabello and oyster mushrooms which I hit with a splash of white wine. I cut the cooked veal and mushrooms into strips and tossed them into a bowl with some thin asparagus. Next was the pheasant mousse. A simple puree of cleaned pheasant breast, whipping cream and egg whites made a nice soft mousse to hold together my terrine. After testing a small batch of the mousse for flavor and consistency , I mixed all ingredients together, holding all the different elements together as one. I layered the mix into my terrine mold which happens to be a triangle mold, wrapped it very tightly and poached the terrine for about 20 minutes. After removing the terrine from the mold, I could see that it had

Elk Chops with Wild Mushroom Orzo Salad

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When I was given these Elk chop t-bones and told to run them as a special I was stoked. They had been seared for a party but we had prepped way to many. I decided to use our braising liquid from the buffalo Short ribs to heat the chops. It was the right decision. The coffee and ancho chili flavors complimented the flavor of the chops perfect. When deciding on a starch I saw a bag of orzo and thought it might be different to do a cold salad for this dish. I tossed our roasted mushroom salsa with the orzo and coated the salad with a nice truffle infused olive oil. A simple dish, but lots of flavor. I was defiantly happy with the completed dish.

Both Sides Of Life

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It occurred to me tonight as I enjoyed a couple games of billiards and a Black and Tan, I was frequently returning to the computer to check an e-mail or document some menu ideas. Maybe the keeping work and life separate needs another look. I can tell you that what I do for a living isn't for most. I can tell you that it also can take its toll on home life. That being said, my situation is similar to this nicely poured Black and Tan. I consider my work to be like Guinness , not for everyone, but I enjoy it. Everyone likes a taste, but not everyone finishes the glass. On the other hand, Bass seems to reflect family life. They call it a pale ale, but if you have ever had one you know that its much more than that. It seems to have a comforting taste and finishes nicely. Alone they are both taste great, but the complexity of them together is what every man dreams of. It seems that they compliment one another well satisfy life's palate. That applies, of course, to both the beer a

Avocado-Chicken Salad on Cumin Scented Flatbread

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I had some chicken that needed a home. I figured on being busy so I wanted to do a cold amuse. Chicken salad seemed to be the answer, but with my Colorado Fusion twist. I made the salad more like a salsa, using diced tomato, jalapeno , onion, cilantro, garlic, avocado and lime juice. A very fresh salsa, which I then added finely diced cooked chicken and seasoned just right. The flat bread just seemed like the right vehicle to deliver this mouthwatering bite to ones mouth. I decided to rub the flat bread with cumin scented olive oil and grill it before building the amuse. Not only does it work well to stimulate the palate, but it fits very nicely with the overall theme of the restaurant.