Benjamin Henion

A Few Food Shots

2011-08-28T22:46:00.002-07:00

Here are a couple of food shots we took from our main dinner restaurant. Although our original food photographer canceled last minute, we were able to bring in another photographer. He had no experience in food photography, so we didn't know what we were in for. I am happy with the results.
The above image is a renovated version of the house smoked salmon appetizer. It includes a nest of Molokai sweet purple potatoes, mango pico de gallo, cilantro-kaffir lime leaf puree, guajillo salt and pomegranate "caviar".Our Lobster salad also uses the Molokai purple sweet potato, which it is wrapped in and fried. The salad also has fresh mache, blueberries, edamame, avocado, tomatoes, mango and aquaponic baby lettuces wrapped in fresh cucumber. The big island honey with vanilla-citrus vinaigrette finishes the dish nicely.

Our lamb entree consists of an ancho braised lamb shank and seared rack of Australian lamb. The parsnip puree serves as the starch on the dish and the grape demi provides the right sweet-tart and rich finish this dish needs. Our locally grown baby carrots and the house grown opal basil really bring the color and natural component to the plate as well.

A Few Squash From The Garden

2011-08-28T22:22:00.002-07:00

I went to harvest a few squash, thinking I may have 3 or 4 ready to go. If fact I was wrong. This picture really does not do justice. I pulled out what you can see here which includes kabocha pumpkins, butter gords, and some other Goliath squash. I also was able to harvest some round, japanese and green eggplants. Red okra, as it does every day, came in strong. I pulled about a dozen nice baby crookneck squash with the blossoms still attached, a few potatoes and a couple peppers. Its nice to see that we are consistently able to harvest things other than the never-ending supplies of basils, mints and oreganos.

Red Okra is going Berserk

2011-08-26T01:11:00.002-07:00

The last photo of the red okra on my blog showed the 2" sprout of the plant just beginning to grow. Just a short time later, it is going berserk! With only 6 or so plants growing, it is currently producing enough red okra to run it as a menu item every day of the week. I am able to clip, almost daily, enough red okra for a couple nights service for our main restaurant. Whether it will produce like this year round is yet to be determined, but for now its okra city.

In addition to the okra, we are producing enough herbs to sell outside the resort if we choose to do so. I have an abundance of basil, lemon basil, cinnamon basil, lime basil, African spice basil, Thai basil, Kafro basil, Opal basil, African blue basil, ginger mint, apple mint, pineapple mint, chocolate mint, orange mint, grapefruit mint, spearmint, mojito mint, Mexican oregano, stick oregano, lemongrass, pineapple sage, regular sage, lemon thyme, rosemary, gold dust rosemary, and the list goes on and on.

We have red quinoa that is close to harvest, bronze fennel, lots of ginger, butter gourds, kabocha pumpkins, crookneck squash 3 or 4 types of eggplant, head cabbage and lots of potatoes that are closer and closer to harvest each day. Its exciting to know that the hard work we have put towards the garden is really producing. Trouble is, with all that we have growing now, this initial garden is only about 20% complete. I intend to spend a few hours digging new trenches and building new beds this week, and I will be sure to take a few pics of the garden as a whole for frame of reference from the beginning shots earlier posted on the blog.

Ginger Marinated Grilled Ahi With Stuffed Squash Blossoms

2011-07-12T03:02:00.002-07:00

As the garden matures, delicate squash blossoms have appeared. I used them on tonight's dinner special. I made ginger marinated ahi medallions, with mushroom and roasted hearts of palm stuffed squash blossoms that I partially tempura fried. The sauces consist of truffle oil, tomato oil, Asian oil, and the highlight was a opal basil gastrique. The dish was served with steamed brown rice and garnished with Thai basil. This is a very simple dish that has very fresh flavors that compliment each other well.

Our Vegetable/Herb Garden: Just the Beginning

2011-06-29T23:31:00.010-07:00

As a start to a very beautiful garden, here are some photos of the young vegetation being utilized in our restaurants. I know I have spent much time away from Blogspot, but it has been productive time. In addition to the photos below, we have many other items planted. Some of them include: pomegranite trees, lime trees, tangerine trees, orange trees, bronze fennel, green fennel, grapefruit mint, chocolate mint, mojito mint, Vietnamese coriander, tomatoes, bay tree (bay leaves), apple banana trees and papaya trees to name a few. Much, Much more is to come. We will begin garden tours soon as well, and each week we hope to have noticeable improvements and additions.

Apple Mint

Asparagus

Basil

Green Head Cabbage

Cuban Oregano

Dasheen

Eggplant

Ginger Root

Bell Pepper

Green Onions

Holy Basil

Jalapeno Peppers

Lavender

Leeks

Lemongrass

Lime Basil

Opal Basil

Oregano

Portuguese Oregano

Pumpkin

Purple Sweet Potatoes

Red Okra

Round Chives

Serrano Peppers

Soy Beans

Thai Basil

Taste Hawaii Weekend Culinary Event

2011-05-27T23:57:00.005-07:00

We have an upcoming event, scheduled for one long weekend in September that will give guests a great sense of Hawaiian influenced cuisine. With several Maui's top chefs providing daily demonstrations along with many wine, beer and cordial pairings, its sure to be a hit. For more information, visit the following link: http://www.tastehawaiionline.com/invitation-to-foodies

Entree Sampler Trio

2011-05-27T23:49:00.003-07:00

This is the entree sampler platter that we ran as a special recently. It sold very well, and gave our guests a taste of not one, but 3 of our entrees. First, there is our South Maui ribs, which are a St. Louis cut with Maui onion BBQ. On the right we have roasted Australian rack of lamb with Pohaberry demi. Last is our signature Mahi Mahi entree. It is a macadamia nut and cilantro crusted Mahi, with red quinoa risotto and lemongrass butter sauce. This sampler entree is a well rounded and well portioned dish that left several happy, and full guests.

Hawaiian Currant Tomatoes

2011-03-20T20:47:00.002-07:00

With 1800 acres of land, our property has many fun surprises. Today I stumbled on to a whole crop of Hawaiian Currant Tomatoes. These tomatoes are sweet, and incredibly fresh tasting. They are pictured here with an already small Kamuela tomato. The Hawaiian Currant Tomatoes we have are only the size of peas, or slightly larger. They make a delicate addition to many dishes. Again, since they are grown on property, naturally, there is no cost for me, but they enhance plates appearance and flavors tremendously.

Mango-Chicken Sausage Flatbread Pizza

2011-03-06T21:30:00.002-07:00

This flatbread pizza appetizer is made with grilled caramelized Maui onion flatbread, chicken and mango sausage, duck confit, midnight moon cheese, molasses onion BBQ, tropical salsa fresca and micro chervil.

Seared Opakapaka with Maui Onion and Mango Chutney

2011-02-27T16:48:00.002-07:00

Last nights fish special was a seared Opakapaka, with red curry cous cous croquette, Maui onion and mango chutney and steamed baby bok choy. The idea came when a guest had inquired on how to make a mango chutney. I decided to put one on the dinner special and add the recipe to my blog. The red curry cous cous croquette, turned out pretty nice. I breaded it in a mixture of panko bread crumbs and fresh cilantro. The breading complimented the red curry really well and gave the dish nice eye appeal. I topped the dish off with a hearts of palm micro green salad which I tossed in shallot vinaigrette. The dish was finished with an Asian herb oil and mango gastrique. The flavors were really bold and complimented each other well. Opakapaka is such a nice fish anyways, its hard to go wrong. Check back soon for the link to my Maui Onion and Mango Chutney recipe, as it will be added in the next couple days.

Ocean Side Dining for Two

2011-02-26T01:14:00.004-07:00

We began offering our Ocean Side Dining recently, and found Valentines Day to be the first of many. We had two couples decide to enjoy their evening eating our 7 course wine paired dinner just feet away from the ocean. Tiki torches are the romantic lighting as the sun sinks into the water, and the food keeps coming. Nestled into a cozy ocean side grass roofed huts, our couples or small groups enjoy an intimate culinary experience. With both couples wishing for the night to never end, and one of the couples buzzing from the excitement of becoming engaged during their special evening, I see the popularity of this dinner choice growing quickly. I have attached the menu below, giving a glimpse of what the ocean side dining offers.

Mongolian Ribs

2011-02-21T21:00:00.002-07:00

Here is our Mongolian ribs happy hour dish. Hawaii is expensive. $6 pupus are a steal out here, and we have a decent selection to choose from. These ribs are braised with the ginger, citrus, chile flavors absorbing into the meat as it begins to fall off the bone. Once we are ready to serve the dish, we add the Mongolian BBQ which has hoisin, sweet Thai chili, teriyaki and cilantro to please your palette. The dish is lightened up with pineapple coleslaw and garnished with some green onion.

Crab and Bacon Stuffed Molokai Prawns

2011-02-12T19:59:00.003-07:00

These 13/15 prawns come from the island of Molokai. I stuffed them with a mixture of snow crab, bacon, bell pepper and fresh chives. I then poached the prawns in white wine, butter, garlic and shallots, finishing them in the salamander to give the stuffing some color. A small salad of a blend of micro greens grown in Kula, Kamuela tomatoes grown in Haiku, and a nice shallot vinaigrette accompany the four prawns. The dish is finished with lemongrass buerre blanc, made with lemongrass we have in our (currently small) hotel garden. This appetizer will be our special for the next couple nights, giving the Valentine weekend goers a nice local start to their dinners.

House Smoked Salmon

2011-02-05T19:42:00.002-07:00

We are looking to bring in some new dishes to the resort menus, and here is one we are currently working on. It is our house smoked salmon app. This one is a flavorful, colorful, and light appetizer. It has well rounded flavors, and great eye apeal. Our salmon is cured over night in a pretty standard sugar, salt and spice blend. After it has been rinsed thoroughly the following day, we cold smoke it with nice kiawe (light mesquite). It is served with a fresh mango pico de gallo, kaffir lime cilantro puree, chile Hawaiian rock salt, and Molokai Purple Sweet potato chips. Although it may change some before hitting the menu, this is not a bad starting point.

Maui Aquaponics Video Link

2011-02-05T16:42:00.003-07:00

Check out the video on Maui Aquaponics above, or follow the Maui Aquaponics link for a larger version.

Farm to Table

2011-02-05T16:31:00.002-07:00

Here are the local, organically grown lettuces that were grown here on Maui (Kapalua) specifically for our hotel. These photos were taken Thursday and were being served in our restaurants Friday morning. These are the same lettuces from the previous post, now being harvested. I believe its about every 4-6 weeks that the lettuces are ready to harvest, and with virtually no travel time to get here, its as fresh as you are going to find.

Going Local

2010-12-30T01:46:00.002-07:00

As our resort transitions into a whole new operation, our Culinary team is in for a great ride. With many food trends, you see things happening in the food world that are cool, unique, and yes, of course trendy. The molecular gastronomy, the meals that require dozens of tiny portions, the fads that practically wipe out entire species like Chilean Sea Bass. One of the more recent ones, I don't think is going to fade out or disappear like many of its previous trends. Local ingredients, grown organically, and where the chef has a more intimate knowledge of where his ingredients come from. With many vendors I have dealt with over the years, this is the first time I have ever had them send me photos of the products I intend to buy, as they are growing so delicately on the hillside overlooking the Pacific. This photo was taken 4 weeks ago, and I was delighted to see the beautiful lettuces arrive today. This is the first step in a direction for our resort that I believe is just a brush stroke of a much larger picture.

We have plan to (in the near future) build and aquaponics garden set up on property. When its said and done, and running at its full potential, we will be harvesting hundreds of pounds of produce per week. This is not only as fresh as it gets taking "local ingredients" to a whole new level, but the financial benefit for the hotel and the consumer is dramatic. In addition, the aquaponics will use about 2% of the amount of water a traditional garden or farm would use. Better yet, a Tilapia farm will be produce the food for the plants, which in turn filter the water for the fish. We will have some of the best, cleanest tasting tilapia you can find, literally in our back yard.

Though it is not yet reality, I am confident that it soon will be. This is a bold statement, not just a trend. This one is here to stay, whether its supporting the local farmers, growing your own or just being picky about the quality of produce you serve, everyone is going local.

Raku: Japanese Restaurant

2010-12-12T18:03:00.004-07:00

Raku is our new Japanese Restaurant at Makena Beach and Golf Resort which takes this kitchen back to its roots. After a few changes, this beautiful restaurant is bringing classic Japanese food and tradition back in full force. With a great team of chefs with a real passion for Japanese food, Raku is making a major impression on Kama'aina and travelers alike. With the Raku Bento Box, Sukiyaki and Shabu Shabu, accompanied with 1/2 price sushi in our opening hours daily, you can count on this place catching on.

With beautiful views and incredible decor, we are very proud of the direction we chose for this outlet. We had a Grand Opening celebration on Friday that brought in a nice crowd. We served the entire menu half off, including drinks. We had an overwhelming turnout, and expect to see business booming soon. For those of you located on Maui, and those who plan to visit, you have got to make it to Raku. Enjoy!

Makena Holidays

2010-12-12T17:36:00.005-07:00

'Tis the season, as they say. We are in that time of year that we gather with family and friends to celebrate another holiday season, and the joys of our little world. Today we used that feeling as the theme to our already popular Sunday Brunch. We took a little part of many cultures here in Hawaii and showcased their food in a "Joys of the World Brunch". Naturally we used many of the fresh fruits that you find here on Maui, many of which were brought here from other parts of the world as people migrated to the Islands. We Incorporated the Cantonese style fried rice with Char Sui Pork, Chinese style roast duck which we sliced and made mini sandwiches with steamed kau yuk buns, Portuguese bean soup, huli huli chicken, macadamia nut crusted sweet potato fries and so on.

We set up the portable sushi bar, making sushi rolls to order, chicken pot stickers, shrimp shumai, and pork-filled steamed buns. We had shrimp and pork gyozas, lau lau style steamed mahi mahi, and plenty more foods featured from all across the globe.

Guava Ice with Starfruit

2010-11-01T22:52:00.003-07:00

This light, refreshing dessert turned out nice. Very simple preparation. Crisp, clean flavors as well. I did a simple guava ice, using guava juice and sugar. It turned out nice and fluffy, with lots of guava flavor. The starfruit is used 2 ways, fresh slices and dried slices. Although the dry slices didn't crisp as well as I would have liked, they preparation concentrated the flavor for a really nice component to the plate. I elevated them and added some color with a couple fresh raspberries, which complimented the fresh starfruit really well. The moisture came from the passion fruit-orange-strawberry coulis that glistens from underneath. In the process of making this dish, I changed direction a few times, but in the end, I decided simple, clean and flavorful was the way to go. I am just glad to make good use of some of the starfruit we picked up today, and it doesn't get much fresher than that.

Mission: Starfruit

2010-11-01T17:35:00.004-07:00

I received a call out of the blue from a gentleman, we'll call him Lawrence. He informed me that he had a tree that had exploded with the tropical starfruit. There was no joking about that! I had prepared myself to bring quite a bit back to the kitchen with me, but what you see here is probably 1o or 15 percent of the fruit that the tree had produced. Lawrence is more than happy to have us over to take much, much more off of his hands.

The starfruit, or Carambola is a tropical fruit that has a waxy, golden or green skin and mild, yet complicated flavors that seem to pair well with many other fruits. Originally from Sri Lanka and Moluccas, the starfruit thrives in the Hawaiian Islands due to the warm environment. The starfruit has no fat or cholesterol, and is a great source of Vitamin C.

They are great in fruit salads, chutneys and salsas, but they make a refreshing and impressive garnish to almost any dish or drink. With the amount of free starfruit we now have access to, bet that you will be seeing them on this blog in many different preparations.

Random Dinner Photos From Chaine Des Rotisseurs

2010-09-17T22:24:00.010-07:00

Outdoor Events, Oceanside

2010-09-17T21:54:00.005-07:00

During this particular event, we had 4 action stations, plating appetizer sized, yet well designed dishes for our friends with the local Chaine Des Rotisseurs. Often times the outdoors can somewhat limit how you prepare food, what dishes you are able to use, and can set the mood, good or bad. This particular event was defiantly an exception. We served whole Kalua Pig sliders, the meat carved right off the pig. We carved roasted New York sirloin to order. We seared a duet of Diver Scallops and Jumbo tiger prawns. And pictured here, we wok fried a whole red snapper, pulling the crisp skin and moist meat from the fish to build each petite entree.

Although the food was a great success, the evening was only perfect when all other aspects fell into place (the way they do in Hawaii). As the sun began to set over the ocean, a large group of spinner dolphins gathered between us and the sun. They jumped and spun, entertaining the guests (and staff) to set the mood. The green flash was much awaited, but when the time came, only a breathtaking sunset queued the music to begin. With the light coming only from the carving stations and the fire lit tikis, guest enjoyed several wines and one bite sized entree after another.

Fishing the Hawaiian Islands

2010-08-16T01:15:00.004-07:00

When one goes fishing late at night, with only 2 people on board a fishing boat, what else could happen? These local boys went out for an evening looking for a big catch. I would call a 740 pound Marlin exactly that. Although I was not fortunate enough to be part of this catch, I thought I would share some photos taken by a co-worker who was. After a couple hours of fighting the fish, the fishermen realized this one was too big to pull aboard. So, making a slow trip home, they phoned several friends to meet them at the harbor shortly after midnight. Nobody knew, until the fish was hoist with a crane and weighed, exactly how big of a catch they actually had. You can see the comparison of the people surrounding the fish, and how much bigger he is to any of them. The fish in the longbed of a pick-up also shows its size. The bill of the massive fish easily goes past the end of the open tailgate of the 8 foot bed of the truck.

With several friends into fishing, many with their own boats I am bound to be a part of some of these adventures. One thing is for sure, the camera will be on hand. My last outing in the Hawaiian waters came with not a bite. It was more of an up close whale watching tour. This recent catch, however, leads me to believe that there is a monster out there with my name on it. Rest assured, when I land the Big One, my readers will be the first to know.

Maui Calls! Fundraiser Event For the MACC

2010-08-15T00:03:00.002-07:00

This year marked the 15th annual Maui Calls! fundraising event for the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC). Pictured above is our booth for this years event. We were serving two dishes this year. One hot, one cold. Many of our event guests said that our booths food was No Ka 'Oi (the best). I didn't get much of a chance to taste the other Chefs' food, it was just too busy to leave the booth. There was some nice looking food out there, don't get me wrong, but I think we had a couple crowd pleasers to showcase. Our hot dish was a traditionally roasted Kalua Pork Slider. It was traditional in the sense that we used the meat from the luau show pig, which we cook underground, wrapped in banana and ti leaf over hot coals. Once the pig was done, it was shredded and tossed in a honey-macadamia nut BBQ sauce. A zesty stewed tomato-scallion relish was a nice addition to the sandwich that we served on a steamed Kau Yuk bun. It was delicious. The cold dish was a simple ahi sashimi. In Hawaii, its hard to go wrong with a simple, delicate pupu like this one. We served it on a fried wonton chip, fresh kelp seaweed salad tossed in a sesame-soy vinaigrette and topped with a simple wasabi aioli. The fish itself was the real highlight of the dish with a hand ground peppercorn crust and a nice sear on the outside of the still raw, bright red tuna. The peppercorn crust consists of pink, black, white, and green peppercorns, hand ground, mixed with a beautiful Japanese pepper blend and tossed together with Hawaiian rock salt.

This was the first event for me here on Maui, but rest assured there will be more. With each events, we strive to improve the booths appearance, the dishes we serve, and our delivery of information to our potential guests. We received a lot of great feedback this year, and I truly believe that these events give us the opportunity to showcase what talents and amenities we offer to the Kama'aina (locals). It is important to have tourist business, but without the support of the people living here, the great word of mouth that these events generate, and the local clientele helping keep us moving forward, we would have nothing. So, to those of you who helped support the Maui Calls event, and other great events showcasing our local chefs for great causes, Big Mahalos from us in the industry and specifically those of us in Makena!

Todays Pick

2010-07-15T14:59:00.004-07:00

Here is what I was able to pick from the back yard before work today. On top is a honey tangerine. Left is a very nice mango. The spiny green one on the right is soursop. Right in front is a very much unripened orange (picked by accident). And perhaps the most interesting one is the small yellowish caramay in the front left. This little one is apparently very sour, and great for pickling (according to my Filipino friends). I look forward to collecting them and pickling a jar or two.

The Mango Man

2010-07-15T14:53:00.003-07:00

I always like the roadside stands in Maui with fresh flowers, on one side of the road and the "Mango man" on the other. Its great to have all these fresh items so readily available. Today however, I no longer need to purchase mangos. We have a huge, beautiful mango tree in the yard that produces an abundant amount of fruit. I picked a really nice one this morning for my wife and little boy to enjoy. It seems that there are always a couple ripe. They haven't seemed to ripen so fast that you can't eat them, but there is almost always one or two to pick. It is really nice to have right out back.

The Soursop

2010-07-15T14:40:00.004-07:00

Here's one that took a little investigating to figure out for sure what I had. The home owners that we currently rent from thought this was prickly pear. Well, that is incorrect.

Although prickly pear does grow on Maui, it is a cactus, not a fruit from a tree. Anyway. What we have here is a Soursop. Although trying the soursop is on today's agenda, I have yet to try this interesting fruit. After some Internet investigating, I found that its flavor is described as a combination of strawberry and pineapple with sour citrus notes contrasting with an underlying creamy flavor reminiscent of coconut or banana. Either way, many of the people familiar with the soursop say it makes great drink, specifically smoothies. Others say it is really good alone. I figure I will try both. I am very excited about this one.

Fresh Juices, Margaritas, Citrus Snacks

2010-07-15T14:30:00.003-07:00

In the left photo is a new favorite of mine, the honey tangerine. These sweet citrussy fruit are perfect for a Hawaiian summer day. The right photo is your standard lime tree, which can produce a mean margarita mix when the pickens are good. Not pictured, the back yard also has the other new favorite, the calamansi lime. They are quite sour, have an orange flesh, and are much smaller than traditional limes. I really enjoy them in an ice tea or cold Corona. Also, available soon, another tree will have ripe Hawaiian oranges. I have not yet figured out which variety of orange it is, but they are common on Maui.

Going Bananas!

2010-07-15T14:24:00.003-07:00

Looking out my kitchen, there are about 10 Apple Banana trees that seem to have a perfect harvesting rotation going. There is one tree ready to be picked about every 2 weeks. Each bunch produces several apple bananas to keep the family full. Although they are terrific by themselves, we have enjoyed them in other applications such as smoothies, and plan to use them for banana-macadamia nut bread soon.

The Young Avocado Tree

2010-07-15T14:15:00.002-07:00

Avocado trees are pretty common here in Hawaii. This little guy has not yet produced any avocados, but it will be worth the wait. In the mean time, many neighbors are more than willing to share avocados from their over productive, much larger avocado trees. In fact, some of the trees are producing avocados that reach up to 10" in length. Holy Guacamole!!! There is something comforting about being able to make enough guacamole from 1 avocado to feed a football team.

Antipasto Amenity

2010-06-04T20:37:00.003-07:00

This is our new antipasto amenity. With every plate, every amenity, and every step, we are trying to improve overall presentation and quality as we go. This is an example of one of our new standard amenities for our VIP guests.

Pork and Shrimp Gyozas

2010-06-03T16:28:00.002-07:00

tohoku gyozas 17
pork and shrimp pot stickers, sesame soy sauce, asian cabbage slaw

5 Peppercorn Crusted Ahi Salad and Appetizer

2010-06-03T15:27:00.004-07:00

five peppercorn spiced seared ahi salad 17
roasted bell pepper, shaved maui onion, extra virgin olive oil
rock salt, crisp greens

five peppercorn crusted hawaiian ahi sashimi 18
seared rare, crisp wonton chips, wasabi aioli, pickled ginger

These are two of the up and coming items for the Zen Zen Restaurant Pacifica. Both using Fresh Hawaiian Ahi Tuna, covered in a blend of white, black, green, pink and Szechwan peppercorns. Simple. Local. Fresh.

Maui News: Makena's Paniolo Rides

2010-06-02T13:46:00.002-07:00

This is an article from the Maui news recently. It is a short desctiption of our Paniolo Horeseback rides and BBQ which began in May. You may need to click on the photo to make it larger for easier reading.

Hawaiian Paniolo Horseback Rides and BBQ

2010-05-22T16:27:00.002-07:00

Not the greatest perspective, but this should give you some idea of my view while BBQing for our Paniolo horseback ride goers. With great ocean views and a glimpse of Lanai in the picture, its hard not to enjoy this scenery. This spot is the beginning and end of the trail, which takes about 2 hours to finish. When the riders get back, I have the grill fired up for burgers, BBQ chicken sands, fresh corn on the cob and cold beverages. This being a new thing, we have had nothing but a positive response. Plus, it gets me outside a little to enjoy Hawaii's views (not just Hawaii's kitchens).

Relocated to Beautiful Maui

2010-04-23T15:53:00.003-07:00

For any readers that I know on a personal level, this comes as no surprise. But, for those of you who know me only through the submissions of events and food from this blog, I apologize for the time it has taken me to get the blog back on track. I have permanently relocated to the beautiful island of Maui. As I wait for my belongings to arrive, I am stuck shooting any photos with the camera in my phone, so I am not fully able to keep the blog rolling. I do fully intend on filling the blog with all the items that I will be working on in the future. Once I have gotten squared away with some issues we face at the new property, I should post on a more regular basis. Rest assured, I have not abandoned the website, its just that I am in the process of relocating. Much Mahalo for your patience and for reading my blog.

Tropical Fruit Sashimi with Shiso Caviar and Coconut Cream Cheese

2010-04-23T14:54:00.003-07:00

When your asked to prepare a fresh fruit plate and you want it to stand out, what do you do? I approached this with the mindset that I would give the guest an upgraded version of what they most likely expect when ordering. With a sushi bar in the Pacific Rim Fusion concepted restaurant, I used the sashimi theme for the light fruit desert. You get all your basics of a fresh fruit, including papaya, kula strawberries, mango, honeydew, cantaloupe and pineapple. The exception is, that the presentation is meant to somewhat mirror the sushi plates. I use a whipped coconut creme cheese under the fruit "sashimi", a drizzle of kula strawberry balsamic honey which is served in a Japanese spoon, and shiso caviar for garnish. The shiso leaf is a Japanese leaf that in some ways has mint-like characteristics. Using the sodium alginate/calcium chloride spherefication method, I made the caviar to finish the "sashimi" feel.

Avocado "Fries" with Roasted Tomato Salsa

2010-03-20T12:07:00.003-07:00

As we begin the process of updating our Colorado Fusion menu throughout the resort, brainstorming sessions lead to practice runs of potentially new items. With the full room service menu, lunch and dinner in the main dining room, and the resort lounge, there is a lot of planning that goes into each new menu launch. Today I decided to try out an idea for the lounge that I think would go over really well. Avocado "fries". I simple cut fresh avocados similar to the size of a wedge french fry. A simple tempura batter gives them the strength to hold up when dipping, and adds a crunch to the "fries". I tossed the fried avocados in a dry seasoning including mild chili powder, cumin, and a roasted garlic blend. I served the "fries" with a warm roasted tomato salsa and a small quenelle of sour cream that softens with the warmth of the salsa. If this does make the final cut on the menu, I see it being very popular. I let FOH and BOH staff sample the dish, and got overwhelming feedback.

Oyster Mushroom Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

2010-02-25T19:20:00.002-07:00

I began with the tenderloin left after butchering filets for a tasting. I sliced the beef about 1/4" thick and layed it out flat. I then added a generous portion of sauteed oyster mushrooms that had been deglazed with a nice oaky Chardonnay. After rolling the beef around the mushrooms, a layer of thinly sliced pancetta bacon was rolled around the whole roullade to ensure it held its shape. I seared the bacon, all the way around and sliced about 1/2 oz portions. I garnished the dish with a roasted garlic hollandaise, tomato oil and some fresh micro-greens we had laying around.

Send a Six-Pack to the Kitchen

2010-01-19T13:27:00.003-07:00

Kitchens are hot, sometimes hitting 130 degrees or higher. There are very few cooks who wouldn't struggle through the heat, chaotic atmosphere and madness for the ice cold adult beverage at the end of the shift. It is a known fact that cooks and chefs are a different breed. After all is said and done, being able to poke fun at your co-workers, and sometimes even yourself, for the mundane mishaps and everyday hurdles we faced in the hours leading up to this laid back B.S. session is what its all about. You may be at wits end with the guy next to you on the line all night, but when its time to leave, you know that guy is going to raise his glass and toast to a killer dinner service. There is nothing like that cold refreshing taste to ease the tension that may have built all night.

To get to my point, your kitchen crew works hard. They are behind the scenes running, burning themselves and working through it to get the best tasting and looking plates they can on your table without you knowing how much of a circus is really happening. By no means should you stop by the local liquor store before every meal, but the occasional Heineken for the kitchen crew shows them appreciation they rarely see.

The Publican in Chicago has taken this idea to the next level. The new "kitchen" category on their beer list contains only one item. That is a $10 charge that sends a 6-pack to the kitchen to show your appreciation to the cooks and chefs working hard behind all the lovely decor. They got the idea from the long-standing industry tradition, one in which diners would bring a case of beer to dinner as a token of gratitude to the kitchen.

Sometime when you are out to dinner, and you really feel like your kitchen crew did a spectacular job for you and you want to say thanks, now you know how.

Sausage Stuffed Oyster Mushroom

2010-01-11T17:00:00.002-07:00

With andouille and chorizo both calling my name I made the most rational decision I could. Use Both! I made a blend of chorizo, andouille, corn, scallion, paquillo peppers and garlic. After pulsing them in the food processor, I folded in some cream cheese. I then stuffed some nicely sauteed oyster mushrooms, topped them with manchego cheese, and baked them. They turned out nice, and were very well complimented by an andouille-BBQ aioli. Its that time of year again, and I just hope to see enough guests so that I am able to share this delicious starter with them.

Iron Chef Competition

2010-01-06T19:31:00.001-07:00

Here is a dish that Lucas came up with during the 1 hour competition. The secret ingredient was fennel, and he did a nice job with it. Lucas caramelized the fennel which brought out a really nice sweet-licorice type flavor. He grilled some thinly sliced cuts of beef, roasted a couple grape tomatoes, and made a terrific mushroom cream sauce. A simple fennel top garnish was all it took to make the dish pop.

Both competitors today did a terrific job. Bruce and Lucas are both relatively inexperienced in the kitchen, so to see them do such a fantastic job (even under pressure) was really fun to see. This whole thing started when the business level dropped. I think both cooks learned a lot about their own abilities and creativity.

Sopressata Stuffed with Port Braised Onions

2010-01-03T16:42:00.003-07:00

For tonight's amuse I decided to use this sopressata sausage. Sopressate is an Itaian dry-cured sausage. Sopressata is a sausage that needs to be sliced nice and thin. I simply stuffed the rolled sopressata with port braised red onions. The sweet onion cuts the fattiness of the sausage nicely and the boursin cheese compliments them both nicely.

Smoked Elk Sausage

2009-12-27T14:13:00.003-07:00

We smoked some elk, and figured smoked elk sausage sounded pretty darn good. After making about 5 lbs of smoked elk sausage, we just started playing around with some ideas. We made flatbread pizzas, we made smoked elk sausage and cambazola strudels (top photo), and we made just a small amuse. The amuse, (bottom photo) is served with basil-white truffle oil and tomato oil as well as a sourdough crostini and roasted grape tomato. The garnish is a chiffinade of watercress.

Shrimp and Chorizo Lunettes

2009-11-25T19:36:00.003-07:00

Here is tonight's amuse. Shrimp and Chorizo Lunettes. I cooked off the chorizo before adding a blend of shredded cheeses and roasted corn. I then grilled and chopped some marinated shrimp before combining the two mixtures. Then, using a circle cutter I cut pasta rounds and stuffed them with the filling. The lunette is basically a half moon shaped ravioli which I served today as our amuse-bouche. It sits on a red pepper cream and frisee lettuce.

Signature Chefs Auction

2009-11-10T12:46:00.003-07:00

October 29 was this years March of Dimes signature chefs auction at the resort. We were able to raise $53,000 for the March of Dimes. We hosted about 20 chefs from around The Springs and served about 250 guests. Pictured above is a clipping from the local paper about the event. We had two booths to represent the resort. We served our Braised Colorado Lamb Shank with red chile mole` in one booth. Julian and I had represented the Mountain View restaurant with our Tequila-Lime cured salmon. Its a twist on traditional gravlox that has hints of southwestern flavors such as toasted coriander, cumin and fresh cilantro. We host the event each year, and each year it gets better.

The "Colorado Fusion" appetizer sampler

2009-11-09T14:51:00.005-07:00

Samplers are always a hit, but this one is a home run. We use three terrific apps on this plate that give the guest a good idea of what to expect of our "Colorado Fusion" themed menu. First, the buffalo "pot pies" on the left feature our shredded ancho-coffee buffalo short rib meat, blended in a pot pie style filling. The pastry we use is nothing more than pate choux. A savory profiterole makes for a combination of a pot pie and a slider. Second, the chipotle goat cheese dip. This one has gone over very well on any menu its appeared on, so we stuck with it. We send the hot dip in a wonton cup, and serve it with toasted flat bread triangles. The third fusion dish on the menu is a chorizo stuffed calamari rellano. Traditionally, rellanos are stuffed peppers. We twisted the idea and actually stuff calamari tubes with chorizo, corn, cheddar cheese and cilantro. Once stuffed, the calamari is breaded in a cornmeal crust to give it the nice southwest feel. The whole plate is garnished with a cilantro chimichurri, a sweet red pepper coulis and creme friache.

Drunken Goat, Vermont Cheddar, and Cambozola

2009-11-09T14:35:00.002-07:00

As the season changes, so does the palate. An addition to our menu is this beautiful cheese board. The board itself was cut from some wood cutting boards, then branded with the CMR logo. Although very appealing to the eye, the cheeses and other components on this plate are the real winners. Starting with the drunken goat cheese, you get a nice soft and mild flavored goat cheese that has been soaked in red wine. The rind is a deep purple color and has a potent red wine flavor. The sharp Vermont Cheddar is a nice white cheddar cheese. It is the most common of the cheeses on the board, but its a safe bet that all will enjoy. My favorite cheese on this plate (hands down) is the Cambozola. This cheese is has the great, creamy texture like you would get from a Camembert but the overwhelming flavor and color of Gorganzola. A few red grapes, pear slices and berries lighten up the dish a bit, but the pumpkin bread, lavosh and pancetta disk are what really complete the plate. So far, we have been selling a good number of these cheese boards, and if my gut feeling is true, we should continue sending a good number of them out.

Chipotle Goat Cheese with Tamarind Honey

2009-10-19T15:45:00.002-07:00

Here we have a sweet, spicy, soft and crunchy amuse. The chipotle goat cheese is a warm, fairly spicy mixture that I froze and wrapped with grilled green onions. I then sliced them and placed them on a miniature fried red chile tortilla. The coriander crisp is an asiago crisp that has been cooked with toasted coriander, cumin and chile powder. The dish was nice, but a little spicy. That's why I decided that a little tamarind honey would compliment the dish nicely.

Bacon Wrapped Surf And Turf (Using Transglutaminase)

2009-10-17T12:16:00.004-07:00

Transglutaminase, aka Meat Glue made this dish work. Transglutaminase is a powder that actually binds (or glues) proteins to each other. In this example, I have glued beef tenderloin to shrimp and wrapped the whole thing in bacon. After the transglutaninase sets up (about 4 hours) the protein can be cooked as one piece of meat. Once cooked, the bacon was nice and crisp, the shrimp and beef tenderloin stayed together in the same shape I had molded them, and it was easily sliced into nice thin pieces. This is my first time using meat glue, so I am pretty happy with the result. This was only an experiment, and it was delicious. I served the bacon wrapped surf and turf with an avocado-mango salsa and a spicy smoked tomato coulis. The garnish was just some baby frisee with red and green tango tied together with a grilled chive.

After Thought

2009-10-05T16:21:00.004-07:00

I think its safe to say that bears are attracted to a campsite due to the remaining scent of food. Well why, you might ask, would a grown man that had been elbow deep in fresh salmon and raw chicken be anywhere near such an animal. That my friend is an after thought. It seems that this guy has returned. If memory serves me, this is the same creature that I unintentionally chased a year or so ago. Payback? Maybe. I think he was just enjoying the cool, breezy day here at the resort. He made himself comfortable this morning in a tree next to the driving range (which stayed closed) and relaxed all day long.

I hope my niece and nephew get a chance to see this guy before he retires for the winter. This is just one more reason I love living and working in Colorado. Without looking, wildlife seems to be right at your front door.

Wild Mushroom Mosaic

2009-10-03T20:38:00.003-07:00

As we creep closer to delivering our new fall/winter Colorado Fusion menu, we have been experimenting with some of the concepts. Although it needs to be somewhat refined, the wild mushroom mosaic is going to be nice. With this one, I used a blend of crimini, oyster and portobella mushrooms. I plan to have a more complex selection come time to roll out the new menu. Anyways, a nice hot saute of the the mushrooms along with diced shallot, minced garlic and a white wine deglaze got a very nice, classical flavor from the blend. I used a vegetable stock to make my aspic (to hold together the terrine) and covered the shroom blend. After an hour or so the gelatin set up and I was able to slice it fairly thin to expose the different internal structures of the mushrooms. I tossed some baby greens with truffle oil, salt and pepper to make a small salad. I roasted of a couple red bell peppers and made a quick coulis. The flavors worked pretty well together, however I am going to try a different combination for the aspic on the next go around. All in all, its a simple starter that should go over pretty well.

Herb Roasted Pheasant with Smoked Tomato Demi

2009-09-18T13:16:00.002-07:00

Tonight's Entree Special: Herb Roasted Pheasant Breast with Smoked Tomato Demi. I really enjoyed this dish. I made a really nice herb marinade yesterday and smothered the pheasant breasts over night. It is a very flavorful, earthy and fragrant dish. The smoked tomato demi works really well with the pheasant, but the risotto served as the starch on this dish is just killer. It starts with a saute of thinly sliced prosciutto ham, onion, and a blend of wild mushrooms and garlic. After adding the risotto I add chicken stock and finish with diced Brie cheese. The flavor profiles come together really nicely and the dish works well. Although fall isn't officially here for a few more days, my mind is transitioning into the colder weather direction and my food doing the same.

Striped Bass With Tomato-Leek Ragout

2009-09-14T16:46:00.002-07:00

As we start to brainstorm the fall-winter menu we discussed using a rocky mountain fresh water fish. Makes sense. Striped bass seems like a good fit. I decided to play around today with whole striped bass and here's what I came up with. I scaled the fish and removed the innards. Once the skin had been scored, I rubbed the inside and out of the fish with oil, salt and pepper. I grilled the fish to crisp up the skin really nicely. The dish actually had only 3 components but they worked nicely together and didn't over power the flavor of the fish. The tomato-leek ragout was nice. I cooked it down with some garlic and chicken stock with a touch of fresh lime juice to give it a nice light broth. I topped the fish with a oyster mushroom salsa that added an earthy flavor to the mix. It turned out nice and I was able to share the 2 plates with the FOH and kitchen staff.

Monkfish Bruchette on Avocado Marble

2009-08-31T15:27:00.003-07:00

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

2009-08-25T15:55:00.002-07:00

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 held together very nicely. I then rolled it in a blend of chopped herbs, including basil, thyme, sage and parsley. The roasted tomato coulis and creme friache seemed to be the perfect fit to compliment the terrine.

Elk Chops with Wild Mushroom Orzo Salad

2009-08-15T18:45:00.003-07:00

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

2009-08-08T23:17:00.004-07:00

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 and the delicate balance of life and work.

Avocado-Chicken Salad on Cumin Scented Flatbread

2009-08-08T17:42:00.003-07:00

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.

Snow Crab and Jicama Slaw

2009-07-22T19:26:00.003-07:00

This was thrown together last minute today but came together nicely. The slaw is a mix of chopped snow crab and shrimp along with finely diced jicama, poblano pepper, and red bell pepper. I seasoned it with garlic and a splash of Cholula before soaking the mix in our honey-cayenne vinaigrette. This slaw sits on a small fried plantain chip and some diced avocado. Hawaiian pink sea salt adds a nice look and great finish to this amuse-bouche. This combination is very refreshing due to the heat of summer that we have been seeing.

"Manitou" Shrimp Spring Rolls

2009-07-17T19:45:00.007-07:00

These "Manitou" Shrimp Rolls are similar to Mikado spring rolls. They can be a pain in the neck to make for restaurant service, but boy are they good. I have had several employees ranging from dishwashers to bakeshop employees and even bussers ask for a recipe to try them at home. It sounds like they all went over pretty well with all three that I followed up with.

We start out with some cooked, chopped shrimp. Adding just a few ingredients including soy, ginger, sambal, sweet Thai chili sauce, garlic, cilantro and scallions makes the filling phenomenal (top picture). An important thing to remember when rolling these spring rolls is to use a mixture of cornstarch and water to "glue" the roll together(picture 2). This keeps the spring roll tight when frying. When sealed properly the roll should be a tight, cylindrical spring roll with the contents held firmly inside (picture 3). Simply fry the rolls in clean oil heated to approx. 350 degrees for no more than a couple minutes. The rolls are thin and don't require a long cooking time. (Remember, the shrimp is already cooked.) We serve this with a side of the sweet Thai chili sauce, but you can use whatever sauce you like. Even just some shoyu is nice.

I will have a solid, printed recipe available in the very near future in the recipe section of my blog. Check back soon and please post any questions, comment regarding the dish and most importantly the results of your versions of this snack.

Herb Roasted Pheasant

2009-07-15T16:57:00.003-07:00

This is just the right combination of flavors. A nice savory herb and garlic roasted pheasant breast, with the light acidity of an heirloom tomato slice, the sweet flavor of a port-onion compote come together nicely. The sourdough crostini not only adds the crunchy texture, but also becomes the vehicle that brings this palate teaser to your taste buds. The heirloom tomatoes we get are a variety of colors, so each person at the table gets the same flavor in this bite sized appetizer and they look the same, but each has a different color that catches their eyes.

The FNG in the Henion family!

2009-07-14T14:28:00.003-07:00

This little one was born July 9th and his mom and I are so proud to have him in our lives. Its been a few days since my last post, but as you can see, a lot has happened since then. After a few nights in the hospital we are all home and everyone is doing very well.

With all the time we had spent in the hospital, and now around the house, I haven't been able to shake the thought of what kind of guy my son is going to be. I hope that even if he doesn't ever dabble in the restaurant industry, that he takes away a knowledge of cooking basics from his old man. Truly I hope that I can not only teach him to fish and hunt, but how to cook whatever he may bring home. There is a lot that can be said for individuals that cook, whether professionally or in the quiet of their own home. I think that my career path, in general, seems to be a source of distancing family. I really think that if used properly, my skills and love of food could one day bring us closer together. Some father/son bonding around the outdoor smoker, or with the stove full of pots and the smell roasting herb crusted prime rib filling not only the house but the neighborhood.

If he knows whats best, he will learn to cook but stay far away from a culinary career. That is, unless hes like his dad.

Kitchen Humor

2009-07-07T13:42:00.003-07:00

Kitchens have always been a place to make people look and feel stupid. That's why it takes a certain breed of people to work in restaurants. We have done everything to haze the FNG's (F'n New Guys) that we could come up with. Telling the bus boy to empty the hot water from the coffee machine, or fill up the water fountain before clocking out are a couple good ones. There is always telling the new salad guy to hurry up and get a bucket of steam from the steam machine downstairs or having them run to a neighboring kitchen to borrow the meat stretcher.

Well, today I had a cook bring in this terrific can of dehydrated water. The can list its uses which include dry mopping, dry cleaning and my favorite is making dry ice. Its just a great idea. Being able to put an actual can of dehydrated water on the shelf. The instructions are easy too, empty contents into one gallon of water. Stir until dissolved. Chill and serve. Good luck FNG, good luck.

I can honestly say, having this type of work environment isn't for everyone. But, for the dedicated people who put all there effort into the fast paced, somewhat unforgiving career that we chose,lets keep the new guys wondering why the hell they took this path.

Prosciutto Wrapped Veal with Asparagus

2009-06-19T15:52:00.002-07:00

I wrapped this bite of veal in Prosciutto ham and gave it a nice sear. I then made a mushroom ragout with tiny diced portobella mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and deglazed with a Chardonnay and stewed with a beautiful veal demi-glace. I used the peelings from asparagus and fried them to make a nice "bed" for the amuse. A simple brunoise of red bell pepper gives a nice visual contrast to the dish. Seafood buffet ususally kills most of our ala carte business, but I hope to share this veal dish with a few lucky guests tonight.

Chimichurri Beef Tenderloin Amuse

2009-06-14T14:14:00.002-07:00

A sort of knock-off of my lunch steak sandwich, this amuse has a ton of flavor. I cubed some beef tenderloin, rubbed it with garlic and cumin, then grilled it. Then I took our version of chimichurri (with cilantro and pepitas) topped the beef and finished it in the oven. It is cooked to a nice medium, which takes no time due to the size of the portion. A simple sourdough crostini, mango pico de gallo and an avocado puree round of this one bite course.

Lychee

2009-06-10T18:04:00.002-07:00

I picked these lychee up at the large Asian market near my house. Lychee is a fruit native to south China. There are several different types of lychee, also spelled litchi, leechee, and a few others spellings. Most have a somewhat spiny, tough yet thin skin that varies in color from bright reds, to greens and yellows. The fruit has a hard seed in the center which pulls from the flesh fairly easily. The juicy aromatic flesh usually has an opaque whitish pinkish appearance. It has a similar texture to grapes I recall eating off the vine at my grandparents years ago. Lychee is low in saturated fat, very low in cholesterol and sodium, and is a very good source of copper and vitamin C (40% more than an orange). It has higher levels of Beta carotene than carrots. It is said to enhance the feeling of well-being and is said to prevent blood clots, severe cell damage and reduce strokes, up to 50 %, in heart patients.

Colorado Gravlox

2009-06-04T14:06:00.002-07:00

I decided to do my own spin on gravlox. I cured the salmon with cumin, lime zest, cilantro, chili powder, tequila, coriander and garlic along with the salt and sugar. It probably cured a little long, but the consistency was nice. I diced the salmon and mixed it with a fresh mango pico de gallo. I used the pomegranate caviar from my last post as a garnish for this amuse- bouche.

Pomegranate "Caviar" using Geletin

2009-06-02T17:44:00.002-07:00

I ran into the problem of having to come up with an alternative for pomegranate seeds for a relish today. I got online and found a recipe for making pomegranate caviar from gelatin rather than the sodium alginate and calcium chloride method. These are a little more firm than using the spherephication method, but works well since the dish require they be tossed with other ingredients before serving. The method consists of blooming the powdered gelatin (3tsp) with cold water (4Tbs). I then added heated pomegranate juice (3 oz) to the gelatin mixture and poured it into a squeeze bottle. I then dripped the mixture into chilled olive oil (grape seed oil works well with pomegranate). After just a moment the liquid firms up and simply straining the caviar from the oil finishes this component. It has held its shape now for several hours.

Everyday Issues

2009-06-01T14:15:00.011-07:00

Here is what we encounter on a daily basis. The picture on the left is of the resorts lake and golf course at about 3pm today. It looks like a lovely day to be out golfing or BBQing right? Well we do in fact have a party that plans to be outdoors at 6pm tonight, and if you look 90 degrees to the right of picture number one, at the same time the right photo what you would see. Now of course we have an indoor back-up plan, but setting up both places requires breaking down both places. We want nothing more that perfect weather for these groups, but mother nature tends to tease us into believing the weather will cooperate. Maybe this threatening looking cloud with just pass on by and by 6 the sky will once again be clear. My guess is that the party will be having an indoor BBQ tonight.

Chili Marinated Monkfish with Sauteed Plantains And Pineapple-Rum Sauce

2009-06-01T13:46:00.002-07:00

With a case of plantains just asking to be used and some leftover Monkfish, I threw together this amuse. I marinated the Monkfish in a chili oil, added a bit of garlic and grilled it. I made a simple pineapple-rum sauce with some shallots and a touch of stock. The green is a poblano puree which also has a strong, crisp cilantro flavor to mellow the pepper flavor. I sauteed the diced plantains with nothing more than diced onion with salt and pepper. This amuse does its job well. The one bite leaves your mouth watering for more. All in all it is a very South American style dish to start off your dinner.

Chorizo and Corn Stuffed Potato

2009-05-21T14:16:00.003-07:00

This Chorizo and corn stuffed potato is the amuse for tonight. Its nothing to extravagant, but very tasty. I simply halved the red potato, cut a small piece off the bottom for stability, and hollowed them before I blanched them. Then I simply filled the potatoes with the chorizo, corn, and manchego cheese. I baked them for just a few minutes, sauced and garnished them. Very simple. Although the Chorizo I used is pretty spicy, the corn, potato and cheese tame the heat a bit.

Guest Interaction

2009-05-20T14:03:00.002-07:00

After checking on Mr. Chapman's table I had a chance to speak with him and his wife Beth. They are in Colorado Springs on business and stopped in to have lunch. Although they reside in Hawaii, they couldn't stop talking about the view and the spring weather here in Colorado. Most people, including myself know him as Dog the Bounty Hunter. Nice enough guy. I figured it would be nice to share this photo with you all. Above all, I am just happy to speak with our guest to ensure they are happy with what food I have provided for them. Every now and again, you'll run into people that are a little more well known than the everyday family man.

Thai Coconut Shrimp

2009-05-15T14:35:00.002-07:00

Tonight's amuse is a spicy, flavorful little bite. Its a 71-90 shrimp cooked in sweet Thai chili sauce, with scallions and agar agar. I am serving this cold. The agar agar turns the mixture into a "shrimp jelly" style component. I made both red and yellow curry coconut sauces. The shrimp rests on a fried won-ton circle and its garnished with toasted coconut and fresh cilantro. As and entree this might be a little too spicy for some, but as one bite to stimulate the appetite, it works well. The coconut curries are well rounded sauces with just a little heat.

Tapioca Maltodextrin

2009-05-13T14:51:00.005-07:00

As I keep on trying new ingredients and techniques in the kitchen, I purchased some fun molecular gastronomy common items from Willpowder.com. One of these is tapioca maltodextrin, pictured here. It is a light, fluffy white powder that does some cool stuff. Unlike any other starches, tapioca maltodextrin has been modified to thicken fats instead of water. This is cool because we are able make powders out of oils, butters, yogurts and so on. If you know me, bacon fat, duck fat and rendered sausage fat are all in line for the transformation. Basically all you are doing is combining the fat and the starch to the correct consistency so that you are able to push the mixture through a tami and sprinkle it or spoon it onto a plate for garnish. This example shows a huilacoche butter, which I have melted, mixed with the tapioca maltodextrin and turned into a powder. I had no idea how much of this powder it would actually take. I found several websites that say 10% can be enough. I found that almost equal parts in weight worked better for me. 60/40 is the most common blend I saw after researching further.

If you are at all interested in trying any new culinary techniques I suggest checking out Willpowder.com for information and purchasing the goods.

Huitlachoche Butter Powder and Olive Oil Powder

2009-05-13T14:40:00.006-07:00

These are two results when using tapioca maltodextrin. The grayish one is the Huitlacoche Butter Powder, and the bottom, a very delicate fluffy olive oil powder. No question, I need to work on consistancy, but for the first time using the ingredient, I am happy.

Achiote Marinated Sous Vide Chicken

2009-05-06T13:32:00.006-07:00

Today chef surprised me with an unexpected gift. A vacuum packaging machine. And naturally, as with any gift, the first thing I had to do was play. I got the dry ancho-coffee rub for the Buffalo packaged, went through all the portioned fish and other meats. Pretty much anything I could find now can be found tightly packaged in one of our many coolers. Then, sous vide came to mind. I have been looking for a way to make our achiote marinated chicken more attractive and simplified. The marinade, although very red when the chicken is uncooked, tends to darken and become less attractive once it has been sauteed. My thought had been, just roasting it would help. It did, but not enough. Well today I think I found my solution. By vacuum packing each marinated chicken breast and steaming or poaching them I loose no color. In addition, the fully cooked chicken seems larger, brighter, and even more delicate. Its very easy to slice, and stays incredibly juicy. The great thing is, you can cook them ahead of time and cool them. Then for service, all you need to worry about is making sure they are hot. That alone cuts the cooking time during service by about half. After seeing the results of the chicken, you can bet you will see more sous vide cooking appearing on this blog.

Margarita Shrimp

2009-04-15T13:14:00.003-07:00

Here is tonight's amuse-bouche. It is a margarita shrimp, on diced avocado, red corn chip and margarita sauce. It is garnished with a touch of Hawaiian pink sea salt and a cilantro puree. I marinated the shrimp in a lime and tequila oil. The margarita sauce has a very potent, yet refreshing flavor. It is roses lime, mae ploy Thai chili, corn syrup, tequila, key lime juice and it is thickened slightly with a slurry. Very nice start to a dinner.

Colorado Fusion Tasting

2009-04-14T20:20:00.003-07:00

Many people are looking for a deal when dining in this economy. Here is our answer. It is our "Colorado Fusion Tasting" entree. It is a great chance to try the best of the best when it comes to our new menu. Starting on the left you see our Stuffed Poblano dish, which is our vegetarian option. It is packed tight with roasted corn and potato hash, smoked cheddar cheese and mild spices and herbs. The right side has our Pork Adobo, which is a pork wing (the Achilles tendon and surrounding meat). Its garnished with a fresh pomegranate and Mandarin orange relish and a charred scallion. The center of this incredible dish is our Ancho-Coffee Braised Buffalo Short Ribs. It is a hearty, very flavorful dish that we braise for about 5 hours. It literally falls off the bone. We top this off with a roasted forest mushroom salsa. All three dishes have a touch of adobo sauce and grilled glazed yams to complete the dish. We have only run this menu 2 days now, but this dish has been a hit.

Olive Caviar

2009-04-13T16:38:00.002-07:00

So, here is our first, somewhat successful, attempt at molecular gastronomy. We used sodium alginate and calcium chloride to make this olive caviar. Our plan is to make a hand passed app that will look like caviar, yet will resemble a tapanade. Although not perfected, the fact that you can see the chemical reaction in making this interesting tapanade excites the hell out of me. Rest assured, more of this will be popping up on this blog.

A taste of Pomegranate

2009-04-10T20:04:00.003-07:00

Here we have a pomegranate brownie, a peppercorn pomegranate soup, and a white chocolate pomegranate parfait. This is a delicate, fresh dessert that makes people feel like they are getting more for their money.

Sweet Tooth

2009-04-10T19:54:00.005-07:00

We stuck with the southwest-Colorado Fusion theme when we decided on fresh churros. As simple as they come, we fry them to order, roll them in sugar and Cinnamon, and sauce them with a spicy chocolate and a mango sauce. Smores also seem to be a great comforting dessert here in the Rockies. We took that idea and made a smore cake. It has a graham cracker crust, chocolate ganache, toasted coconut and a torched coconut meringue.

Huitlacoche Salmon

2009-04-10T19:45:00.003-07:00

Huitlacoche. Known to many farmers as corn smutt, huitlacoche has long been used in Mexican cooking. The Aztecs used this Mexican truffle in many meals too. Huitlacoche, also spelled cuitlacoche, has a smoky corn flavor. It is a fungus that grows inside kernals of corn when weather conditions are just right. We have coated the seared salmon with this interesting ingredient and serve it with a buerre blanc. Its a great spring dish.

Achiote Marinated Chicken

2009-04-07T16:33:00.002-07:00

Another entree looking to make its official place on the new menu is our Achiote Marinated Chicken. We are serving it with a cilantro cream sauce, manchego filled raviolis made in house. The menu states that there is charred corn on this dish, but the corn is also mixed in with edamame, black bean, baby heirloom tomatoes and lime. Another simple plate, fresh ingredients. bright colors and a lot of flavor.

Starter: Cumin Dusted Sea Scallops

2009-04-06T16:15:00.002-07:00

Here is a great example of our spring/fall menu in the Mountain View. This is cumin dusted scallops with shaved prosciutto, spicy cilantro puree, plantain chips and mango pico de gallo. We have been promoting our new menu with a simpler version of this appetizer at functions such as Taste of Colorado Springs. So far, feedback has been unbelievable. For an appetizer such as this, we brought together a perfect combination of flavors and textures to make a wonderful start to a dinner.

Ancho-Coffee Rubbed Buffalo Short ribs

2009-04-06T16:09:00.003-07:00

With aggressive pricing on the new menu, our Buffalo short ribs are not only delicious, but very reasonably priced. This dish, simple and flavorful is only going to cost the guest $18. I braised the short ribs for 5 or 6 hours, and the meat just falls off the bones. Its served with a roasted mushroom salsa and chipotle yams. What a steal! As we approach the launch of our new menu, the upcoming items are making a quiet debut as our dinner specials. This not only helps with feedback, but also provides our employees with exposure to the menu before it comes out.

Mountain View Dinner Menu

2009-04-06T14:35:00.001-07:00

Appetizers
Honey Fig Bread with Salt Cured Ham $8
Fresh Melons, Mint, and Manchego Cheese

Chorizo Tamale $8
Aged Cheddar and Mango Pico De Gallo

Beef Skewers $9
Fresh Mango Salsa and Jalapeno BBQ Glaze

Fried Herb Raviolis $7
Charred Corn and Cilantro Crème

Cumin Dusted Sea Scallops $9
Salt Cured Ham, Plantain Chips, and Avocado Vinaigrette

Appetizer Platter $15
Cumin Dusted Scallops, Fried Herb Ravioli, and Chorizo Tamale

Salads
Sunset Caesar $5
Fresh Romaine, Charred Corn, Ancho Caesar Dressing, and Shaved Parmesan

Watermelon Salad $6
Shaved Jicama, Spinach Leaves, and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Rocky Mountain Cobb $6
Chopped Butter Lettuce with Roasted Corn, Heirloom Tomatoes, Egg, Bacon, and Chipotle Ranch Dressing

House Salad $5
Field Greens with Carrots, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and croutons
Choice of ranch, bleu cheese, or balsamic

Soups
Roasted Poblano and Cheddar $5
Fire Roasted Peppers with Aged Cheddar and Cream

Daily Creation $5
With fresh ingredients prepared by our chefs

Main
Achiote Marinated Chicken $15
Roasted Corn, Manchego Raviolis, Cilantro Cream

Huitlacoche Salmon $16
Heirloom Tomato Salad, Edamame, Black Beans

Buffalo Short Ribs $18
Ancho Chile Coffee Rub, Mushroom Salsa, Chipotle Yams

Steak Bleu $25
Maytag Bleu Cream, Whipped Yukon Potatoes, Port Syrup

Pork Adobo $16
Pomegranate Citrus Relish, Glazed Sweet Potato, Charred Scallions

Stuffed Poblano Chile $14
Potato Corn Hash, Ancho Chile Sauce, Black Bean Cake

Surf and Turf $29
Beef Filet with Maytag Bleu Cream and Cumin Dusted Sea Scallops

Colorado Fusion Tasting $27
A tasting of 3 signature dishes:
Buffalo Short Ribs, Pork Adobo, and Stuffed Poblano Chile

Colorado Fusion

2009-04-06T13:53:00.013-07:00

Here is a look at some of our starters on the new menu dropping one week from today. Watermelon salad, Pterodactyl Wings, Jalapeno-bacon and cheddar potato poppers, Manitou shrimp spring rolls, front range oysters, herb fried raviolis, fig bread with melon salad, aged cheddar and chorizo tamale, chicken and manchego taquitos, Appetizer sampler platter, and our beef skewers. As part of our preparation for the new menu, we did a small showing of some new menu items with our leadership team. Judging by the empty plates, I think it went over fairly well. I am truly excited about our upcoming menu for many reasons. First and foremost, we are developing direction for the Ala Carte that I feel lacked in the past. The Colorado fusion concept has been a collaboration between myself and the resorts Executive Chef and Executive Sous Chef. Together we are bringing life to this restaurant. With spring and summer creeping up on us, the menu we will be rolling out is bright colors, local product, and unique combinations that really showcase what we can do.

Braised Lamb Shank with Wild Mushroom and Asiago Risotto

2009-03-22T16:47:00.004-07:00

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

2009-03-15T13:16:00.002-07:00

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

2009-03-15T13:06:00.009-07:00

(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

2009-03-12T16:35:00.004-07:00

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 asiago 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

2009-03-12T16:14:00.003-07:00

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'

2009-03-08T21:31:00.004-07:00

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

2009-03-06T20:40:00.003-07:00

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

2009-03-04T14:51:00.004-07:00

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 using these pork wings on our new menu (dropping April 13) and I can only hope they are a hit. Preparation will be much different, but it should also come out great. I hope the idea of "pork wings" gets people interested in trying something new. Believe me, its worth a shot.

Monkfish Three Ways

2009-02-16T13:02:00.012-07:00

I had trouble deciding what to do for a special. I wanted to use monkfish, but could make my mind up how I should serve it. So I decided to do all of them. Each skewer that you see has a 2 oz piece of monkfish. I served them all with the same starch and veg, being sun dried tomato infused whipped potatoes and sweet pepper with wilted arugula. From left to right, I prepared a tempura fried monkfish with a mango pico de gallo and soy-chili glaze. Secondly I garlic butter poached monkfish and served it with pesto cream. And last, I did prosciutto wrapped monkfish with a black truffle and Parmesan cream sauce. All taste great and the plate looks great. Very clean. I can only hope that with the hotels occupancy being down, we can sell at least a couple. It seems that people are afraid of monkfish too, so that could put a damper on sales. I am confident that if we do sell some, the guest will be more than happy with the dish.

Duck Confit and Prosciutto Goat Cheese Balls W/ Black Truffle Honey

2009-02-07T16:22:00.006-07:00

This one was the result of resurrecting a dead idea from yesterday. I just couldn't get the creative juices flowing yesterday, but today was a new day. I started with a mixture of goat cheese, duck confit, cracked black pepper, and chive. Today I added some thin strips of prosciutto and used a small scoop to portion small balls of the cheese mix. I used fine panko bread crumbs to double bread the cheese. The sauce is exactly what it says, a nice black truffle product I received from someone who has not yet acquired a taste for the mushroom, and some nice honey. I used some very finely chiffinade sage to compliment the dish and add a touch of color.

Crab and Avacado Amuse

2009-02-05T16:55:00.003-07:00

This crab and avocado amuse isn't anything out of the ordinary. Its another simple, flavorful, one bite dish. I fried a quarter of a wonton, made a traditional pico de gallo and added a lot of avocado, and I mixed up some snow crab meat with a sambal aioli. A couple chives and a tiny pinch of yellow curry powder finish this amuse. The amuse started with trying out a new potential appetizer for the spring menu. After eating as many crab and avacado wonton tacos as I could, I decided to use the leftover mise en place for the amuse-bouche. Low and behold, that's what you see above. I'm not sure that we will use these ingredients for the new bar menu, but either way they are a tasty little treat.