A few weeks ago Mat asked for a new chinoise to replace our old handle-less one. It seemed a reasonable request so the next time I'm at the "Depot" I pick one up. The new version. A plastic one. Great, I wonder how long this will last. Anyway, I've noticed Mat using it for the mashed potatoes. He's running the mashed potatoes through the chinoise to produce a very fine creamy texture. (A chinoise is a very fine sieve shaped like a "China-man's hat used for straining soups, stocks, sauces, etc.) It's a bitch to pass mashed potatoes through it. It got me thinking about how Mat and I approach cheffing. There is no freaking way I will ever put mashed potatoes through a chinoise. No freaking way. I appreciate the effort and the final product but it's an example of how our styles differ. Not only how we approach food but the job as well. Mat loves to cook. He gets to work early every day because he just likes to be cooking. He has the passion and energy and loves the work and the food. I don't anymore. After 35 years it's extremely difficult to keep that edge. Even in my personal tastes I have come full circle and prefer a simple straight forward "comfortable" dinner to the multi course extravaganza. They almost seem silly to me now. 20 years ago I might have gotten satisfaction of putting potatoes through a sieve but now that seems silly to me too. Is it because I'm burned out after 35 years years of an intimate relationship with food? Or because of that long time relationship I've become so familiar with food that I've grown to recognize the essentials in good food and dining and realize it's not about awards, fame, money and the latest trends. Much like life, as you age you understand that it's not about the short term satisfactions you get along the way, it's about the core principles of love, family and peace. You can apply those same basics to cooking and dining and you'll recognize the final product and most of the people you cook for will too. It's old school but I think old school is the next new school.
As a kid we ate alot of boxed "mashed potatoes". Mom was busy and had six mouths to feed. We always knew if the potatoes were lumpy mom made real mashed potatoes. She took the time to make them, not perfectly but she made real mashed potatoes because she loved us. After many years of mashing potatoes she would cut a corner or two and leave some lumps. You may find a lump in my potatoes but that's ok because after mashing my share of potatoes I've grown to love the lumps.
I also give that new plastic chinoise three months. A fifty dollar plastic sieve. Sheesh!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Recent Shots
House made Frozen Custard, Fried to Order Doughnuts
Grasshopper Shooters
Papaya Grilled Shrimp
Miso Grilled Salmon
Twin Filets with U12 Gulf Shrimp
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Fridays
In an effort to bolster Friday night business in this dismal economy (16% unemployment locally) we have been running three course specials on Friday nights. I've post ed some photos of the pasta being prepared for one of last Friday's specials. It was made Friday afternoon and served with a ragu of beef tenderloin tips, the last of the garden peppers and tomatoes, pearl onions and fennel. Topped with shaved Parmesan.
Included are soup or tossed salad, a starch, vegetable and dessert. Below is a partial list of some of the things we've done on Friday. The price is $19.95.
Broiled Algoma Whitefish with fresh tarragon beurre blanc and pearl onions.
Broiled Algoma Whitefish ala Grenoble.
Grilled Mahi Mahi Kabayaki
Skate wing with lemon beurre monte and 10 YO balsamic.
Lobster Chapchae
Lobster risotto.
Traditionally broiled lobster (Every Friday, 6 oz. Maine)
Texas style prime rib.
Smoked beef brisket.
Roast tenderloin of beef with smoked mushroom jus.
Garlic and tomato braised 12 count gulf shrimp.
Foie gras and truffled meatloaf.
Hanger steak with demi, bearnaise and pomme frites.
Flank steak au poivre.
Cedar roasted salmon with garden fresh chive butter
salmon sous vide
Beef short ribs sous vide
Braised short ribs
Barbeque Beef ribs, Korean style.
Apricot and goat cheese stuffed loin of pork with apricot demi.
Apple and cornbread stuffed loin of pork with apple demi.
Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with apple-maple jus.
Those are just some off the top of my head. Although we've done pretty well with it, (The specials account for 70% of dinners served on Fridays.) people should be lined up to get in. I don't know of a better deal anywhere. We use good quality products, often from our garden and everything is made from scratch. Three courses for $19.95!
Dough ball before kneading. I use Marcella Hazan's (Sp?) recipe for pasta. She says two ingredients only unless you're coloring it. Eggs and flour.
Roll out very thin.
Dust with flour so it doesn't stick together.
Cut your pasta. I like a fettuccine size. I don't worry if it's not perfect. I like the rustic look. Plus the customer will recognize it's handmade.
A little space is good. I like long pasta.
Included are soup or tossed salad, a starch, vegetable and dessert. Below is a partial list of some of the things we've done on Friday. The price is $19.95.
Broiled Algoma Whitefish with fresh tarragon beurre blanc and pearl onions.
Broiled Algoma Whitefish ala Grenoble.
Grilled Mahi Mahi Kabayaki
Skate wing with lemon beurre monte and 10 YO balsamic.
Lobster Chapchae
Lobster risotto.
Traditionally broiled lobster (Every Friday, 6 oz. Maine)
Texas style prime rib.
Smoked beef brisket.
Roast tenderloin of beef with smoked mushroom jus.
Garlic and tomato braised 12 count gulf shrimp.
Foie gras and truffled meatloaf.
Hanger steak with demi, bearnaise and pomme frites.
Flank steak au poivre.
Cedar roasted salmon with garden fresh chive butter
salmon sous vide
Beef short ribs sous vide
Braised short ribs
Barbeque Beef ribs, Korean style.
Apricot and goat cheese stuffed loin of pork with apricot demi.
Apple and cornbread stuffed loin of pork with apple demi.
Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with apple-maple jus.
Those are just some off the top of my head. Although we've done pretty well with it, (The specials account for 70% of dinners served on Fridays.) people should be lined up to get in. I don't know of a better deal anywhere. We use good quality products, often from our garden and everything is made from scratch. Three courses for $19.95!
Dough ball before kneading. I use Marcella Hazan's (Sp?) recipe for pasta. She says two ingredients only unless you're coloring it. Eggs and flour.
Roll out very thin.
Dust with flour so it doesn't stick together.
Cut your pasta. I like a fettuccine size. I don't worry if it's not perfect. I like the rustic look. Plus the customer will recognize it's handmade.
A little space is good. I like long pasta.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Lakers and Sunflowers (Click for Close-ups)
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Sometimes life is like a field of sunflowers.
Sometimes life is like a field of sunflowers.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Le Brigade de Cuisine
Matt, Victor and Juan. Notice Juan is the only one actually moving.
Javiar aka Diablo
Le Grande Garde Manger
Corina, ever demure.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Speaking of Heidi
Our first family dog was Heidi. She was a big black German Shepherd. An absolutely brilliant dog and as you can imagine a great watch dog. We got her when she was 6 weeks old and our daughter was just a baby. Patrice was home with our newborn and hence was charged with house-breaking Heidi. It took a week. A week! Granted Patrice is vigilant but what dog is house broken in a week? She was stunning. Big, almost all black and menacing. She gained and lost weight over her 12 years but she probably went 110 lbs. Big for a female. As she grew up I said I was going to feed her plenty so she'd grow big. Veal bones were a staple of her diet. The calves bones were flavorful and relatively soft after simmering for 24 hours. Absolute dog heaven. She did get a little pudgy so I had to cut back. At her heaviest she weighed 130.
We got her when we moved to the hood. We rehabbed a grand old Victorian in the "inner city" of Milwaukee and I was soon to join the fire department. I needed someone to look over my family while I was gone for 24 to 48 hours. She sensed what her role was and took it seriously. I will always be in her dept. The mere presence of a huge black German Shepherd will deter most ghetto thugs. She also backed it up. The meter reader walked into our gated yard to read the meter while Patrice was gardening. She called out to him several times and he obviously ignored her. Heidi was in the yard too. The gas guy never read that meter and to this day I'm surprised we didn't get sued. Another time a thuggish looking dude jumped the fence while Patrice and Cory were in the yard. He got out with a big piece of his coat missing. There was also the countless times when there would be noises in the middle of the night. Heidi would always be on the front line giving the appropriate growl or bark. No one dared enter that house.
Yet she was gentle as could be. Cory would ride around on her, pull her hair. Never a hint of tension. Her big expressive eyes were a mile deep and she had the temperament of a mother. Yet she didn't like cats. She was a confirmed cat killer and actually killed our first family cat Nellie but that's another story.
She died at the Vet's office. I was bringing her in to examine the lump on the side of her face. Much like Buster's. As she was jumping out of the mini van she banged the growth on the door and split it open. She began to bleed profusely. I got her into the Vet's office leaving a trail of blood behind. He examined the growth and the blood loss and explained we had to put her down now or she would bleed to death. I called Patrice and she sped over so we could spend our last moments together. We said good bye and she drifted away. She didn't suffer, she didn't endure long lasting pain, she went down as she should have. Proudly, dignified and with her loved ones with her.
I read that in Native American lore dogs sometimes come back as men but only the deserving ones. I know Heidi deserved it and is probably out there somewhere.
We got her when we moved to the hood. We rehabbed a grand old Victorian in the "inner city" of Milwaukee and I was soon to join the fire department. I needed someone to look over my family while I was gone for 24 to 48 hours. She sensed what her role was and took it seriously. I will always be in her dept. The mere presence of a huge black German Shepherd will deter most ghetto thugs. She also backed it up. The meter reader walked into our gated yard to read the meter while Patrice was gardening. She called out to him several times and he obviously ignored her. Heidi was in the yard too. The gas guy never read that meter and to this day I'm surprised we didn't get sued. Another time a thuggish looking dude jumped the fence while Patrice and Cory were in the yard. He got out with a big piece of his coat missing. There was also the countless times when there would be noises in the middle of the night. Heidi would always be on the front line giving the appropriate growl or bark. No one dared enter that house.
Yet she was gentle as could be. Cory would ride around on her, pull her hair. Never a hint of tension. Her big expressive eyes were a mile deep and she had the temperament of a mother. Yet she didn't like cats. She was a confirmed cat killer and actually killed our first family cat Nellie but that's another story.
She died at the Vet's office. I was bringing her in to examine the lump on the side of her face. Much like Buster's. As she was jumping out of the mini van she banged the growth on the door and split it open. She began to bleed profusely. I got her into the Vet's office leaving a trail of blood behind. He examined the growth and the blood loss and explained we had to put her down now or she would bleed to death. I called Patrice and she sped over so we could spend our last moments together. We said good bye and she drifted away. She didn't suffer, she didn't endure long lasting pain, she went down as she should have. Proudly, dignified and with her loved ones with her.
I read that in Native American lore dogs sometimes come back as men but only the deserving ones. I know Heidi deserved it and is probably out there somewhere.
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