Monday, December 29, 2008

Root Vegetables


A small root vegetable starter for a tasting menu.
Celery Root, Salsify, Rutabaga, Parsnip, Apple, Beet Balsamic, Caramelized Salsify Puree and Black Lava Salt

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Christmas Eve




Roasted Chicken and Root Veg with a little knife work from Ella

Chocolate


Chocolate, Olive Oil and Bread

December 26th


Burgers and 2003 Bordeaux for Joshua's fifth birthday

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Keeping your cool

A great post here by an amazing pastry chef about rising above the urge to yell and scream all the time. and other stuff
Taking the High Road

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Townhouse@McCrady's


I know it may seem a little crazy to travel 6.5 hours for one dinner and turn around and come back but this dinner was definitely worth ever moment and penny. I can't thank John, Karen and Sean enough for the great meal. I was of course camera less but I will try to recap as best as possible: and hopefully Tyler will post some photos soon

The Amuse was a Scallop, Banana, Bottarga, Pineapple and Dashi which was made up of a slightly warmed scallop and Dashi, pineapple foams and banana puree. The subtlety of this dish was really outstanding. All the flavors stood out on there own and were very complementary of the scallops.

Chicken Liver, tart apple, Hazelnut, Cocoa this was one of our tables favorites and had a very interesting technique that Sean shared with us. They froze hazelnuts with liquid nitrogen then sent them through the juicer with a blank plate, Making a hazelnut butter without heating the nuts, then turned that into little pebbles with maltodextrin. Really cool looking and tasting the chicken liver mousse was really outstanding as well and cheap:)

Candied Yam, Trout Roe Quince Braised in beer, tapioca and ginger kimchi. It was really fun watching everyone take apart there plates and try and find all the different flavors. Definitely check out the photos of this on John and Karen's Blog. This was paired with Saporo which was a great pairing.

Chorizo Bouillon with Various Spanish influences. Another one of the tables favorites, a lightly seasoned chorizo broth with Cheese Gnocchis, using Kuzu Starch and Manchego??(can't remember the cheese), Sherry jelly, Egg Yolk and Cuttlefish. So good I only wish I could have gotten more out of the bowl there seemed to be a tablespoon of broth that would not be gotten.

This course was followed by maybe my favorite of the evening Confit of Squab with rootbeer, Golden egg, thai basil. Perfectly cooked squab accompanied by all the flavors of root beer including a great little wintergreen berry that could have stood alone as flavors of root beer. The golden egg is foie gras incased in sugar I wish there had been a little more of that. The pairing was a infused rum and rootbeer cocktail we liked this so much we asked for another round which may have sent some of us over the edge for the evening.

Also vieing for top honors was Sean's "Blackened" Short Rib, Probably would have taken top prize if he had played the song while we ate it. This was cut with a spoon tender short rib served with various truffle purees, Truffle Saba and Black trumpet Mushrooms. I have never eaten a short rib as tender as this one it was coated in vegetable ash which I had seen before but never eaten, it was outstanding.

Dessert Crispy Milk Bubbles with toasted milk, Crickle and Nutmeg. Ended the dinner on a very subtle note just as it had started. I have to say that I really don't like Brittle but I love Crickle this was the first time I have had Crickle and I was loving it. None of the stick in your teethness of brittle.

Finally truffles with puffed rice of which Tyler couldn't get enough.

Thanks to all that made this meal happen and for letting us poke around the kitchens. Special thanks to Travis for the extended tour. This meal was one of the best of my life so far and I can't wait to come and see John and Karen at Townhouse and to make the trip to Charleston again its a great town and Sean and his crew do a great job all around.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Turnip



Honey Turnips with Quinoa, Turnip Puree, Apples, Turnip Greens, Sherry Vinegar and Celery

Planet Earth Diversified





Thanks to Mikey and Mike Clark for bringing us these great Micro greens and other fun stuff like Kaffir Lime and Shunginku. Check them out here

Meat and Potato




Potters NY Strip with Squash, Potato, Caramelized Onion and Brown Butter
We are going to be doing a Dinner with the Potters on January eleventh it should be a blast.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Vetri



One of my favorite books from the new season is Vetri. Not only is he from Philly but he also has a great pasta recipe. The kids and I took it for a spin with some leftover turkey and homemade ricotta. The chocolate risotto is killer also.

Benton's

Everyone knows how great Benton's bacon is but this is how great giving Benton's bacon and a couple of Jap Saws to your wife for her birthday is: ( if you don't know what a Jap Saw is it cuts on the pull stroke instead of the push so the blade is super thin, I thought it was the souffle pump of the contractor world)

Four year old on Benton's

Two year old on Benton's

Wife just before she kills me for giving her bacon and saws for her birthday and oh yeah posting this picture. Not shown six year old on Benton's just too scary.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Compromise

Do great chefs/restaurateurs Compromise?

Monday, October 13, 2008

The Kitchen @ one month




Everything is starting to find its place.

Thanks

Thanks to the hook for this piece: http://www.readthehook.com/dish/index.php/lexingtons-ren-hen-lures-local-talent/

Colleen and Suzy's Dinner


Fall SQuash salad with Apples and Hazelnut

Shaved Lamb Heart with Arugula, Fennel and Radish

Lamb Appetizer: Liver Parfait, Heart Salad and Terrine
Trout with Watermelon Radishes and Fingerlings

Slow Cooked chicken Thigh with butter poached onions, Caramelized onion gastrique and Braised Chicken breast with Creamed Cabbage and Shittake Mushrroms.
Some of the food from Colleen and Suzy's dinner.


Not shown: Apple and squash rissotto, Potter's New York Strip, and desserts

Fall Produce


Some Beautiful Eggplant confiting

Produce from Staunton Farmers market

Lamb



Thank you Brian and Colleen for the wonderful Lamb.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Day One

41 Covers on our first service everything went great now I must sleep more later.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

So Close


Soon to be workbench in kitchen

A view from the pass

A finished elm board and the beer taps

Tin ceiling and stairs.

Things are getting really close as we wait for a few pieces here and there and a few inspections and of course the ABC liscense. I can't wait to start cooking in this beautiful space.

New House



If you own a lot of books you should buy a librarians house. Even with all the built in bookshelves we brought a few of our own. We are adjusting well to our new home. Thank you to everyone who made it possible.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

The Wallers Part 2

Tuna with White Turnips and Lemon
Beets Cook Sous Vide with Strawberries and Balsamic, Salt Roasted with Orange and Celery Leaves and Thinly sliced Chioggas dressed with Cider Vin
Pork Belly with Watermelon Compressed with Grapefruit, Ross's Tomatoes and Lettuce
Seared Scallop with two types of Cantaloupe and Smoked Paprika Cantaloupe Sauce
Potter Rib Eye and Short Rib with Caramelized Onions, Roma Beans and All Blue Potatoes

Local Peaches with Tokji, Basil and Black Pepper
Not Pictured Chocolate with Cardamon, Chilies, Lime and Salt
As we wait for the finishing touches in the restaurant (and the dish machine). The Waller's invited me over to do another dinner for a group of friends. Thanks to everyone I had a great time and can't wait to see you all at the restaurant.


Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Yelling

http://linecook415.blogspot.com/2008/08/on-ethical-treatment-of-cooks.html
A brief response to the above post about kitchen Life would be Shola's post below:
http://studiokitchen.typepad.com/studiokitchen/2007/09/rule-12-the-imp.html
I'm not going to try and tell you that I have never yelled in a kitchen. I'm not going to tell you that I won't yell in a kitchen. But I will tell you that I have benefited from being yelled at and seeing other being yelled at in the kitchen. That being said all cooks are different and we all respond to things in our own way.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Punch List


Just when you start to see the end of the road you sit down and make a punch list, just like a prep list only if you don't finish the punch list you won't need a prep list.
Items from the Red Hen punch list:
Finish tables
finish Limestone Planter
make Kitchen bar
Lay floor in bathrooms and hallway
Install Kitchen
Install FERP
and so on and so on

Thursday, August 7, 2008

202 Market

Thanks to Chad and his gang for squeezing out some fun dishes for us even after we surprised them. Unfortunately Colleen had the camera so no photos. But if you see grain mustard Gnocchi with pulled pork on the menu order it. Also look for Chad to do a dinner with us at Red Hen in the near future. Oh and the Whopper dessert was awesome.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Grillin'


Grilled Pork Rib eye
Brendan's Leeks Sweetest I've tasted
Brendan's Carrots with fresh Bay Leaf and Pork Fat
Wade's mill Grits Everona Piedmont Cheese

Red Hen Dinner 2


Tomato, Watermelon, Strawberry, Jalapeno, Shrimp
tomatoes, strawberries and Jalapenos all from Stonehouse Farm Picked that Morning

Sweetbreads with Molasses Butter, Blackberries and Dandelion

Carrots and Turnips From Stonehouse and Pickled Carrots from Appalachian Star with Vandouvan

36hr Shortrib with wade's mill grits and truffle Cheese

Sous Vide Lamb rack with confit stuffed swiss chard and wheat berries

Peaches and raspberry fluid gel

Blackberries with sage pastry cream and flaky pie crust

Earl grey Chocolate with honey shortbread, Lemon and earl grey sauce
Thanks to Duncan for taking the photos

With construction being what it is we had time to go to the Wallers house and cook a little tasting dinner for some of the investors. Thanks to the Wallers for letting us use their great kitchen and drink their Limecello.

Post Dinner Limencello