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August 10, 2009 - Issue 179 |
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The
Dishrag Newsletter
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1. Letter from the Editor: It's All in the Mouthfeel In this issue we concentrate on one aspect of what's going into our mouths: texture. Join us as we sample the textural variety today's chefs are creating. From Spain's cutting-edge cuisine to the new face of vegetarianism in the States, we present a treasure of texturally surprising ingredients and preparations. http://www.starchefs.com/features/editors_dish/letter/vol47/ | |||||
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2. How Food Feels: Texture Takes a Starring Role Whether it's the delicate crunch of tobiko or the silk of chocolate mousse, texture provides a vital component to the culinary experience. In this feature we consider texture in the abstract and in practice, as it's accentuated, manipulated, and celebrated by chefs across the country. http://www.starchefs.com/features/textures/html/index.shtml | |||||
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3. Spotlight on Uni, Nature's Textural Miracle Commonly considered a strictly Japanese ingredient, uni, or sea urchin gonads, has an increasing presence in restaurant kitchens across the world. With advocates like Chef Sotohiro Kosugi of New York's Soto and Ricardo Sanz of Madrid's Kabuki, and with its melting texture and fresh sea-brine flavor, uni has potential to earn a permanent, and ideally sustainable, place on American restaurant menus. http://www.starchefs.com/features/uni/html/index.shtml | |||||
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4. Meat Substitutes Need Not Apply: Demonstrating the Vegetable's Potential for Textural Variety Thanks to trailblazers like Roxanne's, Angelica's Kitchen, and Moosewoods, vegetarianism has earned a comfortable place in the American culinary repertoire. But chefs like Amanda Cohen of Dirt Candy and Jeremy Fox of Ubuntu have taken vegetarian eating a step further, giving garden ingredients the kind of centerpiece treatment that highlights the textural potential of seasonal, vegetarian cuisine. http://www.starchefs.com/features/trends/high-concept-vegetarian/html/index.shtml | |||||
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5. A New Role for Sponges in the Kitchen It's not often that plastic deli containers, N20 cartridges, and green tea all have a place in the same dish, but Pastry Chef Ron Paprocki combines all of them with his innovative sponge-making technique. With its organic look and mouthfeel, the sponge has a new role to play as Chefs Parocki, Daniel Skurnick and Curtis Duffy use sweet and savory preparations to texturally enhance their dishes. http://www.starchefs.com/features/sponges/html/index.shtml | |||||
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6. Techniques: Egg Soufflé Sous Vide with Chef Raphael Peña of Gresca, Barcelona Most ingredients require some degree of manipulation before they yield a desired texture. Chef Raphael Peña demonstrates an exquisitely deft hand at manipulating an ingredient's textural potential in the kitchen of Gresca. Check out our photo gallery to see Chef Peña's technique for transforming an egg into a billowing, golden-tinged pillow of egg white encasing a rich, velvety yolk. http://www.starchefs.com/events/studio/techniques/raphael-pena-egg-souffle/html/index.shtml | |||||
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7. On the Plate: Getting Textural in Madrid with Chef Palo Cortado of Senzone and Chef Ricardo Sanz of Kabuki Innovative technique is nothing new in Spain's restaurant kitchens, but we're tasting with two of Madrid's innovative culinary "fundamentalists" who bring a respect for texture to every plate. Chefs Palo Cortado of Senzone and Ricardo Sanz of Kabuki show us how an emphasis on layering not only flavor, but texture, can transform sensational technique into sublime cuisine. http://www.starchefs.com/features/plating/vol20/html/index.shtml | |||||
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8. Take our Culinary Trends Survey and Enter for a Chance to Win ICC Passes! Take the StarChefs.com Culinary Trends Survey and tell us your thoughts on emerging trends in the culinary arts. You do not have to be an executive chef to complete this survey, but you must be a culinary professional. Upon completion of the survey, you will be automatically entered to win one of ten free 3-day passes to the upcoming StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress. http://www.starchefs.com/features/trends/culinary_trends_survey_2009/index.shtml | |||||
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9. Photo Gallery: Photos from Our Recent Tastings in Boston, MA Check out photos from our recent trip to Boston's best restaurants, including Sasso, Catch, Salts, Gran Gusto, Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro, Gargoyles on the Square, Rialto, Natalie's, Sel de la Terra, Radius, Temple Bar, Via Matta, Aura, The Beehive, Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro, Troquet, Union Bar and Restaurant, Upstairs at the Square, TW Food, The Metropolitan Club, Garden at the Cellar, L'Espalier, Drink, and Clio. http://www.starchefs.com/Gallery/Index.shtml | |||||
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10. Don't Forget to Register for the 2009 International Chefs Congress! This September 20-22nd, join us and some of the world's top chefs as we help define the concept of American cuisine and explore some of the culinary industry's most cutting-edge developments. Our exceptional lineup this year includes Juan Mari Arzak, Pierre Gagnaire, David Bouley, Yoshihiro Murata, Charles Phan, Paco Torreblanca, and more! Follow the link below to register (use code DR-509): http://www.starchefs.com/events/icc/2009/index.shtml | |||||
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11. Featured Cookbook: Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide by Thomas Keller (2008 Artisan, $75.00) In this exquisitely photographed book, Thomas Keller provides a one-stop resource for sous vide technique, a certain if underused method for manipulating textures while preserving and intensifying flavors. One of the preferred cooking methods at The French Laundry, Per Se, and Bouchon, sous vide is a most appropriate star for Keller's first single-subject cookbook. Keller builds dishes from elements of flavor and texture; sous vide allows him the freedom to manipulate without diminishing the integrity of the ingredients. Food science writer Harold McGee offers an introduction to the basic chemistry of the technique, which Keller and his staff have honed over the course of years in a trial and error of culinary experimentation. As featured in Under Pressure, their perfected technique provides a stable plateau for the interplay of texture and flavor, guaranteeing sous vide a role in the future of American cuisine. | |||||
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12. Top Ten Jobs from the StarChefs.com JobFinder Restaurant Manager Wine Country Restaurant Seeks Management Candidates the girl & the fig California http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255480&positionid= Executive Chef Upscale Restaurant Venture Seeks Experienced Executive Chef Maine http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255760&positionid= Sous-Chefs (Garde-Manger, Banquet and Restaurant) Work for one of the best private clubs in the nation Houston Country Club Texas http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255720&positionid= Part Time Chef Instructor Passionate Culinary Instructors Needed The Art Institute of California - San Francisco California http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255460&positionid= Pastry Chef Professional Baker Needed for High-End Caribbean Restaurant Ginger Root Cafe New York http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255220&positionid= Executive Chef Award Winning Chicago Caterer Seeks Experienced Executive Chef Illinois http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255540&positionid= Sous Chef City's Top Restaurant Group Seeks Sous Chef Buckhead Life Restaurant Grp. Georgia http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255840&positionid= Executive Chef Help us go from very good to great Maryland http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255700&positionid= Pastry chef, bread baker, tournant and line cooks Upscale Casual Restaurant Opening Soon Abe & Arthur's New York http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255380&positionid= Executive Sous Chef Come join a dynamic Culinary Team at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel Fairmont Miramar Hotel Santa Monica California http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=255501&positionid= | ||||||
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13. Featured Chef to Know: Gabriel Kreuther of The Modern - New York, NY Excerpt taken from the 2nd edition of the StarChefs.com Chefs To Know: A Guide To Chefs for Chefs available for $24.95 through http://www.starchefs.com/shopping/ Gabriel Kreuther Executive Chef 9 W 53rd Street New York, NY 10019 (212) 333-1220 Restaurant Facts Seats: 75-80 Weeknight Covers: 90-100 Weekend Covers: 125-130 Check Average (with Wine): $140-145 Tasting Menu: Yes $115/$125 Kitchen Staff: 8 Chef Facts Cuisine: Contemporary and classic French Born: 1969 Began Career: 1987 Culinary School: L'École H?telière, France Grad Year: 1987 Stages: Washington, DC: Le Caprice Work History: Washington, DC: Le Caprice, Colmar; France: Le Fer Rouge; Switzerland: L'Ermitage de Bernard Ravet; New York, NY: La Caravelle, Jean Georges, L'Atélier at The Ritz-Carlton Central Park Mentor(s): My uncle, Bernard Ravet, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten Awards: 2006 James Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant; 2006 James Beard Foundation Best Chef New York Nominee; 2006 1 Michelin Star; 2003 Food & Wine America's Best New Chefs; 2002 StarChefs.com Rising Star Chef New York Affiliations: James Beard Foundation Languages Spoken: French, German Notable Dish(es): Pan-Seared Sea Bass in a Lemon Verbena Broth; Peasant Flour Soup with Florida Frogs Legs and Scallions Fast Facts Restaurant Recs: Katz's Deli for a pastrami sandwich Kitchen Tool(s): Rubber spatula; spoon Interview Question: What are your long and short term culinary goals and how are you positioning yourself to achieve them? I want to get a sense for how committed and focused on their profession a potential candidate really is. Flavor Combo(s): Some combinations I have been using lately are: scallops, vanilla bean, lime zest, and toasted buckwheat; cauliflower panna cotta with orange vinaigrette and caviar; roasted trout with rhubarb emulsion. Fave Cookbook(s): Larousse Gastronimique and Le Repertoire de la Cuisine by Louis Saulnier - they are two very comprehensive and classic culinary guides that provided me with a solid knowledge of cooking. Chef to Cook for You: A guy in France: Jean Georges Klein. I like the way he thinks about food. He has an interesting perspective as he began in the front of house before he started cooking. His food is very flavorful. Culinary Travel: I think it would be intriguing to spend some time in Japan. I would like to get a closer look at their techniques and to see a traditional way of cooking and the way they use their products. | |||||
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14. Recipe for Fettucine with Sardines, Currants, Fennel and Breadcrumbs from Christ Behr of SPQR - San Francisco, CAYield: 6 Servings INGREDIENTS Pasta and Sardines: 2 pounds dried semolina fettucine 2 pounds fresh sardines, scaled, heads removed, deboned, with filets cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces Salt and pepper Soffrito: Olive oil 1 ½ quarts finely diced red onions 1 ½ quarts finely diced fennel Pinch of dried red chile flakes 1 ½ cups tomato paste 1 cup dried currants rehydrated in hot water Breadcrumbs: Olive oil Stale bread, torn into ½ -inch chunks Salt and pepper METHOD For the Pasta and Sardines: Cook fettucine in generous amounts of heavily salted water until it is just about to reach the point of al dente. Meanwhile season sardine pieces with copious salt and pepper. Set aside. For the Sofrito: While the fettucine cooks, sweat onions, fennel and chilies in a generous amount of olive oil on low heat until vegetables are translucent. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce takes on a rusty color. Add hydrated currants with a splash of the soaking water. Cook the soffrito until it is thick and rich. Finished sauce should be somewhat oily. For the Breadcrumbs: Fry bread crumbs in generous olive oil. Drain well and crush in a mortar a pestle until you have pebble-sized pieces. Drain again on paper towels. To Assemble and Serve: Once fettucine is just before al dente, add it to the currant sofrito with a splash of the pasta cooking water. Toss and stir constantly, making sure to emulsify the pasta water and the oil from the sauce, for about 1 minute. Add sardine pieces and toss for one more minute to just barely cook the fish. Plate the fettucine, and top with a generous helping of friend breadcrumbs. | ||||||
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