"Potted" Vanilla Cupcake w/ Cardamom Maple Yogurt Cheese Frosting & Ovaltine Sprinkles

We had a little fun at home today with a cupcake recipe from Magnolia Bakery...Yes, the same as Sex & The City. I found the recipe online and had to try it, only I substituted the vanilla extract for a real vanilla bean. Also I wanted to try a yogurt cheese frosting and see if cardamom, maple, vanilla, and malty Ovaltine would play with each other well. They did and we will have to schedule another playdate soon!

Spicy Citrus Ginger Jumbo Shrimp over Rainbow Chard w/ Vanilla Scented Forbidden Black Rice

Ladie's and Gentelman, I think I've created an unholy beast. Last night it almost took over the entire restaurant! And its not afraid of fire like Dr. Frankenstein's Monster. This dish has everything I love about food. Sweet - shrimp, anise and vanilla bean notes in the rice, Savory - sea salt, chard, and butter, Acidity - white wine, lime juice and lemon zest, Spicy- Sambal Chili Paste.

It has the arms of a Thai man, the legs of a Creole woman, the head of Frenchman, and I gave it my very own heart! Ah hah hah hah (Mad Scientist laugh)!!! ITS ALIVE!!

Happy Halloween!

Porcini & Rosemary Encrusted Top Sirloin w/ Blue Cheese Butter on Truffled Garlic Mashed Potatoes W/ Cabernet Reduction & Sauteed Vegetables

This town is serious about meat and potatoes. From the loggers to the office folk to the retired hipsters, everyone wants a good steak done right. So who am I to stand in their way? Here I give you a sample of a great saturday night special. I hope you like it!

Pan Roasted Salmon over Fried Polenta & Wilted Spinach w/ Black Pepper Port Buerre Rouge

Salmon is a staple up here in the Northwest so coming up with new dishes for this protein can be tough. As you know already I don't complicate my plates, just offer good comfort food.

Here we seared the fish in clarified butter (ghee) and seasoned in salt and pepper, then pan seared it.

The polenta was a basic creamy polenta recipe which we let cool on a sheet pan and cut into triangles and deep fried. The sauce is a port wine reduction to which butter, shallot and black pepper was added at the appropriate times. I liked the grilled orange as a garnish and as another flavor. Salmon likes citrus! Enjoy!

Hi gang! I have a present for you...its even wrapped, in bacon! We sold five or six of these the other night even though we were slow. So I thought about you all and how angry you might be if I didn't at least give you a taste.

Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon Stuffed with Spinach, Buffalo Mozzarella - Parmesan Encrusted New Potatoes - Seasonal Vegetables in Garlic and White Wine

Enjoy!

More Dinner Specials...

Thai Style Grilled Shrimp Crispy Noodle Salad w/ Chili Lime Emulsion
Lemon Diver Scallops on Jalapeno Cheese Polenta w/ Garlic Carrots

Working at this new resto has really allowed me to be creative lately. I crank out our menu prep and create two specials per night. I was in the mood for eye candy last night, I guess.

New Resto, New Food!

As of this week I have moved over to a new restaurant. Yay! ...So I've got a few daily specials for you all...Hope you're hungry.


Chicken Saltimbocca w/ Pistou and Spinach

or

Spanish Beef Peasant Stew w/ Acorn Squash Gnocchi

Lazy Squid Noodle Dish

A silly dish I came up with yesterday, just to keep things inexpensive, turned out to be quite good! I really like a simple pasta fresca (butter and white wine with lots of garlic is usually the sauce for it) on a warm day. I twisted it to fit what we had in the fridge and cupboards ....

• .65 lbs. fresh squid - $1.89
• 1 lb. egg fettucine - dry
• 1 shallot
• 1 yellow patty pan squash
• 9 yellow grape tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbs. parsley
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 4 tbs. cold butter
• Parmesan cheese - grated
• 3 tbs. E V Olive oil
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• red chile flake -optional
• 1/2 lemon - juiced

So while heating up my water and cooking the noodles, I prepped the squid (sorry no pics of that, my hands were messy) by pulling it apart at head and body, removing the insides, including the quill, and slicing out the section with the eyes and beak. Then I made a few more 1/2 in. slices on the body to give me rings and tentacles and rinsed them in water. I chopped up my veg and got my sautee pan hot and ready for the next step...in went some olive oil and a pinch of salt and garlic and ever so briefly, (30 seconds) I sauteed my squid and set it aside in a bowl. Why did I do this step seperately?? Because I wanted to infuse flavor into the squid without over-cooking it. Then I wiped out the same pan with a paper towel and fired up my squash, tomatoes, shallots and more garlic with olive oil. When the fettucine was ready and the squash was tender, I drained the noodles and reserved a little pasta water to add to the vegetables. I then added my wine, parsley, salt, pepper and squid to the pan and let all that goodness reduce a little and added the butter and cheese. Serve it quick and done!

Grilled Yellowfin & Watercress Rice Salad

Craving a light dish last night as the temperature reached 98* outside...one of my favorite fishes calling to me from the fridge. As the cicada bugs were buzzing in the tree tops and the fan whirred back and forth I got inspired by the fresh watercress I bought at the market. I had seen a rice salad on Bravo's Top Chef a few months back (free plug) and decided I would attempt to make my own version. But what to season the tuna with? "Ah hah!", I said. Coriander, cumin, salt, pepper, and fresh garlic with olive oil easily became my decision. So I made a paste out of these ingredients and rubbed the fish with it. I let it sit while I made the salad. I rinsed the basmati rice until the water ran clear and then added about four cups water to one cup rice so that I could remove any excess starch. Then I drained it in a seive and let it cool in the fridge. Meanwhile I plucked my happy little watercress until I had about a light cup's worth and chopped up an heirloom tomato. Then I squeezed a lime and threw some chopped cilantro into my rice and added the watercress, a tbs. of olive oil, 2 tbs. minced red onion and tossed all my ingredients together. While grilling the fish I took care to not cook it any further than rare and rubbed some butter and more seasalt on the surface right before it was done. Back to the salad, I segmented an orange and used it to garnish the salad and squeezed the excess juice on the fish. That's it!

Roasted Game Hen over Leek & Chanterelle Stuffing W/ Heirloom Tomatoes & Fleur de Sel

This is such a basic dish, my wife and daughter's comfort food done my way. Hey! If I've got to cook at home too, I might as well do it the way I want. So here it is

Game Hen: Wash it off under cold water and rub with salt (Kosher). Let it sit for about 20 minutes and then wash the salt off. Prepare a wet rub with a mortar and pistle using 1 tbs. olive oil, 1 tbs paprika, 5 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Begin roasting at 375* for about 35-40 min. or until it reaches 160* internal temp.

Stuffing: Cast Iron Pan, 2 tbs. butter + 1 tbs. olive oil, 5-6 chanterelles, 2 medium leeks, 1 carrot, 3 c dried Pane Latte Bread croutons, 1 sprig thyme, salt, pepper, 1 + 1/4 c chicken stock. Sautee ingredients starting with veg first and slowly add chicken stock at the end a little at a time until you like the consistency. Pop the pan in the oven with the game hen at the last 15 min. The top should be crispy but still fluffy inside.

Tomatoes: Cut up some super fresh heirloom tomatoes and toss in good olive oil. Season with fleur de sel (Brittany sea salt).

Lamb Shoulder Chop w/ Salt Roasted Beets & Chow Chow

August has been a big month for posts and to end it I leave you with this all american inspired dish. Hearty and yet still summer inspired, this entree consists of everything I admire about American cuisine. The South has an appetizer of pickled vegetables which dates back to the first settlers...Chow Chow. Its not much to look at but pickling provides brightness and pallet cleansing to a dish. Like the Japanese pickled ginger which is searved along side any sashimi; radish, cucumber and garlic give a sweet yet tangy refreshment to the mouth that cut through the richness of this grilled lamb. The chop was seasoned traditionally with rosemary, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper. I let it marinate for just under an hour then grilled it on my cast iron grill pan. The beets were also simple. Seasoned with salt and good virgin olive oil and then roasted for an hour at 375* for 25 minutes. The pickle spices I like to use for this are mustard seed, red chile, garlic, dill and clove with sugar, salt, white wine vinegar and water.
This whole entree was created in just over an hour and when executed properly it speaks volumes about perfection through simplicity. Not every dish needs to have layer apon layer of complex flavors. That is not what makes comfort food anyway. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast w/ Fresh Banana & Honey Lemon Yogurt

I described this dish to a coworker the other day..." Sounds too healthy.", she said.

...Huh!?!? "Am I out of my mind?", I thought. Did I just describe it wrong?

As if healthy was some sort of insult, I reacted in repulsion to her comment. But now that I take another look...The ingredients do sound healthy, wholesome even. Good! Cuz its all a farce just to get the health nuts to break their stupid diets...Next time I serve this, I'm frying it in Bacon Grease too! Haah hah!

My very own Albondigas!

Instead of the regular, old spaghetti and meatballs night...we opened ourselves up to a night of fun with this beautiful, "Spanish Inspired", dish. It consists of a pork sausage and prosciutto ham from our local butcher and some herbs from the local garden. The sauce is a simple one that only takes about 20 min. from start to finish. We ate this with a homemade french baguette dusted with cornmeal.

Here it is...

Meatball

1. 1 lb. fresh pork sausage (neutral flavors)


2. 1/4 c. shredded prosciutto ham


3. 2 sprigs fresh oregano chopped


4. 1/4 c. bread crumb


5. 1 1/2 large eggs


6. 1/8 c. cornmeal


7. 1 tsp. chili powder

Sofrito

1. 1 red bell pepper


2. 1 green bell pepper


3. 1 large sweet yellow onion


4. 2 - 3 cloves garlic


5. 1/4 c. red wine


6. 1 can tomato puree


7. 1 tsp. cumin


8. 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika


9. salt and pepper to taste


10. 1 can of chickpeas (add liberally)

Combine all ingredients for the meatballs and roll into desired shape. Spread out on a sheet pan and bake at 375* for about 15 min. Discard rendered fat into your empty tomato puree can. Makes about 18 meatballs.

For the sofrito, sautee the first four ingredients till transparent and add the next four ingredients in this order (taking care to deglaze the goodness on the bottom of your pan). Reduce to a sauce. Add chickpeas just before serving to heat them through. Or fry them and serve as a garnish. Enjoy!

First Course or Fifth??

I created a small dish just for the heck of it today. I'm not sure what course to put it in...Maybe you could help. It consists of a fresh raspberry icecream with half heavy cream/half milk and an extra egg, chilled sherry vinegar reduction, lemon zest and fleur de sel. (munch munch) Anyhow, it sure is good.. (slurp) Whadda you think?

I think this would go great with a savory, nutty, lamb dish.

Around the world in one week!

Flat Iron Steak with Peach "Salsa"



Seared Salmon Carbonara



Garlic Basil Beef in Oyster Sauce

Poached Halibut on Green Leaf with Romas, Lemon Cucumber and Green Goddess Dressing

Due to a week of being home at night. (unusual for a chef) I had the opportunity to cook whatever we felt like ... So I won't go into to much detail but instead I'll show you what I created. Melanie, my four year old, was the acting souschef on most of these dishes.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Red Potatoes w/ American Grana and Tarragon & Summer Zucchini in Garlic and Wine

I don't cook alot of pork, using it as an accent in most cases. But here, I wanted to showcase the local meat and bring out the true flavor of the hog. Most would probably say that a tenderloin has less flavor and although it is more subtle, the sauce I made to pare with it enhances these flavors and brings out aroma without using the tried and true apple or quince. In fact, pork has a sweetness and using a rub with fresh garlic, fennel seed and mustard does just this.

I seared then roasted the tenderloin (350* for about 30 min.). When the pork was done, I took it out of the pan and deglazed the drippings with a 1/4 c. chardonnay and 1 c. chicken stock. Then I added thyme and salt and reduced to a 1/4 c. and added a small amount of cornstarch to thicken further.

The red potatoes were diced, tossed in EVO, salt, pepper, fresh tarragon, and Bella Gioso's American Grana cheese ( which is a hard cheese aged for 18 mo., that resembles parmesan but with more of a nutty sharp flavor). I popped them in the oven five minutes before the pork and pulled them out at the same time.

The zucchini and bell pepper was from my mother in law's garden and using these two vegetables together, they play off eachother and bring out a natural sweetness that is further enhanced by wine and garlic.

This dish just screams comfort food and doesn't scare anyone who might be afraid to try something new.

Five Spice Roasted Chicken w/ Matsutake Shanton Reduction and Dirty Fried Rice

American and Asian foods fit so well together if you do it right. Here's a dish of mine which has become one of my signature entrees. The shanton broth was something I came across while reading Morimoto's cook book. With ham, beef, and chicken in one stock, it lends a smoky rich flavor to any soup, sauce, or braised item. Shanton has a great versatility and I have had it as a staple in kitchens where my menus are in place.
Smoke is like a sixth flavor. If you pay attention, you can detect it in the upper back of your mouth where your breath comes down from your nose. Another aroma detected in this area is the scent of mushrooms and truffles. Matsutake mushrooms are so prized throughout Japan that they are now a rare commodity and most commonly are imported from right here in the Northwest.
This dish lends great round flavors and nutty tones throughout. And there's something to be said for using every part of the chicken! Enjoy.

And finally...

I got a chance to take a breath - one day off, after what seemed like a full month of craziness. I took it to get a recipe off my chest and get in the kitchen with my daughter to just play. First we created a peach tartlette. Simply spiced and macerated with freshly grated cinnamon and nutmeg. My dear pregnant wife was craving pie crust at dinner two days earlier. The craving didn't last but my inspiration did. And so, ...the results!

Also, not in the mood for starches and beef lately, lamb is also out of the question in my house until aftyer my wife's tastebuds are back to normal. We made a fish dish (my favorite type of entree) with some greens and patty pans. This is is a flounder, lightly sauteed in lemon thyme and shallot scented clarified butter and a lovely little dab of dijon and grapefruit marmelade (a twist on a Larousse Gastronomique inspired Cumberland sauce.) I've found lots of uses for this type of sauce including deli meats and taking it in different directions with mint, lemon, and shallots depending on the protein I'm serving. Enjoy!

Grilled Pacific Snapper on Mushroom Pilaf w/ Braised Brussel Sprouts

Of all the things I like to cook, a good seafood entree is one of my favorites. I used a technique here that is mostly overlooked by most chefs but is gaining some headway by others in the industry; it's called unilateral grilling or "grill poaching". Basically the method is grilling or searing on one side only, which creates a more tender meat. It doesn't work on more flaky fish like flounder or sole so picking the right fish is just as important as what sauce you use (if any). In this dish, I used a grill pan. When the pan had been heating on the stove for about 15 min. , I seasoned the filets with minced garlic, sea salt, black pepper and oil (grapeseed and olive blend). Then I placed the fish in the pan and cooked it till halfway done (3 minutes) and poured a good chardonnay into the pan, covering it with a lid. I never turned it over and because I left the skin on, the filets curled slightly giving it a cool shape and showing me when it was ready to be removed (3 min.). A glass lid helps to give you a view without letting the heat out until ready.

The pilaf was done with orzo added to basmati rice and toasted in oil and butter, with celery, red onion, carrot and cremini mushroom. I used 3/1 ratio chicken stock and water with lemon thyme and tarragon as my herbs (and more wine). For the brussel sprouts I sauteed them in oil and butter with garlic salt and white wine to finish them.

I've learned to cook more simply over the last two years. I don't over complicate my dishes anymore. Partly this may be due to my growing understanding of wine and also maybe a little maturity. I want to perfect even the most basic side dish now so that I accompany them with whatever protein I serve, this brings a certain synergy to each dish which makes someone remember it as a whole.

Sausage Ratatouille and a Yogurt Cheese & Fig Strudel

Summer is here and what an abundance she has brought! The local produce is beautiful and ripe. My herbs are busting out! I felt like making a dish to hail summer and what better dish than a simple ratatouille with some sweet italian chicken sausage and loads of fresh basil. I don't think I need to give you a recipe since there are hundreds for ratatouille on the web. Besides, I rarely measure things out. Just use your imagination (and lots of basil).

Then, yesterday I had the craving to make some yogurt cheese and use up these stewed figs from a canning spree I had about six months ago. So strudel seemed appropriate enough since I had some puff pastry in the freezer. Simple too! Just lay out your pastry and spoon on the cheese and figs. Then sprinkle it all with cinnamon sugar inside and out. Brush it with eggwash and pop it in the oven at 400* until its golden. Voila! Tres magnifique!