gu A c A moL e

chef #1: dude, Baldor just dropped off a case of avocados…they’re peaking…wanna make a soup or something for a special tonite?

chef #2: …how about some guacamole?

chef #1: dude, that’s lame

chef #2: yeah… but not if we deconstruct it…

chef #1: ?

chef #2: see, there’s this philosopher dude, Derrida, who deconstructed text by examining and reforming words, syntax and language to personally connect with the context rather than the author.

chef #1: ????

chef #2: Then architects ran with that and applied it as theory by reorganizing the spatial and structural elements of a building, making it less familiar in order to create new relationships between these elements.

chef #1: ?????????

chef #2: So…we can apply this to guacamole by taking the flavors that are familiar and presenting them in a way that is unfamiliar, to force us to think about their relationship.

chef #1: F**k that, just make soup.

TGRWT #8 white chocolate and caviar

Chadzilla is a food blog written by chef Chad Galiano that I always find inspiring. When he announced that he would be hosting round #8 of TGRWT(They Go Really Well Together) and put white chocolate and caviar on the table, I knew that I wanted to play along.

To my knowledge, Heston Blumenthal was the first to pair caviar with white chocolate. I recall reading an article which appeared in the Guardian back in 2002 and being shocked by the combination, but intuitively, I knew that it would work; salty and briny with a sweet, milky finish. Since then, many chefs have adapted this pairing and put their own spin on it. Recently, I sampled Will Goldfarbs version–Indonesian vanilla ice cream with American Sturgeon caviar and chocolate bits at Dessert Studio at Michel Cluizel–and they did indeed go really well together.

Blumenthals version calls for a dollop of caviar atop a thin white chocolate disc and suggests that the whole thing be placed on the tongue and allowed to melt. I don’t know about anyone else, but once food enters my mouth, it must be chewed. And chew I did, and spoiled the experience.

For my version, I wanted to soften the bite of the white chocolate without losing the mouthfeel. I combined creme fraiche (to tame the sweetness) with white chocolate in a 1:2 ratio to create a firm ganache that could be molded into a caviar-filled truffle. Molding the ganache without crushing the caviar was a challenge. Using demi-sphere silicone molds that were filled with the fluid ganache, frozen, hollowed, filled with the caviar, than gently pressed and blended together was a bit tedious, but produced the product that I was looking for. Now I could enjoy the sensation of biting through the soft, creamy shell, the release of delicate pearls spilling out onto the tongue, the play of crunch and melt, sweet and salty–the familiar taste of childhood Easter bunnies with x-rated caviar.

The only thing that could heighten the experience, I decided, would be the addition of a dry, crisp element. Potato chips came to mind, and I taste-tripped back to a dessert that I had at WD-50, in which Alex Stupak studded a flexible white chocolate ganache ribbon with sweetened, dehydrated potato shards. He served this with a white beer ice cream, in which the element of bitterness was mind blowing; a revelation. The whole combination bordered on culinary genius except for the indiscernible flavor of potato in the shards. I really wanted to taste their earthiness with the white chocolate, so I fried up some thin slices of potato, then dehydrated them until they were crisp and sprinkled them with sea salt. Nibbling on these between bites of the truffle added another dimension to the experience. But I have never been one to leave well enough alone…

When considering the combination of caviar, creme fraiche, and potatoes, it was not a leap to add vodka to the equation. I could have just poured it into a shot glass, but the fingerling potatoes were too perfect in size and shape to not utilize them as a vessel. A little dusting of chopped dill and I knew thaat it was done.

Recently, I had a conversation with a chef friend about chocolate pairings. When I mentioned this combination, I saw a look of panic flicker over her face. I assured her that it is good and cited some examples. She wasn’t convinced and asked,"What’s next…chocolate and blue cheese?" I thought about that for a minute and could only smile while I silently thanked her.

tequila sunrise

Ah, citrus…a ray of sunshine in the bleak of winter.

One of the first elaborate dishes that I recall making with citrus was a terrine in which supremes of various citrus were layered in a mold, ascending in color from dark to light. Each layer was set with its own gelled juice and when sliced, made a stunning presentation. I served it as a dessert then, with white chocolate ice cream and a caramel tuile, but I have since used it as a component to other courses. In fact, I have come to rely on it as a bright, high note to play off of other elements such as lobster or ginger glazed duck.

I’ve been thinking about this terrine lately–how to refine it and simplify its form. When considering the translucency of the citrus slices, tissue paper came to mind. If you are me, when the brain connects food to a non food item, its time to play.

Tissue paper collage was my introduction to color mixing, learning how layering colors produces new colors and design. This concept, applied to food really excites me, because of the added element of taste. Imagine a collage of thin veneers of poached vegetables layered on a plate, each bite a different color and flavor…the mind reels with possibilities. Back to the task at hand…

Keeping the design linear produced an ombre effect. I couldn’t help but think of a Tequila Sunrise, which threw me in a new direction with flavors. Color is always foremost in my mind when designing a dish, and I decided that green was where I wanted to go with this. I auditioned different flavor combinations and chose pumpkin seeds (pepitas), green chili, and cilantro. I knew that texturally, I wanted a rich, creamy element and so I combined the ground pepitas with yogurt (I would have used kefir or labne if I had some on hand) and allowed it to drain overnight to produce a sort of cheese. The green chili and cilantro oil adds a counterpoint of heat and herb.

What to drink with this? Tequila, of course…preferably a smooth, balanced anejo like Chinaco.

Citrus Pave

pave:
thinly sliced supremes of:
blood orange
ruby grapefruit
orange (reserve juice)
white grapefruit (reserve juice)
1/2 tsp gelatin
1 oz tequila
On a sheet of plastic wrap, lay down overlapping slices of citrus starting at the top with the white grapefruit, in shingle-style rows, working down to the blood oranges. Keep in mind that the surface touching the plastic wrap will be the top. Place in the refrigerator to chill thoroughly. Combine the reserved juices and measure 1/2 cup . Sprinkle the gelatin over and allow to soften. Heat until gelatin dissolves. Stir in tequila and let cool to room temperature. Remove pave from refrigerator and spoon a thin layer of the gelatin over the top of citrus, spreading to completely cover. Chill until set and repeat 2-3 times until you have achieved an even, thin layer that will hold together the slices.

pumpkin seed- yogurt cheese:
1/2 cup yogurt
2 Tbsps finely ground pumpkin seeds
pinch salt
Mix all ingredients together well. Make 4 small cones out of triangles of parchment. Snip the tip to produce a small hole for drainage and suspend them in tall shot glasses so that their tips are not touching the bottom, and fold back the parchment that rises over the glass. This is easier to do if you slit the excess parchment to the rims. Tie a string or rubber band over the excess to secure. Spoon in about 2 Tblsps of yogurt mix into each cone, being careful to not leave air pockets. Move to refrigerator and allow to drain overnight.

serrano-cilantro oil:
Flesh from 2 serrano chilies
1 cup cilantro leaves
pinch salt
3/4 cup avocado oil
Place the chilies,cilantro and salt in a blender or food processor with a little of the oil until finely chopped. Drizzle in the remaining oil with the motor running.

to plate: Cut the pave to desired size. Invert onto plate using the plastic wrap. Unmold cones by peeling away the parchment. Arrange on pave and dot plate with oil.