STUDIOKITCHEN

Saltimbocca Alla Romana

The distinctive Italian preparation specifically speaks to the combination of Proscuitto and Sage flavors attached to veal. In most cases what seems like a relatively easy and rustic dish never quite works because you essentially never taste the veal. The saltiness of Proscuitto used in more than sufficient quantities so often dominates the dish. The point here was not really to re-invent the wheel but a slightly different approach to the same flavors. The Proscuitto and Sage is used to create a side dish based on the fairly straight forward approach used in the Potato-Oxtail Terrine with the only variation being 1 layer of Proscuitto and Sage for every 3 layers of buttered raw potatoes.

 
 

The terrine is vacuum sealed and cooked in a water bath just above 85C for some period of time. It certainly can be baked but would require introduction of some cooking liquid which changes the texture and structural integrity. The compression also helps it stay together along with the help of Methocel.

Cooled, sliced and sauteed, it should make a delicious "saltimbocca" potato to serve with veal or several other things for that matter.

I perfect fried egg would be excellent.

Olive Miso Paste

Black Olive Miso instinctively makes no sense since you would be combining two strong salty flavors however using Saikyo Miso and candied olives yields a rather delicious Lamb Marinade or base of Olive Miso brine.

Chocolate Olive Moelleux Tart

 

Balancing chocolate with olive results in more than shock value, properly done it is absolutely fantastic.

The tart is topped with Candied olive crumble and olive caramel streusel with the streusel bridging the flavors of chocolate and candied olive. The dessert will be complete with a scoop of very neutral ice cream with strong lactic aftertaste. I plan on topping it with Mozzarella whey ice cream. Even a simple "fiore de latte" would be perfect.

Chorizo-Serrano

Why Not.

Uni "Ice Cream"

Although it is a completely frigid day outside, the first thought on cold days as far as food is something warm and soothing. Heat however can be interpreted as spice heat as opposed to temperature heat. Cold soba in a spicy broth communicates that heart soothing warmth but with a bit more delicacy if it is elevated. A few days ago I made a Sea Urchin ice cream base in the PACOJET. This was not a traditional sweet ice cream but a base that was adjusted enough with shellfish stock and mirin such that the natural briny flavor of the uni shines through in the "soft" serve state.

It is little more than an amuse or a course in a modernized omakase, it honors the memories of it's ingredients and for a cold dish on a snowy day it keeps you warm. The broth is a mushroom "tosazu" infused with high quality dried shiitake, Yuzu zest with the added heat from Yuzu kosho. A scoop of Uni ice cream, Santa Barbara sea urchin and nigella shoots complete the dish.

Uni Ice Cream will be fantastic served on a cold briny oyster with the same broth above as a "gelee" conterpoint.

Thanksgiving Dinner 2009

Fried Turkey

Caramelized Eggplant-Caper-Raisin Puree

Parsley Root . Cumin

Turnip-Vanilla

Cranberry . Star Anise Jam

Braised Sunchoke-Chestnut Stew

Mushroom French Toast

Buffalo Turkey Wing

Turkey Sausage Stuffed Shisito Pepper

Back To Basics

No matter how much effort we put into creativity, people just seem to gravitate to the basics. This should be no reason to retard creativity, it just reminds us why we cook at all. People want tasty food.

People like Porcini Oatmeal maybe because it combines the elements of 4 comfort classics, mushroom soup, oatmeal, risotto and cheese.

Smokin Shrooms

Its been a whirlwind week of cooking and travel without much time to hold a camera let alone blog anything, the typepad application for the I phone is quite useless. Today I finally broke open the smoker and smoked some rather large royal trumpets. My plan is to evenly slice them on a meat slicer, cut into strips by hand for a relatively uniform dice. You guessed it I am trying a smoked mushroom risotto inspired by the riceless kind at Elements below. I bet it would be delicious with pieces of confit duck folded in and toasted pressure cooked pine nuts.

Steamed Miso Toffee Pudding.

Steamed Miso Toffee Pudding . Caramel Ice Cream "Demi-Sel Croquant au Chocolat". Smoked Chocolate

Steamed Puddings are very moist, perfect for cold days and result in a different texture from dry baked traditional cakes. If cakes could have Umami this is it. There is in fact a small amount of 100% atomized chocolate in the cake but only to reinforce the caramelized miso flavor which is nicely offset by caramel Ice Cream with crunchy bits of Chocolate Salt spun into the ice cream. The acid test-if a 5 year old asks for seconds, the dish works.

Why F With Perfectly Good Italian Food.

Butter Roasted Potato Skins Infused Into...................Raw Milk

Curdled with Rennet and Lipase = Roasted Potato Whey.

Which Is Currently Draining into Roasted Potato Ricotta. (Yummy by the way)

 

To Make Tommorow:

1.   Roasted Potato Gnocchi . Roasted Potato Ricotta . Pesto

2.   Roasted Potato-Roasted Potato Ricotta Gnocchi . Brown Butter . Parmesan . Sage

Why mess with perfectly good Italian food.

Because all avenues must be explored.

We wont know unless someone goes there.

It is possible to play and still honor the simple principles of Italy.