KISD Dinner Party 2010

So, we had another charity dinner party out at my parents' house. It was an auction item for the Kerrville Independent School District. And we went with a 6-course meal, with wines paired by Peter Beeman.

1st Course:
Lobster Bisque with Chive Oil & Fresh Chives


2nd Course:
Spring Salad. Shredded Romaine with a Caramelized Onion Vinaigrette, Grape Tomatoes, Orange Segments, Hears of Palm, Cheve Cheese, and Sugared Pecans.


3rd Course:
Butter Poached Salmon with Risotto, Cream Asparagus & Red Pepper Oil.


4th Course:
Chicken Confit with Roasted Corn, Jalapeno Butter, Roasted Chicken Jus, Chicken Cracklings, and Fine Herbs.


5th Course:
Lamb Loin with a Brown Butter Fennel Puree, Sweet Pea & Mint Puree, and Glazed Carrots.


6th Course:
Bittersweet Chocolate Mouse in Chocolate Bowls with Whip Cream, Fresh Strawberries and a Vanilla Tuile Cookie Spoon.



We had tons of wonderful helpers as always. It was easily one of the most fun parties we have had.

Atlanta Vacation

So then. For Christmas this year, my sweet and generous and wonderful girlfriend gave me a trip to Atlanta. Which may sound like a random vacation to you, but it was the best thing she possibly could have gotten me.

I am a big fan of the show Top Chef on Bravo. They tend to get some of the absolute best chefs in the country to compete. Everyone has their own opinion on what is great food & how to go about achieving it. During the competition, you see different philosophies and techniques. Things like complex vs simple, or rustic style vs molecular gastronomy. I don't think I shun any of them, though some I find more appealing to my own personal way of cooking.

You also see how contestants handle themselves in the kitchen very much the same way people handle themselves in kitchens all over the country. There is lots of stress in kitchens. Lots of thinking and planning go into each dish, and one small misstep can ruin the entire thing. There is also heat, communication breakdowns, long hours, cuts, timing issues. It is extremely easy to go batcrazy and be constantly furious. The kitchen is not a breeding ground for patience.

There is also a lot of ego in the kitchen. There are lots techniques that people turn their noses at. And lack of knowledge is sneered at as well. Though it is practically impossible to know everything in a kitchen. A lot of chefs put down other chef's food in order to make themselves feel better about their own food. It is a lot like high school. Now there are people who are very cocky, very confident who can back it up with amazing skill & knowledge. Those people I have no problem with, but there is something special about a person who is amazing in the kitchen and also very kind.


"Live with a man 40 years. Share his house, his meals. Speak on every subject. Then tie him up, and hold him over the volcano's edge. And on that day, you will finally meet the man." -Shepard Book on the Philosophy of Shan Yu

"Andre Soltner, the legendary chef and owner of Lutece, may never have looked at a resume the way I might with a prospective young cook. Instead, he would say, 'make me an omelet.' He figured he could tell a lot simply from watching the way the applicant beat the eggs, handled the pan and tasted for seasoning." - Daniel Boulud, Letters to a Young Chef

"A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person." - Bill Swanson


I for one think that that how a person handles themselves in a busy, hot, stressful kitchen will definitely show their true character.

Which brings me to the reason for the trip.



This past season there was a contestant named Kevin Gillespie. And the guy is everything I try to be as a chef. He is confident, patient, calm, kind. His food is simple and balanced. He doesn't cut corners & his technique is fantastic. His time management is wonderful, and he is rarely under a time crunch. He cooks local & seasonal. He is more rustic than scientific. Everything he plates looks beautiful.

So yeah, I think he is great. And his restaurant happens to be in Atlanta.


On the first night we were there, we went to Pura Vida, which is a restaurant run by another Top Chef contestant named Hector.

And it was outstanding. It is a Tapas restaurant, so we loaded ourselves with a ton of different dishes.

Pretty & Happy Kathleen:


GA Trout Ceviche. Lemon-Lime Marinate, Aji Jelly, Canchita Corn & Milk:


Button Mushrooms Pinchos. Sizzling in Chipotle Garlic Butter:


Duck Confit. Caramelized Ripe Plantain, Duck Jus:


Steamed Coconut Buns. Smoked Pilon Pork Belly, Tamarind Sauce, Shaved Cabbage, Cilantro & Pickled Chilies:


Chicken Picadillo Empanadas. Chile-Sugar Can Vinegar "Pique":


Tamales. Pickled Green Peppers, Anchovies:


Los Riburgers. Two Curry Buns with Nutmeg Rib Patties, Fried Queso Fresco, Chayote Pickles, Red Habanero Ketchup:



The next night was the big one. We went to the Woodfire Grill to eat the food of & meet the brilliant Chef Kevin!

Me outside by the sign:


We ordered the 5-course tasting.

Amuse. Whipped Goat Cheese, Spiced Local Radish, Sweet Herbs:


First Course. Confit of Laughing Bird Shrimp, Crispy Shrimp Toast, Sauce Choron, Micro Chervil:


Second Course. Pan Roasted Diver Scallop, Roasted Cauliflower with Espelette and Rosemary, Cauliflower Cream, Foie Gras Emulsion, Roasted Chicken Jus:


Taste. Raw Kusshi Oyster, Beet-Horseradish Gelee, Black Truffle Clotted Cream, Steelhead Roe:


Fourth Course. Wood Smoked Berkshire Pork Loin, Dry Spiced Pork Belly, Tomato Braised Cabbage, Cornbread Puree, Sweet & Sour Mustard:


Main Course. Wood Grilled Grassfed Lamb Loin, Fennel and Baby Onion Soubise, Fig and Coffee Jam, Shaved Fennel Salad:


Dessert. Chocolate Molton Cake, Curry Marshmallow, Coconut Ice Cream, Curry Peanuts, Florentine Cookie:


And we got to meet Kevin!


It was a pretty amazing night. Every dish was full of flavor. All of the proteins were perfectly cooked. The cornbread puree was completely rad & I loved the Espelette pepper with the cauliflower. So again, level 10 outstanding.


The last night we were there, we went to Two Urban Licks and had another really good time.

Shaved Calamari. Sweet & Spicy, Cilantro, Wasabi Cream:


Fried Chicken. Grilled Corn Slaw, Chipotle Honey Mustard:


Fried Green Tomatoes. Shrimp, Avocado, Creole Tartar:


Duck. Pan Roasted, Duck Sausage, Butternut Squash Puree, Apple - Pumpkin Seed Salad:


Bronzed Scallops. Gouda Grits, Pico de Gallo, Smoked Tomato Broth:


Nutella Chocolate Bread Pudding. White Russian Ice Cream:



It was an amazing time in a city with amazing food.

Beggar's Purse

I love to make fresh Raviolis. There is something about hiding the filling in pasta and presenting it like a gift. My favorite shape to make is the Beggar's Purse.

For the Chamber of Commerce Dinner, I did a Regular Pasta with a Pumpkin Filling.
For the Cowboy Artist Museum Dinner, I did a Regular Pasta with a Ricotta-Mushroom Filling.
And for the Oceaneering Dinner, I did a side-by-side of Regular Pasta with the Pumpkin Filling and a Spinach Pasta with the Ricotta-Mushroom Filling.


All of them were served with a Brown Butter Sage Sauce, which is a traditional pasta sauce & a perfect Fall sauce.

First I made two Fresh Pasta Doughs: Regular & Spinach.

I then took a bunch of chives and blanched them in boiling salted water for about 30 seconds and then shocked them in ice water.


I then made the 2 fillings.

For the pumpkin filling, I used:
1 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 1/2 15oz Cans Pumpkin Puree
1T Minced Fresh Sage
1 to 1 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Eggs
Salt

I took a saucepan and heated up the heavy cream until it started to simmer. I turned off the heat & added in the pumpkin puree and the sage and mixed it around.


Next, I added the Parmesan cheese till I liked the thickness. I tasted it, adjusted the salt & then added the eggs.


I put it in the fridge and let it cool.

For the Mushroom-Ricotta Filling, I used:
Generic Plain Mushrooms, about 2 pounds
Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 Containers 15oz Ricotta Cheese
1 1/2 Cups Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
Salt
2 Eggs

I diced up the mushrooms & put them in a bowl.


I got a sauté pan very hot and added the vegetable oil. I then sauted up the mushrooms.


I put the mushrooms into another bowl and let it cool slightly.


Next, I added the ricotta cheese, the heavy cream, & the parmesan cheese.



I then stirred it all around, tasted it, and adjusted the salt. I then added the two eggs, stirred it, and then put it in the refrigerator to cool.

To finish making the pasta, I used a kitchenaid pasta roller.

I divided the pasta into 4 equal portions.


If you are new at making pasta, you may want to first start out with smaller pieces till you get used to working with them. I kept the other pieces covered so they wouldn't dry out.

I got my bench nice and dusted with flour.


I then took my small piece of pasta, flattened it out, dusted it with flour and started running it through the pasta roller on the widest setting.


I like to fold over the pasta, dust it with flour, and continue to run it through the roller until I like the strength & feel of the dough.


Then I started rolling it out thinner and thinner, by adjusting the setting after each run through.




I rolled it all the way to the second to last setting on the pasta roller. On my machine, it goes to 8, so I rolled it to 7. I then laid the thin pasta on the dusted bench and started cutting it into somewhat equal squares.



Next, I put the filling on the pasta squares.




And then I hand brushed a little water on the outside of the pasta.



Then, I fold over the pasta and sealed it, careful to not have any air pockets.




Then, very carefully, I pulled both of the sides upward to form the bag shape.




From there the beggar's purses are tied with the blanched chives with a simple double knot.



The beggar's purses are placed on a sheet pan that has parchment paper and has been heavily floured. I refrigerated them until I was ready to cook them.


I make the brown butter sage sauce about 30 minutes before I am ready to serve. Butter has three parts: Milk Solids, Butter Fat, & Water. If you melt the butter, you can see it separate into these three parts. The solids tend to rise to the surface, and the water tend to go to the bottom.

At a certain point, while heating butter, the milk solids will start to cook and they will turn brown, and if cooked too long, burn. This is why many chefs will clarify butter if they are going to fry with it, so that they can cook at a much higher temperature without worrying about the milk solids burning.

Brown butter has a nutty flavor that goes great with pastas and fish.

So to make the sauce, I melted the butter and cooked it until the solids started to brown.


I turned the heat off completely and add some fresh sage that I chiffonaded.


And then whisked it around.


To make the pasta, I got a large pot of water boiling. I salted it very well. I can't really express how important it is to salt the water. The water should taste like the sea. The pasta should taste flavorful, on its own, even without sauce. If the water has no salt in, the pasta will be bland and will rely on the filling and sauce for its flavor.

I cut off the heat and gently placed them in the water, probably 12 at a time.


I cooked them for maybe a minute & a half and then carefully took them out of the water & onto the plates.


And then finished by spooning the sauce on top.