The Flavor Democracy

Which came first, the truffle or the egg? It doesn’t matter, they have always been extraordinary bedfellows. I picked up an excellent tip at the 2018 Napa Truffle Festival… Eggs will absorb the volatile compounds released by a truffle if you place them in the same bowl. . Ahh, yeah. Get your Gruyère ready. This… Continue reading Which Came First?

With an eye on the start of 2018, a “flexible” NYE snack seemed apropos. I sliced fresh calamari and poached it in red wine, water, garlic, a little soy sauce, and spring onion, with a small bay leaf. Next, I dipped the tenderized tidbits in beaten egg yolks, dredged them through [my] seasoned dry polenta,… Continue reading Red or White for NYE? Why not both???

After a mixture of minced green garlic tops, chopped spring onions, minced [cured] garlic, sliced maitake mushrooms, crushed dried wild oregano, and diced lobster were sautéed in butter and evoo, they were folded into a pan of scrambling eggs. When the frittata was nearly done it was moved to a plate, topped with crushed tortilla… Continue reading Beauty Is Only Skin Deep… A Lobster Frittata story for a Sunday in Monterey

Tomato based, but so much more… diced tomatoes, spring onions, black garlic, wild oregano, evoo, rice wine vinegar, dried Thai chili pepper, sweet onion sugar, and… ‘wait for it’ …. dried safflower flowers. Safflower flowers are often maligned as being bland or called a poor man’s saffron, but this seasoning has an abundance of desirable characteristics… Continue reading Rockin’ My Mo’Roccan

Soooo not fast food… I brined pork tri-tips overnight with spices, minced onion and garlic. After a 1¼ hour dip in a 130º sous vide, they went into the smoker for another 30ish minutes at 375º. The final touch was rolling them in brown sugar and holding them under the broiler just long enough to form… Continue reading Smoked Pork Tri-tips With a Brown Sugar Crust…

The probability of misunderstanding the ingredients for this plate is very-very low. The probability of using your utensils is about 50/50. I’ve always considered lamb loin chops a finger food. You should too, especially if you want to get all of the filet… The use of the fork does offer a noticeable advantage when eating… Continue reading Broiled Lamb Loin Chops and a Simple Swiss Chard Salad

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure to host Liam Gough as a ‘Chef In Training.’ I am honored that he selected me to help him pursue his interest in the culinary arts. My goal for the day was to expose him to highlights in the process of preparing dishes suitable for fine dining – as… Continue reading “Young squire, preparing bolognese is a far better fate than polishing armor…”

Remnants of coq au vin served over basil/garlic/evoo seasoned fresh gnocchi. Some of the best arugula I’ve ever tasted, dressed with an aged balsamic vinaigrette, made a fine complement.  

My passions lie with Bourgogne and Bordeaux, but there is something special about a fine glass of bubbles….

I didn’t hit any guardrails on the culinary highway with this dish, but I did do a little lane weaving. I lightly seasoned and seared two halibut filets in butter and evoo. The cuts, still rare, were finished in a simmering homemade puttanesca sauce and set aside. Basically, the filets were poached in the puttanesca.… Continue reading Halibut alla Puttanesca with a leggy twist…