Cookies, Checklists, and Social Media

Buckwheat Black Sesame Cookies

My recent culinary kick has been trying out new flours. I'm well versed in using AP/Bread/Cake, whole-wheat, '00', and almond flour, but have only on occasion used different forms. A few days ago I used kamut, today buckwheat, and next will probably be teff. All these flours have distinct flavor profiles that can be utilized to create pastries with an unexpected (and hopefully good!) taste. These cookies (above) are very unique. When baked the buckwheat has a very nutty aroma, paired with the sesame seeds you wind up with a cookie reminiscent of peanut-butter and a strong umami flavor not typical to cookies. I quite like them.

In other news. I've added a checklist to linedry's website so everyone who's interested can see what we're up to, and where we are on our pre-opening "to-do" list.

Speaking of updates. I opened a twitter account (@linedryla). I've avoided it thus far, not for any real legitimate reasons, but basically I didn't really get how it worked and am slightly social-media disabled. But, social networking is now a common place method of marketing and communication in the culinary industry. If you don't believe me, type in any chef, restaurant, or personality. I assure you, almost all of them have one, and I would be doing my business a dis-service by not having it. Free marketing right? Also, another thing to keep up on. Though, I have to admit I did find a few purveyors I'm now very interested in as well as a couple organizations (like this one) I'd love to get involved with.

Baking Adventures with Natalie

Kamut Cookies

Kamut-a new flour to our pantry. This is a simple cookie, butter, flour, sugar, salt. Super simple, and playing on butter as a flavor from both the flour and the butter itself. This is a perfect example of when you're butter really matters.  I think Pulgra butter is a perfect multi-use butter, you're only as good as your butter (no less than 84% butterfat!)

Creme de Violette Macaroons

French Caramel Lollopops

"Oreos"-Dark Chocolate-Cinnamon Wafer with Vanilla Bean Butter Cream

I love having my sister Natalie here, a perfect excuse to bake even more (not that I really need an excuse)

More Pasta, and a Scone

 Lasagna

Because we love street tacos, and because we live in LA, Tuesday's are often reserved for our version of Taco Night. Last night however, we went a different route. Since I'm on a bit of a pasta kick I thought I would make a lasagna with my new, and amazing, no stick pasta recipe. I went with a simple sauce (tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, olive oil, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper) and fresh mozzarella for the layering.  Generally, homemaking lasagna is an epic affair, with pasta sheets strewn about the kitchen. And while it did take a while to mix, knead, rest, roll, cut, pre-cook and prep the pasta, it was easily manageable on the 4 sq. ft of counter space I had. The result? Nearly perfect. great flavor, but more sauce next time. Did I tell you how much I love this pasta? We paired this with a cabbage and parsley salad with a warm pancetta and balsamic dressing and, of course, wine.

Lemon-Thyme Scones

I have to start by saying, generally, I hate scones. They are dense and dry, "alright" at best.  Considering how low cost and minimally involved they are, its pretty obvious why they are mass-produced in many commercial kitchens. But, done correctly they are light and moist, and a great vehicle for nearly endless possibilities of flavor combinations, from sweet to savory. And hey, I'm a pastry chef, I should be able to make a decent scone don't you think?  I made these in about half an hour from start to finish. And they were, super simple, and fantastic! They are so light, not even a bit dry! The only problem is, you could easily consume far too many in a mater of a few minutes. The trick is in the technique.
It's so simple, I don't understand how all scones aren't this way. This is easily one of the best scones I've ever had.
To make:
2 cups all purpose (I ran out of AP and had to use a bit of cake flour, which shouldn't hurt it, since cake flour is low in gluten, and you do not want gluten development for your extra light scones)
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
whatever flavoring you want. I did thyme (maybe 1/4 cup chopped) with lemon zest-from two lemons, and a bunch (a tablespoon or two) of fresh black pepper.
All above Mixed. *
Then, and here's the key. Place cubed butter (70 grams, or 5Tbsp) that you've pre-cubed and place in the fridge, COLD into the flour and mix (in stand mixer or food processor) until chunks of butter are about the size of peas (a few can be bigger, just don't over mix to take so long the butter melts).
Then, add 1 cup heavy cream, mixing until just combined, finish by hand. Mix absolutely as little as possible to avoid gluten/dense scones. *if you decide to use fruit, add it here instead of with the dry ingredients.
Shape, and bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges/top. cool for 10 minutes on a rack.

Spring Kitchen Adventures

Fresh Pasta

 After a particularly obnoxious winter for most (except here!), it's beginning to finally look like spring, which means my favorite season for fruits! In particular Strawberries and Rhubarb (more on that below).
After sampling some of the best pasta destinations in the US, I finally found a recipe that I think matches every single Michelin star  establishment I've attended. It has a perfect bite, it doesn't clump. And it tastes...amazing. The dough, is admittedly a bit obnoxious to work with, but oh so worth it!

Using my kitchen aid attachment, the pasta falls cut into a pile, which normally is panic inducing as fear of each strand sticking to its neighbor is realized. But not in this case, it just sits there in a neat pile. I rarely feel this way, but I think I love this pasta. It will continue to be a staple in my home and professional ventures. Which also means I can't let you know the secret of this ideal pasta, that is, not on the internet anyway.

Strawberry Rhubarb

On another note, spring means strawberries and rhubarb!! I spent this rainy sunday preserving the season in compote form, and as per request of my resident taste-tester I also made an accompanying crumble. Simple, classic, and still a favorite. 

Cooking from French Laundry

I love cooking, clearly, but I actually rarely cook. I bake often, and throw together basic dinners nightly, but I rarely have to opportunity to try new techniques or attempt a bit more challenging applications. The French Laundry cookbook is very accesible, minus a few recipes, and one of my favorites to cook from. Luckily, I had veal and chicken stock, truffle oil, and grey salt in the kitchen, so cooking a six course meal wasn't actually that hard.

Quail Eggs

Making Fennel Oil

White Truffel English Pea Soup

Red Pepper and it's aborted fetus...

While chopping up a pepper, I found this mini pepper inside the other pepper, and it looks...exactly what the caption suggests. It was a bit upsetting.

Soft poached quail eggs with bacon

 My first time working with quail eggs, they proved a lot easier to poach than regular eggs, but essentially taste the same. This dish was pretty simple, and absolutely incredible (mentally filing for later use)

Parmesan Crisps with Goat Cheese Mousse

Fennel, Fig, and Pepper Salad

Dry Aged Rib Eye

With Chantrelles and pommes anna

Dark Chocolate Mousse Filled Meringues with Chocolate "Salad" and Vanilla Creme Anglaise 

Ridge

Sunday Brunch At Home

Homemade english muffins (Tartine) with fried egg and proscuitto san danielle 

I LOVE brunch. Living in New York I was constantly spoiled by the availability and quality of brunch options. Here in LA, it exists, but minimally and most isolated to the west side. And while those places that do serve up  brunch (BLD, Little Door, Hungry Cat for example) are absolutely fantastic, they tend to lower your bank account balance a bit more than you'd like.
So, brunch at home. Home made english muffins: $.25/ea, 1 fried egg: $.30, a of slice exceptional san danielle proscuitto: $1.25, 1 cup intelligentsia cruz del sur coffee: $.70
Total meal: $2.50/person
And to be honest, I think our version is just as good as any restaurant offerings!! Minus of course, being served the meal, luckily for us, cooking is half the fun!

LINE DRY!

It's happening!
Or beginning, anyway. Owning my my place.
Here's a link to the website/blog: http://linedryla.com/
I'll continue to post here on unrelated matters, but that website will serve as the primary medium for information on how the process is coming along.

Dark Chocolate Cake

My first "custom order!" A colleague of Alex's asked me to make her husband a birthday cake, or rather, a very chocolate cake. I was excited, if not a bit nervous, to make my first cake for a client. I chose a tri-layer cake with two layers that were a dark chocolate-espresso and a middle layer of a lighter standard chocolate cake. Filling I went with a salted caramel chocolate ganache (thanks to Pierre Hermes) And the covered with the same ganache-whipped into a frosting. Simple, rich, and a pound of valrhona dark chocolate. I'm quite happy with it! Plus, this frosting ended up being one of the best I've ever used, and definitely saving for future use!

Chocolate caramel ganache [Pierre Hermes]

6 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

4 ½ ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

combine chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set aside

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tbsp salted butter

1 cup plus 2 tbsp whipping cream

1 ½ cups unsalted butter(3 sticks)

Put one third of sugar in the bottom of heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When it starts to melt, stir with wooden spoon. Once completely melted, add another third of the sugar. Once that is melted, add the last third of sugar. Cook till amber color reached(be careful it does not burn). Add butter-careful it will foam up. Once butter is combined, add the cream. Bring the cream to a boil. Pour half of this over the chocolate and stir until smooth(the small the chocolate is chopped, the faster it will combine). Once smooth, add the rest of the cream and stir until smooth.

While the chocolate mixture cools, take the room temperature butter and with either the mixer on low speed(paddle) or with a rubber spoon, soften until it looks like mayonnaise (buerre en pomade)

Gently stir the butter into the chocolate with a rubber spatula. Stir until the mixture is smooth

*or whip to make frosting*

Let sit for an hour or so, stirring occasionally until spreadable consistency. 

Perfecting the Country Loaf

After purchasing "Tartine" I thought I would start at the beginning. The Country Loaf. I mean, how hard could that be? Trial 4, and it's ALMOST there. First, it's a super wet dough (aka sticky and hard to work with). It sticks to the proofing basket towel and tears, so there's no tension in during baking (how it maintains shape/expands and doesn't end up super dense).  Then, it won't score, again, no steam release=dense. And there's the starter, which I've been maintaining for two weeks now is just now getting to be the right "sour." Not to mention, it's high maintenance, since tartine suggests kneading is unnecessary, there is an every-half-hour for four hour turning ritual, to be followed by a shaping that looks easy enough....anyway, it's been MUCH harder than I thought it would be. But now, after much trial and much error, I'm finding success. Granted, earlier attempts yielded solid loafs, but not perfection, not a Tartine loaf. This time, I think I've got it! And few tricks of my own! Like doing away with the cloth lined proofing basket and opting for parchment which is then directly lowered into a dutch oven (substitute for steam-injection oven), which means NO sticking! But the results are worth it, and satisfying. I'd say I'm at 90%, one more go and a few tweaks and I think I'll have a loaf to rival any bakery!

Providence Tasting.

Thanks to a very generous Valentine's Day gift from my Dad, Alex and I were able to do the full tasting at Providence. About a year ago  we had the dessert tasting, but didn't have dinner. This tasting has been on our "must try" LA for quite a while, and it didn't disappoint. Favorites were the the uni dish in an egg shell (!) and the market cheese plate. Of course, everything was fantastic, those just stood out. The desserts were, naturally, nop notch.  But pictures do better justice than I could describe in words-so here you go!! 

(and a special thanks to my Dad!!!)

Amuse Bouche
Greyhound, Mojito, Grouger, Parsnip soup/port reduction

japanese kanpachi (kangoshima)
crispy rice crackers, austrain finger lime cream, kimchi powder

santa barbara sea urchin
champagne beurre blanc, brioche bread crumbs, herbs

Maine Scallops
buckwheat, dashi, napa cabbage

sea bass
cranberry beans, seaweed, brown butter

marcho farms veal tenderloin
braised daikon rasdish, chanterelle mushroom, jus de veau

wild tasman sea trout
fennel, beets, orange

Market Cheese Plate!

lemon sorbet
tarragon, yogurt

banana bread pudding
barley ice cream

petit fours!
cocoa marshmallow, pistachio macaroon, cinnamon pate de fruit.

Recent Kitchen Ventures

Since I'd like to be opening my own...something (wholesale, storefront, what-not) at some point I thought I may as well spend my free time recipe testing. 

First up, macarons. They are for those who have tried to make them a constant source of frustration. Finicky, difficult little things they are. So simple in appearance, yet extremely difficult to get right. My macarons are generally fine, but not great. I set out to fix that. Pierre Herme in France is well regarded as one of (if not the) best when it comes to macarons. So I thought I would replicate his method. It's considered "advanced" since it uses hot (220 degree) sugar and impeccable timing, folding skills, and general ability to know when things "look right." The slightest error with these and they fail completely. 

 I made vanilla bean, boring, perhaps, but I wanted to start out simply. I was really happy with the result, aside for some oven regulation issues out of my control. Pierre is also known for his strange flavor combinations, some of which I'm not so sure I want to try

 Next up, rustic loaf in a dutch oven,  to simulate steam injection of a professional kitchen. Overall, very happy. I could have developed my wild yeast starter a bit longer to get a more sour flavor (this one was a bit mild)-so trying again tomorrow. But still, overall, very satisfied with this loaf and it will become a staple for sure.

 Last, since it's valentines day tomorrow...spicy ginger snaps with a crystalized ginger cream cheese filling (recipes adapted from saveur/101 cookbooks)

The first bite.

It's Dine LA week, which means restaurants all over LA host pre-fixe dinners at affordable prices. Tonight was a 3 course dinner at two michelin star Spago, in Beverly Hills.

It is of course, not as great as it might normally be, (it is affordable remember?) the dining room is gigantic, the decore...odd, and the music a bit too noticeable. But...
It was a great meal anyway. And I am reminded every time I have the pleasure of dining at these sorts of places, not only why they are most certainly worth the $$$$, but also, what I love about this industry-why I'm here, why you're here.

Let me explain.
For me, it goes like this.
An upcoming restaurant reservation somewhere I've been meaning to try.  I get the rare opportunity to dress up (even if it is LA where casual is the general dress code).  I get to the restaurant, and from the moment I step inside, everything changes. Dining for me is not just the food, it is almost a form of therapy. Sitting there, drinking, eating, conversing with dining companions (or maybe with my book at a restaurant bar) everything is else is far away. The stresses I've felt that week, everything that worried me, made me upset or doubt is gone. It is the simplest activity, full filling the most basic human need, and yet one of the most gratifying experiences I can think of. As the server delivers our agnolotti we pause conversation to focus. That first bite is pure bliss to me, its why I dine, I've been looking forward to it all day. The way the pasta feels as you bite down, the way the impossibly smoothy interior coats your mouth, sense heightened, and all you can think to say is "oh, god, thats good."  I savor that first bite, because you can't get it back, the second bite is never quite as good as the last. Saved in my memory are vivid recollections of these first bites.  Conversation turns to reminiscing; this reminds me of that pasta at Redd in Napa, oh, do you remember that? That was incredible. And I'm in no way exaggerating when I say that moment is one of such significant happiness, of calm, pure and unadulterated joy. It is rare. And just think what went into that bite. The chef that conceived the dish, labored over its perfection, just for you, to have that moment.
It is what I love about this industry. Despite its awful hours, horrible pay, and more than occasional unpleasant person or questionable job security. It is full of passionate people who strive to deliver you an experience, a memory. To make you happy. It's so simple. Its what I aim to do. I love to bake, I love the science behind it. But thats not why I bake. I bake for you. I agonize over details, aim for perfection, and put everything I can into that croissant I've just made you because your reaction is what I'm really going through all this effort for. To be able to give happiness to someone, to make them feel joy, or loved, or special is absolutely priceless.
And thank you, to everyone who has supported me through this change, it has been unbelievably rewarding. Each of you constantly serves as motivation and inspiration. All I really want, is for every person who tries something I've made to have a perfect first bite.
I certainly hope you do.

Chocolate Souffle Re-approached

Tonight I made chocolate souffle. Sort of. The ingredients for this recipe are as follows:
Chocolate
Thats it! Well, and any seasoning you might want to add.
Using the magical properties of chocolate's crystalline structure, these confections are essentially souffled truffles-minus the cream.
Take tempered chocolate (melted) and put it into a warm iSi. You want it to be warm so the chocolate doesn't set up, but not so hot it knocks the chocolate out of temper. Load with CO2 and dispense, let set up, and cover/decorate as you please.
The texture is pretty great-light, obviously and smooth/creamy, and all obtained without cream!

I love it when science and baking combine like this...

So, you want your own business?

You know what? I've had it. I'm tired of applications to get a job paying nothing that I'm over qualified for, because, NO ONE is HIRING. Or rather, its the food industry and everyone hires from within. Regardless, I'm sick of waiting, and waiting, and in the mean time getting nothing done. 

So, I'm done with this. I'm starting my own business. Wholesale/ farmers markets for now. 

Easy, right? Kidding, of course not!

Here's a short list of what you'll need:

Business License

Register you're business name (only takes a month...)

A commercial kitchen for manufacturing, in which you need liability insurance, servesafe certificate, a written business plan, a security deposit (usually $250), and acceptance of the $25/hour rental fee. 

Board of Equalization Seller's Permit

Health department Permits

EIN number for taxation purposes and associated forms (there are MANY)

website (blog...?)

business cards

Now once you have all that? 

Then you get to apply to maybe get a spot at the market of your choice, in which you prove you have all of the above-and then they sample your products to see if they like you.

No big deal. Not to mention supplies, equipment, packaging, ingredients, pricing, and on and on and on.

So WHY on earth would I want to spend far too many hours a day navigating the bureaucratic (excuse me) bullshit for the opportunity to maybe be profitable?

Well, its simple really. Lets say I am successful, I can make decent money-not a lot, but better than any $10-$15/hour entry level job. Plus, I get valuable experience doing what I eventually want to do for a career-OWN a business. 

But mostly, I get to do what I love, I get complete creative control, I make my own hours and am my own boss. So, the ideal. I'm willing to suffer a bit now to get through this, any much respect to those who have. It's no easy task, but I think, worth it. 

A New Venture

After my recent culinary adventure to Peru, I've been debating my "next step" in the culinary world. After attending the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco I feel, at least a little, more sure. It seems that right now what I ought to be doing is "getting my foot in the door." A seemingly simple task that I've found personally to be exhausting and generally frustrating. Everyone wants experience, no one is hiring. I don't even really know what it is I want to do. I do know however I ought to pick something, and stick with it, at least for now. To establish myself in the industry. Easier said than done of course. I have a few internship opportunities for this summer, and although the idea of only being an intern at 24 is slightly irritating, I suppose I ought to expect it given my career change. Oh well. At least, I love this industry-I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it-but jeez, this is taking some getting used to. Long gone are the cut and dry paths of the science world! So, for now? Until I land a specific internship in the field, I intend on branching my career from I'm focusing on two things. Working in the industry in some capacity, and recipe/ business development. After all, what I REALLY want to do, and my ultimate ambition, is to own my own place. So, with that I've started venturing into learning how to make fresh pasta-a project I've briefly attempted in the past, with the general outcome of "damn, this is harder than I thought."  But with my pastry degree (pasta is after all, dough) I've found the intricacies to be at least, slightly more familiar. I won't go too much into my plan here, since it is of course "sensitive" material, but I will note on how things are generally going and of course continue to post pictures of my kitchen adventures.

So, my first attempt at pasta.
I've long believed in the theory of "go big, or go home " when it comes to cooking (oddly, not much else...). Which, to be honest, generally gets me in more trouble than I'd like to admit. I'm making pasta (with a roller of course) for essentially the first time. Should I make basic pasta with a tomato sauce? Probably. Do I? No, of course not. I flip open French Laundry and have a go at the Agnolotti, a filled yolk based pasta. After a fair bit of research, I felt confident I could handle this, I mean, why not shoot for the best right away? I want to challenge myself after all!

What I've concluded from this exercise. Food photography is cruel. As I instantly expect my agnolotti to be a picture perfect as the book. Which, after three tries, and a fair bit of frustration, it does begin  to.  Also-bacon does not like pipping bag tips, as Alex discovered as he had the unfortunate task of being my sous-chef and encountering this problem first hand: the pasta is drying out, the pipping tip is stuck because the bacon wasn't chopped small enough, and I've been working with this damned dough for the past two hours and my patients running low. And in the end? We both agreed the bacon was pretty lost anyway...oh well.

But! It was worth it. The finished product was absolutely fantastic, I think. Although I realized, I don't really know what constitutes perfect pasta, clearly a professional course in Italy is in order :)

But here it is, my first attempt at pasta, and despite a bit of anger, worth it completely.

Filled with sweet potato/bacon, with a sage cream sauce, proscuitto, and brow butter.