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.