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.