Avocado Toast

We recently decided to restart breakfast service at the restaurant so we did a couple of tastings to see what exactly we would put on the menu.  Over the past few years we have seen the rise of the avocado toast everywhere from restaurants to hipster coffee shops.  The trick is to find your own unique version and run with it.  Because we are a California brasserie, I decided to use a kale pesto.  For the bread, we chose to use brioche toasted and seasoned with the pesto.  Then topped with a fresh ripe avocado, sliced and seasoned simply with sea salt, pepper and lime juice.  Next, a perfectly poached egg with a beautiful rich liquid gold center.  The whole thing is finished off with a roasted chili oil and pumpkin seeds.  The only challenge now is to go to work everyday and try not to make this my daily breakfast.  The avocado makes it healthy, right?

 

Octopus Carpaccio with Red Wine Poached Pineapple

 

This dish has a great mix of flavors, from sweet and tangy to spicy and salty.  The prep for the dish is surprisingly easy and you do not need a lot of ingredients.

Start the dish by washing your raw octopus and then placing it in a large pot of salted water with rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns and 2 wine corks.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour then take off the heat and let it cook to room temperature.  When the octopus is cooled remove from the pot and cut off the head and legs.  Take half of the octopus and arrange the legs in opposite directions on plastic wrap and roll several times into a log.  Cool in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

When you are ready, remove the plastic. The octopus should hold together firmly, and slice with a sharp knife or on a meat slicer.

For the pineapple, peel and cut into quarters lengthwise.  Poach in a mixture of red wine with a cinnamon stick, star anise and a pinch of salt for 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature in the liquid.  Remove one piece and slice into 1/8 inch strips.

For the pan roasted potato, remove the peel and cut off all the edges of the potato to form a rectangle.  Slice long ways into about a 1/4 inch and season with salt.  In a saute pan add a spoon of butter and melt over medium heat.  Add the sliced potatoes and cook slowly until golden brown on both sides.  Remove from the pan and pat dry to remove the extra butter.

To assemble the dish place your sliced octopus on the plate, you can arrange however you want.  Place one piece of the potato in the center and top with four slices of the pineapple and lastly with a second piece of potato.  Circle the plate with your favorite brand of sriracha sauce then season with a bit of black pepper and olive oil.  I top mine with a little bit of fresh herbs and mustard greens.  It is also nice with a bit of crushed wasabi peas.

 

 

Mango Lassi Popsicles

My new favorite desserts this summer are popsicles.  They are so easy to make and there are no limits to the flavor combinations.  It seems that they are popping up everywhere this year, even the franprix across the street has their own line.

For this recipe I make a puree of mango and a little sugar if it is not sweeet enough. Then I mix equal parts of coconut milk and cream.  Layer these in a mold and place in the freezer for 1 hour.  After it has started to freeze, place the sticks in the middle of each popsicle then return to the freezer until completely frozen.

I serve mine with a spicy chocolate sauce and some fresh raspberries from the garden.

Take the time and experiment with your favorite summer flavors.

Have fun and enjoy taking a break from the heat of the summer!

 

Sushi Donut

 

Everyone loves donuts. The main question is usually cream filled or glazed? My answer is sushi. The new trend this year is the sushi donut which is made of sushi rice, topped with fresh, marinated or smoked fish and whatever else you think sounds good.

I like to use a type of rice called calrose. It is a medium grain rice that was developed in California in 1948 and gained popularity all around the world.  For toppings, I love to use pickled ginger, wakame salad, thinly sliced scallops, tuna and avocado.  Sauces can range from teriyaki to a spiced aioli, or even as simple as sriracha.

 

The New Parmentier!

The newest creations in the kitchen have been some changes to classics. What better dish to start with than my favorite!  With the late fall and winter here, I decided to work with one of my favorite vegetables for the season which is the beautiful sunchoke (topinambour in  French).  This vegetable pureed and fried into chips have equally flavorful results.  Here I have combined this puree with a mix of sautéed mushroom and duck confit with a little teriyaki and jus.  One of my favorite spices right now is the togarashi spice, which works very well with the combination of all these flavors.  Give it a try, it is a pretty simple dish and will be a pleasant surprise. 

 

Blue Cheese Pear Gastrique

This sauce started with a simple gastrique sauce, simply caramelized sugar deglazed with vinegar.  For me, I prefer to use honey rather than sugar to make my caramel, it is much healthier and most important, more flavorful.  For a lot of my cooking I prefer to use cider vinegar, I feel it has the best flavor that pairs with most ingredients.

Begin the recipe with by peeling and removing the core and cutting it into large pieces.  Cook the pears in a pot on medium heat until the water comes out and the sugars start to caramelize.  Deglaze with a little water to remove the sugars beginning to caramelize on the bottom of the pot.  Once it is fully cooked, add the bleu cheese and stir until it is melted then puree.

Begin to cook the honey with the fennel seeds until it begins to smell a bit burnt and deglaze with the cider vinegar. Remove from the heat and carefully add the pear puree and stir until it is completely mixed.  Heat again and simmer for a few minutes to make sure the caramel has completely melted into the sauce.

You can base the recipe on your own tastes, whether you love the taste of blue cheese or pear more.

 

Beet Versatility

Beets are very versatile and are in season year round.  Two of my favorite preparations for them are roasting and pickling.

This “salad” featured above is seasoned with a confit lemon olive oil, fourme d’ambert blue cheese espuma, candied walnuts and grapefruit segments.  To finish, I drizzle a syrup of grapefruit and chili and a little fleur de sel and fresh black pepper.

I also really enjoy making chocolate beet brownies.  The chocolate works great with the beets, as well as pureed with creme fraiche for a dessert sauce.

 

Lobster Corndogs

Who does not like corndogs, especially made with lobster and made FRESH?

Much like doughnuts, corndogs always taste best when fresh and hot.  I guess when you think about putting things inside of a corndog instead of a hotdog, you start flashing back to clowns, the bearded lady and deep fried candy bars.  Sorry to disappoint you if that’s what you were looking for when you clicked here, the fair starts in July.  If you are still interested, I would like to church up your thinking of corndogs.

This recipe will make you fall in love with lobster all over again, if it’s even possible to have a falling out with such a delicious crustacean.

This recipe is very easy and quick.  Start out by mixing 2 cups of cornmeal with 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1 tablespoon of salt in a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl mix 3 cups of buttermilk with 1 pound of grated corn, 2/3 cup of grated yellow onion and 1 tablespoon of honey.  Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry until fully mixed and smooth.

From here you can skewer your lobster; I use the meat from the claws.  Freeze them so they hold their shape when you dip and fry them.  After they are fried to golden brown in 350 degree oil, season with salt and garnish with chopped parsley.

There are a number of sauces you can serve with this appetizer; I like to use a chipotle sour cream with smoked paprika.  However you finish the dish, just do me a favor and have fun and enjoy!

 

Heirloom Tomato Season

Ok everyone, the time has come for the new season of heirloom tomatoes!

Heirloom tomatoes have become more and more popular in the recent years.  They lack a genetic mutation, thats what gives the tomatoes their appealing uneven form.  They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes and flavors.

Heirloom tomato seeds are easly collected and will self-pollinate.  The seeds show the traits of the original seeds line.

Shopping for them becomes easier as the summer goes on. The best way is to stop by the nearest farmers marker and ask the growers about their varieties. They will be more than happy to help you pick out a tomato you will love.

And finally, play with it and have fun!