The Chefs Table Life

2009 food trends

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:26:00 +0000

If you’re a homebody who enjoys making a big pan of macaroni and cheese, or eating a hearty, homemade stew instead of going to a fancy restaurant, congratulations: You are among the trendiest people in the country.
Comfort foods, simple meals, home cooking and recession-proof dining will be the buzzwords in the food world for 2009, according to trend-spotters and market experts. But fear not, foodies. The 2009 forecast isn’t all about meatloaf and mashed potatoes. The new year also will see the rise of Asian noodles, Peruvian dishes and drinks, ginger, cactus, certified fish, affordable wines, garam masala flavors, smoked flavors, maple syrup, organ meats and the growing use of eggs at lunch and dinner, not just as a morning staple.
Say farewell to molecular gastronomy, with its dehydrators and foams, and auf wiedersehen to elaborate restaurant concoctions that require five garnishes and three sauces. Even chefs will economize and embrace simpler, more cost-effective foods.
“There’s been a tendency among American chefs to pile as many ingredients on a plate (as possible), using the maximum number of cooking techniques. These showoff antics peak just before every economic collapse. In recessionary times, they’re now forced to cut back on both ingredient costs and the labor required to fabricate froufrou,” said Michael Whiteman of the Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co., a food and restaurant consulting firm in New York.
“That’s one reason so-called comfort food starts appearing on menus and on home dinner tables. Another reason, of course, is that in stressful times, braised and baked items are more comforting to the soul than grilled-and-garnished dishes.”
Turning to comfort foods in a recession isn’t a new phenomenon. But this year’s culinary “cocooning” also is driven by the desire for simple pleasures.
“It’s driven partially by finances. But this time it’s more ‘I’m staying home not because I need to but because I want to,’ ” said Lynn Dornblaser, senior new-product expert for Mintel, which tracks consumer trends. “It’s more of a positive choice than a reaction or a feeling of fear: ‘I have my big TV, my gourmet kitchen, so I’m staying home.’ ”
And those who are staying home are looking to prepare satisfying, economical dishes, said Tanya Steel, editor in chief of Epicurious.com.
“The recession already has affected how we eat and feed our families. The search terms on Epicurious are skewing to common ingredients – pasta searches, chicken searches,” Steel said. “People are cooking at home. It’s the way to get the most value from your dollar.”
Steel also said that complicated, science-experiment food is out and simple food is in. “Intellectual ‘head food’ … is done,” she said. “It was an important revolution, gastronomically speaking, but at the end of the day people really want food they know and flavors they understand.”
So what are some foods, flavors and culinary trends we’ll see in 2009? Here are several, gleaned from a variety of trend reports:
• Breakfast: If you like eggs at any hour, you’re in luck. Look for more restaurants with all-day breakfast items. Fried or poached eggs on top of dishes (the classic French frisée salad, for example) also will be more popular.
• Asian noodles and soups: With raw-fish prices increasing, noodle bars are becoming the new sushi joints, sporting ramen, udon and soba noodle dishes. Noodles in broth, such as Vietnamese pho and Southeast Asian laksa, will grow in popularity.
• Certified fish: Concerns about overfishing have led restaurants and suppliers to buy from fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, a London-based non- profit that promotes sustainable fishing practices. Avoiding vulnerable species, such as bluefin tuna, Chilean sea bass and swordfish, is part of the effort. Walmart has pledged to make a full switch to certified fisheries by 2011, according to JWT, a trend and branding expert.
• Gluten-free products: Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, a protein found in rye, wheat and barley, affects only about 1 percent of the population. But gluten-free products are now considered chic, said Ann Mack, director of trend-spotting for JWT. “It’s perceived as healthy,” she said. “You’re seeing more celebrities talking about it in the magazines.” Stars are using gluten-free products as diet aids, she added.
• New flavors: Look for lavender, persimmon, star fruit, garam masala and chimichurri flavors to crop up in food products and on menus. “We’re still looking for new things,” said Mintel’s Dornblaser. She added that cactus, in both food and drink, will make its way from the Latin market to the mainstream.
• Peru: It’s the next great foodie destination, according to Bon Appétit magazine. Peruvian cuisine’s flavors and ingredients will influence restaurant menus. Move over, caipirinha and mojito: The Pisco Sour, made with the Peruvian national spirit, is the hot new cocktail.
• Ginger drinks: Ginger beers and cocktails also are hot new sippers, according to Epicurious. Spirits become more popular in recessionary times, Steel said. “One of the areas people are not cutting back on is liquor,” she said. “People are drinking more. They’re spending less on the actual bottles, but they’re drinking more. Bars are not being hit like restaurants.”
Will these trends blast off like yesterday’s sun-dried tomatoes? That remains to be seen.
What is clear is how much the economy will affect the way we eat, shop and spend our restaurant dollars. Cheaper cuts of meat, pasta, beans and economical prepared meals from the supermarket are signs of our recessionary jitters. Supermarket sales are growing, as is traffic on their Web sites.
Steel said: “People are looking for coupons and using them.”
It’s not all doom and gloom for restaurants, though. Bi-stros boasting affordable, filling fare are making a comeback, Whiteman said. Menus featuring spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, pad thai and rigatoni carbonara may escape the sting of the Dow.
Also look for more small, tapas-style plates, Whiteman added.
If there’s one exciting dining trend to emerge from our diminished dollars, it’s the “underground restaurant,” according to the Baum & Whiteman report.
These “black market” eateries are unlicensed, one-night-only dining ventures staged by skilled cooks in warehouses, garages, cellars, vacant nightclubs and personal dining rooms. They usually feature a set menu and are BYOB.
What Whiteman calls “gastronomic speakeasies,” they are mushrooming because they’re fun, usually affordable and offer a “sense of adventure,” he said.

The Dominator misses Renato

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Thomas) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:13:00 +0000

The World’s Top Chef, Ferran Adrià, at Documenta

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:48:00 +0000

is one of the world‘s most important exhibitions of modern and contemporary art taking place every five years in Kassel, Germany. The twelfth edition of Documenta (from 6/16/07 – 9/23/07) will outsource “Pavilion G” to Ferran Adrià’s restaurant, El Bulli, in Catalonia, Spain. Two lucky exhibit goers are selected each day and flown to the restaurant to indulge in Adrià’s culinary art. Check out this amazing gallery of the chef's work from 1983 - 2005 (excluding 2002, which he took off to reflect on the previous 20 years).

Ferran Adrià began his culinary career as a dishwasher at the Hotel Playafels, in Catalonia. The chef de cuisine at this hotel taught him traditional Spanish cuisine. At 19 he was drafted into military service where he worked as a cook. In 1984, at the age of 22, Adrià joined the kitchen staff of El Bulli as a line cook. Eighteen months later he became the head chef.

El Bulli (the small bulldog) has 3 Michelin stars and is regarded as one of the best restaurants in the Western world. In 2005 it ranked second in the Restaurant Top 50. It was awarded the first place in 2006, displacing The Fat Duck in England. El Bulli has retained this title in 2007.

The restaurant has a limited season from April to September; bookings are taken on a single day in the previous October. It accommodates only 8,000 diners a season, with 800,000 people calling to try and book places - around 400 requests for every table. The average cost of a meal is €250 (US $340); the restaurant itself has operated at a loss since 2000, with operating profit coming from El Bulli-related books, and lectures from Adrià.

Adrià is often associated with "molecular gastronomy,"although the Spanish chef does not consider his cuisine to be of this category. Instead, he has referred to his cooking as deconstructivist. Adrià's stated goal is to "provide unexpected contrasts of flavour, temperature and texture. Nothing is what it seems. The idea is to provoke, surprise and delight the diner."

From The Guardian:

Deconstruction is one of the Adrià inventions that have changed the face of gastronomy. To understand how it works, let's look at what he does with a classic dish of his native land, tortilla española - Spanish omelette. First, he reduces the old-fashioned tortilla to its three component parts: eggs, potatoes and onions. Then he cooks each separately. The finished product, the deconstructed outcome, is one-part potato foam (food-foaming is another technique Adrià has given the world), one-part onion purée, one-part egg-white sabayon. One isolated component is served on top of the other in layers, and topped with crumbs of deep-fried potatoes. The dish, minuscule, comes inside a sherry glass. Adrià, with the playful irony that exists in practically everything he does, names this dish...tortilla española.

From Time:

For each of the 100 days of Documenta (it ends Sept. 23), Noack and director Roger Buergel select two people from the exhibit goers and fly them to dinner at Adrià's restaurant. For the lucky Charlies who win golden tickets to the Chocolate Factory, Adrià is an enthusiastic Willy Wonka. "This is the most beautiful thing I've done," he says about hosting the
Documenta visitors [...]

For the Flögels and El Bulli's 48 other customers that July night, the result of all that investigation and inspiration took the form of spherified olives that, when put in the mouth, exploded with a gush of intensely flavored olive oil. The liquid yolk of a quail's egg came wrapped in a hard, burnished shell tasting of candy. Citrus pulp turned into a tangy risotto.

If they hadn't been invited to El Bulli by Documenta, the Flögels would have been set back nearly $500 for dinner [...] They filed out after midnight with childlike smiles of wonder on their faces. For Adrià, their response only reinforces his core belief about cooking. "Food," he likes to say, "is happiness."

Lemonade Break Station

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:01:00 +0000

Freshly squeeze lemonade stand with choice of organic berries

Poppy & Pinenut Parfait W/ Rhubarb Compote and Cranberry Oatmeal Ice cream Sandwich

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:56:00 +0000

Poppy & Pinenut Parfait W/ Rhubarb Compote and Cranberry Oatmeal Ice cream Sandwich

Retro Candy Station

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:07:00 +0000

Boston Baked Beans, Organic Granola Bars, M & M"s, Lemon Drops, Skittles, Nuts , And More !!

The Dominators Mission Statement

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Thomas) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:35:00 +0000

The Dominator Dominates His Computer

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Thomas) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Deep Fried Green Beans Tossed With Habanero Chile , Lime Yogurt Sauce

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:32:00 +0000

Deep Fried Green Beans Tossed With Habanero Chile , Lime Yogurt Sauce

Iceburg Wedge Salad & Tomato Basil Bread Salad

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:23:00 +0000

Wedge Salad - Bacon,Blue cheese,Tomato, Chives , Ranch Dressing

Bread Salad - Mozz. Cheese , Cherry Tomato , Red Onion , Basil , Croutons, Oil , Red Wine , Sea Salt , Pepper , Maple Bacon , Arugula

Root Beer Float

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:14:00 +0000

Mug Root Beer, Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chicken Pot Pie Served with CornBread

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:11:00 +0000

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:17:00 +0000

googled7d6e43d3ce45f87.html

Carolina Corn Flake crusted Trout

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:50:00 +0000

Carolina Corn Flake Crusted Trout w/ Vanilla Lime Yogurt & Grilled Lime

Lemon & Thyme Roasted Snapper

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:56:00 +0000

Lemon & Thyme Snapper
with Crabmeat ceviche

Tarragon & Shrimp Salad

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:53:00 +0000

Tarragon & Shrimp Salad

Food Pictures

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:05:00 +0000

Lemon drop candy
Fried Oyster Shooter
Rice Pudding Shooter & Black & White Cookies
Antipasto Display

$ 175 Burger

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:56:00 +0000

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Its creators admit it is the ultimate in decadence: a $175 hamburger.
The Wall Street Burger Shoppe just raised its price from $150 to assure its designation as the costliest burger in the city as determined by Pocket Change, an online newsletter about the most expensive things in New York.
"Wall Street has good days and bad days. We wanted to have the everyday burger (for $4) ... and then something special if you really have a good day on Wall Street," said co-owner Heather Tierney.
The burger, created by chef and co-owner Kevin O'Connell, seeks to justify its price with a Kobe beef patty, lots of black truffles, seared foie gras, aged Gruyere cheese, wild mushrooms and flecks of gold leaf on a brioche bun.
The eatery sells 20 or 25 per month in the fine dining room upstairs versus hundreds of $4 burgers each day at the diner counter downstairs, Tierney said.
Pocket Change previously designated the double truffle burger at Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne as the most expensive at $120, and the Burger Shoppe set out to top that.
Boulud's creation -- available only during black truffle season from December to March -- rose to $150 this past season, so the Burger Shoppe raised its price on Monday to $175.
"Our burger is not about the price," said Georgette Farkas, a Boulud spokeswoman. "If you are making something concerned only about the price, you are off in the wrong direction."
Without truffles, Boulud's burger costs $32. It has a ground sirloin patty stuffed with red wine braised short ribs.
O'Connell said the Burger Shoppe was "finding the ultimate expression of each one of the ingredients."
"The concept was like a mushroom-bacon-Swiss cheese burger, which is my favorite sort of burger," he said.
The burger comes with golden truffle mayonnaise, Belgian-style fries and a mixed greens and tomato salad. O'Connell pairs the dish with many fine wines, a lager or a toasted brown beer, or ginger ale.

Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with Winter Ale Demi, Cheddar Mash Potatoes and Grilled Marinated Cippolini Onion

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Thomas) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:29:00 +0000

Pan Seared Salmon with Haricot Verte and Fingerling Potato Salad and Roasted Lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Thomas) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:27:00 +0000

Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Morel Mushrooms and a Sweet Pea Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Thomas) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:13:00 +0000

Braised Short Rib with Sam Adams Demi

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Thomas) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:10:00 +0000

Butternut Squash Soup

ren76chino@hotmail.com ($ Mad Money Fund $) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:48:00 +0000

1 Butternut Squash3 cloves Garlic2 Shallots 6 link Andouille Sausage (small dice)2 tsp Red Chile Paste1 quart Chicken Stock5.6oz can Coconut Milk1/4 cup Rice2 tbsp Cinnamon3-4 sprigs Fresh Thyme1-2 sprigs Fresh Oregano Sea Salt (to taste)White Pepper (to taste)Peanut OilButterPeel the Butternut Squash and cut the top off. Cut six 1/2" slices off of it and chop those into a 1/2" dice for the garnish. Roughly chop the remainder of the Squash and mix it with a bit of Peanut Oil, and a few sprigs of fresh Thyme and Oregano – roast off in a 375F oven until soft (about 30min).

Step 1:
Mince the Garlic and Shallots. .

Step 2:
Saute the Zest, Garlic, Tien Tsin and Shallot in a bit of Oil until tender.

Step 3:
Deglaze with the Chicken Stock and add the Rice.

Step 4:
simmer.

Step 5:
Let simmer until the Rice is cooked.

Step 6:
Once the Rice is cooked, add the Roasted Squash, complete with the Oil and Herbs, and add the Chili Paste, Coconut Milk, , Cinnamon .

Step 7:
Bring back to a simmer and puree in a blender.

Step 8:
In the meantime roast the Andouille in the oven at 400F to bring out the flavor (about 10 minutes). Heat up a bit of Oil in a pan and add the diced Squash and a few Thyme and Oregano leaves.

Step 9:
Toss in a small knob of butter and cook the Squash a l'etuve, whereas you'll let them steam in their own juices under a foil or parchment lid (just cut a small hole in the middle and fit it over the veggies).

Step 10:
Due to the small size, they should be soft in about 5-6 minutes, and need no further liquid added to them. Once soft and tender, combine with the Andouille.

Step 11:
And form a mound in the center of a bowl. Pour the bisque into the bowl and serve.

Step 12:
Closeup of the Andouille sausage and squash.

step 13: Apple cider foam , Blend & skim of foam from the top ! Ladle 1 tsp. before service on top of garnish !

Pecorino Stagionato with Fresh Honey Comb and Rosemary Bread Chard

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Thomas) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:38:00 +0000

Spicy Seared AHi Tuna w/ Wasabi Mango Sauce, and Seaweed Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Chef Thomas) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:28:00 +0000