The CulinaryCast

Linguine with Clam Sauce

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:29:07 PDT

After a thread on a forum I was inspired to share my thoughts on coaxing the maximum amount of flavor into an Italian Classic "Linguine alla Vongole"

The classic Linguine with Clam Sauce is a simple dish, like some of the best Italian recipes it contains only a few simple ingredients. When these ingredients are respected and cooked properly it will sing with the salty flavors of the sea. I think clams with some "Al Dente" pasta is a simple but wonderful treat.

Selecting fresh Clams from a reputable vendor are the first step. I am fortunate enough to live on the East Coast right now where we get beautiful fresh hard shell clams from the Atlantic Ocean just a few hours away. Select countneck or little neck clams as these will provide a tender end product. You could also use a "Quahog", they are known as "chowder clams" and can become tough if not cooked properly, and since they are larger the meat must be chopped up after cooking, making them more labor intensive.

Another key step in the dish is to first sizzle the washed clams (washed of any grit, not all the salty flavor we are looking for) in olive oil. When you are using fresh live clams you have to watch them in the cooking process. Some clams can be filled with merky sand from their time on the ocean floor. You want to infuse the oil with the clam flavor then garlic and a touch of hot pepper flakes then add a braising liquid like white wine, clam , vegatable or light chicken broth. Adding the broth will stop the shells from scorching and hopefully breaking. Watch the clams to start to "pop open" being carefull not to over cook or they will get tough. When the clams are ready the will open and release their flavorful liquor another key element to the sauce. Discard any shells that dont open.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
2 pounds hardshell clams, scrubbed
1 cup chicken broth, clam broth or vegetable broth
1/3 cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (more if adventurous)
1 pound linguine
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons butter (optional)

Boil water for linguine and add plenty of salt and cook firm to the bite; "Al Dente"
Heat the oil in a large skillet or pot large enough to accomodate the clams over medium heat
Add the clams and simmer for a few minutes and add the pepper flakes and garlic.
When the garlic starts to get a golden color add the wine and broth.
Cover the skillet or pot and bring to a boil.
Watch for the clams start to open, finsih with the lemon, fresh parsley and optional butter. (swirling in the butter at the end will give the sauce more viscocity and give the sauce a butter flavor profile which goes very well with the clams)
Drain the pasta and toss with some of the broth
Serve on plates or large platter , arrange the clams around and ladling the wonderful sauce atop.

Enjoy!!!!!

Crab Beignets

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:08:52 PDT

Crab mixture:

1 pound best available crab meat, picked through
2 oz Boursin or alouette flavored cream cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2
1 t fresh chives or chopped parsley
½ teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon salt

Tempura batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 Tablespoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon salt
1 quart sparkling water or beer
Canola oil, for frying

Soften cheese and cream in a food processor, add seasonings, then a quarter of the crab
Remove and fold in the remaining crab trying not to break up the lumps of crabmeat.
Place in the fridge until firm.
For the batter; whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Then whisk in 1/2 the sparkling water. Gradually add more sparkling water to thin batter to the right consistency, similar to pancake batter. (You can always add more.)
Heat oil in deep fryer or large pot filled halfway over medium high heat. The temperature of the oil should be around 300 to 325°F. Form crab into balls and dip into batter. Fry beignets until golden, remove and drain on paper towels. While still hot, lightly season beignets with salt and serve immediately.

Serve with remoulade or spicy mayo for dipping

Greek Wedge Salad "Souvlakis"

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:35:06 PDT

The word souvlaki is derived from the Greek of souvla (skewer),

itself ultimately derived from the Latin subula.

I thought it would be fun for summer BBQ parties and gatherings to have

a salad on a skewer for easy access and something healthy to eat before you

bring on the artery clogging burgers, dogs, and sausages......

Im not a big fan of Blue Cheese myself so I switched the standard

Wedge salad Blue Cheese Dressing to a Greek Taziki style dressing.

You can add some grilled chicken, swordfish or even lamb to these skewers

to "beef them up" since soulvaki is usually all about the grilled meat.

...

YOUR CHOICE

...

Greek Wedge Salad Skewers:

=======================

makes 6-8 skewers

For the Skewers

1 head romaine or iceberg, cut into :wedges"
18-24 Greek Olives
18-24 Cherry Tomatoes
8 slices Semi crisp Bacon slices, cut in thirds or quarters
18-24 wooden skewers

Yogurt Dill Dressing

2 cups yogurt
1 -2 small cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp chopped mint
2 tsp chopped dill
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Time permiting; drain yogurt in a colander lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, for 30 minutes.
Mix ingredients, check for salt and pepper.
Assemble skewers by alternating lettuce wedges, Olives, cherry tomatoes and bacon strips
Serve on a platter topping with dressing or place on the side.

Rhubarb Cocktails

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:14:22 PDT

Since Rhubarb is in season

It is a great time to make an infused syrup flavored with rhubarb and ginger

adds a hint of pink and sour tang to your cocktails
The syrup is not excessively sweet, but you can increase the sugar if you like. For a fancy serving garnish, finely chop 1 tablespoon of crystallized ginger and then place in a small food processor with 4 tablespoons of sugar. Process until finely ground. Place the ginger sugar on a small plate, run a wedge of lime around the rim of each glass and dip in the sugar.

Cocktail Ideas:

Rhubarb Mojitos, Margaritas and Champagne Spritzers

The rhubarb syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks, refrigerated.

Rhubarb Syrup Base

3/4 pound trimmed rhubarb, sliced
1/4-inch thick (about 3 cups) 1 1/4 ounces fresh peeled ginger, sliced thinly (about 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 tablespoon raspberry or strawberry jelly ( for extra color and flavor)

Place the rhubarb, ginger, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat , swirl in raspberry jelly and let stand for 10 minutes.
Place a blender and finely puree the mixture
Chill and reserve for adding to cocktails

The rhubarb syrup will keep for up to 2 weeks, refrigerated

Spedini alla Romana

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:14:02 PDT

High Cholesterol Italian Goodness

Gourmet Grilled Cheese "Stacks" with a garlicky, anchovy lemon-butter sauce

----------------------

If you have been to some old school Southern Italian-American restaurants

Most of the food is simple, but little additions make the dishes rich and flavorful.

One of Frank Sinatra's favorite Restaurants was Patsy's in New York. There is an interesting story on their site on how they opened one Thanksgiving for him. This dish is one of his favorites.

The anchovy butter sauce in this dish is the killer here. Don't even tell who-ever your cooking for the Anchovy is in there (unless they have an alergy) because anchovy haters get all squeamish when you add them. The key is to mash the anchovy in the pan and it dissolves just adding flavor and salt to the dish.

"Spiedini or Spedini" in Italian refers to Skewered items, because this is composed like a club sandwich then egg battered the skewering is helpful.

Fried Battered cheese in this manner is also refered to on Italian menus as
"Mozzarella in Carozza" or mozzarella in a carraige. That version usually is served with a red sauce like marinara but is also great with puttanesca sauce (once again with anchovies)

9 slices Italian bread (crust trimmed off)
about 8 ounces mozzarella , sliced
3-4 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons capers
2 anchovy filets (or more too taste)
2 ounces white wine
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth 1 table spoon butter
fresh chopped Italian parsley
flour for dusting
oil for frying

lay out 3 slices off bread and top with some mozzarella cheese
top each with another slice of bread, more cheese then the remaining bread.
Secure with toothpicks or wooden skewers
Beat Eggs and Parmesan cheese
dip the mozzarella "sandwiches" in flour then egg and place in a skillet pre-heated with oil
cook until browned nicely on all sides, reserve on a plate or cookie tray.
remove fryijg oil from pan and add olive oil, garlic and anchovies. with a large spoon mash the anchovies in the pan to disintegrate. When garlic is browned add white wine and capers.
add the broth and parsley and bring the sauce to a boil.
let the sauce reduce a little to concentrate flavors, right before serving swirl in the butter to enrich the sauce.
Pour over warm "Spedini" and enjoy!!!!

Molten "Crab Cakes" with Brie

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:28:36 PDT

· Molten Crab Cakes with Brie and an Avocado Drizzle

Crab cakes have been done to death and most versions add too much breadcrumbs.
These are more like a Spanish Croquettas, the Brie puts it over the top.

thanks to Alex at Ile de France cheese for sending some Brie to experiment

check out their site @ http://iledefrancecheese.com/

for great cheese and recipes

INGREDIENT LIST
· 4 tablespoons butter
· 5 tablespoons flour
· 1 1/2 cups milk
· 4 ounces Ile de France Brie, par freeze and chop
· 2 each eggs
· 2 cups bread crumbs
· 1 cup crab, best available
·
· oil for frying

AVOCADO AIOLI
2 each avocado
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 each egg yolk
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
·
1. Halve the avocados and scoop the flesh into a bowl.

2. Add the lime juice and garlic. Mash well.

3. Scrape into a food processor and puree. With the machine on, drizzle in the oil.

4. Scrape the puree into a bowl. Fold in the coriander and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours,

5. you can subtract the egg yolk and substitute sour cream for oil for variation

6. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until a smooth paste forms, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and gradually add the milk, whisking constantly, until the mixture is completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add the brie cheese and stir until the cheese is completely melted. Reduce the heat to low and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it begins to pull away from the side of the skillet, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the croquette mixture into a well-oiled shallow bowl that is 6 to 7 inches in diameter and has straight sides. Let cool to room temperature, fold in crab meat and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the croquette mixture and chill until firm, (The croquette mixture can be prepared up to a day ahead.)

7. Place some flour in a shallow bowl; beat the eggs in a second shallow bowl and place the bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl. Arrange the bowls in that order for easy breading. Lightly flour your hands, then break off a scant tablespoon of the croquette mixture. Lightly roll it in the flour, shaking off the excess, then roll it gently between your hands to form an oval. (Alternatively, you can invert the croquette mixture onto a cutting board and using a floured knife cut the croquettes into 1-inch cubes.) Dip the croquette in the beaten egg, then dip it generously in the bread crumbs. Transfer the croquette to a small baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Croquettes rolled in bread crumbs will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for at least a day.

8. Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch in an 8-inch skillet and heat it over medium-high heat to 350°F - when hot, a croquette placed in the oil will sizzle on contact. Fry the croquettes, 6 or 7 at a time, until deep golden on all sides, turning once and adjusting the heat so the oil doesn't burn. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried croquettes to the paper towels to drain. Once all the croquettes have been fried, serve them immediately. Makes about 3 dozen.

Beet Tartar with Goat Cheese

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:34:12 PDT

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 ruby beets

4 golden yellow beets

1/2 red onion or 3 shallots, minced

1/4 c sherry vinegar

1/4 c olive oil, plus extra for dressing greensarugula for garnish

1 cup Ile de France goat cheese

1/2 cup candied pecans (recipe follows)

salt and pepper to taste

Try to use gloves when handling red beets as they can be very messy
Directions

1. peel beets and slice in 1/4 ‘ slices. season with olive oil, salt and pepper.

2. wrap the two colored beets in separate in foil packets

3. roast in 400 degree oven 15-20 minutes until slightly al dente, remove and let cool.

4. rough chop the cooled beets and pulse in food processor until finely minced like “tartar”

5. fold in the chopped shallots to the two separate chopped beets, then add remaining olive oil and sherry vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

6. to assemble take a metal ring mold or metal can (like tuna fish with both ends cut out) and fill halfway with red beet mixture, then a few crumbles of goat cheese.

7. top with golden beet mixture and a few more crumbles of goat cheese. Repeat three more times for four portions.

8. to serve unmold on a plate with dressed argula greens and candied pecans

Blanching Green Vegetables

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 11 May 2009 07:50:26 PDT

Blanching is a technique that cooks use in restaurant kitchens to set vegetables for later use,
keeping them crisp and tender. By boiling vegetables briefly, chilling them in ice water, then reheating them slowly, blanching preserves texture, color and flavor.

Green Vegetables contain chlorophyll and can pose a problem if not cooked properly,
making them turn an off colored un-appealing navy green color.

KEYS TO REMEMBER

Cook in rapidly boiling salted water- one ounce of salt per quart, also don't crowd the water, it should be six times as much water to vegetable, to keep the rolling boil.
don't add acid- no lemon juice, vinegars, or the wise tale of baking soda
cook and shock- cook until just firm and shock in ice water to stop the cooking process
drain- after chilling thoroughly drain to avoid making the vegetable mushy and water logged.

Steak House Classics

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:35:00 PDT

original post

http://chefalbano.blogspot.com/2006/11/steak-house-classics.htm

audio

http://chefalbano.com/steakhouse.mp3

The Tuna-cast

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:32:46 PDT

tuna video

the bread-cast

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:31:14 PDT

http://chefalbano.com/Culinary_cast-breadcast.mp3

Re-Posting

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 04 May 2009 04:29:54 PDT

wow!!

its been almost three years of blogging already.
But I have to re-submit my audio files so they show up in Itunes and on my
audio player here.

the Saute-cast

Soy Glazed "Asian Sea Bass"

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:24:03 PDT

Since Chilean Sea Bass is currently overfished
Australia is Marketing their Barramundi as "Australian or Asian Sea Bass"

Spring Vegetable Stir Fry, Wasabi Tater Tots, Miso Soy Glaze

the first few nights we did the classic miso cod dish made famous by Nobu
Not everyone gets the Asian thing and alot of people are intimidated by Miso
So I thought I would roll out a more pedestrian version lacquering the miso marinated bass filets with a sweet sticky soy glaze, then served it over a some spring asparagus stir fried in sesame oil with peas, charred corn and arugula. One of the selling points was also "Wasabi Tater Tots".
Comfort food is on the uprise and after reading Micheal Ricard's book I though I could give the "tots" an Asian signature. I used rice potatoes mixed with a wasabi sour cream, panko breaded them and par froze them and fried to order.

Meat Cannelloni

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:51:19 PDT

Some Italians prefer using crepes or crespelle as they say in Italian
to make their manicotti and cannelloni. This produces a light fork tender exterior
to hold the cheesey ricotta filling.
The filling ingredients can be adjusted to what you have on hand:

ground beef, stew meat, short ribs, sausage, roasted chicken or even vegetables.

So be creative and utilize the stuff on hand in your fridge or freezer.

Once the filling is rolled in the crepes ,

they can be frozen for quick meals later.

Crepe/Crespelle Recipe ==================

1.5 cups milk (whole milk works best, if using low fat you might need a little more flour)
3/4 cup flour
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt

whisk together milk and flour well to avoid and lumps
add the melted butter, egg and salt and mix again
spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and place over medium high heat
ladle in enough batter just to lightly cover the bottom of the pan
spin it around to make sure it is even
cook for a minute or so until the bottom is lightly browned
flip over just to set the other side and put on a plate to reserve
repeat with remaining batter
try and spread the crepes out on a plate, if you stack them when hot they may stick

To Finish the Dish

1 pint ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pound ground beef or stew meat (cut in bite sized pieces)
1/2 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup spinach

1 cup prepared tomato sauce
additional grated parmesan or mozzarella

If using ground beef brown the meat in a skillet with the onion, carrot,
spinach. Drain ant excess fat. If using the stew meat boil in a pot for 30 minutes and drain. Then cook with vegetables. Let cool slightly
Fold the ricotta cheese together with the egg, Parmesan cheese, seasoning and reserved meat mixture.
Lay the crepes out on a clean cutting board or work area and roll with equal amounts of filing.
You may freeze or reserve in the fridge at this point to have ready.
To cook: place in an oven proof pan and top with tomato sauce and grated parmesan or mozarella. Cook about 15 minutes at 350. Right at the end they may be place under the broile dfor a minute to help brown the cheese further.

childs play!!!!!!!

molten peanut butter cup bread pudding

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:16:58 PDT

had to bring back a favorite

15 bread slices, rough chopped
3 c. milk
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. sugar
4 slightly beaten eggs, 4 egg yolks
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon peanut butter
12 mini peanut butter cups

scald milk and add sugar, butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and peanut butter
temper this mixture slowly into eggs to avoid scrambling
soak the bread in the custard for a few minutes
spray a 6 x 6 square pan with non stick cooking spay\
make one layer of bread pudding place 1/2 peanut butter cups in randomly
cover with more bread and peanut butter cups
top with remaining bread, cover with foil
bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees until semi dry
remove foil and bake a few more minutes to set the crust

serve warm with chocolate sauce , vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

*** I use fresh bread to expedite the soaking process- if you are using day old bread
soak for 45 minutes to an hour (really crusty bread might need more liquid)

French Wine Dinner

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:41:37 PDT

Last Night We Offered a French Bistro

Inspired Wine Dinner at Bistro 63

here is some links of the preparations

that went into the dinner

click here for Photos

Here is a slideshow

Easier Baked Cake!!!!!!

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:32:06 PDT

Ingredients:

Cake Batter
ISI Charger
Plastic Cup

Directions:

Make Cake Batter
Place in ISI with 2 charges
Microwave 30 seconds

Tuna Rossini

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:59:37 PST

Parma Prosciutto Wrapped Tuna

Spring Vegetables

Foie Gras Enriched Demi Glace

65 Degree Egg

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:01:08 PST

Egg-stra Special Stuff

I was reading about the 65 Degree Egg (celsius)

and I became fascinated studying about molecular gastronome Hervé's
findings. He realized that the traditional cooking of an egg at 212 degrees for
10 minutes is far too long.

By cooking the egg in a controlled water bath you can actually cook the white to a silky custard-like texture and have the yolk still be runny like a poached egg or you can go even further to have the yolk cooked but the white will not be overcooked.

As an ala carte and banquet chef I love the idea to have the eggs actually in
a water bath and be able to actually have perfectly poached eggs ready for say an
endive salad or eggs benedict ready for the rush

water bath

sous vide magic temperature controller

143 degree egg , white was a nice
while the center was runny

thats funny after an hour of cooking!!!!

148 degrees

the yolk was just starting to gel

Arianna's Mini Egg Rolls

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:14:11 PST

The egg roll is a popular Asian appetizer and at our fondue party I wanted to throw in some Asian themed items into the mix and had my daughter help me out in making them. Egg rolls can be filled with almost any type of vegetable or meat, look at Chilies and Applebee's now and they have black bean avocado egg rolls. Generally they contain a vegetable mixture containing cabbage and carrots and mushrooms, so for an easy speedy recipe you can pick up pre-shredded mixes (for coleslaw) that work out well for a vegetarian egg rolls. They are normally deep fried, Egg rolls can also be baked by simply placing them on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (also spray the top of the egg rolls as well) and bake them for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees until warm and golden.

1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1/8 cup dried shiitake or tree ear mushrooms (optional)
2 tbsp sesame or peanut oil
3 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
1 tsp pre chopped garlic or ginger
1 pkg of coleslaw mix
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 egg, mix with a fork

If using mushrooms , place in a small bowl with the soy sauce and microwave for 30-45 seconds to soften. Drain (reserving the infused soy) and rough chop.
In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the sesame or peanut oil on high. Add the pre chopped garlic and stir fry for about 1 minute or until the garlic is slightly browned.
Add the coleslaw mixture and mushrooms and stir fry for about 3 minutes or until the coleslaw is soft but not mushy.
Add the pepper, sugar and soy and stir fry for just 1 more minute. Then remove the pot from the heat. Drain in a colander to remove excess moisture and cool slightly
Fill the egg rolls by taking a wrapper and placing it so that it is in the shape of a diamond and one of the longest points is pointed toward you. Fold the left and right edges over and roll like a burrito. Use the eggwash to moisten the edges before making your final roll to seal them. For small cocktail sized egg rolls; cut the egg roll sheets in half so you have two triangles. With the long side facing you, fill the traingle sheet with a tablespoon of filling and roll and seal with egg wash.
Place about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the filling on the middle of the wrapper. Fold the bottom point over the filling. Then using your fingers, slightly dampen the two side points with water and fold them in. Then dampen the far end of the wrapper and roll up the rest of the egg roll. Lightly press to seal it together and set it aside.
Once all of the egg rolls have been filled, heat the remaining 3 cups of oil on high to 350 degrees.
Once the oil is hot, slowly submerge each one into the oil and fry for about 3 minutes. Remove the egg rolls with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain.
Serve with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.

Fondue Party

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:01:29 PST

Every one normally associates Fondue with just cheese
But it can be so much more..
Oil Fondue, Broth Fondue, Chocolate Fondue.....

But After the Cooking in the Oil or Broth

The Fun Continues with More Dipping...

In the Dipping Sauces!!!!

Fondue Party

------------------

Oil Fondue
Arianna’s Mini Egg Rolls
Shrimp Tofu Chicken
Red Roasted Potatoes

Cheese Fondue
Focaccia Toasts Pappadams Bread
Peppers Asparagus Baby Corn Caramelized Onions
Tortellini Spinach Ravioli

Asian Hot Pot Fondue
Lobster Tails Snow Peas Asparagus Brussel Sprouts

Dipping Sauces
-Sweet Soy Dip-
-Hickory Horseradish with Soy Bacon Bits-
-Wasabi Mayo-
-Salsa Verde-
-Brown Butter Tandoori Hollandaise-
-Cilantro Cream Sauce-
-Thai Sweet Chili Sauce-
-Pesto-

Chocolate Fondue
Strawberries Bananas Marshmallows Pistachio Pound Cake

Fresh Mascarpone Cheese

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:01:26 PST

Cheese making is easy

Warm some cream

and add

Tartaric Acid

I Let It Chill Overnight

It was Beautifully Soft and Fluffy on Top

But A Little Watery on the Bottom

So I Put it in a Colander in a Coffee Filter

To Let Some Whey Come Out

Spherification Kit

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:53:11 PST

I Just Got My Spherification Kit from ChefRubber

Which came right in time

because I have an adventurous
Spherical filled Valentines Day coming

San Valentino @ La Piazza

New Italian Surf and Turf

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:48:03 PST

A New Spin on Sea and Land
or as we say in Italian
"Terra-Mare"

Grilled Lamb Sirloin
Fried Oysters
Polenta
Beet and Garlic Foams

Summery Caesar

chris@chefalbano.com (chef Chris Albano) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 08:44:18 PST

Romaine Chiffonade
White Anchovies
Rice Paper Rolls

with Garlic Anchovy Aioli