Cheffrey's Specials

A New Beginning

2011-10-26T03:54:00.000-07:00

Well friends, the time has finally come. By this time next week I will be the official full owner of Table 219. It's a daunting thought for sure, and one of the drawbacks to putting myself in the forefront of decision making is that I won't have the time to continue with this blog. I need to focus on improving the restaurant by emphasizing our strengths and building up our weaknesses.

What does that mean for my specials? They will continue on in the same way that they have been. I plan to dedicate a section of the new website to descriptive weekly updates, start an email list and continue feeding the social media sites, Facebook and Twitter.

As for the food itself I plan to keep doing what I've been doing - making it delicious, and this week is no exception!

It's pumpkin time and I love cooking with the scary little orb. I thought long and hard about what direction to take it and I finally settled on an old favorite: risotto.

When I started at the restaurant it was called El Greco, a Mediterranean restaurant that had an ongoing weekly risotto special that I really enjoyed creating, so I thought this would be a fitting end to this epilogue.

I began by roasting sugarpie pumpkins. These aren't the large ones you see everywhere. Those are so starchy that they are only good for two things - carving and making pumpkin beer. The sugarpies are sweeter and more tender, but much smaller. While they cook I simmer arborio rice in onions and chicken stock until just before the rice is cooked. This allows me to finish cooking the rice to order and infuse the roasted pumpkin that I pureed in half and half. I then added chantrelle mushrooms - a fall favorite - as well as fresh tomatoes and hulled pumpkin seeds.

For the protein I went with a bone-in, skin-on chicken breast that I special ordered for it's size since all that's usually available from my company are huge. I like the portion size that I get from a three pound bird, leaving me with the bodies for stock and legs to save for an already thought out chicken and dumplings special. To pair with the pumpkin, I created a spice blend by combining garam masala, paprika, chipotle powder, California chile powder, salt and black pepper. The spice caramelizes nicely as the chicken pan roasts and I finished the breast by basting it in butter, cloves of garlic and fresh thyme sprigs.

Even though the spice on the chicken plays very well with the pumpkin in the risotto I felt it necessary to bridge the flavors even further by creating a pesto featuring the pumpkin seeds once again along with fresh parsley, cilantro and extra virgin olive oil. The addition gave a brightness to the dish that really created a unique combination of flavors.

Caralyn and I are still working on cocktails for the new menu, and while we were focusing on dessert cocktails I think she came up with one that could be popular at either end of the meal.

By using some of my own limoncello shaken with our new favorite whipped cream flavored vodka and a shot of fresh whipped cream and straining it into a martini glass she was able to replicate an iconic dessert; a lemon merengue pie. It's a cocktail that isn't too sweet to be pigeonholed as a only dessert drink.

To those of you who have followed and supported me through this culinary writing adventure: thank you. You have inspired me as much as the ingredients on the plate.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Sausage Party!

2011-10-19T03:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's difficult to come up with a protein that is new and interesting. There's only so many things you can do with a chicken breast, and a steak is just a steak. I tend to get stuck on an idea just because I'm bored with the monotony of a simple protein, even though to the rest of the world sees them in a better light.

While I do have a list of the types of meats and seafood that I have used for specials in the past, I realized this past weekend that there is one area that I haven't taken advantage of enough: some of the great sausages produced locally.

We already use sausages from Cascioppo Brothers for our corndogs and our brunch, sides, and I have been using a sweet Italian blend from Isernio's for my sausage gravy that adorns my happy hour fried chicken sliders as well as the chicken fried steak brunch item that I love. I realized that if Isernio's Italian sausage is so great, I bet their chorizo would be too!! So for the idea that I was stuck on simply using pork tenderloin again I opted instead to pan roast a couple of links of the spicy Mexican variety instead.

What I also wanted to do is incorporate some of the seasonal ingredients that I was going to use with a more simple meat, which actually played very well with the spiciness of the chorizo sausage.

For the sauce I had the thought to infuse fresh apple cider with roasted ginger, like you would do for Vietnamese Pho, along with beef stock, caramelized onions, sage, thyme and a small length of cinnamon stick. I originally wanted the ginger to be more pronounced, but I had already used a lot of ginger in the first place and I was really happy with the way that it turned out.

To keep with the Autumn flavors of the sauce I made a puree of celery root, one of my favorite ingredients despite my general dislike for the standard variety (even though they are technically different plants). I used half and half, milk and some water to cook the root along with some potato to help make it a thick, creamy puree that still had some of the deep characteristics that the root has to offer.

Finally, to balance some of the sweetness of the sauce I sauteed broccoli rabe, or rapini, in onions and garlic with a little butter and extra virgin olive oil. The bitterness of the rapini is also commonly combined with the likes of sausage, especially spicy ones, so it fit really well into this dish.

Last year I had made an attempt of creating a caramel apple cocktail for this season but I wasn't as successful as I would like to have been. That was probably due to my lack of bartending experience and the fact that, at the time, I didn't have the experienced staff that I do now to confer with.

One of my new servers, Carolyn, has had a lot of bartending experience and has offered one of her cocktails - a Fuji Apple - to be added to the expanded drink list that I plan for Americana, the future of Table 219. We had the chance to work the drink further and finally perfect the seasonal cocktail that I originally wanted.

We started by muddling fresh lime wedges with ice before adding the unlikely Southern Comfort with Apple Pucker and Baileys Creme Caramel. It's shaken and strained and garnished with a slice of a lady apple - a cute little varietal that reminds me of a crab apple, but much sweeter and more flavorful.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Homespun

2011-10-12T03:30:00.000-07:00

It shouldn't come to much surprise that sometimes my inspiration comes from one of my own home-cooked meals; afterall, comfort food is the foundation of Table 219's ideology. So when I cooked an iconic dinner for my wife and I on Monday, I realized the potential for a special.

I cooked whole wheat spaghetti with turkey pesto meatballs for us, and I said to Anna "this dish never gets old!". I then remembered once trying out an idea where I made a pasta with pureed Moroccan oil-cured olives, so I went with a play on that Italian-American classic that is ingrained into our society.

I made the pasta by pureeing the pitted olives with whole eggs and then mixed that into regular flour to form a dough that I rolled and cut with a Kitchenaid attachment as opposed to the traditional pasta extruder. Not exact, but close.

For the meatballs I took a cue from the lamb burger on our menu by mixing two parts of ground Anderson Ranch lamb from Oregon with one part all natural beef from Northwest Natural to tame some of the gaminess of the lamb. For a Moroccan flair I mixed in my own blend of spices like coriander, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, parsley, preserved lemon and some breadcrumbs to retain some of the delicious fat within the meatballs.

My sauce is also something more than your usual marinara: I slowly cooked onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil before stewing them with tomatoes andred wine. I finished the sauce by adding spice like dried chipotle pepper, chile flakes and Sriracha chile sauce as well as blending in fresh oregano and basil. The sauce has such a zip and powerful flavor without being too overbearing!!

Now that the word is out with my purchasing of the restaurant everyone wants to get their piece. Sometimes it's annoying due to all of the solicitors, but every now and then there's some good that comes from it.

A liquor rep of ours, Lucy, came by touting some new products to replace some of the top shelf liquors without the premium prices. One of her product lines is Effen vodka which I've had success with their cucumber version, but since that's their most popular vodka she wanted me to try out one of their other flavors: black cherry.

After speaking with one of our new servers, Carolyn, also an experienced bartender, she suggested this week's drink special: a Cherry Drop.

Similar to a lemon drop, it's made by muddling a fresh lemon wedge, adding a splash of simple syrup, a healthy pour of Effen Black Cherry vodka and finished with my own brandied cherry made a couple of months back with some leftover cherries from another drink special.

With Love,

Cheffrey

The Americana Dream

2011-10-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

One of the few guarantees is life is that things inevitably change. Fortunately, sometimes that change is for the better.

Over the past month or so I have been in negotiations with my business partners, Gary and Stacey, to buy them out, making me sole owner and operator of the restaurant and now we are in the home stretch to make that happen. As of November 1st the place will be mine!

What will be different? Not that much. While I'm planning to make some minor cosmetic changes to better solidify the style and brand of the restaurant, the one thing that I won't change (and the biggest concern of our regulars) is the menu. I still plan on offering the same great food for brunch and dinner, only changing what I would've made anyways with a few nice additions.

Unfortunately, the one thing that will change for the worse is this blog. Since I will be taking on the additional duties that two other have been doing I won't have time to continue writing the beautiful descriptions like I have been. I will continue uploading my weekly specials to Facebook and Twitter (and hopefully to a new website for the restaurant) as well as a weekly e-mailing list that I will be setting up soon. So it's a loss for some and a gain for others; I hope!!

In the meantime I still have a special to introduce.....

Since the temperature is falling suite with the time of the season I felt it right to begin offering specials with flavors more reminiscent of what we taste when we think of autumn.

I've been wanting to have a dish with roasted figs for a long time and there's few better meats that pair well with fruit than pork, so while I slowly sear thick cuts of pork loin that I tied with butcher's twine in order to maintain a circular shape I roasted fresh mission fig halves to concentrate their sugars and to create a more robust flavor.

For the sauce I didn't have pork stock on hand so I combined beef and chicken stock instead and reduced them down with an equal portion of red wine along with a blend of spices called Garam Masala which is an Indian spice blend containing cinnamon, black pepper, fennel, cloves and other autumn favorable spices, to which I enhanced with a cinnamon stick, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary and whole allspice berries.

Another great ingredient and pairing for this season is braised cabbage, which is available locally this time of year. I cooked it in onions, garlic and a little fresh thyme that, for some unknown reason, tastes like fall to me.

Even though I offered a gin drink last week I couldn't resist this one, especially with the flavors of the entree special above.

Since October is synonymous with fall to most of us I intentionally poached pears with sugar, cinnamon sticks and allspice berries for last weekend's French toast topping so that I would have the remaining cooking liquid for this week's drink special. Clever, eh?

I felt that the autumn spices of the pear poaching liquid would make a really interesting combination with the complex flavors of a dry gin, so I made a twist on the classic gin fizz by shaking the pear liquid with Gordon's gin and egg white powder and topping it off with club soda for that classic feel.

Only a few more week's to go!

With Love,

Cheffrey

A New Style

2011-09-28T03:07:00.000-07:00

Now that we are officially in the cusp between summer and autumn I can create some truly unique dishes that could only be done in this short window of time.

Despite the delivery fiasco the last time I used ling cod for a special I couldn't deny what a great product that they normally get. With the skyrocketing prices of fish and seafood these days I really appreciate the ability to offer fresh, line caught fish from off of the coast of Washington (Neah Bay, to be precise) at a price point within our range. It is moist, flaky and delicious. I couldn't wait to use it again.

I wrapped hefty seven ounce portions of the cod with paper-thin slices of prosciutto to subtly infuse it's salty goodness the way that one would use bacon for more bolder proteins. The wrapping creates a barrier and allows me to simply place the fish in a pan and roast in the oven, keeping the flesh from sticking.

To pair with such a delicate fish I used several flavors of the season, starting last weekend when I pureed very ripe, end of the season heirloom tomatoes and poured the pulp into a bowl lined with a cloth napkin, tied the ends and hung the sack in the refrigerator, allowing the liquid to slowly drip over the weekend, yielding what is known as "tomato water". Once extremely popular when I started cooking in the Nineties it has fallen out of favor and out of mind until I read an article about it in the New York Times that made me decide to use it here. I simply warm the crystal clear broth with a pinch of kosher salt to allow for the pure flavor to shine.

For the final components I roasted halves of new crop spaghetti squash until tender and scrapped the strands out with a fork that I warmed in the oven while the fish cooked. I also sauteed chopped, local spinach and used a large ring mold to layer the two as a base for the finished ling cod.

As a first for Table 219 I was finally able to showcase a presentation that I've been wanting to utilize for a long time now. By putting the tomato broth into one of our tea kettles I was able to compose the plate with slices of jalapeno pepper topped with little domes of heirloom cherry tomatoes and having the server pour the broth into the bowl at the table; a simple little touch that really makes an impact.

Still grasping at the last bits of summer I wanted to have a drink with one last summer fruit: blueberries.

I have favorably combined blueberries and gin in the past so I wanted find other ways to use fruit with gin, and then I came across the Singapore Sling.

For this sling I muddled fresh blueberries, a lemon wedge and mint leaves, then topped it off with with gin, pineapple juice and a little egg white powder to give it a foamy top after I shake it all together.

Though I am happy with the cocktail, it led me to other ideas that I think could be better. Maybe you'll see a "Seattle Sling" on our cocktail list soon!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Indian Summer

2011-09-21T03:34:00.000-07:00

For my birthday my wife and I treated ourselves to one of our favorite restaurants in the Seattle area: The Herbfarm in Woodinville for their "Sketches of Summer" themed dinner.

One of the more memorable dishes was in the beginning of the meal featuring (among other things) a morel mushroom filled with caramelized cauliflower puree. It was one of the most amazing bites I have ever taken! The only complaint that I had was that they didn't give me a bowl full of them. When the chef made his rounds at the end of dinner service I commended him on a great meal and informed him that I will be stealing that idea.

I sat on that idea for two months now, thinking of how I would do it my own way. I have already known the wonders of caramelized cauliflower, but I knew that there is no way that I could offer an affordable special and use authentic morel mushrooms, so I decided to recreate the earthy duo with meaty lobster mushrooms instead.

So I heavily seared florets of cauliflower in olive oil until well browned before adding chopped onions and garlic, cooking even further until all was well browned. I pureed the mixture with just enough half and half to allow the blender to create a silky smooth sauce.

Lobster mushrooms are actually a fungi that grows on specific types of mushrooms that gives them a reddish hue like a lobster as well as have a seafood-like flavor. I simply saute thin slices of them in a little butter and freshly chopped chives because, for some reason, I really find that the subtle herb really brings out all that mushrooms have to offer. To further enhance the flavor of sea within the mushrooms I seasoned them with some Hawaiian sea salt that is now a part of my culinary arsenal.

To balance the sweetness that came from the caramelization of the cauliflower I decided to saute finely shredded treviso, a bitter lettuce like an elongated radicchio, along with baby arugula, onions, garlic and butter just long enough to wilt them down.

Not that my choice of pan roasting bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs was an afterthought, but let me be honest, it was the last component needed to finish the dish. The plate really could be served as a complete meal without it, but I wouldn't sell that many either, so I sprinkled two thighs with freshly ground coriander, salt and pepper and seared them briefly before sending them to the oven to finish.

I promised myself that I would create more punch drinks to fill a void in a chapter of a potential book on cocktails (not that I have enough on my plate already...), hence the back to back punches these two weeks.

A punch is categorized as being a drink made with fruit juices, which is why the summertime is a great time to offer these delicious beverages!

In addition to the mushroom/cauliflower combination that I've been holding onto I've also been day-dreaming about a drink that is made with a toasted almond syrup and an almond rum. Since I love cherries, I automatically realized how wonderfully they go together!

I toasted some sliced almonds and divided them; half went to steep in a simple syrup and half went into a bottle of rum that I sped along the infusion process by using a wine vacuum pump.

I assembled the drink in a pint glass full of ice with the almond rum first, followed by the almond syrup and plenty of pure cherry juice!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Swatting the Buzzword Bee

2011-09-14T03:18:00.000-07:00

One thing that really bothers me about the cooking shows on TV is how they always seem to throw around the same buzzwords like "big, bold flavors". The fact is that it's easy for them to create a dish that way; that's why you see bacon and butter in so many of their recipes. It's a crutch that they rely on in order to churn out recipes for cookbooks. After all "fat is flavor"...

The true art of cooking lies not in the best bang for your buck but in the perfect orchestration of subtle flavors. That's where I like to play. Sure, I create high-impact dishes, but it's specials like this one that really show my range.

Like I've stated many times before, I love this time of year. It's the best of both worlds - the crest of summer's bounty leading into the wonderful flavors of autumn. I wanted to create a dish that is a culinary snapshot of this exact moment.

Since tomatoes are on the out for the year I wanted to make one last grab for them, especially with the beautiful yellow and red beefsteak tomatoes available locally from Imperial Gardens (in fact, they supplied a majority of ingredients for this special). I wanted to stuff them so I lopped off just enough of the bottom so they would lay flat and cut off the top thick enough to create a lid and allow me to scoop out the flesh. In order to keep the fresh flavor for a hot dish I sprinkled the inside with Hawaiian sea salt and baked them in the oven just enough to warm them through to order.

For the filling I lightly sauteed rock crab meat with ingredients indicative of the season like fresh yellow corn, oregano, a touch of handmade chili powder and roasted turban squash, a varietal with a flavor like the cross between a pumpkin and butternut squash named for resembling the middle eastern headdress. I also steeped the pulp and seeds from the squash in butter long enough to extract the flavor before straining and using to cook the filling.

To keep with the freshness of the main components I wanted a sauce, rather sauces, to further complement the dish. First I steamed fresh pimento chiles (yes, the kind that you find inside of the olives sunken in you martini) and then blended the deseeded flesh to make a vibrant, tangy puree. As a counter component I made a cold cream sauce by blending fresh cilantro and parsley with warm cream (so that it won't churn into butter). Both sauces create a yin and yang in flavor, color and presentation to help complete the plate.

I also wanted to keep with the waning seasonal ingredients for the drink special by utilizing the last of the available nectarines along with the (late) beginning of local blackberries.

One neglected area of cocktails that I always seem to forget about is the "punch". A punch is a drink that is comprised of many different ingredients and usually containing some form of fruit juice. To me, a punch symbolizes a festive atmosphere, something that I feel like embodies what we try to achieve at our restaurant.

For this punch I muddled four fresh blackberries (they're big this year) and then I filled the pint glass with ice, added brandy, aged rum, fresh nectarine juice and lemon juice to help cut through the sweetness. It's a tasty, refreshing beverage that creates a little party on the palate!

By the way... local ingredients aren't buzzwords; they're just the way to get the best flavor!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

An Organic Mind

2011-09-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

Even though I offered a dish featuring curry last week I didn't think twice about doing something similar this time around. I have realized that my best specials have come from not overthinking them and allowing it to be more of an organic process of my mind working it out. I'm not saying that I don't put any effort into them; it's more like placing rocks in a stream to control the flow.

Last week I used a sweet curry powder because I liked the combination of it with soy sauce, but really curry powder isn't authentic Indian at all - it merely mimics the flavors found in traditional curries. I once lived in Jackson Heights, Queens in NYC where many Indian immigrants say has the best Indian fare in the city, which in turn really means the country. Since moving here to Seattle my wife and I have sought out good Indian and have only found one that even comes close: India Express just down the street on Broadway (feel free to email me your favorite spots). Finally I hunkered down and learned as much as I could about the cuisine from books, magazines, Internet and cooking shows. I realized that, like all cuisines, Indian food has its fundamental techniques and ingredients, and once you understand them you can make most dishes.

One of my favorite Thai dishes is a pineapple curry fried rice so I wanted to make a similar special but one spanning across Africa, the Middle East and India by combining similar flavors into one entree that has now become a staple meal in our country.

Basmati rice is normally used in Indian cuisine, but it is very costly. I've found that jasmine rice is nearly just as floral and nutty as basmati at a fraction of the cost, and creates a direct link to the concept of Thai fried rice. I simply cooked the rice in salted water with plenty of bay leaves for their subtle fragrance as well as a nod to traditional cooking. I spread some of the cooked rice over baking pans for the first night to simulate the reason why fried rice was created in the first place: to use leftover rice!

For the protein I went with lamb for its strong flavor and a Moroccan-style rub to season it, but I wanted to make sure that the lamb was moist and tender, so I utilized the technique called "sous vide" or under vacuum, to both marinate and cook the meat. By using a vacuum sealer right after rubbing lamb sirloin in olive oil, paprika ginger, garlic, chile flakes, a little cinnamon and turmeric I not only forced the flavor deep into the meat instantaneously but drew out the air around it so that I could cook it in a 145 degree waterbath controlled by a temperature regulator so that it was medium rare through and through before chilling and dicing.

For the Indian flavor in this dish I created a heavily spiced coconut curry by first slowly cooking Walla Walla onions, garlic and ginger in extra virgin olive oil. While that cooked I toasted whole spices like fenugreek, cumin, coriander and fennel seed to release their oils before grinding them and adding to the stewed onion mixture. I also added coconut milk, cilantro stems and a little water to allow for evaporation while it simmered. I pureed and strained the curry and used it to finish the rice. For another dimension I added dried currants and cashew pieces as a nod to the delilcious way that they treat their rice in Turkey.

Before the summer gets away from us I wanted to use as many of the great summer fruits as long as I can until they're gone.

Even though no fruit embodies an American summer like watermelon, I find that it tends to overshadow its delicious cousin, the honeydew.

I wanted to use flavors that play well with the honey notes that lend to the melons name so I muddled mint and added aged Cruzan rum, juiced honeydew, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and a splash of soda and lime juice to balance out the sweetness.

Wow!! What a drink!!

With a little luck (and know-how!) I hope to give one last nod to the melon family and use cantaloupe in next week's drink special, but don't hold me to it!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Grill Me Like an Interrogation

2011-08-31T03:25:00.000-07:00

After the phenomenal success of last week's Korean and Irish fusion special I thought that it would be nice to continue with the "melting pot" of cuisines that I love creating so much.

This week I wanted to make a dish with less dramatic differences by exploring two cuisines of which I've already realized share similar ingredients while ending with completely different results: Mexican and Indian.

First up is the Mexican side.

I made a sauce by first stewing onions and garlic with cumin and coriander - all common ingredients for the base of most Indian curries - as well as oregano and California chile powder that is mild yet still spicy. I blended and strained the mixture for a silky smooth puree that I finished with fresh lime juice and a touch of molasses to balance the sauce out.

For the Indian side I sauteed local, organic shitaki and oyster mushrooms with my favorite combination of sweet curry powder and soy sauce that produces the most wonderful Umami flavor that is crucial to any great dish. I also added slowly cooked Walla Walla onions and garlic with quickly braised dinosaur kale, aka Tuscan kale, that's more tender and less bitter than its traditional counterpart, and is more readily available this time of year locally. I finished it all with a healthy pinch of freshly chopped parsley and cilantro to really reinforce the correlation between the two cuisines.

As a bridge I needed a solid foundation that could hold up to the bold flavors of each, so I went with a grilled flank steak cooked to the obligatory medium-rare and act as the "filling" of this cross-culture "sandwich".

I initially wanted this week's dinner special to feature a grilled pineapple sauce, but since there is a very intricate algorithm of recipe development that is my mind - it didn't make the cut, though reserved for the near future. The irony of that ultimate decision is that I ended up with an far more inspired idea for a drink special than I had for the original main course dish.

At first I thought that I needed to only lightly mark the pineapple on the grill, otherwise the char would outweigh the flavor of the fruit, but when I started to juice the chunks I realized that I needed to get a full caramelization of the sugars in order to bring out all of the flavors.

Once I had the right flavor of the grilled pineapple juice I knew that it was ready to make an interesting version of a margarita with freshly muddled limes and a touch of triple sec to balance the extra amount of sugar brought out by caramelizing the natural sugars from grilling. And, of course, only some aged tequila could hold up to the strong flavor from the pineapple.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Mr. McLee??

2011-08-24T03:39:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about America is the melting pot of cuisines. I can take liberties to mix cultures in ways that can only be found in this country.

I have been a fan of Korean food every since my good friend Tommy Lee took me to a fine-dining Korean establishment, and I am lucky to work down the hall from Kimchi Bistro; good Korean is hard to find in NYC, let alone on Broadway.

I have been dreaming up ways to incorporate it into other cuisines but it wasn't until I was perusing the "fresh sheet" of available local ingredients from my produce company that I made a real connection. I could combine the flavors of kimchi with the traditional Irish cabbage and boiled potatoes dish.

I didn't have time to ferment my cabbage, and to be honest, I wanted to maintain freshness, so I found a recipe that was quick (considering the alternative) and easy, starting by salting chopped napa cabbage and allowing the water to leach out over several hours. I Then pureed garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, chile flake and fish sauce to make a dressing that mimics the flavor of kimchi very well.

For the "boiled" potatoes I steamed purple and red bliss potatoes and cut them into large chunks to keep with a more traditional shape, of which I sauteed in clarified butter to order, adding the "kimchi" at the end just to warm it through.

To balance the spice I needed something on the sweet side, so I took advantage of the season and slowly roasted Walla Walla onions for a few hours and then pureed them with a rich chicken stock. The final product is so interesting and complex you won't believe that it's ingredients are just these two simple things.

Finally, for my protein I needed something that is versatile yet lends well to a little sweetness, and wouldn't you know it? My good friend pork tenderloin is a perfect fit! Oven roasted to a perfect medium-medium well; it made for a perfect finale to the dish.

With summer burning bright and fast I had to keep with the watermelon theme before it got away from me.

The idea for this week's drink special was spawned from last week's dinner special, because towards the end of a very busy Friday night I decided that it was the perfect time to use some leftover watermelon to make what the my latino amigos call agua fresca or, in this case, a cool watermelon drinkfor well deserved co-workers on a hot, bustling night.

This week, I ordered a new one: a huge melon weighing in at about 13 pounds, yielding around a gallon of strained juice, about a third of which has already been consumed on half price wine night; no telling what the rest of the week will bring...

I made the first one for example by muddling three leaves of basil with ice until broken up enough to suck the herb through a straw and then I brought it up to about halfway with silver Bacardi rum and topped it off with the watermelon juice.

What a refreshing treat!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Ooh, Honey!!

2011-08-17T03:11:00.000-07:00

I am worried that the summer will get away from me; after all, it's already mid-August. Considering the fact that the whole west coast got off to a late start this season I've had to really plan out my specials in order to be able to use all of the ingredients that I want to, or fate them to a year of solitude.

With watermelon at it's peak this season I wanted to incorporate it into a salad, but I really wanted to make it unique by cutting it into wedges and grilling them. By covering my grill for a half hour before I was able to get it super hot, allowing me to mark the melon without cooking it too much. The resulting ingredient was so amazingly complex and intriguing. The flavor goes well beyond what you would expect from the humble watermelon.

To match this bitter/sweet duality I wanted to first utilize a couple of my favorite bitter greens that are available here locally: beautiful baby arugula and some fantastic dandelion greens. While wonderful, they have to be used appropriately by balancing their varying bitterness. In the past I've paired a honey vinaigrette with dandelion greens, so I created an updated version of that by blending garlic, shallots, honey and apple cider vinegar with enough fruity extra virgin olive oil to balance it all out.

Since I already knew that prosciutto and melon together was a no-brainer, why not bulk up the salad with some finely shaved pieces of it? And for crunch I went with a classic garnish of croutons that I made by finely dicing a loaf of Macrina's sourdough and tossing the cubes in butter that I had steeped in fresh garlic, thyme and oregano before toasting them in the oven.

Even now, summer reminds me of when I was a kid. The bright sun in my eyes, the warm air on my skin, the sweet smells in the air; it all reminds me of a time of innocence, where I'm free from school and allowed to roam and explore the world around me.

One of my most fondest memories as a child is the discovery of the addictively sweet taste of the honeysuckle. At one point or another I had learned that if you pluck the flower of a honeysuckle bush and pull the stamen through the bottom you will scrape out it's nectar that has a wonderful honey-like flavor from which it gets its name. Like pistachios I could never get enough, until I grew tired of picking and pulling, picking and pulling.

Now, as an adult, I wanted to recreate that experience, but with liquor, of course!!!

Since I knew that an idea like this had already been thought of, I turned to the Internet, and wouldn't you know it? Our friends at Absolut already had a simple recipe posted on their website.

You take four parts of aged rum - I used Cruzan - two parts of honey syrup made by combining equal parts honey and warm water and one part of lime juice, shaken with my little touch of egg white powder to top the cocktail with a frothy foam that tastes like sweet clouds!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Not on My Watch

2011-08-10T04:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things don't always work out the way that you expect.

There are those times when even I would admit that I've had a "thin" idea that wasn't well thought out, or I couldn't find the ingredients that I wanted, and then there's this week, when I had a beautiful idea that I couldn't execute due to an outside factor.

I really wanted to offer a classic way of baking fish with a wonderful miso marinade made with the white variety of the soybean paste blended with mirin, or sweet rice cooking wine, rice vinegar, ginger and a touch of sesame oil. The mixture is then spread over fillets of fish and broiled or, in my case, baked in a high temperature convection oven until it caramelizes slightly, using orange slices as a barrier between the pan and the fish to prevent it from burning while also imparting a hint of citrus flavor that really pairs well with the miso glaze.

As a little playful nod to the Japanese influence of the miso fish I thought I would use the most abundantly available summer vegetable - zucchini - in an unusual way by finely cutting it into log, thin strips resembling noodles and sauteing them in oil, garlic and Walla Walla onions until soft.

For the sauce I really wanted to emphasize a spicy ginger note within a puree made by first slowly cooking it with whole cloves of garlic and chopped scallions. I added a touch of the Indian spice garam masala to give it a little dynamic since it plays well with the same types of ingredients that are found in both cuisines. I simmered this base with carrots until they're ultra soft, giving me a silky smooth puree once whirled in the blender.

The problem with all of this is that when I placed my fish order for true cod fillets with an unnamed company, I knew right away that something was wrong with it. Not only was it whole fish instead of fillets, I was immediately suspicious of it's quality, but it wasn't until I setup my "demo" plate used for this photo and to ensure the validity of the dish that I was sure that I was given garbage due to the taste and texture of the fish. I could tell that it was probably frozen and thawed a couple of times, and I was assured by my rep that it "wasn't representative of the type of product" that they sell, and blah, blah, blah.

The good news? I will have fresh, local line caught true cod available for the rest of the week. The bad news? No one had the special Tuesday night. I guess there's a first time for everything!

This year, instead of a reoccurring entree special of a sliced heirloom tomato plate I thought that this time it would be more interesting to offer it as a cocktail!

I used a mixed case of heirloom tomatoes from California (sorry locavores; tomato season was evidently canceled this year in the PNW) to make separately colored purees so I could use them to create a layered effect. Last week I started an infusion just for this by mixing 100 proof vodka with chopped celery and freshly cracked black peppercorns which ended up replacing our usual bloody Mary spice blend because it allows the fresh flavor of the tomatoes to shine through yet has enough spice to keep it complex enough.

And just for giggles I used pink Hawaiian sea salt to rim the glass, which gets its color by being rich in trace minerals and is traditionally used to cleanse, bless tools and in healing rituals.

I garnished it with a chipotle-pickled carrot that we use to accent all of our bloody Marys!!

Fortunately the rest of them looked a lot less like cotton candy than this one!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

I Know a Good Idea When I Steal It!

2011-08-03T03:55:00.000-07:00

That was the motto of Chef Phil Delaplane, my culinary instructor in the Fish Kitchen class at the Culinary Institute of America that still rings in my ears thirteen years later, probably because it is one of the most practical bits of advice that I have ever received.

I'm constantly on the search for inspiration and it can be found in even the most surprising places. In his book about my favorite dining experience, Alinea, chef Grant Achatz describes the inspiration of a dish at his 3 Michelin starred restaurant (the highest possible, and most notable in the world) came from a rootbeer float at an A&W fast food chain during his move from Napa Valley, CA to Chicago, IL. Since reading that passage I try to never discounted a good idea. Luckily for me, insight is everywhere!

I initially wanted to pair the melon salad from a few weeks ago with a nicely prepared chicken confit before I realized how much better the cured salmon would go with it, so on the back burner it went until last week when I ordered my favorite Lao dish from Savatdee, a Thai and Laos restaurant in my neighborhood. It's a salad with prawns, lettuce, mint, cilantro, vegetables and a wonderful spicy coriander dressing. Like most Thai places the spiciness is based on a star system, and like In the Bowl a one star is more like two at other restaurants. My first experience was one of those where it was sooooo spicy but I couldn't stop eating it.

So I set out to create my own version, but this story first began last Friday, believe it or not.

The initial reason to confit - or cook in fat - anything was for preservation and was a speciality of southwestern France, but nowadays we do it for flavor. I do a basic version on the menu with duck legs, but I wanted to find a more common ground by using chicken, so late Friday night I dredged bone-in, skin on chicken thighs in a mixture of kosher salt, crushed juniper berries, coriander seeds, pickling spice and other little touches and allowed them to cure overnight where I slowly poached them in a combination of duck fat, bacon fat and extra virgin olive oil so that no one flavor would dominate.

I chilled the chicken in the same fat that it cooked in and stored it in the refrigerator over the weekend to allow for all of the flavors to mingle. To finish the thighs once ordered I heat a nonstick pan and place two of them skin side down and place in my hot oven without flipping them over, which heats them through and crisps the skin into something so light, crisp and tender it's astounding!!

While the meat heats up I first prepare a cold salad with green and yellow wax beans that I had steamed (never boil!!) and sliced into little diamond shapes that I then tossed in a dressing inspired from Savatdee made by muddling garlic cloves (yes, just like a cocktail; I didn't have a mortar and pestle on hand so I used a metal shaker and metal muddler so that the flavors wouldn't linger into your mojito) with sugar, freshly toasted and ground coriander and cardamom, fish sauce, chili flake, lime juice and scallions. I tossed the beans with the dressing and freshly chopped mint and cilantro to order so that nothing would discolor from the acid in the dressing.

For the sauce I revived a favorite from last year where I cut the corn kernels from the cob, made a stock with the leftover cobs, cooled the stock and used it to puree the fresh kernels into a liquid and then strained it. I brought the resulting liquid to boil once the dish was ready to assemble, yielding a silky smooth "pudding" that is simply thickened by the natural starch in the corn and is as fresh tasting as can be!

To be honest, after years of creating my own cocktails the sangria specials from last month came to me very easily, which only made me happier when they sold very well. This allowed me time to come up with a new drink without the usual pressure to get it done in time.

Some of the best flavors that summer has to offer comes in the form of herbs, and there is nothing that can liven up and create an intriguing cocktail better than a vibrant, local herb.

Rosemary grows readily here in the PNW, and while undoubtedly distinct, it is just as diverse. I used some leftover stems whose leaves were used to season our potato sides at brunch in order to flavor a simple syrup by steeping them in it over the weekend. I used this syrup to slightly sweeten cucumber vodka and club soda over ice, creating an intense yet light summer cooler!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Chilin' Out

2011-07-27T03:47:00.000-07:00

Now that we're in the heart of summer, I feel like there is no better time than now to offer up one of my favorite cold entrees: gazpacho!

To be honest (and a little bit egotistical) I was never really a fan of gazpacho until I started making my own. Most restaurants serve a generic variety, banking on the freshness of the season to outweigh creativity. I'm all for allowing the ingredients to shine, but why not use a little poetic license while you're at it?

I've already made two unique versions myself, like the Yellow Watermelon Gazpacho and Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho, both of which had beautiful preparations of tuna. I obviously feel that seafood is the best protein for it, so why stop now?

I was originally going to have a dish with a minute amount of the pricey Dungeness crab, but after talking to my fishmonger I found out that a lot of restaurants are cutting their Dungeness dishes with Pacific Rock Crab, a close cousin, so I thought that it was best to offer a lesser known crab for less money.

This year's gazpacho is made with fresh tomatillos, a relative to tomatoes but more closely related to the gooseberry. I slowly cooked onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil with a touch of ground cumin, which I cooled completely before pureeing with the husked, raw tomatillos and a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a few sprigs of basil.

I tossed the crabmeat in the usual accoutrements of brunoise (tiny dice) seedless cucumbers, red and orange bell peppers, red gooseberries, red onions that I soaked in ice water to mellow their bite and a touch of deseeded jalapenos for a little tingle on the tongue.

I needed a buffer between the acidic tomatillos and the sweetness of the crabmeat and the vegetable/gooseberry salad and I felt that there was no better addition than several slices of ripe, creamy avocado for you to stir in at will.

For my final sangria offering this year I went with a variation of what originally inspired this string of wine punch drink specials, as well as a tribute to one of our new popular menu items.

Since it's introduction on the menu a few months ago my Taleggio cheese sandwich with a Mirin poached pear (and optional bacon) has really taken off, so I drew from that for this one.

I started this month of sangrias with an apple sangria topped with brandy and hard apple cider which reminded me about a delicious pear brandy from Clear Creek Distillery that is full of pear flavor that I felt could hold up to an infusion of fresh ginger for several weeks along with a gallon of white wine with the same blissful fate.

I diced my coveted pears and allowed them to soak in the ginger-pear brandy and a little simple syrup to create a refreshing white sangria that you won't find anywhere!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

P.S. - For those of you who are interested; How do I celibrate my birthday?? With a pig roast, of course!! Check out my birthday party pics here.

One for Me

2011-07-20T03:23:00.000-07:00

Another year has passed and now I find myself facing yet another birthday Wednesday. This year I decided to create a special for me, though I'm sure that you guys will like it too!!

I have been mulling over the idea of offering a pork belly entree as a special for a long time, but with the popularity of my medium-sized pork belly plate that adorns both brunch and dinner menus I had to make sure that it was pretty damn good to compete with that dish. So I took my time developing it - making sure that each component was in harmony with the other. Finally, when I felt that it was right I realized that I was just in time to debut this beauty during my own birthday week.

Normally, as is the case with the pork belly dish on the menu, I like to just use quality ingredients without too much fuss and allow them to shine, but here I used the same belly from Carlton Farms but instead of adding just enough water to keep the meat moist until it releases it's own juices and slowly cooks in them, I had to inject as much flavor into the belly to make it stand apart so I drowned two slabs in apple cider along with herbs and aromatics and slowly stewed them in the oven for over four hours until perfectly cooked and infused with the apple. I pressed the two bellies under weights while still hot and allowed them to cool in the fridge that way so that they would have an even thickness from end to end and be firm when heated, not wobbly.

I clarified the resulting liquid that's full of apple and pork flavor like a consomme' with a process called a "raft" which consisted of finely chopped onions and carrots, bay leaves, egg whites and their crushed shells. Once the liquid is boiling I float the vegetable and egg mixture on top and allow it to simmer for an hour which collects all of the impurities in the broth, leaving it crystal clear.

To balance that subtle sweetness left from the apple cider I chose to finely chop some local mustard greens that have a lot of body and some bitterness to them; one of my favorite greens for exactly that reason. I saute them in a little butter, onions and garlic just until wilted.

As accompaniments I first cooked cut pieces of carrots in chicken stock that I had simmered with a ton of fresh ginger and thyme so that it would infuse the flavor into the carrot. Then I added a taste of summer by dropping in several fresh red and black currants for their tartness and texture. I finished the dish with a spoonful of yellow and black mustard seeds that I reconstituted in hot apple cider which added a lot more to the dish than just aesthetics. How much?? Come and see for yourself!!

For some reason, whenever I think of my birthday I think of when I was young. It's probably because when you're a kid there's something so special, so magical about that day. It's like the world is about to stop just for you.

When I was a kid, we had a cherry tree on the side of our house that I always considered was mine. I guess that it was because it always gave fruit right around my birthday. Back then, cherry was my favorite flavor of candy (now it's apple...) and I would pick cherries by the bucketful and eat myself sick.

So to bring together that taste of young with a taste of something a little bit mature I made a cherry sangria by soaking freshly pitted cherries in brandy, pure cherry juice and just enough simple syrup to draw out some of the flavor from the fresh fruit. Finished with cold Burgundy wine it had the perfect balance of fruit, wine and punch!!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Oh, Yeah!

2011-07-13T03:58:00.000-07:00

As promised, I am continuing my month of sangria with another off-beat take on the summer cooler.

This time I'm getting closer to the more literal translation of sangria, which comes from the root word "blood", but this time I only get as close as a rose'.

I'm actually a fan of rose'. It gets a bad rap. It's a white wine that has sat on the grape skins long enough to acquire a little color and maybe a bit of flavor. It is usually served chilled as a refreshing summer beverage, which lead me to this variation.

I macerated sliced, fresh strawberries in simple syrup and aged brandy for several hours before combining it with a crisp rose' from our wine chiller.

Looks a lot like the Kool Aid Man, doesn't it??

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I'm really enjoying creating interesting cold dishes right now. Not only is there a plethora of fantastic ingredients to choose from that warrant cold preparations, but I've found that people lean towards lighter fare in the summer months. Who am I to argue?

I have been working on this idea for a while now where I could cure salmon a pair it with a fresh melon salad, just like the classic prosciutto pairing.

I wanted to create an interesting cure for the salmon, so I juiced fresh apricots to use in place of sugar in a typical gravelax recipe along with a touch of coriander seeds. I wrapped the fillets and let sit over the weekend to allow all of the subtle flavors to absorb.

Though cantelope is the most common combination with prosciutto, I felt that it wasn't necessary to chose just one melon, and with the addition of honeydew I would not only get a new color but added texture as well. I tossed in a pinch of fresh pea shoots for a touch of summer freshness and chopped chervil for the great way that its licorice flavor favors the sweet melon as well.

With the salt in the salmon cure and the juice in the melon I really didn't need a "dressing" per se, but I wanted something to finish the dish - to tie it all together. So, over the last few weeks I have been steeping dried mission figs in aged balsamic vinegar until their flavors mingled, giving a sauce that has body, depth and complexity.

On a final note, we are hosting our third year at Farestart's Guest Chefs on the Waterfront tomorrow, so if you're looking for me, I'll be on Pier 66 ;).

With Love,

Cheffrey

A Month of Somedays

2011-07-06T03:49:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July - I know I did!

Usually, my specials are a specifically composed dish that, at least in my mind, couldn't be made any other way, but throughout the brainstorming process I have these little ideas that sit around waiting to be picked up someday. I refer back to them when I need inspiration, but it can take some time for one of these good ideas to finally surface, and even when I find a good fit I can't use them right away because there are more factors to offering a good dish than just a good idea.

Like next week, when I will be out of the kitchen on Wednesday because we will be serving our deviled eggs at our booth at Farestart's Guest Chefs on the Waterfront and when I'm away I want everything to go smoothly, and while the staff has the regular menu down, I don't want to trip them up with an overly complicated special.

And then there was a braised pork belly idea that by the time the vendor had delivered the meat, I cooked, cooled and portioned it, it wouldn't be ready until Wednesday. That would only work when I schedule it ahead of time.

So in the end I had to compromise, but by no means settle.

I had a little idea of a seasonal jam made with rhubarb and red wine, and initially I felt that it would be awesome paired with lamb, which tripped me up because I have to be very creative with my cooking techniques in order to use an economical cut to keep within our price point, and I haven't yet been able to follow through with the thought, so I went instead with the breasts of Cornish game hen, which I have used with rhubarb before, but this time I feel like my experience with it has allowed me to make it even better this by not adding too much wine to the rhubarb allowing for its natural liquid to leach out and not having to cook it down a lot.

Since I started brewing my own beer at home (which I would love to do for the restaurant but would be a WHOLE other licensing beast to wrestle) I have felt like I really underutilize the great flavor value of grains, and though I'm not ready to cook with interesting ingredients like chocolate barley, I feel like I could find a place for it sometime in the fall. In the meantime I went with the more common pearled barley.

Pearled barley is a grain processed by polishing it in order to remove the bran, helping it from being too chewy once cooked. I simmered it in a rich, seasoned chicken stock and allowed it to cook in the liquid, further absorbing the flavor. Once ordered I sauteed it in butter, onions and garlic, local baby spinach, and the leg meat that I poached in the chicken stock to both fortify it and keep the meat juicy.

For some reason July has become synonymous to sangria for me, probably because it is one of the hottest months of the year and exactly why sangria was invented in the first place. So I decided to exclusively dedicate this month's drink specials to variations of the refreshing wine punch.

This week is inspired by my favorite ingredient for sangria: the apple. I love the way it absorbs the flavors and retain its crunch. Since I wanted to use Granny Smith apples, my personal favorite for their crisp flavor, I started this sangria tribute with the unofficial white variety.

I started early by dicing the apples and slicing some oranges so that they would have plenty of time to macerate in brandy and simple syrup, leaving a reason to actually eat the fruit - little explosions of flavor and liquor.

To top it off and add even more of the apple flavor I finish the glass with a couple of ounces of Hornsby's Crisp Apple Cider that retains more of that bright flavor without too much sweetness.

We're off to a great start!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Just Peachy!

2011-06-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

In the past I have tried to space out my specials that contained similar ingredients to keep each week new and different, but for the last two years the summer's treats have been delayed by about a month due to weather, and when that happens good ideas fall by the wayside, never to return if I put them off.

When I have leftover fruit like the peaches from last week's special I usually either cook it down or freeze it to be used for brunch smoothies, but they were so flavorful that I had to use them again. So since I had to cook them in order to keep them I went with a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce made by quickly cooking the whole peaches in water and shocking them in ice water so I could peel the tannic skin before blending the sweet flesh with spices, soy sauce, Worcestershire, brown sugar, maple syrup and cider vinegar. To meld all of the flavors I threw it all in a pot and brought the sauce just to a simmer and allowed it to slowly cool.

I debated on adding chipotle - smoked jalapenos - to the sauce for spiciness to balance out the sweetness, but then I thought "what better way than to add that heat in the form of a dry rub on a steak?". Not only do dry rubs add flavor, but also what is called "bark", the charred crust that embodies great barbecue. I made mine with salt, brown sugar, chipotle powder, cumin, coriander and Chinese 5-spice.

Instead of some cut of meat that needs a long, slow cooking that's typical of barbecue, I went with something more indicative of summer, like a steak. Initially I wanted to use a flat iron steak due to it's flavor and consistent size and shape, but when I got to the store they were out, so I went with the next best thing - flank steak.

Flank steak comes from the region of the cow just below the strip loin and behind hanger and skirt steaks, so it's among great, flavorful cuts like the flat iron. The problem is that it's not always the same thickness or width, which only means more work for me and nothing to you!

To bring all of the flavors together and balance the dish to a zen-like perfection I made use of some local, organic dandelion greens for their fresh, vibrant and bitter attributes.

What???

Yes, like what grows in your yard, and, no, not at all like what grows in your yard.

I used to serve a wonderful dandelion greens salad with a honey-shallot vinaigrette at a previous restaurant that at some point I want to revive, but for this dish I wanted to lightly saute them in butter, onion and garlic until just wilted to act as a bed for the steak and a barrier for the sauce so that you, the diner can combine as much or as little of each flavor components as you wish.

As much as I love coming up with new ideas for both dinner and drink specials, it's refreshing when one of our own steps up to help with the creativity.

A couple of weeks ago one of our servers, Justin, and I were talking about what we could do for a drink special, and we bounced around the idea of using pineapple in a margarita, which led to infusing chopped pineapple into tequila over time as well as muddling it to get it on both fronts, and a joint idea was born.

Two weeks later the tequila was ready, and once strained, it was added to muddled fresh pineapple pieces and lime wedges with a splash of sweet and sour mix, yielding a powerful concoction of fresh flavors with high octane!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Shining Bright

2011-06-22T03:12:00.000-07:00

Summer is here again!

As the calender brings the longest day of sunlight for the year I felt it necessary to create two specials that will each be as bright and vibrant as the summer sun.

Inspired by one of my early influences, Ming Tsai, I have been wanting to implement his spin on the classic dish steak au poivre, or peppercorn steak, where he uses all five peppercorns to encrust a filet of beef: white, black and green with their cousins the pink and Schezuan varieties. But due to the season I wanted to see it on a nice Ahi tuna steak which can hold up to the spice of the peppercorns just as well as filet mignon. I pressed each piece into the coarsely ground peppercorns and seared them in a hot pan just enough to toast the crust while keeping the fish a vibrant rare.

Being the first day of summer it was only natural for me to offer a chilled entree, so I thought about what would pair well with the peppercorns and I came up with a beautiful combination of shaved fennel, English cucumbers, pea shoots and the big kicker - sliced peaches. This fresh salad sparkles with harmony, especially with the subtle addition of toasted celery seed and flaky Maldon sea salt to finish it.

Finally, I needed a sauce, so I took a note from a special in the past and elevated it. I steamed yellow bell peppers, peeled them and simmered the flesh in heavy cream before blending and straining the sauce, chilling it and pouring it into a whipped cream canister which creates a silky smooth mousse that's full of flavor and is as light as air.

The other half of my summer celebration specials is a complex combination of ingredients that add up to one simple word: refreshing!

After my introduction to Aperol when using it for a drink special a few weeks ago I realized its infinite potential in the realm of refreshing cocktails. This time, instead of showing how well it could enhance other flavors I wanted to use fresh ingredients to bring out the aperitif's subtle nuance of flavors.

We start first by muddling fresh grapefruit and lemon with ice, which draws out the essential oils from their skins. Then we pour on the Aperol, vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, orange bitters and a splash of St. Germain elderflower liqueur to add that unmistakable floral flavor that makes you think that you're sitting in a flower patch and not in a restaurant on Broadway!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Pizza, Pizza!

2011-06-15T03:46:00.000-07:00

Enough time has passed in my career that I can now openly admit that while waiting for acceptance and admittance to culinary school I worked as an assistant manager at a Little Caesars pizza chain. Why do I view this as a little dirty secret? Well, it's far from what an aspiring chef would be happy doing, let alone the reality that I was among the least experienced of my class in the CIA.

It wasn't until now that I can finally admit it, but the fact still remains that I actually liked working there. My co-workers were already my close friends, and back then in the mid-to-late 90's they had the best commercials (dreamt up by the company's owners, NOT ad agencies).

While it was a far cry from the wood-fired ovens that I had previous experience with, I still had an affinity for some of their products; I still crave their "Crazy Bread", especially when under baked and doughy. (!!!)

This must be why I continually gravitate to the flatbread idea, because it's an interesting twist on an iconic classic with unlimited possibilities. That, and the increasing pressure from co-owner Stacey for me to revive this delectable treat.

To keep it interesting, I first made a dough based off of my basic foccacia recipe but with a healthy dose of freshly chopped local herbs - parsley, rosemary, chives and thyme. I stretched the dough thinly over the back of baking pans and partially baked them before cutting them into into the rectangular shapes that fit my favorite wooden plates.

I chose a variety of toppings that represented the season as well as what we already do here at Table 219, like the beautiful sun-dried tomato strips that I use for the pesto on the grilled tofu dish, finely sliced, local shitaki mushrooms, Isernio's Italian sausage that makes up the gravy for our chicken fried steak and happy hour skewers, and fontina cheese used in my pancetta mac'n'cheese.

Now that I have method down, maybe this delicious dish might make the cut for the next menu change along with a previous special favorite, wild boar enchiladas!

For the past month I have been slowly infusing white rum with a split Madagascar vanilla bean, giving me enough time to find the right inspiration.

I really wanted to have a Cuba Libre made with my own cola, but the laundry-list of essential oils that I would have to buy would be enough to make several gallons, so I instead went with a micro brewed version made by Virgil's to do it for me!

With Love,

Cheffrey

I Am Serious... and Don't Call Me Shirley!!

2011-06-08T03:27:00.000-07:00

Even now, eight weeks after my trip to Hong Kong it is still influencing my specials. Sure, I would love to be able to line them up week after week in succession, but I prefer to offer a great special as opposed to making sure I stick to some sort of format.

But this week's inspiration is drawn from a surprising source: an airplane meal!!

Before you turn away in disgust, allow me to explain; First of all, we weren't on Southwest, Delta or United. We travel in style, so we took Korean-based Asiana Airlines - rated the best in northern Asia due to exceptional service and meals created by chefs. They created dishes that travel well, can be heated easily and, most of all, taste good.

We had simplified versions of our favorite Asian dishes like bibimbap, congee and the inspiration for this week's special: lettuce wraps.

It's really the taco of the orient; a combination of meat, sweet, sour, spicy and crunchy. And even though it wasn't the first time I've have lettuce wraps, there is something about having really good food on an airplane really made them stick in my mind.

Since I was working with all of the bold flavors that Asia has to offer I needed a meat that could hold up to them, so I went with lean and gamey venison, something so far off of the radar from what anyone would expect from a dish like this that you have to be intrigued, and that's half the battle.

To make the filling I made a white coconut curry with cardamom, coriander, lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger, garlic and Walla Walla spring onions in place of the obligatory scallions for that iconic Washington touch. Once reduced with mirin for sweetness I strained the sauce over the ground, cooked venison and stirred in chopped cilantro.

To pair with the rich, gamey filling I created a series of pickled vegetables like cucumbers, red peppers, baby white turnips and red onions uniquely flavored with rice wine vinegar, mirin wine in place of the classic sugar, Chinese five spice powder and a touch of Sriracha chile sauce.

Finally, I bring it all back to the original Korean inspiration with a sauce that is traditionally used for bibimbap that is simply gochujang, a wonderful fermented chili paste that's sweet and spicy, blended with sesame oil, soy sauce and a little water to thin it out. With some bibb lettuce, fresh mint and Thai basil there are a hundred different combinations that you can create on your own with just one beautiful plate!!

We restaurant folk stick together. When I asked one of my friends, Milla, a bartender from Charlie's next door what I could do with a bottle of Effen cucumber vodka that we couldn't seem to sell, she came back with this brillant idea!!

She knowingly looked at me and simply said "Cucumber Kamikaze.", then laid out how I should do it.

A kamikaze is a citrus cocktail made with vodka, triple sec and fresh lime juice, but with the way cucumber and lime interplay, Milla knew what is best!!

Thanks, Milla!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Mentors

2011-06-01T03:45:00.000-07:00

This week began with the first of many Tuesdays where I am mentoring a young, aspiring chef through a program that pairs underprivileged people with restaurants to help teach them a trade, much like the Farestart organization that we love so much to support.

I can't take credit for the idea; Stacey first employed Nathaniel at our sister restaurant, Geraldine's Counter, as a busser, but asked me to bring him in on Tuesdays to help me on my biggest prep day while teaching him my Jedi culinary ways.

I can't pretend to be able to understand where Nathaniel is coming from or what he's been through; all I know is how important it was for me for the great chefs of my past who took the time to show me the ropes and share their knowledge and insight with me. I felt that if I could spark that same fire of passion for cooking that I have in someone else and help turn their lives around for the better, then why not try??

I wanted to showcase a dish for Nathaniel that would explain what I like to do here at Table 219 - taking those classic Americana dishes and putting them through the wringer of my mind; twisting and turning the idea until it comes out its own, unique dish.

I've had the idea for a shrimp 'n' grits au gratin in my notebook for a while now but I never had the appropriate cooking vessel, until now. At risk of repeating a similar presentation so soon I went with the same dishes that I used for my (future menu staple) wild boar enchiladas two weeks ago. In hindsight, I believe that self-imposed risk was more than worth it.

I first poached medium-sized shrimp with the shells still on in an already flavorful shrimp stock to make sure all of their flavor stay inside. While the shrimp cool and are peeled I used the cooking liquid along with half and half to cook the grits, finishing them with freshly grated Grana Padano, an Italian hard cheese similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano but more subtler and less nutty, perfect for debunking the "no cheese with shellfish" myth. That's right - MYTH!

I fold in freshly chopped chives and parsley that are abundantly available locally before baking the mixture in individual dishes with even more cheese on top until bubbly and delicious. I added a side of grilled sourdough bread that makes for a perfect bridge for the au gratin from dish to mouth!

The only thing missing is the obligatory vegetable, only this time it's something that threatens to outshine the main focus of the dish:

This spring/summer cusp is really the best of both worlds. I used Walla Walla spring onions that I slowly cooked in butter, sweet curry powder and a splash of soy sauce to bring that umami flavor. I used the curry butter to saute local, organic shitaki mushrooms, first of the season yellow corn and vibrant pea shoots to give a beautiful taste of the season with a punch of flavor!!

To offset the somewhat rich aspect of the au gratin I thought that a light and bubbly cocktail would fit the bill.

With fresh blueberries now coming in from California I wanted to infuse them in vodka, but I didn't have the chance to do it ahead like I normally do, so I used a new technique that I learned which involves quickly chopping the blueberries in a blender with the vodka, funneling the mixture back into a bottle and drawing out the air with a wine pump that creates a vacuum in the bottle normally used to preserve the wine. The technique does in one hour what would normally take at least a week!

To further enhance the blueberriness we muddle a few with ice before adding the infused vodka, Aperol - an Italian aperitif that has a lot of flavors going on like bitter orange, rhubarb and cinchona, the bark that I used as the foundation for my tonic water recipe a couple of months ago. It's the original ingredient in a spritz that's topped with sparkling wine, which led me to this combination.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Hooray for the USDA!!

2011-05-25T03:09:00.000-07:00

Most likely due to the fact that the world did not end last weekend, the USDA announced Tuesday that it has lowered the recommended cooking temperaturefor pork from 160 to 145 degrees, bringing it in line to the same cooking standards as beef, veal and lamb.

This is finally on par with what we chefs have been doing for about a decade because we are governed by the FDA, which has allowed the lower temperatures, because otherwise the meat would be dry and tough when fully cooked. I must have some kind of pork radar thing because I had this incredible urge to feature a pork special this week... or is that just how I am every week??

Since apricots have just come into season and the amazing way that pork pairs with sweeter ingredients, I wanted to make a sauce with them, but I had to make sure the dish didn't end up tasting like a dessert, so I decided to first roll portioned tenderloin in a robust spice blend popular in North Africa called ras el hanout that I fortified with freshly ground coriander, cumin, caraway and chile flake before pan roasting it, which also toasted the spices. Though the new guidelines suggest cooking the pork to medium rare, I prefer to cook it medium to medium well not only to appease a wider audience but also because I have found that cooking it less makes it too chewy.

For the sauce I simply simmered the whites of Walla Walla spring onions in some fruity extra virgin olive oil until soft before adding the depitted apricot halves and some white wine, cooking them down until they are soft enough to puree, giving me a silky smooth, almost pudding-like sauce.

Even though the natural sweetness of the apricot is far from cloying I felt that I should further detract from it by sauteing finely chopped broccoli rabe, aka rapini, which has a bitter and pungent flavor that also really brings together the spice rub and the sauce. To take it a step further I added wedges of red radish that had been roasted to mellow their spiciness but still leaving a lot of flavor.

After last week's cocktail success I wanted to keep with the light and fresh theme, especially with the upcoming holiday weekend that is the unofficial marker for the start of summer.

One of the most recognizable classic cocktails is the gin fizz, which is the perfect summertime drink because it is cool and refreshing. To take it a step further I added the crisp juice of pomegranate to the usual suspects of gin, club soda and a splash of simple syrup to make the ultimate tribute to our glorious season, the best time of the year and the reason why we all tolerate the bleak, rainy season.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Diecisiete de Mayo

2011-05-18T02:35:00.000-07:00

At face value, this week's specials may seem more appropriate for the week of Cinco de Mayo, but even though I had the idea for the sauce well before, I couldn't have come to this conclusion without the proper dishes, which I just so happened to need for a private party last Friday.

We do close for private parties from time to time depending on their size, and I have to apologize if you ever stop by and are unable to dine with us during these events. Last Friday's was a pre-Bat Mitzvah celebration, a Jewish daughter's coming of age ceremony, and for the grand finale they wanted banana splits with the works, thus leaving me with a new set of dishes to use as a blank canvas of sorts.

The shallow, oval bowls that we got are actually for baking and broiling, so I thought that I could utilize my ancho chile and hibiscus sauce as the foundation for some unique enchiladas. Another example of how the plate is the inspiration for the food.

The sauce is made by slowly cooking the whites of spring Walla Walla onions (saving the greens for the filling) in oil with garlic, cumin, and ground ancho chiles, or dried poblanos which have a wonderful raisin/dried fruit and a slightly tobacco flavor that aren't very spicy. I added tomato paste and hibiscus syrup and simmered until everything was very soft before I cooled it and blended smooth with fresh oregano and parsley.

For the filling I went with coarsely ground wild boar that must have been lingering on my mind every since I decided over the weekend that I want to cook a whole boar in the ground luau-style in my backyard sometime this summer. I guess I just had it on the brain!

The ground boar cooked in its own juices along with chipotle powder, garlic oil and cumin. Once cooled I mixed in fontina cheese, freshly chopped cilantro and the leftover Walla Walla green onions.

The glory of enchiladas is in the preparation: you dip each corn tortilla in the simmering sauce so that it absorbs all of its goodness, then mound with the filling and roll, placing each in a dish with a little more sauce. I bake two per order in a hot oven until bubbly before I top them off with more fontina and a pinch of cheddar for color.

Since I only had one chance at offering fava leaves this season (and all of my other ideas fell through...) I used them here, where they offer a unique vegetable pairing to a usually solitary dish and lend to the presentation as well.

I have been steeping tequila with dried black mission figs well before Cinco de Mayo, but since I had other ideas for that week I saved it for the right moment. Once watermelon became available, I knew the best way to use it.

I carefully peeled all of the rind and white pith from the watermelon, leaving only the sweet flesh that I pureed in the blender and strained until it was just the silky juice. I then simply poured it into a pint glass filled with ice, followed by the fig tequila and topped with club soda to brighten it even more and make it dance on the palate!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Mint Condition

2011-05-11T03:40:00.000-07:00

Few ingredients scream SPRING!! to me more than fresh peas. The thing is, there are few things in life that I hate more than shucking peas - fava beans being one of them - hence my love for the the more practical pea vines and fava leaves. Not only do they offer all of the flavor of their more popular pod stars, but they're a fraction of the cost, which translates into high class dishes at affordable prices to you.

I'll save my rare gem, fava leaves, for next week. In the meantime I want to focus on the more prevalent climber, pea vines.

Over the years I have amassed great knowledge about what flavors work best with peas, like the freshness of mint, the earthiness of caraway and the crispness of radishes. I feel that this dish expresses what could possibly be the perfect matching for all of these ingredients.

First, I wanted to make a thick puree of the pea vines by first slowly cooking the whites of spring onions and garlic in butter, and then cooking down the vines with half and half. I quickly pureed and strained it to make sure the sauce is silky smooth and set the vibrant color.

Seafood plays well with that bright, green flavor so I chose to pan-seared scallops to match with it, though the real emphasis is on the accompanying salad that features the epitome of my pea pairings: a salad of freshly sliced and julienned radishes like English breakfast, purple and Cincinnati, that I enhanced by adding the finely chopped leaves as well. To this I also added the classic fresh mint and some crisp green apple that is all tied together with a vinaigrette of spring onions and toasted caraway seeds; the unsung hero of peas.

As I've stated before I grew up in a Louisville, Kentucky suburb, and last weekend was our big day, The Kentucky Derby.

Even though I didn't offer the staple Derby drink, the mint julep last week, I knew first-hand that it isn't the only time of the year that we drink a julep. TRUST ME!!!

So, in celebration of the "Run for the Roses" and in honor of my geographical heritage I wanted to offer a slant on the mint julep that I like to call the Georgian Mint Julep: freshly muddled mint topped with bourbon, peach schnapps and topped with a splash of club soda. A spring cocktail that begs for better weather...

With Love,

Cheffrey

Duty Free

2011-05-04T03:28:00.000-07:00

I still have a few ideas kicking around from my trip to Hong Kong a few weeks ago; don't be surprised if you see remnants for months to come.

If you haven't ever gone abroad, let me tell you that one of the greatest things about international travel is actually the duty free shop here at the airport in Seattle. Seriously! The yardstick by which duty free prices are measured: Johnny Walker Blue Label is $138 a bottle!! We held out for Asia only to see that price rise.

Luckily for us duty free extended onto the plane, where we went for the Remy Martin XO cognac that was priced a little less. We sipped glasses of the elixir like royalty in our hotel room; I even mixed it with some champagne which made an amazing cocktail that I promised myself that I would feature at Table 219, but alas, the price would be too much, so I had to draw inspiration from elsewhere...

The second most memorable beverage we had was at Bo Innovation, where aside from some amazing food that you will no doubt see in my specials over the next couple of months (or even years) we had sparkling sake for the first time. As I was trying to figure out my specials this past weekend I remembered that Gary had been duped into buying a bottle of Effen cucumber vodka, I realized how well the vodka would benefit from the unique flavor and effervescence of the sparkling sake, leading me to this refreshing cocktail:

We muddle fresh mint and sliced ginger with a little simple syrup and ice to help break it all up before dousing it with the cucumber vodka, topping it off with some sparkling sake that Uwajimaya happened to have on sale, like it was meant to be!!

Another inspiration came from THE most beautiful restaurant that I've been to (and that says a lot!!), Amber, in the Landmark Hotel which is a part of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel chain. Though my wife Anna giggled over the fact that our server looked like one of our close friends, Tommy Lee, she burst out laughing at a dish that looked like "Asparagus Man with Bone Marrow and Black Truffle 'googly eyes'"! It was delicious, but comical; too bad we were laughing too hard to take a pic...

So I drew from that flavor profile, one of my favorites, and created a dish like it but with more of my own style.

Since asparagus is available locally now I knew that it would be a good time to pair it with the leftover black truffles that I had from the cod dish on the previous menu. I also love black truffle with chicken, so I seasoned an airliner chicken breast (which has the wing bone attached for presentation and flavor) with black truffle salt and pan-seared it while basting it with butter, fresh thyme and garlic. During the long process of roasting I warm thick slices of purple potatoes in butter, steam the spears of asparagus, and whip up a black truffle hollandaise to order with the aid of a hand blender.

Everything is seasoned with some sea salt that has been infused with black truffle that I've been using to flavor our popcorn every since the conception of my Pacific cod dish on the last menu. A wonderful, earthy dish that joins the flavor of winter with that of spring.

Enjoy the past while it lasts!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Tribute to Hong Kong

2011-04-27T03:48:00.000-07:00

I was a little overwhelmed with all of the inspiration that I brought back from Hong Kong, but I simply sat down and wrote out what came to mind first. After a little whittling, this is what I came up with.

Hong Kong is a port city, located on the southeastern coast of China between the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, so obviously seafood is a serious part of the cuisine there. You wouldn't believe the variety offered even out front of restaurants for you to take home to cook. I couldn't believe how bad I wanted to cook on my vacation.

To pay tribute to the glorious seafood I saw I chose these jumbo prawns that I've been wanting to use for a long time now from Viet-Wah, an amazing store in the International District. These things are HUGE!! they're called 2-4s, meaning that there's 2 to 4 prawns per pound, or an average of 4 ounces each. Not your typical salad shrimp!!

Probably the best dish I had was at the Night Market, the area where you can get everything. My wife and I stopped at a sidewalk restaurant that had an amazing cuttlefish dish that was obviously steamed until tender and lightly breaded like a tempura batter with an interesting dipping sauce that I deciphered to be a mixture of shao-xing, a typical Chinese cooking wine, rice vinegar, sugar, and five-spice powder. I feel like I nailed the flavor of the sauce, along with a few of my own special chef touches... ;)

Another major aspect of our trip was (of course) dim sum, and the most predominate dish is glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf, though I used Chinese sausage and dried black mushroom as a filling to make the little package of rice burst with flavor like any good dim sum restaurant would!

Hong Kong had a lot of alcohol, but nothing made locally other than beer, so I had to take my inspiration for this week's cocktail from the heart of the luscious fruits that are available there, like mangoes, so I decided to make an infusion of green tea and vodka to flavor a martini shaken with mango puree and simple syrup to create a tropical drink that reflects a trip to the South China Sea!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

A New Step

2011-04-20T04:05:00.000-07:00

We had a blast is Hong Kong! I have a ton of inspiration, from both the city and all of the catching up I did with culinary publications. But since I had to plan for this week in advance to avoid a last minute scramble, those ideas will have to wait. Until then...

This week we are not only introducing a new dinner menu starting Thursday, but also an upgrade to better our brunch menu by implementing cage-free eggs from local Stiebers Farms, and while they feed their hens mostly organic food, that minute amount that they don't is what separates the cost of the eggs by another 50%. We'll try these out on our customers before we upgrade again - not everyone appreciates the value that a humanly raised animal can cost.

To showcase this new addition to our brunch menu I wanted to feature these wonderful eggs as a dinner special first, along with several other tasty bits:

Many months ago I had already tested the idea of softly poaching an egg and then breading it with panko and frying just enough to crisp the outside and warm the yolk without overcooking it.

I've always thought that it would make a great addition to an awesome salad with other rich ingredients and an acidic vinaigrette, so I started with my favorite green: frisee because it's fluffy, crunchy and bitter; already giving great contrast to the dish. I've been curing my own guanciale, or pork jowl cured with salt, herbs and peppercorns that I then hung to air-dry for a month. I finely julienned the fatty meat that's been compared to pancetta (but with WAY more flavor) before cooking it in its own fat until tender. And, just for good measure I used the remaining fat as part of a vinaigrette made with steamed spring onions, garlic, fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil.

I also added diced vine-ripened tomatoes, the raw green ends of the spring onions and some nice pistachios for crunch and flavor, creating an excellent early spring salad that has enough heft to enjoy as a small entree or light enough to save room for one of my new menu items!!

I had a few of the dates leftover from the special before I left (like I was hoping for) so I chopped them up in a blender with some rum to macerate while I frolicked in Hong Kong like a fool...

When I got back, the flavor of the date had infused beautifully into the rum as expected, allowing me to combine it with other tropical flavors to brighten up our slow spring, like a splash of Malibu coconut rum, pineapple juice, lime juice to cut some of the sweetness, and Peychaud bitters to balance it all out.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Getting Ahead of Myself

2011-04-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

Usually, in the past when I would go on vacation for more than a few days or an extended weekend past Tuesday, I would pre-write my blog and post it on schedule with the intention to elude from the fact that I'm not actually there cooking during that time. The reasoning was because many people believe that whenever the chef isn't at the restaurant, it all goes to shit. This time I'm forgoing all of that nonsense because I am confident that things will go as smoothly as when I'm there.

So, here I am, after work on a Friday night, ending my week just the way that I began it, and after another day of preparation and service, I will be on my second full-week of vacation in nearly four years and my delayed honeymoon to boot. Ironically, my send-off dish will also be my welcome-home one, since I will be putting it on the menu along with other new tidbits the week I get back. Stop by to check out what's new!! In the meantime...

I have to admit that the inspiration of both of these specials came from one source: one of our servers, Justin. Not only did he suggest I offer a sandwich that I made for a friend of his who used to wash dishes here, but he also introduced this week's cocktail special, of which I coined The Nutty Professor. But first thing's first -

I poached firm Bosc pears in Mirin and some simple syrup along with the zest and juice of lemons, infusing the flavors well beyond the first day as they sit in the cooking liquid. I made a sandwich using the same sourdough bread from our legendary French toast by toasting each side like a grilled cheese using Teleggio, a washed-rind cheese that is gooey and a little bit stinky, just the way I like 'em. With the poached pears and a bed of baby arugula for optional bitterness and freshness, the sandwich is a great treat, but it is complimented by some beautiful white, orange and purple heritage cauliflower cooked with butter and chives.

As for the drink, Justin and I share an affinity for whiskey, so he knew that I would appreciate a cocktail that he came across, and while I could be "like a boss" and take sole credit for his idea, I appreciate his enthusiasm to introduce things in order to better our restaurant, so I give recognition here to my friend and employee, and for good reason, too!

He suggested we offer a cocktail that he had tried where a traditional Manhattan was made with Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur, instead of sweet vermouth. I took it a step further and toasted some hazelnuts to use as garnish that float as if to show their true flavor!!

See You Next Week!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

2011-04-06T03:26:00.000-07:00

As I prepare for my departure to Hong Kong next week I needed to get my ducks in a row and carefully plan my specials for this and the next two weeks, as well as an upcoming menu change, making my disappearance go as unnoticed as possible.

I'm lucky that we're in the budding months of spring to inspire me in these times of need, but as the winter was winding down I developed the foundation for this dish, giving me a head start to all of the new dishes that I have to conceive.

I've been wanting to create a compote composed of green apples, dates and some of our great bacon from Bavarian Meats, which would, of course be a great accompaniment to pork, like one of my favorite preparations: pan roasted pork tenderloin; the ultimate in flavor, price and presentation. How could I go wrong??

I was planning on adding spring onions that I braised in red wine, but even though the spring onions weren't up to par to add themselves, the resulting liquid had the exact acidic balance the compote needed, so I drizzled it in instead.

Looking forward to the season I countered the sweet and sour compote components with the buttery, slightly bitter leaves of Bloomsdale spinach, an heirloom variety that I sauteed in a mixture of white wine and stewed spring onions and garlic in olive oil.

The dish needed a final touch, and some might actually feel that it would be missing a sauce, so I blended some preserved Meyer lemons that I started a month ago as the base of a classic aioli. The preserved lemon gives the sauce another dynamic layer of flavor... the new reason why we preserve them in the first place.

I put a lot in this week's cocktail. A lot of time, a lot of thought and a lot of hard work. Do you know what's the worst thing about putting so much effort into one idea? the chance it will all crumble into an epic failure.

I've been wanting to make my own gin every since my re-introduction to it with a gin sampler in Portland last year, so I tinkered around with infusing a vodka with the standard juniper berries as well as a few of the flavors from my tasting like lavender, lemongrass and ginger. But even though I make my own gin, it's characteristics could go unnoticed; that is unless I pair it with something else I made, like my own tonic water, for instance.

It's the tonic and not the gin that has left a bad taste in my mouth after all of these years, and unlike most spirits, there isn't much variety when it comes to tonic, so I had the opportunity to create my own after reading a blog on handmade tonic using citrus, allspice, lemongrass and cinchona bark for that essential quinine flavor. Both had to be distilled in order to clarify them, otherwise I would have a reddish/brown concoction that no one would believe was a gin and tonic.

In the end, I was more nervous about this drink than any other because how discriminating gin enthusiasts are (just like scotch or whiskey drinkers), but after one regular's comments along the lines of "as good as a top shelf London gin" that he enjoys, my fears subsided... not to mention the fact that one of the two bottles of gin that I made were already gone by the end of Tuesday night --- as in half priced WINE night. If a cocktail sells that good on a wine night, then I must be doing something right!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Noodle Love

2011-03-30T03:18:00.000-07:00

How many different noodles can I make? Oh, let me count the ways....

Sure, there are the Italian varieties, but I only count them as one. Then there's lo mein, chow fun, dumplings, egg noodles, flower and water noodles, and of course there's all of the different mac 'n' cheeses. But what about the Japanese buckwheat noodle, soba? What about yakisoba??

Though the popular dish yakisoba doesn't actually mean that it contains soba noodles, referring instead to a sauce that is like a sweet, thickened Worchestershire sauce, I realized that if I combined the two I could come up with something special.

Buckwheat is actually of no relation to wheat, nor does it contain any gluten like wheat does, but in order to help the dough stay together I did end up adding some traditional flour, but on the underside of a 2 to 1 ratio.

The sauce stayed relatively true to tradition by combining soy sauce, rice vinegar and Worchestershire sauce, but while most recipies call for mirin - a sweet rice wine - I used a common dry, white grape wine that I sweetened with local buckwheat honey, which gives the sauce a unique and distinct flavor.

All yakisoba dishes tend to have the some of the same types of ingredients that you would find in, say, generic fried rice, like mushrooms, frozen peas or cabbage, so to stay true to those ingredients I went with shitaki mushrooms, julienned snow pea pods and chopped local, organic swiss chard.

While I could have added a protein directly to the noodles to make it much easier on myself, I felt that a separate fillet on top like wild Coho salmon would play an integral correlation to the Worchestershire base of the sauce, and since I didn't use the mirin wine, I felt that reducing mirin into a syrup to brush the roasted portion of salmon like a glaze would really tie the dish together.

Now that we're officially into spring I'm starting to see some of those season specific vegetables become available, like spring onions and garlic, fava beans, English peas and rhubarb.

That's right - the ingredient most commonly used in desserts like pies is actually a vegetable. And not a fruit that most consider a vegetable like bell peppers or even tomatoes, but a sour, how-did-they-ever-figure-out-how-to-cook-this-as-a-dessert vegetable. Luckily sometime, somewhere someone realized that it went very well with strawberries, thus leaving us with an iconic pairing.

Even though I have yet to use rhubarb in one of my main dishes, I do find that it does make tasty cocktails, especially chopped up to infuse some rum, where its natural sweetness helps breakdown the sour and bitterness of the vegetable.

To fulfill the other half of the pairing I simmered whole strawberries in water until they create a syrup that I helped sweeten with some of the buckwheat honey to bridge the two specials together and create an underlying flavor that gives a little more dynamic to the drink.

To help lighten the drink I implemented one of my favorite new techniques: the champagne float. It gives the bubbles that club soda would without diluting the flavor or alcohol content... hehehe!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Toys in the 'Hood

2011-03-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

Recently, I moved from my condo in Eastlake to a house in the U District. One of the best things about moving is exploring your new neighborhood and all that it has to offer. Lucky for me there's a surplus of good, cheap food and watering holes there.

My first venture out drinking was a stop at Die Bierstube on Roosevelt, a short walk from my new home. Naturally I was weary; after all, I just moved further away from the great Feierabend in South Lake Union, but I was confident that they'd have my favorite dunkel, or dark style of beer that is still very light. Not only did they have one (and a wheat dunkel to boot!!), but an intriguing concoction macerating in a large jar above the register that turned out to be a house-made "whiskey". While I wouldn't go as far as to call it a whiskey it was indeed tasty, and inspired the base of this week's cocktail special.

The jar was a little far for me to make out everything inside but I did notice golden raisins, so the next week at work I started a simple infusion with the raisins and vodka, leaving me a couple of weeks to figure out the rest until it was ready.

Since it's officially spring I wanted light and bright flavors for this, so I started by muddling fresh mint and ginger, added the golden raisin liqueur and topped it all off with a float of sparkling wine. I call it:

"The Raisinette"!

Since we're just on the other side of spring I get to showcase the best of both worlds - the deep earthiness of winter interwoven with the softness of spring. Some of my best dishes have come out of these intersections of inspiration, and I'm really happy with the way that this one came out.

For some reason I've been really fixated on the idea of a dish with fried brie lately, so I cut discs out of a wheel that I then coated with egg and panko breadcrumbs to be fried as a topping to say, a steak, so that the cheese oozes out when you cut into it like a broken yolk and coats the meat like a sauce.

I initially wanted to try out a buffalo flat iron steak from my specialty company, but when that turned up unavailable I had to scramble Tuesday morning before deciding on an interesting cut of beef called a top sirloin from just above the tenderloin, and I even found an Angus breed version that has more flavor and tenderness. I carefully cut the meat into thick portions that tend to naturally sway on the triangular shape, which made a good visual contrast to the circular brie.

For a vegetable I used some beautiful, locally grown rainbow chard, a green that has a variety of colored stems that also give the leafy vegetable good body even when finely shredded and sauteed in a little butter, onion and garlic.

To compliment the colors of the chard while countering the richness of the brie I roasted red and golden beets and peeled them before pureeing with red wine and champagne vinegar respectively along with a little sugar to give me a duo of sweet and sour sauces to balance the plate.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Green with Envy

2011-03-16T04:06:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is here on Thursday, though I don't think that many of you reading this will end up being dragged out of a bar by friends at the end of it, but I've been surprised before!!

For those of you who are looking for an alternative to puking up green beer, I have just the thing for you!

This week I'm continuing with my twists on the traditional corned beef and cabbage dish like the previous years while keeping with the spirit of the holiday.

For this year I wanted to do something unusual and create an interpretation of our own dish, the 219 Benedict, which is already a take on the classic by dicing the Canadian bacon and adding it to cooked, grated potatoes along with smoked gouda and scallions that we then top two with poached eggs and a creamy tomato and mushroom sauce.

The funny thing that people don't see about restaurants is the way we cooks snack on the food you enjoy, but in a different way. Take the Benedict for example: there's always an odd ball (literally) leftover that brunch chef Alejandro likes to deep fry for himself. This combination reminded me of corned beef hash, another item on our brunch menu, and the rest just fell into place.

Corned beef has nothing to do with corn; it actually refers to the kernel-sized salt that was once used to cure beef brisket. I used to make our own, but due to a shortage of refrigeration I couldn't just let forty pounds of beef cure in there for a week at a time, so we started buying it made locally by our sausage company, Cascioppo Brothers, which may not be as good as mine (hehehe), but it's pretty damn good.

After a long, slow cook in just enough water to help the meat stay moist it's left to cool overnight so that it's firm enough to dice finely. Meanwhile, I simmered peeled, whole potatoes until just done and allowed them to cool completely before grating them by hand and tossing in chopped scallions, eggs and the corned beef. I shaped them into three, three ounce eggs.

Why eggs? Why not!!

You can't have corned beef and cabbage without the cabbage, but I really don't like the time it takes to braise traditional white cabbage, let alone the stinky sulfur it can give off, so I went with a new favorite: napa cabbage sauteed in butter, onions and garlic, yellow and black mustard seeds and chopped parsley. Perfect.

I also prefer a little nice mustard to go with my CB&C, plus the dish needed some moisture in form of a sauce, so I simmered a stock with the usual suspects: parsley stems, bay leaves, onion, garlic and peppercorns to name a few, and then I added an equal part of white wine and reduced it until almost dry before adding heavy cream and seasoning it. The sauce is then strained and, once reheated to order, finished by stirring in a heaping tablespoon of Dijon mustard.

I thought long and hard about what kind of drink to offer this week. I wanted to focus on the two most commonly known Irish beverages; either Guinness or an Irish Whiskey like Jameson, (but don't think I don't know about the others, like Poitín, aka Irish moonshine).

After an experience at an Irish bar in Brooklyn, NY I realized that there are some people in this country that prefer to drink a certain spirit distilled in a certain region of a country by a certain religion, like Jameson, believed to be made in southern Ireland by Catholics, and Bushmills, which is produced in Northern Ireland and thought to be produced by Protestants (and possibly the world's oldest licenced distillery in the world) - one of stupidest forms of ignorant bigotry that I've come across... and I've seen a lot!!

Bigotry aside, I personally prefer Jameson whiskey for taste alone, so after researching cocktails containing Irish whiskey I came up with an ingenious name for a drink that also helped form it's foundation.

The Irish Redhead!!

I filled a pint glass of ice 3/4 full with Jameson's (hey, some stereotypes are for a reason; we do love our booze, after all..) and added honey, fresh lemon juice and egg white powder that I shook vigorously and finished with club soda. To help balance the drink and solidify its moniker I topped it with several dashes of Peychaud's bitters that were stirred into the foam created by the egg white powder, giving it a red-hued float!

Chicago can keep the green dye for their river; I prefer red!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

The Clouds of Heaven

2011-03-09T03:03:00.000-08:00

With the first sign of spring vegetables starting to show their heads I realized that I need finish showcasing my winter dishes now if I don't want put my ideas on hold until next year, chancing that they'll get lost forever.

If I've said before that I love pasta, then I'm a stalker for dumplings. There's just something magical and mysterious about biting into a shrouded filling bursting with flavor. While there are many great dumplings from cultures around the world to choose from, I decided to go with more of an Asian style, with some of my own twists.

I made a filling by enriching ground, raw shrimp with pancetta that I blanched in water to tenderize it as well as to remove the excess salt, reserving the liquid for the base of my broth. For the dough I used the same shu mai wrappers that we fry for our tuna tartar tacos on the menu, but by boiling them instead of frying, they become light and pillowy, like little clouds from Heaven.

I used the leftover shrimp shells to fortify the pancetta broth, and for an even more intriguing flavor I simmered the whole lot with Szechuan peppercorns - tiny, dried berries with strong citrus notes that are commonly used in the Sichuan region of China, where it was realized long ago that the mouth-tingling properties of the peppercorn plays extremely well with the spiciness of hot chiles, so I added a few pinches of ground chile de arbol and a subtle amount of soy sauce for salt and umami.

Another classic pairing for Szechuan peppercorns is eggplant, so who am I to argue? I sauteed up small rings of Japanese eggplant with onions, garlic, ginger and soy sauce. While the eggplant gives some heft to the the dish, I needed another dimension and some green to boot, so while I was at Uwajimaya picking up the eggplant I also grabbed several bunches of watercress, one of the oldest known leafy greens consumed by man and one of my all time favorite greens (though long neglected in my recent repertoire). Its peppery flavor really lent a hand to the flavor profile of the total dish, playing off of the peppercorns, eggplant and broth.

After my recent purchase of orange bitters for the Orange Apricot Punch a couple of weeks ago my mind has been reeling with ideas. I remember talking to one of our servers, Justin, about how well orange goes with whiskey, like the way we muddle orange slices and maraschino cherries with Basil Hayden bourbon to make our signature Old Fashioned, which led me to this other variation to a classic cocktail.

I thought that since whiskey goes so well with orange I felt that I could make a version of a Manhattan by using rye whiskey instead, since it has many of the same characteristics as bourbon. I used Grand Marnier orange liqueur in place of the sweet vermouth and, of course, aromatic orange bitters instead of the traditional, well, bitter variety. The final cocktail was a HUGE success on its first night alone, so I'm excited to see how well it does the rest of the week!!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

New Directions

2011-03-02T03:32:00.000-08:00

We've all heard the trendy culinary catch phrases before, like: "fat is flavor" and "everything is better with bacon". It is easy to fall back on these go-to ingredients for guaranteed good taste, but the true art of the craft comes when you work outside of these parameters to create something that is considered dull and flavorless into an intriguing dish that makes even a carnivore raise their eyebrow with interest.

I'm writing of course about tofu, which is essentially cheese but made from soy milk that's used as a meat substitute, though even some vegetarians find it boring. I've used a lot of it at home in order to eat healthier, but I must admit that I hated it in the beginning, but like anything that's difficult - if it was easy everyone would be doing it.

So I started my dish by marinating blocks of extra firm tofu - I find anything softer to be off-putting to those weary of tofu already - in a blend of olive oil, shallots, garlic and dried herbs de Provence, with an emphasis on the dried because after a few days marinating the tofu is marked on the grill, creating a wonderful char and smoky flavor that can't be achieved by fresh herbs alone.

To go with the bold flavor of the tofu I needed accompaniments that were equally as strong. While it may be presumptuous to think that vegetarians and vegans are missing out by omitting bacon from their diet, it is a fact that braised winter greens are greatly enhanced by the addition of it, so to split the difference I used a single malt scotch from Islay, which has a very smoky characteristic of its own, inspired by the flavors I got out of a dish at the Black Bottle (who's waiter said that there was no scotch added). The scotch flavor is assertive yet pleasantly familiar; not an imitation of bacon but an excellent alternative to it.

Lucky for me portobello mushrooms were available at a great price this week, and since they are commonly used in vegetarian dishes due to their meaty texture, I used them here to help give more sustenance and take on flavor.

Mushrooms in general are like sponges, absorbing liquids with little effort.This knowledge led me to the addition of a marinade with the same foundation of olive oil, garlic and shallots but with the addition of mustard and fresh rosemary; both great pairings to the portobello. After several hours of absorption I roasted the large caps upside down so that the remaining marinade with continue to seep in.

Now that I had a foundation with the braised greens and the mushroom I needed something to finish it on top. Typically a sauce is used here, but since the center of the tofu is already soft and creamy, I went in another direction.

I had this idea for a Mediterranean "salsa" comprised of cherry tomatoes, shaved fennel and minced black, oil-cured, Moroccan olives that I seasoned with freshly chopped herbs like marjoram, oregano, parsley and chives along with a dressing made of preserved Meyer lemons and oil. I lean towards "salsa" as opposed to "salad" for this because sometimes customers tend to think that a salad is something comprised of lettuce.

I have been wanting to re-introduce a cocktail using cinnamon-infused tequila every since the outstanding success of the Cinnamon Pear Martini that utilized poached pears in two ways by churning the cooked pears into a sorbet that is floated in a mixture of the poaching liquid and cinnamon-infused tequila. Despite the quick time that the cocktail sold out and the many requests to put it on the menu I ultimately decided against it due to all of the processes that go into making and executing the drink. This is my attempt to rectify that dilemma.

For the past few weeks I have been steeping whole cinnamon sticks in Cuervo tequila, bringing even more complex flavor to an already interesting spirit, one that is only enhanced by the addition of the sweet and sour elixir of freshly juiced granny smith apples (aka green apples). With just a few dashes of bitters and a few shakes over ice the mixture is strained into a martini glass to make a more formidable version of the original, but with a great enough flavor to stand alone.

With Love,

Cheffrey

It's About Time!

2011-02-23T02:49:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it takes a while for a good idea to form. Sometimes a good idea forms instantaneously. And sometimes a good idea has to wait its turn.

Last summer I was researching recipes when I came across a cookbook by one of my favorite chefs, Charlie Trotter, where he had a dish that featured a mustard pasta. At the time I had just made a lemon flavored pasta and was very interested in infusing flavors into pasta and I quickly came up with this dish, tucking it away until a season where it would be more suitable to offer a rich braise.

My initial plan was to offer it sometime in autumn, the nearest time I could, but something kept coming up; maybe I wanted to take advantage of an seasonal ingredient that was available for a short period of time, or I had a different pasta idea, or I wanted to save such a good idea until just the right time... The next thing I knew it was seven months later and I'm finally getting to it.

The pasta is made by mixing stone ground mustard and eggs with all purpose flour and some wheat gluten, the pure form of the protein in flour that helps hold the dough together. I used the gluten to fortify the pasta to compensate for the added moisture that the mustard brings. Not only does the pasta have a wonderful flavor but it is also a beautiful golden color with specks of the whole mustard seeds.

To stand up to the robust pasta I needed ingredients that were no slouches themselves, so first I braised cubes of wild boar leg meat in a combination of rich pork stock and a hearty tomato sauce, and then roughly shredded the meat while the sauce simmered once again with red wine and fresh herbs like parsley, oregano and marjoram. There is enough of the light gaminess of the meat to shine through the pasta yet it is subtle enough to meld into the dish.

Another component that I added was broccoli rabe, or rapini, which is a pungent and bitter green that resembles a leafy broccoli. Its distinct flavor is a perfect match for the strong pasta and rich boar ragout. And to finish the dish and help thicken the sauce I tossed in a handful of Pecorino cheese (think Parmesan, but made from sheep's milk).

For the final touch - that last coup de grace of richness and goodness - I topped the pasta with my own freshly made ricotta cheese by separating the curds and whey of cream and milk by slowly cooking them with buttermilk and then straining out the cheese. I chose to top the pasta with the ricotta as opposed to mixing it in so that the diner can taste the freshness before stirring it in themself.

Good things come to those who wait!!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I sometimes go a little overboard with the infusions that I make for cocktails due to the time it takes to impart the flavor. I'd rather have too much than run out of my cocktail too soon.

As was the case when I made my kumquat vodka for a martini cocktail a few weeks ago. With a bottle leftover I wanted to utilize that great flavor once again.

I felt that the combination of orange and apricot, one of my childhood favorite fruits, would be a good combination, compounded with the kumquat vodka, muddled fresh mint and a healthy dose of Angostura orange bitters. I was blown away by the result!! It was the perfect balance of sweet, sour and bitter with the added brightness of the mint.

With Love,

Cheffrey

100 Acts of Love

2011-02-15T03:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's very hard to not believe in fate. My 100th blog post falls on Valentine's Day, one of my most deliberately catchy menus to fully embrace the notion of aphrodisiacs in food, where I have the ability to not only create great food but be able to explain my every intention and inspiration. To my loyal followers and new readers alike: thank you for being my muse.

Like I said, I once again formulated a menu for this Valentine's Day based on the and fundamentals of cooking with aphrodisiacs. We all know about the classic ingredients like oysters, chocolate and alcohol, but I wanted to showcase a few more, both historic and superficial. And since we all could use a little more romance in our lives I plan on offering these specials for the rest of the week until I run out.

For starters, I concocted a cocktail that embodies the romance of sparkling wine with a play on words that actually makes a tasty, balanced drink. I used a passion fruit puree that I gave an added touch of vodka (to help get you in the mood) that we used as a base in the same way as a traditional mimosa but with more of a sweet and sour pop kick.

For the appetizer course I used local oysters from Totten Inlet to make my oyster pot pies by first poaching them in a little water to release their liquor so I could use it to make a creamy sauce with onions, garlic, celery root, carrots and edamame as a play on the traditional components. Instead of the pie dough I meticulously shaped puff pastry shells with a little heart on top.

Beef has been known to get the blood flowing, if you know what I mean, and spiciness gets the heart rate up, so I went with an entree that is flavorful and light - light enough to ... er, keep your mobility??

Anyways, I braised chunks of beef in a teriyaki sauce made by mixing soy sauce with brown sugar and slowly cooking in an oven until perfectly tender. Once cooled the meat was slightly shredded to be tossed with a warm Asian slaw of carrots, Napa cabbage, bok choy, fresh cilantro and scallions. To accompany the dish and fulfill the orgasm-like spicy attribute I used a little known technique of cooking a white curry. Generally curries are colored by the chile that they are made with, but there is an Indonesian variant that has all of the seasonings without the heat. While I love the flavor that it has, I feel that the missing heat really takes away from what is expected from a curry, so I cooked onions, ginger, cumin, coriander and lemongrass with the white seeds of jalapeno peppers in coconut milk and blended it into a luscious broth to finish the dish.

For the final course, I (of course) had to have a chocolate dessert, but not just any dessert; a Chocolate Baked Alaska! I perfected my baked Alaska skills at the '21' Club years ago and have been wanting to offer it here for a long time. Well, there's no better time than V-Day!!

I started with a base of chocolate cake that I layered with chocolate ice cream infused with creme de cacoa and mixed berries that had been macerated in Grand Marnier orange liqueur. Once frozen solid and cut into portions I decorated them with an egg white meringue that's toasted to order to represent the flames of passion and love.

Here's to a hundred insights, and a hundred more!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Good Ol' Country Boy

2011-02-09T03:27:00.000-08:00

Every now and then I like to get back to my roots. That is, working with and refining what is known as southern cuisine.

I grew up on southern food, but I didn't realize what heights it could reach until I worked my culinary externship in Charleston, South Carolina where I first learned the extent that this hodgepodge-influenced soul food could be refined. Giving the richness that this type of food inherently possesses I tend to limit my offerings to this time of year since most people prefer heavy dishes in the winter.
I've been wanting to serve a loaded cornbread for a while now, and I finally settled on the additions of finely grated smoked Gouda and ground Chinese sausage, but instead of cooking a whole skillet I used these little non-stick pans that make perfect individual portions, great for laying a foundation.

Over the holiday season during my short vacation in Florida my mother cooked Christmas breakfast for my wife and I, which included one of my favorites: country ham with red eye gravy. It's made by rendering pre-boiled country ham (to help remove some of the excess salt from the curing process), adding flour, water and coffee - hence the "red eye". I've made a thinner version in the past as a play on au jus, but this time I wanted something more substantial. This time I made a rich broth by simmering sliced country ham with vegetables and herbs that I then thickened and finished with freshly brewed chicory coffee (my preferred cup at home). The resulting sauce was bold and slightly bitter - a perfect pairing to the sweetness of the cornbread and the Chinese sausage.

Traditional southern dishes usually contain some form of cooked, bitter green. While kale, mustard or dandelion greens are the norm, I felt some wild, baby arugula would fit the bill. Simply sauteed with a little onion and garlic confit helps give flavor to a newer version of accompaniment.

While I could have gone many different ways with the "main" protein for this dish, chicken is a perfect medium; a blank slate. I've always preferred a pan roasted airline breast - with the first section of the wing attached to add flavor and a classier presentation. Think of it as a healthier version of fried chicken, except for an added boost of flavor I whipped up sweet cream butter with freshly chopped oregano, thyme, and chives that I molded into a loaf pan to chill so I can slice it thin to finish the breasts while still hot to infuse more flavor.

As if my dinner special isn't down-south enough, I've dreamed up a drink special that'll turn a yokel into a socialite!

There has been a lot of distilleries offering "moonshine", or unaged corn whiskey, probably so they can have something to sell while the rest ages in barrels for a few years. You can even buy some of them at our state run liquor stores. On a whim, I bought a bottle made by a company out of Virginia that was a lot sweeter than expected, so I realized that I could use this as a clear version of sweet vermouth along with another more traditional style, a few dashes of Peychaud's bitters and a maraschino cherry to make a completely transparent Manhattan!!

Hell Yeah!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

A Few of My Favorite Things

2011-02-02T03:59:00.000-08:00

We all have our vices; some of us more than others. As a chef, I of course love food, but sometimes other guilty pleasures come into play...

While at my favorite coffee stand, Vivace, I had a moment of clarity. What if I took my favorite booze for flavoring (vodka) and infused it with my favorite coffee (Vivace) to make one of my favorite drinks (White Russian) from one of my favorite movies (The Big Lebowski)?? Brilliant!!

Since I have no real guideline for this I had to wing it, as usual, so I felt that a half pound bag of whole bean vita blend could impart a strong enough flavor for two bottles of vodka to have a strong enough flavor similar to Kahlua. First, I allowed the beans to steep in the vodka for two days until they all sank, indicating that they were soft enough to then roughly chop them in the blender. Another five days and the brew was ready for the next step.

I knew that I needed some sweetness to create my own version of Kahlua, and to add to that deep, rich flavor I decided on a simple syrup made with light brown sugar and a little water. Once combined, the resulting liqueur is like Kahlua and vodka already mixed, simply needing to be topped with some smooth half-and-half.

The chef abides!!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Another one of my favorite things are dumplings, and while it's easy to find, say, the Asian variety in Seattle, I've had a hard time to find some good pierogies here.

Pierogies are roughly Slavic in origin (Polish, Russian, Lithuania, etc.) but those boarders tend to bleed. Simply put, they're an unleavened dough with a filling. While no one in my family came from this region (just to the west, in Germany, for the most part), I have always loved them, and one of my favorite restaurants in NYC is still Veselka where they make eight different types of pierogies (as well as a mean Ukrainian borscht).

Since I haven't found my new pierogi spot yet, my only natural course is to do it myself and share it with you!

In my research I found that the dough is basic; simply flour, salt, eggs, butter and sometimes sour cream, which only means "required" to me since it adds flavor, thus an essential in my book. They can be baked, boiled or fried, but for now I'm sticking with the more typical boiled variety.

Traditional fillings include sauerkraut, meat, fruit, or my favorite: potato. Perhaps it's my Kraut/Patty heritage but I LOVE potatoes!! And the only thing better is potatoes with cream, Taleggio cheese and onions cooked in butter... Yeah! That's the way to go!!

For a sauce I chopped the white parts of fennel bulbs and stewed them with onions, garlic, cream and mixed mustard seeds as a sort of play on both braised cabbage and creamed spinach. To finish the sauce and retain the crunchy texture of the fennel I added the finely chopped green tops and fronds before it's reheated to order.

After boiling the pierogies I toss them in a little brown butter and garnish the dish with crispy, fried shallots that have been marinating in buttermilk before tossing in flour and frying to play on another traditional way of finishing the dumplings by sauteing them in butter and onions.

Hopefully, the things that I love will help influence the things that you'll love in the future!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Nice Shootin', Tex!

2011-01-26T04:20:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, we've already reached the end of January, right in the heart of winter. Now is the time for deep, hearty dishes that soothe the soul for when the days are short and the skies are dreary.

I have always loved Tex-Mex food; I still return to the same local chain from my childhood called "Tumbleweed" whenever I visit my hometown. While it is inarguably one of the most definitive American cuisines, I have always shied away from Tex-Mex despite these facts, perhaps due to certain celebrity chefs who have overextended the cuisine. Now is the time to break free from that reluctance.

Every since the last time I used ancho chilies, the mild, dried poblano, I have been in love with them. Not only do they have an amazing, complex flavor of raisins and tobacco in the same way that good wines do, but they also have a very low Scoville rating, the scale used to rate the heat in chiles, allowing those of us who can't tolerate a lot of spiciness to still enjoy the flavor.

I used this great chile along with a hearty beef stock as a cooking medium for beef brisket to make good on my promise from last week to showcase another one of my favorite cooking techniques: braising. By pureeing the dried chile pods with the stock before cooking the meat not only guarantees me a great sauce, but also infuses the flavor deep into the meat during the seven hour cooking process. After the meat is cooled I cut it into exact portions and strain the sauce, reserving it to reheat the meat to order.

Even more of a staple to southwestern cuisine than chiles is maize, or corn to you and me. Blue corn, a variety that dates back to before the European influence in the southern Americas at the end of the 15th century, is about 30% higher in protein than the commercial brands that dominate our country's agriculture. Though I've used it in a more traditional form by making tamales, I realized that it would be a great accompaniment to rich, braised dishes if cooked in the traditional Italian porridge-style preparation of polenta. I heated half-and-half with garlic and onion powder for flavoring before sprinkling in the blue cornmeal and allowing it to cook for a half hour or so. I cooled the mixture before pureeing it in a food processor to eliminate any lumps. Finally, to elevate the flavor that much more I finished the reheating of the blue polenta with a spoonful of creamy chevre goat cheese.

The mellow spiciness of the ancho really comes through when a little sweetness is present, but instead of adding sugar to the sauce I chose to saute seasonal broccolini, a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese cabbage, which also happens to be my all-time favorite vegetable. The natural sweetness of the broccolini really helps bring out the fruity flavor of the ancho chile, while its crisp stalks lend plenty of much needed texture to the dish.

Only those close to me know that last week my wife and I closed on our first house. Sure, we've owned our own apartment in the past, but this is our new home. We used the same husband and wife duo Larry and Lynette that helped us find our condo in Eastlake for our home search, and it's safe to say that we've couldn't have imagined better people to work with!!

After signing our final offer on this house, Larry (nicknamed "Eggplant", a.k.a. Edgar Plant) asked if I wanted a drink. Since knowing this man for nearly 3 years now, I knew that he had excellent taste in both music and booze, so I said, "Sure. Your choice."

He proceeded to concoct a combination of tequila, spiced rum and hot water swirled inside of a molasses jar. To be honest, I've never been fond of hot cocktails myself (cold beer is usually my preferred method of intoxication), but the unusual heating of tequila and spiced rum along with the complex molasses flavor really made an impression on me. So in tribute to another stage of my life I'm offering this drink special to those great people who've helped us get there, and for those of you who are adventurous enough to try this surprisingly delicious drink I offer you a 25% discount if you simply tell your server the codeword "eggplant"!

With Love,

Cheffrey

A Touch of Sweetness

2011-01-19T04:02:00.000-08:00

I love combining sweet and savory in a dish. For me, sweetness plays an essential part of balancing a dish by bringing together the five tastes, but a real treat is when I get the opportunity to incorporate pastry techniques as well.

I have more than my fair share of pastry experience, which I've flaunted in the past by making components like a roasted garlic whipped cream, a creme brule-style corn custard and a fresh tomato sorbet. I'm always inspired by the correlating techniques between the two culinary sides; the most obvious of my favorites are the slow braising of tough cuts of meat and the poaching of pears. Both transform the initial product into something different while imparting the flavors of my choice; if I didn't know better, I'd think it was magic...

So for this week I wanted to focus on the pear poaching technique and save the slow braise for next week.

Ironically, the best pears for poaching are hard pears, and it's very difficult to get under ripe pears while they're in season. Since that's the case, the Bartlett pear is the most firm when ripe, so I peeled, halved and de-cored a selection of these and then slowly cooked them in water, brown sugar, star anise, fennel seeds, fresh ginger, and pickling spice, which contains coriander, cloves, bay leaves and a little dried chile. I cite the pickling spice ingredients because they end up lending the most interesting notes of flavor to the finished pears, especially with the savory application.

Pork is one of the best mediums for sweet and savory contrasts since it is relatively neutral in flavor and pairs well with fruit and other sweet preparations. Texture is always an important factor, so I went with thick cuts of pork tenderloin that I then slightly pounded with a meat mallot before breading with breadcrumbs made from the leftover sourdough loaves that we use for our famous French toast.

To tie it all together I made a bed for the pork by sauteing finely chopped napa cabbage with onions, garlic, parsley and sage,. Then, for the final touch, I reduced an already strong pork stock with freshly chopped ginger that I had slowly cooked in a little sesame oil. To create a unique sauce I used this stock to make a quick emulsion by whisking it into egg yolks with a hand/immersion blender (one of my favorite tools) to give me something that is frothy and light, yet rich with flavor. A little pinch of shallots pickled in 25 year old sherry vinegar rounds it out to help balance the richness.

After nearly 100 posts I have to be honest and say that I'm sometimes surprised that I haven't already offered an idea for a special where I think now would be a "no brainer". I guess my skill has matured, especially behind the bar...

Another great seasonal citrus that has a limited season is one of the first inspirations of my young, budding career. I can still vividly remember the first time that I bit into a ripe kumquat, and the idea of a citrus fruit that you can eat entirely without worrying about the bitter pith made my creative juices explode. Now, I have a new muse with this cocktail angle, and I failed to take advantage of the kumquat's season last year, though I don't plan to make the same mistake again...

This time I chopped up some kumquats to infuse in vodka while I used the remainder to make a simple syrup by simmering it in a mixture of equal parts of sugar and water. The cooking process of the simple syrup mutes the flavor in the same way that canned vegetables taste dull. Fortunately, the preservation property of the vodka retained the fresh flavor (hence the name).

We shake the two over ice and strain the mix into a martini glass that is garnished with a few rings of that mysterious fruit.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Globe Trotting

2011-01-12T04:17:00.000-08:00

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, or at least in the way that most people make them. The type of resolutions that I like to make improve my life in a different way. For example: this year I have resolved to try as many different independent coffee shops and pizzerias as I can. Not the healthiest of choices, but I bet that I'm in the 99th percentile of resolutions achieved for 2011.

At least I have my ongoing resolution to become a better chef as a redeeming value. In the last year I've made good on my resolution, studying the lesser-known flavors of the world - from Scandinavia to Kashmir and Indonesia, anything beyond the trendy cuisines that you'll find on nearly every corner these days.

I came across this one recipe for an authentic Sri Lankan curry paste that really helped me understand the way countries influence each other, like a beautiful game of connect the dots across the map. As I contemplated this week's special this recipe came up, and I felt that it would fit perfect with some seasonal ingredients and a different technique that I've been wanting to try.

The curry paste recipe consisted of coriander, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom, coconut flakes, and dried chiles among other things (including dried, ground rice), so I stayed true to it but used some Latin American chile instead, like the Ancho and New Mexico variety because both are large, signifying a mild heat but with a lot of flavor.

I don't offer many chicken dishes for a reason; most chefs believe it to be a "throw away dish", something you do to appease the indecisive or apprehensive, so I can stretch the boundaries by using the Sri Lankan curry paste as a marinade to liven up the generic stereotype. Since I already get HUGE chicken breasts for our brunch menu I realized that I could split them lengthwise and trim them to a perfect portion size before pounding with a meat mallet. I rolled up the meat with the paste and twisted the ends tightly to expedite the marination process while awaiting your order.

For the "starch" component I decided on what I consider the "trifecta" of chef influence. Michel Richard, one of the most influential chefs of our time and considered the Godfather of modern Californian cuisine, publicized a technique that he created by cutting potatoes into the size of rice and cooking them like risotto, a technique later expanded on by one of my early influences, Ming Tsai, who implemented the technique with sweet potatoes to suit his "East meets West" culinary POV. The "trifecta" is finalized when I realize that while Chef Tsai's version is rich in possibilities, the sweet potato lacked enough starch to simulate a true risotto, so I meticulously cut sweet potato into long julienned strips with a mandolin and then chopped them with a knife into the "rice" sized shapes. I cooked the leftover pieces in coconut milk, some light beef stock and a touch of saffron-infused honey to build on both the Middle Eastern flavors of the chicken as well as accentuating the sweetness of the "yam". Once cooled I pureed the mixture into a smooth paste and stirred it into the raw "rice", giving me the right texture and mouth feel but not any of the heaviness attributed to traditional risotto.

Since I'm using a spicy component with the chile paste and a sweet component with the "risotto", there's no other choice but to add some bitter greens to bridge the dish and balance the flavors. Being in this season and in this region, there's no better option than the mixed organic braising greens from the local Willie Greens Farm that I love to lean on for any complimenting element to my dishes. I know that I sound like a commercial for them, but there really isn't a local farm that offers as wide of a variety of organic vegetables as they do. I would mention it more if I wasn't so worried about being repetitious...

I simmered the winter greens mix on top of chopped onions and garlic that had already been softened in olive oil to allow the natural water to leach out and steam itself, concentrating the flavor even more, bringing the dish into a perfect Zen-like balance.

Whenever I ask my produce purveyor "What's new?" this time of year I get the same ol' answer..."Beets, turnips, kale, and citrus." Sounds pretty standard, until he reminds me about Meyer lemons.

Meyer lemons are a cross between a mandarin orange and a traditional lemon, yielding a sweeter lemon with a darker, thinner skin, but there is a short window when this fruit is available. While I figure out other potentials for this hybrid I might as well go with the "why didn't I think of that" idea: a Meyer Lemon Margarita.

See? The winter doesn't have to be all cloud and gloom. There's a burst of sunshine with every sip!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Nude Sunbathing

2011-01-05T04:32:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was exceptionally special for us because not only were we able to spend it with family (my mother's side), but also to get out of Seattle and into the Florida sun, first in the Fort Meyers/Naples area, and then down to Miami and the Keys with my friend, Greg.

Though the temperature wasn't as high as we were expecting (not by a long shot), it was exciting for me as a chef to be in a whole new region of local ingredients. I had my list of culinary demands mentally prepared even before my feet left the plane: conch, shrimp, grouper and Florida lobster. Like any holiday, we ate ourselves silly, and aside from my standing rib roast on Christmas day we pretty much stuck to a diet of seafood.

Once back it seemed that I had seafood on the brain, and since I had the New Year's Eve menu already set before I left for Florida I felt that there was no better way to start the year than with a dish like this.

With fennel in season I decided to do one of my favorite pairings by cooking it with lobster shells and other aromatics to create a warm winter broth that's full of body and flavor but not rich or heavy to give a much needed break after a December full of eating (and drinking).

I'm a dumpling maniac, whether it's encased in pasta like last week's ravioli or on its own, or gnudi, Italian for "nude". To make these I used a medley of Pacific cod, shrimp, scallops and calamari ground up and pureed with a little cream and egg to help keep it smooth. I folded in freshly chopped chives and chervil to add more flavor and mirror the anise infused into the broth by the fennel, which was also used to poach the mini marshmallow-sized dumplings.

To accent the "stew" I steamed diced white and yellow (aka rutabaga) turnips ahead of time only to be sauteed to order with butter, onions, garlic and shredded rainbow swiss chard, adding to the dish like the way some would use potatoes and spinach, but with the turnips you get less starch and a mild radish flavor, while the chard doesn't wilt down like spinach would, offering more heft and sustenance.

It doesn't take long for any transplant to Seattle like me to learn to (em)brace for the upcoming cold and rainy season, only I choose to forgo the hoodie and go straight to warm alcohol to help shield me ;)

With any winter comes the obligatory common cold, and since there's no cure for it the next best thing is a soothing Hot Toddy filled with that miracle worker, bourbon! But to enhance the complexity of the bourbon I decided to use 100% pure maple syrup instead of the traditional honey, and along with hot water and a squeeze from the clove-studded lemon wedge all you have to do choose which top shelf bourbon you prefer to have with it!!

Hey, at least you have something to look forward to if you get sick!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Happy New Year!!!

2010-12-29T01:53:00.000-08:00

Another year is gone, another decade has passed. A new year can mean a new slate; a chance to make the future better than the past.

The world has many great traditions to help make the new year lucky and prosperous, and in addition to our full, regular menu I'm once again offering a special menu for New Year's Eve to help celebrate those traditions.

The meal starts with a canape of golden caviar harvested from sustainable whitefish and is served on a sourdough crouton with crème fraiche, followed by a salad of frisee, celery root, green apple and crunchy pomegranate with flakes of hot smoked salmon and an herb vinaigrette. In Germany and Poland fish is often eaten to bring fortune because its scales represents coins.

The entree, which I will be offering for the entire week, consists of three ravioli filled with a handmade wild boar chorizo because round things represent coins and pigs are often consumed because they root forward, symbolizing prosperity and also because the fatty meat translates to a fat wallet. To continue with the round theme I laid the ravioli on a bed of lentils sauteed with my own cured beef bacon, tomatoes, roasted fennel and leaves of brussel sprouts for green, the color of money. I finished the dish with a brown butter sauce laced with shredded black trumpet mushrooms.

Since it is often felt that the richer the dessert, the richer the new year will be, I took no chance and created “The Elvis”. I made a peanut butter mousse cake with a brioche crust and a little chocolate ganache swirled in. The cake is then topped with thick slices of banana that I brule, or sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a torch to mimic gold coins. No “Elvis” would be complete without bacon, so for that great flavor and added texture I sprinkle the plate with cubes of bacon that are caramelized in brown sugar.

Finally, no New Year's Eve celebration can take place without a little bubbly, but I like mine with a little more kick, so I came up with a twist on the classic French 75 that I call a French 2011. I infused dry gin with fragrant jasmine to intensify the liquor. This is then mixed with the juice of freshly squeezed blood oranges that are now in season, a honey syrup and topped with sparkling wine.

With a menu like this, how could your new year go wrong?!?!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Beet That!

2010-12-22T04:12:00.000-08:00

We have made some changes to our hours of operation due to the upcoming holidays. They are:

Friday, December 24, 9 am - 3 pm (though we may close earlier, depending on how busy/slow we are)
Saturday, December 25, CLOSED
Sunday, December 26, 9 am - 3 pm (Normal Hours)
Friday, December 31, 9 am - 10 pm (Normal Hours)
Saturday, January 1, 9 am - 3 pm (Closed for Dinner)
Sunday, January 2, 9 am - 3 pm (Normal Hours)

On New Year's Eve we will be offering our full menu and featuring a special menu as well. Check back next week for a full description.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I still can't believe that Christmas is this weekend. It seems like just two weeks ago when I said the same thing about Halloween.

Since we are only open for a few nights this week before another gluttonfest holiday I wanted to offer something simple and light, featuring one of my favorite ingredients: beets.

Beets are beautiful, versatile and delicious. I like them simply roasted (never boiled) to concentrate their sugars and flavor. I feel that the best way to serve them is sliced cold and dressed like a salad, and it is one of the few dishes that I truly enjoy reprising.

This time I am using the Chioggia, or candy-striped beet, a heritage variety originally grown in Italy that has concentric rings of red and white much like a candy cane; perfect for a dish this time of year. Though cooking tends to allow the colors to bleed a bit, I prefer it over any raw application. Instead I roast them whole in a deep pan covered with aluminium foil and a little water to help loosen the skin. If done properly you can wipe away the skin with a paper towel once they are cool enough to handle. When completely cooled and sliced thinly the beets are dense and meaty but have ultimately lost their crunch. To compensate for this I needed to use the textures of other local, seasonal ingredients.

To dress the beets I made a vinaigrette with hazelnut oil, champagne vinegar, garlic and shallots, and sprinkled them with flakes of Maldon sea salt. I also added chopped, toasted hazelnuts from Oregon (our nation's top producer of them) to accentuate the flavor and add a ton of texture.

Next is another favorite of mine. I finely julienned Granny Smith, or green apples, to create a sort of crisp salad to top the beets. The acidity of the apples really accentuates the earthiness of the beet and makes the flavor really pop. But the one addition that truly speaks from this dish happens to be one of my least favorite ingredients.

I've always hated celery. I rarely use it, even in stocks because I find it overpowering, even in small quantities; blasphemy in the traditional French techniques that I have been trained in. Perhaps I am ultra sensitive to it - a complete opposite to my perception of ginger root - but what I finally figured out was that I dislike the texture of celery, and I associated the flavor with that. I needed to forgo that association because I knew the flavor would really make the final product stand out, so I bypassed the fibrous texture by juicing the ribs of the celery stalk and then freezing it in a shallow pan. Once the plate was assembled I grated the frozen surface, creating a finely shaved ice known in Italian as granita.

Along with a pinch of fresh chives the granita really added a whole new dimension to the dish, not only in terms of flavor but also the way the cold crystals melt on the tongue as you scoop up the green apple and beet, with little time bombs of toasted hazelnut pieces to help drive the dish home.

The final installment of my trio of holiday dessert cocktail specials was actually the first one that I came up with, bringing the theme full circle now that we are in the Christmas stretch.

It is probably no surprise that this week's special is a candy cane cocktail since it's the most iconic sweet treat of the holiday season, but what may be a surprise is how good this cocktail actually is, and not just a novelty.

I simply shook Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur over ice with Cruzan Vanilla Rum and peppermint schnapps and strained it into a martini glass rimmed with finely crushed candy canes, with another one hung from the rim.

A final wish of Happy Holidays to you from all of us at Table 219!!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

I Got My Christmas Goose Early!

2010-12-15T04:18:00.000-08:00

Despite what you hear in carols, cooking a goose has become a relic of Christmas' past. The lack of demand led to diminished availability and, until recently, you couldn't get one if you wanted to. Fortunately there is a small farm in Reardan, Washington, outside of Spokane that has started to raise them for just these occasions.

Geese are in the same family as ducks, with the same "red meat" only they are larger and have a slightly gamier flavor. Since they are still hard to come by they are very expensive, but I really wanted to offer them this holiday season so I had to come up with something that was both economical and intriguing. It finally came to me this past weekend after picking up some pho for takeout.

The Vietnamese noodle soup was a perfect muse for the Christmas goose on many different levels. The broth base is supposed to be rich and flavorful; an easy task for the bones leftover from carving out the meat, which also allows me to use every part of the bird, thus lowering the cost of the final product. Also, traditional spices like cinnamon, clove and star anise used to give the broth it's distinct aroma are the same that many of us relate to as Christmas flavors. Once I made these connections in my mind, the idea just snowballed.

In addition to the spices, the broth is flavored with charred onion halves, called an onion brule, to help add color and flavor, a western technique taken from the French colonization of Vietnam back in the 19th century, much like using pate and a baguette in a bahn mi sandwich. I used the same technique on two large, peeled knobs of ginger split lengthwise to soften their spice and bite, with more flavor coming from green cardamom pods, fennel seeds, black peppercorns and fish sauce. I allowed the ingredients to simmer and meld together all day while I prepared the laundry list of components that comprise the dish.

There's julienned leeks and carrots, chopped napa cabbage, vermicelli noodles, fried tofu, Thai basil, and fried garlic and shallots (subtle yet necessary ingredients that aren't always added to some pho but are essential, in my opinion). On the side I offered the typical condiments of Sriracha hot sauce, hoisin sauce and cute little key limes instead of regular ones since they're in season.

Last, but not least, I used all of the meat that I cut and scraped from the bones to make a "meatball". I say "meatball" because since it's common for the meatballs served in pho to be sliced I just made long logs out of the ground breast and leg meat that I mixed with sauteed ginger, garlic and scallions, soy sauce and breadcrumbs to help hold in some of the succulent fat and flavor. After shaping them onto pans I roasted and cooled the meat before slicing it into little discs, saving myself a lot of time.

To serve a pho at a restaurant like ours in a pho-centric city like Seattle takes a lot of balls (pun intended). I have shied away from trying it in the past because there are so many good places here that serve it, but with a dish as delicious as this one that crosses cultures while focusing on such an iconic ingredient, I have to say... it's perfect!!

For the second part of my three week holiday dessert cocktail offering I am honoring another great interpretation of a classic Christmas sweet: the gingerbread cookie.

I never grew up making a gingerbread house, nor did I ever hear of someone doing so until I started working at the '21' Club in Manhattan, where a pastry chef told me about the intricacies of the art from his past experience. New York City is an amazing place to be during the holiday season, but if you work in the service industry you are very busy from Black Friday through New Year's Day. Needless to say, I never got the chance to learn how to make a gingerbread house.

Here in Seattle things are a little calmer this time of year and I actually got the chance to make my first gingerbread house this past weekend after eating my takeout pho, but I refuse to post pictures since I bought a pre-baked kit. Maybe next year...

Instead of the gingerbread house I am offering something much more manageable than a house - a tasty cocktail made by shaking Absolut Vanilla vodka, gingerbread liqueur, half and half and Kahlua with ice and straining it into a martini glass that is garnished with a skewer of assorted gum drops!!

It is surprisingly light despite the dairy and Kahlua, and isn't too sweet, even with the gum drops!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Table 219!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Not Exactly Kosher

2010-12-08T05:16:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is a special time of the year to me. I grew up celebrating Christmas while my wife celebrated Hanukkah, and while neither of us practice our religious heritages we still enjoy the traditions that go along with them, combining the two whenever possible, like a Christmas tree decorated in the Hanukkah colors of blue and silver, or a modern menorah on the fireplace mantle surrounded by stockings, garland and baubles.

Last weekend we started a new holiday tradition by cooking latkes, potato pancakes made with egg, flour, grated onion and pan-fried in oil to represent the single day's worth of oil that lit a menorah for eight days until a new supply could be obtained, which is why a menorah is now represented with eight candles (and another one in the middle to light them). Traditionally they are served plain, with sour cream or with applesauce, but for those of us who don't follow the strict Jewish dietary guidelines a flavorful substitute for oil can be schmaltz, Yiddish for chicken fat. I took it a step further and cooked ours in duck fat and served them with Fage Greek-style yogurt and unsweetened applesauce on the side.

The result was so good it inspired me to create a dish to honor these final days of Hanukkah, in my own way of course...

I grated raw potatoes and rinsed them in cold water to remove the excess starch and wrung them free of as much water as possible which ensures a crispy exterior while keeping the interior from being pasty. I tweaked the recipe by slowly cooking finely sliced leeks in butter until soft before adding with a little egg and foregoing the flour, which makes it much harder to keep them from falling apart but allows our friends with the gluten allergy to be able to enjoy it (THE most common food allergy question I get these days). Like at home I pan-fried them in duck fat while pressing the mixture into a metal oval mold to help keep a refined shape.

I personally like to have both sour cream and applesauce with my latkes, but I also dislike any dish to be straightforward, so I nestled two latkes on top of a compote made from Asian pears cooked down in apple cider vinegar and sugar into what must now be my now signature sweet/sour condiment, and then finished them with tiny dollops of sour cream.

For the vegetable component I knew that cabbage would be a great accompaniment, and I have been wanting to find a place to implement an idea that I've had to braised red cabbage with a bottle of all natural red hibiscus cocktail mix that is only lightly sweetened with a touch of agave nectar. I have really been stuck on the apple/hibiscus correlation for a while now, and since apples are a common addition to braised cabbage I felt that it fell right into place here, especially in reference to the latkes.

As is often the case with me I credited the meat portion of this special as being the main focus when describing the dish just to keep with the way customers expect to hear it explained, but this ingredient is by no means an afterthought. Some lean beef belly had just became available to me from a Walla Walla farm called Thundering Hooves (I love that name...) and after a sampling I bought about 50 pounds of it; half for this special and half to be cured and smoked into beef bacon for a later use....

The bellies were smaller and leaner than you would expect, with a meat and fat structure that reminded me of brisket, a cut traditionally braised for Jewish holidays and special occasions, perfect for this kind of dish. And while braising is the easiest way to transform a cut like this into succulents pieces, in the right hands (i.e. mine), slowly roasting it would achieve a richer flavor with less fat.

I first rubbed the meat with kosher salt, not to make it kosher but to help draw out some of the blood, although it is the same technique and reasoning, minus the rabbi. I then sprinkled a generous mixture of Chinese five spice powder, freshly ground black and pink peppercorns, granulated onion and garlic, brown sugar and few other little secrets. I then slow roasted the bellies in the oven at 325 degrees for about 6 hours, using a spray bottle to mist the meat every hour with soy sauce to baste it with flavor and moisture. Once cooled and portioned I reheated the meat in a rich beef broth to keep it moist and flavorful.

In keeping with the holiday theme I have decided to offer holiday-influenced cocktails for the next three weeks. The only downside to such a dedication is that outside of a play on words (like a Grey "Goose" Martini), most holiday inspirations tend to be better as translations of desserts and therefore sweet, which I think isn't necessarily a bad thing due to our lack of dessert drink options. So here is the first of three holiday drink specials that can be drank as either an appetizer for the sweet-toothed, or as a dessert.

The first of my holiday trilogy is the Toffee Martini, inspired by a typical handmade gift made of caramel and nuts. I came up with a toffee flavored syrup by caramelizing sugar in water until it was a beautiful amber color and cooled it down with cream, water and a touch of bourbon vanilla extract. Once strained and ice cold I shook it with Absolut Vanilla vodka, Baileys Creme Caramel and a splash of Frangelico hazelnut liqueur before straining it into a chilled martini glass.

As a final note, while it isn't unusual for my to have a dessert special, it is unusual for me to have it finished on Tuesday after my busiest day preparing the restaurant for the week as well as the aforementioned specials, but this one is important, especially due to the celebratory nature of this blog entry.

Since I had some chestnut flour leftover from my Thanksgiving special and due to the lack of people who've actually enjoyed chestnuts during the holiday season I decided to make a Chestnut Mousse Torte by whisking cream with chestnut flour that I folded into a mixture of meringue, more chestnut flour and gelatin set over a crust of oatmeal, brown sugar, almonds, flour, ginger and cinnamon. To give it that true seasonal flavor I topped it with handmade egg nog ice cream and a fresh dusting of nutmeg as well as powdered sugar to symbolize a dusting of snow.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Table 219!!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

The Bacon Paradigm

2010-12-01T04:46:00.000-08:00

There are many pairings that are perfect together, as if they were cosmically meant to be, like wine and cheese, coffee and doughnuts, cookies and milk; and of course there are the things that go with what many believe that could be the center of the culinary universe: bacon.

And why not? I mean, how many ingredients are either directly related to, or greatly enhanced by the addition of bacon in classical preparations alone? I started thinking about how all of those ingredients could come together in a sort of bacon paradigm, where every ingredient used has either a direct relationship with, or is at least greatly enhanced by the addition of bacon.

By now, scallops and bacon belong to the former of the two categories because I'd be surprised to find someone who has never had a bacon wrapped scallop, without religious recourse, of course. But there are many other branches that relate to bacon like apple, anise, and cabbage.

Once I started thinking about these relations the dish just fell into place like the aligning of the stars on planet Bacon, guiding me to my destination.

Of course, a great combination of bacon this time of year is with brussel sprouts. I pre-cooked julienned portions of bacon and reserved the fat just to use it to caramelize the little cabbages before finishing them with the remaining bacon strips, some chopped pistachios and fresh chervil for its mild licorice flavor that compliments both the bacon mentioned above as well as the apple mentioned below.

I seared scallops as the "main" focus for the dish, but the heart lies within a puree of cauliflower, green apples and slowly cooked onions and garlic that has the creamy, almost nutty flavor of the cauliflower with the crispness of the tart apple that I accentuated with a touch of apple cider vinegar to make it pop and balance out the richness of the fatty bacon. Giving the dish a simple topping of freshly julienned green apple tossed with some more pistachios and chervil seemed like a fresh and inviting finish to the dish.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

It's hard to come up with cocktails made from fresh, seasonal ingredients this time of year that don't involve apples, pears, or pumpkin. Fortunately, this time of year offers a few gems that help lift the spirits from the mundane attributes of autumn/winter like pomegranate, tangerines and the object of my focus, the kiwifruit.

I remember as a child how exotic the kiwi was to me; the bizarre skin around a sweet and tart flesh that looks like an amulet when sliced. In the early stage of my career I learned two things about the kiwi. 1 - the juice irritates the hell out of my skin, and 2 - an amazing way to remove the skin is to cut off the ends with a knife and slip in a small spoon underneath and slide it around like an avocado, both of which I remembered to my astonishment and dismay today.

Since the pulp can be thick and the black seeds seem to be indestructible I decided to use a mechanical juicer to extract all of the flavor from these little babies. Due to their natural balance of flavor I didn't need to add any lemon or lime juice and very little simple syrup, especially since I felt a natural pairing for them was rum. One thing that I did need was something as bright and green as the kiwi, something like freshly muddled mint leaves, giving me a perfectly balanced cocktail that says "sunshine" even as it rains!

It brings a whole new meaning to "Going Green"!!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Gobble, Gobble

2010-11-24T04:10:00.000-08:00

I love Thanksgiving! Before moving to Seattle I think I only had 1 real Thanksgiving dinner in about 10 years, usually because I was either working or too tired to cook. But for the last 3 years of being at this restaurant the other owners and I have been hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our closed restaurant for those of us close friends who have been transplanted into Seattle and don't have family to spend the day with.

This year I am deep-frying a turkey that I brined with fresh rosemary, thyme, parsley, chervil, garlic and coriander. I also like to have some sort of pork alternative to turkey so I am also making mini hams using pork cushions that I will be roasting while basting with a Dr. Pepper glaze, an extension of a traditional southern way of baking ham with Coca-Cola.

Beyond that I'm keeping with my own tradition of serving Parker House rolls, mashed potatoes, herbed gravy and my ever so popular dressing made with bread, hot and sweet sausages, banana peppers, herbs and half-and-half. The guests will be bringing the side dishes of their choice with the explicit instruction to make something indigenous to their family or where they're from. Probably my favorite aspect of the dinner!!

The meal is finished with pumpkin and Derby pies made by Stacey (with my recipes) and my wife Anna's first attempt at making Bourbon Balls, another Kentucky holiday classic that are supposed to be made a week ahead... Let's just hope we haven't eaten them all before then!

As for the restaurant we'll only be open for dinner Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday nights but we will still be open for all of our regular brunch hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which, at the time of posting this only leaves a snow crippled Wednesday and Saturday to wow people with a Thanksgiving-inspired dish that will intrigue them enough to order it, despite the fact that they will be (or have had) their fill of the traditional version on Thursday. I Feel confident that I have succeeded yet again.

I really wanted to come up with something new that was comparable to last year's Thanksgiving interpretation in both style and success with as little repetition as possible for a themed dish as this. The first thought that struck me was to make a pasta by using half chestnut flour and half bread flour, creating a flavorful base that has the bold taste of the holidays to come. Since I left my spaghetti cutter attachment at home and had to walk to work today due to the snow/ice I went with the old stand-by of cutting the sheets by hand into what could be considered a tagliatelle shape.

In what is probably my last use of pumpkins for the year due to its limited season I felt it necessary to add it here to symbolize their use in pies but instead roasted chunks with garam masala (an Indian spice blend that contains similar ingredients to our pies but used in savory cooking) and some dried chipotle pepper for zip.

The hardest part is the turkey. Since most people only enjoy it on Thanksgiving I have an added pressure by using it in a special during the same week. But you know me; I'm gonna try to make it better than your Mamma's!!

I cooked my turkey legs in duck fat, known as turkey confit, until the meat was moist and juicy before shredding it once cooled. No dry meat here!!

I finished the dish the same way that I started it: I melted butter in a saute pan with a little fresh thyme and parsley, and a good bit of chopped rosemary to create a simple sauce that screamed the flavors of the season. I used the herbed butter to cook local hedgehog mushrooms ('tis the season in the Pacific Northwest...) and warm the roasted pumpkin while the chestnut pasta cooked to order, using a touch of the pasta's cooking water to help build the sauce. After finishing it with a pinch of Parmesan inside and out I realized that this one might actually be better than last year's interpretation, and I really loved last year's dish!!

So you think that something is missing from my Thanksgiving dish, eh? Say, maybe some cranberry?? Well, I didn't forget about our little red friend. Actually, I've been planning this one for a while now in anticipation of this wonderful week.

At the beginning of this month fresh, local cranberries became available and I jumped on them. At the time I had already been infusing gin with plum for about a month and loved the progress that it was making, so I felt that cranberries would absolutely complement the complex flavors of gin as well. I roughly chopped the little gems in a food processor with a dash of sugar and let the mixture sit covered at room temperature for a day before adding the gin in order to leech out the flavor and natural color.

My foresight paid off today when I tasted the strained result of the infusion: an intricate combination of sour, sweet, citrus and juniper that can only be explained by tasting yourself. I used this special spirit as the start of a cocktail by pouring it over ice in a rocks glass along with 2 counts of simple syrup and topping it off with a good portion of our sparkling cava.

It isn't cranberry sauce, but I bet you would prefer it at your Thanksgiving dinner table!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Getting Into Shape

2010-11-17T03:36:00.000-08:00

The wonderful thing about produce is that not only is it a vast palate of flavors and textures to work with but it also has an amazing natural beauty; with all of the colors, shapes and sizes I find myself in awe at the turn of every season.

The main inspiration for this dish was the local availability of a bizarre vegetable called romanesco, a cousin to broccoli and cauliflower that has a series of fractal buds. In addition to being absolutely stunning it is very tasty, and since I love caramelizing cauliflower I started by carefully braking off perfect buds to use as garnish and trimmed down the remaining pieces into tiny florets that I browned in butter and olive oil to order and finished with chopped parsley, chives and chervil.

Since the romanesco had such a striking appearance I wanted the rest of the dish to reflect many different shapes as well, and that was when things really started to come together.

Another vegetable that has become available locally is some beautiful baby fennel that would not only give me another natural shape but some robust anise flavor. I trimmed them, reserving the tops, and roasted the whole bulbs in a high heat oven, filling my kitchen with its sweet aroma.

The meat portion actually started last Saturday when I cut beef chuck into 2" thick slices and seasoned them with freshly toasted and ground fennel seeds, coriander, mixed peppercorns, mustard seeds and salt that marinated until I got in Tuesday, allowing the flavors to fully penetrate the meat. I then braised the slices in a rich beef stock made from the end pieces of the chuck and a variety of herbs and vegetables.

Once tender I cooled the meat before portioning into squares and simmered the cooking liquid with the leftover fennel tops, further enhancing the flavors of the dry rub and bringing the two components together. I used the resulting broth to reheat the portions of beef and allowed it to reduce into a powerful glaze to finish each piece.

For the finishing touches I made a round croquette by shredding cooked potatoes mixed with cream, eggs, scallions and some of the same spice blend that I used for the beef that I then fried, yielding a crispy crust and creamy interior. Since the dish as a whole had a lot of Mediterranean influences that contain rich techniques I felt that a bold kalamata olive puree with garlic, shallots and olive oil would really add some contrast.

As we now get into colder weather you can expect to see more and more of those great citrus fruits on both sides of these specials, starting right now. Once I saw the first boxes of satsumas, a.k.a. Mandarin oranges, I immediately grabbed a couple of stacks and thought about what I was going to make with them later.

With their thin skins and sweet/tart flavor I decided to juice them by hand (like I've got nothing better to do...) and use the strained juice to make the base for a margarita along with a dash of triple sec and a healthy portion of tequila. But that wasn't enough for me, because I've really been into herbs lately (if you haven't noticed from my specials). So I thought that I would take it a little further and rim the glass with a sugar that I ground with fresh tarragon that actually goes quite well with the flavor of the Mandarin.

There's a lot of amazing things that you can come up with once you think outside of the box ;) !!

With Love,

Cheffrey

A Vast Sea of Gravy

2010-11-10T04:18:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest things about our culinary point of view is that I get to travel the country via tastes and flavors of any region at my choosing; experiencing cultural classics along with my customers.

I really enjoy exploring the local treats of any city that I visit, whether its hot dogs in Chicago, sourdough bread in San Francisco or alligator in Florida, and some of my greatest influences drawn from living in New York City aren't from fine dining restaurants but from the little gems that define the food culture there, like egg creams, "street meat", and greasy diner food. But since I live my life in the kitchen I can't always get out to explore the country so I do it through my research to find new dishes to offer as specials at the restaurant.

One common dish that I have never been exposed to despite its popularity as far north as Manhattan is chicken and waffles. This is one of those ambiguous dishes where it seems that there is no definitive way to serve it; it all depends on where you had it (and loved it) for the first time. Even though its ingredients sound straightforward, the combinations are endless. Usually there is butter and maple syrup on the waffle with fried chicken, sometimes there is gravy, and sometimes the chicken meat is pulled, etc.... and that's not even getting into the different ways to make fried chicken!!

I've already made my own version long before I started this blog with a more refined preparation with Cornish game hen two different ways, but I decided to reinvent the dish once again with a more accessible style that people can wrap their hands around.

For the chicken I split large breasts in half and squared them off, leaving me with a 4"X4" portion that I dredged first in a well seasoned flour with Lawry's seasoning, black pepper, coriander, oregano and paprika before dipping them into a combination of buttermilk and eggs before returning to the flour mixture and resting, awaiting the fryer.

I made waffles by whisking eggs, extra virgin olive oil and buttermilk into sifted flour, sugar, salt and baking soda, to which I folded in freshly chopped parsley, chives, oregano, thyme and rosemary that helped give the waffles a unique, autumn flavor. I poured the batter into a square waffle iron, yielding thin, crisp panels that I topped with Taleggio cheese after realizing what a great gooey cheese it was for sandwiches after making myself a snack with it the last time I used it for a special. Once the chicken is fried crispy and delicious I pressed it between a layer of each, doubling up on the cheese for good measure.

Since chicken 'n' waffles has southern roots I felt it necessary to pair it with a typical side of braised greens, in this case an organic medley grown locally and cooked in bacon, of course. And though the sandwich is juicy and moist even without the Taleggio I felt the dish was incomplete unless it had a sauce to dip it into so I whipped up a gravy by simmering dried porcini pieces in a rich chicken stock that I then thickened with a roux made from flour and the leftover chicken fat (some cultures call it ghee, some call it schmaltz; I call it LOVE) and finished it with sauteed chanterelle mushrooms.

A lot of people get a kick out of how long some of these cocktails take to come to fruition, especially the ones made by the slow process of infusing flavors into a spirit instead of just blending it in.

I have to say that I even surprise myself sometimes, since a chef is conditioned to deal with the here-and-now, concentrating only on the day or maybe the week; sure, it may sound like we have a short attention span, but considering that every dish that goes out has to be our focus, it's easy to see how next month can seem like a long time away. But I use this to my advantage, because once I combine ingredients and put them away to infuse, the next thing I know they are ready to be used!

For example, sometime in the end of September I had about eight or ten red plums leftover from brunch that were the last of the season and I couldn't let them go to waste, so I chopped them up and sprinkled a little sugar on them to leech out more flavor but then I wasn't sure what spirit to use. Sure, vodka was an easy choice, but it didn't have any character, and then I thought of gin; once my friend, then turned nemesis and now back in my good graces. Gin had the complexity that I needed to create an interesting infusion with my sacred plum, so there it sat on my shelf until, before I knew it, it was a perfect marriage.

Like with most liquor, if it's good you shouldn't mask it with too many flavors, so I chose a classic gin cocktail preparation that will allow my plum gin to shine: a Plum Gin Fizz!!

A gin fizz is simply gin, a little sugar, lemon or lime juice to accentuate the citrus notes in the gin and club soda. I used lemon juice as a neutral flavor and shook it with egg white powder, a nod to the old school style but without the health concerns, giving it a frothy head and beautiful body.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Eat My Words

2010-11-03T03:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I said that I wasn't even going to consider a pumpkin cocktail because everyone would just imagine drinking pumpkin pie filling. The moment I wrote that I started thinking of a way to disprove myself but left the sentence in there anyway. Now here I am, eating my own words, about to describe my contradictory drink special.

It's nothing new for me. I like to say that I suffer from "Foot-In-Mouth Disease"; I always seem to say something to the contrary of what I ultimately mean. First of all, I realized that not everyone thinks like me and maybe there are people out there that would actually appreciate a pumpkin cocktail - after all, there's a certain nostalgia associated with autumn and pumpkins.

Secondly, I realised after an outing at Sambar that I could actually juice a sugar pie pumpkin, the one variety that is actually meant to be eaten and not just decorated, yielding a fresh and light liquid that's not too sweet and all pumpkin in flavor. This realization gave me a use for the "Autumn Spiced Vodka" that I started about five weeks ago, just to see what would become of it, by steeping Smirnoff vodka with cinnamon sticks, crushed nutmeg, orange peel, allspice berries and star anise. I added a simple syrup made with brown sugar (instead of the typical white, granualted variety) to the pumpkin juice with equal parts of the spiced vodka into a shaker full of ice, shaking and and straining it before I garnished it with freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon to create a cocktail that is rife with the flavors of fall.

Since I've been creating my own cocktail specials the single most comment that I hear is "why don't you create a cocktail that pairs with your special the way that wine does?". The truth is that even the world's greatest mixologist have difficulty doing so for two reasons: 1 - wine has been around for about 6,500 years while the earliest cocktail was documented around 1806; a lot more time to experiment with the combinations, and 2 - the harshness from spirits in even a diluted concoction tends to dull the palate.

Just because it isn't easy doesn't mean it can't be done, you just have to start with the basics. The simplest way to match wine with food is to "bridge" them by using the same wine in the main preparation of the dish, thus automatically pairing them together, so if I'm using pumpkin in the drink then I should use it in the dish.

Another way to pair a drink with food is by intensity; like a big, bold Syrah and a fatty steak, so I came up with an intense dish by cooking an Italian-style risotto with the flavors of a red Thai coconut curry by simmering the rice in a mixture of onions, garlic, coconut milk and red curry paste until it is "al dente" and then adding chopped tomatoes, chicken smoked with jasmine tea and freshly chopped Thai basil, all served in a ring of roasted sugar pie pumpkin that you scoop in while you eat the risotto to complete the flavor profile, and all the better if you have a Spiced Pumpkin Martini to balance the heat and compliment the spice!!

If my words are this tasty, just imagine how good the food is!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Bringing it Home

2010-10-27T04:29:00.000-07:00

I love going out to the other local restaurants to see what they're up to and enjoying a few bites for myself. Whenever I'm asked which is my favorite I have to stop and think, choosing my words very carefully.

With many notable restaurants like, Lark, How to Cook a Wolf and my trip this past weekend to Spur (I can honestly say that my pork belly dish is one of the best that I've ever had, but their Pork Belly Sliders blew it away!!), but the one that still sticks out is Tilth, and like most restaurants that you've loved everything you've had, there is always that one memorable dish. Mine was what they called "Trotter Cakes", a patty of braised pigs feet and meat set in the rich cooking liquid, pressed into a sheet, cut, breaded and fried.

The chef, Maria Hines, is a James Beard award winner, has been on Iron Chef America (and won) and Top Chef Masters (yes, I watch them all...), and, as they say "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", so I made my own version of the dish, but with my own personal touches...

I made a rich stock from pork bones used to slowly braise pork cushions, a cut from the shoulder that is more uniform in size that I chose for even cooking. The meat was chopped and shredded while the braising liquid was strained and cooked further with thyme, rosemary and allspice until it was uber rich and succulent. I packed the cooked meat into cleaned cans leftover from beans, black truffles, etc. to act as molds, covering it with the rich broth while still warm before chilling them to set the shape. Then I heated the cans slightly to loosen them and shake out just like the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving dinner. Once sliced they were breaded and pan-fried in a combination of olive oil and lard for that over-the-top flavor enhancement.

I wanted to balance the rich pork medallions by stewing some locally grown Asian pears into a wonderfully spiced chutney that is both sweet and sour with a subtle heat and intricate flavor composition. I started by dicing peeled Asian pears that were reduced with freshly minced ginger, chopped red bell peppers and dried currants in a combination of apple cider vinegar and sugar seasoned with chili flakes, cinnamon sticks and clove. Once cooled I stirred in freshly chopped scallions to give the chutney more texture as well as a sweet onion flavor without overpowering the fruit. To counter to warm spice flavors I separated the mounds of the compote with fresh leaves of shiso, an bright herb in the mint family that also has a slight fennel or anise flavor.

To complete the flavor profile I added fuyu persimmons, the most common of the 50 or so known varieties because it is the sweetest that can be eaten raw while still being firm. This fruit is close to my heart because as a child I used to go out and gather a smaller sister genus for puddings and custards for my mother to bake. I say gather because you have to wait until the fruit is so ripe that it has already fallen from the tree but be quick enough to get it before it starts to rot. I have spent the last 12 years trying to replicate those dishes; I've even had my recipe for Persimmon Pudding featured in the New York Post using a ripe hachiya persimmon, but neither compares in flavor to that Midwestern mushy treat that remains nameless to me; but I digress...

Since the fuyu persimmons have an almost pumpkin-like flavor I felt that they would make a perfect complement to the spices in the chutney. I am currently using it as a fresh puree, but I feel like the remaining fruits will enhance the plate by being served sliced once they mature more.

I spent a lot of time last weekend researching what is in season that I could use for a cocktail that didn't include apples or pears, and despite Halloween being this weekend, I wasn't even going to consider pumpkin; no matter what I did with it people would only envision drinking pumpkin pie batter...

Almonds are in season, though they're readily available year round, which made me think of making my own almond milk, and then my mind wandered and I thought of all of the spices that I could flavor it with, but then what kinds of cocktails can I substitute almond milk for? There's only one that I can think of: a White Russian. But instead of making a White Russian with spiced almond milk, I thought "Why don't I play off of the coffee flavor of Kahlua and make a sort of chai coffee cocktail?!"

Chai coffee and tea are Indian beverages made by adding a combination of "warm" spices like ginger, clove, cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper, etc. The recipe varies greatly, but I made mine with the addition of a little nutmeg and fennel that I steeped into milk and half 'n' half and let cool to allow the flavors to absorb. To be honest, the taste reminded me of my egg nog recipe, with less egg and more nog, but when combined with equal parts of Kahlua and vodka over ice, it created a familiar drink that had a whole new depth of flavor!

The Chef abides!! ;)

With Love,

Cheffrey

Old Friends, New Friends

2010-10-20T04:48:00.000-07:00

I recently received the disappointing news that my favorite getaway Kurtwood Farms is ending their five and a half years of Sunday Dinner, where practically everything you eat in the seven family-style courses is grown and raised within eyeshot of where you sit. Sure, I'm sad to hear it, if not just for selfish reasons then for the many who never got a chance to dine there, but alas Kurt Timmermeister is on a new journey, promoting his new book: Growing a Farmer: How I Learned to Live Off the Land. Good luck, my friend.

To commemorate this departure I wanted to do something to pass along to those new people who have found us through our latest Groupon promotion, in spirit at least, so I thought back to my favorite dishes that I had there, and the most predominant was from the pasta course, thanks largely to Tyler Palagi from Spring Hill in West Seattle who has cooked each Sunday dinner at Kurtwood Farms since its inception. The guy knows his pasta, and he would routinely serve a wide, handmade noodle with either a braised pork or beef (the two types of meat raised there, unless you count the AWESOME eggs from chickens in the yard) and topped with a shaving of hard cheese that's made there as well.

Though I don't have my own farm, I decided on a similar style of pasta dish - the most humble form of appreciation there is. Every chef has their own way of doing things, and I prefer my pasta to be made with whole eggs, half semolina flour and half bread flour to make it rich and vibrant with that al dente bite that marks a great pasta. I machine-rolled the dough into thin sheets that I hand-cut wide strips, known as Pappardelle, by cutting them with (of all things) a pizza cutter. While they dried I had time to assemble the other ingredients.

One of the greatest things about the Pacific Northwest this time of year is all of the great wild mushrooms, especially true with delicious chanterelles. These bountiful jewels represent the hallmark of foraged goodness that beg to be eaten, so I started the dish by slowly simmering them in butter until soft, awaiting the addition of a sauce.

A pasta is nothing without a sauce, no matter how simple or complex. I made mine with a combination of my own marinara and the braising liquid made from slowly cooked and shredded beef that I finished with a healthy dose of sherry wine, resulting in a sauce that is robust and complex with a slightly acidic bite. I countered that bite by topping the dish with breaded and fried Taleggio cheese that, when cut into, acts like a luscious egg yolk that oozes its richness into the rest of the components, creating a swirl of delight!

If autumn had a flavor, it would taste like this:

I have been waiting months to showcase this cocktail; biding my time until the air is crisp and the leaves begin to turn into a kaleidoscope of colors. With apples and pears abound people expect to see cobblers and crisps turning up on menus, but I have a better idea.

I instead chose to create a cocktail with all of the flavors of a pear cobbler but without the heft; a drink that could be enjoyed either as a cocktail or as a dessert because it isn't cloyingly sweet.

I started with a base made by simmering fresh, ripe Red Anjou pears in water with a cinnamon stick, fresh ginger slices, allspice berries, lemon juice and just a touch of brown sugar to keep it all balanced. Once cooled and strained I combined the fresh nectar with an equal part of Absolut Pear, a splash of Frangelico hazelnut liqueur and Creme de Cacoa over ice, shook it and strained it into a martini glass rimmed with an oatmeal crumble made by cooking a batter made of oat flour, eggs, brown sugar, milk and baking powder that was then ground to give it that final touch of authentic texture and flavor.

On a final note, one day last week a couple wandered in an asked our server, Nikolia, if we will be offering any kind of pumpkin dessert in the near future. My response? Sure! Believe it or not I do take requests...

The first thing that came to mind was the first pastry recipe that I developed myself six or seven years ago. By using a recipe for cheesecake that I was already familiar with I added pumpkin puree and gradually added ground cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg and ginger, substituted brown sugar for more depth of flavor and adjusted the consistency until it yielded a rich and creamy texture that had a flavor that screamed autumn. I topped it with an egg nog cream, which is actually handmade egg nog in a whipped cream maker, that is now in its third year of use to top our brunch coffee cocktails during the fall.

I hope to see you soon!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

The Things to Come

2010-10-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

Barring any of the unforeseen circumstances that usually cause things to go wrong in a restaurant we plan on introducing a somewhat significant menu change at the start of next week. For the most part our menu has remained the same since the birth of the restaurant two and a half years ago - an intentional tactic to ease the transition for the former El Greco patrons and draw in new fans. Now it's time to turn to a new page.

Specials are generally used as a way to test a dish to see if it has the mettle to make it onto the menu, the best example of which is the Tuna Tartar Tacos that I added on the last menu change and has outsold even the previous best sellers. This is important to note, because though I never put an item on the menu that I didn't think was great, sometimes they just don't sell that well, so when it's time to print up new menus we go over the number of sales for each plate, starting at the bottom.

So what's going to go? The first to get the axe are the ribs; though they sell well, they are ordered more in the summertime and therefore will be a seasonal addition. To replace them will be a heartier version of my Pork Loin Rockefeller that I have been wanting to add since its inception last year. Other castaways include the Roasted Garlic Sandwich, Banana Foster and the coup de grace: the Crispy Penne. To replace them is my former signature dish Scallop Wellington with a Spinach Cream Sauce, a Polenta Lasagna with Marinated Eggplant and Basil Pesto, and an Angel Food Cake with Nutella Glaze and Whipped Cream.

The final change is the fish, which is the one area of the menu that actually did change often as an homage to the Fish du Jour offering at El Greco. Like the Tuna Tacos, I knew that this dish would be a hit so I once again jumped the gate to bring our customers an early taste of what's to come.

In our price range I have to be crafty in order to be able to offer a fish entree. Even though farm raised fish is a major sustainable option (excluding "Atlantic" or farm-raised salmon from consideration), most customers prefer the real thing, not that there's anything wrong with that. So I chose the versatile Pacific cod as a good middle ground since price tends to reflect demand and demand reflects the availability or stock of a species, fitting both of my needs.

To prepare the cod I simply baked a fillet on parchment paper instead of oil to help keep the bottom from drying out. While the fish is cooking I sauteed great northern beans (aka Navy beans) that had be cooked in a combination of clam juice and fish stock along with onions and garlic, fresh thyme, butter and wonderful mustard greens that were grown locally but owe their popularity to the south.

Autumn is the season for earthy flavors, the best of which can be found in luxurious black truffles, which go hand-in-hand with the creamy beans and spicy greens, but are subtle enough to not overpower the delicate cod. Since fresh truffles are out of our price range I was able to find real canned versions from a great company that even my idols use, of which I whipped into a butter seasoned with black truffle sea salt to finish a broth made from the leftover truffle juice and vegetable stock.

In the end the dish is a wonderful marriage of American culture and ingredients elevated by the European influence of black truffles; a taste of luxury with a moderate price.

Lately I have been enamored with Pimm's Number 1, a gin based liqueur that has been around since 1823. Though they used to produce five more varieties (up to No. 6) based on other spirits, the No. 1 is the one that stood the test of time, and while I would love to use it in some new way that would break it free from the Pimm's Cup mold, it just has too much of unique of a flavor, always leading you back to that classic cocktail. So instead of trying to find new flavors to mix Pimm's with, I decided to add to those ingredients that already go with it.

The best Pimm's cup is made by combining equal parts of Pimm's and a lemon-lime soda, like Sprite, with a slice of cucumber over rocks in a tall glass. I figured that since the cucumber is a natural pairing to the gin-based liqueur, and ginger is a natural pairing to cucumber, I could muddle fresh ginger slices as a base for a Pimm's Cup, and instead of the Sprite I could use ginger ale to top the sunken slice of cucumber that gives it a suprise burst of flavor with each draw of the straw.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Willkommen

2010-10-06T03:44:00.000-07:00

Being of German heritage and since it's the end of Oktoberfest I felt a deep urge to represent, but being me, I just couldn't serve a straightforward dish, now could I? Instead I wanted to create something that not only reflects me but some traditions of my family as well.

When I was growing up we didn't have too many classic German dishes served; dinner was more of a typical southern style with some Cajun influence here and there, but what we did do, we did well. One of my favorites was Bratwurst, a white pork sausage that we poached in a mixture of beer and sliced onions before tossing on the grill. There was only one way to serve it: stuffed into a long bun and topped with mustard and the leftover onions cooked in beer. Period.

Breaking from tradition I went with a burger variation of my childhood favorite for this special. I used a recipe from an amazing book called Charcuterie that I picked up a couple of years ago to make my own fresh bratwurst by hand-grinding pork and mixing it with ginger, nutmeg, egg and heavy cream that I formed into patties (instead of links) and allowed to rest while I prepared the rest of the dish.

I love pretzels. Even though I didn't really grow up eating them it kind of makes me wonder if there's a hidden cultural force behind it. To me, the only way that I could make a bratwurst burger was to forgo the roll and make my own pretzel bun. After a bit of research and trial and error I finally ended up with a great likeness by adding celery seed to a standard bread dough. I formed and proofed the rolls and then dunked them in a mixture of boiling water with sugar and baking soda to help give them the expected chewy crust that pretzels have. Before baking I brushed them with egg white and sprinkled on Maldon sea salt for a classic look.

I had to have a few things to accompany the burger. The onions were a must, so I cooked down sliced yellow onions with Alaskan Amber (the same beer that I use to make my cheese sauce for happy hour) until all of the liquid is reduced. Another must is mustard, so I again used the Alaskan Amber (hey, it's Oktoberfest...) to make a fresh mustard with crushed caraway seeds, ground mustard powder, vinegar, honey and egg yolks that I cooked over a double boiler until thick. The result was a rich, malty condiment that was a little sweet and a little spicy - a perfect balance.

Then there's the wild card. A couple of years ago on the 4th of July I was at a party who's host I told that I was bringing bratwurst to cook and when I showed up he gave me some cream cheese to serve with it, saying that he had it once down by Safeco Field. My first though: BLASPHEMY!!! But being a guy who likes to try new things I gave it a chance, and all I could say was WOW!! I've never had a brat without it since.

Instead of the usual mundane "burger 'n' fries" combo I wanted add something a little closer to my heart. Once I made the decision to go to culinary school thirteen years ago my father decided it was time that I learn the family recipe for German potato salad, and while I won't give you the recipe I will tell you that it is vinegar based as opposed to the more common mayo based version, with bacon and raw onions. My menu already has may references to what I consider comfort food, like the Henry Baine sauce on the ribs, the Parker House rolls for the 219 Sloppy Joe Sliders and even twists on my personal favorites of corndogs and donuts, but there is one hidden gem that isn't so apparent - the dressing on the BLT Salad, which is a professional take on what my father taught me that day. So to mimic my family's potato salad recipe I simmered large diced potatoes in water until just cooked and air-cooled them before marinading in the same bacon vinaigrette that I use for the salad.

Kostlich!! (Delicious!!)

In my opinion the best alcoholic drinks that come from Germany are beer (duh) and white wine, in particular Riesling and Gerwurztraminer (my favs), but cocktails made from beer and wine haven't caught on yet, so I went in a completely different direction instead.

Stacey, one of the owners, requested that for our next menu change we use St. Germain for one of our cocktails, and I couldn't agree more. It has one of those floral flavors that you can't put your finger on; it just tastes... magical.

I'm not saying that this is the one, but it's a solid start. It's a simple cocktail, similar to a Cosmo but more elegant. It says "I enjoy a drink that is smooth and with a kick, but I also prefer something that sets me apart - something that shows my individuality." (Have I been watching too much Mad Men??)

Anyways, I came up with an interesting mix of Absolut vodka shaken with cranberry juice, a splash of St. Germain elderflower liqueur and garnished with an orange twist to accent both the cranberry and the elderflower.

Mit Liebe,

Cheffrey

Undying Passion

2010-09-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't advance in my food blog competition, but I won't offer any theories or make any excuses; it was a great learning experience that made me realize how much I enjoy writing about food and want to continue doing so, with this blog as well as new ventures in the future. Even after rejection we must press on with the things that we believe in and are passionate about. After all, Colonel Sanders spent a year and half on the road, sleeping in his car, before he struck a deal to open the first KFC.

At risk of brushing off the failure like I never really cared, I have to say that I am a bit relieved that I don't have have to stress out while jumping through hoops to form my writing or my food into a mold as dictated by someone else. I fret tirelessly over my specials as it is, and though we all need to work out of our comfort zone to improve, I don't want the focus to stray away from what's the true point of this blog: the food.

That relief payed off in spades, because once I sat down on Sunday night to work out this week's special the lack of constraints opened the flood gate of ideas, and along with the concepts in my notebook, I laid out three quarters of the specials from now until Thanksgiving! And for that, I am thankful.

I had written this idea off for this year since summer in Seattle was just a fizzle and salads don't make great statements for food blog competitions, but I guess the stars aligned just so to allow it to happen, and I'm all the happier for it. I had the thought written down to pair a stuffed calamari with a hearty salad for quite some time now but it was overshadowed by too many other seafood dishes that played better with the summer season, but now with the warm temperatures predicted for this week this one seemed fitting.

I've been wanting to make a chorizo vinaigrette, probably because I like the notion of taking something that is seemingly healthy like a salad and desecrating it with something like sausage. So instead of simply adding sausage to the salad I brewed a rich stock by simmering fresh chorizo sausage from the local Cascioppo Brothers meat company. Once cooled I blended it with champagne vinegar, shallots, garlic and extra virgin olive oil as well as the ingredients that flavor the sausage like smoked paprika, black pepper, fresh oregano and a touch of ground arbol chile.

To balance such a rich dressing I went with contrasting flavors by using baby arugula and radicchio for bitterness and crunch, which I then countered with freshly julienned green apple and ripe tomatoes. To give it more depth I roasted radishes, which changes their texture and softens their bite.

I initially thought of stuffing calamari tubes with the chorizo, like a play on sausage itself, but I chose to use the filling to bridge the flavors instead; kind of like working from the inside out. I knew from one of our brunch items (and past specials) how well the classic combination of chorizo and manchego cheese go together, so I made a base by sauteing onions, garlic and celery that I then cooled before incorporating finely grated manchego cheese and the cooked, chopped calamari tentacles.

Not to leave anything to waste (and taking every opportunity to add flavor) I used the leaves from the radishes that I roasted to make a delicious pesto by chopping them with whole almonds, fresh garlic and olive oil that is not only very functional by holding the calamari in place, but also gives a suprising hidden burst of flavor.

If there's a last chance of selling a summery style cocktail I think that this week is it; besides, last week's Tropical Iced Tea sold so well I think that our customers are about as ready to give up the thought of summer as I am ready to give up pork!!

This one has a classic southwestern flavor with sweet prickly pear puree (which is actually a type of catus) combined with the tart juice of passion fruit in place of the lime juice that typically balances the sweetness of the common mojito, an since these flavor combinations work so well together I bypassed the mint and just added a splash of club soda to lighten it up enough to drink more than just one!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Welcome to My World

2010-09-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been making a real effort to bring my cooking to the next level. As with anything, you can never really grow unless you push yourself outside of your comfort zone while casting aside all fears of failure, rejection or disappointment. For a chef this means a constant struggle to learn new techniques, combine ingredients and the everlasting reinvention of yourself. The task can be a grind, but in the end it's like climbing a mountain and looking back every now and then, amazed to see how far you've come.

I've been spending a lot of time at the funky downtown Seattle Public Library checking out books by famous chefs and obscure authors alike, building a new base to draw inspiration from now that I am a executive chef on my own. I mostly seek out books that I can use to enhance my current style, but I also make a point to check out at least two books each time that will help fill the gaps of my culinary weak points, the most intriguing of which to me right now is the cuisine of India.

In studying books of the more popular cuisines of Asia I obviously came across a lot of Indian references, due to the common geography, though I always ignorantly separated the two. Despite some similar ingredients and shared borders, India is a world apart. Sure, I have toyed around with curry powders, but the true gem of the food is the personal touch of toasting and blending of your own spice mixtures. With that in mind, I decided to tackle a dish that many Americans are now familiar with: Chicken Masala.

My version is similar to what is more commonly known as Chicken Tikka Masala, but tikka refers to "chunks" of meat, typically in the style of a stew, whereas I wanted to use perfect portions of the whole thigh. Since there is no standard recipe for tikka masala I drew from a combination of recipes from some credible sources and even a show on the Cooking Channel (the Spice Goddess herself), along with, of course, some interpretation of my own.

Indian food is all about building flavors. They are simple looking dishes that are comprised of many ingredients; a case in point that the sum is truly greater than its parts. I first softly cooked onions and sliced garlic in a healthy portion of ghee, or clarified butter, before adding my own version of spice mixture with peppercorns, bay leaves, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves known as garam masala or "warm spice mix". I continued with the traditional flavors by adding fenugreek seed, paprika and tomatoes that I simmered in stock before finishing with a little smoky spice from chipotle powder.

To askew the flavors with my own twist I finished the sauce with a good dose of cocoa powder that automatically seemed a natural companion to the warm spices of the garam masala ingredients, giving it even more complexity and depth of flavor than it had before. I strained the blended sauce to refine and smooth its presence on the palate before using it to slowly stew meticulously prepared chicken thighs in the oven until they were perfectly cooked and moist.

Many recipes called for the sauce to be enriched with coconut milk, but I opted instead to pull it aside and combine it with the classic accompaniment of basmati rice by first adding the milk to the cooking liquid, giving it a rich flavor without it becoming mushy, and then tossing in finely grated, unsweetened coconut meat to order.

Traditionally speaking the dish is complete, but I found that it was in need of some added texture and flavor, so I came up with these little fritters made in the style of falafel, but instead of dried chickpeas I used spilt peas pureed with onions and garlic and omitted the usual spices that are already in the sauce and added plenty of fresh mint instead. The mint compliments both the traditional spices and the cocoa that is in the sauce as well as the finely shaved bittersweet chocolate that acts as a final note to the dish.

Many people mistakenly think that a rich and spicy dish requires a very bold red wine to cut through it, like a hearty steak, but actually the best pairing is found at the other end of the spectrum with an off dry or semi-sweet white wine like our half bottle of Kiona Late Harvest Riesling, which happens to be one of my favorite styles of wine. The natural stone fruit flavors compliment the spices of the masala while the sweetness helps tame the heat from the chile, but if you're looking for a truly unique pairing, then I have concocted just the thing for you...

In the same way that I peruse the farmer's market or specialty stores I was surveying the bar supply for interesting combinations when I came across several bottles that, as I spoke them in my head, reminded me of the popular Long Island Iced Tea drink, and then I knew that I was onto something.

Keeping with the typical tall (or "Long") aspect of the cocktail I filled a pint glass with ice and poured over equal parts of guava rum, vanilla vodka and mango tequila that is then topped off with a Jamaican style ginger beer and a little club soda to cut down on the sweetness.
Please allow me to introduce you to the Tropical Iced Tea!!!

Taste buds - You're welcome!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

A Taste for Writing

2010-09-15T05:39:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog a year and a half ago my sole intention was to use it as another way to reach people and gain exposure for my restaurant by introducing them to the exciting specials that I prepare every week. Throughout an epic recession I use this medium to entice nervous customers from their shells with high caliber food at very reasonable prices, and slowly but surely I have piqued their interest. Since then it has grown into something even greater than that.

Writing isn't new to me - I've enjoyed scribbling prose and poetry since high school - but the long hours and creative thirst of a young and budding chef overshadowed (almost) every extracurricular activity, until eleven years into my career when I realized that I was able to combine both talents and use my words to convey every ounce of passion that goes into each special, as well as the constant struggle to grow as a chef and make each week better than the last.

Now I have a loyal following; not just readers, but regular customers... because unlike most food blogs on the Internet they can they read about my creations and then actually come in to try them!

For my first Foodbuzz challenge I needed a dish that exemplified me as a chef in terms of flavor and creativity, but in the end I simply kept true to my blog and the food that I've been doing all along...

This dish is a partial throwback to the early days of my career when I was starting out in New York City, when the Asian/Latino Fusion was king, and like any other fashion has dictated, there is always a comeback... (like the Korean taco!)

The pairing makes sense due to the similar ingredients and general spice level that both cultures use, but I wanted to take it a step further, and as I have been studying Indian dishes lately I realized that they too share a common ground.

So I started with the notion of making tamales with some blue cornmeal that I found at Whole Foods that had the same fine consistency of masa harina which is used to make traditional tortillas and tamales. Once cooked the muted color of the cornmeal transforms into a striking purple (there is not true blue color in food). I decided that some duck confit woud make an excellent filling if I used a little huitlacoche, or "corn truffle" to moisten it, and since I was going to go that far I might as well keep pushing the envelope and try out those cans of black truffle peelings that I have been holding on to! What I ended up with was some of the most earthy, robust tamales that I have ever tasted!!

I wanted to counter the soft and mushy texture that is the result of well prepared tamales, so I salted thick slices of local eggplant to help relieve it of its bitterness and excessive moisture, allowing me to quickly saute diced chunks of it along with a little red bell pepper, scallions and fresh cilantro. To finish the mixture I made an interesting paste by combining cooked ginger, garlic and scallion with hot and sweet curry powders, and rounded it all out with a touch of soy sauce for that fifth dimension of taste - umami.

To bring the two worlds together I needed a sauce, or in this case, sauces. The first is a simple creme fraiche that I made by letting heavy cream sit out overnight with a little buttermilk so the healthy bacteria can naturally thicken it; a throwback to the first time I ever had plain tamales that were served in a pool of sour cream. The second sauce was a little more intricate: I simmered dried ancho chiles with tomatoes, red bell pepper, onions, brown sugar and vinegar until thick and sweet before chilling and pureeing, creating an exciting variation on the traditional chutney.

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As an added bonus I fancy myself as a sort of mixologist by supplementing my lack of bartending knowledge with culinary know-how, coming up with quirky cocktails like this one...

After the success of the Cinnamon Pear Martini I decided to try another sorbet-integrated cocktail after having some beautiful plums leftover from brunch that I couldn't let go to waste!!

Since they already had the perfect balance of sweet and tart all I had to do was puree them with a little corn syrup to help keep a smooth texture before straining the mixture and churning it in the ice cream machine. Once set, I scooped a nice ball into a martini glass and topped it off with a portion of Pikesville rye whiskey that was shaken with a touch of sweet vermouth and a couple of dashes of Peychaud bitters to help round it out.

Even though my menu is based on the idea of American comfort food, this country has become even more of a melting pot than when that metaphore was first coined over 200 years ago, allowing me to draw from more cuisines as inspiration and introduce those flavors to my customers and, hopefully, creating a whole new sense of word "comfort".

With Love,

Cheffrey

Pudd'nhead Wilson

2010-09-08T04:45:00.001-07:00

Despite all of my research and preparation, there are times when a wonderful flavor combination is born out of sheer luck, or destiny, depending on your inclination...

I was experimenting with the notion that the finely strained liquid from freshly juiced corn kernels will thicken on its own into a silky smooth, custard-like pudding that is so rich you would swear that it was made with eggs and cream due to the natural starch in the corn. While playing around with this technique I snacked on a slice of nectarine leftover from brunch, and with the fresh corn pudding still lingering in my mouth I inadvertently stumbled upon this great culinary symbiosis of flavor.

To build a dish out of this discovery I needed to focus on balancing the flavors of those naturally sweet ingredients and work in some components with complimenting characteristics. I then remembered an idea I had using pink peppercorns as a crust for pork tenderloin, which, despite not actually being a relation to the common black peppercorn used on most food, has the same fruity flavor without all of the spiciness, lending to a perfect bridge between the meat, the corn and the nectarines.

Even though mustard greens have been a longtime favorite of mine due to my exposure of Southern cuisine, I found that they work especially well here due to their slightly bitter leaves and peppery notes, and like any good Southern greens I fortified them with some pork fat via a little ground pancetta along with a splash of white wine to help wilt them down and bring a little brightness to the dish.

As I sliced off the overcooked end-pieces in order to serve only the juiciest portions of meat, I couldn't help but sample them myself again and again; the peppercorns with the meat, the meat with the freshness of the corn pudding... it's hard to believe that despite the teaspoon of minced pancetta in the greens this dish is actually very healthy!!

By the way, if you didin't already know, the title is a reference to my surname that also adorns the title to Mark Twain's lesser known but wonderful novel of the same name ;)

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As promised I have been working on more variations of traditional cocktails like margaritas, mojitos and sparkling drinks, but it seems that the rain that we've been having has washed away any hopes for new takes on sangria....

The preparation for this one is simple; I used Pama liqueur, an ingredient that I am already comfortable with after showcasing it in a past special (that ended up a menu item), which naturally lends itself to becoming a margarita already since it is made by blending pomegranate juice with premium vodka and a touch of tequila.

To really drive home the margarita aspect I mixed in a majority of Hornitos Plata tequila along with a traditional touch of fresh lime juice to help keep it balanced.

With Love,

Cheffrey