A Taste for Writing

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.

~~~   ~~~   ~~~

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

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 ;)

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

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

Pudd'nhead Wilson

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 ;)

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

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

Family Fun

There's a little known secret where I cook a special meal for me and my staff every Friday night; partly as a sort of treat for the finish of our (usually) busiest night of the week, but mostly because I don't want to make five or six different plates for each person, but also since I am tired of the food I cook day in and day out I end up making something interesting for myself, and it would be selfish of me to exclude the others.

The concept is nothing new to the restaurant industry; it is known as "family meal" because it is a communal meal shared by everyone at the restaurant at the same time much like a family does, but with ironic undertones because we tend to spend more of our time with these people than our actual families. It usually consists of the leftover trimmings to menu items and ingredients "on their way out", which means not fit to sell to customers but good enough to give away to employees...

But for us it's something different; while I often use leftovers, it is only because they are compelling ingredients. I love the challenge of converting a dish that I methodically thought out (and wrote about here) into something completely different as a morale booster, and even though it's added work, it's a footnote of my week that I adore.

Lately I have been using it as an opportunity to tryout new techniques and combinations like with the Semolina Chicken 'N' Dumplings and Whole Wheat Noodles with Crispy Pork Belly, mostly for my own validation, unless I want to try and read through the usual chef kiss-assing that they mistakenly think is what I am looking for. It was after one of these nights that I perfected my Tamarind Barbecue Sauce for this week's special.

I've been playing around with the hybrid American and Asian concept of bbq sauce, and I finally settled on a base of ginger, garlic and scallions sauteed in sesame oil while tamarind pulp softened in hot water that was pureed and strained before being mixed with soy sauce, sweet soy sauce and ketchup (a bbq sauce staple, that's why).

When testing I tried this sauce with roasted pork shoulder but I knew that the sweet and sour intensity would work best with a more robust meat like beef, so I braised cubes of the chuck section in an already rich beef stock made from the leftover bones from the bone marrow butter that finishes our New York Strip Steak, saved for just this sort of occasion.

True to my original test I used a contrast of flavor by using freshly sliced avocado that acted as a sort of fulcrum between the sweet and sourness of the tamarind bbq sauce with my bright, crunchy pickled vegetables like treviso, golden beets, carrots, radishes, goat-horn chiles, red onions - and a little twist with sliced green grapes - that were infused with the flavors of pink peppercorns, Schezuan peppercorns and allspice berries.

I initially made sandwiches with the ciabatta rolls that we use for the Lamb Burger on the menu, but I decided on using little steamed buns and separating the components across one of our bamboo plates, allowing the diner to assemble their own little bites as an entree or be able to share with the others at their table by their own tastes without dictating how I think they should enjoy it.

There's been a phenomenon here on Capitol Hill for about a year now that I've heard lovingly referred to as "Gay Crack", which is any cocktail containing Firefly sweet-tea vodka. Due to my roots I have an affinity to sweet tea as it is, but I haven't been able to come up with my own use of the liquor... until now.

Since tea and mint go so well together, I realized that I could use the sweet tea vodka to boost that Kentucky favorite, the Mint Julep, by first muddling fresh mint sprigs in ice before adding a 2-to-1 ratio of Firefly to Bourbon with a little simple syrup and topping it off with a splash of club soda to help lighten it up (versus practically pure liquor...).

Ahhh, a drink that would make dad proud!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Citrus City

Am I the only one who feels like the summer is slipping away like sand through my fingers??? I have so many ideas that I have to keep a notebook, allowing some concepts to sit on paper and mature like wine in a barrel or whiskey in a cask, waiting to develop or to be combined with another for the perfect plate.

Sometimes ideas are scratched out, sometimes they are seasonal-specific and have to wait until a chance at next year, contending with a whole new batch of inspiration like some bad reality TV shows. But I love my notebook; it's the journal of my journey as a chef, and a visually literal representation of my erratic mind.

I'm about three-quarters through this notebook that I started at the re-opening of Table 219, and maybe a third of the concepts have been used, but as I near the end of a season I find myself scrambling to use those ideas that I love before they have to make the "cut" next year.

This dish is one of those; a concept cast aside after a flurry of seafood ideas but too good to let slip away; one that embodies several aspects of my culinary heritage.

The idea started at the top-left portion of the page where I combine my favorite spice of coriander with fresh orange zest and juice to make a glaze over pan roasted chicken breasts by first simmering chicken stock with Walla Walla onions, ginger, garlic and bourbon, that is pureed and thickened to finish the bone-in chicken once it is cooked to order, basting with the glaze as it rests.

I then used the idea of stuffing local collard greens with a Cajun classic called dirty rice made with the "holy trinity" - onions, red bell peppers and celery along with handmade tasso ham, chicken andouille sausage and chicken livers to create a southern version of dolmas, or stuffed grape leaves, paying homage to El Greco - where my notebook left off...

As a balance to the sweetness of the orange glaze I used some locally grown chiles called "goat's horn" and "cherry bomb" that I de-seeded and blanched in boiling water to allow their fruitiness to come through without excessive spiciness. I blended the tamed chiles with softened garlic, scallions and fresh lime juice that I thickened and strained into a squeeze bottle to place little dabs of this refreshing condiment as a garnish.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Before the summer ends I'd like to get a couple more of the sangria variations in, starting this week with the oxymoronic variety of white sangria.

To be honest, when I first heard about the idea of a white sangria it made even more sense to me than the original. The bright, crisp characteristics of a chilled Chablis makes me think of lounging pool-side a little bit more than any red counterpart, but that's obviously the American in me talking. Besides, what I did next will probably get me ousted from any future wine club.

I wanted to stretch the boundaries of what people think of as sangria, so I did a sort of word game. If a white wine has notes of grapefruit, then why not emphasize that with actual grapefruit? Then, if I like the flavor of fresh sage leaves with grapefruit, why wouldn't it work with the wine?

So I simply marinated summer fruits like nectarines, peaches, white grapes with freshly juiced and zested grapefruit along with some crunchy green apples to keep it all balanced!

With a little luck (or lack of inspiration...) I'll be able to offer one last variation this summer, maybe even an interesting rose version, before we start thinking about fall again.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Mused Here

I'm not going to make any promises, but I think that this dish will mark the end of my little seafood run for specials. It's not that I have run out of ideas, I just like to offer a more diverse spectrum of proteins from week to week. The funny thing about it is that this is the idea that I came up with first, inspiring the string of dishes, but I had to wait on a new shipment of long plates in order to give it the proper presentation.

The inspiration came when I was sorting through a box of old pastry equipment; metal ring cutters, non-stick baking pads and this silicone mold that I used to bake mini cheesecakes in. It had been a long time since I had made anything with the mold, so it was like a new muse in my hands. Immediately the size reminded me not of the little cheesecakes and other tasty treats that it had formed for me in a dessert capacity, but that of perfectly cooked, medium-sized sea scallops, and from there the idea just snowballed.

The irony of the final product is that I initially wanted to use the mold to create little avocado mousses alongside pan-seared scallops for a natural pairing of shellfish with the subtle fattiness of avocado since it is subtle without overpowering the delicate flavors of the meat, but alas, I couldn't manipulate the avocado in the way that I wanted without it turning brown, so I went with a tried-and-true alternate combo with some of the great corn that is in an abundance right now. Drawing from one of my favorite specials last year I baked tiny flans by first shaving off the kernels from corn cobs and simmering both into a broth that I intensified by then pureeing the kernels and adding back into the liquid, giving me a rich base that was creamy without the addition of cream. To keep it light I only used whole eggs, along with a some moderate seasoning of salt and pepper to keep the flavors true. I slowly baked the custard in the mini-molds and firmed them up in the freezer just enough to remove.

As a contrast in both color and flavor I used an old favorite: black sticky rice from Thailand. It has a high starch content so I like to cook it similar to risotto - in this case with a vegetable stock fortified with ginger, cilantro and a hint of jalapeno and fermented black beans - giving it both texture and creaminess, but the final product is never completely black; just a very dark shade of purple.

Finally, in an exercise of both color and flavor, I created a simple sauce by blending freshly juiced carrots and whole green cardamom pods with a touch of champagne vinegar to offset the natural sweetness of the carrot. By just warming and not cooking the sauce I am able to retain the freshness of the juice and the floral characteristics of the spice.

The final presentation is just as stunning as I had pictured in my mind, with the flavors just as my tongue had expected!!

As a chef I enjoy going on many tangents with cooking because my experience has allowed me to do so, but as a budding mixologist I realize that I need to focus my thoughts in order to create a solid foundation, just the way I did in my earlier days of cooking. That being said, I feel I need to concentrate my cocktail inspirations into the classical theme with a twist even while my dinner specials run rampant. It's the only way that I can master the style.

So, over the next several weeks I plan to really focus on the variations of more common cocktails, starting with one very close to my heart....

Bourbon is big where I come from, and the general consensus is that if it ain't broke don't fix it, but bourbon has a lot of characteristic, giving opportunity to some great cocktails like the Manhattan, but I wanted to play into that notion and add a little spark by way of an elderflower liqueur called St. Germain that is very floral with some citrus notes, elevating a classic drink into something new while still staying refined.

With Love,

Cheffrey

Natural Beauty

I rarely repeat a special, primarily because the most enjoyable aspect of my profession is the strive to create something new, something better than the last; it is that aspiration to outdo myself that drives me to a higher level of cooking and makes me a better chef.

I was again inspired by yet another dinner on Vashon Island at Kurtwood Farms, where every ingredient that comprises the nine courses is grown on his 13-acre farm with the exception of salt, pepper, sugar, flour, wine and coffee (which they buy green from a coffee shop on the island and roast in a pan just before grinding and serving - OUTSTANDING!!!!). The most memorable things tend to be the simplest, like a mixed greens salad with their own cider vinegar, a poached egg on a crouton or the pickled cauliflower, because the focus is on the exceptional ingredients that they produce organically and sustainably, and are picked ripe and served fresh.

I guess that my chances for future visits could be limited after articles about both owner Kurt Timmermeister and chef Tyler Palagi (also of Spring Hill in West Seattle) appeared in the current issue of Seattle Met magazine (sorry, no link; you're going to have to pick up a copy of your own), but due to their exclusivity (not only do you have to be invited by someone who has been there before just to get onto the mailing list, but in order to make your reservation you have to write a short essay about whatever culinary topic he chose for that month) it takes a little more than just picking up a phone. Lucky for me I write me sum pretty good stuffins....

Which leads me to my next special: a simple preparation of heirloom tomatoes that focuses on the quality of the ingredient; a dish that I now feature anually, but with a few variations....

As before, my supply of heirloom varietals is inconsistent, but what I've used so far are Black Krim, Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine and German Green. To accompany them I stayed true to typical preparations like garlic croutons - made from thin slices of baguettes doused with butter flavored with thyme and garlic - and good extra virgin olive oil, but with slight variations like flaky Maldon sea salt (the snowflake of salt that dissolves quickly on your tongue), pink, black, white and green peppercorns ground to order, and a side of balsamic vinegar that I infused with fresh chopped basil by steeping them together all day.

 

Simplicity at its finest!!!

~~~   ~~~   ~~~

Due to the tepid summer that we've had here in Seattle it seems that all of our local produce is on a month-long delay; my tomato plants are taller than me and without fruit. Finally, after tasting the watermelon for last week's drink special, it has the sweetness that I had expected in back early July, so in order to get what I want out of this summer I need to make haste!!

I had this idea for a watermelon flavored sangria last summer but too many other inspirations superseded it, and I assumed that I would be able to offer it earlier than this in order to try out other variations of sangria later, but you all know the old saying about assumptions....

Just like last week I pureed and strained fresh, seedless watermelon, leaving me with its pure flavor that I used to sweeten a blended red wine in place of the plain white sugar that is used to balance sangria. To create the true myraid of flavors that is sangria I first marinated chopped pineapple, green apple, peaches, and orange slices in the same cherry brandy that I infused for the Cherries Jubilee cocktail, giving each bite of fruit a little more punch than wine that they are served with. 

Enjoy these little tastes of summer while it lasts!!!

With Love,

Cheffrey

Tropical Storm Tomato

Now that we're into August we are reaching the pinnacle of the summer vegetable season. Favorites like beautiful corn, vibrant greens and Walla Walla onions are abound, not to mention one of my personal favorites - the majestic tomato.

With the resurgence of heirloom varieties in the last several years it's hard to beat their flavor unless you grow them yourself, and the list of different types seems to keep growing. This time of year I usually start off with a gloriously simple tomato plate with a rainbow of slices with sea salt and good olive oil, but lately I've had this idea brewing in my head like a tropical storm, and the more I thought about it the bigger it became, until the tomato plate was put on the back burner for next week because I was just too damn excited to make this one.

My idea entailed an entree-sized gazpacho dish paired with seared tuna similar to the yellow watermelon version I made last year, but far more refined and with more traditional ingredients.

The best way to make gazpacho is to keep it simple, let the ingredients shine on their own. Since gazpacho is made up of raw ingredients, if you don't use the best ingredients the taste will fall flat. That's why I use heirloom tomatoes for mine; they have the best flavor, and since I don't cook them even tomato purist - who believe that a good, fresh tomato should only be eaten as is - can't scoff.

In order to keep the tomatoes as fresh-tasting as possible I had to first cook my base ingredients of chopped garlic and Walla Walla onions in extra virgin olive oil early enough so that they could cool down naturally before adding them into the mix. For the tomatoes I chose a unique yellow variety known as "Lemon Boys" due to their vibrant color and medium size. I blended the stewed garlic and onions with the fresh tomatoes with simple additions like 25 year old sherry vinegar, kosher salt and white pepper and passed the soup through a fine strainer to remove the leftover seeds and skin, leaving me with a velvety-smooth soup with the perfect balance of natural sweetness and tart.

Traditionally speaking, other ingredients like cucumbers and bell peppers are added into the gazpacho base, but I like to keep them separate, even going as far as creating a cucumber mousse by pureeing seedless cucumbers with cream cheese and a little gelatin before putting the mixture into my trusty iSi whipped cream maker to make a light and airy foam that I sprayed into large ring molds and froze to allow the gelatin to quickly set. Then I removed the rings and allowed them to defrost, resulting in delicate little clouds of goodness.

I chose Ahi tuna again because it is best served seared, or just cooked on the outside yet still raw on the inside, and unlike other fish that isn't sushi, most people can appreciate it served cold. I took it a step further and used its deep red color as a play on ham by marinating it overnight with more familiar flavors like soy sauce, brown sugar, onions, garlic and allspice before lightly smoking the loins.Then I carefully cooked the sides of the tuna with a propane torch instead of searing them in a pan because 1 - I didn't want to lose the subtle smoke in the cooking process, and 2 - I didn't want to burn the sugar that was leftover from the marinade, not to mention the fact that it kept the meat from drying out the way that any portion of cooked tuna can get.

To finish the dish I garnished it with some finely diced cucumbers, red bell peppers and red onions around the mousse and placed a scoop of handmade tomato-basil sorbet on top of a nest of fresh, living pea sprouts for added crunch and decor.

Another undoubted symbol of summer is the colossal watermelon, and since I referenced it in my entree special I thought it would be fitting to use it as a main ingredient for my cocktail special.

It's hard to imagine a more refreshing summer cocktail than the mojito (though I have a few ideas up my sleeve for future use...), let alone a better concept that is open for interpretation and revival. I can - and have - come up with virtuously endless combinations of this favorite, with each one being better than the last. For example...

I start with the true base of the cocktail by muddling fresh limes wedges and mint leaves with ice to break them down and release their oils before adding Bacardi rum (anything better and people complain that they "don't taste the alcohol"), fresh watermelon puree that I strained to keep it smooth, and topped it off with a splash of club soda to brighten it up.

With Love,

Cheffrey