A Reflection of Oneself...

That "oneself" is me. A glimpse of myself through the vision of my sons. I see it daily, all-to-clearly, not only when I watch my oldest cooking, but in the actions and movements of both in everything that they do, say and react to. Some for the good, some not so much. It's all a part of life. What I have instilled in them and what I hope for them in the future, I pray that I have done some good with their upbringing. I can not take all the credit mind you, for their mother has had an equal hand in that. In the cooking side of things for me personally..it is an amazing sight to see your child, grow up to be a young adult and follow (if only somewhat) in your footsteps as you nurture, guide and coach them along, only to see them carry out the things you have asked with intent, pride and commitment. It makes you proud as a parent. In life, as I witness that same follow through, commitment and energy taking place in other tasks and duties with my youngest son as he works hard at being a good person, shows care in the work that he does, aims to please the people he works for and strives to be the best he can at whatever he does. He gives 150% effort each and every single time. Whether he is playing basketball or running track, sharing his heart through fellowship, working on some landscaping with me or whatever...i know he is giving it his all. With my oldest, I see much determination, ambition, strength, confidence and desire...mostly to play basketball professionally. I am proud of them both, more than I can even begin to expound upon. As I look into this mirror of life...with happiness and excitement I see myself, and at the same time, I see something far better and greater than that. A reflection of a dream. Every parent wants to see something better for their kids...I am no different, and although they may not follow in my footsteps as a chef, I know they will know how to cook, enjoy good food and enjoy life.

Beyond The Clouds...

Is your future clear or unclear? Can you see beyond the haziness in front of you at times?

Is your vision one of clarity and are you able to set your sights on the sun shining through the dark clouds? In life, there are many uncertainties and obstacles that can and will cloud your vision. Obstruction is a fact of life and nature. How we navigate through these hurdles and roadblocks determine our successes in our future. In the realm of cooking...this is every bit of a reality in the professional cuisiniers kitchen. Some of the things a chef is subjected to each day can be overwhelming and very frustrating...Did the cook or dishwasher show up today and even bother to call in to let you know? Did the ingredients arrive properly and was it even the correct amount and of proper stellar quality? Did the guest show up on time for the large banquet event while you have six more following it and getting ready to start? Did you get pulled into a meeting that you weren't planing on and wonder what the hell is happening in the kitchen? Is something happening in your personal life that is totally throwing you off kilter and causing stress while you know you have the utmost need to keep it all together? Did the cook not pay attention to what he or she was doing and torch the only freakin pork shoulder in the house? The list goes on and on. It doesn't stop. As a person, a chef, a leader...it is your job to deal with this shit, stuff it down deep, maneuver around it, anticipate it, adapt and manage the shortcomings, plan accordingly and develop a contingency to overcome the most stressful of situations. Make it work. Make it happen. Get it done. Turn a negative into a positive and be great at it. Sometimes it is hard to do and gets very frustrating and almost seemingly hopeless to some. Perseverance, positivity, hard work, foresight, desire, passion, determination, commitment, professionalism and strong will are all but a small handful of things that can and do help to get one through it. I know, because this has helped me constantly in many a situation that I have found myself buried in throughout my career. A fight till the death is sometimes what it takes. Not settling for less than the best. Failure is not and can not be an option. Set your sights high and keep looking forward. Look beyond the clouds, the rain, the haze, the fog, the darkness in life and only seek the glory, the beauty, the brightness, the sunlight of hope and success in life and your work. You will make it. You will succeed. You will win.

New Tastes of Tradition...

A variety of dishes newly inspired by the season...the crue...the guests...the moment...the ingredients...the world. Alright...enough said. As spring rears it's beautiful head, we as cooks and chefs get seriously excited. That is typically putting it mildly. In the Northwest, we have a long dreary at times winter that tends to drag on for quite a while, or so it would seem. So by the time the words; ramps, asparagus, fiddehead ferns and spring garlic roll around, they are well embraced. Always quick to get on the road to madness of cooking with the fun fresh flavors of spring, here is parlay into the outtake.

maine lobster, ugli fruit, avocado, sturgeon caviar, yuzu-champagne-elderflower sabayon

seared sweetbreads, asparagus bread, white & green asparagus, green garbanzo
king trumpet mushrooms, hazelnuts, black garlic aioli

pan roasted black bass, pea pancake, crispy duck tongues, peas, ramps
braised radishes, spring onion nage

lamb loin sous vide, apricot mostarda, morels, nettles, fava beans
truffle-tripe-mushroom ragout, douglas fir jus

72 hour beef short rib, lentils, oxtails, pears, brussels, walnuts, huckleberry sauce

fennel pollen albacore, radishes, hearts of palm, compressed cucumber, black garlic aioli
olive vinaigrette, micro cress

grilled alaskan halibut, pea pancake, wild leeks, morels, fava ban tapenade
rhubarb coulis, carrot powder

spice crusted moularde duck breast, carrot creamed nettles, glazed baby carrots, lentils, tripe
caramelized brussel sprouts, maple blossoms, blackberry essence

meyer lemon confit, tarragon, white asparagus gelato

Dining Out LAX...part 4~ ink

you saw him on top chef...he has lots of tats...he kicked ass... "he cooked like his opponent on his days off"...he won~ enter Michael Voltaggio. Although we only had a couple nibbles and a few cool cocktails, it is a keeper. Can't wait to go back. He was in the kitchen looking out over his domain with that ever noticeable frown and look of serious contemplation and evaluation. Maybe even discontent, I don't know. What I do know is that his team of cooks were putting out some cool food. The cold line and the bar especially. Cool frozen components from the liquid nitro bath to hand crafted cocktail counterparts by our bar chick. Fun, lively and energetic. Dining room servers seemed a bit full on themselves like their shit didn't stink, but oh well. It's LA right? What I did appreciate is that they stood by what they were serving and selling. "is this the mojito" said a guest who got up to interrogate the bartender with the mindset that this doesn't look anything like one..."you're damn right it is" she said!

lollipop kale, lardo, crispy pig's ears, togarashi aioli

peas...
fresh & flash frozen, pea tendrils, surf clams, dungeness crab, almonds, pea blossoms

Dining Out LAX...part 3~ Osteria Mozza

Mario Batali and crew know how to freakin do it. Cool. Hip. Tasty. Lively and Fun. Definitely crowded and a bit too packed for their own good(and ours). Servers were over taxed and a lot of crowded work spaces and bottlenecked intersections. Thinking that experts in the restaurateur realm would be a bit more polished as I witnessed crew continuously bumping into one another, stopping and going with irregular movements. Busy for sure, granted, but not smooth. A bit slow on the service due to our guy having way too many tables dumped on him at once, but nonetheless, a great time. very fun sitting at the mozzarella and burrata bar! Could sit there for hours, and just snack. Next door at spacca and mozza to go were cool too, but no pics...sorry!

crispy pigs feet, apple-frisee salad, mustard, chives, sherry vinegar dressing

spicy mole salami panini, provolone, fresh batard bread, arugula

fresh burrata, hazelnuts, brown butter dressing, asparagus, pancetta

oxtail ragout, tagliatelle, calabrian peppers, pecorino

chilled squid ink "chitarra" pasta, dungeness crab, uni, chilis, sea urchin essence

warm bombolini, white chocolate cremeaux, mascarpone gelato, huckleberry conserva

Dining Out LAX...part 2~ Bouchon

a few shots from the "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" sector...Keller has a great thing going.


grilled asparagus, sous vide hen egg, hobb's bacon lardo, asparagus ribbons, fig



quiche lorraine, bacon, onions, gruyere, farmer's lettuce, lemon, olive oil

delice au chocolate, caramel mousse, dark chocolate ganache, joconde, sablee
chocolate sauce, tangerine sorbet

Dining Out LAX...part 1~ Providence

on a more recent trip to the sunny golden state, specifically SOCAL...Debby and I had a chance to dine at some more cool spots, hang outs, foodie stops and crazy beverage watering holes as well as some insane chef-driven meccas! Ahhhh...the sunset strip...Melrose...Hollywood Hills. LA has changed a bit since my last jaunt there. first up~ Providence & Chef Michael Cimarusti. Then A.O.C. & Suzanne Goin. Taco Trucks et al. Bouchon Bistro Beverly Hills & TK, Osteria Mozza,spacca and mozza to go with Batali & cohorts, ink. & Michael Voltaggio, and lastly The Bazaar by Jose Andres. Serious food overload, but way cool.

wild hamachi, red miso vinaigrette, hearts of palm, micro fennel, compressed cucumbers

seared striped bass, smoked miso, white asparagus, sesame, green asparagus coulis

santa barbara spot prawns, vadouvan curry, fennel compote, vadouvan emulsion, peas

sous vide veal loin, tomato confit, arugula pesto, salsify, black garlic, onion blossoms

harry's strawberries, rhubarb, pistachio sablee & crumble, strawberry sorbet, white chocolate-rose mousse
bachelor buttons

Dining Out PDX...

a recent trip to Portland and all of it's cozy, quaint, hip-yet-laid-back sleepiness brought forth some cool bites, tasty treats and very flavorful nibbles and noshes! My youngest and I ate around town stumbling upon coolness whilst my oldest; "system d" got his groove on at the Lakers vs Portland game. There was some newness to the scene that I had not been privy to as yet. A sense of refinement, a level of distinction and a realm of awesome food. I bit into that right away. What was going to start out as a bite at the local sports bar, ended up to be one of culinary stimulation for my lad and I. He tried almost everything and liked it. Way cool. Here is how she rolled...

sous vide egg, chick pea fries, radishes, hazelnut romesco, greens

sous vide octopus, nettle pesto, artichoke aioli, albarino jelly, artichokes

the pig at LARDO

cubano panini, smoked coppa, roasted pork shoulder, provolone, pickles
mustard, spicy salumi

the fun at voodoo doughnuts, and only had to wait in line 45 minutes this time!

Whatever, Whoever, Whenever...

diver sea scallop ceviche, black radish-endive-ugli salad, avocado
american sturgeon caviar, yuzu-champagne-elderflower sabayon, lotus root chip
~

It boils down to just that while the team and I are cooking. Doesn't matter what I am cooking, and to what degree and whatever the ingredients are. Doesn't matter for whom I am cooking for. Kings and Presidents...rock stars...sports celebs, high profile business leaders or just simple folk like you and I. I always try to put my heart and soul into it. Make it special. Make it real. Make it memorable for them as well as for us in the kitchen, for if we aren't stoked, they won't be either! And, it doesn't matter when it is. Could be a Monday. Could be a holiday. Lunch, or at a time when I really would rather be out on the town with those close to me and special. If I am cooking for my guests...I'm gonna make it what I can. As Het sings..."nothing else matters", granted a slightly different context and meaning of course. Just a couple shots here that helped make one's father's 70th a special and joyous memorable moment in time, for we really have so few. It was an honor to cook for them to say the least.

fennel pollen crusted alaskan halibut, spring pea pancake, black garlic puree
green garbanzo bean-asparagus-pea salad, meyer lemon olive oil powder, spring onion coulis
bacon-onion jam

spice crusted moularde duck breast, pecan-cacao nib waffle, king trumpet mushrooms
carrot creamed nettles, apple-lentil "salpicon", cassis-merlot-shallot essence

Easter Treats & Sweets...

nuthin but goodness!

a few sweet shots of sumptn' sweet for our Easter Dessert Table...bacon-maple eclairs...hell yea!

Caramelia-White Chocolate Mousse Terrine

Easter Egg Macaron Sandwiches with Chocolate-Mint Ganache

from back to front...
Ginaduja-Caramel Shots, Cherries, Langue du Chat Wafer
Marionberry-Pecan Bars
Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars
Coconut Macaroons
Lemon-Poppyseed Cakes, Creme Fraiche, Oven Roasted Strawberries

Olive Oil Princess Cake, Raspberry-Basil Gel Filling, Elderflower, Marzipan Icing

Newest Family Addition...

our newest little guy from Julabo...don't you just love how he smiles at the camera?

Always a great moment when something new is brought into the equation and to the family. Almost brings tears of joy to my eyes. We'll call him "Stone" for now, because he ROCKS! Hoping the other kids(2 Polyscience classic brothers and 1 Polyscience professional sister) don't get jealous and offended.

classic "bro"...working hard at setting a good example!

Don't get me wrong...they rock just as well and hard, just not as polished. And, our new baby has a few more bells and whistles than it's siblings. Technology. Gotta love it. Keeping the family growing and the cooking moving forward. Now for the baby shower. No gifts please...