A Little Nibble...

May has been a great month for logging time in our kitchen! We have been quite busy and blessed with a plethora of events and specialty menus to prepare. It was almost to the point where we were unable to catch our breath, or so it seemed. As always, the team and I persevered, hung in there, grew a set of balls and kicked ass. There were farm dinners(more on that one soon with photos)...special marketing events...the chaine de rotisseurs grand dinner of food and wine...wine lunches...laureate recognitions and of course...chef's tables! Top that off with the season start up of soft shell crabs and copper river king salmon and you have yourself a party in the kitchen with the team. There will be some upcoming posts about the cool farm dinner and a few other nibbles and noshes but I will leave you with this menu for now to close out the month. It was a chef's table dinner for one of our most special guests. I hope you enjoy the read as much as we did cooking the groceries(sorry, I do not think I shot any photos). Many ask me how do I come up with my dishes and ideas. I simply tell them that the inspiration and ideas come from just about everything around me, both past and present. The mood, the mental craziness, the weather, the people I am to cook for, the ingredients, the team and the energy level of us all, the anxiety and adrenaline and the list goes on and on. A bad day, stress or a disagreement had earlier, or on the other hand a great day, sex or a totally riveting song can change the ideas and menu in various ways, sometimes for better and for worse. As I wrote the menu for them I was listening to Metallica's classic Fade to Black and here is what was inspired from that awesome tune. Inspired? Tainted? Good or bad...either way, it was inspiring to cook!

Maine Lobster Slider

shaved mango, sturgeon caviar, shiso, ginger-soy aioli

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Copper River Salmon "Crudo del Fuego"

english pea coulis, micro cilantro, pea-asparagus salad

blood orange olive oil, crisp shiitake

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Grilled Hudson Valley Foie Gras

cherry-onion relish, rhubarb coulis, walnuts

blis maple-walnut dressing

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Mustard & Herb Crusted Soft Shell Crab

fava bean pancake, bacon, corn, king trumpet mushrooms

cassis-mustard sauce

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Guava Gelee, Shaved Fennel, Aprium Ice

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Sumac Braised Wild Boar Rib

pork cheek ravioli, morels, baby turnips, carrot puree, ramps

smoked valrhona essence

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Warmed Vermont "Bijou" Crottin

truffled apricot conserve, pears sous vide,

truffle-olive oil milkshake

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Milk Chocolate Pave, Espresso, Passion Fruit Ice

Lemon Pudding Cake, Compressed Strawberries, Rhubarb Ice

Caramelized Pineapple, Caramel, White Chocolate

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Bacon Caramels, Peanut Butter Bon Bons, Linzer Wafers