In The End part 2...

butterscotch & bacon lacquered scallops, maple, sherry

silky wild mushroom-truffle cappuccinos, truffle milk

warm quail salad, foie gras mousse, smoked pecans, arugula, black garlic
cider-mustard vinaigrette

tangerine glazed corvina, oca, leeks, hubbard squash, micro celery
truffle-vermouth sauce

braised lamb shoulder, black garlic potatoes, garlic, turnips, chanterelles
micro amaranth, crispy beets, port sauce

wagyu beef rib eye sous vide, roasted fingerling potatoes, celery root puree, parsnip jam
matsutake mushrooms, crosnes, blackberry-valrhona chocolate sauce

chocolate-peanut butter PB&J bar, persimmons, pumpkin sponge, cocoa powder
muscovado jelly, gingersnap ice cream
~

As a follow up to my last post and in putting closure to 2012 and the food that was outgoing along with it...here are but a few more shots that were noteworthy, fun, extremely tasty, satisfying and thought provoking. Hoping you find the goodness that lie within and the passion that exudes from it.

In The End part 1...

creamy pumpkin polenta, crispy duck tongues, brussel sprout leaves, port glazed shallots
smoked apples, parmesan chips, hazelnut-parmesan nage

 

seared foie gras "club sandwich", pumpkin sponge, caramelized apples, onions
persimmons, hazelnuts, syrah-cassis emulsion

carrot butter poached sea scallop, oca, fennel, onions, micro chives, saba-brown butter dressing
fennel pollen crusted fluke, lentils, foie gras fat, honshimejii, golden raisins, marcona almonds

mustard marinated grilled quail, black garlic pancake, smoked pecans
compressed pears, crispy plantains, black garlic puree, cider-herb dressing

sous vide cooked duck breast, creamy horseradish potatoes, walnuts
crosnes, brussels, beets, chanterelles, huckleberry sauce

Just a fun collection of shots, dishes, juxtaposition of ingredients and passionate thoughts laid out before you on white china as it unfolded for some of the last guests in 2012. This puts closure for me on cooking professionally for 2012 as I will not most likely be doing any more real cooking until the new year as we are closed for business and i foresee myself out and about with friends and family. It has been a good year with many new ideas, emotions, visions, contemplations and frustrations alike. I can see 2013 as a positive, successful breeding ground for the new and all that remains. Cheers to all and Happy New Year!

Songbook Notes 12.5.12...

Lyrics are potent and can penetrate deep. Cut you at times and kick your ass. At other times, they are uplifting, spiritual, and refreshing. Then of course, there are those that inspire and bring you to a happier place and higher plane. Some will drag you down, make you sad and bring you to a solemn place and time in your life. Remind you of those you have loved or those you have lost. I use music in many ways and it affects me in just as many. I know that I am alive. The music reminds me of that...one way or the other. Here is one of the moment in my deck and in my head. Until then...

http://youtu.be/9fmkQg77m0o

Sweet, Sweeter & Bittersweet...

hazelnut macaron sandwiches, gianduja filling
salted creme fraiche caramels
earl grey dark chocolates

three sweet little morsels to nibble on...a little sweet tooth is always near by.

A Few Flavors to Ponder...

carrot butter poached tai snapper, leek-chive pancake, lobster mushrooms
glazed thumbelina carrots, micro mustard, quince-shrimp essence

"citrus salad"
yuzu, lime, buddah's hand, fennel-honey yogurt, pluot sorbet

snake river farms wagyu rib eye, horseradish potatoes,, crosnes
king trumpet mushrooms, shallot confit, walnuts, syrah-cassis gastric

Three dishes...a part of something much bigger. Only, never captured but in my mind and on paper. Shit happens.

Evolution of Passion...

Happiness Inspires Passion...

which Fuels Creativity...

and Revitalizes Soul...

in turn Rejuvenates Inspiration...

then Cultivates Ideas...

thus Promotes Happiness...

and ultimately Stimulates Passion...

in two words...evolutionary passion!