Winter Will Blossom...

Winter is a time of year in the Northwest that can be a bit boring, drab, mundane, uninspiring and suppressed, not to mention rainy and wet. But, in the culinary world this year in Seattle, we have had great weather for the most part and the season has been a good one. Sure we are in the thralls of citrus, mushrooms, nuts, root vegetables and the like, but hey, that is what winter is about. Bringing the plethora of the cellar to fruition and to its glory. Citrus this year has been invigorating and inspirational for us. We have brought in a whole bunch of different items to play with and are pairing that with local foodstuffs to juxtapose a dish and creation that suits our palate and that of our guests...or so we would hope. Here is a taste of what is happening on the canvas of our cooks...

maine lobster, roasted beets, cara cara oranges, heart of palm "ravioli", yuzu pudding
frozen grapefruit-honey yogurt, golden caviar-verjus dressing

seared foie gras, maple gel, walnuts, roasted grapes, walnut-ras el hanout powder
fig mostarda, banyuls gastrique

ginger & lemongrass braised monkfish, butternut galette, leeks, soy pearls
honshimejii mushrooms, peanut milk emulsion, grilled pear dashi

meyer lemon confit, kumquat marmalade, rose compressed fennel, tangerine sorbet

pomegranate brushed beef short rib, sexy grits, cassis simmered crosnes, hedgehog mushrooms
smoked salsify, pomegranate molasses

honey-citrus cake, caramel apple, brown butter custard, salted caramel ice cream
buttermilk panna cotta, blood oranges, persimmons sorbet, croquant
chocolate "cheesecake", oatmeal-coconut granola, banana ice cream, tangelos
"s'mores"...cherry marshmallows, pop rock wafer, chocolate graham, pears, ganache, raspberry sorbet