José Andrés: Tapas @ The Bazaar

Tapas dinner at The Bazaar by Chef José Andrés. This is where you would experience molecular gastronomy where each dish combines both traditional and modern techniques. Every bite reminded me of something I've had before, but the presentation and ingredients in each dish were unique and creative. I loved the atmosphere and the overall experience, especially when we were escorted to the dessert lounge for a separate dessert dinner.

Here are the tapas and desserts we sampled: (not in order of the photos)

• Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks California Citrus
• Organized Caesar, Quail Egg, Parmesan
• Apple and Fennel, Manchego Cheese, Walnuts, Sherry Vinegar
• Japanese Taco, Grilled Eel, Shiso, Cucumber, Wasabi, Chicharron
• Smoked Yellowtail and Crispy Rice, Yoghurt, Grapes, Capers, Radish
• Market Fish Ceviche and Avocado Roll, Jicama, Micro Cilantro, Coconut
• Bagel and Lox Cone
• Cotton Candy Duck Liver
• Tortillas de Patatas "new way", Potato Foam, Egg 63, Caramelized Onions
• Lemon Artichokes, Black Olive Tapenade, Dandelion
• Your Life Will Change Dashi Linguine, Parmesan, Quail Egg, Basil
• Philly Cheesesteak, Air Bread, Cheddar, Wagyu Beef
• Oxtail, Watermelon radish, Cilantro, Steamed Buns
• Hot Chocolate Mousse, Pear Sorbet and Salty Hazelnut Praline
• Square Cupcakes 

5 Star Makeover: Icy Poached Fish

"Most of the famous French dishes involving filet of sole center around fish poached in white wine and coated with a lovely, creamy sauce made from the poaching liquid." 

Julia Child describes poaching fish fillets from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This month's 5 Star Makeover theme is Cooking with Wine. We can choose any classic dish where wine is a major ingredient and put our own unique spin on it.

Poached Red Snapper with Wine Ice
served with Mushroom Cream Sauce, Lemon Zest, and Scallions

I re-created Julia Child's Fish Filets Poached in White Wine and decided to present an icy, refreshing poached snapper dish surrounded with ice made from its poaching liquid, accompanied by a mushroom cream sauce, lemon zest, and scallions. For a light dish like poached fish, a low-tannin wine is most appropriate due to the lack of fat in this dish. Tannin and fattiness go hand in hand. So braised short ribs would go well with a bottle of Bordeaux or Cabernet, for example. In this case, I poached the fish in Pinot Grigio to avoid masking the light fish flavor with a high-tannin wine.

Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Fish Filets Poached in White Wine
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of finely chopped green onions
• 2.5lbs of skinless, boneless red snapper fillets
• Salt and pepper
• 1.5 tbsp of butter cut into bits
• 1.5 cups of Pinot Grigio and water mixture
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1 tbsp of flour
• A handful of small cremini mushrooms
• Lemon, for zesting

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a shallow fireproof baking dish that is about 2 inches deep.
2. Sprinkle half of the scallions in the bottom of the dish. Season fillets with salt and pepper.
3. Place fillets in dish and sprinkle remaining scallions over them, along with bits of butter.
4. Pour in wine/water mixture until fish is barely covered.
5. Bring dish almost to a simmer on stovetop. Lay a buttered paper over the fish, then bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove fish and set on a plate to cool, then refrigerate. Pour 2/3 of the poaching liquid into a shallow dish and freeze for at least 2 hours.
7. Bring remaining poaching liquid to a boil on the stove and stir in 1 tbsp of butter, 1 tbsp of flour, 1 tsp of salt, a dash of pepper, and mushrooms. Boil sauce down until thickened. Leave in fridge to cool.
8. To serve, scrap poaching liquid ice with a fork. Place ice in a glass or bowl. Spoon a little bit of the mushroom sauce over the ice. Place a piece of fish over ice and sauce. Cover fish with more crushed ice. Sprinkle a little bit of lemon zest over the fish. Serve cold.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Thank you to Natasha from 5 Star Foodie and Laz from Lazaro Cooks! for hosting the 5 Star Makeover!

Chef Kahn's Red Medicine

It was the perfect evening to celebrate my cousin's exciting summer internship in NYC and we knew we had to go somewhere special. She proposed trying out Red Medicine, Vietnamese fusion cuisine in Beverly Hills.

Chef Jordan Kahn has worked with Thomas Keller at The French Laundry (as his first job!), Grant Achatz, and Michael Mina, so his creation is not only beautifully presented, but has the wildest combination of flavors and ingredients. It was definitely a memorable dinner. The only comment I would add is that Chef Kahn definitely focuses on the sweetness in every dish. I think some more lime, lemon or other citrus flavoring would accent the plates well.

Red Medicine at Beverly Hills

We started with a cold appetizer Green Papaya (pickled roots, crispy taro, tree nuts, nuoc cham). This was light and refreshing, especially with the nuoc cham, or Vietnamese dipping sauce, that was made into a broth.

Green Papaya

We followed the appetizer with Pork Chaud-Froid (crispy chicken skin, lychee, clove, pistachio, spicy herbs). This was one of my favorites, especially with my favorite fruit - lychee. 

Pork Chaud-Froid

Then we ordered a hot dish - Pintade Fermier (slow cooked in caramel, cinnamon, mustard lettuce, coriander, crispy onion roots). I was not as impressed with the flavors of this dish though the presentation was excellent. It tasted much like sweet and sour pork ribs that I often make at home, lacking a certain depth that other dishes had. I do love that they served this dish with steamed rice. The plates at Red Medicine tend to be extremely powerful in flavors and sauces, so almost all would need some sort of starch to accompany them. 

Pintade Fermier

Another hot plate has arrived. Beef Cheek ("cromesquis" cashew, asian pear, raisin, romanesco, bacon x.o.). Words cannot describe how tasty the beef cheek was, especially with all the sides. My lovely cousin phrased it perfectly, "I think that might be the best beef I have ever had." Imagine biting into the crunchy fried ball to find the most tender and saucy braised beef. 

Beef Cheek

Although last served, it was my favorite of the night, and I swear it is not just because it is dessert. Our waiter said that it was his favorite too. Coconut Bavarois (coffee, condensed milk, thai basil, peanut croquant, chicory) - very possibly one of the best dessert creations I have ever had. 

Coconut Bavarois

Cheers to a great night and my cousin's brilliant choice of dinner! Have a great time at NYC!

Gourmet Picnic: Chicken Pesto Sandwich

The theme for this month's 5 Star Makeover is Gourmet Picnic. As a part of the 5 Star Cooking Group, I was excited to transform a personal favorite: chicken pesto sandwich!

Chicken Pesto Sandwich

With memorial weekend right around the corner, it is the perfect time for picnics, good food and good company. I made a chicken pesto sandwich with chicken pudding, pesto juice, tomato powder, paprika pecorino frico, topped with a poppyseeed bread crisp. The chicken pudding was made using agar agar and rich chicken stock. The paprika pecorino frico introduces some spice to the sandwich, and the whole wheat poppyseed bread crisp is light and surprisingly flavorful.

Grinding Dehydrated Tomatoes

I dehydrated sliced tomatoes before grinding them into powder. Once the tomatoes were dehydrated, the flavors became extremely concentrated. A pinch was enough to add a layer of tomato flavors.

Chicken Pudding, Pesto Juice, Tomato Powder, Paprika Pecorino Frico
topped with Whole Wheat Poppyseed Bread Crisp

Thank you Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! for hosting this month's makeover and introducing such fun and creativity to cooking.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

Lemongrass Wild King Salmon Spring Roll

Among Asian cuisines, Vietnamese food has always been an unfamiliar territory to me. Growing up, I never had the chance to sample authentic Vietnamese food. That changed when I tried my very first Vietnamese Spring Roll, with the fragrance and freshness wrapped in one spring roll, paired with a garlic spicy dip. As a part of the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, I made a deconstructed Vietnamese Lemongrass Wild King Salmon Spring Roll.

Lemongrass Wild King Salmon Spring Roll

The key to making the perfect spring roll is to keep the ingredients as fresh and flavorful as possible. I poached the Wild King Salmon in lemongrass, chicken stock, white wine, orange juice, and garlic. The usual plain rice vermicelli was lightly sauteed in olive oil and green onions. Accompanying the poached salmon are cilantro dust, pesto drops, and steamed baby carrot. For the dipping sauce, I made a spicy garlic sweet and sour jello with fried mint chips.

Lemongrass Poached Salmon, Green Onion Fried Vermicelli, Steamed Baby Carrot,
Cilantro Dust, Pesto Drops, and Spicy Garlic Jello with Fried Mint Chips

I have to thank 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro Cooks! for a fun lesson on sustainable fish. As a part of the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, our March theme was Sustainable Fish. It was interesting to learn from the Monterey Bay Aquarium website sustainability of different types of seafood. I have always been a huge fan of salmon and now I know to select wild-caught salmon from Alaska due to the excellent monitoring of fish populations and fishery. To me, understanding the ingredient is just as important, if not more, as cooking or consuming.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

At Santa Monica Seafood, I picked out a beautiful fillet of wild-caught Alaskan King Salmon.

Wild Alaskan King Salmon

I was so excited to cook with these ingredients and enjoy my spring roll with sustainable seafood!

Alinea's Cheese in Cracker

I came across a short, easy, fun recipe in the Alinea cookbook called Cheese, in Cracker. The simplicity of a cheese cracker in the Alinea book was all it took to draw my curiosity, so I went about my afternoon snack of cheese crackers.

Cheese, in Cracker

The dough was made the day before and baked the day of. After the crackers puff up, I made a melted cheese sauce. Right before serving, the hot sauce was injected into previously punched holes on the crackers. A bite into the crunchy cracker with hot melted aged Wisconsin cheese, and you will understand why Chef Achatz had to put this simple snack in his book. Seconds later, I found myself making a second batch of crackers. Compared to other dishes in the book, this cheese cracker snack lacks complexity and layers of flavors. The combination of crackers, cheese, and milk also seems rather traditional. What makes this so special, however, is the pure cheesiness in one, hot explosive bite.

Here is a quick recap of the process:

Cutting dough into 1-inch squares

Puffed Crackers out of the Oven

Injecting Hot Wisconsin Cheese Sauce into Crackers

Melted Cheese inside of Each Cracker

Bacon and Eggs: Under the Tuscan Sun

As a part of the 5 Star Makeover event, I have created an Italian version of Bacon and Eggs. Traditionally a breakfast plate, bacon and eggs were popularized in various parts of the UK. A fun modern spin of bacon and eggs can be seen at The Fat Duck where Heston Blumenthal serves nitro-scrambled eggs with bacon ice cream. In my interpretation, I wanted to paint the image of a beautiful morning, using simple, fresh, and flavorful ingredients. 

Bacon and Eggs: Under the Tuscan Sun

Uova da Raviolo with a Pancetta Carpaccio, served with Italian Pesto

I prepared a Uova da Raviolo and a Pancetta Carpaccio, served with Italian Pesto.

Uova da Raviolo

Uova da Raviolo is a large single ravioli with a soft egg yolk inside. The egg yolk sits on top of a garlic ricotta cheese mixture before it is enclosed with fresh pasta sheet. The ravioli is boiled for approximately 3 to 5 minutes (when using fresh pasta sheet) and the enclosed egg stays soft. The creaminess of the ravioli mixed with the sharp flavors of pancetta carpaccio is like an explosion of flavors!

Pancetta Carpaccio

The Pancetta Carpaccio consists of thinly sliced pancetta, Lagrein cheese and cantaloupe. Lagrein cheese is an Italian alpine cheese from the Alto Adige. On average, there are only 12 cows per farm and the cheese is cured in a bath of spices, herbs, garlic, and a local red wine (Lagrein). I thought the richness of this specific cheese would accent the carpaccio well. The dish is accompanied by a traditional Italian Basil Pesto made with a mortar and pestle using fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and parmagiano-reggiano.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

When I started Bacon and Soufflé about a month ago, I intended to share with you my dining experiences and fun culinary creations. More importantly, though, I wanted to seek out others who constantly inspire. Natasha from 5 Star Foodie is an amazing home chef who always inspires, adding a new spin to each one of her culinary creations. When Natasha and Lazaro from Lazaro Cooks! asked me to be a part of the 5 Star Makeover event to create my own interpretation of Bacon and Eggs, I was thrilled to accept the invitation. I hope you enjoyed my dish!

Dessert or Entrée: Salmon Mousse with Teriyaki Glaze

I realize that there are those who enjoy eating something savory first thing in the morning (my husband), like a breakfast sandwich or a plate of pasta, and those who prefer to stick with oatmeal and pastries. I am of the latter. I have managed to convince myself that my stomach enjoys starting the day with the taste of sweetness. My dilemma usually begins on some weekends when I wake up so late that it is pretty much past lunchtime. Today is the day I found a solution for my problem.



Salmon Mousse with Teriyaki Glaze, Cheese Wafer Crisp, Cream Foam
served with Freshly Baked Focaccia Bread

 Now if I can trick my stomach into thinking that it is eating a dessert but really it is a salmon fillet with teriyaki sauce and focaccia bread, I think we may finally be able to make peace. I made a salmon mousse that is flavored with a little bit of mirin and soy sauce, accompanied by a rich teriyaki glaze. I served the salmon mousse with a freshly baked focaccia bread. A parmigiano-reggiano wafer crisp and a little bit of cream foam topped the mousse.

The salmon mousse is both flaky and creamy and the teriyaki glaze has the perfect texture and flavor for this mousse. Teriyaki glaze is very easy to make - all you need is soy sauce, mirin (a Japanese sweet wine), and sugar. I used 1/4 cup soy sauce: 1/4 cup mirin: 1 tbsp white sugar, and I heated the sauce in a pan. As it cools on the plate, it hardens slightly to form a beautiful glaze. The perfect Sunday brunch.

Gastropub Cuisine, Gourmet Pork Shoulder Pizza

Although there are numerous restaurants that I love and enjoy, there are only a handful that inspire my cooking. Those are the restaurants I look forward to visiting everytime. Waterloo & City is one of them.

Waterloo & City was designed as a traditional British gastropub, which by definition has a relaxed atmosphere while serving gastronomic cuisine. However, those in LA have begun to associate the restaurant with molecular gastronomy cuisine, mainly due to its creative spin on popular comfort food and its ever-changing menu. I cannot tell you how much I loved their winter squash cheesecake with candied bacon and crème fraiche. Anyway, we ordered their "Braised Short Rib Pizza, Stilton, Chimichuri" and were instantly in love. The way the tenderness and juiciness of short ribs melt onto the pizza, making the thin crust pizza feel like a deep dish. The way the chimichuri brings an extreme flavor and texture to the entire pizza.

I was inspired to make what I personally thought was the best pizza I have ever had - Ale Braised Pork Shoulder Pizza with Candied Apple Pecans.

Ale Braised Pork Shoulder Pizza with Candied Apple Pecans

Pork shoulder was braised in the oven with Belgian ale, pancetta, onions, and various herbs for approximately four hours. I covered the fresh pizza crust with shredded pork shoulder pieces and a thin layer of marinara sauce. The pizza was then topped with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, candied whole pecans and apple slices, basil leaves, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for the spice. Salty, sweet, spicy, savory and creaminess all came together in this pizza. It was so good.

Molecular Gastronomy with Chef Whitney Werner

It has been almost 3 weeks and I am still enjoying my series of birthday presents from my hubby! I have been waiting for this one - molecular gastronomy class at Sur La Table with Chef Whitney Werner. We definitely had our fun!

Chef Whitney Werner, creating edible lemon drop

Chef Whitney has been a part of Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, Tavern on the Green in New York, Beverly Hills Hotel, and Whitney's (his own restaurant). He specializes in creating foam as a part of molecular gastronomy and is currently the Executive Chef at the Beach Club in Santa Monica.

We started the class making "Green Eggs and Ham". Spherical green eggs, or creamed spinach, were created via the chemical reaction between Calcium Lactade Gluconate and Algin Water.

Making Spherical "Green Egg" (creamed spinach)

The egg white portion is actually truffle foam, created using the Foamer with Nitrogen Dioxide to keep the foam lasting longer. These green eggs were served with ham, or prosciutto crisp, and garlic butter toast. Pretty, isn't it?

My Green Eggs and Ham

Next on the menu was Salmon and Crab Involtini. Involtini was served with a light fruit salad comprised of lime and orange slices to introduce a tart citrus flavor and topped with some miso foam.

Salmon and Crab Involtini with Citrus Salad and Miso Foam

Although I enjoyed making the green eggs and ham the most, this was by far the most interesting course. We created an edible lemon drop with lemon foam, vodka snow, and croquante. Once again, lemon foam was made using Nitrogen Dioxide to turn vermouth lemon curd into foam. Gelatin sheets were also added for stabilization since the mixture was not very thick to begin with. The vodka snow was so much fun to watch - combining the use of Liquid Nitrogen and a Mixer.

Liquid Nitrogen

Let it Snow, Vodka

We assembled our lemon drop and enjoyed every last bite of it. What a great way to spend an evening!

Edible Lemon Drop

See my Molecular Gastronomy post Part I for a list of recommended starter items to get into modern cooking!