the specialist

we took some quality photos the other day in the kitchen for PR purposes and i was blown away by how this one turned out.

aerated cream cheese ice cream, tangerine granita, tangerine meringue, tangerine sauce, vanilla bean sauce, wood sorrel.

thanks dan duran for the photos

trompe le monde

sometimes it is all about appearances. 
watching top chef last night was quite interesting.  the quickfire challenge was to create a dish that was visually appealing and would be judged on looks alone.  it was interesting how the "savory" chefs conceptualized that idea. 
i think within the sweet world, that is always a factor.  mainly in part because most of what we put on the plate we make ourselves.  if i make a bavarois, i have to think about how i want it to look before i even begin to make the recipe.
 the shape, the mold, the size. 
in stating that, how do we move beyond our ordinary perceptions of what "the shape, the mold" should be.
without rambling on too much, i will eventually get where i want to go...

here is the chocolate cremeux recipe i have been using for awhile:
180g  72% Valrhona Araguani
400g  cream
 70g  glucose
70g  water
1.2g  agar
2 gelatin sheets
bring water and agar to boil, reserve warm
simmer cream and glucose, emulsify with chocolate little by little
add softened gelatin sheets, add water/agar mixture, emulsify

usually this is poured into a mold or onto a tray and cut, but this time i wanted to try for a different look.

i wanted to give the appearance of something solid, like stone, when really it is creamy and melts in the mouth.
cremeux poured on a tray, frozen, broken, then tempered.
earl grey ice cream, kumquats, kumquat croquant, tangerine sauce, cocoa paper, wood sorrel, chocolate streusel

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the hazards of working at a small luxary hotel are all the holidays that you have to work because the restaurant never closes. 
so today i worked, but before that i opened one gift.

making holiday menus always throws me for a loop.  i try to simplify things but also keep them interesting, at least to me.

pear bread pudding, walnut ice cream, creme fraiche, caramelized pear chips

meyer lemon curd, iced milk, burnt meringue, gingerbread, candied lemon peel, fizzy white chocolate powder

and an unfinished dish, i guess i never got a photo of the finished plate.  chocolate sauce, grand marnier, tangerine gelee, (missing) aerated milk chocolate parfait, cocoa paper

the perfect kiss

at the market, citrus is almost in full effect.  the first to hit the stands were some tiny, sweet tangerines.  after 9 years of doing pastry i still find it difficult not to make some play on a creamsicle with tangerines.  though now with my wandering imagination that creamsicle takes some mighty big leaps.  i really can't place the train of thought that brought me here. i just know that i wanted something that looked heavy (physically) but in reality was full of fluffy light textures.
tangerine sorbet, milk chocolate ganache aerated, blis maple meringue, candy cap mushroom pudding, celery leaves, tangerine juice