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October 16, 2009 - Issue 184 |
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The
Dishrag Newsletter
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1. Letter from the Editor: Fall is Restaurant Season As the leaves turn and fall, and the squash, cloves, and Brussels sprouts make their way to plates across the country, here is a rundown of our latest features and our upcoming editorial travels. And make your 2010 Rising Stars nominations! http://www.starchefs.com/features/editors_dish/letter/vol50/index.shtml | ||
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2. When to Walk Away from a Restaurant Deal (Plus Audio and Video) During the International Chefs Congress, chefs Josh DeChellis, Joe Isidori, Paul Liebrandt, Akhtar Nawab, and Norman Van Aken and assembled to discuss their respective experiences in restaurant ventures that took a turn for the worse. The panel provided a tremendous amount of insight for chefs-especially in the tumult of the current business environment. Listen to the audio of the ICC presentation and watch an exclusive video interview with Liebrandt as he discusses his past and present deals. http://www.starchefs.com/features/editors_dish/when-to-walk-away/html/index.shtml | ||
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3. Six Recipes for Fall Farm Fresh Produce Persimmon, pear, cauliflower, fennel, and cranberries-these are just five greenmarket gems you can source locally around the country right now. Find out how six chefs from New York, Colorado, Georgia, Chicago, and DC, are pairing sea bass, wild boar, and squab (among others) with these seasonal fruits and vegetables. http://www.starchefs.com/features/farm_fresh/fall/2009/html/index.shtml | ||
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4. Technique: House-Made Burrata with Chef Todd Winer of The Metropolitan Club - Boston, MA The cream-filled cousin to mozzarella, burrata literally means "buttered," hinting at the rich interior of what looks like regular mozzarella cheese. Chef Todd Winer of The Metropolitan Club in Boston developed a technique to make burrata in-house, entirely sidestepping the need to source it for the restaurant. Here's how to do it, plus a recipe for his Caprese salad. http://www.starchefs.com/events/studio/techniques/todd-winer-burrata/html/index.shtml | ||
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5. Opening Coppa: Q&A with Chef Jamie Bissonnette of Boston's Toro At the un-opened Coppa in Boston's South End, chefs Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer are planning a neighborhood-driven Italian version of Toro, complete with wood-fired pizzas, pastas, and small plates. What are the challenges? How did the concept come about? What are these "chef's chefs" looking to achieve? We grilled Bissonnette for answers. http://www.starchefs.com/features/jamie-bissonnette/html/index.shtml | ||
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6. From Chef to F&B Manager: The Sean Hardy Story 2006 LA Rising Star Sean Hardy of the Peninsula Hotel recently decided to make a career switch from executive chef to F&B manager. What exactly prompted the switch? What can other chefs learn from Hardy's experience? Find out the pros and cons of Hardy's career move, plus what he likes about his new lifestyle in this interview. http://www.starchefs.com/features/sean-hardy/html/index.shtml | ||
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7. Featured Cookbook Blurb: John Besh's My New Orleans My New Orleans: The Cookbook John Besh Andrews McMeel Publishing, Canada October 2009 Prolific chef and Louisiana champion John Besh presents this ode to his hometown in a format that straddles memoir and cookbook. Especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the environs seem like a precious but essential element of Americana, with its regional specialty cuisine providing the equivalent of a spice-and-sugar-rim on the national cocktail. With this beautifully illustrated book, Besh aims to preserve the mosaic of regional flavors of Louisiana. With an emphasis on the distinctive ingredients that make up Louisiana cooking, Besh breaks down the book by ingredients, region, and events. Chapters like "Strawberries and Citrus," "Shrimp Season" and "Creole Tomatoes" appear alongside occasion-oriented chapters like "Feast Days" and "Thanksgiving". Chefs unfamiliar with Louisiana can use this native-made resource to incorporate the exotic flavors and textures of New Orleans into their cooking. | |||
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8. Top 10 Jobs from the StarChefs.com JobFinder Restaurant Floor Manager Beard nominated chef seeks floor managers in Chicago Illinois http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257560&positionid= Chef de Cuisine Join the Team at 4-Star Boston Restaurant Clio Restaurant Massachusetts http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257780&positionid= Executive Chef Executive Chef at Marine Corps Air Station in Japan Marine Corps Community Services Asia http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257840&positionid= Manager/Sommelier Independent DC Restaurant Seeks Wine Professional Komi District of Columbia http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257800&positionid= Sous Chef Motivated Chef Needed for High-End Restaurant Starr Restaurant Organization Pennsylvania, New York http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257801&positionid= Cooks Cook at the Happiest Place on Earth Walt Disney World Resort Florida http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257742&positionid= Chef - Tapas Chefs/Sous for Renowned Tapas Group Barcelona Restaurant Grp. Connecticut http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257740&positionid= Director of Operations Director of Operations in Panama Concordia Partners Panama http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257720&positionid= Executive Chef Upscale Mediterranean-Influenced Gastropub Pennsylvania http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257760&positionid= Executive Sous Chef High Volume Campus Dining Cal Poly Corp. California http://www.starchefsjobfinder.com/js-jobinfo.php?s=-1&t=j&v=257700&positionid= | |||
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9. Featured Chef to Know: Chef Akhtar Nawab formerly of Elettaria - New York, NY Excerpt taken from the 2nd edition of the StarChefs.com Chefs To Know: A Guide To Chefs for Chefs available for $24.95 through http://www.starchefs.com/shopping/ Akhtar Nawab CHEF FACTS Cuisine: Eclectic American Born: 1972 Began Career: 1992 Culinary School: The California Culinary Academy Grad Year: 1992 Stages: San Francisco, CA: Jardiniere; Chicago, IL: Charlie Trotter's Work History: New York, NY: Craft Bar, The E.U; San Francisco, CA: Bizou Mentors: Loretta Keller, Tom Colicchio Awards: 2007 StarChefs.com Rising Star Chef New York Affiliation: Green Restaurant Association Languages Spoken: Spanish Notable Dishes: Pickled Beef Tongue with Porcinis and Marcona Almonds FAST FACTS Restaurant Recs: Oriental Garden in Chinatown NYC; Nicky's for Vietnamese Sandwiches; Mary's Fish Camp in the West Village Kitchen Tools: Cake Tester; Winston CVap Cook and Hold Oven Interview Question: Will you be here everyday doing your best? Flavor Combinations: Asparagus and morels; pickled cherries and Szechuan peppers; cepes and marcona almonds. Favorite Cookbooks: Grand Livre de Cuisine by Alain Ducasse; Essential Cuisine by Michel Bras Chef to Cook For You: Fredy Girardet - I was too young when he was doing his thing, but he made some food that was really inspiring. Culinary Travel: India - as I get older, I find the food more and more exciting. The regional cuisine is different in very suibtle ways. They take a lot of care in their flavoring and execution. Sicily reflects those values as well. | |||
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 10. Recipe for Crab Blossoms with Blood Orange Vinaigrette from Diana Staravidis of BLD - Los Angeles, CAYield: 8 Servings INGREDIENTS Tempura Batter: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup corn starch 1 pint soda water. Salt and pepper Blood Orange Vinaigrette: 2 ounces seasoned rice wine vinegar ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 ounce chopped shallots 6 ounces extra virgin olive oil 6 blood oranges, supremed Squash Blossoms: 8 ounces goat cheese 3 ounces mascarpone cheese 3 ounces ricotta cheese ½ ounce chopped shallots Zest of 1 lemon ½ ounce chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 ounce extra virgin olive oil 1 pound lump crabmeat Salt and pepper 32 squash blossoms To Assemble and Serve: 2 ounces microgreens METHOD For the Tempura Batter: Combine the flour and cornstarch. Whisk in the soda water and season. Reserve chilled for at least 30 minutes. For the Blood Orange Vinaigrette: Combine the vinegar, mustard, and shallots. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season and add the blood orange supremes. For the Squash Blossoms: Preheat the fryer to 350F. Combine the goat cheese, mascarpone, ricotta, shallots, lemon zest, parsley, olive oil, and carefully fold the crabmeat. Season. Load the crab filling into a piping bag and pipe into each blossom, leaving enough room at the top to seal the flower shut. To Assemble and Serve: Dunk each blossom into the batter and deep fry for 1 minute or until lightly golden. Place 4 blossoms on the center of a plate. Dress the blossoms with the blood orange vinaigrette. Garnish with the microgreens. | |||
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