"Weekend" Trip Day One

A "weekend" in the food industry does not necessarily consist of Saturday and Sunday when in reference to time off. In fact, a weekend rarely falls on the busy days of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Rather a weekend is whenever you have two to three consecutive days off. Often you don't even get weekends, just two separated days off or not enough days off at all! For me, this past Sunday, Monday, Tuesday served as a weekend and were the first days off (aside from one random day off) in almost three weeks. Therefore, I treated myself to a mini weekend getaway. Here are some highlights from my trip.

On Sunday morning, after working until closing the night before, I woke up super early to travel to the airport and catch my flight out. I landed fairly early in the day, leaving the entire day for me to explore. The only food related event of the day (aside from eating tacos for dinner) was going out to lunch!

I went to a Sushi place for lunch where I had my first experience of ordering from an electronic tablet at the table instead of from a server. This was super convenient at a place like this, as it is basically an all-you-can-eat buffet but instead of a buffet line, the food comes from the kitchen quickly in small dishes. You choose options from a variety of sushi rolls, meat dishes, fried items, dumplings, vegetables, and more. 

I had some sweet potato sushi, radish sushi, deep-fried tofu, pork dumpling, edamame, sesame chicken, deep-fried chicken, avocado rice pizza, and a few others. I'll admit I really struggles to use chopsticks for all this though. 

And for dessert a selection of ice creams: red bean, green tea, mango, chocolate, and vanilla.

Sauteed Beans

yellow beans, ends trimmed
flat green broad beans (or use snow peas), trimmed and cut into small lengths

Heat a little oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the yellow beans and saute until they begin to blister and color. Add the green beans and a dab of butter. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the green beans develop some color. Pour in a little vegetable stock, turn the heat down and simmer the beats until tender.

Pan searing adds some caramelization to the vegetables and simmering them finishes cooking them.
Butter adds some flavor as does cooking the beans in veg stock.
Salt and pepper are the simplest of seasonings and can easily be supplemented with more herbs and spices.
Small amounts cook very quickly in a pan, larger quantities should be cooked in a large flat pan or spread among several pans.

Roasted Baby Red Potatoes

Flavored Oil

canola oil

cracked black pepper

kosher salt

garlic cloves

thyme leaves

parsely leaves

smoked paprika

Blend all ingredients together until mostly smooth. Use to drizzle over and coat potatoes in before roasting. Be sure to spoon a little extra oil over the potatoes before serving!

A great, easy way to add some delicious flavor to roasted potatoes directly in the cooking process. The oil may be made in advance and kept in the fridge. 

Place baby red potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle liberally with the oil (shake oil before using). Wrap tightly in foil and roast at 400◦F-450◦F until tender. 

Citrus Cream Cheese Sauce

Citrus Cream Cheese Sauce
cream cheese
2 oranges, zest and juice
2 limes, zest and juice
1 lemon, zest and juice
salt
white pepper
honey

Blend all ingredients together to form a smooth and cream sauce. It should be thicker than whipping cream but thinner than mayonnaise if that makes sense. Basically it is easily spreadable but not pourable. Adjust seasonings to make it as sweet, salty, spicy, or citrusy as you wish! Goes great both on fish dishes and desserts!

Poached Striped Bass

Court Bouillon
fish stock
white wine
rice vinegar
red wine vinegar
lemon juice
diced onion or shallot
diced celery
cloves
star anise
fennel seeds
dill weed
peppercorns
bay leaf

Place all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Then use required amount as needed to poached fillets of fish. I used this particular mixture for striped bass fillets and it worked very well!

Poached Bass with Beans, Potatoes, and Citrus Cream Cheese

• Striped Bass poached in court bouillon (white wine, fish stock, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, herbs and spices)
• Pan-sauteed yellow string beans and green broad beans
• Baby red potatoes roasted in garlic, thyme, parsley, paprika, and olive oil
• Citrus cream cheese sauce
• Purple basil

Easy Baked Salmon

Easy Baked Salmon
salmon fillets
kosher salt
cracked black pepper
brown sugar

Arrange the fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the fillets liberally with the salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Bake at 350◦F for about 10 minutes. The salmon will cook very quickly this way, depending on the size of the fillets of course, but the oven temperature may also be increased or decreased. 

This salmon has a great, simple and uncomplicated flavor. It can be served as is with side dishes, or flaked into sandwiches, pastas, casseroles, and much more. It is a great alternative for grilling in colder weather. 

White Wine Chanterelle Cream Sauce

White Wine Chanterelle Cream Sauce
butter
fresh wild chanterelle mushrooms
salt
coarsely ground black pepper
white wine
cream

Melt the butter in a shallow saucepan over medium heat. Add the chanterelles and saute until beginning to brown. Deglaze with white wine and season with salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pot and allow to simmer until chanterelles are softened. Remove lid and allow the mixture to go au sec (allowing all the wine to be absorbed into the mushrooms and evaporate).

Meanwhile, put the cream in a shallow pot and boil until it is reduced (cream will thicken and start to turn from white to a yellowish hue).

Stir the cream into the mushroom mixture, taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary. 

Seafood Linguini

Seafood linguini with white wine cream sauce with chanterelles, cherry tomatoes. beet greens, and fresh herbs.

• Linguini noodles, cooked al dente (homemade if you are feeling ambitious)
• White wine chanterelle cream sauce
• Local mussels
• Baked cracked pepper brown sugar salmon
• Local cherry tomatoes
• Baby beet greens
• Fresh tarragon
• Fresh dill

Lobster Ravioli 2.0

I made lobster ravioli again; the filling recipe and dough recipes were essentially the same but this time there were several differences in the dish.
#1 I made them at work, not home
#2 The pasta rolling machine broke, so I did most of the rolling by hand which resulted in more work, more time, more muscle, and a slightly thicker dough
#3 I didn't have the little ravioli molds this time, so I hand cut them and pieced them together with round cutters
#4 I paired the ravioli with a different sauce and different sides

Lobster Cheesy Toasts

Lobster Cheesy Toasts
lobster meat pieces, finely diced
lemon zest
tarragon
salt
pepper
goat cheese
cream cheese
cheddar and/or parmesan cheese, if desired 

Mix all together well and spread on lengths of day-old baguette. Toast in the oven until hot and melty and golden.

Chanterelle Cream Sauce

Chanterelle Cream Sauce
butter
chanterelle mushrooms
more butter
cream
salt
pepper


Heat the butter in a pan. Add the chanterelles and saute until softened and beginning to color. Add more butter. Then add cream to cover. Simmer to reduce cream. Add some more cream. Simmer until thickened. Season. And serve.

Just an FYI, sauces like this do not work out the same at all if you cook the mushrooms and reduce the cream separately. All the flavor in the cream comes from cooking the mushrooms in it, which in turns adds great flavor to the mushrooms!

Wilted Spinach

The name may not sound all that appealing, but wilted spinach is a good way to prepare spinach as an alternative to raw or salad or cheese dip. It is quick and easy and makes a delicious side dish to many kinds of meals. Here is my method of doing it:

spinach (also works with other greens such as kale and swiss chard)
liquid, stock is best (I usually use veg, but more more flavor use chicken or pork. Water works too, it is just less flavorful)
aromatic flavorings (I use minced shallots and garlic)
butter (or margarine or oil for a non-dairy version)
seasonings (salt and pepper; add other spices if feeling adventurous) 

Method #1
Put the greens in a pan with the liquid and aromatics. Put on high heat until they start to wilt, stirring the leaves around so they wilt evenly. Then add butter and seasonings. 

Method #2
Heat the butter or oil in a pan. Throw in the spinach then pour in stock. Stir while it wilts down and add seasonings. 

A small amount of greens will cook very quickly in a small pan. Larger amounts will take longer. Ad remember the greens will shrink by more than half once cooked - so make lots!

Sesame Soy Noodles

Sesame Soy Noodles
1 cup sesame oil
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.
Cook rice vermicelli noodles according to package directions and shock in cold water.
Drain well then add the noodles to the marinade and allow to marinade for at leas tone hour.These noodles are good cold but also delicious fried in a pan to reheat.

Chocolate Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Chocolate Zucchini Cake
3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated (white) sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini, packed
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line two 8x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, stir together the first six dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl whip the eggs and sugar together until light. Whisk in the oil and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients followed by the zucchini then chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Try it, you'll love it, and won't even notice the zucchini!!

Honey Coconut Cider Marinade

Honey Coconut Cider Marinade
1 cup liquid (or melted) coconut oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Whisk all ingredients together well. Keep in mind the coconut oil will harden if this marinade is refrigerated, so I like to keep it in a warm place in the kitchen when in use. If it does solidify, the marinade can be gently heated to thin it out. I like to pour it into a squeeze bottle and drizzle it on items shortly before cooking. This marinade works well with fish and vegetables. It is a sweeter marinade which will not overwhelm delicate fish. 

Nectarine Salsa

Nectarine Salsa
4 roma tomatoes, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
4 jalapeno peppers, diced
3 nectarines, diced
zest of 3 limes
juice of 6 limes
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup olive oil
30 basil leaves, chiffonade
30 mint leaves, chiffonade
salt and pepper, to taste

Chop ingredients and mix together in order given. Allow to marinate for a few hours and serve at room temperature. Great on swordfish! Feel free to adjust the spice level by adding or leaving out the seeds in the peppers.

Field Trip To A Farm

Today our work took a little field trip, since the restaurant was closed today. We were invited to visit one of our producers, who provides us mainly with fresh, local chickens, but their farm also features pigs, turkeys, mushrooms, and a variety of produce including cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, strawberries, haskap berries, seabuckthorn, raspberries, chokecherries, and more. It was fun to see where some of our food comes from and to meet the people behind the operation. 

S'mores Ice Cream

How do you make s'mores ice cream, you ask? You begin with the vanilla ice cream, flavored with extra sugar for that 'marshmallowy' taste and texture. Then make some chocolate ice cream, flavor it with a little liquid smoke, and swirl it through. If you really want some more s'more flavor and texture - add some graham cracker pieces or crumbs. 

Swordfish with Nectarine Salsa

Grilled swordfish marinated with honey, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and coconut oil.
Served with sesame soy noodles, grilled cherry tomatoes, and a nectarine salsa.

This was my first time ever working with swordfish and it was quite a different experience from working with any other fish. The fish came in not whole, but rather in one large piece, where I had to separate the sections, trim it, and clean it up a bit. Honestly it was more like preparing a pork tenderloin than a fish. 

The dish did get really great feedback - some saying it was even the best swordfish they ever had.

Zucchini Chocolate S'mores Cake

Here is a dessert special I made at the restaurant tonight. It is a moist, double chocolate zucchini cake with s'mores ice cream and chocolate sauce. Perfect for sharing!

When my brothers and I were little, my mom used to bake a chocolate zucchini cake quite often around this time of year when zucchinis were in abundance. But because we were more picky of eaters at the time, especially when it came to vegetables, she used to tell us it was 'green coconut' so we would eat it and not ask questions. I realize now that green coconut is not really a thing and that zucchini is delicious, especially when baked into a chocolate cake.

Lobster Ravioli Catch

• Ravioli - fresh, hand-rolled, homemade pasta dough 
• Lobster Filling - local lobster, goat cheese, lemon, tarragon
• Chanterelle Cream Sauce - butter sauteed local wild chanterelles, redued cream
• Wilted Spinach - spinach, garlic, shallots, white wine
• Lobster Cheese Toasts - lobster, cream cheese, herbs, cracked black pepper

Lemon Dill Pesto

"Pesto" to me basically refers to a sauce, dip, or condiment made from fresh blended green herbs with some oil and seasoning and flavorings. Sometimes it has nuts, sometimes not. Sometimes it has garlic, sometimes Parmesan cheese. Sometimes other exotic ingredients. And I rarely use basil as my herb, as is traditional. This is a version I developed to go with fish. It is fresh, vibrant, and quite delicious!

Lemon Dill Pesto
1 cup toasted cashews
1 bunch fresh dill
2 cups parsley leaves
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 4 lemons
1/4 - 1/2 up olive oil
2 Tablespoons honey
salt and pepper, to taste

Process the cashews in a food processor and process until smooth and buttery. Add the dill, followed by the parsley, juice, and zest. Stream in oil until the desired consistency is reached, then season to taste with honey, salt, and pepper.

Red Seal Certified!

I am very exited to say that as of today I am officially a Red Seal Certified Chef. After nearly 6000 hours of work experience, two years of schooling, three block exams, and the final exam this morning; I now have my journeyperson status and a nation-wide certification. This is a high standard of recognition, but there is also room to grow up from here as well. 

Balsamic Glazed Dried Tomato

These is a quick and easy go-to tomato recipe I often use as a different garnish or easy side vegetable recipe. It can be done with little cherry tomatoes, larger thinly sliced tomatoes, or pieces of roma tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and seasoning such as thyme leaves, if desired. Place in a low temperature oven or food dehyrdrator for a while until most of the moisture is gone, or alternately place in a high temperature oven or under a broiler for a short time until dry.

Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback potatoes are basically whole potatoes, large or small, with tiny even slits cut in them. This makes them look fancier, changes the texture and helps them cook more evenly, and allows any seasonings and flavors to penetrate through the potato. They can be broiled, baked, boiled, roasted, or fried. I prepared some baby red potatoes very simply by slicing the raw potatoes, tossing them in oil, salt, and pepper, wrapping them in foil (as a group, not individually), placing them on a baking sheet, and roasting them in a 400◦F oven until tender.

Butter Poached Trout

This is the butter poaching mixture I used for poaching my trout yesterday. I love butter poaching, especially for fish, as it is an easy, fast, and gentle way of perfectly cooking fish and gives a wonderful flavor. Straight butter can be used (I always use salted), but here I flavored it. I used this recipe for trout but it may be used on a variety of other fishes and even vegetables and other proteins. The herbs and spices may also be varied to better suit the flavors. 

Butter Poaching Liquid
3 pounds salted butter
1 cup white wine
splash apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
2 star anise
fennel seeds
crushed red chili flakes
dill weed
dried tarragon
peppercorns

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add in the remaining ingredients and leave mixture to steep until just lukewarm. 
For service the way I recommend is doing it is to keep the batch in the pot, then ladle some into a small pot to poach individual portions of fish. The butter can be used a few times until it goes brown, then it should be discarded.
If poaching multiple pieces of fish at one time, just use the big pot.
Poaching time is only a couple of minutes, depending on size. Gently lower the fillet into the pot then turn heat to high. Boiling will cook the fish more quickly but will also cause the butter to brown quickly. A more gentle simmer is better.

Catch Of The Day

Here is my catch of the day dish from the restaurant tonight.
Butter poached trout, hasselback potatoes, balsamic-glazed dried tomato, sauteed yellow and green zucchini, wild chanterelles, lemon dill pesto, and sprouts. 
I was very proud of myself for butchering, skinning, and filleting the five whole fresh local trout we got in for the dish. 
The dish sold very well and got really good feedback. I actually managed to execute it well during service time to only require two burners and about seven minutes from fire to plating.

Fruit Compotes

A compote is essentially pieces of fruit in a sugar syrup. Fruit compotes are easy to make with a variety of fruit, a little sugar, and perhaps some spice or other flavoring. The they are cooked low and slow, just until tender and thickened. Here are some ideas below. 

Rhubarb Apple Compote
fresh rhubarb stocks, cut into small pieces
cooking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
brown sugar
almond extract

Strawberry Lime Compote
fresh strawberries, sliced
cooked in a little sugar and water
lime curd
fold together

Strawberry Honey Compote
fresh strawberries, quartered
place in a pot with some honey

Blueberry Rhubarb Cardamom Compote
fresh or frozen blueberries
rhubarb, cut into small pieces
ground cardamom

Buttermilk Biscuits

This is a basic buttermilk biscuit recipe that makes a good base for strawberry shortcakes. But the biscuits are also great toasted with butter and jam for breakfast, or served along a bowl of seafood chowder,

Buttermilk Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 cup cold buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400◦F. 
Blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Cut in the butter until crumble. Stir in enough buttermilk to bind the dough, then knead on a floured surface until combined.
Roll dough out to 3/4 inches thick. Cut into 3 inch circles.
Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for about 18 minutes until golden.
Makes 12 biscuits. 

Classic Strawberry Shortcake

Since it is strawberry season I am running strawberry shortcake on the menu as a dessert special. I've been changing up the components and plating a bit every day, but the main components remain the summer. Featured on this plate is a toasted buttermilk biscuit, chantilly cream, local strawberry and honey compote, lime coulis, a strawberry rose, and a fresh mint garnish.