Boudin Blanc

This Tasty white pork sausage indigenous to France, Belgium and creole areas of our country is one of my favorite delectable treats to make on a Sunday afternoon or at 2am after a long dinner service on a Saturday night..there are many variations of this recipe most of time always including pork and chicken. I like to keep it simple as you'll see in the recipe to follow. Serve this up with some caramelized apples, braised cabbage and keep it classic or get innovative and throw down a yellow beet and camapri  gel, with lemon balm and dried olive.. whatever you decide it will please any guest who enjoys a good tubesteak...

Boudin Blanc

 

1# pork butt

1# boneless skinless chicken breast

1# rabbit shoulder

3/4 ounce kosher salt

1 t ground white pepper

1 1/2 t quatre epices

8 large eggs

2 1/2 cups milk

3 T AP Flour

 

Grind meats together and freeze for 5 minutes.

Combine meats and spices in processor for 30 seconds.  Add eggs 1-2 at a time, followed by milk and flour, scraping bowl as needed

Poach a taster for seasoning

Stuff into hog casings

Poach at 170 to internal temperature of 160, transfer to an ice bath

Sautee in whole butter over medium-low heat until desired color is reached.

 

its that simple!

lets talk cassoulet

Over the years, cassoulet has become a dish with which I particularly identify. Like bouillabaisse, it’s a peasant dish whose evolution embodies the anomalies that arise when such a humble tradition is subjected to gastrosnob gentrification. In the south of France, conflicting traditions have given rise to vigorous regional controversy: Castelnaudary, Toulouse and Carcassonne all claim that they invented it. Prosper Montagné, compiler of the first Larousse Gastronomique, came up with a metaphysical solution worthy of the Nicene Council. He reinvented the Holy Trinity, suggesting that there were three equal cassoulets—the Father (Castelnaudary), the Son ( Carcassonne), and the Holy Spirit ( Toulouse).
And now there's been some discussion here in Las Vegas as to what Cassoulet is, and Should be.. Ive decided to shed some light on the situation.. Although ive been cooking this dish for some time and feel i make a pretty damn good one, some have disagreed.. was it an execution error on the guy who was cooking the dish that night  or did i miss something ??? i can only take blame, so what do you do when being attacked.. fight back and fucking make sure you have the best ammunition for battle.. now im only making light of the situation but Ive done some research, tested some classic recipes, and have come up with what i feel is one of the best and probably only cassoulet being served in Las Vegas.  i suspect it all began in a continuously simmering cassole on the back of the stove, “serving as a sort of catch-all for anything edible that the cook might toss into the fucking  pot”. In the modern tradition, you find that the lowest common denominator was “a dish of white beans…cooked in a pot with some sort of pork and sausage. After that it is a case of fielder’s choice.”and if you go into an isolated Languedoc village and ask fifty housewives how to make a cassoulet, you will get at least fifty-one recipes. so in the end cassoulet is a classic household preference based upon about five or so ingredients... but also  is one of those dishes you really shouldn't manipulate or fuck with too much! keep it simple and traditional... if you want to try the one in the picture come see us @ Chef David Myers Comme Ca every wednesday while the seasons still  right for this dish. and if you want to see how serious people take this dish check out http://www.routedescassoulets.com/....... and stay tuned i will be posting a few recipes for this dish in the next week !

CaViAr DrEaMs and NoN ExTiNcT WiSheS

ThIs YeArs HoLidAy LeFtOvers and SoMe IdEas For YoU

First id like to thank you as ive had over a thousand viewers this month.. As the numbers grow i will be building content faster in the new year.. so lets talk turkey well in this case Prime rib, and roasted pig. im sure most of you can account for a refridgerator full of food in the days folling a holiday well ive come up with a few simple dishes you can do easily at home and reallly impress your family..

day one the "christmas hangover hash " lets just say we had a few bottles of wine!!

leftovers= chopped prime rib, carmelized onions and potabella mushrooms, some chopped chives,and some confit baby potato with black truffle.. start with a really hot pan and add the potatos, ribeye, onions and mushrooms and cook on medium high heat making sure to season them with a little salt and pepper. once you have a crispy concoction add the chives and crack an egg right on top and cover with a lid to finish the cooking.. serve with a glass of chilled eggnog and you have a great breakfast..

for dinner we  had chinese steamed buns with roasted pork.. i cheated and picked up a package of the cooked bao in chinatown to make life as easy as possible as im still recovering from all the wine.. this ones easy and will take you less than ten minutes..

leftovers=shredded pork, soy sauce, sliced green onion, hoisin sauce and steamed bun

using a bamboo steamer we took the pork and tossed it in a little soy sauce place it next to the buns in the steamer for five minutes and serve with the sliced green onion and hoisin sauce.. my fench bulldog really liked his left overs tonight




lets finish with one more dinner recipe "beef stroganoff" or for all of you professional kitchen folks "beef stroke en off",,,. very comfortating on a cold december evening, this dish will warm the hearts of all, and be sure to add another pound or two, to the already growing stomach youve acheied this holiday season, and if youre one to watch what you eat during the holiday season, you probably should not try this at home..

leftovers = 1/4 bottle vouvray or white wine, chopped prime rib, dijon mustard, beef stock, flour, sour cream,carmelized onion and portabella mushroom, cooked pasta of your choice and of course for all of you who dont know this salt and pepper!

start by cooking your pasta, a pot of boiling water seasoned with olive oil and a good amount of salt.. think the ocean! while your pasta is cooking heat a saute pan and add the onions and mushrooms.. cook for two minutes and add the beef once carmelized sprinkle about 2 tbs of flour and stir, now add your white wine and reduce.. your sauce should begin to thicken. season with s+p again and add the beef stock and dijon and let cook for five minutes right before serving stir in your sour cream and chives and top your pasta..

i hope ive made this as painless as possible and have left you with some insight on a few quick and easy dishes you can make at home utilizing all of your leftovers.. or if your like me whatever you dont cook goes to the puppy.. well kinda

WOuLd YoU Eat IT

The Hard to swallow question.. "would you eat it".. i once worked with a chef who asked that question everytime a girl walked into the room..well this ones for you bruno hahha "would you eat it?????????? Balut !

A balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell.These fucking things are awful but Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein,yummm id rather eat an egg white!what a hearty snack, balut are mostly sold by street vendors in the regions where they are available. It is commonly sold as streetfood in the Philippines. They are common, everyday food in some other countries in Southeast Asia, such as in Laos and Thailand (where it is called Khai Luk), Cambodia (Pong tea khon in Cambodian),[1] and Vietnam (Trứng vịt lộn or Hột vịt lộn in Vietnamese). They are often served with beer.." ill have one duck fetus and a saporo please"..give me a break.. what happend to a nice hard boiled egg sandwich.

Fertilized duck eggs are kept warm in the sun and stored in baskets to retain warmth. After nine days, the eggs are held to a light to reveal the embryo inside.  eight days later the balut are ready to be cooked, sold, and eaten. Vendors sell cooked balut out of buckets of sand used to retain the heat.. you ready for more or would you like to go throw up yet. im one to try everything once and i like some weird shit, even as a chef i cannot stomach this one.

The age of the egg before it can be cooked is a matter of local preference. In the Philippines, the ideal balut is 17 days old, at which point it is said to be balut sa puti ("wrapped in white"). The chick inside is not old enough to show its beak, feathers or claws and the bones are undeveloped.. "oh good to know"

The Vietnamese often prefer their balut mature, just how i  like  my women.. from 19 days up to 21 days{in human years this is between 32 ans 40 im just sayin} when the chick is old enough to be recognizable as a baby duck and has bones that will be firm but tender when cooked. In Cambodia, it is eaten while it is still warm in its shell. It is served with nothing more than a little garnish, which is usually a mixture of lime juice and ground pepper, "well i like ime juice and i like pepper?

i am sorry if i have offended anyones culture but just after you put that lime juice salt and pepper on it drop it in the deep fryer for me!!

the GoOse Is LoOse..

Active Time: 30 min;

Total: 3 hr 20 min
Plus overnight drying
Ingredients:
1 One 12-pound goose,

neck and giblets reserved,
visible fat removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ¼ cups warm water
1 ½ tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon potato starch
dissolved in 2 tablespoons
red or white wine

Im excited to share a simple holiday goose recipe using Chinese and French techniques.. Separate the skin from the meat, then steam the goose before roasting – an adaptation of a Chinese technique that helps the bird baste in its own fat and ensures crispy skin.
 
I chose not to stuff this bird but you can, my choice would be to stuff it with foie gras, sweet breads, pistachio and black cherry. but to each is own!  Now lets get started..


Beginning at the neck end, work your fingers under the goose skin, snipping any fibers and sinews with kitchen scissors; work your fingers as far down over the thighs as possible. Using a sharp knife, cut halfway through the wing and leg joints to help the bird cook evenly. Generously season the goose inside and out with salt and pepper.


Set the goose on a rack in a heavy roasting pan, breast side up. Add the neck, gizzard, and heart and 4 cups of the water to the pan. Cover the goose with foil and seal the foil all around the edge of the pan. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and steam for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer the rack with the goose to a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered overnight, until the skin is very dry, like parchment. Strain the pan juices and refrigerate. Bring the goose to room temperature before roasting.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the honey with the Tabasco and the remaining ¼ cup of water. Return the rack to the pan and roast the goose for 1 hour, basting occasionally with the Tabasco mixture. Carefully turn the goose breast side down. Roast for about 30 minutes longer, basting occasionally. The is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 160 degrees. Turn off the oven and let it cool to 150 degrees, you have to allow for carry over cooking..Transfer the goose to a heatproof platter, breast side up. Return the goose to the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes.

another option would be to roast the goose peking style placing the roasting rack underneath the goose to catch any fat, remove all of the oven racks and tie the goose just under the head using butcher twine and hang from the top of the oven to ensure a more even cooking method and crispier skin..


 MAKE THE JUS:
Pour off the fat in the roasting pan. Scrape the solidified fat off the refrigerated pan juices and refrigerate for another use. Add the juices to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Pour the juices into a small saucepan. Stir in the potato starch slurry and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Season the jus with salt and pepper and strain it into a gravy boat. Carve the goose and pass the jus at the table.


WINE PAIRING :
Rich goose pairs well with a voluptuous Pinot Noir , loaded with the earthy black cherry fruit, or the spicy, aromatic syrahs ..

i wish you  happy holidays,and dont forget to  check for more holiday recipes coming soon..

a little bit about cantonese cuisine 吃好住好... one of my personal favorites

Cantonese Cuisine comes from Guangdong Province in Southern China, or specifically from Guangzhou. Of all the regional varieties of Chinese cuisine, Cantonese is the best known outside China. Most of Chinese restaurants in Western countries serve authentic Cantonese cuisine and dishes.




Cantonese cuisine draws upon a great diversity of ingredients, Guangzhou (Canton) being a great trading port since the days of the Thirteen Factories, bringing it many imported foods and ingredients. Besides pork, beef, and chicken, Cantonese cuisine incorporates almost all edible meats, including organ meats, chicken feet, duck and duck tongues, snakes, and snails. Many cooking methods are used, steaming, stir-frying, shallow frying, double boiling, braising, and deep-frying being the most common ones in Cantonese restaurants, due to their convenience and rapidity, and their ability to bring out the flavor of the freshest ingredients.

For many traditional Cantonese cooks, spices should be used in modest amounts to avoid overwhelming the flavors of the primary ingredients, and these primary ingredients in turn should be at the peak of their freshness and quality. Interestingly, there is no widespread use of fresh herbs in Cantonese cooking (and most other regional Chinese cuisines in fact), contrasting with the liberal usage seen in European cuisines and other Asian cuisines such as Thai or Vietnamese. Garlic chives and coriander leaves are notable exceptions, although the latter tends to be a mere garnish in most dishes.

Cooking Methods

At home, steaming and stir-frying are the two primary Cantonese cooking techniques. Given the emphasis on freshness in Cantonese cuisine, it's not surprising that steaming is popular, as this is the least intrusive cooking technique, and the healthiest. As for stir-frying, the Cantonese are the acknowledged experts. Cantonese cooks believe every stir-fry must exude a taste and aroma that comes from having "wok hay" or "wok breath."

Besides stir-frying and steaming, Cantonese cuisine is also famous for its roast meats such as pork and duck. Char siu bao, or steamed buns filled with roast pork, is a popular Cantonese dim sum treat.

Fresh is the Best

An emphasis on preserving the natural flavor of the food is the hallmark of Cantonese cuisine. A Cantonese chef would consider it a culinary sin of the highest order to produce a dish that was overcooked or too heavily seasoned. You might come across this scene in an Asian market: a vendor takes great pride in demonstrating the freshness of the ling cod - killed a mere three hours earlier - by pointing out that you could still see its heart beating.

Seasonings and Spices

No Cantonese kitchen would be complete without a bottle of oyster sauce, made from boiling oysters and seasonings. (Vegetarian cooks can use a vegetarian version made with mushrooms). Chinese fermented black beans (also called salted black beans) and shrimp paste also figure prominently in Cantonese cooking. Hoisin sauce, made by mixing soybean paste with spices, is used as well.

 My Favorite Featured Dishes

Here is a list of the top 10 dishes in Cantonese Cuisine:

1. Beef With Oyster Sauce: A classic Cantonese dish - snow peas and carrots are cooked with beef in an oyster flavored sauce.

2. Broccoli With Oyster Sauce: This recipe calls for Chinese broccoli (Gai Lan), which has a unique bittersweet flavor that combines nicely with oyster sauce. If it's not available, don't worry - the recipe also works well with regular broccoli or Chinese greens such as bok choy.

3. Barbecued Spareribs - Honey Garlic Spareribs: Cantonese spareribs are world famous. In this recipe the ribs are marinated in a sweet and spicy combination of honey, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and crushed garlic, and then glazed with honey during baking.

4. Beef With Tomato: A classic Cantonese home-cooked dish - tomato is cooked with beef that has been marinated in oyster sauce. A bit of sugar helps balance the slightly acidic taste of the tomatoes.

5. Beef and Peppers in Black Bean Sauce: Another example of Cantonese home-cooking - beef and sweet bell peppers are cooked in a savory black bean sauce.

6. Sweet and Sour Pork, Restaurant Style: Here is the popular restaurant dish, with pork deep-fried twice for extra crispiness and coated with a tangy sweet and sour sauce made with pineapple juice and ketchup.

7. Salt and Pepper Shrimp (Salt and Pepper Prawns): This dish makes an excellent appetizer or main course. The deep-fried shrimp shells turn a wonderful orange color, and have a crunchy texture, while the spicy seasoning adds extra flavor. Leaving the shells on protects the shrimp meat inside, so that it tastes very tender.

8. Chicken in Rice (Wat Gai Fan): This healthy one-dish meal is easy to digest, making it a good choice for children and seniors. Feel free to add 2 to 3 Chinese sausages, cut on the diagonal into thin slices, or a few slices of cooked ham if desired.

9. Flowering Chives Stir-fry: Delicate flowering chives are often available in the produce section of local supermarkets (and of course, Asian markets). The trick to this easy side dish is not to overcook the chives. It goes very nicely with fish and shellfish.

10. Cantonese Steamed Chicken: Chinese dried black mushrooms add an earthy flavor in this easy to make steamed chicken dish. A good choice for family meals.

things you need to know when eating with the chinese culture Different from table manners in western countries,trust me i learned the hard way.. lol ! Chinese table manners are usually 'loud'. It is a way to express your appreciation to the food and show your thanks to the people who make your food. The following is what you should do when eating with Chinese on the same table:


 Do slurp your soup. Chinese people don't mind some noise while eating;
 If you are at a 'feast' then you do not need to finish all the rice in your dish;

 If you are eating a small meal with family then do finish the rice that you take; there is a Chinese saying: every grain is the effort of the farmers, so wasting rice is not polite.

 Do leave bones, shells or other things you don't want to eat on your plate or on the table;

 Do help yourself to the food. Chinese people share food in the same plate, so when you want to eat something you like among all the dishes on the table, don't be shy to reach out your chopsticks.

Do not be too quiet. If there is a guest on the table, or it's a festival meal, Chinese people would not like a quiet dinning table. Talking and laughing will make the room more lively and also provide a friendly atmosphere.
and never cross your chopsticks or leave them standing in a bowl.. it is rude
 
if you live local in las vegas try cafe noodle, china mama, or changs for dim sum and den sum

OnE FiSh, TwO FiSh, ReD FiSh ......oH FucK TheRes No MoRe BLuE FiSh

In the past decade a new documentary comes along every so often that is so powerful, persuasive and frightening that it actually has the power to change the way we as people think and act. One of the most recent ones The End Of The Line, based on Charles Clover's book, is just that.

Filmed over a period two years, it examines the long-term costs of our ravenous appetite for seafood. If we continue to fish and consume on the scale we do now, most seafood will be extinct by 2048. We would literally have fished the seas dry, and leave nothing behind for the generations to follow..

This doesn't just mean an end to fish and chips, and pan roasted Dover sole, but the very real prospect of mass starvation, too. As for the bluefin tuna, time has pretty much run out already. Stocks are collapsing and extinction is imminent, all because we can't live without our fucking spicy tuna roll and god damn toro sashimi

Now, I'm as guilty as the next chef or avid sushi goer, of unthinking consumption, and faced with a deep red, fatty, marbleized glistening slice of the tuna, well shit, I would go for immediate pleasure over long-term conservation. Who wouldn’t, right? Well actually after watching this documentary, you will never see me munch down on anything bluefin, even if is the farm raised bullshit fish mongers are trying to pass of as sustainable!!

The End Of The Line isn't just content with revealing the awful truth, but offers solutions, too; such as reducing the number of fishing boats that search the oceans, and putting large areas off limits to the trawlers.

Finally, educating us, the consumer, about sustainable fish, and making sure we buy our fish from certified fisheries. Sensible, pragmatic and downright terrifying, this film is a definite watch …..

One more thing, Mitsubishi, yeah you know the people who make cars and tv’s , well they own the majority of tuna caught as well, with the mind set of conroling the market once these fish have been extinct.. if blue fin tuna is somewhere around $65 a pound now, how much will it be then..

"CAVIAR OF THE LIME"

 The Finger Lime is native to Australia and has been used as a food source for many thousands of generations by the Australian Aboriginal people. Due to land clearing by European settlement for farming, much of this rare fruit was destroyed, however isolated pockets of sub-tropical rainforest on private land and National Parks still remain with some Finger Lime trees surviving. It is from these remaining pockets of Finger Lime trees that all commercially available trees have been sourced.These Spheres of excitment as i would call them come in many varitetals based on maturity, as they develope there color deppens as well as flavor.

I was recently introduced to these by my sous chef , we discussed the posibilities of using this fruit as caviar rather then replicating the flavor of citrus through the use of chemicals and natural flavor additives. the posibilites are endless. "the tiny fruit cells packed with citrus juice that explodes in your mouth".

one topic discussed was replacing masago with the lime cells in tuna dynamite. we are researching other possibilities and will be showcasing them at " the last supper" this weekend.

what would you do with them?

"THE LAST SUPPER" menu for this saturday night

STEEL HEAD, CUCUMBER AND CRÈME FRAICHE CROQUETTE




CARAMELIZED SALSIFY “VELOUTE” ARTICHOKE CARPACCCIO AND TRUFFLE PUREE



MASCARPONE ENRICHED PARSNIP ANGNLOTTI, HONEY CRISP APPLE PARISANNE, YOUNG ONIONS AND PICKLED MUSTARD SEED BUERRE BLANC



CHAR GRILLED HUDSON VALLEY “FOIE GRAS ET MAGRET DE CANARD FUME”, CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS, RED WINE BRAISED CIPPOLINI, BLACK GARLIC AND BING CHERRY JUS



BUTTER ROASTED SCALLOP, GRILLED YELLOW CORN “RISOTTO” AND SPECK

BONELESS LAMB RIBEYE

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PAIN PURDUE, PISTACHIO, PETITE CABBAGE AND SAVORY JUS

AUTUMN SPICED POACHED PEAR TART TATIN, VANILLA AND HAZELNUT





Tuna Crab and Melon

This dish was created to showcase textures and unique flavor profiles. Using yellow fin Tuna and dugeness crab as the focal point. after choosing my proteins ive created a long list of flavors that work well with each ingredient, after doing so i start to eliminate what flavor components dont work well with eachother. once i have a solidified list, i think of each ingredient and how they can be manipulated, amplified or transformed to showcase different textural experiences.

Chipotle smoked pork ribs with Jalapeño cheddar corn fritters, Bacon baked beans and Potato salad.. Recipe by Nu Sanctuary | ifood.tv

Chipotle smoked pork ribs with Jalapeño cheddar corn fritters, Bacon baked beans and Potato salad.. Recipe by Nu Sanctuary ifood.tv

"The Last Supper" Saturday October 16th @ Nu Sanctuary

The Nu Sanctuary Lounge theme is showcased through a surrealist garden of Eden and a massive “tree of life” ” in the center of the restaurant. From the “Tree”, roots snake through the floor of the restaurant, vibrantly illuminated from beneath, leading to both “Heaven” and “Hell”. Nu will take food enthusiasts on a culinary journey around the world enhancing palates by incorporating fresh herbs and spices in the food and drinks . Nu’s cuisine is an eclectic mix of international specialties with a modern approach to global dining using theatrics and modern techniques, with a variety of dishes that play with all five of your senses . A private dining room is available along with Indoor and Outdoor dining to complete a magical experience, luring guests back over and over again.

With that being said this will be " the last supper"  I prepare in the Nu Sanctuary Kitchen. A truly "Unforgettable" experience it has been working with this managment group and the great kitchen team i have assembeld. I am deeply grateful for what good has come out of it, but every book has an ending and each chapter has a begining. I will be sure to fill you all in on more details to follow but for now lets talk food...

On Saturday night  we will be taking reservations from 5pm until 10pm for a spectacular five course tasting of contempoary global cusine. this menu will be magical and take you on a journey through my mind as i  use seasonal global  ingredients to arouse your senses, play with your mind and tease your palette.

 I thank everyone who has shown my kitchen team and myself suppoprt thus far, trust me when i say. its only the begining ...

for reservations please call 702-527-7851
we are subject to availability so book now.

feature with vegas culinary artistry

a new project to hit vegas, scott doctor has an exciting concept using local talent showing off the art behind food. im fortunate enough to be the first one on the site. chef gary lamorte of Andres @ the monte carlo will be featured next. check out the site below and support a good and exciting cause before theres no availability

 crispy skinned duck breast with flavors and textures of autumn

 liquid nitrogen caramel corn and burnt sugar fluff

scallop stuffed halibut with confit of tomato, chantrelle mushrooms and crispy sage

roasted scallops with truffle scented butternut squash, amplified beets and watercress- courtesy of executive sous chef Daniel Ontiveros

http://www.vegasculinaryarts.com/

suburban adventure

http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2010/06/17/eat_and_drink/dining/iq_36431700.txt

A Spiritual Awakening at Town Square? | Vegas Seven

A Spiritual Awakening at Town Square? Vegas Seven

Liquid Nitrogen Cooking Again At Town Square Restaurant in Las Vegas

SendPix

SendPix

this is funny

Sea Urchin Ice Cream

Often times when working with sea urchin there are pristine tongues and slightly beaten up or irregular shaped pieces. We believe in highlighting the beautiful seafood, sometimes lightly smoked, although the irregular pieces are often an after thought. When we were working with a large supply of sea urchin we started looking into finding ways to highlight the after thoughts. One delicious result is our sea urchin ice cream. It goes wonderfully well with soups as well as the base for raw fish preparations.

Sea Urchin Ice Cream

220g whole milk yogurt

165g Santa Barbara Sea Urchin

130g cream cheese

110g liquid glucose

3.5g salt

1 scraped vanilla bean

Puree all ingredients in a blender. Strain through a fine meshed strainer. Freeze the mix in a paco jet canister and then process or freeze in an ice cream maker.- props to ideas in food