Someone broke my rose colored glasses

I often ponder why some chefs are successful at what people consider "new" food and others are not. I guess in this over dramatic meditation moment I figured the question is what is "success".

In my new role of Executive Chef of the hotel, success for me is very different from owners and executives; well maybe different is not the word but priority. My priority is to treat employees as I want to be treated, always serve the best food possible, gain the respect of my peers and make a profit doing so. They do not always fall in that order but is about 90% accurate. The order that deems me somewhat shaken by corporate structure is make a profit, serve the best food when necessary, gain the respect of my peers and treat employees well enough for them to stay.

Is that right? For some I would imagine yes but at what point and what cost? It all about one's integrity and what they stand for. In a lucid Bourbon moment I've found that chefs are successful when they do not compromise their standards.
So what about me?

As I get older and expand my family I find it increasingly hard to lower my standards as cooking is my way of life in which I teach my children. But what has been learned is that you have to give people what they want so they will take what you have to give. My gosh I sound like a sell out!!! Let me take a different approach. Owners want higher profits. Profit is driven from employees. So what I have learned is that I must treat employees better than before to increase profit. Does that mean we pay more? Yes on some occasions, but mostly no. It is that you have to find ways to give employees the tools to do their job and train them to execute your food standards. Of course there is the occasional asshole you have to deal with that you can never please. But that is the cross you carry when you want to be the best.

Exploration of a Classic Dish

As we continue to explore new food we surmise that there is a reason why classic dishes become classic dishes. The number one reason is that of course they taste great.

In our kitchen mostly made up of 20 somethings and 30 somethings we have figured that plating a classic dish is far more challenging than first thought; mainly because we don't view symetry the same nor are the canvases (plates) the same.

This dish in particular we wanted to do a bacon and scallop dish. The important part of this classic dish is supplying the scallop with some rendered fat to protect the scallop; naturally because it is so lean. What we have found also is because we use sushi grade scallops we could never render the fat in the bacon before the scallop is overcooked. So we had a bit of an issue.

What we decided was to render the bacon and making a brittle using isomalt. We we use the bacon fat to sear the scallop, thus creating the flavor and texture of bacon and scallops.

Complimenting the plate is caviar, collard green gelee and heirloom tomato puree.

My Favorite Bird

One of my favorite birds to cook is quail. It is a very easy appetizers to use mainly because it is palatable to both men and women, easy to clean and portion size is on the money. In this dish we use the surrounding habitat of these Kentucky and/or South Carolina birds. On the plate we have roasted turnips, carrots & radishes. There is some quail sauce made from the carcasses and reduced veal jus. Finally there is corn ice cream which provides a rich velvety texture as well is part of the feed given to the birds.

The Use of Marshmallow

People, in general, view marshmallow as a sweet item mostly for desserts. In this dish we actually use it in its burnt stage (caramelized), to demonstrate how it can be used in savory dishes. We paired it with lobster and two type of grapefruit. One grapefruit application would be segments. The other is emulsified and foamed with a canister. To give some other savory notes we add olive oil powder and toasted pine nuts. Also it is equally important to serve the grapefruit very cold as it condenses the liquid and wont over spray the mouth.

This dish was featured in a couple of periodicals that wont allow reprinting.

Breast of Duck

This duck dish is one of the few dishes that we have continuously keep on the menu. It is one of the most popular and talked about dishes we have.

Cured & Roasted Breast of Duck

Porcini Tortellini, White Asparagus

Meyer Lemon Sabayon

Brandied Cherry, Port Coco Nib Sauce

To what inspires

On many occasions people often ask me who or what inspires me to cook or my cooking style. In the past it has been the physical and mental challenges of being the best cook possible. To this day that still fuels the collective fire. But the coal in which the fire starts is the insight you achieve from studying the great masters in work. Some people assume that because a master like Ferran Adria would be Divine inspiration. I do not beg any difference. But my allegiance would be to Michel Bras of France. Most people are not familiar with him in the US. But he does own and operate the #6 rated restaurant in the world. He is behind such greats as Ferran and Thomas Keller but I believe it is mass appeal and marketing.

The critical points of Michel Bras is about responsibility to food life in general. I would no way shape in form say it is a monger approach like PETA. It is basically you are responsible for the entire animal. It is inspirational however very difficult to achieve in a corporate setting. It seems to me that most successful chefs are fulfilled when they operate on their own.

Michel Bras cookbook is $350 and worth every penny to any aspiring chef.

http://www.michel-bras.com/anglais/venir/DPbrasUS-light.pdf

A review from Louisville Magazine 2006

Sometimes in life you get lucky; especially in the press. As I think back on sharing this review with the staff we all got a feeling that he gets it. A very difficult task in Louisville.

DINING OUT — ROOM AT THE TOP By Stephen HackerApril 2006



Being a restaurant reviewer is usually an advantage. I get to explore new places, treat friends to meals (as long as they put up with my incessant analysis) and have a built-in excuse to escape my own kitchen. But one of the disadvantages is that I feel ethically constrained from consorting with restaurant owners, staff or chefs — and that’s a shame because I think the Oakroom’s Todd Richards is someone I’d really like to party with.
I’d like to meet Richards because, judging from recent visits to the Oakroom, he seems to be the kind of chef who is interested in exploring new ways of cooking, and has most likely studied the techniques of restaurants and chefs that I admire, such as Thomas Keller of French Laundry in the Napa Valley and Grant Achatz of Chicago’s Alinea. Plus, the man serves up a mean sweetbread — and anybody who does that is more than OK in my book.
Richards took over the Oakroom’s kitchen after the resignation of Walter Leffler in February 2005. The dining room is still the same — turned scrollwork and wood paneling on mirrored walls, stencils of oak leaves and acorns on the beams, red and beige upholstered chairs and banquette sofas, and rose-filled julep cups on the white tablecloths. And the Oakroom still has its odd acoustics, where overheard conversations come not from nearby tables, but from those across the room.
But Richards has put his own stamp on the institution, managing to bring a new spirit to the hotel kitchen. As an example of this balancing act, he has recast the Oakroom menu as a series of “tastings,” ranging from three-course “a la carte” to a full-bore “blind tasting.” (Menu prices range from $45 for a four-course vegetable tasting to $180 for the blind tasting of more than 10 courses with wine pairings.) You can also order full-serve items such as a 24-ounce porterhouse or venison osso buco a la carte.
Highlights from my recent experience there included a “surf and turf” of poached lobster tail with buffalo short rib. Accompanied by a salt cod risotto cake, this inventive dish featured tender, boneless rib meat graced with a heart of palm and red wine sauce, juxtaposed with a serving of lobster tail on a bed of sweet sautéed cabbage. The hearty buffalo was spiced with cinnamon, and the risotto cake provided a crisp transition between the aromatic rib and the sweet lobster meat.
Another standout combination was a seared breast of duck with duck leg confit and red currant sauce. This layered dish appealed to the eye as well as the palate; the succulent duck breast and boned leg confit were prettily topped with a fried quail egg and a bit of asparagus with hollandaise sauce. I was quite taken with the blend of intense flavors — the sweet gaminess of the duck, the salty crunch of confit, plus the added richness from the delicately fried egg — all enhanced by a bit of sweetness from the red currant sauce. In fact, I think sweetness is a quality that Richards brings out especially well in his dishes.
A coffee-dusted piece of seared foie gras nicely illustrated this skill. Served on a crusty rectangle of “Texas toast,” the sumptuous piece of goose liver came surrounded with thick coffee syrup, adding an intriguing bittersweet quality to the natural sweetness of the meltingly soft foie gras. A small cup of cappuccino came with it, cleansing my palate between bites and further bringing out the sugary side of this classic presentation.
As I said, my impression is that Richards is very interested in the techniques of other top-quality chefs. I definitely thought of this as I was enjoying a plate of exquisitely prepared vegetables, including arugula greens, tiny Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, matched with tender sweet potato fritters. The vegetables, all distinct and yet blending together, all requiring separate treatments to so that they could perfectly harmonize, reminded me of the gargouillou of vegetables I’ve enjoyed at Michel Bras’ restaurant in Laguiole, France — so much so, in fact, that I wouldn’t be surprised if Richards has the same souvenir cookbook I do. (But unlike me, he’s dared to match the technique, which is why he’s a chef and I’m only a humble critic.)
After these “tastes,” I came to regard Richards’ approach to every dish as well-balanced and ambitious. I think he’s definitely one of the top chefs in Louisville today. However, I can’t say the same for the Oakroom’s wait staff. It’s not that the service was bad (although it seemed that parts of my dinner were oddly paced). The waiters were uniformly polite and informative, but there was a lack of awareness and enthusiasm about what they were presenting. I’ve been to other places where the servers were excited and energized to be a part of a top-notch culinary experience, and the Oakroom servers fell far short of that level.
That little sour note did not impede my enjoyment of the Oakroom’s desserts, though. A banana pudding egg roll came with a rose macaroon and vanilla bean ice cream. It was a wonderful twist on a Southern tradition, with the roll playfully turning perfectly creamy banana pudding into finger food. I also enjoyed a fine chocolate tart with macerated cherries and a stunning crème brûlée.
By the time you read this, the Oakroom menu will have changed, as it frequently does. So while I can’t say exactly what you’ll enjoy from Richard’s kitchen, I think I can safely predict that you will have a memorable experience.