Todd Richards

new menu

2012-02-18T12:57:00.001-05:00

New menu starting tomorrow. I am really excited about this collection.
Pictures to follow soon...
Trout
rutabaga, baby turnips, candied bacon, aioli, watercress

Cobia
local zucchini tasting, tomato preserves, potato “terrine”

Bourbon Smoked Washington Salmon
black truffle grits, bourbon reduction, pickled baby corn, shaved radishes

Chicken `
“dirty rice” risotto, peas, crispy parmesan, chicken jus

Knife & Fork Burger
open faced, caramelized onions, aged cheddar, mushroom jus, potato puree

Clam Chowder “Modern”
steamed clams, potato, pearl onions, bacon, oyster crackers

Escargot
celery root puree, preserved garlic, pan jus

Pork Belly
lobster ravioli, carrot salad, golden raisin jus

Beet Salad
goat cheese, chocolate, kumquat, beet meringue

Tickets Pre-Sale for ATL Food & Wine 2012

2012-02-14T16:13:00.002-05:00

Tickets go on sale toady and I am so excited. This year is going to be even better than the first!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2012 ATLANTA FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL SAVORS EVERYTHING SOUTHERN THIS MAY
EARLY BIRD TICKET PRE-SALE BEGINS TODAY WITH LOWEST PRICING
ATLANTA – February 14, 2012 -- Atlanta Food & Wine Festival returns this May 10 – May 13, 2012 to Midtown Atlanta for its second year. Get ready! The South has never tasted so good. Ticket buyers are encouraged to purchase during our early bird pre-sale with the lowest pricing of the Festival season beginning Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012 and continuing for six weeks.

The first Festival to celebrate the South as a culinary destination, this four-day event is designed to lead guests on culinary journey through the region. With an extensive catalogue of programs and events, guests will eat, drink and learn about the South’s rich food and beverage traditions from the region’s best talent.

The weekend offers three distinct activities: Learning Experiences, Tasting Experiences as well as Dinners and Events. The Learning Experiences include smart and entertaining cooking and cocktail demonstrations, tasting seminars and panel discussions all designed by industry. The daily learning sessions are rounded off with the Festival’s delicious Tasting Tents. Unlike any other Festival tasting tents, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festivals are curated by chefs and feature a variety of tasting trails including; Fried Chicken, Whole Pig, Lamb, Seafood and Farm Fresh. The food trails are complimented by wine and spirits from the region and other “Southern” regions around the globe like Southern Europe, South Africa and South America.

Each day is followed by evening dinners and events that extend the Festival’s learning and tasting programs. Sustainable seafood will be highlighted on demo stages and then cooked to perfection at the Oceans 6 dinner with chefs Bryan Caswell (TX), Ford Fry (GA), Mike Lata (SC), Dean Max (FL), Brandon McGlamery (FL) and Norman VanAken (FL). While chefs John Besh (LA), John Currence (MS) and the Queen of Creole Cuisine, chef Leah Chase, will explore the bizarre influences behind New Orleans fare.

Whether spending a few hours in the Tasting Tents, a day or three days with the Festival, guests will find their perfect Southern food and beverage experience. 2012 Ticketing packages include:
• Tasting Tent Pass – Food and beverage lovers will salivate at the mere mention of the culinary delights gracing this year’s Tasting Tents. Chefs choose favorite recipes to highlight their journey through the South while mixologists, sommeliers and brewers craft the perfectly complemented libation. Whether cravings include barbeque or soul food, Tasting Tents will satisfy all with its epicurean offerings. $100 per Tasting Tent ticket ($85 – early bird)
• Day Pass – Day Passes are ideal for curious food and beverage enthusiasts, desiring to not only taste incredible flavors but also to educate themselves through the top minds in the culinary world. Day Passes allow ticketholders to choose three Learning Experiences, including cooking and cocktail demonstrations, food and beverage tasting seminars and panel discussions, and to enjoy one Tasting Tent. Day Pass holders also receive a Festival gift bag. $185 per day ($135 – early bird)
• Three-Day Pass – If one day isn’t enough (and when it comes to food gluttony, one day is never enough!), Atlanta Food & Wine Festival offers Three-Day Passes for guests looking to expand their tastes and minds. Ticketholders can choose nine Learning Experiences, enjoy three Tasting Tent sessions, receive a ticket to the Pig Out: Southern Style party and leave with a Festival gift bag. $500 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday ($375 early bird)
• Connoisseur Day Pass – If a more exclusive, lavish experience is what you seek, receive VIP treatment with the Connoisseur Day Pass. Live in the lap of luxury with a dedicated concierge to assist in planning the perfect gastronomic adventure which includes three Connoisseur Learning Experiences,* one Tasting Tent session with VIP entrance, one Connoisseur breakfast prepared by an award-winning chef, one evening dinner or event of your choice, access to the private Connoisseur Lounge and Connoisseur gift bag. $700 per day ($565 early bird)
• Connoisseur Three-Day Pass – The ultimate Atlanta Food & Wine Festival ticket, the Connoisseur Three-Day Pass offers the most exclusive schedule for food and beverage devotees, tastemakers and inquisitive Festival goers. For an experience unlike any other, the Connoisseur Three-Day Pass dedicates a personal concierge to assist with the planning of your individualized experience which includes choosing nine Connoisseur Learning Experiences* and three Tasting Tent sessions with VIP entrance, invitations to three Connoisseur breakfasts, private dinners Thursday and Friday, Blackberry Farm dinner Saturday and Anne Quatrano’s Closing Supper Sunday, as well as access to the elegant Connoisseur Lounge. Guests will also depart with a Connoisseur gift bag. $2,000 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday ($1,500 early bird)

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com.
*Connoisseur ticketholders may choose reserve seating for general classes in lieu of attending Connoisseur Learning Experiences.

Giving Back
Committed to preserving Southern culture and aiding the culinary community, Atlanta Food & Wine Festival donates a portion of its proceeds to Atlanta History Center, Les Dames d’Escoffier International, The Oxford American, Wholesome Wave Foundation and James Beard Foundation. In 2011, the Festival contributed more than $150,000 in tickets to nonprofit organizations.

About Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
Launched in 2011, by Atlanta entrepreneurs Dominique Love and Elizabeth Feichter, the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival is a four-day culinary experience celebrating the South. With an Advisory Council of more than 60 award-winning talent from 14 Southern states and the District of Columbia, Atlanta Food & Wine Festival offers carefully-crafted programs and events to entertain and educate consumer about the rich food and beverage traditions of the region. The Festival also celebrates the flavors of other Southern regions around the globe including Southern Europe, South Africa, South America, Southern Hemisphere (Australia and New Zealand) and South-of-the-Border for Mexico. Atlanta Food & Wine Festival returns to Midtown Atlanta Thursday, May 10 – Sunday, May 13, 2012. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.atlfoodandwinefestival.com. Follow Atlanta Food & Wine Festival on Facebook and Twitter.

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For More Information, Media Contact Only:
Tara Murphy 360 Media, Inc. 404-577-8868 or info@360media.net

So Long

2012-02-11T13:15:00.001-05:00

Good Bye old friend.

NY Strip
brocolli four ways, cheese sauce, red wine sauce, potatoes

Expiring 2/19/12

Retro...

2012-02-11T12:58:00.002-05:00

I'm doing something I haven't done in 7+ years. I'm actually serving tenderloin. We cold smoked it for 8 hours, seared it, basted it and loved it. I'm feeling very retro today. LOL!

V-Day Specials...

First Course: Lobster Raviolis with Chanterelle Mushrooms, Creamed Corn, Trout Roe

Entree: Smoked G.F. Swift Beef Tenderloin, Celery Root Purée, Apple, Bacon, Shallot Jus

And yes there will be a bourbon or two tonight...

Next!

2012-02-09T14:50:00.002-05:00

What you can do with, time, talent and money.

Mugaritz Cookbook

2012-02-07T21:52:00.003-05:00

I've been waiting on word of this cookbook and finally there is a video of the upcoming book from Mugaritz.

The coolest part is the garden they have out back where the cook goes and cut the greens for the salad. That to me is the essential part of farm to table. There was a very special lady in the states who did this and became the rage of NYC, ATL and other fine cities. Catch up with me in a couple of months to explain more.

The 2nd day off

2012-01-27T19:53:00.002-05:00

K...
So...
I realize I'm a special creature of sort; obsessed by the food world and the pursuit of kitchen perfection. Lately I have been taking my second day of to get affairs in order, work on a restaurant that I can ever seem to find the money for, catch up with friends a family etc. By 7pm I am as agitated as the president trying to prove he is American.

I wonder how the kitchen is going, did the fish come in, who is cryvocing the chicken, did the intermezzo canister get filled, are the guest ordering straight off the menu or do they think we still have that general store in the back, did the reservations go up (YEAH!) or down (WTF!), did the runner wipe the plates, did the pea shoots come in, did the managers read the new menu descriptions, are the scallops seared right, how many 7 course tastings did we get???????

Then 8pm comes and a cocktail is made. I start stewing around the kitchen seeing which bowl of cereal I'm going to eat. I get online and look at countless videos, stories and books about cooking.

(Naturally there is some rare funky groove playing to ease the crazy mind of this food obsessed artist.)

All I can say is I'm a chef and proud of it.!

Chowder and Amuse

2012-01-21T18:05:00.008-05:00

After returning from the summit and dinner in Jacksonville I was SOOOOOO pumped up from cooking and hobnobbing with a bunch of very talented chefs.

There was:
Joe Randall, Duane Nutter, Kevin Mitchell, Erika Davis, Matthew Raford, Wayne Johnson, Therese Nelson, Michael Steele, Celestia with the best damn oxtail in Florida; and on & on & on.

It is something very special about cooking with a bunch of very talented chefs. Obviously it is a measuring tool, but what I found true was each person had certain expertise to call on. Michael had his chocolates, Joe had his Savannah cuisine and oral history, Kevin had his spices, Duane was just being D (cracking jokes while cooking everyone under the table). Naturally you want to jump in and show what you can do; however the best part of being with all of them is sitting back and watching masters at their craft.

On the ride back to ATL, I was pondering what am I going to share with my staff. Is it cooking techniques, stories of drunken late night romps which I vaguely remember (wink), pictures of the ocean? What I decided on was the passion in which these chefs exuded about their craft, their story, their people and the future of the business. I can honestly say that this is one event I will never forget and am very proud to be a part of.

On that same trip back, D and I were talking about our new menus and I was really chomping at the bit to get in to the lab and do a few things.

Here is the new amuse I'll be running soon and the chowder special for the weekend.

Best!

Voices Inside My Head

2011-11-28T00:36:00.004-05:00

When you think about the great artist, Rembrandt, Michael Jackson, Ed Hamilton you wonder how they manage their mass delusional life of creativity. I think that being a chef, one who is noted as being very good, the pondering of dishes often leaves me with a sense of utter chaos. I categorize it as chaos because unlike other art forms, mine is a temporary art that once it leaves my hands it never comes back. The constant pursuit of the perfect dish, under the perfect circumstances, with the perfect foodstuff; I often wonder what life did I live before this one to put myself through this kind of hell. Hell, not like the fire burning pit of carcasses; (hell) in a sense that there can be no salvation to turn too when you just can't get a dish right.

My method of dish creation always starts the same with salt, sour, bitter, sweet; basic flavors of the tongue. Then there are other elements including texture, season, what the protein eats, the station it comes from, the story being told... This can go on for a while but the basics are always the same. Where my struggles are tonight is in the next creation of me which is displayed through each dish.

Me I dare say. But if you didn’t know it’s always about me. I cook the things that come from my mind and palette. It comes from my experience and understanding of food. This is what I do. I’m the expert. How dare you ask for something not on the menu?!?!?! RFLMAO!. It has to be about me because when you leave it on the line every single night for the guest, I’m baring my soul to hundreds of critics. (That’s soul food. Not some 60’s base theme to define a cultural revolution that dates our culinary history to only 40+ years.)

So what is the next dish going to tell about me? Am I going to become an out going person once again as I finally am good with my mother's death from 25 years ago? Will I continue to be this nerd like student, constantly in the lab and wishing the works to be viewed only by the chosen few? (The dishes I make for the masses are sub-concepts of dishes I truly want to cook) I see my youngest son already headed down this path; do I really want him to cook? Job versus ownership? Should I use this farmer or that farmer? Will I ever be selected for cook it raw?

Honestly this maddening episode was written tonight because of the frustration of not getting one dish out of my mind and in to your mouths the absolute way I wanted. It’ll never make it to the menu, never will be produced and never will be thought of again. Sometimes in life you gotta just let things go. That dish is one of them...

Cook It Raw

2011-11-22T23:51:00.007-05:00

There are several cookbooks that any great chef must have. The French Laundry, Charlie Trotter, Michel Bras, Larousse etc. Than there is this.

Last year the first episode of this wonderful foraging series appeared with great chefs like David Chang and Daniel Patterson. I was mystified by the first series I couldn't wait for part 2. While Tyler was here doing the Esquire dinner, he informed the Sean Brock was doing the next series and naturally I was very pleased to know a fellow southerner made the draw.

There is a sense of strong well being that is captured in every film that is leading to the actual dinner. I don't mean the simple well being quotable reference peace of mind. There is a harmonious intake of air, water and Earth that most chefs can only imagine; especially in this plastic wrap society where we have little information about truly where our food comes from and/or the process of making it. If you watch the episode on salt making, where you see the farmer throwing the water to properly make the salt, that little girl on the box may need to drop her umbrella and pick up a rake.

To say that every chef should experience something like this is an under statement. Just relax an open your mind to each video and hopefully it will take you there as it did I.

http://www.cookitraw.org/

THE ROAD TO RAW - RYOKAN from COOK IT RAW on Vimeo.

THE ROAD TO RAW - SATOYAMA from COOK IT RAW on Vimeo.

Art from COOK IT RAW on Vimeo.

Fishing from COOK IT RAW on Vimeo.

Salt from COOK IT RAW on Vimeo.

Flowers So For Real

2011-11-20T00:15:00.002-05:00

I had to put this groove in my IPhone. I play this when 'm walking in to work as a reminder of how it is to cook every single day. It's an ongoing love affair with food and the culinary arts that make the sun shine just a little bit brighter...

Poaching Shrimp for Shrimp 'n Grits

2011-11-19T21:35:00.002-05:00

Naturally in the south there is a mere obsession w/ shrimp & grits. Though this dish seems simple, done properly any cook can master the art of poaching.

Too many times I’ve see cooks turn the stove on full blast and throw the shrimp in hot oil. Yes the shrimp are “cooked”; but by the time you add the stock, tomato, white wine and finish w/ butter the shrimp become the texture of chewing gum. They’re hard, rubbery, salty pieces of protein. To alleviate this problem we actually do the reverse.

We are having an emphasis on cooking this dish correctly in the kitchen. Yes we serve foie gras and sea scallops; our clients really love shrimp and grits. We start the pan with sliced garlic, very lightly toasted. We then deglaze with white wine, add tasso ham and stock. It comes to a nice simmer. Afterwards we add the tomato and finally the shrimp. Right before they are done, we add butter and herbs to bring everything together thus poaching the shrimp in this wonderful tasso ham & tomato broth. The shrimp hold their texture very well and have the correct snap or “bite” to them.

For lunch, brunch or dinner, shrimp ‘n grits are a very easy and wonderful dish to sere year round.

Hidden Rose Apples

2011-11-17T17:10:00.003-05:00

It seems the "Today Show" apple salad is becoming a big hit in the cafe. The apples I've been buying are lady apples from our good buddy and legendary farmer Dan Moore. They are so juicy and very sweet. I wanted to add some tartness to the apple but didn't want to use another fruit so Nick Heid from Mukuni Wild Harvest hooked me up with this hidden rose apple. It obviously gets it's name from the beautiful rose colored fresh. It has a flavor of a granny smith but with some really good citrus and pine notes. It cuts the sweetness of the lady apple and is really refreshing to the palette.

Pictures from Esquire Magazine Dinner

2011-11-16T19:23:00.012-05:00

Here are some pictures from Esquire Magazine Dinner we had on the 14th. It was a lot of fun cooking with these guys. Also it was very informative. You would never know that Tyler raised cattle and Scott uses black garlic and Sachin combines his Indian heritage with California cooking.

I learned a lot about myself as well. When you play host to these event, you must allow your staff to totally support you because you have to support the visiting chefs. My staff did a wonderful job stepping up to the plate and getting EVERYTHING done on time. I am truly proud of them and could not have done so without them; well maybe LOL!

Techniques for Buttermilk

2011-11-12T12:20:00.004-05:00

Cornmeal Crusted Trout
rutabaga, baby turnips, cracklin’, buttermilk, cornbread “crumbs”

The new dish I'm working has buttermilk. Naturally I don't just want dump it on the plate so I have been working on a flexible buttermilk rope. It seems the PH makes it difficult to set with regular gelatin. Agar has a tendency to knot the milk curds. So I found a product to assist in the process. It comes from RESTAR and is actually beef gelatin not pork. They make it using the beef skin; a product they use to just throw away. It binds very well with buttermilk as well as holds at room temperature.

I use a basic buttermilk panna cotta recipe for the mold...

Gelatin for Buttermilk

Esquire Dinner Menu Monday November 14th, 2011

2011-11-12T11:55:00.003-05:00

Here is the menu for Monday. The pumpkins are so perfect!

Passed Canapés
Duck Croquette w/ duck sauce, local apple

Pork Belly w/ acorn squash puree, cranberry gel

Seared Scallop w/ chorizo crisp, lemon sabayon, trout roe

Meal Service

Roasted Mini Pumpkin
truffled wild mushrooms, fingerling potatoes and a spicy pumpkin spread
Chef Sachin Chopra
All Spice, San Mateo, California
Capers Glade Clams
“dirty” Anson Mills faro
Chef Tyler Brown,
The Capital Grille, Nashville, Tennessee
Mangalitsa Pork Neck
braised radish, radish top pesto, cardamom, chickpea
Chef Scott Anderson
Elements, Princeton, New Jersey
Bourbon Maple Panna Cotta
toasted gingerbread, apple crisp, persimmon
Chef Todd Richards
The Café at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia

A "few" reservations are open for lunch; couple for dinner.

Esquire Magazine Dinner

2011-11-03T17:17:00.002-04:00

We're cooking together and want you feast on our labor...

NEWS Contact: Sandra Ryder 3434 Peachtree Road

Area Director of Public Relations Atlanta, Georgia 30326

Tel: (404) 240-7029, Fax: (404) 348-5646

E-mail: sandra.ryder@ritzcarlton.com

ESQUIRE MAGAZINE’S ‘FOUR NEW CHEFS’ CREATE A SPLENDID CULINARY EXPERIENCE AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, BUCKHEAD ON NOVEMBER 14

ATLANTA, Ga.—November 3, 2011—The “Four New Chefs to Watch” heralded in Esquire Magazine’s Best New Restaurants issue* (November), will participate in a first-ever collaboration to create lunch and dinner on Monday, November 14 at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead.

“We were getting ready to call each chef to congratulate them, when we dreamed up the idea of cooking together,” said Chef Todd Richards. “Thinking ‘why not,’ we made the offer and in a very short time, everyone was in. These chefs will provide a dining great experience.”

Each chef will prepare one course of a four-course menu, with wines paired by Linda Torres Alarcon, the hotel’s sommelier, affording a rare opportunity for guests to sample dishes showcasing the distinctive styles of these exceptional chefs from around the country:

Scott Anderson, Elements, Princeton, New Jersey

www.elementsprinceton.com

Tyler Brown, The Capital Grille, Nashville, Tennessee

www.capitolgrillenashville.com

Sachin Chopra, All Spice, San Mateo, California

www.allspicerestaurant.com

Todd Richards, The Café At The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia

www.ritzcarlton.com/buckhead

Lunch: Reception begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch at Noon. The cost is $65 per person for four-courses with wines. Dinner: Reception begins at 7 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $85 per person for four-courses with wines. Pricing is exclusive of tax and gratuities, and inclusive of valet parking. Reservations are required and must be made by calling The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead at 404-240-7035.

* http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/best-restaurants-2011/best-new-chefs-2011-1111
ESQUIRE MAGAZINE’S ‘FOUR NEW CHEFS’ CREATE A SPLENDID CULINARY EXPERIENCE AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, BUCKHEAD ON NOVEMBER 14/2

The Café features inspired regional cuisine sourced from today’s finest farmers, artisans and purveyors, complemented by one of the Southeast’s most prestigious wine cellars. Chef Todd Richards, Sommelier Linda Torres Alarcón and Mixologist Christa Sladky are creating a new culinary experience in the South’s most vibrant city. Open daily. Reservations are recommended, and may be made by calling the hotel at 404-240-7035 or visiting www.opentable.com.

The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead is located in fashionable uptown Atlanta, the city’s most prestigious residential neighborhood. For information or room reservations, please call 800-241-3333, the hotel at 404-237-2700, a travel professional or visit www.ritzcarlton.com/buckhead.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, Maryland, currently operates 77 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. The Ritz-Carlton is the only service company to have twice earned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which recognizes outstanding customer service. For more information, or reservations, contact a travel professional, call toll free in the U.S. 1-800-241-3333, or visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR)

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That Knob on the Stove Aint an On & Off Switch

2011-11-01T22:51:00.002-04:00

Please note that the knob on the stove has little notches that one can use to slowly or quickly cook food items. Turning it on full blast, just to heat the pan quickly, is more of a sign of poor planning than actual proper cooking.

Iberico Arrived

2011-10-24T17:55:00.006-04:00

It's here and I'm super excitied.
Kent from Fossil Farms brought it over Saturday right before service so the enite staff got to see it. It's on the cure right now. It'll be braised on Tuesday and pressed Wednesday for Friday service.

Amuse Part 2

2011-10-15T15:35:00.002-04:00

After obsessing with the "French Laundry" video at Harrod's I realized the importants of folly. I see where chef Keller is coming from; as I am one person who takes all matters of the mouth seriously.

The first amuse PB&J, was great but to complex for the folly of PB&J. All the taste was great but could be to complex for diners to eat. A lot of fun to make but they have to consume it also...
We worked on a new one and this one will be way more fun yet still refined.

The grapes are pressing today for cider, then make them in to gel. The powder will stay as a nice folly. The bread will be made of zucchini bread crouton.

Should be ready next week...

Esquire Magazine Best New Chefs 2011

2011-10-11T21:38:00.005-04:00

http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/best-restaurants-2011/best-new-chefs-2011-1111

Thank you everyone that has written, text and called me about being named one Esquire Magazine Best New Chefs 2011. It is an honor as well as a crowning achievement for me and the entire kitchen staff. We are continually pushing ourselves to be better every single day. From the amuse to the candy we are focused on serving the best food for the best people.

If you would indulge me for a second...

People ask me all the time what is the road map to becoming and successful chef. The fame, the fortune and bright lights.

I can tell you honestly there is only one road map that I have followed. It was taught to me by Chef Eddie over at the Blue Ribbon Grill in Tucker when I didn't know a damn thing about cooking. It was later solidified by the great Chef Darryl E Evans who taught humility in your expertise. There is only one road map I followed.

- Cook with great cooks
- Hire a great staff
- Listen to your guest
- Taste everything
- People eat with their eyes and nose first
- Stay true to the concept

Cook everyday like there is no tomorrow...

I hope this award inspires the next generation of cooks, chefs and culinary professionals. If you work with a strong ethic, smart not hard, put your time in, hone your craft good things will happen. There are no short cuts to a great meal.

New Amuse

2011-10-07T18:33:00.003-04:00

Just got in a new box of muscadines & scuppernong for the amuse & cheese plates.

The amuse is going to be:
champagne gelee, GA. grape salad, peanut butter powder, olive oil croutons

It's our version of PB&J. Should be ready on Monday. Come and try one...

French Laundry...London What do you take from this

2011-10-06T23:34:00.003-04:00

Now if one of the greatest chef's of the modern era can do a pop up restaurant 5315 miles from his original restaurant, what does that say about us who enter the same kitchen every single day?

For me...

- I have a lot yet to accomplish
- Smart work, not hard work
- You're STILL only as great as the last plate you serve
- Cooking great food is still a humbling experience
- Without great cooks, you can't be a great chef
- Know where the ingredients you serve come from
- Never settle
- Know what you're serving is the best you can serve
- Know what you're serving is the best you can serve
- Know what you're serving is the best you can serve

Finally...

In order to be a leader, one must first get the lead out!
Willis "Bill" Richards Jr. in a conversation with myself and two high school friends summer of 1988 Chicago

New Salmon Dish Coming Soon

2011-10-06T18:27:00.003-04:00

Working on the new salmon dish for the fall menu.
It's a pretty simple dish however packs a lot of flavor.

Hee is the first look at it. Note the picture is from tonight's tasting menu...
Bourbon Barrel Smoked Salmon
black truffle anson mills grits, pickled corn, bourbon reduction

Iberico Pork Belly

2011-10-05T23:30:00.004-04:00

Getting some Iberico Pork Belly in the next 2 weeks. The meat is really tender and succulent. It has a bit less fat than most bellies. Here is the dish :

Iberico de Bellota (Acorn Fed) Pork Belly
bacon relish, pumpkin ravioli, acorn squash puree, cranberry

The "Today Show" Salad will round out the menu.

“The Today Show” Apple Salad
pecans, bourbon pecan vinaigrette, asher blue cheese

Hope to see you soon!

photo courtesy of www.tienda.com

Sue Torres, Suenos NYC

2011-10-03T17:03:00.005-04:00

While I was in NYC I was able to eat with my good friend Sue Torres of Suenos. The goat was OUT OF this freakin' world. One of the best goat dishes I ever had.

Lucky for all of us she will be on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". The episode is "As good as moms".

It shows at 9pm EST on the Food Network. Please tune in a watch her work. Sue is a great leader of Mexican Cookery and a really fine chef. You may also see her on CHOPPED! as a celebrity judge.

Happy Cooking!

TLR!

Sueños. 311 West 17th Street New York, NY. ph. 212.243.1333

Today Show / Lupus Foundation

2011-09-30T16:43:00.003-04:00

I thank everyone for viewing me on the Today Show. It was a blast! Al was a great host and there was plenty of Bourbon to go around. Well at least the part I drank.

If you don't know I'm an avid supporter of the lupus foundation and I need your help. The lupus foundation is doing a dollar to dollar match for every donation.

It is a very important cause that most people don't even know about. There a millions of people worldwide who have lupus; Seal, Michael Jackson just to name a a couple.

$10 gets them $20, $25 gets $50. I'm just asking to give what you feel you can afford. If you don't believe it helps please look at the link below. It will take you to the donation site as well as you may follow the links to the lupus foundation.

https://secure2.convio.net/lfa/site/Donation2?idb=1073316360&df_id=2360&2360.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=rwqwo7e3f1.app214b

Thank you for your support!

New Menu Items

2011-09-25T19:38:00.002-04:00

I know it's been a long time coming...

What a series of bad timing and bad moon risin'.

“Farm to Table”
buttermilk fried quail breast, pickled beets & quail egg, nasturtium
Allison farm honey mustard

Lady Pea Soup
country style…smoked bacon, celery, corn bread, ham hock broth
-or-
modern style…wild greens, rice, onion broth, corn bread

Roasted Cauliflower Gratin
fig, pistachio, mascarpone, parmesan

Diver Scallops
tasso ham, fennel, butter bean cassoulet

Griddled Rabbit Boudin Noir
bacon mustard fruit relish, B&B pickles, saltines

Border Springs Lamb Tasting
braised lamb shank, roasted lamb heart, sheep’s milk cardamom flan
mint, caramelized GA apple, olive

The Today show will be this Thursday at 9:50am EST.
Please tune in...

Best!

Euphoria of Smells in Menu Writing

2011-08-29T01:06:00.004-04:00

Continue....

Euphoria of Smells in Menu Writing

I often, when menu writing, have the sense of smell come across my nose when I think about dishes. Maybe it's an obsessive thing of sticking my nose in every dish before it goes on the menu. I never do this on the line because the hood system kills the smell of things. (Speaking of it, if there is an engineer out there who can fix that problem let me know.) The smelling of food is very much a ritual of eating. Smoked meats should of course should be smokey. You get the drift...

Be it that the smell is so important I now look at menus through the modernist view. It's a battle that rages because you can see where it is so beneficial that you have to make self sacrifices to get it done especially in a environment where you are not only judged by the outcome of your food but the labor that you use to produce it. If I stay just one more hour to cryovac all the fish, than it's going to be perfect. The cook can't stay because of OT so I must do it. I've been here 14 hours today. Oh well... The difference between great and the greatest really can come down to an hours worth of work.

So here is how I see it.

Dead Food...
Dead food is any item seared or grilled to long in which the flavor or smell of the food is evaporated. A perfect example would be searing fish. We sear fish under high heat until the skin is crispy and then baste it with butter to provide moisture and flavor. The natural moisture of the fish is removed by evaporation thus the flavor is in the air, in the kitchen, and not out to the diner. Now of course the fish will still has some flavor but what about all the flavor that has evaporated?

Alive Food...
Same fish. Now if I poach the fish in vacuum; in it's on flavor and them right before it's served sear the skin for 10 seconds so than how much flavor is still left in the fish. 4 minutes in it's own juices and 10 seconds crispy skin or 7 minutes butter basting the fish and all the flavor evaporates?

Am I right?

Well what's the measure. Your palette can only be the judge or maybe your nose. I know the smell of bacon in the morning is very alluring. It never taste the same in restaurants where the kitchen is about a mile away from the table. I'm missing that wiff of hot bacon fat across my nose. Doesn't that make you smile.

Say it with me. The wiff of hot bacon fat across your nose.

Upcoming Events...

2011-08-27T16:04:00.004-04:00

Going to be in NYC for the Today Show on September 15th, 2011.
The segment will air around 9:50pm est. or so.
Hope to see a lot of my friends while there at the show, around town and on the street. Any places i need to go and check out please let me know!

On September 19th, 2011 please join me for my "on stage premiere", (I always wanted to say that), "Chefs That Stir the Pot". It will be a 5-10 minute expose of why and how I cook as seen through humor and music. http://www.theatricaloutfit.org/

Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and Steven Satterfield are also participating. Give more details as time gets closer.

First restervation for Food and Wine Championship Bout is in. I really excitied about this. More info below!

Beginning on September 8th the Café will launch an engaging dining experience where Chef Todd Richards and Sommelier Linda Torres Alarcon become rivals for excellence, with guests determining the outcome of an entertaining food and wine competition titled the .

The light-hearted competition—with seriously splendid food and wine—is offered on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The cost of the four-course dinner with paired wines is $89 per person, exclusive of taxes and gratuities.

Menu Writing Part 1

2011-08-22T01:11:00.002-04:00

Often people ask were do I find inspiration for my menu. In early years of cooking it was certainly rooted in mimic script of works like Charlie Trotter; trying to concept his dishes in to my own. Book after book, you kind a great source on craftsmanship and the importance of cooking with passion, right knowledge and insuring you have the best ingredients.
As I ventured in to the 2nd stage of being a chef (meaning being on salary),menu writing has taken on certain criteria of food costing and driven by a desire to be as audacious as possible. It shapes as an asshole type quality where an simple diner might be left to ponder does the chef even give a damn about what they want to eat. I can remember saying, "if you don't like it go somewhere the fuck else and eat." Accountants either think you're a genius or they think you're a idiot for having lamb in April, lamb season at $14lb.
So as I enter in to this 3rd stage of cooking where does the inspiration come from. Let's take the cookbooks out and food cost out, remove the current corporate structure, economic downturn, cliche terms like farm to table and celebrity chef tour. Let's also throw out religious and other dietary restrictions, phobias, fads, ads, special occasions and wine/beer/cocktail pairings. Where does the inspiration come from?
Years ago, when I discovered the food I wanted to cook, it was based off of sweet, salt, sour, bitter, texture and surprise. Lately though there has been another factor that has always been there but I didn't consider it to be the S&P (salt & pepper) to each and every dish. It's been there all the time. Why is it such a euphoria now.

I simply love to cook!

Part 2 coming soon.

Too teach a cook...

2011-08-21T18:23:00.002-04:00

This video should be required by every school for those who want to be a chef!

IPOD This Week

2011-08-21T17:53:00.002-04:00

Experienced Cooks Wanted

2011-08-07T14:51:00.003-04:00

Looking for line cooks for upcoming season. Minumum 2 years in upscale to fine dining experience preferred. Understanding of modern cuisine preferred not required.

email me at chefrichards@gmail.com

Culinary Depression

2011-08-06T17:01:00.003-04:00

I am the point of doctor's office waiting room boredom with dining. It seems that a lot of restaurants are continuing this down turning of their menus because of this economic doom were in. I don't know why they don't call it a depression when it's certainly depressing this sea of sameness going on.

I get it that diners love it and we all need jobs. But really; WTF! Two new grilled cheese restaurants opening? It almost seems as the line between fine dining and casual dining has expanded to my former pants size; while the casual dining and home cooking has been erased to a mire size of a pea.
So....

Top 5 Dishes I'm tired off. YES this a rant and I'm blowing off some much needed steam...

#5. Huge Mammoth Gimmick Meals
5# burgers, 22# pizza. on & on & on... 72oz. steak

#4
There are so many things I wanna put here.

#3 Fancy Grilled Cheese
Really? $10 for a grilled cheese.

#2 Potted Meat
I'm so over it...

#1 Pulled Pork in non BBQ Restaurants
Somebody please tell Subway to fuck off! Oh wait I just did.

Thanks you for reading I feel so much better.

What are you over?

Tuna Final Cut

2011-08-05T15:24:00.007-04:00

The inspiration actually came from the peaches not the tuna. There is a textural quality in under ripe peaches that is very similar to wasabi. It's that rough texture across the front quarter of your tongue that makes these two blend very well.
The wasabi is mixed with apple drinking vinegar, chamomile tea and water. The peaches are sliced in half and compressed with the liquid for 24 hours.

The peach takes on this dry heat and flowery contrast to sweet flesh. The ponzu fluid gel adds the citrus notes and the beets give it earth.

This goes very well with sparkling rose...

Tuna Rough Draft

2011-08-04T23:52:00.002-04:00

1st look at new tuna dish.

Tuna
wasabi compressed peach, ponzu fluid gel, beets twice, radish

Going to launch this dish tomorrow.

the rest of the ipod

2011-08-04T23:18:00.004-04:00

ipod this week

2011-08-03T21:42:00.002-04:00

This has to be my top 10 song all time. Mom's would play this every Sunday.

Next Thai Menu

2011-07-10T14:26:00.003-04:00

The release of the new video showcasing NEXT restaurant new Thai menu of the future.
Very interesting use of classic ingredients like celery & chilies.

Cook It Raw

2011-07-08T16:11:00.002-04:00

I look at this video a great deal to find inspiration of ideas and to measure success in cooking.

Duck Eggs

2011-07-04T21:09:00.003-04:00

If you didn't know, I have a fascination for duck eggs.

The first time I ever used them in a restaurant was in a souffle. The texture was unreal! It was a spinach souffle, nutmeg foam and candied lady apple. That was a really great dish.

Now I just using them with duck breast and confit. The egg is served sunny side up and topped with sea salt. The egg has the most luxurious yolk.

In doing research on the egg I ran across Noma'a version of duck eggs.
Noma is rated the #1 restaurant in the world. Some day soon (as a reminder to myself to live the dream)I hope to challenge them for that title. It's a lot of work and doubly hard in Atlanta with no Michelin rating as of yet. Soon enough though the challenge will begin...

New Menu Items

2011-06-26T19:50:00.004-04:00

I'm working on some new items for summer running July & August.

Here is my working list thus far. I'll let you know what makes the cut.

Fennel Dusted Diver Scallops
tasso ham & fennel hash, butter bean puree

Lady Pea Soup
country style…smoked bacon, celery, corn bread, ham hock broth
-or-
modern style…wild greens, rice, onion broth, corn bread

Pepper Crusted Slab Bacon
heirloom tomato, cabernet vinegar, cow’s milk blue cheese, pistachio

Bourbon Barrel Smoked Salmon
black truffle grits, bourbon reduction
pickled baby corn & shaved radishes

Chicken Breast
“dirty rice” risotto, green pea puree, crispy parmesan, chicken jus
- shaved black summer truffle

Carved Prime NY Strip
fingerling potatoes, “1-A” sauce, fried quail eggs, asparagus

“Farm to Table”
buttermilk fried quail breast, pickled beets & quail egg,
nasturtium, Allison farm honey

Lamb Loin
caramelized fig, lentil puree, mint “jelly”, lamb sauce

Veal T-Bone
red wine braised carrots, cream style “smoked” corn
crispy potato croquette

Roasted Squab
morel mushroom, purple kohlrabi, fingerling potatoes, blackberry sauce

Yellow Tail is Here

2011-06-11T14:32:00.003-04:00

An absolute beauty of a fish. We got in a whole ungutted yellowtail -aka- Japanesse Amberjack -aka- hamachi.

It's going to be really exciting to see this fish served with K&K sausage and mustard sauce.

Clear Blue Skies

2011-06-10T19:00:00.004-04:00

2, count them, 2 days off in a row.
Funny how time away can clear the mind.

When in our culinary world did working every single day to the point of motorcycle pipes sounding sleep become the measuring stick of greatness.
I say that as a hypocrite just getting off a stretch of 16days in a row.

Hmmm...
16days X 10+ hours / wage = $.000000000001 per hour.

RFLMAO!

On my day off I was thinking about some new menu items as the season has dwindled on a few things. Just couldn't really get focused. So I went to Lowe's bought a tomato plant and few other things and went to bed early.

Arriving at work today I received some great news bout cooking at chef's garden annual veggie u.

Then it hit me!

I needed to go back to my philosophy of cooking that put where I am today. The degrees of separation. I realized I have to walk away from being defined as a cuisine but as a culture of flavors refined by technique and driven by the developed palette my parents bestowed on me. The food has to be emotionally attached to my food culture which only can be cultivated in what I desire to cook. Will it be southern? Sure. Will it be African? Why not? French? Asian? What is it?

It is me...

The dish I'm preparing for the veggie U is (pencil drum roll please).

Beet & Chile Cured Ivory King Salmon
beet puree, chocolate sea salt, pickled jalapeno

salt/sugar/bitter/sour/protein/fat/texture/umami/love

BLT Salad Modern

2011-06-04T19:37:00.004-04:00

BLT salad new concept picture.

I'm using the K&K slab bacon out of Valdasta GA.
It is sous vide in chicken stock @ 64.9 celsius for 20hours. We then slice it and dust it with black pepper & smoked sea salt. It's searded on the plancha at about 260 celsius.

The tomatoes are marinated in Forvm cabernet vinegar, olive oil & sea salt.

The lettuce is gem lettuce. Instead of cutting it length wise, I sliced it width wise. The blue cheese dressing will be sweeted with a reduction of muscadine wine.
Not sure which blue cheese will make the plate yet.

The final touches of the dish will be pistachio puree and radishes.

Fresh Garbanzo Beans

2011-06-03T18:37:00.004-04:00

Got in about 20# of fresh Garnbanzo Beans in shell.
They are really fun to pick. Some of the feel like hops because they are so fresh and wet. Going to use them for vegetable sides w/ globe carrots and the last of the ramps I have for the season. Maybe a little K&K bacon as well...

Sushi The Global Catch

2011-06-01T16:03:00.006-04:00

Sushi: The Global Catch - Trailer from Sakana Films on Vimeo.

So everyone pretty much knows where I stand on blue fin tuna. I'm a huge fan of Japanese cooking techniques, foods and food culture. However this in sorts bothers me a great deal. In our obsession to be the best chefs we strive to use the best ingredients; however if we are not responsible for those ingredients than how are we the best in what we do. It's like driving a friends porshe, crashing it and saying oh well it's not my car. I'll just go back to driving my BMW and to hell w/ you.
I'm not here to preach, just here to let you draw your own conclusions.
The trailer is for Sushi the Global Catch .

It's ironic in sorts that my opinion on blue fin tuna is most certainly different than serving foie gras. The only thing I can say is that I have fed ducks (people get mad when ducks eat food from funnels when actually ducks don't have teeth and grind their food in their stomach), done my research on the companies in which I buy and know the truth about how the anatomy of a duck works.

Don't get me started...

Check out the facebook page for the info on when movie is airing.
http://www.facebook.com/sushitheglobalcatch
I ask that you don't draw conclusions based on my opinion. Do the homework yourself and decide.

Sushi The Global Catch
Mark S. Hall
Producer/Director
Sakana Film Productions, LLC
copyright ( (c) 2011, Sakana Film Productions, LLC

Hog Snapper

2011-06-01T15:16:00.003-04:00

I love this fish. It's a really meaty sort of snapper. It does have a huge head and low yeild but it's a great summer fish. DON'T THROW AWAY THE HEAD!!!
Fish head stew!

First Cuts of the Blue Back Sockeye

2011-05-27T16:36:00.002-04:00

First looks at the fish...

They are here!!!!

2011-05-26T18:29:00.005-04:00

The blue back salmon are here. Unbelievable!!!!
They smell like a fresh box of celery root. The eye's are glowing.
Thanks Nick!!!!
www.mikuniwildharvest.com

Then our good buddy Dan Moore showed up w/ the last of the strawberries for the season. They are about to burst. I had 1 (more like 10) and they were perfect. Probably the best of the season. They won't see any refrigeration. Pure strawberry flavor. Perfect texture...

I'm thinking about running the salmon with some fresh lady peas & ramps.
The strawberries are still on the salad.
GA Strawberry Salad
candied peanuts, basil, olive oil, balsamic granita

Put some pics up soon.

I can't Believe What...

2011-05-25T18:47:00.004-04:00

We got coming in tomorrow.
Quinault River Blueback Sockeye Salmon.

I'm telling you from the source there were only 28 caught this week and we have 10. There are only 4 chefs around the country that have them and I am one of them!!!!

Lucky you...
Lucky me....

Also here is a pic of the sturgeon we used for our ATL food & wine dinner.
The fish wass out the water on Friday! We had it Saturday at 10am.

Menu Item Pics

2011-05-25T18:32:00.008-04:00

Wanted to put up a few food shots.
Had a couple of request do here you go...

Foie Gras...french toast, huckleberries

Trout...truffle grits, roe, muscadine cider reduction

Duck Tasting...breast, croquette, egg, foie sauce

King Crab...crab bisque, caviar, asparagus

Medium Pork

2011-05-24T23:43:00.002-04:00

So...

The USDA just decided that it was ok for us to eat medium pork.
They said we can know eat at 145 down from 160.

Glad the goverment has finally caught up with the rest of the world.

Looking For Talent Update...

2011-05-24T19:07:00.002-04:00

Looking for two hourly (YES Hourly sous chefs) to work with me @ the ritz buckhead.
Please have knowledge of modern cuisine, sushi preparations and management experience. Also please have upscale to fine dining experience.

3 Line Cooks
Please have line cooking experience in an upscale to fine dining restaurants or hotels. 1 position is for AM. 2 positions are for PM.

2 Cooks PT
1 position is for overnight. 1 is for Thurs-Saturday.

Positions are open immediately.

Please forward resume to todd.richards@ritzcarlton.com

Thanks and Happy Cooking!

Line Up Change!

2011-05-16T21:05:00.002-04:00

Had to make some changes in the dish line up because of the fantastic South African Wines providied by Steven Satterfield. Not that Steven Satterfield but the wine Steven Satterfield.

Also cocktails by Tiffanie are slamming. A punch bowl to start dinner and a wonderful banana cocktail to finish dinner!
This is gonna be good. Real good!

Kevin Mitchell
First Course
Pan Seared Pacific Coast Sturgeon
sea island red pea & crab succotash middle GA heirloom tomato broth
Rooiberg Pinotage, Robertson, South Africa

Duane Nutter
Second Course
Kafa Coffee Cured Pork Belly
taylor produce golden beets, sweet potato salad
Doolhof Dark Lady of the Labyrinth Pinotage, Wellington, South Africa

Evette Brady
Third Course
Maple Cured Bobwhite Quail Stuffed with Goat Cheese
purple hull pea cake & granny's tomato marmalade
Joubert-Tradauw Syrah, Little Karoo, South Africa

Todd Richards
Fourth Course
Smoked Duck
duck confit croquettes, duck egg
scarlet turnips, red wine foie gras emulsion
Rupert & Rothschild Classique, Franschhoek, South Africa

Darryl E. Evans
Dessert Course
Banana Pudding
traditional & modern
The Waferly Cocktail

looking for Chefs & Cooks

2011-05-16T19:18:00.003-04:00

Hey All!

I'm looking for three cooks and two chefs for my kitchen at the ritz.
Please have skills in butchering, local food knowledge, modern cuisine and most importantly be humble yet aggressive enough to see the job done!

Email me @ chefrichards@gmail.com

PS. Duane is looking for cooks @ OFS.
I'll forward resume to him by request.

Here's The Menu For Atlanta Food & Wine

2011-05-14T13:44:00.003-04:00

Welcome Reception
Passed Canapés

Duane Nutter
Creole Cured Salmon
parsnip Ellison farm egg puree, lavash cracker

Evette Brady
Bacon Jalapeño & Brie Rounds

Kevin Mitchell
Compressed Watermelon
citrus balsamic reduction, crab salad

Todd Richards
Assorted Jar
Rabbit Rillette/Black Cherry Gelee, Grand Ma’s Chicken Liver/Crispy Chicken Skin, Pickled Cauliflower/ Cauliflower Puree

Darryl E. Evans
Cheese Straws
crispy shallot pimento goat cheese

Dinner
Duane Nutter
First Course
Kafa Coffee Cured Pork Belly
taylor produce golden beets, sweet potato salad

Evette Brady
Second Course
Maple Cured Bobwhite Quail Stuffed with Goat Cheese
purple hull pea cake & granny's tomato marmalade

Kevin Mitchell
Third Course
Pan Seared Pacific Coast Sturgeon
sea island red pea & crab succotash middle GA heirloom tomato broth

Todd Richards
Fourth Course
Smoked Duck
duck confit croquettes, Duck egg
scarlet turnips, red wine foie gras emulsion

Darryl E. Evans
Dessert Course
Banana Pudding
traditional & modern

Discount tickets are available.

I'll have the wine list on Monday.

See ya there!

Atlanta Food & Wine

2011-05-11T11:52:00.002-04:00

So if you don't know by now the Atlanta Food & Wine is next week.
There are many events planned and naturally we're hosting an event at The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead.

The Chef's I'm teaming with are of course Duane Nutter, Kevin Mitchell, our mentor Darryl Evans and from Little Rock Ark Evette Brady. Most people know I'm from Chicago, but I spent a many of summer in Little Rock and Hot Springs. Funny how things come full circle.

I'll post the menu tomorrow.
For ticket info please visit Atlanta Food & Wine.

James Beard Awards

2011-05-09T19:38:00.000-04:00

http://blog.jamesbeard.org/awardslive/

Watch the james beard award live!!!

New Menu Items

2011-04-22T15:34:00.004-04:00

What I love about GA is the foodstuff that is available.
Soy beans from middle GA just came in for the tuna dish, strawberries for salad, ramps and other fun stuff.
Then you get cider from North Carolina Company, grits from Anson Mills...
My favorite time of the year to cook...

Couple of links to some really great food items.
http://www.georgiacountrysausage.com/Use him for sausage, country ham, venison sausage, summer sausage and other cool stuff. Kenny is a great guy!

http://www.carolinaciderco.com/

http://mikuniwildharvest.com/We just got 12 of the best blackmouth slamon from them. Smells like fresh celery & watermelon. Skin crisp very well!!!

Palmetto SC Rabbit Rillettes
black cherry gelee, toasted GA peanuts, saltines

Fennel Dusted Diver Scallops
pickled ramps, fingerling potatoes, fennel broth

Yellow Fin Tuna Sashimi
Middle GA edamame, Appalachian ginger sorbet, wasabi foam

Butter Poached King Crab
spring asparagus, crab bisque emulsion, caviar

Wild GA Strawberry Salad
candied peanuts, balsamic granita, micro basil, olive oil

GA Trout
hedgehog mushroom ragout, Anson Mills truffle grits, muscadine cider emulsion

Long Live Disco!!!!!

2011-03-20T19:51:00.003-04:00

April 10th is the day!

Releasing the altered ego on ATL!!
The disco sounds of todd richards aka dj sol+r

Long live house music!

Underground Location!
Email me for details!!!!

High Priestess of Soul

2011-02-14T00:19:00.002-05:00

Sundays have always a day for Nina Simone. I often remember when mom's would clean the house playing the high priestess of soul. Dad would pick up some ribs from ribs & bibs and of course I was in the kitchen. Seems like as much as things differ in life, some things never change.

Sitting here working out some new dishes Nina pop's up on my Ipod.

Amazing!!!

My IPod Right Now

2011-02-06T23:20:00.005-05:00

Here is the menu!

2011-02-02T14:48:00.002-05:00

The menu is divided in two sections. One is "traditional" and the other "modern".
The traditional menu is made of dishes were I believe the cafe was before and the modern is were we're going. It is also made of inspired dishes from cafes around the globe. It is the true sense of cafe which I hope people enjoy.
The feedback is positive though it is a shock to see food like this from the cafe.
We also offering a 5, 7 and 13 course menu. Hope to see you soon!

Menu Traditional
lobster tempura
soy aioli. NC place rice puree, pickled radish

crispy oysters
cauliflower salad, lemon dressing, Tabasco foam, caviar

carrot, ginger soup
apple creme, wild rice croquette, roasted carrots

endive salad
pecan brittle, blue cheese dressing, poached pears

entree
wild salmon
carolina gold rice, green tomato chutney, sea island red peas

smoked pork chop
apple puree, bourbon glaze, pork belly, baked bean ravioli, kraut

lamb ragout
cassoulet, lamb bacon, merguez sausage, lamb loin
whipped yogurt, lamb jus

carved NY strip
parsley roasted potatoes, broccoli four ways, cheese sauce

Menu Modern
hamachi sashimi
yuzu pickled douglasville beets, wasabi, applachian ginger

sweetbreads
mustard fruits, toasted grits, trumpet mushroom jus

yellow fin tuna crudo
bourbon roasted pineapple, aged soy, preserved shallots

foie gras, fried quail eggs
country hash, brioche marmalade, fig marmalade from fairywood thicket

entree
fish & chips
potato crusted flounder, caramelized potatoes, fennel slaw, rye croutons

chicken
black truffle, cheddar cheese waffle, sorghum syrup, rocket salad

veal breast
peppercorn crust, rutabaga, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts

orange duck
duck breast, duck confit croquettes, sunny side up duck egg, celery root, horseradish duck sauce

sides
truffle fries
organic vegetables
potato puree
shrimp & grits
cucumber salad
tasting of salt

New Menu First Look

2011-01-30T21:20:00.005-05:00

Smoked Pork Rib Chop w/ Baked Bean Ravioli / Apple

Fish & Chips

(Served actually on newspaper)

Crispy Oyster w/ Tobasco Foam

Himachi & Beet Salad

T-Minus

2011-01-29T10:55:00.002-05:00

T-Minus 29h 47min 30, 29, 28, 27sec. to the new menu comes out. Of course we have a busy night w/ a wine dinner and all.
Hopefully I can update more in the next few hours...

Sweetbreads 2nd Look

2011-01-23T19:29:00.004-05:00

The first one didn't do so well.

So of course a 2 bourbon night produced this dish.

At first couldn't get the sweetbreads texture right. So went to H-Mart and picked up some potato starch. So after poaching and pressing, dipped them in buttermilk and then potato starch. Texture was amazing!

Happy Cooking!!

Lobster Foie First Look

2011-01-23T16:27:00.005-05:00

The Lobster Tempura is a great dish. Working w/ Peter on how to keep it extra crunchy. The aioli w/ fresh squeezed lime is wonderful.

Now the ridiculous dish is the foie and eggs. Probably going to be the signature dish of the cafe. Stupid good. Like eating at grandma's house on Sunday morning. Goes real well with bourbon!

Several other dishes in the works. Some great some need re-working. Don't have much time left. About a week or so. More details to follow.

Happy Cooking!!

Tuna First Look

2011-01-21T17:44:00.005-05:00

Working on the new menu items. Here is the first look @ the tuna dish.
This works really well. It's pretty vibrant in flavor and features bourbon of course. Trying to find the proper salt for the tuna. Should have it tomorrow.

Have a tasting dinner for some clients this Friday. Won't be soon after that.

I think I'm gonna really invest in a camera. Shooting photos will be much more fun with the proper camera.

An Appropiate Name

2011-01-18T16:10:00.005-05:00

The first harvest of ice cycle radishes are here. They look and taste awesome. We'll be using them on a super VIP dinner. I think I'm gonna pickle them and serve them with Anson Mills black rice and wagyu strip loin.

Cashin' In!

2011-01-16T18:26:00.004-05:00

Finally I found it.

I've been looking for a red crisp variety of romaine lettuce that can stand up to dressings and still have the crunch. There it is. Isn't she a beauty!

Red Cash Romaine.

Ohhh I can't wait!

Happy Cooking!

Damn Weather

2011-01-12T21:08:00.002-05:00

Well, well, well!

If you're in Atl or the surrounding area you know that the snow and ice has stopped the city.
This freakin' sucks. It's hasn't been bad to be held up in a plush hotel room drinking bottles of champagne (plush hotel room yes, champagne drinking a pipe dream); but the fact I have to push the entire menu program back two weeks sucks a big one!!!

Damn it!
As an artist you dream and imagine every single dish. How it's going to look, smell, taste. When you plan it for a certain date you can see the entire thing. From the seared and basted fish, the sashimi & crudo, carved ny strip. Every single detail. How to serve it. The plates, silverware, chopsticks. The debate on portion size. The debate on hotel restaurant versus restaurant in a hotel. The 3:26am wake up when you final realized what you want the dish to look like. Re-drawing the the line for service. Tweaking the lunch menu versus the dinner menu. Putting the cooks on the right station. Who can cut sashimi, can they plate this dish. How many hours am I going to work. No day off for 3weeks, no problem. This is my food and ain't no body gonna fuck it up! Where is the fish gonna come from. Virginia pig versus Georgia pig. Are Atlanta diners ready for this. Foam, more foam, no foam. Gel, no gel, fluid gel, gelee. Micro herbs, greens, flowers. Farm to table freakin' bullshit. OK it's a marketing tool. Even more bullshit. Local. Tuna ain't local. I love tuna. Ain't no water in georgia. Well I'm serving it. Who's gonna get upset. The farm to table people. Wait the tuna is from nc shore and the green beans are from south america. Yeah I'm serving tuna. I ain't serving tenderloin. But you're in the hotel. I don't care. I hate tenderloin. No flavor what so freakin' ever...

Then boom snow! So you flush the entire scenario down the drain and start again next week...

Happy Cooking!

Menu, Menu Menu!

2011-01-08T17:14:00.005-05:00

Actually I'm not ready to release it yet.

It's finalized but with it being the first one since arriving at buckhead, I want to make sure it's absolutely perfect before the preview. Don't worry it'll be ready in the next couple of weeks.

Plate selection is always important. With the stakes being very high it's critically important.
You'll see in the pictures the selections. The only dish I haven't selected is the soup. It's the hardest thing to get right. I hate pasta bowls for soup. It's a pasta bowl. Kendall and I will go through all of storage to find. Right now we're at 17 plates. Going to cut in back to 12 by next week.

Thank you all for the support and email during my blog absence. I feel like Jordan coming out of retirement. Bring on the Knicks.

Happy Cooking!

Survey Says!

2010-11-29T13:54:00.002-05:00

I know the picture is pretty crappy however I can use some help.
Does anyone know where to get grand prize romaine from?

It's like looking for Jimmy Hoffa...

New Ink

2010-11-20T21:05:00.003-05:00

Got some new ink from Tyrone aka Red over at West End Tattoo.

If you don't know Red is a HUGE supporter of the lupus foundation. His mother suffers from lupus for many years.

If you're looking for some cool ink go see him.
http://www.westendtat2.com/red.html

It's a nautical star; hence headed in a new direction.

I.T.T. Ingredient, Technique, Timing

2010-11-17T00:18:00.004-05:00

I received some inquiries about my use of Japanese cooking in my cuisine.
It seems some are surprised that I would these ingredients in my cooking. But to the contrary it is the technique the I'm most fascinated with.

It is a constant struggle, this pursuit of perfection. Border line insanity! Actually it is insane to place food on a plate, carefully placing each leaf, each swoosh. Cooking meat to the exact temperature. Cutting the fish the right way. Searching the Appalachian Mountains for the perfect ginger, or getting the perfect grits. All of this knowing, I mean knowing that once the plate is gone it's never coming back. Though taking pictures are fun until someone make smell-a-picture it's not the same... Never the same!

Am I a southern chef. Yes. No problem with saying so. But what is southern food without the combination of many cultural ideas in one meal. It's not just African or Spanish. It is African and Spanish, Native American, Turkish etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Where does Japanese technique fit in to this. Have you ever considered shrimp and grits and compare it to shrimp nigiri. Both require quality seafood and starch. Both need an acidic source to balance out the flavor. Both taste good with salt. Both require the shrimp to be cooked to the right temperature. Finally both dishes I love!

Hope this explains more what I mean about Japanese influence.

Take a look at the video to some of the ways I approach food.

Back After...

2010-11-15T13:15:00.006-05:00

So I've been on a little vacation of sort hanging out with Kevin Maxey, a very good friend, over at Craft. Craft is an under appreciated restaurant in Atlanta; at least that's what I believe. I'm gone from there and awaiting my next venture which may shock some, may not. The challenge awaits and it is a big one. Already started working on some dishes. I'll share the initial concepts below. You may leave comments. They are of course modern American using southern (African Appalachian etc), molecular and of course (well not to some except those whom followed me for a while), Japanese.

Anyhow, my foodography episode aired for the first time yesterday. It was a great shoot all taking about 3hours to produce. I shot it at the seelbach hotel in my former home of Louisville. Matt, Jim and Jon where all very gracious host. It was good to see all the cooks. Needles to say, I was so proud of seeing the direction Bobby has taken the oakroom.

Smarter Than The Average Bear..

2010-09-28T13:28:00.000-04:00

The Face Off Get's Even Better

2010-09-23T13:07:00.000-04:00

Patterson: Comfort Food, Bacon, and Tuna Tartare Are New York’s Figs on a Plate

9/23/10 at 12:05 PM

Like other San Francisco chefs, Daniel Patterson of Coi got a chance to spew about the New York City scene back when this weekend’s Le Fooding face-off was announced (“David who?” is what he said, referring to Chang’s infamous “figs on a plate” comment). Today T magazine’s Moment blog gives him another sounding board. He says he partly agrees with the figs on the plate thing (“We all love Chez Panisse,” he once wrote in the Times Magazine, “maybe too much”), but San Francisco isn’t the only city guilty of clichés.

About this whole fig business: I agree with David Chang, at least in part. I said as much in a New York Times Magazine story five years ago. But New York suffers from the same monotony, albeit in different ways. New Yorkers’ love affair with tuna tartare has inexplicably entered its third decade. Every dish seems to have bacon in it. Comfort foods (hellooo, pizza!) continue their inexorable march through the Manhattan dining scene. And what’s with the all the “gourmet” fried chicken? New York chefs may make fun of Californians, but they’re using all of our produce (several days later), and the latest trend seems to be “farm to table” restaurants. I feel like I’ve seen that before. Somewhere.

And speaking of clichés, I couldn’t help but notice that Dan Barber (didn’t he once work at Chez Panisse?) will be cooking grilled vegetables this weekend, and Mr. Chang himself is offering a dish of beets and goat cheese.
At least they have a sense of humor.

Chang’s comeback tomorrow.

You can make just pay your taxes...

2010-09-23T13:03:00.000-04:00

Man Arrested With Illegal Moonshine, Sour Mash

Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office

Posted: 11:11 am EDT September 23, 2010Updated: 11:42 am EDT September 23, 2010

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A Lawrenceville man was arrested after authorities said he was caught with an illegal still at his house.Gwinnett County sheriff’s deputies were evicting 66-year-old Constantin Ana from his home on Wessex Court on Wednesday afternoon. During the eviction, they said they found an alcohol manufacturing device and multiple bottles and jugs of liquid that appeared to have liquor inside.Deputies ended up removing 37 gallons of moonshine and 110 gallons of sour mash from his home, according to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Stacey Bourbonnais.

Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office

Ana is charged with making spirits without paying taxes. He is being held at the Gwinnett County Jail.

Altered States

2010-09-22T23:46:00.000-04:00

Genetically altered salmon? It doesn't stop there

9 votes

By SETH BORENSTEIN and MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writers Seth Borenstein And Malcolm Ritter, Ap Science Writers – Wed Sep 22, 4:27 pm ET

WASHINGTON – We've always played with our food — even before we knew about genes or how to change them.

For thousands of years, humans have practiced selective breeding — pairing the beefiest bull with the healthiest heifers to start a new herd. That concept was refined to develop plant hybridization and artificial insemination. Today we've got tastier corn on sturdier stalks, bigger turkeys and meatier cattle.

Now comes an Atlantic salmon that is genetically engineered to grow twice as fast as a regular salmon. If U.S. regulators approve it, the fish would be the first such scientifically altered animal to reach the dinner plate.

Scientists have already determined that it's safe to eat. They are weighing other factors, including environmental risks, after two days of intense hearings.

Whatever the decision on salmon, it's only the start of things to come. In labs and on experimental farms are:

• Vaccines and other pharmaceuticals grown in bananas and other plants.

• Trademarked "Enviropigs" whose manure doesn't pollute as much.

• Cows that don't produce methane in their flatulence.

And in the far-off future, there may be foods built from scratch — the scratch being DNA.

Sometimes when science tinkers with food, it works. Decades ago, Norman Borlaug's "Green Revolution" of scientifically precise hybrids led to bigger crop yields that have dramatically reduced hunger.

Sometimes it flops. Anyone remember the Flavr Savr tomato? Probably not. It didn't taste good. "There was no flavor there to save," one expert quipped. But you might remember 10 years ago when genetically modified corn meant for animal feed wound up in taco shells?

To the biotech world, precise tinkering with the genes in plants and animals is a proven way to reduce disease, protect from insects and increase the food supply to curb world hunger.

To skeptics, genetic changes put the natural world and the food supply at risk. Modified organisms can escape into the wild or mingle with native species, potentially changing them, with unknown effects.

Over the last 15 years, genetically engineered plants have been grown on more than 2 billion acres in more than 20 countries. Consumers eat genetically engineered plant products in large quantities in the U.S., often in unlabeled products such as oils and processed foods.

The same crops are viewed more suspiciously in Europe and other countries, including India. China, meanwhile, is working to develop genetically modified rice that would be less prone to insect damage.

In fact, some experts say the natural food of our forebears is for the most part long gone. That's mostly due to breeding and other now-commonplace practices.

Old-fashioned breeding has led to turkeys that "can't have sex anymore because we've been breeding them for big chests," says Martina Newell McGloughlin, director of the University of California's Biotechnology Research and Education Program.

"All of the animals, plants and microbes we use in our food system, our agricultural system, are genetically modified in one way or another," says Bruce Chassy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "That, or they're wild."

The modifications are mostly from selective breeding and hybridization, the traditional ways of changing plants and animals. But these methods used for thousands of years are compared by genetic engineers to using a sledgehammer. They say their techniques are like using a scalpel.

"Genetic engineering is more precise and predictable, yet it is regulated up the wazoo," McGloughlin says. "Yet there is no regulation at all on the traditional breeding system."

She finds fears over genetically engineered food and the regulations that accompany them hard to stomach.

More than four-fifths of the soybean, corn and cotton acreage in the United States last year used genetically engineered crops, according to a 2010 National Academies of Sciences study.

David Ervin of Portland State University in Oregon, who chaired the committee that wrote the report, said it found no large-scale environmental risks associated with the current genetically engineered corn, cotton and soybeans in the United States. As for future crops, "you just have to be very cautious," depending on the nature of the plants, he says.

The report, which didn't consider health impacts of eating genetically engineered crops, did recommend large-scale studies of ecological effects of such crops, Ervin said.

Marion Nestle, a New York University professor and expert on food studies and public health, says that in processed food, "if it's got beet sugar, soybean or sugar, it's got an 85 to 95 percent chance of being genetically modified."

Nestle fears unintended consequences in the food supply and environment. She previously served on Food and Drug Administration advisory boards, and she opposes the genetically engineered salmon. In the 1990s, she voted against allowing genetically engineered plants.

Animals are a bigger problem in trying to prevent mixing with nongenetically modified populations, she says. "Millions (of farmed fish) escape, not one or two, but millions."

L. LaReesa Wolfenbarger, a professor of biology at the University of Nebraska who was on the National Academies study team, finds a distinct difference between old-fashioned breeding and genetic modification. What is happening recently is that we are mixing genes of plants and animals that in normal evolution or nature don't mix, she says.

Or as Margaret Mellon, director of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, puts it: You can't breed a cow with a starfish.

Such DNA-mixing is not necessarily bad, but it's something to be careful with, Wolfenbarger and Mellon say.

"These are things that we can look at as long as we also have the ability to kind of brainstorm and figure out what the unintended consequences are," Wolfenbarger says. She contends that so far, at least with plants, science has had a good handle on preventing problems.

Not so, says NYU's Nestle.

Back in the 1990s, she recalled, opponents of genetically engineered crops were "laughed out of the room ... and they turned out to be right." Just as critics warned, the pollen of genetically modified crops is drifting into natural areas. Weeds and insects have become resistant to the anti-pest modifications, she said.

But scientists who work on genetic modifications insist time has proven them correct.

James Murray, a professor of animal sciences at the University of California at Davis, says the fears surrounding genetically engineered foods sound similar to concerns about microwave ovens, which some people initially thought would give off dangerous radiation or blow up pacemakers.

Murray is working on genetically modified goats as a way to produce milk that can fight devastating diarrhea in poor nations.

With the world population predicted to surpass 9 billion before 2050, genetically engineered food is the only hope to avoid starvation, he says.

That many people cannot be fed "using agriculture as it is right now," Murray says. "What is the cost to humanity if we do not use this technology?"

Ban on Noisy Kids...

2010-09-11T01:28:00.002-04:00

I understand the need for this however I'm not to sure about the ban on breastfeeding. It seems natural enough to me. You can go to a petting zoo and see other mammals do the same thing. It's no big deal. The kid does have eat....

When will there be a Southern Revolution?

2010-09-07T21:45:00.002-04:00

After watching No Reservation's 100 episode last night, this morning, this afternoon and so on; I ponder the question when is there going to be a southern food revolution? Food has changed much from the antebellum period except for the use of the whole animal has gone. We replace it with plastic wrapped meats and because its a pork chop its southern.

All it takes is one chef....

A form of culinary Futurism, Fooding wants the table to move as fast as modern life.

No Rules!

Is Le Fooding, the French culinary movement, more than a feeling?

by Adam Gopnik

I suppose I would have an easier time deciding if the Paris-based French food-guide-and-festival group that calls itself Le Fooding is going to be able to accomplish all that it has set out to accomplish—which seems to be nothing less than to save the preëminence of French cuisine from going the way of the Roman Empire, the five-act tragedy, and the ocean liner—if I had an easier time defining what it is and truly hopes to do. That it is a phenomenon is beyond dispute, its success having reached the point where the French daily Figaro announced, last summer, that French food is now divided into two families, each with its own public and cultural identity: “On the one side, Michelin, with its century of cultural expertise; on the other the Fooding guide, born ten years ago in an attempt to break the codes and finally offer real change to a gastronomy that its authors judge to be outdated.”

Yet what, exactly, the new family stands for can be hard to say. At some moments, Le Fooding seems earnest, in the manner of the Slow Food movement; at others, it is merely festive, a good-time gang; at still others, it appears determined to wrench the entire culture of good food in France from its historic place, on the nationalist right, to a new home, in the libertarian center. To spend a few months studying its founders and their ideas is to get pretty much the same feeling you get when, studying French history, you have to take up the story of Jansenism at Port-Royal in the seventeenth century: all you can really figure out is that it’s important, that it’s a heresy, and that it’s hard to follow.

The Fooding restaurant guide is the most obvious of the group’s activities. Since its founding, in 2000, by Alexandre Cammas and Emmanuel Rubin, two gastronomic journalists exasperated by the conformity and conservatism of French food culture, Le Fooding has published, from its Right Bank offices, a handsome, atypically larksome, and unusually honest annual encyclopedia of the restaurants and bistros of both Paris and the provinces. (The guide boasts on its cover that its writers pay their own checks and can prove it—not a thing universally true of French food guides.) But the guide is, in a sense, merely the word, not the act, of the enterprise. The movement, which has been reinforced over the years by a constantly changing team of other Fooding-istes, also sponsors mass picnics—“Foodings”!—at which three-star French chefs, long separated from their diners by a kitchen door and centuries of decorum, offer good food in casual, high-spirited settings. These Foodings take place all over France; the atmosphere is somewhere between a buffet dinner and the Woodstock festival.

Le Fooding is in part a move to épater la bourgeoisie—it was at a Fooding event that the young chef Petter Nilsson famously assembled a plate of vegetables that symbolized the world’s religions, with a giant frite in the shape of a cross on top—but it has also been accused, by left-wing journalists, of representing the bourgeoisie; the populist left-wing magazine Marianne charged that it was a kind of cosmopolitan fifth column in the continuing modern assault on French values, and Emmanuel Rubin left the movement last year, disillusioned by what he considered its loss of moral mission.

I first heard about Le Fooding in an e-mail from Raphaël Glucksmann, the filmmaker and human-rights activist (and the son of the philosopher André Glucksmann). “For once, I’m not writing on behalf of the Chechens, the Rwandans, or the Georgians,” he explained cheerfully, and then urged me to meet with his friend Zoe Reyners, who was coming to New York as a kind of avant-garde of the Fooding movement here. Zoe turned out to be an exquisite, nervous blonde in white linen, with a distinct resemblance to the young Brigitte Fossey, and she explained that Le Fooding was planning to come to New York for its first American event, a marriage of art, food, and festival that would be called “Le Fooding d’Amour” and would take place on the grounds of P.S. 1, creating a kind of Lafayette-Washington moment in Queens. The best of the new generation of French chefs were flying in to meet the best of the new generation of Americans and cook alongside them. She gave me a copy of the latest Fooding guide, which was illustrated by the young cartoonists who bring so much life these days to French journalism. The cover showed King Kong ripping the dome from a Haussmannian restaurant palace with a look of utter satisfaction as he eats the bourgeois diners inside with an enormous silver spoon. The tone of the reviewing had a jocose quality quite new in France: the section on three-star-style temples was called “Fais-Moi Mal!”—literally, “Make Me Ache!,” or, idiomatically, “Hurt Me!” Zoe asked if I’d like to meet Alexandre Cammas, who was arriving in New York the following month for an extended reconnaissance of the new world. “He will be taking a house in Brooklyn, with his family, in order to lay the groundwork for American Fooding,” she said.

I met Alexandre, with Zoe, in Bryant Park; he turned out to be the Danton of the Fooding movement, one of those passionately articulate young Frenchmen who speak with the relentless eloquence of French letters and philosophy, answering each rhetorical question as they raise it. “Fooding?” he said. “I was writing for the magazine Nova, and I needed a rhyme for the title of a piece.” We had now settled on a bench. “I intended the word as a mélange of ‘food’ and ‘feeling’—and I like the provocation of using an English word within the context of French cuisine,” he explained. “I was already a food writer—I had been at Libération for a while—and this was in 1999, a time when restaurants in France were already beginning to move, to change. There was a new element of design, a new element of casual yet serious food. The old choice between la cuisine de bistrot and la grande cuisine française was ending.

“I wasn’t, in the beginning, trying to do anything except characterize a little phenomenon—but I found it growing, in response to a new need.” He cleared his throat and leaned forward, like one who needs to resolve complexities that his innocent listener hasn’t even grasped yet. “What does it mean, the Fooding movement?” he went on. “Food and feeling—that’s the heart of it. But with what practical effect? ‘Feeling’ in the sense that we mean to be part of le goût de son temps—the taste of one’s time, though ‘taste’ in English is too weak a word. ‘Fooding’ means to eat and drink with feeling—to recognize that one eats with the nose, the eyes, and the mouth, with everything that makes us human! At the time we began, French culinary journalism was narrowly focussed on the cooking of the kidneys, the tenderness of the poularde. What was on the plate was all that counted! But who lives that way? Who eats that way? We wanted cooks who cooked with the whole of their selves and souls, not technicians of the table. French cuisine was caught in a museum culture: the dictatorship of a fossilized idea of gastronomy. And this dictatorship has been enforced by tourism: you have tourists packing in to experience gastronomy in a kind of perpetual museum of edification. We wanted to be outside that, sur le pont, on the bridge, in front, defining everything that is new. We wanted to escape—foie gras, volaille de bresse, all the clichés.”

He caught himself, bad-mouthing foie gras being a bit like bad-mouthing the Communion wafer: “Not that we have anything against it—we adore foie gras, and who doesn’t love poulet de bresse? But all this style that had been mechanically copied over and over—it’s not living cuisine. In a living cuisine, things move and mix together, and that’s what makes the cuisine of tomorrow. The classic French cuisine was dying. Everyone knew it outside of France, but it had to be said within. And it had to be said with joy—not as something to mourn but as something to celebrate, the beginning of a new taste of one’s time.”

Alexandre and Zoe went on to explain that the movement first made its mark with the publication of the guide, which immediately became notorious for ignoring some great names, like the restaurateur Guy Savoy, and honoring such masters as Alain Ducasse for their casual fusion places rather than for their grand restaurants. “We left out Guy Savoy not because he is not a fine cook but because he was adding nothing new,” Alexandre explained. “We want food to be a series of provocations, not mechanical pleasures. Food must belong to its time.”

I asked Zoe and Alexandre whom they would include on their list of Fooding chefs in Paris, and wondered if I might have lunch at a Fooding restaurant with a Fooding guru the next time I was in town. Zoe mentioned a few places, including Stéphane Jégo’s L’Ami Jean, a small Basque bistro in the Seventh Arrondissement; Yves Camdeborde’s Le Comptoir, a twenty-seat dining room in the Hotel Relais Saint-Germain; and Bruno Doucet’s La Régalade, a bistro out near the Porte de Châtillon.

Both Zoe and Alexandre had the warm glow of revolutionary sectarians in their eyes, and, having felt the same fond exasperation with the stasis of French cooking, I was inspired. At the same time, their desire for a head-to-toe, well-articulated renewal of French cuisine, complete with a guide and an advance guard of agitators, seemed a peculiarly calculated way of achieving increased spontaneity. The systematic, thought-through approach to a renaissance in casualness might itself be a symptom of the problem, it occurred to me, as though they were saying to one another, If only we could persuade our countrymen to stop being so entirely French, we could persuade them to be entirely French.

When I got to Paris, I realized that I had heard some of this before: American critics had been complaining for a while that French cooking, which had led the world in the idea that food might be art, had become stereotyped, unreal, and remote from life, and the complaint had at moments echoed in France. Doing some research in the French papers, I discovered the same puzzlement that I had about Le Fooding. One magazine interviewer commented to Cammas and Rubin, “I don’t see what, exactly, in Le Fooding is revolutionary or even original—you’re searching for good little restaurants that aren’t too expensive. Where’s the novelty in that?” For that matter, a similar complaint about the conservatism of French cooking was at the heart of the nouvelle-cuisine revolution, back in the seventies; its version of the Fooding guide was the Gault Millau guide.

Nor were the cooks who were being touted by Le Fooding for challenging the paradigm in any real way revolutionary. Le Comptoir, La Régalade—perfectly nice places, but not wildly imaginative. And, anyway, it seemed to me, now that I was in Paris, that the new crisis in cooking looked about the same as the old—wonderful food, wonderful rooms, all passé by New York or London standards—and, surely, if the same crisis continues for decades it is no longer a crisis but merely a condition. The real absence in France was not of good food but of what might be called think food—places like El Bulli, on the Costa Brava, or like Fergus Henderson’s St. John, in London, where the food is devoted to an idea, whether of molecular transformations or of whole-beast eating. And, past a certain point, I realized that the absence of think food was not an absence that truly, in my heart, I regretted. Not everything has to evolve. There are enough ideas in life without having them all on your plate.

Nonetheless, I decided to continue my research. Another member of the Fooding team, Marine Bidaud, met me for lunch at L’Ami Jean, on a quiet side street near the Eiffel Tower. Where Zoe had been an embodiment of fifties French beauty, elegant and tense, Marine was more in the line of the young Bardot. She coolly explained that her values derived from her upbringing in the South of France, where her family still gathered around the table, and that she loved L’Ami Jean because it put her in mind of that tradition. She turned out to be an ex-art historian, who had done research on, among other things, Courbet’s great gynecological picture, “The Origin of the World.” I picked at the charcuterie as we spoke. (I once pressed Alexandre about the astonishing glamour of the Fooding-istes, and he admitted that it was somewhat purposeful to have a staff that gave eating a more alluring aura than was always the norm in France—young men and women, rather than old men with napkins tucked under their chins.)

Stéphane Jégo, the chef at L’Ami Jean, had a black eye that day—the prize of a rugby fight—but his food was wonderful: varied and intelligent, and full of southwestern folk charm: slow-cooked veal shin, tender without being mushy and comforting without being dull; the usual foie gras, but here more buttery than bland; and the best rice-pudding dessert I have ever had, complete with black-cherry confit. I hadn’t had a better meal in Paris in a long time. But was it a new frontier? Could you build a revolution on rice pudding, even great rice pudding? “We need to change, we need to move,” Marine said, but the movement seemed to be movement within the same familiar thing.

Change we can eat. . . . The Western world has been filled with food-reform movements in the past twenty years. Slow Food, the Edible Schoolyard, the various vegetarian and ethical movements sprung by the likes of Peter Singer—in no other time would a highly regarded young novelist like Jonathan Safran Foer view a book about the anti-animal-eating movement as a necessary extension of his oeuvre, the way a novelist in the sixties might have felt obliged to write a book about the antiwar movement. This proves, depending on your point of view, either that the reform of food has become essential to the reform of life or that, failing in the reform of life, we reform our food instead. Yet all these movements—vegan and whole beast, localist and seasonalist—share a sense that the industrialized, Americanized food economy is destructive of small-scale, European, traditional, farm-based eating.

What distinguishes Le Fooding, I was beginning to understand, was that it is, in effect, against an overly European, tradition-minded approach to food. Slow is the last thing it wants French cooking to be, French cooking being slow enough already. The goal of the Fooding movement is to break down French snobbery, in the form of its hidebound hypersensitive discrimination, while the goal of the slow-food movement, though not put quite this way, is to build up hidebound hyper-discrimination. Fooding is a form of culinary Futurism: it wants the table to move as fast as modern life. (And, indeed, the Italian Futurists were obsessed with food, and wrote their own cookbook.) The Fooding guide is open to pizzerias; Alexandre says that it is even open to fast food, in the right time and the right place. Although McDonald’s and the like are not included in the guide, Alexandre has admitted to a certain affection for the Chipotle Mexican Grill, and can recall a welcome meal at a McDonald’s in the Carpathian Mountains.

When I pressed Alexandre about the difference between the nouvelle-cuisine revolution in the seventies and the Fooding revolution, he had no difficulty defining it. “Nouvelle cuisine manifested itself in terms of rules,” he said. “Its practitioners rejected the old rules but had rules of their own: instead of too much butter, no butter at all. They replaced the norms with other norms. We’re for liberty, for the end of categories—a good meal is a rich experience, of any sort. They said no butter. We say no rules! No rules save excellence.” He looked grave. “And another thing. Nouvelle cuisine was largely cut off from the changes in the society going on around it. It was a palace revolution. We want a cuisine of this time that is in harmony with this time. The philosophy of food in France has always bent toward the right, sometimes the extreme right—Christian Millau and Henri Gault both came from right-wing backgrounds. I find that the posture of Le Fooding can be replayed in politics, but in a different key. Not Sarkozy, but Cohn-Bendit. A new openness. An end to false boundaries between peoples, as between brasseries, bistros, grands restaurants, and the like. All that matters is talent.”

In America and England, you are what you think about eating. Tell me where you stand on Michelle Obama’s organic White House garden and (with the exception of a handful of “Crunchy Cons” and another handful of grumpy left-wing nostalgists for whiskey and cigarettes) I can tell what the rest of your politics are. People who are in favor of a new approach to food—even if that approach involves a return to heritage breeds and discarded farming methods—are in favor of a new approach to social life. But in France the philosophy of food does not break on such neat party lines. Many reactionary traditionalists today cluster on the left, while some of those most open to reform are on the right. (Of course, those on the left think that what those on the right call reform is not reform at all but merely ruination.) Alexandre, who says that he now regrets his vote for the centrist François Bayrou in the last Presidential election, cannot, as a rule, count on a reliable base of supporters, which may be why Le Fooding constantly needs to whip up new bases at its events. The politics of food in France cuts haphazardly and unpredictably across party lines and allegiances; tell me what you think about eating, and I will tell you only that you are French.

And yet there was enough to bring a handful of those new-old French cooks to P.S. 1, for “Le Fooding d’Amour.” Organized by a new executive at Le Fooding named Anna Polonsky, a young Anouk Aimée as rendered by Modigliani, it had induced Yves Camdeborde and Stéphane Jégo, the twin princes of the French movement, to make the trip, and several fashionable New York cooks—among them Lee Hanson, of Minetta Tavern, and David Chang, of Momofuku—came, too. There was a belly dancer, and wandering musicians, and long lines at the food tables; Stéphane Jégo’s slow-cooked lamb, braised for twenty-four hours, was, like his Paris veal shin, particularly memorable, as, in another way, were the mini-burgers from Minetta.

I sought out Yves Camdeborde, and he spoke intently about his commitment to Fooding as a movement. “If we don’t do this, we’re against the wall,” he began. “The Michelin-guide approach is dead. I worked at the grandes maisons, at the Crillon. They look at the rug, and they measure the chandeliers. We’ll go right into a wall if we continue this way. What can it mean? Two stars? Three stars? Who cares?” His tone was not angry, or indignant. He simply looked over at the tables of the American chefs, passing out mini-burgers as lines grew ever longer. “It’s more than a bistro movement. People say, Bistro, bistro, bistro. But what I do is not bistro—it’s aubergiste.” He looked at me keenly, to make sure I followed the distinction: an auberge is a rural inn. “I’m a kind of urban aubergiste. It’s a cuisine of complexity and high quality—high cooking without pretension. Slow food—slow food is about defending the traditions, the terroirs, the quality of products. It’s about producers. This movement is about consumers: about remaking the clientele. It’s a way of increasing the spontaneity of things.”

As Camdeborde said that, I suddenly saw the right analogy: Le Fooding was to cooking what the New Wave was to French cinema. The hidden goal was to Americanize French food without becoming American, just as the New Wave, back in the fifties and sixties, was about taking in Hollywood virtues without being Hollywoodized—taking in some of the energy and optimism and informality that the French still associate with American movies while reimagining them as something distinctly French. It had a similar cast of characters, with Cammas as André Bazin, the propagandist; Rubin as the anathematized Eric Rohmer; Jégo as Truffaut, the humanist-revolutionary; and Camdeborde as Godard, the serious radical. Like the New Wave filmmakers, they had a vague sense of what they wanted, combined with a vigorous determination to achieve it, whatever the hell it was. Both were movements to remake French audiences in the light of American attitudes—to refashion their expectations as much as to create a new kind of object. The idea was that we had to change taste in order to change art. Appreciating old movies in a new way was as much a part of the legacy of the New Wave as making new ones. Eating with a new attitude was as important to Le Fooding as actually eating something new. The creative act in cooking was to change the style of criticism.

The morning after the Fooding event in Queens, I submitted this analogy to Alexandre during a walk, and he allowed that there might be something in it. He was shining with delight at the success of the launch, and was already making plans for new campaigns in France and America. He told me that he had begun work on a bande dessinée—France is a place where the adult comic book is a major vehicle for communicating information and emotion—that would expose the history of clandestine right-wing propaganda in French food writing. (It’s true that French food writing has tended to be reactionary; the most famous French food writer of the past century, Robert Courtine, was revealed to have been an active anti-Semitic collaborator with the Vichy regime.) Alexandre goes farther. Even Brillat-Savarin’s famous definition of gastronomy’s aim—to regulate and fix limits for appetite—is, he thinks, touched by a panicky need for control. “Think how we would feel if we used the same words for the study of sex!” he exclaimed. “To regulate and fix the limits of it! Our role is to work against that tradition: to open minds, to reveal history, to change views. It should be a movement of the young.”

The most recent Fooding guide is in a way the most provocative. Nearly all the Michelin three-star restaurants have been dropped completely, there are passages in English, and, most important, a couple of new chefs have been identified who can fairly be called revolutionary: Adeline Grattard, of Yam’Tcha, on the Rue Sauval, who has invented a Sino-French fusion cuisine rooted largely in steaming and teas; and, still more revolutionary, Gregory Marchand, a young Frenchman who trained in New York and London—an unthinkable notion twenty years ago—and who actually calls his restaurant, on the Rue du Nil, Frenchie. The next Fooding event in New York is promised for September, but, instead of being once again a Franco-American conversation, it will be a match, even a confrontation, between San Francisco and New York chefs. “We don’t want to be narrowly identified as a ‘Franco-Français’ movement, just bringing French chefs to America,” Anna confided recently. “Then we might as well be part of the French cultural ministry.”

Alexandre is particularly glad to be coming back to New York. “I grew up watching American movies,” he said the morning after the Fooding event in Queens. “America still feels so young to me. I love New York. I still see things like Momofuku that are entirely of New York. Can we make that kind of place in France?” He mused for a moment, and then brightened.

“Do you know a film I love?” he asked. “ ‘Tarzan’s New York Adventure.’ Do you know it? With Johnny Weissmuller? And that scene when he leaps from the Brooklyn Bridge?” His hand moved through the air, Tarzan jumping from the bridge. “I love that moment. It’s an important moment for me. It seems so, so romantic.” ♦

Bottled Tea: Antioxidants Barely There

2010-09-02T00:42:00.000-04:00

Dr. Mao's Secrets of Longevity

by Dr. Maoshing Ni

Most of us know that tea is brimming with antioxidants and health benefits--or is it? A recent study found that bottled tea contains very low levels of antioxidants when compared with brewed tea.

Bottled Tea: What’s Missing

It is no coincidence that tea is the second most widely consumed drink in the world, after water. In recent years numerous studies have touted antioxidant-rich tea as an effective aid in combating cancer, reducing heart disease, and preventing other illness risks. In response to these findings, tea sales in the United States have increased fourfold in the past two decades. With the increasing demand for tea, manufacturers began supplying bottled teas as a health-conscious alternative to soft drinks and sugary juices.

But how healthy is bottled tea? Research presented at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society revealed that health-savvy consumers of bottled tea may not be getting their antioxidant bang for their buck. The healthy antioxidants--called polyphenols--that are responsible for tea’s ability to protect our cells from free radical damage are barely present in most bottled teas.

This recent study tested six brands of bottled tea purchased from the supermarket, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure the polyphenolic content. Shiming Li, Ph.D., who reported on the research, was surprised by the low pholyphenol content and stated: “Someone would have to drink bottle after bottle of these teas in some cases to receive health benefits.”

Would You Like Tea with Your Sugar?

Bottle tea-makers know that taste matters. The healthy polyphenols in tea are what give tea its bitter and astringent taste. Since not everyone is a fan of these flavors, manufacturers respond in kind by using less tea and adding more sugar per bottle. Now you have added sugar and extra calories, and you have lost significant antioxidant content.

Keep in mind that while bottled tea often lists polyphenolic content on its labels, the amounts may be incorrect; there are currently no industry or government standards for listing the polyphenolic compounds of a given product.

The bottom line is that there is no bottled tea out there that is going to bring you more benefits than the fresh tea you brew at home.

If You Want Something Done Right, Brew It Yourself

Get all the antioxidant benefits at a fraction of the cost when you brew your own tea. In the study mentioned above, of the six bottled teas, the best-case scenario of antioxidant content was just over 80 milligrams of polyphenols per 16-ounce bottle; the worst was a mere 3 mg of polyphenols. Compare this to home-brewed tea (black or green), which can have 50 to 150 milligrams in just one cup.

To make your own tea in bulk, simply bring water to a boil, then pour into a separate bowl and steep 2 to 3 teaspoons of fresh tea or herbs per cup of water. To extract the most beneficial compounds, cover it and let it steep for three to five minutes. Then strain into glass pitcher and put in the refrigerator, where you can drink at your leisure or pour into a thermos for traveling. Prefer tea bags? Use one tea bag per cup of water.

Some tasty tea options that bring many benefits to the table include:

• Green tea: increases mental acuity and protects against heart disease; just add a twist of lemon to help absorb the antioxidants into your bloodstream

• Mint tea: settles the stomach and alleviates gas

• Ginger tea: soothes digestion and fires up your energy

• Chamomile tea: calms the nervous system and relaxes the muscles; drink an hour before bedtime.

• Herbal combinations: Consider trying the Tao Tea Collection, a set of healing bagged teas for internal cleansing, calming your emotions, and promoting balance.

Add a twist of lemon, a sprig of mint, rosemary, or a handful of fresh basil for an aromatic flavor burst. The possibilities for combination are endless! To add sweetness, use a little honey, stevia products or a stick of cinnamon.

Not sold? Think about this: While buying a bottled tea from the store could cost upwards of three dollars, a tea bag won’t set you back more than a quarter.

Bonus tip: If bottled tea leaves you wanting in the health benefits department, there are many potent herbs you can take to bring health and balance. The 5 Elements of Health is a whole body tune-up that promotes physical vitality, high tolerance for stress, strong immunity, a clear mind, suppleness of body, and healthy digestion.

I hope you find the inspiration to drink your own homemade bottled tea! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

—Dr. Mao

Publish Post

This blog is meant to educate, but it should not be used as a substitute for personal medical advice. The reader should consult his or her physician or clinician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field is ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.

What the hell?

2010-09-01T12:28:00.001-04:00

It's sometimes comical how reviews are done. But this one may take the cake or sandwich so to speak...

Yelp Reviewer Pans Unopened Grahamwich, Graham Elliot Responds

9/1/10 at 9:55 AM
1Comment

Graham Elliot takes on Yelp, again.Photo: Tammy Green

It doesn’t get much better than this. Grahamwich still isn't open, but that hasn’t stopped it from getting a particularly bad review on Yelp. The commenter gave it one out of five stars because the unopened restaurant was...well...not open: “The only problem is the joint isn't open yet. It was a pleasant walk ruined...” We all know that Graham Elliot doesn’t exactly have the highest opinion of Yelp, and this certainly won’t help matters. Luckily, he was kind enough to respond.

Via Twitter, he wrote: “Amazing! There is already a negative review of Grahamwich posted on Yelp even though we've yet to open. Further proves my point...” He illuminated this point over on Eater: “The fact that someone has the ability to openly critique a business that has yet to open, leads me to question the legitimacy of the reviews involving businesses that are in actual operation.”

Luckily Yelp isn’t inhabited solely by raving pessimists. This morning a kind soul gave the second Grahamwich review, granting it a perfect five stars.

While it's vaguely obnoxious, in the interest of balancing things out and illustrating the irony here, I thought I'd give Mr. Bowles 5 stars due to the current lack of common sense in rating or allowing consumers to rate a place before you've actually had a meal or experienced any service there. I am basing this review on the fact that I love pork belly... which is almost as silly as basing a review on a "pleasant walk ruined."

No word yet if the reviewer will start another Chicagoans Against Graham Elliot Facebook club. We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what kinds of crazy Yelp reviews come in after the restaurant actually opens.

Graham Elliot’s Grahamwich Gets Negative Yelp Review [Eater]

Grahamwich [Yelp]

Copyright??

2010-09-01T12:14:00.003-04:00

The Era of Copyrighted Cocktails?

Aug 31 2010, 9:15 AM ET | Comment

laura padgett/flickr

Shortly after the tiki-themed cocktail lounge Painkiller opened its doors on the Lower East Side of Manhattan this May, a man walked into the bar and threatened to issue a cease and desist order. Pusser's, which distills a Navy-proof rum in the British Virgin Islands, trademarked the recipe for a Painkiller cocktail back in 1989. The man claimed that Painkiller's owners, Giuseppe Gonzalez and Richard Boccato, had no right to the name of the bar or its namesake cocktail, which they like to make with rums from Martinique and Jamaica. He was promptly sent packing.

As we've learned from the folks at Goslings, who trademarked the recipe for a Dark 'n' Stormy in Bermuda in the hopes of enforcing it the world over, it's impossible to stop people from using a certain recipe once it's out there. At a certain point, it becomes public property. But when, exactly, does that point occur?

Everyone wants a piece of the big spirits industry pie. Freeman urges bartenders to better guard their recipes, a sentiment that contradicts the atmosphere of sharing many bars foster.

Last month, at Tales of the Cocktail, a week-long convention for the spirits industry in New Orleans, Eben Freeman, best known as the creator of smoked Coke and "solid" cocktails at the now-defunct Tailor in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, gave a seminar on protecting one's intellectual property as a bartender. The panelists, Sheila Morrison from the Trademark Office, and Riley Lagesen, who has a private business law practice with a niche focus on the restaurant industry, discussed the nature of a bartender's creative work and who is allowed to use it. After the seminar, I spoke to Freeman, who admitted he came up with the idea for the talk after becoming fed up with other bartenders and establishments taking credit for and profiting from his recipes and techniques. (Fat washing, for example, the process by which a spirit can be infused with, say, bacon, was pioneered in part by Freeman, yet is often attributed to others.) "Someone needs to get sued ... to set a precedent," he told me.

"In no other creative business can you so easily identify money attached to your creative property," Freeman went on. "There is an implied commerce to our intellectual property. Yet we have less protection than anyone else."

So, can a cocktail be copyrighted? In short, no. The publication of a recipe can be legally protected, but the "expression of an idea," as the lawyers in the seminar explained, cannot. It's the reason musicians can't be sued for covering another band's song in a live show. But few bartenders publish their recipes. They tend to pass them on as an oral tradition.

A big part of the problem, according to Freeman and other senior bartenders and mixologists, is the "brand ambassador" model. For those unfamiliar with it, it involves big liquor companies hiring bartenders to act as spokespeople for their brands. The bartender not only acts as an advocate but is also expected to create signature cocktail recipes using the product he or she is pushing. Only, these days, the model is so prevalent that liquor brands will tap just about anybody to be a brand ambassador. Oftentimes, these young bartenders (cheap labor compared to members of the old guard) don't have the experience required to create their own cocktail recipes. And so they Google a recipe and tweak it, or simply use something they learned from a mentor —a mentor, mind you, who might be too expensive for a liquor company to hire directly.

"Brand ambassadors are ruining it," Freeman said. "I don't have to tell you about the whole culture of the celebrity chef and how many people want to get involved in this. In no other creative field do you find people who are so easily able to insert themselves into the scene. It's a disturbing trend without question."

As the role of the bartender shifts from in-the-meantime job to lifelong profession—not to mention from invisible serviceman to celebrity craftsman— the industry has become cluttered with self-proclaimed mixologists, consultants, spirits experts, and cocktail bloggers happy to take whatever morsels big brands are willing to throw their way in exchange for their endorsement. Everyone wants a piece of the big spirits industry pie. Freeman urges bartenders to better guard their recipes, a sentiment that contradicts the atmosphere of sharing many bars foster, especially in this era of guest bartending (when bartenders moonlight at a bar that isn't their own). The owners of Painkiller have avoided the issue of intellectual property altogether by publishing their recipes on their website for all to see. Freeman isn't so sure it's a good idea.

A communal spirit may foster creativity, he said, but guarding the provenance of ideas enforces integrity. "I think all creative people at one point or another start to think about these things."

Chantal Martineau - Chantal Martineau covers food, wine, and spirits for such titles as Saveur, Imbibe, and The Village Voice.

Understanding Sorbet

2010-08-31T23:52:00.001-04:00

Oyster Article

2010-08-23T14:59:00.000-04:00

La. scientist's oysters safe from oil, but pricey

By CAIN BURDEAU

Published: Monday, August 23, 2010 11:44 AM CDT

Biologist John Supan thinks he has developed what may be the holy grail for oyster lovers: a hardy breed of the delectable shellfish that stays fat enough for consumers to eat throughout the year.

And unlike many oysters across the Gulf Coast, ruined by BP's massive oil spill and the fresh water poured in to fight it, Supan's oysters are all alive.

Now, nearly four months after the spill, Supan's oysters may offer the Gulf oyster industry a chance for a better long-term recovery. But his special breed of modified oysters, which some say are prohibitively expensive, could be a hard sell to an industry reeling from the BP disaster.

In this July 1, 2010 picture, Louisiana State University assistant research professor John Supan holds an oyster shell containing oyster larvae, seen as black dots, in his bivalve hatchery at the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Laboratory in Grand Isle, La. Unlike traditional oysters that spawn and get skinny in the summer, Supan has developed sterile, "super" crossbreeds that remain fat, making them one of the best hopes for restoring Louisiana's oyster industry. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Click here for our photo reprints

8/23/2010

8/21/2010

8/20/2010

8/19/2010

Most oystermen agree that few oysters will be harvested from the Gulf Coast in the next year or two, signaling a potential calamity for shucking houses, oyster farmers and people who love a half dozen oysters on the half shell. As much as 65 percent of the nation's oysters come from the Gulf.

Oysters are particularly susceptible to pollution, taking longer than fish or shrimp to clear oil contamination from their bodies.

Supan's oysters are bred for performance, making them more fit to deal with viruses and other contaminants. Being sterile, they don't go through the stress of reproduction, so they stay fat and juicy all year round. Supan says his oysters are sweet, plump and meaty in summertime when other oysters become thin and watery.

But the most crucial advantage this year was their mobility.

Unlike the vast majority of oysters in the Gulf, which spend their lives on the bottoms of bays and sounds, Supan's oysters dangle in the water in cages at a hatchery on the inland side of this island.

When the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20 just a few dozen miles from his hatchery, the 57-year-old Louisiana State University oyster biologist evacuated his broods to a research hatchery in Alabama and a wildlife preserve in western Louisiana. Then he brought them back.

"In my opinion, this is the most important brood of oysters in the history of the Gulf of Mexico," Supan says. "But you know, you ask an oysterman that and they will say, 'Huh?'"

He said the day is coming when all the Gulf's oystermen will know what he's talking about.

For three decades, Supan has been developing new oysters by mixing up their chromosomes in a process known as triploid production. He breeds a rare oyster that has extra chromosomes with a normal oyster and produces a sterile hybrid. The process is common on the East and West coasts but still untried in the Gulf, besides Supan's batch.

"I don't know if it's the future with a capital 'THE,' but it's very important," said Bill Walton, an Auburn University shellfish biologist. "It can give you a faster growing oyster. It cuts down production time and it does seem to solve the problem of 'water bellies' in the summer when oysters spawn and you have a tired, thin oyster."

"For the long-term viability of oysters in Louisiana what (the hatchery) is doing is the kind of pioneer work," said Mike Voisin, an oyster processor and leader in the Louisiana oyster industry.

The industry in Louisiana faces daunting threats from the oil pollution, oyster diseases and pressure from state and federal officials who want to reclaim lost marshland by opening up the Mississippi River even more often. If that happens, traditional oyster grounds could be ruined in many of the inland bays where they are grown today.

Helen Skansi, a 75-year-old Plaquemines Parish oyster company owner with more than 1,000 leased acres, is painfully aware of the problems.

"Things will never be the same with the bedding grounds they had before with the oil," she said.

Kenneth Fox, who leases 15,000 acres of state waters to grow his oysters, is equally concerned.

"I lost 95 percent of my leases with this oil spill," he said. "Everything is dead on the west side of the river."

Asked about Supan's super oysters, however, he was unconvinced.

"I think the research is great, and I think what he's doing is going to be a big help. But that is going to be a costly process."

Supan would like to see his special oyster larvae distributed through hatcheries across the Gulf to oyster growers. He said he could start distributing the larvae now.

But a lot has to happen for that to materialize. Ideally, the sterile oysters would be grown in cages in special areas designated as marine farms. And a host of permitting and zoning issues would have to be resolved.

Growing oysters the way Supan does is tricky. They are raised in structures propped up off the water bottom. That requires new harvesting equipment. Oystermen currently use mechanical devices like plows to scour their catch from the Gulf floor. It also would require new permits.

It takes about two years for an oyster to grow to market size.

Once the special summer oysters grow to adult size, then the oyster growers would have to find buyers. Typically, a dozen oysters cost about $12 at an oyster bar on the Gulf Coast. Supan said a cost analysis has not been done to figure out how much the summer oysters would cost. He says the market would take care of that.

"That's a big investment on a gamble," Fox said of Supan's experiments. "I'm not saying it won't happen one day, but the way Louisiana is set up, it's going to be hard to make happen. Half the people in the industry would have to get out of the business for the other half to make a profit."

Still, some institutions that fund research are persuaded that Supan's technique holds promise.

Supan's research has been backed by federal and state grants over his 30-year career. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently awarded Supan and other researchers a $250,000 grant to develop more hatchery technology.

Inside his algae room, Supan looks like a winemaker as he surveys tanks of algae he feeds to his oysters. The bacteria grows under fluorescent light.

"It takes a wet green thumb to grow algae," he said. "You got to be patient with it. It's very intuitive. Just like growing a garden. Some people say they talk to their house plants; well, my algae and myself have conversations all the time."

Supan has big plans.

He hopes the state will build an oyster dock where he can teach oyster farmers to grow oysters in saltier Gulf farms similar to his, where the oysters are reared to market size on platforms that thwart predators such as snails and bottom-feeding fish.

"With all these calamities _ the hurricanes and the oil spill _ we're five years behind schedule," he said.

Online:

Louisiana Sea Grant Bivalve Hatchery: http://bit.ly/aSWU6Z

Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory: http://bit.ly/9tDdnB

Credit: Reprinted with permission of the Associated Press 2010.

Pop Up Restaurant

2010-08-22T12:39:00.002-04:00

I always love the ploy of pop up restaurants.
It seems one chef, Ludo Lefebvre, does it better than any one. Recently named top 50 chefs in the world, his dining series LudoBites is in its fifth installment, LudoBites5.0. Ludo is using a breakfast and lunch restaurant to showcase his craft at night. Naturally he is already booked. The summer dining series runs from June to September.

I fine this very inspirational and am looking to maybe replicate this idea. I said maybe OK????

NY -vs- SF

2010-08-20T11:20:00.002-04:00

David Chang (Momufuku, NY): “Fuckin’ every restaurant in San Francisco is just serving figs on a plate with nothing on it. Do something with your food.”*
Laurence Jossel (Nopa, SF): “In all my eating trips to New York, nothing I have eaten has come close to the sensual perfection of a tree-ripened Northern California Black Mission fig - except maybe the pastrami at Katz’s Deli.”
Brian Leth (Vinegar Hill House, NY): “No comment.”
Mourad Lahlou (Aziza, SF): “The best thing I have ever eaten at any of David’s restaurants was the second dozen of fresh oysters I ordered at Ssam bar without the kimchi consommé.”
Daniel Patterson (Coi, SF): “David who?”
Robert Newton (Seersucker, NY): “I’ve been too busy these days to stay on top of the San Francisco food scene, but I am sure it’s great. Let’s face it though, New York is the center of the food world in America. And besides, it’s all about Brooklyn right now.”
James Syhabout (Commis, SF): “To keep it simple, best rhymes with West.”
Dan Barber (Blue Hill, NY): “Looking forward to learning how to wrap a great burrito.”
Nate Appleman (Pulino’s, NY): “The difference between New York and San Francisco is that SF is a food city and NY is a restaurant city.”
Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone (Torrisi, NY): “When Sinatra said ‘if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere,’ he wasn’t talking about San Fran !”
Jeremy Fox (Plum, SF): “So basically the argument is New York technique versus California ingredients; but oh shit...look who’s got both now. Watch out !”
Melissa Perello (Frances, SF): “NY cuisine versus San Francisco cuisine…it’s like comparing apples and oranges, they’re just different.”

Interviewed by Le Bureau du Fooding. **

* As said to Anthony Bourdain in October 2009 at the NYC Food & Wine Festival.
** Except for David Chang’s quote.

http://www.legrandfooding.com/home.php

I for one am very excited about this type of competition. The smack talk is hilarious. Wonder if they would ever take on the south!?!?!

Congressional Action on Lupus

2010-08-18T20:01:00.000-04:00

Take Action During August

August 03, 2010

As you may know, your Members of Congress leave Washington, DC in August to spend time in their Districts. The elected officials will generally be in their Districts from August 9-September 10, 2010. Now is the time to get involved and take action in your own back yard!

There are several ways to get involved during this month and help people with lupus:

Attend a Town Hall Meeting: You can find out about Town Hall meetings in your area by checking your local paper or visiting your Member’s website for an up-to-date listing.

Go to the District Office: Make a meeting with your Senators and Representatives at their District Office and encourage them to:
- Increase funding for lupus research;
- Cosponsor H.R. 5732, The Part D Off-Label Prescription Parity Act; and
- Cosponsor H.R. 3799/S. 1630, The Affordable Access to Prescription Medication Act

Talking points for these bills are below. Also, if you are unsure where your Member’s district office is located, you can find that information through LFA’s legislative action center, www.capwiz.com/lfa.

If you have any questions, please contact Sara Chang in the Government Relations department at chang@lupus.org or 202-349-1169.

You can make a difference!!!

2010-08-17T16:39:00.000-04:00

Dear Todd:

You did it! Thank you!

Your generosity helped us to exceed our goal of raising $40,000 for lupus research! We have raised $79,062, and with the generous pledge from Lewis and Sara Katz, we have a grand total of $119,062 to stimulate new areas of lupus research, education, and awareness.

This tremendous gift of hope is going to support our promising research and life-enhancing services we provide to individuals affected by lupus. I sincerely thank you for your generosity and commitment to our work.

Sincerely,

Want some tea....

2010-08-16T11:00:00.003-04:00

There is no secret that I'm a tea fanatic. From chai to earl grey, tea has been a huge part of my life. If I remember correctly my love started with my Auntie Florence several moons ago. Naturally in south we have swee' tea. I'm working on some different version of swee' tea to usher in a new southern tradition. This video is great inspiration!!!

Rules are Rules?

2010-08-16T10:50:00.000-04:00

Lady Who Refuses to Say ‘Venti’ Gets Thrown Out of Starbucks

By Lindsay Robertson

It was cute when Paul Rudd did it in the movie Role Models, but a college professor who refused to conform to the chain's much-ridiculed ordering protocol learned not to mess around when she was forcibly ejected by police from an Upper East Side franchise yesterday. Lynn Rosenthal, an English professor and self-described "stickler for correct English," makes a habit of insisting on "small," medium," or "large" instead of the Starbucks-mandated "Tall," "Grande," or "Venti," but yesterday's fracas came about because of a bagel. Rosenthal ordered a multi-grain bagel, and when asked by the barista whether she wanted butter or cheese on it, Rosenthal refused to answer, telling the New York Post today: "I refused to say 'without butter or cheese.' When you go to Burger King, you don't have to list the six things you don't want." A Starbucks employee claims Rosenthal called the barista "an a--hole," but the real question here is: What kind of New Yorker buys her bagels at Starbucks?

Lupus Update Great News in Research!

2010-07-20T16:22:00.001-04:00

An Exploration Study of Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Treatment in Lupus

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in severe and refractory systemic lupus erythematosus.
Authors: Sun L, Wang D, Liang J, Zhang H, Feng X, Wang H, Hua B, Liu B, Ye S, Hu X, Xu W, Zeng X, Hou Y, Gilkeson GS, Silver RM, Lu L, Shi S. (2010).
Arthritis & Rheumatism, epub ahead of print May 6.

What is the topic?
Stem cells are an early form of a human cell, similar to what is found in a developing embryo, which have the ability to split into new cells and give rise to many different kinds of cells in the body. In fact, stem cells can still be found in the body after a baby is born and throughout life. In animal studies, stem cells taken from the umbilical cord (which connects the mother to the baby during pregnancy) have been found to help treat a variety of diseases, including lupus. However, umbilical cord stem cells have not been given to humans before.

What did the researchers hope to learn?
The researchers hoped to determine whether umbilical cord stem cells could be given safely to people with severe and treatment-resistant lupus, and whether this might help to treat lupus.

Who was studied?
16 patients, mostly women aged 17-55 years who had lupus for an average of 65 months, participated in the study. All of the patients had failed to respond to cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®) for at least six months or mycophenolate (Cellcept®) for at least three months. The patients were either taking more than 20 mg of prednisone per day, had low platelet counts, or had lupus nephritis (active kidney disease). Otherwise, the patients had to have good function in their bodily organs, have no serious infections, and could not be pregnant or breastfeeding in order to participate in the study.

How was the study conducted?
Stem cells were prepared by the Stem Cell Center of Jiangsu Province in China. They obtained the umbilical cords from healthy mothers in local maternity hospitals who agreed to have these materials taken for this purpose.

Prior to receiving stem cells, most of the lupus patients were given cyclophosphamide infusions for 2 - 4 days.

All 16 patients received the stem cells as an infusion in an amount that was based on their body weight.

After receiving the stem cells, all patients were given 5 - 10 mg prednisone per day and 13 patients were also given 0.6 - 0.8 g cyclophosphamide per day.

All 16 patients successfully completed the protocol and were also seen for follow-up visits at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months for an evaluation of their lupus disease activity and for repeated blood tests.

What blood tests were studied in these patients?
1. Regulatory T cells: There is a special kind of white blood cell called a “T cell,” which controls how the immune system works. Some specialized T cells are called “regulatory T cells” and these are important in making the immune system calm down after inflammation. Blood tests can detect these regulatory T cells by measuring two markers called CD4 and FoxP3.

2. Cytokines: Cytokines are small proteins that circulate in the bloodstream to help regulate inflammation. Two of these small proteins include transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and interleukin-4 (IL-4).

3. Complement consumption: When lupus is active, some patients will use up too many of some of their inflammatory proteins called “complement proteins.” This can be looked at with a blood test that measures “complement C3,” which is often low in active lupus and especially in lupus kidney disease (active nephritis).

4. Antibodies: Blood levels of anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies were also measured at each visit, as well as other routine tests.

What did the researchers find?
Disease activity decreased significantly for all 16 lupus patients one month after they received the stem cells and the patients were even better at the 3-month follow-up visit.

One way of looking at kidney disease is to measure how much protein is spilling into the urine. This was significantly reduced in 15 patients at the 3-month follow-up visit. Eight patients showed further decreased protein in their urine at the 6-month follow-up and two patients showed reduced levels of protein in the urine for at least one year.

Six patients who had evidence of kidney damage (as determined by high creatinine levels in the blood) also showed significant improvement at the 3- and 6-month follow-up visits.

Blood levels of complement C3 were significantly increased in five patients at the 3-month follow-up visit and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody levels were significantly decreased in 13 patients at the 3-month follow-up visit.

The percentage of regulatory T cells (as determined by the presence of CD4 and FoxP3) was significantly increased at the 3-month follow-up visit in all 16 patients.

Levels of TGF-β in 13 patients were significantly increased and levels of IL-4 were significantly decreased in 12 patients at the 3-month follow-up visit (which could promote regulatory T Cells and dampen antibody production).

Severe nausea was observed in one of the 16 patients during the initial cyclophosphamide treatment. No other adverse events occurred during or after the stem cell procedures.

What were the limitations of the study?
There was no control group in this study. A control group is a group of patients that receives all of the same treatments except the one under study. To see whether stem cell treatment is effective, you would need to have a group of patients who received Cytoxan and/or steroids without the stem cell treatment and see if those who did get the stem cells did better than the patients receiving Cytoxan did. At this point, it is clear that the patients got better, but it is not clear whether that was due to the stem cells or the other treatments they received. Therefore, further studies with more patients followed for longer periods and compared against those receiving standard treatment will be necessary to determine the long-term safety and effectiveness of umbilical cord stem cells in treating lupus.

What do the results mean for you?
We have been hearing about stem cell treatment for lupus for a long time, but some of the procedures used in the past involved very severe depletion of the immune system, which could be extremely dangerous. This may be a less drastic way to approach the treatment of lupus with stem cells. So far, in this early study, it seems to have been well-tolerated. This paves the way for further studies that might really determine the potential of this treatment, whether it is reasonably safe, and whether it might be effective.

Scallop Festival

2010-07-19T15:25:00.002-04:00

You say you want to support the gulf region?

Here you go!

http://www.floridascallopfestival.com/

South will rise again...

2010-07-18T18:37:00.004-04:00

As the multitude of burger joints consume the Atlanta market I wonder how long will us as chefs in this great city of ATL, continue to play it safe.

It seems no one is trying to step out on a new horizon. Just keep on doing what you do. I guess that is the artist side of me talking. Naturally having customers is very important; taking care of your staff and paying your bills are priority. I just wonder where did the artist go.

Personal missions always seem awkward in the kitchen because they can cloud your judgment. Though I love sea salt ice cream, and the best I ever had was by a former co-worker Chef Mark, it may not be the best thing to serve at RB. However putting the duck on the menu, with all of it's glorious fat was the best thing to do.

It was a great decision by all the members of LLG.

Remembering our back alley board meetings about purchasing RB, the conversations were always two fold; one of artistic value and economic value. We always value the artist point as the appreciation of the craft. The economic as the how to make money from the craft. It seems as a city we have diminished the value of the craft where it's a mere afterthought to economics. It's rather disappointing to see because this city and it's group of 90's chefs were the hallmark of a culinary dynasty. At one time an illustrious country club housed 3 master chefs.

Though as a group we don't get in to such titles anymore, we all have a desire to see it return to the destination dining city we once knew. As Brooklyn continues to steal our culinary heritage and prosper doing it, we must forge a new concept for diners to prowl. To what extreme must we go?

Is the extreme the genius of Grant Achatz? I don't think so. But the planning of new ideas is what we must follow his lead on. The concept of planing a better meal. The concept of not resting on what got you here. People will always appreciate that. It's the cultivating of new talent, new diners and new persona that insures we as a city survive.

Just Peachy!!

2010-07-18T18:10:00.002-04:00

A spectacular vision...

There is something so so sensual about a peach. The color, the shape, the smell, the prickly sensation of fuzz crossing your tongue. On a lazy Sunday mid-evening a very good friend just bought me a bag of spectacular peaches. Ripe, sweet, pure!

Gonna eat some, preserve some and of course smoke some.
If you have the time come share a peach; but bring your own bib.

Up In Smoke

2010-07-15T19:17:00.003-04:00

Fascinating as it seems, while being ever so snarky, the quest for selling organic BBQ has proven to be a charring experience.

In many ways I wish that part of the business would have taken off. But wishing and reality are two different woods for smoking. Maybe people just don't care. Maybe the concept of smokin' organic meat is way out there. It can't be no more out there than the genetically altered salmon the FDA is approving.

I have totally fallen out of sorts with salmon. Actually it was a fish I really loved and now totally hate. It doesn't taste like salmon. It doesn't have the same brilliant flavor of ocean water and fresh pressed olive oil. It's lost it's sweet perfume of ocean floor crustaceans. Just taste like a chalk outline of it's former self. Dead On Arrival.

This "new" fish is more so about supply and demand rather than quality of said product. I can equate it to when Ford bought Jaguar. A Jag for everyone? How luxurious is that. Could you really tell a Jag from a Kia? Well you can but it's really too close for comfort.

Comfort may be the actual problem. We are all just to damn comfortable about our food sources. It's like going to an all you can eat buffet. The first time you go through for fried chicken it's there. You go back and look? You like damn where is the chicken. "I know there better be some more dang-gone chicken back there!????!!?" How is it going to feel when one day you want shrimp, gulf coast shrimp and have to say damn where are all my shrimp.