Local Sablefish inspired by Michel Bras

   Its been 11 years since The Essential Cuisine of Michel Bras was first published. I still remember the amazement I felt the first time I had the opportunity to explore its pages, and it is still one of the books I look at the most often. At the time I was just starting to learn that there was so much more to food then what I was exposed to in Mid-Missouri.

 Paging through the book my eyes were open to a whole new world. A place where a plate went beyond being a large pile of edible matter that had to consist of a starch, a vegetable, a protein, and a thick, heavy sauce.

This dish reflects my respect for his aesthetic. A glistening piece of white fish that contrasts with the dark,briny niciose olive oil it was cooked in. Lots of negative space broken by flowing lines of sauces and a variety of lightly cooked onions. Then garnished with tiny radishes and local sea vegetables.

Chokes

I love this simple little vegetable salad because it tastes good and is menu option suitable for vegans. The baby artichoke hearts are lightly poached then roasted in the woodfire oven. The sunchoke is peeled with a pairing knife and poached in salted water. The puree is a sunflower seed butter. The crumble is made from toasted bread, mustard seed , fennel seed, and fresh oregano. A raisen plumped in verjus adds a spike of acidity, and it is finished with a few sunflower sprouts.

Komochi Konbu

     Every year there is a herring run in the San Fransisco Bay. One local guy will attach konbu to some wooden pallets and float them out in the water. The fish then lay their millions of eggs on the seaweed and it is harvested. The majority of the production is shipped immediately to Japan where it is considered a delicacy, but this year a little was diverted and I got my hands on some.

Alan took some beautiful close up shots of one of the leaves with 2 different levels of lighting. I like the darker more dramatic look.



Octopus and Romesco

Its fascinating to look back and see how your own cuisine has evolved due to experience and exposure to other people. This is a flavor profile I have done many times in many variations, but it was Richard that came up with bean puree. This is hands down my favorite octopus dish so far. Best part, I didn't even plate it. One of the cooks did.

Brand New Canale Molds

I am now making traditional canales using beeswax to coat the molds and keep them from sticking. The beeswax also imparts an incredible aroma and crispness to the end product

Celebrating a Moment in Time

I grew up in mid Missouri and one of my favorite things about Northern California  is how nice the weather is in the middle of winter. In January the farmer's market is full of beautiful root vegetables and herbs. This salad is a celebration of that and a way to share my appreciation for my adopted home

 

One of the trends I have noticed with Allen is that while I am more interested in pictures of the food and the plate as a whole, he loves very tight close ups. For him its about the textures and visual contrasts of light and color. Its always interesting to note how different people view the same thing differently through the lens of their profession. I am grateful to him for his continued teaching me what to look for in pictures and how to define the characteristics that I like and dislike.

Duck, Cabbage, Beet, Potato, and Apple