Time to make the doughnuts......

Tasting Menu
September 20th 2010

1st Course
Banh Mi
crispy pork belly, pickled vegetable, jalapeno tomato jam, baguette

2nd Course
fried chicken
buttermilk chicken ravioli, southern biscuit, blackberry honey, Frank’s Red Hot butter

3rd Course
braised beef cheek, blue corn crepe, habanero mole, queso fresco

4th Course
meat and potatoes
roasted duck breast, pommes de Robouchon, wilted arugula

5th Course
roasted garlic ice cream, sweet corn cake, jalapeno crema

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Well....I wish I had been more into this than I was. Making excuses sucks, I suck, but I kinda phoned parts of this in. I had every intention of producing a great meal for my cooks. Three guys who bust their butts, put up with me, and really seem to want to see food. I slept on a menu till last night, bumbled my way through it.....I don't know. I do suck sometimes. Brennan helped but actually got to sit down and eat and I was nervous and mildly embarrassed. I think I had good ideas, at least one saving grace/element on each plate, but flopped overall. Woe is me, I know, the last of my self pity is here and now. Let me get over myself and tell those who were not there what it all was.

I made truffled orange zest spaghetti @ the restaurant w/ duck confit, candied blood orange peel, pecan, jalapeno, butternut squash, rendered crisp skin, and Pecorino. That's the 1st picture. It made me quite content. Not sure why but my bones said it worked. The tasting is as written. I will say that the Banh Mi made me feel content too. It worked from brain to plate. Maybe a couple tweaks but I was happy and it was as pretty as I could have ever wished for. I love moles. I love that there are literally hundreds of possible combinations. Please right here and now look up a real mole recipe if you never have. More ingredients than any other cuisine's sauces go into these and more techniques of roasting, blistering, etc. They are full works of art.. That's it I guess.....till next time.