New Dessert Cont.

Kaffir, Coconut, Pineapple, Macadamia nut

Basil Seeds

Vietnamese Basil Seeds. I have also heard them called Subja Seeds, Sabja Seeds, Takmaria Seeds, as well as a host of other names. This specific seed is one of the main ingredients in the Indian dessert Falooda. This varietal of basil seed begins to bloom when submerged in water. The whole process from seed to bloomed seed only takes about 5-10 min. The finished product does not have a lot of flavor. I think it is more of a texural and visual component. The bloomed seeds remind me of tapioca pearls with a little crunch on the inside. I will be using these seeds on a new dessert at Corton. The pictures below are unbloomed seeds, seeds blooming in water, and the finished bloomed seeds

Congratulations

Congrats to Chicago for finally getting rated by the Michelin guide. And Congrats to both former employers Grant Achatz and Laurent Gras of Alinea and L20 for recieving 3 stars. Well done

Chocolates

Unmolding at Corton

New WD~50 Dessert Cont.

Grapefuit curd, Hibiscus, Campari, Sorrel streusel, Sorrel sorbet.

(Nice pic Malcolm, can't wait to try it!)

NYC Chocolate Show

Today is the last day to attend. I had the pleasure of visiting the 2010 NYC Chocolate Show on my birthday (November 11). Let me just say this, I am still recovering from chocolate overdose. With over 50 participants the chocolate show boasted a staggering lineup. From what I saw there was a host of "mom and pop" private businesses with only a small number of heavy hitters eg. Valrhona, Guittard, Michel Cluizel. If you are like me and can not live without chocolate you must stop what you are doing right now, and take a trip to the Metropolitan Pavilion for the last few hours of this glorious event. Booth after booth of : hand dipped truffles, molded chocolates, chocolate sculptures, dragees, hot chocolate, wine, pralines, couverture, etc. It was a great way to spend my birthday afternoon. Below are a few pictures of some chocolate sculptures that caught my eye as well as the E. Guittard booth, and some assorted bon bons.

Talenti

Talenti Gelato e Sorbetto, an artisan gelato and sorbet maker. The brand originated in Florentine in the mid 1500's by Bernardo Buontalenti. The gelatos and sorbets are made from all natural ingredients of the highest quality. So...I was at the store the other day and was in the market for ice cream. I came across this brand that I have never heard of or tried before. So I go ahead and pick up a pint. It actually has a very nice mouthfeel. A little airier than what I expected from a typical gelato, but overall very nice. With a price point of nearly $7.00 a pint it is the most expensive brand that I have ever come across (probably $4 worth of packaging). The picture above is the lid and below is the container and the rest of my order. God I love ice cream.

Curtis Duffy

www.Curtisduffy.com (must see)

Modernist Cuisine

A line of books coming March 2011. I cannont wait until this series is released. Authors, Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Bilet have put together what looks to be an outstanding volume of books. The 6 volumes will have a pricetag of $500.00. You can begin to pre-order your books on amazon. With chapters like: Microbiology for Cooks, Heat and Energy, The Physics of Food and Water, Cooking Sous Vide, Thickeners, Gels, Emulsions, Foams, etc. these books will be a highly sought after item for cooking professionals. From what I have seen the photography is phenomenal. I am going to start saving now for this book

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