A Few VIP Sets

1) Strawberry, balsamic, passion gel, pistachio crumble, passion sorbet, lemon granite

2) Chocolate Tart, almond crunch, banana sorbet, chocolate sauce

3) Compressed watermelon, passion gel, passion fruit seeds, passion sorbet, lemon granite

4) Strawberry Float

New WD~50 Dessert

Rainbow sherbet, rhubarb, lemon balm, orange, olive oil

Hydrocolloids- Gellan Gum

Gellan Gum is a man made polysacharide made by fermentation. There is a variety of different variations of this gelling agent. The two most popular variations that I have come across in the food industry are categorized by their alcohol precipitation content used in manufacturing (low acyl, high acyl). These two variations of the gum can help to produce a wide variety of textures. Low acyl gellan gum is characterized by forming firmer gels with a more brittle texture, similar to the gels formed by agar and/or Kappa Carrageenan. On the other hand high acyl gellan gum is characterized by forming gels that are softer and more elastic. Another major difference between the two varietals is that the low acyl gels are thermoirreversible meaning that once the gel is dispersed, hydrated, and set it will not melt. High acyl gellan gum is thermoreversible meaning it can be melted and re gelled after the gel has been set. Gellan gum is a fairly young hydrocolloid in the food industry. I am sure further advances in studies of this hydrocolloid will provide the food industry with continued usages for the product.

Past TFL Desserts

1) Savarin Au Citron" Citrus "Vierge" Per Mio Figlio Olive Oil and Staus Dairy "Creme Glacee

2) Rhubarb & Kumquat "Vol-Au-Vent" Vanilla "Chiboust, Poppy Seed Ice Cream and 30-year aged Balsamic Vinegar

3) English Cucumber Sorbet, White Verjus Gelee, Green Grape, and Quinine-Juniper Foam

Hydrocolloids- Iota Carrageenan

Iota Carrageenan is a phycocolloid meaning a hydrocolloid that is derived from seaweed. In this case red seaweed. It is one of three Carrageenans, the others being Kappa and Lambda. Some of the main advantages of using Iota as a thickening or a gelling compound is that it yields more elastic or softer gels, as opposed to one of its brothers Kappa that produces more rigid or brittle gels. When constructing formulas using iota it is important to note that it reacts best with the presence of calcium (ie milk, cream, etc). It is also important to note that gels made using iota have the ability to be frozen and then thawed before use. This makes it possible to make a base and to mold it and freeze it or keep it frozen and to take it out before service, thus prolonging the shelf life of the gel. I have found that there is a wide range of ratios in weight of iota:rest of ingredients that you could use depending on what your desired end result will be. You also have to take into consideration the formula you are using; whether or not your using milk instead of cream or other dairy products (fat concentration), are you using an acid in your base, how much sugar are you going to add, how much salt your going to add. There are many factors that will determine the final outcome of your finished product. I have seen and made gels that eat like cooked custards using a ratio of 1K of base:2-3g of iota (.002-.003). I have also used iota in combination with other stabilizers in ice cream formulas. I have found that by using iota in my base it promotes a creamier mouth feel to the finished frozen dessert. When it comes down to it Iota Carrageenan is a very versatile hydrocolloid, with a vast array of uses in a modern kitchen.

Inspiration Continued

Having been here in Yountville California I have become more in touch with nature. Just being outside and walking around Yountville and Napa I have come to realize that there are many different aspects in nature that can be replicated and/or reproduced in the kitchen. Being able to see the apricots and the first of the season peaches growing on trees and then going into work (TFL) and breaking them down and turning them into something else is just awesome. I can now see why a lot of these restaurants in this area recieve some of the best produce in the country. It is truely a "farm to table" experience being in Napa and I love it.

Yogurt From Scratch

While I was working at L20 I wanted to make a dessert using yogurt. Laurent had the idea of making yogurt from scratch. So I did some research as to how I would go about doing this. I found a website that you could order live cultures from. Here is a link to the website http://www.dairyconnection.com/. Basically what these cultures contain are live bacteria. Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium longum are the main bacteria’s found in all of dairy connections cultures (in different moderations) The bacteria’s are combined and then freeze dried. When you order the bacteria culture you will have to store them in a freezer to keep the bacteria dormant. Now let’s get to the “how to” portion of yogurt making. There are a lot of factors that will determine your final product, so experimentation will be necessary to create your desired end result. I will give you a basic recipe that I used to make my yogurt:

1G Vitamin D Milk
¼ t ABY-2C Culture

Your method is as follows:
1) Take you Milk and heat it to 185 degrees F (Pasteurizing)
2) Poor hot milk over an ice bath and chill to 115 degrees F.
3) Whisk in your culture.
4) Poor your mixture into stainless steel bowls.
5) Hold the milk and culture at a constant 115 degrees F for about 8 hours (I used a rational steam oven set to 115 degrees F dry heat with no fan)
6) Remove from oven and reserve in a refrigerator until yogurt is chilled.

Now if you wanted to alter this recipe I will give you a few options and explain what each ingredient will do to your yogurt. If you wanted a yogurt with more body you could add milk powder when you add your culture in the above recipe. You could also combine cream into your milk for a richer yogurt. If you wanted a yogurt with more acidity you will have to incubate or hold the mixture at 115 degrees F for longer than 8 hours. If you wanted to flavor your yogurt (Honey, Fruit etc) you can do so by folding in your flavoring after you yogurt has been chilled in the refrigerator. I hope that I have enlightened and inspired you to go out and try making fresh yogurt on your own. Below is a picture of the 1st plating of my dessert. (Not how the dessert is plated on the menu)