pan seared scallops with fried brussle sprouts, iverico ham, enoki mushrooms, cabbage flower & truffle oil

Pan Seared Scallops

Braised Brussle Sprouts with Crispy Iverico Ham

Fried Enoki Mushroom

Cabbage Flower Garnish, White Truffle Oil

honey-sriracha glazed mahi-mahi, quinoa bleu cheese salad, wilted kale &espellete yogurt sauce

Honey-Sriracha Glazed Mahi-Mahi

Quinoa-Macadamia Nut-Blue Cheese-Tomato Salad

Marinated Kale

Espellete Pepper-Yogurt Sauce

.....Honey-Sriracha Sauce: easiest, most delicious way to prepare fish or poultry. Combine half a stick of melted butter, honey, and sriracha until the spice-sweetness ratio is to your liking. Brush it onto roasted or grilled proteins for a pretty dope little glaze.

roasted artichoke with apricot-thyme aioli

Artichokes Slow Roasted in Herbed White Wine Sauce

Apricot Thyme Aioli

artichoke&cobia stew with carrots, blue potatoes, red onions&braised artichoke hearts

Slow Braised Artichoke Hearts & Pan Seared Cobia

Shaved Blue Potatoes, Carrots, and Red Onions

Creamed Artichoke Broth

Fine Herbs and Micro Flowers

steamed mussles in rosemary-lemon beurre blanc, with vegetables and crostini

PEI Mussles Steamed in Rosemary-Lemon Beurre Blanc

Sauteed Carrots, Fennel, Red Onion

Grilled Bread, Cabbage Flower Garnish

truffled scallop bake

I kinda stole this idea from "Lazy Mans Lobster,"a dish I used to get at a divey Italian restaurant near my house when I was a little kid. Ive made it a million times with lobster, but I had Cassoulet on the mind that day too, so I sorta combined the too ideas. Note: we didn't have any beans on hand at work that day, but white beans would be a GREAT addition to this dish.

Roasted Brussle Sprouts, Heirloom Carrots & Oyster Mushrooms

Pan Seared Scallops

Buttery Breadcrumb Crust

Fine Herbs and Truffle Oil 

cobia, mussles & crab with vegetables in espelette-fennel broth, spiced cashews, scallions.

Sauteed red bell peppers, fennel & oyster mushrooms

Pan seared Cobia, steamed Dunganess Crab & PEI Mussles

Fennel-Espelette Pepper Broth

Espelette Pepper toasted cashews & chopped scallions

Whats "Espelette Pepper" you ask? 

Piment d'Espelette comes from a variety of chili pepper grown in France, in the commune of Espelette. It is sweet, and flavorful with mild spice, and is an absolutely cherished part of French gastronomy. It is one of my favorite spices, and I use it regularly to add something special to a dish.

pan seared ono and pork belly, with soasted brussle sprouts & cippolines, pommes puree, lemon herb beurre blanc

          

Pan seared Ono & Pork Belly 

Roasted Brussle Sprouts & Cippolines

Pommes Puree with Celeriac

Lemon-Herb Beurre Blanc

Cabbage Flower to garnish

This one is a real crowd pleaser, you can honestly put just about any protein in place of the Ono and pork belly, and it'll work out. I made a similar version at home with pork chops, and my house mates loved it. 

Also, I want you all to know I'm never going to surrender my complete recipes to you.

However, I am going to throw you one today, and maybe some cool techniques here and there. Because I'm a grown-up, and I can meet you in the middle. 

BEURRE BLANC (a-la-cassina)

-Literal translation: "white butter"

-This is a classic french sauce, you really cant go wrong with Beurre Blanc. Its an emulsion, which means you are literally suspending the fat molecules from the butter and cream, in the white wine. Like other emulsions, ie hollandaise or bernaise, it can break, so follow directions and don't try to rush it. For goodness sake, cook over medium low heat. 

-What you need:

--heavy cream, no more than a cup

--1 lb of butter---COLD---that's important

--1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

--finely chopped rosemary and/or thyme

--1 lemon

--1/4 cup white wine

--salt to taste

First, chop your butter into small cubes, throw it in the freezer before you start the rest. Use a little oil to sweat out the onions (cook em slow till transluscent) over med-low heat. Throw the chopped herbs at the end, and toast them lightly. Then, add the white wine and reduce over med heat (REDUCE: cook it down, let the water evaporate from the wine, it'll get thicker, and literally reduce to a smaller amount. You want the liquid to be at a steady simmer, or low boil). Add half a cup of the cream, turn the heat down a little to med-low, and reduce that as well. Next, whisk in the cold butter cubes a little at a time until the sauce is as thick, and buttery as you like it. Add salt and lemon juice last to taste. 

 

fried quail with bourbon-orange-clove bbq sauce, crispy brussle sprouts, smoked blue cheese

Quail dredged in rice flour, and tossed in...

Makers Mark-Orange Zest-Clove BBQ sauce

Duck Fat Braised Brussle Sprouts, crisped with butter.

Smoked Blue Cheese

Micro Spring Mix

fried shrimp and scallops in roasted tomato and red pepper broth, with grilled leeks, marcona almonds, & sweet paprika oil

Shrimp & Scallops fried in Butter and Fine Herbs

Roasted Red Pepper & Roasted Heirloom Tomato Broth

Grilled Leeks

Crushed, Toasted Marcona Almonds

Smoked Sweet Paprika Oil

pan seared pheasant with carrot-clove puree, bacon-potato hash, wilted spinach & pork belly jus

Went into work the other day and was delighted to be put in charge of the entree special for the night, usually the grill cooks job, a nice change from appetizer specials. So I made this, because it was nasty and cold, and well, we live in Wyoming. I figured everyone needed some primal needs met...like bacon, potatoes, vegetables, protein, noms.

Pan Seared-Butter Basted Pheasant

Wilted Baby Spinach

Sweet Potato-Blue Potato-Bacon-Oyster Mushroom Hash

Creamed Carrot & Clove Puree

Pork Belly Braising Liquid Reduced with Shallots & Wine

lamb, elk & porkbelly meatballs with roasted tomato sauce, braised shallot, arugula & pecorino romano

So meatballs are literally my absolute favorite food to make, and to eat. Sauce included. You can't have meatballs without homemade sauce. My closest friends know, meatballs are how I show affection. The love is palatable. Because I freaking love when my friends eat my food, especially my saucey meatballs. I'm not going to give any more of a description for this one, actually, because you can kick rocks if you think I'm gonna share my meatball secrets, or my saucey ones.

steamed mussles in chardonnay-butter-lemon sauce with roasted beets, purple carrots & endive

We often have lots of mussles to use up at work, so it comes down to creativity. How many ways can
I make em? This was tonight's...

Prince Edward Island Mussles Steamed 

Rosemary-Lemon-Honey-Butter

Thyme

Chardonnay

Chicken Stock

Roasted Beets

Purple Carrot Curls

Raw Endive

pheasant fricassee with blue potatoes, carrots & fennel

Pheasant Slow Cooked in Butter, Lemon & Rosemary

Parmesiano Reggiano Rind-Fennel -Chicken Consume... 

...Finished with Butter, Cream, Shallots

Butter and Herb Sauteed Carrots, Fennel & Blue Fingerlings. 

purple potato, tasso ham & cauliflower au gratin with smoked maple cheddar cheese & pickled vegetables

THIS: UGH:

Purple Fingerling Au Gratin with Maple Smoked Cheddar
 
Tasso Ham & Cauliflower 

Pickled Onions, Carrots, Celery, Fennel

 

black sea bass, shrimp & mussle-citrus ceviche

Black Sea Bass, PEI Mussles, and Tequilla Marinated Shrimp in Citrus Juices, Herbs&Spices

Citrus Pickled Vegetables; Red Onion, Bell Peppers, Cucumber

Corn Tortilla Chips with Salt and Lime

Fresh Avocado

Micro Mint-Lavendar

steamed mussles and crispy pork belly with basil fennel cream, grilledleek salad, and chamomile honey

Maine Mussles steamed in wine, butter, herbs.

Crispy pork belly.

Basil fennel cream.

Grilled leek-carrot-fennel salad

Chamomile-Rosemary Infused Honey

Micro Chives 

Micro Turnip Greens 

honey, beet, lemon and herbal tea infused medley

So, today is "Ground Hog Day," a holiday that seems completely obscure and unnecessary...however the origins of the "holiday" are really rather beautiful. The day has evolved through time...

IMBOLC: a Pagan celebration observing the half-way point between the Winter Solstice, and the Vernal Equinox; the re-awakening of the sun, and the prevailing victory of light over darkness in our days.

DAY OF SAINT BRIGHID: Brighid was a goddess associated with the celebration, until the Catholic Church got a hold of the whole shin-dig, and named her a Saint. It's the Christianized version of Imbolc. 

CANDLEMAS: The Christian holiday based on the Pagan Celebration Imbolc, but re-staged, as the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, as described in the Book of Luke. 

GROUND HOG DAY: A North American holiday, when Punxsutawney Phil, a Ground Hog, awakes from hibernation, and decides, with his shadow, how much longer winter will last..... 

For a holiday with so much history and such lovely origins (kinda got weird after the Pagans), I couldn't help but think all day about the sun re-awakening, and the earth budging from its icy covers. I wanted my special at work tonight to reflect how I feel about my favorite celestial body getting stronger, and eventually beckoning Spring. I thought about it for a while, and then it came to me: BEES. It's all about bees and honey and pollination and plants and oxygen and water and SUNLIGHT. So....honey all up in my special, along side a few earthy, vibrant themes that seemed appropriate. (LEMON & HERBAL TEAS)

Honey Glazed, Lemon Verbena Poached Baby Beets

Butter and Honey Braised Shallots

Fennel & Arugula Salad

Lemon-Chamomile Apple Sauce

Beet-White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Beet, Thyme & Verbena Infused Honey

Mint

pan seared tile fish, on beet and endive chutney, in grilled zucchinibowls

Pan seared Tile Fish

Beet, Endive & Honey Chutney

Grilled Zucchini Rounds

Creamed Parsnip Puree

Allspice Carrot Puree

Micro Greens

oxtail golumpki with butternut squash mash, and roasted red pepper vinagrette

GOLUMPKI: 

Polish cabbage wrapped dumpling, traditionally stuffed with rice and meat and onions, baked in a red sauce.

THIS:

Cabbage leaves stuffed with oxtail, fennel, carrots, spices, herbs, buttah. 

Mashed butternut squash

Roasted red pepper vinaigrette 

Micro Chives

Micro Turnip Greens

mini shepherds pie with creamed sweet peas and port wine reduction

I luh dis.

Crispy Pork Belly and Bacon
Roasted Carrots, Fennel, Onion, Corn, Peas
White Sweet Potatoes
Creamed Sweet Pea Puree
Port Wine Reduction
 

pan seared scallops with parsnip-apple-fennel puree, beets, mushrooms & iverico ham

Pan Seared Scallops
Roasted Beets
Beet Vinagrette
Crispy Iverico Ham 
Fried Oyster Mushrooms
Apple-Fennel-Parsnip Puree
Micro Greens

warm black sea bass & pork belly salad in radicchio leaves, with burdock root-ginger puree

DIS IZ:


Pan Roasted Black Sea Bass & Pork Belly 
Warm Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Carrots, Fine Herbs
Radicchio Leaves
Burdock Root & Ginger Puree

scallops with pine nut-oyster mushroom cream sauce and warm wintery medley

There's a lot going on here. Don't panic. Here's whats what...

Pan Seared Scallops

Pine Nut & Oyster Mushroom Cream Sauce

Warm Veg Salad: Haricot Verts, Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, Oyster Mushrooms, 

Pork Belly

Micro Flowers

Lemon Zest

pan seared pork belly with pickled tomatoes and interesting condiments.

Breakdown:

Carrot Top & Marcona Almond Pesto. 
Pan Seared Pork Belly Topped With Shaved Hard Boiled Egg
Black Garlic Aioli
Heirloom Tomatoes Pickled in Citrus & Fresh Herbs, Topped with Micro Chives

oxtail stuffed mushroom pouch on heirloom tomato sauce

Hey, Hi, Hello. Welcome. These are my noms; I wanted to share. Lets start with this mushroom pouch thing I ran as a special at work tonight. It was my second time trying this idea out, and I dig it.

This here is a portabella and roasted red pepper pouch, filled with braised oxtail, on roasted heirloom tomato sauce. Pecorino Romano and basil on da top.