3.24.2007

Gypsy 3.0...

And so it was...another wonderful, passionate, intense, exciting and high-octane driven excuse to cook great food for a couple handfuls of foodies, hell bent for a gustatory fix! Gabriel and Heidi Claycamp, the owners of this sexy jewel of a "restaurant", albeit secretive and elusive, were gracious enough to invite me back. I was flattered and honored. I was overdue for a fix of my own, and so, with the RC cuisiniers in tow, I busted out a couple thoughts of taste, emailed them over and ventured onward towards our third showing of our craft. Here's how it went down~ the menu; described as current ideas of contemplation, meant to provoke thought in this clandestine locale was in short...a handful of bites, made up of sublime ingredients destined to be treated with love and respect and served to those with a hard-on for a good food experience!


We started with "savory snacks"(prosciutto-parmesan palmiers,salumi-robiola picks,shiitake-goat cheese 'crisps and truffled popcorn) to get the tastebuds working, which was followed by our amuse of the night(rolled maine lobster omelete,tomato jam, smoked paprika-pepper meringue,micro fennel) put forth to tease our thirst for luxury. In consideration of luxury- the next bite(diver sea scallop ceviche,cara cara orange,salmon candy, sturgeon caviar,micro RC greens and lobster oil) ponied up quite well as almost a sequel to the amuse! The Wild Hamachi Toro(hamachi toro,grilled abalone mushroom,soy-honey-shallot reduction,petit arugula,house made sake sabayon) served next, was one of the most exciting of stops we pulled out that evening. Rich, intoxicating and seemingly sinful...a luxurious slab of fatty belly torched to order "a'la Nobu".
Our next offering..."Candy for Chef's"(seared Hudson Valley foie gras, smoked cashews, toasted buckwheat cookies, pears, cabernet jelly, sarba and cocoa foam) or foie gras as it were. Silky and devilish, so tasty it


should be illegal. Oh yea...to some...it is! Hawaiian Ahi Tuna(pan roasted loin, stuffed with lamb tongue-caramelized onion-hedgehog mushrooms, maple glazed pork belly, baby carrot "vinaigrette", fennel froth and micro kohlrabi) paired with the unctuousness of the smoked maple glazed Kurobuta Pork Belly- this was one that was meant to kick ass! It did. Void was the desire to serve a "mezzo" as customary...instead, sheer savoriness was peaking at the onslaught of our olive oil poached American Bison(olive oil poached loin, celery root-parsnip puree, fregola sarda, truffles, demi thumbelina carrots, artichoke chip,argan oil and a black peppercorn essence); meaty and earthy from the Truffled Fregola Sarda...need I say more?!?
And who doesn't love artisan cheese(Old Chatham Camembert, strawberries charred ala plancha, micro celery, pedro ximenez syrup, fleur de sel)? Slightly sweet, pure as butter from New York- Old Chatham Camembert with it's ultra smooth paste

of cow's and barely legal sheep's milk in a slightly acidic, beautiful bloomy rind. The PX reduction was a perfect foil. Another simple course found us plating a playful signature~ the Faberge Egg(hazelnut custard, manjari ganache, fleur de sel, coffee-caramel foam and a bittersweet chocolate "chip"); a delicate Hazelnut custard served "en chemise" with it's tasty accomplices of Rhubarb and Pistachio Gelato.
The "still life" of mignardises(blackberry-lemon verbena vodka pate de fruits, fennel meringue wafer, foie gras "marbre", praline chocolate "silk"), dropped in to close the deal, was a vertical presentation of tastes~ to nibble...to take home...to leave for dead or if desired, used as collateral for some sensual trade later. Isn't that what we as










chef's strive to ultimately achieve??? A meal so sexy, so sensuous that it would lead our diners to a state of ecstasy? Food can be euphoric, intoxicating, even addictive. It is for me anyway!





And so it was...another wonderful evening soire at Gypsy, made possible by my comrades along side me; Rudy Guerrero, Tyler Anderson and Maria Lodyguina who logged time in the cocina, Gabe and the folks from Gypsy, and the now glassy-eyed victims of overindulgence. Until next time~cuisinier

3.17.2007

There is hope...

I know I am desperate need of new photos for the gallery! Most of them have been posted on her sister site...cuisinierskitchen. But do not worry, we are doing a uber-cool dinner tomorrow night for gypsy and there are certainly going to be new thoughts, ideas and flavors that we have been working on, tasting and perfecting. Look for those shortly. In good food and cooking...cuisinier