Crispy Summer Squash Blossoms...

A Taste of Provence, in every way that it can be!

Roasted Black Mission Figs...

Thyme, Black Pepper, Garlic and Late Harvest Zinfandel Vinegar in fuse these beauties...

The End is not the End...

The end of summer as it clearly shows is not the end of all things good in Seattle. Take a look at the latest shipment of local heirloom tomatoes just picked and still warm from the sun...

keep drooling for fall is almost here...

Brulee of Foie Gras...

Brulee of Hudson Valley Foie Gras

Foie Gras Marbre, Truffled Apricot Conserves, Blackberry Gastric, Pence Orchard Peaches and Pistachio Dust

Short and sweet...a dish from our chef's table recently. The post about what is up is on our sister site- cuisinierskitchen. More pictures soon to look at, contemplate and consider. Hope the month of August has been a good one.

Summer in Seattle Eye Candy...

each year, i look forward with much envy to receiving my weekly, and sometimes daily dose of wild mushrooms. in this case today, it was the yellow chanterelles and lobster mushrooms. they grow wild in the northwest and never seem to dull my thoughts of cooking with them. i wanted to share these beauties with you with hopes that it may inspire you to obtain some and get cooking!

small and large lobster mushrooms

fresh yellow button and medium sized chanterelles

a small palmfull of chanterelles moments after they arrived...

moments after that, they were on a dish or stuffed Pacific Skate Wing!

Summer Tastes...

and so it was...in the middle of our summer in the Northwest, the menu inspired by the ingredients that lay before me, crafted and presented for a few colleagues from the past. It reminded me of why I do what I do~cook! I hope you enjoy this little peek of what is happening at the club!

an inspiration by our CIA extern-Richard Ahloo!

asparagus terrine/ goat cheese fondant/ shiitake chips/ black olive oil/ bachelor buttons

house cured bacon wrapped prawn/ corn pudding/ baby fennel/ heirloom tomatoes

plums/ tomato glass/ jus de poisson

seared branzino/ young "new yorker" tomatoes/ basil hot gelatin/ haricots verts/

tomato water/ organic australian olive oil

chilled crenshaw melon soup/dungeness crab/pickled watermelon rind/ trout roe/

lobster-vanilla oil/ bachelor buttons

Sous Vide at Home...

Another little bite for the 4th, was fresh Alaskan Halibut Cheeks, with an applied modern cooking technique, although a bit old for those that have been around longer than Paris Hilton, served up with Oranges, Fennel, Harissa and Olive Oil. Very tasty. Very Moist and tons of flavor. One of the best things about it, as I was cooking for friends at home was that I could marinate them, place them in a zip-lock bag and drop them in a 125 degree bath and practically forget about them for about an hour. Tre-cool.

Spicy 4th of July...

Here is just a little peak of one of the bites served up for the Independence Day Bash at the Beach Pad!

Bold...


Aggressive...


Sexy...


Spicy...


Savory and Intoxicating...


Nothing short of freakin awesome. If you can eat one, you won't stop till' their gone.

Spicy Braised Pork Shoulder "Slider"

Mango-Chili Relish, Orange-Paprika Aioli, Pickled Jalapenos, Cilantro

New Eye Candy...

For those that have just about given up...here are some recent shots of dishes to ponder. Enjoy.

shrimp,watermelon,fennel,lychee,pea blossom, yuzu

ahi tuna,fennel,pea tendrils,pea foam,crottin de chavignol,salmon candy chip

bison,fig pickled ramps,morels,cocoa-espresso foam,micro celery,manjari essence

robiola,cherries,dukkah,anise hyssop,marcona-px caramel

blackberry-tapioca brulee,pistachio chiffon,kumquats,lemon verbena ice cream

chocolate-caramel,feuillatine crunch

foie gras torchon,ras el hanout,rhubarb,buckwheat,apricot,amaranth,sauternes

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

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

Late Winter Tastes...

These dishes happen to come about from various thoughts, intuitions, ideas, inspirations and whims... all based on one thing, and one thing alone; ingredients. They are the harvest of the time spent(or not) conjuring up notions in one's head about how something or a grouping of things may taste together, how it will feel in the mouth, and taste on the palate. It is that thriving desire to create something good and all that it encompasses along the way, all for the stimulation of our intellect and for the excitement of the guest when they eat it. These are the "stories" of the outcome of a few...

Valrhona Manjari Tart

Hazelnuts/Melted Grapes/Kumquats/Vanilla/Red Wine/Huckleberries/Espresso

Verjus-Lime Soda

Melon/Fleur de Sel/Fennel/Coconut/Bacon

Farro & Truffle Stuffed Squid
Clams/Chorizo Dust/Radicchio/Cinnamon Cap Mushrooms

Foie Gras Charlotte
Quince/"Aztec"Potato Puree/Spice Cake/Gravenstein Apple Gastric

Ahi Tuna "Two Ways"
Seared Pave/Beet Tapioca/Fennel/Beet Sorbet
Tartare/Yuzu Pickled Watermelon Radish/Avocado Ice Cream/Micro Radish

Desserts Anyone?...

I always enjoy working on new dessert ideas and ultimately, creating and launching a new menu with them! I love dessert, plain and simple. And to get more closer to the point, chocolate! In all forms and fashion. It can have a direct sense of precision and playfulness that sometimes is not always obtainable with savory counterparts as things either cool down or heat up and thus makes the dish less than perfect for the guests. But with desserts, there is a place for that. Now do not get me wrong, restaurant pastry has to be served at proper temperatures and within "need-it-yesterday" guidelines as well, and I don't like things that have that sense that they were "played with" or "mis or overhandled". It has to be stellar. Tight. Full of flavor and goodness. If it isn't soigne, then scrap it. It becomes staff meal for sure. A couple of tastes that have left our shop this month. Savor...

Caramelized Pine Nut Tart

Rosemary Poached Pears/Salted Popcorn/Red Wine Syrup/Parmesan Ice Cream

Citrus-Champagne Sabayon

Blood Oranges/Pistachio Financier/Candied Fennel/Fennel Meringue/Chai Sorbet

Banana-Chocolate Charlotte
Caramel/Banana Brulee/Anglaise/Earl Grey Sherbet

Cupid's Sweet...
Manjari-Anise Bouche/Kumquats/Tapioca/Raspberry Polenta/Smoked Hazzelnut
Orange-Olive Sponge/Coffee-Caramel-Hazelnut Egg

Winter is here...

Here we are...in the middle of winter, and as always, we are searching long and hard to find things to inspire us to cook with. There is not a whole lot of new product in the northwest now, that we have not had for the last couple of months. And with nothing in the crosshairs until another couple months, it drives us crazy! We search for little nuances and whisps of ingredients that are perhaps new or overlooked in our repertoire. Something perhaps that a local farmer had forgotton about or was late in harvesting that could spark a new challenge. We start to investigate other sources to bring us the latest of finds from other locales. Are we cheating oursleves out of our own backyard foodstuffs? No, we are just typical cooks... striving and yearning for something more, some new twist and angle on a particular dish, a cut above the competition. But alas, we are all doing it for the most part, so we bare down and get creative with the same ol' same ol'. No worries. These tastes are merely new ideas on old combinations or visa versa. They represent a hibernating passion that has been burning inside which has manifested themselves into new twists of a particular theme or thought. Enjoy, we did.

shrimp/duck mayo/mussels-leek salad/"bouillabaise" gelee/oyster vinaigrette/garlic-potato foam

white chocolate/sturgeon caviar/smoked paprika/daikon radish and sprouts/salsifypreserved ginger branzini/corn/grits/micro celery/leeks/salsify/lobster nage
ahi tuna/lobster/smoked chili syrup/arugula/fennel

Savory and Seductive...

Flavors...seductive and savory abound. Grasps your soul and takes hold. You are in captivity of taste for the duration, and with any luck...for long after you have devoured your dish. And as Hetfield of 'Tallica belts out...the memory remains. Dishes like these touch us in a different way than counterparts of cuisine. They are rich, sensuous and sexy. They are fulfilling to cook and even more so to savor. Enjoy that notion of thought as we travel through the gallery of the moment...

Slow Braised Pork Belly/Smoked Maple/Chanterelles/Squash Blossoms/Micro Celery

Fire Roasted Foie Gras & Spices...Pure and Simple!

Braised Veal Cheeks/Arugula/Caramelized Onion/Crescenza/Olivetta

Rhubarb/Oven Dried Strawberries/Black Pepper/Almond Frangipane/Micro Lemon-Lime Basil

Braised Rabbit/Salsify/Kidneys/Crosnes/Oca/Celery Root Cake/Artichoke Foam

Seared Foie Gras/Persimmons/Chestnut/Pear/50 year-old Balsamic/Diver Scallop/Squash Crouton/Frozen Foie Gras