“This is truly the dining experience of a lifetime,” said Event Chairperson Deana Blackburn. “Rarely are such powerful forces of the culinary world joined together at the same time, in the same place. We are truly honored to have them.” The weekend’s festivities kick off at an exclusive champagne reception on the eve of the dinner, where guests and members of the media can meet and mingle with the culinary quartet. The main event commences with an open-air cocktail hour, during which guests will have a chance to observe the artists at work in the Blackburns’ private kitchen. Afterward, guests are treated to a dinner menu crafted by all four chefs collaboratively and accompanied by expertly selected wine pairings. A photo-op and post-dinner cordials bring the evening to a close. Tickets and corporate sponsorships are available through the HCSOF website,www.hcsof.org, and individual tickets start at $2,500.

While I love trying out a new restaurant, my taste buds were demanding excellence. I needed a restaurant that I knew had consistently good food with reasonable prices (Ireland made out like a bandit with a large chunk of my bank account). We decided that there is no better place than one of Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurants- DBGB Kitchen and Bar.

So often, world renowned chefs create an “empire” which includes a string of restaurants in New York and outside of it – take Batali/Bastianich, Colicchio,  or Jean-Georges for example. It is nearly impossible to maintain perfection at each location and more often than not they are not able to maintain consistence at each venue. The obvious reason is that they can only be in one kitchen at any given time. There are obvious exceptions to the rule – Jean-Georges and Daniel Boulud are two impressive examples.

The interior design of DBGB is one of the alluring aspects of the dining experience. The floor to ceiling shelving is stacked, but not cluttered, with copper pots donated by world renowned chefs. The dining room is very spacious, with a partially open kitchen and warm tones of dark stained furniture. There is just enough space between tables in the dining room to make you feel like you are dining outside of New York City.

Grilled Burgundy Snail Brochette

We started the meal with the Grilled Burgundy Snail Brochette served with black radish, jalapeno slaw and a sorrel salad. The flavor combination of the dish as a whole was impressive. The plating was beautiful, snails were cooked well and no single aspect of the dish overpowered another.

“The Louisiane”

“The Coreanne”

“The Toscane”

As an entree, we shared three of their twelve signature sausages: “the Coreanne”, a korean- style pork sausage with cucumber-bok choy pickle, spicy kim chee coulis and shrimp chips, “the Louisiane”, a New Orleans- style garlic and pepper andouille, crayfish and ham gumbo and fried okra and “the Toscane”, an Italian sausage with slow cooked fennel and tomato, chili and garlic. All were extremely enjoyable, but we found the Toscane to be a little bland. In comparison to the explosive flavors found in the other two dishes, this dish was pretty boring as a whole.

Desserts are the only inconsistency we could find in our past few experiences at DBGB. We could not resist the sundaes that pranced passed our table throughout our dinner. We indulged in the chocolate-hazelnut, which was consistent with any ice cream shop sundae, and the raspberry-mascarpone sundae, which was cavity inducing… far too sweet.

Above all, it is important to mention that the service is always impeccable at DBGB. Water glasses are always filled, table cleared efficiently and the staff is knowledgeable without being pushy.

DBGB Kitchen and Bar

299 Bowery  New York, NY 10003

(212) 933-5300

#29 Boulud Sud

Persian spiced day boat scallops $32

To some extent, it seems that scallops have made their way onto every menu in the city and have lost some of their culinary luster. However, these slightly charred, creamy morsels were a wonderful deviation from the common combinations I often encounter. Four thick and meaty scallops, placed on a bed of local corn, chanterelle mushrooms and hearty pearl couscous (also known as Israeli couscous). The base was a buttery emulsion of smoky Persian spices, like luxurious cumin or slightly sweet nutmeg. The slices of marinated cucumber and shaved radish were a smart addition. The most considerate compliment to the dish, however, was the handful of edible flowers that the chef had sprinkled on top. 

Chicken tagine $28

Tagines are one of my favorite Mediterranean dishes. Of course, I love the tagine pot, with its big, funnel-shaped lid and wide bowl. The flavors are even better. In this case, the chef had prepared a fun and complexly-flavored chicken dish. The meat was crunchy on the outside yet moist in the middle. There were also turnips, wilted spinach and potent shreds of preserved lemons. All of this was lightly seasoned and seeped in a deeply flavorful jus.

While brief, our meal gave us ample opportunity to savor Chef Daniel Boulud’s excellent interpretations of Mediterranean cooking. Opened in 2011, Boulud Sud is the newest property in Boulud’s empire, a fact that seems apparent in the clean and muted décor and the carefully constructed, subtly flavored dishes. The menu (perhaps a bit too large for my taste) draws from both the sea and the farm, affording an interesting assortment of fish and meat. And, although we skipped dessert, it looks like there are some impressive options. Almost everyone around us was eating the bright grapefruit givré. You’ll have to let me know what it’s like.

Note: Boulud Sud is a bit formal, full of pre and post theater diners but there’s a more casual seating area at the front.

Boulud Sud

20 W. 64^th St.

212-595-1313

Expect to shell out about S$100 for lunch per person.

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue. http://www.danielnyc.com/dbbistrosingapore.html. Tel (65) 6688-8525.

That’s what Daniel Boulud had to say on CNBC’s Squawk Box the other day and no, he didn’t mean the sort who get invited onto morning financial shows and those who do not. Talking up his empire — including his 14th restaurant, coming soon to Toronto — the master Frenchman chortled just a bit when the convo turned to conquering foodies on TV reality shows.

[np-related]

In that puckish way he has — mildly seared, with a light dressing of sarcasm — Boulud said of those particular game-players, it’s “an abuse of the word ‘chef.’ ”

OK, got it, chef. And something, surely, to keep in mind when Boulud — already a colonizer of cities ranging from NYC to Beijing, and most recently Montreal — touches down in the 416 come October, in the new Toronto Four Seasons. There is this thing called apprenticeship, or the School of Boulud, if you will: None of  his executive chefs will get to that station in their career until “seven to 10 years” of toiling with him first.

The obvious question, then? With all the pressures of such a wide bench, and the responsibilities that go along with being ambassador, CEO and recipe-maker/performer, how much time does Boulud actually spend in the kitchen?

Well, the happy epicurean revealed, in a 14- to 16-hour day — his typical work “day,” he says — he still spends “an average of six to seven hours in the kitchen.”

And now you know.

SCENE! HEARD!

Meanwhile, I see, I hear:
• That was Julianne Moore having a bit of a look-see inside the Pink Tartan store in Yorkville the other day.

And, oh:
•  That at the Gord Nixon tribute held the other night, Johann Koss just couldn’t help himself. “It is,” he quipped, “particularly unusual to hear such nice things about a banker.” The dinner, held here at the Westin Harbour Castle for Right to Play — the sporty NGO that’s the baby of the four-time Olympic gold-winning Koss — drew a predictably mixed crowd from the worlds of both biz and sport. And besides the scheduled I-love-you to Nixon — the Royal Bank’s grande fromage — there was a valentine to visiting British Open champ Ernie Els.

Lastly, yes:
•  A tingle went up many a glamourpuss’s neck on Wednesday when word got out that Toronto hairdresser Marc Greco had passed. A “secret weapon” to many a gal-about-town over the years, and a go-to for many a homemade mega-model — think Shalom Harlow and Jessica Stam — the coiffeur passed before his time, and is being remembered accordingly. Suzanne Boyd, a friend and experiment of Greco’s since 1985, tells me outright, “I did not do a mega-event without Marco.” Adds the local hall-of-fame fashionista: “He always made me fiercer.” A fixture at Angst Salon, on Queen East, the goth rock-ish hairdresser once spilled in an interview that he didn’t sleep the night before a big job. “Worry,” he said, “keeps me humble.”

As much as getting to try some truly fantastic wines, I was really looking forward to going to a top shelf NYC restaurant—db Bistro Moderne, owned by the renowned Daniel Boulud, with the food prepared by executive chef Laurent Kalkotour. I had the chance to sneak into the kitchen for a few shots as he and his staff plated the 4 course meal.

For more info on the wines click here: Georges Duboeuf

Sirloin Burger Filled with Braised Short Ribs, Foie Gras and Black Truffle, Served on a Parmesan Bun with a light horseradish sauce. (Quite possibly the best slider I will ever have.)

Franck Duboeuf

Legumes Du Marché: Young Garden Vegetables, Fromage Blanc Dressing, Lavender Honey Vinagrette.

Executive Chef Laurent Kalkotour

Plating the Seafood Risotto

Seafood Risotto: Black Sea Bass, Scallops, Squid, Cockles, Fennel, Tomato Confit, Fumet Emulsion.

Dou of Beef: Braised Short Ribs, Beef Tenderloin, Spring Vegetables, Sauce Bordelaise.

(left to right) Franck Duboeuf, Georges Duboeuf, Peter Deutsch

For years, they drove on by.

A group of Westporters plans to change all that.

Earlier this month Ted Stonbely, his wife Colleen Cook, and her brother Wirt Cook took over the place. When they reopened 3 days later, they’d already made  tweaks.

Bigger changes lie ahead. Including more outreach to folks down in these parts.

The proud owners of the Redding Roadhouse (from left): Ted Stonbely, Colleen Cook Stonbely, Karen Cook and Wirt Cook.Colleen and Wirt are Staples graduates.

Ted — he would have been a 1998 Staples graduate, but got shipped off to the Gunnery, then attended culinary school and worked for Daniel Boulud — and Colleen (Staples ’95) had wanted to open their own place for years.

But, he says, the New York restaurant scene is “difficult, expensive and frightening.”

A year ago, after their 2nd child was born, Ted and Colleen moved to Weston. Two main reasons: quality of life, and restaurant opportunities.

Last July, Ted heard the Redding Roadhouse was available. But the space — including a huge dining area, bar, outdoor patio and little-used upstairs room — seemed daunting.

Ted and Colleen looked some more. Nothing clicked.

But when Wirt and his wife Karen said they’d help, the challenges of the Redding Roadhouse seemed manageable. Fortunately, it was still available.

The Redding Roadhouse

Since opening July 5, the owners have pared down the main menu; added local produce; introduced a bar menu; painted the outside, and erected a fence.

They’re tackling the upstairs space — the “Mark Twain Room,” named for Redding’s most famous resident, which had been mostly dark.

They’ll redo the dining room, tap room and patio too. “We’re giving this a new identity,” Ted says.

He calls the new Roadhouse “modern casual American. There’s no airs. Wirt has worked in New York kitchens for 10 years — places like Butter and The Darby — so he brings a great touch to comfort food. He’s got a nice, elevated style.”

Ted says that in recent years, the Roadhouse “moved away from families.” With 2 kids of their own, he and Colleen knew exactly what was needed: a kids’ menu. It’s already very popular.

The dining room will be updated before the end of summer.

The owners are moving the live music from the bar in front to a secondary room. “A lot of people like music. But you shouldn’t have to listen to it if you don’t want to,” Ted says.

Added to the roster of rock and country bands will be local favorites like Dylan Connor, Mark Mollica and Merritt Jacob. In addition to being great musicians, they’re Ted and Colleen’s friends.

The Redding Roadhouse traditionally drew from surrounding towns like Bethel, Danbury, Ridgefield and Easton.

“We’re looking south too,” says Ted. “We want to get Westport and Fairfield involved. There are plenty of people there who know and appreciate good food, and want to have a good time.”

One of those good times is Oktoberfest. Redding Roadhouse did it in the past.

Ted, Colleen, Wirt and Karen have their eye on that too.

“We’ll make it even bigger,” Ted says. “We’ll have an outside beer hall.

“And it will run all through October.”

Because I have small hands, I was in charge of Daniel Boulud’s signature “Scallops in Black Tie” dish. The dish is truly beautiful: scallops cut and layered with sliced black truffles, wrapped in spinach leaves, then encased in a puff pastry. Once golden brown, you cut it open to reveal a beautiful trio of colors. It took me 3 hours to make the following 12 … but they were pretty sexy. (Sorry for the bad picture quality–they were taken on my cell.)

I hadn’t been to Daniel before, but I had been to another Boulud restaurant, DB Bistro, which was excellent for a somewhat fancy lunch. I knew Daniel would delight us, and it lived up to that expectation.

Every great restaurant in New York has incredible bread. This is why I’m fat. That beautiful bread boy comes at you with a basket of at least five different kinds, and you can choose two without feeling greedy. He will return later in the meal, at which point you can get two more. Now, that’s at lunch or dinner, and if you enjoy two gourmet meals in the city that can add up to eight bread servings in one day. Easily. Note that this is the kind of bread you don’t even feel guilty about eating. It’s that good. Pictured above is a baguette and a crispy garlic roll that was so good, vampires wouldn’t even stay away. Terrible joke. Wow.

No matter how many courses you think you ordered, tack on two more, because there will be a chef’s course (pictured above) and a bonus dessert or two. This was a study in carrot.

My amazing aunt’s “crab salad…”

My char three ways…

Veal three ways…

Desserts galore…Chocolate…

Cherry…

Chocolate coconut…

And if you’re lucky, you fit through these doors at the end. Thanks for a great night, Daniel.

A quick note about my fine dining adventures in New York City.

For years I’ve been spoiled hard by a lovely and very generous aunt and uncle who whisk me off to the City for theater and fine dining at places like Jean Georges, Le Bernardin and my all-time favorite, Bouley. When you get down to it, this is the source of my foodbitchyness. It’s where I discovered that dining can be a choreographed, special exprerience. It’s the birthplace of my love of fine dining, and I’m really effing lucky to get to enjoy it over and over on a semi-regular basis with some of my favorite people in the best city in the world for food. I highly, highly recommend you invest in a good meal at one of these places. A fixed price lunch is really all you need. It’s an experience unlike any other, and it will spoil you for life. 

Juvia is an indoor and outdoor restaurant/lounge, located on the rooftop of 1111 Lincoln Road. We took the private elevators on the corner of Lincoln Road and Lenox Avenue to the penthouse level. We were happy to find out our table was outside.

It was love at first sight!

The rooftop has a beautiful vertical garden, limestone tabletops and hand-woven chairs. The roof is retractable, so even when it rains you can still enjoy beautiful views of South Beach’s Art Deco District and the Atlantic Ocean. There is also a DJ playing groovy lounge music outside, which made our dinner experience even more enjoyable.
If you choose to sit inside, you can enjoy watching your food being prepared in the open kitchen and the panoramic views of Miami’s Upper Eastside and the Biscayne Bay.

The menu features dishes with French, Japanese and Asian and Peruvian influences, such as a Cold Bar, ceviches, tiraditos, crudos, seafood and prime meats.

To start, we ordered a Kobe Beef Carpaccio with a citrus-ponzu vinegar dressing, daikons and micro greens and a Causa Tuna Croquette with Peruvian potatoes, aji amarillo, red onions and micro cilantro.

Tuna Potato Causa Croquette

Kobe Beef Carpaccio

They were both wonderful. The carpaccio was very light and refreshing with the citrus-vinegar dressing. The Tuna and Potato Causa Croquette was the perfect combination of salty deep-fried fresh fish and potatoes with the sweet spiciness of the Aji Amarillo.
For the entrees, we chose the Pan Seared Duck Magret with roasted brussels sprouts, grilled endive and enoki mushrooms;

Pan Seared Duck Magret

Rack of Lamb with Quinoa Couscous, shimeji mushrooms and bok choy

Rack of Lamb with Quinoa Couscous

Chilean Seabass and the salmon with maple glazed eggplant, grilled heart of palm and micro basil

Chilean Seabass

Salmon

and from the charcoal grill, we ordered Beef Tenderloin with jasmine rice and season vegetables which was good, nut nothing to write home about.

Dessert’s Menu

Because the dessert is always the best part, we had to order the Roasted Pineapple with Macadamia Financier and Brown Butter Ice Cream, Chocolate Peanut Bar with Coconut Lime Sorbet, and the deconstructed Key Lime Pie. Even though the Chocolate Bar dessert is the most popular and raved about, my favorite was the Key Lime Pie. I loved the perfect marriage of the super tart Lemon Curd with the Meringue Fingers, it was magical! The Chocolate Bar was also good, but if you’re not a big fan of dark chocolate do not order it. The Pineapple Financier was also good.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

Key Lime Pie

The service started awful, with  servers nowhere to be found and the Sauvignon Blanc we ordered first being served when we were almost done with appetizers. The ice bucket provided for the wine apparently had no ice in it, because our wine was warm and nasty, and it took forever for somebody come by and refill our glasses. The problem was solved by the time we ordered the second bottle and as the place became less crowded service got better.

The ambiance is pretty chic, and the crowd is elegantly dressed, but it is not overly pretentious. The place was very packed for a Tuesday night, there were no empty tables.

Make sure you make reservations ahead of time, and be prepared to leave your credit card info so, if you don’t show up they will charge you. Juvia also e-mailed me a confirmation and called on the day of to “re-confirm” the reservation.

Overall it was an amazing experience, I loved loved loved this place, its views, ambiance and the food. I will definitely go back and recommend to anybody that is visiting Miami Beach.

Juvia is owned by restauranteurs Jonas and Alexandra Millan of Bonito restaurant in St. Barth. The executive chefs are Laurent Cantineaux,who is a protégé of Daniel Boulud’s, and Sunny Oh from Miami’s Nobu.The pastry chef is Gregory Gourreau, who worked with Alain Ducasse and François Payard.

Juvia Miami

(305) 763-8272

1111 Lincoln Road

He Graduated! “Attend culinary school” once loomed on the bucket list after years of working in the family’s catering business. Completed – check!

And look who met Chef Daniel Boulud and Chef Gavin Kaysen.

Big day. Awesome!

And we moved…to beautifully green Stowe. We’ll be here for the summer cooking goodies to share from the cutest little red cabin in the woods. Thanks to Annie and Joey for opening up their home to us for the summer. We promise to take good care of her and we’ll make sure she always smells delicious.

And finally, we’re helping out (Ok it’s mostly Harrison) on an organic produce and flower farm until September. We get to play in the dirt and bright sunshine and score some gorgeous veggies for true farm to fork meals. Another bucket list item underway… double check!

Now that you’re officially up to speed … let’s jump back into the kitchen shall we?!

Today’s recipe was inspired by the ripe rhubarb growing in our new backyard. “Hmm… what should we make” we said. Pies, tarts, jelly…nah, c’mon it’s us. Of course we’re christening the new country crib with some killer rhubarb and chipotle pork tacos. Let’s let loose. Ole!

Ingredients: 

• (2) small stalks of rhubarb – sliced thin
• Half can of chipotles (7 to 8 ounce can)
• (2) Pasilla Negro Chiles (dried and reconstituted)

• (2) small yellow onions – julienned
• (1) bulb of garlic - peeled and mashed
• (1) can of organic tomatoes and green chilis
• (3) bay leaves
• (1/3) bunch of fresh cilantro (ours freshly picked from Sandiwood Farm)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• (1/2) teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• (1/2) tablepoon of dried oregano or (3) tablespoons of fresh oregano
• (2) to (3) pounds of locally raised pork shoulder or butt – cut into chunks

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.

2. Brown off your pork in a large rondeau (or any other pot that you can transfer into the oven that allows room for the pork to be immersed in water to cook)

3. Remove your pork and set aside. Add your onion, garlic and rhubarb to your rondeau. Lightly sauté.

4. Add your remaining ingredients, including your pork, and a little water to cover your pork.

5. Cover your rondeau with foil and place in the oven for 4 – 5 hours until very tender.

6. Remove from oven and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes to rest. Then shred your pork and set aside for your tacos. (Tip: You can also sear your shredded pork in a pan with a little olive oil to crisp the outside and create a carnitas like texture…yum!)

7. Reserve your liquid with veggies and puree in a blender or food processor to make a hot salsa for your tacos.

8. Serve with tortillas, fresh salsa, chopped onion, fresh cilantro, scallion flowers and maybe a little pickled watermelon rind.

Enjoy!

Until we find fresh inspiration again,

A + H

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{Wishing all of you Dads out there a Happy Father’s Day today! To our Dads: We love you and thank you for all that you give and for your continued support as we navigate through this crazy thing called life. Today we celebrate you!}

via

Pate and Charcuterie

Daniel Boulud is one of the most highly acclaimed chefs in NYC, and I’m guessing the world.  All of his restaurants are unbelievable.  My Aunt Rose and third-cousin Angela were visiting from Arizona, so my mother, Mary, family friend Lorraine and I took them to Bar Boulud.  Bar Boulud is located directly across from Lincoln Center and is accessible via the 1 Train.  I’ve been there once before and fell in love.  I hope to be able to go to all of his other restaurants before I die or move out of NYC – whichever comes first.  It is a fine dining restaurant and the prices reflect that, but if your parents are visiting, you want to celebrate something and are willing to drop a little extra cash or you’re just a baller, I highly suggest you try it.

Aunt Rose, Lorriane, my mom, Mary

My cousin Angela and me

We started with a sampler platter of pate and charcuterie.  And also ordered a second pate with foie gras and truffle (see above photo.)  It was delicious.  My cousin was clearly scared to try the pate.  Sad, well I guess it’s okay because a) more for me and b) she doesn’t know what she’s missing.  It certainly looks a little strange if its your first time seeing it, but in situations like that you just have to take a bite and decide based on taste.  All delicious things do not look beautiful at first glance.  I personally think it looks beautiful, but I already know I like it.  Be adventurous!  Literally the worst thing that can happen is that you don’t like it and spit it out.  If something tastes unpleasant, the sensation last for about five seconds and I think we can all spare five seconds of our lives to try something that might be fantastic.  Okay rant over.

Beet Salad

The next thing I ordered was the beet and horseradish salad.  It tasted delicious.  The beets were basically minced and mixed with the horseradish so neither were distinguishable (in a good way.)  The greens on top were fresh and the vinaigrette was delicious.

Croque Madame

After that, my cousin and I split a Croque Madame.  A croque madame is the French equivalent (although 1000x better than) an American ham and cheese sandwich.  It’s served hot and has an egg on top.  Without the egg it is called a Croque Monsieur – because women have eggs and men don’t.  Paula Dean claims its because the French think with the egg it looks like a breast, but I think the explanation that females produce eggs is much smarter/real.  The meal was amazing and I cannot wait to go back and/or try other Daniel Boulud restaurants!

DB Bistro Moderne, Singapore

On a jaunt to Singapore we found ourselves in need of an early bird supper while walking past Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne at Marina Bay Sands. The “greeter” on the front desk didn’t crack a smile when we enquired about a table. Despite the earliness of the hour (5.30pm) and the emptiness of the restaurant she asked if we had a reservation. Nevertheless we were escorted to a perfectly nice spot in the leather banqueted main restaurant.

Thankfully the rest of the service was markedly friendly if a little haphazard at times (being told about a special cocktail not only after we had ordered but also received our aperitifs; being offered more bread when we had finished our main course).

We opted to share the home made charcuterie plate of terrines, rillettes and cured meats remembering how impressive it had been at Bar Boulud in London. The platter looked pretty enough but we could have sworn the one in London was bigger for a similar price (S$32). Even so it was tasty, particularly the foie gras pate and the duck rillette but the first basket of accompanying toast we were given was burnt. Then the second was toasted enough. Perhaps if we’d asked for a third it would have been just right.

Assiette Lyonnaise – charcuterie platter

The salads we choose to follow – heirloom tomato with goats cheese; and artichoke and fennel – were both delicious. With flavour packed produce and zingy dressings, they were light and refreshing – just what we wanted after the charcuterie.

My pudding was listed as a flourless chocolate cake but what came was a fondant. I was rather glad of the misrepresentation as this when I tasted this gooey centred gorgeousness. My husband’s choice of profiteroles came with a solid piece of chocolate atop which dissolved into a sauce – a neat trick. But why did they have to make the filling a coffee ice cream instead of the traditional vanilla?

We’d go back as the food is good and the staff, on the whole, pleasant but the service needs to step up a gear to match Daniel Boulud’s reputation.

The Chef

When I sat down with Ansel at his newly-opened Soho bakery to discuss some of his gluten-free treats, he rattled off a rather long, rather impressive list of options, along with dairy and sugar free items. “While working at Daniel, I always dealt with substitutions and allergies. When it came to making my own menu, I took that into account that I should have something special for everyone,” he began.

His philosophy about gluten-free baking is a simple one. He searches for the crème de la crème of European-style pastry recipes that are inherently gluten-free. While some flourless or gluten-free pastries can be rich and dense, Ansel prefers recipes and baked goods that are light and airy. A perfect example is the Torta de Santiago, or Spanish almond cake. In his signature pastry, the “miniature meringues”, aka Mini-Me’s, Ansel mixes four different textures of chocolate: moist flourless chocolate sponge, a creamy chocolate ganache, a lighter chocolate mousse, and crispy chocolate meringues with dusted cocoa powder on top.

Mini-Mes

Ansel also understands the importance of having a well trained staff who understand food allergies and who can articulate to patrons what options are available to them, depending upon their individual situation. Additionally, the bakery crafts pre-marked menus for staffers that list which items are gluten-, dairy-, sugar- and nut-free to eliminate any confusion.

Ansel is no stranger when it comes to understanding, how important it is to know what we put in our food. Following college, he worked as a chef for two years before becoming trained as a pastry chef in Paris. After spending eight years in Paris, he was introduced to Daniel Boulud who offered him a job in New York. Once in New York, he realized how prominent food allergies are in America and began adapting and amending menus to accommodate everyone. “We would make at least one dairy-, nut- and gluten-free pastry option at Daniel,” he said.

Below is a list ofthe gluten-free items available:

Mini-Me

Torta de Santiago

Flourless chocolatecookie

macarons

Dining out is always an adventure as I discovered during my recent week-end jaunt to New York City.

The first stop was a quick visit to the Shake Shack on a late Friday afternoon. Cute concept but this experience was the beginning of the assault on my Canadian taste buds.  I found the burger and fries incredibly salty but I did manage to finish them both.  The star (I am told) at the Shake Shack is the custard, which sadly and regrettably I did not try but will when I next visit New York City. The

Shake Shack (Photo credit: Kwong Yee Cheng)

Shake Shack, with multiple locations, is part of the Danny Meyer Union Square Group Hospitality empire.

Blue Fin is a long-time favorite.  As the name suggests this is actually a seafood restaurant attached to the W Times Square however it is my go to place for brunch or breakfast.  Overlooking a prime corner in Times Square, the people watching is sublime and the food is good. The sometimes slow service just allows for more time to check out Minnie and Mickey and exasperated New Yorkers as they try to navigate the throngs of wide eyed first time ever to New York tourists.  Blue Fin has been a gem and I take full credit for the discovery.  I was seduced to enter by its locale and it has become a must whenever I visit New York City.

Saturday night was the Spotted Pig in the West Village and well the experience was spotty.  This restaurant/pub landed on a number of best of lists during my pre-trip internet search.  How can so many people get it all so terribly wrong?  After getting there at a respectable if decidedly late 10:30pm there was still an hour wait to be seated no doubt due to the hype and its small size.  But that was okay, we had arrived at the Spotted Pig.  After nibbling away at crostini and cocktails at a local bar several blocks away (more on this later), we trekked back to the Spotted Pig in the pouring rain I might add.   Indifferent service, salty food and an underwhelming atmosphere makes for one huge disappointment. I politely informed the waiter about the high salt content of my main course steak (that I could not finish) after digesting a salty starter.  I attributed my reaction to the starter once again to my Canadian taste buds and my sense of healthy living but could not ignore the salt content of the steak. The waiter said sorry – he would inform the kitchen.  He never returned.  And neither will I.

Frankie’s, the in-between spot where I spent my hour waiting to be seated at the Spotted Pig, is what traveling is all about – the discovery of a great little place that you can call your own and are just happy to have stumbled upon. Cool cocktails and delicious mini crostini’s. I sampled the avocado, cheese and honey and mackerel creations. Sheer perfection!

After having dinner at DB Bistro Moderne in mid-town – a restaurant I have had on my list for a couple of years – I am happy to report that I had a blissful meal.  Efficient and attentive service, delicious, creative food and the atmosphere together made for a winning combination.  Dinner was an appetizer portion of sagnarelli pasta – light and fresh accompanied with bread sticks and bread.  The Spring Vacherin dessert was simply sublime – a complex mix of mascarpone cream, pistachio streusel, raspberries, ice cream and sorbet. The pistachio ice cream was delectable. And our genial waiter complimented the meal with a  basket of hot madeleines and some mini desserts.  The meal for two was less than $100. I have no doubt I would have paid substantially more in Toronto for an inferior product.  The DB in DB Bistro Moderne stands for Daniel Boulud, who is coming to Toronto via the new Four Seasons hotel later this year.

Red Rooster, the Harlem hip spot by Ethiopian born, Swedish raised transplanted New Yorker Marcus Samuelsson, made me happy to be in New York. Nice vibe, superb service (witty and friendly waiter), good food and the pleasing décor did not go unnoticed. Note – the Reverend Calvin Butts was at the table next to me.  I had tried for Saturday night and Sunday night reservations two weeks in advance but alas could only secure lunch for Monday afternoon.  A lunch of corn bread, Fried Chicken (Fried Yard Bird in Red Rooster parlance), mac and greens with sweet potato doughnuts for dessert were the perfect start for my last day in New York. Thank-you Marcus Samuelsson.

Miss Lily’s Bake Shop and Melvin’s Juice Box in Greenwich village was on my list but I sadly did not visit due to time constraints. In addition to the places above, I shopped, strolled and viewed four movies as part of the Tribeca film festival.   The shops would have taken me back to my Jamaican roots and a New York Times article has declared Melvin as New York’s first celebrity Juicer.

I look forward to sampling the delights of the Belle Province when I visit Montreal in July.  I am targeting Chuck Hughes and his old Montreal bistro.  I can’t wait.

A Feast at The FAT DUCK

10:38pm Late September 2011 a “rain” of emails from my old buddy Spike in London, came pouring down on me: Hey Buddy – we have a table for lunch @ the Fat Duck next Tues. – really really really looking forward to it buddy sweet dreams SPIKEY X”
“The table is booked 12.30 as that was all they could get so we have 2 leave earlier – fergus p.r@ st J. did it & he said it was a right carry-on lets make sure we get there on time innit?
looking forward 2 it buddy sweet dreams SPIKEY X”
The buzz of enthusiasm caught me as well, a visit to the Fat duck, is a meal I “promised” myself for the last 10 years (since the Restaurant got its first Michelin Star) and the raves regarding a new star in the culinary sky started to tickle my taste buds and imagination, but somehow I never got down to arranging it well ahead enough and kept missing my opportunities for a meal at “The Restaurant at the end of the Universe”. This is: “The ultimate hot spot for an evening of apocalyptic entertainment and fine dining, where the food (literally) speaks for itself”. (From “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe”, by Douglas Adams.).
Spike, through his web of connections finally managed to arrange a meal at the Fat Duck, the restaurant that serves Bacon and egg ice cream, snail porridge and all, molecular cooking (As it is often described in the media)
 Such a sense of culinary anticipation had not struck me since I (obsessively) dined, ( 20 years earlier), with the world greatest: Fredy Girardet, Joel Robuchon, Bernard Loiseaux, George Blanc, Jacques Lamellose, Pierre Gagnaire, Alain Ducasse, Marco Pierre White, Pierre Koffman, Daniel Boulud to name but a few…
As a matter of fact I like this feeling of tastes and flavors hype that engulfs you at a perfect meal, (a kind of addiction), it is as if these guys (Top Chefs), know of the anticipation and expectations most of their customers come with… and have this magic touch to form the perfect setting for that very day, for the man who came to dine (ME). I must admit I’m not much into culinary terms such as Molecular gastronomy or molecular cooking as the “great” Mr. Herve This, calls the cooking at El Bulli or The Fat Duck, or the “late” term”: nouvelle cuisine”, which is actually an old term (since the 1740s) used throughout the centuries for anything new at the time, in the preparation combination or presentation of food, for example, the cooking of Vincent La Chapelle 1735, or François Marin was described as nouvelle cuisine of the time, in 1890s the cooking of the great Auguste Escoffier, the epitome of traditional cuisine was described with the term “The modern” – Nouvelle..
 I like restaurants that try and succeed to “give pleasure and meaning to people through the medium of food”. As our host Heston Blumenthal neatly put it: “Build food while predicting the effect on the eater.”
We did arrive on time, and Bray is not a big place, but if you don’t look up and catch a glimpse of the Restaurants Logo you will not find it as it is well hidden behind the walls a modest looking English country House, no boasting, very dignified, and we missed it (what anticipation does to you…) so we strolled up the street to peek inside the ‘The Hinds Head Pub’ 30 yards down the road and ask for DIRECTIONS. You open the door yourself (I like that), it feels like entering your own home, no gate keepers, or other paraphernalia which is inseparable in some 3 Michelin star restaurants. Thank God I can’t stand these tedious manners.
They let you settle down and do all the necessary bits and bobs of bread, water and wine. Which is if you think about it a necessity of any restaurant, but also a traditional welcome almost in all cultures: bread and water or bread and wine were served as a welcome gesture since biblical times.

So we ordered a 2004 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, Boudriotte, Domaine Ramonet That went very well with the first half of the dishes in the menu.
Now we are “all set” as the restaurant needs our full attention with the opener which I would call an Amuse-bouche, usually a “mouth amuser” which serves here as a Meal amuser The LIME GROVE- Nitro poached     green tea and Lime mousse.   The liquid Nitrogen is bubbling and evaporating in a white mist in a container into which a ball of lime mousse is tossed in and turned around in a freezing temperature of −196 °C as the mousse hardens, a dust

of green tea is sprinkled over and just before you’re requested to put it whole in your mouth the finishing touch of Lime fragrance is sprayed over your head and engulfs you with the aroma of lime inside and out and the mousse melts in your mouth as you bite the “hard / soft” ball of delight. It is fresh and fun and tingles your taste buds with the sense of fun it is intended, still with the correct concentration of the flavor of what it is meant to be: a lime mousse in a bite. Welcome to the Fat Duck, Here life is beautiful…
The theatrical curtain opener is over, but as in the theatre the show must go on and the first course is served: RED CABBAGE GAZPACHO served with ice cream of Pommery Grain Mustard.
Well, Pommery mustard, also known as Moutarde de Meaux, this is truly a culinary historic gem. This jewel of condiment comes from Meaux, France, (just northeast of Paris). It is said that French kings have been dining on this mustard since the early 1600s. Of all gourmet mustards, this particular mustards blend is on the top of the list, both for its richness and its simplicity. It is said that the secret recipe for pommery mustard originated with an ancient religious sect that lived in the town of Meaux,. In the year 1760, the secret was revealed to the Pommery family, and they have kept it safe ever since.

Back to the dish, though the photo speaks for itself, a deep purple smooth Gazpacho or traditional Russian Borscht (both would fit the description) decorated with a delicate grained white ice cream with a hint of very fine mustardy flavor that looked like the sun setting into an ocean of purple bliss,
 
as in the Deep Purple song Lalena that came right to my mind (press play to listen to the song as you read on, to ease the pain)

When the sun goes to bed

That’s the time you raise your head

That’s your lot and life, Lalena

Can’t blame ya, Lalena!

Lalena is the name of the Russian girl eating her Borscht and sour cream…
You dig? I can’t blame YA. Aren’t we having fun??? I am now as I was then, slurping the meticulously spiced almost “Gazpacho essence” with a morsel of ice cream to melt on my tongue on every bite.
We’re through the first two dishes and your Wineguide is giving you a “break”, as I was given between each and every dish (of around 15-20 leisurely moments) for our five senses to sink into the meal’s atmosphere
We slid down the rabbit hole and still have 10 more dishes to go,so patience my friends,

Create one mouth full of food with 3 separate flavors Feast at the Fat Duck

…We cleared our palate from the delicate Gazpacho, flavored with a hint of the tiny cucumber cubes (brunoise) and mustard, with the excellent breads on offer (which bread would you like Sir?.. a bit of both, of course! …) especially when enhanced with the voluptuous sea salted french butter, I love good bread it is so basic yet can reach heights of pleasurably delights under the loving care of a good Baker, and even better, wrapped up with some more sips of the fresh Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, Boudriotte, Domaine Ramonet 2004 , served by the capable, gentle, and knowledgeable Mr. ISA BAL the Duck’s head sommelier . Though the 2004 is not the best vintage year for Bourgogne’s whites, Boudriotte always displays finesse, elegance with a long, ripe finish yet crisp with a strong sense of green apple peel, balanced with notes of crème patissière and toasted butter brioche. My wine of choice to fit the occasion, it went very well with the first four offerings.
Now, the table is being laid down with the stage setting of act 3 of the show: “welcome to your very own tiny oak forest, the only place truffles grow…”.
It is a wonderfully orchestrated Homage to Alain Chapel legendary dish Jelly of Pigeons with 3 chicken oysters and young vegetables, The FAT DUCK version: Jelly of Quail, crayfish cream, chicken Liver Parfait, Oak Moss & Truffle Toast.
 
A game of associations…A long name and an elaborate setting to go with it, first a wooden box with Oak moss that looks like a rectangle piece of grass, which brought another smile and sense of fun to the table with two “fat duck Oak films” to melt over your tongue which has a delicate aroma of Oak that spreads around your mouth and evaporates through your nose with an oaky bark sensation and a touch of wet oak moss,

as the films melt over our tongues the waiter pours hot water and oak scented oil on the turf box causing vapors of oak scented mist, to crawl out of the box and over the table cloth onto our laps,
 what a wonderful sight luring you into an enchanted forest where truffles may be found under the Oak trees.

Quite rightly Spike said: “Heston Blumenthal must b mad as a brush!” What a load of fun… And that is the basic Idea behind all this so far wonderful meal, innit? The whole scene immediately reminded me of Woody Allen’s father’s “Piece of Land” from the movie Love and Death (Have a look and tell me I’m wrong!

A piece of land (from Love and Death)

►

The rest of the dish is laid around with sensuous pastel colors of brownish peach and some surprises after you dug in (if you dare) to disturb the beauty of the triple wrapping “Babushka” arrangement of, outer layer of liver parfait covering the quail’s jelly with the “mushy peas” inside like a savory “Mozart” chocolate (Salzburg Mozartkugeln) course you do bite on it almost impatiently, after all we came to eat!!

All the rest is a bonus. The liver parfait is light and smooth coating a concentrate of quail stock jelly that really tastes of quail stew that bursts open to reveal a galantine pea mousse a smooth “mushy peas” style flavor and all of that swimming in a bowl of Langoustine cream.

We ordered some more bread and wiped the bowls shining clean Superb! The truffle and oak toast was forgiven due to mitigating circumstance concerning the time of the year being way beyond the truffle season. Most diners, (I know I would), could easily be fooled by some drops of good truffle oil or white truffle paste to enhance the aroma and flavor of the truffle toast, we happily settled with the Oaky atmosphere that was bestowed upon us.We were in a state of constant blissful smile which threatened our facial skin so I looked around the restaurant and literally every guest was HAPPY! The sense of fun caught all forty four of us diners, mission accomplished as far as the Kitchen and the Ducks philosophy is concerned : ” We believe that cooking can affect people in profound ways, and that a spirit of collaboration and sharing is essential to true progress in developing this potential.“
So Bring in the sense of FUN in life” through food and a visit to the restaurant. I too, always felt, that this is the idea behind a good restaurant, a good meal, a good food and wine outing.

Next came the Snail Porridge, Jabugo Ham, Shaved fennel. A dish always mentioned when the restaurant is in the media.
 Personally I’m not too keen on “Porridge” in its traditional preparation form, it’s not a food I was raised on or “learned to like” at early age, and you can’t deny it’s an acquired taste kinda food and consistency… neither am I hot for snails, they usually disappear in tons of herbs and garlic. This is my “challenge” dish and there it came the first thing that came to mind was the fresh parsley green color the same unique parsley green color of Bernard Loiseau’s legendry dish: Escargots Au Veloute De Persil. The Porridge was not overcooked and mushy (which is probably what I dislike about porridge), and the scent of the Jabugo Ham* added depth to the dish that was decorated with some braised and then butter sautéed snails, and some shavings of fennel.

Needless to say it was again meticulously spiced and well balanced.
 *They say that “Jabugo breed pigs are the only animals of this species in which stored fat is redistributed throughout the body, infiltrating the muscle fibers. These pigs consume a diet with a high acorn content their fat is of superior quality, giving the flesh its characteristic texture, aroma and flavour.

We were now served the Roast Foie Gras, Gooseberry, Braised Konbu and crab biscuit.

The foie gras was made to perfection, the pinkish late season, gooseberry coulis was a great compliment to the foie gras yearning for a touch of fruity acidity and the Konbu (Japanese sea weed) and crab thin and crunchy biscuits added antagonism in texture and taste with its sea saltiness to complete the balance. Great !!!
As I went out for a short break and a phone call to my dear friend Yair to consult on the next wine I am about to order from a shortlist I have prepared the night before, I thought to myself, what a pleasure it is to enjoy a really good meal in the right lighthearted manner and pleasant fellow dinners
And until I do decide upon the suitable wine I leave you till next time…with seven more dishes to go, where we’re invited to A Mad Tea-Party with ALICE.

                                 
Like Alice in wonderland we were only half way down the rabbit hole, we were falling the very deep and wondrous well, and had plenty of time as we went down, Alice, Spike and I, to look about us and to wonder what was going to happen next.
 One thing I was sure of the wine we ordered is about to finish and a new bottle suitable for the next 4 courses should be ordered. Now the wine list at the Fat Duck is fairly large in volume and selection and I dislike reading book size wine lists in the middle of a pleasant meal so I made the effort and looked into it, the night before (Hooray for a good internet site) such as the Fat Ducks: http://www.thefatduck.co.uk/The-Menus/The-Wine-List/ and made myself a shortlist of about 5 wines (Spike drinks only whites) after being satisfied with my first choice I thought a more “reddish” white wine will be more suitable, and the meal was so enjoyable up till now, I decided to consult with a “telephone friend”. Yair my dear friend was the obvious choice and although he and later Isa (the house sommelier) tried to direct me in a more fresh and elegant direction, and even tried to “warn” me of the extra oakiness of Mounir Saouma touch, on this specific wine. Still I knew I wanted to taste the wine of my fellow countryman Mounir who “made it big” in Bourgogne which is not a trifle matter and so I opted for the Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru, La Romanée, Lucien Le Moine 2004, which turned to be on the day a wine well suited for the rest of the meal. While the bottle is opened and given a much needed “breather” let us have another look at the oaky mist (this time) from our very own table:The break is over and I felt like the March Hare mumbling to himself: ‘Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!’ I returned to our table to get ready for the next dish: MOCK TURTLE SOUP “Mad Hatter Tea” , In the words of Lewis Carroll it is : A Mad Tea-Party (CHAPTER 7, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 1865)

 As the card by our plates explains Turtle soup was highly popular in 19th century England but was so expensive and hard to get (sea turtles were rare and difficult to import) that a mock turtle soup was developed using calves head and feat (that is why Lewis Carroll, mentions in length the story of the mock turtle and John Tenniel whose drawings accompany “Alice in Wonderland” drew the Mock Turtle with calves head and feet).
    
Welcome to our very own Mad Hatters tea party. We are each served a 24 karat gold leaf plated, fob watch, which we put (or dip) into a cup of tea and boiling water are poured over it, we’re in the scene: “The March Hare took the watch and looked at it gloomily: then he dipped it into his cup of tea”

our mock fob watch dissolves like a tea bag and glitters of gold leaf “swim” in a cup of boiling water that turns into a brownish broth (the mock turtle soup), with a deep meaty concentrate aroma and flavor. The bowl in front of us is a setting of the complimentary scene: what goes with mock turtle? Mock turtle egg It looks like an egg but the white is turnip mousse and the yolk is Swede and saffron nothing is what it is it just looks like what we think it is… confused?? Add some enoki mushrooms to keep the wonderland atmosphere going, and an ox tongue and Colonnata Lardo (from Fausto Guadagni) Terrine that gives the fatty feel of what is described as genuine turtle soup.

Colonnata is a small village in the hills of Tuscany that happens to make the world’s best lard. Fausto Guadagni is one of the last, and best, of the traditional producers. The Lardo is treated with spices and matured for six to eight months in marble tubs, known as conche, in caves cut out of the same stone. The result is fragrant, melting and joyous.”
Now, garnish the bowl in your mind with cucumber, pickled turnip, truffle cubes, and some leaves of micro parsley. pour the golden broth from the cup onto the enchanted scene bowl, and there you have it; Mock turtle soup. I trust Heston this is as close to turtle soup as you can get!! And as in the the Mock turtle sad song, on the day it was:Beautiful Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup! Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!It was glorious in the bowl and wonderful on your tongue and over your palate as you swallowed each spoonful of golden fairytale in a bowl. And yes we’re still having fun and yes the wine is a bit over oaky but the bourgognian Chardonnay from La Romanee, (chassagne) is powerful enough to withstand the wood without losing its character.
Can we hope to proceed with anything to match the ingenuity and originality of the wonderland soup?

A large Conch a symbol of old, is laid down in front of us with a pair of modern I Pod ear phones sticking out of it…

The conch, this is one of the most important emblems of the India God Vishnu. He is the protector of the world and the restorer of moral order (dharma). He is peaceful, merciful, and compassionate. The blowing of the conch symbolizes the primordial creative voice and Indian mysticism links it to the sacred sound OM , which is said to be the breath of Vishnu, pervading all space.
This is a good sign to what is going to come, but are we going to say OM or sigh UMMM to the taste of  THE SOUND OF THE SEA.

A sea shore scene on a glass slab is laid before us here’s the sand made of Tapioca mixed with fried grounded baby eels, some Japanese sea weed for taste and decoration, with a triptych of sashimi of mackerel, Halibut and yellow tail, and the foam of the sea I guess a foam of a fish consommé to “kiss” the sand and the fish. The sound of sea waves and sea gulls take you to somewhere on a British shore line, the tapioca sand is really sandy between your teeth, with a deep but delicate sea saltiness flavor and aroma added by the ground eels, and the foam is a fine touch to wrap the sea taste in your mouth and mind, we went UMMM, but felt the breath of Vishnu pervading our taste buds and nose, OM we blessed the chef…for serving us a “sunny day down at the beach”, on a plate.
Today, the conch is used in Tibetan Buddhism to call together religious assemblies. During the actual practice of rituals, it is used both as a musical instrument and as a container for holy water.
We kept the earphones in for a longer while as the sound is calming and the total effect is outrageous or as Spike put it on an email to his friends: “…a dish called SOUND OF THE SEA came: a conch shell with headphones 2 put in yr ears (it had an ipod inside) b4 they brought over a beach on a tray with frothing sea + sand + seafood – all edible – whilst u listened 2 seagulls + waves,  I kid u not baby!” 
We are still before our main dishes of fish and than Pigeon and a whole lot of desserts and sweets. All or at least mostly in part 4 to come real soon. but at the moment we savor our Chassagne-Montrachet, and cherish the joy this meal is giving us.

Our next dish Salmon poached in Liquorice with Artichoke, Vanilla Mayonnaise and Golden Trout Roe, is a perfect example of cooking which utilizes the scientific knowledge of what is called Molecular Gastronomy, and turns the knowledge into eatable food of the highest quality and finesse which is in one word cooking or even Haut cuisine for some. Not the bubbling mist of ultra cold gases in their “frozen” liquid form as they warm up in room Temperature, (although I must say it is a lot of fun), or other stunning paraphernalia (I like firework displays), but cooking at its highest standard with precision and care in which the ingredients are scrupulously picked from the best producers of each ingredient around the globe, and then prepared to perfection. (Pommery Mustered from Meaux, France, Jabugo ham from Huelva, Andalusia, Spain, Konbu from Japan,Lard.From Fausto Guadagni in ColonnataToscana, Pigeons from Anjou etc.). Still, all the time keeping the flavor taste and texture of each ingredient meticulously.
Two separate ingredients rarely or never assembled together in one dish are combined together because they contain a mutual chemical compound, Asparagine; (One of the 20 most common natural amino acids on Earth). Originally the dish was constructed of liquorices and asparagus both have very high content of Asparagine, combination that in Blumenthal words brings the Bitter sweet effect (bitter being the Asparagus and sweet the liquorice) but kitchens get “tired” of the same dish looking the same and tasting the same day in and day out, so changes are made with the “decor” or the secondary ingredient of the dish, but not with the idea behind the basic thought, or the essential core that combines the dish. We were served the Salmon poached in Liquorice, with Artichoke as a veggie bitter touch. Artichoke contains mostly phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid, but also asparagine and other substances. Connection re achieved!!!

The substance to this dish is a nice square of fillet of Salmon which is strong, fatty and “rich” enough to withstand the overpowering strength of Liquorice. And it works! The slice of pink salmon is cooked in “the Lab” (poached in a sous- vide bag under exact pressure of 60mbar at precisely 42ºC for around 25 minutes (puphhhhhhh) thank god there’s a restaurant with all that equipment, no wonder they reach near perfection in depth of cooking, texture, color, and consistency, but I must confess all that is not good enough if you don’t have a good sense of taste and that they do at the Fat Duck.Add the Vanilla mayo, the Golden Trout Roe, and the pink grapefruit individual fruit cells, (for acidic touch, which is also glorious on the plate as decoration), combine them all in one bite, and the balance as much as it is hard to predict is amazing this is a real achievement in taste of “paring the impossible”  (Though I’m not mad on Liquorice, it’s taste and after taste, I was impressed.)I will Iet you into a small secret (I left myself some of the Chassagne Boudriotte), enough to go with this dish and they went famously together.

Our next serving is POWDERED ANJOU PIGEON (c.1720) Blood Pudding Potted Umbles, Spelt and Pickles According to British historian Joan Thirsk, this is a periods of excess cereals. In post-Black Death Europe, the smaller human population meant grains could be put aside for feeding birds; similarly, the low grain prices in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries also translated into increases of raising pigeons. Spelt which is basically a wheat species, was an important staple in parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to medieval timesDuring the Baroque era, English cuisine consisted of various breads, meat pies, fresh fruit, sweets and desserts. for the first time the dining room became a clearly defined space within a house dedicated to one particular purpose-the service and enjoyment of food and all the pomp and circumstance that can surround it. In the French manner, at each course all the different dishes were placed on the table at the same time and in exactly prescribed locations. The diners would help themselves to whatever was near at hand without moving the dishes, and if necessary pass their plates to their neighbors to get food that was out of their reach. At large dinners this meant that it was impractical for guests to sample all the dishes, so it was important to have an interesting selection of foods near each guest. And this is precisely what we have here,

a plate adorned with Pigeon Ballotine (powdered with Transglutaminase powder), pigeon and duck crunchy crackers, Pig’s blood black pudding, baby turnips and Grelot onions pickled in a foam of junipers berries brine, and a second violin a bowl of Potted Umbles mousse and puffed Spelt with some whole sautéed pigeon livers on top. As in the concerto where the violins rush after each other meeting at times in a crescendo of sounds the dish does the same in your mouth, the tastes and flavors separate and join together with volume and intensity that gradually increases and all the time keeping the deep dark complex flavor of this wonderful game bird.Just looking at the photo reveals the fact that the meat was cooked/prepared to perfection with the aid of the transglutaminase but the surprise of the dish is without a doubt the smooth black pudding with a rich chocolate ganache color, feel, and look which is also quite deceiving at first and cleaned off the plate completely at the end. Magnifique !

Before we start our desserts we are served the Fat Duck Palate cleanser, HOT& ICED TEA, Palate cleansers, by nature, are used in the middle of a meal to remove lingering flavors from the mouth so that the next course may be enjoyed with a fresh perspective and that is certainly required after the intensity of the pigeon & Co.

They use earl grey tea but the aroma flavor and medicinal effects of Lemon verbena infusion could be a winner here. You have to gulp it in one go and Yes it is both cold and iced at the same time and yes it is a jelly of tea using Gellan F. to form Tea flavored jellies, cold and Hot (over 70ºC) assembled vertically in a glass.

I is THE BIG FRIENDLY GIANT –THE BFG, THAT’S ME… (by Roald Dahl) Feast at the Fat Duck part 5
Our palates are cleansed and the first dessert TAFFETY TART (C1660) Caramelizd Apple, Fenne,Rose and Candied Lemon, is served.Not before we order our dessert wine. Not because I think it is necessary but because Spike usually does…so we order by the glass, Tokaji Aszú, 6 Puttonyos, Oremus, Tokaj-Hegyalja, 2000. As tokajis go this one is a youngling to the ones I would drink at home (I love good dessert wines), but I’m not chez moi (unfortunately, wine wise I mean). TAFFETY TART (C1660) I wonder what happened in 1660 or who wrote the recipe for this tart in mid 17th century England? This is really a wonderful desert to look at and of course to sample (which is not the right word to use) since we finished it to the last drop of anything. I think a photo of spike eating it will sum up our feelings.

The elegance which you see in front of your eyes is really the call of the WILD, into this wonderful dessert which is just at the right amount of sweetness (meaning not too sweet still crisp crunchy and fresh and voluptuous, I think it “speaks for itself.
As a matter of fact “toffee” (or “taffy”) is a relatively new word, (early nineteenth century). It must surely be related to “taffeta”, which has referred to a glossy fabric since at least the fourteenth century, ad for taffeta we find recipes for Taffety Tarts, which usually contained apple. It is a spectacularly fragrant version – the apple pulp scented and flavoured with orange, quince, rose-water, and violets, This recipe is first published in The Cook’s and Confectioner’s Dictionary” 1724) Mix a quarter of a Pack of Fine Flour, with a quarter of a Pint of Yeast, and as much hot Liquor as will make it into a stiff Paste, with two Pound of butter, the Yolks of twelve Eggs, and half a Pound of fine Sugar; make it up into small Balls, and then roll it out into thick Plates; wash round their Brims with Milk: Boil Pippins soft, peel them and scrape the Pulp from the Cores, mingle the Pulp with fine Sugar, a little Marmalade of Quinces, the Scrapings of candied Orange-peel, and Rose-water: Make up your Tarts, dry them in a warm Place, bake them, scrape Sugar, and sprinkle Essence of Violets or Roses over them, and serve them up.

So the cake we are served is a fine and delicate assembly of all that is described in the recipe above in a manner that makes sense. (I’ve read thousands of recipes and cooked from them, but the above C.1724 instructions, will amount to nothing that looks or tastes like a tart. Thanks H.B… for your High end of “tart couture”, it is indeed made in the finest tradition of Haute couture.
Taffeta (sometimes spelled taffety) The word is Persian in origin and means “twisted woven”, It is a crisp, smooth woven fabric made from silk or nowadays synthetic fibers. It is considered to be a “high end” fabric. This “Tart” is laid down in style and colors which resemble Elizabethan fashion

The Next desert is THE BFG Black Forest Gateau. During the 80′s you could find horrible BFG’s in every English supermarket or food chain which gave the cake a bad name and shivering memories down my spine – it consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings.But we’ve been in Victorian wonderland why can’t we be “thrown” into 20th century fantastic stories of Roald Dahl’s The BFG: One dark night, an orphan named Sophie is snatched from her bed by a giant, and whisked away to another world. Fortunately, her abductor is the Big Friendly Giant (BFG for short), a likeable guy who spends his time giving good dreams to children. He’s also the only one of his species who doesn’t eat humans, but as the smallest and weakest, he’s powerless to stop his brutal neighbors. As long as Fleshlumpeater, Bloodbottler, and all the rest are free, Sophie will never be safe, so she and the BFG concoct a plan to stop the evil giants and save humanity – once and for all!

This BFG is a Black Forest Gateau and it is not your everyday BFG, it is a fantasy of how this southern German dessert / cake: Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, literally “Black Forest cherry cake” should have always been it restores English German relations and gives a good name to the Black forest horrific landscapes that inspired Grimm’s fairy tales. Anyway it really burrows its name from the specialty liquor of that region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) a kind of eau de vie or Schnapps distilled only from the Schwarzwälde region tart cherries. HB: ” the pastry chef at the Confiserie Gmeiner had told me that the cake should contain four tastes sweet sour salt and bitter” with contrasts in taste and colors,

add the Kirsch and sour cream ice cream and you have the complete requirements in a compact dolls house of 8 layers of various chocolates mousses and cherries hidden behind the chocolate dusted outer layer with an amarena cherry on top and as before the secret remains well hidden until the first bite of cut through the cake. This BFG restores this traditional cake’s reputation.You like wine gums? I do I always did not the sticky artificial flavor version we have today … The Whiskey Wine Gums in the “spirit” of wine gums, arranged over a map of Scotland Ireland (and one from the American Colony in Old Tennessee) all 5 wine gums, taste different in strong whisky flavors as if your having a deep sniff into a glass of well distilled spirit.

My favorite was No.2 West Highlands Oban-The little Bay and so it is, look it up in the Map.
With our coffee we receive a pink stripped paper bag (like the goodies bag you get on birthday parties) Called Like Kids in a Sweet Shop bag which contains sweets and “surprises” (all edible of course including the wrappers) and all tasting deliciously rascally. Each and every one winks at you with a childish mischievous look.
Well our dinner is over and we are  happy, satisfied and amused and what more can you ask from a dinner I ask you and myself and to those who think I am new to these occasions, and that is why I am so thrilled by this joyous Lunch experience, rest assure I am experienced enough to understand how good it is to enjoy the work of an artists whose satisfaction is your joy. All the intricacies of this meal are directed with the thought that this is their mission and I say mission accomplished Spike and I and all the diners with whom we had eye or verbal contact where feeling the same. As for the restaurants requirements from themselves let’s have a look at their goals and see if they were achieved in our view:

ONE : Three basic principles guide our cooking: excellence, openness, and integrity. Check!

TWO: Our cooking values tradition, builds on it, and along with tradition is part of the ongoing evolution of our craft. Check!

THREE: We embrace innovation – new ingredients, techniques, appliances, information, and ideas – whenever it can make a real contribution to our cooking. Check!

FOUR: We believe that cooking can affect people in profound ways, and that a spirit of collaboration and sharing is essential to true progress in developing this potential. Check!

Allow me to wave off with (almost) ridicule and contempt those who have not been WOWed enough or those who suggest that the price is too high let me tell you that for this amount of thought, use of ingredients (some very expensive), amount of kitchen stuff work, number of stuff per diner, quality of glassware and silverware, and sheer 5 hours of contentious fun and enjoyment this meal is more than fairly priced!!! As a matter of fact it is rather inexpensive at around £150 plus service charge!We slid happily down the rabbit hole and came out through the looking glass, and on the day The Mock Turtle soup turned into a real, most precise and pure consommé of turtle, like the one in Babette’s Feast, the one you saw, read, heard about but would never be able to taste, and there it was caressing my taste buds and filled my heart with childish happiness, and so were all the other dishes served upon us with love and care guests deserve.

*Although not specifically mentioned I have used “The Big Fat Duck Cookbook” (a wonderful “cook book” by the way), as a reference and insight into the ingredients and ways of prep of most dishes and Mr. Blumenthal’s “notes” on the ins and outs of the Fat Duck dishes. Thanks H.B and all at the FAT DUCK, the Wineguide knows he has missed some of the dishes and I do intend to return this time for dinner (we had Lunch), after I visit the new venue Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London.

• El Celler de Can Roca
• Mugaritz
• Le Chateaubriand
• Daniel
• Le Bernardin
• Eleven Madison Park
• Momofuku Ssam Bar
• Tetsuya’s
• Jean Georges
• WD-50

And, in a few days (4 to be exact) I’ll be crossing my most anticipated restaurant off my list: The Fat Duck. That will put me at 4 out of the top 5, ,with Noma being just too far out of my reach (for now…)

I’ve been a little slack, well, that is, I’ve been a little preoccupied with boring day to day life to update as much as I should. I have 4 reviews waiting in the wings in fact. But, by next week I hope to have them all posted.

I also want to make a few comment on what I’ve learned, about food, culture, and travel, over the last 9 months and hopefully I can get that down and posted soon.

Finally, the new Top 50 list was released a couple of weeks ago by San Pelligrino, I watched the ceremony, heartily agreed with some rankings and raged against others (Le Chateaubriand, HOW??) and I want to make a few comments on this too.

I hope anyone who has been to any of these restaurants will comment as well, as I know the view of one little Aussie isn’t exactly representative of the rest of the world.

Thanks for reading everyone

Natx