Back to beverage

The pastry department was also in charge of the non-alcoholic beverage program. With my bit of knowledge in that department I started to develop a few recipes for Chef to try. I bought some products and started to play at home. Scaling each recipe and developing them before bringing each to the table.  Within a few weeks I took over the N/A beverage pairing and started experimenting with some ideas. 

The first beverage was to pair well with both of our chocolate courses. Elements of lime, milk chocolate, and the flavors of port. Here is the outcome:

Blackberry, vanilla, and ginger 

8g - cardamom, green 

2 each - lime peel

2 each - vanilla beans 

600g - H2O

130g - sugar

500g - blackberries

8g - ginger juice (to taste) 

TT - citric acid

TT - salt

-Toast cardamom

-Add H2O, peels, vanilla, and sugar 

-Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes

-Strain and chill the syrup base 

-Blend base with blackberries and ginger juice

-Push through a chinoise and season 

-Pour into isi and add 2 charges 

Vanilla and lavender scent:

4 each - vanilla beans 

10g - lavender 

2g - cardamom, black

200g - H2O (also works very well with a high proof alcohol base)

-Toast cardamom and place all ingredients in a cryo bag

-Allow to infuse for 24 hours 

-Strain through coffee filer and add to spray bottle

Foe champagne:

I really love this recipe: Once CO2 is added it gives a bite and some light bubbles on the palate. It really is an excellent way to start off the pairing. Ripe Asian pears and enough acid to slightly off put the sugars is key to this beverage. 

3 each - lemon, peels, whole

3 each - star anise

6g - fennel seeds

3 each - cloves

400g - H2O, Fiji

120g - sugar

0.25g - earl grey

0.50g - chamomile tea

700g - pear, Asian peeled and cored

TT - citric acid

TT - salt

-Bring spices, sugar, lemon, and H2O to a boil

-Add tea and steep for 15 minutes

-Strain, chill, and blend with pears

-Adjust seasoning, strain through a oil filter

Other options:

Replace Asian pears with pomegranate, or pressed white grape juice. Think flavors of presseco, mascato, and cava.

Jalapeño lemonade:

This beverage was paired with elements of corn, a variety of clams, and fennel. It is extreamly refreshing and the color is stunning. 

500g - H2O

130g - sugar

5 each - lemon, peels, whole

8g - shisho, green, picked 

4g - cilantro, picked

8g - jalapeño, seeded 

TT - salt 

To mix beverage:

2 oz - infused base 

1 1/2oz - lemon juice, fresh squeezed 

Shaken, served in a chilled riesling stem 

-Bring H2O, sugar, and lemon peels to a boil, cover and steep for 15 minutes, 

-Strain and chill

-Blend with fresh herbs  

Valencia and mint:

Chef Keith Willis and I first made a version of this drink at the Hotel Baker in 2007. This is the adapted recipe. 

Syrup:

225g - elderflower syrup 

100g - H2O

4 each - orange peels

1 each - ginger tea mightly leaf 

2 each - green tea mightly leaf

30g - mint, picked 

Soda:

1 each - lime juice 

6 each - orange juice 

Total = 625g juice, 275g syrup

-Bring H2O and syrup to a boil, add mint, teas, and orange peels. Infuse for 10 minutes

-Strain, chill, scale and mix with juices then carbonate 

Fresh currants were just coming into season so i jumped on the opportunity to play with their bright and sour flavors. We used the sweetness of pomegranate to balance this beverage.

Currants and pomegranate:

6g - cardamom, black 

2g - lavender 

8 each - clove

4g - juniper berries

17 each - black peppercorns 

500g - H2O

60g - sugar

250g - currants, fresh (red or white)

2 each - lemon peels

TT - citric acid

50g - Italian pomegranate soda (added on the pick up) 

-Toast spices then add H2O and sugar

-Bring mixture to a simmer then pour over the berries and lemon peels, steep for 10 minutes 

-Push through a chinoise and season to taste 

Pomegranate Ice:

800g - POM juice

400g - H2O

4g - citric acid 

Freeze over foil or plastic wrap to create a textured ice. Brake into shards

Some thoughts:

- strawberry vinegar and rhubarb soda

- alcohol free Campari

- alcohol free bitters 

- toasted cherry wood tea

- earl grey, vanilla, raspberry bubble tea

- smoked root beer

A sample of the fruit and vegetable desserts

With the next few months that I spent in Chef Trotter's kitchen I taught myself to walk, and shortly after to run. My knowledge of pastey was realistically nothing. I can now say that with confidence. Chef was not the only one looking to me to create; my new family, endless number of guests and friends guilded me to "push" more then ever before. Chef Trotter would always tell us to be poets when we cooked. "Every time you open that drawer, you must be like a poet". The pastry world was a push to not only educate myself but my peers as well. 

Every day we experimented with new ingredients and flavor profiles for such VIP guests such as Mr. Gaby, Mr. Gabrisyk, Mr. Stone and Mr. Harris. These fine clients (as Charlie called them) amongst other chefs and friends of the restaurant would never receive the same dish twice. Below is a few of the fruit based desserts we played with that year.    

Third harvest of some incredible strawberries 

Yogurt sorbet, candied pistachio, tarragon purée, Granny Smith apples, and warm pistachio cake. 

Pistachio cake:

2c (445g) - sugar 

400g - butter

2c (440g) - pistachio paste

8 each - eggs

1c - cake flour

4 each - meyer lemon, zested 

cream butter and sugar

Add paste

Add eggs one at a time 

Add flour and zest

Line 2 1/4 trays and bake at 350

1770g total 

885 in each 

Each cake yields 20 - 2 1/4 inch pieces 

Hazelnut and toffee financier, whipped pineapple, caramelized bananas, date jam, and candied hazelnuts. 

Guava mousse, coffee crumb, fresh passion fruit, passion fruit curd, pink peppercorn meringue, blossoms, and caramelized white chocolate pudding 

Black berry sorbet, chantilly creme, almonds, mint and herb pudding, with a black berry cobbler 

Served on one of Chef Trotter photographs, right off the wall 

Bourbon and vanilla ice cream, toasted free form creme brûlée, smoked pecan crips and candied crumb, grilled / marinated peaches, angostura oil with anise hyssop. 

Black tea and butterscotch free form Creme brûlée:

1000g – Cream

3 - Vanilla beans

15g - black tea, toasted 

300g – Sugar, brown

100g – Maple syrup, bourbon

50g - Glucose

50g – H20

50g – Scotch, Laphroaig

200g - egg, yolks

100g - sugar 

  

• Bring cream and vanilla to a simmer
• Bring sugar mixture to 325 F
• Strain cream and slowly whisk into caramel
• Add Scotch 
• Temper mixture into eggs, bring to 180F

To use as free form 

 

1000g - Maple butter scotch cream

1g – Iota carrageenan

1.75g kappa caragenan 

1g – gellan gum 

• Shear gums, simmer mixture and pour over flat ½ sheet tray lined with acetate to mold, freeze and cut to shape with ring cutter
• Or heat and pour to order, any shape 
• Toast with smoked sugar 

Smoke sugar (to toast for creme brûlée)            

Poached, pickled, fresh, dried apricot. Tarragon, toasted pinenuts and citrus granita 

Apricot Fondant drops

705g- Fondant

 

3g - Apricot oil based flavoring

84g- Apricot 2:1 syrup

Coloring as needed

 

Apricot 2:1 syrup:

 

500g - Apricot juice

1000g - Sugar

 

 

 

• Microwave fondant for 30 seconds
• Combine apricot mixture, coloring, and fondant over a double broiler
• Fold mixture and cook to 155 F
• Using a sauce gun pipe out fondant discs
• Store in a dry cool place

 

Warm zucchini cake, ricotta ice cream and stuffed crispy squash blossom, pickled basil seeds, basil oil, olive oil jam, whipped basil and carrot / ginger reduction

Zucchini cake:

Wet Mix

70g oil

215g. Sugar
1 1/4 cup + 2 tsp. water

370g sauteed zucchini

Salt

 

Dry Mix
270g flour
5g baking soda
5g baking powder
2.5g nutmeg
5g cinnamon
2.5g ground cloves
5g salt

Sauté zucchini add all wet ingredients

Boil for 3 min, chill

Sift dry ingredients 

Fold wet mixer into dry 

Bake at 325° for 50 minutes.

Poppy seed, raspberry, mint, milk, and mixed berries 

huitlacoche sorbet, textures of corn, lime emulsion, blossoming cilantro, and caramel 

St. Germain sorbet, lemon, candied honeycomb, textures of pear, warm honey, spiced whipped cream, vanilla, and chamomile cotton candy 

Huckle berrie sorbet, textures of huckleberry, candied hazelnuts, candied ginger pâté fruit, and bourdoux consumme

Huckleberry Juice "tuile"

Juice tuile

 

230g - Huckleberry Juice

60g - Sugar

10g - Lemon juice

 

20g - Sugar

6g - Methocel F50

 8g - Ultratex 8

 

 

 

• Seer gums into liquid base
• Allow to hydrate over night
• Blend until smooth
• Spread out over acetate or mold and dehydrate until a film is formed
• Cut to shape
• Bake at 225 F, 100 C 10-15 minutes
• Remove, form to desired shape 

Duet of carrot sorbets, golden raisin confit, cardamom carrot cake and cider 

Yellow, and orange carrot cider sorbet 

Cider syrup:

1,300g – Sorbet base

Clove

Cinnamon, sticks

Star anise

Cardamom

50g - Sugar

8g - Stabilizer 

2g – Xanthan gum

- Toast spices and pour over sorbet base

- Combine the sugar, stabilizer, and xanthan, whisk into sorbet base 

- Bring mixture to 185F, remove from heat and steep covered for 20 minutes

- Stain and chill 

1,325g - Carrot, juice, yellow, purple, or orange

1,175g – Cider syrup

- Create cider syrup

- Combine cool liquids, freeze and pacotiz (pipe sorbets onto a frozen sheet tray, swirl and freeze at least 2 hours

- Cut to shape (#5 ring cutter) and reserve on anti griddle

Version #2

Carrot cake crumb

185g – Flour, bread
1.5g - Baking powder
3.5g - Baking soda
205g - Sugar, brown
3g - Salt
145g – Oil, grape seed
75g – Eggs, whole
230g – Carrots shredded

15g – Ginger, crystallized, chopped very fine
2.5g – Cinnamon, ground

5g – Ginger, powdered

3g –- Clove

4 each- Black cardamom, ground

• Line a quarter sheet pan with a Silpat and spray with nonstick spray.
• Sift all dry ingredients, other than sugar. Mix the sugar and oil in a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Mix in the eggs in two additions.
• Toss the carrots with 75g of the flour mixture (to keep the carrot from sticking together). Add along with ginger
• Add half the remaining flour mixture to the batter, then add the other half.
• Finally, mix in the carrots. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 325F until done 18-25 min
• Cool briefly, then invert the cake onto a rack and let cool before using cutter #5.

Spiced cranberry sorbet, rosemary walnut stuffing, and gravy panna cotta, with celery bubbles

Spiced cranberry sorbet

4,000g - Cranberries, fresh

20g - Clove

6 each - Cardamom pod, black 

10 each - Oranges, rind

4g - Sodium citrate

3g - Salt 

3,664g - Cranberry puree

68g - Glucose powder

1720g - Sugar

20g - Stabilizer

1184g - H2O, Fiji 

- Bring ice cream base to 85C / 185F

- Chill and age under refrigeration for at least 2 hours

- Blend with cranberry puree 

Turkey cream and "Panna cotta" 

4000g - H2O

25Lb  - Turkey bones, roasted

100g - Carrot

100g - Celery

1500g - Turkey stock 

1000g - Cream 

100g - Maple syrup

50g - Sugar 

2 each - Turkey necks

100g - Grape seed oil 

3g  - Xanthan gum 

4g - Thyme, fresh

10g - Rosemary, fresh, leaves only

TT - Salt 

       

- Brown bones, deglaze with H2O 

- Add celery, and carrot to H2O mixture 

- Bring to a light simmer, reduce by half

- Strain then reduce to 1500g 

- Steep in fresh thyme and rosemary for 5 minutes, remove

- Render turkey necks with grape seed oil 

- Add cream and maple syrup

- Mix sugar and xanthan gum, bur mix into cream

- Add turkey stock, and chill mixture 

For Panna Cotta

22g (8.5 sheets) – Gelatin, sheets

132g – H2O

2500g – Finished turkey cream

- Bloom gelatin with chilled scaled H2O

- Bring cream to 185F, and completely melt bloomed gelatin into cream

- Pour into molds, chill, cover and freeze

- Unmold and thaw in cooler

For  Panna Cotta

3000g - Finished turkey cream 

9g - Iota carrageenan

30g - Sugar 

- Combine sugar and iota, seer into cream

- Hydrate, gels at 70C / 158F

- Quick setting gel, (melt and pour on plates/molds)

The exotic life of a Trotter's chef

The products that I saw come and go through Chef Trotter's doors were truly incredible. I felt extreamly proud to be a part of an ever changing menu. Entire dishes were born each day depending on the freshest and exotic products available.  

Some amazing grade of Kobe beef

The bottom of a tofu pan, it is then dehydrated and fried 

Honey glazed whole roasted suckling pig. She was danced around the dining room and presented to our second seating as an extra course. 

Flying fish

Buddhas hand 

The local prison harvests and contributes gorgeous red beets to the restaurant each year 

The gardens micro deck

Rock lobster

Blue foot chickens 

California blue foots 

These tiny spheres are Masago pearls, they have the texture of puffed rice.

Blue fin tuna

Live scallops

Learning to play in candy land

How ingredients react to different elements has always interested me. Simply asking the questions why and what if? Why does a soufflé rise in the oven? For that matter why does an egg react the way it does when heat is applied? what else can we replace the egg with? (Chris Jones has every question covered in that department) classes of bread? Tempatures of sugar? What is the act of tempering chocolate? (Chocolate become one of my favorite parts of pastry, however that is a story for a future post) I had so much to learn and so much hunger to find it. 

Each photo is based on 1 hour sous-vide 

Roasted hazels nuts in a sheet of caramel 

Scaled, sheeted, portioned and rolled 

Let the research begin. Over the next few months all my questions would be answered