MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

What a wonderful day it has been, watching the joy on Noah's face as he opened his gifts and by gifts I'm talking about half an isle at a toys r' us worth ..its been peaceful... and relaxing ..i got more than i could ever imagine in gifts and i am very grateful. The restaurant was open until 8 pm. last night and people loved the whimsy menu .unfortunately i didn't take any pictures but Paulo came by in the middle of service and snapped a few. The New Years eve menu and our Australian food and wine dinner is next on my list and I'm realey excited at the ideas i got for both...new years will have allot of playing around with classics like my version of steak " Oscar" with spruce roasted bacon wrapped fillet , saffron Bearnaise , white asparagus, and king crab ..or a lobster 2x a shelled lobster stuffed into another lobster, Meyer lemon butter, persillade, Parisian potato...need i say more. have a great, safe, and happy holiday!

NoRtH EaStErrrrr!

We closed the restaurant early to the snow storms that were in effect all of our reservations re booked to either tomorrow or Sunday so a busy weekend is in our sight regardless of what mother nature dumps on us..It gave us a sec. to look back on what has been a crazy 2 weeks for me, don and Chester. so we sat around the fire place and talked about life and how great the time that we have shared so far has been.. And for a second able to enjoy one anothers company with out the hustle and bustle of the every day routine ..A much needed night off ...Can you tell how excited i am??12 straight doubles i could use a little rest and relaxation ...It took an hour and fifteen minutes to go what normally takes 20 .But nothing in the world beats a snowed in New England night with the wife and baby...

New Additions

One of the new entrees on the dinner menu, and probably the prettiest(and Sarah's fave.) is my play on duck duck..goose. the legs are cured in Indian herbs and smoked salt then confit for 14 hrs. then chilled . To serve i rub a little 5 spice on the skin and roast it. Margret duck breast and Hudson valley foie gras round the dish out . It is served with a sweet Israeli cous cous, and a carrot puree mounted with a little red curry paste and coconut milk. Topped with a sweet and sour kumquat jam and our cranberry "sauce"

This is the winterized version of the dessert that got us allot of attention in the Boston globe. It is a pumpkin/hazelnut panna cotta We do ours with a 2% solution of bloomed agar agar as opposed to the traditional gelatin or leaf gelatin, On the bottom of the plate is a mix of crushed Graham cracker and ginger snaps. To simulate a pie crust ,there are also pressed filo crackers that taste exactly like cinnamon toast crunch. The sauce is a creamy spiced egg nogg.

This is the one that has everybody turning to a kid again.. Its also one of the only desserts that the kitchen staff gets real excited to do.We call it the ultimate sundae 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream and each scoop has a Little something different than the next. we have crushed macadamia nuts, milk chocolate" hot fudge" , hazelnut peanut brittle, white chocolate and peanut butter powder, grand marnier caramel ,maraschino's. whipped cream and edible 23k gold.The sundae is server in 50 yr old original sundae glasses my boss has had since his first restaurant , so its kinda like an homage to his love for antique and nostalgic items.... I think its a great addition to our menu.. .On other notes We still have reservations for Christmas eve and new years eve.
Both menus limited, New Years menu is based on couples while X-mas is A la Carte. Some of the Christmas options will be Candy cane encrusted Lamb Loin. ,Lobster and King Crab "Minced Pie",
Elm smoked sea scallops with holly scented buerre blanc ..to name a few ...The New Years menu will be a bit more classically revisited cuisine but just as delicious it will be comprised of 5 courses

A couple will pick a appetizer to share ,than they both get there own either soup or salad from 4 to choose than there will be a champagne intermezzo before there own entree (lobster thermidor,veal rib chop,swordfish champagne..etc.) is presented ,followed by a choice of there own dessert for $120.00 per couple and $65 per single how could you go wrong. ...........There has also been allot of requests for cooking classes Me and Don have been bouncing ideas off one another about when and where. I would love to cooking classes maybe once a month as long as we can get the classes to at least 2o plus people . I will teach them some recipes they can bust out for there family and friends and we 'll match wines and get everybody involved in the process of making really wonderful food...Which brings me back to a blog i published a while back about gathering recipes for a cook book and selling the book at the restaurant I've probably invented 500 dishes since i started back in may. maybe 200 of them were incredible the rest good but not memorable,why not start putting although recipes together ,have one of photography friends snap some shots and document the process until we have enough to do a crane brook yearly volume...I never have a problem giving away any recipe or talking about a trick or technique to make a dish incredible it makes me strong as a chef to push myself for the next technique. The restaurant gets allot of e-mails with requests for recipes ......So its a win win....

Taylor Bays

I HAVE BEEN A REAL BUSY BOY AS OF LATE, WITH THE NEW MENU IN FULL SWING, GETTING RAVE REVIEWS ON THE FOOD AND QUALITY OF INGREDIENTS I AM A VERY THANKFUL CHEF. JUST WHEN I THOUGHT OUR PLACE WAS ON THE VERGE OF A DISASTROUS PATH,IT SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN BETTER WHICH IS VERY EXCITING.I SHORTENED THE NEW MENU TO 8 DINNER ENTREES AND KILLED THE DINNER FOR TWO OPTION. THE PRICIEST DISH ON OUR MENU IS A 10OZ STEAK OF PRIME GRADE RIB EYE $35 AND A BARGAIN AT THAT ,BEING MY OVERALL LOVE AND RESPECT FOR INGREDIENTS...SPEAKING OF WITCH BRINGS US TO THE ABOVE PICTURE. THESE OUR TAYLOR BAY SCALLOPS ALSO KNOWN AS CAPE BAY AND NARRAGANSETT BAY. THESE ARE RAISED IN FAIRHAVEN AND HARVESTED DAILY. MY UNCLE OWNS A VERY POPULAR SCALLOP HOUSE DOWN TOWN 2TWO LOTS OVER FROM THE SEAFOOD AUCTION, SO FAIR TO SAY I GET THE FRESHEST SCALLOPS AND LOBSTERS AROUND
I CALL AT 5PM AND THEY PLUCK THEM AND BAG THEM BY 9AM BY THE TIME IT GETS TO THE RESTAURANT THERE ONLY 2 HRS.OLD AND YOU CAN TASTE IT IN MY CHOWDER.

Anatomy of a Menu Change

Part of the biggest thrill in working as a chef is the constant change of product availability in seasons...which make me just that much more enthusiastic about changing my menu every 12 weeks .The one thing nobody knows it was actually goes into changing a menu. i start to work on a menu the day after a release one. i .e while my winter menu comes out Monday i have already started to craft ideas for spring ,talking to purveyors and finding getting general input on ideas for inventory etc. .you have to do a lot of experimenting asking fellow colleagues there input on dishes they taste and run specials until something hit home then a week or two later try it again to see if the response changes,you have to re-do order guides,inventory sheets, product lists to be faxed to your salesman so you can play one guy off of the other.Then you have to find away to run one menu out so you can start from scratch with the next but still manage to not have a 100 things on the 86 board.when you have gotten this far its time for rough drafts,re-prints,editorial changes,wine pairings, etc.all the while still working the line 60 plus a week. I guess it is the thrill and the challenge that drives me, the challenge to get some one to love my food enough to return only to be dazzled by a whole new line up! tah... the joys of cookery.

cool runninings....

This was our starter last night..Watermelon, kumquat, goat cheese , pink peppercorn , torn (not cut) tarragon ,shaved winter squash , basil white verjus vinaigrette , and clover Honey running done the side.. a cool and refreshing combination that works unbelievable!

Surfin and Turfin

Having always been asked to make at least one meal that would be hearty enough to satisfy a manly man..lol i figured why not. king crab a product i have always veered away from is in abundance as of late so doing some last minute experimentation's before my winter menu goes into effect.I have done 3 runs with batches of king crab and to my surprise i have sold out each run. The market price that crab is at currently allows us to give a larger product and still not leave the customer feeling like they got robbed. In this application we took one whole crab leg with lump joint cut in half on both sides to remove the cover creating a crab boat if you will then warm the meat with melted yuzu butter and persillade. stuffed the boat and baked it with our butter parsley crumbs.served it as a surf and turf with aromatic butter basted prime strip steak,

roasted garlic mashed potato,sweet and sour green beans, smoked tomato butter and Gouda stuffed onion rings...it looks a little heavier than it actually was. this is by far the ultimate surf and turf....maybe a king crab cake in the near future?? king bisque?... you can enjoy the stuffed crab alone at the restaurant you get 2 for for $17 a meal in its self.

Going bananas!

So much to do. No time to do it in! With Christmas just 15 days away,a new menu in 5 days, no shopping done, my new angel that's about a month away and the overall ups and downs of the food industry it's amazing that i haven't reverted back to an ape like ave dweller. Our globe review has brought us a positive response and the parties are booking like crazy but... will it last? i tinkered with the idea of trying to do simple food. but simple food ain't gonna cover our overhead considering we don't advertise ever. we advertise in the restaurant ..so say...you wanna sell tickets to a wine tasting and barely anybody comes to eat. who's gonna even know its going on...now i cant fault the owner ,god knows he loves this place and his staff more than any owner i have ever worked for...i fault these publications that charge $2500.00 for a two week add.....i feel his pains... and i know it will get better. i just pray we all have the patients.

Chestnuts roasted

pray for this pray pray pray for this!! where are the steps???

missing summer

Snow piling up and a winter menu on my mind amongst many other things ,i sat back and asked my self jokingly "Remember Summer" the smells ,the breeze that i never felt as i slow cooked in a 145 degree inferno of a kitchen aha!! seems like it was just 4 months ago..oh yeah it was .I guess some times things are hard to give up. Like a 10 yr old with a nasty over bite from years of dedicated thumb pacification i have a hard time kicking my summer mind state i like fresh,i like light, even when i try to create heavy food for colder seasons i try to do it using lighter applications. so one of my chefs was breaking down a beautiful loin of yellowfin and with Sarah not being able to eat raw fish due to our being pregnant (mind you me and sarah are sushi fanatics) i started day dreaming of tuna sashimi with lead me into a whirlwind of summer senses.the smells the tastes the visuals. everything that i have learned to love so much about our New England summers. so here you go....Sashimi of fennel and soy marinated Tuna, edamame sea weed salad compressed watermelon, yuzu,nigiris togarashi , tobiko caviar, spicy preserved kumquat ,and chili threads

Blue light Speacial!

Sous vied lobster tail and knuckle,duck confit,crosnes,roasted corn sweet potato cake,citrus buerre blanc and a Little chimichurri oil .topped with micro daikon and arugula sprouts. the texture of the lobster was amazing and clean with all the taste that you love in lobster .cooking the lobster at 65c for 20 minutes with a little melted butter in a vacuum pack,breaks down all the fibrous tissue without over cooking it .Leaving you with meltingly tender lobster with out losing any of the flavor to the elements of cookery. i.e saute , boil, bake and so on and so forth. the succulent lobster sweet and buttery was elevated by the crispy salty duck confit. Another element of this dish i added to give a bit of depth and contrast is the flash saute crosnes. also called Chinese artichokes. I love these things ,i don't really get the artichoke part i think they taste more like a celery root or a sunchoke had a baby with a jicima but that's me. Anyway i cant get people to love them like i do. people see what looks like some kind of beetle pupae .i see a Wise little vegetable what do you think?????

First snow ..First reveiw

you have to be excited living in New England.. when the first snow hits a little late until the season i might add...but maybe a white one this year?? .. i woke up to Sarah's mom clutching my review in her hand ..Noah pounding on the windows trying to catch the extra large snow flakes. So far so good. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/12/07/culinary_magic_in_carver/

depressing..

A feeling of helplessness has come over me as of late.You hear about these big companies and world wide food chains shutting there doors left and right .banks not wanting to give loans..etc. it makes me wonder if its ever gonna end or keep on this destructive path that's bringing our nation back decades on the economic scale...And there i am finaly absolutely in love with my situation, my restaurant, and my job .. And yes I LOVE MY JOB!! at what i could consider a pivotal point in my career . my mind ever so expanding and challenging (at times to my own detriment) yearning for a new ingredient or technique that could change the way people think of food. to see the love and the art that goes into nourishing .Trying to provide a memory with each passing plate ..But MY concentration and studies have become harder and a bit fogged by my constant worrying ..will it change... Its not easy thinking about a wine dinner in January while wondering if we are netting enough revenue for my boss to pay the mortgage..or when we do 40 covers on a Saturday night how are we gonna meet pay roll..i love my boss like a second father and i can see desperation in him at times and that kills me..i try to all that i can , i work by myself in the mornings (which i have always found relaxing and therapeutic) i do the dishes I've lopped the crew to a fraction of what it once was. IT KILLS ME! i still feel like were failing!! And for the first time its not that the restaurant I'm in ain't working right (concept,food,location) its the economy.. a beast no one can defeat ...Boston restaurant are down 40% ..its every where its a damning epidemic....i just hope to god it fixes it self...until then I'll be working hard to support my wife and kids. in this time of disparity.