Happy Holidays..

Been trying to finish the winter menu, while juggling surgery,and x-mas shopping.... my main focus has been on my wife and kids. And they deserve nothing less than that from me..so happy holidays to all. and see you soon

Back On Track..

My computer just came back after being quarantined. apparently it came down the h1n1 virus. I've been real busy lately. thanksgiving went off with out a hitch which was great. Unfortunately i could not get one picture off do to the amount of prep , me and Jarrod scrambled to the last second, I've been crafting the winter and holiday menu's, as well as working on a gourmet pizza concept we might end up doing at the restaurant. On the personal front I've continued to do the Sunday suppers at my house and it's been quite enjoyable. It feel great after a long week to celebrate a plate of food with great company. Above is pictures from the last two suppers. The top photos is a dinner me and john boy did. Stuffed Cornish hens with roasted heirloom carrots, beets and whole wheat gnocchi. stuffed with a basmati laced with blood sausage...Honestly it was one of best meals of 2009 for me. It was so good i opted to toast with it's carcass. not really thinking about john boys vegan fiance (sorry) the flavors were amazing. my only real blooper was that i tried the whole wheat flour on the gnuddi . I would of much rather preferred all purpose or farina type "00" . the funny picture on the bottom is my wife teaching Jarrod to drink backwards to get rid of hiccups.

Spanish Steak & Potatos...

Sous Vide Flat Iron Steak, Rosemary Essence, Saffron Braised Squash, Romesco, Potato Confit,

Crisp Artichoke Heart, Cabbage Threads, Sweet Paprika, House Tabasco, Vino Poached Asparagus, Sangria Bubbles, Brioche

Ruben Pizza..Just Had to Do It!

Marble Rye Crust, Shredded House Corned Beef, House Purple Kraut, Gingered Thousand Island, Diced Dill Pickles, Shredded Gruyere, Toasted Caraway Seeds... Further proof that every thing is better home made!

Sunday Supper...

Me and my wife's Cousin Johnny Have started a little Sunday supper club for our families . To have the ability to Brainstorm and Create with Another Person Who is as in love with this Craft and insane profession is a breathe of fresh air. Every body showed up we cooked, we drank, And had some amazing food. The Highlights of the day for me. Was the excitement of forming the menu at the supermarket. A woman had over heard are enthusiasm and asked if we were chefs.
I replied yes, She said "good, For a second I thought i wasn't normal".... Some of my bloopers from the night included Using all the eggs, so when i went to form my ravioli and agnolotti i had no egg wash...Leading to a few exploding.... And i never took the ratatouille out of the oven...i think it's still there. Overall The meal was great....my wife while chasing three kids managed to make Biryani, Naan Bread, and amazing Ver jus Vinaigrette. She reassured my suspicions that she is either a ROBOT, or Wonder Woman. I was to busy to take pictures but i do remember the menu... I am looking forward to the next adventure!

Supper Club 11/15

Cuban Rubens

Home made Cuban Bread, Honey Ham, Roasted Turkey, Sauerkraut, 1000 Island

Arugula & Endive

Goat Cheese, Tart Apple, Toasted Pecan, Craisins, Cranberry Ver jus Vin

Pumpkin Squash Bisque

Indian Spices, Roasted Pepitas, Curried Chicken Cashew Ravioli, Syrian Pumpkin Oil

Peasant Ratatouille

Roasted Squashes,Vine Riped Tomato,Aubergine,Fennel,Sweet Onion, Sarah's Marinara

Wild Sockeye Salmon

Crisped skin, Coconut Tamarind Glaze, Vegetable Biryani, Grilled Naan Bread

Not to Shabby!

Chicken and Waffles...

Inspiration at times comes out of the blue. A discussion on supermarkets leads into a discussion on bone in chicken breast...That's when memories started kicking in.... One of my very first jobs as a kid was at a Wendy's I was 16 the minimum wage was $4.25 ....The manager who I can not for the life of me remember her name used to let me play around when it was slow. She was so intrigued at the way i could make food...using the same ingredients that she had rendered boring in her mind... One of my favorite pieces of equipment in the building was a vacuum pressured fryer.. A Broaster i believe the name is, on a few occasions she let me fry chicken from home using the machine....bone in split breast..... so a discussion on homemade fried chicken lead into a further discussion on chicken and waffles....it was on my mind for a week or two....finally i gave in...When i do fried chicken i like to do it on the bone, but boneless breast works terrific with this recipe.. The fun is all in the marinade and seasoned flour.... I always make my own buttermilk, there are three main ways to produce buttermilk...One is the result of butter and or cheese making, One is an overnight controlled fermentation, the third and in my eyes the easiest is to introduce acid to either raw or whole milk Cold... One tablespoon of cider vinegar, for every cup of dairy, mix well and leave it at room temp for 15 minutes.....if this same mixture is heated to a lite simmer the dairy will separate when strained collect the curds and push out excess water ...you now have ricotta cheese. season the buttermilk and flour however you want, this is what separates your chicken from his chicken..... Up top we have Organic Fried Buttermilk Chicken Breast, Pumpkin Waffle, Maple Tabasco Butter, Garlicky Arugula, Sage Marshmallow, and Paprika Honey Paint..... Eat your heart out Colonel Sanders!!

Wednesday 10/28/09

Up Top We Have........ Tom Kha Gai, Chicken Masaman Dumpling, Tempura Birds Eye Chili, Pickled Mushroom, Snow Peas, Naamac Cham, Chili Threads...The Flavor was intense, Loaded With Umami, And a burst of floral heat from the Lemon Grass, Kaffir Lime , Coriander, and Chili I opted to not poach The chicken , But to serve the Chicken In the form Of a Curried Dumpling Playing great with the coconut in the soup. Below we have a SIMPLE Pate Choux That I added Roasted Pumpkin.Vanilla Bean, And toasted Pumpkin spices....It's A doughnut... Tossed In Vanilla 5 spice sugar. and served with Whipped Egg Nog, Pumpkin Dulce De Leche, And Powdered Pumpkin Pie (Freeze Dried Pumpkin,Milk Powder,Pumpkin Spice,Ground Graham Cracker) ...Definitive Autumn Would be my Menu Name For This One.....

Noah's Birthday

I've been trying to take my mind off work , and focus on myself and my family this week. I had an operation on Tuesday for something that i waited way to long to take care of, Because i always put work before even my own health.Then Thursday was my son Noah's Birthday. Me and my wife have made a promise to one another that no matter what are income situation looks like either good or bad. When it comes to our children we are gonna take great measure to give them everything and anything we never had the chance of having. For me that means piles of presents and parties for your birthday. Being that our Noah turned two and it is probably the first birthday he can actually participate in we aimed to spoil. I think we sucseeded .he was happy the whole day. As a father it feels incredible to give to your children. Our youngest at only 9 months Is growing so fast. My heart melts when he crawls over to sit down next to his brother to either play or watch one of there programs together, I am so proud of my little chirrups.

Gastro Pub Pics...

Roasted Portabella Napoleon,Honeyed Ricotta, Mozzarella, Caponata,Reduced Balsamic..................... .......... ... .. .. .. ]

Chicken Satay,Indonesian Spices,Peanut Sauce,Sweet and Sour Cabbage, Lime

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Nori Wrapped Tuna, Lemongrass Glazed Bok Choy,Edamame Fried Rice, XO

Harvest Salad, Beets,Squash, Apple,Craisins,Pecan,Goat Cheese,Rocket, Cranberry Vinaigrette...And Vegetable Tempura With Mango Chili Dipping Sauce (you gotta have something fried)........................... ........... .. . . .. ... . ;;

Here are some of the Fall menu items I've brought to the Winsor House. I like to consider them a re imagining of bar food or bar food kicked up a bit, Because we offer both menus in any dining room i tried to create a menu that reflects a New England Pub with a bit of finesse. So the overall concept of the restaurant isn't lost in translation between the dining rooms. We still have a lot of familiar and typical "pub grub" just put together in a unique manner to separate us from any other pub or tavern. You'll see a Quesadilla .. where as most places through cheese and meat on a tortilla and serve up some Old Elpaso or what ever the name is. We take a cast iron griddle and heat it to close to 700 degrees to create our own make shift COMAL to give the tortilla an amazing crunch, grilled chipolte chicken, "three- fried beans", Cheddar jack cheese and mole, we serve it with Pico de pimento and a lime laced sour cream. To give you an example. More Pictures To follow.

Birthday Boy!!

Today is my birthday...and I'm 28!! funny story last night i came home at the crack of midnight and my wife was waiting at the door "happy birthday baby" she said... i chuckled confusingly " thanks , but my birthday isn't until Thursday it's only Tuesday night" her response was quick and to the point " It Say's it's the 14Th on the computer calendar" ....yup , i had know idea that it was birthday. The days have been blurring , my brain packed to the brim with ideas and solutions. We launched the new menu on Friday night in a rushed attempt to try to get my sous chef familiar with my vision before he goes on vacation . The first night was a bit of a scramble , but Saturday we were all sat down. I'm still working out all the kinks, Prep guides, Inventory spreads sheets and so on.. I'm getting some awesome feedback on the cuisine. Like always I'm looking to do more... Wine dinners, events, The website updated and so on. The fact that we are only open dinner in this unpredictable recession, makes it hard to generate additional funds to advertise or campaign new endeavours. So we are trying to find new outlets. This is something i find sort of familiar with older establishments. We have are core group of regulars, but to get the rest of the locals re-interested is not an easy feat. they almost take you for granted. Our restaurant should not be taken for granted . The ambiance and sheer aura of this place is magical in my eyes.

Breads...

Cranberry Pecan Sourdough, Chervil pesto Foccacia"boule", hERBED tWISTS

Thinking Autumn

I've ripping my brain apart lately trying to pull all the cards on my first menu change I've drafted up a mock version and submitted it to the owners , I've also sent out pricing inquiries, And spoke with a liquor Representative about wine dinners. I'm Super Excited about the changes going into effect and the mysterious yet positive energy that surrounds it. In the works right now I'm Corning beef , Preserving Lemons, Fermenting a Sour dough starter for a Artisan Bread that I'm working on.(our Bread service is gonna be beyond impressive) So far Foccacia, Pistachio pesto twisted bread sticks, Mini Orange Pumpkin "Clovers", & Cranberry Pecan Sour Dough.
For Starters . I'm working on Butternut Squash Ravioli w/ Maple Alfredo and Brulee of Salted Sage Marshmallow.. Entrees A Turducken Potpie With Port Cranberry Sauce... I'm Also trying to establish a Dessert Menu And Inspire Someone to rock out some Signature/ Dessert Cocktails
I have one in mind that has a Chai liquor and Pumpkin Dulce De Leche.. I get Home in the we hours every night so it's been hard to keep the blogs coming. Me and Sarah weren't Able to attend this years International Culinary Congress Which depresses me. On a Light note i am stoked to be able to a dad during the day..

General Tso Sweet Breads..

It is unclear how the dish came to bear the name of Zuo Zongtang , a Qing Dynasty general from Hunan. Zuo himself is unlikely ever to have tasted the dish. The dish is not found in Changsha, the capital of Hunan. Nor is it found in Xiangyin, the home of General Tso. Moreover, descendants of General Tso still living in Xiangyin, when interviewed, say that they have never heard of such a dish.
There are several stories concerning the origin of the dish. In her book The Chinese Kitchen, Eileen Yin-Fei Lo states that the dish originates from a simple Hunan chicken dish, and that the reference to "Zongtang" in "Zuo Zongtang chicken" was not a reference to Zuo Zongtang's given name, but rather a reference to the homonym "zongtang", meaning "ancestral meeting hall" Consistent with this interpretation, the dish name is sometimes (but considerably less commonly) found in Chinese as "Zuo ancestral hall chicken" (Chung tong gai is a transliteration of “ancestral meeting hall chicken” from Cantonese; Zuǒ Zōngtáng jī is the standard name of General Tso's chicken as transliterated from Mandarin.)
According to several sources, the recipe was invented by Taiwan-based, Hunan cuisine chef Peng Chang-kuei who had been an apprentice of Cao Jingchen's, a famous early 20th century Chinese chef Peng was the Nationalist government banquets' chef and fled with Chiang Kai-sheks forces to Taiwan during the Chinese civil war There, he continued his career as official chef until 1973, when he moved to New York to open a restaurant That was where Peng Jia started inventing new dishes and modifying traditional ones; one new dish, General Tso's chicken, was originally prepared without sugar, and subsequently altered to suit the tastes of "non-Hunanese people The popularity of the dish has now led to it being "adopted" by local Hunanese chefs and food writers, perhaps as an acknowledgment of the dish's unique status, upon which the international reputation of Hunanese cuisine was largely based.Ironically, when Peng Jia opened a restaurant in Hunan in the 1990s introducing General Tso's chicken, the restaurant closed without success because the locals found the dish too sweet.

General Tso's Chicken commonly consists of dark-meat pieces of chicken that are battered, deep-fried and seasoned with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine or sherry sugar, sesame oil, scallions, and hot chili peppers and often served with steamed broccoli.
Though relatively inexpensive to produce, General Tso's chicken is often listed as a "Chef's Specialty" at Chinese restaurants in North America, commanding a higher price than other items. Many restaurants, especially in areas with many vegetarians, also serve General Tso's Tofu or General Tso's Veg [Other variants substitute shrimp, beef, or even pork for the chicken.

In this case i've used Veal sweet breads.

Week IN Review!!

I just completed my first week at the Winsor House. The potential this place has is mind blowing. It has three points of revenue with a possible forth. It has a great pub crowd and atmosphere. Two beautiful dinning rooms , that maintain a casual sleek motif perfect for fine dinning.They also have the Inn , upstairs which has had tenants since i started. The forth thing is functions, being such a spacious building its easy. My goals are to increase the volume in these four areas. By trying to establish them all as separate entities. I've begun working on a new menu that will be geared more towards autumn. The menu as of now is chalked full of shortcuts and pre-made food that i could never serve to people, And it's all sort of meshed together . They have a pub menu on the same page as there entrees menu, which has a few almost dinnerish plates on it . This explains why i did not see a single entree until my forth day. Instead of ordering a lamb rack for $28 people just order a beef lomein for $14. With the recession and all if we offer people a easy way out they will take it. I'm working on a Actual pub menu , no entrees . Just sleek tapas style apps. so people are not deterred from ordering dinner. I'm really excited about doing a bit more relaxed version of my cuisine. UPSCALE PUB GRUB if you will. We will also be doing a food and wine dinner series and I'm working on bringing brunch to the Winsor House. Its gonna be allot of work, but im up for the challenge.

SOUTH SHORE LIVING ...

I Am featured in the September edition of south shore living magazine the magazine did a spread using root vegetables and other fall harvest ingredients. You can find the magazine at any BORDERS/BARNES AND NOBLE as well as all Shaw's and Stop and Shops locations. I am very excited they gave me the opportunity to be in there publication , there are a ton of very talented chefs on the south shore. So them seeking me out is that much more special to me..

My New Home!

I've been waiting until an appropriate time to announce that i recently found my new home ,. In the kitchen of THE WINSOR HOUSE INN. A beautiful Restaurant and inn In Duxbury. The building much like the Crane Brook was constructed in the early 1800's , It has a Pub and two main dining rooms. It's got a fun aura to it ... The food served now is eclectic. So i have a good feeling the transition into my cuisine will be a breeze. The Owners are very excited for change and I'm excited to Help. I've already been scribbling fall menu ideas , I hope to have a fall menu down in the next few weeks. Also we are gonna due food and wine dinners, beer tastings, something special on Mondays and Tuesdays . I'm also campaigning to bring Ala carte brunch on Sundays. due to the success of brunch at the crane brook. I'll keep you all up to date with menu development and so on...

So What Is Next??

I've been receiving allot of e-mails and feed back from people as more and more of the regulars find out that we are no more. I picked up my last check and last few of my personal belongings today. I brought my wife and kids , just as i did on those very secretive meetings me and MR. MCKEAG had over what seemed to be a 6 month job interview. I like my wife to see what to be involved in my decision to start a job. She is after all an extension of me , and my best friend. Not to mention that she knows me way better than i ever will. As i walked around to the back of the restaurant, seeing the open signs pulled away out back . A grim sadness came over me. I think it was the first time, the reality of no more crane brook sank in. I approached the ever so familiar entrance to my kitchen with a tear in my eye , and pulled the door open to the disarray of emptiness and dishes stacked for sale . I walked in and started thinking about how we didn't fail. Instead Our chapter has run out of words.. Just like the owners before us it was just time.. The building is beautiful, the ambiance was magical.... And i must admit, I am proud to be the last chef to finish the lineage of famous chefs and cooks that had the privilege to walk in the same foot steps of there predecessors. I walked up the stairs to the office and standing in the same location he was when i had first met him MR. MCKEAG stood with the same warm welcome he had given me every (almost) morning since we had met.. I told him how grateful me and Sarah were that he gave this opportunity. I grew more as a man and a student of life under his tutoring .. And it's solely because of him that i am where i am as a chef.. Because he believed in me , even when i had a hard time believing me... That being said i left with my belongings and headed back to the car. It was not good bye , but more like until we meet again! .. I 've been interviewing positions all over MA, I've gotten some real strong hits and interests ..i am expecting to know something soon.. and as soon as i do everyone will hear about hit..

JAMBALAYA A'LA JARROD ROSS

One of the toughest things that a chef has to go through . Is trying to mold and mend the personalities around you to benefit your cuisine. At one point when i first started working at the Crane Brook , We had one of the most amazing crews I've ever had the pleasure to know, we had fun and managed to put out an amazing product . We all had our own little quirks and were complete opposites outside those walls, But managed to unite within.. A debunked family if you will. ..Being a chef is a numbing job..you can never be the best..your always a student... the hours that you work 60-70 or more leave you with 1 day for your family...so in theory the people in your brigade become an extended family. A kitchen is like a revolving door. You'll go months with a great crew, next thing you know. Your starting from scratch again.The last three months were a rebuilding process. I needed that one chef to walk into our kitchen and make life a bit easier for me. Unfortunately my prayers were answered a bit late, however i m unbelievably grateful to have met him .. His name is Jarrod Ross. He possesses an unbelievable talent and desire to succeed. Here is a special he rocked out last week that had the restaurant hopping. It's a Craw fish and Andouillie Jambalaya with Corn Meal Crusted Soft Shell Crab and Honey Ale Butter . Im sure we will all hear about him in the near future.

SAYING GOODBYE..

As of Sunday August 31, 2009, the Crane Brook Restaurant, will be no more. It has been a magical journey for me and my wife. We have met some amazing people and built friendships that will last several lifetimes. This experience has been quite humbling for me as a chef, to work in a building with such history and to be able to stand on the same line that countless amazing chefs have once stood. Meeting Don Mckeag has become one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. He has his way of treating everyone around, like family. Like a nurturing father or a drunk uncle....The memories that I have accumulated since my arrival, mixed with the magical beauty of this building....I could never forget....Yesterday, about 20 people came into the kitchen teary eyed, asking me what my next move is gonna be?? I'm not sure...Do I jump right into another job, or do give my wife some of the quality family time she always yearns for. I literally just worked 31/2 years non-stop, no vacation, one holiday a year....On the search for perfection in my craft....I'm interviewing and we'll all see. Some people fear change....I've learned to embrace it. Every kind of change is a new chapter in our lives, a notch in our legacy....I am very excited to see what life is gonna bring to my door step. Once again thank you all for your love and support; and just keep up with the blog to see whats going on.