Chef’s Blog

Recipes, cooking tips and tricks, sauces, stocks, catering menu ideas, process, opinion and food passion.

  • Fish en Papillote – al Cartoccio

    Fish en Papillote – al Cartoccio

    Easy, classic, baked presentation for most any filet of fish. Fish en Papillote – or Fish in Parchment Paper, is a simply wonderful, flavorful way to enjoy seafood.


  • Eggplant Masala – Bagara Baingan – Curry

    Eggplant Masala – Bagara Baingan – Curry

    Economical, flavorful, intense vegetarian eggplant preparations inspired by those of various regions in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Southern India and Sri Lanka.


  • Braised Chuck Tender in Reduction

    Braised Chuck Tender in Reduction

    Making a classic braised beef with a less common cut, such as Braised Chuck Tender – can be tricky. Here are some of the pros and cons of cooking a rich, enjoyable beef stew that is leaner than a braised beef dish made with full chuck. Yeah – I know – where’s the fun in…


  • Beet Napoleon with Roasted Garlic-Shallot Chevre Goat Cheese

    Beet Napoleon with Roasted Garlic-Shallot Chevre Goat Cheese

    Beet Napoleon with roasted garlic-shallot chevre goat cheese – lentil-red pepper puree – cherry tomatoes – Parmesan tuile – topped with roasted red and yellow peppers and Pecorino Romano crumble. The spirit of the season. I really do love me some beets!


  • Reduction Sauces – Meat Glaze – Glace – Part 4

    Reduction Sauces – Meat Glaze – Glace – Part 4

    Stock to demi-glace to glace de Viande. Reducing and further refining your reductions to make glaze. The good news is – the hardest part is behind you. At this point the liquid, bones and vegetables are run through a china-cap for their initial strain and the stocks are moved into smaller pots. China-caps are great…


  • Reduction Sauces – Meat Glaze – Glace – Part 3

    Reduction Sauces – Meat Glaze – Glace – Part 3

    Stock to demi-glace to glace de Viande. Reducing, skimming and fortifying your stock… Once you see the contents rise in the pot, mostly due to expansion, and see a few bubbles beginning to break the surface, you’re pretty much on your way. (In this example there are two batches going at the same time. One…