Press

Recently, the restaurant here in Cabris was featured in the local (with a very high percentage of circulation) newspaper, called the Nice-Matin.

I haven't been able to find the article on the newspaper's website, but here is a picture of the article and photo of the staff.

-Wearer of blue aprons.

"According to French culinary tradition, white aprons are reserved for those who have ascended to the level of chef, having completed a journey that began as an apprentice wearing a blue apron. But within the kitchen of any Thomas Keller restaurant, everyone from the commis to the chef de cuisine, wears a blue apron during the hours prior to service, changing into white only once service begins.


While respect for tradition is a common thread among the kitchen staff, what's just as important is the desire to constantly learn. Everything can always be done a little better. Everyone can always learn something new. It's that constant exploration that allows the experience to continually evolve. Assuming an apprentice's mindset for a little bit each day is a reminder of that." -The French Laundry

An Era Ends

This evening, Saturday, July 30, 2011, comes the final service, the final dishes served, in what is the current and known identity of El Bulli in Roses, Spain. Ranked the number one restaurant in the world for five years, El Bulli changed the dining landscape of the world, whether you know of the restaurant and or not.

Ferran Adria, the driving force and Chef behind the restaurant, came to the restaurant in 1984, taking charge of the kitchen in 1987. He did not however gain popularity until the late 1990's and early 2000. Known for foams and transformations of food, Ferran is noted on starting the now popular food movement coined "Molecular Gastronomy," a term that Ferran objects to.

Without a doubt in my mind, Ferran is the single most important Chef in the history of cooking. Sure Escoffier, Keller, others are very important. But who else in the industry has made such dramatic changes to the landscape? Who else has questioned the limits of food, and pushed things year in and year out, to higher limits. Who else has made as huge of an impact on the industry?

During Junior year of High School, is when the passion and throbbing heartache of day in and day out thoughts of cooking and restaurants began. I was taking culinary classes at the local technical center, working dinner services at The Can Can Brasserie in downtown Richmond, and when the day was over at nearly 11 or 12 at night I would jump on the internet and research various foods, techniques, chefs, or anything that my education or time in the restaurant had me note to research later and learn about. During this time period is when I first learned about El Buli, from San Pellgrinio's Best Restaurant's list. When I first began reading about the restaurant, and seeing pictures of the food, I was in a euphoric state. Here I was in Richmond, Virginia, seeing what I thought was THE food industry, classic French cuisine, classic techniques, and I see pictures of a Spanish chef flipping everything on it's head.

Foams as sauces? Hot gelees? Caviar pearls of apple? A green pea ravioli, encased in itself? How is this food possible? And how haven't I seen any of it? This Chef, was taking any rules and throwing them away, asking why is this always used in this way? How can we best show this ingredient. I was truly inspired. Beyond inspired, ecstatic, I couldn't sleep.

Amongst my never-ending searches and views of any information I could find, I stumbled upon Anthony Bourdain's 2001 film "Decoding Ferran Adria." A film that forever changed me.

Certainly watched over 50 times, perhaps 100 times, the one hour, now outdated, special by Anthony Bourdain, was one of the most important pieces of my beginnings. It showed me that beyond the limits of Richmond chefs were using their creativity, questioning everything they had once learned, working in a collaboration instead of the classic hierarchy system.

The film and everything and anything I could find on the restaurant, fueled my desire to see more, learn more, and question what the possibilities of food could be.

Having never made it to the restaurant, it will forever haunt me that I never got to experience the most important restaurant in history. Ferran plans to re-open in 2014 with the space being a some what altered state, currently called the El Bulli Foundacion, it is said it will be a creativity center.

This coming Monday, August 1st, Anthony Bourdain is releasing a second episode centered around El Bulli, this time a "Last Meal." You should watch it, without a doubt it will be a historic and monumental video. And one that will be close to my heart.

Thanks Ferran and all those who have worked at El Bulli, you forever changed the landscape of dining, and inspired many without even knowing.

The beginnings of a cook, the beginnings of passion and hospitality,

For a love, passion, and desire for good food and cooking, began long ago, the days when I was young and an active soccer player. This I realized today during staff meal, after recreating one of my mother's classic dishes, named Chicken and Rice. Really, it is that simple, chicken with a mixed medley of vegetables, plethora of white rice, and topped with cheddar cheese and bread crumbs.


When confronted with the task of creating this evenings family meal at the restaurant, on hand we had guinea fowl, already cooked farro, mixed vegetables. And thus came forth in my head an European version of my mom's classic dish. In place of rice farro, instead of cheddar parmesan, holding steady for the chicken was guinea fowl. I told the story when presenting the food, making it more than food to those being served. Heart was in the food, a story, history. 


The team loved it, and it even brought me back to the meals from my home. Although Chicken and Rice was never a favorite or requested from me, it is my sister Morgann's favorite, and a very memorable one of my own. With four kids to take around to the various soccer fields, volleyball courts, and other events, the food my mom prepared was simple, quick, usually all in one, and healthy. But always delicious and home-y.

This hospitality, simplicity, was the foundation of where my love of good food and cooking came from I have come to realize. This thought now makes me giddy inside due to nostalgia: during the fall, a full day of school, soccer practice for school immediately following, and then a mere hour or so after that one finished, another soccer practice to attend. And finally, after the full day of non stop activity, I would return home, and a meal to be eaten with the family or ready to be eaten solo, was there, the smells permeating all the way to the street. Always hungry, and ready for a warm meal after the day, it was at that point of the day that I was most appeased, and happy. That state of content was exasperated in the fall, with the cooler temperatures outside, warm inside, and my favorite foods abounding. Baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pastas with vegetables were some of the more memorable.

The sense of content, of how much joy that evening meal was after the long days, the hospitality, is where it all began.

Thanks, and love, family.

At a loss..

 View from Cabris...

As to what a new post should be....don't want to do an old update of the happenings day and day out here, as it is a bit repetitive... imagination and creativity have been flowing the last two days, however.

The past two days have been the best here thus far..

                      Some pictures to sustain all hundreds of my dedicated and passionate readers...

Violet Macaroon in Grasse..

Lavender; everywhere..

wild fennel grows..

markets in Cabris..

Kitchen. 

Now Listening: Rhianna-Man Down

Quotes, To Live By

Some of my favorite quotes;

"When you acknowledge, as you must, that there is no such thing as perfect food, only the idea of it, then the real purpose of striving toward perfection becomes clear: to make people happy, that is what cooking is all about." -Thomas Keller


"..Firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task." -Barack Obama


“You can’t let a little press delude you into thinking you’re great. I like to stay downstairs, thinking I suck and pushing myself so I get better and better. If you believe your press, your learning curve stops.” -Dale Reitzer


"Flavor is memory"-Ferran Adria


"Live Passionately" -State of Virginia


"Butter, Love, and Hardwork"-Chris Ford


"Simplicity is complexity revisited."-Rj Cooper III


"I love you"-Family and Friends






A post from France, pictures, and video tour of the village to come soon. Thanks for reading.  


-COLLIN

On Hors d'œuvre

Time after time I find hor d'œuvre at any type of function to be lackluster at best. With hot dishes being passed and becoming cold after time, uninspired flavors, same items time and time again, and lacking in execution, I set out to become creative and try some new things.

                                                                                                                                         

"Chips and Salsa"-Corn Tortillas stamped and baked in muffin tins to create a bowl, filled with a beautiful Pico de Gallo, topped with tomato water foam.

"Shrimp Cocktail"-Pickled horseradish strips wrapped around broiled shrimp, nestled in a hollowed cherry tomato. One bite with no sauce to dip into, but flavors the same as Shrimp cocktail.

"Macaroni and Cheese"-A personal favorite dish of mine, in its modern form especially exciting me. Toasted bread crumb Cappelletti, Chedder and bacon mornay sauce, bacon bits, and fresh herbs. One bite, an explosion of bacon cheese sauce in the mouth.

Tortilla Espanol-Having cooked in Spain, this dish is close to me. Egg, potato, and yellow onion cake stamped into one bite circles, with a beautiful paprika aioli on top.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls-With Vietnam being my most desired travel destination, and Vietnamese cuisine being my favorite, this was an ode to the country and cuisine. Delicious and fresh. Rice paper, Vermicelli noodles, five spice marinated hanger steak(I know, not Vietnamese), pickled varieties of radish and cucumber, basil and cilantro.

Pork Tenderloin-Marinated in fall spices, red wine, whiskey, grilled, and served on crostini with my own apple butter. Out of season, but wonderful all the same.

PB&J Lollipop-Having eaten peanut butter and jelly every day in high school, and loving every single one, the flavors make sense and continually make me happy. Virginia peanut parfait, poached peeled noir grapes, stuck on a lollipop stick, dipped in mint scented and sweetened lamb fat, and rolled in chopped Virginia peanuts. Incredible.

Dill pound Cake-Inspired by Nordic flavors and mentor and friend Pastry Chef Chris Ford's Basil Pound Cake. Dill pound cake with a beautiful Cucumber foam.

                                                                                                                                         

Everything came out moderately well, execution could be enhanced and perfected, but proud nonetheless.

And as a matter of house keeping and keeping all five of my readers informed, I will be heading to Cabris, France, just north of Cannes on Tuesday the 21st. I will be cooking at a five room hotel, L'Auberge du Vieux Château, for the summer. Following my stint working, I hope to transfer to a vineyard in France or Italy for the crush, and learn the process of wine and importance of terroir through the fall season. I couldn't be more excited-or surprised, having just confirmed all the details a mere two weeks ago. Wish me luck, and see you soon! Spain, Denmark, and now France! My crazy dream from the high school years of traveling the world by cooking, has somehow become reality! More blog posts from France to come. 

A foraged dessert

Inspired by the season, and the wild things shooting about, I created a dessert using Wild Strawberries, Honeysuckle, and Wood Sorrel.

The concept came naturally, I have pondered for the last months about the use of Honeysuckle, why wasn't any kitchen using it, why not in their repertoire. For me, the blossom is quite nostalgic, bringing back memories as a little boy frolicking in fields, inundated by the fragrance from across the way, or whilst driving down a country road. Always plucking them from the bushes, only the golden, and stripping the stamen through the core to reveal the tiniest but most potent droplet of honey and floral like nectar. Beautiful.

And so they are in season, and I went about picking. With plans on making jams, teas, ice creams and sorbets out of them, I began noticing what was also out at the time, and what was living amongst the bushes.

First came the Wild Strawberries, mild in flavor, wonderful in mouth appeal, and growing everywhere. So I began picking them.  Another ingredient I have seen used very sparingly.

Amongst the Wild Strawberries came Wood Sorrel. Tart, a bit astringent, but with nice flavor.

The plate was born. I would compress the Wild Strawberries with a Honeysuckle syrup reduction, creating a more dense berry, with a bit more flavor. I created a strawberry jam, cooking the berries down with honey and a bit of sugar, water.



I made a beautiful and equally delicious sauce out of Wood Sorrel, and steeped cream with Honeysuckles to create a delicate ice cream.

The dessert came out, although execution could be amended a bit, otherwise the components and flavors are there. Not too sweet, but refreshing, natural, and memory transporting, something only the best food does.

Push the boundaries, what can't be used in pastry, and why can't one work on either side? Just need to work on creating perfect textured ice creams and sorbets, and quenelling :)