“I remember reading about El Bulli four or five years ago in the French newspaper Le Monde. I remember the yearning, and I remember the pang that followed closely: considering the small number of guests that the restaurant could accomodate each season, the dream seemed out of reach. But a few years later, I learned from a well-informed friend that getting a reservation was a bit like playing the lottery: the odds were low, but it didn’t cost much to try (see below).
And so I played, I won, and this is how Maxence and I found ourselves flying to Barcelona last weekend with three of our friends.”
Entries Tagged 'chefs' ↓
El Bulli Bulli
November 21st, 2006 — blog, chefs, photos, restaurant, review, spain, travel
Marketing of Rachel Ray
November 14th, 2006 — blogpost, chefs, food - misc, food tv
Rachael Ray: Branding Goddess?
Rachael Ray is interested in what food becomes, how food turns into meals, social occasions, brimming kitchens, people communing, families eating…and talking…and being a family. This enterprise begins with food and moves briskly on to the emotional, social, and cultural benefits that food gives us.
What’s a Restaurant 2-Star Michelin Rating Like?
November 11th, 2006 — california, chefs, chocolate, dessert, french, review, spain, stars and ratings, wine
Manresa 320 Villeage Lane, Los Gatos, CAWe celebrated our 10th “first date” anniversary last night at a Michelin 2-star restaurant/Mobil Travel Guide 4-star restaurant. The dinner was truly amazing. We were 20 minutes early and Michael Kean, the general manager got us a table right away. The decor was nice, comfortable and inviting..not too plush, a nice balance of modern and warm. We were seated along one wall where we can see the door to the kitchen and get a good view of the wine storage and most of the room. The crowd looked a little bit on the older side wearing business suits. I had double checked opentable.com to read more on how to dress for the restaurant. I went for a safe outfit and wore all black with a hot pink shawl. J did the whole black look with a silver button-down shirt. Can’t go wrong with black.
The room didn’t feel overly crowded or noisy. I’m wondering if this is just a more sedate crowd or if it was because they didn’t try to cram too many tables in the restaurant.
The restaurant location is actually quite quaint and tucked away in on a little street between University & Santa Cruz. Parking was a bit of a challenge since this part of Los Gatos is quite popular with all its shops and restaurants. I thought with the cooler weather there would be less folks, however arriving earlier than we expected we didn’t mind waiting for a space to open up in the lot just behind the restaurant. There is no valet service.
This had to be the most memorable meal we’ve ever had. Considering our first date dinner was more of a college type fare with spaghetti, salad and soda which was over in 20 minutes. The time of our dinner party included a viewing of Toy Story. The Manresa experience was the extreme opposite on the spectrum of dining experiences.
When we were reviewing the menu we wanted to try the tasting menu and we didn’t want our dinner to take 3-4 hours. We were starving since we ate so little during the day and it was already 8 o’clock. So we both decided to do the 4 course dinner and selected different dishes so that we could try the variety of food. Since we were celebrating we also opted for the wine pairing for our dishes.
Amuse bouche
Spoon of acorn squash puree with evoo and a little crushed sea salt.
Slow cooked egg with something like sour cream and chives…(i need to learn more about how to taste seasonings and distinguish creams and stuff) This was quite heavenly. You had to mix it all around to make sure the dressing was incorporated with the egg.
Deep fried parmesan stick(similar to a cheesy churro), not too greasy and just a slight taste of saltiness.
This was paired with a Cava sparking wine. This was a nice way to start our celebration dinner.
First Course
Butterfish sashimi with a really nice olive oil dressing. The fish was really like butter, a slight transluscent pink color touched with a bit of olive oil, the serving was a good portion to be able to enjoy and to share.
Sweet onion-brioche soup with a slice of manchego cheese and slow-cooked egg. Poured into a bowl, the soup was amazing and the wine really brought out the flavors. The cheese and slow-cooked egg were really nice balance to the sweetness of the soup. The cheese gave the nice saltiness and the egg gave some weight and texture.
Second Course
Arctic char with some greens. This was a nice light fish that resembled salmon but not as heavy or oily. A nice balance with my super light chardonnay or was it a sauvignon blanc…can’t remember.
The john dory on the plancha(style of cooking on a cast iron plate), drenched in Indian spices, yogurt & cucumber sauce. This dish was an amazing mix of fish in a slightly spicey sauce. The wine pairing was excellent and it truly brought out the spiciness but balanced with the buttery feel of the wine.
Third Course
Squab, nice medium rare really red. However the server warned us and said that if it was cooked well it would have become rubbery with no flavors. He was right, the rareness released the nice balanced flavors of the meat with its accompaniment and sauce. The dish was not salty and the wine pairing was amazing; a 2005 Jezebel Pinot Noir from Oregon. That was the only thing I wrote down because the wine was amazing.
My veal cheeks braised in apple cider, celery root and maitakes, roquefort was absolutely amazing. The earthy French syrah I had was a nice balance to the earthiness of my dish. The veal was tender and felt like it was melting in my mouth. We both ate in silence as we enjoyed our meals.
Enough time paced our courses and gave us a chance to enjoy our wine. James, our server was quite helpful in explaining our meal and the accompanying wine. He asked if we were there celebrating an occassion; we told him it was our anniversary. For our last course, dessert, he served both our plates with a little candle on them. It was a nice gesture and made our celebration dinner feel more festive.
Fourth Course
Chocolate marquis , cashews and white coffee ice cream. A highly sophisticated Snickers-like bar with white chocolate ice cream. The small portion was enough to close out the dinner but not too much to overpower the flavors from all the courses. This was paired with a nice velvety late harvest red wine.
Date cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream with carmelized bacon and dried pear slice. I really don’t even know how to describe this one. The carmelized bacon was an unlikely pair with the date cake but somehow it was a really nice touch to the dessert.
Tea
Great presentation of loose tea and served in individual teapots. I’m hoping for Christmas I can get a nice loose tea presentation box. We both had a lemongrass herbal tea. This was a nice way to top off our dinner and warm us up before we headed outdoor.
What was more amazing about this dining experience was the General Manager gave us a tour of the kitchen. Executive Chef Kinch was somewhat busy so all he could manage was a subtle wave to acknowledge our presence. Not too bad considering we’ve never been in the kitchen to see a kitchen’s choreographed dance. One of the highlights of the kitchen was a professional stove that was imported from France. It cooks with even heat at various tempertures. The chef basically moves the pot over the French top(not open but smooth so fuel smell of gas doesn’t affect the food) of the stove which was made of cast iron. You can read more from the SFGate Review.
After so much wine(we don’t usually drink), we went for a walk on Santa Cruz Ave in the extremely cool November evening…it was getting close to midnight when we headed home. I guess dinner did take over 3 hours! But we really didn’t notice the time since we were savoring each bite of our meal and enjoying spending quality time together.
4 Course Meal was $85 and another $52 for the wine pairing
Chef’s Tasting Menu(seasonal and spontaneous) was $115 and another $72 for the wine pairing.
Next time we’ll plan for an earlier dinner and try the tasting menu.
Manhattan transfer
November 5th, 2006 — article, chefs, restaurant
As Gordon Ramsay gears up for the biggest opening of his life, friend and fellow chef Anthony Bourdain explains why New York will present his toughest challenge yet
Michael Mina at Kepler’s
October 31st, 2006 — chefs, chocolate, dessert, recipe
Tuesday, November 14 - Kepler’s
Michael Mina, The Cookbook
6:30 - Reception; 7:30 - Reading and signing
Michael Mina has won many awards, including the 2002 James Beard for Best Chef in California and, more recently, two stars from the Michelin Guide to San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country 2007. Mina knows that cooks like to master one recipe but then try different flavors with the main ingredient. In his new book Mina reveals how to recreate his trio concept, where a master recipe is followed by three flavor variations. This event will be moderated by Howard Bulka, head chef, Marché Restaurant, Menlo Park.
We will be serving cookies made from this recipe on page 211 of his book. See if yours taste as good as his!
Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 2 ˆ dozen
- 1 cup [2 sticks] unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into chunks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound good-quality bittersweet chocolate, such as Valrhona or Scharffen Berger, finely chopped
- 1/2 pound toasted pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or use a handheld electric beater. Beat on medium speed until fluffy and light, about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well to incorporate. Add the vanilla and continue to mix until combined. Turn off the mixer.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add half the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating just to combine. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients to just combine. Do not overmix or the cookie dough can become tough. Turn off the mixer and fold in the chopped chocolate and nuts with a large spoon or spatula, stirring until all the bits are incorporated into the batter.
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Using your palms, roll the dough into 2-inch balls, about the size of a golf ball. Alternatively, you can use a small ice cream scoop. Place the balls on nonstick cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are just set on the edges but still fairly soft in the center, 14 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm. Once cool, the cookies may be stored in a covered plastic container.
Manressa Gift
October 25th, 2006 — blog, chefs, food - misc, restaurant
It looks as though Manressa is giving out a nice gift to their loyal customers. A really nice coffee table book on food with some recipes by Bay Area talent. Be sure to check it out by Friday!
Thank you for dining at Manresa in Los Gatos and may we continue to have you as our welcome guest. As a token of our appreciation, we have a special gift for you just in time for the holidays. Visit Manresa’s news journal at http://manresarestaurant.blogspot.com to learn more.Warm regards,David Kinch and Michael Kean
Manresa is located at:
320 Village Lane
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Phone: 408.354.4330
Fax: 408.354.0134
Kate Hill’s French Kitchen Adventures
October 25th, 2006 — blog, chefs, cooking school, food holidays, french, provence
Kate Hill’s French Kitchen Adventures
Pig, Duck, Beef, Armagnac… the end of the work ‘Week in Gascony’ leads to Saturday’s market and later that evening to an FCI/all cooks/all out jammin’ in the French Kitchen. So in anticipation and to give ourselves a respite from the competition style eating we’ve been doing, I plan a day of leisurely swilling and sipping chez two friends of mine, 2 Sisters in Aquitaine.
Les Liaisons Délicieuses
October 25th, 2006 — chefs, cooking school, food holidays, french, moroccan
visit Les Liaisons Délicieuses
Les Liaisons Délicieuses founder and owner, Patti Ravenscroft, has been organizing extraordinary, in-depth food and wine vacations to France, Morocco, and Canada since 1994. Fabulous food, outstanding wines, great camaraderie, and access to exceptional chefs—most with a Michelin star or two— are the hallmark of each Les Liaisons Délicieuses trip.
Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School
October 25th, 2006 — chefs, cooking school, french
Immerse yourself in Alain Ducasse’s gastronomic universe, which will take you from Monaco to Paris, by way of Tokyo and New York. Come be initiated to the method of the Chef, a professional knowledge adapted to a domestic environment.
Recipes from Eric Charlier
October 24th, 2006 — chefs, chocolate, dessert, french, recipe
Cours de pâtisserie : recettes
Gorgeous recipes with photos. All in french, but that’s why god invented babelfish, n’est pas?
