Archives for October 2007
Happy Birthday Jen.
30 October 2007 | chocolate, fenouil, people | No Responses
This here is Jen. She and I are pastry assistants at Fenouil. I don’t often get to work with her because we cover one anothers off-days, and shifts over-lap infrequently. I always look forward to seeing her, we have such fun in the kitchen together, and a like-mindedness about pastry. Her chocolate work is some of the best I have seen in my career, the snap on her temper is spot on every time, and she comes up with some interesting flavor combinations for her truffles and candies. Chef Pascal recently asked her to start selling her chocolates retail through the restaurant. I hope they get that going. When Jen and I work together, the tasks become backround to the banter, which is more often than not conveyed in a brittish accent. So Happy Birthday Jen, you are so much more than a crazy-cat lady…you rock!! More Blood for the Master!!
The First Menu.
27 October 2007 | bacon, carlyle, custard, delicious, dessert, plated dessert | 2 Responses
The first night of the new dessert menu for Carlyle…well…it kicked ass. The Car Bomb was of course the big seller, closely followed by The Deep Fried Caramel Apple Bread Pudding. I was really happy with how the Cheesecake Three Ways went out, it was a study in cheesy custard. We only sold two Velvet Elvis, but it was so great to hear the chef call it out across the kitchen, and to see dessert go out with bacon on it. When the runner picked it up I called “Elvis has left the kitchen!” The Rosemary Pinenut Tartlette was the sleeper, but a guest told the owner it was “damn good.” I also put out a special order Apple Pie, for which we charged an exorbitant price. The menu was so well recieved by the staff and guests it almost made me forget about this.
Worst Day in Recent History…
24 October 2007 | broken arm, carlyle, dessert, fenouil, jeff | No Responses
It all started last night, I forgot both my keys and phone at work, then I couldn’t sleep, ended up watching a horrible early morning movie. After I finally got to sleep I woke up to late, realized I didn’t have my keys…and had to ride my bike to work under rain-heavy skies. When I got there…it was locked…after waiting ten minutes, Bruce let me in and when I found my phone, I had several messages. Two of which messages hinted toward how I had not shown up for shifts at Fenouil and that my job there was on the line!! Apparently I had misread the schedule and was looking at the wrong week!!! Damn it!! After much phone deliberation I sped over there on my bike to hash it all out and try and keep my job. Which I did (whew.) On my way back to Carlyle, however, in the pouring rain, I slipped-out on a street car track and crashed my bike!!! And of course threw out my bad wrist to catch myself!! So my entire painful shift of new menu prep and dinner desserts was done with one hand, and one severely swollen hand/wrist!! I hope I didn’t re-break the fucker!! Sheesh!! WWSMD?
There’s a New Pastry Jeff at Carlyle.
20 October 2007 | carlyle, chef, dessert | 5 Responses
So I took the job at Carlyle. The self application of the title “Chef” for me is still a little tough. I’ve always referred to myself as a “cook” because I think the Chef title is thrown around a bit too readily these days. Thanks to Food on TV everybody and his immersion circulating cousin is calling themselves one. When I call someone “Chef” there’s a lot of respect that comes with it. I hope that my work garners that respect from others, especially my peers in the kitchen. It is definitely time in my career, however, to challenge myself and step up to the role. It’s exciting starting in a new place and even more exciting to be creating new desserts. My tasting went extremely well, and I think that after working out some of the kinks, some of those items will end up on the menu. I’ve done two big parties already in my first week, and I’m already bustin’ out some cool desserts. I’m hoping to have the new menu up by the end of this week!!
Creative Presentation of the Week…Burger-Ka-Bob
17 October 2007 | bacon, creative presentation of the week, delicious, fenouil | 1 Response
My buddy Matt Peasner set me up with this burger because he thought I might eat it easier with my tender healing wrist. As soon as he brought it into the kitchen and gave it to me, three people (including two sous chefs) said “OOOOH I want one!!” Case and point…first thing you eat with is your eyes. Matt is a solid cook, who has also dabbled in pastry, and he never leaves the restaurant without making sure I’ve eaten. Rock on Peasner!!
A Tasting for Carlyle
15 October 2007 | carlyle, dessert, food, tasting | 1 Response
This week I did a tasting for Carlyle restaurant in Northwest Portland. When I met with the owner Bruce Goldberg I fell in love with Carlyle’s expansive kitchen and cozy, Gotham-esque dining room. I really wanted this position, so I challenged myself to come up with some intersting flavors and presentations. The Irish Car Bomb was a no-brainer choice, as everyone I mentioned the idea to couldn’t wait to try it. Continuing with the deconstruction-nostalgia trend, I really wanted to try a play on the flavors of peanut butter and jelly. I came up with the PB&J Creme Brulee Duo, and served it with vanilla tuiles to symbolize the white bread. Lastly, I wanted to do something a little outrageous, but also nailing that comfort food niche. Stuffed Butter Poached Pears Wrapped in Brioche were born, Thanks Charlie. Figs, candied walnuts, and marscapone made up the filling, and it went out with a Creme Fraiche Sherbet.
Why I Work in Fancy Restaurants
12 October 2007 | delicious, fenouil, food, food porn | No Responses
Cooking for a living can be a really tough job. The hours are long, pay is low, and the prep monotonous. If you work for a good house, however, the rewards can be…delicious. Pictured above is a typical daily diet for me while I’m at work. On the left, was my lunch of grilled salmon with fingerling potatoes, spinach and yellow pepper salad, and some kind of rich butter sauce which I slurped up to fast to define. On the right, dinner, a mid-rare Kobe tri-tip with grilled asparagus and “Kobe Sauce, ” which is made from two kinds of stock and reduced with some kind of wine. Sure, I don’t eat like this everyday, and when I do, I usually have to scarf it down over a garbage pail as I’m running to pull something from the oven. But hey, I eat well. The free coffee is also a perk.
Walking the Walk
8 October 2007 | dog, jeff, photoshop | 2 Responses
In my commitment to randomness here at mrjeffmccarthy.com, here’s a post about the route I take when I walk Jelly and Jam. I turn right as I leave the house, heading north up N. Montana Avenue. The reason I like heading this way is I like to include in my walk the pedestrian catwalk and its cool graffiti. Including this in my route means I have to navigate the worst intersection in No-Po, circled here in yellow. The traffic going east on Rosa Parks has a light, as does the traffic from North Montana. The cars and huge trucks hauling ass from the overpass, however, have NO light, and no idication of when the eastbound traffic is going to get a green and cut off whoever is trying to turn down N. Montana. I think the traffic analysts decided that the solution here was to make the “walk” signal only three seconds long. That way any foot traffic would be in and out of there as quickly as possible, thereby reducing the number of casualties. Coincidently, this is the same intersection that police cornered an armed robbery suspect a few months ago, closing off everything in a 10 block radius. So I like to turn right, and get this out of the way first, and I can enjoy the rest of the walk over to Pennisula Park. When my dogs need to check thier pee-mail, this is how we do it.
Small Restaurant, Smaller Industry
7 October 2007 | 503, beer, delicious, food | 1 Response
Yesterday I played stagiaire at a new restaurant south of Portland called (Five-O-Three.) Upon arriving in West Linn (after the 30 minute drive from No-Po) and checking the place out, I felt like I was back in The Pearl. When I met the Chef I immediately recognized him as a guy I worked with breifly at Fenouil. It’s a small industry, man….everybody knows everbody it seems!! He’s looking for someone to come in and write a dessert menu, and take ownership of the pastry segment of the business, essentially a pastry chef. So I busted out Charlie’s cream cheese dough and made a Red Pear Tart Tatin with a Blackberry Coulis. They seemed to enjoy it, and the chef asked me if I wanted to have a beer and eat. Of course!! So I had a couple Mirror Ponds while he fed me Tuna Tartare with House Made Old Bay Potato Chips, Slow Cooked Halibut with Andouille Sausage, Gnocci, Manila Clams & Orange Reduction, and Braised Beef Short Ribs with Horseradish Crust, O.C. farms Spinach and Potato Galette. As I was finishing that, I also tasted the Oregon Truffle and Gruyere Mac & Cheese, and that’s when I started to feel a little full. The Halibut was one of the best preparations of said fish that I have had, and The Mac & Cheese was one of those dishes that you think about, and have to drive and get it. I now have more on this blog about the restaurant then they do on thier website, I hope they offer me a job.
Gaelic Automoblie Explosion.
5 October 2007 | beer, chocolate, dessert, photoshop, plated dessert | 2 Responses
Its a sad state of affairs when I have to event desserts in Photoshop, but right now, breathing is cost-prohibitive, never mind ingredient shopping. Anyway, here’s a plated dessert version of an Irish Car Bomb. I found all the recipes on the web fairly easily, so I’m surprised that this hasn’t apparently been done before. Learning the term New American Cuisine inspired me to look to what Americans love, which is of course, gluttony. And drinking. So why not use the flavors of your favorite party drink to create a truly decadent delight? Hopefully I’ll get to make this soon. Guiness Stout Brownie, Bailey’s Ice Cream, and Jameson’s Caramel Sauce can all be found on the recipe page here. I got the idea for the presentation from Charlie Trotter’s Dessert Book, which I fall asleep reading most nights. I recommend serving this with an ice cold Gewürztraminer, just to add a refreshing element, form of, more alcohol!! YAY Gluttony!!
