In my exploration of flavor combinations, I’ve made up some weird desserts. I mean, for awhile, all I made was weird desserts. I liked things that were different, that made people think! At Carlyle I tried to deep fry bread pudding. It was good. People didn’t get it. I put a doughnut on the plate with poached pears. People didn’t get it. At ten-01, I’ve refined my style a little bit. I did less weird, but still unusual. Twists, if you will. Well, you can sell that shit to the fucking tourists; people still didn’t get it. Chef Jack taught me to write menus that sounded as good as they tasted. Chocolate Whiskey Cake with Brown Butter Caramel and Dulche de Leche Ice Cream sounds pretty fucking good. I have to cook for your demographic. I have to make desserts that people don’t think about, they just buy. The average Portland diner isn’t a jaded big city type; used to everything from fried mayonnaise to “weird fish.” Sure they got behind grassy sage ice cream, but they seem to want desserts well inside the comfort zone. Vanilla Creme Brulee. Pear fritters. I sell more ice cream then anything else. I’ve got a new cheesecake; which is going over well, but I find my plating skills have hit a plateau. At least dessert of last year is off. I’ve enjoyed some banquet dessert success as well recently. I need some input…some inspiration. Fuck, I need some fucking berries already!!
I feel that. But hey, I think your stuff looks good. And remember, you can add all the garnishes you want. They don’t have to be in the menu description.
How do you make the ice cream into a cylinder? I just made some compound butter into a cylinder by rolling it in plastic wrap and tying it, then letting it chill completely, and cutting off the rounded ends before unwrapping and serving?
Do you do something like that, or do you have some kind of cylinder molds? What kinda molds, and how do you unmold them without messing up the clean lines?
@ Barzelay- I used metal cannoli molds lined with acetate. I rigged them up on a sheet pan and piped in the ice cream when it was ready. It was hard not to get air bubbles this way, even keeping the tip submerged. I’ve had some luck with sausage casings as well, the synthetic ones of course. Thanks for reading! PS- I LOVE EAT FOO!!
Ah! Perfect. I just got some cannoli molds and used them to mold rabbit rillettes into cylinders. Then I extruded them and sliced them into “tots,” then fried them. They turned out very well, but only because I didn’t need a smooth surface. They were a bitch to get out of the molds, and yeah, I had a lot of air bubbles, too. The lining with acetate solves the first problem. Thanks. And thanks for reading EatFoo. For some reason, in the more experimental food blogs, hardly anyone ever comments, so no one ever knows if their stuff is appreciated.
@ Barzelay- I think the more loose your mix is, the better chance you have of no air bubbles. Panna Cotta would work really well, or mousse. I think if I try it again, I’ll wrap a piece of styro-foam in foil, and then use my cookie cutters to cut out rings I can sink the cannoli molds into a bit, creating a better seal. Agreed, the comments are much appreciated. I always try to comment back as well to keep the dialog open.
I’m a Portlander who wants weird desserts. I am so, so bored with most dessert offerings. I can make most of it at home, and probably better (though I’m sure not better than you!).
anyway, we’re out there! creme brulee can go fuck itself.
@ Kate- Thanks for reading!! I do believe “creme brulee can go fuck itself.” may be the best comment I’ve had on this blog!
There is an interesting recipe for “fried milk” in Il Viaggio di Vetri that I was looking at and thinking “how the hell could I sell this? What could I re-name it?”
I’m crying for rhubarb at this point.
Your desserts, even “normal” have what a chef at school called ‘the wow factor’. I get tired of ‘rustic’ portland even when it tastes good.
Not sure if you caught this-
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Platelist/story?id=6904980&page=1
@ Michelle- Thanks for the compliment and thanks for the link. I am obsessed with Johnny, he’s so dreamy!! I did miss that story so thanks for hipping me. The fried milk thing sounds interesting. Anything fried really! Also- Rhubarb is actually hitting pretty good right now; I got a good bunch this week. I’m doing an apple rhubarb bread pudding for Tabla.
enjoying your web page keep up the cool work.
see you in september