Jeff McCarthy » tasting http://mrjeffmccarthy.com Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:07:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 en A Tasting for Carlyle http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/10/15/a-tasting-for-carlyle/ http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/10/15/a-tasting-for-carlyle/#comments Tue, 16 Oct 2007 05:19:20 +0000 mrjeffmccarthy http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/10/15/a-tasting-for-carlyle/ carlyle.jpg

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.

]]> http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/10/15/a-tasting-for-carlyle/feed/ Good tasting everybody! http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/09/good-tasting-everybody/ http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/09/good-tasting-everybody/#comments Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:21:02 +0000 mrjeffmccarthy http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/09/good-tasting-everybody/

final-funnel.jpg

So we were sitting in the bar, and a young woman entered and remarked, ”Oh you get to taste your own food?” Chef turns, with all three of us sitting in whites and says   “Of course.”  I was reminded of how important it is, as a chef, to taste your food!  We were sitting at the bar of course because today was my tasting at the restaurant with Chef Pascal.  It went extremely well.  The Funnel Cakes, pictured here in the  final presentation, looked beautiful.  I only wish Keri was there to take the picture. 

]]> http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/09/good-tasting-everybody/feed/ Another dessert Idea… http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/08/another-dessert-idea/ http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/08/another-dessert-idea/#comments Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:45:08 +0000 mrjeffmccarthy http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/08/another-dessert-idea/ keri-dessert-pics-016.jpgWho loves bacon?! Boy howdy I sure do. This plate was an experiment envolving sweet applications of bacon, and the smoking of white chocolate. The end result was Sage Smoked White Chocolate Mousse with Maple Bacon Caramel. I originally tried smoking the chocolate with mesquite wood, but that wasn’t what i was looking for. Jaybill came up with the concept of an herb smoke (heh heh) which turned out quite nicely. The mousse was a bavarian style recipe. My idea for the sauce came from breakfast.  You know when you’re eating pancakes and the syrup and butter gets all over your bacon and turns into this gooey mess on your plate? I love that goo!! That’s my sauce. When Jaybill shows me how to do it, I’ll be posting recipes and demos for all this stuff. Thanks again Keri for these beautiful pictures.

]]> http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/08/another-dessert-idea/feed/ Replate! http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/07/replate/ http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/07/replate/#comments Wed, 08 Aug 2007 05:33:55 +0000 mrjeffmccarthy http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/07/replate/ keri-dessert-pics-009.jpgI did some refining to the funnel cake concept.  One reason is I knew I could get in cleaner, and another is that as much as I love stinky cheese,  tallegio mousse is just gross.  So I went with a butternilk custard instead, and it turned out quite nicely.  Getting there!!  Keri’s picture is practically edible.  

]]> http://mrjeffmccarthy.com/2007/08/07/replate/feed/