Archives Under "Ten 01" (RSS)
Milk Chocolate Cheesecake: BAM!!
30 March 2009 | Ten 01, cake, chocolate, delicious, dessert, faithful readers, plated dessert, recipe | 3 Responses
As my faithful readers may guess, I hesitate to utter or type the word “bam,” let alone “BAM!” I find it appropriate here however because of two things. Firstly, I stole this recipe from none other than the “bam-man” himself, Emeril Lagasse. Second this cheesecake hits you like so many extra handfulls of whatever it may be, BAM! Leaving the audience (you,) asking for more. At first glance, any pastry minded person would wonder at the food processor method and the addition of flour for this cheesecake. Also, no water bath while baking? My employer Adam mused that it was no doubt some kind of shortcut or compensation for poor technique. The likelihood of him being correct doesn’t change the silky texture and pure indulgence of this tangy chocolately treat. The only thing did I differently was to increase the milk chocolate by 2 ounces. I use a water bath, too. I just have to. I also use a milk-chocolate feuillitine crust after baking and chilling and an oreo cookie round when it hits the plate. I make the milk chocolate crust by melting the chocolate over a double-bloier, then mixing in enough feuillitine to have a fluid but crunchy texture. I bet you could use chopped cereal flakes and have similiar results, if you’re having trouble finding the feuillitine. I hate soggy graham cracker crust. At first I baked it in a square and cut rectangles, but soon switched to the demisphere, which due to gravity actually bakes things into truncated domes. I glaze them in dark chocolate and pipe the cute little milk chocolate lines. For sauce I use a blood orange caramel, which balances with he milk chocolate nicely. When I sauce the plate, I envision the mask of Rorschach from Watchmen, because I’m a silly dreamer.
Emeril Lagasse’s Milk Chocolate Cheesecake
3 pounds cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup bleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 ounces milk chocolate, melted
Beat the cream cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add the sugar and process. Add the eggs 1 at a time, running the processor in between each addition. Add the heavy cream, flour, salt, and vanilla and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the motor running, add the chocolate in a steady stream. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake (in a water bath) until the center of the cake sets, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Oreo Cookie
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8 oz soft butter
1 tsp salt
1 tblsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups A.P. Flour
Cream the butter, salt and sugar well, but not to light and fluffy
Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then mix to form a dough
Cover with plastic and chill at least one hour before rolling on a floured surface and cutting out cookies
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes
Weird Desserts.
22 March 2009 | Ten 01, chocolate, creative presentation of the week, delicious, dessert, jack yoss, plated dessert | 10 Responses
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!!
Jack Yoss Caps Career in Oregon with Epic Plated, Speech.
14 March 2009 | Ten 01, blog, chef, jack yoss | 2 Responses
I stood behind Chef Jack and watched him address the crowd. His words numbed me, the lights were warm and dazzling. My body was worked and my brain was out of breath, the past weeks whirlwind had me winded. Having been pitted against a punishing prep list, long days and busy nights, I end up here. On a stage, people applauding; dessert service forks and tinkling wine glasses, laughter in my ears. My mind flashed back onstage, the past year, month, week, moment. My career’s skyrocket since meeting Jack and starting at Ten-01. Working, always working. So many great dinners, so many memories. Perez and I working Sunday before investor sponsored staff party. This whole day, prepping and plating; flashing in my mind. We just kicked out the best dinner this group’s seen, over a thousand plates over five courses in 2 hours. I left the hall elated and grabbed an icy cold bottle of white and hit the showers. That night, its was late night shots and darts with one of the best chefs I’ll meet, a friend and mentor. He believed in my talent and demanded my proper execution, encouraging and strong. It was an easy parting for him and I; just farewell, both sure of our permanent friendship. Besides, I know he’ll never really get lost out there. Our paths will cross again.
Molten Chocolate Doughnut.
18 February 2009 | Ten 01, delicious, eating, recipe | 15 Responses
Everyone who has ever eaten in a restaurant, from Jean Georges to Chili’s, has heard of the Molten Chocolate Cake. It has been called many names: lava cake, volcano cake, molten lava cake, melting chocolate cake, and warm melting chocolate cake, but are all basically the same. An almost flour-less cake with usually equal parts butter and chocolate, with eggs and sugar. Baked in a mold until almost set, served warm and oozing, it is the bane of pastry chefs everywhere. Leastways, it’s baned the shit out of me, ranking second only behind Creme Brulee as most annoyingly de rigueur dessert for non-adventurous diners. Chances are, if you worked in pastry, you’ve served some version of this cake. Anyway, in recent days I’ve had my head buried in Johnny Iuzzini’s book Dessert Four Play. One of the most eye catching recipes for me was his Crispy Creamy Chocolate Doughnuts. His method, seemingly daunting, involves many advanced techniques and obscure ingredients. I wanted to make this dessert pretty badly, even going so far as contacting Terra Spice Company and pricing some of these odd chemicals. My brain then farted loudly and reminded me of a similar dessert I saw in another of my favorite cookbooks; Desserts by the Yard by Sherry Yard. She uses her truffle cake batter to make what she calls Deep, Dark, Decadent Doughnuts. Reviewing the Truffle Cake recipe, I did a double take. Fucking Lava Cake. Deep fried Molten Chocolate Cake. I had to give it a try. Was is going to be like Johnny’s? Doubtful. Would it be deliciously decadent? More than likely. I made the recipe and proceeded with the normal method. The doughnuts oozed way to thinly, essentially chocolate sauce encased in panko. After doubling, then tripling, and again and again; I ended up at eight times the flour in the original recipe to get the right consistency. These things are a bit of a pain in the ass, I won’t lie. Most excruciatingly scrumptious things are. I made eighty of them for a recent event at Ten-01. Thanks to Johnny for the inspiration, and to Sherry for a more down to Earth approach.
Molten Chocolate Doughnuts
8 oz dark chocolate (64%)
8 oz butter
6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
panko, egg wash, and more flour as needed to bread
1. Bring the butter to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Whisk smooth and keep warm.
2. Whip the sugar and the eggs about three minutes; until lemon-colored and almost double in volume.
3. Whisk the chocolate into the eggs all at once, whisking smooth.
4. Add the flour, again whisking smooth.
5. Transfer the batter to a flexible silicon mold and freeze rock hard, at least 4 hours.
6. Turn the cake out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a 2 1/2 inch doughnut cutter, cut out 9 doughnuts.
7. Bread the doughnuts twice, according to the standard breading procedure, and refreeze until ready to fry.
8. Deep fry at 350 until golden brown, and hold at room temp for service. Heat through in a 300 degree oven until warmed through, about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with Pistachio Creme Anglaise if you like.
If Anyone Deserves a Beer, it’s Miguel.
17 February 2009 | Ten 01, cook, people | 5 Responses
Miguel is the definitive hard worker. The only thing that out shines his work ethic is his pleasant demeanor, his unfailing smile. This guy arrives before everyone else; sweeps and mops the whole restaurant, puts away all the food orders, and dives right into prep-work; the whole time keeping the dish pit moving and the kitchen supplied with everything from sheet pans to deli-cups. After putting in 8 hours at Ten-01, he wheels across town and works the pantry station at Tabla. An inspiration to kitchen folk everywhere, Miguelito fucking rules. He always cheers me up when I see him, and does whatever anyone asks of him with a big-ass smile and methodical speed. Thanks Miguel, drink up!
Ten-01 named Food Dude’s Restaurant of the Year.
4 February 2009 | Ten 01, jack yoss, news | 13 Responses
You all know that we recieved the honors. You read about it here. You may have even read the numerous comments, here. In fact, my faithful readers probably read the dessert section of the article when he published it for the fist time; a year ago, because I quoted it. I’ve done so much with my menu since then, and without looking a gift horse in the mouth, I do wish he had said as much. Frankly, I am awesomely proud of my restaurant. It is my home and my life. My friends are all there, and they’ve worked hard to put this restaurant on the top of the heap, in a town with a lot of eateries. I know I’m a cog in a machine that has many fluidly moving parts; creating an experience, not just a dish, or a drink, or a clean table. We look beyond the this and the that to the how and the why. That’s why we took Food Dude’s first review and used it as a tool to get better. 3 1/2 stars? That’s a half a star room for improvement. So okay okay you get it. I think we’re the best. This isn’t hubris…well maybe it is hubris but I really believe it to be true. Sure, it’s not the New York Times or the Michelin Guide; but this isn’t New York or Europe, it’s Portland. This award is a big deal in a town where bloggers rule. So thanks Food Dude, if you’re reading. Come in again and have some of the new desserts. I’ve been hearing they’re pretty good. Also; thanks Chef Jack, for believing we all could do it, and for pushing us to do so. You rule.
When the Waffle Fucked The Doughnut…
25 January 2009 | Ten 01, creative presentation of the week, custard, delicious, jack yoss, plated dessert | 7 Responses
I’ve been through a lot with this bread pudding recipe. I’ve done about ten different versions since I’ve been at Ten-01; and until a recent mishap, was about to give up on it. I was trying to bake the pudding in a dome mold, trying to coax a new plate design out of this tired old custard soaked bread. The flexible silicon molds produced perfect little domes, but they were all custardy near the top. Also, the crusty upper region, the best part, was now on the bottom. I fed one to Chef and he was not into it. It got me thinking. Like I said, the best part of this pudding is the top inch or so of dark brown crustiness. So I cut off the part that was soggy custard, ending up with perfect round disks, perfect for sandwiching something. I bet could achieve that same result by baking it in a thin layer in a sheet pan. Hmmm…..I went back to the recipe’s roots to start a flavor profile. When I learned it from Tony, it was Bourbon Bread Pudding. Maker’s Mark glug-glugged it’s way into the custard once more. I had made Butter Pecan ice cream the week before and it’s salty richness held up the bourbony pudding nicely. Salted Caramel sauce also fit in well. I’ve been experimenting with different tuile cookies lately, and Lace Tuile made it into this presentation because of it’s simple light crunch. I learned some new things with this dessert. Firstly, that I can bake bread pudding in a thin layer and get great results. Second, I can form freshly spun ice cream into a sausage and slice it at service, for a nice clean portion. At first I made a plastic wrap tube a la Michel Richard, but after a quick chat with John our sausage maker, I was using collagen casings for my ice cream logs. This dessert is selling like crazy, and is making the Chocolate Cake look so last year. On the menu it reads Ice Cream Sandwich, and I think that really sells it. It recalls childhood, a whimsical peek at the past. Soaked in bourbon. Learn how to make bread pudding here. Make Butter Pecan Ice Cream and Lace Tuile with the recipes below. Add salt to your favorite caramel sauce recipe. Enjoy delicious sweets.
Butter Pecan Ice Cream adapted from Ben&Jerry’s Ice Cream Book.
8 oz butter
2 cups pecan pieces
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1.Saute the pecans in the buuter until the butter begins to browm slightly. Sprinkle in the salt. Strain off the butter and reserve. Spread the pecans on a sheet tray to cool
2.Whip the eggs in a stand mixer until light and frothy, then add the sugar. Whip on high to ribbon stage (4-5 minutes?)
3.Reduce the mixer speed to it’s lowest setting and pour in the milk and cream.
4.Transfer the mix into a blender and with it running, pour in the butter to emulsify. I like to puree in some of the toasted nuts at this point as well.
5.Spin the mix in your ice cream machine, adding the nuts a few minutes before the ice cream is done. Eat some immediately. Using a pastry bag, pipe it into a sausage casing and freeze if desired.
Lace Tuile
8 oz butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 oz honey
1 oz brandy
2/3 cup flour
pinch of salt
1. Cream the butter and the sugar in a stand mixer.
2. Add the honey and brandy and mix to combine.
3. Add the flour and salt and mix to form a smooth paste. Spread thinly onto a non-stick baking mat and bake until golden brown in a 350 degree oven. Mold while warm over a rolling pin.
My buddy David, a server at the restaurant, told me one day how he loved my bread pudding. He told me it was as if a waffle had fucked a doughnut. I don’t think he was pleased with my reaction to his verbal description, so he took it a step further and drew this illustration. Thanks Dave, I’m glad you like it.
Recently….
15 January 2009 | Ten 01, blog, faithful readers, jack yoss, news | No Responses
For New Year’s Eve I created Chocolate 3 ways form of Ibarra Hot Chocolate, Flourless cake with Basil Ice Cream, and Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta. Last year I did Chocolate 4 ways, so next year it will probably be a Duo. I don’t know if I’m getting more refined or more lazy. In the post-holiday slow season I’ve been busy as hell trying to stay busy. I received an email to make dessert for this years IPNC event, a 400 person catering mission. I’ve been developing a new boozy chocolate candy line (above,) brainstorming a new dessert menu, and I’ve even started writing on the restaurant’s blog. This last bit is excites me. I’ve got some great ideas to promote our food and drink, as well as write some cool pieces on my fellow awesome people; the staff at ten-01! Once I work out some of the kinks in the wordpress theme, we’ll have how-to videos, hella pics, and lots of great writing by yours truly. I’ll begin by creating bios for everyone. When that person is mentioned in a post, I can link back to thier bio, and create a richer experience. Anyhoo…my faithful readers needed fret, my work writing will be done at work, so I’ll see have plenty of time to continue publishing great content here at mrjeffmccarthy.com. For example, here’s a video of Perez breaking down a chicken while Chef heckles him. At first I thought the video was ruined, but after watching it on YouTube a couple of times, it started to grow on me. Stay tuned!!
Ouch!!
10 January 2009 | Ouch!!, Ten 01 | No Responses
Searing hot burger fat will melt your skin off!! Ouch!! Sorry Butters!!
FUCK!! part II: Snowboarding, Boredom, and Leftovers.
30 December 2008 | Ten 01, blog, cook, delicious, eating, real | 2 Responses
We lived in limbo for a few days, concerned about our kitchen. The broken water pipe had been connected to the restaurants heat system, which we really needed to open. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, and would soon prove to be one of Portland history’s most devastating storms. On Thursday around noon, after a morning of nail biting and pacing, my buddy Nate called me; “Let’s go night riding at Ski Bowl!” I had no excuse, he was offering me a free lift ticket. I called Perez to see if he wanted in, I knew he was going just as stir crazy as I was. The city of Portland had shut down; chain-slapping buses spun sporadicly in the falling fluff. We knew the mountain had been dumped on. We rallied around 4 pm to embark on a two and a half hour journey in Nate’s 78 VW Bus. We chained up around Rhododendron; the roads were getting nastier the higer up we got. Perez was periodically recieving phone calls from our bosses, keeping us posted about the restaurant. After much back and forth, we learned that we’d be closed until next week. Our concerns lifted, an icy updraft, when we saw the lights of Ski Bowl. Heavy snowfall blanketed the mountain, and we were soon strapped in and smiling. We drank PBRs as we ascended the lift, smiling and swinging. We raged the gnar for three hours or so, carving powder and bally-hooing to each other as we mached by. I missed the mountain life. Everything makes sense when you can carve powder turns. We finished our beers in the parking lot and headed home. The weekend went by slowly. The skies were gray the roads were gray and the snow that covered everything was gray. I felt the walls closing in; I lost myself in the web. I annoyed my dogs with guitar and no walks. I happily braved Tri-met to meet Chef and Perez on Sunday at the restaurant. I was prepping Tabla desserts and they were cleaning out the walk-in. We crammed all we could into our freezers, but a good amount of food was about to spoil. Not surprisingly, Perez and I immediately volunteered to cook and eat the food. It would be a crime of the highest order not to. A damn shame. We packed up what we could, and grabbing beer near 4th, caught a bus to my place. We hit the grocery to augment our booty. We drank and cooked and cranked music. We thrashed my little kitchen and dirtied every pot, pan and dish. We even fired up Old Blue. My fiancee was out of town so it seemed the thing to do. We cooked and ate, carrying on and finally enjoying a bit of this down time…by cooking. It made life feel semi-normal. Through all the bedlam, the food was there for us. We got back into the restaurant early in the week and re-prepped everything we had lost. Teddy put our kitchen back together. Christmas day came and went. The rains finally came and washed away the slush and snow, the city awoke. People mingled in the streets, then filled the seats in the dining room. Smiling servers ferried food to grinning guests. A storm had come, and in it’s wake a sharper image, clarity. I felt as if the people around me were looking at each other a bit different, feeling a warmer glow. I felt an in-the-trenches level oneness, a communal happiness to be back at work. Sometimes shit happens, and all you can do is dive in and swim.
