Category Archives: The James Beard Foundation

Magical Farmstead Feast with Sprinkles of Fairy Dust

  • JBF-1-27-2018-Mise-en-Place-07
  • Smoked Wagyu Beef Liver Pâté with Giardiniera, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Housemade Mustard
  • JBF-1-27-2018-Croquettes-07
  • JBF-1-27-2018-Tartare-05
  • 1-27-2018-Rina-at-Beard-House-01
  • Beard House Bathroom selfies
  • Takeda Farms Reserve Wagyu Beef Crudo with Fermented Corn, Farm Radish, Smoked Foam, Red Fife Bread Crumbs, Shaved Bone Marrow, and Farm Corn Shoots
  • Chicken and Mushrooms > Chicken Sausage with Crispy Chicken Chips, Local Oyster Mushrooms, Housemade Ricotta, Salsa Verde, and Fennel Fronds
  • JBF-1-27-2018-Pork-Skin-Noodles-02
  • Joseph Decuis Wagyu Beef Rib-Eye with Sunchoke–Chestnut Purée, Potato Confit, Farm Carrots, Spinach Purée, and Demi-Glace
  • Joseph Decuis Farm Wild Pawpaw–Persimmon Sorbet
  • Flambe the clams
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  • JBF-1-27-2018-Banana-Pudding-03
  • Banana Cream Pie with Vanilla Wafer Crust, Malibu Dulce de Leche, Pastry Cream, Toasted Meringue, and Bananas
  • MAGICAL FARMSTEAD FEAST Sat, January 27, 2018

I only write about memorable dining experiences, and this dinner from last night was certainly magical. The aura of the chefs in the kitchen filled me with so much joy, and hope that we are all doing the right thing. I sat alone near the kitchen with a nearby table full of doctors who didn’t mind my occasional blurts intruding on their conversations. We shared our love for the same meal.

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Waiting for my date to arrive in the James Beard House dining room.

Beard House Bathroom selfies

Beard House Bathroom selfies series continued…

I started taking selfies at the Beard House recently, it only makes sense. I spend on average 40-50 days out of the year here. So that’s about 6 hours times 40-50 times every year. That’s a lot of time spent in one restaurant! Why didn’t I think about doing this sooner? I should’ve taken advantage of the mirrored bathroom earlier. I love taking photos of myself making faces in different poses! Ha!

Takeda Farms Reserve Wagyu Beef Crudo with Fermented Corn, Farm Radish, Smoked Foam, Red Fife Bread Crumbs, Shaved Bone Marrow, and Farm Corn Shoots

Takeda Farms Reserve Wagyu Beef Crudo with Fermented Corn, Farm Radish, Smoked Foam, Red Fife Bread Crumbs, Shaved Bone Marrow, and Farm Corn Shoots

Getting back to the dinner last night. We had our stomachs filled with Wagyu beef from the Moon. I usually don’t like the taste of any red meat crudo, however this one sang in my mouth. It could’ve been the crisp fermented radish paired with it, with the crunchiness of the corn, and little bits of foamy stuff going in there as well.

Chicken and Mushrooms > Chicken Sausage with Crispy Chicken Chips, Local Oyster Mushrooms, Housemade Ricotta, Salsa Verde, and Fennel Fronds

Chicken and Mushrooms > Chicken Sausage with Crispy Chicken Chips, Local Oyster Mushrooms, Housemade Ricotta, Salsa Verde, and Fennel Fronds

After that we had this chicken sausage, that came with a very crispy pork skin or chicken skin? It tasted really good. The sausage itself was a bit salty- overall most of the dinner was on the saltier side. It’s meant to be consumed with all the wines I figured, although I prefer more whites and rose wine these days.

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Mangalista Pork Skin Noodles with Housemade ‘Nduja, Manila Clams, Sherry Vinegar, Cracklings, and Farm Herbs

The Mangalista Pork Skin Noodles were a big fustian mark. I wasn’t a fan of the noodles and I loved the clams in the sauce. It sang in my mouth. The clams were barely touched by fire and I watched as the chef sautéed those little guys and drowned them in white wine in a flambe afterwards.

Flambe the clams

Flambe the clams!

Joseph Decuis Wagyu Beef Rib-Eye with Sunchoke–Chestnut Purée, Potato Confit, Farm Carrots, Spinach Purée, and Demi-Glace

Joseph Decuis Wagyu Beef Rib-Eye with Sunchoke–Chestnut Purée, Potato Confit, Farm Carrots, Spinach Purée, and Demi-Glace

I felt like a real voyeur last night, one whom graduated from being a seer to a creator of something new, you now see the images of the chefs from a cook’s point of view. I started taking my shots in angles that would only come from someone who’s actually in the kitchen cooking or working the line. I started calling out “behind”, “corner”- like the good old days. I miss cooking like this.

Joseph Decuis Farm Wild Pawpaw–Persimmon Sorbet

Joseph Decuis Farm Wild Pawpaw–Persimmon Sorbet

This persimmon sorbet was everything. I’m hungry today thinking about it.

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And finally the finale was this spectacular-spectacular Banana Cream Pie with Vanilla Wafer Crust. I can still taste the crispy wafer crust and melting meringue in my mouth. I should’ve finished it last night but there’s that diet I keep talking about. Oh well- maybe I’ll really start it tomorrow.

I’m off to the market now to buy some fish for Daniel. I got a sudden urge to make brussels sprouts with a white fish and butternut squash.

Until we meet again Mr. James Beard. (Literally next week)

 

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Filed under Dinners at the James Beard House 2017, James Beard House, Restaurants, Short Ribs, The James Beard Foundation, Uncategorized

Coastal Florida Feast

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I’m happy to be celebrating the end of my second year working as a photographer for the James Beard Foundation and I’ll hopefully be back from taking a year long hiatus from this blog. You could say I spent the last year and a half brushing up my photography and eating skills at the James Beard House. So going forward I promise to post more often and you can surely bet the food photos will be spectacular. I hope you’re ready to feast with your eyes.

Here’s the menu of the recent Coastal Florida Feast event that took place yesterday, October 2, 2015.

  • Hors d’oeuvre
    • Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm Chicken Kromeskie > Chicken Pâté with Crispy Skin and Port Gelée
    • Florida Spiny Lobsters with Foie Gras and Murray River Salt Macaron
    • Sesame Cones with Red Wattle Pork Rillettes and Mascarpone Mousse
    • Florida Red Shrimp Spaghetti with Red Lettuce Purée and Sarasota Mote Sturgeon Caviar
    • MAURITSON ROCKPILE ROSÉ 2013
    • SWFL LYCHEE FIZZ > LYCHEE-INFUSED FINLANDIA VODKA
  • Dinner
    • Pan-Seared Black Grouper with Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm Everglades Tomatoes, Crispy Oyster, and Conch–Orange Butter
    • MAURITSON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013
    • Free-Range Chicken–Stuffed Pine Island Octopus Ink Ravioli with White Truffles, Homemade Ricotta, Venus Clam Ragù, and Liquid Egg Yolk
    • CHATEAU MONTELENA CHARDONNAY 2012
    • Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm Red Wattle Pig Trio > Miso Belly with Radish d’Avignon, Mint Marigold–Tenderloin Saltimbocca, and Confit Shoulder with Butternut Squash
    • DOMAINE SERENE EVENSTAD RESERVE PINOT NOIR 2011
    • Jackman Wagyu Beef Cheeks with Barbecued Hearts of Palm, Charred Corn Cloud Esquites, Boniato, and Preserved Cabbage Leaves
    • CAL BLANCA TORO TEMPRANILLO 2011
    • Chilled Florida Strawberry Consommé with Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta and Lemon Basil Macaron Glacé
    • Bittersweet Chocolate and Tropical Experience
    • TENUTA DELL’ORNELLAIA LE SERRE NUOVE BOLGHERI 2012

I’ve graduated to eating this kind of food, because about a year ago I would’ve finished each and every bite. I’m a little older and wiser now- taking advise from the Matre ‘D who’s advised me to never finish eating this type of gourmet food. It is called a tasting menu for a reason.

Spiny Lobster with Foie Grais Macaron

Spiny Lobster with Foie Grais Macaron

I also made a bit of an err last night. One of the chefs, Fabrizio Aielli offered me a lobster macaron and I foolishly blurted out “No thanks, I’ve already had two of them”. I’m such a ditz. I can’t believe I said that. It’s like the time Daniel Boulud asked me if I wanted to be a chef or a journalist and I answered “Neither…I want to produce videos”. Well he pretty much black listed me right then, and hopefully Chef Fabrizio is more forgiving of my poor choice of words and rude mannerisms.

The lesson of the day is: “If a chef offers you something to eat in the kitchen he’s cooking in, gracefully accept it and eat it!”

Here are the drool worthy photographs of the food from last nights adventure:

The Cocktail served during the pre-dinner reception

The Cocktail served during the pre-dinner reception

Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm Chicken Kromeskie > Chicken Pâté with Crispy Skin and Port Gelée at the James Beard House

Chicken Pâté with Crispy Skin and Port Gelée

Sesame Cones with Red Wattle Pork Rillettes and Mascarpone Mousse

Sesame Cones with Red Wattle Pork Rillettes and Mascarpone Mousse

Sesame Cones with Red Wattle Pork Rillettes and Mascarpone Mousse

Sesame Cones with Red Wattle Pork Rillettes and Mascarpone Mousse

Florida Red Shrimp Spaghetti with Red Lettuce Purée and Sarasota Mote Sturgeon Caviar

Florida Red Shrimp Spaghetti with Red Lettuce Purée and Sarasota Mote Sturgeon Caviar

Bread

Bread

Pan-Seared Black Grouper with Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm Everglades Tomatoes, Crispy Oyster, and Conch–Orange Butter

Pan-Seared Black Grouper with Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm Everglades Tomatoes, Crispy Oyster, and Conch–Orange Butter

Free-Range Chicken–Stuffed Pine Island Octopus Ink Ravioli with White Truffles, Homemade Ricotta, Venus Clam Ragù, and Liquid Egg Yolk

Free-Range Chicken–Stuffed Pine Island Octopus Ink Ravioli with White Truffles, Homemade Ricotta, Venus Clam Ragù, and Liquid Egg Yolk

Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm Red Wattle Pig Trio > Miso Belly with Radish d’Avignon, Mint Marigold–Tenderloin Saltimbocca, and Confit Shoulder with Butternut Squash

Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm Red Wattle Pig Trio > Miso Belly with Radish d’Avignon, Mint Marigold–Tenderloin Saltimbocca, and Confit Shoulder with Butternut Squash

Jackman Wagyu Beef Cheeks with Barbecued Hearts of Palm, Charred Corn Cloud Esquites, Boniato, and Preserved Cabbage Leaves

Jackman Wagyu Beef Cheeks with Barbecued Hearts of Palm, Charred Corn Cloud Esquites, Boniato, and Preserved Cabbage Leaves

Chilled Florida Strawberry Consommé with Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta and Lemon Basil Macaron Glacé

Chilled Florida Strawberry Consommé with Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta and Lemon Basil Macaron Glacé

Bittersweet Chocolate and Tropical Experience

Bittersweet Chocolate and Tropical Experience

Wine

The Wine we drank with our dinner

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Filed under Food Porn, The James Beard Foundation, Uncategorized