FEEL GOOD AND ATE WELL RESTAURANT

We often go out to dine.  And I always dissect how it was done.  I look at how it was put together.

Today was one of those days.  I just watched this talented chef from one of the very top Michelin restaurants a couple of years ago who left and just opened his own restaurant.  He showed how he made his grilled chicken which he brined in citrus for 35-36 hours.

I happen to have the rest of the afternoon free after our office meeting.  So I went downtown to see if I could get a seat at his new restaurant which opened sometime in March of this year..  And I did!

It is so wonderful when after you've just watched the chef on television and just read about it and you actually sit in restaurant without waiting for weeks!

When I entered, they gave me a little plate with the small bread served with labne.  The little loaf of bread was seasoned inside and on top.  It was very soft.

For my first course I tried the oysters with cucumber gelee and misonleaf.

My second course was the oysters with cucumber gelee and miso.  The oysters were very fresh!

Next was the Romaine salad that he demonstrated on television this morning at the Today Show.  He made a green goddess dressing which you can get the recipe @TodayShow/food .  The dressing had spinach and was a healthy version of the green goddess dressing we all know about.  He painted each Romaine leaf with the dressing and layered it in between with some toasted bread crumbs and some shaved radishes and chervil.  Another healthy salad I learned to make.

I ordered their home made pasta stuffed with chèvre and wrapped like candy with morels on top.  The sauce was buttery and tasted something French-like food preparation.

For the main coarse, I tried the 35-hour brined chicken grilled.  It was served complete with leg attached and feet too.  I have had feet served in a French restaurant before in Paris.  This is a spicy dish served with slices of Jalapeño peppers.

To top my dinner I had to have the sticky toffee pudding  and the Satsuma Orange ice cream.  Both of which were decadent.

The Sticky Toffee pudding was chocolate with lots of toasted walnuts or pecans in caramel sauce.  It was served with Green apple ice cream and cream.  While the Satsuma orange ice cream was topped with a soft meringue and browned served with something like crisp honeycomb toffee.  This reminded me of Baked Alaska with torched meringue.

The Satsuma Orange dessert

Wrapped Che RE like candy ravioli with morels

OTHER USE OF A GADGET

Ever buy a gadget and realize your kitchen is getting filled to the brim with assorted gadgets that are too specific that you do not know when else you would use it for its intention?

I recently got an egg slicer after one of my friends realized I always cut my hard boiled eggs with my sharp #kyocera #knife.  But of course I could not slice them quick enough and uniformly as a gadget would.  So one of them decided to give me one. I refused to buy it before for the same reason that I would have another gadget in my kitchen to keep.

Now that I have my new egg slicer, I recently saw a strawberry slicer in the internet being promoted.  Today, I decided to use my egg slicer to slice my strawberries and it worked!  Now I am ready to decorate uniformly sliced strawberries on top of desserts or as a garnish.

One gadget with 2 purposes.  Maybe there are more?

A QUICK FIX

Ever dream of having a dish or dessert one day but you either (1) have to fly to the country where they make it, (2) look for a restaurant who may serve it near you, or (3) make it yourself.

In this case, I opted for (3) make it myself.  However, I don’t have time.  So, I got the idea of making a deconstructed version which I would like to share with you. 

INGREDIENTS:

Meringue

Heavy cream

Mascarpone

Sugar (optional)

Ice cream

Fruits

You can whip the whip cream or like I did, just poured it over washed strawberries.

Crumble the meringue on top.  The more the better but it’s up to you.

Scoop vanilla ice cream on top.  And serve or eat it.

ANOTHER WAY:

Mix your mascarpone with whiped or not, cream; and mix equal portion of the cream and mascarpone.

TO SERVE:

Crumble the meringue in an empty serving bowl.  Then add your strawberries.  Scoop your ice cream on top.

Crumble more meringue on top.  And out a strawberry on top; then serve.