I am constantly taking notes; these days on post-it notes. These little yellow stickies are scattered over my bulletin board, desk, in my man-purse, on my nightstand, inside books I am reading, and in the many places in between. Eventually, I take piles of these notes and input them into the computer in order to begin to organize and develop ideas and inspirations. It is important to take these notes, for it allows my brain to empty for they are safely tucked away on paper or in a computer document. What is even better with writing down my thoughts is that I can always go back and examine my culinary approaches. Today, I took a moment to look back at a more organized version of my note-taking. What I find interesting is that while the flavor combinations still pique my interest and spark my thoughts, the process involved in executing these dishes has evolved and become more refined. The same list of dishes can take giant steps forward simply because of my own culinary development. I have reproduced the document without alteration such that I may share my inspirations from yesterday (five years ago) and see how they may be interpreted and executed today.
Amuse Bouche and Canapés first bites
– potato doughnuts with an ossetra “bavarian cream”
– truffle
– eggplant and curry
– mushroom duxelles
– herbed butter
– smoked salmon
– polenta “waffles” with mascarpone and truffle “syrup”
– lobster salad
– caviar
– smoked salmon
– melted leeks
– three-minute egg salad with brioche toasts and chive crème fraîche
– truffle fondue
– lobster hash
– brunoise vegetables
– caviar
– smoked salmon
– bacon fondue
– taleggio
– chestnut farinette with currant butter and oven-dried apples
– celery root “mousse” and cèpe dust
– fig jam and prosciutto butter
– buckwheat with caviar
– potato “pancakes” with truffle flour and chestnut or truffle “chips”
– assorted root vegetable blini according to season with assorted chutneys and dried fruits
Raw
– shaved fluke salad with quick cucumber pickles
– salmon belly
– sea urchin with lemon confit and mussel gelée
– oysters pickled in mignonette with suckling pig pancakes
– serve oyster dishes in shell with tops for jewel box effect
– pickled oysters with raw vegetable “salad”
– lemon tagliatelle and caviar vinaigrette
– pickled sea beans
– beef tartare on quail egg “one-eyed jack”
– beef tartare with fonduta and baby arugula
– beet tartare with traditional garnishes
– hamachi tartare on beet carpaccio with fresh wasabi
– sliced diver scallop with pickled watermelon rind and ginger
– pickled green papaya with allspice and thyme
– oven concentrated blood oranges and perilla
– tuna carpaccio with mushrooms à la grecque and mint
– use other raw fish when available
Spoon Food
– hamachi tartare with caviar and borscht
– lobster salad with sea urchin vinaigrette
– poached quail egg with shiitake mushroom hash
– chestnut glazed quail egg with black truffle dust
– braised frog legs with sweet garlic and salt capers
– seared scallop with creamy brandade and crispy parsley
– braised oxtail with crispy bone marrow and horseradish “mousse”
– ruby crescent potato “mousse” with sarladaise potatoes
– black truffles
– caviar
– quail egg
– cauliflower “mousse” with warm lobster ragout
– celery root “mousse” with crabmeat stew and brown butter
– kabocha squash “mousse” with chestnut confit and fried sage
“Cuisson-Mode”
– oyster stew “en cocotte” with sea beans and sherry syrup
– cook in pork bouillon and serve with pied de porc and carrots “vichy”
– make chowder with potatoes and herbs
– coat with just warmed caviar cream
– make with cayenne like oyster bar stew
– cooked in brown butter with lemon and shallots over croutons
– escabèche of sardines with shaved artichokes and meyer lemon
– escabèche of mackerel with pickled celery hearts and brunoise peppers
– escabèche of root vegetables served with just seared “langoustines”
– lobster
– nantucket bay scallops
– grilled diver scallops
– anchovies with capers and pickled potatoes
– sautéed sea urchin with chile peppers and oregano
– crispy frog legs with shaved celery and buffalo sauce
– charred calamari with papaya, sesame seeds, and cilantro
– broiled nantucket bay scallops with tagliatelle and saffron
Soup
– mushroom velouté with curry crisps and a confit of mushrooms
– zucchini soup with tomato confit and basil
– red kuri squash with apples and walnut strudel
– double duck consommé with cracklin’ toast and foie gras
– roasted carrots with persillade croutons
– fennel purée with raisins and melted leeks
– cranberry bean with brunoise vegetables and pancetta
– red pepper and lemongrass with thai basil and fried eggplant
Custards
– cauliflower with caramelized florets and caviar
– cèpe with braised mushrooms and thyme
– roasted onion with sage and squash
– celery root with a red onion sofrito and veal foot ragout
– potato and leek with caviar and potato chips
– bacon with clam chowder ragout and parsley purée
“Foie Gras”
– “au torchon” with seasonal fruit chutneys, sel gris, and assorted peppers
– pickled watermelon and mustard seed
– quince and habanero chile
– green papaya and toasted clove
– green apple and spiced ginger gelée
– tea and armagnac-soaked prunes
– pineapple and grains of paradise
– dried apricots and sauternes gelée
– local grapes and fresh bay syrup
– seared with oven concentrated fruits and vegetables with gastrique fruit sauces
– blood orange
– grapefruit
– apple
– pineapple and red pepper
– key lime and toasted pine nuts
“En Cocotte”
– tagliatelle with “oreilles de cochon” and oregano
– parmesan risotto with frog leg and caper ragout
– cacciucco
– bolognese
– cauliflower with herbs and red chile
– black truffle
– forest mushroom
– baby vegetables
– lobster with bay leaf
– “langoustines” with garlic and sorrel
– braised garlic and onions
– red wine braised oxtail
– rabbit with carrots and sage
– fingerling potato agnolotti with crème fraîche and bacon
– braised and roasted sweetbreads with baby vegetables in cider broth
– braised “escargot” with red wine and prosciutto
– oxtail wellington with celery and madeira
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