As the snow blankets the mountains—I can say that now because we actually got a slight dumping of snow yesterday—our tinkering in the kitchen continues. We have worked out two interesting components for dishes, though integrating them into a final composition has proved to be a stumbling block.
The first is a Sicilian pistachio and burnt caramel puree. It is really that simple. We pureed the pistachios with a good pinch of salt and burnt caramel essence (an ingredient in our pantry inspired by the work of Recchiuti chocolates). When the puree was smooth, we strained it. I wanted to use it as a liquid center for chocolate pâté, served with ancho cherries. The dish’s first rendition fell short in the chocolate pâté department. After this failure, I began thinking about making a hot chocolate pâté with the pistachio-burnt caramel center. We shall see.
The second ingredient in motion is tandoori spiced banana. We flavored yogurt with cardamom, smoked paprika, curry powder, ginger, and cinnamon. We used the flavored yogurt to marinate bananas which we then slowly cooked. When the bananas were done cooking, the flavors had married, and we had a banana we could use in either sweet or savory preparations. Unfortunately, as I began working with the banana in different textures—scrambled, pureed, fried, tempura, griddled—I ran out of banana. I am still unsure where and how this ingredient will be incorporated, though I know it will.
About the Author
