Butternut Puree for Arancini: 11.12.2010

10 lbs butternut squash flesh, diced
2 large spanish onions, diced
leaves from 4 sprigs rosemary
2 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 cups rendered pancetta fat
2 qts chicken stock
2 1/2 cups brown sugar

- toss together first 5 ingredients and roast in a moderate over for 45 minutes
- transfer to saucepan and add chicken stock and sugar
- simmer until squash falls apart, then puree thoroughly in blender
- adjust seasoning with additional salt if necessary

Sauce for Steak au Poivre: 11.12.2010

5 lbs lean beef, cubed
small amount of oil or tallow
2 ltrs cognac
6 cups sliced shallots
2 Tbsp sugar
3 gallons beef reduction
salt as needed
goat's milk butter as needed

- thoroughly brown the beef in the oil or tallow over high heat
- add cognac, shallots and sugar, scraping the browned bits from the pan (careful of the flames)
- reduce heat to medium  and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated
- add stock and reduce to near sauce consistency; taste and add salt as needed
- to order, reduce about 2 oz to sauce consistency and mount with 1 Tbsp goat's milk butter

Dos Aliolis for Patatas Bravas

Tomato Alioli

2 peeled tomatoes
5 cloves roasted garlic
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp shichimi togarashi
6 ea poached eggs
grapeseed oil as needed
salt and pepper to taste

- puree first 5 ingredients
- with blender running, drizzle in oil to desired consistency; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

Garlic Alioli

1 cup roasted garlic
6 ea poached eggs
grapeseed oil as needed
salt and pepper to taste

- puree garlic and eggs
- with blender running, drizzle in oil to desired consistency; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

Mushroom Juice Sortalaise for Epic.Pot.Roast: 11.05.2010

4 lbs lean beef, cut into cubes
small amount of oil
4 btls red wine***
7 cups herb-roasted shallots
2 gallons mushroom juice
2 gallons beef reduction

- over high heat, thoroughly brown the beef in the oil, stirring as necessary
- add wine and shallots; reduce by 90%
- add mushroom juice and beef reduction; reduce by half
- strain through chinois and degrease
- to serve, reduce 3 ounces by a third and mount with 2 Tbsp butter

*** wine for cooking purposes must be good enough quality to drink - perhaps not one that you would seek out, but at least one that you wouldn't refuse to wash down the hummus at an art opening

Nuocamole

My great uncle, Tio Diego, was once a celebrated luchador in Colonia Doctores, Mexico City. That was before he emigrated to the United States, earned his citizenship, and eventually, felt duty-bound to defend this great nation against the red peril of the Viet Cong. And that was all before he fell in love. In April of 1975, Phuong Rincon became my great aunt, and her brand of Vietnamese-Mexican fusion cuisine has forever changed the way I think about food. Tia Phuong, this one's for you.

6 ripe avocados, chopped
2/3 cup chopped peanuts
1 bunch scallions, white part only, sliced thin
1 Jimmy Nardello pepper, seeded and minced
1 Thai bird chile, seeded and minced
3 Tbsp minced spearmint
2 Tbsp minced basil
2 Tbsp minced cilantro
1 Tbsp salt
juice of 2 limes
1/4 tsp fish sauce

- thoroughly combine all ingredients

Avocado Cube, Take 1 for Sashimi: 11.05.2010

Onion Juice

1 lb red onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup fresh squeezed (duh) lemon juice
1/4 cup salt
10 sheets gelatin bloomed in cold water

- puree everything except gelatin in blender and strain through chinois
- heat strained liquid to a simmer and whisk in gelatin; keep hot

The Cube (makes 60)

flesh from 12 avocados, rough chopped
1 bunch cilantro, rough chopped
reserved hot onion juice mixture

- working in 2 batches, puree avocado and cilantro with reserved hot onion juice mixture
- immediately set in cube molds prepared with pan release
- spray tops with pan release and cover; refrigerate overnight

Carolina She Crab Vichyssoise

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4 qts half & half, plus more as necessary
4 ea 40ct idaho potatoes, peeled and diced

3 cups diced leeks
2 cups diced red peppers
2 cups diced celery
1 cup diced onion
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp old bay seasoning
2 tsp salt
1 cup sherry
white pepper as needed
4 lbs maine crab meat

- begin by bringing potatoes and half & half to a simmer
- meanwhile, sweat the leeks, peppers, celery, onion, old bay and salt in the butter and oil over low heat until softened
- add sherry and reduce by half; puree in blender and add to potato/cream mixture
- simmer potato mixture until potatoes are falling apart
- strain and reserve half & half
- pass strained potato mixture through food mill and return to half and half
- pass this new mixture through a chinois and allow to cool
- adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper, and adjust consistency with additional half & half if necessary
- fold in crab meat

Pickled Cauliflower for Pork Belly: 11.05.2010

7 cups water
7 cups cider vinegar
1 spanish onion, sliced
1 bulb garlic, halved across the equator
1/2 bunch thyme
5 Tbsp salt
4 tsp coriander
4 tsp peppercorn melange
1 Tbsp dry mustard
2 tsp chile flakes
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp celery seed
2 bay leaves
2 pods star anise
cauliflower parisiennne as needed

- bring all ingredients minus cauliflower to a boil, lower heat and simmer 15 minutes
- pour mixture over cauliflower and chill overnight