Z Chef Andre

Surgery and friends,what a mix !

2012-01-21T14:50:00.002-06:00

Ok this justcannot be about me but I have to talk about it.It is actually pretty easy towrite about and I do not have to make anything up (not that I did in myprevious posts) but it needs to be said. I had surgery recently and came outjust fine, just something that I felt needed to be done to preserve my quality of life for years to come. I'll spareyou the details as they are not that important for this post. I was in thehospital for two and a half days and itwas my first time ever. Invasive surgery is just not a word or a description itis a fact and in most cases it really hurts, no to scare anyone but as they say: this too shall pass and it did. We as human being are just not very patientand in this highly charged and technologically important world of ours we justdo expect way too much. The benefits of such an experience are huge, at leastfrom where I stand. First there is the experience itself which if it does notkill you it will make you stronger, the knowledge you get makes you better tohelp yourself and others down the road later.
We all havefriends and boy do they come out when one of theirs is a bit down. I am soblessed to have such a bunch of great friends, they called and checked on me, textedand rechecked and kept it up until they felt that I was actually ok.
Now, in this mefirst kind of world it is just absolutely great and sooooooooooo comforting tohear these voices genuinely concerned about you. It has to be one of the besttherapies ever ! It was for me and then there is K who goes way out and bringsyou the very best chicken and vegetables soup you ever had as what ever you hadbefore just cannot compare to how good it makes you feel at this particularmoment. My take on this ? if good ( make that great chicken soup) will make adifference, then sign me up and I'll start cooking because after thisexperience, there is NO doubt that I have to keep this up and maybe make someonefeel as good as K did me. My other friends K and B opened their home to me formy recovery and I am so very grateful to know them and very appreciative forthe little attentions and basic needs along with the comforts of home withoutworries of any kind. Guys, this carries a price tag so huge that no money inthe world (or all of it for that matter) could repay, but cooking I can and Ipromise you a lot of great feasts as our lives move forward. I do and alwayswill treasure your friendship, Your are the friends that everyone wishes theyhad so, THANK YOU !
And then therewas T who took time out of his busy business to stop by and check on me. Ofcourse he is also a Chef and offered to feed me the very first day. I hope I did not hurt his feelings by turning himdown because there is not way I could have eaten the multi course feasts hewould have brought me for every meal. In his case, nothing is too good orgood enough for his friends so T , THANK YOU !

And then there areall the others who are concerned and check on you but respect your privacy andwishes .You are many, so to all of you and you know who you are THANK YOU andGOD BLESS. When my turn comes to return the same, I'LL BE THERE................... with a batch of chicken soup.

Le fromage

2011-12-29T15:14:00.001-06:00

When I think of cheese theword just does jive or come close to what it means here (in France). Itnot only is part of the food culture but a huge part of a way of life and forthose who are true "connaisseurs" it is almost a cult when it comesto eat it, pairing it with which wine or just taking sides for one's preferred fromage or being a self declared expert on it.Inorder to do it justice in this short post I will address it as"fromage" as it is called here. We've all heard about strong fromage,stinky fromage and worse when we mention one of my favorite foods of all time:fromage ! I have been here for a few weeks and had a great fromage based time(don't go there, this is a G rated post !) with my sister buying her ownfromage and me buying what I really like and miss when I'm in Texas. I atefromage every day for every meal for almost four weeks. It might be time to gonext week but no regrets even for my waist line. I did mention earlier that mysister leaves her fromage at room temperature and rightfully so. The Frenchpeople who have visited me in Texas over the years have all been horrified ofthe way we handle the fromage over here. For the fromages eaten in France fullflavored does not even qualify it. We are talking about soft and semi softfromages. The flavor is just a medley of sensory things: piquant, creamy, aged,unique character, strong flavor, tingly, nutty,just to name a few. I do not eat butter withfromage but the bread here is the perfect partner and that is enough, no applesnuts or other things needed. Do not even think of mentioning baked brie !We'veall heard it before, bread, cheese and wine is a great combination but I don'tknow if most everyone can appreciate the greatness of that combination untilthey have traveled to Western Europe. France offers hundreds of different kindsof fromages and for those of you who do not eat cheese, wait until you visit thereand you just might change your mind I know you probably will.

Time to refill,

2011-12-15T11:39:00.003-06:00

That would be wine refill.My sister lives in a small town who has a wine cooperative producing the regional wines that I have become fondof. The small producers of grapes sell their fruit there and the cooperativemakes the wines which are distributed all over (at least what is left overafter we the locals got our cellars filled for the year) . For red wines theyuse Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Tannat ( the one that has the mostbeneficial antioxidants, resveratrol anyone ?) and for white wines it is mostlysweet wines of the late harvest variety made with Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng,Arrufiac or Petit Corbu. The local producers have the latitude to blenddifferent amount of each variety as long each variety is present in the wine.This is just great as it gives us the opportunity to discover wines which matchour personal tastes closely and stick with any producer we like, it is allabout supporting the little guy.

Right before lunch we stoppedby to refill on the local Rosé which we like and drink everyday. I got to taste differentwines and this set up reminded me of the way we do business in Texas, friendlyand willing to help. No Chateau Lafitte here which by the way is veryexpensive, even here. Fortunately there are many many very affordable wines ofgreat quality to please everyone. Looks like my cellar in a couple of yearswill be looking just fine and I can't wait ! Only a Frenchman would have his cellar ready before the house is ready to move in . Yep, that would be me !

Chef's lunch for Chefs

2011-12-07T14:55:00.001-06:00

Ok some of you willprobably gag but we French eat most everything and today I got to eat one of myfavorites . I visited an old friend (from the 70') and being a Chef too he prepared a lunch that few people (mostlyChefs) would like. My friend Arnaud is a retired Chef and simply living the right waywhen it comes to food. He only uses fresh ingredients and cooks the local waywith traditional methods and techniques. I really like that and would like togo back to it when I do return to live here the majority of the time.

For the aperitif we dranka glass of chilled Jurançon which is the localsweet wine and no fancy hors d'oeuvres here, just a few peanuts, after all wewould not fill up on snack food now would we ? This was the best wine in itscategory "Passerillé en Novembre"meaning the late harvest with the December harvest being thebest but also the most expensive since there is much less of it.

We startedwith the traditional pate made of pork liver and pork jowl with time testedseasonings, crusty bread (yeah we are in France and when we say crusty, it isjust that) and cornichons. Then it was time for the local version of cured ham"jambon Bearnais" with good butter, yummmmmmmmmmm ! this is just a great combo of flavor, tradition andculture all in one. Then for another much different bit came the"bulots"which are some version of sea snails, very fresh and cookedin the shell served with scratch mayonnaise.

I am not too fond of anything slitheringbut being a good guest, I did try it. A bit chewy but flavorful and very fresh.So far it would have been enough for me but we do not want to upset the hostnow do we ?

Next came the "gras doubles" which in America are calledtripes, yes you read it right, that would be the insides of a cow or veal.These are slowly braised for about 12 hours with tomatoes,onions,carrots,whitewine and basic aromatics . Just served with boiled potatoes and that crustybread,it is what I would call French comfort food for a dreary and cold day.I love it,I love I love it.Then came the local cheese made with sheep's milk and the "greuil"which is the local version of fresh cheese made after the first batch of curdhas been removed. For wine, a bottle of good Beaujolais nouveau which matchedeverything then back to the Jurançonwith the traditional King's Cake for dessert.

It was all about our own cornerof the world. We really did not care what was happening anywhere else. TheFrench have a way to elevate the simplest thing in everyday's life to preciousmoments and forever memories. I know, I know what you all are thinking but onceyou are here you'll change your mind.

Cooking for joy,eating for pleasure

2011-12-02T18:20:00.001-06:00

I did some cooking tonightfor some of my sister's friends and my new friends since they are just greatand we all get along just fine. Wait, are we talking about French people here ?yes we are, in case you do not know times have have changed and new generations are showing signs of maturity and appliedknowledge. Wait again, I am French and I do notice the difference, whathappened ? Well the world has changed and we all have our own challenges whereverwe live. Duuuuuuuuuuuuh. I just had a great evening and I did all the cooking,now it is not a big deal since I have been doing it all my life but it is a bigdeal for the people around me as they think it takes as much or more time thatit would take them ! No pictures taken, so I will just give you the menu:Terrine of foie gras with Artisan bread (and I mean cooked that afternoon too) arack of really fresh pork stuffed with dry plums, Porcini mushrooms as a vegand tiny potatoes cooked in foie gras fat. Forget about this salad stuff thiswas for pleasure and no guilt feelings. Then, some French cheeses and I do meanthe traditional stuff , Camembert, Pont L'Eveque and Munster. My sister doesnot believe in putting her cheese in the fridge and I agree, since they eatcheese every day it is not a problem but for you guys it might not ring right,trust me the flavors are incredible and sooooooooooooooooo genuine. Dessert wasa simple (for me anyway) chocolate mousse with a dab of fresh caramel sauce andraspberries. For the wine I had some Petit Manseng with the foie gras which Igot from a small farm right out of the barrel and it was the perfect marriagefor the foie gras. The rest of the meal was enjoyed with a middle of the roadBordeaux ( now I know I am home, really). The conversation was great and theend was just before midnight. No mess, no fuss, is there any other way ? Ifthis is any indication of what life in Coarraze will be when I move back (Iknow some of you are not buying it) I am already excited and believe more andmore that it will be the right move for me. Stay tuned, I'll be back .

Getting it while the going is good,

2011-12-01T16:27:00.001-06:00

Absolutely gorgeous weathertoday, blue sky, warm with a light breeze. Wait it is december ! I'll take itso do not beam me up. I love the size of the French supermarkets : huge withmost everything you might need. My ultimate one stop shopping. I am cookingdinner tomorrow and this is just perfect. I walk around the aisles of thiscavernous place lamenting about the markets in the US. Just no comparison andall the food is fresh and of great quality. After the shopping we go to thestore cafeteria for lunch and this is not Luby's or Highland Park Cafeteria,everyday French food well prepared and presented. I see this young womansitting at the next table with a hamburger and could not help but starring ather: she was eating the burger with a fork and knife from beginning to end. Iam thinking that it is time for her to visit the good old US . I inquired laterand was told that the French do not like to get their hands messy at the table.I already told you , I have to come back here to show them how it is done.( Iam working on it, the coming back part). This afternoon, more family visit andthis time is spent with my cousins Pierrette and Roger. They are retired justgreat and always glad to see me. Pierrette disappears for a while and comesback with a platter of freshly made delicious crepes. Now when was the last timeyou had a crepe and loved it ? Can't remember, means it has been too long. Thebest part was that she made them from scratch, not a big deal in this house asPierrette is a great cook, as for Roger he is the wine guy and pops a bottle ofMonbazillac,( it five o'clock somewhere) now I know I am back home and almost feels that I never left. Ilove these moments of simple pleasuresand short trips on memory lane.
Time is flying by and Ihave been here almost a week. I am looking forward to visiting a "marche dugras" in Pau on Saturday and check the foie gras and fat ducks business.No museum for me on this trip ! More later.

Wine stop,

2011-11-30T14:55:00.001-06:00

Today was a great day inmany ways. I got wheels (rented) and headed out.The weather was just gorgeousfor November and it just felt like spring. We are not talking about Dallas likeweather, this is the southwest of France at the footsteps of the Pyrenees andNovember usually means chilly, dreary, damp and cold weather. I headed out toCoarraze on my way to visit family or at least let them know I was back in town(phone calls are not quite the same). On the way I truly enjoyed the sheerbeauty of the snow capped mountains which I have known and learned toappreciate all my life. This is the very rural part of France that you do notget to see on the Travel Channel in the US. That took a few hours and then backto my sister. Her husband was just back from work and took me to a friend whohas a farm and makes wine. Totally my kind of side trip just before dinner.Five miles out of town on little country roads and here we are, a little farmin the middle of nowhere. Small, small, small, works for me ! The guy growsgrapes for Rose, red and the local sweet wine. We tasted them all and boughtsome of the Rose. For those of you who call themselves wine connoisseurs we aretalking about Tannat, Petit Manseng and Grand Manseng grapes. The Tannat grapesare used for red and Rose wines and the Mansengs for the local sweet winecalled Jurancon which we drink here with foie gras or desserts. We bought 10liters of the Rose and the guy did not remember the price he charged last,which was 1 euro per liter or 1 dollar per 75ml. New price ? 1.50 euro .Cheap ? yes, great? maybe not,drinkable ? absolutely ! He took us to the small cellar completed with spiderwebs, old dust and musky smell, just the way a real cellar should look andsmell. We sampled four wines and had great conversation about everything.He also gave us two liters of the Petit Manseng for free which will go great with the foie gras friday night as friends are coming for dinner, you guessed it, I am cooking. Thesetimes are precious, not staged and just cannot be bought. We made it home inone piece in time for dinner and feeling just great. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh !

Stay tuned, I just got here.

A special Thanksgiving ? that's for sure !

2011-11-28T10:01:00.007-06:00

Another Thanksgiving comes by and here we are………again looking forward to turkey and the seasonal trimmings. My turkey daymorning was truly special since I got to spend it with real special people . You guessed it right, that would the men and women in uniform who do so much for us and just do not get enough thank you(s).

I am a member of the Epicurian World Master Chefs Society (EWMCS) and as a group we teamed up with USO to set up and serve a great Thanksgiving dinner buffet at one of DFW airport terminals from which they leave to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. Oh what a feeling it was ! There was a lot of volunteers to back us up and thanks to them for their time .

And you thought saying good bye was hard, try this !
Our Chef Organization is comprised of many Chefs in the various sectors of the food service industry; hotels, city clubs, country clubs and various food distributing companies along with some in R and D as well. This was set up by Patrick Mitchell from the Ben E Keith food service Company and from the logistics to the coordination to picking up the foods all over the city of Dallas it a pretty big assignment. Patrick did a super job and had everyone responding and pitching in. Salvatore Gisellu of Urban Crust and Sharon VanMeter of Milestone Culinary Arts Center were the other Chefs who were able to participate. My duty for that morning was to cut up and set up all the delicious pies and cakes graciously provided by Shari Carlson of Dessert Dreams. That table was a hit and we did not run out of anything. Youhooooo ! The serving line was tended by some of the Chefs family members and other volunteers. Our men and woman in uniform truly enjoyed the feast on their way out of the country and hopefully did take with them a little piece of home.

I got there a bit early and felt privileged to have been able to listen to some incredible stories. I ran into Jim, a gentleman whose son had been serving four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now four tours is really huge (to me anyway) but there is more. During all his time being deployed Jim's son while on various patrols had his Humvee hit six times by an exploding IED (improvised exploding device) and each time he did survive the ordeal to tell about it. Once would be traumatic enough, but six times ? Here is a young man whom I believe God has a plan for .Do you think ? I am listening to this with the details freely offered and thinking, now how many people would actually believe this ? Jim's sincerity came through the tone of his voice which was soft and incredibly riveting, I was just listening hoping that nobody around would interrupt him. He was not looking for any kind of notoriety just the opportunity to tell the story for all to really know what our blood and treasure do endure when wearing the uniform .The stories are heart warming as well as heart breaking but they all have that professionalism and sense of duty for which they serve admirably.

No comments needed !
I took a few pictures and at time felt that I was intruding on their privacy but none of them minded at all. Watching them spending these precious moments with their families before their flight was very moving. We call them heroes and they are but for me it is just not enough as they do so much and spend most of their time in arm's way to protect what we hold so dear in this country, our freedom.

These pictures tell the story, from all of them standing with their head bowed during the Chaplain prayer to the young man holding his new baby and looking at him/her with so much love and pride to the young wife whose eyes are getting redder as the time to checking in approaches and so on. These men and women are not asking very much from us they just want our support and best wishes, most of all they do not want to be forgotten. Fat chance of that from my side, how about yours ? I got to talk to a few of them and joked "please do not worry too much about the Washington idiots"and their answer was uniform all around "we really have bigger fishes to fry or catch as the case may be".

The pie brigade in action.
Meeting them and spending a few minutes listening is what I call the ultimate dose of reality. This morning things do not seem to matter but these young lives do. So keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We did the same thing last year and had about three hundred + but this year we had a few less of them to feed. We did ask and were told that as the war in Iraq in winding down, fewer of them are deployed. Still we would like all of them to be home with their families and back to their normal lives if there is such a thing after serving their country with great honor.
Emotionally I did good the past two years but this year, not so good. One of the soldiers came over to me to say thank you and make sure that we really understood what holiday feast meant to them. I am thinking"young man, you do not have to say thank you to me" I am the one that should say thank you to YOU for all you do for us. My eyes welled up and I felt so proud of them but had to step away to get myself together. Mushy stuff ? Not really, in case you forgot real men DO cry too !I hope your Thanksgiving day was as blessed as mine was.This was a great day for me and these men and women really made it special. If I do not get to do this next year it will mean that most of them are getting home slowly. As the USO says: Until the last one comes home !

YOU GUYS ROCK !

An ounce of sauce.....well you know the rest !

2011-11-14T16:21:00.013-06:00

Sunday is class day for me and yesterday brought a different class: sauces,reductions and emulsions. Everybody loves sauces so how come so few people can really make them at home or even in the restaurant/food service business ? Now I might get in trouble for being critical of some of my peers but it is true, not all Chefs and cooks out there can make good sauces. Have you looked at most menus today ? It is a gastrique, demi glace and reductions everywhere and we have not even addressed the interpretation of each of these culinary terms ! Talk about a wild wild adventure in the professional kitchens of our country. What happen to integral sauces ? Ok,some of you who are not in my type of business might not know what that is. It actually is very simple,an integral sauce is a sauce made from the caramelisation of the juices left in the pan from the cooking of meats,poultry etc. What we are talking about is the true flavor of the chosen protein in the accompanying sauce. This process in sauce making actually produces the freshest and most acurate flavor derived from the cooking of that protein.

It's all in the sauce !

I get labeled "old school" quite often for using basic cooking principles that have served our culinary world very well for generations. More often than not you can find me babysitting a rich chicken stock for which I went to an out of the way store to get the right ingredients. What we are talking about is ( in this case) the feets,gizzards,necks which are rich in collagen. What's that ? Collagen is a protein in most animal carcasses which make a stock richer as it is very gelatineous. What do we need that in a stock ? Deep flavor, ease of reduction and texture in the sauce. Sounds complicated ? Not really,you can tell the difference when you taste it as it lingers (or not) in your mouth when you eat. The better the sauce, the greater your eating pleasure. Again, here is a case of less is more,meaning less quantity

should deliver more quality of flavor.

Forget about that stuff in the jar,real mayonnaise is IT !

Now you really know how I feel about sauces, back to the class yesterday.

Hot sauces,cold sauces,reductions,emulsions you name it,it was covered. Duck with cherry gastrique (I know,I know but it is the perfect sauce for it ) and the skin was real crispy too, real mayonnaise with tarragon roasted chicken,giant prawns Americaine style ( go ahead say it: more old school ?)

That would be just the right portion for me . No extra fingers needed !

I love shellfish cooked it the shell,that would be the perfect finger food for me,just get me that bibb and I won't care about looks (in this case mine).

The duck was just delish, not much choice for fruit this time of year but Bosc pears and frozen cherries were just fine with a touch of real pear brandy to finish it.

I love duck as you know,so just bring it !

Of course I had to have a wine reduced sauce to demo the "monter au beurre"technique and I did a good Bordelaise finished with fresh whole butter. More butter ? you bet, this time not for added fat but to soften the acidic flavor of the Bordelaise with a crank of the pepper mill and VOILA ! Perfect sauce for a peppercorn seared flat iron steak.

That pink beef looks just right !

Last but not least,emulsions come in the savory and sweet variety so being choice poor when it came to seasonal fruit I ended up with pears and strawberries (after 4 hours it seemed the simplest way to go).

Gratin of pears and strawberries.

A great afternoon it was and once again we demonstrated that with a little planning,work and know how you can cook at home a meal as good or in some cases better that any restaurants in town. This week end I am doing braising,steaming and poaching, perfect again for this time of year, flavor is the game.

No time for stocks ? you are missing out

2011-11-08T16:23:00.007-06:00

Carrot/ginger bisque

Today I am stepping away from the foie gras headlines to something often forgotten,ignored or just totally abandonned and that is stocks, no, no, not the stuff you buy on Wall Street hoping to make lots more money,the stuff you simmer on your stove.

This sunday, I did a class on stocks and soups and with the cool weather it was just the right fit for the day. How times have changed and how little most people actually cook at home; work demands, always in a hurry,with the family agenda way overloaded who has time anymore ?

Well there is and always will be only 24 hours in one day, so it is for us to manage our time better and go back to something we use to love way back when and that is home cooked foods and ingredients that did not have mysterious components in it. Most people (that would be the ones who cannot actually cook) think that it takes too much time and in most cases that might be true. Still I would advocate taking a step back and make some simple stocks at home without having to switch careers just to learn how. Our mothers chicken soup was not a big deal,the only difference was that it was fresh and we knew what was in it. The canned stuff never even came close.

Being as thorough as I can be I overdid it again and made six different stocks for this class: chicken,beef,fish,vegetable,veal and lobster. You read it right ! it is a bit of work but you just can't get the stuff in the store or in some restaurants which claim to do everything from scratch. I am very happy when some of my students return for a new class and tell me that they did this or that and that it was great. Music to my ears ! Just the fact that they actually do it is plenty for me.

Soupe au pistou

Soups were also part of the class and using the fresh stocks simmering on the stove made for great stuff such as: a beefy chili con carne, a carrot ginger bisque, a soupe au pistou, a portuguese kale soup, a lobster bisque and a seafood chowder that was so loaded with various fish and shellfish that it could have passed for the best fish stew ever. The leftovers were dispensed equally and I of course dropped some off to a sick friend who had not eaten anything in three days ! Well the soup option did help some and I am glad.

Portuguese kale soup

For those of you who think that the same ingredients the Chefs use are not available to the retail public,here is my advice: get to know the Chef in some of your favorite restaurants and ask him/her to help you secure some of the stuff. You just never know and if you don't ask, you don't get ! Everyone should have a Chef on their list of friends. For me, I am just blessed to have my name on a lot of lists.

Foie gras bust in California?

2011-10-27T15:13:00.009-05:00

It sure looks that way. As most of you might know (in case you don't you are in the right place here), California has banned the production and sale of foie gras as of July 1st 2012. Here we go again! Remember the ban in Chicago? That did not last very long and Mayor Daley then commented that Chicago had bigger problems to tend to. They repealed the ban and moved on to more important things. As of now it does not look like repeal of the law in CA is coming anytime soon to the dismay of many Chefs there.

My humble origins go back to France in the heart of foie gras country, ie, Gascony. Foie gras in France is everywhere and has been for as long as anyone can remember. It is a delicacy but also an important part of our culinary culture and heritage. France produces 78% of the world's foie gras vs the USA 1.8%. Now you know why some of us are all for it. As a Chef, I am a bit, make that a lot, irritated by this ban nonsense in CA or anywhere else for that matter. I believe that the people who were behind that ban and lobbied for the law have an agenda of their own which bring the question: who are they to tell me what I should eat or not eat? The other side of the discussion is economics and jobs and California is doing it .......again. Chasing more jobs out of the state which is already broke. Let's talk about what it takes to produce foie gras.

The duck farmer needs land that if it does not own it, it will cost him rent.

Then there is equipment and materials along with shelter for the birds.

Then there is the staff to care for the birds 24/7.

Then there are the farmers who produce the feed and corn for the birds.

Then there is the company which produces the eggs ( males are raised for foie gras and meat, females are raised for meat only).

About two weeks old!

Then there are the truckers who transport all of the above.

Then there is the processing plan for slaugthering, cutting, packaging and final State and Federal inspections and stamps of approval (the producer pays for the inspections).

Then there is the cold storage facilities who stores the duck various products including the foie gras which the producer must rent.

Then there are the shipping companies such as FedEx and UPS who deliver the products to your door or to the Chefs directly. See the impact of this ban? and this is only a small fraction of the foie gras production in the USA so what's next?

Getting there, looks like happy ducks to me!

Moulard ducks and the foie gras they produce are close to my culinary heart. Of course I must address the controversy about the forcefeeding of the ducks to obtain foie gras. I recently visited a duck farm to find out for myself and what I saw was standards way above and beyond the farming practices typical of other types of poultries beind raised in this country. The birds are raised in well vented and cooled (or heated as the weather changes) in very spacious barns and have plenty of room to roam and grow comfortably. Once they have grown their feathers they are taken outside where they have plenty of food,water, shade and room to roam free. I was totally impressed to see how much land is used to raised the ducks. I have seen before a chicken farm where the chickens are raised in very cramped conditions and only indoors for all of their short lives. The media would have us believe that animal mistreatment is a common thing in poultry farming and they might be right in some instances. Well, not so in this duck farm. The duck farmers here showed me everything and had nothing to hide. They graciously answered all my questions and thanks to their honesty I now consider myself very knowledgeable on this topic. Of course I wanted to see the forcefeeding of the ducks for myself and was granted that too.

The process is actually pretty short, just a few seconds as the ducks are fed a premeasured portion of corn twice a day. There is no other way to produce foie gras and this process only last two weeks during which time they are housed indoors in spacious pens with plenty of water and in a cool environment.

I had the opportunity to process whole Moulards ducks raised for foie gras over the past year and can assure you all of the eight ducks that I did were in perfect health meaning, no bruises, scratches, no broken bones, etc. Now the same cannot be said for the chicken we buy in our neighbourhood food stores! Next time take a closer look!

What will it take to repeal this ridiculous ban in CA? The Chefs must join together and their guests too. As for me, sign me up for this fight.

A busy year ?

2011-10-25T13:03:00.007-05:00

I think so and I am still talking duck so quack,quack to everybody. I have not kept up with this thing but I am here today trying to catch up. Apart from the searing heat we got in Dallas for three months, summer was pretty good overall. No matter how bad things get (still talking weather) we always get used to it and we just got to spend more time inside, worked for me just fine.

In July the American Culinary Federation was holding its National Convention here at the Gaylord and I was a presenter for 3 educational seminars. I was humbled and also very proud to teach these classes to Chefs from every corner of this country. I did two hands on seminars on Charcuterie and one seminar/demo on duck fabrication and foie gras. They were all very well received as the Charcuterie trend is on the rise with many Chefs doing ( or in some cases attempting to do) their own. The Charcuterie classes were the first to sell out and I did accept more attendees but without participation in the hands on segment which was fine as they got to understand the principles of curing and aging various types of meat and game.

The Chefs in this seminar got to taste ten different types of Charcuterie as show above. Yes it is a lot of work but the fun is huge along with the satisfaction from the results.

On the foie gras seminar 162 Chefs showed up as it was open to all; I could get used to this standing room only stuff, real easy. I was overwhelmed by the size of this professional crowd but recovered quickly (no other choice, so why worry) . I totally appreciated the level of attention given to my presentation by all the Chefs but was very surprised to find out that a lot of them were not very familiar with the topic. I went to work and did a PPT presentation on the raising of the ducks and the production of foie gras. The comments were all positive and I did not get any negatives on the process of force feeding the birds to produce the foie gras.

This a mi cuit foie gras marinated in a reduction of malbec and aromatics. The result ? YUMMMMMMMMMMM !

I had lots of help and could not have done this without the support of Junny and Guillermo Gonzales from Sonoma Artisan Foie Gras in California. Junny came in and was very excited and happy to see the support and understanding from the Chefs. It was a very unique class and I must give special thanks to Chefs Mark Schneider, John Jost, Stacy O'Neil and all the culinarians who volunteered and worked so hard to make me look good, keep me focused and on time. To all of you THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU !

After my demo I really enjoyed the Q & A session with my peers, it was great and I hung out as late as I could. My good friend and Chef Stafford DeCambra did process the second duck right next to me and followed my lead perfectly . Good Job Stafford and thank you for being there and being the best team player I know.

I cannot say how important it is in my field to attend these professional gatherings to learn new things, renew friendships and make new ones. Keeping up with trends in the food world and new techniques is absolutely critical, that is why we call it Continuing Education.

These are some of my best Chef's moments that I will always treasure. Just in case anyone still doubts my passion for duck and foie gras this pic should put any doubt to rest.

As they say "better late than never" and I am no different. So until the next post, keep on cooking .

Catching up is hard to do !

2011-05-08T21:29:00.018-05:00

Ok, first an apolology for litterally abandonning my blogging. My good friend JK lectured me on

how imporatnt it is to talk to the world out there and I agree. So I will try, make that I will blog at least twice a month as after the JK encounter I realized that I really have a lot to share on food,wine,friends,life and whatever my common sensed mind has to offer.
As I said it has been awhile and as far as the travelling part of my life is concerned it has been kind of busy for the last six months. Dec 2010 in France, Jan 2011 in Argentina/Patagonia and April in NOLA. Not bad and the memories, well you get it, just so very special. My friends always remind me that I do take life too seriously but I must translate that to, I just happen to put real value on the precious moments that we are all blessed with.

The grilled meats and the chimichuri to go with it were great, so were the wines . Thanks to our friends at the Terraza de los Andes winery in Mendoza. (more on that in a future post)
The trip home to France was one of my annual rituals and it went very well except for the weather which was really nasty and cold. Got lemons ? make lemonade. Got cold weather ? throw another log in the fireplace,grab some Armagnac and start writing,which I did but not on my blog. I did however finish writing the bylaws for one of the professional association I belong to (World Master Chefs Society)and that was tedious but I got it done.

Went to the the top of the Pyrenees and over to Spain for lunches and coffee/pick me ups in the afternoon while enjoying the white scenery and the mountains goats running in the snow looking for food. I just love the simplest things in life and they are free too. What a deal !

See the goats ?

The rest of the time was spent with family and friends and of course I did cook for everybody and everybody cooked for me. The French get the prize as they do not need a reason to get together and enjoy what they love best: food , wine and themselves. Foie gras is always a big thing and one of my favorites. Down South where I am from it is half the price we pay here, works for me.
Yes I did schlepp 80 miles to the heart of foie gras country but as you can see it was worth it !

Finally, here it's to you friends in the foodosphere, grab a glass and start a good conversation; don't have a friend nearby ? no problem, make one now, cheers !

Homebody ? You bet !

2010-02-17T15:28:00.009-06:00

I am very late posting this but fortunately I had written it on the plane coming back to Dallas just before Christmas, now you know !

The week went by pretty quick as I visited friends and family and tried to do some work on the house ( tried being the key word here ). Today is saturday and also my sister’s BD. Here is the menu for dinner and of course I am cooking it which is fun. My sister is not a cook and has no interest in furthering her culinary know how or lack thereof. Here is the menu with too much details but........

Foie gras en terrine with black tomato compote
Frisee and fenouil
Rose poached Passe Crassane

Farm raised roasted Guinea Capon
Black trumpet farce
Celery root mousseline
Haricots verts

Pears and Bananas Foster

I have prepped for a few hours and my lunch was quick but not light: country ham, pate, munster cheese (the real stuff) pistachio pot de crème and the real baguette that is perfect with it. All the good stuff that’s bad for me but so good to eat. I know, I know, I’ll have to get back to normal asap, for now it’s all good.
Watching rugby and a nap in the afternoon was just great along with a roaring fire place makes it for a perfect winter afternoon. Who cares what the weather looks like ?

I opened all the wines before dinner and was especially surprised at the Sauternes,1984 Chateau Lamothe that I picked out of my cellar without knowing what it was since the whole label was covered with mold but the color through the glass was just perfect. I will serve this wine with the foie gras. Yummmmm ! See the pic below.
It is a 25 years old bottle which has laid undisturbed in the darkness and the damp atmosphere of my cellar which will need some improvements in a few years but is doing the job for now. This is a case where the wait is really worth it. Of course it has a lot to do with the fact that I was not anywhere close by for that bottle to be left alone for that long.

The rest was a Pomerol for the capon and a Haut Medoc for the cheese, champagne with dessert and I did not have to drive, what a deal !
I had done a lot of advance work so doing this dinner was no sweat for me but enjoyed by all. I was really pleased with the terrine which came out great with rich duck flavor and silky texture. the Guinea capon was a first for me but very very good with a good yield of meat, lots of flavor. The foie gras was just deeeeelish and the flavor was all terroir and tradition which means an awful lot to me. The Sauternes with it was truly God’s work and my appreciation for these high quality products is way up there as a Chef and the lucky guy that I am for being born in the thick of it.
I am looking forward to many more in a few years with a few of you . Wait, I am not looking to be the next Peter Mayle but I’ll do all the cooking !
A great evening it was with lots of conversation, laughs and no dissents . What ? Yeah, in my French neighborhood it might be a rarity but it does happen.

Later,

Chef Andre

Can't wait to start that foie gras terrine !

2009-12-26T19:17:00.010-06:00

I just had to take this picture and regretted not to have brought with me a couple of gallon jars. Look at those price ! Chateau Margaux it ain't but what a deal for everyday drinking, 1.30 $ a liter ! You pick your color and take it home.

I will be prepared next time, you can be sure of it !

I took a different way home and found by accident a duck farm in the middle of nowhere. Stop, it is picture time…..again ! The ducks seemed happy and social as they did not scatter when I moved closer to their fence. Big ducks ! Size, only a Chef could understand and work wonders from. I stay for a few minutes just watching the ducks and this feels like real life in mother nature’s back yard ! This is fun as long as I don’t have to walk in the mud like the farmers do on their farm .
The trip back was eventless . I went to the market closer to home and bought some duck foie gras for my terrines, the price ? 18 $ a pound ! I am not making this up but when it comes to foie gras, buyer beware !

That is what we started with below.

I got to work on my terrines the next day and got help from Natalie, one of my sister’s friends who is a real fooddie. She was just thrilled to learn how to make her own foie gras terrine. What can I say ? It was fun and as we know: once a Chef, always a teacher ! That would be the new or not so new me. Wait a minute, a now American French Chef teaching his own countrymen how to make foie gras in their own backyard and they are all ears ?

And this is what we had as our appetizer along with a great Sauternes, but more on that later !

Don’t tell me the French have not changed because they really have and the influence of the younger generations is starting to show in many ways some good some different some not so good but overall change is the thing as it stirs many passions.

Look below, when we see this picture live we know we are home and we all know that there is no place like home, wherever it may be. Small yes but the peace and quiet there are sweet, why ? because that pretty much all there is and I like that.......a lot !

Thanks for listening but stay tuned.

Chef Andre

It does not get any fresher than this !

2009-12-24T17:19:00.018-06:00

This post might be a bit pictures heavy but those are the real thing.

I remember in my early years as a young cook ( noticed I did not say Chef ? ) the foie gras markets of that time and they have not changed much except that they are now better regulated and the sanitary conditions are excellent whereas before it was rather basic and a bit primitive. All products now are inspected and displayed in a refrigerated hall.

The doors are locked and the only people in the room are the sellers and whatever authority is in charge of the gig. Everybody else, mostly potential buyers and some tourists are standing outside the locked doors until it is the official time to open which is announced by a loud whistle blow. People start to rush in like the mad shopping crowds the day after Thanksgiving. I just follow and get in the atmosphere, I like this and know that some day I will be back and be one of the buyers.

By the way it is only cash or check here and as you can see no fancy packaging either as it is all about the foie !
I am surprised at the look and size of the foies on display. First they are mostly all duck with a few goose livers. The duck livers are of various sizes anywhere from 10 ounces to 1.25 pound and up.Their color is more of a fleshy white/pink than the light beige color we are familiar with. I do not know what it means and do not dare ask as the sellers are in no mood to play twenty questions with some tourist who sports the local accent. I would think that they might be feeding the ducks with white corn instead of the other yellow kind we see everywhere. There are however a few livers of the beige color and the ducks which produced them were for sure fed yellow corn.
I am however stunned by the freshness of the product as yesterday was the birds last day in this world. This is way above fresh if there is such a thing. We American Chefs are not used to see this level of freshness on foie gras as everything in the states is stored before it travels. I spend a lot of time there taking about a hundred pictures of different scenes and foie gras of all sizes and color. Some are moving faster than others but it is a serious business. Don’t let the convivial atmosphere fool you, this is business first, small talk when it is all gone and not before. The price ? 30 $ a pound for duck foie gras and 38 $ a pound for goose foie gras. Not cheap ! but the quality seems there and it is the holiday season when demand peaks .

In France most households will celebrate with foie gras for their holiday dinner. I do not buy here as I find the price a bit stiff. I will take my chances closer to home and hope to find a better deal. I am however thrilled to have come and the learning part of this trip is huge for me even though this is real close to home. Yes, you heard me : learning is the word and I am loving it. Just hope I am able to convey this experience to you the readers and that someday you will be able to visit this country side of France and who knows, I could be your guide/driver. I sure will come back with or without you as I see a lots of foie gras terrines and confits in my future.

Yummmmmmmm!

Here is a tip for you foie gras lovers:

For your hot foie gras preparations the freshest foie must be used as it will melt much less. This means as close to harvest as you can get it !

Join me on my next post as I'll get to talk about the trip back home and the porto laced terrine I enjoyed with my family.

Chef Andre

Duck cutting time

2009-12-14T16:23:00.019-06:00

I got enough duck pics but not what I was looking for and since the foie gras market does not open till 1030 am I do wonder around and find the “salle de decoupe” or cutting room where for an undefined and unsolicited tip, two butchers will process/cut up your birds the way you want them or their own ways.

We're waiting for the butcher !

The pieces flying off of the carcass are packed in plastic bags and go directly into the customers shopping bags. It is all a well defined ritual including the tips in Euros which are dumped in the hand sink you can see on the left, no formalities here, only real people in a real place and they could not care less about whatever is happening elsewhere. This is their world and that’s the way they live.

Tradition and culture is alive and well here !
I am a happy tourist even after the bust of the previous stop.

Them ducks are FAT and I like them that way !

Pork fat might have ruled for a long time but in my book duck fat is KING !!!!!!

As you can see this duck business is really serious, this is what I call being in the zone, the Samathan zone that is !

Now, we're almost ready to go !

I will continue on my next post as this foie gras story is not over.

Chef Andre

On my way to the Marché du gras

2009-12-14T12:41:00.017-06:00

Today up at 6 am ,I am all excited about my trip to foie gras country. I have not done this in ………40+ years ! This is real special as old rules are still used today in the “marchés du gras” .

We take the road and it is still dark, I don’t care much for driving at night but I would not miss this for anything, I am just too excited. I do love to drive and explore the French country side for it is where real life is, at its most basic as well as at its richest in many ways. For sure mother nature has done a good job here. The drive will take about two hours considering that we will use small country roads. I am heading to the department of Gers which is the heart of Gascony or for you history buffs, Musqueteer country and lots of Armagnac. This part of France does not have highways but a good network of small country roads, so small in fact that there are no markings on most of them .

The locals are all farmers with a few city slickers here and there. Agriculture is big here and mostly corn which means also a lot of poultry and fowl.

Forget about free range as we know it in the USA , here birds of any kind of feathers roam free on large tracks of land . I did some research to choose two markets and settled on Mirande and Samatan du Gers.

We did get to go to Mirande only to find no “marché du gras” that day. Ok, no panic, let’s have café/croissant and we’ll go to plan B which was to talk to the locals. Check the local version of breakfast below. I was driving so I did not touch the stuff + it was way too early !

One farmer was critical of the markets and suggested that we go to his wife’s farm since she was now selling the goods direct from the farm. We declined and instead talked to the waitress who was helpful with directions to Samatan. Here we go ! When I said small roads I meant just that, small ! I had a small car so no problem for me but focus on driving was a must.

The canard gras and oies grasses market started at 930 am and of course we were late getting there, well tough luck, you snooze you loose ! Long story short,when we got to the hall where duck and goose were being sold, it was almost over.

I do mean FAT duck ! Above are ducks without the foie inside which are used for confits and magrets and below is a duck with the foie still inside.

I quickly surveyed the scene and only found three farmers with ducks for sale. Between the three of them, no more than 20 fat ducks. Good enough for me to sample the view, the smell, the tradition, the atmosphere, you name it and it was as close as duck heaven as a Chef could get to.

The price ? about 2.20 euros a kilo or 1.60 $ a pound at today’s exchange rate without the fattened liver inside. Are you kidding me ? This is good and it all goes to the farmer, no middle man here ! No wonder all the locals do their own confits and such ! From where I stand the price is very right. You can of course buy the fat duck with the liver inside fora different price of course but still affordable. Below is some fresh foie gras coming right out, does not get any fresher !

Looking back, I was too excited to ask not wanting to cut into the negociating I was looking at from a few feet. I am digging this very much, how can I possibly express what it means to me ? It is a passion kind of a thing, the passion for food that some of us carry and live everyday as it is what we know and what we do best. For those of you who are not sure what it is, all you have to do is hang around some of us. Chefs are really nice people and they don’t bite, so there. Just bring the wine ! I will take you inside of this room on my next post, come on back !

Chef Andre

Snow capped Pyrenees

2009-12-05T13:02:00.016-06:00

Today is my second day home and I did not sleep a wink

all night ! Might have been the coffee in the afternoon since here it always has a higher octane. No funny coffee here !

After lunch my sister drove me to buy my essentials to take home such as moutarde, chocolat, sel etc, this much is off my list . We went to the Lindt chocolate plant thinking it would be cheaper, yeah right, not a chance! The drive was only 20 minutes but the view was gorgeous as the first snow of the year fell overnight down to 1200 feet which is not far from where we live.

Not bad for a first snow but not far either !

Clear day, sun out, the Pyrenees laid out, snow capped and looking like a Smorgasborg, compliments of mother nature . I like that. Every day around five o”clock we light up the fireplace for heat and ambiance like in the old days .

I do not write everyday as you can see but the last few days have been really crummy weather wise. Rain rain and more rain. The area is dotted with many streams and rivers and they all are swollen, brown, rolling and raging. Water here is not a problem and it is cheap too. In fact it is so cheap that we get one bill a year and it is the equivalent of one Dallas water bill of two months !

I am thinking of hitting a foie gras market tomorrow morning early with my sister as I will do a terrine for her birthday. I also need some pics for my classes and the terroir culture here is the best. It will also bring me back to the mid sixties when I was doing those markets with my boss of that time.

Rain or not tomorrow I will go look for my foie gras among the best of the freshest and I do mean fresh like in fresh killed, a day or two max. Get ready for some good story and pics to boot.

Chef Andre

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-28T16:53:00.013-06:00

Today is a special day and I’ve always known that , it is just that I did not know how special this one Thanksgiving would be for me. A few days ago I got a call from one of my fellow World Master Chefs Society member asking for help to support the USO and help set up a holiday buffet at DFW Airport for the troops going back to Iraq, Afganistan and Koweit after their two weeks leave was over. Yeah, I know, two weeks is not much when you are fighting a war on the other side of the world but I guess it is something anyway.

I never could have imagined how special these few hours would be and got to talk to and spend a few moments with our men and women in uniform. What an honor to mingle with our heroes ! Yeah, you heard it right as that is the best and only term we should use when we refer to them in our conversations.

We set up a traditional turkey day buffet with all the trimmings, sweets, beverages and all the good will we could provide.
I really enjoyed this time with the troops and hope to do it again whenever possible. How can we not do this ? It is a little effort that goes a long way and as Chefs, it is what we do best and I could not think of a more deserving bunch of people . They were all very appreciative and enjoyed it very much. On this traditional and all American holiday it the very least we can do.
I was there for a few hours and when I left to celebrate with my American family, my car was not touching the ground as it felt so good to just be part of such a great occasion.
So here is the deal, next time you find yourself within 10 feet of a soldier, a fireman, a police officer or a paramedic go thank them for their service and shake their hand !
I promise you , it won’t hurt at all, will only take a few seconds and it will make you feel great and engaged in the life of your country. You don’t have to wait for new year’s eve to make that resolution, you can do this anytime and know that you will make a big difference in the life of people that you might need someday.

I don't have to tell you about their destination but here it is:

As you see, saying good bye is a hard thing to do, very hard and by the way, real men DO cry and this was no different, especially when going back into harm's way. It was difficult for this young man to leave his family behind...........again !

I hope your Thanksgiving was as great as mine and I know that I will treasure these memories for a long, long time. Would that I do that again ? You bet ! And for as long that it takes to bring them all home. I hope you join us next year.
Finally a big thank you to Patrick Mitchell and all the USO volunteers for making it happen.

Chef Andre

Chili and beignets, are you kidding me ?

2009-11-23T12:34:00.009-06:00

Nope ! I did not have a class today but I had a lot of fun. There was the annual chili cook off/Pepperama sponsored by The Texas Chef's Association but I did not do chili, I leave that to the self proclaimed experts, not that I can’t cook chili but I was not into it. I did however join my Chef colleagues for this occasion and instead I did cook some beignets. Yes , you heard it right, beignets !
Some people asked me why I was doing beignets in a chili cook off. Now that is an easy question to answer: because I can ! Please don’t take this the wrong way, it seemed like the right answer at the time. Would I change it looking back ? Absolutely not ! I had a ton of fun as I cooked about 250 beignets. I was just thrilled to see people lined up and fun, fun, fun, it was !
I know what you’re thinking, another Café du Monde version. No, no this was the real thing. For those of you who have been to New Orleans and Cajun country, the beignets they do are basically a cross between sopapillas and donuts. If you serve those in France, chances are that they will throw them back at you, literally .
The French version is basically a pate a choux that has been flavored with vanilla, citrus zest or other flavors. It is that simple and the result is a light, airy, delicious beignets after it has been rolled into a vanilla flavored granulated sugar.
Go ahead and get the vanilla beans, split them and squeeze them within that sugar. It is the best and so simple. That was my contribution and I only charged one dollar for two of them. A good deal right ? It gets better. I decided to give the proceeds to a good cause, in this case it was the Family Gateway Place which is a shelter for people who happen to find themselves homeless for one reason or another and where they can find a temporary and safe home while getting introduced to the food business should they decide to pursue a career in that field.
I did not raised a fortune but it felt good just to do it and I think next time I will think even bigger as I ran out of product and had a line for the longest time.
For those of you who might think that every act of kindness deserve recognition, please chew on this for a minute : Trophies are for bragging rights but the memories are forever and so very special !
It was not a large amount of money that I raised but the cause made sense to me as we really can make a difference one deed at the time.

So next year I might do "cafe au lait and beignets " which would be great for the late risers and also the afternoon snackers.

Next blog is from Paris CDG where I have a 3 hours layover. Can't wait for a real cafe/croissants !

Chef Andre

What do you mean foie gras class ?

2009-11-11T14:13:00.035-06:00

Fowl butchering and fabricating along with foie gras 101 was my class ten days ago. I know I know, I am a bit behind but isn't everybody ?
Well, this post might be a bit long but stay with me as it is rewarding for me just to have the opportunity to share some of my culinary moments. I do thank you in advance for your comments.

Why should you learn how to truss a bird ? Two reasons: better presentation and moisture retention meaning less drying out. Why do most people eat dried and overcooked chicken most of the time ? Yes it must be cooked well but juicyness still applies for chicken as well as pork. That is a debate for later and for now here are a few step by step shots:

That's what I call trussed ! See how plump it looks ?

I had about fifteen people in that class and after the butchering part it was time for "the piece de resistance", foie gras . I was lucky to connect with two of the finest people I have ever met from Artisan Sonoma Foie Gras Co. in California which they own and operate. They flew down here and were so gracious with their support and participation in the class that I was on a culinary cloud all day ! The world is better with Junny and Guillermo Gonzales in it, trust me.

Twenty five years ago they went to France, uprooted their family and spent a year in a farm which produced ducks and geese for foie gras . They learned the artisan way to care for the birds and now produce what I believe is the best quality foie gras in this country today. It was their dream to put to good use the lessons of their French stay . By the way they both speak French as well and sometimes better than I do.

This is a sliced duck leg with a fricassee of spinach and mushrooms. The duck has been cured and smoked then roasted.

A while back I did say that duck fat rules and is king ! Well this is the ultimate ruling: duck poached in its own fat and it is called confit !

Not frying, just simmering in the oven.

The confit is ready and drainning. You can confit just about any part of the duck. Deliiiiiiiiiicious ! Of course the class went past the alloted time but nobody cared as this was a unique class that you just can't find anytime you have foie gras cravings.

I prepared foie gras in many different ways , hot, cold, cured, you name it and it was on my to do list for that day .

Here is the terrine of foie gras cooking very so slowly. Yummmmmmmmmmm !

Before and after pics .

Get that country bread on the grill, the terrine is ready !

Let me count the ways: terrine de foie gras, cured foie gras in grey salt, foie gras au torchon, foie gras roulade in Malbec wine, poached foie gras on a bed of fennel confit with black pepper caramel sauce, a duo of salmon and fresh foie gras en papillote with Muscat wine, what ? fish and foie gras ? You bet and you should try it sometime .

Above left is the cured foie gras in grey salt. The texture is unbelievable and the good news is, minimal loss as the salt will draw the moisture out while firming up the texture of the foie. Simple and easy to do but still, follow the rules. Keep it cold and keep it clean !

I also prepared foie gras flan and foie gras cookies. I am not kidding ! I know it sounds nuts but for now I am still working on that one. Trust me it is not as crasy as you might think, think about a savory cookie and replacing the butter with foie gras. Ha ha ! Do I have your attention now ? Stay tune for future results on that one as it is now on Chef Andre experimental list .

Everybody got to taste them all and did not get tired of foie gras. It was fun as well as very special.

Guillermo had brought with him a whole duck with the foie still inside and he proceeded to butcher the duck and extract the whole foie gras , very very carefully of course. What a sight and a treat at the same time ! I had not seen this done since my much younger years in Southwest France and this was like being home again. There is no doubt that Junny and Guillermo take very good care of their ducks and it was easy to notice as Guillermo was processing that bird.

There it is, above.

Now , I am not a duck pathologist but that duck was the poster boy for animal health ! Snow white fat, no bruising, no signs of mishandling, perfect skin, this must have been a happy duck ! Alas, he was called to foie gras heaven for our dinning pleasure. There is no question that Junny and Guillermo learned the right way while in my old homeland. I always loved the taste, sounds, smells of what we, French people, call " le terroir" which is hard to translate but I would call it "the soul of the land". Basically it is a blend of fresh food ingredients, wines, cuisine and culture along with some bragging rights, of course. One of them days I will get to spend more time where it all began, for me that is.

When he was done Guillermo showed us a beautiful fresh whole foie gras that was of A+ quality
with its perfect ivory color, no blemishes or blood spots, just gorgeous. It was so gorgeous that we did taste it raw ! As for the first timers, they all uttered the same words after tasting it " Oh my God, this is pure butter", a few more converted, works for me !

Now, that's a foie gras !

Of course there is more in a duck than the foie gras. He fabricated the magrets ( which are the breasts and they can only be called magrets if they come from a foie gras producing duck or goose ) the legs which are used for confit or simply roasted or cured and smoked. The bones from the carcass ? I saved them for my clear duck stock which is used to poach the foie gras au torchon. Yep, it is all about duck ! Below is the foie gras au torchon sequence:

First the duck stock.

Then the poaching.

Then the shocking. After it is cold, retied the torchon and wrap in food film as air itself is the biggest enemy of foie gras.Keep it cold !

Needless to say I did enjoy that class to the fullest and was so much into it that I plan on visiting the duck farm soon. I know I won't be disappointed now that I have met Junny and Guillermo.
Some of you will bring up the controversial subject of force feeding the ducks and to those I say, do your homework, educate yourself on the subject, it is all out there. Just don't believe everything you see as some of it is totally bogus and offensive to most of us . Who are those people who think they can tell me or anybody else what to or not to eat. Don't bother to listen to the so called animal rights defenders as most of them have their own agenda and do not give a rat's you know what for the ducks,the chickens or the animals in the zoos for that matter, as long as they can fullfill their own goals which are not as noble as they want you to believe. I had to say this as I know the question will be asked of me down the road. So, there, more arguments ?

It is ok with me as I am now armed with better knowledge to talk about it, so before you beat me up on this, do a bit of research on the subject and maybe join me for some honest discussion and a taste of foie gras and magret the way it was meant to be enjoyed, with friends to celebrate life itself. Oh, and don't forget the confit as the ducks produce succulent meat also. By the way the Sauternes is on you !

More on the next post !

Enough sauces for this week

2009-10-26T14:01:00.027-05:00

It is monday for you but for me it feels more like a sunday, my sunday since I work every sunday. Got it ?
Had a good day yesterday teaching sauces and emulsions and got to create a new recipe for duck.It actually came out pretty good, considering that I had not done it before. I know what you're thinking: we should not try new dishes on the customers, the first time we cook them. Well, I knew it would work well as I believe that when creating new dishes we need to feel them mentally. What ? Mental food ? you bet ! It is all about the senses. More on that later.
Back to the duck. I used duck legs which I deboned and scored the skin before further processing. For the assembly, lay down the legs flat with the skin down,season them lightly with sea salt and fresh ground pepper (not the stuff that has been languishing in your cupboard for years) cover with a blanched leaf of Swiss chard and 2 tablespoon of a forcemeat made with ground pork and olives. Yep, that's right, olives. Then roll the legs close, wrap them in caul fat and tie them. I was thinking way back when we use to roast ducks and serve them with an olive sauce. The flavors are great and it is different . Look at the pictures and you'll get the idea.

Now you see me, now you don't ! Pork and duck fats still rules, deal with it !

For the sauce I went all out, kept it simple and made duck essence. What ? Relax, this big cooking term is often misused and most cooks would not have a clue on how to do it. You see, most people believe that an essence is a highly reduced and rich stock made with lots of bones,meat ,aromatics and that it should only represent the flavor of the protein used or the main ingredient for that matter.

No, No this is not an essence ! An essence is a quick,freshly made short stock cooked and simmered entirely on stovetop for no more than twenty to thirty minutes. It actually is better than,say a demi glace when the goal is to obtain a natural stock with clean and uncompromised flavor. So,there it is, I said it so go ahead and start the argument, I can take it !
Here are a few step by step shots:

Want to see what it looked like cooked ? Check below !

Think you got that Hollandaise just right ? Not if you skip the reduction of vinegar and cracked pepper ! More pics.

Make sure you get to that ribbon stage !

Remember me telling you to think you food ? Well the class did that all afternoon as I had everyone taste the before and after sauces. Before meaning, without the necessary adjustments that we Chefs are looking for in a sauce, to make it as close to perfect as we can get it. That's what I call my sensory test for each class when I ask the class to litterally "think what they are tasting" so it register mentally and will later become a measuring stick when tasting the same food again.

Some of my friends think I am nuts ! What do you mean taste that food with my brains ? Exactly that !

Yummmmmmmmm, time for all !

Isn't that fun ? It is also lots of work but that is what some of us do and love every minute of it.
As I said before I am totally new at this so my composition on this blog is off . Since I am a big believer of practice makes perfect, it will get better. For now let me know what you think and what else I need to do for more oumph. Do not be shy in posting a comment, good, bad or otherwise.

Later......

Ever heard of "monter au beurre" ?

2009-10-24T13:46:00.006-05:00

That would be what this picture shows !

Tomorrow I am teaching a Sauces, Reductions & emulsions course, so today is prep day. For the non foodies out there it means mise en place in a very detailed way. We cannot forget the little things as they are the ones that raise the stress level. I will start with a PPT presentation that will include some history, some quiz, some recipes, pictures of before and after and, Oh Yeah the mother sauces. Remember those ? We do not use them very much anymore but I believe that they still have their uses and provide a good foundation for the myriads of sauces that we all know and make everyday, at least at the professional level. These sauces may not be used or recognized much but a few of them such as demi glace, tomato and veloutes are still pretty handy to support all the crazy and sometimes off the wall "new" dishes that this generation of Chefs and cooks come up with everyday. From tomato concassee for the ones that think they know ( you know who you are ) to Bordelaise and truffle sauce, hot and cold emulsions and reductions that deliver natural flavor, it will be a busy day. I know the great majority of my readers buy that stuff in the jar that they call mayonnaise; for me none of the pre made stuff comes close to the real thing. I do not eat it very often but when I do it becomes kind of a mayonnaise week . My course last seven hours , you heard it right seven ! So far after five months nobody has fallen asleep on me, yet ! The fifty seat theater at MCAC is the perfect setting, including big flat screen TV's, amphitheater seating, demo kitchen and teaching kitchen .

I will post some of the class pictures as I move forward with this blog thing.

I went to the chinese market for duck legs this morning and got what I wanted : real fresh duck !

Just like at home ! Had to drive across town but it is worth it. Tomorrow I will demo duck legs stuffed with an olive farce, wrapped in Swiss chard and caul fat then roasted and served with a duck essence garnished with a real olive medley (not that stuff in the can) . Yummmmm !

Will also do roasted duck with peaches and a Vermouth braised salmon with leeks and creme fraiche. More Yumm ! Since we are doing emulsions how about a gratin of fresh fruit with an almond sabayon. Stay tuned !

Got to start somewhere

2009-10-23T16:27:00.008-05:00

A good friend of mine suggested that I should start a blog, so here I am. I have no clues as to where this will lead but I feel so curious and after reading quite a few food blogs in cyberland, it seems like a good thing for me to do. Not that I have that much extra time but I still can commit to it. I am and always have been a Chef and food is my passion, wine too. Some of us will only eat for pleasure ! Remove that ingredient and I will get skinny in no time, yeah right !

I am currently teaching Continuing Education classes at Milestone Culinary Arts Center in Dallas Texas. If you had told me years ago that I would someday teach, that would have been the equivalent of being struck by lightning, twice in a row. Well, here I am in action . More later .