in the kitchen x faux cheese course

This is not your typical cheese course. First of all, there is no cheese. Second, there's just no cheese. What is on the plate is a play on cheese. Plated is a poached seckel pear, milk skin, olive oil, maldon salt, cracked black pepper, and pea shoots. The seckel pears are poached in honey and cardamom. I love poaching pears in honey because it gives it a rich and buttery taste without compromising the actual fruit. Cardamom is a deliciously fragrant and warm spice that I love to infuse to cooked fruit. It gives a a sense of familiarity without overwhelming the senses. The milk skin is just that, milk skin. It's the skin that develops in heated milk. I love that it has a delicate mouthfeel and is reminiscent of mozzarella, especially when topped with good olive oil, salt, and pepper. The pea shoots add a vegetal freshness. When I first tasted all the components together, I was so excited. It tasted better than what I had envisioned. In the kitchen, trial and error is part of developing any dish, but when something comes out delicious on the first try, it's just icing on the cake.

in the kitchen x chocolate mousse cake

For the first dessert of 2015, I wanted to prepare something that would set the tone for the rest of the year. I prepared a chocolate mousse cake. It's a classic dessert, prevalent in numerous restaurants, and not that exciting. But when prepared perfectly with technique and good chocolate, it's irresistible. That's something to continue to strive for this year; prepare seemingly simple desserts but so extraordinarily well that it leaves an impression. This dessert is comprised of chocolate mousse and chocolate biscuit (Valrhona Jivara 40%), glazed with chocolate sauce (Valrhona Manjari 64%), and decorated with chocolate shards (Valrhona Guanaja 70%). On the plate is white chocolate feulletine (Valrhona Ivoire 35%), cocoa powder (Valrhona 100% cocoa), and gold leaf. 

in the kitchen x the last dessert of 2014

Such a dramatic title, but this is the first post of 2015, I'm allowed. I'm so excited to start fresh for the new year and to begin my second year blogging. It's been amazing to see the transformation from my first dessert, to how my style has evolved just one year later. This coming year is going to be even better. On to more important things, is dessert. This is a hodgepodge of my favorite things; carrot cake, toasted meringue, and poached seckel pears. While I love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, toasted meringue is even better. The golden raspberries add a nice tartness that cuts the sweetness of the meringue. The pears are poached in winter spices, such as cinnamon and cardamom, so a simple vanilla ice cream is a nice canvas for the spiced fruit. Last but not least is the date puree, an homage to dried fruit for winter, and a sprinkle of caramelized hazelnuts for some texture.

in the kitchen x raw & vegan petit fours

Most of my desserts contain dairy, eggs, and gluten. I love using top quality heavy cream, organic eggs, and a variety of flours to produce the best flavors. What I normally don't do are raw and vegan desserts. With an increase in diners who have allergies and special diets, it's time to jump on the bandwagon so that every guest can have dessert that are just as delicious as their dairy, eggs, and gluten counterparts. Eliminating pastry mainstays such as eggs, butter, cream, and flour and producing just as delicious bites is an exciting challenge. I have always enjoyed raw, vegan, and gluten-free desserts when done well, but always lamented how a large portion could leave me feeling rather heavy. There are a lot of nuts and oils in these desserts, and by making them bite-sized, makes them the perfect portion size. Shown are a cranberry chocolate fudge, peppermint patty, and an almond nut buttercup. The peppermint patty filling uses cashews that have been soaked in water and blended to mimic a creamy filling. To make the perfect crunchy chocolate shell, coconut oil and chocolate. Honestly, so delicious without missing all the butter and cream. The fudge is made with almond butter and coconut oil. It is lighter than a traditional fudge, and especially delicious when frozen. Cranberries are added for a tart contrast. The almond nut butter cup has a base of almond butter and oats. It's topped with a chocolate ganache and a sprinkle of sea salt. 

in the kitchen x beets & black sesame

When winter hits, pastry chefs love to pair beets and dark chocolate together. I get it, earthy beets highlight the sweet, bitter, and complex chocolate and it's delicious when done right. Yet I wanted to do something different. Why not black sesame? It has such a distinct and nutty flavor that will highlight beets. This black sesame cake is made with a mixture of flour, almond flour, and ground black sesame. Using the black sesame as part of the flour gives it a strong black sesame flavor, not to mention a cool color. The ganache is made with pureed red beets and white chocolate. White chocolate tends to be very sweet, so I like to err with caution and add the white chocolate to taste. Produce tastes differently from week to week, and some beets might be sweeter, or earthier depending on the time of the year. Use your palate to gauge the right amount of sweetness. The beet chips are made with simple syrup and cooked in either a dehydrator or low oven. They add a nice texture to the smooth ganache and soft cake. For a bit of spice, this is dessert is paired with a lemongrass & ginger ice cream.