Pulled Vension Shoulder Sous Vide

Trim off as much silver skin and unnecessary fat as you can, portion the shoulder into manageable sizes (4 x 3lbs).

Shoulder of Venison is ridiculously tough, with intertwining amounts of silver skin flowing everywhere. Do your best to remove what you can while keeping the dignity of the meat. Your boning knife should be razor sharp for this.



The Mise En Place; Mirepoix, Separate Aromatics (Black Pepper Corns, Garlic, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsely Stems, Bay Leaf), 1.5 Cups Brandy, 4 lt. BEAUTIFUL Veal Stock, Portioned Venison Shoulder



1) Use Kosher Salt, generously completely season the meat on all sides. On high heat, brown the meat, let cool completely on a rack in a fridge.


2) Using a rondeau with a splash of olive oil on high heat, sweat the mirepoix to gently caramelize. Deglaze with the brandy, reduce by half, add the veal stock, reduce that too by half. Remove from heat, chill in an ice bath until completely cooled down.

-Separately, divide the aromatics into 4 portions, using cling-film, make a pouch for all 4 and set aside.


To prepare the sous vide;
4) Use a cryovac bag large enough so that all the contents that will be filled in it will not use more then 50% of the bag's capacity. In this case, use 4 bags and distribute the venison and aromatic "sachet's" accordingly into each. Use only 2 Cups of jus and mirepoix per bag. Strain and preserve the rest of the jus for a future use.

5) Cryovac the Venison.

6) Once vacuumed sealed, use either a thermal circulator (if you have one at home, you are my new best friend) or a combi steam oven and set the temperature @ 160f for 24 hours (on steam setting if using the oven).

7) Once the time has elapsed, check one sample by opening the bag and pulling the meat. Ideally it will pull away easily, having retained a medium colour and be very tender. If not using immediately, put all sealed bags into an ice bath to chill. Once cooled off, remove the venison from the bags and reserve in fridge until you are ready to use them.


The finished product. Our fall menu rolls out soon and pulled venison is one component of a gnocchi dish.

Toronto Life Restaurant Review

In July, a highly respected food critic, James Chatto came to Epic to review us for Toronto Life.

The article above (which you would have to click on to read) details his synopsis.

Epic received 2.5 out of a 4 star rating which is definitely respectable.

More so, Mr. Chatto was impressed with the food which made all of us cooks at work pretty happy. Enjoy!

Oceanwise Beach Clean-up

Problably the coolest thing that Epic, the restaurant I work at is known for is our general practice of local and sustainability in our ingredients. The sustainable aspect is showcased with the choice of fish we choose to put on the menu.

Epic is the flagship restaurant in a program orchestrated through the Vancouver Aquarium called "Oceanwise", which details what fish currently are safe to eat based on how they are sourced, how much they are being fished in the wild, where they are based naturally, and if they are farmed, what they are fed, how they are raised etc. Bottom line, they tell us what fish are currently cool to use which for a well-known hotel is a good tool to influence others.

We source out some pretty wonderful fish using this program and try and to keep it as Canadian as possible (B.C. Spot Prawns, East Coast Freshly Shucked Scallops, Artic Char).

It's a great program and last Saturday a few chefs from the hotel got up extra early (8:00am for me!) to go help clean a beach front on the shores of Lake Ontario in participation with TD Bank "Friends of the environment" and Oceanwise. In one hour of digging through the rocks we where able to hull in 6 large bags of garbage (including a football, and a Barry White CD - *shudder*).

http://www.vanaqua.org/oceanwise/

Interesting article on the influence McDonald's has on the potato industry

A freshly fried batch of Clearwater Russett french fries

AP –


Associated Press Writer John Miller,

– Wed Sep 23, 7:17 am ET

KIMBERLY, Idaho – From the fields of Idaho to tasting rooms in suburban Chicago, potato farmers, researchers and industry representatives are in the midst of an elusive hunt: finding a new spud for McDonald's french fries.
A decade has passed since the fast-food giant last added a new U.S. potato variety to three others approved for its golden fries, something that both irks and motivates potato researchers who hope their progeny will be next.
Because McDonald's buys more than 3.4 billion pounds of U.S. potatoes annually, it has the power to dictate whether a variety sprouts or winds up in the less-lucrative supermarket freezer's crinklecut bin — or worse yet, banished to become dehydrated taters.
"It's a card game where McDonald's holds nine-tenths of the cards," said Jeanne Debons, the Potato Variety Management Institute's director.
The institute was established in 2005 by the Idaho, Oregon and Washington potato commissions to handle licensing and royalties from new potatoes developed at universities and federal research facilities in the three states.
An unwritten ambition: to get new potato varieties looked at by McDonald's.
The company still relies on the Russet Burbank for many of its fries, even though this 130-year-old variety takes an eternity to mature, gulps water and falls victim to rots and other diseases, meaning farmers must douse it in chemicals. Socially conscious investors want McDonald's to help cut pesticides to protect the environment and farmworker health.
Still, coming up with a spud stud is no mean feat: One of the last varieties McDonald's tested, the Premier Russet, has a pedigree that on paper resembles the lineage of a thoroughbred race horse, with ancestors like the buff-skinned Penobscot of Maine. The company decided it was an also-ran.
"It has a smaller starch cell," Mitch Smith, McDonald's agricultural products director, recalls of tasters' conclusions about the Premier. "You get a smoother texture, it does affect the way it eats."
Other U.S. potato-growing regions are also on the case. In July, researchers and industry reps meeting in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., home of the U.S. Potato Gene bank, discussed new sustainable varieties — to help "McDonald's to advertise that potatoes they serve are produced with less chemical and water input," said Chuck Brown, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
To be sure, McDonald's has increased its use of other potato varieties in the last decades.
Early-maturing, Canadian-bred Shepody potatoes go into many of its fries sold in August, September and October. But those potatoes don't store well, so by November, Ranger Russet fries hit the fast-food joints. And better-storing Umatilla Russets — the last U.S. potato variety approved by McDonald's back in 1999 — fill the bellies of consumers from late December until the end of February.
From then on, Russet Burbanks, with robust storage qualities, consistent texture and taste, remain Mickey D's mainstay, though this variety brought West by Massachusetts botanist Luther Burbank in 1875 is costly to produce.
Across America, the Russet Burbank has a declining market share, but is still no small potatoes. In 2008, Idaho potato farmers planted 57 percent of their total acres with Russet Burbanks, while the variety accounted for 41 percent across the eight biggest potato-producing states.
Allan French, a globe-trotting J.R. Simplot manager who oversees potato varieties that feed a sprawling fry-processing empire stretching from Idaho to China, says finding a replacement has been elusive.
"We're always looking for the silver bullet to replace the Russet Burbank," French said.
Coming up with a reliable new variety takes years. The Premier Russet emerged from the breeder's greenhouse in the early 1990s, but wasn't released for commercial growers until 2006. Along the way, it underwent storage trials at facilities near the tiny farming town of Kimberly.
Here, University of Idaho researchers stack experimental varieties in refrigerated stalls, testing everything from sprout resistance to shrinkage. And in the test kitchen next door, storage scientist Tina Brandt fries up new varieties, to see how they stack up to Russet Burbanks, which tend to develop unsightly dark splotches that crop up on fry ends.
"There have been a lot of fantastic varieties that have come along over the years, but for one reason or another — shrinkage in storage, disease resistance, texture — they haven't been adopted," Brandt laments.
At the McDonald's campus in Oak Brook, Ill., perfume-wearing intruders are shooed from tasting rooms, to prevent contamination of french fries samples randomly pulled from restaurants around America for monthly scrutiny by representatives of the company's three main suppliers: J.R. Simplot Co. of Boise, Canada's McCain Foods Ltd., and Omaha-based Con-Agra Foods Inc.
These days, however, taste, texture and golden-brown appearance aren't everything.
In March, three activist investor groups won an agreement from McDonald's to promote best practices to cut pesticide use by its American potato suppliers.
So far, the groups say the company is doing a "great job" adhering to its commitments.
McDonald's Smith says he's satisfied growers are already working efficiently and sustainability, largely because wasteful water or chemical practices dent their profits. But finding new potato varieties to meet that goal — and that don't hurt quality — remains on the horizon.
Just now, Smith said, McDonald's is scrutinizing the Bannock Russet, a 10-year-old potato variety bred originally in Idaho that isn't as susceptible to disease as Russet Burbanks.
"If we can find a variety that does that, with less inputs, water or whatever, that's something we're looking for," Smith said. "To date, there are not a lot of varieties that perform consistently enough."

Indian Summer Menu/Lobster-Roasted Corn Soup Recipe

Indian Summer Menu

September 20th, 2009

Lobster, Roasted Corn Soup

Vanilla, Coriander Froth

(2006 Malivoire, Beamsville Bench, Chardonnay)

Duck Confit Agnolotti, Berkshire Bacon, Creamed Salsify, Swiss Chard, Pinot Noir Jus

(2006, Henry of Pelham, Short Hills Bench, Pinot Noir)

Seared Beef Tenderloin, Cipollini Onion-Potato Strudel, Cave-Aged Gruyere, Heirloom Carrots, Maple Sabayon

(2006, Jackson-Triggs, Delaine Vineyard, Niagara, Cabernet/Merlot)

Caramel Pot de Creme, Ice Wine-D'Anjou Pear Compote,

Toasted Almond Biscotti

~

Lobster-Roasted Corn Soup

Vanilla, Coriander Froth

Yield: 1lt (6 pax)

Ingredients:

5 Fresh Unshucked Corn,

(Roast @ 375f for 40 minutes or until golden. Use a knife to cut and hold the kernels)

1lt White Lobster Stock

30gr. Butter

1 Yukon Potato (Peeled, Diced)

2 Shallots (Peeled, Rough Chopped)

1/2 Head of Garlic (Peeled, Chopped)

2 Stems Celery (Rough Chopped_

100ml Dry Chardonnay

Aromatics (Bay Leaf, Thyme, Peppercorn ->In a cheesecloth)

1/2C 35% Cream

Cayenne (to taste)

Kosher Salt (to taste)

3 Sm. Whole Lobster Tails

30gr. Butter

FOR THE FROTH

1/2C Skim Milk

30gr. Butter

1ts. Mexican Vanilla

1ts. Ground Coriander (I toast mine whole and grind it in a coffee grinder)

Method:

1) In a sauce pan, bring the 30gr. butter to a bubble , add shallots, sweat for 2 mins avoiding colouring. Deglaze with the chardonnay, add in garlic, potatoes, celery, corn. Reduce the wine "au sec", then add in the lobster stock and aromatics. Bring to a simmer.

2) When the potatoes are cooked thoroughly, remove the aromatics from the pot and remove the pot from the heat. Using either a food processor or hand blender (or a normal blender) blitz the soup as smooth as possible.

3) Push the soup through a fine mesh strainer to finesse it. Discard the remnants. Add 35% Cream to add richness, Season the strained soup with salt and A HINT of cayenne. ...that stuff will go a long way... too long sometimes.

4)Presentation Time, PRE-HEAT OVEN to 375f!

A) Cut the lobster tails length-wise in half. Remove Vein, Rinse in water. Pat Dry, season with salt and pepper. Heat a saute pan and bring the butter to a bubble. Place lobster flesh side down and hold until golden brown. Flip the tails so that their shells now lay on the pan. Place in oven for 2 minutes to finish.

B) Once cooked, Remove the meat from the shell and keep in one piece. Place one piece of meat in the bottom of a cappuccino cup.

C) Bring the soup to serving temperature. Place a knob of butter into the soup and using a hand blender, buzz it in (This will also lighten up the soup and make it more appealing to the palette). Taste for season, pour into the serving cups.

D) For the froth, Place milk and vanilla into a small sauce pot. Bring to serving temperature, add in the butter, use the hand blender to incorporate air, THUS FROTHING. Using a teaspoon, top the soup with froth and pinch some coriander over it to finish. CONGRATS! 1 course down, 3 to go!

Banana Coconut Smoothie (Properly Prepared)

Banana Coconut Smoothie

Yield: 500ml

Ingredients:

1 Frozen Banana (Peeled)

1 Cup Frozen Yogurt (Low Fat if you wish)

3/4 Chilled Coconut Milk (Unsweetened)

1 Tb. Vanilla

Natural Honey (To Taste)

Method:

1) Add all ingredients into the food processor, if you are confident, you can add some honey to blend it in easier, though, I recommend adding the honey afterwards to make sure the flavour is well balanced. Either way, blend for 2 minutes until smooth. (Like a smoothie...)

2) Finesse. If you care about making it a REALLY good smoothie, then do what I like to do and strain the blended mixture in a fine mesh strainer. Use a 1oz. ladle to press the mixture through into a juice container.

*Jerek adding some finesse to the soon-to-be awesome smoothie.

3) Finally, Taste. Always taste everything while cooking. Check for balance. Is it too tart? (add honey), Is it too loose? (add more banana), Too Sweet? (Coconut Milk). Is it awesome yet? (Wicked). Taste the smoothie until you are happy with it.

4) Distribute into glasses, Drink, Do your best to avoid brain-freeze.

Banana Coconut Smoothie

Why Norman Borlaug passing away is a big deal.

Norman Borlaug


The Associated Press

DALLAS -- Agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug, the father of the "green revolution" who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in combating world hunger and saving hundreds of millions of lives, died Saturday in Texas, a Texas A&M University spokesperson said. He was 95.
Borlaug died just before 11 p.m. Saturday at his home in Dallas from complications of cancer, said school spokeswoman Kathleen Phillips. Phillips said Borlaug's granddaughter told her about his death. Borlaug was a distinguished professor at the university in College Station, Texas.
The Nobel committee honoured Borlaug in 1970 for his contributions to high-yield crop varieties and bringing other agricultural innovations to the developing world. Many experts credit the green revolution with averting global famine during the second half of the 20th century and saving perhaps 1 billion lives.
Thanks to the green revolution, world food production more than doubled between 1960 and 1990. In Pakistan and India, two of the nations that benefited most from the new crop varieties, grain yields more than quadrupled over the period.
"We would like his life to be a model for making a difference in the lives of others and to bring about efforts to end human misery for all mankind," his children said in a statement. "One of his favourite quotes was, 'Reach for the stars. Although you will never touch them, if you reach hard enough, you will find that you get a little 'star dust' on you in the process."'
Equal parts scientist and humanitarian, the Iowa-born Borlaug realized improved crop varieties were just part of the answer, and pressed governments for farmer-friendly economic policies and improved infrastructure to make markets accessible. A 2006 book about Borlaug is titled "The Man Who Fed the World."
"He has probably done more and is known by fewer people than anybody that has done that much," said Dr. Ed Runge, retired head of Texas A&M University's Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and a close friend who persuaded Borlaug teach at the school. "He made the world a better place -- a much better place. He had people helping him, but he was the driving force."
Borlaug began the work that led to his Nobel in Mexico at the end of World War II. There he used innovative breeding techniques to produce disease-resistant varieties of wheat that produced much more grain than traditional strains.
He and others later took those varieties and similarly improved strains of rice and corn to Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa.
"More than any other single person of his age, he has helped to provide bread for a hungry world," Nobel Peace Prize committee chairman Aase Lionaes said in presenting the award to Borlaug. "We have made this choice in the hope that providing bread will also give the world peace."
During the 1950s and 1960s, public health improvements fueled a population boom in underdeveloped nations, leading to concerns that agricultural systems could not keep up with growing food demand. Borlaug's work often is credited with expanding agriculture at just the moment such an increase in production was most needed.
"We got this thing going quite rapidly," Borlaug told The Associated Press in a 2000 interview. "It came as a surprise that something from a Third World country like Mexico could have such an impact."
His successes in the 1960s came just as books like "The Population Bomb" were warning readers that mass starvation was inevitable.
"Three or four decades ago, when we were trying to move technology into India, Pakistan and China, they said nothing could be done to save these people, that the population had to die off," he said in 2004.
Borlaug often said wheat was only a vehicle for his real interest, which was to improve people's lives.
"We must recognize the fact that adequate food is only the first requisite for life," he said in his Nobel acceptance speech. "For a decent and humane life we must also provide an opportunity for good education, remunerative employment, comfortable housing, good clothing and effective and compassionate medical care."
In Mexico, Borlaug was known both for his skill in breeding plants and for his eagerness to labour in the fields himself, rather than to let assistants do all the hard work.
He remained active well into his 90s, campaigning for the use of biotechnology to fight hunger and working on a project to fight poverty and starvation in Africa by teaching new drought-resistant farming methods.
"We still have a large number of miserable, hungry people and this contributes to world instability," Borlaug said in May 2006 at an Asian Development Bank forum in the Philippines. "Human misery is explosive, and you better not forget that."
Norman Ernest Borlaug was born March 25, 1914, on a farm near Cresco, Iowa, and was educated through the eighth grade in a one-room schoolhouse.
"I was born out of the soil of Howard County," he said. "It was that black soil of the Great Depression that led me to a career in agriculture."
He left home during the Great Depression to study forestry at the University of Minnesota. While there he earned himself a place in the university's wrestling hall of fame and met his future wife, whom he married in 1937. Margaret Borlaug died in 2007 at the age of 95.
After a brief stint with the U.S. Forest Service, Norman Borlaug returned to the University of Minnesota for a doctoral degree in plant pathology. He then worked as a microbiologist for DuPont, but soon left for a job with the Rockefeller Foundation. Between 1944 and 1960, Borlaug dedicated himself to increasing Mexico's wheat production.
In 1963, Borlaug was named head of the newly formed International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, where he trained thousands of young scientists.
Borlaug retired as head of the centre in 1979 and turned to university teaching, first at Cornell University and then at Texas A&M, which presented him with an honorary doctorate in December 2007.
"You really felt really very privileged to be with him, and it wasn't that he was so overpowering, but he was always on, intellectually always engaged," said Dr. Ed Price, director of A&M's Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture. "He was always onto the issues and wanting to engage and wanting your opinions and thoughts."
In 1986, Borlaug established the Des Moines, Iowa-based World Food Prize, a $250,000 award given each year to a person whose work improves the world's food supply. He also helped found and served as president of the Sasakawa Africa Foundation, an organization funded by Japanese billionaire Ryoichi Sasakawa to introduce the green revolution to sub-Saharan Africa.
In July 2007, Borlaug received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honour given by the U.S. Congress.
He is survived by daughter Jeanie Borlaug Laube and her husband Rex; son William Gibson Borlaug and his wife Barbie; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
They asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Borlaug International Scholars Fund. It helps students from developing countries pursue graduate studies or short-term experiential learning activities at Texas A&M or other land grant universities in the U.S.
Plans for a memorial service to be held at Texas A&M were pending.

Whisky, Ontario Wild Blueberry Compote

Coming into fall, we start to gear up and think about fall menus, dishes and preserving.

Earlier this week I was asked to make this blueberry compote. The idea behind this in particular is to pair it in a winter dessert at some point.

In general, it's best to always use what is in season. Usually, from spring to the end of summer we start to take advantage of certain ingredients and preserve them for when it truly becomes impossible to find "Niagara Cherries" and other highly localized seasonal ingredients ...say like in January. There are many ways this is done. From salt brining, pickling, to macerating, we use any method to try best to preserve the integrity and spirit of the ingredient.

A great example is our way of "pickling" rhubarb during the spring. Rather then using a salt/vinegar solution, we go with a sugar/vinegar mix. Adding some bay leaf, star anise, and cinnamon as aromatics, and in the fall you too can have beautiful julienne pickled rhubarb paired with quail confit on a frisee salad as well.

Anywho, this recipe worked well, don't add pectin, this will be thick enough. Enjoy! (Super simple by the way!)

Whisky, Ontario Wild Blueberry Compote

Yield: 1 Cup

Ingredients:

2 Pints Wild Blueberries

1 Cup Whiskey

1 Cup Sugar

Method:

1) Make a simple syrup of the Whisky and Sugar.

2) Add the berries, set to low heat, simmer for a couple hours until noticeably thicker. Stir often. Remove from heat.

3) Either can it, or do as we do and Cry-o-vac the compote in small batches when thoroughly chilled and freeze them.

Amuse Bouche/Poached Shrimp Recipe

Honey Dew Gazpacho/Rum Raisin Shot, Local Smoke Salmon/Macerated Sour Cherries/Basil

Poached Cold Water Shrimp, Fennel/Lemon Preserve Slaw, Cuttlefish Ink



I love to take pride when I work the cold line and get to design an amuse bouche for the evening service.

Small, 1 or 2 bites, I like to load in the flavour and leave the guest wanting more. That's the entire point of a 'bouche.

I do a minimum of three components per design, but can go up to five.

Poached Cold Water Shrimp, Fennel/Lemon Preserve Slaw, Cuttlefish Ink

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

6 - 21/25 Uncooked Shrimp (Shell on)

1lt. Court Bouillon (White Mirepoix, Aromatics, Lemon, Salty like the sea)

1 Head Fennel Shaved thinly (Leave in Water)

1 Preserved Lemon Brunoise (Make months ahead of time! Essentially, Lemon left in lemon juice, salt, cinnamon to cure)

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

Crushed Toasted Black Pepper (tt)

1 oz. Cuttlefish Ink (Dilute with cold water to paint consistency)


Method:



1) Bring Court Bouillon to a simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, add in shrimps. Let poach for 2 minutes, remove shrimps, put in holding contains, cover with strained court bouillon and chill in an ice bath.

2) In a bowl, mix the fennel, lemon preserve, and olive oil together. Season with black pepper to taste.

3) To assemble, use a paint brush to draw a line of ink down the plate, top with the slaw and shrimp. Garnish with edible flowers.

*Note, the Shrimp, Lemon Preserve, and Cuttlefish Ink all add salt to this dish so please taste before adding any more.

The Importance of a Herb Garden

Our Artic Char Dish

(Seared, Celeriac Puree, Heirloom Beets, Port/Truffle Foam)

Royal York Rooftop Herb Garden

120 000 Royal York Worker Bees

My Home Herb Garden

Herb Gardens are both easy to manage and a pivotal aspect of creating good quality products out of a kitchen. I am not a food snob (well...), yet, I firmly believe a plate will only be as good as the ingredients in it. Obvious right? But when you let assumptions between similar ingredients determine they are both the same... the expression, 'the devil is in the details' comes to mind.

Both at home and at work, I believe there is no substitution for fresh herbs. The difference between dry and fresh is stunning if you were to compare each side by side. The best demonstration of this is to take a look at fresh basil and it's dry counter-part. Note the total loss of sweet fragrance in the dry basil which is abundant in the freshly cut, julienned leaves.

At home, I grow Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Savory, Marjoram, Mint, Lavender, Chives, and Oregano. These are essentials I cannot work in a kitchen properly without.

Work is another story all together. The Royal York has become famous for it's 120 000 Honey Bees along with the rooftop herb garden. Amongst the 1000 lbs or so of honey which will be extracted this year (which we use in a huge variety of dishes from our Canadian Artisan Cheese Plates, to the Wild Mushroom Soup Recipe), we grow a multitude of edible flowers (used on cold plates as garnish), lettuces, chilies, mountain berries (dessert garnish), random veg (squash, tomatoes, Japanese eggplants) and herbs. A cook from our restaurant will make a trip daily up to the rooftop to obtain necessary herbs and plate garnishes for the evening service. Along the typical snips of chives, thyme, basil, and edible flowers, we have been working on a finishing butter using the rooftop Nasturtiums for our Artic Char dish.

CWC National Examination

This is a photo from the CWC national qualification exam I did in June. It consisted of 30 mins to develop a menu for 3 courses, 3.5 hours to cook that menu for 4 people. I passed!

Lemon Cured Artic Char Tartare

Malpaque Oyster

Calvados Mignonette, Green Apple Jelly

Port, Fig Braised Cornish Game Hen

Sauteed Sweet Breads

Saffron Parsnip Smear

Green Asparagus, Roasted Portobellow Mushroom

Honey Brown Butter

Molten Chocolate Cake

Vanilla Chantilly Cream

Strawberry Syrup

Molten Lava Chocolate Cake

Yield: 5 60ml portions

Ingredients:

122.5gr. Dark Chocolate

140gr. Soft Unsalted Butter

56gr. Granulated Sugar

15ml. Chambord Liquor

20gr. Monarch Flour

20gr. Five Roses Flour

1.5 Whole Eggs

1.5 Yolks

Method:

1) Melt Chocolate over a double boiler

2) Take Chocolate off the boiler and add the soft butter to melt

3) Whip yolks and whole eggs till fluffy

4) Add melted chocolate and butter to the eggs all at once. Put to first speed to start and then change to 3rd speed (in a mixer, 1 = slow, 3 = fast)

5) Sift flour and sugar together and add till combined. Finally add the Liquor.

Bake for 14 minutes @ 350f in teflon buttered ramakins (I add parchment paper to the bottom for insurance)

Thank You Glenn MacLean! Dog Days of Summer Menu/Jelly Recipe

Our Wedding Portrait by Glenn MacLean (2009),
Started by William T. Bowman (2008)

Dear Glenn and Sophie,

My wife and I cannot adequately express through words the treasure you gave us as a gift.
This piece started off in our lives under high emotions when we found it under the worst conditions. Being true friends, and Glenn, an extraordinary artist, my father was very lucky to have had you both in his life. We are very thankful for the great deal of time and effort you immediately offered us right away two summers ago. It really goes far to show what kind of awesome people you both are.
We are glad you enjoyed an evening with us, and know what you have left behind means more than words can express.
J&L

Me.

The Main.

Les Quebecois Cheese Plate.

Wild Blueberry Jellies.

Dog Days Of Summer Menu
Sunday, August 30, 2009


Amuse Bouche

Baby Leek Vichyssoise Shot
Malpaque Oyster
Chive Creme Fraiche


A Second Course

Silky Chicken Liver Parfait
Spiced White Peach Chutney
Artisan Potato Bread
(2005 Manuel Olivier, Cuvee de Garde, Bourgone Hautes Cotes de Nuits, Pinot Noir)


The Main Stage

Wellington County Apple Cider Glazed Hot Smoked Salmon
Yukon Potato Risotto
Honey Glazed Heirloom Beets, Asparagus
Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
(2008 New Zealand Oyster Bay, Chardonnay)


Les Quebecois Cheese Course

Le Baluchon
L’Allegretto Sheep
Le Gre De Champs
Lavender Honey
Champagne Grapes, Berries, Figs, Lemon Apricots
Artisan Bread, Lavash
(2006 Cave Spring, Indian Summer, Select Late Harvest, Riesling)


Petite Fours

Toasted Almond Truffle
Fleur De Sel

Ontario Wild Blueberry Jellies

Espresso
Tea

~

Ontario Wild Blueberry Jellies

Yield: 100 1'x1' squares

Ingredients:

1 Pint Wild Blueberries

2.25 Cups Water

2.25 Cups + 3.5 Tbs Sugar

.5 Cups Light Corn Syrup

2 Tbs Apple Pectin Powder

Granulated Sugar for dusting

Method:

1) By hand, crush the blueberries into the 2.25 cups of water. Reserve in fridge for min. 2 hours. Skim the service, then use a fine chinoise to strain out exactly 2 cups of the juice.

2) Line a 9"x 13" baking pan with plastic wrap, set aside.

3) In a lg. sauce pan, add the 2.25 C sugar, corn syrup, and blueberry juice on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continually skim the service for 10 minutes with the intention of creating a clear liquid. After 10 minutes, reserve liquid on low heat and proceed to step 4.

4) Combine the pectin and 3.5 Tbs sugar together in a stainless steel bowl. Add half the warm liquid into the sugar/pectin mix and whisk until no lumps remain. Add this new mixture back into the original sauce pot and turn back on to med. heat.

5) Whisk constantly and using a candy thermometer, bring the mixture up to 219F for 10 minutes until noticeably thicker. (I have found that you must not only bring it up to 219f, but MUST cook it out at that temp to thicken, or else it will not set properly).

6)Using an offset spatula, pour this mixture into the baking pan and smooth out quickly before it settles. Let mixture settle for at least 1 hour (in fridge if you have no patience).

7) Using a warm knife (using hot water nearby), cut the jelly into 1'squares and roll them into sugar. Store the jellies at room temperature in a sealed container.