desserts I have been working on.

Grana Padano ice cream, carmalized vanilla puff pastry, aerated white chocolate, toasted merengue & strawberries dipped in a jelly made from intense strawberry reduction.

corn sponge cake, coconut jelly, black sesame puree, polenta ice cream & coconut milk.

wheat bread ice cream, chocolate ganache, toasted hazelnut, parsley yogurt & blueberry.

a slice of tomato, pumpernickel, mustard, buratta / whey dressing, watercress.

Frogs legs, parsly, garlic cream , garlic chips.

fat scallops, charred eggplant puree, heart of palm, black garlic jus, korean chili

More scallops, contechino sausage , roasted squash, tomato, sauce made from chicken jus and tomato water.

more dishes.

kampachi w fried sweetbreads, pickled celery, radishes, & vinagrete made from raw clam juice, yuzu & dill oil.

salmon w salsify, radish & a puree of pumpernickle bread, everything spice vinaigrette  w/ juiced radish tops.

rabbit many ways,  loin wrapped in sopresada, belly in the style of bacon, croquette of leg.  carrots  & turnips .

Salmon w salt n' vinegar chips, charred onion, puree of brassica leaves,  sauce made from juiced brassicas & pine needle oil.

even more stuff!

Tuna "Prime Rib" we did for a feasting menu.

salad of compressed melons, cucumber , puffed rice & avocado, the cantaloupe is actually sorbet.  its dressed with buttermilk & dill oil.

Poached Halibut w/ onions, fennel puree & chantrelles foraged by our team.  red wine.

Sashimi or bream, nori jelly, sea bean, seaweed salad ice & fried sushi rice ball.  served in heart of palm.   A collaboration between myself and my co sous chef anthony wells, he has moved on now, but him and I came together to cook really great food and complimented each other's cooking styles very well .

pics of dishes old and new.

Duck w/ shiitake, onions, pickled turnip & black garlic.

Duck w/ fennel, fermented rutabega & mustards.

striped bass w/ carrot puree, heart of palm & a broken vinagrete of reduced carrot & red pepper juice and pine needle oil.

Pork loin wrapped in ham w/ turnips, crispy turnip greens, & cheddar soubise.

Pine mushrooms

It's no secret that the Nordic food movement has had a profound effect on me, mostly aesthetically, as a lot of ingredients they use up there are unique to their terroir, I hope to one day taste the flavors and produce that they have become so important and famous for. 

This is a salad of raw and extremely aromatic pine mushrooms ( matsutake) also some of the smallest I have ever seen, dried and grated olives and mustard leaves and a sauce made from Japanese mustard and tarragon oil. Very simple and very delicious. 

Foie gras, lemon curd.

Foie gras
lemon curd
lemon merengue ( methocel, egg white powder)
pain levain dusted in cocoa powder and yogurt powder
sorrel leaves
nasturtium flower

tuna & bone marrow

Tuna & bone marrow tartare
fermented zuchinni & fennel
fresh pickles
cured yolk
sorrel

Duck with beets

Duck breast
dried beet
roasted beets
smoked yogurt
pickled walnut
pickled onion

Octopus

Octopus escebeche
black garlic ink
romesco
mustard seed and leaves
turmeric
baby cucumber
tomato confit and flakes
succulents

Kampachi

So we just got a shipment of the most AMAZING, mind-blowing produce from the Chefs Garden,  most of the stuff we received, I have never physically held or tasted,  this is a dish with most of those things comprising it.

Raw Kampachi
oyster leaf
emerald crystal lettuce
samphire
baby cucumber with flower still attached
cucumber melon
pineapple tomatillo ( simply mind-blowing on its own)
horseradish
dill oil, clam, yuzu vinaigrette
mayonaise
lettuce drops

Poached and seared Scallop
squid
charred cauliflower
carrots
olive
radish

Raw Boseleil oysters
compressed breakfast and watermelon radish
lightly pickled beets
compressed cucumber
watermelon
sea bean
dried melon
radish water
dill

Vegetables!

We had a vegetarian dining at The Spence this evening, and I always jump at the chance to make the vegetarian plate, I enjoy the challenge of putting together a composed vegetable dish for a diner, not just putting a bunch of sides on a plate.

roasted carrot puree
roasted asparagus
braised baby fennel
hearts of palm
morels
oyster mushrooms
ramps
radish
scallion
candy cane beet
sorrel

Lamb

Lamb loin
Charred eggplant puree
Pearl onion
peas
raw asparagus
red pepper jus

The red pepper jus is just reduced juice of red bell pepper,  it has a concentrated sweetness and I added vinegar to balance it out and it almost tastes like BBQ sauce,  the red color only helps to trick your mind into thinking its BBQ sauce.

scallop and onions

This is a seared scallop  with multiple varieties of onions,  so often does the onion play the roll of the back up singer to other ingredients, I wanted the onion to be front and center.

Scallop
green onion and pea shoot juice
charred scallion
caramelized pearl onion
pickled ramps
braised mustard seeds

Snapper for my mom

This is snapper my dad caught in Florida and I cooked for my Wife and Mother.

Snapper
succotash
confit cherry tomato
baby romaine
yarrow, sorrel, nasturtium
yuzu brown butter emulsion
tomato powder
crunchy artichoke: not pictured

Oyster and peas

Oyster
buttermilk
freeze dried peas
pea shoot, and oil

Spring is here....

Foie Gras

Foie Gras Chantilly
Verjus
Jicama
Coffee/Black malt
Granola
Yarrow
Fennel
Chervil

My posting has been slow as of late, I have been getting ready to open The Spence here in Atlanta, and between that and raising two children, my time is pretty much taken up.

Salad of melon, avocado,beet, cilantro

It's been a minute since my last post, it has been a busy few months,   I left my job at Flip Burger Boutique after 3+ years of service, It has been a great ride, Flip helped me become the chef I am today and I am truly thankful and forever in debt to Chef Blais, Ron Stewart and Barry Mills for helping me get to where I am now.  

Melon salad in different shapes