Grant Me

6 Quick Steps to Enjoying Fine Food

1. LOOK: Take in all the color, symmetry, and texture of the presentation…. oftentimes the better the food looks the better your mind will think it tastes!
2. LISTEN: No, food doesn’t talk back, and if it did PETA would have a field day, but there is a lot to listen to, so just open your ears for that crunch, mash, or tear of the fibers as you get ready to consume it.
3. SMELL: The one sense we hardly understand and one of the keys to great eats… so follow your nose and elevate your experience.
4. TASTE: The moment we all have been waiting for… so move that taste morsel all around your mouth, taking in the sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami in every bite.
5. FEEL: As you chew, turn, and swallow, feel the textures of the food and let them complete the moment.
6. AFTERTASTE: Relax and don’t eat too fast so you can enjoy the lingering tastes that stick around for a few seconds after each bite. They are often totally different and bring the whole thing full circle.

Thomas Keller at 11:00pm

This Valentine’s Day we decided to start cooking a high-end feast at 9pm. For anyone who knows anything about my food styling’s, and the chefs I draw inspiration from (post to come) you will understand why this was an all night food affair, to say the least!

11:00pm time for our Thomas Keller inspired appetizer course. Sounds about the right time of the evening for an app course right? :)

Marinated Monterey Squid Salad with heirloom tomatoes and crispy cucumbers

Cooking highlights: Yes, the squid only cooks for 45 seconds on a high heat, but the total time on this dish is more like 2hrs. This is because we decided to use fresh baby squid that needed a lot of cleaning, the good hour or so of marination required, and the salting and chilling of the cucumber to make it more crunch.

Eating highlights: With the short cooking time and gentle marinade the squid was tender as could be. The overall flavors were quite balanced. The textures were oh so complementary, and thanks to Julie’s fab presentation every bite looked as good as it tasted.

Difficulty: 3 out of 5

Time: 2hrs

YES, it is worth making again

Crispy Frog Legs with a lovely salad and the most amazing tartar sauce of sorts you can imagine.

Cooking highlights: The tartar sauce isn’t really tartar sauce at all. It is more like the best use of mayo I can think of… with cornichons, shallots, parsley, even egg whites… it could have been its own dish. The frog legs are really quite easy to work with and marinating them for 2 hours is key for tenderness and flavor.

Eating highlights: This particular recipe is hands down the best prep of frog legs I have found! Frog legs may sound disgusting, but they really are quite delicious, and something you must try.  No, they don’t taste just like a chicken wing; although, they are similar they have a much more gamey flavor and a lot more tender. If you love them then try making this recipe and if you have never had them before you better book a reservation at Bouchon to have them done just perfectly.

Difficulty: 3 out of 5

Time: 2hrs

YES, it is worth making again

Next up, the Midnight Dinner and 5am Dessert!