Marriott in the Kitchen

The Paula Watch - Episode 8

A chef's ability to taste is as important as a pilot's ability to fly, so it was especially interesting to see the blindfolded contestants' reactions to the mystery ingredient tasting. Sounds easy, but taste is as much trained as it is natural. We tend to use all our senses when we taste. Without the benefit of sight, texture, or sound it is easy to miss the obvious, and even confuse lobster with mushrooms. Try it sometime. Taste something while blindfolded, you'll be surprised at how dependent your sense of taste is on the other senses.

Paula's palate pushed her team over the edge, winning the challenge again for the Red Team. This time, the winners' spoils included a TV Guide cover photo shoot while being served by the Blue Team. When it got to service, things started out pretty rocky for Paula with a salty risotto. A quick recovery though, and the replacement risotto was perfect. Way to go Paula, all that time spent with Dean Max on the 3030 Ocean line has obviously paid off with the ability to bounce back from a temporary setback!

Teamwork is essential in any kitchen, but so is passion and positive intent. Ramsay's message this week was to focus the contestants as a team and perform as an individual. Great kitchens are always a result of the mix of teamwork and individuality, and Ramsay knows this well. Watching the 2 Blue Team, outnumbered by 2,  outcook the Red Team was proof positive that capability is a result of organization and teamwork, not numbers of people or cooks. Sometimes, less is more.

What's on YOUR plate today? On mine, it's Paula's risotto.

The Paula Watch -Episode 7

Watching Hell's Kitchen is similar to watching a demolition derby, you always know someone is going to crash. Gordon Ramsay had his negative feedback loop on full throttle, not even waiting until the end of the show to hang up the jacket of the latest target. To the contestants I just say this: Ramsay's methods are unpolished, but his message is sound. Focus on the food, focus on the guest, work as a team. There is no other way to run a kitchen.

Amazingly, Ramsay had one unbelievable departure from his tirade. Stopping service, he called out Paula by announcing that she had cooked the most perfect Beef Wellington in the history of Hell's Kitchen. I am convinced Ramsay puts things like Beef Wellington on the Hell's Kitchen menu for no other reason than to create opportunities for ratings soundbites. It is doubtful that any of these contestants had ever cooked a filet in pastry and duxelle, much less under the pressure of a Ramsay service. The fact that Paula mastered this classic restaurant holdover shows how good of a pure cook she really is. Paula can cook, Ramsay can see it, and Hell's Kitchen can feel it. Stay tuned.

What's on YOUR plate today? On mine, I'll skip the Wellington.

No Green For Me

"You can eat whatever you want, but virtually no green leafy vegetables, especially spinach and kale" the Doctor explained to me this past Sunday. She went on to say "You need to avoid any change in your normal Vitamin K intake for at least the next nine months" and then finished with "if you don't, the medicine won't work". No further explanation needed Doctor, I'll do as you insist. And so, for the last two days I have been pouring over websites and resources to find where the Vitamin K is, and therefore control it. Hopefully by the time I get home from the hospital I will know all I need to know about the topic.

And how did I end up here in the first place? About a week ago,  I noticed that something felt a little different. My chest hurt a bit when I breathed deeply, and I seemed to be a little short of breath. Washington has had such a mild winter, I first thought it was the onset of spring and a few allergies. By Friday I could no longer chalk it up to allergies, so wrapped up in the afternoon and headed to the emergency room because a call to my regular doctor ended when she heard "chest pain and shortness of breath" in the same sentence. Go to Emergency she said! So I did, and again after uttering those same six words, was ushered directly in. Only then did I realize being brought to the front of the line in the ER wasn't a good thing.

Turns out I had a clot, a PE, "Pulmonary Embolism" to be exact,  and more than just one. I was to be admitted, immediately medicated and with little chance of going home for a while. That was several days ago and I hope to be out tomorrow, albeit with a heck of a wake up call. This is also very common, and represents the third most comon cause of death of hospitalized patients. So far, I am pretty lucky, but how did this happen?

I am a frequent traveler and as all frequent travelers know, long inactive flights can cause blood clotting. Get up, move about, flex your legs, keep your blood flowing is what I, and most of my seatmates try to do. But it has been quite a while since I have been on a long flight, so that is not the immediate answer. Other causes are leg swelling, blunt trauma, and a descending list of other possibilities, none of which apply to me. A mystery for now, but I have a whole team of doctors on it.

In the meantime, it's back to Vitamin K and the drug Coumadin, my now daily intake for the next 6-9 months. The list of foods I need to watch out for is vast, and far more inclusive than just leafy green vegetables. The usuals like kale, spinach and mustard greens are on the list, but so is edamame and soy milk. No tabouleh anymore, parsley has the most Vitamin k at 984 mcg per cup. I see this as a great opportunity to plan meals around limited Vitamin K, as I am surprised to learn how many others are under the same doctor's orders. It's funny, up until now I have spent more time trying to work in the use of green, especially leafy green, vegetables, into meals because of their clear health benefits. Now, add the limited greens Coumadin diet to the list!  I will be blogging about this occasionally, and would love to hear any ideas from the thousands I know to be going through the same thing.

What's on YOUR plate today? On mine, it's roasted carrots and fingerling potatoes.

Brad,
Very glad to hear you're doing better.  I had a buddy with the same condition recently.  It was amazing how his symptoms started mild (but painful) like yours.  They actually seemed to get _worse_ the first few days in the hospital (we tend to think things will get better as soon as they slap that BP cuff on us and put in an IV).  The good news is, he seems well on the road to recovery now (minus the leafy greens as well).
Neal

Four years ago I had a sore lower leg pain and chalked it up to the standing on my feet all day job or the getting older pains. My 5 year daughter at the time finally convinced me to go a doctor. That's when I discovered I had a blood condition called Factor V Leiden. As a home gardener and chef it was intimidating to hear no more spinach or chard. But I realized from my blood tests that I review with my doctor, I can eat green leafy vegetables and other vitamin K foods as long as I don't change the pattern of my diet drastically and check my levels and adjust the dosage when appropriate. With focused attention to diet, these green leafy vegetables can still be enjoyed.
That's what's on my plate.

- John Freezee

Kale? No kale? Kale is my favorite vegetable. Followed closely by spinach. And did I mention my love of soy?

Kale was one of the vegetables we never did get to cook (at least not so far) at school (I'm a culinary school student), but I will think of you when we do.

Cheers.

Wishing you a speedy, leafy green-free recovery!

- Metrocurean

The Paula Watch - Episode 6

I've done a lot of Bar Mitzvahs, yet until Episode 6 I have never considered suggesting a blue cheese stuffed burger for a bunch of 13 year olds, let alone one starring beef, veal and lamb. Don't get me wrong, I'd order it, but my kids and most kids certainly wouldn't. No surprise then that the blue cheese didn't work...and the Red Team Girls lost the Challenge.

The Girls forgot 3 keys to menu planning

1. Simplify! Know the difference between the art of surprise and delight..."surprised" is when you wish you had ordered somethinge else..."delighted" is knowing you made the right choice and what you ordered is what you expected.

2. Ingredient focus! Everything for a purpose. If we keep adding and adding to a recipe, there comes a time where the ingredients drown each other out.

3. Design a signature! Build something into the meal that helps answer the question "what will they be talking about tomorrow", just make sure it is built around a good thing. If unsure, see Rule #1.

All in all, Episode 6 was a good show, but Paula still is playing it very cool and not getting alot of airtime, which in the world of reality TV, I guess is an indicator that we have lots of Paula yet to see.

What's on YOUR plate today? Today, I think I'll have the Blue Cheese Burger, rare.

Not to mention that meat and milk/cheese should not be served even if it is not a kosher meal...kosher style should have still prevailed and Gordon Ramsay should have seen to that

- Natalie Sztern

Why is it that blue cheese burgers or burgers with gorgonzola often get overpowered by the strong flavor of the cheese? Are the chefs just using too much of it?

- Derek Gale

The Paula Watch - Episode 5

Asian fusion? Paula's Tuna tempura was "perfectly cooked" according to Ramsay, and it really did look great. The thing I have always liked about Paula is that she is a great team player, and the collaboration that went into that dish was a great example of her ability to share the glory. The fact that Ramsay identified her dish as "Quite frankly, the best dish I have ever tasted in Hell's Kitchen" is an outstanding compliment from an outstanding chef. Better yet, it made the Hell's Kitchen menu that night. I bet you can also find it on the menu right now at 3030 Ocean!

Gordon Ramsay let his guard down when he clowned around as a Sumo wrestler, but he takes his restaurants seriously.

Ramsay’s maze restaurant at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square was named the UK’s best restaurant of 2008 at the inaugural Top UK Restaurant Awards, in association with Restaurant Magazine. maze breaks the boundaries of formal French cuisine, adopting Asian influences in tasting-sized dishes and has held a Michelin star since opening.  This latest award, which topped a list of 100 greatest restaurants was voted for by a panel of distinguished chefs, restauranteurs and critics from across the UK. I have eaten at maze several times, the first shortly after it opened in 2005 and I can tell you the food is remarkable.

In April 2008, Gordon Ramsay with maze Executive Chef Jason Atherton, opened maze Grill adjacent to maze inside the London Marriott.  This 80 cover restaurant and bar is modeled on the more informal style of New York’s grill restaurants, offering a wide range of different breeds and cuts of beef cooked over coal, alongside a number of other grilled meat and fish dishes.  A unique butcher’s block table seating 12 and made from a solid piece of English oak overlooks the action and theatre of the kitchen.  maze Grill also provides In-Room Dining to hotel guests, so when you come to Grosvenor Square, it's Ramsay at every meal!

In addition to both restaurants, three private dining rooms provide elegant surroundings for private events, two of which accommodate 40 guests each and the third seating 10.  April also saw the publication of Jason Atherton’s first book, 'maze, The Cookbook'.  In it, Jason reveals the secrets of 30 of his signature dishes served as they would be in the restaurant.

take a virtual tour of maze, and make sure any visit to London includes a meal with Ramsay at Grosvenor Square. 

What's on YOUR plate today? On mine, it's gotta be Paula's perfect Tuna.

Economic stimulus plan - order the benedict!

When it comes to breakfast, most people stay with a regular routine. Some start with a yogurt and fruit, or  a cup of coffee and a bagel. Some begin the day with a healthy bowl of cereal and soy milk, and some with eggs and hash browns. Whatever the personal preference, we know that most travelers want to start the day out right, and a familiar breakfast brings the routine of home to the routine of the road. 

An economy as challenging as we are now experiencing causes everyone to stop and take inventory of what's most important. Business travel is tough work in good times, and those of us on the road today are under even more pressure to make the most of the time out of the office.  If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then that has never been more true today.

Our breakfast buffets and ala carte menus are designed for all tastes, no matter the personal routine. Our individual economies could use a boost, so I have an idea that combines the need for breakfast and the need for personal stimulus...order something different for breakfast. Go with a Classic Benedict instead of scrambled eggs...try the Lemon Souffle Pancakes at the Renaissance...order NYC'S best Nova Lox if you're at the Marriott Marquis before you head out of Times Square. What does this stimulus do? Simply, it creates a diversion from the norm, an escape into something new, and a welcome request for our associates. Keep the cooks cooking and order an omelet, surprise the server by asking for a latte instead of the usual coffee. We'll all get through this together, and be better for it through the most important meal of the day.

What's on YOUR plate today?

The Paula Watch - Episode 4

What a great show! Paula is flying under the radar, but we can see that she is really one of the strongest players. I've known Paula for several years, but I saw two things that I have never seen her do before...cook breakfast and hang out by the pool while someone else preps her station! There are two types of cooks..breakfast cooks and everyone else. Paula will be the first to admit that a breakfast cook can make or break the whole kitchen. I think we have the best breakfast cooks in the hotel business, and I have a great deal of respect for the skill it takes to run the breakfast line. Ramsay was wise in proving to the contestants that cooking eggs is no easy task.

Paula is getting a lot of support, and quite a bit of press! As Hell's Kitchen fans join her each Thursday at 3030 Ocean for the weekly screening party, local media has also gotten on board. Check out the link to a recent interview .........

The Paula Watch - Episode 3

All things being equal, the Classic Steakhouse is still very much alive, at least according to Gordon Ramsay. It should be easy to identify 8 common cuts of beef, but not so for our contestants. Even more challenging, identify where each cut comes from on the full size steer or lose the challenge. The Red Team Girls tried hard, but the Blue Team Guys again won the challenge. That left the second place finishers to break down sides of beef for steakhouse service, while the winners jetted to a winery and steakhouse. Sides of beef? Are you kidding me?! The fact that very few butcher shops use beef by the side is testament more to the advancement of food production than to the fact that very few chefs have EVER broken down a whole side of beef. The fact that Paula and her crew took knife and steel to the carcasses of beef with such vigor and tenacity showed that this team is one to be reckoned with. The guys could have used the same lesson, at least judging by the way one contestant mangled a beautiful beef tenderloin.  

Turning Hell's Kitchen into a Steakhouse was great fun to watch, even though our good friend Giovanni had  an off night on the grill...giving the distinct opening Paula and the Red Team Girls needed. Paula had a few moments on screen, but the camera's main focus is firmly on several others who, by their own doing have provided so much unintended humor by their antics and personality. The girls pulled it out and won the service, giving them at least one day of reprieve.

Episode five is just days away and the party continues at Harbor Beach every Thursday. This week one of Paula's Red Team Girls, Andrea Heinly will be hanging out with Paula. Stop by and say hi if you are in Ft Lauderdale, and while there, check out why Florida Table has such great things to say about 3030 Ocean, Hell's Kitchen is edited to be sure, but the personalities and reactions do seem very real. These chefs - some more chef than others- are trying hard to win and prove they belong. The ones we have not heard from yet, including Paula, seem to be the ones to watch out for. We'll just have to keep watching!

 

Marriott Chef Delivers Keynote Graduation Speech

Good cooking begins with good skills, mastering the basics, and a passion for hospitality. Behind every great chef, there is always an inspirational person who inspired a love of food. Kathleen Wellington is just such a person and was excited when asked to deliver the graduation keynote speech to the graduating Culinary class of DC Central Kitchen students. Kathleen, an accomplished chef, is currently in charge of Culinary Development for our Courtyard, Residence Inn brands. Held at the Marriott Metro Center Hotel, the 73rd graduating class of 15 students learned first hand the importance of keeping an eye on quality and maintaining a committment to success.

In addition to the community outreach, DC Central Kitchen operates as a culinary training ground, preparing future chefs and hospitality minded individuals for the real world of kitchens. The twelve week curriculumn teaches students knife skills, stocks and sauces, meat and fish cookery, and kitchen organization. In addition, students participate in special events. Graduates of this program are found throughout many Washington DC hotels and restaurants, proof positive that with the right training and community support we can all make a huge difference in our community.

The DC Central Kitchen in Washington DC provides a much needed community program designed to feed those less fortunate, through food recycling and meal distribution. Using food donations as a primary source of product, food is prepared  and delivered to community charities and individuals in need. During the Inaugural Week alone, DC Central Kitchen redistributed over five tons of surplus food!

What's on YOUR plate today?
 

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Episode 2 - The Paula Watch

Second week of Hell's Kitchen. I was fortunate to be in Ft Lauderdale Thursday and able to attend the weekly Hell's Kitchen screening at 3030 Ocean at Marriott's Harbor Beach Resort. This is quite a party! Paula, contestant Giovanni, her family, and judging by the roar every time she was onscreen, a whole bunch of Paula fans were there. So far Paula Da Silva has yet to be at the wrong end of a Ramsay "motivational speech".  Episode Two was all about seafood. Paula worked the raw bar, shucking with a fury while the other contestants burned salmon, forgot key ingredients, and suffered miscues destined to plunge Chef Ramsay into despair. Finally, Chef Ramsay had seen enough of the others and reassigned Paula to finish out the dinner service back on the meat station.

In keeping with her on-screen shucking, we sampled oysters and ate seafood for the hour show. Giovanni, of polenta fame, shared his stories of episode two, ribbing Paula that the boys made it to Catalina and the red team girls stayed back to prep and clean. Don't worry guys, I am sure that what comes around goes around! No amount of questioning could coax any information out of Paula or Giovanni, so we will all have to keep watching. And if you happen to be in Ft. Lauderdale on a Thursday, come and check out the party.

Congrats Paula on another great week of Hell's Kitchen!  What's on YOUR plate?

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The 5th season's 2nd episode was the best! The surprising twist in the elimination left me in awe but saddened me as well because I had to watch my fast becoming favorite contender (Ji Cha) leave the show. Her selfless act of taking the team's welfare into consideration was very noble and I admire her more for that. I hope that they would bring her back to the show. I found that she has a web site, http://www.chefji.com with photos and you can email and even vote as to whether to have her back to the show!

- Janice

Hell's Kitchen Episode 1- The Paula Watch

Gordon Ramsay's first words to Paula on the show was "seasoned perfectly". Not a surprise. The
Kabocha Squash soup she made for Chef Ramsay was trouble free, unlike some of the other contestants dishes.  3030 Ocean hosted a premier party for Paula and her fans during the opening show, complete with servers wearing "Team Paula" T-Shirts.  Judging by what I saw, we'll be watching Paula on Hell's Kitchen for quite a while.

This is terrific.  Marriott can't buy publicity like this.  (Someone should give Paula a raise!) 

Add me in as a supporter.

-Ellis

Hell's Kitchen Better Watch Out

The Season Five of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen begins this week (Thursday, Jan 29). The group photo shows Gordon’s “chef with arms crossed” stance surrounded by 16 chefs of various backgrounds. Some have that look of confidence that Gordon will quickly destroy, but they all share the knowledge that they have beat out a huge field of others who wish they were there. But there is one, standing confidently and securely over Gordon’s right shoulder that looks different from the rest. She looks like she can cook, and cook well.  Her name is Paula DaSilva, and the Executive Sous Chef at 3030 Ocean in the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Ft Lauderdale.

Dean Max is the chef at 3030 and consulting chef at the sister restaurant Latitude 41 in the Columbus Renaissance. Dean is a great chef, but Paula runs the 3030 stoves most nights and I can tell you Gordon, don’t take her lightly. Paula is incredibly poised, organized, and I have seen her under intense pressure. She has never wavered. I can’t wait to see the show. I have no idea how far she gets, but it would not be a surprise to see her do VERY well. Watch what this Marriott Chef can do!

I’ll be posting a weekly Paula update once the show starts, and wish her the best of luck.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

This should be real interesting to see!  Very exciting for us down here at Harbor Beach.

- dean Max

Change at the White House?

Washington, DC is gearing up for an amazing week, and the whole world will be watching. As soon as the election was over, the food world jumped into the fray, calling for the White House to name a chef of stature and celebrity. Chicago’s Rick Bayless runs arguably the country’s best destination Mexican restaurant with Topolobampo, why not name him the new White House Chef? Mr. Obama is said to be a big fan. Certainly it must be time for the White House to have a Celebrity Chef, someone we can watch cook on Iron Chef or maybe be a guest judge on Top Chef. At least, that is what many food mavens seemed to think.

With all of the talk, I was thrilled when I read in the Saturday, January 10 Washington Post that the First Lady had decided to retain Cristeta Comerford as the White House Chef instead of caving to the pundits calling for a “culinary ambassador”. I do not know Chef Comeford, but know her work and credentials. Sorry Alice Waters, the chef of the White House is not a low profile banquet chef, nor a high profile food ambassador to carry the organic and sustainable torch. That’s your role Alice, and one you are extremely qualified for.

 Instead, the White House chef is responsible for taking care of the White House family (her customers) and is answerable solely to them. Cristeta is a shining example of the true soul of our industry. A native of the Philippines, Chef Comerford came to the US at the age of 23 to pursue her passion for food where she worked her way up the ladder in hotels before joining the White House as an assistant during the Clinton administration. When Walter Scheib left in 2005, she reportedly sealed her promotion by executing a perfect gala for the visiting Indian Prime Minister. As the first woman to be named to this role, she earned her way to this most exclusive culinary position through sheer talent, patience, and most importantly, the understanding that often what makes a chef great is how they flawlessly take care of their guests’ needs rather than their own. The White House kitchen is no place for politics, though I would like to see a kitchen garden spring up near the Rose Garden!
Congratulations Cristeta, you are inspiring.

What’s on YOUR plate today?  

I am so proud of Cristeta. :) I know he is really a great chef and I know the new president will definitely love her cook.

- Jan

Actually, there IS a garden at the White House, or at least there was. The previous chef, Walter Scheib, installed one on the roof and grew things like tomatoes, lettuces, herbs, and other vegetables, primarily salad ingredients.

PS Chef Comerford is female ;)

- Colin

2009 Food Trends

Every December the blogs, magazines, and newsletters are filled with prognostications of what to expect in the coming year. Predictions this year are that we will see more certified and sustainable fish, more small plate “tapas”, breakfast when you want, gluten-free, allergy awareness, and Peru as the new inspired foodie destination. While each trend author strives to divulge the most original trend, consistent in every trend report I have read is one overriding theme, Simplicity.

Say goodbye to Molecular Gastronomy and the unfortunate foams. Competing flavors with a litany of unrecognizable ingredients are finally making way for honest cooking, sensible restraint, and balanced innovation.

What will we see in 2009? Here are a few thoughts:

Simply right
The chicken is organic, anti-biotic free and most importantly, perfectly roasted, and not just the breast. Look for menus to showcase the chef’s great cooking and ingredient selection skills, wooing guests with their approach to familiar preparations. Tired of 18 ingredients on a plate that don’t work? The new cool is to make (5) or less ingredients work flawlessly.

Loca-vore dining
The new “winemaker dinner” is the 100-mile dinners where everything served is farmed, fished or raised within 100 miles or a short drive.

Eggs all day
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, why not have it at dinner? Savory egg dishes (cage-free, of course) will be proudly placed on menus right next to the filet mignon. 

Celebrity Farmers/Kitchen Gardens
Ingredients are king, and the chefs who find the best farmers will give them equal menu billing and more credit for their great food. Look for heirloom and artisan names adorning simple vegetables! Don’t expect to see more organic labels though, these farmers farm organically, but don’t have the resources to comply with the paperwork needed to be certified. If there is a spare patch of land or room for a grow light, expect many chefs to start growing their own.

Local treasures
It’s-It ice cream sandwiches in San Francisco, Central Grocery’s Muffalata in New Orleans and Guss’ pickles in NYC will be celebrated with home town pride and sought by hungry travelers wanting a real taste of the destination. Look for travel guides complete with reviews of the best local dives and diners, the ones only the locals know!

Food Stories
From concerns of the environment to concerns of the waistline, food enthusiasts want to know more about what they are eating. Restaurants who weave positive stories about the food they serve will be supported by a hungry public wishing to do worldwide good through the mere act of eating.  

Custom pickles and vinegars
Chef’s will use the nearly lost art of preserving, pickling, and conserving to build flavor, save cost, and bring excitement into menus. Look for house made vinegars and specialty salt brines to be celebrated as proprietary chef secrets, and also available for sale.

Hold the Gluten
Allergies and food intolerances will be easier to avoid through better clarity on ingredients and preparation. Expect to see restaurant menus and servers identifying items that are free of peanuts, eggs, tree nuts, wheat, soy, or shellfish in an ever expanding manner of increased transparency. 

Flexitarians
More entrees will showcase non proteins as the main components, using meats sparingly or as flavor enhancement. Chefs are recognizing that even meat eaters will go veggie if they thoughtfully create menus that just happen to be vegetarian. Not a strict vegetarian, a Flexitarian will order a steak once or twice a year, but prefers to stick with non-red meat, fish, or chicken...in that order.  

In 2009, you’ll hear more of:
tastes like home; grass-fed; pre-ordered brown bagging a restaurant lunch; no more de-constructed  plates; good for you chocolate; single grove olive oil; cool frugality; grab and go wellness; buzz about bees; sustainable sushi; authentic condiments; destination diners; layer cakes with great icing; quality, choice and value; hot dogs are the new burger 
 

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Great insight into 2009! I totally agree with you regarding the flexitarian movement. There is a really great book that was just written by Registered Dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner called The Flexitarian Diet. It has more than 100 flexitarian recipes and packed with excellent science based nutrition advice. Not that the Marriott chefs need any help with recipes but maybe you could look into teaming up with this dietitian on a project where she give her stamp of approval to your recipes? She is a well known dietitian in the field of wellness and nutrition based on all of the work she has done and displays on her website http://www.dawnjacksonblatner.com Anyway the book is great and everyone should check it out!

- ThirstyApe

The only caution on cooking "simple"; is that it takes a lifetime to master, and you are completely at the mercy of ingredients (and suppliers).  That isn't to say it shouldn't be attempted.

As a Platinum, I've liked the menu changes I've seen in several Concierge Lounges.  Vancouver has a crazy spread-  Vietnamese Fresh Rolls, Fajitas-  fun finger food perfect for grazing (and the best Concierge Lounge staff I've experienced).

Marriott should also look to revamp their wine program.  Like food, there are sustainable, high quality, organic / biodynamic, producers that make quality juice.

Washing down a plate of exquisite, simple food with a bottle of mass produced, lab enhanced wine doesn't cut it.

I look forward to the changes in 2009!

- Dirty/ Dirty South Wine

I stayed at a Marriott hotel, and I was really surprised by the food. Many business travellers apparently stay in hotels for weeks on end, but the menus really didn't seem to reflect this. On the room-service menu, for example, there were only a couple of healthy options, which you'd soon tire of. If you didn't have these, the other options looked very rich - things like burgers, pizzas, etc. I'm just genuinely surprised. If I was staying in a hotel like this for a sustained period, I'd have to buy in fruit and vegetables, and would be craving healthy options. Don't customers want more of these sorts of things - simpler, healthier, less-processed food? Something closer to food you'd eat at home, as opposed to food you have when you're eating out?

- Guy Dennis

Comfort Foods in Tough Times

 

 When threatened by events out of the sphere of personal control, society tends to gravitate to the path of the most familiar. It may sound trite, but when times get tough there is more demand for the foods you grew up with than foods undiscovered. We see this every time the economy gets shaky. Up go the sales of simple roast chicken, braised short ribs, and unadulterated mashed potatoes. Throw mac-n-cheese in there and you have it covered. But that is the US, what of the rest of the world?  Same holds true everywhere, comfort foods always return to give solace to the world's worried. For many this is a holiday season of uncommon challenges, yet temporary respite can be found in a simple meal.

Comfort foods are defined by the region, country, and culture of origin. Comfort foods all share a common thread of frugality. These are not the items of luxury, these are the foods of sustenance and approachability. Classic dishes, the things our grandmothers made. That is why it makes sense to see roast goose in Hungary, Spaetzle in Bavaria, Pad Thai in Bangkok, Shepherd’s Pie in the UK, or pot roasted beef in the US become the things most coveted during uncertain times.

A classic braise, a classic comfort.

 

Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine

 

Serves 4   

 

3 #    Short Ribs

3 each  Carrots

2 each      Parsnips

2 stalks     Celery

1 large      Onion

2 cups      Red Wine

2 Tbl Tomato Paste

2 ea   Bay Leaves

1 Teaspoon    Peppercorns

2 cups   Reduced veal or beef stock

 

Method:

1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. In a thick bottom braising pan, sear the meat on all sides until well browned. Use a small amount of oil if necessary.
2. Dice into 1” cubes or slices half of the carrots, parsnips, celery and onion. Rough chop the other half, placing the rough chopped vegetables into the pan with the meat to brown as well.
3. pour the red wine over the meat. Bring to a simmer, then add the spices, tomato paste, and reduced stock.
4. Cover and place in a preheated 350 (F) 170(C) degree oven for 1-1 ½ hours until slightly tender.
5. Meanwhile, brown the reserved 1”diced vegetables in a small amount of butter. Remove the braising shortribs from the oven. Strain the chopped vegetables and spices out of the sauce, pouring the sauce back over the meat. Top with the browned vegetables. Cover again and place back in the oven for an additional 1-1 ½ hours until fork tender. Season sauce as needed with salt and pepper.
6. Remove, serve sliced with a mashed potato in true comfort style.

 

BBQ, Dives, and Blogs

Last week I was in Baltimore with some colleagues and the discussion came up (over crabcakes and Old Bay) of favorite places and favorite foods in favorite cities. When we got to the subject of Italian restaurants in Chicago, there was a unanimous verdict that Quartino deserved special mention. Not one of us had been to Chicago over the last two years without at least once venturing to Quartino, a relatively newer restaurant that feels like it has always been there. 

Thinking about Chicago food led me to a great local food blog, chibbqking. This is the kind of resource I always need before traveling, a “where the locals go” insight of the best dives and BBQ joints in a city of great food, written by a self described member of “law enforcement or security”, though his photo looks remarkably like Clyde Darrow. Gritty and real, the author’s latest post of a great fish shack is exactly the kind of intel any serious food hunter needs before venturing out. Check out chibbqking before going to Chicago, Metrocurean before heading to DC, or Eating-Seattle before getting on the northwest-bound plane. In fact, Eating-Seattle has a great challenge on a recent post. What is “the best thing you ate all year”? A great question…

For me, it is probably something I found through the local bloggers.  What's on YOUR plate?

Chef, thanks for the great review and shout out. Im glad my site can help you and others to find the gems you dont see on food network and read about in the local newspapers. If your ever in Chicago, give me an email and maybe I could show you around. We share a love for all things food. Titus.

I hope the next time you are in Baltimore talking crab cakes, you will come to ur facillity for lunch and enjoy some really finecakes. You and yours as you know are welcome anytime.All the best my friend and enjoy those kids over the holiday!! Take care

Dennis (Phillips Seafood)

Chefs,thanks for your comments !

I received the following comments on innovation from two Marriott chefs and thought I would share with you.

Hi Brad,

We here in Melbourne were talking about the TV or celebrity chef's being a huge transformation for the culinary world. "love them or hate them" we think the change in today's diners created from the interest in the likes of Ramsay, Oliver & the other hundreds of cooking shows has allowed us to experiment and push the boundaries more, because of the level of knowledge & expectation of our diners.

Best Regards

Melbourne Marriott Culinary Team

Kevin Thorpe
Executive Chef ¦Melbourne Marriott Hotel¦Cnr. Exhibition and Lonsdale Streets, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia

Chefs,
As I was researching tea, I came across a blog called "UMAMI". Umami is one of the 5 basic tastes sensed by special receptor cells present on the human tongue. MSG is known to enhance this sensor. At any rate, UMAMI is one of the best food blogs I've honestly read. It's written by a well educated woman who loves to dine all over the world and in my opinion, shares her experiences and photographs through the lens of of a typical world traveler that seems to be more and more like what we may be encountering at our own hotels. She shares in detail,her experiences of dinning at El Bulli, local bistros/restaurants and a plethora of other venues. On her site are several links to friends and family blogs which also enjoy writing about food experiences as well. To me, she confirms Brad Nelson's message; Great food, well executed and not overly complicated. It's a great blog and it's amazing with the help of the internet, how the public is now potentially teaching/helping professionals. Happy reading. 

Michael Panasuk
Executive Chef
Copley Marriott
Boston, MA

Culinary Innovation Over The Last 20 Years

Adam Sayler, the executive sous chef at the Renaissance St Louis Grand Hotel, emailed me last week with an interesting question. He and the culinary team had been debating which culinary innovations have had the most impact on food over the last 20 years, and wanted to know what the corporate team thought.

I listed our thoughts below.

There have been several divergent paths culinary innovation has taken over the last 20 years.

1. Tools designed more ergonomically like the microplanes, rivet free knives, pot handles to better fit hands, etc.

2. Technology in equipment. Induction, combi ovens, speed cooking convection microwaves, blast chillers, immersion bath cooking, and rethermalization systems.

Food itself has taken two roads:
1. Ingredient based simple cooking that strives to enhance the essence of natural flavors and product integrity. Best example is what Thomas Keller does.

2. Molecular cuisine designed to convert ingredients into unique shapes and textures. Best example is Ferran Adria from El Bulli and Heston Blumenthal from The Fat Duck. 

This was such an interesting question, that I thought it would be great to hear from you. Send me an email and I’ll post your thoughts in November on the most important culinary innovation of the last 20 years.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

The basic innoation which we have seen in the past twenty years is the harmony of technology and the the expertise of chefs. Technology brought in the the latest ovens, blenders, pots, pans, etc. But the most important thing is the availabilty of ingredients anytime and anywhere in the world. Anytime would be like getting ingredients all the year round  and anywhere would be for example Ireland where they do not grow anythinfg but have everything. Apart from that syles of food have changed and the awareness amongst the people has grown. We know what we are being served because people are well travelled and more exposed. The word globalisation cannot be dismissed here since the chefs are using various ingredients from different cuisine to eleveate the experience of the diner. So one should nor be surprised to find a blend of geographical flavours and style on the plate.
However we should not forget the crockery and cutlery teams whose imagination has added the food industry a new dimension. The platters, the plates, the glasses all of them look so different that it has given new look the industry. A burger would remain a burger until we brought in a new set of crockery and people start saying wow that was the common burger we eat everyday. Thank you all for the developments and excitement you have kept alive in this business, Looking ahead for more ideas and innovaton.....

-Raman Kumar

I would add something that doesn't readily come to mind until it is gone: FedEx -  the rise of international and domestic shipping, in a matter of hours you have figs from Syria, olives from a small willa in Sicily, handmade miso from Japan and fresh berries from South America in the dead of winter. This ability to access a world of product, which you could only read about twenty five years ago in gourmet travel magazines, in my opinion is a true bedrock to the culinary creativity we have been experiencing in the past generation.

- John Usher

For the _home_ cook, you can't argue that the microwave oven has had the biggest impact.  I also think the availability of a broader and higher quality cuts of meat and fish have changed the way we eat at home.

-Neal

The last twenty years has developed countless culinary innovations, and the amount of great chefs, restaurants, and hotel food and beverage coupled with the nations overall infatuation with chefs and great food is proof of this. But for me the answer is simple and clear as consomme. The internet!

I can google Michel Richard, David Burke, Charlie Trotter, and even you Brad, and in less then a second see not only what your serving but how to prepare it. I can find out what wild mushrooms are abundant for my event in two weeks, or the halibut harvest in Alaska, before the boats even reach the docks.

The irony is that without the internet, you would not even be able to pose the question to all of us.

Happy Cooking Always,

Todd Hall

Custom State Fairs and Deep Fried Pepsi

Twenty years ago I lived near Palm Springs, California, and I have loved the desert ever since. I have just returned from a few days at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort in Indian Wells, CA. Beautiful hotel, impressive grounds and a pretty talented group of chefs. So who let the monkey in and what the heck is deep-fried Pepsi? I’ll get to that in a minute.

As I’ve said in the past, catering often is the most fun for chefs in hotels. Faced with logistic challenges and pulling off culinary miracles in places far removed from any kitchen, this is especially true of chefs like Greg Picard at Esmeralda and other large resorts. I have seen many so called “celebrity chefs” completely melt down from the pressures of feeding as few as 200 people at once, though still willing to take the final bow for a flawless dinner.  Truthfully, preparation of so many simultaneous meals usually exceeds their capability, leaving it to the culinarians like Greg and his crew to actually cook the food. And that is just for one meal, what about the rest of the day? That’s another blog though.

Back the monkey story. We had all of the meals figured out for the conference, the reason I was there. Breakfasts were on the lawn, perfect with the morning sun peeking out from behind the Santa Rosa Mountains and the soft whirl of fresh juices being freshly squeezed. The gala dinner was planned and in good shape, but all attention was on the State Fair. State Fair? Are you kidding? Sure, we can try something different, but can we pull off a real State Fair with fair food that actually tastes great? Absolutely.

Picture this: a Ferris wheel, winnable stuffed animal carnival games, fortune tellers and jugglers…and a monkey. Cute little lady with great manners. According to the meeting planners, it was thought a monkey would be easier to deal with than the elephant originally planned. Wise choice if you ask me.

Back to the food. Using the idea of the classic smoke-wagon as inspiration, we planned a menu around slow, smoke roasted beef rib over desert citrus wood. I wanted untrimmed, full rib-bone prime ribs with at least 21 days of age for ultimate tenderness and flavor. It took awhile, but when the huge ribs arrived, we knew we were on to something. Rib bones nearly two feet long, these were prime ribs with the short ribs still attached! All it took was a generous coating of sea salt, cracked pepper, thyme, rosemary and garlic coupled with 6 hours of 250 degree smoke to finish this perfection-on-the-bone. Oh, and of course a double stuffed baked organic russet with 3 year cheddar and Strauss Farms sour cream. To that, we added a glistening Char Siew BBQ roast Niman Ranch Pork loin, grilled in-the-shell and “the size of your hand” king prawns with a simple but tasty citrus tarragon butter, 12 hour brined organic chicken in lemon thyme, salt & pepper grilled tuna, side dishes and sauces to customize. Great, now let’s make some fair food, stop taking ourselves so seriously and have some fun!

First on the list: corn dogs. We corn dogged Kobe beef sausage, lobster sausage, and pulled beef on a stick. All of the salads were done in individual shakers, except a Bulgarian feta and cucumber, which was served in a still warm pita bowl so that could travel around the fair grounds with your salad, and then just eat the bowl. Kennebec potatoes were cut for fries either sea salted or the mother lode, finished with bacon, scallions, tomatoes, ranch dressing, cheese sauce and jalapenos. It got even better at the dessert wagon, with the typical funnel cakes ratcheted up with fresh stone fruits, lightly whipped organic cream, bittersweet chocolate and caramel sauces.

Arguably the best was still to come. Delicate house made gelatos were offered with…deep fried Pepsi! Sounds odd, but if you make a classic pate au choux, using Pepsi in lieu of water, the resulting batter when fried will have the texture of a beignet with the flavor of Pepsi. Dusted with powdered sugar, this was State Fair heaven…for some anyway. Thankfully the gym will always be there tomorrow.

Fair food was on my plate today…what’s on YOURS?

Recipe for 12 hour brined Lemon Thyme Organic Chicken

Should feed: 4

Two each  3-4 LB whole Organic chickens
3 each   lemons, zested and halved
12 each     thyme, 4” branches
1 cup     white onion, rough sliced
1 qt    water
½ cup     kosher salt
¼ cup brown sugar
2 qts   ice water
1 tsp   course ground black pepper
½ + ¼  cup  good olive oil

How to do it:
1. Do ahead. Using a sharp knife, cut the chickens in half in order to remove the breast and back bones. Carefully follow the rib bones, removing them and finally the thigh bone, leaving only the leg and wing bones intact. Keep chilled.

2. Using a microplane or zester, scrape the lemon zest into two equal portions. Squeeze enough lemon juice to reserve 2 tablespoons.

3. Toss the lemon halves with the sliced onions, thyme, and ½ cup olive oil. Place into a shallow pan, roast in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the lemons are softened and the onions have started to brown.

4. While the onions roast, bring the one quart of water to boil, then add the salt and sugar. Stir to dissolve, remove from the heat. Add half of the lemon zest.
 
5. Pour the ice water into the salt solution. Add the entire contents of the roasted lemon-onion-thyme mixture. Bring the brine temperature to below 40F (an ice bath works well).
 
6. Approximately 12 hours before cooking, pour the brine over the semi-boneless chickens, discard the brine. Keep refrigerated.

7. For service: Remove the chickens, wiping off any brine. Do not rinse. Lightly coat with remaining ¼ cup of olive oil, the remaining lemon zest and the reserved lemon juice. Liberally season with ground black pepper.

8. Using a preheated, clean, well oiled grill, grill the chickens skin side first for 5 minutes and then 4-8 minutes on the bone side, depending on how thick the breasts are.
Alternatively, these can be pan roasted by searing skin side first in a hot pan before placing chick, pan and all, in a hot oven to roast.

9. Finished when the skin is crispy and the thickest part of the leg and breast read 165F, let the birds rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Deep Fried Pepsi

Should feed: 4

1 ¼ cups Pepsi
¾ cup W hole butter, unsalted
½ tsp  Salt
1 ½ cups Flour
6  Whole eggs

How to do it:
1. Place Pepsi and butter in tall sided sauce pot. Bring to a boil.

2. Add the salt and the flour all at once time, beating together over medium heat until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot smoothly

3. Transfer to an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beating in the eggs added one at a time, adding each one only after the last has been incorporated. Batter should be stiff enough to hold stiff peaks.

4. Place the batter into a piping bag or small bowl.

5. Heat 4” oil for frying (peanut oil works the best, but Canola is also satisfactory), in a high sided pot or deep fryer to 360F.

6. CAREFULLY drop ½”x 2” lengths or small quenelles (oblong balls) into the hot oil. Fry until a deep gold brown. Generally, the dough will be fully cooked 3-4 minutes after having risen to the surface of the oil.

7. Scoop out the cooked Pepsi, draining excess oil, dust liberally with powdered sugar and serve as is, or make it a fried Pepsi Float with the addition of ice cream!

Wow.....

What an Event, and what a Great Brined Chicken Recipe...

Thanks for Sharing.

-Todd Hall

SO...what is deep-fried pepsi????

-Maria Jose Rojas

Fried Pepsi?  Now I've heard it all.

-I Luv Cooking
 

The Demise of the $175 Steak

The market is now changing rapidly, and Wagyu ranchers are worried that the economy is causing a repricing of steak value.  I expect to see more Kobe beef offered at better prices as ranchers cut their herds, flooding the market in the short term.  Kobe beef is great, but at double the price of Prime?  Not in my opinion, and it appears consumers are in agreement.

 

Steakhouses aren’t going anywhere, and in fact a stressed economy drives customers out of less defined restaurants and into more “sure thing” dining choices. A great steak is expected, but side dishes and sauced are how a steakhouse is judged today.  Sides are no longer just creamed spinach and au gratin potatoes. Button mushrooms have been replaced by an ever changing list of foraged wild mushrooms, season correct risottos, artisan cheese au gratin potatoes, and the classic French fry seasoned with specialty sea salts.

Other top sides I have seen lately:
• Blue cheese tater tots
• Black sesame crusted green beans
• White beans and escarole
• Lobster and chorizo hash
• Killer parmesan gnocchi
• Ginger roasted carrot
• Green curry battered onion rings
• Salt roasted tomatoes on the vine

Great beef is on my plate today..what’s on yours?

Good Chefs, Bad Manners

In 30 years of cooking, I have seen quite a few antics in the kitchen. With all the hot pans, sharp objects, and constant rush to feed the masses, there is bound to be some excitement. The ill-tempered chef is more myth than reality, but all good chefs share a passion for perfection.

Reality shows like Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen is carefully edited to give the impression that four letter words are required culinary terminology. Confidential kitchen memoirs are crafted to shock us with chapters of industry only secrets. I loved the movie Ratatouille and its accuracy, provided you take out the part of the abusive Frenchman with the big hat and the idea of a chef-rat becoming famous for interpreting a classic recipe. These are caricatures, great for advertising and book sales, but even Gordon Ramsey would be the first to tell you that running a kitchen is about inspiration, not intimidation. Ramsey and other successful chef-restaurateurs know too well that they need to surround themselves with great people, and then develop them to perform at a high level of excellence. He may be loud, but his teaching is extraordinary. If it wasn’t, we would never have heard of him since he wouldn’t have been able to leave his stove.

Marriott takes pride in the positive work environment our culinary teams enjoy. Marriott kitchens are built on a framework of trust and opportunity. I have visited and worked in hundreds of our hotels, and I am always blown away by the great people in our kitchens. The next generation of Marriott chefs is the dedicated cooks that are on the line, in the pastry shop and banquet kitchen, or cooking your omelet each morning. We aim to take care of them, so they keep taking care of you.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Chefs,
I know it is a difficult job and one needs to be be constantly motivated to bring out the best from every member in the team. However motivation is different for every individual but the common factor in all of us, is the passion. Chef Ramsay is one in a million. I do agree that his language is obnoxious but he has developed a team of chefs where we all want to be a part of. Abuses are fired now and then in the kitchen because of the adrenaline that flows in the body during challenging time but it is a part and parcel. Who does not abuse? You walk down the streets and people use the f word although it is considered harmless. It is the language and culture which has made it so prominent and famous. Chef Ramsay has used this to bring the show to a new level of excitement where people wait to see what happens next.His input has created new heights and dimension in the world of culinary. So I think it is not all that bad when you get motivated and inspired to create a memorable evening for the guests.

-Raman

Good article, I agree.  A negative chef is usually hiding incompetence. It doesn't get any better than a chef with a passion for perfection!

-Renee Comet

Preparing For The Best

A good chef spends more time and effort planning a meal than actually cooking it. Flavor is developed through selecting the right ingredients, aligning them correctly in order of appropriate cooking times, selecting the right method of cooking, and sketching out the presentation are all things that must happen before the first vegetable is trimmed or the first oven is turned on.

Running a kitchen today requires more than good prep skills. Being prepared for virtually any situation is as much a function of our responsibilities as menu planning.  Marriott chefs play a critical role in the incredibly detailed approach on hotel preparedness. We are a uniquely global company with strong roots in individual communities.

Mark Quitney is the executive chef of the New Orleans Marriott, and is no stranger to the need for preparedness. The challenges the people of New Orleans have faced are well known. When events such as the recent hurricane Gustav threaten the community, our hotels launch a series of actions to ensure the safety and security of their guests, associates, and sister hotels. As the storm approached, Mark initiated planning sessions with the other Marriott, Renaissance, and Ritz-Carlton hotels to insure water, supplies, food and emergency menus were in place if needed. Mark and his team provided 5 days of meals for 140 of New Orleans emergency responders, and even got to know Al Roker from NBC while he was there covering the storm. Luckily the storm was weathered and the city is back on track . This may be National Preparedness Month, but we approach being prepared as a regular part of every month.

Speaking of Chef Quitney and the New Orleans Marriott, the newest dining star in this ultimate food city is 5 Fifty 5, the new restaurant garnering great reviews. The chef and his team will even take the Big Easy to the Big Apple. The James Beard Foundation has scheduled Mark to cook a “Crescent City Christmas” at the James Beard House, where he will pair his unique style of cooking with the wines of Napa Valleys’ Reynolds Family Winery. Trust me, Mark will be very prepared.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Nutritional Labeling and Reality

“And on menu pages 5 through 100 you will find all of the nutritional information for today’s breakfast buffet possibilities”…Something I hope I never hear from a server.

I agree that we can all do more to provide better information on the nutritional content of menu items. Currently, there are over 40 state or local government agencies with plans in hand to legislate menus to provide nutritional content on each item available. Not really a problem for chain restaurants that sell the same 50 items in every location. When all the food you sell is delivered twice a week in one truck, it’s pretty easy to analyze every item.  Our restaurants and hotels are different than a fast food restaurant, with hundreds of unique menu items. Buffets, long embraced by guests for value and variety, are even more puzzling when I look at the way these jurisdictions wish to apply mandatory nutritional labeling. Is a serving an arbitrary quantity? Read the labels on many foods and you will find the numbers look great…as long as you eat just 12 of the crackers in the bag of 200. Maybe an exaggeration, but just last week we reviewed a roast chicken labeled to contain less than 400 calories per serving…sounds good until the serving size equaled exactly one quarter of the half chicken. Since when does a half chicken serve four?  

Fresh cooking is not the same as the chains' fast food this drive for labeling has targeted. Our hotel restaurants are not a chain of restaurants serving the same food. Each property establishes their own menus and their own sense of place. We buy seasonally. We create unique events with specific foods. Many menus change daily and weekly based on what is best at the moment, freshest off the boat, or most unique from the market. Accurate analysis of every item made in our kitchens would be effectively impossible, when you factor in all the possibilities and combinations available to order. In effect, customers have the true ability to decide what choices are best for them, not a regulation.

The US based National Restaurant Association is supportive of establishing federal guidelines to ensure states and municipalities are all on the same nutritional page. Having one set of rules makes sense to me.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Turbo Charged Cooking at Courtyard

Cooking techniques are based on fundamentals refined by centuries of tradition. Many point to the French sixteenth century when Catherine de Medici married into the French royal family from her native Italy. Longing for the food of her homeland, she brought Italian cooks, gardeners, and culinary traditions to the French palace. Credited with everything from the method of making puff pastry to table etiquette and introducing the use of forks to France, Medici enabled the French to perfect the Italian culture of food into the art of cooking.

Fast forward 500 years, and we are still cooking with the refinement she inspired, yet a revolution has been underway blending traditional technique with the modern need for speed. Nowhere is this more evident than in oven technology, like the efficient convection-microwave ovens such as those we are now employing in exciting new developments taking place in our Courtyard hotels. Turbo Chef™ ovens enable us to provide fresh food fast for those that are time constrained. We have been testing literally hundreds of potential menu items in our test kitchen using these ovens, and it never ceases to amaze me how efficient they are.

In less than a minute we can have a perfectly hot and toasted sandwich, finished as if it was slowly griddled in the classic method. Fast and accurate, we are able to produce items like a grilled three cheese, crisp bacon and tomato sandwich or a toasted ciabatta beef and cheddar from start to finish in less than a minute. Pairing that with any of the great soups or a simple salad and wine off the extensive list allows for a great meal. I am very excited about the things we are doing with the Courtyard brand, especially when we can incorporate new technologies with innovation in food.

The new lobby design will encourage even those in a hurry to linger awhile. Comfortable for business or pleasure, the space incorporates daytime baristas and evening bartenders, morning breakfasts and extensive grab-and-go. Suddenly, the Courtyard is not only just a great place to stay, but a great place to eat, drink and connect.

Fast = Fresh, through technology in the kitchen.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Great Banquet Choices

I go to many banquets throughout the year, but usually in our own hotels. Recently I attended a conference held in another branded hotel and had the chance to experience their banquet events. Everything was fine actually, service acceptable, food was fine. The conference I was attending was all about seafood, and it would be hard to believe if any of the 100 or so attendees didn’t eat fish (I did blog about the conference earlier). After a morning filled with the virtues of great fish, I was looking forward to lunch, certain that a beautiful piece of halibut, salmon, or some other sea creature was going to be offered up…and what do they serve for lunch? CHICKEN! 

Now, I can not fault the hotel here, I am sure the meeting planner over-thought the lunch menu and figured since we were talking about fish all day we might just be sick of it. The hotel was serving what the meeting planner requested, though I HOPE they at least made the suggestion to possibly offer the attendees something more local. What they failed to consider though is that for meeting attendees, the food is often the only connection with the place you are visiting.  I urge meeting planners to engage the chef and let them create an opportunity, through the food, for your attendees to experience the flavor of the local area.  Seafood in Alaska seems a no-brainer, and we did finally see a bit of the oceans bounty at dinner that evening.

Banquets are such an important part of our business, and something I think each of our brands do exceptionally well. In fact each year Meetings and Conventions Magazine bestows awards on the best of best, including multi-year M&C Gold Platter Award winner Camelback Inn - A JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. Receiving the Gold Platter Award does take a lot more than just great food, think excellent service, audio visual, room set up, meeting coordination, etc, but it is not by accident they named this the Gold Platter Award and not the Gold Room Diagram Award. It is after all, all about the food!  This gem of a property is undergoing an incredible transformation and will soon be home to two unbelievably exciting restaurants. Stay tuned, this is going to be special.

Camelback is such a great desert property, but it is the team there that is truly special. Paul O’Conner runs the culinary team and is lucky enough to be partnered with Food and Beverage Director Siegfried Weber, a consummate professional in the food business and himself a former chef of the New York Marriott Marquis, among many other notable accomplishments. Together, they do amazing things, and their catering events really shine.  Trust me, if you have an event at the Camelback Inn, you will know you are in the desert and be amazed by the food, service, and attention to every detail.  

What’s on YOUR plate today?

This was a great comment you made. What they failed to consider though is that for meeting attendees, the food is often the only connection with the place you are visiting.  I have eaten the darn chicken at every conference and event I go to, and it becomes the way your remember the venue and event itself.  When I come back from some dull event on computer, my wife doesn't ask me how the talks were, or was the hotel/facilities pretty.  She asks, "How as the food?"

- Vincent

Great Sustainable Fish

Sustainable, according to Webster's Dictionary, is “of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.”

We hear a great deal about sustainable farming, fishing, and general food production. A lofty goal that is generally misunderstood and often lumped with other terms like organic, local, natural, fair trade, etc. I have attended many conferences, read all the books, and listened to the purveyors of sustainability, but still see more fog than clarity on the subject. A myriad of logos and statements from marketing associations, independent producers, and even country designations only add to the confusion. Alaska, however, is a unique fishery. Long before sustainability became cool, the state committed to managing their natural resources, especially the salmon, halibut, crab, and pollock fisheries. Scientifically managing yearly catch, and partnering with the fishing industry has allowed them to build an industry that will be fishing for many, many years. 

I recently attended a symposium on sustainability sponsored by the Alaskan Seafood Marketing Institute. In attendance were over 100 importers, retailers, restauranteurs, and a few chefs. A powerhouse of presenters, the day started with a live feed from Rome with the Director of Fish Products and Industry Division of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO is the UN division that has applied a “code of conduct for responsible fisheries”, guiding the global community to develop sustainable fishing practices.

After a full day of presentations, we were able to get out into the waters off of Anchorage and see the source of such great fish firsthand. While steaming out to a glacier, I overheard the seafood buyer of a major restaurant chain wax on about the restaurant's signature dish…a marinated Chilean Sea Bass. Chilean Sea Bass, also known as Patagonian Toothfish, is a large fish found in deep waters in the Southern Hemisphere that for the last 15 years has been the darling of many menus. Impossible to overcook, meaty and mild, this has been a dream fish for many, but now overfished and nearly depleted. We have a long way to go as an industry. 

 
Instead of Chilean Sea Bass, I prefer to use Alaskan Halibut, Black Cod (aka Sablefish), Line Caught Cod or similar mild white fish species.  The best fish is the simplest in my opinion. Here are two of my favorites:

Halibut with with parsley, capers, and brown butter for 4

4 each   6oz (about 190gm) Halibut Fillet, about 1 ½ inches thick
Light olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 Tbl  unsalted whole butter
1 each  lemon
2 Tbl  Flat leaf parsley leaves
2 tbl  capers, drained

Method:
1. Pat fillets dry, season with salt and freshly ground pepper

2. Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat, add enough light olive oil to just coat the   pan.

3. Sauté the halibut fillets for approximately 3 minutes on each side.

4. Gently remove the fillets, add the whole butter back to the pan. Let the butter foam  up and lightly brown, then squeeze the lemon into the browned butter, swirl the pan,  add the parsley leaves and capers in one go.

5. Place the fish onto serving plates and divide the browned butter over the fillets   and serve.

Miso glazed Line Caught Cod

4 each   6oz (about 190gm) Line Caught Cod, about 1 ½ inches thick
4 Tbl  White Miso paste
¼ cup  Clam juice or Chicken Stock
2 Tbl  light soy sauce
1 tsp   light brown sugar
2 tsp  white and black sesame seeds 
1 tsp   thinly sliced scallions
1 Tbl  unsalted butter
1 tsp    rice wine vinegar

Method;
1. Mix the Miso paste with the calm juice or chicken stock. Reserve half for later use,  then finish the marinade by adding the soy and brown sugar to the other half.

2. Pour the marinade over the fish fillets and let marinate for 3-6 hours.

3. Remove and pat the fillets dry.

4. Spread the sesame seeds out onto a plate, dredge the fillets top side only into the  sesame, pressing in slightly to make sure they stick.

5. Heat a not stick pan over medium high heat with the canola oil. When hot, sauté the  fillets sesame side first for about 4 minutes on each side.

6. Remove to a warm platter.

7. Wipe the same pan of any excess seeds, then pour the remaining miso into the pan. As  soon as the miso boils, add the butter and rice vinegar, swirling to melt  the  butter and thicken the sauce

8. Add the sliced scallions, divide the miso sauce over the fish and serve.

 What's on YOUR plate today?

A Groundbreaking Chef

 Jean-Pierre Marechal grew up in Belgium, where the connection to the terroir and farmer is very closely linked. As the Executive Chef at the Charlotte Marriott City Center, Chef Marechal was constantly looking for the best possible ingredients to serve in Savannah Red. Yet finding the variety he was looking for was always a challenge. Surrounded by fertile lands and the Blue Ridge Mountains, why was it so hard to find great produce? The answer was found in the reality that for years the area supported the now shuttered textile mills and tobacco/cotton farms, not produce.  In February 2007, Jean-Pierre met with “Foothills Connect”, a North Carolina Business and Technology Center dedicated to supporting the development and growth of small businesses and entrepreneurship in Rutherford County.  Their goal: establish broadband connectivity to small farm families and create a market for their products to keep them in business. With Jean Pierre’s guidance, the Farmers Fresh Market Project was launched, linking local small farmers with a network of chefs and restaurants.

Upon the first delivery of food from Rutherford County farmers – curly mustard greens that had been picked just that morning – Chef Marechal saw the immense possibilities of the project. Since then, The project has grown to include over 65 farmers who now grow specifically for local chefs, some even setting aside acreage for specific chefs.

Here’s how it works: Jean Pierre views the available products in Rutherford County on  www.farmersfreshmarket.org. Jean-Pierre talks regularly with most of the 65 farmers on the site, and often knows what is likely being offered. Though many do not have the resources needed to document their practices for organic certification, these farms do live the credo of organic. Call it sensibly organic if you will. Selecting the farmers and products via the site, the orders are delivered to the hotel twice a week. Jean–Pierre also visits the local schools, working with the students and kids of the farmers, completing the journey food takes from farm to fork. The menus of Savanah Red and many catering events are teeming with fresh vegetables, local jams and honey previously unknown to the lucky guests of Charlotte Marriott City Center. You will also find local produce in the kitchens of the Charlotte Renaissance, as the farmers of Rutherford County can grow a whole bunch of vegetables!

The summer of 2008 has been the first full growing season in this fledgling project, but already clearly a success: food is fresher, more vibrant and nutritious. Food costs are stable. Local farmers are now seeing financial benefit of specialized farming, selling their product in the community they live. Information technology is being used in homes previously unwired.

This program really is fantastic, and I am hopeful we can take what Jean Pierre has accomplished into other areas of the country, bringing our farmers and our chefs closer together.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

?

Dear Chef,
What you did is fantastic congratulations and all the best.

-Mohamed Zaitoun

A Better BLT

  It’s July and the news is all about tomatoes.  Nothing says SUMMER more than the “fruit disguised as vegetable.” There is no better harbinger of the summer garden than the perfectly ripe tomato, just picked and dressed with a sprinkle of sea salt and fruity olive oil.

The anticipation of the perfect BLT has been clouded by headlines cautioning US consumers to be wary of tomatoes, especially the commodity red round and roma varieties. Marriott responded quickly with confidence in our redundant safe-sourcing protocols, and are ensuring our supply line of tomatoes are only from those growing areas free of any concern. 

In fact, the red round and roma varieties don’t make the best BLT’s.  Making the classic summer sandwich starts with a perfectly ripe heirloom, Jersey beefsteak or Early Girl tomato thickly sliced and topped with generous slices of crisp, just off the griddle smoky cured bacon. For my money, nothing is better than Nueske’s applewood smoked for the perfect BLT. Pile that onto thick sliced toasted sourdough, slathered with a lemony mayonnaise and crunchy lettuce, finish with a liberal grind of black pepper. Simple, perfect, and tastes like summer.

The perfect BLT, for two

4 slices sourdough bread
1 Jersey beefsteak sliced into ¼” slices
1 pinch sea salt (Maldon or other variety)
Black pepper from a grinder
6 slices Nueske’s Applewood Bacon
6 inside leaves butter lettuce, washed and dried
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon lemon juice

Cook the bacon over medium heat in a thick bottomed pan or on a griddle. While the bacon is cooking, slice the tomato and sprinkle with the sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
Mix the lemon juice into the mayonnaise while the bread is toasting.
Brush the toasted bread with the lemony mayonnaise, top with the lettuce, then tomatoes, and 3 slices of bacon right out of the pan.  No better way to celebrate summer!

What’s on YOUR plate today? 

What's on my plate today?  Well, now it's a BLT!  Man, I love a good BLT, especially with nice firm tomatoes, well cooked bacon (otherwise it won't break on a bite and you'll drag a whole piece out of the sandwich with you) and, as you say, a LIBERAL grind of pepper.

Frankly, I have never been a fan of the L in a BLT.  The less lettuce in my BLT the better.  When I make them at home, I tend just to make an BT sandwich, leaving the lettuce for my next green salad.

Greg

A BLT is an excellent suggestion for a light lunch on the back deck. I'll take mine with an unpretentious cold Rose from the Cote de Provence!

-Kevin Andrew

The Philadelphia Inquirer reviewed the Ritz Carlton Philadelphia's BLT @ 10 Arts, the new restaurant operated under the Eric Ripert brand.  Read about in Rick Nichols column @ www.phillynews.com

-Deborah Robb

Questions - Part 3

Since launching this blog in January, I have received quite a few emails on the posting subjects. It is inspiring to learn of guests individual culinary experiences, and equally beneficial to hear our culinary associates viewpoints on food. Though I cannot respond to every posting, I thought a compilation of some of the questions I have received might make for further dialogue. Below is the third of three installments to a few of the questions I have been asked recently:


What's your take on cooking with organic and sustainable foods?

Organic really isn’t new though it would seem to be newly discovered from all of the media energy behind it. I think that’s always been the point of the slow food movement, to show the value of returning to a simpler, more seasonal approach to food and eating. For eons we cooked with the seasons and from the larder of the area. Modern technology of agriculture and shipping allowed us to expand the world’s diet, make foods available beyond the immediate region, and provide sustenance for more of the world’s population. As a result, the success encouraged more technology growth. Modernization may have gone a little too far though. It was cool to fly product from halfway around the world, but now with fuel prices, global warming, and all of the other carbon footprint concerns, the true cost of food is just now being uncovered.

Thankfully we are recognizing the importance of a global economy and a foundation of sustainable food sources with foods grown in a more healthful manner. Farmers Markets are now found in virtually every town. It may be cool and chic now, but if you think about it, this was the only way to shop less than 100 years ago. In the ever revolving circle of trends, it is great to see things come back to what is most important, the care and quality of the ingredients we cook with. Chefs can play a huge role in this, and they do so by insisting more data on the sources and growing methods used.

Does that mean we only eat strawberries in June, asparagus in April, and tomatoes in August? No, but eating locally and seasonally is something that we can be more cognizant of. Through selective procurement and environmentally conscious product selection, our chefs are rediscovering the purity of food.

We have great examples of Marriott Chefs doing incredible things with organic foods. Just take a look at Executive Chef Scott Simpson and the amazing team at the JW Desert Ridge in Phoenix, or Executive Chef Paul O’Conner and the Camelback Inn team. Both chefs lead by example, harvesting as much from their Kitchen Gardens, pursuing local sources for produce, and selecting truly artisanal product for their menu innovations. Simple food, great flavors, true passion. That’s what these chefs are all about.

What's on YOUR plate today?

It is nice to hear about Chef Simpson and Chef O'Conner. I know Chef Dean Max does a great job too! Marriott has the best chefs in the business!!

- John Gilbert

In some areas, using sustainable products might be a challenge, however one can start small. For example, if some local stores carry the products then they can tell you who the suppliers are. Start with one or two items that can be used as restaurant specials for example, I guarantee you, once you start other suppliers will present themselves.

-John Usher

Organic and sustainable ingredients are becoming the mantra of the day in kitchens across this country.
That is a blessing and also a curse. The blessing is that each of us in our own little kitchens can positively affect the food resources we use and the wholesomeness of the products we serve. For example, start small. Maybe growing some herbs to start would be a good introduction, look a local farmer's co-ops in your area, inspect your suppliers product lists to see what may already be available to you, but were unaware of. Also, be aware of proteins that are not sustainable andn in jeapardy of being wiped out. Items such as Chilean Seabass, which is in a precarious state of endangerment right now. Or, Orange Roughy from New Zealand, which has been virtually fished out. My point is to know what is available and deal with your guests/clients and educate them on options.
The curse of "organic" is that I fear soon it will become just a ubiquitous marketing term. The important meaning behind this food awareness could lose it's vitality simply from overuse of the term. This would dull our guests sensibilities to what we are trying to accomplish. To avoid this we need to provide good tasting quality food with organic products avialable to us. The meal is the reason they will come, organic products in the meal are the bonus.
Does anyone remember Cajun, Fusion, Pan-Asian, Nouvelle Cuisine, Nuevo Latino, Franco-Japanese, Comfort Food;American Regional, or any of the other Foodie labels that have littered our culinary landscape? Let's hope that organic and sustainable become a constant, not a fad.

-Chef John Usher 

Questions - part 2

Since launching this blog in January, I have received quite a few emails on the posting subjects. It is inspiring to learn of guests individual culinary experiences, and equally beneficial to hear our culinary associates viewpoints on food. Though I cannot respond to every posting, I thought a compilation of some of the questions I have received might make for further dialogue. Below is the second of three installments to a few of the questions I have been asked recently:

How often are you on the road?
I travel quite a bit, and though that may sound exciting, I spend a lot of time on runways, in cabs, and just getting there. I love to go to our hotels and enjoy cooking with the many talented chefs in our company, so once I arrive in one of our hotels, all is well.

Best meal you've ever had while traveling?
Way too many to answer just one, but the best food I have had has always been the simplest food. The Dover Sole at the Wolseley in London; the Harris Ranch steak I had one night at Hawks Landing, our steakhouse at the Marriott Orlando World Center; the Oysters shucked and barbequed on the Tomales Bay California beach at the Hog Island Oyster Company; or it could be the dinner of Arabic mezze in the middle of the desert in Dubai.  All great meals, all perfectly simple.

Favorite region in which to travel and eat?
Italy for the food for sure, but I love Asia, especially the food of Thailand and Singapore.

If you hadn't become a chef, what do you think you would have done?
I don’t know, but probably a little skinnier.

Do you watch any of the reality TV chef shows? If so which ones?
I will probably get myself in trouble here…but watch very few reality shows of any kind, as I rarely find them steeped in reality. Great editing and, careful selection of entertaining contestants seem to be the rigor. I prefer a more realistic viewpoint, and not one based on ratings potential.  I am a huge fan however of Gordon Ramsey’s BBC series “Kitchen Nightmares”. Seeing troubled restaurants turned around by simply cleaning them up – physically, philosophically, and menu wise.  So many restaurants around the world fail to remember the basic tenets of restaurant operations – serve great food, in a great environment, with great personality. That is true reality.

What's on YOUR plate today?

Questions - Part 1

Since launching this blog in January, I have received quite a few emails on the posting subjects. It is inspiring to learn of guests individual culinary experiences, and equally beneficial to hear our culinary associates viewpoints on food. Though I cannot respond to every posting, I thought a compilation of some of the questions I have received might make for further dialogue. Below is the first of three installments to a few of the questions I have been asked recently:

Who is your favorite chef?

There are a lot of great chefs, but I would not single out one as a favorite above all others. I really like what Cindy Pawlcyn does (Mustards, Grill, Back Street Kitchen, Go Fish). Eric Ripert is unbelievable with fish and just about everything he touches.  I think Laurent Tourandel really has a fantastic understanding of what people want to eat and his BLT restaurants hit the mark perfectly. But I am also inspired by the cook at the tiny Dottie’s True Blue Cafe in San Francisco’s marginal Tenderloin area. No celebrity here, just a chef who makes amazing breakfasts off of an old griddle in this tiny restaurant that is no longer a San Francisco locals only secret.  

What do you hope to accomplish with Marriott in the Kitchen?

I would hope that this forum will provoke discussion on food, what the global traveler/diner is interested in and what we as a company of chefs can be inspired to deliver. The response so far has been incredible, and hopefully this idea of blending food with travel with corporate perspective is of interest to those reading.
 
What kind of changes or initiatives have you led in Marriott's kitchens?

Much of what we work on is strategic and directional, providing guidance to the various hotel brands on operating in the food and beverage space. I am lucky enough to work with great people and get inspired by them each day. Robin Uler has led food and beverage and operations at Marriott for many years, and her ability to visualize what the industry will be doing in the future is truly amazing. All of the members of our team are excellent at what they do, and from our collective think tank we initiate change or initiatives designed to keep Marriott going forward. Whether it be trans-fats, organic food, innovative restaurant designs, simple cooking, global food and beverage promotions, banquets that serve great food (absolutely NO rubber chicken dinners), or bar food that appeals, each program is handled as a team. I play a part in that, but would humbly offer that I do so as part of a greater group of like-minded colleagues. 
 

Do you think Marriott guests and consumers in general are getting savvier palates? If so, why?

The days of a chef saying “That’s the way it’s supposed to be” and just being listened to are over…thankfully. This transition began years ago, probably when nouvelle cuisine was in its heyday and the public was just supposed to like it because it was new. That lasted about five minutes and then we entered the “everything on mashed potatoes” phase. Equally rough. Credit Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, and Wolfgang Puck for starting it if you will, but soon everyone had an interest in food and by the mid 80”s celebrity accompanied many chefs. The interest continues, and with that guests’ food knowledge has gotten very savvy and more importantly informed. Travelers often base the success of their travels on the food they experience, but not always in the way first thought. Gone are the days were “fine dining” was tuxedoed servers with indecipherable menus . Now, our guests demand excellent cooking skills paired with excellent ingredients… not the carved ice swan filled with sticky sweet sorbet served as that dreadful course once known as “intermezzo”. Trends are cyclical, but I sure hope that never comes back.

What's on YOUR plate today?

Managing Food Costs And The Backyard BBQ

Food prices are going up around the world. Rice has tripled since the beginning of the year; declining wheat stores have caused pasta crisis in Italy; corn and soybeans have been severely impacted by weather and fuel grain conversions. We hear about this every day and hear the same concerns in every corner of our Marriott globe. Our chefs are doing a great job through this, and we remain committed to our high standards of quality. 

I recently had dinner with some friends at Two Amy’s in Washington DC, a great but loud pizza restaurant. Incredible house cured salamis (Italian cured meats and Salamis) and the best dough in town.  My favorite pizza restaurant…so far.  During dinner and over the din of the dining crowd, the topic came up about rising food prices and what hotels are doing about it. After reiterating our commitment to quality, our supplier relationship strength, and the talent of our best-in-class chefs, my friend asked, “Ok, what are you doing at home”. I thought for a minute and then realized that we had actually changed quite a few things.  With three kids at home, food is a major part of my home budget.

What we do:
Buying what’s in season – Strawberries just arrived in my house last week! Items in season have the best prices and quality.

There’s more to beef than steaks – I usually fire up the outside grill every Sunday in the spring and summer. This year, instead of New York steaks there will be short ribs, all-day-brisket, flatiron, shoulder tender, and many of the lesser known but extremely flavorful cuts available for considerably less money. A Hangar steak and a skilled butcher can convert you from New York’s to the flavorful and tender steak the French have always known and sold as Onglet. Best at medium rare, but cut wrong and you may be chewing for a while! (Hint: Make sure the dividing gristle is removed!).

Planting a bigger garden- This year we have 5 varieties of tomato plants, cabbages, beans, fennel, kohlrabi, beets, carrots, leaf lettuces, peas, and an unknown squash plant coming up. Every year my goal is to get my kids excited about growing their own food,  and understanding that what sits on the supermarket shelves began with its own roots. Still working on that, but my daughter does water the garden for me when I am on the road at least.

Here is a menu and a few recipes for an early summer backyard bargain BBQ:

Menu
Just picked peas and mint

Real new potatoes with garden rosemary

7-hour brisket with rosemary and mustard

Just picked peas and mint
A great way to use two of the easiest things to grow! Pick enough English peas to fill a 3 qt bucket, and a handful of mint. Shell the peas, picking through for any that may be dry; plunge the shelled peas into boiling salted water for approximately two minutes. They should be bright green. Drain and place immediately into ice water. Cool, drain. You should have three cups of peas.

About an hour before the brisket is done, dress the peas with 1 tablespoon chopped mint, 3 tablespoons good fruity olive oil, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, sea salt and a good couple of grinds of black pepper. If you have a few radishes peeking up from the garden, pick those too and toss thin slices of radish through the peas. This is great served at room temperature.

Real new potatoes with garden thyme
I love potatoes, and the many varieties available at local farmers markets are usually great. For this recipe, fingerling potatoes can also be used, but check out what the market has.

2 pounds small variety potato, scrubbed but skin on
3 bulb spring garlic- sliced, or 8 cloves regular garlic-crushed
4 5” branches of thyme, just picked
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
¼ cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

Place all in a baking dish or cast iron skillet. Be sure all the seasonings cling to the potatoes. Cover the dish, and place directly into the BBQ (lid down) over low heat 1 hour before the brisket is done. Let slow bake for 30 minutes, then uncover for an additional 30 minutes, pulled off to the corner of the BBQ. The potatoes should be tender with a crisp skin, fragrant of garlic and rosemary.

Flavor hint: right before taking off the heat, splash a tablespoon of red wine vinegar over the potatoes. The acidity will really enhance the flavor.

7-hour brisket with rosemary and mustard
Brisket is easy, but long, slow cooking is best. Start this in the morning, go to the soccer game, or take a nap, but don’t fuss with or rush this, just let it cook on its own!
One 6-8 pound (2 ½ - 3 ½ kilo) Brisket of beef, surface fat trimmed to ¼”
Salt, ground black pepper
Over medium flame, sear the brisket on all sides until well browned. Season well with salt and pepper
One cup Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoon light brown sugar
6 branches rosemary from the garden,
2 cups onion, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
Optional – 1 beer of choice

Cross two long lengths of foil in the middle. Place the seared brisket in the center. Mix the mustard and sugar together into a paste, and then evenly coat the brisket. Top with the onions and sliced lemon. Bring the foil sides up to cover the package, leaving just a small gap in the top. Place in a rack off the flame of the BBQ grill. With the cover down on the grill, slow roast at approximately 250°F.

Resist opening the package! But do check occasionally to make sure the heat is not too strong from the bottom. Place away from the flame on a gas grill and pull the embers to the other side of a wood or charcoal grill, but avoid placing the foil wrapped brisket directly over the flame.

Let it go five hours, or so. Carefully take out of the BBQ grill and let rest, covered as is for about 20 minutes. Remove from the foil and slice as you wish, scooping up the onions and residual juices as well. Serve sliced with the potatoes and peas, and a decent bottle of pinot noir.

Oh, the optional beer. After 2 hours, make a small slit in the top of the foil and pour the beer in, then cover tightly again.   

Got a great grill recipe for the summer? Send it in before June 1st and we’ll post them here!

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Gadgets I Like

Everyone loves gadgets, especially chefs. One of my favorite tools is the simple Microplane graters that come in many different shred sizes.  We use these for grating everything from cheese to chocolate.  One of those “why didn’t I think of that?” tools, Microplanes were taken directly from the woodworking shop to the kitchen. Having personally shaved off more than my share of knuckles with the old box graters, Microplanes take the fear out of grating parmesan.

Not all gadgets are so simple or so useful. Go into any cook’s store and you will see displays of machines and implements that boggle the mind. Unnecessary tools developed for unnecessary kitchen tasks. Do we really need separate brushes for cleaning mushrooms, potatoes, celery, and asparagus? Most of these end up in the kitchen drawer never opened. Next time you are in the gadget aisle take a look at the tools, but buy the ones that actually save you time!

What’s on YOUR plate today? 

Kids in the Kitchen

  One of my first cooking memories was helping my mom make soup. I know, most kids made cookies with their mom.  I made soup at the age of 9. Kind of foretold my future, I guess you would say.

Each April, Marriott participates in “Take Your Children to Work Day”. Bustling through the hallways of the corporate office, peeking up from behind the front desk in our hotels, and showing up as shadow servers in the restaurants, the kids of Marriott were all over the place on April 24!

Kids love to cook, (though maybe not every kid wants to make soup), and chefs love to show kids how to make cool food for themselves. As part of this special day, George Nkuleno from the Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center hotel in Gaithersburg, Maryland put on a great demo in front of 200 children, including my own. Taking kids through a tour of fun, healthy snacks, George and his team demonstrated how to make a great peanut butter and celery “ants on a log”, a yogurt breakfast parfait for breakfast on the run, and a healthy turkey wrap to pack for lunch at school.

Here is George’s great, simple parfait recipe:

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait for 4

2 cups mixed berries
2 cups vanilla non fat yogurt
4 Tablespoons granola

Using four tall glasses or bowls, layer ¼ cup of berries topped with ¼ cup non fat yogurt. Repeat again using the remaining berries and yogurt.
Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of granola over the top layer of yogurt.
These may be made the night before for a quick and healthy breakfast or an after school snack. 
  

What’s on YOUR plate today?

A Green Kitchen

The entire globe will celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2008. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, a great deal has been learned about the impact we have on our environment. Professional kitchens of hotels and restaurants have an opportunity to positively address this. We are an integral part of the carbon footprint chain, and have collective influence on those that produce, pack, ship and develop food in addition to the eventual disposal of materials used in its service.

In the Marriott test kitchen, compostable and recyclable materials are separated to minimize landfill refuse. Our disposables are compostable corn based products. Tasting spoons and plates go right into the green tub along with any food trimmings. Landfill items are separated from the few things that can’t be composted or recycled. This initiative really took hold in 2001 when longtime Test Kitchen Operations Manager and Chef, John Brunski, took on the challenge. John’s summer garden produces incredible heirloom tomatoes and vegetables, grown purely organically. His passion for organics resulted in a kitchen with a carbon conscience.  Nearly 30 years ago when I worked in Hawaii, we separated all of our food waste to trade to the local pig farmer for 2 luau pigs each week. We didn’t call it eco-friendly then, but in hindsight it was the ultimate gesture of resource management!  

Our hotel kitchens are turning green. The JW Marriott Grande Lakes chefs of Melissa Kelly’s Primo restaurant tend to their onsite organic vegetable garden, and the hotel’s kitchens separate all compostable material. We are addressing the energy used in our stoves, ovens, and grills through managing them based on when they are needed. An oven fired up at 3 and not used until 6 is three hours of energy with no return on investment. More energy efficient and quicker recovery technology is retooling how kitchens are designed. Low temperature, higher humidity ovens like the programmable Combi-ovens and C-VAP cook-n-hold ovens not only save energy, but cook food with with accuracy and flavor.  Building in the necessary space for waste separation bins in kitchen design is also critical for any serious effort to succeed. More importantly though less acknowledged, is the fact that better food production management produces less waste. It is estimated that 20% of the entire carbon footprint of food is wasted due to spoilage and over production throughout the food chain. Think of that next time you make dinner at home, or go to the grocery store without a list!

I am challenging our chefs to look each day at ways we can better conserve and be responsible stewards of our environment. Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. A good slogan, but real things we can do in our global effort of just making great food.  

What’s on YOUR plate today?

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella

Serves 4

4 Large Heirloom Tomatoes (about 3 ½ pounds)
(Suggested varieties Boxcar Willie, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Brandywine OTV, Stupice, Black Krim, Juan Flamme) Cut into Large cubes 

1/2 Pound-Country Style italian Bread, crusts removed, cut into 1” cubes
1 Cup-Thinly sliced Red Onion
2 Tsp.-Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup-Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup-Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup-Basil, rough chopped
1/4 Cup-Italian Parsley, rough chopped
Salt to taste
Ground Black Pepper to taste

Procedure:
Combine tomatoes, bread, onions, and hebs.
Whisk together the garlic, vinegar and oil.  Pour over the tomato salad and let sit for 15 minutes. 
Add the basil, salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.  Serve.

 I would like to applaud you and Marriott on all of the efforts to go green in the kitchen.  My family has certainly made an effort to do the same, and we eat as much organic produce and meat as possible.  It is nice to know that when we travel we can keep it up and eat organic on vacation.

On a different note...have you ever thought about adding more Gluten Free items to the menus nationwide?  Celiac's disease is so widespread now, that I among many friends and family would appreciate if hotels would add Gluten Free items to the restaurant menus and room service menus.

Thank you for all that you do!

-Christina

 

Spring Asparagus Recipes in Marriott's Test Kitchen

  April is here, and with it the thaw of a Washington winter first shows itself in the stalls of the local farmers’ markets in the guise of tender shoots of asparagus. Later in the season, asparagus needs to be peeled of its woody layers, but this time of year all you need is a pot of boiling salted water or a bit of olive oil and a grill. 

Asparagus is best when done simply, and in the test kitchen we try to keep things simple. A simple grilled asparagus with brown butter vinaigrette and poached egg makes for a great appetizer or side accompaniment to any dinner. Feeling a little adventurous? Try it with a Fried poached egg for a textural twist. The asparagus-fennel salad with pecorino makes a fantastic light lunch. Asparagus is available year round, but at its best in spring. Try these recipes from the test kitchen for a great way to welcome Spring.

Grilled Asparagus, Poached Organic Egg, Brown Butter Vinaigrette, (for 4)
1 Pound Asparagus, trimmed
2 tsp olive oil
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
4 each large eggs, Organic cage free
4 ounces whole butter
1 shallot minced
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chives, minced
Salt and fresh ground pepper

• Heat a gas grill or overhead broiler. Toss the asparagus in the olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill or broil the asparagus 3-4 minutes or until just tender. Remove and keep warm on a serving tray.
   
• Meanwhile, place the butter in a sauce pot over medium high heat and bring to a simmer until the foam has risen and receded and the butter is browned (It should smell remotely of hazelnuts.)
   
• Place the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil into a bowl. Heat the vinegar mixture over low heat or in a microwave to bring just above room temperature. Remove, whisk in the browned butter slowly to make a smooth dressing, add the chives and season with salt and pepper. 
   
• Bring ½ gallon water to a simmer. Add a tablespoon of salt and a teaspoon of distilled white vinegar. Poach the eggs until the just whites have set. Drain and top the asparagus with the still warm egg. 
   
• Pour the warm dressing over the asparagus and serve immediately, though your guests may not give you the chance to get it to the table!

Alternative suggestion: Asparagus with a crisp Fried Poached Egg

• Poach the eggs as instructed but place immediately into ice water. 
   
• Cool, carefully drain and place onto a plastic lined plate. Place the eggs into a freezer for 15 minutes to make them easier to handle. 
   
• Prepare a breading mixture of separate seasoned flour, 3 parts whisked eggs 1 part milk, and fine bread crumbs. 
   
• Take the heavily chilled but not yet frozen eggs from the freezer, pass each one carefully first through the flour, then the egg mixture, and finally the bread crumbs, coating each well so that there are no cracks. Place back into the refrigerator. At service time, heat 1 inch of salad oil or light olive oil until shimmering. (Hint: a drop of water should sizzle and evaporate on contact if the oil is hot enough). 
   
• Gently lower the breaded eggs into the oil, frying 1 ½ minutes on each side until golden brown. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, drain briefly and top the asparagus with fried poached egg and the brown butter vinaigrette. 
   
• Serve immediately and watch as your guests marvel at the soft poached, crisp fried egg!

Asparagus- Fennel Salad with pecorino for 4
½ pound asparagus – green and white if available
1 medium fennel bulb
1 vine ripe tomato, sliced into thin strips
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 basil leaves, rough chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 head bibb lettuce, washed and torn
1 head frisee or baby red oak, optional, washed and torn
4 ounces pecorino, shaved

• Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water, cool immediately in ice water. Drain and slice into 2” bias slices. Cut the fennel bulb in thin cross slices, place directly into ice water to crisp the fennel.
   
• Make the dressing: whisk the vinegar and mustard together, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the basil, season with salt and pepper.
   
• Drain the fennel. Mix the fennel, asparagus, and tomatoes with the dressing. Divide the lettuces onto 4 plates; top each generously with the dressed asparagus.
   
• Sprinkle with the shaved pecorino and serve, ideally with a loaf of crunchy artisan bread.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

...I've been looking for a great fried poached egg technique for awhile..and this
is great!

Thanks!

-Dave

Back to Boston at 606 Congress

I had a chance to get back to Boston recently.  As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, Boston has wonderful restaurants.  A great addition to the dining scene has just opened at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. The hotel itself is spectacular with sweeping views of the harbor. It is located in the exciting South Seaport District. 

606 Congress is a stunning restaurant with a broad exhibition kitchen fronted by a chef’s table for communal dining and a great view of the cooks in action. Hotel Executive Chef Greg Griffie has the reins of the property, and 606 Congress’ chef Toby Hill masterfully guides the restaurant’s culinary team through a menu divided into progressive sections of small plates. Starting with the lightest and finishing with the most robust, diners are encouraged to explore the menu through each of six sections in small plate style. Firsts and Seconds include local Creek Island Oysters, a crostini of spicy eggplant and ricotta salata, a perfect flash fried calamari, and a brilliant pairing of La Quercia Proscuitto and lemony arugula. La Quercia is an artisan producer of cured meats in Iowa rivaling the best of Italy, and their proscuitto is exceptionally good and even available through mail order for home sales.   

Thirds and Fourths include little neck clams with white beans and chorizo, and “Andrea’s High Falutin Mac-n-Cheese” (high falutin due to the unexpected black truffle!). Fifths include a beautifully braised shortrib with celery root puree and a Really Tender Pork Stew. The Sixths are a collection of cheeses, each paired as exquisitely as the Jasper Hill Farm “Bartlett Blue” with caramelized onions and local honey.

606 Congress is collaboration with Chef Michael Schlow, James Beard “Best Chef of the Northeast” 2000 winner among his many accolades. Michael’s sense of simplicity and profoundly balanced flavors are brilliant, and a trip to Boston is now incomplete without a stop at 606 Congress, and a taste of Michael’s inspired cuisine.

What’s on your PLATE today?

"You're a chef...what's your specialty?"

"Wow, you’re a chef…what’s your specialty?"

Can’t tell you how much I really dread that question. It usually comes at my kids' soccer games, at a party with people I haven’t met, or on an airplane with a chatty neighbor. “Gee, not sure what you mean, I like to cook a lot of things,” I think to myself. I love Mexican food, should I talk about the quesadillas I made for my youngest son last Saturday? Or the R/D in the test kitchen last week where we were working on bar foods and created a collection of sliders patterned after classic holiday meals? Or that I have always loved long and slow braised meats like shortribs or the classic pot roast, things no one cooks at home anymore?

Usually I opt out and say the truth that I have many favorites but just love to cook things I think my guests will enjoy. It’s really not a mystery, chefs just like to cook and hope people like what we have prepared.

Now, there are chefs who revolve their careers around a narrow but deep list of foods or cuisines. I have utmost respect for them and celebrate their cause of Spanish tapas, Malaysian street foods, or fish-only expertise. These are the true specialists, and they find as much comfort in their circle of knowledge as they do discomfort outside of that circle. Personally, I believe that the modern great chefs are good cooks first, and specialists second. The business is too diverse and guests too food-wise to be focused on just one topic. The chefs in Marriott, Renaissance, and JW Marriott hotels all have the challenge of being very good at many things, and I think they do a great job with that balancing act.  Each one may have their personal favorite, but their specialty is in running large, diverse kitchen operations that produce great food in their restaurants, bars, and banquet facilities. Being a hotel chef is a specialty, and not every chef out there can do what they do.

What’s on YOUR plate today?
 

14 Chefs Cooking In Texas & The Latest Culinary Thinking

My colleague Thomas Rebler and I have just spent the last 5 days in Austin, Texas, working with 14 key chefs, piloting a training class designed to educate and align chefs with the latest culinary thinking. Thomas is a great chef and was lured to Washington, DC from his post as executive chef of the JW Marriott Hong Kong, a fantastic hotel. We have conducted similar courses in Singapore, Germany, and England, but this was the first of many in the US. Utilizing the kitchens of the Texas Culinary Academy, one of Le Cordon Bleu’s many US culinary schools, we spent each day cooking and critiquing with the lens of the customer always in focus.

Usually when you get more than two executive chefs cooking in the same kitchen, a competition breaks out to see who has the most culinary prowess, resulting in innovation over flavor, presentation over practicality. We began the first evening with a session on dining trends and then started cooking. No one had a clue of what was in the fridge. An hour and a half later, 28 dishes are put up and we take a crack and dissecting each one to understand the chef’s intent and where the dish would most likely be featured. Some are slam dunks, easy to understand, easy to execute, and easy to comfortably place on a menu without a glossary of terms. Some are whims, some are wins, but those that even the creator can’t explain are the most interesting to dissect. Does tofu and balsamic vinegar really belong on the same plate together or is it just me? Sorry, I’ll take Chef X’s organic roast chicken with fingerling potatoes and leeks instead, thank you.

So what is the latest culinary thinking? Very simply, it is about getting the basics right. Bring great ingredients together with solid cooking fundamentals. Blend flavors that belong together, and keep it simple enough to understand while executing solid cooking techniques. Food is always changing, and much like fashion designers chasing the latest runway trend, chefs can get caught up in the wave of the moment. But in the same way that clothes fans won’t really wear the latest wacky and feather plumed outfit blasted over the fashion magazine headlines, most food fans are really not interested in eating the sea urchin jelly manipulated to look like a poached egg. Always the challenge, balancing the magazine masthead with what guests really want to order - honest ingredients, perfect cooking, and delights without surprises. If I want to eat asparagus, I want a perfectly cooked spear and not a plume of green foam. If I order a beet and goat cheese salad (my personal favorite combo), I do not want it smothered with a syrupy reduced vinegar dressing and drizzled with myriad of colored but unidentifiable oils.

Bringing chefs together for a week-long cook/think tank is the best way I know to create a creative yet focused culinary forum. We spend years honing our craft, and yet it always comes down to three things- great ingredients, solid cooking ability, and guest support. The latest in culinary thinking? Hot food hot, cold food cold. Pretty original right?

What’s on YOUR plate today?  

The Washington Restaurant Scene is Alive!

 I had lunch yesterday with a great food writer and blogger at Westend Bistro, the excellent new restaurant by Eric Ripert at the Ritz-Carlton DC. Amanda McClements is a freelance writer whose work has been in Food & Wine, The Washington Post, Washingtonian and many other publications .  She is tuned in to the booming restaurant scene in Washington, and even shared a tip on a new wine bar here in DC called Cork, a place I will surely seek out. Amanda has interesting posts on Metrocurean, and is now my first stop when looking for the newest must-go restaurant in DC.  Check out what she has to say, she’s good.

What’s on YOUR plate today?

This kind of saddens me.  In my opinion Eric Ripert is one of the most intelligent and skilled chefs of the last hundred years.  I knew at some point he would want to go beyond Le Bernardin, but I guess I had hoped it would be something other than a hotel restauarant.

While Ritz has the Escoffier tradition  in its culinary history, it rarely seems to get mentioned.  Perhaps it can be Ripert that will re-establish Ritz-Carlton as an authority in the dining world.

I certainly hope so.

-Kelby