Taylor Bay Scallops

Taylor Bay Scallops / Piquillo Pepper Relish / Corn Nut Crumble / Black Truffles / Crispy Red Onion. A couple of these photos were taken before the truffles made it on the plate. Whatever, you get the idea. Thanks, Tiffany, for the great photos

James Beard Dinner 2009

It was a great honor to cook at the Beard House last April. Rich and I were invited back to do another dinner in March 2010 with Jorge Ordonez. Who by the way has some amazing wines. I am looking forward to another visit. Foie Gras Torchon / Bacon & Vinaigrette / Chared Scallion / Pain Purdu

Berkshire Blue Cheese

The new blue cheese on our cheese board is Berkshire Blue. I have to say it is my favorite blue. It's made from unpasteurized milk, which makes a better cheese. Due to the seasons, each wheel we have received has been completely different. Read more about it here.

Chocolate & Beets

Chocolate Ganache Cake / Beet Puree, Sugar, and Salt / Pistachio / Meringue / Calaminth

Another Amazing Beer

This is the new beer put out by Pretty Things, Babayaga. I have not been disappointed yet. It's a winter seasonal stout. Another very well balanced beer. I am looking forward what else Dann has up his sleeves.

Steel head Trout Crudo

Steel Head Trout Crudo / Cavendish Qauil Egg yolk / Hill Orchard Apple Cider & Vinegar / Beet Salt / Smoked Bacon & Jasmine Milk Froth / Lime zest

Black Bird Farm Beef Heart

Seared Black Bird Farm Beef Heart / Candied Shallots / White Carrot Puree / Delicata Sqaush

Truffle & Jus

Chioggia Beet Ravioli

Chioggia Beet Ravioli / Orange blossom yogurt panna cotta / Kalamata olive / Pine nuts / Blood orange vinaigrette

2009 Boston Rising Star Chefs Awards

I just want to congratulate my executive chef, Rich, on the Star Chefs' Rising Star award for the most sustainable chef. The gala was a lot of fun. I got to work alongside and meet some of the best chefs in Boston. I was also able to taste some of the other chef's dishes. They were all really good.

Black Bird Farm

We had the pleasure of meeting our Black Bird Farm friends earlier this week. The tour of the farm was pretty rad! No feed lots here. We walked through the pasture, met the cows, and learned all about black angus. At the farm they really care and love their animals, and it comes through in the flavor of the beef. It is really high quality beef!

Sweetbread Torchon

Sweetbread torchon / Horseradish potato puree / Candied shallots / Roasted Gala apples / Veal jus

Pig Skin Sundays

Sunday Funday!!

Every sunday home game we will be roasting a pig at Tasting's. This pig came from Adam's Farm in Athol, MA. I can't wait until the next one. We did pulled pork sandwiches, North Carolina style, with baked beans and house-made pickles.

Pretty Things

This is my new favorite beer. Every bar and restaurant should carry Pretty Things, and I will come. There is one other kind called Baby Tree, which is not pictured above. How could you not like something called Baby Tree? Each beer is very well balanced, and the artwork is pretty amazing too.

Salad & Sandwich

Seared lamb heart salad / Eva's greens / Cherry belle radishes / Kalamata olives / Orange blossom and cumin vinaigrette

The sandwich in the background is hot beef tongue pastrami with Boggy Meadows Fiddle Head Tomme, a house made pickle, and grain mustard.

Wild Foraged Chestnuts

There are only a few edible varieties of chestnuts, and these are one type of them. They are Chinese chestnuts. These nutty gems were a pretty good find. Now what to do with them?

Foie Gras & Apple Sassafras jam

Foie gras torchon / Apple sassafras jam / Port gelee / Walnut cookie crumble / Simple vinaigrette

Another Video

Check out my debut video that I did for How To Heroes. We filmed earlier this week in the parking lot at Patriot Place. Rich and I did separate videos featuring tailgating dishes. So check them out. Just click on the link.

Pig Trotter

I really don't know what to call this, but basically it's pig trotter, coppa di testa. If that makes any sense? I picked these trotters up from Louis at Hill Farm in Foster, Rhode Island, who raises beautiful Berkshire hogs. Basically I went through the same process that you would with head cheese. I cured them in a brine, simmered them in a flavorful stock, reduced the jus, and rolled them, adding a little jus to hold it together. The outcome was a little more rubbery or gelatinous than head cheese, but when sliced paper thin it's pretty good.

Winter Squash Gnocchi

We had this dish on our menu last fall. It is the perfect balance between sweet and savory. As a whole the dish reminds me of Thanksgiving, without the turkey.

Winter squash gnocchi, apple cider glazed pork belly, hazelnut crumble, eggnog froth

Zucchini Primavera

Check out my Sous Chef and friend, Imani Greer, cook up his version of primavera on How to Heroes.

Quail

Fennel & Pork Sausage Stuffed Quail / Navy Beans / Maderia Jus

Siberian Sweet Watermelon

We are participating in the RAFT grow out through Chef's Collaborative and Slow Food USA. Through this grow out we have been seeing some beautiful produce that hasn't been grown in New England for years. It would only make sense to pair up with Jim Ward from Ward's Berry Farm since we already get most of our produce from him. He just harvested these beautiful Siberian Sweet Watermelons. I paired the melon with salt cured yellow fin tuna / feta / tomato pulp / lemon basil / arugula / jalapeno / white balsamic vinaigrette.

Beef Tongue Pastrami Recipe

Beef tongue / Corn puree / Pickled fennel / Horse radish / Mustard seeds / Parmigiano

Brine-

1 gallon water

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup kosher salt

4 fresh bay leaf

6 sprig thyme

2 cloves garlic

6 crushed juniper berries

2 cloves

Rub-

1 tbsp coriander seed

1 tsp Maine sea salt

.5 tbsp ground black pepper

.5 tbsp mustard seeds

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the water, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from the heat and add herbs and spices and steep for 1 hour. Place the tongue in a glass. Pour the seasoned brine to cover the tongue completely. Cover and refrigerate for 1 week.

Remove tongues from water and place them in a large pot. Add 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks of celery, and cold water enough to cover the tongue by a few inches. Simmer tongues for 3 hours or until very tender. When done remove the outer layer of skin and allow the tongue to rest.

Fire up your smoker and rub the tongue with the rub and slow smoke for about 2 hours. When finished allow the tongue to rest before serving.

Kousa Dogwood Fruit

I was in Rochester, N.Y. last week for a wedding. On my way home, waiting for a bus to come back to Boston, I went for a walk and stumbled upon these almost Southeast Asian looking fruits. They kind of resemble a lychee until you open it up; inside it's almost like an over ripened peach. The radar is on. Now I am finding Dogwoods all over the place, even in a McDonalds parking lot. Now what do I do with this beautiful fall fruit?

Maine Lobster Ceviche

Ahhh, apple season is upon us. This dish is an old stand by for me. Besides lobster and apples, there is jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, and popcorn. This is one of my favorite ceviche flavor combinations.

Rose Hip Syrup

I love gifts! Last week a friend of mine, Forest, made this amazing rose hip syrup from some beach roses she harvested in Cape Cod. Thanks Forest, it's really tasty. To use it I kept the dish simple. The foie gras works really well with the syrup. The rest of the dish consists of hazlenut biscotti, jamon serrano, oxalis, and a spritz of sherry.

Braised Rabbit Risotto

Braised rabbit leg risotto / Green beans / Fresh horseradish / Parmigiano / Thyme & summer savory flowers from our roof top garden. I will post some pictures of our rooftop garden in the near future.

Wild Blueberries

I found this delightful shrub on my ride to work one day. Ever since then these berries have become my breakfast every so often. This plant has sparked an interest in foraging for more local varieties of plants that I can eat or use at the restaurant.

Not For Everyone but So Delicious

I just received a whole lamb from our friends at Around the Bend Farm. I also purchased some really nice baby fennel and celeriac. Organ meats are so underrated. I love them! What we have here is buttermilk soaked and fried lamb brains / celeriac puree / clams / fennel salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette / capers / thyme (that was grown on the roof of the restaurant) / lamb jus.

Check out the photo gallery on StarChef's website and look at the photos of the five course tasting Rich and I put together for the editor, Antoinette Bruno. It is an honor to be partners with a chef who has been nominated as one of the rising StarChefs of Boston. So go check out Chef Richard Garcia of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro!

Stuffed Dates

Jamon Serrano wrapped dates stuffed with Great Hill Blue Cheese / Almonds / Sherry vinaigrette / Arugula flower buds

Seasonal Salad

Eva's greens / Flowers / Nicoise olives / Cherry belle radish / House made ricotta / Red onion / orange blossom, cumin vinaigrette

Foie Gras Torchon

House cured bacon / toasted brioche / pistachio / cocoa nibs / pickled beet puree / blueberries

Sqaush Blossom

Zucchini flower stuffed with lobster salad / tarragon / tomato vinaigrette / capers. Instead of using mayonnaise for the lobster salad, I used a corn puree. The sweet corn puree gave the salad the same texture as mayo; however, it gave it a certain buttery sweetness that mayo could not.