culinary developments_ menus and recipes from 21 June, 2003       'Don't be a afraid of a turkey.' - Amelia K. Solomon



GLEANED FROM GRIMES: (review of Chef Dufresne's WD50, NYC, 06182003. The following is a description of his menu printed for interpretive purposes.)

      -Squid cut into noodle-shaped slivers is tossed in a white porcelain bowl with crisped leaves of serrano ham and juicy cubes of Cavaillon melon. Deep in the bowl, a thin layer of sweet-paprika mayonnaise adds spice and a luxurious mouth feel.

      -Smoked eel and salty sea beans accentuate the natural sweetness of scallops, arranged in a tidy pyramid. Slices of astringent black radish undercut the richness of the dish.

      -Stellar Bay oysters puréed and flattened into a thin sheet that looks like a slice of polished marble. Think of your own fish carpaccio made with blushing gravad cod and think of making a green and orange version - with grey? Marbled. Orange peel. Thai basil mojo. Sea weed. Think of the smoked fish carpaccio.

      -Chef Dufresne's substitute for dressing: a scattering of dried olives and tiny diced Granny Smith apples, with pistachio purée on the side.

      -WD-50's famous terrine, a neat rectangle of firm, creamy chilled foie gras topped with anchovy fillets, like some satanic pastry. Citrus chutney helps broker an agreement between the meat and the fish, but the truce is fragile. This is food that takes you to a new, strange place.

      -Small fillets of red mullet have a difficult time competing with the strong flavors of Chinese sausage and cherries. Not when I make it. Think paella.

      -Red grapes with octopus, pickled ramps and fingerling potato.

      -A smooth cauliflower-almond purée, spread on the plate in a thin layer, makes a creamy off-sweet frosting for sea bass, topped with a festive heap of sliced almonds, dried apricots and long beans sliced into tiny rounds.

THE SOY FETISH THAT WON'T GO AWAY: PERHAPS IT COMES FROM MY BARELY PESCETARIAN PROTEIN CONSUMPTION, OR PERHAPS FROM THE HIGH LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY THAT I'VE BEEN SUBJECTING MYSELF TO SINCE MARCH. SOMETHING IS CREATING IN ME A RELENTEESS DESIRE FOR PROTEIN. THIS WEEK I BOUGHT 4 (!) DIFFERENT KINDS OF TOFU IN AN ATTEMPT TO SATE THE MONTH'S NAGGING DESIRE FOR SOY PRODUCTS. BEST RECIPE SO FAR:
- KIM CHEE WITH FIRM SILKEN TOFU AND GREEN ONION SLIVERS. A CLASSIC VARIATION ON THE SILKEN TOFU WITH BONITO FLAKES AND GREEN ONIONS IN A PUDDLE OF LIGHT SOY KNOWN WELL IN JAPANESE RESTAURANTS. PERFECT SUMMER FOOD.

AFTER YEARS OF ATTEMPTING TO MAKE THE KOREAN DELICACY I'VE GIVEN UP. THERE ARE GREAT RECIPES ALL OVER THE PLACE, NONE OF THEM TASTE AS GOOD AS THAT BUBBLY STUFF ONES CAN BUY AT EVERY CORNER-SHOP IN SAN FRANCISCO. I'M STICKING TO STORE-BOUGHT. FRESH KIM CHEE IN TUBS IS RECENTLY AVAILABLE AT WAH NAM HONG ON THE GELDERSE KADE, AND IS LIGHT WITH A SLIGHT FERMENTED BUBBLE ON THE TONGUE. METHOD: IN A BOWL PLACE A 6CM CUBE OF SILKEN TOFU IN A SMALL PUDDLE OF LIGHT SOY SAUCE. SPRINKLE WITH VERY FINELY SLICED GREEN ONIONS AND SURROUND WITH A GENEROUS PILE OF KIM CHEE. EAT. VARIATION: MIX THE KIM CHEE WITH CAYENNE OR SWEET PAPRIKA-FLAVOURED MAYONNAISE - SO THAT IT RESEMBLES PINK COLESLA. MMM. THE COMBINATION WITH THE SWEET FLAVOUR OF THE SILKEN TOFU IS REFRESHING AND COMFORTING.