incommunicado

so...thanks to my non-bill paying roommate (i do love him though), i haven't had internet access for a hot minute.  lots of pictures and thoughts are collecting...when the situation is rectified, it'll be like the great deluge.

roasted duck breast | lentils vinaigrette | chive oil | braised figs | sherry reduction

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eventually, there will be more than pictures. a couple of open letters are being drafted. a few thoughts and musings are beginning to pile up on twitter; and will be compiled here shortly. but i'm tired, and lazy, and its really fucking cold.

speaking of which, after 6 years here, i think i've become too acclimated to the weather. me and this cold snap are definitely not friends. although, based on my ride home the other night - if i ever do move to chicago, getting around shouldn't be too bad - assuming i'm bundled up like an arctic ninja.

pork tenderloin | truffled potato puree | carmelized apples | black truffle tuile | calvados reduction

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cecil's bbq

three words: fuck. yeah. texas.

one before work

asian steak frites: szechuan crusted ribeye | tempura sweet potato fries | kimchee ketchup | nappa stir-fry | soy-ginger emulsion

Yak loin. Good to keep the Yang up.

on wednesday, my chef had me come in a couple of hours early, because our specialty produce and cheese vendor was coming. This was a really cool experience on a couple of levels. first, it gave me an oppourtunity to start to get to know our vendors, and second, we get to taste/smell/feel everything, and buy shit straight off the truck.

one of the coolest things we bought, was a case of dry farmed organic pears. dry farming is agriculture without irrigation, and is dependent solely natural precipitation. it takes sustainable/organic farming another step further. and you can taste that extra step. they're the most intensely pear flavored pears i've ever had.

this restaurant is definitely affording me some opportunities and experience i've never had before. i got to try my first meyer lemon on wednesday, and now i understand why they're the most highly valued lemons in the world. a few days before that, i had my first taste of a real black truffle, not just truffle oil. amazing funky funky goodness.

i'm stoked that spring is pretty much around the corner...i'm hoping for some ramps, fiddlehead ferns, and maybe some softshell crabs.

(from top: dry-farmed organic pear; the haul: hedgehog mushrooms, dry-farmed pears, meyer lemons, cherimoya, a giant purple japanese radish, chocolate covered figs, cheeses; two of the cheeses we bought: Beemster X.O. - a 26 month aged gouda that is flaky, crumbly and incredible, and Formaggi Rossini - a redwine soaked blue cheese, it was....distinct...and would be really good with a malbec and some honey and walnuts.)

for a rainy day

grilled pork tenderloin | roasted sweet potatoes | fennel cream | red pepper emulsion