Cooking & Kitchen

On Friday, July 13, 2007, I dined at Victoria & Albert’s in Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel in Orlando Florida.

Victoria & Albert’s is an elite, intimate and elegant eatery recognized by the nation’s top food critics. This very-special-occasion romantic Victorian retreat offers nightly harpists, lavish décor, personalized menus and a long-stem rose for each lady. An exceptional prix fixe menu paired with world-class wines is prepared daily. Luxury ingredients and sheer artistry make any meal here a memory to cherish.

After nearly an hour’s worth of travel via Disney cartage (trams, buses, and monorails (oh my!)) in sweltering heat and humidity from my resort, I arrived at the stunningly-beautiful Grand Floridian Hotel about 15 minutes before my reservation, so I refreshed myself in the beautiful, cool, and comfortable lobby and let the worries of my journey ease before heading up to the second floor and the discreet entrance of the restaurant.

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On Wednesday, July 11^th, 2007 Wendy & I were joined by Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler of the Cincinnati-based band Over The Rhine for a landmark dinner at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. Karin & Linford have not dined at the restaurant before, and are rather new to fine dining in general. Jean-Robert is a fan of their music, so he pulled out all the stops for us.

We arrived at the restaurant for our 7:00 reservation, were warmly welcomed by Richard Brown, maitre’d, and enjoyed Pigall’s Martinis in the cozy bar area before heading to our table, a four-top in a corner near the front of the restaurant.

Before settling in, we all went back to the kitchen to say hi to Chef and staff. Wendy, Karin, and Linford hung out and talked with Chef while I went and said hello to the kitchen staff — my co-workers when I am there (welcome back, Luke — I hope California was fun!).

Karin & Linford presented Chef with a collection of their CDs in Karin’s “pre-iPod” music storage case — a lovingly-used case in which she used to store her CDs, headphones, and personal CD player (before iPods came along) when they were on the road. They added an Over The Rhine t-shirt and stickers. Chef was incredibly pleased with the gift, and was rendered speechless (a rare feat!).

We went back to the table, and the incredible feast began under the watchful eye of Angie, our server, with outstanding paired wines from sommelier Jason Price.

Our amuse bouche was a Salutation Cove Oyster with Tomato and Basil finished tableside with tomato nage and paired with Andre Tissot “Pigall’s Label” Cremant du Jura, N/V. The richness of the oyster and the acidity of the heirloom tomatoes were nicely countered by the sparkling wine.

Next, we enjoyed a lovely Tuna Tartare with Summer Slaw, Avocado, and Hibiscus Sorbet. The summer slaw had fennel in it, which is one of Karin’s favorite flavors. The pairing with the Alain Normand Macon La Roche Vineuse, 2005 was gentle and lovely. The hibiscus sorbet was light and elusive, sweet and bright.

A wholly gorgeous dish, Lobster with Cucumber, Trio of Melon and Quail Egg followed. The beautiful little melon balls added bright colors and sweet flavors to the perfectly prepared and thinly sliced lobster and cucumber. During this course, we encountered one of our favorite wines of the evening, the Robert Weil Keidrich Graffenberg Reisling Spatlese, Rheingau 2003. Oh, did we love this wine!

During our meal, Karin & Linford kindly played the role of our students as we jokingly ‘tutored’ them on the ins-and-outs of fine dining, including when to go to the restroom (”Ask your server first”), how to walk to the restroom without wobbling once you’ve been extensively served (”Walk fast and with conviction”), how to kiss the Chef (”Aim for his right cheek first!”), and more (”Drop your fork? Leave it!”).

Piling delight upon delight, the next course was Zucchini Blossom with Pea Puree and Summer Truffle. I have stuffed tons of these fragile zucchini blossoms, so I doubly appreciate them for their delicate flavor. These were stuffed with delicious peas. Each dish was topped with two perfect (giant!) slices of gentle summer truffle, and finished with a hot truffle juice poured tableside. As generally happens when truffles appear at a table, all four of us leaned over the dishes, heads down, inhaling the wonderful aroma. Wendy & Karin are considering developing and selling truffle perfume. Our pairing for this course was a refreshing Joseph Viollot Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes, 2004

Somewhere near this point, Linford said, “I think we’ve found our new favorite restaurant”.

One of our favorites is always the foie gras course. Chef knows this well about us, and did not disappoint with Seared Foie Gras with White Peach, White Grits, Arugula and Bleu Cheese. The generous serving of foie gras was seasoned and seared beautifully, topping a tower based with white grits, and white peach, surrounded by a brick dough ring. An amazing combination. Perfectly counterpointing the dish was the Robert Weil Keidrich Graffenberg Reisling Spatlese, Rheingau 2003

We had an energetic and enlightening conversation about the responsibility — real or perceived — of artists (like Bono and others) to use their fame/access to further their causes.

Following was Scallop with Chanterelle, Corn, Creamy Leeks, and Bordelaise — perfectly cooked scallops with a sort of puree of corn around creamy leeks, topped with a couple large pieces of Chanterelles. The pairing, actually a double-pairing, with Chateau Cotes de Lacoste Cotes du Castillon, 1998 and Verget Arbois “En Chante Merle”, 2004 were both very good.

Our next course was Poussin with Morels, French Wild Asparagus and Consomme paired with Verget Arbois “En Chante Merle”, 2004 (though Jason had originally intended to pair it with Domaine de Barroubio Muscat Sec, Langeudoc-Rousillon, 2005 until Chef added the Wild Asparagus. Jason gave us tastes of both wines for comparison.). The tiny birds (generally weighing approximately 1 pound each) were delicate and delicious, and the morels and asparagus made this a very fresh seasonal dish. The tiny poussin leg garnish made us appreciate just how tiny the birds are.

A brilliant Lamb Shank Ravioli with Sugar Snap Peas and Pommery Mustard was presented next. The lamb shank was delicious and incredibly balanced with the green crunch of the sugar snap peas and the warmth of the mustard cream. Lake Chalice Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2005.

King Salmon with Ratatouille and Balsamic Reduction — a generous square of King Salmon graced half the rectangular plate and a roll of ratatouille counterbalanced it on the other half. The balsamic reduction tied both halves together in a seamless fashion. The flavors of the ratatouille were distinct and bright, and the knife work on the vegetables was tight and clean. Paired with the Lake Chalice Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2005, this was a very nice fish course.

One of the stand-out courses for the evening was the Porcelet, Potato Galette stuffed with Goat Cheese, Duo of Haricot Verts, and Rosemary Jus. The porcelet (very young pig) was simply the most tender pork I have ever had, and it was seasoned and prepared to perfection. The potato galette stuffed with goat cheese was a delightful contrast in textures — the crispy potato yielding to the smooth, soft goat cheese… This was a dish I’d never seen at the restaurant before, and it shows that with great ingredients and great skill, amazing things happen. It should go without saying that the Les Closiers Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2004 was both an exceptional wine and pairing.

Owing to previous experiences at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s, Wendy & I have come to love cheese courses, so we were delighted when an Assortment of Imported and Domestic Cheeses appeared, with instructions to enjoy them from mildest to strongest along with the Domaine de Rancy Rivesaltes Ambre, 1990.

Chef came out to say hi to Karin and Linford and spent a few minutes chatting with them about their meal. They indicated that they’ve eaten all over the world and had not encountered food as good as this, and declared that Chef is a treasure to the city of Cincinnati.

I went back to say hi to the kitchen staff to find that most of them had left for the evening (since we closed the place, this wasn’t a huge surprise). Only pastry chef Karen was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on our desserts when I walked in. Karen yelled at me (in a friendly way) to “Get out of here! Go back to your table so I can serve these!”. So I went back out to enjoy our Variation of Sweets with La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti.

As dessert was ending, Chef came back looking a little shy. He approached the table, complimenting Karin & Linford on their great music, and then asked if they would sign the case that they’d given him. Of course, they were thrilled to comply. I happened to notice that the Sharpie he had for them to use is the one used in the kitchen for marking orders as they move through the stations — interesting the things one notices.

Finally, Chef heard directly from Karin & Linford what I’d been conveying to him to a long time: They want him to attend one of their shows! Chef works incredible hours and is devoted to his family and restaurant, but I hope that sometime, he’ll be able to enjoy a live show from Over The Rhine.

On Saturday, June 23, 2007, Wendy & I dined at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. It had been a while since we’d eaten there (once in February with the HAPPY MOUTH SUPPER CLUB; before that, the last time Wendy & I dined there alone was September 2006), so we were very excited to get back. We arrived just in time for our 8:00 reservation and were immediately shown to a private booth near the center of the restaurant by Richard Brown. “This is a very romantic booth; very private,” we were told as we sat down.

Soon, Renee (the sommelier for the evening since Jason was away at “Pinot Camp”) came back with two glasses of bubbling Andre’ et Mireille Tissot ”Pigall’s Label” Cremant du Jura, N/V, a nice welcome from the Chef. Angie (our new server since Tammy left) told us that Chef wanted to select our meal that night. We agreed that it was a fabulous idea (always accept this if you’re offered!) and settled in for an epic meal.

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On Saturday, June 16, 2007, I worked in the kitchens of Jean-Robert at Pigall’s. It was a good evening to work — the Chef de Cuisine and one of the line cooks were both out. Adequate plans for coverage were made, though — the sous chef from one of Jean-Robert’s other restaurants worked the “middle” (between fish and meat), I was there, and there were two high school-aged girls volunteering as well. It’s rare to see volunteers there because the kitchen is so small, but the girls stayed mostly out of the way.

Before service, I assisted with general prep. When Chef arrived, he pulled me downstairs to assist him (it was fun for me in a weird way to re-assign my mise en place to the high-school girls) with butchery & fish mongering. I worked my way (slowly, Chef would tell you!) through several skate wings and beef tenderloins. I enjoy butchery and fish mongering and have some skill at it (though I am a little bit slow, Chef would probably point out again, poking me in the ribs with his finger), and it was nice to give these skills a workout — not something I get to do often. An added perk was that Chef worked with me for much of the butchery. We had a good conversation while we worked, a rare luxury in such a busy kitchen.

After cleaning up from the butchery, I moved upstairs and shadowed Abby on Hot Appetizers for service. I helped with the soup and ravioli dishes, and helped Abby wherever I could. I didn’t start out the evening very helpfully — the first thing I did was drop a sizzle plate loudly to the floor (”it’s going to be that kind of night,” I thought). I messed up a couple other things that put Abby in the weeds, but she was cool and collected through the first turn. Or perhaps she was just relishing the quiet because she over-celebrated her 25th birthday the night before… I got my shit together for the second turn and feel like I contributed. Since morel mushrooms are in season, we sold a bunch of them — more than 20 orders, I think.

At one point during service, we ran out of prepared skate so Chef pulled me from Hot Apps and sent me downstairs to fabricate a few more. I busted them out, brought them up to Chef, and cleaned up. After service, Chef said that he was impressed that I jumped out, did what was necessary, and jumped back in.

After service, Chef asked if I wanted a soft-shell crab, which is currently on our menu. I said sure (it is bad form to say no when a chef offers you food!). The fish guy (Rob) told me that he’d cook it but I had to prep the crab. So, I followed the instructions Abby told me: “Step 1: Cut off the face with these scissors. Step 2: Lift up the skirt and cut out the gills. Step 3: Pull the tab (near the crab’s butt) and cut it off”. Abby has a hard time getting past the “cut off the face” part, but that doesn’t give me a problem. In culinary school, I went around behind the chef-instructor’s back and dispatched the lobsters of squeemish classmates. On Valentine’s Day (we call it amateur night) at the restaurant, I had to prep, dispatch, and par-cook 75 lobsters. The prep involved inserting a “booty stick” in the lobster’s, well…, booty (to keep the tail from curling when cooked) before dropping it in boiling water. After a few minutes, they were shocked in icy water and I broke down the bodies and cut their faces off for garnish.

Rob pan-fried the crab and served it with sauteed vegetables including fennel & fingerling potatoes and a caper buerre noir over top. It was delicious! I noticed that any time I’d turn my back on the plate, bits of the crab would disappear as my co-workers snuck samples. Fine with me.

After service was over, I helped everyone break down their stations and prepare to shut down the restaurant for their “weekend” — no service on Sunday or Monday. I was ready to go out for drinks, but owing to the over-celebration the night before, no one wanted to indulge, so I headed home, tired but happy to have helped out.

Upon reflection on the night, I feel like I passed a threshold in the restaurant with my participation during prep and service. I am not currently able to articulate what threshold it was exactly, but it feels like something very positive. I really enjoy working at Jean-Robert at Pigall’s.

June 11-June 17 2007 is 7 DAYS FOR SIDS week in the Cincinnati area. SIDS is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which is the number one cause of death for infants aged one week to one year. 7 DAYS FOR SIDS was founded by Jean-Robert de Cavel and his wife, Annette following the tragic death of their baby daughter Tatiana to SIDS on June 13 2002.

Money raised from 7 DAYS FOR SIDS benefits the Sudden Infant Death Network of Ohio by providing research, education, and parental support as well as the Tatiana de Cavel Scholarship Fund at the Midwest Culinary Institute. The mission of the Sudden Infant Death Network of Ohio is to work towards the reduction and eventual elimination of SIDS through a multidisciplinary approach of: the promotion of infant health and wellness, community outreach, education, and medical research. In addition, the Sudden Infant Death Network is dedicated to providing supportive services to those who have been affected by the loss of a child, age 2 and under, from a Sudden Infant Death (SIDS) or Other Infant Death (OID).

More than 30 restaurants and businesses are participating in the event.

In just four years, 7 DAYS FOR SIDS has raised more than $300,000, making it the largest SIDS fundraiser in the United States. While de Cavel is elated by this success and grateful for other restaurants’ generosity, the week of his daughter’s death is still painful.

“It is not necessarily a week when I have a good time,” he says. “But I think it’s the best thing I could’ve done for the memory of our daughter.” (via Cincinnati Enquirer)

One of the showcase events of the week is Chefapalooza on Tuesday June 12 at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. Chefapalooza features famed New Southern Cooking Movement chef Nathalie Dupree who joins Jean-Robert de Cavel and David Cook (of Daveeds at 934) for lively cooking demonstrations. Samples of the food prepared by these three chefs will be available, paired with wine, after the event. Hosts for the evening are Jean-Robert de Cavel and Meg Calvin. This event is affordable at $50/pp but tickets to this event go rather quickly, so reserve while tickets are still available.

Another important event is Homerama Cooks for a Cure on Wednesday June 13. The ultimate test kitchen: chefs from the area’s top restaurants present cooking demonstrations in designer homes, and you get to eat the results! Tickets are available at the door, $12.

The events of the week culminate in a Father’s Day Brunch & Silent Auction at the Cincinnati Museum Center. All your brunch favorites prepared by chefs from the best restaurants in town: Andy’s Mediterranean Grille, Aqua, Boca, Behle Street Cafe, Cumin, Daveed’s at 934, Deco Dining, Encore Bistro & Bar, Heidelberg Distributing, Honey, JR French Restaurant Group, Kona Bistro, Lattitudes, Nectar, One Restaurant & Lounge, RED, Taste from Belgium, Trauth Dairy, Vinyl, and Woodford Reserve. Advanced purchase tickets are $60 or $70 at the door.

For a full list of participating restaurants and their specials, see this PDF poster or visit the 7 DAYS FOR SIDS web site.

Says de Cavel: “When we hear people want to help, it’s no longer surprising. But it’s still overwhelming.”

Just remember: your appetite can help the cause!

 
One Night, Twelve Kitchens
April 29, 6-9 pm
Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State College 

Top regional chefs showcase the eleven state-of-the-art kitchens at Midwest Culinary Institute to benefit the Cincinnati State College Foundation culinary scholarships.

I have participated in this event for the last few years and was very happy to work it again this year. I was assigned to Chef Neace, representing the Summit Room, the restaurant at Cincinnati State. The event was very well attended — I would estimate more than 400 guests.

We prepared a smoked duck breast salad with cherry caponate quinoia, microgreen salad with peach vinagrette, and a drizzle of poppyseed yogurt dressing alongside. We sliced the duck breast thin and put it in a ring mold (okay, PVC pipes), pressed in a bit of the quinoia, then topped with the dressed microgreens. It was a very nice looking dish and our guests enjoyed it very much. We ’sold out’ fairly early, so I was able to get cleaned up and walk around to see what was going on at the other tables.