October 18th...

Six guests and six courses. It was a wild ride. I was fairly frantic throughout the evening realizing too late that I might had bitten off a little more than I could chew. Even with the drama inside the kitchen, the guests, which included our dear friends Tom and his wife Nicci, Helder and his wife Kristen (their baby girl is due in February) and new friends Jane and Lizzi seemed to thorougly enjoy the food and company.

The menu:

Beef Consomme
Duck Confit with Potato Gratin and Poached Figs
Lobster Fettuccine
Seared Red Snapper with Trumpet Mushroom, Leeks and Saffron Sauce
Trio of Veal: Breast, Tongue and Marrow with Celery Root Puree
Strawberry Sorbet with Whipped Cream

The appetizer was a course that had been percolating in my head for months. Duck confit with potato gratin, poached figs and a fig sauce. Simple and classic. It was by far the most successful course of the evening, in my opinion. The duck was incredibly moist (having cooked in its own fat at low temperature for 5 1/2 hours) the gratin was highly seasoned and tasty, and the fig a sweet counterpoint to the duck. The presentation, again, simple and clean. The one change I would make, however, would be to add an orange gastrique to give the dish more acid and to add a different color dimension.

I had been wanting to experiment with poaching in beurre monte (emulsified butter) ever since reading about it in The French Laundry" cookbook. Wow. The lobster is so tender that it does seem undercooked. I had never tasted lobster so good. However, in the future, I will be doing this dish with risotto instead of pasta. The risotto will add to the unctuousness of the dish.

Everyone in attendance was very happy with dish. Definitely the hit of the evening. The mushroom, leeks and saffron sauce make a classic flavor combination. The final presentation, though, could use some tweaking. I will definitely be modifying this one at future events.

The veal course was another dish I had been mulling over for awhile. I enjoy the idea of trio courses. The number three is an important creative factor for me. And although I was very happy with the individual components, as with the fish course, I feel this dish needs more work on the presentation. It doesn't scream, "EAT ME!" quite yet.

The dessert was very simple. I wasn't going to include a dessert this time around, however, it's always nice to have something sweet after three hours of savory, so I made the effort to include a sorbet. (The sugar garnish was me trying to show off.)

Thanks to all that attended. I look forward to cooking for you again in the very near future.

October 4th...

The menu:

Pumpkin Soup
Chicken Roulade stuffed with Braised Kale and Pancetta with Glazed Root Vegetables and Jus
Four Mushroom Risotto
Braised Oxtail Vol Au Vent with Mashed Potatoes


The first formal Yolk Club evening met all expectations. Our good friends Harley and Pam attended as well as new friends David and Rachel, who is 32 weeks pregnant. Because of this, she requested no seafood and Pam requested no duck. This presented a challenge in creating a menu considering those are my usual go to ingredients. This obstacle was one of the reasons I started the club, to create opportunities in which to flex my culinary muscle.

The final menu reflected the cooling weather and my continued interest in classical French style--as with my use of puff pastry (homemade) in the fourth course. I first cut a circle shape out of the thin dough, then layered rings onto the circle. As it baked, the dough "puffed" up and made a small bowl in which I filled with braised oxtail. Very old school. My initial concept for the chicken roulade course was to do a reinterpretation of chicken caesar salad--chicken, greens, and a parmesan sauce. But after realizing that I would be using parmesan in the risotto course, I simply opted once again to turn to history. Fashioning the chicken breasts in the roulade style and then wrapping it in its own skin (you may also use bacon or caul fat) was the best way to keep the meat incredibly juicy.

Another interesting note, there were moments during the service in which I actually felt as though I was back in a professional kitchen. The frantic pace, the adrenaline and the feeling that I'll never be able to get this out in time were all there. I hate to say it, considering how much I protest the long hours, the intolerable pay, and the physical toll cooks have to deal with, that it was glorious. You don't know what you got...


As far as hosting a Yolk Club event, I would just like to say that Saturdays are not written in stone. If you wish to host and another evening works better for you, that is totally doable.