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Combing through the root section of the farmers market in Santa Barbara, I realized how the Gold Beet is the perfect vegetable. It’s aesthetic allure drew me in and the earthy smell and flavor moved my senses. As much as I like a beet salad, I have become bored and unmoved by it’s constant one type of salad.
I enjoy the creative element of altering wonderful flavors by way of changing textures. Here I envisioned a gold beet panna cotta. A roasted gold beet puree, only slightly sweetened with honey and just a small touch of cream to calm the slight bitterness and round out the taste. Last but not least, just enough gelatin to make it creamy.
I opted to leave out the usual cheese accompanyment and went for a jasmine rice mousse instead. It was a nice choice. Then I finalized the flavors with a Champagne thyme vinaigrette, Blis maple syrup drops, hazelnuts, Volcano salt, micro beet, chard and shiso greens. At the end of the day, just another salad but with the textural twist to bring the diner an unexpected smile and experience..
January 16th, 2010
Since I am leaving for Berlin, I have been bombarded with requests for cooking classes focusing on several topics.
Each class will be held in Montecito from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. 10 people per class only. $100 per class
SUNDAY JANUARY 3rd…Pastry,Chocolate and Dessert secrets for beginners to amateurs. These are true secret techniques I have learned over the years that professional chefs know that give them consistent and amazing results everytime.
MONDAY JANUARY 4th…Meat and Fish secrets. Why does a steak at a steak restaurant taste so good and why does it not taste that way when you make it at home. Also, fear of fish and seafood is something I hear alot. A few new steps and techniques will demolish these fear elements to make you a more confident cook.
TUESDAY JANUARY 5th…Sauces and Plate Presentation. Learn a few core sauce recipes that will diversify any dish utilizing wine, stock and vegetable purees as a base. Learn to plate like a chef by bringing a fresh perspective on layering ingredients, sauces and other elements to bring a visual excitement to anyone eating your food.
To make reservations for a class, email roberto@robertocortez.com
December 12th, 2009
I have to admit my enthusiasm about being featured in the food and wine section of the December/January issue. I have lived in Santa Barbara for roughly four years. Every other month, I find myself combing through the magazine to see what Santa Barbara feels is important when it comes to food, eating and drinking. I always thought that my style of cuisine was maybe too avant-garde for the typical Santa Barbara palate. Great local produce, seafood and wine makes for simple rustic fair. I love using these wonderful ingredients but I enjoy taking my activa to the prawns, hitting the fennel veloute with lecithin and the walnut oil/banana puree always sings a little better with ultratex. Either way, like me or curse me for my culinary antics…Thank you Santa Barbara, and L.D Porter for your fluidity with words!
December 5th, 2009
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From September 24-26th, I was part of an event in combination with Europe’s top designers. The concept was simple, we created a pop up restaurant in the form of a dessert bar. I created a series of desserts based on emotions, using colors, music, nature, etc as a basis of inspiration thus amplifying the sense of a deliberate emotion.
It was held at the glorious Somerset House, in the “Salt Room”. Once you purchased a ticket and attended, you were to pick a dessert based on an emotion, Chocolate drug to signify addiction or Love Fragments to signify love. After the dessert you were presented with another dessert that was the emotional opposite of the one you chose. Velvet tenderness was served to the chocolate drug user and Frozen Despair went to the Love Fragments eater.
So what was the verdict? Everyone went crazy, from food writers like Nick Lander to Vogue editors, they loved the idea and referred to it as a fresh and substantial change in the way we eat and look at eating. The application of using pieces like the “Foreplay Orb” by Katja Bremkamp and Glass with a spoon handle by Andreas Fabian, made this quite unique.
Because of this, we now have key players trying to get us in Design Miami in December but time may not be on our side..We will have to cross our fingers and see.
**Special Thank You to Amedei Chocolates and Boiron Fruit Purees for Sponsoring me at this event. Your Products are the Best!!**
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October 16th, 2009
So I wanna say “Hello” to my new blog! What better way of starting it off, than by announcing that
Amedei Chocolate Company from Tuscany, Italy wants to sponsor my event at the London Design Festival
in September 09. Amedei is the brainchild and product of Alessio Tessieri and his younger sister, Cecilia.
Any company would be only so lucky to have people like this in charge of their company. Passion, precision,
detail, and an unwavering focus of “perfection” resides as the motto for taking chocolate making and craftsmanship
to the next level.
The group of designers, starting with Katja Bremkamp and the rest of the “One part chef/four parts design” team,
have collaborated with the idea of creating a dessert bar of dishes based on emotions. This was a challenging endeavor.
I studied emotions and became intimate with them. I studied their colors, flavors, etc and came up with
some rather sensitive desserts. More on that later……..
Anyway, I hope that this is the beginning to a long and loyal relationship with Amedei.
July 26th, 2009
