I had a day to myself, nothing to do and tired of doing things that i’m supposed to do.  So I looked around and noticed that I had fresh kumquats from the tree outside, one fresh coconut and some chocolate.  Here was my opportunity to do something so I decided that they would make a wonderful flavor combination.  This would be best expressed in a tarte.

I am above all, grateful that I studied pastries in France.  There is an element of finesse and a delicacy that exits in their pastries that just don’t exist in American pastries.  With that being said, I focused on elements and baking techniques  that I learned in Paris.

Chocolate, kumquat and coconut tarte

Fresh picked kumquats just moments ago.  The beautiful element of a kumquat is their sweet skin and it’s tart juice.  A roll reversal from most citrus fruits.

One gorgeous coconut is all you need, don’t forget to drink half the coconut water and save 2 tbsp. for the recipe.

Left: Final result of the kumquats after they have cooked.      Right: Roughly chopping the kumquats in it’s own juices.

Use just a scant of flour for the dough.

Roll out to desired thickness, about 1/16-1/8inch and brush off excess flour with a pastry brush.

After resting and pricking the dough with a fork to prevent excess rising, place inside the buttered tart ring.  Use a very sharp knife to remove excess dough from the top as above.

In France I learned to line the tart dough with plastic wrap and fill with pie weights.  I know what your thinking, “you can’t put plastic in the oven”.  Yes you can, use food safe plastic and lightly bring together the loose ends like above.

Bake 15 minutes at 385F then remove from the oven.  The plastic would have shrunk into a nice little package like so and easily removable.  Return to the oven at 340F until golden brown.

Left: This is what the tart looks like just out of the oven and cooling, it has rough edges both on top and the sides.  Center/Right: Using a potato or vegetable peeler, lightly scrape off the excess and un-uniform edges like so.

This is what it should look like when you are done, very clean and uniform edges.  Very nice!

Fill the inside of the tart with a thin later of kumquat confiture, chill for 15 min, then a thin layer of coconut mixture.  Chill until you are ready to pour in the chocolate cream.

Dark Chocolate Cream

500g milk

500g cream

120g sugar

170g egg yolks

380 70% Dark chocolate

Place the chocolate in a large plastic bowl. Bring the milk and cream to a boil with ½ of the sugar.  In a separate whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar.  Temper the milk into the egg yolk mixture then add the remaining milk return to the sauce pan and cook as for crème anglaise (84C to 86C).  Remove from heat.  Add the gelatin and whisk vigorously.  Add the chocolate in 3 or 4 increments, whisking vigorously each time. Pass through a fine mesh sieve. Pour into tarte shell at 38C.

When making any chocolate cream or mousse, always pour the cream over the chocolate and with a spatula, starting slowly in the middle.  Move in a small circular motion so the ingredients emulsify properly.

Pouring the chocolate about 38C.

Always decorate the outside of a tarte with elements of the ingredients inside the tarte.

A simple decoration

Happy baking and even more, happy eating!

I went into an intense conceptual analysis and really wanted to experiment.  These are just a few lines of several pages and notes:

Texture Lab

Rough   Scaly   Bumpy   Silky   Creamy   Crunchy   Feathery  Smooth    Sticky    Velvet    Spongy   Hard   Greasy    Soft  Wet  Bouncy  Dry  Fluffy  Hairy  Slimy  Oily

Definition of Texture

*The feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface or a substance 

Definition of Lab

*A place for practice, observation, and testing. 

A place where experiments of an idea, and the process of the assembly of procedures, lead through trial and error, attempt to prove the idea and manifest it into an expected outcome.

 My Goal For the CR8 Dinner

*The experimentation and exploitation of textures in harmonic and non harmonic balances”, creating an unfamiliar direction of serving and visual stimulation. 

Concept

If the hand is the window to the mind then the mouth is the gateway to the soul.

Upon textural inflictions, a palate of various emotional associations transform in subtle and not so subtle ways.  The power of textures lies in it’s potential to touch upon every sense. 

I was feeling quite playful with the menu and decided to push some ideas that once again, might be a bit different.  Each course had to say something deeper and more thematic than just a plate of food.  Many of the course were experiments that I had never done before, after all that is was the whole purpose of this series.

I met with interior designer Lisa Sloan of Los Angeles to help me create a space around the dining table known as Lab 2.  Since I was originally inspired by curtains and fabric, I had to use this element to create a feel and texture.

Adam taking care of the details just before the guests arrive

Tablescape from a far with a light mist above the candles.  I was a bit tired of the flower on the tables approach that is almost always present in a table setting.  Large candles felt quite raw and more with the feel and theme of this series.

  Table designed by Architect Francisco Xavier Cobiani of Home Designsamusebouche: unsandwich, liquid sourdough, frothy corned beef, fried egg, crunchy swiss, aioli

Two of the evening’s courses: Left: Jidori “Ortolon Ceremony”, Right: Winter Minted Crab… Photos by Andrea Bricco  

I have always been fascinated with the Ortolon’s rich and historic gastronomical folklore.  I myself had never tasted one.  I decided to pay homage to this tiny songbird.  I know how the bird it caught and fattened and drowned and cooked.  Taking this into consideration, I decided to mimic the flavor of the bird and elements of it’s diet.  I spoke with Dennis Mao of JIDORI chickens and he sent me some beautiful birds.  I separated them and made a confit from the legs cooked in duck fat and then made into rillettes.  I took the breast and cooked them sous vide and topped them with fried skin.  For the offals, I incorporated a silky foie gras and made a rich roasted stock from the bones infused with it’s innards.  An armagnac gelee, hazelnuts, fig orb, and pressure cooked millet in brown butter.  It wasn’t supposed to replace the Ortolon, but instead a playful homage. 

Apple texture discovery; fuji apple panna cotta, ginger shallot pinenut marmalade, thai basil, arkansas black peel meringue, smoked pork belly veloute, clove...the 2 Photos on the right by Andrea Bricco

Texture Roll, my textural play on a tempura sushi roll, including a rice cream with the flavors of sushi rice.

Artistically speaking, I can’t even draw a stick figure.  Yet, I am really moved by Friday Kahlo’s work.  I wanted to make an artistic accent to a dish that I had in mind.  So I created a tray for each diner in which I would place a Hering plate on top of.  This would add to the experience of the dish.

Painted Kahlo Flavors: Herb black cod, chile ancho escabeche, puffed red quinoa, cider canela pineapple butter, sous vide-caramelized endive.

for dessert, Velvet tenderness!

In the midst of the action with Philippe from Events by Philippe

Diners toasting to a lovely evening.

Special thanks to my CR8 crew, Adam-AC-Noah, I have the best team and could not pull off these visions without them!

Thanks to Felix of kitchen 105, the space was great thank you!

I’m looking forward to the next CR8 concept of unlimited boundaries!

Over the last couple of years, one hears these words often; sustainable, eco friendly,  endangered, and it has become as unnoticeable as the word organic.

So let’s start somewhere else, how do we put emphasis on something important without sounding like a preacher falling on deaf ears.  Most of the people that come to my blog are either chefs or food lovers.   With this being said, I am telling you something important, without the preaching, and only because I care, so that means I hope you do as well.

A few months ago I saw a documentary on National Geographic that jolted me into writing this. It was about the fish and current state of the ocean in the Mediterranean waters.  Jacques Cousteau’s son was invited to be apart of the exploration as well.  They had video footage of the waters that Jacques Cousteau himself had taken in the 1950″s.  Then they showed the waters then and now and I was disturbed.  An element that tells how healthy the eco system is in the Mediterranean is the amount of red coral in the water.  In the 1950′s, it was everywhere.  Now, there is almost NONE.  It gets more disturbing.  They showed footage of the fish living in the area around Montpellier France and back then and it was absolutely beautiful.  It appeared as a very busy underwater highway with a large variety and amount of fish.  They went to the same spot in 2011 and there was almost no fish or any other sea life.

They then focused on the largest area that had been affected, and it was the Tuna.  I found out that 85% of the world’s big tuna is gone. I thought to myself, that can’t be right.  How could it get that bad?  Doesn’t anybody care?  I knew I did.  I was actually furious and really pissed off.  I thought to myself “I have to do something!”, any little bit I would imagine would help.

So what did I do?  First I made it priority number one to educate myself.  After all,  knowledge brings awareness and awareness brings action to correct the situation.   We have no excuse not to constantly educate ourselves. I did some research and found an alternative seafood list.

I have been aware of only certain facts of the fishing industry that pertain to fishing techniques used by fisherman.  Some techniques like Trawls and Dredges, use nets as large as football fields and drag the bottom of the ocean, destroying the ocean floor and catching bycatch (sea turtles, sharks, etc).

Ask your fish mongers and purveyors how the fish is caught.  There are great and less invasive ways of catching fish like pole/troll caught techniques, that if we support will stay in business and bring less attention to large abusive ways of catching fish.

 ”Modern fishing practices are incredibly wasteful. Every year, fishing nets kill up to 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises globally”. Martin Reed, founder of ilovebluesea.com

Sea Turtle caught in large nets.

CONTAMINANTS IN SEAFOOD

Seafood contaminants include metals (such as mercury, which affects brain function and development), industrial chemicals (PCBs and dioxins) and pesticides (DDT). These toxins usually originate on land and make their way into the smallest plants and animals at the base of the ocean food web. As smaller species are eaten by larger ones, contaminants are concentrated and accumulated. Large predatory fish—like swordfish and shark—end up with the most toxins. You can minimize risks by choosing seafood carefully.
Here is an essential seafood guide to have:

Here is some spotted skate I was working with in April..  Since then I found out that it is on the depleted list.  So as much as I love skate, that was my last one for a few years.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

About 6 months ago I discovered I Love Blue Sea.  A seafood company based in the San Francisco area.  They ship overnight and everything on their fish and seafood list is absolutely top quality and sustainable.    Take some time to discover all their efforts on their website.  I use them almost exclusively now.

Living on the coast in Southern California, you would think I could get fresh seafood always, this has not been the case in the past.  I have zero tolerance for inferior products so now I have piece of mind knowing that I will always get perfect seafood specimens from I Love Blue Sea.

Not only that, they even ship in eco friendly boxes with deluxe cooling that keeps the fish at a constant cold temperature.  They don’t use styrofoam.

“Following guidelines set forth by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, we exist to allow chefs and consumers access to the biggest selection of the freshest sustainable seafood available.”  Martin Reed, founder I love blue sea

I have developed a great relationship with them and Matt Carreira really takes care of me.

*My first box of amazing fish!

Another great company that offers local and seasonal fish, seafood and other sustainable foods is Foods In Season.  They mainly offer seafood from the northwestern part of the United States and I have used them all through salmon season.  What a great season it was and their salmon really helped me take some dishes to a new level.  I am aware of the extreme overfishing of sturgeon in the Caspian Sea as well. They introduced me to some Caviar from Uruguay that follows their sustainable high standards and the flavor is wonderful.  Looking for alternatives from sturgeon caviar is also a new flavor discovery as well.

*Black River Ossetra from Uruguay

*Springer Salmon, in season and Uber fresh

A word to Chefs!

So how do we tip the scales in a more favorable way?  I believe it is up to us chefs to help diners make a different decision on our menu’s.  One, get creative.  Everyone loves Bluefin tuna belly, of course it is amazing.  But instead of trying to convince them not to have the tuna, offer them ” the new exotic fish” or “a rare treat” from Hawaii.  Try brining in exotic spices and flavors, or gently poaching in flavored bouillons or spiced oil.  Sous vide in flavored compound butters and herbs.  Different fish hold up to such a vast array of flavors, if they taste a albacore prepared in a new way, they will remember that experience as not having the tuna but discovering a new fish that they will gladly choose next time they see it on a menu.

With the Tuna element, try skipjack tuna (Katsuo), it is a cousin of the tuna family and has an amazing fatty flavor.  The skipjack reaches sexual maturity faster than the bluefin tuna and therefore reproduces more often and sooner than the other tunas.  With proper catching methods this makes an incredible tuna alternative where everyone wins, especially the vanishing bluefins.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t take much effort, or maybe it does.  The power lies in our hands, the chefs and the diners as well, we all have a choice.  It is so easy to decide to make an alternative choice.  Even if everyone did this for 5 years, the population of dying breeds of fish will greatly increase.  At this point, we could go either way.

Some Dishes using abundant Fish.

Salmon “Mi Cuit”, smoked tapioca cream, cherry flavors, foie gras, thai lemon herbs

White asparagus custard, lemon peel brined salmon, vadouvan crumbs, ossetra caviar, chive blossom oil

Brined arctic char, coconut mojito puree, pepperint, urfa pepper shallot confit, finger limes, puffed bamboo rice

*Thanks to A.C Slamet for the video and questions, you are the man!

*Thanks to everyone who participated in the video!*

VIDEO CONFESSIONS  Here what some of the diners that experience CR8 are saying about it!

*How was your experience tonight?

*What was your favorite course?

*What are your thoughts on Roberto?

In my observation, during a dining event  all senses are on.  So then why not utilize this and implement factors of stimuli.  Creating an ambiance of dining unlike a restaurant, this is important to me as this will already lay the groundwork of subtle yet new stimulus.

One thing that has always been important to me is music.  For 10 years I was a musician and have always been a fan of music my entire life.  Under observance of musical influence, I noted that depending on the music will sometimes dictate my emotional state, this is nothing new.  But I wanted to bring into play without  the awareness of the diners.  I set forth to try and use this powerful tool set a mood for each course.  My decision to not tell the diners was crucial, as if I had said something to them before hand they will be looking out for it and expecting something.  Since this was an experiment, I wanted to see if it would make a difference in their reactions to the eating experience.  The thing I noticed is that when there is a strong bond between the diners, there tends to be the soundtrack of “Conversation” that is definitely dominant.  I did manage to notice a difference in a couple of the courses, I will have to further use this tool in the future!

In addition, I met a wonderful L.A designer named Igor Knezevic, an architectural and concept designer.  What a talent he is.  We exchanged ideas and I told him about my idea for the “Soundscapes” idea.  He had a variety of lights that perfectly enhanced the visual and ambiance.  He was eager to jump on board!

Igor Knezevic working hard on his world known as Alienology.

Symphonic lighting

Special thanks to Jan McCarthy for providing her stylish chairs!

Extreme sexiness on one of the walls opposite of the dining table.

 Elements of the dinner in progress…

Working on the idea of making a bamboo rice cracker.  Came out surprisingly nice, light and crunchy.

Citrus brined Arctic char, coconut mojito flavors and crispy bamboo rice crackers

Foie Gras Noodle Tart, summer truffle caramel, figs, sesame inverted puff pastry

The menu from September 13th

Diners eating in silence and interacting with the dinner tools like the “Orb” by Katja Bremkamp.  This course was dessert called “Velvet Tenderness”, that I created for the London Design Festival with the concept of desserts based on emotions.  I played music from my friend Johan Soderqvist during this course.  He is one of the world’s most amazing film score composers.

Special thanks to BoxEight Studios in Downtown Los Angeles for the amazing space.. And my amazing crew of AC, Adam, Noah, Rene, Diana, Dana and Daniel..you guys make this possible..

In many ways this was a very exciting series or me.  I looked in a different sensory direction to go in an alternative direction. I wonder what will happen next!

V&A Dining Event from Roberto Cortez on Vimeo.

Not too long ago, I had started working with one of the best tableware designers in the world. Her name is Katja Bremkamp.  She had introduced me to another brilliant designer named Andreas Fabian.  This trend started the domino effect that affected my culinary path.  Next thing I knew I was in the presence of more and more designers.  I knew that the future of dining, or at least for me, was engaging in their world.  Their brilliant and creative perspective very much inspires me and helps push my own boundaries.

Next thing I knew, we were being asked to do an event at the V&A Museum!  We were accompanied by  table designer Tomas Alonso and  ceramicist Elizabeth Callinicos.  Our lovely host of the event was Simon Fraser of Central Saint Martins College in London.

It was a quick one course event that expanded and intergrated the world of art, design and food in an instant.  In attendance were people from the above mentioned worlds along with writers from Vogue, Dwell and other magazines of the sort.  In a way I felt a bit overwhelmed as this was a world I have never lived in.  This I would find out would be my biggest contribution.  In one of the seatings,  Hans Stofer of the Royal College of Art was in attendance.  After the seating, we asked for feedback from all the diners.  Hans is an eloquent man with  a soft yet very poignant persona.  I will never forget what he said, as he looked at me he said “Roberto, we have been waiting for you for 17 years, you have given us designers a voice”.  I got butterflies and at the same time was a bit confused at it all.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized the scope of what he meant.  I am forever moved by this statement.

I asked Katja to design my own line of cutlery and she came up with a line that inspires me to this day.  Not just visually, but the functionality and interactive process is surreal.   This is the “RC Fish Set”!

Not too long ago, Gabi, the owner of a Santa Barbara restaurant called Blue Agave, asked me to create a cocktail for a woman’s party they were having that had an Indian theme (dot not feather).  So one thing I do know is flavors and I like to engulf myself in them.  In the past I was never a big fan of fufu cocktails as they were usually too sweet for me.  I’m usually a straight up fine wine, single origin Tequila, X.O Cognac, etc kind a guy.  So I told Gabi I would see what I could do.  Being a chef, this was my starting point.  I sought to balance the flavors and especially tame the sweetness.  In the end, a puree of mango infused with homemade saffron water shaken with fine rum, orange liquor and topped with a creamy mousse of lime and ginger with potent drops of mint oil.  This drink was called “Kama Sutra”.  I usually like to create a layered effect of tastes in my food so why not in a cocktail?  sounds good to me. Anyway,  I’ve had a few drinks from a couple of mixologist that I really liked.  They seemed to push the envelope of intricate flavors and concepts in drinks and even finely balance that overblown sweet and alcoholic element.  Gabi asked me if I was interested in creating a few new cocktails.  I said “actually  yeah,  i’ll give it a shot” (no pun intended)….

Kama Sutra….my very first cocktail

So into the creative laboratory I went, the one that is open 24/7 in my head that never seems to close. First one was the idea for “Melon Bite”.  Starting with a local Charlyne melon, I kept it long enough for it to get juicy ripe, then I compressed it to further enhanced the flavor.  It is then mixed with Herradura Silver Tequila and a splash of spicy vodka, strained then topped with a mousse of St. Germain and fresh lemon thyme flowers.

Adding St. Germain to the “Melon Bite”

Final assembly, ready to drink!

Freshly picked lemon thyme flowers to further enhance the summer element!

Next, I wanted to create a drink with espresso.  Being a connoisseur/addict, it was a convenient decision. Shortly the spark manifested into a “Tiramisu Martini Moderne”.  All the beautiful flavors strategically layered in a drink.  An espresso style martini topped with a marsala wine zabalione and finally grated Jakarta chocolate and a fine ladyfinger powder.

Freshly roasted espresso beans from Master Roaster Velton Ross from Seattle.  I really wanted to focus on stellar ingredients so nothing less than an amazing espresso bean was needed….Thanks Velton!

Tiramisu Martini Moderne

No spoon needed for this Tiramisu!

So me being Mexican and all, I have always had an affinity towards things Mexican, or at least “Cool” things.  Most people love Frida Kahlo and I am no exception.  After seeing most of her entire works last summer in Berlin, I was intertwined emotionally to this incredible artist.  I love the flavors of Mexico and it’s cuisine so I needed to explode some of those flavors in a cocktail.  So I decided to use chilies, spices, juices and Mezcal.  But not just any Mezcal, but Del Mageuy Santo Domingo Albarrada..

This lovely cousin of tequila is gorgeous and has a slightly smoky flavor to it.  This sparked the idea to enhance the overall smokiness.  One thing that was troubling me was Ice.  I noticed that as the ice sitting in someone’s drink melted it really diluted the flavor.  I wasn’t going to have that.  So for this drink I made my own smoked ice.  Serving it in one large piece would slow down the melting process and if it did, it would only add to the flavor.

Smoky Frida

Removing the lid to experience the “smoke” that was incorporated into the drink.

Making my own smoked ice cubes for the Frida Drink using my smoking gun!  No detail was overlooked…

Sparkling Mojito Gelee….

So what do I think about Bartending?  It is just like being on the line.  You get slammed!  Do I want to become a Bartender?  NOPE!  It was a great one off thing that I will probably do every once in a while.  I do have a new intense respect for Bartenders as they have to memorize hundreds of recipes and crank them out at the speed of jackrabbits.

One thing is for sure, I will continue  to further my curiosity of the fermented flavor spectrum.

Dishes range from flavors of being in Germany for over a year,  eating for the first time in France, my childhood growing up in the American Southwest and even the Japanese cultural concept of Umami incorporated in a dish and it contains almost no Japanese ingredients.

The setting was the beloved home of Anne Morgan, a creative and kind woman indeed.  Her home is set just below the Hollywood sign with a meditative and serene garden that orchestrated the ambiance for the dinner setting.  The diners were many from the design and art world and even a businessman from Shanghai.  It was exciting for me as I got to work with a great crew of Dana from Bread and Wine catering and Philippe from Events by Philippe.  AC and Adam always direct the service to a tee and flawlessly.  This sets a great platform me to concentrate on what I love best….the food!

Here are a few of the dishes from the dinner.  Hope you all can make the next dinner!

The dinner platform before service

Assembling for the amuse bouche

Offal Vine: Foie gras noodle dish

Santa Fe Clash…spiced compressed prawns, poblano veloute, puffed red and black quinoa, feta powder, avocado drops

Grilled veal cooked four ways

gold beet dish

Inverted chai latte dessert

I really enjoy the texture and flavors of lox, home brined salmon and also long slow smoking.  But which one to choose?  Well it depends on what you want to do with them.  In France I learned to brine salmon then keep it submerged in olive oil.  With this it takes on a slight confit feel and texture..this also allows the salmon to stay fresh for up to 3 weeks, another great benefit.

Playing with spice and herb mixtures, one can also play with the sugar/salt ratios that give distinct textural differences and flavors.  The size of the salt granules also is key because the finer sea salt will extract moisture and speed up the process so therefore less brine time is needed.  One of the kings of brine is Marcus Samuelsson, who recommends leaving the fish at room temperature for several hours before refrigerating.  This is a great tip that brings helps the brine jump start it’s process.

So play with your spice mixtures, herb purees and don’t forget your fine teas

“Springers” King Salmon, flown in from Foods In Season of Washington.  Doesn’t get any fresher than this!

After 22 hours of brining.  A special mixture of various spices, herbs, Hawaiian sea salt, organic sugar, & citrus peels.

Caramelized chanterelles ready for the escabeche flavor bath.

Meticulously cut salmon layered with chanterelle escabeche and hit with a touch of cedar smoke just before serving.

Talking to Aimee from Foods in Season, she recommended their “Black River Ossetra Caviar” from Uruguay.  The caviar had a buttery and smooth flavor and texture.  On top of this, the flavor was big enough to be layered with other flavors and still keep it’s integrity.

Spice brined  ”Springers” salmon, white asparagus, lemon bergamot, Uruguay Ossetra caviar, lemon tapioca, shallots

CR8 Dining Experimental from Roberto Cortez on Vimeo.

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