where the image is meant to titillate and inspire the cook
Molecular Mignardise
Hand-Broken 85% Cacao Dark Bitter Chocolate
Olive Oil Powder, Olive Oil, Raw Cacao Nibs, Fleur de Sel
One last little sweet bite to seal the deal, to say goodnight to a grand meal that is now only a memory. The French have a name for these bites: mignardises. Usually tiny but elaborate, often consisting of many types or flavors, like pâtes de fruits and miniature macarons.
Continue reading “Molecular Mignardise: Chocolate & Olive Oil Powder”
the black course:
negra modelo beer braised beef short rib with chile de arbol
wrapped in a grape leaf with oaxacan black mole sauce
black mission figs, shiitake mushrooms
crispy grape leaf chip, sesame ash, black sesame seed, cacao nibs
Of the seven courses we served at our fundraiser dinner, the black course is my creative favorite. I looked to Mexican cuisine experts – Chefs Rick Bayless, Patricia Quintana, and Javier Plascencia for inspiration. I learned about making sesame ash while Guest-Chef-for-the-Day at Moto Restaurant in Chicago last January and had been wanting to try Chef Homaro Cantu’s modernist technique in a dish ever since. What appears to be ash is black sesame seed oil converted into a powder. It serves visual interest as well as a flavor complement to the sesame seed in the mole.