Cooking with Chef Eric Ripert
Le Bernardin's chef shares two romantic menus and his tips for making these special meals

By Sarah Kagan

Wild salmon, caviar, spices—these are sexy foods," says Eric Ripert, noting the "sensuous textures and exotic flavors" of the ingredients. We won't argue with the dashing Frenchman, who's been seducing diners with his elegant, sumptuous seafood at New York's Le Bernardin for more than a decade.

Ripert was born and raised in France, where he attended culinary school in Perpignan and worked in Paris at La Tour D'Argent and as chef poissonier at Jamin under Joël Robuchon. At Le Bernardin, Ripert has consistently held a four-star rating from The New York Times, among many other press accolades. He also won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef of the Year in 2003.

We asked Ripert to put together two romantic menus from his cookbooks, the Le Bernardin Cookbook and A Return to Cooking, as well as share some favorite preparation tips. The impressive yet streamlined recipes he chose are sure to dazzle any sweetheart, without keeping you in the kitchen for hours.

Sexy soirée

Eric Ripert constructed this menu to alternate between lighter and more robust dishes. Warm, rich scallops give way to the delicate, brothy salmon, and then to the intense, chocolatey ravioliis.

"This meal is all about sensual textures," says Ripert. "The beads of caviar burst in your mouth. The lightly cooked salmon retains its luxurious, silky texture. The total effect is indulgence, achieved without long, complicated preparations."

Preparing the Scallops
"After adding the caviar, take the sauce off the heat as soon as it's heated through," cautions Ripert. "Otherwise, the roe will take on the texture of hardboiled eggs."

Buying the Salmon
"I always use wild salmon," says Ripert. "It's so much more flavorful and distinctive—especially important in this delicate dish." He advises looking for fillets with bright pink flesh, a sign of freshness.

Preparing the Ravioli
The ravioli can be made ahead and frozen, uncooked. "You can take them right from the freezer into the boiling water," says Ripert. "You'll just need to cook them for a few minutes longer."

Ripert recommends Valrhona brand chocolate and gianduja (a hazelnut-flavored chocolate available at better supermarkets). Plain milk chocolate can be substituted for the gianduja in a pinch.

What to Drink
"Champagne, of course!" says Ripert. A good bubbly (his favorites are Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon) perfectly complements this luxurious meal.



A Sexy Soirée Menu
by Eric Ripert and Maguy Le Coze

Servings: 6
Poached Scallops With Caviar Sauce


This is a hugely luxurious dish, with the sweet flesh of the scallops enhanced by a sauce flavored and thickened with caviar. The dish is rich and creamy, sweet and salty. And it's very easy to make. The sauce base is clam juice, cream, and butter. The scallops are poached for just a minute or two, and caviar is added to the sauce just before serving. That is the only tricky and critical part of this dish: You must be careful to heat the sauce gently once the caviar has been added, bringing it just up to heat without letting it boil. It is, after all, an egg-thickened sauce, and you must be careful of overcooking eggs in this sauce or the caviar will turn hard and white. Treat it as the delicate product it is. Or, as Eric would put it, "Don't whisk it like an idiot. You must be extremely gentle."

PREP: 5 minutes COOK: 10 minutes

Servings: Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

1 cup clam juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
3 cups Court-Bouillon
18 large sea scallops or 6 jumbo live scallops in the shell
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
3 ounces osetra caviar
1/2 lemon, seeds removed
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Rock salt (if using scallop shells)
6 jumbo scallop shells (reserved from the live scallops or purchased at a gourmet shop) (optional)

Preparation

Bring the clam juice and heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the butter and whisk to incorporate. Set aside.
Bring the court-bouillion to a simmer in a pan large enough to accommodate the scallops. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the scallops to the simmering court-bouillon and poach gently until they are cooked just to rare, about 1 1/2 minutes for large scallops, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for jumbo scallops.

To serve, place a bed of rock salt on each plate and rest a scallop shell on it (if you do not have scallop shells, serve the scallops in shallow bowls). Place 3 large scallops or 1 jumbo in each shell.

Meanwhile, gently reheat the sauce. Remove from the heat, add the caviar, and stir until the caviar is just heated through, about 45 seconds. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the sauce, add the chives, and season with pepper. Spoon the sauce over the scallops, making sure the caviar is evenly distributed. Serve immediately.

Barely Cooked Salmon With Parmesan Polenta And Mushroom Consomme


Here salmon is poached simply in salt water and served very rare with mushrooms and a mushroom broth, along with creamy polenta. The polenta adds a starch that the salmon needs, but it is also delicate and won't overwhelm the flavors of the fish. Mushrooms and polenta are a great classical pair, and a sturdy, satisfying match for the meaty salmon.

PREP: 30 minutes COOK: 3 hours and 25 minutes

Servings: Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

1 pound button mushrooms
10 cups water
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 pound gyromitre or morel mushrooms (see Note)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
7 to 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 cups milk
1/3 cup instant polenta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
One 2 1/2-pound salmon fillet

Preparation

Place the button mushrooms in a pan, cover with 8 cups of the water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 3 hours.
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the mushrooms to release the liquid. You should have at least 2 cups mushroom stock. Season to taste withy salt and pepper. Pour into a saucepan and set aside. (The stock can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to a month.)

Trim the gyromitre or morel mushrooms, discarding the stems, and halve them. Because these mushrooms can be particularly sandy, soak them in cold water to remove any dirt. Lift out of the water, rinse, and repeat two more times.

Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and have given up their liquid, but are not dry, 10 to 15 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and the parsley and toss to incorporate. Set the pan aside.

Bring the milk, the remaining 2 cups water, and 4 tablespoons of the butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat to a simmer. Whisking constantly, slowly add the polenta, continuing to whisk until the polenta is completely incorporated. Cook for 5 minutes. The polenta will be very thin. Add the Parmesan and stir to incorporate. Set the pan aside.

Cut the salmon crosswise into 1-inch slices. Pull the ends of each side together, as if you were closing a book, and secure with a toothpick. In a flameproof shallow casserole large enough to accommodate all the salmon fillets, bring 1/4 inch of generously salted water to a simmer. Season each fillet on both sides with salt and pepper and add to the casserole. Gently poach for 3 to 5 minutes, until the salmon is warm to the touch on top, but still quite rare on top and inside.

Meanwhile, gently reheat the mushroom broth, the wild mushrooms, and polenta. If the mushrooms are dry, add another tablespoon of butter and a bit of water to moisten.

To serve, spoon a circle of polenta into the center of each plate. Spoon 1/4 cup of the mushroom broth around each polenta circle. Place 2 salmon fillets on each bed of polenta and spoon the mushrooms over the salmon. Serve immediately.

NOTE: We used the very earthy gyromitre mushrooms for this recipe, but as some types are toxic if uncooked, and all are difficult to find, we offer morels as a substitute.

Chocolate Ravioli In Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce


This is the cook at work, switching a few ingredients from the pastry chef's mise to his own. Except for the sugar, chocolate, and pastry cream, this is just like cooking dinner. The sauce is simply an all-purpose ganache that can be used for all manner of desserts.

PREP: 40 minutes, plus 2 1/2 hours resting and chilling time COOK: 25 minutes

Servings: Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

THE PASTA DOUGH
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs
THE CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM FILLING
3 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound hazelnut chocolate (gianduja), roughly chopped

THE SAUCE
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

THE POACHING LIQUID
8 cups water
2 cups sugar

Preparation

For the pasta dough, sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and place the eggs in the well. Using a fork, slowly incorporate the eggs into the flour, until all the eggs have been absorbed. Transfer the dough to a work surface and, using the palm of your hand, lightly knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle a little flour on the kneading surface. The dough is ready if, when you make an impression in it with the tip of your finger, the dough bounces back. Shape into a disk and tightly wrap in plastic film. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, make the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean. Place over high heat and bring to a boil (be careful not to scorch the milk). Meanwhile, using a whisk, in a medium bowl, whip the sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow and frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch and whisk to dissolve any lumps.

Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and discard. Temper the egg yolk mixture by pouring a little of the steaming milk into the yolks, whisking to incorporate. Whisk the egg yolks into the remaining milk in the pan, set the pan over medium heat, and whisk quickly and constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, then whisk for another minute. Add the butter and stir until incorporated. Transfer the pastry cream to a storage container and place plastic wrap directly against the cream to prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate until fully chilled, about 2 hours.

Once the pastry cream has chilled, place the hazelnut chocolate in a microwave-safe container and microwave on high for 1 minute; or melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Remove the chocolate from the microwave and stir. Heat the chocolate for another minute, remove, and stir to melt the remaining chocolate. Add to the pastry cream and stir to incorporate. Return to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Using a pasta machine, one at a time, roll out each piece from the widest to the thinnest setting. Keep the remaining dough covered to prevent it from drying out.

To make the ravioli, dust a work surface with flour. Place one pasta sheet on the work surface. Starting about 2 inches from one end, place a teaspoon of filling every 4 inches down the pasta strip, ending about 2 inches from the other end of the strip. Brush the pasta dough with water, fold the dough over, and press to seal, being careful not to trap air inside the ravioli (or they will burst during cooking). Cut the ravioli into half-moons using a cookie cutter or pastry wheel. Press the edges together and squeeze to make the edges of the dough as thin as possible. Set the finished ravioli on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprinkled with flour, to prevent sticking. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should get at least 24 ravioli. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the sauce, bring the heavy cream, milk, and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted. Add the butter and stir to incorporate.

To cook the ravioli, bring the water and sugar to a boil in a large pot and boil until the sugar has dissolved. Add the ravioli to the pot and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, gently reheat the chocolate sauce.

To serve, remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon, letting the excess liquid drain, and arrange 4 ravioli on each plate. Drizzle the sauce over each plate. Serve immediately.

A Romantic Repast

"This is a pull-out-all-the-stops meal," says Eric Ripert. "The lobster salad is light, but elegant and impressive. The earthy, sweet-and-sour snapper is elevated by French techniques and exotic spices. The cake is guaranteed satisfaction—a classic with a sexy, melting center."

"Look for fish that's translucent—not creamy," advises Ripert. "Red snapper fillets get opaque as they age.

Time Management
All three dishes are perfect make-ahead options. For the salad, poach the lobsters (save the bodies for the stock) and make the stock and vinaigrette earlier in the day. Then rewarm the lobster meat, dress the greens, and assemble the salad at the last minute.

For the snapper, the sauce and mushrooms can be made up to one day ahead. Sauté the fish, reheat the mushrooms, and finish the sauce right before serving.

Even the soufflé cake can be baked ahead of time: Bake for only 6 minutes and chill, covered. Then reheat at 400° F for a minute or two before serving.

A Note on Buying Seafood
"Top-quality seafood is of utmost importance in my cooking," says Ripert. "You can't make great food without great ingredients." To find impeccably fresh fish, Ripert recommends forging a good relationship with a fishmonger you can trust—and using your nose. "Fish shouldn't smell fishy," he advises. "It should have a light, briny aroma, like high tide. If it smells like low tide, don't buy it.

Warm Lobster Salad

Eric: This was one of Gilbert's specialties and was always one of the most popular items on the menu. I think it closed more than one deal, and definitely led to some second dates. If you want, you can make it with langoustine or spiny lobster.

Servings: Makes 4 servings.


Ingredients

4 (1-pound) lobsters
1 recipe lobster stock
1/2 cup vinaigrette
Fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
6 cups mesclun (baby greens)
1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 bunch fresh chervil, for garnish

Preparation

1. Kill the lobsters and poach them according to the directions in Poaching Lobster (do not shell the tail meat). Shell the claw meat and cut it lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Using heavy kitchen shears, cut away the legs and the thin shell that covers the underside of the tail meat. Cut the tails, with the meat still adhering to the shell, on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Refrigerate the lobster meat.
2. Put the lobster stock in a saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat slightly and simmer, skimming occasionally, until the stock has reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Put the sauce in a bowl and let it cool slightly. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the vinaigrette. (The recipe can be made to this point up to several hours ahead; refrigerate the sauce).

3. To serve, preheat the oven to 550 degrees. Spread the lobster on a baking sheet in a single layer and season it with salt and pepper. Spoon 1/4 cup of the sauce over the lobster. Put the rest in a small saucepan and warm it gently over low heat. Put the lobster in the oven just until warmed through, about 1 minute.

4. Put the mesclun in a bowl and toss with the shallot, tarragon, and lemon juice. Toss with 6 tablespoons of the sauce. Mound the salad in the center of 4 dinner plates. Arrange the lobster tail slices in a circle around the salad, with the crescent backs of the shells facing the rim of the plate. Scatter the claw meat over the salad.

5. Spoon the remaining sauce over the tail slices and top each one with a small sprig of chervil. Put a large sprig of chervil on top of each salad and serve immediately.

Red Snapper And Cepes In A Port Reduction

Eric: My friend Albert Core gave me the idea to combine port and sherry vinegar, and after some experimenting, I found a way to do it. The result was this snapper, my first signature dish at Le Bernardin. Everyone loved it immediately, except for Maguy, who didn't even want to put it on the menu. Now, of course, she loves it, too.

Maguy: I didn't want this dish going on the menu, and Gilbert said he didn't care, he loved it. It was the first time we disagreed. So I invited some friends for dinner and asked them what they thought. They all said it was great. I was furious! Now I love it, so much so that the kitchen knows to send extra sauce on the side.

Servings: Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

2 cups excellent-quality 10-year-old port
2 cups good-quality sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons corn oil
1 pound fresh or frozen cepes, stems cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, caps halved if small or cut into 3 or 4 slices if large
2 branches fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
1 large shallot, peeled and finely diced
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
4 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets
1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
4 teaspoons minced fresh chives
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Two 10-inch nonstick skillets

Preparation

1. Bring the port to a boil in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower the heat slightly and simmer until reduced to 1 cup (if using a gas stove, never let the flames extend above the bottom edge of the pan). Add the vinegar and simmer until reduced almost to a syrup consistency, lowering the heat as necessary to keep the sauce from burning around the edges — you should have about 7 tablespoons. (The sauce can be made to this point up to 1 week ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
2. Divide 1 tablespoon of corn oil between the 2 skillets and place over high heat until the oil is just smoking. Divide the cepes, thyme, and garlic between the skillets and lower the heat to medium. Sauté until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to low and divide the shallot and 2 tablespoons of butter between the skillets. Season both with salt and pepper. Cook until the shallot is softened and the cepes are tender, about 6 minutes more. Discard the garlic and thyme and combine the mixtures. (The cepes can be made to his point up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate).

3. Season both sides of the snapper with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the five-spice powder over the skin and rub it into the fish. Clean the skillets and divide the remaining 2 tablespoons of corn oil between them. Place both over high heat until the oil is just smoking. Add the snapper to the skillets, skin side down, and briefly hold the fillets down with a spatula to prevent the skin from shrinking. Sauté until the bottom of the fillets are dark and crusted, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook for about 5 minutes longer, until a metal skewer inserted into the fish for 5 seconds is met with medium resistance and feels warm when touched to your lip. Keep the fillets warm.

4. Meanwhile, reheat the mushrooms. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat. Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in to 1/2-inch pieces. Lift the saucepan a few inches above the heat and add the butter. Shake the pan back and forth until the butter is melted and incorporated into the sauce; this will take about 3 minutes. Do not stir or whisk the butter into the sauce. The sauce will be very shiny and clear.

5. To serve, stir the chives into the mushrooms and arrange them in the center of 4 large plates. Top with the snapper. Drizzle the sauce around the mushrooms and serve immediately.

Bitter Chocolate Souffle Cake

Eric: We used to have a captain who would sell this cake to our female clientele by saying it was like the heart of a man: hard on the outside and meltingly soft on the inside.

Servings: Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

6 1/2 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Unsweetened cocoa power, for garnish
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Eight 6-ounce aluminum tins

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a pan of water barely to a simmer. Place the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or metal mixing bowl and place over the pan of hot but not simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has melted but is not too hot. Stir until smooth.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar together until thickened slightly and lighter in color. Whisk in the flour and then the chocolate mixture.

3. Place the egg whites in a metal bowl and place over hot water until warmed slightly. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and whip with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 1/2 tablespoons more sugar. Turn the speed to high and add the last 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, whipping the whites to firm peaks.

4. Stir a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites. Divide the batter among the tins. (The recipe can be made to this point up to 1 1/2 hours before serving; refrigerate).

5. Place the tins on a baking sheet and bake until the tops are puffed and feel firm to the touch but are very liquidy in the center, about 8 minutes (or a few minutes longer if they were cold).

6. Meanwhile, sift a little cocoa lightly over 8 dessert plates. Three minutes after the cakes are done, run the tip of a knife around the sides to loosen, and unmold the cakes onto the plates, rinsing the knife with hot water between each one. Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream or chocolate sorbet.

Jacques Torres

Master of Chocolate



Jacques Torres grew up in Bandol, France, a small town in the southern region of Provence. At age 15, he decided to try the world of baking. During his next vacation, he began an apprenticeship at La Frangipane, a small pastry shop in his hometown. After two years, he completed his apprenticeship requirements and graduated first in his class. He continued his practice in La Cadiere d'Azur while waiting for his obligatory year of military time.

In 1980 on a bet with a friend, he approached the Michelin two-star chef Jacques Maximin at the Hotel Negresco and innocently inquired for a job. Maximin gave him an hour to return to work with a chef's coat and start a relationship that would last 8 years and take him around the globe. At the Hotel Negresco, he refined his skills and nurtured his intuitive sense of confectionery artistry.

From 1980-1983, he went back to school on his days off to earn the degree of Master Pastry Chef. He taught pastry at a local culinary school in Cannes from 1983-1986. During these years, he was also honing his skill in preparation for the infamous Meilleur Ouvrier de France competition. In 1986, Jacques was awarded with the prestigious M.O.F. medal, the youngest chef to earn the distinction.

The list of Jacques' culinary awards and achievements during that time included consulting and product development for Cointreau and Valrhona; participation in the rededication ceremonies for the Statue of Liberty honoring French President, Francois Mitterand and United States President, Ronald Reagan; Le Figaro's Culinary Cruise through the countries of the Mediterranean; receipt of the gold medal of the Japanese Pastry Chef Association; winner of the 1986 French Championship of Desserts; culinary weeks in Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, and Spain; as well as participation in numerous competitions and culinary events in France.

In 1988, the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company petitioned Jacques to the United States as Corporate Pastry Chef. He launched the opening of their hotel in Palm Springs and, later that year, transferred to the corporate headquarters in Atlanta.

In 1989, the legendary Sirio Maccioni invited Jacques to work at New York's most famous restaurant, Le Cirque. He enticed him with a custom-built pastry kitchen. Then, in 1997, Sirio moved the restaurant to its current location and created Le Cirque 2000. During the past 11 years, Jacques has served presidents, kings, and celebrities in his every day work at Le Cirque. He has also enjoyed many honors and awards, judged competitions and participated in culinary events. He has generously donated his time to many national charity organizations. He serves as Dean of Pastry Studies at New York's French Culinary Institute. He has also opened his pastry kitchen at Le Cirque to aspiring students and shared his passion for the art of pastry. He is dedicated to providing a training ground for the future professionals of the field works diligently to further the causes of his profession.

acques continues to appear in newspapers, magazines and trade press. He frequently makes television guest appearances on NBC's Today Show and Later Today, various shows on TV Food Network, and public television programs. His list of achievements include participation in "Merci Julia" - the world's top culinary professionals salute Julia Child; Julia Child's Master Chefs television series; James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year; Pierre Franey's Birthday Celebrations; Chef's of America Pastry Chef of the Year; Chocolatier Magazine's 10 Best Pastry Chefs; The Masters of Food & Wine; Chartreuse Pastry Chef Award; member of Academie Culinaire de France; and Cunard's Culinary Crossing on the QE2.

More infos about Jacques are available at his website:
http://www.jacquestorres.com/default.aspx

Aldo Zilli - Italian Foodie Favourite



Aldo Zilli is chef owner of Zilli restaurants in Soho, he is the chef and menu planner for his kitchens.

After catering college in Italy he came to England and at the age of 19 decided to concentrate on his passion for Italian food. He started working in Italian restaurants introducing new cooking methods and eclectic menus, transforming them from little-know venues to celebrity haunts. However he soon outgrew the kitchen, becoming executive manager and training other chefs in his own impressive style.

Eventually certain of his own success, Aldo decided to go it along and acquired his first restaurant IL Siciliano in Dean Street. Word quickly spread about the quality of food and the atmosphere created by Aldo and soon the restaurant was packed.

In 1988he bought the premises at 41 Dean Street and opened Signor Zillifollowing this in 1993 next door with London’s first authentic Italian bar - Signor Zilli BarAldo opened ZilliFish in Brewer Street in June 1997 and it has been bursting at the seams since its opening, now complemented by an authentic Italian café right next door – Zilli CaféGreat Italian food and Aldo’s legendary sense of humour make these establishments a magnet for people from the media and entertainment world. In 1996 he was awarded Best Italian Restaurant Award in the London Restaurant Awards, in 1998 he collected the award for Best Media Restaurant for Zilli Fish, in 2006 he has awarded Best Café in the Theme Awards. He has also won Favourite Showbiz Restaurant for Signor Zilli in the Capital Radio Awards and the London Times recently commented “Aldo Zilli’s kitchen remains on top form, with a menu that favours upmarket ingredients put to simple use.

Aldo Zilli’s Thai Prawn Curry



Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

20 raw tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
50ml good fish stock
5 shallots, finely sliced
Good Handful of fresh spinach, torn
2 tablespoons thai green curry paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
1 tin coconut milk
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

METHOD

1. Pan fry the garlic and shallots over a medium heat for two minutes then add the thai paste. Cook for a further two minutes stirring continuously.

2. Add the fish stock and cook for 15 minutes over a medium heat, then add the coconut milk and cook for a further 15 minutes.

3. Add the prawns and spinach and cook for 10 minutes until the prawns are pink in colour. Add the coriander and serve immediately with coconut rice.


Aldo Zilli's website:
http://www.zillialdo.com/home.htm

http://www.orient-express.com/web/olem/o...uction.jsp

"The good does not interest us. The sublime does." - Raymond Blanc



Born in Besançon, France in 1949, Raymond Blanc is acknowledged as one of the finest chefs in the world. His exquisite cooking has received tributes from every national and international guide to culinary excellence.

Raymond arrived in England in 1972 to work as a waiter at the Rose Revived Restaurant near Witney. When the chef became ill, he took over and two years later, the restaurant gained entry into the Michelin Guide.

At the age of 28, Raymond Blanc opened his first restaurant which, 'Les Quat' Saisons' in Summertown, Oxford. After just one year, the restaurant was named Egon Ronay Restaurant of the Year and a host of other accolades including Michelin Stars and Pestle & Mortar awards followed.

It was in 1984, however, that he fulfilled a personal vision, creating an hotel and restaurant in harmony when he opened Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in Great Milton, Oxford. Le Manoir is the only country house hotel in the UK which has achieved two Michelin Stars for a total of 19 years. "His house is as beautiful as a tale of Lewis Carroll" commented Gilles Pudlowski.


In 1991, Raymond Blanc established The Raymond Blanc Cookery School, welcoming both enthusiastic amateurs and professional cooks to the kitchen. The school provides the opportunity to develop their skills whilst learning some of Raymond Blanc's kitchen secrets.

In 1996, Raymond Blanc opened his first Le Petit Blanc brasserie in Oxford. His aim was to be the best within the brasserie scene in England - serving good quality, freshly prepared food at a price that was accessible and represented excellent value.

Another three brasseries were opened in the subsequent years and achieved the perfection which RB had set out to achieve by becoming the only brasseries in the United Kingdom to achieve the Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Over the past few years, RB has written a selection of best sellers, including 'Cooking For Friends', 'A Blanc Christmas', the Sunday Times bestseller 'Recipes from Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons', 'Blanc Vite' and his most recent book, 'Foolproof French Cookery'.

In 1998 Raymond Blanc worked alongside top interior designer Emily Todhunter to complete a major development project at Le Manoir. Together, their visions and creativity prepared the 15th Century Manor for the demands and expectations of the new Millennium.

Heston Blumenthal OBE (born May 27, 1966 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) is the chef and owner of The Fat Duck http://www.fatduck.co.uk/ , a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in the village of Bray in Berkshire. Blumenthal is famous for his scientific approach to cooking, which is often referred to as "molecular gastronomy" or "culinary alchemy".



Heston Blumenthal was named after the Heston services on the M4 motorway.
He attended the John Hampden Grammar School, High Wycombe. Apart from a week's work experience in Raymond Blanc's kitchen, he is self-taught. According to an interview with The Observer in 2004, he has been cooking "seriously" since the mid-1990s.
He is a regular contributor to The Sunday Times and formerly wrote for The Guardian. His book, In Search of Perfection, was published in 2006 and is tied in with a television series of the same name, in which he attempts to find the best way of preparing eight classic dishes, including fish and chips and Black Forest gateau. His traditional British cuisine is served at the Hinds Head Hotel near the Fat Duck.
He produced a 6 x30 minutes television series called Kitchen Chemistry with Heston Blumenthal which aired on Discovery Science. This was followed by two more series (with much higher production values) called Heston Blumenthal: In Search of Perfection in which he recreates in his own inimitable style British favourites like (series 1, 7 episodes) bangers & mash, fish & chips and spag bol etc.) and (series 2, 8 episodes) chicken tikka masala, hamburgers and peking duck.
Blumenthal signed a two-year deal with Channel 4 in March 2008, joining the channel's roster of celebrity chefs which already included Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Gordon Ramsay. It was reported that he had agreed to revamp the menu at a Little Chef motorway restaurant with his recipe ideas to be introduced in all 193 outlets and that this would be broadcast on Channel 4.
Blumenthal is a devotee of neuro-linguistic programming, and lists kickboxing as one of his hobbies, although in another interview he mentioned that he gave this up due to a back operation.
In the Chili Con Carne episode of the series In Search of Perfection he claimed he was unable to participate in the MRI study of chili's effect on the brain due to having a metal plate in his back caused by falling off a roof at the age of ten.

Cooking methods

Blumenthal is a proponent of molecular gastronomy (he decries the term "culinary alchemy"); he opened his own research and development kitchen in early 2004.
One of his signature techniques is the use of a vacuum jar to increase expansion of bubbles during food preparation. This is used in such dishes as an aerated chocolate soufflé–like dessert. The low air pressure inside the jar causes bubbles to grow to a larger size. He has experimented with amplification to enhance the sounds, such as the crunch, created while eating various foods.
Blumenthal is a proponent of low temperature, ultra–slow cooking, whereby a joint of meat is cooked for up to 24 hours so as to contain the fat content whilst preventing collagen molecules from re-forming within the meat. In his In Search of Perfection series, he cooks a Bresse chicken at 60 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit). Ultra-slow cooking produces no excess fat, making the creation of gravy impossible, to which Blumenthal argues that gravy is unnecessary, since the meat is sufficiently moist on its own when cooked in this way.

Source:Wikipedia

http://www.bocuse.fr/accueil.aspx

Paul Bocuse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Paul Bocuse (born on February 11, 1926 in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or near Lyon) is a French chef, considered one of the finest cooks of the 20th century. He is widely credited with being one of the first chefs to emerge from the kitchen and to enter public life. In this role, he has extensively traveled for several decades, promoting French cuisine, starting restaurants and culinary institutions, and participating in other business ventures.
Bocuse is one of the most prominent chefs associated with the nouvelle cuisine (the term was first used to describe the cuisine in a newspaper article during 1972), which is less opulent and high-calorie than the traditional haute cuisine, and stresses the importance of fresh ingredients of the highest quality. In 1975, he created the world famous soupe aux truffes (truffle soup) for a presidential dinner at the Elysée Palace. Since then, the soup has been served in Bocuse's restaurant near Lyon as Soupe V.G.E., V.G.E being the initials of former president of France Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

Contribution to French gastronomy

Bocuse has made many contributions to French gastronomy both directly and indirectly. Bocuse has had numerous students, many of whom have become famous chefs themselves. One of his students was Eckart Witzigmann, the first German chef to receive three Michelin stars. Since 1987, the Bocuse d'Or has been regarded as the most prestigious award for chefs in the world (at least when French food is considered), and is sometimes seen as the unofficial world championship for chefs. The winning country is not allowed to participate in the next championship. Paul Bocuse has received numerous awards throughout his career, among which the medal of Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur awarded by president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing


Restaurants

Le Nord, one of Bocuse's chain of brasseries in central Lyon.
Bocuse's main restaurant is the luxury restaurant l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges, near Lyon, which has been serving a traditional menu for decades. It is one of a small number of restaurants in France to receive the coveted three-star rating by the Michelin Guide. He also operates a chain of brasseries in Lyon, named Le Nord, l'Est, Le Sud and l'Ouest, each of which specialises in a different aspect of French cuisine. There is also a Bocuse restaurant at the French pavilion at Epcot in Disney World, which is managed by his son. Bocuse is considered an ambassador of modern French Cuisine. He was honoured in 1961 with the title Meilleur Ouvrier de France. His father George Bocuse, had been apprenticed to Fernand Point, a master of classic French cuisine and Bocuse dedicated his 1st book to him.

Jonnie Boer
Chef/owner of the Restaurant De Librije, Holland

http://www.librije.com/#passie/nl



An interview with Jonnie Boer

At the age of twenty-four Jonnie Boer took on the position of chef at the Restaurant De Librije. A few years later Jonnie and his wife Thérèse bought the restaurant and soon after they received their first Michelin star. Four years ago the restaurant received its second star making Jonnie at 33 the youngest two star Michelin chef in Holland.

Jonnie's style can be described as eclectic, daring and fearless. He has received notoriety not just for his great cooking but also for his commitment to using local commodities along side the more traditional goose liver and truffles one expects from high ranking dining establishments.

Tell us about your restaurant.
The restaurant itself has 35 seats, then we have a chef's table which is in the kitchen of the restaurant. Three years ago I was able to buy the whole building, so the first floor is the main restaurant, the second is a private dining room for up to 35 covers and in the kitchen we left half in its original state which was the restaurant and this gives room for another 15 covers. We are open from Tuesday through Saturday, with lunch service on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

How much does dinner for two cost?
If you order five courses, Thérèse will make a wine arrangement including champagne to start off and coffee to close. You can expect to pay approximately 230 Euros ($200 or £140). We give our guests several small courses to start. When you eat with us you can expect to receive a little snail with sourkraut then an apéritif followed by a lollipop of duckliver, then we start to serve the menu.

How big is your wine list?
We have about 600 wines on our list. They vary from very well priced to very expensive. Thérèse likes to have a big range of wines because she feels that a rather cheap wine can sometimes be better than more expensive one.

What inspires you?
I was born in Giethoorn which they call "Little Italy". This is because of all the canals. The area is surrounded by nature. When I was a child I used to hunt and fish in that area. I like to work with regional products that are pretty much unknown. We have good local products, so I don't get them from France but from my region and that's why we are popular in Holland. Nature and everything that grows and lives in the surrounding area of Zwolle is my source of inspiration.

Describe the food of your restaurant.
Our food is simple, honest, pure in flavor and no nonsense...

I see from your book that you use some unusual ingredients such as perch, eel and gurnard. How popular are these types of dishes with your customers compared to more commonly eaten foods? Do you charge a lower price for the unusual items?
The perch is the dish that has given me fame. It was born because we didn't have a lot of money to buy exclusive products. Now a lot of guests come and visit us for that type of dish, but we do use exclusive products as well but everybody likes to taste dishes with products from this region. We don't charge a lower price because our local lamb is almost as expensive as from France. The best thing about that is I can select it myself and give my guest more information - because I know everything about the lamb.

What was the most unusual item on your menu last year and what was the reaction from your guests?
Dover sole prepared in smoked butter with sweet and sour leeks stuffed with an oyster and a sauce of lemongrass. This is a dish that we are going to keep, everybody went crazy with the flavors.

Describe your cookbook - Puurder (more pure)...
Puurder is my follow up from Pure my first book, which was printed only in Dutch. The reason why I made Puurder (which is available in both Dutch and English) is because we have progressed - with our guests, our suppliers, our food - it's more pure now. The name reflects our steps forward. The next one will be called Purest.

Whose idea was it to insert the wine booklet into the front cover?
It was both of us (Jonnie and Thérèse). It's nice to have a book all about food but wine gives balance and can really give a dish that extra character. Wine can also destroy the concept of a dish. In the book you will find some simple wine ideas and how to handle it. It's written by my wife and is very easy to read, nothing difficult.

How well suited is the Dutch climate to the production of wine. What wine would Thérèse suggest compliments your cooking?
We do have a chateau in Holland, it's called the APOSTELHOEVE but that's really the only one. The reason we do not produce much wine is because in Holland we have too much rain, winters are cold and the summers do not offer enough sunlight. But 2000 was a good year for Dutch wines. Thérèse feels the wines which best compliment my style are red Spanish wines as they are full bodied and creamy and white Bourgognes with a bit of wood but not too much.

Can you offer a word of advice for the chef of tomorrow?
If you visit Europe come and visit Holland as well, try our kitchens. There is a lot going on here. Second - don' t think too difficult, use pure and good ingredients and give your cooking your own style.

Source:gobalchefs.com

Chen Kenichi



He was born in Tokyo, where his father, Chen Kenmin, was an acclaimed Chinese chef well known for his sauces. Chen Kenmin is credited with introducing Szechwan cooking to Japan, and also with creating the much loved dish Shrimp in Chili Sauce. Chen Kenichi inherited his father's style of "Japanese-Szechwan" cooking and also his flair for sauces.

After attending Tamagawa University, Kenichi apprenticed in Shisen Hanten. He continued to develop his Szechwan cooking, which is considered among the most progressive cuisines in the world. Currently, he is responsible for running the Shisen Hanten group, which has restaurants in Akasaka (where Chen cooks), Ikebukuro, Kisarazu, Hiroshima and Ogura.

Because real Szechwan cooking is too spicy for many Japanese palates, Kenichi has refined many of the classic dishes to make them more accessible for diners in his restaurants. With his good-humored, expressive face, Kenichi promotes the philosophy "Cooking is love" and he offers happiness through his food.

Mrs. Tarla Dalal

http://www.tarladalal.com/
is India’s best - selling cookery author since over 2 decades. She has written a total of 100titles, several of which have been translated in various languages like Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali and even Dutch and Russian! The total sales of her cookery books exceed 3million copies. Her first book ‘The Pleasures of Vegetarian Cooking’, which was published in 1974, was an instant success with indian housewives. The book, which is considered a classic in cookery books, has sold a record 1,50,000 copies.

Lately there has been a new addition to the list called the TOTAL HEALTH SERIES. These are health related cookbooks with recipes and information on various subjects like The Pregnancy Cookbook, Baby and Toddler food, Delicious Diabetic Recipes, Fast foods made Healthy, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Soups and Salads, Cooking with 1 Teaspoon of Oil, Healthy Soups and Salads, Healthy Breakfast and Calcium Rich Recipes has been her best selling book recently.

In addition to writing cookbooks, Mrs. Tarla Dalal also has a major web presence in the form of tarladalal.com, the largest Indian food site.

Cooking & More...a bimonthly magazine is a natural extension of Tarla Dalal to reach out to millions of her fans. Cooking & more provides information and inspiration…not just kitchen related, but pertaining to other areas of our lives as well. It talks about decorating your house, laying out a table, grooming yourself, and entertaining your guests and a whole lot of other things.

Her cookery show "Cook it Up with Tarla Dalal" is aired weekly on Sony Entertainment Television. The show broadcast all over South East Asia, India, the Gulf, UK and even the US.

Born in Pune, India, Mrs. Dalal moved to Bombay after her marriage. In 1966, she started cookery classes from her residence. Her classes become a phenomenal success with a long waiting list of student wanting to join them. At one time, it was said 'If you want to get your daughter married, send her to Mrs. Dalal's Classes'. This was because students attained guaranteed cookery expertise after attending her classes. Due to space constraints, she had to stop the cookery classes some years back but much before that, she had 'streamlined the eating habits in India' - to quote The Khaleej Times, Dubai. She has demonstrated her cuisine a healthy and tasty creative option through her cookery demonstration in large parts of India and many major cities of the world such as Tokyo, Jakarta, Honkong, Singapore, Brussels Antwerp, lisbon, Zurich, Nairobi, London, Toronto, New York etc.

An interesting fact is that Mrs. Tarla Dalal’s books have been sold not only in various book shops and specialty shops in India and abroad but also they have done brisk business in the most unusual places like video libraries, toy shops, boutiques and supermarkets. Many of her books have been an almost permanent feature on top sellers list; Desi Khana, Low Calorie Healthy Cooking and Healthy Breakfast are among the best-sellers which have netted the maximum sale figures. According to IndiaToday India’s leading news analysis magazine, Mrs. Dalal has sold the maximum number of books in any field as compared to any other Indian author and at a conservative estimate, her recipes have been tried in over 20 million Indian homes.... a chart bursting figure that would be the envy of pop stars and politicians.

Ms. Tarla Dalal writes a large number of cookery columns for various publications, newspapers and magazines like Indian Express, Dainik Jagaran, Manorama, Mid-Day, Femina, Afternoon, Loksatta, Lokprabha, The Telegraph (Calcutta), Malayala Manorama, Abhiyan, Stree etc. have carried her cookery columns. Her recipes have been extensively covered by the electronic media including various TV stations/channels. She has participated in numerous cookery programmes on TV, Radio and now as mentioned earlier on her own cookery show "Cook it Up with Tarla Dalal" on Sony Entertainment Television.