The pig trotter excursion, or; our first day in Paris

On our last day there, I was pretty sad to be leaving Lyon. The hospitality of its people, the richness of the food, and the charm of the city had fully pulled me into its embrace. After the visit to the vineyard, and the antique bookstore, I really felt like the place had everything a girl could hope for, though the as yet un-materialized promise of Parisian glamor beckoned me to depart.

Wednesday morning, we had our final class at the Bocuse Institute. We were excited to cook, and I think that no one in the group wanted to leave. We started right away, to be ready for an early lunch, because we had a train to catch right after class.

We started by making these elegant quail egg and artichoke filled raviolis. This was a really great process, as the dish utilized the artichokes in several ways.

The pasta dough got its elegant color from a spinach puree that we incorporated into the dough. For the artichokes, we trimmed them down to the tender hearts, then cooked cooked them suer, a method where you basically slowly sweat and steam vegetables or meat in their own released juices. We then pureed the hearts until they became silky smooth, with a little chicken stock.

We saved the artichoke leaves, and sauteed them with garlic, and olive oil, then added water to the pan to make a "stock". Usually the inedible leaves get thrown away, so it was really cool to use them for another purpose. The finished liquid was reduced, and then mixed with some veal demi-glace to make the pasta sauce. We also thinly sliced some baby artichokes and tossed them with olive oil and salt for the garnish.

When we rolled out the pasta, we made a well in the center of the spooned on puree, then placed the quail egg yolks in the center of the well. When the ravioli was sealed and cooked, the yolks remained runny, and added to the luxuriousness of the sauce.

I got to fabricate the fish; John Dory! This type of fish is rare to see in the U.S., and it's pretty expensive in Europe as well, so it was something I had never gotten the chance to work with before. The chef complimented my fish fabrication skills, which was really nice, (I've done many fish, but never one shaped like this) and I was glad to impress someone. The filets were sauteed in brown butter, and topped with bits of sun-dried tomato and Jamon.

We made a macaroni with mushrooms, potatoes, and carrots to go with the fish, but we cooked the noodles with the risotto method, using chicken stock in place of water. The result was super flavorful and creamy, and I'm definitely going to be making this recipe again for weeknight dinners.

Dessert was a citrus parfait, which I decided not to eat because of my allergy to oranges. It's not a terrible allergy, (the juice gives me hives, and eating oranges makes my lips swell a little) but I had had a couple dishes with orange the day before, and my stomach was still recovering with the aid of some Benadryl. I try not to eat them unless I feel like I must try the dish or I will regret it.

After class, we received our certificates, and a book of Paul Bocuse's most famous recipes as a gift from the institute. Our hosts seemed genuinely sorry to see us go, invited us back, and asked for copies of all the pictures we took.

We left, sadly, then went directly to the train station so we could head to Paris.

The train ride was only a couple of hours, which most of us used to nap and relax. When we arrived in Paris, we checked into our respective hotels. My hotel was across the street from the rest of our group, as I had signed up for the trip at the very last moment. It was nice to have my own room, even though I really did love my room mates. (I already miss them.)

But it's okay, behind my hotel, there were the ruins of a Roman amphitheater, now a public park!

And when I stepped out onto my balcony (from which I could see Notre Dame) I noticed that all my friends were out on theirs too!

A few minutes to change clothes, then we went to dinner. We were dining at Au Pied de Cochon, famous for their pig's feet. I really, really loved the opulent, very old-fashioned interior of this place, it looked like it hadn't changed since the beginning of the last century!

And anyplace that serves creamy pork rilette in place of butter for your bread is fine by me.

Our appetizer: a deep bowl of fresh goat cheese. Seemed a little much at first, but I had to stop myself from consuming all of it. The cheese was so fresh and fragrant, with the bits of sun dried tomato and artichoke hearts, it made a really great starter smeared on extra-crusty baguette.

And the piece de resistance: pig trotter! Braised until the fat and skin were silky smooth and gelatinous, and little bits of the tenderest meat barely clung to the knuckle. Excellent pommes frites, and a spicy dijon mustard made this the tastiest (and only-est) foot I've ever had the pleasure of munching on. I was at an Asian market earlier today, and was tempted to buy the pig's feet I saw there for dinner, but I was pretty sure something like this might have freaked out my boyfriend a tad too much...

Dessert was... strong. Like, "straight-shot-of-brandy-with-a-scoop-of-sorbet-plopped-into-it" strong. The foil wrapped biscuit did little to temper the alcohol in this one, and I had to check to make sure I hadn't grown a little chest hair after eating it. Ouch.

After dinner, there was a brief period of sleep. Alas, still no rest for the weary, as tomorrow was another full day. However, I shall have to write about it another time, as I have stock to skim and duck legs to cure for confit tonight. (I like to slow-cook a bunch of stuff on my slow days, so when I come home from class tired, all I have to do is re-heat delicious, love-filled food.)

I have some good news from earlier today, though... I have stages (try-outs, basically) on both Thursday and Saturday, at Robuchon (3 Michelin Stars) and Thomas Keller's Bouchon (1 Michelin Star)! Even if I don't get the jobs (they may not even have positions open) just being in such highly acclaimed kitchens will be amazing. I can't wait, though I'm very, very nervous.

Ciao!

Bouchon

We are very fortunate in Las Vegas to have one of Thomas Keller's restaurants, his bistro Bouchon. They serve classic French cuisine, impeccably prepared. This was the second time I've dined there, and it was just as satisfying as the first.

They bring beautiful epi loaves to the table, perfectly crunchy on the outside with a tender crumb. Warm pistachios are another nice touch.

I started out with butternut squash soup, with a dollop of gingerbread bread pudding in the center. Savory, warm, rich.

Since I'll be in Lyon next week, we decided to celebrate with a bottle of Beaujolais, a light, fruit forward red with floral notes and berry flavors.

My Mom had the Daube de Boef, braised short ribs with carrots, potato confit, roasted bone marrow and sauce bordelaise. I loved the presentation of this dish, and the short ribs were super tender.

I had steak frites, a flatiron steak, topped with caramelized shallots maitre d'hotel butter, and served with golden, crisp frites. Very, very satisfying, I knew that I wanted this even before I walked in the door, they're pretty famous for their fries.

Exquisite creme caramel, a soft custard with light caramel sauce. The custard is cooked in the mold with the caramel in the bottom, then inverted at service. Very classic, a dish that can very easily be off because of the simplicity, but the beauty of Bouchon is the execution, always on point.

Mom had the lemon tart, another classic, perfectly executed dessert.

After dinner, our waiter offered us a tour of the kitchen guided by the pastry chef, (we mentioned that I was a culinary student) and we happily obliged. The kitchen was beautifully laid out, streamlined for speed and intricacy. They had the characteristic four stars over the stove, to remind the cooks of the level of perfection demanded of them.

They also offered me a stage in the kitchen when I get back from France, which I am very, very thrilled about. I'm going to be quite the busy girl when I get back, with classes, two stages (I talked to another chef while we were dining, but I'll let you guess the restaurant) and practice for a competition. Plus, I have to make a video for the Basque Stage competition... I want to win that so badly, but it's such a long shot. A girl can dream, right?

My mom was only here for a few days, but they were great. I miss my parents a lot out here, which really makes me appreciate them more than they could know. I am a very lucky person to be able to experience all of the great things I get to do.

Ciao!

Border Grill and Mix

One of my favorite places to go for entertainment around Vegas is Mandalay Bay, the place is huge and has tons of stuff to do that doesn't involve gambling. I've been to their "Shark Reef" aquarium several times and I love it every time.

They also have an impressive collection of restaurants, some of my favorite eateries in the city. I frequent Burger Bar (Hubert Keller) and Border Grill (Susan Feniger and Mary Ann Milligan) a lot because they have good food for less price than many of the other strip restaurants. I've also had excellent meals at Aureole (Charlie Palmer) RM Seafood (Rick Moonen) and Fleur de Lys (Hubert Keller) but those were special occasion-type places.

On Sunday, my mother, brother, boyfriend and I went to Border Grill for lunch. They have boldly flavored, Latin and globally inspired cuisine, and they have a really great locals discount. I've eaten there for dinner quite a few times, but this was my first lunch experience.

We sat outside, under some brightly colored umbrellas by the Mandalay Bay pool. They bring out freshly made corn chips and three kinds of salsa to munch on, a green tomatillo, smokey chipotle, and spicy tomato.

I had "Chicken Chilaquiles", a nacho-like dish with shredded chicken, tomatillo salsa, manchego, panela, and cojita cheeses, and cilantro-lime dressing. This dish was awesome, very bold flavors and satisfying crunch. I would definitely order this for lunch again.

My boyfriend had this HUGE chicken burrito, it must have been really good, because somehow he ate the whole thing! (I had to have my brother help me with mine, he happily obliged.)

My mother had this tostada topped with a refreshing and brightly flavored turkey salad, with corn, tomatoes, cojita cheese, black beans, and romaine. Really refreshing and satisfying.

Of course, they have excellent margaritas, made with ultra-premium tequilas and fresh juices, I had this incredible guava margarita. I wish I was drinking it right now...

Mom had the "Cadillac" margarita, a real classic, but jazzed up with herradura silver tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and Grand Marnier.

For dinner, mom and I had reservations at Mix, a one Michelin Star restaurant I staged in last year. Mix is Alain Ducasse's highest grossing restaurant, which is saying a lot. The place is impressive, it sits at the very top of THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay (their emphasis, not mine) on the 64th floor. You take a special, glass sided elevator to get to it. They have a really beautiful open kitchen as well, apparently it was built in France, reassembled here, and then dropped onto the top floor with specialized helicopters. If you like extreme, this is the place to go.

After dinner service, Mix turns into a nightclub, complete with a dance floor and DJs. It's almost too hip!

They serve their bread with regular butter and... peanut butter. It is a little odd a first, basically home made chunky peanut butter fortified with regular butter, but it's addictive.

We started with a warm summer vegetable tart, it had artichokes, carrots, spinach, heirloom tomatoes, and romaine lettuce on a crisp, buttery cracker-like base. Each of the vegetables shone through nicely, and everything tasted remarkably fresh.

We also had this cool spicy crab salad. It had avocado, green papaya, mango, carrot and a little bit of ratatouille underneath. I liked the fresh, acidic flavor of the mango and the kick of cilantro. This was also the point where I started to figure out how to use my new camera, notice how much brighter this picture is.

They were out of their lobster curry on coconut basmati rice, which was really disappointing, as I remembered the dish from staging there and really wanted to order it. (It was damn good.) But, this dish took away any lingering sense of regret once I bit into it. It was a rack of lamb off the bone, on farro (a grain with a nice chewy texture), apricot confit, piquillo peppers, and green onions. Of course, it also had a very rich veal jus for good measure. I loved the tender texture of the Colorado lamb, and the fat had a rich, nutty, grass-fed flavor.

We split a side of one of my favorite vegetables, thick, green asparagus.

Mom, a steak nut, had this perfectly cooked filet mignon. We thought that it had a little roasted tomato for garnish, but when she took a bite she exclaimed "Oh, that's a SPICY tomato!" so I tried it, and identified it as a piquillo pepper. Piquillos are little Spanish peppers, they have a deep, rich flavor, and just a bit of kick. It was really nice, a cute surprise to wake up the palate.

I had the "Mix candy bar" for dessert, a fun dessert with layers of chocolate ganache, hazelnut, and coconut, served with a really unique tasting coconut lime sorbet. I've had coconut sorbet before, but this one had a bit of an herbaceous quality to it, like it was made with fresh, young coconut. It was really bright, but acted as a nice foil to the super dense chocolate bar. A lot of coconut preparations can be redolent of sunscreen to me if they're made with cheaper ingredients, but this was something new and exciting. I liked the unusual combination.

Mom ordered berry sorbet, and was shocked when four big quenelles came out. She was worried that she couldn't eat it all, but managed to make it disappear. It had a really nice juicy punch to it.

As a fun after dinner treat, they brought around a madeline pan and had us pick up two warm, vanilla-honey madelines from it, a yummy, novel treat. They served them with a bowl of Nutella, nuff' said.

The restaurant has a really elaborate glass fixture in the dining room, a giant circle of individually blown clear glass bubbles, almost like you're dining inside a Champagne flute. The interior is dramatic, very white, crisp and modern, but somehow not cold feeling at all. I think they made it that way so it wouldn't detract from the view...

Always great to hang out with my mother, and she loves taking me to magnificent restaurants. I'm a very, very lucky girl.

The view. Impressive, huh? Mandalay Bay is at the very south end of the strip, so you get the whole panoramic effect while dining in Mix, it's probably the best view in town. Add some great food, and you can't go wrong.

Until next time, Ciao!

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon- Las Vegas

Living in this fair city offers many advantages. On a whim, I can do pretty much anything imaginable, as long as I had the cash to pay for it.

Wanna drive a backhoe around the desert and throw dirt at things? We got that. Shoot fully automatic machine guns? Yup. Take a ride on other moon? (That's what it looks like from a distance at night) We've got that too, along with many more unsavory, hedonistic pleasures to quell your every chaotic and whimsical desire.

But Las Vegas is also a great American restaurant city, bulging at the seams with famous chefs and incredible ingredients. If you have the money, we can make it happen.

Las Vegas is second only to Paris itself for famous French chefs, we have Robuchon, Ducasse, Gagnaire, Savoy... and their contemporaries Thomas Keller, Hubert Keller, Batali, Flay, Feniger, Moonen, Vongerichten... I could go on. It's the epitome of "go big or go home" cuisine.

As such, it is imperative that I whet my palate at as many of these bastions of culinary supremacy as humanly possible, and slowly but surely, I've been doing just that. For tonight's lesson: L'Atelier de Robuchon.

L'Atelier is an amazing concept with locations in Paris, Hong Kong, and Japan as well as Las Vegas (and I think NY). It's an open kitchen, with sushi-bar style seating, so you watch the chefs prepare your food right in front of you.

Beautiful kitchen. I've dined at La Mansion (the er, more elaborate, 3 Michelin star Joel Robuchon restaurant next door to this one) before, a meal that replays vividly in my mind on occasion... L'Atelier is his more wallet-friendly eatery, but it still boasts a Michelin Star, which is nothing to shake a stick at.

An assortment of beautiful artisan breads to start with.

Sleek, contemporary place settings.

Our amuse-bouche. finely diced granny smith apple topped with silky smooth avocado puree, tiny grapefruit segments, grapefruit gelee, Hawaiian red salt, cilantro, and a beautifully herbaceous extra virgin olive oil. All the flavors played together so nicely, fresh, bright, balanced. Brilliant little dish, exploding with flavor, it accomplished its goal of making me very excited for what was to come.

Mom had Maine Lobster in a spicy broth, with baby corn and nepatella (the herb on top). The dish was dusted with Piment d'Espilette, a very special and complexly flavored French dried pepper. This had an intense, hypnotic aroma, pervasive and mouthwatering.

I had this amazing dish to start, Alaskan king crab salad, sandwiched between thin slices of braised turnip, with a minuscule brunoise of tart radish, and micro chives. This also was dusted with Piment d'Espilette, and had an espilette-infused oil brushed in a perfect stripe on the left side of the plate. I wish I could eat this daily, it was a revelatory balance of savory, sweet, spicy, and acidic elements. I loved watching them plate this, carefully arranging the tiny brunoise radish on top with tweezers.

My brother had this three-course special, halibut and tomato pasta with basil, salmon tartar with citrus mayonnaise, and a caramelized apple crisp.

My next course blew my mind as well. I'm a die hard fan of sweetbreads, I've had them prepared many ways, and these were done exceptionally well. Skewered onto fresh laurel (bay) leaves and charred on the teppanyaki grill, with brown butter (yuuummm!!) and a stuffed romaine leaf topped with bacon foam. Carmelly sweet on the outside, with a silky, unctuous creamy center. The bay pervaded but didn't overpower, and I liked how its aroma was a focal point of the dish, instead of a backdrop to other flavors as per its usual place.

Jamon Iberico from Spain, made of free-range, heritage Iberian black pigs that are fed an acorn diet. They had the whole leg on a stand on the garde manger station, and we watched as a chef deftly carved off thin slices with a long, thin blade. I haven't seen anyone carve ham like this since I was in Italy (it is really necessary in order to preserve the flavor and texture of these fantastic products) most places here slice the proscuitto or ham across the grain, which destroys the texture.

The Jamon Iberico was served with toasted bruscetta, topped with flavorful diced heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil.

I also had this foie-gras stuffed quail, served with truffled pommes de terre puree (mashed potatoes, but passed though a fine drum tamis to make them perfectly smooth). The herb salad in the background had chervil, tarragon, and dill, and was a perfect light and fresh foil to the caramelized richness and delicate nuance of the quail. The truffles were fresh and crisp, and were apparent, but didn't detract from the potato flavor, or the intense little pieces of quail. Very delicious.

Mom had "Le Citron", blueberry compote, lemon parfait with a light elderberry foam.

Alex and I had "La framboise", a white chocolate sphere filled with yuzu ice cream. This was beyond delicious, it had the most intense, fresh raspberry flavor I've experienced in a while. When I was growing up, we used to pick wild raspberries around the woods in Ohio, and this tasted just like those fresh little fruits mere seconds from the plant. Plus, it was a really, really entertaining dessert. After I ordered mine, Alex had to order a second one so that we could get this video...

Every course of this meal was perfect, every bite impressive. This kind of attention to detail, and obvious passion are evident in every morsel, and well worth the cost. L'Atelier is definitely an experience you should have in Las Vegas.

Je vais manger a L'Aterlier de Robuchon en Paris la semaine prochain. Demain, j'ecrit a Mix e Border Grill.

My French isn't perfect, (I'm still practicing, and I don't have the correct accent fonts on this computer) but there's some foreshadowing for you, to entice you to continue reading my blogs...

Ciao. (au revior)