Potential Gold

Happy Birthday, Dad...Here's some Sushi!!!

For my dad's 60th birthday we decided to make a sushi night. We went to where our favorite local sushi chef goes to buy their fish in downtown LA and bought really fresh salmon, tuna and albacore. We bought plenty of fish and we were preparing to feed 80 people sushi! 

Here are some pictures of the prep work that was done in preparing the fish for tonight's sushi. 

Here are some of the pictures from the sushi that night. Amongst the rolls were:

Spicy tuna, Philadelphia, Salmon, Albacore, Tuna and some Aji...

Chef Jason Casey at Havana (Bar Harbor, Maine)

My good friend Jason has taken on a new position as chef of Havana Restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The restaurant opens in a few weeks and after speaking to Jason, I can hear the passion in his voice.

He's busy cleaning and organizing the kitchen right now and he already told me about some delicious menu items. All you Maineiacs beware. Jason's food is delicious and extremely addictive. You'll want to keep Havana open all year long once you taste his food.

Jason recently left a personal chef position cooking for the owner of Dooney & Bourke handbags and also spent about a month with his mentor, Waldy Malouf, at his NYC restaurant, Beacon, prior to his move to Maine.

Good luck, Jason!

Private Dinner - October 2009

Here's a posting we should have put up a few months ago.  Back in October, we were invited to cook for a dinner party in Agoura Hills, California.  Check out the menu and photos from that dinner.

Cooing in their beautiful home, we were asked to come up with a 'steakhouse' menu for this evening.  The menu was as follows:

Passed appetizers:

Grilled Lamb Loin on Olive Crostini with Roasted Red Peppers
Sesame Crusted Seared Tuna on English Cucumber Chip with Wasabi Crème
Fresh Basil Pesto Crostini with Imported Mozzarella & Cherry Tomatoes
Smoked Salmon Endive Spears with Croutons and a Dill Crème Fraîche

Here are some pictures we captured from the appetizers that night:

The first course was:

A seafood tower which consisted of jumbo shrimp and Alaskan king crab legs. These were presented at the table with smoking dry ice. This was a big success and delicious with the different dipping sauces.

The second course was:

The Classic Steakhouse Iceberg Wedge with Point Reyes Station Blue Cheese, Crisp
Bacon & Onion Strings

 
Between the second and third course there was a palate cleanser served. This evening's was a champagne mint granita.

 

The main course was served next. The guests had a choice of entree- Fresh Halibut Filet with a pesto sauce or Grilled Filet Mignon. These were served with Roasted Garlic & Shallot Mashed Potatoes,
Sauteed Mushrooms with Shallot and White Wine and Sauteed Asparagus spears with garlic and shallots.

The last course was Fresh Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Strawberry-Balsamic Compote and an Almond
Tuile. Finished with a home made chocolate truffle.