Culinary Trends | Mid Winter 2011


familiar, sweet flavor profiles, they can sell well. Nutty, earthy vegeta- bles are always palatable when sweet. Since many diners expect sweet potatoes to be doused with sugar, root vegetables can capital- ize on their inherent sweetness and be accented with sugared toppings.


Focus of the plate: the centerpiece


The vegetarian movement in this country has started to high- light vegetables as a primary in- gredient, no longer limiting them to sides. “There is a change in evolutionary balance occurring for menus and menu writing. Vegeta- bles are becoming predominant focal points over proteins,” states Chef Russell Jackson of Lafitte in San Francisco. Chef Russell, while “known for being a meat guy”, has always been an “equal opportunity guy” by creating a balanced plate. “If you are doing a roasted veg- etable dish, an accent might be fish or meat or poultry.” According to Chef John,


“root vegetables are rarely meant to shine. Preparing dishes with a focus on the vegetable is a challenge. It is easy to take sexy ingredients and make them a star.” This is certainly a chal- lenge he welcomes with his napoleon rendition, showcas- ing root vegetables in his late-autumn vegetable napoleon creatively featur- ing panisse cake, celery root, delicate squash, Swiss chard, rutabaga, and sunshine squash puree. Chef Michael Stern


at Michael’s in Santa Monica prepares his interpretation of


Chef/Partner John Touzle of the girl & the fig's Fall Vegetable Napolean with Panisse Cake (recipe on Page 33)


“ants on a log” via celery root soup with foie gras, garnished with toasted peanuts and bour- bon maple syrup. “It is a perfect combination of sweet, crunch and savory.” The best seller a Michael’s is the beet salad with house-made fresh ricotta, Fuji apples, pickled red onions and a mache salad. “The way we look at flavors and how we use them is people think of tubers and root vegetables as starchy, but in sea- son they are sweet and fragrant. They can be used where a potato had been or an avenue to intro- duce a sweet component into a savory dish.” With Jerusalem artichoke


soup, it is important to Chef Russell of Lafitte to “make them stand out, yet add subtle notes.” Vegetable stock base is prepared fresh daily and is fortified with washed choke skins, yellow onions, shallots, fennel, olive oil and Gallo vermouth. Thyme, bay, black and white peppercorn are added and pureed to achieve a velvety texture. Constantly


innovating, Chef Russell amends the preparation to be finished with homemade Greek cheese, turmeric oil, or garlic chive oil. This idea of showcasing veg- etables of course applies to salads as well. Chef Tom McNaughton of flour+water has created a seasonal salad that blends mixed chicory and shaved, whole sunchoke paired with bagna cauda – a warm dipping sauce served in a fondue pot. “Sunchoke and bitter chicory are classic pairing for it, rooted in tradition,” says McNaughton.


A central side as inspiration When creating a dish, some


are inspired by the season build- ing a dish around the vegetable. Chef Mackey believes that some dishes, like lamb, consistently maintain their flavor. No matter the time of year, Chef Mackey be- lieves that lamb “tastes like lamb, whether it be spring, summer, winter or fall.” At Cuvée, the pinot noir braised beef short rib with parsnip puree, smoked bacon, caramelized Brussels, horseradish apple salad, and wild flower honey was inspired by chef ’s inclination to highlight the sweet parsnip while in season.


Chef McNaughton prepares both vegetarian and meat dishes that feature tubers. “What is seasonal about a dish are the vegetables. A pro- tein can be found year round.” With a daily changing menu, Chef McNaughton is constantly inventing around seasonality.


To highlight the essence of fall, parsnip agnolotti can be found on the menu. The traditional Italian pasta is filled with


See Tuber, Continued on Page 35 31


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