Dorset, Vermont | Inn at West View Farm

Chinese New Year 2012- in the kitchen

2012-02-02T09:25:00.001-05:00

Behind the scenes in the West View Farm kitchen.
behind the scenes in the +Inn at West View Farm kitchen. #food #vermontEditChinese New Year at the Inn at West View Farm- kitchen

cooking class 2012/1/24 (11 photos)More photos from Inn at West View Farm

2012-01-25T22:49:00.000-05:00

A fun/fine cooking class taught by the Inn at West View Farm boys on behalf of the Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning. Class was held at the Weigand/Holland residence in Pawlet, Vermont.

The menu consisted of moo shu duck, sheng jian bao, lemongrass soup and scallops with chinese spinach.

cooking class 2012/1/24 (11 photos)
More photos from Inn at West View Farm

Chinese New Year Dinner Celebration

2012-01-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

The year of the dragon is fast approaching. The Inn will be celebrating the New Year with 3 nights(Jan.26,27,28)of 10 course banquet dinners.

We are offering special room rates for guests choosing to extend their stay.

Call 802.867.5715 for more information and reservations.

New years eve amuse bouche at the +Inn at West View Farm . egg, pea puree and hedgehog mushroom. #food #restaurant #vermontegg custard- amuse bouche (4 photos)More photos from Raymond Chen

2012-01-02T15:21:00.000-05:00

New years eve amuse bouche at the +Inn at West View Farm . egg, pea puree and hedgehog mushroom. #food #restaurant #vermontegg custard- amuse bouche (4 photos)
More photos from Raymond Chen

How to make a Vegetable Terrine

2011-12-01T08:18:00.001-05:00

Terrines like this are not hard to make and almost any vegetable can be used. The cooking of the vegetables are somewhat time consuming but is pretty brainless. Don't forget to season all your vegetables. Your terrine will taste pretty bland otherwise. I used a Crueset terrine mold and sprayed it with a little non-stick. You could alternatively line the mold with plastic wrap. You must weigh down your terrine in order to eliminate air pockets. Also, I like to get it in the fridge for a good twenty four hours.

I unmolded the terrine by inverting the terrine onto a sheet tray and blow torching the mold until the terrine released. I have found using an electric slicer yields the cleanest slice.

The tomato water was made by pureeing two cans of tomatoes and straining the puree through cheesecloth and a fine chinois. The resulting "water" is then heated and the bloomed gelatin is added. I guess you could use any kind of prepared stock/broth from your local food store if you wanted to save yourself a step. Don't get the really awful tasting salty kind and don't skip the gelatin addition.

1 pound of Eggplant, Zucchini, Summer Squash
1 head Garlic- Roasted
2 Red Peppers- Roasted
2 cups Tomato Water extracted from 2-16 ounce cans of San Marzano Tomatoes
6 sheets of Gelatin
Salt and Pepper

I served this as a side dish for Thanksgiving with family at the Inn. In the restaurant, we would have served it with some baby greens, olive oil, aged balsamic and some goat cheese.

Ski's Culinary Showdown- Vote West View Farm!

2011-11-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

Click on this Ski magazine link to vote for the Inn at West View Farm for Best Off Mountain Restaurant.

Much appreciated. Thanks!

Fun with your Toaster

2011-11-08T14:26:00.000-05:00

I saw a picture a little while ago of someone making a grilled cheese sandwich in a toaster lying on it's side. Seemed like a good idea, so I gave it a try.

End product wasn't as good as I had hoped. Tomatoes and cheese didn't quite get that grilled, charred quality that I was looking for. I had to bail on the cooking time once the bread started to burn. If I try this again, I would put the toaster setting to ONE (less burn, more melty) or maybe I'll try just plain old grilled cheese (less thickness). The sandwich was still delicious. It also feels more healthy. You are limited in the amount of fat you can use. In an effort not to burn down your house, I wouldn't recommend slathering your bread with butter for this project. I drizzled some olive oil on top to finish the sandwich. In a pinch this technique is great as you don't have to turn on your stove, oven, broiler, or griddle. A hidden benefit is all the crap that was in the bottom of the toaster winds up falling out so you get a clean toaster to boot!

***Remember this is (or at least it seems) a little sketchy. I am a trained professional so I know about lying toasters on their sides! Be careful. Also, if you have one of those toasters that squeeze the bread in the slot, you're out of luck.

chew on this

2011-11-07T08:07:00.001-05:00

dancing dead squid with the help of a little soy sauce. looks darn appetizing!

First Snowfall

2011-10-28T11:34:00.000-04:00

Irene in Vermont 2011

2011-08-30T10:29:00.000-04:00

A difficult road lies ahead for our state.

Mettawee River Theatre

2011-07-27T13:11:00.001-04:00

The Old Boat Goddess
Songs of the Ainu

photo by rich marantz

Highly recommend seeing a performance by this theatre company. Beautifully done surrounded by the magic of Vermont's outdoors.

Wanderlust Stratton, June 23rd to June 26

2011-06-24T09:45:00.000-04:00

Music and Yoga Festival at Stratton. The Inn is only 30 minutes away.

Click on the link for more info on the Festival.

http://stratton.wanderlustfestival.com/home

Vermont Days 2011

2011-06-09T09:29:00.003-04:00

Enjoy some free time this June 11th and 12th.

Free fishing, entrance to parks, historic sites and the Vermont history museum.

http://www.vermontdays.com/

Eat Like a Man cookbook

2011-05-17T12:09:00.001-04:00

We are on Pages 40 and 41. Nice, useful cookbook.

From Chronicle Book's Website-
So long, dude food. Most men who love food have a roasting pan and a decent spice rack, but they're still looking for that one book that has all the real food they love to eat and wish they could cook. Esquire food editor Ryan D'Agostino is here to change that with his unapologetically male-centric Eat Like a Man—a choice collection of 75 recipes and food writing for men who like to eat, cook, and read about great food. It's the Esquire man's repertoire of perfect recipes, essays on how food figures into the moments that define a man's life, and all the useful kitchen points every man needs to know. Satisfying, sexy, definitive, and doable, these are recipes for slow Sunday mornings with family, end-of-the-week wind-down dinners with a lady, Saturday night show-off entertaining, poker night feeds, and game-day couch camping. Or, for when a man is just hungry.

Race for the Cure 2011

2011-05-16T08:56:00.000-04:00

Race for the Cure will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2011. Mention this post and get a special discount on your stay at the Inn at West View Farm.

The Dorset Winter Climbing Club | Stratton Magazine

2011-04-05T13:55:00.002-04:00

An excerpt from Malcom Cooper's article for Stratton Magazine
A group of local outdoorsmen/women has raised the art of uphill climbing (or "skinning") to party status. The winter woods of Vermont are silent, dark and deep (I think Robert Frost said that) and fascinating and beautiful to explore. A Green Mountain peak that you may be familiar with from summer hikes is a different universe altogether in January. Millions of skiers take in the winter views from the tops of Stratton, Bromley and the other lift access hills but only a few each winter gaze in silence down at the Manchester Valley from the summit of Mt Aeolus (Green Peak) when three feet of snow make hiking on foot prohibitively exhausting.

The full article can be read by clicking on the link:
The Dorset Winter Climbing Club | Stratton Magazine

Inn at West View Farm | Noodles

2011-03-05T13:55:00.001-05:00

Inn at West View Farm | Newest addition to the Little dish menu in the restaurant.

Pork, Shrimp or Salmon with vegetables, Chinese sausage, tofu and two noodle choices. We prepare everything as if you were having huo guo or hot pot or shabu shabu.

Chinese New Year at the Inn- Februrary 3, 4, and 5

2011-01-19T08:56:00.001-05:00

新年快樂 (Xin nian kuai le) or Happy New Year

Come celebrate the year of the rabbit at the inn and enjoy ten-ish courses of my interpretations of traditional Chinese food. Seatings are 6:30 and 7:30.

Call 802.867.5715 or email- stay@westviewfarm.com

China's Robot Waiters: No Tipping Necessary

2010-12-23T09:24:00.000-05:00

In China's Shangdong province, you will now be served by robots riding bicycles. You do have to get in the robots way to make it stop and grab your food.

Full Time article is here- China's Robot Waiters: No Tipping Necessary

Zhongzi- Day 2

2010-06-22T22:03:00.002-04:00

Made approximately 140 zonghzi today. 15 pounds rice, 20 pounds of belly, 3 pints of soy sauce, 1 cup white wine, 3 packages of bamboo leaves and a lot of twine.

Simmered for 4 hours in 3 stock pots filled with water. Stock pots were fired at various times as the zhongzi were being made.

Shanghai Zhongzi

2010-06-21T22:08:00.008-04:00

Our adventure in recreating savory Shanghai style Zhongzi. We haven't attempted to make this since my Grandmother was alive.

We have started with the objective of making 100 pieces. Our planned inventory so far is:

10 pounds of sweet rice

20 pounds of pork belly

4 packs of bamboo leaves

Soy sauce (we are going by color....so we will have to work this out)

White wine???

This is a two day project. Marinating the meat and the rice a day ahead is preferred. Tomorrow, we will begin assembly. We are planning for a minimum of four hours for simmering. I am assuming we will need to begin folding by noon, in order to have dinner ready by seven.

ZDF (German Television)

2010-05-12T22:25:00.011-04:00

ZDF did some filming in our kitchen tonight to document some of the inspiration for John Irving's Last Night in Twisted River.

Central Grocery's Muffuletta

2010-05-06T08:04:00.005-04:00

Central Grocery in the French Quarter has been serving this sandwich since 1906. The Grocery is widely credited for introducing this sandwich to the United States.

The sandwich begins with a large round loaf of Italian bread. It is filled with salami, ham, and provolone. The spread that is used truly makes this sandwich unique. The fragrant and spicy melange consisted of olive oil, green & black olives, peppers, carrots, anchovies and garlic.

12.95 gets you a whole one and 6.95 gets you half. A half is loads for most people.

Soft Shell Crab Tempura

2010-05-01T14:09:00.000-04:00

Brunch and Boules

2010-04-05T17:13:00.002-04:00

A beautiful Easter Sunday in Vermont. A lot of laughs, boules and Pernod....what a great way to spend the day.

two chinese ladies

2010-04-03T13:39:00.003-04:00

not exactly the two chinese ladies you see in chinatown folding dumplings.

Easter Brunch Menu

2010-04-02T08:24:00.002-04:00

Easter Sunday Brunch

Tri Color Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Mesclun and Aged Balsamic

House Salad with Mesclun, Tomatoes and Soy-Citrus Vinaigrette

Wonton Soup with Baby Arugula

Grilled Shrimp with Pesto, Olive and Couscous Salad

Truffle Infused Vermont Cheddar Quiche with Spinach and Bacon

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with Sauce Bernaise

Steamed Mushroom & Chicken Dumplings

with Ginger Dipping Sauce

Cheddar Croque Monsieur with Sauce Mornay

Pork Belly Sliders with Baby Bok Choi

Baby Back Ribs Benedict with Poached Egg and Cornbread

Country Terrine with Baby Arugula and Croutons

Beer Battered Bass with Sauce Tartare and French Fries

Fellen Pollen Grilled Quail with Fingerlings, Goat Cheese & Aged Balsamic

Roasted Lamb with Couscous Salad and Tapenade

Choose two from above, $36.00 per person prix fixe including dessert

(Beverages, tax and gratuity additional)

Easter Eggs

2010-03-28T22:13:00.001-04:00

Cooking in the kitchen can sometimes feel like a science project. Poaching eggs taken to the next level.

Tempura Fish Tacos

2010-03-21T13:49:00.002-04:00

Tempura Fish with an Asian Slaw in a Wonton Taco Shell

Shovel Ready

2010-03-20T12:04:00.001-04:00

The West View boys hard at work and not in the kitchen. Anybody need a hole filled?

Baba au Rhum

2010-03-14T22:19:00.004-04:00

Years ago, I had the best Baba au Rhum at Alain Ducasse when it was on Poincaire in Paris. The texture of the Baba was perfect and the number of rum selections was mind blowing. A whole cart of rums were offered! I let the waiter make some recommendations and chose a thirty year old rum. After all these years, I still love this dessert.
We offer a more modest rendition of this dessert. Our brioche is just as flavorful as Chef Ducasse's, however, we offer only one dark rum to soak it in.
We serve ours with whipped cream and strawberries. The picture is our babas fresh out of the oven. A couple broke and I ate them with a great Catamount Farm jam a friend had given us.

Karate Cooks

2010-02-12T09:49:00.001-05:00

Karateka mayhem in our kitchen dojo at the Inn. On the menu tonight are: Mongolian dumplings, pork springrolls, sake chicken & peas and scallion pancakes.
One photo of Chris had to be omitted.....

Sheng Xiao (生肖) or Chinese Zodiac

2010-02-12T08:28:00.002-05:00

Year Associated
Element Associated
Animal Year
1924–1983 1984–2043
1 Feb 05 1924–Jan 23 1925 Yang Wood Rat Feb 02 1984–Feb 19 1985
2 Jan 24 1925–Feb 12 1926 Yin Wood Ox Feb 20 1985–Feb 08 1986
3 Feb 13 1926–Feb 01 1927 Yang Fire Tiger Feb 09 1986–Jan 28 1987
4 Feb 02 1927–Jan 22 1928 Yin Fire Rabbit Jan 29 1987–Feb 16 1988
5 Jan 23 1928–Feb 09 1929 Yang Earth Dragon Feb 17 1988–Feb 05 1989
6 Feb 10 1929–Jan 29 1930 Yin Earth Snake Feb 06 1989–Jan 26 1990
7 Jan 30 1930–Feb 16 1931 Yang Metal Horse Jan 27 1990–Feb 14 1991
8 Feb 17 1931–Feb 05 1932 Yin Metal Ram Feb 15 1991–Feb 03 1992
9 Feb 06 1932–Jan 25 1933 Yang Water Monkey Feb 04 1992–Jan 22 1993
10 Jan 26 1933–Feb 13 1934 Yin Water Rooster Jan 23 1993– Feb 09 1994
11 Feb 14 1934–Feb 03 1935 Yang Wood Dog Feb 10 1994–Jan 30 1995
12 Feb 04 1935–Jan 23 1936 Yin Wood Boar Jan 31 1995–Feb 18 1996
13 Jan 24 1936–Feb 10 1937 Yang Fire Rat Feb 19 1996–Feb 06 1997
14 Feb 11 1937–Jan 30 1938 Yin Fire Ox Feb 07 1997–Jan 27 1998
15 Jan 31 1938–Feb 18 1939 Yang Earth Tiger Jan 28 1998–Feb 15 1999
16 Feb 19 1939–Feb 07 1940 Yin Earth Rabbit Feb 16 1999–Feb 04 2000
17 Feb 08 1940–Jan 26 1941 Yang Metal Dragon Feb 05 2000–Jan 23 2001
18 Jan 27 1941–Feb 14 1942 Yin Metal Snake Jan 24 2001–Feb 11 2002
19 Feb 15 1942–Feb 04 1943 Yang Water Horse Feb 12 2002–Jan 31 2003
20 Feb 05 1943–Jan 24 1944 Yin Water Ram Feb 01 2003–Jan 21 2004
21 Jan 25 1944–Feb 12 1945 Yang Wood Monkey Jan 22 2004–Feb 08 2005
22 Feb 13 1945–Feb 01 1946 Yin Wood Rooster Feb 09 2005–Jan 28 2006
23 Feb 02 1946–Jan 21 1947 Yang Fire Dog Jan 29 2006–Feb 17 2007
24 Jan 22 1947–Feb 09 1948 Yin Fire Boar Feb 18 2007–Feb 06 2008
25 Feb 10 1948–Jan 28 1949 Yang Earth Rat Feb 07 2008–Jan 25 2009
26 Jan 29 1949–Feb 16 1950 Yin Earth Ox Jan 26 2009–Feb 13 2010
27 Feb 17 1950–Feb 05 1951 Yang Metal Tiger Feb 14 2010–Feb 02 2011
28 Feb 06 1951–Jan 26 1952 Yin Metal Rabbit Feb 03 2011–Jan 22 2012
29 Jan 27 1952–Feb 13 1953 Yang Water Dragon Jan 23 2012–Feb 09 2013
30 Feb 14 1953–Feb 02 1954 Yin Water Snake Feb 10 2013–Jan 30 2014
31 Feb 03 1954–Jan 23 1955 Yang Wood Horse Jan 31 2014–Feb 18 2015
32 Jan 24 1955–Feb 11 1956 Yin Wood Ram Feb 19 2015–Feb 07 2016
33 Feb 12 1956–Jan 30 1957 Yang Fire Monkey Feb 08 2016–Jan 27 2017
34 Jan 31 1957–Feb 17 1958 Yin Fire Rooster Jan 28 2017–Feb 18 2018
35 Feb 18 1958–Feb 07 1959 Yang Earth Dog Feb 19 2018–Feb 04 2019
36 Feb 08 1959–Jan 27 1960 Yin Earth Boar Feb 05 2019–Jan 24 2020
37 Jan 28 1960–Feb 14 1961 Yang Metal Rat Jan 25 2020–Feb. 11 2021
38 Feb 15 1961–Feb 04 1962 Yin Metal Ox Feb 12 2021–Jan 31 2022
39 Feb 05 1962–Jan 24 1963 Yang Water Tiger Feb 01 2022–Jan 21 2023
40 Jan 25 1963–Feb 12 1964 Yin Water Rabbit Jan 22 2023–Feb 09 2024
41 Feb 13 1964–Feb 01 1965 Yang Wood Dragon Feb 10 2024–Jan 28 2025
42 Feb 02 1965–Jan 20 1966 Yin Wood Snake Jan 29 2025–Feb 16 2026
43 Jan 21 1966–Feb 08 1967 Yang Fire Horse Feb 17 2026–Feb 05 2027
44 Feb 09 1967–Jan 29 1968 Yin Fire Ram Feb 06 2027–Jan 25 2028
45 Jan 30 1968–Feb 16 1969 Yang Earth Monkey Jan 26 2028–Feb 12 2029
46 Feb 17 1969–Feb 05 1970 Yin Earth Rooster Feb 13 2029–Feb 02 2030
47 Feb 06 1970–Jan 26 1971 Yang Metal Dog Feb 03 2030–Jan 22 2031
48 Jan 27 1971–Feb 14 1972 Yin Metal Boar Jan 23 2031–Feb 10 2032
49 Feb 15 1972–Feb 02 1973 Yang Water Rat Feb 11 2032–Jan 30 2033
50 Feb 03 1973–Jan 22 1974 Yin Water Ox Jan 31 2033–Feb 18 2034
51 Jan 23 1974–Feb 10 1975 Yang Wood Tiger Feb 19 2034–Feb 07 2035
52 Feb 11 1975–Jan 30 1976 Yin Wood Rabbit Feb 08 2035–Jan 27 2036
53 Jan 31 1976–Feb 17 1977 Yang Fire Dragon Jan 28 2036–Feb 14 2037
54 Feb 18 1977–Feb 06 1978 Yin Fire Snake Feb 15 2037–Feb 03 2038
55 Feb 07 1978–Jan 27 1979 Yang Earth Horse Feb 04 2038–Jan 23 2039
56 Jan 28 1979–Feb 15 1980 Yin Earth Ram Jan 24 2039–Feb 11 2040
57 Feb 16 1980–Feb 04 1981 Yang Metal Monkey Feb 12 2040–Jan 31 2041
58 Feb 05 1981–Jan 24 1982 Yin Metal Rooster Feb 01 2041–Jan 21 2042
59 Jan 25 1982–Feb 12 1983 Yang Water Dog Jan 22 2042–Feb 09 2043
60 Feb 13 1983–Feb 01 1984 Yin Water Boar Feb 10 2043–Jan 29 2044

	Year	Associated Element	Associated Animal	Year
1924–1983	1984–2043
1	Feb 05 1924–Jan 23 1925	Yang Wood	Rat	Feb 02 1984–Feb 19 1985
2	Jan 24 1925–Feb 12 1926	Yin Wood	Ox	Feb 20 1985–Feb 08 1986
3	Feb 13 1926–Feb 01 1927	Yang Fire	Tiger	Feb 09 1986–Jan 28 1987
4	Feb 02 1927–Jan 22 1928	Yin Fire	Rabbit	Jan 29 1987–Feb 16 1988
5	Jan 23 1928–Feb 09 1929	Yang Earth	Dragon	Feb 17 1988–Feb 05 1989
6	Feb 10 1929–Jan 29 1930	Yin Earth	Snake	Feb 06 1989–Jan 26 1990
7	Jan 30 1930–Feb 16 1931	Yang Metal	Horse	Jan 27 1990–Feb 14 1991
8	Feb 17 1931–Feb 05 1932	Yin Metal	Ram	Feb 15 1991–Feb 03 1992
9	Feb 06 1932–Jan 25 1933	Yang Water	Monkey	Feb 04 1992–Jan 22 1993
10	Jan 26 1933–Feb 13 1934	Yin Water	Rooster	Jan 23 1993– Feb 09 1994
11	Feb 14 1934–Feb 03 1935	Yang Wood	Dog	Feb 10 1994–Jan 30 1995
12	Feb 04 1935–Jan 23 1936	Yin Wood	Boar	Jan 31 1995–Feb 18 1996
13	Jan 24 1936–Feb 10 1937	Yang Fire	Rat	Feb 19 1996–Feb 06 1997
14	Feb 11 1937–Jan 30 1938	Yin Fire	Ox	Feb 07 1997–Jan 27 1998
15	Jan 31 1938–Feb 18 1939	Yang Earth	Tiger	Jan 28 1998–Feb 15 1999
16	Feb 19 1939–Feb 07 1940	Yin Earth	Rabbit	Feb 16 1999–Feb 04 2000
17	Feb 08 1940–Jan 26 1941	Yang Metal	Dragon	Feb 05 2000–Jan 23 2001
18	Jan 27 1941–Feb 14 1942	Yin Metal	Snake	Jan 24 2001–Feb 11 2002
19	Feb 15 1942–Feb 04 1943	Yang Water	Horse	Feb 12 2002–Jan 31 2003
20	Feb 05 1943–Jan 24 1944	Yin Water	Ram	Feb 01 2003–Jan 21 2004
21	Jan 25 1944–Feb 12 1945	Yang Wood	Monkey	Jan 22 2004–Feb 08 2005
22	Feb 13 1945–Feb 01 1946	Yin Wood	Rooster	Feb 09 2005–Jan 28 2006
23	Feb 02 1946–Jan 21 1947	Yang Fire	Dog	Jan 29 2006–Feb 17 2007
24	Jan 22 1947–Feb 09 1948	Yin Fire	Boar	Feb 18 2007–Feb 06 2008
25	Feb 10 1948–Jan 28 1949	Yang Earth	Rat	Feb 07 2008–Jan 25 2009
26	Jan 29 1949–Feb 16 1950	Yin Earth	Ox	Jan 26 2009–Feb 13 2010
27	Feb 17 1950–Feb 05 1951	Yang Metal	Tiger	Feb 14 2010–Feb 02 2011
28	Feb 06 1951–Jan 26 1952	Yin Metal	Rabbit	Feb 03 2011–Jan 22 2012
29	Jan 27 1952–Feb 13 1953	Yang Water	Dragon	Jan 23 2012–Feb 09 2013
30	Feb 14 1953–Feb 02 1954	Yin Water	Snake	Feb 10 2013–Jan 30 2014
31	Feb 03 1954–Jan 23 1955	Yang Wood	Horse	Jan 31 2014–Feb 18 2015
32	Jan 24 1955–Feb 11 1956	Yin Wood	Ram	Feb 19 2015–Feb 07 2016
33	Feb 12 1956–Jan 30 1957	Yang Fire	Monkey	Feb 08 2016–Jan 27 2017
34	Jan 31 1957–Feb 17 1958	Yin Fire	Rooster	Jan 28 2017–Feb 18 2018
35	Feb 18 1958–Feb 07 1959	Yang Earth	Dog	Feb 19 2018–Feb 04 2019
36	Feb 08 1959–Jan 27 1960	Yin Earth	Boar	Feb 05 2019–Jan 24 2020
37	Jan 28 1960–Feb 14 1961	Yang Metal	Rat	Jan 25 2020–Feb. 11 2021
38	Feb 15 1961–Feb 04 1962	Yin Metal	Ox	Feb 12 2021–Jan 31 2022
39	Feb 05 1962–Jan 24 1963	Yang Water	Tiger	Feb 01 2022–Jan 21 2023
40	Jan 25 1963–Feb 12 1964	Yin Water	Rabbit	Jan 22 2023–Feb 09 2024
41	Feb 13 1964–Feb 01 1965	Yang Wood	Dragon	Feb 10 2024–Jan 28 2025
42	Feb 02 1965–Jan 20 1966	Yin Wood	Snake	Jan 29 2025–Feb 16 2026
43	Jan 21 1966–Feb 08 1967	Yang Fire	Horse	Feb 17 2026–Feb 05 2027
44	Feb 09 1967–Jan 29 1968	Yin Fire	Ram	Feb 06 2027–Jan 25 2028
45	Jan 30 1968–Feb 16 1969	Yang Earth	Monkey	Jan 26 2028–Feb 12 2029
46	Feb 17 1969–Feb 05 1970	Yin Earth	Rooster	Feb 13 2029–Feb 02 2030
47	Feb 06 1970–Jan 26 1971	Yang Metal	Dog	Feb 03 2030–Jan 22 2031
48	Jan 27 1971–Feb 14 1972	Yin Metal	Boar	Jan 23 2031–Feb 10 2032
49	Feb 15 1972–Feb 02 1973	Yang Water	Rat	Feb 11 2032–Jan 30 2033
50	Feb 03 1973–Jan 22 1974	Yin Water	Ox	Jan 31 2033–Feb 18 2034
51	Jan 23 1974–Feb 10 1975	Yang Wood	Tiger	Feb 19 2034–Feb 07 2035
52	Feb 11 1975–Jan 30 1976	Yin Wood	Rabbit	Feb 08 2035–Jan 27 2036
53	Jan 31 1976–Feb 17 1977	Yang Fire	Dragon	Jan 28 2036–Feb 14 2037
54	Feb 18 1977–Feb 06 1978	Yin Fire	Snake	Feb 15 2037–Feb 03 2038
55	Feb 07 1978–Jan 27 1979	Yang Earth	Horse	Feb 04 2038–Jan 23 2039
56	Jan 28 1979–Feb 15 1980	Yin Earth	Ram	Jan 24 2039–Feb 11 2040
57	Feb 16 1980–Feb 04 1981	Yang Metal	Monkey	Feb 12 2040–Jan 31 2041
58	Feb 05 1981–Jan 24 1982	Yin Metal	Rooster	Feb 01 2041–Jan 21 2042
59	Jan 25 1982–Feb 12 1983	Yang Water	Dog	Jan 22 2042–Feb 09 2043
60	Feb 13 1983–Feb 01 1984	Yin Water	Boar	Feb 10 2043–Jan 29 2044

Austria's Infamous Sacher-Torte

2010-02-03T09:32:00.002-05:00

I have never been to Austria but last night we were treated to an original Sacher-Torte which was flown in from Vienna. Clarissa Lennox treated us all to a fabulous dinner which concluded with the infamous torte.

The Sacher-Torte originated in 1832 at the behest of the German-Austrian politician, Klemens Wenzel Metternich. Metternich ordered a special dessert be made for some very important guests. Dass er mir aber keine Schand' macht, heut' Abend! ("Let there be no shame on me tonight!"), he is reported to have declared. When the head chef became ill, the responsibility for the dessert's creation fell to a 16 year old apprentice named Franz Sacher. Sacher's dessert was an overwhelming success and remains, 175 years later, as one of the world most famous desserts.

The cake is characterized as a chocolate cake with apricot glaze, and a chocolate ganache. The torte is served simply with unsweetened whipped cream.

Stay tuned....we are attempting to recreate this dessert.

Asian Cooking Class

2010-01-26T23:26:00.003-05:00

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

A fun night of cooking at Marcia and Alan's house.

Last Night in Twisted River

2010-01-25T22:09:00.001-05:00

My characters, Ah Gou and Xiao Dee Cheng, in John Irving's new book, Last Night in Twisted River. Our dishes appear randomly throughout the book. There is even a mention of karate.

Amuse Bouche New Year's Eve 2009

2010-01-03T12:58:00.005-05:00

Amuse bouche of crab, celeriac, tarragon and cumin in a wonton cornet.

The Kitchen on New Year's Eve 2009

2010-01-02T13:03:00.003-05:00

Me, Lorne and the Cajun King rockin' the kitchen.

New Year's Eve 2009

2010-01-02T12:30:00.005-05:00

New Year's Eve Dinner Photos

Northern Spy's Goat Song and Warm Butternut Salad

2009-10-27T20:33:00.003-04:00

Saturday, we started serving Brad Kessler and Dona McAdam's Northern Spy's Goat Song Tomme as part of a composed salad.

We paired warm roasted butternut squash, baby arugula, grapes, walnuts and a cider vinaigrette with the cheese. In creating the dish, it was important for us to showcase the cheese and not have it lost in a melange of other flavors. We had to make sure we didn't skimp on the cheese. The complimentary ingredients were chosen as they showed the range of the possible favorable flavor combinations in this extraordinary cheese.

In addition to the salad, next week, the cheese will be served in a more traditional wedge format as a pre-dessert or as a sweet dessert alternative.

Race for the Cure 2009

2009-10-24T00:08:00.003-04:00

A little late with this post. The knee sprain (from volleyball) kind of made me want to forget this day. It was a great day nonetheless.

Our team, Eat, Drink, Ski was comprised of the Inn at West View Farm (eat), Brew Your Own Magazine (drink) and Magic Mountain (ski). Great friends and great local businesses. We raised lots of money, top five and ran some great times. Next year the times will be a little better, right?

Goat Cheese in Sandgate, VT

2009-10-23T23:32:00.004-04:00

Of Tomes and Tommes | Seven Days

today, we were fortunate to have brad kessler and dona mcadams here to taste their remarkable cheese. they do an amazing job with their truly artisanal goat cheese. artisanal, to me, is too often over used. we are now one of the few restaurants who will be able to offer northern spy's goat song tomme. the above link is their story. dona took this wonderful picture.

Rock Art Brewery vs Monster Energy Drink

2009-10-15T09:46:00.003-04:00

Boycott Monster Energy drinks and Hansen Beverage Company to show your support for this small Vermont business. Email them with your thoughts at: http://www.monsterenergy.com/web/guest/contact

Mother Myrick with Snow

2009-10-14T11:54:00.002-04:00

Snow on Mother Myrick this morning. Say goodbye to Autumn and hello to Winter. Skiing is not far away.

what a boar!

2009-08-24T10:33:00.004-04:00

We had the good fortune of getting half a boar from Brown Boar Farm last week. We are testing the posibilities of La Caja China's pig roasting box.

I don't know that I am thrilled cooking all the parts of an animal using the same cooking times, technique and temperature. Certain parts of the boar were cooked perfectly (belly) while other parts could have used less time (loin) and others more (shoulder, butt).

The box seemed to get hotter than I would have liked, probably due to lack of experience. My instincts and experience tell me that I would rather cook the boar at a very low temperature for a very long time.

moths, moths, moths

2009-08-20T01:05:00.004-04:00

vermonter's seem to be engrossed by these insects. i traded in my can of raid for a camera one night and these are the photos of the beast that we saw on the side of our house.

i might need two cans for this one.

what evil lurks in the heart of dorset, vt?

2009-08-20T00:26:00.006-04:00

last kid's class at triad

2009-02-24T14:25:00.005-05:00

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king. -Tolkien

Esquire Breakfast

2009-02-23T07:54:00.005-05:00

Esquire's March 2009 issue features the most important meal of the day, breakfast. I was asked to provide a dish that I eat for breakfast. Mine is the pulled baby-back benedict.

Irish Brown Bread

2009-02-18T11:11:00.003-05:00

In memoriam of Mary Blake

I baked you this bread.

The lives you have touched will be nourished for generations.

Beau-tea (茶)

2009-01-26T10:39:00.010-05:00

the following link is a ny times slideshow done by Chang W. Lee which captures life inside a hangzhou tea house beautifully. the slideshow, more importantly, helps to convey the significance of tea in chinese culture.

ny times slideshow

it is important to source really good green tea to understand its true appeal. green tea should be loose, not in tea bags, and green, not brownish, greenish, greyish.

in chinese households, tea is often served in mugs where the hot water is poured over the loose tea leaves and allowed to steep for a few minutes. the chinese will often refer to drinking tea as "eating" tea as you will invariably be eating some of the loose floating tea leaves.

Happy New Year and 吃苦

2009-01-01T19:38:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year to All!!!

The holidays are a challenging time for us in the hospitality biz. It is without a doubt our busiest time of the year. A recurring Chinese phrase "chi ku" (吃苦) or "eating bitter" kept popping into my head as the week went on. Eating bitter is a metaphor for suffering. In Chinese Yin/Yang theory, you can't taste the sweet unless you know what bitter tastes like. Fatigue starts to take over as the holiday season progresses, yet somehow it is okay, as we are often left with a heartfelt thank you from our guests who recognize and appreciate the week's daunting challenge.

Thanks to our guests, during the holidays, we are fortunate to get a taste of bitter and sweet at the same time.

Amuse Bouche- Shrimp Shot

Foie Gras and Moulard Duck with Cranberry and Rosemary

Paige and Luen banging out Black Forest cakes. Not easy, thank you!

Breakfast of Champions

2008-12-08T23:09:00.003-05:00

粥

Chinese breakfast called congee or jook. I had various jooks for over 2o days while in China. Classically the condiments are served on the side and the rice is more soupy than mine. In this jook, I have used fermented tofu, pork sung, pickled cabbage, thousand year old duck egg, scallions and a fish broth.

Taiji on Expert Village

2008-12-08T22:31:00.002-05:00

Tai Chi: Choke Defense -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

I was fortunate to be the crash test dummy for Sifu Rich Marantz when he was making taiji videos with Expert Village. Cool to see the martial applications of taiji; it's not just for health.

Vegetable Garnish

2008-12-08T22:19:00.000-05:00

Potato Puree, Baby Carrots, and Sugar Snap Peas

8 large Yukon Gold potatoes peeled
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup butter
Kosher salt and white pepper
16 baby carrots peeled and trimmed
2 tablespoons butter
¼ pound snap peas washed and cleaned
1 shallot minced
3 thyme sprigs

Place peeled cut yukons into pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil on high then lower to a simmer. When potatoes are fork tender strain. Put through a potato ricer.
Add the butter, salt and white pepper to the potatoes. In a small sauce pan, heat heavy cream on the stove. Stir the warm heavy cream to the potatoes. Keep in a warm place covered.
In a medium sauté pan, add carrots, chopped shallots, and thyme. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Cook until water evaporates and carrots are tender and lightly caramelized.
Blanch snap peas in well salted boiling water. Remove from boiling water and add to sauté pan with carrots. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Healthy Vermont

2008-12-03T18:20:00.002-05:00

The American Public Health Association came out with their rankings of the healthiest and least healthy states. The following is from their website:

Vermont Leads Rankings With Statewide Healthy Behavior Changes
America’s Health Rankings™ 2008 edition shows Vermont as the healthiest state for the second year in a row. A broad range of health initiatives have made it possible for Vermont to make progress in areas where the rest of the country needs the greatest improvement. Within the state, the prevalence of smoking has declined to 17.6 percent of the population, there is a slower rise in obesity than the U.S. national average, and the number of people without health insurance remains low.
Vermont leads the nation for all health determinants measured. Vermont was ranked 16th when the first edition of America’s Health Rankings™ was released and has been climbing steadily in the rankings for the last eight years. Strengths include a low percentage of children in poverty, ready access to primary care for residents, a high rate of high school graduation, and high immunization coverage. Over the last year, Vermont has increased its per capita public health funding by 49 percent. Since 1990, the statewide prevalence of smoking has decreased by 43 percent and the infant mortality rate has decreased by 37 percent.

koroken shiai

2008-11-13T20:18:00.001-05:00

Short Rib Recipe (the real one)

2008-10-31T16:36:00.005-04:00

We have gotten a number of calls about this recipe since it was published in Bon Appetit. If anyone has made it based on the printed recipe, please let me know how it came out. After reading the recipe in the recent issue and the original issue it was printed in, it came to our attention that the recipe is not as we submitted in either issue.

So here is the real recipe. It does have a few more steps.

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Baby Carrots and Potato Puree
Inn at West View Farm

YIELD: 8 servings

Ribs are best done one day in advance.

8 large short ribs approximately ½# each
¼ cup canola oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 large carrots chopped
1 onion chopped
1 leek chopped
1 whole garlic bulb cut in half
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons flour
1 750ml bottle of red wine (merlot)

1. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Add ¼ cup of oil into a large oven proof pan and place over high heat.
3. Generously season the short ribs with salt and black pepper on each side.
4. When oil is hot, add short ribs to the pan. Brown ribs on all sides except bone side then remove.
5. Add the carrots, onion, leek, and garlic to the pan. Cook vegetables until browned.
6. Add spices and flour and stir until toasted.
7. Add red wine.
8. Place ribs back into the pan. Add enough water to pan to cover ribs.
9. Bring to a boil and place a lid on pan, allow a vent for steam to escape. Place in oven for 4 hours until ribs are fork tender.
10. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate overnight.
11. Remove and discard layer of fat that has formed on the top of the ribs.
12. Carefully remove ribs.
13. Place pan with sauce on stove and bring to a boil.
14. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, into a saucepan.
15. Reduce sauce by half.
16. To reheat ribs place in a pan with hot water that comes a ¼ of the way up to the ribs. Place in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minute.

The photo above is Chef Greg Rems extracting a rib from the flaming pit of death. Greg painstakingly broke down the rib recipe into a mere sixteen steps.

Peking Duck

2008-10-30T21:54:00.006-04:00

This is one of those life long dishes that we chefs torment ourselves over seemingly forever. I have enjoyed Peking duck since my first banquet dinner. But to create it for restaurant service has been a challenge. In my opinion, roasting a whole duck and serving half of it, as is found in many restaurants, is not optimal. Lightly cooking the breast and slow cooking the legs yields the finest results for this bird. In this incarnation, we are using a roasted duck leg confit with a light soy-honey brushing, scallion corn cake and baby bok choy with clementines.

Here, I have taken duck legs and have attempted to treat them like a whole duck would have been prepared. Eating them straight out of the oven was comparable to having a traditional whole Peking duck. However, trying to hold them for service or refrigerating them for service yielded a less than exceptional product.

We served these in a semi-classical style with scallions, hoisin sauce and a scallion crepe in lieu of the traditional pancake.

Asian-Style Baby Back Ribs

2008-10-30T21:43:00.002-04:00

This is our take on Southern style ribs and Chinese take-out ribs. When I was a kid I banged out the Chinese take-out ribs by the hundreds. I was alway amazed at the allure of these ribs as they were typically dry and not very meaty. At some point, I became fascinated with Southern-style ribs, particularly Memphis dry-rubs. So, in our version, we have incorporated a hickory smoke, a Memphis dry-rub and a secret Chinese mop.

Short Ribs in Bon Appetit (again)!

2008-10-19T15:23:00.004-04:00

Manchester Martial Arts Academy

2008-09-23T21:48:00.002-04:00

What is Random?

2008-09-13T23:37:00.006-04:00

Last night reminded us of the seemingly randomness in which events of our lives and others somehow become intertwined. A longtime guest of our restaurant ordered a Henny Penny, a drink which we knew but wanted to confirm it's exact preparation. Christal googled Henny Penny to find out and came across the following NY Times article on the last days of La Caravelle (a restaurant I have always admired).

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02E5D6143EF935A15756C0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

The article bizarrely enough speaks of the guest in our restaurant who ordered the Henny Penny. The article happily gave us a hint as to how remarkable this women's life must have been.

Last summer, guests mistakenly reserved a room at our Inn instead of the Dorset Inn. At breakfast they noticed that in one of the articles written about the Inn that the chef was Raymond Chen. They oddly began questioning Christal about my family and I. My dad's name is also Raymond Chen. As it turned out they were very good friends of my parents when we lived in Queens and had baby sat me when I could barely walk.

The above is a picture of Christal and I while in Bretagne in 1999. We happened to notice it in the NY Times on a Sunday while we were sitting around waiting for my niece to be born. I saw the article and said to Christal, "Oh look, there's the area of France we visited," and "Oh look, there's the restaurant we went to." Then I turned the page. Christal said, "go back, I think we're in that picture." Sure enough, it was us. How easily could this have been overlooked?

So is it random or something greater?

Deadbooks

2008-07-25T00:01:00.004-04:00

It is always a joy when you see unexpected talents and passion in people you know and enjoy. Here is an example shown through my friend and dojo mate, Hasso. Cool things do appear in our sleepy (yet scary) town.

Sake Steamed Chinese Black Bean Mussels

2008-07-20T10:39:00.009-04:00

We adapted this recipe from the classic Chinese black bean dish often served with baby clams. Here we have incorporated the use of sake and cream to add a brothy richness to the mussels. The broth makes for a great bread dipper. We finish the dish with a healthy sprinkling of cilantro and chives.

In the restaurant, we steam the mussels in a french steel pan and cover the pan with another pan upside down. Mussels are kind of tricky to cook. Many say that once the shell opens, the mussels are done but to me they still need to be cooked until the flesh pulls away from the edge of the shell. For one serving, we use about 2 ounces each of sake, black bean puree and cream.

Recipe:

1 pound fermented black beans

6 garlic cloves

2 inches ginger, peeled

24 small Thai chile peppers

2 cups canola oil

Puree all ingredients in a food processor.

This makes alot, so you may have to scale this back. Freezing this in small batches is an option.

The following link is another mussel recipe that was featured in the Boston Globe.

http://www.boston.com/ae/food/articles/2005/04/06/chefs_are_musseling_in_on_the_magic_of_curries/

Sensei Jon Bottomms- Godan Shiai

2008-06-30T12:28:00.005-04:00

A memorable karate day up in Sensei Rick Marallo's dojo in Rutland, VT.

Saturday Nights Alright!

2008-06-08T23:33:00.007-04:00

We live in a world of opposites. Those of us working in the restaurant world see their weekends usually as some part of the midweek. I'm often talking to friends on Monday going thank god it's Friday (I'm off Tuesday and Wednesday) with them going it really is Monday, you @#$%#.

You get accustomed to working when most people are celebrating which I believe is a difficult thing for anyones mind to embrace. This means when people are celebrating, we are working our hardest. So am I preaching sour grapes, NO!

While this is difficult, you learn to treat busy weekends, holidays, parties as challenges, endurance races if you will. I have always heard the Broadway show reference with regard to restaurants, but I have never been in a show and have no idea what that means. I have been in many endurance races so this is my point of reference.

In this world of opposites, we complain when it is too busy and clamor when it is too slow, but it isn't until it's brutally busy do we get our chance to see our real selves and given a chance to shine. No time to put on a brave face, only time to BE brave. Orders come in so quickly that you don't think it is possible for you to handle it. Yet you do and the dishes come out great. This is when you reflect upon what you do and say this is special. This is what I do, I do it well and I don't give up! A lot like racing.

When I first started out, a cook pointed to the chef and said, "you know why he continues to do this all these years?" I assumed it was passion for the food but the cook said, " every other job would seem boring to him, it's like a drug." Again, a lot like racing.

bon anniversaire, richard tete!

Connecting dantien with a camel

2008-06-05T23:29:00.006-04:00

You know you are a martial arts geek when you are riding a camel and primarily focusing on the connection of your dantien/hara with that of your camel's.

Both getting from the down position to the up position and vice versa on a camel are an interesting study in both geometry and gravity. The camels back legs go up first when he is preparing to stand while the front legs go down first when he is preparing to lie down. Both of these movements seem to create a 45 degree angle. The camel is also moving laterally as one leg moves before the other. This gives you some sway to consider with your angulation. Camels in case you need to be reminded are very large- tall and wide- with one large hump (Egypt's kind anyway). These camels are outfitted with a saddle with a single handle/nub (I'm sure this has a name). The ability to utilize this handle/nub which enables you to shift your weight to compensate for the angles and sway during the up/down process would determine whether the newbie camel rider will be eating a little Saharan sand or become the next Eddie Arcaro on a camel.

As our group/caravan started to move, the bizarre camel rising process didn't escape me and left me feeling a little uncomfortable. Outside of riding a donkey in Greece this would be the second time in my life I would have to ride on the back of an animal. In order to shift the focus of this ride, I decided to use my martial arts training to try to connect with this odorous and oddly shaped beast. I know this sounds weird unless you have been to enough classes where this concept is brought up often enough that it seems natural. Anyway, it worked and I started to enjoy my ride, up until the point where my camel handler handed me the rope and decided to leave. Having been newly liberated, my camel jumped at the opportunity to test our new found connection and began to run. Bizarre re-entered the equation. It's funny how your mind works when you are quickly confronted with a situation that requires an immediate resolution. Jump and die. Jump, get trampled and die (alright dying is probably an exaggeration). Or suck it up and stay on. I decided to reconnect with my camel and enjoy the sights of the now very rapidly approaching Nubian village. My camel handler did return only to insure that he got his tip. Christal, my son, my mother and our guide made the wise choice of sailing in a boat down the Nile to meet us at the village. At the Nubian village, my mother commented that I looked very relaxed on the camel while my guide thought I was very brave for "wanting" my camel to run."

A few days later, my niece wanted to ride with someone on a camel again before the great Pyramids. Guess who the lucky one was.

The Belly of the Beast

2008-05-25T23:09:00.009-04:00

In all the years that I have been cooking, I am always struck by the contrast of the serenity of the dining room versus the chaos of the kitchen. A common angry response when something is not happening as quickly or as perfect as the chef would like would be to yell out that this isn't rocket science. I believe in its own way that it is. There is no tomorrow in what we do, we cannot put off a dish because we don't believe today is the day to plate this dish. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to do a rocket scientist's job but I defy them to do ours.

Unlike NYC, we don't have the luxury of having a tournant, the extra guy who can jump into a station when the chef de partie is in the tall grass. Here we are lucky if there is someone here to wash the dishes.

I used to work in restaurants where I would have to pass through the dining room in order to reach the kitchen where I would hear classical music, listen to the sounds of guests dining, enjoy the ambient temperature and then pass through the swinging doors and feel the scorching heat and the sounds of guys on the brink. On one wildly busy night, I had a guy ask me if I could stop and hold my knife while he took a picture; I stopped, of course, while thinking I have nothing better to do. On another night, I had Jeffrey Steingarten stop in the kitchen. I was working the wood oven station and he decided to have a conversation with me about Sichuan peppercorns. This would have been fine except the chef could have cared less about my guest and kept calling out orders. I have seen the toughest guys fall apart, crying on the hot line, unable to continue. In the kitchen, if you start falling behind, lose track of the orders and allow the stress to overwhelm you, no one is going to hold your hand, you will be pushed to the side and someone who can bear the load will bear it with determination and without any compassion.

On a busy evening, every restaurant workers relationship is strained and justifiably so because they are thinking of their own survival. Cooks, servers, and busboys routinely engage in confrontational behavior. A former cook recently interviewed me for a college paper on the relationship between cooks and waitstaff. Could we ever really peacefully exist was the gist. While are goals in pleasing our guests are the same; our methods of delivering this message are often divergent.

The beauty in what we do and what I love about it most is twofold. First is that everything we did today good or bad is over. Tomorrow is really a new day, no pink elephants. Another chance to have a fresh start and to do better. Second is that if we are doing what we are trained to do well, our guests will never truly see the belly of the beast.

A Culinary Oasis

2008-05-04T08:42:00.013-04:00

To say that the food in Jordan and Egypt was disappointing would be an understatement. While reviews on the Internet had readied me for a less than fabulous culinary experience, I was nonetheless surprised. Maybe we didn't venture out to the right places but when you begin your trip by getting some type of food bug at a five star hotel, you become wildly concerned about the quality of food and liquids your putting into your body. Seeing a butchered lamb being transported uncovered in the back of a pickup truck didn't help to boost our confidence.

On the left are some souvenirs we picked up in our travels.

Particularly disappointing was a lunch buffet in a restaurant in Alexandria which looked like a dated wedding facility. I wish I would have taken the time to even look at the name of the restaurant so I could warn people about it, but all I wanted to do was to quickly get as far away from it as possible. We had eaten in some pretty bad tourist trap facilities while in China but this place reset the bar to a height I can't imagine being topped. For 50 pounds (~10 bucks) you could have your fill of white rice, pasta tossed in ketchup, various meats grilled beyond identification, steamed cabbage, bread, salad and some pastries, hum hum (Egyptian for yum yum).

While indulging in my penne ketchup dish, I am rudely interrupted by a now persistent drip from a soon to fall ceiling air conditioner. This is the Egyptian version of torture.

Also disappointing were the a la carte dinners aboard the Sonesta St. Georges. It was as though the chef was reading a poorly translated European cookbook and trying out a recipe for the first time. Criticism aside, the ship was beautiful, buffets were palatable, service was topnotch and the staff were very friendly. Despite the a la carte dinners, I would still highly recommend this cruise line.

On the plus side, the pitas were typically fresh and well made with some amazing dips in some restaurants notably the Fish Market in Alexandria. Kebobs and koftas were generally reliable. Indian food at the Mena House in Cairo was very well executed. Meze was more fun than tasty in the Movenpick in Petra. The culinary highlight for my mom was a white bread sandwich (crust removed) with butter and sliced cucumbers.

You can lead a Camel to Water but.....

2008-05-04T01:41:00.010-04:00

it won't drink Egyptian wine.

In the bizillion years Egypt has had to perfect wine, what happened? I thought maybe my memory had failed me but wasn't Egypt an original pioneer in wine making?

I googled wine and Egypt and low and behold Osiris is in fact (?) a pioneer either in wine making and/or consumption.

"It is in Egypt where we must go for our fullest knowledge of man's early and deliberate growing of wine." Plutarch said that he was told that Osiris was the first to drink wine and to teach men how to plant the vine.

After drinking Egypt's modern day wines, I don't know what to make of this proverb. Maybe you don't want to see the garden.

"In water you see your own face, but in wine the heart of its garden"
ancient Egyptian proverb

If you see these wines in your travels be well advised to stay away!!!!

Drink the beer, Stella or Sakkara. If you don't like beer, drink the beer , Stella or Sakkara.

Vermont Maple Cheesecake, West View style

2008-03-31T22:37:00.010-04:00

(you probably don't get this unless you have a small child but this is from a cartoon and the character is named Cheese.)
+

=
cheesecake (our photo is coming)

We have had a lot of requests for this recipe in the last few weeks. I typically don't mind giving out recipes but scaling it for home use often presents problems. So if this doesn't come out right my math either stinks or I left a key ingredient out (only kidding on the latter). We make these in single serving sizes but making a single large one should be okay as long as the cooking time is adjusted. If anyone makes a big one, let me know.

Vermont Maple Cheesecake
Yield: 10-12 in 4 ounce ramekins

1/2 cup medium amber maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream

Simmer and reduce by half. Cool to room temperature.

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
454 grams mascarpone

Whip cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs until combined. Scrape sides and whip until smooth. Add vanilla and mascarpone, beat until smooth. Do not over beat mascarpone will break. Add ½ cup of maple syrup/heavy cream reduction and beat until combined.
Butter and sugar molds. Bake at 325 in a hot water bath, covered. Bake for 25 minutes and remove cover to allow steam to dissipate. Recover and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Cheesecake should be slightly “jiggly” in the center when finished. Chill uncovered in refrigerator. Cover when completely cooled

Maple Pecan Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cups (4 ½ ounces) pecans, coarsely chopped

1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar until well blended.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the maple syrup and vanilla. Drizzle the egg-yolk mixture into the butter, beating at low speed until incorporated.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and pecans. Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling it out.
4. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Roll out each disk of dough ¼ inch thick between 2 sheets of wax paper. Cut the dough into 2 ½ inch rounds and transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden (the tiny cookies we use only take 5 minutes in a convection oven).

Funny, while I am posting this How It's Made (a program on Discovery) is showing how production cheesecakes are made. Coincidence or ???.

It takes an expert village to make a tai chi video.

2008-03-26T22:21:00.013-04:00

This weekend I was fortunate enough to work with Rich Marantz on his project to create tai chi instructional videos for expertvillage.com. A filmmaker, Joseph, was sent to Manchester to film this 8 part series, each with 16 segments.

The filming was done over two days. In it Rich covered many of the Yang style postures, corresponding exercises, tai chi for seniors, martial applications and two-man drills. Rich's ability to do all these segments in a largely unscripted format and with limited retakes is a tribute to both his devotion to tai chi and his expertise in this art. I participated mainly as a partner in the two-man drills and as the crash test dummy in the martial applications.

These videos, hopefully, will prove to be useful to current students as a reference and also to prospective tai chi students.

Expert village's turnaround time is about two months from the time the videos are filmed. So stay tuned...

How Hydrocolloids Saved My Easter and the Life of a Poached Egg

2008-03-23T17:23:00.011-04:00

Joyeux Paques!!!

Frank has forever altered the picture in my head of the Easter Bunny!

So I'm making Bearnaise for our Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict and what happens in the middle of service, you guessed it, the Bearnaise breaks. However, thanks to molecular gastronomy's popularity in haute cuisine, I too have a hydrocolloid in my kitchen. A little xanthan gum and voila my Bearnaise is back together. If I only had that back in the day when I was working brunches for 400 every Sunday in NYC.

The following is our Easter menu for 2008:

Easter Sunday Brunch

Tri Color Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Mesclun and Aged Balsamic

House Salad with Mesclun, Tomatoes and Soy-Citrus Vinaigrette

Crab-Tarragon Wontons with Ponzu

Grilled Shrimp with Avocado Puree, Portabella and Baby Greens

Truffle Infused Vermont Cheddar Quiche with Spinach and Bacon

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with Sauce Bernaise

Steamed Mushroom & Chicken Dumplings
with Ginger Dipping Sauce

Cheddar Croque Monsieur with Sauce Mornay

Char Siu Bao (Chinese Roast Pork Buns)

Baby Back Ribs with Hickory Hoisin Barbecue Sauce

Duck Confit with Warm Dijon, Spinach and Fingerling Salad

Duck Liver and Foie Gras Pate with Baby Arugula and Croutons

Beer Battered Bass with Sauce Tartare and French Fries

Fellen Pollen Grilled Quail with Fingerlings, Goat Cheese & Aged Balsamic

Roasted Lamb with Couscous Salad and Tapenade

Choose two from above, $35.00 per person prix fixe including dessert
(Beverages, tax and gratuity additional)

Char Siu Bao (3 and last)

2008-03-22T13:14:00.002-04:00

Dough recipe (finally)

This is it! After much struggling, I finally have a consistent recipe, although the tackiness of the dough is something you have to develop a feel for.

Everytime, I thought I nailed a recipe, I would make it again and it would be a failure. Until this one!

Yield: 18 @ 35 grams each

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup all purpose
1 tsp SAF yeast
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
Water (this is a variable, may not need any)
2 tbsps canola oil

Everything into a mixing bowl fitted with hook. Speed 4 for ten minutes. Proof, covered for 1 hour. Portion into 35 gram balls. Roll flat to either make baotzi or mantou. If you truly want to know how to form baotzi, email me. Dough needs to be steamed for 8 minutes.

Welcome to the Stone Valley Byway (formerly known as Route 30)

2008-03-19T11:34:00.006-04:00

Our beloved Route 30 from Manchester to Poultney has been given the name the Stone Valley Byway. Sounds good and seems apppropriate given our resources in marble and slate. If you send me snail mail to 2928 Stone Valley Byway, Dorset, VT 05251, will I get it?

Stone Valley Byway: "The Stone Valley Scenic Byway features a rich background in slate and marble production, as well as incredible scenic, recreational, and cultural amenities. This segment of Vermont Route 30, spanning from Manchester to Poultney, is highlighted by mountain slopes that provide a dramatic backdrop to the rural landscape and provide access to a host of recreational opportunities. Historic, picturesque towns dot the valley floors, and rich agricultural soils have accumulated alongside the free-flowing Mettawee and Poultney Rivers. Lake St. Catherine, the State Park, golf course and many smaller water bodies along the byway corridor are exceptional natural, scenic, and recreational resources."

Champagne Beurre Blanc

2008-03-18T21:56:00.011-04:00

Don't use this.
Our Champagne Beurre Blanc is probably a little misleading. It is not made with the infamous sparkling wines of Champagne but it is made with Champagne vinegar. This vinegar like its sparkling wine cousin should only be called Champagne if it is produced within the viticultural region of Champagne. These Champagnes typically will shown Reims or Epernay as their point of origin. Originally we did use a sparkling wine, one from Limoux, but found the subtlety of the sparkling wine was lost with the intensity of the vinegar. So we switched to a French chardonnay.

Use this.

Champagne vinegar is often considered the 'king of vinegars' in France, its production process is unique and includes a carefully monitored aging in small oak barrels.

Another point one could nitpick is that we add heavy cream to our beurre blanc. I believe beurre blanc with the addition of cream is more accurately called beurre nantais. The heavy cream while unnecessary does improve the stability of the sauce. During the course of a busy restaurant service, having a stable sauce in an unstable environment is highly valued.

Classicly, butter is added slowly in little pieces over low heat. We have found that it can be done by adding the butter all at once.

2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 pound butter, cold
Salt and cayenne

In a saucier, slowly reduce vinegar and white wine with shallots until dry. Over medium heat, add heavy cream and butter. Whisk constantly until butter is melted, emulsified and warm. Do not bring this to a boil, it will break. Season to taste.

Fresh cut herbs added to the sauce greatly improves the sauce's dimension.

Braised Short Ribs

2008-03-18T19:38:00.007-04:00

These ribs have been on the menu since the opening of the restaurant. I tried to take them off the menu for a while with somewhat hostile results. So now they are a fixture. We often take the oldies but goodies for granted but eating some the other day reminded me of just how good they are. There is no great secret to a great braised dish except you have to braise slowly and it's always better the next day, allowing the meat and sauce to cool together overnight. In our 'I need it NOW!' world, having dinner cook slowly in the oven for four or five hours is untenable. So you have to embrace the slower is better mentality (for this anyway). With that in mind, it's good for the home cook without a lot of time to make more than you need and freeze the leftovers. Portion out each serving in ziplock bags with some sauce and freeze. When you want to eat just drop the bag in some boiling water.

One of our regular customers was nice enough to request this recipe from Bon Appetit. This appeared in the April 2007 issue in the RSVP section.

The only difficulty in preparing this dish is being able to find this cut of meat. Often you will find flanken which is the right cut but it's too thin. We use two or three bone ribs which are cut 2 inches wide. You will probably need to make friends with your butcher (if you can find one anymore) and have him butcher it for you.

As it is often said, recipes are just guidelines. Be brave and experiment with different meats (fatty and tough), wines (red or white), beer, spice, herbs, etc. All will yield a superb product (alright not all) as long as solid cooking techniques are followed.

Go slow with your braises and you will be rewarded!!!

The Art of Stir Frying

2008-03-04T18:15:00.005-05:00

This is for you Hasso.

Simple Chinese stir-frys will generally follow a series of similar steps. It is important when stir-frying that all your ingredients are prepped and ready (mise en place) before the actual cooking process begins. Typically, diced or sliced meats are quick marinated, no more than an hour. The marinade will often consist of soy sauce, dry sherry and cornstarch. I like to add a pinch of sugar to many recipes to aid in caramelization. I don't have any written recipes for stir-frys but I will try to create some. I have been stir frying since I was a kid so the amounts and techniques all come second nature to me.

1 pound sliced chicken breast

3 tbsps soy sauce

2 tbsps dry sherry

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp garlic, minced

2 coins ginger

2 tbps canola oil

1 cup frozen peas

Slurry 1/4 cup water mixed with 2 tsps cornstarch

1 tsp sesame oil

2 scallions sliced

Method

Combine first four ingredients in a bowl. Marinate for 10 minutes.

In a wok or saute pan, over high heat add oil and ginger coins. Make sure your pan is very hot before heating your oil. This will help to insure your meat will not stick. When ginger coins have bubbled for 30 seconds, add marinated chicken. Spread the meat around the pan and don't move for about 30 seconds. This will allow for some caramelization. Then stir with a large spoon. When cooked, about 5 minutes (this will depend on how hot your stove gets), add peas and cook until hot. Add slurry and bring to boil. Add more water if there isn't enough sauce. Adjust seasoning by adding salt, pepper and/or soy sauce. Remove from heat and add sesame oil and scallions.

Notes:

Vegetables are obviously interchangeable. Fresh veggies that may require more cooking can be stir fried in a little oil and ginger first. Remove and reserve. Add to the wok when the chicken is cooked. Fresh peas, snow peas can be added while the chicken is still cooking. Maybe after 4 minutes.

Serve with plain white rice.

There is an incredible link to a Boston Globe article, which has a ground beef stir-fry that I grew up with and my son now loves. The link is: http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2004/10/31/growing_up_gourmet/

I will post more ideas, recipes and techniques on another post.

Xiao Long Bao (XLB)

2008-03-03T10:11:00.006-05:00

An early attempt to make the best complete food ever, Xiao Long Bao. A great effort wasn't made to make an exact filling so far. The goal was to try to get a skin that was thin enough and pliable enough to hold the filling and the soup. Also, we needed to develop the skills to form these little gems. We didn't have any pork skin to make the gelatinous soup so we substituted the jus that we always get whenever we make duck confit. It always proves to be wildly flavorful and highly gelatinous. We eyeballed the ground pork, seasonings and the amount of the duck jus. We will become more exacting at a later date.

The dough was our priority right now. After trying several recipes, a traditional hot water dough produced the best results. My skills at rolling the dough into thin enough disks proved to be the next challenge. Once the pleats were formed the dough at the top was always too thick. In the restaurant we make a lot of pasta dough so I thought we'd play with the pasta machine. This rolled out beautiful sheets of the dough which were then cut with a cookie cutter.

A word to the wise, be careful with the water level of your steaming a liquid. While surfing the web, my steaming water dried up and set the steamer ablaze. Ooops!

Will post more on this topic, as recipes and techniques develop.

Char Siu Bao (2)

2008-03-03T09:52:00.005-05:00

We have pretty much nailed the vital aspects of making a respectable char siu bao. The dough has been improved with the addition of a small amount of yeast and using cake flour. The cake flour which is bleached produces a baotzi that has its traditonal snowy white color (which appears to be a requisite) and makes the finished product a little lighter. I will post the recipe shortly.

The recipe for the filling is as follows (this is not the marinade- think lee kum kee):

2 2-ounce ladles oyster sauce
2 1.5-ounce ladles kecap manis
2 2-ounce ladles ketchup
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 cup water
2 1.5 ounce ladles sesame oil

Combine all ingredients.

Sweat 1/2 cup diced onions. Add 3 diced Chinese roast pork tenderloins and 1 tablespoon dry sherry. Stiry fry for 2 minutes. Chill.

Evolution of a Dessert

2008-02-28T22:39:00.007-05:00

The dessert in the photo was our New Year's Eve dessert for 2007. The plan initially was to do individual tiramisu in chocolate bags. The bags proved to be too difficult for us to produce with any great consistency. So the chocolate band replaced the bag. This was done quite simply by painting acetate with a chocolate and butter mixture and then hardening it into our desired shape. While experimenting with the design, we didn't have enough Kahlua so we used Amaretto as a replacement. An Amaretto-mascarpone cream was made and an Amaretto soaking liquid was created. Two little discs of a classical Pan di Spagna were used as the cake layers. At this point of development, we tasted what would ultimately be the core of the dessert, and decided we really liked the almond flavors. We then decided to add toasted almonds, mixed berries and a raspberry sauce to finish the dessert. For the final product, we added a little Kahlua in the soaking liquid to add a subtle dimension and to pay homage to the desserts secret origin.

Photo to the left is the production during dinner service for New Year's Eve. The poor girl in the photo had to make 100 of these.

Noodles in Xian

2008-02-26T09:07:00.000-05:00

Starting to review video taken while in China almost a year ago. This video of noodle making is pretty remarkable. The uniformity of each noodle would certainly have left you to believe they were cut by machine.

Happy Chinese New Year

2008-02-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

We celebrated the New Year with three nights of special banquet dinners on February 6, 7 and 8 at the Inn. It always strikes me as being odd that I'm doing these dinners here in VT. It is a nice change for us in the kitchen to swap out our French steel pans for big old woks. The only time butter is no longer within arms reach.

Our menu while not necessarily a traditional New Year's menu, does attempt to capture the essence of many of the dishes I have grown up with.

The menu was as follows:

Pickled daikon, cucumber and seaweed
Pan fried chicken & shitake dumplings and pork & cabbage springrolls
Winter melon soup with Smithfield ham
Tempura shrimp with broccoli and honey mayonnaise
Chicken sang choy bao
Beef with scallions
Long beans with tofu
Pork mantou with cucumbers
Bass baked in brik dough (stuffed inside were julienned ginger, ham and scallions)
Fried rice
Almond gelee with mixed fruit