New yrs eve nom

Risotto pasta

This is my pre-long run staple - tomorrow I run 18m so it's pasta day.

I found this risotto style for pasta in the NYT recently.  Sweat shallots in olive oil, then throw dry pasta into your saute pan.  I use whole wheat gemelli right now.  Toss it to coat the pasta, let it heat up some, then start splashing chicken stock into the pan.

Let the stock reduce, repeat until the pasta is al dente and tastes rich and creamy.  I toss a hit of basil in there once it's done, to balance the 'umami' flavor of the pasta.

Seventh Course: Dessert

Sweet Jeebus it's cherry vanilla bread pudding.

The trio of cherries had marinated in a booze, maybe brandy?  I should've asked.  In any case I could eat those things like trail mix.

Sixth Course: Shortribs

Braised short ribs and asparagus on pureed parsnip.  Short ribs garnished with an apricot glaze and fresh celery root salad.

I wanted to roll around on the short ribs like a dog.  So melty and good.  And the celery salad had a great flavor.  Chef Watkins' cold side chef has skills.

By this point I was pretty much stoned on delicious food. 

Fifth Course: NY Strip

A roasted parsnip bowl with fried parsnips garnish.  I loved the garnish and used them as I ate the strip too.  The roasted parsnips were cut well, nice size shape and consistency.  The sauce was slightly too salty for me; perhaps it reduced too much when the hot side chef heated the dish.  I loved the texture though, especially the contrast between the thin fried strips, and the soft, almond-shaped roasted parsnips.

The strip was served medium-rare, on a mesquite syrup glaze and garnished with candied garlic.  The strip had been rubbed with coffee.  When I saw the garlic candy I was all no way, so I ate a candy chip solo.  Sweet garlic candy.  Not overpowering, perfectly balanced.

I made like 800 yummy sounds when I had the strip.  The coffee crust kicked ass.

Fourth Course: Pork Belly

I wrote First Course for the Amuse but that's not accurate, this'll actually end up at 7 courses but it was just 6 but whatever.

This pork belly was crisp on the outside and completely soft and melty on the inside.  You could cut it with a spoon.  It sat on a diablo glaze, a reduction of rice vinegar and some spicies and some yummies.  Diablo glaze is the jam.

A crunchy pear salad and fried mint on top to balance the spice of the glaze.

This was delicious, and pocket-sized: next time I'm in the Carillon kitchen I'm pocketing some pork belly.

(j/k Chef.)

Third Course: Scallop

Umm, so I forgot to take a picture at first. 

A pistachio-crusted scallop, chanterelle mushrooms, truffle herb salad.  I have had so many skanky scallops that I am almost a little skeeved out by them.  But this course was my favorite of the night.  That little old herb salad was so flavorful and was a delicious pairing with the scallop.  The salad and the mushrooms were rad complements to the scallop; each seemed to have half of the protein's flavors in it, and the whole thing worked so well.

Cooked perfectly too.  

Second Course: Tuna Tartare

I freaked on out this little guy.  The tartare was mixed with granny smith apples, egg yolk, garlic.  On top, small fried parsnips and julienned granny smith apples.  The green sauce is like a pesto without the pine nuts.  Candied almonds, hoisin-like sauce.

Forgot to mention, Chef Watkins delivered the courses and explained each course's preparation and components.

This was damn good.  I'd like to fill a pool with this and eat my way out.

First Course: Amuse

Before the amuse course, my waiter brought me fresh bread and creamy unsalted butter, topped with black volcano salt. 

From Left:

A prosciutto-wrapped fig.  First thing I ate.  Perfectly ripe and delicious.

A potato soup.  A small fried potato chip as garnish.  So warm and comforting.  I wanted to stick my tongue in the container like an aardvark and lick it all out.

I forgot the specifics here, but it was a disc of sausage atop a light crouton.  The sausage had a dollop of a delicate red sauce.  It was so good.

My table at the Carillon

Jennifer got me a reservation for a chef's tasting menu at The Carillon.  I showed up about 40 minutes early, and the host said they had my table prepared.  I was surprised, because I thought I would need to wait until my reservation time.  The waiter didn't lead me to a spot in the dining room (honestly, I thought I was just going to sit at the bar) - he took me away from the main dining area and into a waiter's station.

They had prepared me a special table where I could see directly into the kitchen.  Jen had told them about culinary school, so they set up a cool table just for me.  Chef Watkins introduced himself, his chef de cuisine, and the other two chefs.  We talked for a moment, and then he offered me a tour of his kitchen.  We checked out the hot side, the sautee and flat top, the hot side's mise en place and protein drawers.  Then the cold side, Watkins' expediting station, and the chef de cuisine's station. 

I was totally stunned and flattered.  Tickets came in so I let myself out and went back to my table for the start of my menu.

The Carillon:
http://www.meetattexas.com/restaurants.html

Chef Watkins:
http://www.meetattexas.com/executive-chef.html