Sunday, January 27, 2013

Gastronomically yours' | Chef Brian Henry

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So what?s in a name anyway? Well there can be a lot of history to the origins of our lexicon?for example ?cuisine? comes from the Latin word ?coquna? and is now a French term meaning the manner or practice of food preparation.? The word restaurant originally meant ?food that restores? and pertained more directly to a particular soup that was believed to have restorative capabilities. Now hang on as we pick up the pace a bit.

One foggy morning you awaken to a Tequila (town in Jalisco, Mexico where this strong liquor is made from fermented and distilled Agave sap.) Sunrise (cocktail made with orange juice, tequila and a shot of grenadine) and head down to the local caf? (French noun for coffee pertaining to a coffee house.). For breakfast you order Huevos Ranchero (Spanish for ?Country Eggs? or ?Rancher?s Eggs? served with salsa and fresh tortillas.) with a side of Chorizo (spicy Mexican sausage). You drink a couple of cups of caf? con leche (Spanish for coffee and milk also known as caf? au lait.) to wash down breakfast.

As the day goes on you find yourself in need of a nosh (Yiddish for snack or light meal.) You decide to lunch al fresco (Spanish for fresh and cool outdoor dining) at a bistro (French for small restaurant that serves simple food and drink). Your waitron (American circa 1980?s unisex term for waiter/waitress.) comes to the table and presents you with a Tapas (Spanish verb to cap or to cover, its original purpose was to cover your drink and keep the flies out of it. Mmm. Now it is used to describe small appetizer-size portions of food.) .You order a Roasted Portabello (Spanish word referring to an over grown Crimino mushroom. The word was invented, as a marketing ploy in the early 80?s to sell the oversized mushrooms that other wise would end up as pig fodder. Marketing psychobabble) Mushroom with basil aioli (French Provence style garlic mayonnaise.) and marinated Aubergine (eggplant) served on a Ciabatta bun (Italian for slipper, a long, slender sweet bun.). When your lunch arrives, you notice that it has a Mesclun (mixture of shoots and leaves from a variety of plants including dandelion, spinach, and tat soi.) salad with it. You drizzle your salad with a Balsamic (Italian vinegar made from Trebbiano grapes.) vinaigrette (French for oil and vinegar that has been emulsified into a salad dressing.). While enjoying your Po? Boy (American for a sandwich served on a elongated bun stuffed with what ever is on hand) you quietly sip away at a Cuba Libre (cocktail made from dark rhum, lime juice and cola). You decide on having Cr?me Brulee (French for Burnt cream. A stirred custard that is baked and dusted with sugar that has been caramelized under extreme heat.) for dessert.

After lunch you decide that you will skip High Tea (British tradition of an early supper), but decide to call for dinner reservations (this is a concept represented by proper etiquette to call well in advance to notify an establishment that you are coming. This allows the people who will be servicing your needs to be better prepared to do so.).

You punctually arrive for your reservation (see above aforementioned). The Sommelier (French for Wine Steward.) presents you with the wine list and recommends a Pinot Noir (French for a red grape used to produce French red burgundies as well as Pinot Noir itself. A wine made very popular this year by movie marketing psychobabble.) With notes (tasting notes, or flavors) of Cassis (French European currant.) and tobacco.

The Maitre d?h?tel (French for headwaiter or house steward), approaches your table with the evening?s table d?h?te menu (French for table of the host, in restaurants it?s a multi-course menu at a fixed price.). The maitre d? (shortened version of Maitre d?h?tel) then begins to describe how the New Zealand Orange Roughy (white flesh fish from New Zealand whose original name was Slimehead? more marketing psychobabble.) is prepared. The description of the Baked Slimehead with a dollop (small glob of food) of this and a tuile (French for tile, a crisp thin cookie) of that is too much to resist. You close your menu in surrender and order the Slimeheaded Roughy. As you begin your appetizer (small course of food prior to the entr?e [American for the main course of meal, French for the course served between the fish and meat courses or Australian for appetizer] Whew!) of Escargot (French for snail), the maitre d? returns looking quite flustered. Apparently the chef (French for chief) 86?d(kitchen patois for being out of something) the Orange Headed Slimy thing you ordered. As the trumpet horns of death (strong flavored, black mushroom) sound in you ears with disappointment you throw down your napkin in disgust and begin to walk out of the restaurant. You are stopped at the door by the restaurateur (the owner of the restaurant. Note that there is no ?N? in restaurateur) who apologizes for the situation, but it?s too late, you had your heart set on the Roughy, you leave vowing never to come back.

Out on the street you find that you?re still hungry and you head towards a neon sign. Alas a sushi (Japanese culinary preparation of rice sweetened with rice vinegar also known as sushi meshi.) house. You order nigiri sushi (thin layers of raw fish formed over rice.), hosomaki (sushi wrapped and rolled in seaweed with fish and/or vegetables) and sashimi (thin slices of raw fish served with daikon [Japanese radish], pickled ginger and wasabi {green Japanese horseradish.}). For wine you order Sake (Japanese wine made from rice, served cold with hot foods and hot with cold foods) and finish the evening with a steaming pot of Gunpowder (the highest quality of Japanese green tea).

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Tags: @ChefBrianHenry, Caterer Kawartha`s, Caterer Lakefield, Caterer Peterborough, Catering, Chef, Chef Algonquin Park, Chef Bobcaygeon, Chef Brian Henry, Chef Cottage Country, Chef Haliburton, Chef Muskoka, Chef Peterborough, consultant, cooking classes, Food Safety Training, food writer, ice carving, ice sculptures, Kawarthas, Personal Chef, Private chef, professor



Source: http://www.chefbrianhenry.com/gastronomically-yours-47/

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