The Artistry of a Master Chef and His Protégé
The Secrets of The World Championship...

My love affair with food  began when I was a teen, I will take you exploring through , the next six pages with frequent “flashbacks” of recipes taken while I was working in Mobil five star Hotels around the U. S. A. They are are not for losing weight or to gain weight they are for you to enjoy and to see the other side of the me and the Culinary.

Starters: Broths are a liquid essence of flavor, so the best broths are made from the most flavorful meats, fish, vegetables, and aromatics. The more fully developed the muscle, the more pronounced the flavor. Therefore, meat cuts should be from more exercised parts of the animal, such as the shank, neck, chuck, or bottom round. The same rule holds true for poultry. In this case, stewing hens or more mature game birds are the best choice. They have a deeper flavor than younger birds.

Fish should also be carefully selected. Freshness is of tremendous concern as is the relative leanness or oiliness of the fish. Generally speaking, it is best to use lean, white-fleshed fish, such as sole, halibut, cod, or flounder. Richer (oilier) fish, such as salmon and tuna, tend to lose their fresh savor when the delicate oils found in their flesh are subjected to high temperatures for even short periods. Shellfish are generally cooked in a small amount of liquid still in their shells to produce excellent broths. The broth must then be strained very carefully to remove all traces of grit or sand.

Vegetable broths are made from any reasonable combination of vegetables. A selection of wholesome trim from a variety of vegetables can be combined to make a broth, or a specific recipe can be followed.

Whatever you select as the basis of your broth, take the time to look over the ingredients carefully. Remove any extra fat from birds or meats. Trim away heavy stem or root ends from vegetables. Smell your ingredients. They should have a fresh appetizing aroma and no hints of spoiling.

Most broths are started with the simplest of all liquids: cool, fresh water. In some cases you may elect to use a broth as the base liquid. This will produce what is sometimes referred to as a "double broth."

Observe the following formulas to get a broth that is deep, complex, full-bodied, and flavorful.

To produce 2 quarts of broth, you will need:
4 to 5 pounds of meat or poultry to 3 quarts of cold water
5 to 6 pounds of fish or shellfish to 3 quarts of cold water
3 to 4 pounds of vegetables to 3 quarts of cold water

Supporting Flavors:

The point of making a broth is to produce a rich flavorful liquid. To make a well-balanced, interesting broth, you can introduce the appropriate seasonings and flavorings, in the role of supporting flavors, as the broth simmers.

Vegetables combinations, herb or spice combinations, or wines can all be included as supporting flavors. You can vary the time you add these ingredients as well as they way they are prepared before they are added. This permits you to modify a basic broth formula to make a variety of broths, ranging from a traditional double rich chicken broth (shown here) to a Japanese style miso broth

For example, you can gently stew leeks, onions, mushrooms, and parsnips in a little oil to make a broth with a subtle color and flavor. Or, you can cook onions, carrots, celery, and a bit of tomato purée until browned to make a deeply color and flavored broth.

As you taste your simmering broth, be conscious of these supporting flavors. If the herbs and spices are too strong, you can easily remove them, if they were added as a sachet. It is more difficult to fish out little bits of carrot or celery, so use the recipes here as a starting point, before you decide to dramatically increase or decrease any specific ingredient.

A quick glance through this or any other cookbook will offer endless inspiration for garnishing broths. Simple items, such as herb pluches or a fine dice of vegetables, are traditional choices. Other options include diced or julienne meats, pieces of fish or shellfish, dumplings, noodles, rice, croutons, quenelles, and wontons.

Consommé

Consommé is a strong, perfectly clear broth of the best quality that has been enriched by simmering it gently with a combination of lean ground meat (beef, chicken, or fish, for example), egg whites, aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices, and an acidic ingredient (such as tomatoes, wine, or lemon juice). As a further boost to both flavor and color, an oignon brûlé (a halved onion that has been charred in a cast iron skillet, on a griddle, or directly over a gas flame) is often added. These ingredients are mixed evenly to make what professional chefs refer to as a "clarification." For the best results, the broth and the clarification should be thoroughly chilled.

To prepare 2 quarts of consommé, thoroughly blend 3 quarts of cold broth with a clarification consisting of 1½ pounds lean ground meat (use chicken breast with chicken broth, beef with beef broth, etc.), 5 lightly beaten egg whites, ¼ cup tomato purée, ½ an onion (charred if desired, finely diced), 1 carrot (finely diced), and 1 celery stalk (finely diced). Place the mixture over moderate heat and stir almost constantly. As the broth heats, the meat and egg white proteins will coagulate and rise to the surface, forming what is known as a "raft." Once the raft begins to form, stop stirring. Adjust the heat to maintain a very gently simmer. After the raft is completely formed, break a small hole in the raft. This lets the steam escape, and allows you to see how fast the consommé is cooking. Many small bubbles should be rising to the surface, but it should not be at a full boil.

Taste the consommé to determine when it is fully flavored. Consommés generally reach a flavor peak after simmering for 1 to 1½ hours. The raft usually will not start to sink or break apart before that, unless it is cooking either too quickly or too slowly. Some chefs suggest that you baste the raft occasionally to get the best flavor extraction and to prevent the raft from breaking up too soon.

Once the consommé is properly cooked, enlarge the hole in the raft so that you can fit a ladle through it easily. Ladle the consommé through a coffee filter- or cheesecloth-lined strainer. It is important to disturb the raft as little as possible, to avoid clouding the consommé. Your finished consommé should be crystal clear, highly flavored, richly colored, and full-bodied. It should also be completely fat-free. If time allows, chill the consommé and remove the fat that solidifies on the surface. If not, drag strips of paper towel over the surface to pick up any droplets of fat. Many of the garnishes used for broths can also be used for consommés. Choose garnishes that won't cloud the consommé, cook them separately if necessary, and add them to individual portions just before serving.

Evaluating the Quality of Broths:

The best broths are those, which capture the full flavor of the main flavoring ingredients. A broth should be rich tasting and aromatic. Broths should not feel like water on the tongue; they should have a discernible body. The color will vary by type but will range from a pale gold to a deep amber in most cases.

If you use the appropriate ingredients and follow a good recipe, such as those included here, you will be rewarded with a rich-tasting, balanced, and aromatic broth. However, there are some problems that can occur. Some common faults and the ways to avoid or correct them are discussed below.

Weak flavor. If the proper ratio of flavoring ingredient to liquid has not been observed, the broth will have a weak taste. If you make a point of tasting the broth as it cooks, you will be able to add more of your major flavoring ingredient before it finishes simmering. Or, you can continue cooking the strained broth at a very gentle simmer to permit the broth to cook down, concentrating the flavor.

Flavor of supporting ingredients dominates. The aromatics you include, such as vegetables, tomato purée, herbs or spices, should act as grace notes, contributing only subtle flavors. A good safety net is to use a sachet or bouquet garni to add herbs or spices. Then, if the broth becomes unbalanced, you can easily pull out the sachet or bouquet. If a particular vegetable such as celery or carrot dominates, you may be able to compensate by adding other ingredients as a counter-balance. A broth that tastes unbalanced on its own can sometimes be the perfect foundation for another soup. Another option is to strain the broth and simmer it with a bit more of the major flavoring ingredient. Remember to record your observations about the broth, and note how you might correct the problem when you make it the next time.

Cloudy broth. If your broth boils rather than simmers, it might be cloudy after straining. Cloudy broths may be perfectly fine for a thick vegetable, purée, or cream soup. However, if you meant to make a very clear broth, you can clarify the broth using one of the techniques described in the accompanying sidebar on consommé.

Sour, off, or musty flavor. Assuming that your ingredients were fresh and wholesome, your broth may still develop an unpleasant flavor or aroma for one of the following reasons: The soup was allowed to boil. It was not properly skimmed during preparation. It was cooled and/or stored improperly. Use all your senses -- sight, hearing, smell, taste -- to monitor the broth as it cooks to alert you to problems before they have gone too far to correct easily.

Good Cooking

Enjoy

Jesse

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 Russian Beluga

Caviar

Buying...

I advise that you purchase caviar in the size that you intend to serve. If possible, use the entire contents of the jar once it is opened. Caviar is perishable and exposure to air will cause it to stale in the same way as bread.

The beluga sturgeon weigh as much as 1,800 pounds and are the rarest around. Thus, Beluga is the most expensive and largest grained of the Sturgeon Caviars. It has an almost creamy, buttery taste and this is the delicacy that is served at most prestigious events around the world. It varies in color from light to dark gray, and the berries (eggs) are the largest of all the Russian caviars.

Beluga caviar is available to discriminating buyers in three different grades:

000 also known as grade 1 - Lightest color, also called 'royal caviar'. It's the most sought-after and craved by demanding connoisseurs worldwide.

00 also known as grade 2 - Medium dark and gray tone.

0 - Darkest caviar.

Serving...

Caviar Assouline is best served on a warm blini with creme fraiche or on toast. To fully appreciate the delicate flavor of caviar, one should let the eggs burst in ones mouth. When serving caviar, use mother of pearl, wood, bone or gold servers and utensils. Avoid using sterling silver because it imparts a metallic flavor into the eggs.

Salmon

Experience the glorious Smokey flavor of hand-sliced Inver awe wild salmon, smoked in the centuries old style, allowing the fish to naturally absorb the fragrant smoke of the oak logs.

• 1 Scottish Salmon:

• 2 Norwegian Salmon:

• 3 American Salmon:

• 4 Wild Irish Salmon:

Black Truffle Oil

Recommended uses: the basic ingredient is, of course, our excellent olive oil processed according to the old traditional methods, enveloping the most intense aromas of the white and black truffle. The special taste of the black truffle or mushroom flavored oil gives its best results with first courses or main courses, while the lemon flavored oil goes very well with white meat, salads, and fish.

Fresh Truffles

Truffles are underground mushrooms which grow in symbiosis with certain trees, especially oaks. During a limited harvesting season, they are found in several regions of southern Europe: France, Italy and Spain. which grow in symbiosis with certain trees, especially oaks. During a limited harvesting season, they are found in several regions of southern Europe: France, Italy and Spain.

Fact...

Truffles were already known in Ancient Greek and Roman times. The production of black winter truffle (Tuber melanosporum) was at this time much higher than today: more than a 1000 tons a year. Today the production has gone down to 40 - 90 tons a year depending on the weather conditions.

Fresh black winter truffle 1oz- Price:$87.50