Coastal Cooking with Chef Michael Hutchings

It's Mushroom Season, Sort of...

Coprinus Comtus

 The fall mushroom season has been in force for a few weeks now. However, due to a drought condition, the blooms are sparse and more often appearing in irrigated areas. The above cluster of shaggy mane mushroom appeared in a lawn in the Santa Barbara area. We also spotted slippery jacks and hen of the woods. If the rains come, we are hoping for chanterelles.

Notice: Hunting and consuming mushroom should be done with care. Consuming wild mushrooms carries the risk of poisoning when mushrooms are not identified correctly. Always consult a qualified expert mycologist.

"Admire the structural delicacy of this stately mushroom, balanced precariously atop its tall, slender white stem. The long white bell-shaped cylindrical cap is covered with large shaggy buff, tan or brown scales, giving it the appearance of a British lawyer's wig. This is why one of its common names is "lawyer's wig." The spores are black. When young, a dainty annular ring is found around the stem; this ring drops down the stem as the mushroom matures. Within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, the borders of the cap begin to liquefy, and the entire cap is converted into a pool of inky black fluid, the origin of the common name "inky cap." Liquefied Coprinus comatus was used as writing ink in George Washington's day." http://www.mssf.org/cookbook/shaggymane.html

 

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Troisgros Menu 1981

 

Troisgros Menu 1981

In the pre internet dark ages, collecting physical menus was the only way to have a the "carte" of a restaurant. I mastered the art of pinching menus (hiding in my pants, in a coat pocket and sometimes asking the chef to sign it). Now, menus are posted for the connected to view with ease. Those old menus are now collected and traded like culinary relics. I have my own hoard that goes back to the 1800s.

I collected this menu from the famed Troisgros restaurant in March of 1981 when I did a stage at the restaurant. The Troisgros brothers were super chefs and very open about sharing their craft. I had unfettered access to the recipe portfolio. At one point, I was even asked to go off property and help do a catering job at a private residence.

Troisgros brothers turned their small-town family restaurant in Roanne into a mecca for traveling gourmets. Rejecting the heavy tradition of French haute cusine, with its sumptuous dishes and rich sauces, the Troisgros brothers highlighted the freshness of ingredients used in such elegantly simple recipes as their salmon with sorrel sauce and the eclectic coupe jarret, which consists of five different meats cooked in a kettle. In 1968 Les Freres Troisgros received the supreme three star accolade of the Guide Michelin, one of only a handful of French restaurants rated "worthy of a special journey."

The above menu would still play well today.

New Salad of Foie Gras, Spinach, Hard Boiled Eggs,Red Wine Vinaigrette

Oysters in a Vermouth, Cucumber Cream

Scrambled Eggs with Sea Urchin

Salmon Escalope ion a Sorrel Cream Sauce

Venison with a Puree of Chestnuts

Seasonal Cheeses

Selection from the Dessert Trolley

Petit Fours

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Wedding Cakes by Chef Christine Dahl

Chef Christine Dahl, Christine Dahl Pastries, is a master of wedding cakes. During this year's wedding season she has created over 175 gorgeous cakes for wedding celebrations. This past weekend was crowned with a classic design. The cake was a vanilla chiffon filled with passion fruit and white chocolate mousses. The wedding cake was enrobed in fondant icing with butter cream accents, sugar flowers and fondant filigree.

 

Kaitlin + Andrew's Wedding Highlight Slideshow from Ashleigh Henning on Vimeo.

 

 Disclosure: Christine Dahl is my wife and I am not prejudiced about here baking skills!

Luncheon at Botanical Garden

Santa Barbara Botanical Garden

Catering is hard work. After planning all the details for a unique event, food is prepared, equipment organized and the whole show is transported to a location, unpacked, set up, preparations finished, meal served. At the conclusion we breakdown, cleanup, return to home base, unload, clean and organize and put equipment away! Easy.The rewards are providing a great meal for folks in settings that range from the mundane to the stunning. 

Table Setting

 

At a recent event we prepared a luncheon for twelve guests at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden. The botanical garden is a gem nestled in the upper foothills against the backdrop of the mountains that frame Santa Barbara against the Pacific Ocean. It was a pleasure to cook luncheon al fresco surrounded by the botanical garden. I took advantage of the setting and enjoyed a walk around the facility. It was a perfect fall day.

The luncheon was a presentation for a new facility to showcase conservation. Mrs. John Pritzlaff was the honored guest. I knew the Pritzlaffs from my restaurant days (Michael's Waterside 1984-1993). The Pritzlaffs helped sponsor the restaurant and Senator/Ambassador John Pritzlaff served as an adviser. 

Menu

The menu was a simple riff on a fall theme. We served a roasted butternut squash soup, chicken leggs that were boned, stuffed with a chicken forcemeat and braised like a daube and a simple apple Tart Tatin. I was particularly pleased with the chicken dish as the rich demi glace based sauce permeated the legs and the stuffing made from chicken thighs always comes out moist and succulent.

 

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  Butternut Squash Soup
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  Braised Chicken
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  Apple Tart Tatin

Butternut Squash Soup