FOOD PORN: A Look Back at 2014 (Private Chef Edition)

Vietnamese marinated grilled pork chops on watercress with watermelon, pickled watermelon rind, + fizzled shallots

Here we have Part 2 of the 2014 Food Porn "A Look Back" -- this time, dedicated to private chef and small-scale catering events for which I created menus and cooked my rear off in the pursuit of deliciousness. I prepared plenty of Italian meals, as always, but I also spanned the globe for myriad influences and exciting tastes and flavor pairings to keep me on my toes, and keep my clients' palates tickled. So now, on to the good stuff.

Sumac-roasted cauliflower salad with celery, parsley, and pomegranate

Winter Valentine's salad of veggies and "heart beets"

Spicy lobster fra diavolo with spinach fettucine

Moroccan-spiced beet and carrot salad with carrot-top pesto

Thai crab salad on Upland cress with pomelo, peanuts, mint, and fried garlic

Dover sole with rosemary roasted baby potatoes and asparagus

In the cold winter weather, I get a lot of requests for beef tenderloin -- it impresses guests but also acts as upscale comfort food. I love pairing it with polenta, either soft or made ahead and seared in a grill pan. I pair it with a bitter green of some kind, and finish with a barely-sweet sauce of red wine or balsamic vinegar. Below, two different preparations:

Beef tenderloin with griddled polenta diamonds, broccoletti, balsamic reduction

Pepper-crusted beef tenderloin, soft polenta and Tuscan kale, Sangiovese-shallot sauce

Summertime sheds a whole new light on primary ingredients (literally: the sun), and with it, the ability to play around with countless fruits and vegetables, and lighter fare, than clients crave in cooler months. Composed salads and seafood reign supreme, and seaside dining offers the perfect backdrop for tasty, and healthy, meals with friends and family.

Composed summer fruit and vegetable salad

Striped bass ceviche with holy basil, pomegranate, mache, and herb oil

Burrata with heirloom tomatoes, white peaches, and torn garden herbs

  

Snapper over julienned veggies with cockles in a saffron sauce

Nicoise salad with fresh seared tuna

Some delicious savory eats for the Jewish Holidays...

Roast chicken with vegetables and za'atar

Beef tenderloin

...into early and late autumn dishes.

Striped bass, wild rice with ginger sauce, asparagus + carrots, carrot top pesto

Heirloom tomato + radicchio salad with grilled peaches, herb vinaigrette

Angel hair with crab, caviar, chives, and white wine sauce

Seared halibut with velvet potato puree and Israeli veggie ragout

Striped bass, harissa couscous, haricot vert, saffron aioli

Grilled pork chop, silk potatoes, walnut-grape chutney

Autumn greens, mushrooms sungold tomatoes, goat cheese + hazelnuts

Grilled tuna steak over wilted greens, tomato-ginger-garlic confit

Have a delicious day! 

#bluaubergine