Chef at Home

Archive for May, 2009

Dulse, or Palmaria palmata, is harvested in the North Atlantic and the Pacific Northwest. This one is from the west coast. The blades can grow up to one and a half feet. It has a leathery texture and a salty flavor, even after it is rinsed in fresh water. Sometimes salt will crystallize on the surface. The red color makes it visually more unique than the usual dark green of most seaweeds. 

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Kombu is something we already use in the kitchen. We use it as a wrap when we cure raw fish. It is also an important ingredient in dashi and stocks. Even though we have it, it is good to always be looking at new sources for the best product.

Kombu, or Laminaria digitata grows on the Atlantic coast, while Laminaria setchelli grows on the Pacific coast. The large leaves can grow to be two-feet wide and four-feet long. It can be difficult to harvest because of its size and because it grows in deeper waters. It is a Japanese delicacy and also known for it’s health and healing powers.

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Yesterday I posted about nori, today is sea palm. You can see we are tasting some new seaweeds in the kitchen from a west coast purveyor. It is good product, fresh with good flavors and texture. The best way to get to know a product is to try it simply on its own. We are not sure yet what we will do with them.

Sea palm, or postelsia palmaeformis, grows on the Pacific Coast of North America. They look like palm trees and it is the fronds that are usually harvested. It needs to be dried immediately or else it will go sour. They have a mild salty flavor and a texture almost like a noodle.

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Nori, or porphyra, is supposed to be the world’s most popular sea vegetable. There are several species of seaweed, or the genus porphyra, that are edible and delicious. It is a good source of assimilable protein and vitamins. The Japanese cultivate nori in aquaculture farms. American nori is usually picked from the wild and is harvested by pulling it from the rocks. It is usually dried in its natural blade form. Once dried it has a very rich flavor. A really distinctive characteristic of nori is that it is ultra thin, almost like cellophane. 

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Shiso has not only a fresh and bright flavor, it has a deep green color that brings life to any pale dish. With mint and fennel, the perilla leaf has a lot of essential oil with strong flavor notes. We simmer it with corn maltodextrin and water to set the color and blend it with ice to stop the cooking process. After it is strained through a coffee filter, the shiso water is set with LA Gellan. When cold it becomes a stiff block and is ready to use. Using a Japanese noodle sheeter we turn it into a thin ribbon, like a noodle. It can be used cold or warm as the gellan has a melting point of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. I like it cold with dry-fried shrimp and a light bouillon with vinegar.

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Happy First Day of Spring! Today’s the Vernal Equinox, Northern Hemispherically speaking, so naturally I can’t stop thinking about this fertile season’s symbols: eggs. Bear eggs, that is. Not the eggs of bears, which do sound like an illegal Chinese…
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Geisha boys. An Eric Ripert, Anthony Bourdain, and Laurent Gras triple-decker beef-daddy sandwich. In the private tatami room at L20. Do Tony and Eric look a little wasted? They are completely. I had to drive back to the hotel. Come…
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Tony and I at Calumet Fisheries. (Tony: “I said I was going to wear the sunglasses, black top, and jeans!” – photo courtesy of the fabulous Diane Schutz/Travel Channel) I’m on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations tonight, Monday, February 2, at…
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The Year of the Ox has been a lucky one for my family already. Before it even started. The Chinese Lunar New Year starts today, but about two weeks ago we hit it big. WE WON A TRIP TO SHANGHAI!…
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I’m proud to have worked in and called Alaska my home this year. Before I arrived, like most people Down South, I’d never tasted much less cooked moose. Alaskans are just as serious about food as we are in Chicago,…
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