Gearing up for Valentine's Day, and a trip down south. This Valentine's Day we are celebrating all weekend long, and have specials available.

Breseola appetizer, with arugula, artichoke slivers, pinenuts
Grilled Tuna over farro, with celery olive vinaigtrette
Grass fed NY steak with olive oil mash potatoes and pesto kissed spinach
Dessert is a molten chocolate cake with rasberry ganache and passionfruit coulis

INTERESTING WEBSITES ala Alaska

Alaska Diversified Livestock Association-Learn more about AK livestock here
www.adlainc.blogspot.com

www.globalfoodalaska.com/

Robin Richardson is enhancing and maximizing the food chain with the second annual Global Food Alaska 2009 - June 10-12 - Soldotna

So, earlier this week we brought in an Alaskan Elk. My colleague Patrick Hoogerhyde and I broke it down. Patrick did most of the work, and acted like he had barely any experience, on the contrary he was working that elk like it was a couples only skate song at the roller rink...
The end result is quite beautiful.

So for the first night Grilled Tenderloin with Alaskan Blueberry vinaigrette over Polenta with roast vegetables and Chard.
...Tried posting photos, Come on down to the SBS demo for a treat. Thanks
Rob

So, a few weeks ago I was propositioned by Dave the "root seller" about the possibility of buying an Alaskan harvested Elk for ORSO. I'm glad the holidays are over, but it felt like Christmas morning!
The plot thickens here. In August I was a part of a forum with the State division of Agriculture, Alaska Global Collaborative and a group of red meat vendors, some raise Musk-ox for the Quiviet, the meat is a by product, as sad as that sounds, a successful purveyor(Indian Valley Meats)and others that have found creative ways to make a living supplying photo tours, Bed and Breakfast retreats, personal hunts and the like.

So, as a whole New Years Eve is always busy for restaurants. As I mentioned earlier depending on the establishment it can be the busiest day of the year. Restaurants can have a special menu, or specials to ring in the celebrating.
ORSO in the summertime on a busy night going full tilt will do 375 to 400 dinners.
For NYE we opened at 4pm, and stayed open until people stopped showing up... with bursting balloons and festivities at the bar. For specials this year:
*Cinnamon and juniper dusted quail, grilled over green lentils, root vegetables and pernod crema
*Rustic country pate with a juniper apple butter and crostini

I am finalizing the prep list and making the final phone calls to purveyors for the busiest day of the year, New Years Eve. As a rule it is a busy day, and with ORSO it will add on a fifth more people to the busiest day in the summer.
This is achieved by cooks coming in early and staying late, real late... By the time most people are blowing their horns and slugging back Champagne, cooks are breaking down the line after a long night.
My responsibilities are to staff accordingly and make sure there are correct par levels of menu and specials that night. I always like to make sure the menu specials are "front end heavy" meaning that the dish can be prepped mostly ahead of time, with only heating up or cooking to order, usually for large pick ups.

Since taking over the show at ORSO as Executive Chef in October it has been quite a learning curve. The back of the house crew is between 35 and 45 people (depending on the season) and divided into three different programs- Production-Batch cooking, sauces, marinades, meat fabrication and the like... AM Line, lunch service. PM line, Dinner service. Each program has its challenges, the menus needs tweaking, staffing, purchasing and the like.
I am not complaining, again, this is a huge learning curve, mostly due to the administrative coordination that needs to take place. I am a bit more of a "hands on " type of person, so to be the coordinator(of this scope of program) is quite a new angle- Cooking really is a physical, blue collar profession, which is my comfort zone. During the past few months I have been acclimating, and this blog has taken a back burner. Sorry.

Hello, it's been nose to the grindstone for a little while, I have officially taken the reigns as Executive Chef. This has led to some long days recently, not much time left for anything else.... A wintertime program I am responsible for is the Fresh Fare Travels.
We feature a location and produce a four course dinner with wine options.
Ala carte pickled beet salad: Local beets pickled , served with spinach and arugula with an orange vinaigrette topped with manchego cheese and crushed almonds.Smoked Paprika Rubbed Pork Tenderloin: Served with a stew of chickpeas, apricots, figs and kale. Fininshed with a ramesco sauce, paired with 2004 AN/2Braised Seafood with Risotto Nero: Braised Calamari accented with Alaskan salmon and halibut in a tomato madiera broth, served over a squid ink risotto cake. Paired with a 2003 Lorinon ReservaAlaskan "Salt Cod" Bacalao: Fresh Alaskan Cod that has been brined and air dried. A new fangled twist on a classic preserving technique. Accompanied with fennel, orange and olive. Paired with a 2007 Marques de Caceres varietal.

Join ORSO and K & L Distributors on Friday, October 31st as we celebrate the liberation of this historic, controversial and misunderstood libation.

Like Oscar Wilde and Renoir, come enjoy Absinthe served in the traditional manner of Paris at the turn of the century.
Stay for specially crafted, Halloween inspired cocktails.
Check out our new Late Night Bear Bites Menu - sensational appetizers and selected beverages offered at Bear Minimum prices - featuring inspired creations by Executive Chef Rob Kinneen and Pastry Chef, Jeff Lakomski
Come dressed as you are or, better yet, come decked out for Halloween. Absinthe and cocktails all night - Late Night Bear Bites served from 9pm - Midnight.

I have been preoccupied getting the logistics set up for the Winter Series Fresh Fare Travels program. We debuted last night. This will run for the next two weeks.
Tomorrow I will be guest Chef at the Spenard Builders Supply Bon Appetite cooking series, hope to see you there!

Fresh Fare Travels the Mediterranean
French Riveria - Beginning October 16

Socca
A traditional chickpea flatbread, roasted bell peppers, warm tellagio cream cheese over cucumber pepper slaw.
2007 Lurton Les Fumee Blanches

Rustic Calamari Salad
Shaved fennel and mixed greens tossed with Pernod-Champagne vinaigrette, tender, spicy marinated tentacles and tubes, olive oil, parsley, red pepper flakes and lemon zest.

We went to Chicago last month for a friends wedding. The weekend was busy, the wedding consisted of a multiple dinners, a cocktail reception, and a catered blowout that also had Red Moon Theatre Company assist the caterer... This coincided with an Air Show over Lake Michigan-Nothing like waking up to Mach 1 jets rattling your hotel windows on the 10th floor- Our time was pretty structured, but we got away for lunch at local institution Blackbird. Local farm fresh fare with contemporary European flare. The food was SPOT ON!
www.blackbirdrestaurant.com or sister restaurant www.avecrestaurant.com

All proceeds assist the local chapter of Red Cross. This is a great event that helps a great cause. Hope to see you there!!
Rob

4th Annual Taste of Mardi Gras
Friday, September 26, 2008
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
The Anchor Pub and Club
Join us for a night of music by Pamyua, silent and live auctions, and more! Twelve of Alaska's hottest chefs will cook up a gourmet feast of Cajun inspiration while you party like it's Fat Tuesday! See a preview of our live items here.
Featured restaurants include:
Mixx Grill
Kincaid Grill
Glacier BrewHouse
Kinley's Restaurant
Double Musky Inn
ORSO

A few weeks ago I attended a dinner party with some friends. One subject that came up was the Energy Relief Fund. The host was asking about the validity for her family(mom, dad, two kids) in Anchorage with a duel income. Could they use it? Yes, could it conceivably go somewhere more beneficial for Alaskans that need assistance with the rising fuel prices? She wasn't sure, so there was action taken to create one. Below is an email I received, wanted to pass it on, thanks
Rob
September 12, 2008

Friends,
Today, we are joining together in a small, grassroots effort to help our fellow Alaskans. We share the story of our effort, because we sense that others may wish to join us. This week, Alaskans will receive a windfall in the form of a $1,200 energy rebate payment added to the annual permanent fund dividend. For many, these dollars will be a critically important factor in their ability to heat homes, keep the lights on, and feed families. For others of us, it’s a nice, but unnecessary payment.

This spring I was asked to participate at the Great American Seafood Cook off in New Orleans, Louisiana, where I started my post culinary school training when I was 20, 14 years ago.

My first job out of culinary school was at NOLA restaurant, Emeril’s second establishment. I was there for a year and a half from 1994 to 1996. I always state that I did three years of living in that time. It’s easy to chalk it up living in the land of excesses, in all fairness a lot of stories start with… So I/My friends were at this bar…
Like the time I almost killed my friend with a fire extinguisher… the same friend that I had to help get up off a floor after an ill fated table dance atop a bar (don’t do this in August, when the fan blades are in full swing!) …the tribulation of a transvestite strip club…”Does it bother you that I’m a man?” This is a family friendly blog, so you have to catch me out and about for those stories…

While in New Orleans for the cook off, I got to sneak away for a meal or two. A highlight was eating lunch at August, John Besh's first restaurant in the warehouse district. It was typical storm season with overcast skies and humidity you could cut with a knife-followed by a mid afternoon torrential downpour. This lunch date was a ray of sunshine, giving you something to smile about.|link=none|align=left|width=350|height=467]Braised baby goat over Goat cheese tortaloni: Braising is the only option when working with goat. The finesse and complex flavors with this dish were overwhelming when considering the humble ingredientsRaviolo with favas, white beans and a tomato relish: Handmade pasta is one of my favorite things to produce. I can't remember having a more delicate offering.Chanterelle, Arugula, house cured sausage and local goat cheese starterSeasonal melon, heirloom tomato and micro green salad with an aged balsamic: A simple salad, with perfect ingredients at their peak, not needing anymore bells or whistles.

Oops. So, I did go to Chicago, came back and had to muscle through the summer season at a busy restaurant learning and working stations while trying to understand administrative duties as well.
Compounded with a near life altering Facebook bender(thanks to family and friends for the intervention) things were rough there for a while.
Officially I will be taking over the reigns at ORSO October 1st. Chef Patrick Hoogerhyde, my soon to be "colleague"(That is one of my favorite words!!) will be doing research and development as the Executive Chef on the newest Brews Brothers,llc restaurant Wild Fin. This is going to be an Alaskan Fish house located on the ground level of the new parking garage across from the Denai Convention Center.

Chefs: I couldn't squeeze all 15 into my screenshot, but this gives you an idea of what the Chef page looks like. Follow the link below to this page, and you can click on a chef's photo to get to their fish recipes.

Earlier this month I was one among 15 chefs cooking our versions of domestic, sustainable seafood dishes. That's me up on the top left; I couldn't squeeze all 15 into a screen shot, but you get the idea.

John Currence took the title of King of American seafood, and the top five chefs' recipes are on the Great American Seafood Website to try for yourself. If you do try them, and vote for your favorite, you could win a trip to New Orleans just for participating. The window for voting is through October 31, 2008.

Yes, this is a blog about Alaska, food, products... but this AK Chef is going on another trip for a wedding... in Chicago. I have more to report about The Great American Seafood Cook Off, NO,LA and the restaurant scene down there... so stay tuned. While I am gone, your homework assignment is to go to this site, Great American Seafood Cookoff.
You can look over the contestants, judges, and see pictures
The most important part is to vote for Alaska, for peoples choice!! tell a friend, vote for AK!! See you n

Cochon was one place I had heard a lot about, featured on No Reservations -Anthony Bourdains show, Chef Donald Link spoke about his inspiration for Cochon, and reopening Herbsaint in NOLA after Katrina.

This was an amazing experience. The waitress said they average one whole pig delivery daily, all relishes and condiments are produced in house. The boucherie plate features the seemingly revived are of charcuterie, and was outstanding. The food here is unapolagetically southern heritage fare-you will step outside your comfort zone and you will enjoy and embrace all that you encounter here.

I just got back last night from the GASCO. Here is a sneak peek into the time I had... Lots of good food, good times and met a bunch of great service industry peeps.Donald Link, Chef-Owner of Cuchon: By all means EAT HERE!!!! FREAKIN' PHENOM!!! Charcuterie is prepared "DOWN HOME " More later on the culinary adventures, the Cook Off, the Police escorted Bus Tour...AND MORE!!!!Jay, Chef Besh, MeSalmon Grillade over Hoppin' John, Red eye Gravy, Spot Prawns and Reindeer Sausage: Traditional Southern Fare with a punch of Alaskan product!Jay Christopher, Me and a Muffuletta from Central Grocery: Breakfast of Champions... or at least attendees.

I have been waiting to announce that I will be representing Alaska In the Great American Seafood Challenge. This will take place in New Orleans, LA on the 2nd, 3rd of August. So, I will be missing the last opening of Celestial Meadery. No reason why you can't go stock up on your new favorite refreshment!

Below is a letter I received from Michael Kriker, the owner of Celestial Meads. Letting us know what's going on...

Celestial Meadery, taste extravaganza,,,

Hi Rob,

Sorry I'm a little late with this, but there is a ton of work to do with the move and trying to keep the permitting process from stalling.