Before I returned to work in the kitchen I pondered the reality of our world with great care and detail - this self exploration was a meditative intervention that helped ground me in a world of chaos… well not really I was actually just consuming time on the burritophile website - check it out:
http://www.burritophile.com/user.php?id=111
Asheville, NC Citizen Times - Kitchen Gadgets
amuse: ahi sashimi + pea tendrils + soy
grilled swordfish and spicy jerk sauce
12oz veal chop + sauteed mushrooms + great hill bleu cheese
soup: cream of asparagus
sauteed local french beans
black truffle + mountaineer (galax VA – cow’s milk) + derby sage
beers on tap: lagunitas IPA - circus boy – hefe, -sierra double deBOCKle – sweetwater 420
So I’m doing a charity event for March of Dimes and they needed a photo and bio… here it is…
Rob Keener is the Executive Chef at Flight in Hendersonville, NC. Chef Keener started working in kitchens at age 14 and has never looked back… After working his way through college at NC State and a degree in Geology - He moved to Vail and worked seasonally. Upon returning to the East Coast he took a job as a commodity trader in Hendersonville, NC and a break from the kitchen for eight years.
Keener says, “People told me that I would come back the kitchen but I was more focused on making money - eventually the money wasn’t worth it and the call was too strong” Chef Keener remains true to classical influences but thrives with his application of asian and latin influenced dishes as well as molecular gastronomy.
amuse: seared duck breast + balsamic syrup + cilantro
panko fried carolina grouper with hoisin and sherry reduction-33
20 ounce ribeye grilled with local mushrooms, maytag bleu cheese and soy -35
surf and turf = 8oz lobster tail w/ drawn butter + 6oz filet w/ house steak sauce-45
soup: lentil and chicken + broth base
whipped yukon gold potatoes
sauteed french beans + red cabbage
blackberry cobbler
manchego + sharp provolone + great hill bleu
beers on tap: lagunitas IPA, sierra nevada summerfest, sweetwater 420, circus boy - hefe
amuse: ahi sashimi + soy reduction and horseradish gelee
surf & turf - grilled lobster tail (8oz) and 5 oz filet –38
18oz ribeye with sauteed mushrooms – blue shropshire cheese and peppercorn demi-glace -33
grilled mahi w/coconut lemongrass broth-33
soup: heirloom tomato and lump crab
Business has been great - did 148 covers last night… dangerously close to success here…
Specials and soup for this night…
amuse: grilled sirloin + balsamic reduction + sharp provolone
grilled carolina mahi w/mango salsa–33
16 oz ribeye + blue cheese + peppercorn demi glace -33
soup: lobster and corn bisque
black truffle + pecorino romano + thomasville tomme (Georgia)
beers on tap: sam adams, lagunitas IPA, sierra nevada summerfest, circus boy hefe weisen
amuse: pan seared duck breast + balsamic + scallions
grilled cobia + ginger soy cream
ancho bbq baby back ribs
white truffle tagliatelle + shrimp and roasted tomatoes + basil
soup: lobster bisque
mashed yukon gold potatoes
sauteed french beans
blueberry cobbler
black truffle + tinturn chive and shallot + humboldt fog -goat
I had lunch today at Table in Asheville, NC.. good stuff - the soup was a coconut curry with chickpeas + and I had a lamb merguez for the entree- so it was more indian influenced than I expected but still very good - I like the size of the kitchen and decor - pretty cool -
Grilled Carolina Shrimp + Orange Marmelade + Black Pepper
amuse: pan seared duck breast + watermelon
panko crusted day boat flounder w/ fresh pico de gallo
grilled 20oz t-bone + sauce bernaise
soup: mushroom, barley and bacon
mashed yukon gold potatoes
sauteed french beans
apple cobble
black truffle + tinturn chive and shallot + humboldt fog -goat
amuse: watermelon and applewood smoked bacon
soup: chipotle peppers and prawns in broth
panko crusted carolina grouper with ginger soy cream
grilled 20oz t-bone + local morels
apple cobbler
I found these photos from a party I did several weeks ago for the NC Partnership for Economic Development - I think that’s what it was? It was a big day… and feeding 40 solo allows some details to vanish…
peach cobblers out of the oven to staging…
soup bowls at the ready…
butternut squash ready for service…
cobblers rolling out…
My good friend Paul Shoemaker from Mills River, NC came by today and delivered 2.25 pounds of fresh morels…dig it…
I had to take a few photos
I grilled these and served them with seared foie gras + lump crab meat and black truffles
We had a patron the other night that is Hillary Clinton’s tour coordinator - I guess that would be right - anyway he ate in the restaurant and then asked if I would cook for the presidential candidate - so I did today - I was cooking for the governor of NC and some staff people as well as Hillary and her assistant - at least that’s what I believe to be the case -
I made several fish dishes for Hillary with all the sauces on the side - Local Trout - Kona Kampachi and a Sea Bass - a strawberry salad - grilled asparagus salad and a flourless chocolate cake as well as a raspberry bread pudding… the Governor and his crew went with the Colorado Rack of Lamb and some seared tuna… I used cloth napkins and packaged in some nice silverware as well as salt and pepper shakers. I hauled it down the street through the secret service gauntlet to the mini-camp they had set up… I left the food for the assistant and it was put oin the limo to travel with the presidential hopeful onto the next stop - we also fed the Governor of Mississippi as well this week…so pretty good press for the politically minded
here’s my specials for today:
amuse: ahi sashimi + walnuts and soy
pan seared foie gras with lump crab + black truffles and local morels
kona kampachi w/honey + lemon reduction
filet stuffed with maytag bleu cheese – topped with roasted tomatoes, basil and garlic
soup: chipotle chicken
mashed yukon gold potatoes
sauteed swiss chard
apple cobbler
aged provolone + pyrenees w/peppercorn + aged gouda
amuse: seared duck breast with figs and walnuts
pan seared foie gras with lump crab + black truffles and veal demi
grilled nc grouper with a fennel scented pear jam
filet stuffed with maytag bleu cheese – topped with roasted tomatoes, basil and garlic
soup: french onion
mashed yukon gold potatoes
sauteed brocoli
apple cobbler
aged provolone + pyrenees w/peppercorn + aged gouda
So it was a big day…had a few managerial decisions and then I set off to create some specials…I made french toast for my kids for breakfast so that some how stuck in my head when I thought about the the foie gras special for friends celebrating their anniversary. So I made mini french toast seasoned with salt and pepper… I seared the foie in a 9 inch matfer pan on both sides- removed - deglazed with water and tossed in some diced mango - finished with a veal demi….substrate - plate square loop….
panko crusted nc black grouper + ginger soy cream
3 soft shell crabs from the grill + local morels + roasted tomatoes
soup: butternut squash
mashed yukon gold potatoes
sauteed bok choy
The weather is not jiving with my warmer weather equals more business theory…it’s cold and the business has been steady but not too busy… so maybe the theory is relevant. Look forward to some photos in coming posts… I found my camera.