1435 Girard: Cultural Learings to Make Great People of Washington

Ahhh yes, 1435 Girard, I remember it, kinda...ok I remember enough, I think. As I stepped through the doors just after 8pm I could already tell it wasn't jam packed yet, which to me was a good thing.

Dim lights in the front with food and wine set elegantly to a corner caught my eye first. The music is just right, not too loud, but just audible enough to gather your attention only for a moment before you move on to look at the next piece of art. Walking through the hallway after the entrance is were the fun begins, this is after all someone's home that has been transformed into a chic art gallery.

Took notice especially to a piece that is a simple shot of the ocean as seen from a coastal point, shot in black and white. Stunning would be the word, but that may not justify what only the eyes can see, as the mouth (or the pen) gives no true translation. Making my way to the back room I am greeted by several people as Andrew (our host) introduces me to everyone within arms reach. That's why I'm here. Meeting new people is something that can never get boring for me. It is like opening presents at Christmas. For each new person comes a story different and a different point of view, which is even more palpable when experiencing art, music and food.

As I examine the appetizers my former co-worker Warren Hutchinson has prepared for the evening, I see an assortment of goodies. Zucchini wrapped shrimp with a Thai chili dipping sauce, black truffle pesto topped with wild mushrooms on toast points and finally a chocolate tart. The chocolate tart caught my sweet tooth's attention from the start, laced with a hint of orange it went perfect with the Bordeaux I was sipping.

I will not get into the food and dissect the flavors as if I were a critic, that's neither my place nor the reason I was at this event. But...Chef Hutchinson always delivers. I was there to meet and greet other DC natives in a festive yet classy surrounding. As for the art of Matthew Brookman...his work was fantastic. I dabbled in photography in high school and I can now see that I picked the correct art when I went to culinary school, because I can't do what he's done. I personally would have bid on a few of them had the "Mrs." not said otherwise.

Let me say that it's nice to see these grassroots events popping up around town, as DC (for all its greatness) has been lacking in culture and art for so long. Thanks to the guys at 1435 Girard and others, we could be on to something. See pictures below.

1435 Girard Pics

Chef Warren Hutchinson and his lovely assistant (and wife):





The work of Matthew Brookman:





Chef Hutchinson and the Mad Chef himself:






The goods:

Art, Chili and TV

A lot of stuff going on with the Mad Chef to talk about. This evening is the "Luminescence" art/food show with friends at 1435 Girard. This is always bound to be a good time. It has such a good vibe with a combination of spectacular photos taken from all over the world and exquisite food served by different chefs in the area. You cant really go wrong I guess. Charge a small fee at the door, provide a little food, some drinks.... all it needs is the people!!! Which hasn't yet to be a problem with this group. Lets hope this one stays on course and does just that.

Chili Cook-Off update, I now get an email from some woman that is a part of the National Kidney Foundation which tells me that the deadline is approaching and to hurry and sign friends up. I don't want to compete against anyone else!!! I already know what I will be up against, and I don't need to invite any more tough competition! In fact, I have gotten so many emails from this woman I had to respond to one just to get a second confirmation that I was in already.

Tentatively, yet in the works, I am hoping I will have a tent set up over my mini kitchen. Gotta protect the bald dome, and it hasn't seen much sun this year yet. Also some promotion in conjunction with University of Maryland football, some Mad Chef signage and maybe a special guest?? Yes, I want all the attention I can get, just in case the Chili is that good. Nah, not just in case, it's gonna be sick.

I recently met with a sponsor that I acquired for a pilot that will be shot some time in late July or early August. I want to try out my own skills on the tele. Some friends and myself have come up with an idea for a cooking show, but a different style of cooking show to say the least. I will divulge more details in the coming months as I sit down with my team of friends and alums from DeMatha, who are helping me cultivate the idea.

The studio, which I was shown Thursday, looks fantastic and its everything I could possible hope for. What station will this be on?? HAHA! If only it were that easy people. I, James Chase, will be starting at the bottom of the ladder like the rest. Public Access television baby, yes that's right, no Food Network, no Top Chef, no Anthony Bourdain guest appearances...well, not yet anyway!

Oh well, thats all the time I have to write now. Its early and I have a party of 80 to prepare for at 5 pm if I want to fly outta here and make the event tonite!! Cheers!!!

Social Hour

Yesterday the restaurant had a lunch party that used the Escolar that I had fabricated on Tuesday. My point? It was originally for 50 people, which really isn't a big deal, until it turned to 72 upon arrival. Needless to say I am glad my chef ordered extra fish for no reason other then to use it for the special that evening. So while the rest of the staff revs itself into a small frenzy, the Mad Chef has no choice but to stay as cool as Gazpacho. Even though me and my events coordinator are going to have a little chat later about that...

So on to more entertaining news, this Saturday I will be attending an event with my friends at 1435 Girard. Once every 2 months they gather a photographer and a chef. Usually different each time, although I have hopes of doing another. "Luminescence" is the title of this event and the photos will be provided by Matthew Brookman.

The chef for the event will be a close personal friend of mine (I also had the pleasure of selecting him for the event) by the name of Warren Hutchinson. Warren is currently a Sous Chef at DC Coast. I have high regards and expectations for my former coworker. I have no doubt in my mind that he will do exceptionally well. During the event, small appetizers will be available along with a wine selection. A silent auction is held for the artwork on display and its an overall wonderful event to mingle with the young socialites of DC like myself.

On a small side note to wrap this up, I finally have received my confirmation for the 2008 DC 101 Chili Cook-Off. I will prepare a chili (no I don't have a recipe) and a salsa (nope, none for this either) to go up against 74 other contestants. I have no doubt in my mind that more then half of the other contestants are a part of the ICS or the International Chili Society, and thus, do this for as living. Should be interesting as I attempt to wing it the day before as I do for most of my cooking.

Fishy

You know, there is nothing like stepping into work and being greeted by couple hundred pounds of assorted fish waiting to be fabricated (or butchered, as it were). The usual suspects...Atlantic Salmon, Ahi Tuna, and Monkfish, as well as some more infrequent varieties.

The Escolar (or Walu, as it is more popularly known) was flown in from Hawaii. Walu is not a typo for those of you who may think I mean Wahoo. They're cousins as far as fish go, but you'll find the former in the Pacific and the latter not too far away off the MD shore. We had 60 lbs worth of the Escolar flown in for the banquet we have tomorrow morning, which means prepping a day ahead of time for events of this magnitude.

So after my first hour was spent on the fish, I took all of the leftover bones and have begun to prepare my special for the evening. I am going to take what most people think as useless and make a wicked sauce. 3-4 different vegetables like carrot, celery and onion, along with some good herbs and water to cover everything in a pot. After all of this has been at a gentle simmer for an hour I will add in some Saffron, Kosher salt, and voila, come in and taste the goodness!

Check out the blog tomorrow where I will be speaking about an upcoming event with my friends at 1435 Girard for a food & art show here in DC.

Some Chefs are Mad, Some are Naked...

Happy Monday!!

Not so happy huh? Mondays usually do that to people dont they? Well I may not have the cure due to the fact that there are still four more work days for most of you this week.

I myself couldnt be happier to begin the week. It started off by me checking my email and seeing multiple new recipes courtesy of someone whom I cannot name, basically because I don't want to get sued. Want a hint? He is a famous chef, who has multiple cookbooks and his own TV show, he is not American...need more?? Ok,ok,ok, lets give him an alias. How about The N. Chef.... no, no,no, that is too obvious. How about The Naked C.? Ok, that'll work.

I lied before, Monday sucks. My exec chef is gone today so I get to put on a small show for those who grace the restaurant with their presence. I am thinking about a warm sugar snap pea salad with wild mushrooms and some yellow& red tomatoes tossed into the mix. My sauce will be simple today, a balsalmic reduction with a vanilla bean tossed in to add a different flavor. Now that I have officially gone astray from the entire point this morning, I will throw in a recipe that drew my attention as being simple and "sexy" at the same time. Enjoy!!!

The Easiest Sexiest Salad in the World

6 ripe figs
6 slices prosciuitto or Parma ham
A good handful green or purple basil
6 small balls buffalo mozzarella, torn

For the Honey and Lemon Juice Dressing:
1 tablespoon good honey
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut a criss-cross in the figs, but not quite to the bottom, and then, using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the base of the fig to reveal the inside. Place the figs on a large plate and weave around I piece of prosciutto or Palma ham around each fig. Add the ripped up basil and the buffalo mozzarella. Drizzle over the honey, making sure each fig has some in the middle, then drizzle the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Or: Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and season, to taste, then drizzle everything with the honey and lemon juice dressing.

Yield: 6 servings

How High?

There's no chance that the Dinner in the Sky (http://dinnerinthesky.com/) concept wasn't dreamed up via a long weekend in Amsterdam, or the imitation of one with a little narcotic assistance.

"Dude...what if we took a whole table, and like, a chef and a mini kitchen, and hung it from a crane in the middle of the city?"

"Huh huh, yeah, that would rule, man."

It does, indeed.

Against the Grain

You know how every man with a grill feels he's some kind of expert on steak? And not eating steak rare/medium rare is a sin against mankind and worthy of castration? Well, I used to think like that. I'm no Mad Chef, but if I have a decent cut of beef, I'd sear it real quick on each side ad call it done, especially if it was well marinated.

Well, I had a lovely 2" thick London Broil marinating in my fridge the other day, and decided I'd roll with it. I don't have my new grill yet, so I fired up the broiler, which gets very hot and does well for a steak of that size.

Well, I put it in there for a couple minutes, turned it, and then I forgot about it for about 3 minutes longer than I wanted. I took it out, let it rest, and lo and behold, it was just short of medium-well. And it was glorious.

Sorry fellas, but I'm not eating a steak that's still mooing at me again. Unless I ordered beef carpaccio.

It's Friday, and It's Good

Happy Friday!!!

Yes, thats right people, today was Friday, and I just realized it as I sat down to write. Sometimes in this industry you tend to forget what is happening around you. I'm sure everyone knows that Easter was coming up this Sunday. I found out on Tuesday, sad huh?

It's interesting how I found out though, because for some reason my extended family decided to hop into the cyber generation and actually use email. Now I realize that for many people this is a prime way to communicate, but for my family such things are unheard of. I didn't even think they had email addresses. It would have been more likely to get a message from a homing pigeon than an email from them. Kinda cool I guess, since these days we only wish we had more time to talk. Email seems to be a quick cure to keep up with everyone.

The importance of these emails to me was that everyone is supposed to bring something. I however, will do no such thing. Sound selfish?? I have my reasons, trust me. For one I made a large mistake several years ago.

I was not even finished with culinary school yet and we were at Thanksgiving dinner with my mother's side of the family. Being the 'know it all" that I was, maybe still am, I tasted some of my grandmother's gravy and well.... I just didn't like it. So, I made a few suggestions and proceeded to season and cook the gravy until it was to my liking.

Mad Chef's lesson of the day, don't ever mess with grandma's gravy. It's been almost 10 years and at every family dinner it is brought up. I love my family and, yes, I am bitter that I made the mistake.

But hey, my gravy was pretty damn good...

Busy Week

Lots of good stuff happening this week, including a new event featuring the Mad Chef as well as his ever troublesome entry into the DC101 Chili Cook Off. Stay tuned!

Also, as the NCAA tournament embarks on all of our TVs tomorrow, I will watch with a tainted soul, as The Brain's Maryland Terrapins missed making the field...again.

So, I'll just resort to plain old Duke hatred, and this NSFW video that any non-Dookie can enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mkwpAKUxv0

Recipe of the Week

Once a week here on the Mad Chef's blog I will put up one of my favorite dishes that I have recently put together. Some may be a bit technical, but I guarantee that each and every one of them can be made within the comforts of your own home. It just takes a little know-how and lots of love.

Being that Halibut is one of my absolute favorite fish, I will use that one this week. How does a parsnip puree with a vanilla-saffron sauce sound? Hope it sounds as good as it sells when I put it on a plate here at Sea Catch!!

First we will start with the sauce. Now I make this as an emulsion (emulsion sauces are basically two liquids that don't naturally blend with each other, such as vinegar and oil...think mayonnaise) when I am here at the restaurant and that is a bit on the technical side for a lot of people, so here I will cheat just a tad and help you come out with a great product.

The sauce is really simple, you will need 1/2 quart of heavy cream and 1/2 quart of chicken stock, 1 vanilla bean, and just a pinch of saffron. Split the vanilla bean in half to let the goody goody flavors out and place it in a pot with the liquids, bring the liquids up to a boil, but be careful not to let the cream boil over. Once the sauce is at a low boil let it reduce for about 30 minutes and then add the saffron. I always season my sauces as I go so be sure to have some kosher salt ready to go. Yes, kosher salt is way better then the "iodized table salt" you see at the store. The kosher is right next to it and tastes that much better.

For the parsnip puree, take 2 lbs of parsnip, peel and cut into thin slices. Cook them like you would cook potatoes, its fairly similar, only I tend to use half cream, half water. Fat is taste, no matter what you think, so don't short yourself that extra bit of flavor. Once the parsnips are soft I throw 'em in a blender, add just a touch of butter, some of my cooking liquid and....hold on did I mention that I will add salt to this dish? Cant forget that one, but what about another ingredient called nutmeg? Yes, nutmeg, only a pinch, will give the puree life that it never had before.

Finally for my Halibut, I love searing items, although grilling is always healthier and perfect for summer....but its not the season for using the grill just yet. I have a cast iron pan in every kitchen I have ever worked in and thank goodness, because there is a huge difference in flavor between that and every other teflon pan on the market. Salt and pepper, always a plus, a little extra virgin olive oil, let the pan get hot and simply sear the fish on both sides and stick it in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 and enjoy!!

Vamos United!

The power of good, local cuisine is significant. Want some proof?

Jamaican soccer team Harbour View was in town to play DC United last night in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, after playing them to a 1-1 draw in Kingston last week. Unfortunately, not everyone made the trip, per The Washington Post:

Harbour View is reportedly without two starters, Kemeel Wolfe and Rafeik Thomas, whose visa applications were rejected. The equipment manager and team chef were also prevented from entering the United States. Jamaican officials declined to specify the issues involved.

How did they do?


Emilio, McTavish Enjoy the View by Scoring Two Goals Each

United 5, Harbour View 0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/18/AR2008031803492.html



Next time, make sure your team chef has their visa in order. Or don't suck, one of the two.

Sea Catch Review

Check out this Washington Post review of Sea Catch from last year, including great comments on the Mad Chef's wahoo special that particular night:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/12/AR2007041200754.html

The Speed Bump

So now that half of my day is over, or as I like to say "the speed bump" which is the lunch shift, I am going to finish up my special and write my menu for the evening. I have decided on using a nice cast iron pan I have in the kitchen to cook the Black Grouper.

I am going to pair it with red swiss chard and a little bit of baby arugula, which has a touch more bitterness to it then regular arugula. The greens are going to be tossed with some roasted corn and pimento peppers, some andouille sausage, and maybe some red onions. The sauce I had reducing for the past 2 hours will be a Port-Cinnamon Glaze when it is all said and done.

When reducing sauces or just making them in general I believe it is important to give it time. Just like, ya know, when you are making a pot roast or ribs at home, the longer it cooks the more tender, or in the case of ribs, the easier it will fall off the bone. Same thing applies when making sauces, show the food love and it will give you the same. Its that simple.

Its fun when the chef is off, its like the cat being away....you know the rest right?? As usual I begin to babble, during the course of my day I began to wonder what the weather was like outside, because yes, I havent seen it since about 9am and don't intend to see the sun again until tomorrow.

Cheers everyone.

Two Short...

So to start off my work day as I walk thru the doors into my office (the kitchen), I am short a prep cook and a dishwasher. Awesome right?? What could I possibly have done to deserve this on a glorious Tuesday?

A special to be made with some Black Grouper brought in from the Carolinas for dinner but all the more pressing is the lunch special which I have to make up in the next twenty mintues!! A simple hash with fingerling potatoes should do. Then after that its off to prep and scrub dishes for the next 2 hours. Dont forget about updating the menu which is done on a daily basis as well.

What about the fish that is coming in? Salmon, Ahi tuna, Swordfish, Black Grouper, Monkfish. All in all another day at the office if you ask me. Gotta run!!!!! I'm down to under twenty minutes to push out that special!!!

And Who the Hell Am I...?

I'm The Brain. Even the Mad Chef needs a little help keeping his affairs in order. I mean, if he could handle all this by himself, he wouldn't be very mad, now would he? He's George Bush, I'm Karl Rove. Except he's not incompetent and I'm not evil incarnate. Well, just a tad evil.

While the man is cooking, posting, traveling or generally doing his thing, I'll be posting as well with Mad Chef news, food or DC culture related stuff, or maybe even a little fun at the Mad Chef's expense.

So bookmark the site, keep checking back for daily posts and info, and let me just confirm that the Carnival Cauliflower does actually exist...it's not just the remnant of a bad acid trip from the mid-1990s.

What is Projectivity?

In my last blog I ended it with the term "Projectivity movement." I guess I should explain this in a little more detail. The Projectivity movement is made up of a large group of people that have come together from different backgrounds (career wise) and are building off of what each of them has to offer. Everyone involved stresses creativity and a positive message that they want to relay to the community. It is an ever growing project that knows no bounds in an effort to expand on the ideas and values we each share: originality, positivity, dedication and desire.

So there you have it, Projectivity to me is my own efforts to progress those and everyone around me as I continue to grow in my own right. Growth til death. The day we stop learning we, well, you can figure that one out.

My cooking has allowed me to come across some truly interesting people from all over the country. Interesting can be an understatement at times, as some of us know the type of people you can come across in a restaurant. Ratatouille the movie, smacks the nail on the head.

Before leaving work today my chef allowed me to make the special for the evening. Being that most of the food I make is simple, I kept it that way. I ended up with truffle whipped mash potatoes, an orange-brandy cream, and pan seared Chilean Black Sea Bass. The vegetable I got to use was pretty cool as well, it was called Carnival Cauliflower. HUH??? Yup, it was multi-colored cauliflower, same in taste and texture but it came yellow,purple, and green.

HAPPY MONDAY!!!

Who am I anyway?

So, since I am here to introduce myself and let everyone know where I am coming from in this blog, let me begin by saying welcome to the thoughts of the Mad Chef of M Street. That’s right, I work in a restaurant in Georgetown, Washington DC. I am a sous chef and have been working in kitchens for over 10 years. Still young as far as cooking years go, I guess. I have managed to gain some pretty good experience along the way though.

Bein able to open a resaurant when I was 21 was interesting. While the rest of my friends were in the islands for spring break sippin margaritas and I was putting in almost 100 hours a week as sous chef at Zola. I came on board pre-opening and I was considered a late entry. I only add that because the other 3 sous chefs and exec chef had been topping my hours for over a month… before there was even a kitchen!!

Anyways, I digress. Seven years, one more opening and, multiple restaurants/cuisines later, here I am ready to share the random things that happen to me on a daily basis. From doing different private catering events for friends, to distributing a clothing line for another, to listening to and distributing anothers music through the internet and in person, I’m linking everything together to mark my own Projectivity movement.

Thanks for stopping by, and keep checking back, it’ll be a fun ride.

It begins...

Welcome to the beginning.