Colin Ambrose’s From Seed To Plate Series 2: BEETS

— Posted in: From Seed to Plate, News, Stories, Videos

Gathering in the fields of Quail Hill Farm, Colin Ambrose again invites local farmers, seed experts and chefs to participate in this, the second video in his From Seed to Plate video series. This time, participants share their knowledge about growing and preparing the versatile and romantic root vegetable–the beet.

Participants:

Petra Page-Maan & Matthew Goldfarb, seed experts at Fruition Seeds, Canandaigua, NY
Scott Chaskey, farmer at Quail Hill Farm, Amagansett
Harry Ludlow, farmer at Fairview Farm, Bridgehampton
Justin Finney, chef at Highway Restaurant & Bar, East Hampton
Sam McCleland, chef at The Bell & Anchor, Sag Harbor
Arie Pavlou, chef at Bridgehampton Inn Restaurant
Megan Huylo, chef at Amber Waves Farm Kitchen, Amagansett

Rick Kallaher, videographer
Colin Ambrose, organizer & chef at Estia’s Little Kitchen, Sag Harbor

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First day of summer: Garlic Scape Frittata

— Posted in: Recipes

Ingredients for Frittata:

  • 12 fresh eggs
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 multicolored carrots, cubed
  • 1/2 cup garlic scape pesto ( see recipe below)
  • 1 whole garlic scape
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup leek flowers (or chive flowers, optional)
  • salt & pepper

Blanch 1 whole garlic scape in heavily slated, boiling water. Remove and place in an ice water bath. Then slice in half lengthwise. Read More »

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Scape & Sweet Pea Pasta

— Posted in: Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb fresh whole wheat fettuccine
  • 10 garlic scapes, chopped fine
  • 2 cups fresh English shell peas
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, cleaned and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme, cleaned and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh mint, cleaned and chopped
  • Sea salt
Garlic Scapes

Garlic Scapes

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Food Lab: From the Kitchen @ Southampton College

— Posted in: Recipes, Stories
Food Lab Conference

In June of 2015 I was in the audience at the Food Lab’s first general session, topics included marketing in the new food media, designing flavor forward healthy snacks and getting them to market, as well as a host of other relevant food forward thinking.

Southampton College

Southampton College

This years perspective of the Food Lab provided a different vantage point. While my assistant Kat Savoia and I were on campus for the first 2 full days of the event, we didn’t attend a single seminar but we did get an energizing educational experience on how to execute dinner service for 202 people utilizing a bag of tricks that I’ve been storing for years.

The menu was extensive because I felt it was important to consider a broad range of diets in the audience. While some would eat everything, others would have specific diets encouraging grains, or raw vegetables.

Buckwheat salad stuffed grilled avocado

Buckwheat salad stuffed grilled avocado

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Farm Yard Pork Loin “Roli Roti Style” – A proven dish for a big Food Lab crowd

— Posted in: Main Dishes, Pork
Food Lab Founder Geoffry Drummond and Chef Colin Ambrose with Roli Roti

Serves 20

Ingredients:

1 full pork loin, belly on
2 bunches parsley
1/2 bunch mint
1/2 bunch thyme
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch oregano
10 garlic cloves (chopped fine)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large lemons (zest only)
3 tablespoons salt

At the “Little Kitchen” from time to time the special menu features our “Roli Roti Style” pork loin stuffed with herbs from our garden (oregano, parsley, thyme, mint and cilantro) mixed with garlic and lemon zest.

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Pork Stew “Chilatole” – Another proven dish for a big Food Lab crowd

— Posted in: Main Dishes, Pork, Soups

Ingredients – this recipe serves 6:

4lb pork (picnic butt or shoulder butt)
2 tomatillo
1 cup chopped onions
10 jalapeno peppers
3 zucchini (chopped)
4 garlic cloves
4 corn cobs (kernels only)
6 bay leaves
1.5 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
3 corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro

– bone the pork primals (ham, shoulder butt and picnic butt)
– cut each piece into 4 smaller portions
– place in 3 hotel pans (3 inch deep roasting pans) and in a 375ºF oven (wrapped in foil) for 3 hours
– place bones in a large pot over medium heat and mix with mirpoix (onions, celery and carrots chopped rough)
– stir until the vegetables are soft and then cover with water
– stock was simmered for as long as the pork roasted Read More »

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Brisket of Beef Stroganoff

— Posted in: Beef, Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes
Beef Stroganoff with Pappardelle

Beef stroganoff, serves 8

Braising the beef:

  • 4 lb beef brisket
  • 2 cups mirpoix (carrots, celery, onions)
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 bottle red wine
  • 1 quart beef stock

Prepare the braise by searing the beef in advance. Season the beef with salt and pepper first then soften mirpoix with butter in a roasting pan, follow with beef stock and red wine then place the brisket in the pan and cover. Braise in a 350°F oven for 3 hours. Read More »

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Adobo Pork Tortas

— Posted in: Meat, Mexican inspired, Pork, Recipes
Adobo Pork Tortas

This recipe makes 10 sandwiches

Ingredients:

  • 4 lbs pork shoulder, boneless
  • 1/2 cup chipotle in adobo sauce
  • 3 guajillo chilis, stems removed, chopped
  • 3 jalapeño chilis, stems and seeds removed, chopped
  • 2 cups mirepoix (celery, onion & carrots in equal parts diced)
  • 2 cups chopped tomato
  •  2 cups chicken stock
  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped
  • salt & pepper

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Grilled Artichokes

— Posted in: Recipes, Salads, Vegetarian
Grilled Artichokes

Serves 4 as a large starter or 8 with a side salad

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium size artichokes
  • 2 lemons (cut in half and sliced thin)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon white pepper

For Sofrito:

  • 3 tablespoons jalapeño (diced fine)
  • 2 tablespoons red pepper (diced fine)
  • 2 tablespoons red onion (diced fine)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic (diced fine)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

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Potato Au Gratin

— Posted in: Recipes, Sides

Serves 10

Ingredients:

  • 10 (Idaho 60 per pound) potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
  • 2 cups chopped shiitake mushrooms
  • 3 cups chopped onions
  • ½ pound butter
  • 1 cup A-P flour
  • 1/4 pound butter
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 5 cups grated gruyére cheese

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Red Monterey & Chorizo Vermicelli

— Posted in: Fish and Shellfish, Main Dishes, Mexican inspired, Pasta, Sauces
Red Monterey & Chorizo Vermicelli

(serves 8)

Ingredients:

  • 2 quarts of water
  • 8 tomatillo (medium size, cut into 1/4)
  • 2 Spanish onions (medium size, cut into 1/4)
  • 6 red Monterey chili’s ( red jalapeno, chopped fine and seeded)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
  • 1/2 cup parsley
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 3 tablespoons sea salt
  • 2 cups chorizo (cured, diced fine)
  • 1 package Instant Rice Vermicelli Noodles ( cut into 2 inch pieces)
  • 1/4 cup grape seed oil

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Beef Barley Soup

— Posted in: Beef, Meat, Recipes, Soups

Preparing the Beef:

  • 2lb boneless beef short rib or flap meat
  • 2 tablespoons salt mix: equal parts of sea salt, white pepper, ground cumin, black pepper. Make in batches and store next to the stove.
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1/2 bottle red wine
  • 2 quarts chicken stock

Season the beef. Heat a deep roasting pan on the stove over medium flame. Lace butter in the pan and sear the beef for several minutes on each side. Once browned, add liquid and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in a 350°F oven for 3 hours. Remove, strain the stock, and slice the beef into pieces. Refrigerate the beef in the stock overnight. Read More »

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20 Years with Niki Kobrick — Not a Hitch. Pure Flavor.

— Posted in: Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk with Lyman Ambrose

COFFEEtalk with Lyman Ambrose

“Custom coffee roaster” was all the chef/restaurant owner, Colin, had to hear from Niki Kobrick and he was hooked. In line with his customary approach to not only cooking but also serving and hosting, he finally found his coffee match.

Prioritizing the foundational principles when opening Estia, Amagansett, LaTouraine coffee was the first coffee provider that Colin worked with. Poured by the restaurant’s previous owner, the equipment was in place being one less thing the new owner had to implement.

Ready to step up his coffee game after 2 or so years, Colin partnered with Illycafe. The higher end brew seemed like the best choice but unfortunately the expense and importer’s style of service was less than perfect for him. Read More »

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6 Take Away Gems: from the Food Business School’s “Scale Up”

— Posted in: Stories

Vision, mission and values, the base line for success according to William Rosenzweig, Dean & Executive director, FBS (The Food Business School). Having just returned from a 3 day intensive workshop created by Mr. Rosenzweig, the author of “The Republic of Tea”, I will now summarize his approach to teaching non MBA’s how to bring new services and products into today’s food market place. Will’s first words “vision, mission, values” are ringing in my head now as I sit here thinking about where to take my newest venture, how to map out the plan and how to side step many of the potholes along the bumpy road to success. Read More »

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Cornbread Chicken Pie

— Posted in: Chicken, Main Dishes

Serves 6

For the Filling:

  • 4 cups roasted chicken: roast a 4lb bird, allow to cook and remove all meat, combine white and dark meat
  • 2 cups mirpoix
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 3 cups boiled potatoes, cubed
  • 1/2 pound frozen peas
  • Salt & pepper

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New Restaurant | Bedford & Co. in New York City

— Posted in: Restaurant Visits, Stories
Bedford and Co in NYC

Our visit to Bedford & Co. on 40th Street, East of Lexington, Downtown side

If you spend your life riding in the bar-car, commuting from Manhattan to Darien you’ll probably make friends who share insights into the markets, opportunities others might miss. For me the opportunities that my professional travels afford are the occasional invitation to what we call in the business a “friends and family soft opening”. That’s a first night of service, intended to tighten the team, a shake down cruise if you will. My dinner this evening with our oldest child Lyman at Bedford & Co. on 40th Street between Lexington and Park was just one of those special occasions. I not only shared a perfect evening with my daughter, like those Wall Streeter’s in the bar-car, I also got a few good ideas from an old friend.

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