Last month I was able to go back to the technical school in Kansas City that started my whole career. The school is called Broadmoor Technical Center, and is no ordinary satellite school. Everyday I would leave my regular highschool and got to BTC where I took two years of culinary arts classes. The Chef Instructor is Bob Brassard, the difference between Bob and every other high school culinary arts or home ec teacher is that bob was a REAL Chef. At one point he was an award winning chef in Florida and Nantucket and has seen the ins and outs of fine dining.
Each month at Broadmoor we would do a “Bistro” where we would serve up to 100 guests a five course meal. Now the school district has built them an entire restaurant. With one of the cities nicest dining rooms, a terrace, a full scale bakery, and a huge kitchen with an open pass. They still do the bistros but now they are weekly ( I believe on wednesdays) throughout the school year. I was invited back along with two other previous students to do an Alumni dinner. I do not have the photos of the entire dinner but I do know the menu;
First Course
Squab Apicious, Smoked Swiss Chard Custard, Wheat Vinegar Jus, Frisee
Chef Joe West. Bluestem. Kansas City
Herb and Parmesan Gnocchi, Braised Oxtail, Salsify, Crispy Parsnip, and Fresh Burgundy Truffle
Chef Justin Hoffman. Broadmoor Technical Center. Kansas City
“Fallen Tree”
Trunk, Snail, Moss, Root, Spore, Funghi
Chef Brad Kilgore. Azul. Miami
Smoked and Sous Vide Pork Loin, Head Cheese Croquette, Local Polenta, Green Tomato Jam
Chef Bob Brassard
Dessert
Deep Fried Creme Brulee, Roasted Banana-Caramailized White Chocolate Ice Cream,
Butternut Squash Espuma, Sassafras Caramel Powder, Huckleberries
Chef Brad Kilgore. Pastry Chef Soraya Caraccioli (my wife). Chef Joe West
I only have picks of my first dish the “Fallen Tree”
The Heart of Palm is made to represent the part of the “Fallen Tree” and the rest of the dish would be things that grow and live on or near a fallen tree in the forest. I really would like to follow up this dish and do it again in a more professional setting and I definitely will put this in my repertoire. It was a difficult dish to pull off doing 55 at one time in a sort of banquet style setting but on a tasting menu in a proper setting with a little bit more reconstructing I believe it has a lot of potential.
Components Include
Tree: Heart of Palm, Glazed with a caraway seed vegetable stock and Iota Carageenan
Mud: Caramalized onion, dried mushrooms, espresso, cocoa powder, cayanne pepper, brown sugar, and water
Moss: Dill, Fennel Frons with their own liq. gel
Twigs: Shiitake mushrooms
Tree Stump: Leek root
Funghi: Pickled Honshemaji
Snail: Escargot Rolled in puffed quinoa
Spore: Asiago Espuma coated with black quinoa, cauliflower crumbs
Garnishes: Micro herb flowers, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil buds, Smoked Salt
