Photo of Birthday Boy from gazette.net

Hello V-fans

Happy Birthday Bryan! Did you remember to wish Bryan a happy birthday last Monday?

If not send him a quick tweet today BryanVoltaggio letting him know that you're wishing him many more fabulous years of culinary delight and happiness or you know whatever it is that you wish for him!.

Here's Michael's heartfelt and thoughtful birthday tweet to his older brother:

And what's a better 35th birthday gift than your mother finally joining Twitter?!?!

Way to go SMangine!

Ha! Gotta love seeing a grown man sorry Michael! being called out by his own mother on Twitter! ;

That's it for this week's Voltaggio update! Be sure to wish Bryan a happy belated birthday! Until next time... Enjoy!

Hey V-fans!

Remember when we told you about Bryan's new brew Backyard Ale???

Well apparently Esquire 's amped about it! They've named Backyard Ale as one of this year's best spring beers! Check out Esquire's mouth-watering slideshow HERE.

In other flashback news remember that cookbook project Michael tweeted about recently???

Well even though the brothers haven't settled on a title yet...it's already available on Amazon.com for pre-order!!! Check out some of their tweets regarding possible titles:

Think you can do better? Leave your suggestions for the title of their cookbook in the comment section below. Enjoy!

Hey V-fans

On Monday April 4 Bryan and his Chevy Volt made an appearance at Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation in Washington DC.

Mixologists and chefs gathered at the National Building Museum for the event which raises money and awareness to help end childhood hunger in America. All proceeds from the event directly benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.

Guests at the event received complimentary Chevy Volt aprons and a few lucky winners received aprons autographed by Bryan.

Here's Bryan's volt in its usual parking spot right outside of his other VOLT ...

This wasn't Bryan's first Share Our Strength event in fact he and Michael teamed up to host A Tasteful Pursuit in partnership with the charity last year. Here's a look back at that beautiful event courtsey of Club Hill Media:

That's it for this week's Voltaggio update! Leave your comments and questions below and have a delicious weekend. Enjoy!

Hey V-Fans

Guess what? Bryan is a 2011 RAMMY Award finalist for Chef of the Year! The RAMMY Awards recognize and award excellence and achievement in the DC Metropolitan restaurant industry. The theme this year is “Carnevale da Cuisine” and celebrates the international and multi-cultural carnevale of cuisine in the DC area.

Way to go Bryan!

Bryan has also been tweeting about his new collaboration with Flying Dog called Backyard Ale.

Flying Dog Brewmaster Matt Brophy teamed up with Bryan to create a smoked amber ale that’s the perfect complement to all things grilled charred broiled roasted and obviously smoked!

Looks like a very tasty adult beverage! We will be sure to stay on top of its release to the world at large…yum!

In other news it seems Michael is in the midst of new project himself at least according to this recent tweet:

This book sounds like it will be flying off the shelves! We can’t wait!

That’s it for this week’s Voltaggio update. Here’s some great advice via Michael’s twitter to hold you over until next week:

You're welcome.

Please leave any and all questions or thoughts in the comment section below. Enjoy!

Hey V-fans

Check out some of the great photos the Voltaggio brothers snapped during their recent trip to Sonoma for the Pigs & Pinot event:

Looks like a good year!


Suckling pig...yum!


What's the matter Bryan...too much pork n' wine?

And once the brothers left Sonoma they went straight to work on some new BBQ recipes for Williams-Sonoma! Check it out:

Also word has it that Michael's new place ink. has a fresh paint-job and is now set to open in May...

That's it for this week's Voltaggio update! Check back next Friday to find out what's happening in Voltaggio-land. Enjoy!

Hey V-Fans

As promised here's the fishy discovery we made regarding Michael's new restaurant ink.

How fun! We love how inventive and playful Michael is when it comes to putting together his delicious and creative menus—we can't wait for ink. to open! How do you feel about his take on every kid's favorite fishy finger-food?

And now at a user's request we have for your viewing pleasure—an informative yet entertaining video of Michael making bread in a microwave!

That's it for this week's Voltaggio update. Check back next week for more delicious details about what the V-bros are up to. Enjoy!

Hey V-Fans

Did any of you catch Michael's recent appearance on Top Chef All-Stars? Check him out going head-to-head with Mike Isabella in this clip from the Bahamas Quickfire Challenge:

Even though he wasn't deemed the winner; we thought his citrus-cured duck breast with duck leg in bacon vinaigrette burnt leek and coffee pesto looked absolutely delicious! What did you think? Did Mike's cashew-dusted spiced duck breast with duck leg and mushroom jus deserve the win? Or did Michael lose some critical cook-time due to butcher duty?

We also loved tagging along with Michael during his recent trip to see Bryan in Frederick via this fascinating late-night twitter pictorial:

So that's what chefs cook for other chefs! Also is it just us or does a chicken salad sandwich and chips followed by Ritz crackers with Nutella for dessert seem fancier when made by the Voltaggio brothers? At any rate these twit pics definitely made us hungry. Nice work guys.

That's it for this week's Voltaggio update! Check back next week for something we think you'll find a little fishy about Michael's new restaurant Ink. Until then enjoy!

Hey V-Fans!

If you live in the D.C. area get ready for Cochon 555! This is a one-of-a-kind traveling culinary competition and tasting event comprised of five chefs five pigs five wine makers to promote sustainable farming of heritage breed pigs.

The D.C. event takes place on March 13 when Bryan and four other chefs will each prepare a 175-pound heritage breed hog from head to toe for this friendly competition for charity. Guests will sample the chef's creations along with wines from five small producers and help choose one local champ! Tickets are 125 per person. Click HERE for more information.

Like we mentioned last week Bryan and Michael recently finished the last leg of the fireandsmoketour sponsored by Williams-Sonoma. And according to Twitter there may be more to come regarding this BBQ-road-trip-extravaganza:

Check out this great photo of Michael fooling around in a smoke pit we especially like the caption!:

Last week Bryan co-hosted the Barilla Interactive Lunch with Claire Robinson at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. The afternoon began with hundreds of guests munching on ham and cheese appetizer sandwiches and once the wine started flowing Bryan took to the stage and taught guests how to make his main course of balsamic-marinated hanger stake with polenta.

Photo Credit: WorldRedEye.com

That's it for this week's Voltaggio update! Check back next Friday and please leave your comments questions and general musings below. Enjoy!

Hey V-fans

Do you smell that? It's the Fire and Smoke Tour! The Voltaggio brothers have teamed up again for what appears to be a road-trip fueled completely by BBQ! If you follow Michael and Bryan on Twitter then you may have already seen a few of their fireandsmoketour updates and photos they've been busy posting along with WilliamsSonoma.

The pork-loving brothers kicked-off the first leg of their tour in Austin Texas and then made their way to Kansas...

Michael and Bryan with the Pit Master of 43 years at Rendezvous in Memphis.

Next came a fun-filled stop in Memphis—where the bros found unique BBQ dishes like the one pictured below:

BBQ Spaghetti at The Cozy Corner in Memphis.

Wondering what the next stop on the fireandsmoketour will be? Be sure to keep tabs on mvoltaggio bryanvoltaggio and WilliamsSonoma on Twitter for the tour deets!

Lastly there's a great feature on Michael in this month's Los Angeles Magazine! Here's a peak at the photo below accompanying the fantastic article all about Michael's soon-to-open restaurant Ink.

Photo Credit: Emily Shur

That's it for this week's pork-centric Voltaggio update! Check back next week for more on what your favorite culinary bros are up to. Enjoy!

Hey V-Fans

We hope you had a fantastic Valentine's Day! Was anyone treated to either a delicious home-cooked meal or a fancy night out at a romantic restaurant?

According to his twitter Bryan spent part of his Valentine's Day at VOLT and then had a romantic evening with a team of sweaty men chasing a soccer ball around inside:

Poor Mrs. Voltaggio…oh wait what's this?

Freshly baked cupcakes? Even Stevens! ;

According to a recent LAWeekly Squid Ink blog post Michael's soon-to-open restaurant might already be doomed to join the ranks of the "Least- Google-Friendly L.A. Restaurants." Why you ask? It seems that restaurants with simple and clever names like 'Ink.' can easily turn your Smartphone Google search into a not-so-smart endeavor. Read more HERE.

Squid Ink says "We can't wait to see how this all goes with Ink when it opens. We're already practicing clandestinely typing while driving: Voltajio Voltaglio Voltaggio…"

For Michael's sake we sure hope Google gets on board quickly with his restaurant's unique name. Although we're sure his menu will be such a hit that word of mouth will be all he needs!

Lastly check out Bryan alongside other D.C. top-chefs in these stills from the Lost Boys 2011 Spring Look Book video:

Looking good Bryan!

That's it for this edition of your weekly Voltaggio bro update! Want to hear about something in particular next week? Let us know in the comment section below. Enjoy!

Hi V-Fans

Did any of you watch the Superbowl commercials last weekend? If so is it safe to say that you ate your weight in chicken wings during the game?

Well it seems Best Week Ever went searching for the perfect Superbowl boneless hot wings recipe and found this Los Angeles Times video of Michael demonstrating how to make his “Boneless Chicken Wing Confit with Curry and Blue Cheese Disc." After watching the video they deemed his recipe: “The Hardest Super Bowl Wings Recipe Ever Conceived.”

What's the matter Best Week Ever? You don’t have liquid NO2 and an iSi whipped cream canister lying around your kitchen? Surely you have a slate platter to freeze?!?! No? Okay…so maybe they have a point. But difficult or not we love Michael's inventive recipes and his ability to make the "impossible" possible! Keep up the good work Michael.

Bryan is gearing up for the 2011 Taste of the Nation event in partnership with Share Our Strength on April 4. The culinary charity event will be held at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. where Bryan and other local chefs will be doing live cooking demonstrations.

General admission tickets are available for 95 at TasteOfTheNation.ord/Washington. All proceeds directly benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign which includes support for the Capitol Area Food Bank DC Hunger Solutions and Mary’s Center.

That’s it for this week’s Voltaggio update! Have a delightful weekend and feel free to leave your Voltaggio questions and comments below. Enjoy!

Hey V-fans

Like a true proud papa Bryan announced via twitter this week that he and his wife pictured above are expecting their second child in July! Isn't that amazing news? Congratulations to the entire Voltaggio clan!

Meanwhile Micheal made a special announcement of his own revealing the official logo for his new restaurant Ink. pictured above according to the Food and Wine blog Mouthing Off.

Michael also had customized plates made for the dining room with the restaurant's logo etched onto the back of each plate according to Mouthing Off. Nice touch Michael. We can't wait for your upcoming opening!

In case you missed it Bryan appeared this week on a special "Ask a Celebrity" episode of the Nate Berkus Show. In the video above Bryan talks backstage about his food style and how hard it can be—even as a Top Chef to get his son to eat a variety of healthy foods!

In this video clip Bryan surprises an audience member that feels like she's stuck in a cooking rut by teaching her how to make a delicious quick and healthy meal!

And to further your viewing pleasure check out this fun recap video featuring Michael hosting the KSwiss Pinig Pong Classic at Sundance:

That's it for this week's super sweet Voltaggio update! Until next week enjoy!

Hi V-Fans

Did any of you make it out to snowy Park City UT this past weekend? We hear that Michael was cooking up a storm at this year's Sundance Film Festival! Rumor has it the lucky VIP's at the Stella Artois Cafe presented by Food & Wine at the Galaxy Tab Lift were blown away by Michael's dishes. For breakfast Michael served up Japanese bacon and eggs with congee and pork belly. For lunch Michael cooked his version of chicken shawarma with pressed chicken thighs yogurt spheres fried chickpeas and black-garlic puree.

According to Variety Michael compares his passion for cooking to filmmaking: 

"I'm an independent artist working on a passion project with a limited budget hoping to share my art with as many people as possible."

In case you missed out on all the fun check out the pictures below from msn.com of Michael doing his thing at Sundance 2011.

Nicely done Michael. What do you think about Michael's breakfast and lunch creations? 

In other news Bryan is scheduled to appear at the 10th Cooking for Solutions celebration in May where he will be competing in the Sustainable Seafood Challenge. The event will be held at the Monterey Bay Aquarium where Bryan will be facing off against four other celebrity chefs in a race against the clock to create a delicious and sustainable seafood dish. There will also be wine and hours' devours. Tickets are priced a 150 each.

Lastly we dug up this great video below that originally appeared on Delights and Prejudices the official James Beard Foundation blog. Watch as Michael describes the inspiration behind his Pigeon Pastrami sandwich and make sure your computer's volume is turned all the way up; Michael has the Kitchen Aid working over-time with this recipe!:

That's it for this week's sunny side up Voltaggio update! Let us know your thoughts feelings and questions in the comment section below. Enjoy!

Hey V-Fans

We know you’re all crazy about the Voltaggios…but what about movies? Do we have any film buffs in the house? Or how about any ping pong playing fools?

Well if you happen to love movies or ping pong as much as you love the Voltaggio brothers you’re in luck! The 2011 Sundance Film Festival takes place this weekend in Park City UT and believe it or not Michael will be on site hosting the Second Annual KSwiss Ping Pong Classic!

On January 23 Michael will kick off the invite-only three-hour cocktail party and ping pong tournament between representatives from the Sundance Selects VOD films Kaboom Uncle Kent These Amazing Shadows Septien and Mad Bastards with the winner receiving a donation from K•Swiss to a charity of their choice. Pretty cool huh?

Do you think Michael has what it takes to get in on the cut-throat ping pong action? Well according FilmThreat.com “Michael fits perfectly as the event’s host because in addition to a passion for cuisine he shares the brand’s enthusiasm for film and the sport of ping pong.”

Very cool Michael!

In other news Bryan recently had the honor of speaking at The Culinary Institute of America CIA commencement ceremony in New York. A proud CIA graduate himself Bryan delivered a touching speech to the 48 graduates receiving their associate degrees in culinary arts baking and pastry arts.

"Seek to define yourself and your cooking style. You can only do this by working hard and learning as much as you possibly can every day" Bryan told the graduates. "It's important that you take young chefs under your wing and mentor them. And when you're first going out into the industry you'll want to find people with your same vision to mentor you” he said.

Pretty good advice don’t you think? Well done Bryan.

In February Bryan will be co-hosting a Barilla Interactive Lunch with Claire Robinson at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

The forward-thinking hands-on cooking class hosted by Bryan alongside Claire host of Food Network’s 5 Ingredient Fix will teach attendees how to cook up a full course meal using fun techniques like flash freezing vacuum sealed cooking and more! And not only will attendees help prepare the day’s menu—they’ll also have the opportunity to sit down afterward for a lunch and wine with Bryan and Claire.

The 10th Annual four-day Miami event kicks off on Feb. 24 with Bryan and Claire’s lunch scheduled for Noon on Feb. 26. Tickets are 150 each and can be purchased HERE.

Will you be attending any of the festivals we mentioned here? Let us know in the comments section below. Or better yet snap a photo of you and your fav Voltaggio bro at the event upload it to your profile and then we'll feature your fabulous photo here on the homepage. Enjoy!

Hi everyone

We'd like to give a heads up to our Sonoma area readers and those of you planning a trip to wine country!... because the Voltaggio brothers are heading to Heldsburg in March!

Bryan and Michael are teaming up for the sixth-annual Pigs & Pinot event to be held March 18-19 at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in Hotel Heldsburg. Tickets range anywhere from 75 to a whopping 2018 for certain packages with all of the proceeds from the event benefiting Share Our Strength and local Healdsburg Education.

So if you'll be in wine country and would like to dine on a variety of pork dishes sample over 60 different fine wines and enjoy the company of your two favorite chefs—click HERE for more information. Tickets for this event will be available on Friday January 21 11am PST.

Are you getting as excited as we are for Michael's new restaurant Ink. to open??? Well with only a month left to go fingers crossed! here's a sneak peak of the clever DIY project Michael did to dress up the new joint...

We can't wait to see those ink splatters in person! Well done Michael.

And just to peak your interest even further...check out this NBC L.A. video featuring a very eager Michael Voltaggio that aired back in September:

  Update: Ink. will be located at 8360 Melrose Ave. West Hollywood CA 90069

Hey V-Fans

Happy New Year! Did you make any resolutions for 2011? Bryan shared the following resolutions with DC.ModernLuxary.com:

“I’d like to continue raising awareness and funds for the DC-rooted hunger-fighting nonprofit Share Our Strength based on the successful Tasteful Pursuit dinner we hosted last fall. I also want to take a vacation with my family and somehow work exercise into the process!”

What a fabulous list of resolutions right? We wish Bryan luck in all of his 2011 pursuits although we're pretty sure he won't need it. Check him out in the ABC cooking segment below in which Bryan shows you how to start your new year off right by cooking with ingredients that are said to bring good luck!

And as we've mentioned before the Voltaggios have teamed up with Williams-Sonoma to share their expert advice and recipes with the masses. Here's one of our favorite recipes being featured on their website right now...

Michael's Spanish-Inspired Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups 12 oz. diced Spanish chorizo
• 1 1/2 cups Bomba rice
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup dry sherry preferably Manzanilla
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups 9 oz. coarsely grated soft Spanish goat cheese
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups 4 1/2 oz. grated Manchego cheese
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Preheat a broiler. In a large sauté pan over medium heat warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook stirring occasionally until tender 5 to 6 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high add the chorizo and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice saffron and bay leaf. Cook stirring frequently until the rice is translucent about 3 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until absorbed. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the water 1 cup at a time stirring constantly until each addition has been absorbed and the rice is just al dente about 20 minutes. Add the cream and cook stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Fold in the goat cheese and season with salt. Transfer the rice to a casserole dish or large fry pan and sprinkle the Manchego on top. Broil until the cheese is golden brown about 8 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with the chives. Serves 6 to 8.

That's it for this week's Voltaggio update! Be sure to leave your thoughts and comments below. Until next time...enjoy!

Hey V-Fans

Hopefully you're preparing to ring in the new year with friends and family this evening!

The Voltaggios are busy doing the same but be sure to wish them both a happy new year by tweeting MVoltaggio and BryanVoltaggio!

3...2...1...

We'll see you all in the new year with more on your favorite culinary bros the very talented and always exciting Voltaggios! Enjoy!

Hey V-fans

We hope you're all enjoying the holiday with good friends family and of course food.

The Voltaggio brothers are busy doing the same so in the mean time please enjoy this fun StarChefs.com video featuring Michael:

Feel free to leave your Voltaggio related thoughts comments and questions below. Merry Christmas!

Hey V-Fans!

Did anyone see Michael on The Fran Drescher Show? What's that you say? Oh you didn't know they gave the signature nasal-sounding actress from The Nanny her own "tawk" show? Well they did. Don't worry if you missed it we snagged the best part of the episode to show you here!

In the AOL video clip below watch as things get a little frisky when Fran asks Michael to spank her during a cooking lesson:

Also thanks to the heads up from site member Mark Nguyen we discovered that Micheal was recently listed as one of GQ UK's Top 100 Best Things In The World!  Thanks Mark. Obviously we and apparently Fran Drescher! wholeheartedly agree with GQ.

Okay people the holiday season is officially upon us! And as the old saying goes 'tis truly better to give than to receive. So why not consider giving to our favorite cooking-duo's charity of choice Share Our Strength?  One dollar is all it takes to help feed a child ten healthy meals.

Click HERE to donate to their No Kid Hungry for the Holidays campaign. Who knows you could end up winning this sweet Bryan Voltaggio Bobble-Head for donating as little as five dollars!

Need some giving-back inspiration? Look to our boy Michael! He recently took part in LA's Test Kitchen closing-night charity event benefiting both Gettlove and Share Our Strength. Food blogger Darin of DarinDines was on hand to snap this lovely pic of Michael's "EcoPez" Turbot Earth Ash & Sea dish...

And this is what he had to say about Michael's creation:

"Leave it up to Michael Voltaggio to create the dish that took the longest to explain. He created an ash by cooking down leeks and mushrooms then pureeing them and drying them out. This created a strong mushroom flavor to accompany the fish. An interesting way to impart the earthy flavor I thought it really worked. A mushroom chip added some crispiness to each bite."

Click HERE to read Darin's entire review.

BIG kudos are in order for Bryan and his restaurant VOLT.  According to their recent blog post they're set to celebrate the two year anniversary for Table21 on Dec. 21 and announced that the special table is completely booked through 2011!!!

That's it for this sweet n' salty edition of your weekly Voltaggio update! Happy holidays everyone.

Enjoy!

Hey V-Fans!

We would like to begin today's update with a few words from Michael via Twitter:

Truer words have never been spoken Michael. Oh and there you are in the dentist chair...all ready to go...

Oh and there you are after...yikes...looks like getting your wisdom teeth out is still as brutal as we remember. Feel better soon!

In other news Bryan came up a few votes short in the first-round of the Baltimore Sun's Celebrity Smackdown series. It was a fierce battle between Baltimore's best in the musical and culinary arts and while we always have our boy Bryan's back we're assuming he's fine with losing to the very talented Marin Alsop music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

And yet it seems Bryan does have a winning idea with VOLT's new 14 express lunch menu! According to the Examiner's Tamar Fleishman the menu offers everything from burgers and fries to salad dessert and even a mid-day beer or martini all of which are guaranteed to satisfy both your appetite and bank account. Click HERE to read the rest of her review and click on the photo below to see more tantalizing food photos from VOLT's express menu!

That's it for this week's Voltaggio update. Check back next Friday for more chewy gooey Voltaggio goodness! Until next time enjoy!

Hey V-fans

December is in full swing which means the holidays are right around the corner! Do you have any upcoming holiday potluck parties to attend? If so you might want to consider taking a culinary cue from Bryan and bring one of his favorite holiday vegetables: brussels sprouts!

Bryan recently told the FrederickNewsPost.com about his affinity for the typically loathed sprouts telling them that the key to making brussels sprouts taste sweet and tender is using super salted water while cooking them and then adding caramelized onions to make them sweet. So why not kick your childhood hatred for brussels sprouts this holiday season and give this salty-sweet recipe a whirl.

Photo credit: Graham Cullen FrederickNewsPost.com

In other news the Washington Business Journal recently confirmed chatter that Bryan has been scouting potential locations for a second restaurant on the sly! Rumor has it that the restaurant won't necessarily be another version of VOLT however it will be located in downtown Frederick.

Additionally because VOLT is considered to be fine dining Bryan plans to make the new restraunt more casual and family-oriented according to the FrederickNewsPost.com.

As always we will do our best to keep you informed about this exciting news!

Photo credit: Christopher Beyer InkedMag.com

Next in the very cool StarChefs.com video below Michael explains how to make edible cream cheese and smoked salmon snow using the Vitamix-XL blender.

Wow I don't know about you…but that video has us craving cream cheese and singing "let it snow let it snow let it snow!"

For more fun tips and tricks check out Michael's informative videos being featured in the Williams-Sonoma video gallery. Click HERE to watch Michael using his signature sous vide technique to make crispy chicken thighs and demonstrating how to use the Polyscience Smoking Gun to make smoked gnocchi salsa soup and even smoked margaritas!

That concludes this week's delicious Voltaggio update! Check back next Friday for more exciting Voltaggio news. As always feel free to leave your delightful commentary and questions below. Enjoy!

Happy “Black Friday” everyone

We hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving! Even though we’re sure the last thing you want to hear about today is food…it’s kind of our “thing" so…bear with us!

According to LAWeekly’s Squid Ink blog Michael prefers his mashed potatoes infused with homemade seaweed butter and served with fish! This is just one mashed potato tip he shared with Squid Ink that you might want to keep in mind as the holiday season quickly approaches. Here are a few more:

“Michael Voltaggio forthcoming Executive Chef/Owner Ink.
1. Type of potato to use: La Ratte
2. Peeled or not: Cooked in skins then push through a handheld potato ricer which removes the skin
3. Boil bake or steam: Boil
4. Mash ricer or food mill: Old school: hand-held ricer
5. Cream milk butter or cheese? Little bit of cream and butter. Add with a whisk as if making a beurre blanc sauce.”

Alright enough about food! Bryan recently gave the Baltimore Sun a sneak peak inside his home kitchen--check out some of the pictures from their visit below!

Bryan also shared a wonderful recipe for beef stew pictured below with the Baltimore Sun.

Yummy! Well that's it for this "Black Friday" edition of your weekly Voltaggio Update! Leave your comments below and join us next week for more exciting Voltaggio news. Enjoy!

Hey foodies!

Thanksgiving is almost here and that means...TURKEY!!!! How will you be preparing your big all-American bird this year? Are you keeping things traditional? Or daring to deep-fry or brine your bird? What about Sous Vide turkey?

Well if you’re even considering the later check out Michael’s instructions for Sous Vide turkey finished product pictured above in this 3-part video series by Williams-Sonoma.

PART I:

PART II:

PART III:

Not feeling the Sous Vide? Check out the WhiteTrashBBQ blog for Michael’s instructions on brining your bird HERE.

Yum! While your mouth is still watering from all of that turkey-talk check out this excellent review of Bryan and VOLT from DMV Dining. This D.C. based culinary blogger recently had the pleasure of eating at Table 21 aka the chef’s table for his wife's birthday…read more about their "unforgettable night" at VOLT HERE.

Well if the picture above hasn't already given it away let us be the first to tell you that Michael has annouced that his new restaraunt will be called: "Ink." According to the LA Times Michael even suprised the tattoo artist with the news:

"It's part of the name of my company MV Ink. and it's tattooed on my arm" Voltaggio said. "I went to my friend's tattoo shop in Venice ... and when he was finished I said 'You just designed the logo for my restaurant.' "

The LA Times also reported that Ink. is set to open by the end of February and will be located in the former Hamasaku space on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood.

Very cool Michael! To see the entire LA Times article about Michael's new venture click HERE.

So with plenty to celebrate it's not suprising that Michael recently packed his bags and headed to Hawaii where the Honolulu Weekly managed to score a quick Q & A with the vacationing chef. Read that interview HERE.

Please watch the great video below that Bryan and Michael made for Share Our Strength’s “No Kid Hungry” Campaign…

Don’t forget to do your part! Visit www.nokidhungery.org and take the pledge to help them achieve their goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015.

That’s it for this week’s Voltaggio update. Check back next Friday for more about your favorite brothers and everything they’ve been up to! Please leave your comments or questions below. Enjoy!

Hey V-fans!

The holidays are quickly approaching which means Esquire is currently featuring their “Eat Like a Man Thanksgiving Chef Survey.” Among the expert chefs featured in the survey is our very own Bryan Voltaggio who had this to say in regards to ruining his first Thanksgiving turkey or should we say turkeys!…

"I ruined 16 of them when I worked for a hotel in Frederick in Maryland around age 16 or 17. I set the temperature too high the night before and they were ruined the next day. Didn't get fired but it was the biggest lesson in the kitchen. Ever."

In other news Michael was recently named a finalist for Eater LA's Los Angeles Chef of the Year in the 2010 Eater Awards! Check out all of the other nominees finalists and big winners HERE.

Not to be out done by his little brother Bryan was recently honored with the Innovative Firm of the Year Award for the positive impact VOLT has had on Frederick’s local economy.

According to the Frederick County Business Development Advisory Council and Frederick County Office of Economic Development Bryan received this honor for playing an integral role in making Frederick a "culinary tourism destination" and for being a major supporter of the local agricultural community. Read more about Bryan’s prestigious award HERE.

Bryan and his VOLT business partner Hilda Staples.

That's it for this week's Voltaggio update. Leave your thoughts and questions about the V-bros in the comment section below and check back next week for another Voltaggio information overload. Enjoy!

Hey V-Fans

Hopefully all of you have fully recovered from your Halloween candy-hangovers by now we're still working on ours. Either way we would like to take a moment to reflect on the holiday for just a moment longer in order to recognize the very creative trick-or-treater pictured below.

Picture from ElvioG Tweeted at MVoltaggio

A magnificent Michael Voltaggio Halloween costume if ever we saw one! Why didn’t we think of that? Nicely done.

Hmm…it appears as though Bravotv.com recently sent a spy ahem we mean Senior Editor Monica Reyhani pictured with Bryan below to check out Bryan’s restaurant VOLT. Read her shining review HERE.

The Gourmet Pigs blog currently features a fabulous review of Michael's work at a recent dinner event at Sashi in Manhattan Beach—where Michael prepared a Thai inspired Wagyu Beef dish. Check out the photos below and read more about this tasty meal HERE.

According to Grub Street LA The Langham aka Micheal Votlaggio's old stomping ground is set to welcome a new restaurant The Royce on Friday November 12. Rumor has it the Pasadena restaurant will have a farm-to-table menu that mixes California cuisine with technique-heavy American dare we say Voltaggio-esque dishes. For more information click HERE.

Well friends that’s it for this week’s Voltaggio update. Join us again next week same time same place. And as always feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween my little ghouls and goblins!

In honor of this candy-centric holiday we thought we’d share a video of both Bryan and Micheal demonstrating how to make every kid’s favorite candy…pop-rocks! As always these two manage to put their creative Voltaggio spin on this fun-to-eat treat...

Bryan was recently honored at the 2010 DC Rising StarChefs Gala—at which he prepared New Zealand King Salmon with Everything Bagel Crumbs Pickled Mustard Seeds Lemon Pudding Chives and Red Onion. Yum!

According to our sources the crowd was blown away by how great the dish turned out—seeing as how Bryan and his crew could barely SEE what they were doing! It seems that his workstation along with a few other chefs’ suffered power outages due to strong gusts of wind on the rooftop where the gala took place. Bravo Bryan!

And as we mentioned last week Bryan was also recognized at the 2010 StarChefs International Chef’s Congress event—where he had fun playing with liquid nitrogen to make frozen foie gras PB&J! Thanks to Eattv.com you can see Bryan’s brilliant presentation right here….

Lastly both Michael and Bryan will be at The Big Red a weekend benefit for the North Texas Food Bank happening Nov. 5- 7. 

The Big Red event will include an unprecedented group of talented food and wine professionals coming together with fellow enthusiasts to taste and toast as they celebrate Texas wine and agriculture. If you attend you can sample more than 20 Texas wines paired with selections from Dallas' leading restaurants and national celebrity chefs ahem Michael and Bryan. For more information about this event click HERE.

That's it for this week's edition of your V-Bros Update. Leave your comments below and be sure to check back next Friday for your V-Brothers fix! Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Hey Everyone

Great news! Bryan has been named Chef/Restaurateur of the Year by Share Our Strength’s Conference of Leaders. Bryan is receiving this award for his extraordinary contributions to SOS’s success and the fight to end hunger in his community. To learn more about this prestigious award click HERE.

Meanwhile at Food & Wine's annual Best New Chefs event in New York Michael’s crispy chicken thigh with ”Buffalo sauce” celery puree and nitro blue cheese went over BIG. You can read about this event and Michael’s creative spin on the ol' buffalo wing HERE.

Photo: Jessica Torossian and BizBash.com

Have you heard about L.A.'s Test Kitchen? It’s a temporary restaurant on Pico Boulevard south of Beverly Hills where the chef along with the menu bar staff and even the style and music of the restaurant changes nearly every day! It's so hot right now but our boy Michael managed to turn up the heat one notch higher when he recently took the reigns.

Thanks to a YouTuber by the name of rydka you can experience the Test Kitchen yourself by watching the three videos below. Check them out!

In case the videos were'nt enough here's a photo uploaded by Yelper Lisa F. from that night as well…

Also you'll want to read this fantastic interview with Bryan by Thomas Rozwadowski for the Green Bay Press Gazette during which Bryan mentions a possible return to Top Chef:

 “Now if they want to bring me on ‘Top Chef Masters’ so I can kick the old guys’ butts because I know I can do it if that invitation comes my way then I’ll jump on it."

You can read this entire article by clicking HERE.

Last but not least don’t miss Michael at the Philadelphia Food and Wine Festival October 29 through October 31 at the Valley Forge Convention Center. The festival will include book signings wine and beer seminars and Michael! Tickets start at 30 but you could win a pair of tickets from The Latest Dish blog by clicking HERE.

Well folks that's it for this week's Voltaggio update. As always we encourage you to let us know your thoughts and comments below and check back next Friday for your V-Bro fix. Enjoy!

Hey V-Fans!

It seems like everyone's been talking about the Voltaggio Brothers this week...

In regards to the V-Bros' recent appearance at the Star Chefs International Chefs Congress Lamb Before Thyme blogger Andy Floyd had these kind words to say:

"They actually surprised the hell out of me by creating dishes that were both classic and innovative. They are both very talented chefs. Bryan took a more classic approach while Michael took a more innovative direction. They had both just come back from Germany where they were consulting with a company that was designing ready made food texture enhancers similar to El Bulli Texturas where you can add them directly to a mixture to get the desired texture that previously would have taken multiple combination of Hydrocolloids. Sort of training wheels for Molecular Gastronomist." 

You can read the rest of this great review HERE.

Spanish Chef Jose Andres of The Bazaar at the Beverly Hills SLS Hotel recently had this say about "our boy" Michael via a video by NBC LA: "I'm Looking forward to whatever 'my boy Voltaggio' has up his sleeve in the coming months."

Well we happen to know he's definitely got some tattoos up there...but beyond that we agree with Chef Andres that you never know what Michael will do next!

In fact check out this fascinating video the L.A. Times put together of Michael preparing some of Bazaar's signature menu items…it's pretty entertaining stuff!

Looking for a good book to snuggle up with for Fall? Check out Chronicle Book's "How to Cook Like a Top Chef" featuring Michael's recipe for Nitro Gazpacho. Yum!

And if that's not enough to quell your hunger for all things Top Chef get this:

It seems Bryan has taken a vested or shall we say invested interest in Season 6 contestant Mike Isabella who is opening a new restaurant called Graffiato meaning "scratched" in Italian. Not only is Bryan one of the investors in the restaurant but we also hear DMS/Perla the design team behind Bryan's restaurant Volt will also be re-doing Graffiato's Penn Quarter location. So keep an eye out for this one; it sounds like a winner!

Well that's it for this week's V-Bro Update! Check back next week for more exciting Voltaggio news. And as always let us know your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Enjoy!

Hey V-fans!

As we’ve mentioned before Michael is teaming up with Williams Sonoma to spread the word about high-end kitchen appliances such as an at-home sous vide machine as well as the Bamix Immersion Blender Vitamix Professional Blenders and more!

So we thought this week we’d share a special three-part video series where Micheal shows us all how to make his delicious Crispy Chicken using the sous vide technique a French term meaning “under vacuum.” Enjoy!

PART: I

PART: II

PART: III

You can find written instructions for Michael’s Crispy Chicken and other delicious recipes from Williams Sonoma by clicking HERE.

And just to keep things even around here Bryan recently attended the Great Frederick Fair for the 4-H Beef Sheep and Swine sale— where he boldly outbid a slew of folks to win a 250 pound medium weight champ market barrow aka a big fat pig!

Lastly Bryan and VOLT are teaming up with An Evening on the Riviera for a raffle to be held during the October 8 event.

This is your chance to cook with Bryan for just 30! And here's the best part— ticket purchasers need not be present to win! If you're interested you can purchase tickets HERE.

Until next time V-fans…Eat on!

Hey Everyone

You should!

Michael talks of his love of shoes and chairs HERE.

And Bryan talks food and posts pics of his kids. Check him out HERE.

Did anyone check out the Tomato Festival a few days ago with Bryan? Let us know right here in the comment section.

Thanks!

Hey Guys!

When Michael has the floor it's silly to do too many introductions. Let's all watch the younger Voltaggio brother make Kelly and Andrea's Braised Short Ribs from Top Chef.

Watch here!

I don't know about you but I'm off to recreate THAT recreation! Later V fans!

-Audie

Hi Everyone!
 
We hope all of you had a safe and happy 4th of July! While the rest of us were pondering the Declaration of Independence the fine people at Chevrolet were establishing a different kind of independence - that of the automotive's reliance on oil. The new Chevrolet "Volt" made a brief stop at Bryan's Frederick restaurant of the same name as part of a 1776 mile road trip from Texas to New York City.
 
Read more about this very cool story HERE.
 
Be sure to lotion those sunburns from yesterday and I sincerely hope your answer to: Burger or Hot Dog? Was...both.
 
Enjoy!
 
-Audie

Hey Guys

I wanted to take a moment to highlight Jonathan Gold and the great praise he gave to Michael today. In an Ask Mr. Gold piece for the LA Weekly a reader asked for Southern California restaurant recommendations. Here's what Mr. Gold had to say about Michael:

"At the Langham Michael Voltaggio is rocking all the gelling agents and liquid nitrogen you could wish."

Not only is it a nice compliment it also happens to be true! We appreciate the kinds words Mr. Gold and agree with your recommendations.

If you have a great LA restaurant recommendation please tell us in the comments!

Thanks everyone!

-Audie

Hey Guys

Admit it you watch TV while eating Chocolate Chip Butter Sandwiches and that's...OK.

What are Chocolate Chip Butter Sandwiches you ask? Why naturally it's two slices of crustless Wonder Bread smeared with soft butter with smashed Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies inside.

What else COULD it be?

Ok that's my dirty but delicious laundry. Now what's yours?! The Voltaggios want to read about your favorite Guilty Pleasures whether it's Deep Fried Twinkies Mayo-Drenched Fries Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Cubes - we want to hear about it!

Go to the GUILTY PLEASURES forum thread and post away! Ideally we'd love a photo to go along with your post as well! We'll go through them and the Voltaggios will choose their stand outs and I'll post them on the Homepage on Friday!

Oh and for the record there is no guilt when it comes to food - no matter how many sticks of butter the recipe asks for.  No one eats this junk all the time please don't eat this junk all the time but as a little treat well life is for the living.

Happy posting!

-Audie

Hey Guys

I recently attended Suzanne Tracht's cooking class in her surprisingly small kitchen in Jar. She made us a Pea Puree with herb salad leg of lamb and scalloped potatoes - every bite was smart balanced delicious. Suzanne is a no-nonsense chef who completely incorporates the marketplace and season into her simple but perfect menu.

Since we're not only huge Voltaggio Brothers fans but also foodies I thought some of our Los Angeles comrades would be interested in attending one of Suzanne's classes. She hasn't set the exact date quite yet but another one will be coming up in June so be sure to get on their mailing list to find out details. In the meantime you can drool over her menu or better yet stop in and try her mind-bogglingly tender Pot Roast and Banana Cream Pie - my favorites.

Take a look at the menu HERE.

If you've already been let us know your thoughts and if you decide to stop in let us know that too! I'd love to hear what you think. Oh and be sure to share exactly what you ordered so we can all food-geek out together here on the site!

Thanks everyone!

-Audie

Hey Guys!

If you've visited your local Farmer's Markets lately or even the produce section at your finer gourmet grocer you've seen beautiful fresh cherries which are finally creeping into season! These antioxidant-packed stone fruits are insanely delicious and usually my favorite recipe for them is as follows:

1. Buy one pound of cherries.
2. Wash one pound of cherries.
3. Eat one pound of cherries.

However as is true with vegetables roasting really brings out the cherry's bittersweet bite. Try this simple recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

7 cups cherries stemmed but not pitted
1 tablespoon olive oil

STEPS:

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place cherries on baking sheet drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Bake for 35 minutes or until your cherries split. Let the cherries cool for at least 20 minutes and then squeeze pits. Refrigerate until ready to eat.  

Some cherry-picked ideas:

Tossed together with almonds butter lettuce and other soft lettuces and goat cheese and dress with your favorite slightly sweet dressing.

Instead of strawberries use roasted cherries with your shortcake recipes.

Cherries pair beautifully with duck.

Instead of the standard chocolate heat up your cherries in a sauce pan and pour over vanilla ice cream. Simple perfect.

You can substitute cherries for almost any of your trifle recipes which call for fruit - especially those that also have chocolate.

Happy Cherry Season everyone!

-Audie

Hey Guys!

The microwave isn't just for heating up your Kung Pao anymore! As you all know Michael loves his microwave cooking - for bread for applesauce Sous Vide and more. So here's our question to all of you:

How do YOU use your microwaves?

Send us your coolest/awesomest microwave uses and be sure to include the exact recipe. Bryan and Michael will read them over choose their favorite and I'll post it here on the homepage on Friday! Please send your entries to us by this Thursday night May 27th so the Voltaggios have a chance to look them all over. Submit your recipes to this forum MICROWAVE RECIPES.

Hope you all had a great weekend and we look forward to reading your most excellent microwave ideas!

Thanks everyone.

-Audie

"...when he got home that night I was waiting for him at the top of the stairs and I said 'Work is work but home is home' and I punched him in the face."

To read the full interview click HERE.

Hey Guys!

Thank you for all for the friend requests kind words and the warm welcome!

So let's get down to business. We loved your restaurant reviews from last week and this week we want to make it even more specific. As I'm sure all of you know Michael's favorite burger hails from Umami Burger in LA - for those of you who have enjoyed this juicy fat puck you know why he loves it. Umami Burger offers a variety of burgers from Truffled to Port and Stilton and for an extra treat they make their own ketchup in house. If you live in or around LA it's definitely worth venturing over to one of their locations.

But as we know the burger is a very special very particular thing in every person's life. I too am a Los Angelian and nothing has yet to eclipse my experience at Laurel Tavern in Studio City. If you can brave the slightly irritating crowd or better yet plan on an early dinner around 5 pm you will be witness to one of the juiciest softest burger moments of your life.

So tell us: Which burger does it for you? We want to hear about every burger across the country and coast to coast from mom 'n' pop shops to Kobe sliders and everything in between. Write up a scrumptious burger review for us and the Voltaggios will choose their favorites to feature on the homepage this Friday!

Here's a great burger review for inspiration by Johnathon Gold Pulitzer Prize winning food critic.

Please visit the forum YOUR BURGER REVIEWS to post and be sure to have your reviews in by this Thursday May 20th so that the Voltaggios have a chance to thoroughly read your reviews.

Thanks everyone - we can't wait to read about your favorite burgers!

-Audie

They are finally here!

This marks the near arrival of summer and this is where Bryan and I can agree on what goes on our menus. Both of us grew up in the 301 and those of you that don’t know what that is it’s the Maryland area code - I am representing the hometown on this one. I have soft shells on the menu and serve these Chesapeake treasures with pride. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what these guys are let me break it down:

When Blue Crabs grow they actually outgrow their shell.  As this happens they shed or molt their exterior hard shell and for a number of days and are left with a thin paper-like shell thus making the entire thing edible.  I fly them into LA all the way from Maryland and they arrive alive and fresh.

In Maryland the best way to enjoy crabs is with Old Bay and buttery corn on the cob.  I love taking familiar flavors and recreating them in a way you may not have experienced before. In this case I bread the crabs in finely ground corn flakes – that’s right cereal. From a box. It gives the crunchiest texture and enhances the sweetness of the crab. I deep-fry them softly in 350 vegetable oil until golden brown and season lightly with sea salt. I then make a corn puree and add butter and Methyl Cellulose to it. This allows me to create the look and texture of scrambled eggs with the taste of corn on the cob. For the old bay element I juice fresh red bell peppers turn the juice into a gelee then blend old bay into it - this becomes a very balanced ketchup-like sauce reminiscent of that Maryland spice mix…courtesy of McCormick.

The soft shell season is short so don’t wait to experience this Maryland staple! Check out my poor phone photography of my dish in the restaurant.  If you happen to come across a good soft shell dish sneak a photo and send it in!

Where is the best soft shell dish on the eastern shore???

-Michael

Hey everyone

Some friends were telling me they went to an olive oil tasting - the oils were all handed out in tiny disposable cups. I actually find that the best way to try different oils is to make a small pour directly into the center of your palm and then slurp it up. People will look at you funny but they'll be missing the best way to sample the subtle differences between olive oil flavors. Your slightly salty skin will do exactly what salt does with everything else - flavors will become brighter and enhance the natural undertones of the particular olive oil you're trying.

Speaking of great olive oils I was turned on to the Williams-Sonoma house olive oil and while it's classically grassy it has more of a buttery hit with a light peppery finish.

Is there an olive oil you swear by? Let us know.

Have a great weekend.

-Michael

Hey everyone

I wanted to share with you an insanely easy but delicious doctored mayonnaise recipe. The featured flavor is Piment d' Espelette - a pepper from Espelette or "Basque Country" in France. The European Union has given the pepper a protective designation ensuring that only peppers grown in Esplette itself may be called 'Piment d' Espelette.' The heat level is similar to paprika but the flavor is much darker and smokier. It's great on fish and ham and will and will always impress your guests - even if you're just serving sandwiches for lunch.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of mayonnaise I actually prefer Vegenaise here strictly for taste

2 teaspoons chopped shallot

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar

I 1/2 teaspoons of Piment d' Espelette

Maldon salt to taste

White pepper to taste

Prepare:

Finely chop the shallots - the soft onion hit is nicer than crunching down on raw garlic. Combine all ingredients with a wooden spoon and ideally store in a mason jar to keep for a few days in your refrigerator.

Let me know how it turns out.

Enjoy.

Cheers

Bryan

Hey everyone

So people often ask which kind of asparagus I enjoy and like to prepare - Fat stalks? Pencil thin? White? And the truth is I sort of love them - sometimes even prepared together. I find the mix of slight texture difference to be the best way to bring out the deliciousness of both colors. White Asparagus although occasionally hard to find even in season isn't all that exotic. The white color comes from a process called "etiolation" which is simply a deprivation of light.

Now we're entering prime White Asparagus season - usually May and June will produce your thickest most buttery stalks and you'll be able to find them at Whole Foods or other produce-savvy grocers. Unlike its green counterpart you really must always peel them. Start a third of the way down and peel a few strips off the entire stalk and then snip the ends just where the stalk naturally bends. While there are many ways to prepare all veg and certainly roasting is more than delicious if you have a grill you now have your favorite new way to prepare your White Asparagus and likely green as well.

It couldn't be easier:

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Maldon salt
1 bunch white asparagus trimmed 1 bunch green asparagus trimmed peeled and halved length-wise try to get similar widths

STEPS:

1. Par boil your asparagus for about 3 minutes if that.

2. Shock in 50 ice and 50 water to prevent carry over cooking keeping the asparagus slightly crisp.

3. Drain and toss with olive oil.

4. Grill over the hottest coals for about 1 or 2 minutes or until slightly marked with grill lines.

5. Remove from coals and toss with salt.

6. Finish with another drizzle of olive oil and consume.

For me working with a simple perfect ingredient means letting its flavors and textures shine but I'd love to hear how you guys like to work with asparagus. Let me know in the comments.

Enjoy.

Cheers

Bryan

Hey everyone

If you've ever had the pleasure of cooking for yourself in England you've probably stumbled upon Double Cream. If you're not familiar with it Double Cream has about 48 butterfat as opposed to the roughly 36 butterfat content of our heaviest cream in the states. Our thickest cream option while still being a liquid is heavy cream. There's creme fraiche and you can find clotted cream at some specialty stores but those perform differently when heated up. But in professional kitchens we have what seems to be somewhat of a secret.

It's called Manufacturing Cream. It contains 40 butterfat if not more so when we need a thickening agent what would likely demand a rue in the home kitchen requires only a splash of Manufacturing Cream.

Enter the weird part: The only places to purchase this thick stuff are Smart and Final for our Callifornia Arizona and Nevada readers or nationally Costco. Often it will only be available in giant vats but if cooking with thick cream is important in your life - and let's be honest it is - I definitely suggest checking it out.

Let me know how it turns out.

Cheers

Bryan

Hey Everyone

I just stumbled upon this really interesting food sharing site called eat.ly and I thought you guys might want to check it out. As soon as I have a minute to sit down I'm gonna sign up myself. I just thought this would be a great way for all of you to connect on our site here as well as share your love of food with each other. You can connect through your Facebook accounts and share your thoughts on your walls or here in the forums and comment threads.

I personally would really get a kick out of seeing what you guys are getting excited about - who knows it might inspire a new recipe!

Enjoy.

Cheers

Bryan

Hey Everyone

I'm often asked if I cook for myself at home and the answer is yes. And when I do especially when cooking for other people potato confit always seems to be my go-to dish. You're probably more familiar with duck confit but the word "confit" is sort of a catch all word that basically means to immerse in liquid for extra flavor. You can confit vegetables meat even fruit - it takes some effort but nearly anyone can do it. I love this potato confit served along side steak or fish – try it in lieu of your stand-by mashed potatoes.

Quantities are somewhat imprecise and depend on if you’re making it for one or for a dinner party  - make it a few times and you’ll get the exact ratios you like. Here’s the way I do it.
Cut your peeled russet potatoes into 1 1/2" slices - they should look like little hockey pucks. and then use your round cutter to create perfect potato rounds. Throw your rounds into a screaming hot sauté pan with a hearty glug of clarified butter until crispy. Flip over pour off the butter add a little chicken stock and then transfer into a hot oven for about 12 minutes to continue cooking - it will also reduce your liquid somewhat. Add one more tablespoon of clarified butter and glaze the potatoes with the remaining liquid in the pan. Serve immediately and season with some Fleur de Sel and some fresh black pepper.

Try this at home when you want to make something unexpected and really delicious. I'd love to hear how it turns out. I'd also love to hear if you've had any other great confits.

Enjoy.

-Michael

Hey Everyone

I wanted to share a recipe I love to make with Halibut Cheek - I find the cheek to be an underutilized part of the animal in the States. We hear “cheek” and it seems too intimate but for example in the case of the cow that constant chewing tenderizes muscles of the face producing an incredibly tender muscle.

Here’s my Halibut Cheek:

I mix Mirin with Miso – until it’s somewhat thin and spreadable – and cure the Halibut in this paste for about two hours. I then cook the cheek at 62 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes and finish it off with a pan roast. I like to serve it with a red curry paste and my new texture of curried coconut rice.

You won’t find a lot of various cheeks in restaurants so I suggest trying this recipe at home. It’s not daunting and the results are incredible.

Enjoy.

-Michael

Hey everyone

For me Spring is nothing more than an excuse to eat fresh morels. While you should be able to find them at your local gourmet food shops if for some reason they haven't stocked up there's a great website called http://www.marxfoods.com that has all of your morel needs totally covered.

When you're hunting for fresh morels you're looking for unblemished whole mushrooms with white stems. Steer clear of any funky scents or slimy stems. Once home it's ideal to cook your morels that evening but they can stay fresh and dry for about 3 days; be sure to store them in a paper bag refrigerated - use of any plastics will make your morels taste strange and will completely change the texture.

When selecting your morels I recommend really going through them carefully because a bruised morel's texture can be rubbery once prepared and cooked. If you're feeling intrepid you can sign up for a morel-hunting group - but be absolutely sure you know what you're doing. As you know morels must be cooked and never eaten raw. As for cleaning and cooking techniques there are a million different ones out there but for me the finest way to eat a morel is:

TO PREPARE:

-Hand-pick a collection of white-stemmed fresh morels.

-Bring home slice length-wise brush away dirt and/or bugs.

-Let sit out until ready to eat.

-If it's a particularly clean batch you're ready to cook if they're buggy or dirty use a damp towel to clean.

-If the towel proves to be not enough man-power as a last resort you may soak your morels in a salt-water bath for a maximum of 15 minutes - rinse thoroughly and then pat dry with a cloth.

TO COOK:

-Melt a giant knob of butter in a cast iron skillet until butter is sizzling but not darkening - a medium heat is roughly right.

- Add your sliced morels plain and unsalted to the butter

-Cook for about 4-7 minutes or until softened. You're not looking for any crispness but softness.

-Using a slotted spoon transfer directly to plate season with salt Maldon please and eat.

The only acceptable variation when eating straight morels in my humble opinion is to lightly flour them before frying.

Let me know how they turn out.

-Michael

Hey Everyone

As true Spring weather slowly inches closer I wanted to share a delicious and easy drink that utilizes a couple of ingredients in slightly unexpected way. The opal basil gives a zing in the back of the throat and is a nice alternative to traditional mint - plus the color it imbues is a really beautiful and vibrant pink. I use the opal basil because the flavor is slightly more intense and can sometimes produce an anise hit when coupled with the Meyer lemon - come to think of it you could even add a few fennel fronds to enhance that flavor.

It's nearing the end of prime Meyer lemon season but this year they seem to be abundant even now. If you can't get your hands one it's no big thing just use all regular lemons. But if you can your drink will be all the better for it. Meyer lemons are a hybrid of a lemon and a mandarin orange so juicing them produces a lemony orange juice or an orangey lemon juice if you like. They're roughly half the size of traditional lemons so your triceps will get a workout when making a big batch. But power through - it's worth it.

Opal Basil Lemonade

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of water

1/2 cup of lemon juice half lemons half Meyer lemons

1/2 cup of opal basil

6 tablespoons of sugar

4 cups of ice

A few extra sprigs of opal basil

STEPS:

Combine your water and juice in a jug.

In your mortar and pestle muddle your basil with sugar until you see a paste form.

Strain your paste through a sieve into your jug and and discard the leaves.

Serve in chilled glasses with ice and toss in a purple basil sprig so your guests have a preview of what's to come.

I'd love to hear how it turns out!

Cheers

Bryan

Hey everyone

This is for all of you who consider yourselves turophiles. And even more for those of you who don't. And for those of you who don't please don't be scared. I think cheese like wine can be a very insular intimidating endeavor when really it should be fun welcoming and delicious.

Enter: La Tur.

This goat cow and sheep cheese is one of the more interesting and complex cheeses - a bloomy quality lingers on your palette after you bite through the thinnest of edible skins revealing a slightly "barnyard" aroma. This fat puck oozes a soft buttery rim which gives way to the center boasting a texture similar to firm goat cheese. A piquant tang first skims the tongue followed by a lightly salty butter hit. For ideal flavor and texture I like to leave mine on the counter for at least an hour and a half before letting my guests tear into it. Be sure to serve with something very simple like a baguette; no additional flavors like sesame or garlic are required. You want La Tur to be the star.

Available at the gourmet cheese section in most Whole Foods this is a showstopper with barely any guesswork. And if you've always wanted to serve up a host-with-the-most cheese platter at your dinner parties this is a great first step.

If you already know and love La Tur will you write me a note about it here? And if you haven't ever tried it will you race to Whole Foods right now and let me know what you think?

Thanks. And enjoy.

Cheers

Bryan

Hey Everyone

I just wanted to share something quick with you guys. I was walking around my local supermarket looking at the 4 billion packaged salad dressings and thinking: Ugh.

It's just as easy nearly to throw together a few ingredients at home shake them around in a simple mason or jelly jar and it's infinitely more delicious. Here's a great go-to dressing that pairs beautifully with almost any tender green and also works as a marinade for chicken:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fine Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves in this rare case dried basil from a jar is a fine substitute. I like THIS ONE.
1 medium garlic clove microplaned
1 Tbs sugar
Maldon salt and white pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in your jar. Shake. Consume. Enjoy!

Cheers

Bryan

Hey everyone

People keep buzzing about the incredible cocktail Writer's Block at The Hall--a beautiful brasserie attached to the Palihouse hotel on Santa Monica in Los Angeles CA.

This subtly fizzy drink is part Tito's vodka lime apple and cucumber juice and finished with a splash of sparkling wine. The head bartender Joe Negron tells me the tartness of the apple and the sweetness of the cucumber create a verdant mixture in the mouth giving the drink an almost gimlet-like sensation. The wide cocktail glass its served in is the perfect shape for a refreshing gulp and the pale hit of fruit doesn't make it sweet but rather bright. I'm definitely going to brave the LA traffic for this one. Have you?

I'd love know if anyone has had this and what all your favorite cocktails are for the Spring and Summer--post in the comments!

The Hall also offers a great french-inspired menu for the week and then a British Sunday brunch.

-Michael

Hey everyone

You know that sweet tangy sour hit in the back of your throat when you eat Thai food? Isn't it great? Well it's none other than the highly aromatic Kaffir Lime Leaf. The leaves come from the Kaffir lime tree native to Indonesia and are highly used in various Asian cuisines including Indonesian Cambodian and Lao cuisines. They are easily recognizable by their emerald-green doubled sections which makes them appear as if two leaves are joined together. While this lemongrassy leaf enhances Thai soups and curries beautifully it almost never has its time in the spotlight.

Let's change that.

Next time you reach for a bay leaf for a chicken or fish dish substitute with the Kaffir leaf. I especially love it in a simple homemade chicken soup. Google local Thai markets for your area and start incorporating this fragrant leaf into your daily cooking.

Tell me how it turns out in the comments--I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

-Michael