Courtesy Artisan Publishing

This is the recipe for Thomas Keller’s favorite, simple roast chicken recipe (or Mon Poulet Roti) that is served at Bouchon. If you want to watch Chef Keller  demonstrating his techniques, be sure to watch the video on this blog.

SERVINGS:  2 – 4

INGREDIENTS

One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it’s a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it’s cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don’t baste it, I don’t add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don’t want. Roast it until it’s done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I’m cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip—until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook’s rewards.

Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be super elegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You’ll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it’s so good.

Excerpted from BOUCHON by THOMAS KELLER (Artisan Books). Copyright 2004. Deborah Jones photographer.

NOTES

It was hard to decide which of many fabulous recipes for chicken that Chef Keller features at Bouchon Restaurant. How to choose between a simple roast chicken, a roast chicken with a ragout of wild mushrooms, roast chicken with summer squash and tomatoes or for a casual evening with friends perhaps chicken in a pot. Whichever you choose, try the recipes for all in Keller’s cookbook Bouchon. You will be inspired.

– The Gourmet Review

Photograph Courtesy Deborah Jones

Chef Thomas Keller has helped change the landscape of cooking in the US. Keller has received so many culinary accolades, from “Best Chef” and “Outstanding Restauranteur” award from the James Beard Foundation, to “Chef of the Year” by the Culinary Institute, 3 Michelin stars for Per Se in New York  and 5 Mobil stars for the French Laundry in Yountville, that is is hard to list them all . Suffice it to say that Keller  is a great chef.

Courtesy Google Images

Good food, coupled with a memorable social and sensual experience, has always been Thomas’ focus. Keller’s commitment to fresh ingredients is second to none. His restaurant, The French Laundry, is one of the most acclaimed in the US.

I remember savoring every course and feeling fortunate to have secured a reservation, which often needs to be made a year in advance. Keller also owns several other fine dining restaurants, including  Bouchon in Las Vegas and Per Se in New York. The dining experience at any of his restaurants is guaranteed to be extraordinary.

Courtesy Google Images

In 1998 Chef Thomas Keller opened his bistro, Bouchon, in the town of Yountville, in the Napa Valley, and Bouchon Bakery opened its doors five years later. Boxes of his fabulous chocolate cookie mix from William Sonoma landed under my Christmas tree last year. The Blue Baker and I can attest that the cookies were easy to bake and lasted a nanosecond warm from the oven.

Courtesy Google Images

Chef Thomas Keller has written many gorgeous cook books. “French Laundry” and “Bouchon” are among my favorites, but “Ad Hoc” brings comfort food to your home. If you love food photography, as well as inspirational recipes, these are a must for your kitchen library. Keller was just awarded the 2010 James Beard Foundation Media and Book award in the General Cooking category for “Ad Hoc”.

Courtesy Google Images

Keller goes to great length to spotlight his vendors and the fresh ingredients they provide. This Celebrity Chef  is quick to share the accolades that come his way, even highlighting the stories of vendors on his web site.  If you appreciate fresh ingredients, you will love the story about Diane St. Claire. She  owns Animal Farm Dairy, which is the smallest licensed creamery in Vermont, and perhaps the only one in the US producing farmstead butter.

Diane refers to her jersey cows as her seven “girls.” “I know what my cows are doing every minute of the day,” she says. Now that’s commitment!

All the butter made from the “girl’s” milk is sent to the French Laundry and Per Se for diners to savor. Undoubtedly, Thomas Keller’s attention to detail is what makes dining at his restaurants an extraordinary experience.

 

NOTE

Try two of my favorite recipes  from Thomas Keller. Try Keller’s absolutely delicious chocolate TKO Cookies. Most of all my inspiration for adding multiple fresh herbs in all my salads now and forever will be Keller’s bibb lettuce salad, his “Salade De Laitue, which I just reran on this blog. Enjoy!

 

– The Gourmet Review

 

It may come as no surprise to hear that I love food and the whole dining experience. Food has its own culinary artists and choreography, but it is more accessible than some other arts. Imagine how exhilarating it would feel to storm the percussion section of the Philharmonic and fire cannons during the performance of the 1812 Overture. Unfortunately, such an act would require some sort of pyrotechnics knowledge and a Union membership at the very least!

Not so with a great meal. The ultimate dining experience doesn’t require a musical license, but it does require skill and the dedication of passionate, talented chefs to make it happen.  The process of creating a great meal also requires patience, creativity, and a well-trained palate.

And the best part is, all that’s required of us, the diner, is to pick up the phone, make a reservation and enjoy the culinary delights created by some of the world’s greatest chef’s. Personally, I wouldn’t have it any other way!

The Fearless Foodie

The Gourmet Review

The Verandah Restaurant Courtesy Villa d’Este

Sommelier Paolo Vaninetti oversees the wines served at The Verandah Restaurant, the Grill Room and even the bottle of champagne opened with great flair at the Canova Bar. It doesn’t matter, the sommelier at Villa d’Este knows his wines.

The Canova Bar Courtesy Villa d’Este

 Sommelier Paolo was kind enough to share some of his personal experiences and background.

Q  What is the oldest wine you have ever opened?

 A  An  1896 or 98 Madeira.

 Q  What is the most expensive wine you have ever opened?

 A  Chateau Lafite Rothchild 1945 from the “Special wine List” of the Palace.

Courtesy Chateau Latour

 Q  What is the greatest wine you have ever opened?

A   Chateau Latour 1961.

Courtesy Gaja

 Q  What is the most fascinating wine tasting/pairing that you have overseen?

 A  By Angelo Gaja in the tasting room, with his best Barbaresco and the most important wines imported by himself.

Q  Who is your favorite vintner?

 A  Angelo Gaja.

Barbaresco Vineyards Courtesy Gaja

[Read the rest of this entry…]

Courtesy Villa d’Este

At Villa d’Este, it’s  natural to wonder what the favorite risotto is of the executive chef, affectionately known as the “King of Risotto.” I loved reading about the Risotto With Spring Vegetables that is also one of the hotel favorites,  and evidently that of Pope Paul II as well. Chef Parolari and Jean Salvadore share their story.

“At Villa d’Este, this risotto is a favorite of visitors to the hotel for two reasons: 1) since it’s studded with vegetables rather than more fattening ingredients, diners can pretend that it’s low in fat; and 2) the velvety texture and taste of the risotto base are perfectly counterbalanced by the crunchy texture of the fresh vegetables.

This risotto happens to be a favorite of Luciano himself and one that he earmarks as his most memorable in the thirty-eight years that he has been in the kitchen of Villa d’Este. Without hesitation, he commented: “In 1996, I made a risotto for Pope John Paul II. He came to Como for three days and was the guest of the archbishop, who called Villa d’Este and asked for our chef to prepare his meals. I made up a menu consisting of light chicken broth, steamed vegetables, and stewed fruit. His Holiness sent word back that he wanted a risotto with vegetables! Before his return to Rome, he thanked me in person and we were photographed together.”

Even if you don’t have the Pope over for dinner, this recipe is sure to be a memorable one, no matter with whom you share it.”

 Excerpt from “Tales of Culinary Adventures from Villa d’Este”

 -The Gourmet Review

Courtesy Wynn Resort Las Vegas

The Lake of Dreams at Wynn Resort in Las Vegas is dazzling. This extraordinary man made lake leaves guests reaching for their cameras. Diners and guests experience a visual delight like no other during their visit to the Wynn.

At dusk this spectacular lake becomes the stage for  what can only be described as a surreal multimedia presentation set to tantalizing music, spectacular light displays, puppetry, film and sculpture.

Courtesy Dine Wine and Beyond

Between shows the lake is tranquil and seemingly secluded by a 140 foot high mountain. It’s hard to imagine the proximity of the famous Las Vegas Boulevard nearby.

Courtesy Dine Wine and Beyond

The views can best be enjoyed at SW Restaurant, where steaks are a specialty, or the new Lakeside Cafe, which is more casual and boasts a wide array of popular seafood. Incidentally, Wynn Las Vegas proudly received the esteemed Michelin Guide’s Five Red Pavilions awards in 2008 and 2009, perhaps partly due to the “Lake of Dreams.”

The video will give the reader a glimpse of  the surreal explosion of pulsating music, puppetry, film and spectacular light show during this visual journey.

– The Gourmet Review

Courtesy Wynn Resort Las Vegas

Famous for their jaw-dropping, acrobatic performances, Cirque du Soleil ‘s production of Le Reve, performed at the aquatic theater in the round at Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, certainly lives up to its name. “Le Reve,” or “The Dream,” is a spectacular production that transports the viewer from one universe to another.

Courtesy Wynn Resort Las Vegas

The sheer logistics are staggering. With only 12 rows of seats in the 2086 seat theater and not a bad seat in the house, the audience is always close to the action.

Courtesy Wynn Resort Las Vegas

I’m always fascinated by the “inside story” of what it takes to put on such a production.

Courtesy Wynn Resort Las Vegas

The center stage rises, but can also be submerged 22 feet under water in the 1.1 million gallon pool that’s always kept at 89 degrees.

Courtesy Wynn Resort Las Vegas

The video details some of the logistical challenges of the production, whether it’s the coordination of 85 technicians whose job it is to repair the aquatic costumes mid show, to the communications during the show. I think you will find it fascinating.

NOTE

Try to get VIP tickets to Le Reve. You will sip champagne, eat chocolate covered strawberries and watch what’s going on below the water, on stage and above the stage throughout the performance on your own video screen.

– The Gourmet Review

Courtesy Williams Sonoma

Don’t you love walking into a French bakery? Let me tell you the secret of bringing the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked, French style croissants into your kitchen.

Hand made by Jean-Yves Charon and shipped overnight, these mouth watering croissants go right into the freezer until you’re  ready to enjoy. All you do is let  the dough rise overnight on the kitchen counter and bake the next morning. Your family and friends will think they’ve been transported to a little boulangerie in France .

Or be really decadent and order the chocolate croissants or perhaps the mini croissants.  I’m getting hungry just writing about these great bakery items.

This is an exclusive item from Williams Sonoma, so you can either click on the link or phone in an order at 877-812-6235.

NOTE

My sister gave me a box of these croissants several years ago.  Leave it to her to come up with an original birthday present.

Our family now enjoys these croissants every holiday morning. With Thanksgiving coming up, I  remembered to place my order today. If you want to look like a culinary chef without any of the fuss and get raves from your family, you’ll want to order these today.

– The Gourmet Review

Courtesy Google Images

When Elton John requests that his personal chef take cooking lessons from the “King of Risotto,” Chef Luciano Parolari, it probably means that Villa d’Este’s chef  of more than 30 years has created an utterly fabulous risotto.

I love the stories from Tales of Risotto about the Risotto con Pesce Persico (perch fillets) served at the Verandah Restaurant on the shores of Lake Como.

When Gianni Versace moved to Lake Como, he lived at Villa d’Este while his new favorite residence, Villa Le Fontanelle, located just around the bend from Villa d’Este on the lake, was being restored. Risotto with fish was Gianni’s preferred dish, and when he finally moved into his villa, he often called on Luciano to be the chef for his dinner parties.

Elton John was so enamored of Luciano’s fare that he had his chef consigned to a fifteen day apprenticeship to learn the secrets of Luciano’s cooking.

Not only was this Risotto con Pesce Persico (Perch Fillets) a favorite of Elton John, Gianni Versace and Madonna, but because of the inclusion of the daily catch, it makes it a specialty of Lake Como as well.

– The Gourmet Review

Verdi, Puccini, Stravinsky, Liszt, Winston Churchill, Walt Disney, George Clooney (of course, since he has a villa across the lake), Alfred Hitchcock, Barbara Hutton, Aristotle Onassis, Sting, Elizabeth Taylor, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Madonna, William Randolph Hearst, Paul McCartney, Greta Garbo, Valentino, Gianni Versace, Clark Gable, Elton John  and many more guests have walked the same grounds and enjoyed the impeccable service of Villa d’Este since l873, when the hotel was opened to the public.