I thought emulsifiers and stabilizers were bad. It took a patient food scientist to explain those are functions NOT additives.

 

This week I snagged an invitation to Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream’s Chemistry & Chocolate meeting. Several ice cream artisans from around the Puget Sound (Seattle, Enumclaw, Port Townsend) were there. Many of whom gourmands line up out their doors for high quality ice cream, sorbets, custards and gelatos.

 

Rex Infanger took the group through the chemical and biological route proteins and fats go through to dish up frozen treats. The “Legos of ice cream,” he calls it. To make excellent ice cream you need to make an emulsion. “Emulsifiers allow opposite things to hold together, like mayonnaise. All that is, is oil and water in suspension. In ice cream its water and protein that need to be suspended.”

 

And he described stabilizers, mainly food gums, as helping to control water and air bubbles to craft a better product that controls melting, reduces ice crystals forming and improves mouth feel. “Without stabilizers ice cream melts quickly,” he said. “They are only 0.2 to 0.4 percent of the product and contribute so much.”

 

All this talk got the group hungry. Bakery Nouveau supplied Euro-style morning pastries to pair with Caffe Appassionato coffee. Here was another revelation – William Leaman of the West Seattle bakery has lured Pastry Chef Jane Gibson from Salty’s on Alki. Jane leaves the Salty’s pastry kitchen in the hands of her son James Gibson.

 

 

Dinner Part III

The Art of ART

 

The day of dining was capped off with the splendid opening reception celebration at ART at Seattle’s Four Seasons hotel. Since closing Cascadia last year and moving to the Four Seasons, Chef Kerry Sear has worked and reworked the ART menu. The ill-fated paintbrush experiment – allowing guests to affix a palate of sauces to small plate proteins – is gone and the reception focused on the sensible nibbles featured on the “5 After Five” menu – Tuna Roll, Crisp Calamari, Prosciutto de Parma and the town favorite….MINI BURGERS. The ground hanger steak, served medium rare and topped with sautéed mushrooms or Beecher’s cheddar, are back and served three-up to delight diners’ mouths and pocketbooks. $5, 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday through Thursday.

 

Pair the nibbles with local craft and branded beers, local wines and signature cocktails….yes, also $5, 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday through Thursday.

Some things may work, others may not....Kerry forges ahead, takes risks and always dazzles. We all can learn from him. He leaves the art of ART on the table.

 

Lunch Part II

Local Use of Local Ingredients

 

This week was the Washington Troller’s annual wild salmon lunch. Once again Chef John Sundstrom and his Lark team did the most outstanding job with the menu and with the fish.

 

Starting off with reaching to his Scandinavian roots John prepared pickled salmon, a seared then brined delight. The main course tipped a hat to Northwest heritage with not only the Washington Marbled Chinook Salmon from Neah Bay fishermen, but with Ozette potatoes (another Neah Bay native). The thin skinned, knobby fingerlings have a definite terrior taste. Round off the meal with a vanilla pot de crème with berries (a perfect pairing with salmon) and a dollop of whipped cream and you have the perfect Northwest lunch.

 

The other substance of the lunch involved information sharing of Makah fishermen, Washington State Fish & Wildlife, fishmongers and chefs about the importance of this local fish. “Since the treaty of 1855 our forefathers talked about the importance of the ocean. Without the ocean we would be a poor man,” explained one fisherman. “The Makah have the largest tribal fleet in the U.S. and we work as co-managers with the State of Washington and with other tribes to save our salmon.” The Makah have installed a hatchery with 1.5 million Chinook, 300,000 Coho and 200,000 Steelhead released.

 

Fishermen say that this year’s catch is some of the most flavorful in years due to the inordinate amount of krill the salmon are feeding on. One fisherman said “The Sockeye are not very marine tasting. They are more terrestrial, mild and savory.” Different diets bring different flavor profiles to the fish.

 

There is a small, yet delicious, supply of Washington salmon 120 miles away from Seattle. Venturing into Alaska waters, is the next best thing to Washington, the Troller’s claimed, mentioning that Ray’s Boathouse is having a Salmon and Pinot Noir Extravaganza May 21.