Menu Development (file under continuation of Creative Process)

In my post today on the creative process that I engage in when creating new dishes I explained how I go from ingredient to dish. Well when creating a menu the process is different. A dish is a stand alone item whereby a menu has to have a certain continuity and for lack of a better description ‘make sense.’

When creating a menu there are several factors which one needs to take into consideration. Some but not all will be true all of the time as certain factors are not applicable in certain settings. Therefore, what do I consider, in this time, as I am truly creating my first menu in a professional sense. Moreover, how do I develop that when I am creating new dishes each week? What follows is my explanation of how I am developing the menus for this summer.

It all starts with the ingredients. Every Chef on earth worth his or her weight in salt will tell you that it all starts with the ingredients. At The Club I am in an extraordinary environment that provides me the freshest and best ingredients available in Toronto as the first concern. I know that on a daily basis I am going to receive the best of the best, whether it is a strawberry or any manner of protein. If it is not the best The Club will send it back. This is due to two factors; one is the demand of our ‘captive’ consumer. The other is our desire to provide the best and most delicious dishes to continue pleasing our captive consumer, that being the Club Member.

As I have worked for the past few weeks I have looked at ingredients that are seasonal and available to me during the summer months. I have over the past year and a half assembled a list (lists) of what is available in Ontario that is fresh, local and seasonal. By no means is it exhaustive but it does represent a pretty thorough list. In Ontario we are spoiled by the amount of diversity that we have with regard to our produce and proteins. Once I understand what is available and when I have started to consider what it is that is going to please Club Members.

Ingredients (in this context) for me can be broken down as follows;

Protein (meat, game and fish)
Vegetables
Fruits
Staples.

In Ontario, as I mentioned above we are spoiled by the availability of gorgeous and delicious fruits and vegetables. Proteins too are in abundant supply. Due to the vast expanse of Ontario there are numerous growing regions and a wide variety of foodstuffs available.

As I mentioned in my post on the creative process it all starts with the ingredient. I used the example of Smoked Salmon in that post and how I wanted to do something that was based in a lengthy tradition but still could be tweaked into a new and exciting dish.
Purveyors are your best friends when developing a menu. They have their finger on the pulse of what is available and when. When certain things are cheaper and readily available and have the best quality. After considering the ingredients available the next step in the development is to consider what the purveyors are telling me is best right now. As I am working on a menu that is not static for months at a time I have an advantage of being able to change things on the fly.

For the summer I have created at this point approximately 50 dishes which each have a protein, a starch and a vegetable as well as a condiment and in some cases a garnish. As I have mentioned before, the customer is of paramount concern. What is their comfort zone? What do they like? Dislike? Can I expand their culinary palette? Do I need to play it safe? Where is the comfort zone? The happy medium?

Some of the produce I have looked at playing with over the summer are;

Apples
Apricots
Asparagus
Beans – Green/Wax
Beets
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Cherries
Corn
Crabapples
Currants – Red/Black
Eggplant
Gooseberries
Grapes
Leeks
Muskmelon
Mushrooms
Nectarines
Onions - Green
Peaches
Pears
Peas - Snow
Peppers - Field
Peppers - Greenhouse
Plums
Potatoes
Radishes
Rapini
Raspberries
Rutabaga
Spinach
Sprouts
Squash
Strawberries
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes - Field
Tomatoes - Greenhouse
Zucchini

Each of these are available to me from Ontario farmers according to seasonability. Each of these will be available to me this summer. The question then becomes how do you create something that is not commonplace which expands the horizons of peoples food comfort.

In my case I am going to play quite extensively with garnishes and condiments. As I roll out each menu I will explain to you my thought process, creativity and how I arrived at that ingredient and technique.

Proteins are readily available as are staples.

In developing the menu I consider the steps involved in the creation, the prep work, the ingredients, the end result, the mouth feel, smell, taste, texture, etc. I also consider regional and traditional cuisines from a round the world and whether or not I can expand peoples culinary horizons.

This weeks menu is being created by Executive Chef and then each week going forward we will bounce back and forth with each other to ensure that we are pleasing our Club Members.

I hope this has illustrated at least in general the things that I am considering in developing my menus this summer. As I get deeper into the summer I will explain how I created certain menus and the reasons behind their creation.

Anthony Bourdain once said; “A perfect meal is a confluence of forces – a certain sound in the background, the right smells in the air, who you’re eating with, it’s the colours, it’s EVERYTHING!” I hope this summer to create many perfect meals.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM

Ferran Adria and A Day at El Bulli (file under WOW PROFESSOR!)

For Christmas my old (and still to come) business partner gave me the trifecta gift that I had wanted, Ferran Adria’s book “A Day at El Bulli.” And I could not have been more thrilled. In fact I jumped up and gave her a huge hug after tearing just enough of the paper to reveal what it was. I was and am ecstatic.

What does it take to be referred to as the best Chef in the world? This book gives you an inkling into what it takes. Chef Adria receives 2,000,000 requests for only 8,000 seats a year. He is an originator who does for food the same thing that NASA does for space. He is a true pioneer who is shaping and reshaping the way that food is tasted and experienced. He is a master of his craft and it is very clear through the pages of this book that his primary drive is to create an “experience” for his patrons that will stay with them a lifetime.

Apparently his drive for excellence came out of the definition of creativity that he heard from French Chef (and vanguard in his own right) Jacques Maximin; “Creativity means not copying.”

While flipping the gorgeous pages of the book I was left pondering exactly how to incorporate that statement into my own food philosophy. Into my own drive for excellence and the very real mission that I believe I am on. That being to change the culture of food in North America.

Much of the book focuses on creative inspiration and method. Some of the salient points he has regarding creativity are as follows;

“New, creative and unique are not the same thing.”

“With creativity it is not what you look for that matters, but what you find.”

“Wanting to be creative is not enough.”

“A creative spirit does not necessarily lead to a creative result.”

“Ideas are easy – you just need to have some.”

Think about these past five quotes for a minute. They all are the result of Chef Adria’s contemplation of Jacques Maximin’s definition of creativity. I believe that he is correct in his assertion that creative means not copying. Especially as it relates to food. The question begs though, in an ever increasing globalized world, where true originality is harder to come by, where can this creativity lead us next?

I found this book extremely inspirational. I know that I will turn its pages when I find myself needing an inspirational kick in the ass. Another thing he wrote which has stuck in my mind since reading it is; “Let what you like to eat tell you how you should cook.” This is akin to the great advice for writers, write about what you know.

What happens at El Bulli is a true convergence of the creative spirit and the practical application of knowledge. In order to achieve this (in my mind) perfect symbiosis El Bulli employs 30 to 40 full time chefs. 13 of which are full time. Stages are chosen from among 5000 applicants who are chosen from different countries so that El Bulli can benefit from their knowledge and experience.

I have not fully internalized the way that Chef Adria’s creative method works and as such I don’t feel that I can have an informed discussion of it here now, but in the coming months, as I become more comfortable with it I will express my feelings about it.

What I can say is that he and his team complete 4000 hours of creative work a year. That is not a small number and when I consider that a top lawyer bills approximately 1800 hours a year I am taken aback at his drive for creative excellence.

Many questions came out of my reading of this book. And several answers too. The one thing I can say is that I am inspired and find myself reaching for ways to improve upon the legacy that he has created. Not necessarily for the world at large, but for myself.

One thing is certain. While in the last year I have gotten a great base from which to build and expand. That foundation needs to be expanded to include a wider knowledge of ingredients and complimentary pairings before I can fully utilize my creative method.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the future of food service. Ferran Adria is on the cutting edge of food and I am grateful for his example and willingness to share his method.

James Beard once said; “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”

One which I hope to improve as I continue my journey.

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM