Brined turkey and a crown roast of pork from Red Apron, more sides than you can imagine, pumpkin, key lime, chocolate and apple pie and, of course, great wine and friends. Perfection.
Happy thanksgiving everyone! Hope your day was filled with family and fun, just like mine.
I had a great cup of Thai Iced Coffee at Doi Moi’s friends and family the other night. I liked it so much it inspired me to make my own dessert version.
So I infused toasted cardamom and coriander into darkly brewed coffee then added condensed milk & half and half. The results? My official taste tester, Rachel, and I both loved it so its a go! Look for it at Red Apron in the next week or so.
When Nate, chef of Red Apron, and Michael, owner of NRG, told me they wanted soft serve machines in al of his shops I was excited… Then worried.
I was excited for a bunch of reasons… Think of all the wacky flavors I could make. I couldn’t wait to get my sweets next to Nate’s products. It was something I’d never made before. But that part was exciting AND one of the things that worried me…
I’ve made ice cream a million times. I know it like the back of my hand. But soft serve is different. You don’t use cream or eggs, which is what makes ice cream rich. It needs to have a different fat content. It has to be the PERFECT consistency to drip through the machine into the freezing chamber at just the right speed. So complicated. So many new things to learn. What if I couldn’t pull it off?
But after uttering a few curse words I dove in, face first, and got to testing. A month and several (dozens) of test batches later I’m nearly ready to debut a few fun flavors at Nate’s shops. Yellow Cake Batter. Fruit Loops. Black Tea.
Nate and Michael were right… This is going to be great!
Kyle and I are burger junkies. In the great “In-N-Out vs 5 Guys” debate we are 5 Guys fans for sure. Ya, I know, you need to order In-N-Out “double double animal style.” Been there, ordered that and the verdict… Meh.
But 5 Guys should watch out, there’s a new burger in town. I know I work with Red Apron but i promise I’m not being bias. If I didn’t ABSOLUTELY LOVE this burger I’d say nothing. But it is unreal. Of course i love the fresh baked brioche bun, toasted with butter, house made thousand island dressing, house pickles, onions and iceberg lettuce but they are supporting characters… The real magic is in the meat. Flavorful and cooked perfectly medium rare then coated with melty cheddar. In my experience, especially for an $8 burger, the meat isn’t usually a highlight. It comes well done and doesn’t taste like much. But at Red Apron its all about the patty. Its juicy, cooked to the temp you like and soooo full of flavor.
Don’t get me wrong, 5 Guys is a wonderful, juicy, satisfying grease bomb. If I’m hung over it really hits the spot. But it leaves you in an absolute food comma and must be consumed in moderation. The Red Apron Classic, however, is a burger I could eat everyday.
In always nervous to start working with a new chef. Making sure my desserts flow with each restaurant requires building a relationship with each chef. The better the relationship the better the desserts.
One of the reasons I’m excited for Red Apron to open is getting to work with Nate Anda. I’ve known him for a few years now but I’ve never actually gotten to work with him. Not that I’ve been testing breads and talking desserts I’ve gotta say, I’m pretty stocked to get to be a small part of his operation. He is the most even keeled, clear headed chef. Best of all, he’s great to brainstorm with. Full of good ideas. I love that.
Most of the menus have some of my breads on them but Red Apron is set to be my biggest challenge to date. Its a ton of bread. Seriously. And Nate has worked so hard and so long on this project I want it to be perfect. So we started testing and tasting. Nate’s tastings are EPIC. The most recent tasting featured 8 types of bread and about 30 sandwiches. The only advise I can give you is if you are ever lucky enough to get invited to a Red Apron tasting DON’T EAT ALL DAY.
Tiffany MacIsaac | Open Kitchen 