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It is hard for me to believe that the year has finished. The blog is one year old this December. We opened the restaurant in May and I have not seen the seven months go by in the kitchen. It seems like we just open. There are 50 people working in the restaurant. I want to thank them for their work. Each one brings something to the space. Also to thank all the people outside the restaurant who have come to dine with us, written about us and supported us this year. Happy New Year.
Recently we received something new and very special. "Tennen" means wild in Japanese and refers to these very unique product with an outstanding quality. The fishermen are using the method called "ikashi komi." The fish are line caught and once they are caught they are totally stressed and not in the best shape. So they are stored live in a dark tank, until they are calm. During this time the fish also releases all the food it has eaten, so the meat become very clear and silky.
Akagai, or Japanese blood clams (aka=blood, gai=shell), are a delicacy in high end sushi bars in Tokyo. They are usually invisible to customers. Only a few repeat guests, well known to the owner and sushi chef, can enjoy them. The clams are served as sashimi nigiri because they are not as good cooked. They are shucked, then cleaned and kept in the red water coming out of the shell. Storing them in their own natural juices keeps them fresh. They are harvested in the northern sea of Japanaround Shikoku Island during winter time. We serve them very occasionally, simply seasoned with white shoyu and brown rice vinegar.
If John Galliano gives the tone for spring 2009, color will make winter fade pretty quickly. And we need it here in Chicago. In fashion and art there is always an artist who gives the tone and inspiration for the season. I truly think it affects others working with creativity in other fields. Perfume and fragrance are also very related to the moment and change over the years. Food also, it follows a trend. In the picture below from Galliano's spring collection, I feel a playful extravagance, the harlequin brings simple and tone of elegance.
(Photo credit Style.com)
Inspired by the design I looked into creating this image in food. A simple ingredient such as the zucchini can also become the playground for a dish. Here is an emulsion covered by a zucchini gelee and topped with zucchini skin. Green is an all year round color for food, but also is the symbol of spring time. It is fresh, vibrant and makes other colors look good. The squares recall the harlequin a little bit.
(Photo credit Style.com)
Red and black is one of the more powerful color combinations. You can see it as red is the color of Ferrari, and black is the color of the formal code of elegance. In food black has a strong visual effect but can also turn people away. Black food needs to be related to a known ingredient, so people recognize it like the black olive below. Spring usually do not offer to much red, but with the technology today we can offer an intense and naturally sweet tomato emulsion during winter time.
For me, these pictures represent a moment that has already flown away. As soon as these pieces have been created they are replaced by others for the next season. It is speed to change that a kitchen can follow, but only to the extend that classic food remains the backbone to support the extravagance of the moment. Pierre Gagnaire, an immensely talented chef, said "I hope my customers forgive me for all the mistakes I have made sometimes preparing food." I like this idea that he is humble to his both his customers and his inspiration at the same time. It is a balance to find between the emotion and the passion of changing food with the right judgment to make it enjoyable and understandable.
The water glass is often taken for granted. Typically, not a lot of thought goes into the water glass, certainly not as much as the wine or champagne glasses. That was not the case at L2O. The chef gave me one request, “I want a blue water glass.” Simple enough, you would think, but not at all the case. I searched for blue water glasses all over the world, via travel and, of course, the internet, and finally found our glass. The glass that we decided on was not available to restaurants, so I had to make a few calls. The last call I made was to Maximilian Riedel and he was excited to be part of our project. Riedel was happy to partner with us in providing our blue Happy-O water glass. The glasses are standing on their own on our table tops. They provide a subtle pop to the table and a soft glow of blue. To me, they look like little drops of water throughout the dining room. We have received many inquiries as to where to get the blue glasses. Unfortunately, they are only available in retail stores in multi-color packs of blue, yellow, pink and green.
---Anthony Cournia
Kanburi is a wild giant hamachi weighing around 20 pounds. It is fished during winter time in the cold water of Japan. We receive it whole at the restaurant.
Step 1: Fins are cut off and the fish is scaled. Head is cut, internal organs removed, then the fish is rinsed and dried.
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