I could go sentimental explaining how of a great influence he has been in my life but then that would be boring, predictable and corny, and in the kitchen we take blood, sweat, fight, anything but corny! not even when pastry folks do the sweetest prettiest desserts, we eat them like a man!

Now these pics you see here he sent me over a year ago and I am finally organizing some labels & filters on my email and found them, I  only added few colors touchings depending on how each pic made me feel.

I was going to write a story for the all the photos but I think it will be more fun if you the reader write below whatever story you feel like… more fun or am I just lazy?  ha! either way the point is Who says you can’t have fun with your food?

Stalk Chef Andy on Twitter @ChefAndyBennett

Usually when I work on these dinners I donâ€t have a station I just come to support the Chef cooking the garnishes or prepping and when the moment arrives I work on plating, and taking pictures at the same time.

Details that one would think are just meaningless become so important at the moment of the action, and by that I mean from heating up the plates hot enough the food goes to the guests deliciously hot, but not hot enough to burn anyone, sauces on the temperature, steady hands when you’re plating, follow the rhythm, don’t stop (most of the times for these dinners 6 cooks are working on each dish, one slices the meat, the other one spreads a sauce, etc), and then we put the plate on the window, and the Runner takes it to the waiter/waitress.

The process starts from the moment Chef decides whatâ€s going to the be Farmerâ€s dinner about.  This time I asked, “Chef whatâ€s the theme?”, Chef responds “Game”, I say “Yay” (then think, what do I even know about game).

I go home and google the word “GAME”, run the library to check out tons of books and people think Iâ€m some sort of crazy hunter who has lots of wild rabbits, squabs & buffalo meats at home.

For this particular dinner I didnâ€t suggested anything to Chef, I had my mind in other things and it makes me sad, but itâ€s ok I did ask for the Menu and he shared the draft with me, (in my little head I usually plan a Farm dinner and what I would serve to people).

At the end Chef always amazes me and I realize, yes Iâ€m creative and I think I have good taste, and I have read so much and cooked for so many people, but the life of a Chef, takes you where my boss is, developing ideas where it knocks your head off and you think, this is the work of a genius.  You know the person whoâ€s called Chef among the rest of the cooks has earned that name, not because of school or because he/she yells louder than the rest of the kitchen staff, but because that person, the Chef, knows his shit, and knows it well.

I used to think my best Sundays were the ones when I wake up early to make bread, or go and hang out with Family and cook for them and fool around, or even the ones I would play volleyball for hours, now my favorite Sundays are the ones where I go, watch, help and learn from Chef on these Farm dinners.

Thanks Chef.

Now back to work.
—

Venison Carpaccio, herbs, Pickled Ramps & Black Pepper Vinaigrette (1st course)

And though at the restaurant we are more on the side of the Alsatian cuisine you can really see his British flavours coming through all the menu.

Chef shared these recipes with me and I’m sharing them with all of you, I hope some of you try it and if you have any questions please send me an email to littleladycook@gmail. or DM on twitter or Facebook.

The recipe of the Yorkshire Pudding it’s on the restaurant’s Facebook page –> Lyon Hall Facebook

Garlic Confit

So here we go:

Beef Sauce Recipe

1 lb. butter
5 lbs beef trimmings and/or scraps
10 shallots
1 heads garlic
2 carrots
1/2 bunch celery
1/2 bunch basil
1/2 litre red wine vinegar
1 1/2 litres red wine
2 litres veal stock (or Beef Stock)
1/2 tbsp. black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
small bunch thyme
2 pieces star anise

Directions:

1.  In a rondeau, brown 1/2 lb. of butter w/ grapeseed oil. (I used canola)
2.  Add beef scraps (from cheeks & sirloin); cook until thoroughly browned.
3.  Caramelized, remove pot, set beef aside and discard the fat.
4.  Put Pot back and add 1/2 lb. fresh butter, mirepoix (carrots, cerely & shallots), and basil; cook out and add the browned
meat scraps.
5.  Continue to caramelize together for 5 minutes
6.  Deglaze with the red wine vinegar; reduce to au sec (almost dry, don’t let it burn!).
7.  Add red wine; reduce by 2/3.
8.  Add meat, vegetables and veal stock to cover mixture.
9.  Reduce until a sauce-like consistency is reached.

On this step if you are cooking the sauce and Roasting the Beef at the same time is the moment to star working on the Beef Recipe! let the beef rest and when 5-10 mins before serving bake your Yorkshires!

Melting Butter

Brown Butter

Caramelized beef scraps

Fresh butter w/ mirepoix & beef scraps

Sauce reduction in the works

—–

Roast Beef Tenderloin

Serves 4 – 5 portions

1 3-4 lbs Beef Tenderloin

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh black pepper

3 tbs garlic confit paste (or regular garlic)

3 tbs chopped fresh thyme

1 tbs canola oil

Directions:

1. Rub the Tenderloin with the salt, pepper, garlic and thyme

2.  Marinate beef overnight or 6 hours minimum

3.  Pre-heat oven 450F (Curtis the Sous mentioned the smaller the meat the hotter you need your oven so it’s ready without over cooking it!)

4.  Tie up the meat with the twine (this is a video by Epicurious, pretty helpful)

5.  Heat cast iron w/ oil really HOT almost fumes coming out of the oil

6. Sear the meat on all the sides, top and bottom.

7.  Take the skillet to the oven (I put a piece of foil on top so it wouldnt burn, it all depends on your oven!)

8. It took mine less than 23 minutes and it was Medium Well, (if you want yours medium let the thermometer get to 110F, remove and let the meat rest 15 minutes before slicing it).

OK I admit it I was never a girl scout

Sear that baby well!

A little too much brown butter, a little piece will do it

Results! (who ate it? ask the Boy)

At this point then I baked the yorkshires, made sure my sauce was ready to go, (you can definitively serve a salad with this dish, at the moment I didn’t crave it; it was me, the yorkshires, the beef & the sauce, I will never forget that snowy day and now when people usually crave soup on cold days I will crave roasting beef and baking yorkshire pudding.

¡a comer!

Join DCâ€s food bloggers for our first happy hour of 2011! Weâ€ll be meeting at Lyon Hall, a French brasserie in Clarendon.

Happy Hour deals include house-made franks & brats for $5,

$5 SJF Cocktails,

1/2 price Wine by the Glass,

$3 Session beers from Draft Beer Menu.

Weâ€ll be there from 6:00pm to 9:00 pm; Lyon Hall will be extending their happy hour for us until 7:30pm.

RSVP here.

Jenna of Modern Domestic and I are co-hosting this happy hour, and we can’t wait to have this first one with all of you food lovers, food blogger, reader or friends, you are all more than welcome, stop by grab a Frank & beer and say hi!

¡a comer!