Foods from Cobra
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2010 Sep 29
Lastly, we broke for dessert. I think it was a collaborative effort, so I'm going to put my guesses as to who did what.
From left to right:
- (Michael Blackie's?) Frozen green pea purée, with (judicious) white Alba truffle and macadamia nuts. A sprinkling of salt on the top to round it out.
- (Michael Farber's?) Freezing cold apple pie ice cream
- (Marc Lepine's) Big-honkin wedge of La Sauvagine cheese. I'm guessing this was Marc's contribution because he frigging loves the stuff. Check out the Atelier meals posted here, and I guarantee you'll see La Sauvagine at least once in each tasting menu!
The pea purée was challenging for me at first. My brain kept saying "pistachio ice cream!" and my mouth kept saying "WHAT IS THIS." It grew on me, though, and it positively sang when paired with the other dessert components. The truffle melded with the apple, which in turn melded with the cheese.
From left to right:
- (Michael Blackie's?) Frozen green pea purée, with (judicious) white Alba truffle and macadamia nuts. A sprinkling of salt on the top to round it out.
- (Michael Farber's?) Freezing cold apple pie ice cream
- (Marc Lepine's) Big-honkin wedge of La Sauvagine cheese. I'm guessing this was Marc's contribution because he frigging loves the stuff. Check out the Atelier meals posted here, and I guarantee you'll see La Sauvagine at least once in each tasting menu!
The pea purée was challenging for me at first. My brain kept saying "pistachio ice cream!" and my mouth kept saying "WHAT IS THIS." It grew on me, though, and it positively sang when paired with the other dessert components. The truffle melded with the apple, which in turn melded with the cheese.
2010 Sep 29
The final "meal" course was Michael Farber's "Breakfast for dinner".
Blood sausage (boudin noir?), served on a latke, and topped with a poached egg. It was garnished with chives, microgreens, some jus, and truffled crème fraîche.
I've never had a latke so perfectly crisp, and the trio of flavours and textures worked really well. It was comforting, and vaguely cinnamony.
In hindsight I raised my hand when we were all asked if we had had blood sausage before. I shouldn't have. This was my second time. Guess the black pudding I had at The Glen that one time completely slipped my mind. It definitely wasn't as good as this ;)
Blood sausage (boudin noir?), served on a latke, and topped with a poached egg. It was garnished with chives, microgreens, some jus, and truffled crème fraîche.
I've never had a latke so perfectly crisp, and the trio of flavours and textures worked really well. It was comforting, and vaguely cinnamony.
In hindsight I raised my hand when we were all asked if we had had blood sausage before. I shouldn't have. This was my second time. Guess the black pudding I had at The Glen that one time completely slipped my mind. It definitely wasn't as good as this ;)
2010 Sep 29
Course three was Michael Blackie's: huitlacoche taquitos.
That's them in the middle there. The taquito filling also had a judicious application of chillies, as well as pine nuts, Douanier cheese, and pandade for binder and texture. The taquitos were topped at the last minute with pineapple and drizzled with champagne vinegar.
The streak is plain ol' sour cream: a necessary component given how rich everything was.
On the left is an oyster mushroom and some tobiko caviar. On the right is duck confit and some fried leek. Actually, that's another chunk of duck confit under the mushroom, too.
I think that this was my favourite menu item of the night. The huitlacoche (a fungus that grows on corn) was musky and earthy. Not in a truffle way; more in a really good Pinot Noir way.
No wonder it's such a delicacy in Mexico: it can be complemented by so many flavours in their cuisine.
I suspect that Chef Blackie had a blast with this. He was like a kid in a candy store plating the dish.
That's them in the middle there. The taquito filling also had a judicious application of chillies, as well as pine nuts, Douanier cheese, and pandade for binder and texture. The taquitos were topped at the last minute with pineapple and drizzled with champagne vinegar.
The streak is plain ol' sour cream: a necessary component given how rich everything was.
On the left is an oyster mushroom and some tobiko caviar. On the right is duck confit and some fried leek. Actually, that's another chunk of duck confit under the mushroom, too.
I think that this was my favourite menu item of the night. The huitlacoche (a fungus that grows on corn) was musky and earthy. Not in a truffle way; more in a really good Pinot Noir way.
No wonder it's such a delicacy in Mexico: it can be complemented by so many flavours in their cuisine.
I suspect that Chef Blackie had a blast with this. He was like a kid in a candy store plating the dish.
2010 Sep 29
The next course was Warren Sutherland's "A kick in the tail": a great throwback to his Jamaican heritage.
Pig tail, braised slowly with scotch bonnet peppers, and served alongside red stew peas (a chunky pea purée), pickled cucumber salad, microgreens, and a balsamic reduction.
Warren assured us that the kick in the tail would be felt the next morning. I won't comment further on that part.
It was just the right combination of spicy, unctuous, and crunchy. If anybody out there has had oxtail, just picture that, only porky.
A lucky few were able to get tail segments large enough to have marrow. Sadly, I was not one of them.
Pig tail, braised slowly with scotch bonnet peppers, and served alongside red stew peas (a chunky pea purée), pickled cucumber salad, microgreens, and a balsamic reduction.
Warren assured us that the kick in the tail would be felt the next morning. I won't comment further on that part.
It was just the right combination of spicy, unctuous, and crunchy. If anybody out there has had oxtail, just picture that, only porky.
A lucky few were able to get tail segments large enough to have marrow. Sadly, I was not one of them.
2010 Sep 29
Here's our first course: Marc Lepine's "Fingers only!"
It's squab legs, cooked sous vide and then deep-fried, garnished with pickled vegetables (onion, carrot, beet, turnip), and served with a sphere of sriracha and a generous dollop of blue cheese mayo.
The texture and flavour of the squab were really nice: looking back it's in between chicken and duck. It has that toothsome quality to it that really picks up flavours, and played off the textures in the pickled vegetables. First time I'd had squab in seven years, and I was really pleased to have it again. To be honest, it was one of the things I was hoping to get.
And it was definitely fun eating it with our hands!
It's squab legs, cooked sous vide and then deep-fried, garnished with pickled vegetables (onion, carrot, beet, turnip), and served with a sphere of sriracha and a generous dollop of blue cheese mayo.
The texture and flavour of the squab were really nice: looking back it's in between chicken and duck. It has that toothsome quality to it that really picks up flavours, and played off the textures in the pickled vegetables. First time I'd had squab in seven years, and I was really pleased to have it again. To be honest, it was one of the things I was hoping to get.
And it was definitely fun eating it with our hands!
2010 Sep 29
My wife and I were one of the few and the proud chosen for Cobra this time.
After trekking off to a SOOPER SEEKRIT location in the east end, we met a man with a baseball bat, gave him $200, and were directed to a nearby house.
The charity receiving the donation this time was the trust fund that was set up for Leo Paul and SherrieAnn Regnier's three daughters. (see ottawa.ctv.ca).
Needless to say, we had a blast, and I think the other eight people really enjoyed it too. In a way, it's a window into "what Ottawans won't eat", since a big portion of the experience is knowing that you won't see this on a restaurant menu any time soon.
As a result, I spent most of the last two weeks being scared of what was going to be served: although I'll eat almost frigging anything, I've never felt like I've ever placed myself in a situation where I am forced to make the tough decisions about it. And now I didn't even have the choice!
The chefs cooking this time were:
Marc Lepine (Atelier)
Warren Sutherland (Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro, The Piggy Market)
Michael Blackie (Le Café)
Michael Farber (Farbs Kitchen and Wine Bar)
My eternal gratitude to the chefs, the hosts, Michael Farber's sous (whose name I don't think I caught, sorry), and all of my dining companions! It was so boss.
After trekking off to a SOOPER SEEKRIT location in the east end, we met a man with a baseball bat, gave him $200, and were directed to a nearby house.
The charity receiving the donation this time was the trust fund that was set up for Leo Paul and SherrieAnn Regnier's three daughters. (see ottawa.ctv.ca).
Needless to say, we had a blast, and I think the other eight people really enjoyed it too. In a way, it's a window into "what Ottawans won't eat", since a big portion of the experience is knowing that you won't see this on a restaurant menu any time soon.
As a result, I spent most of the last two weeks being scared of what was going to be served: although I'll eat almost frigging anything, I've never felt like I've ever placed myself in a situation where I am forced to make the tough decisions about it. And now I didn't even have the choice!
The chefs cooking this time were:
Marc Lepine (Atelier)
Warren Sutherland (Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro, The Piggy Market)
Michael Blackie (Le Café)
Michael Farber (Farbs Kitchen and Wine Bar)
My eternal gratitude to the chefs, the hosts, Michael Farber's sous (whose name I don't think I caught, sorry), and all of my dining companions! It was so boss.
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Yan