Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Chef Roberto making pizza in the brick oven
Leave it to Roberto Leoci, the sizzlin’ Sicilian who specializes in homemade pastas, fresh fish and all other ingredients necessary to bring a traditional trattoria to Savannah.
Walk into Leoci’s Trattoria on a Saturday or Sunday night, or Monday or Tuesday or any day for that matter, and you’ll find the same scene: the dark, slickly appointed dining room humming from the duos and trios of diners, and the lamplit patio, lined with long tables stretching under massive umbrellas, smelling of bubbling cheese and crisping crust as the smoke from the pizza oven wafts overhead.
Freshly made pizza from the brick oven
Everywhere discrete waiters circle patrons, blending into the dark-walled restaurant until they emerge from the tiny, open kitchen with a white plate heavy with dewy pasta or fragrant mussels. Watch the food disappear, and sooner or later you’ll see a man in chef’s whites circling the restaurant, shaking hands, and clapping people on the back. It’s Chef Roberto Leoci, and this restaurant is his baby.
Al freco dining at Leoci's, with private parking in the rear
Like any good Italian, Leoci grew up in the kitchen. And although that kitchen was physically in Montreal, its occupants—Leoci’s parents, aunts and uncles—were Italian immigrants of Sicilian origin. “Every day was spent dealing with food—what to make, what to eat,” Leoci remembers. “On the weekends we’d have lasagna and seafood, and every Sunday would be a celebration.” A child of one of the most food-centric cultures in the world, it’s no surprise that Leoci aspired to be a chef early on, much to his parents chagrin. “My parents said, ‘That’s not a good profession, you’re not going to make money,’” Leoci says.
To read more about Chef Roberto Leoci check out South Magazine’s August September Issue!
http://ww2.thesouthmag.com/dining/2010/cant-stand-the-heat/
Chef/owners Roberto and Lacie
Chatting with former Atlanta chef Johannes Klapdohr
By Hope S. Philbrick
Photo by Rob McDonald
One of Georgia’s favorite chefs has returned to the Southeast after spending time in Ohio as executive chef of the Culinary Vegetable Institute at the Chef’s Garden Inc. Chef Johannes Klapdohr, whose resume includes stints at Nikolai’s Roof in Atlanta and the Lodge at Sea Island, is now heading up the culinary program at the Old Edwards Inn and Spa in Highlands, N.C.—just two and a half hours from Atlanta. Restaurants at the Mobil four-star, AAA four-diamond resort include Madison’s Restaurant, Old Edwards Club, the Spa Café, the Rib Shack and catering. The German native, born into a family with four generations of hoteliers, restaurateurs and chefs, has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years.
What are some North Carolina food products that excite you and weren’t available on the Georgia Coast?
It’s springtime now in the mountains and we have some wonderful morel mushrooms, chanterelles, stinging nettles, wild watercress, ramps, fiddlehead ferns—all of which were not available on Sea Island.
How do you balance customers’ expectations of fine dining with health goals?
I think the guests don’t know the food they’re eating is healthy; we don’t advertise that too strongly on the menu. It’s really how items are prepared: We cook sous-vide [a French method of cooking that maintains the integrity of ingredients by heating them for an extended period at relatively low temperatures], prep with a lot of care and also research where the product is grown. We’re working very closely with farmers so vegetables are freshly harvested with the highest possible nutritional value—research is the first step to having excellent food. There are no growth hormones or antibiotics in our meats. I think nutritional value is something that has been underrated in our culture for a very long time and it’s something we need to pursue more strongly with the public, chefs and farmers working together.
How do you deliver value without sacrificing quality in this economy?
Product research and creativity is the best way for chefs to deal with food cost. It has been a challenge. We look at more economical cuts of meat and how to use everything (we buy whole pigs), how to prepare products differently and buy products in season. We’ve started working with farmers, giving them an estimate of what we need so they can grow the right amounts; that way they have a guarantee and don’t have to calculate product loss into price.
How can home cooks save money?
Using a FoodSaver saves a lot of money. You can buy in bulk, naturally paying less than individually packaged pieces, then cut, vacuum and store. It’s a great way of preserving. You can keep meat up to two weeks in the refrigerator without anything happening. You don’t have to worry about freezer burn for several months. You can prepare something like a whole pot of chili and vacuum individual portions—freeze flat, store and then when you want to eat, just put it in boiling water for 20 minutes, and then pour it in a bowl. There’s no loss of product moving it from one container to another, and you don’t have to worry about burning that chili or whatever. You can do the same thing with vegetables. Another thing is to wear hand gloves when prepping vegetables, which can extend shelf life by three to four days because they won’t get bacteria on them.
What’s planned for spring and summer?
This is the first year we’ll have our own vegetables on the menu. We started a two-acre farm and will have tomatoes, lots of root vegetables, herbs and more. I think that’s exciting. We’ve worked hard the last two months to get it ready. We also started doing business with Brasstown Beef in Murphy, N.C.; we’re excited to have this all-natural meat on the menu. We feature several different local products, including various syrups on the breakfast menu.
———
The Old Edwards Inn and Spa is located at 445 Main St. in Highlands, N.C. For more information, call 866-526-8008 or visit www.oldedwardsinn.com.
Hope can be reached at:
Email: hopesp95@yahoo.com
Web: www.hopesphilbrick.com
Twitter: hopesp
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hopesp
Blog: www.insathope.blogspot.com
Are you ready for some futbol? I know I am, and about the entire planet will be tuning in Friday to watch Mexico take on the host nation of South Africa. Lots of friends of mine like to make predicitons for this month’s world cup based on how their favorite players did in domestic leagues or in the European Cup. For me its all about the food!
I have below, listed the top 32 restaurants in the world. Along with their official FIFA ranking. I use complex mathematical equations (ok maybe not) and several real world adjustments to determine the next 2010 Finals Winner!
Daniel Boulud
On Saturday, February 27, 2010…Join me behind the scenes as some of the world’s most highly regarded chefs celebrate Mr. Boulud’s talent and pay homage to a career that foresees many years and accomplishments still ahead. The meal prepared will incorporate both the simplicity and boldness for which the guest of honor has earned international renown. The celebration will take place at the Festival host hotel, the Loews Miami Beach, a resplendent setting equal to this evening’s grand occasion. And Food & Wine’s Gail Simmons—once the special events manager for Chef Boulud’s restaurant empire—will host the festivities. A permanent judge on BRAVO’s Emmy—and James Beard Award–winning series Top Chef, she also makes frequent appearances at events and on television.
Prior to dinner, guests will be treated to a Louis Roederer Cristal Reception beginning at 7 p.m., where everyone will enjoy a glass of Cristal 2002 accompanied by hors d’oeuvres prepared by executive chefs from some of Daniel Boulud’s own restaurants around the country.
This year, we have five courses, each course is prepared by a guest chef and his own team of cooks. Below is a list of participating chefs for the dinner and their menu. The reception starts at 7:00 pm on Saturday, February 27, but I will be there around 1:00 pm to make sure I can get as much preparation as possible. It should be a long day with final shots completed about midnight. I will be sure to post an article following the weekend of the event.
Special thanks to Loews Miami Beach Hotel Executive Chef Gordon Maybury who was kind enough to have me back in his kitchen again this year. Last year, chef’s honored Emeril Lagasse for his long standing contribution to the culinary industry. We had alot of fun and you can read about it here.
Executive Chef Gordon Maybury looks on as Bobby Flay prepares his dish at last years dinner for Emeril
On a side note, I worked a few months at the Delano with then Executive Chef Stéphane Becht and Executive Sous Chef Frank Ziegler, where we had numerous visits from Chef Claude Troisgros. So I am looking forward to seeing what he has to offer, and taste the “St. Jacques “Docedeleite”, which was a very popular item on the menu when I worked there in 2005. On to the dinner…
Participating Reception Chefs:
- Zach Bell, Café Boulud (Palm Beach, FL)
- Jean Francois Bruel, Daniel (New York, NY)
- Olivier Muller, DB Bistro Moderne (New York, NY)
Participating Dinner Chefs:
- Paul Bartolotta, BARTOLOTTA Ristorante Di Mare (Las Vegas, NV)
- Michael Laiskonis, Le Bernardin (New York, NY)
- Nobu Matsuhisa, Nobu
- Gordon Maybury, Loews Miami Beach (South Beach, FL)
- Eric Ripert, Le Bernardin (New York, NY)
- Claude Troisgros, Blue Door at Delano (South Beach, FL)
Zucchini Boxes Provencal with Black Mosto Oil, Red Pickled Shallots, and Opal Basil by Daniel Boulud
Menu: $525/person
Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne Reception
Display of Chefs’ Selection of Deluxe Hors d’Oeuvres
Jean-Francois Bruel, Olivier Muller and Zach Bell
Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne 2002, Reims, France
Dinner
Wagyu Tataki with Genmai Salsa
Nobu Matsuhisa
Chalone Vineyard, Estate Grown Chardonnay 2007,
Chalone, California, USA
St. Jacques “Docedeleite”
Sautéed Scallops and Hot Curry Napa Cabbage with “Dulce de Leche”
Claude Troisgros
Domaine Jean Grivot, Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru “Les Beaumonts” 2006,
Burgundy, France
Fried Langoustine with Porcini Mushrooms and Parmigiano-Reggiano
Paul Bartolotta
Sterling Vineyards, Merlot 2005, Napa Valley, USA
Juniper Scented Venison Loin with Pancetta, Pecan and Mascarpone Risotto
Brussels Sprout Leaves and Cocoa Jus
Gordon Mayburry
Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2006,
Napa Valley, USA
Lemon, Coconut, Vanilla and Hazelnut Praline Vacherin
Eric Ripert and Michael Laiskonis
Château d’Yquem 2000, Sauternes, France
Coffee, Tea
Roasted in the fireplace
Try this at your next event, the fireplace roasted salmon. Chef Nelson Millan, first cures his salmon and finishes it off by roasting it right behind the service station at a Christmas Eve Dinner at Sea Island. I really like this idea and the guests did too, everyone was interested to see how he did it and created a buzz in the dining room.
FYI, the salmon is tied down with food grade metal wiring, with screws holding the wires in place. You’ll need a drill to make it easy.
The sound of the fire, and the aroma filled the dining room at Christmas
Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps
I was shooting a gumbo dish for a Negra Modelo ad tonight and had the opportunity to photograph the chef breaking down a Golden Tilefish. Executive Sous Chef Kris Weimer at the Lodge at Sea Island tells me the fish was caught from Cape Canaveral area and usually goes for about 9-10$ per pound. It was a very fatty fish, leaving a opaque film of fat on the fish knife after cutting.
Chef Kris eventually portioned out the filets for the cryovac, and prepared one for a special. The fish was very moist, almost had butter like texture, with a nice crust from the sear. I would recommend trying this fish if you have the chance, its quite flavorful as well. Chef serves the fish on top of a ragu of local beans and fish stock, and fresh vegetables.
If you can’t find this particular fish then Amberjack, Tilapia, Grouper, Shark, or Snapper, would be a recommended substitute.
Chef Kris Weimer working with the Tilefish
The golden tilefish is easily distguishable fom other members of the family Malacanthidae by the large adipose flap, or crest, on the head. The species is blue-green and iridescent on the back, with numerous spots of bright yellow and gold. The belly is white and the head is rosy, with blue under the eyes. The pectoral fins are sepia-colored, and the margin of the anal fin is purplish-blue.
Tilefish inhabit the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope along the entire east coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico south to Venezuela. They are found in waters from 250-1,500 feet deep, where bottom temperatures range from 49° to 58° F. Individuals live in cone-shaped burrows, and concentrate in small groups or pods. Females are smaller than males, although whether or not the species displays hermaphrodism is unknown. Sexual maturity is reached when fish are about 27 inches long and weigh about 9 pounds. Spawning occurs from March to September, and females lay from 2-8 million pelagic eggs. Tilefish feed during the day on the bottom on crustaceans, clams, snails, worms, anemones and sea cucumbers. They can reach lengths of 38 inches, although growth is slow.
Adults weigh an average of 10-25 pounds.
The golden tilefish is the most colorful fish with a blue-green back that fades to a pearly white belly. It is touched with red and blue iridescence, highlighted by irregular yellow-gold spots and ocean-blue under the eyes.
Along the southeastern coast and in the Gulf, tilefish live in burrows and sometimes congregate in pods or small groups at depths ranging from 200 to more than 1,400 feet.
The predominant fishing method is longlining with the greatest catch taken during the daylight hours.
As tilefish become larger they tend to live at greater depths.
Adults weigh an average of 10-25 pounds.
Techinical data courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Sweet and savory – black and white – dinner and dessert – at the chef’s table.
Check out my interview with Chef Michael Laiskonis of Le Bernardin in New York City. Fottocini questions in bold.
If you had to choose a song to illustrate your style of cooking what would it be, why?
That’s an interesting question, and I’ve always been fascinated by the notion of applying the practical theory of other disciplines to cooking. What analogies can we make, and then, can we really do anything useful with them? I don’t know the answers, but it sure is fun thinking about it!
That said, I like the idea of creating the culinary equivalent of say, a Sonic Youth song: experimental or unexpected elements plus slight dissonance that ultimately unifies into a pleasant harmony. I find it interesting that they can hit a ‘wrong’ note or introduce something out of key, yet it makes perfect sense.
Carrot Powder
Are you afraid of doing anything in the kitchen?
Time, rather than fear or lack of confidence, is the one thing that holds us back. I actually embrace and thrive upon some degree of trial and error. It’s often only through mistakes that we truly learn anything.
What does the term “chef” mean to you?
I like to refer to a quote from a book written by my boss, A Return to Cooking:
A cook and a chef are different entities. “Chef” is a title. A chef can be good or bad or everything in between… “Chef” denotes a job. But when you are a cook, that is who you are. It’s your spine and your soul. It suffuses all that you touch.
I’ve learned a lot about cooking over the years- technique, discipline, finesse- a little of which I took from all of my former chefs and mentors, but more recently, and especially working with Eric Ripert, I’m learning that being a great chef is so much more than simply being a great cook.
Speed
If a student did an externship at your restaurant, what would you expect from him/her?
Luckily I have very little turnover in my pastry kitchen, but I do encourage and enjoy having short term stages and externs in to break up the monotony, so to speak. Because such stints are unpaid, I make sure that the experience is an educational one; in exchange for their time, hopefully the extern walks away with some amount of knowledge and inspiration. Qualities of a good extern are simply a desire to learn and an attention to detail, and a sense of urgency doesn’t hurt either!
At the end of the night, when everything is done, where/what is your escape?
Often, the best buffer between busy night at work and calmness of home life is simply the commute. I live and work in Manhattan, so I choose from my travel options depending on my mood: the subway, a taxi, or a leisurely walk. I like taking a few moments to think on the next day’s to-do list while everything is still fresh in my head, and then I usually plug into my iPod. Again, what I listen to is mood based: angry hardcore punk or something a bit quieter or even an audiobook, as I don’t get a chance to read real books as much as I’d like. I cook dinner for my wife and me (also in the business) almost every night, which means I also shop on my home every night. By the time we’ve eaten, it might be 2am, and the day- whether good or bad- is long behind me.
Notes
Whats in your knife kit?
There’s a cliché that pastry chefs always have dull knives, and as much as I hate to admit it, to some extent it’s true! But in any kitchen, it’s the pastry chef who usually has the most varied and fun tools. If I had to name the three or four most indispensable items that are always at hand… A small offset spatula, surgical tweezers, a precision digital scale, and an all-purpose ten-inch slicer. And then there are my plastic bowl scraper, rubber spatula, my favorite whisk… I could go on all day!
How did you get hooked up with the Japan consulting? What influences did you bring back?
The consulting in Japan is an ongoing project that has included perhaps a dozen New York City pastry chefs over the last five years or so. The company that hired us operates about twenty pastry shops throughout Japan, located primarily in the depachika- or department store food halls (department store culture there is very different than that in the West; these basement food emporiums often offer the best and most expensive products available). Each year, a weeklong event is held, typically in Tokyo or Osaka, and a group of us will go and operate a sort of temporary shop. Then throughout the year, products we designed or inspired remain in the actual stores.
I worked for a Japanese chef for over five years, and my interest in Japanese culture and cuisine existed well before that- I studied Japanese language in high school. So really, creating items for the Japanese palate and aesthetic sensibility came fairly natural to me when I began working on such projects. As with any short term travel, it’s always difficult to quantify its influence, culinary or otherwise. While I certainly wouldn’t say that I gained a sudden and comprehensive understanding of Japanese cuisine, what I did take away was a better appreciation of their reverence of and pride in ingredients, along with a respect for their work ethic and attention to detail. I’ve often said that some of the most exciting ‘French’ pastry can be found not in Paris, but in Tokyo!
Reference
Imagine you could cook for anyone in history, who would it be? and what would you cook?
This is a common question, and one that’s always a difficult to answer. I guess I’d like to invite cooks from wildly different eras, if anything, just to make for some interesting dinner conversation! So perhaps it might be Carême, arguably the father of all contemporary pastry, Fernand Point, the imporatant link between the cuisine of Escoffier and the nouvelle cuisine that his pupils came to create, and finally, maybe Ferran Adria, who has been pivotal in advancing cooking in the 21st century. I’m sure there would be a lot to talk about, no matter what was actually on the table!
Savory and Sweet, what about pastry pulled you into it?
Though I technically began my career in breads, I did bounce back and forth between sweet and savory for a few years before eventually settling down as a pastry chef. I’d like to think that such cross-training has been beneficial; despite the commonly held opinion that there lies a distinct line between the two, I feel that line has blurred significantly over the years. Pastry chefs have become far more spontaneous in their approach and savory chefs increasingly incorporate ‘our’ techniques in their cooking.
If you would have asked me this question a few years ago, I probably would cited the expanded artistic and creative boundaries afforded to pastry chefs. In short, we simply manipulate our ingredients far more than our savory counterparts. But over time I think I also realized there must have been some sort of subconscious urge to become a pastry chef: in a way I’m master of my own domain with a fair amount of autonomy. Certainly, I have a boss to answer to, and I exist within a greater kitchen team, but I appreciate the fact that I lie just outside the realm of the typical kitchen hierarchy. I think most pastry chefs exhibit that quality of independence and being a self-motivator.
Your comfort food.
Funny, during our first few years of living in New York, our go-to restaurant on our one night off was often WD-50. The avant garde cooking Chef Wylie Dufresne is known for isn’t exactly what most would consider comfort food, but for us it was in a way! Even if the food in front of us was edgy or ‘modern’, the casual nature and sense of play were what made it a staple.
But as I mentioned, I cook at home quite a bit, though I confess I rarely do anything sweet. What I make at home is usually more spontaneous and far less refined than what I put out at work, and is thus comforting in its own way. And I find the actual act of cooking, say, chicken soup or simple salad, just as therapeutic as eating the results. It’s a totally different sort of cooking for me, and one that I happily undertake even after the busiest day in the restaurant.
Omar
Name 3 people that helped you get to where you are today.
I referenced my former chefs above; they are most responsible for the directions my career has taken. My very first boss, Rich Willerer, was there with a patience and encouragement that helped solidify my passion for food. From Rick Halberg, I learned that cooking conveyed a sense of soul. Rigid discipline and technique came from my many years as both a line cook and pastry chef under Takashi Yagihashi. And then alongside Eric Ripert, the focus on aspects outside of the kitchen is equal to the high level of execution we perform in the kitchen. I’ve been extremely lucky, that with all of these mentors, I’ve been given room to grow and contribute to each of the overall visions.
Do you have time to cook for your family? When you do, what is there favorite dish that you make?
Like I said, the cooking I do at home is an important part of our day. It’s often a bit of an adjustment to go from cooking for hundreds during the day, to preparing dinner for two. I’ve gotten better at scaling back, but I still shop with my eyes and my stomach, with little worry of what will come of all the inevitable leftovers. Dinner might be a BLT and a Caesar salad, or a simple pasta, roasted chicken, or a hanger steak and French fries. A couple nights a week I’ll get more ambitious and take on something like a paella, or pad thai. It’s true, that due to our schedules, dinner is quite late; in reality, we try to maintain a ‘normal’ schedule, even it is several hours off of what most people experience.
Banana and Lime
Your last vacation destination.
I travel a lot- at least once a month if not more- but it’s most often work-related. It’s been over a year and a half since our last true vacation, a week spent in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, basically just ‘hanging out’ wherever and whenever we wanted. We’ve talked about another real vacation this year, perhaps Spain. But even if my trips are for business, and whether it’s Thailand or Toledo, I love to travel.
Would you ever consider leaving the kitchen, and pursuing something else that interests you?
For many years my goals were to be exactly where I am now. I’ve been here over five years, and needless to say, new goals are more difficult and bear more weight than ever. But I think there are an increasing number of platforms open to chefs now that don’t necessarily involve standing in the kitchen for twelve hours a day. I still want a piece of that world, but I also look forward to exploring other facets of the business, like more (and more varied) consulting and writing. I can’t predict exactly when it will be finished, but I’m well into a book project. So far, the inability to say ‘no’ to work of any kind has served me well, so I look forward to whatever the next opportunity might be!
Silpat
And finally, What’s on your to do list tomorrow?
Well, we just finished our busy season, which makes up the better part of October through December. While we slow down slightly, our normal pace is still swift. In addition to lunch and dinner service everyday, I can return to a few new dishes I’m working on, in particular, one with chestnuts and another involving a panna cotta supported by grapefruit and green tea elements. I’m also planning a cooking demo coming up in a few weeks, as well as figuring the logistics for a 600 person dinner that will be part of the February’s festival in South Beach. And I’ve put the blogs on hold for a few weeks, so I need to post something there, too. That’s pretty much a normal day! I like to say that the day you come to work without a pit in your stomach is probably the day you should start looking for a new job!
Raspberries
~~
I will be shooting the 2010 South Beach Wine and Food Festival in February. Chef Michael will be preparing a dessert course for the Daniel Boulud Tribute Dinner, check it out soon.
For more info visit www.le-bernardin.com or http://michaellaiskonis.typepad.com/main/
Chef Nelson is a master ice carver and this is his method on creating a showpiece from conception to final product. First you need your design or drawing on a small piece of paper. You can then use an overhead projector to trace the small drawing on to another larger piece of parchment paper to place over your ice. If you dont have an overhead projector, just draw on the larger piece of paper freehand.
The original drawing on paper
This dolphin piece requires four 300 lb. blocks of ice, thats 1,200 lbs. of ice to transport, carry, lift, carve, and shave. The photo below shows the four blocks ready for carving.
Each block weighs in at 300 lbs.
You need to fuse the two blocks together immediately after they are touching. To do this Chef Nelson pours ice cold water in between the two pieces. The ice water should be the same temperature as the block of ice, or it will crack and pop, like when you pour a beverage into a glass of ice, thus ruining the piece.
Fusing the two pieces together with ice cold water
Next step would be to place your thin paper drawing over the ice. The paper will stick to the ice if you spray water on it. See the photos below.
Place your paper over the ice
Spray water on the paper to make the ice stick
Ice ready for carving
At this point, Chef Nelson is ready to start carving with the chainsaw. The chainsaw is used to get the majority of the ice off the sculpture. Its basically cutting around the drawing, not worrying too much about accuracy yet, since you will be hand shaving the piece later.
Use the chainsaw to cut large portions at a time
Cutting around the lines
Carving with the chainsaw on the back side
At the end of the first major cut with the chainsaw
Once Chef Nelson passed through the entire design with the chainsaw he is ready to use his shaving tools to carve a smoother and more detailed piece. The shaving tools come in a variety of sizes, some for use in corners, others for shaving away large slices at a time. He also uses a power drill for the delicate detailed work such as eyes and waves.
The ice pick used for lifting the 300 lb blocks
Various shaving tools and the power drill
Close up of the ice on the blade
Using the power drill
Using the power drill to create the eyes
Using the shaving tool to create a 3D sculpture, and smooth the ice
The photos below show the half completed sculpture, Chef Nelson will finish it the following day. The piece is carted back into the freezer until the actual day of the event. Then the ice will be polished until its crystal clear and ready for the guests to enjoy. Stay tuned for part two of this article. Thanks to Chef Nelson Millan for the technical advice.
Almost done: The right side of the piece
Almost done: The left side of the piece
36 pounds of dark chocolate
Every year Chef Jorge Caballero creates chocolate showpieces for the Christmas Day Brunch at the Lodge at Sea Island. This year he hand carved a 36 lb. block of dark chocolate into a magical Christmas village. He mentions that he used the same tools to carve fruit in this showpiece. Each year he melts the piece back down to be reworked the next year. This piece has chocolate in it from 2004. After 22 hours of carving, spraying, and hand painting the village was ready for brunch.
Approximately 3 feet wide
Chef Jorge is from Montevideo, Uruguay where he worked as a pastry chef at Emporio de los Sandwiches, a popular eatery among locals for over 80 years. He has been working at the Lodge at Sea Island for over 7 years as the pastry chef where they have earned AAA Five Diamond every year they have been open.
Merry Christmas!
Chef Roberto in the dining room of the newly opened Leoci's Trattoria in Savannah
Friends of mine, Chef Roberto Leoci and his wife Lacie just opened a new restaurant in Savannah, Leoci’s Trattoria. The restaurant features hand made pastas, brick oven pizzas, paninis, and fresh local ingredients. Leoci’s opened last week and I had the opportunity to help prepare most of the dishes and take some photos for the article. Roberto and I worked together at Cioppino, the signature Italian restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne. This time around I was kneeding dough for the brick oven pizza and reducing lobster broth for the risotto.
Rucola e prosciutto
Working a brick oven pizza is definitely an art form, there are hot spots, limited space, and nuances that play a major role in the success of your pizza. I spent a couple hours burning and damaging my pizzas until I got the hang of it. The photo above was one of my successful attempts and the arugala and prosciutto pizzas. We make a basic dough recipe with flour, water, and yeast, let it rise, portion it, and let it rise again.
Every 45 minutes or so, you should add another log to the fire
If you want a more thick crust pizza, we can roll the dough, top it, and place the raw dough in the oven. This is a more chewy crust, or if you like it thin we bake the dough without toppings and then top it and bake it again for a nice crunchy texture.
550 degrees of heat in the middle of the oven, can get up to 800 near the roof
The pizza at Leoci’s is delicious, I am sure the locals will discover this quickly and have a new favorite pizza and beer joint. But there is much more than just pizza to indulge on. Try the paninis, Roberto has several to choose from that are served on a fresh foccacia roll. The grilled chicken caesar panini is my favorite, it has house made caesar dressing, buffalo mozzarella, romaine, and sliced roma tomatoes. Another option is the fresh local seafood that Roberto uses in the pasta dishes and specials. The other night he used fresh local Georgia shrimp in his saffron risotto. One of the biggest hits at the bar was the brick oven roasted mussels, served with crostini and a lobster saffron based seafood sauce.
At the bar with fresh mussels roasted in the brick oven
Working as a photographer and chef/writer allows me access to behind the scenes that typical food writers might not have. At Leoci’s I not only did prep work, make pizzas, pastas, and dessert, but I also sat down as a guest and tried the food. Its a unique perspective from the view of all angles, and I must say that so far Roberto is off to a great start and if you are in the mood for some wine, pizza, and homemade tiramisu, then stop on by and have a slice or two.
Now for some photos. Cheers to Roberto and Lacie!
Tuscan wines at Leoci's
Lacie and Roberto on opening night
Fusilli Verde
Tiramisu, the most heavenly Italian dessert
Framed photos of Leoci's family and culinary travels can be found at the entrance to the dining room
Brick oven pizza with sausage and arugala
Caprese salad
Almost forgot, there is a Bocce ball court in the back of Leoci’s near the parking lot. There is a large deck overlooking the courts for al fresco dining in the spring and summer. Should be alot of fun.
Leoci’s Trattoria – 606 Abercorn Street – Savannah