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Post by ironchefcanadian on Oct 23, 2006 20:57:38 GMT -5
Barber (to the judges): "I'd like the tasters to enjoy the many textures that a pumpkin squash can provide, through the various means of cooking. With this salad, we've given the squash and the other vegetables a light steaming, to make them tender without getting too soggy. Now the spaghetti squash that the salad is sitting in is lightly flavored with pumpkin seed pesto, but the pesto isn't tossed with the other squashes because I think you'd like a flavour contrast here. So I've given you two forms of citrus acid and two flavoured oils, so that you can dress your salad according to the taste you prefer."
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Post by Arrianna on Oct 23, 2006 21:43:38 GMT -5
Ishida: I really like the pumpkin seeds.
It's kinda fun to experiment with everything.
The flavors though,well... which part is the pumpkin again?
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Oct 23, 2006 23:08:12 GMT -5
Barber: "Oh, those would be the darker orange cubes, the lighter ones are butternut and acorn squash."
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Post by achen on Oct 24, 2006 0:33:57 GMT -5
Okada: This dish is very refreshing and a good start to the course. The nutty pumpkin seeds add an extra dimension to this dish that pine nuts can't accomplish. The different oils add a soothing element. One slightly missing element is a more savory twist, but is offset by the pumpkin seed pesto.
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Post by missteetheironchef on Oct 24, 2006 11:11:12 GMT -5
Kishi: It's such a tasty one. The oil is really not so oily. Yes.
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Oct 24, 2006 12:03:51 GMT -5
Barber: "Thank you.
"Before I present the next dish, since it's the first one to use some of Kitchen Stadium's leftovers, I hope you'll indulge me a bit so I may explain something.
"During the cooking I overheard Chef Ishinabe express the opinion that I should be using original ingredients and not leftovers, and that using other people's creations wasn't creative.
"I hope you'll understand why I don't subscribe to that viewpoint. My philosophy has always been, 'Do the best you can with what you have,' and that includes the use of leftovers. There shouldn't be any boundaries to the use of ingredients, when it comes to good cooking, and to me, leftovers can be treated the same as a pre-bottled soy sauce or pre-packaged pie filling; it may be more convenient that making the same thing from scratch, but it's still a legitimate ingredient for making a great-tasting dish. Creativity is about more than what you put into a dish; it's also about what you do with the stuff you're working with.
"Now, these latkes that you're about to try: here I want to present you with another texture profile. We've deep-fried the pumpkin with mashed rice to bring out a crispy, yet delicate-tasting texture. We've also added some ketchup and some aioli separately so you can enhance the flavor of the latke according to your own tastes."
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Post by Arrianna on Oct 24, 2006 12:16:41 GMT -5
Ishida: I love rice cakes and this is really delicious, but I have to ask.... ketchup?!
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Oct 24, 2006 12:42:10 GMT -5
Barber: (laughs)"Well that's why we made it separate -- you don't have to if you don't want to. Lots of people in the West like ketchup with latkes, but some don't, and that's perfectly okay."
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Post by Arrianna on Oct 24, 2006 12:49:28 GMT -5
Ishida: I do like the Aioli.
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Post by missteetheironchef on Oct 24, 2006 13:23:12 GMT -5
Kishi: The flakiness of the crust is very buttery. I love the consistency of the filling, really melts in your mouth. This is a great dish.
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Post by achen on Oct 24, 2006 18:14:59 GMT -5
Okada: This dish is nice but it is to starchy. Some other less starchy ingredient would have made this dish even better. I must agree though that these are very crisp and would be good as a dinner with a salad on a cold fall evening.
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Post by Man Alive! on Oct 24, 2006 18:32:58 GMT -5
Kaga: Am I the only one that likes the ketchup? *laughs*
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Post by ironchefcanadian on Oct 24, 2006 20:50:38 GMT -5
Barber: "Thank you. I'll remember about the starchiness for next time."
*And now Barber ladles out individual bowls of the pumpkin bisque.*
Barber: "For this dish, I elected to use some cubes of Iron Chef Michiba's Broth of Vigour because it's a natural flavour enhancer, and it would help intensify the natural flavour of the pumpkin. Here we're going for a thick yet smooth texture, which is also why we used some cream near the end. You may detect just a hint of curry, but it'll only add a note of savory without actually being hot."
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Post by Arrianna on Oct 24, 2006 21:52:25 GMT -5
Ishida: *stops trying to avoid Kaga's eyes and breathes in deeply*
Pumpkin Bisque! Oh, I have been waiting for this one.
*tastes*
Oh, this is wonderful. It's creamy and rich and smooth... just wonderful. I love how you put it in the pumpkin as well. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if it had been served in my own little roasted pumpkin.
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Post by achen on Oct 24, 2006 23:32:47 GMT -5
*mmm...*
Okada: Just what I was waiting for. Just what I expected. I must agree with Ishida-san, and it has great body. The texture and aroma is something to remember. A slight accent to this dish to cut the sweetness would have been a small dollop of crem fresh. I would like to travel to Canada to have you make this again in the future.
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