Green Onion, Ginger, Sake “Caviar”
1 T calcium chloride
5 cups water
6 ounces green onion, green part only
2 ounces peeled ginger, thinly sliced
21/2 cups sake
1 ½ t sodium alginate
½ t salt

In a medium bowl, dissolve the calcium chloride in the 5 cups of water. Set aside for later use. In a 2 qt saucepan combine ginger, onions, & sake. Bring to a rolling boil. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Run mixture through the food processor until the vegetables are liquefied. This may need to be done in 2 batches if using a home style food processor. Strain solid matter out of liquid and discard. Measure 3 ¼ cups of the liquid and return it to the 2 quart saucepan. Bring it back up to a simmer. Dump in the sodium alginate all at once. Turn heat to low and whisk vigorously over low heat for one minute. Run the mixture through a sieve. Stir in salt. Transfer mixture to a squeeze bottle. Drop about 200 pearl sized drops into the calcium chloride bath at a time. Allow the pearls to sit in the bath for 1 minute. In order to strain pearls while retaining bath solution for further use, have another medium bowl at hand. Pour bath & pearls into a strainer positioned over the 2nd bowl. Rinse the pearls under cold running water. Transfer pearls to a sieve positioned over a 3rd bowl to drain for later use. Repeat jelling process until all of the alginate mixture is used. Discard bath water when jelling process is complete.

Tuna Salad
2T sweet mirin cooking wine
2T soy sauce
2t bottled yuzu juice
2t toasted sesame oil
14 oz sushi grade tuna, small dice

In medium bowl whisk mirin, soy sauce, yuzu juice, and sesame oil. Toss tuna to coat in dressing & refrigerate until you are ready to plate salad.

Avocado Salad
¼ cup Kwpie Sauce
1T prepared wasabi paste
2 cups avocado, small dice – about 3 small avocados

In a medium bowl, combine well, the wasabi & the Qupie Sauce. Toss the diced avocado in the Kwpie wasabi mix.

To Plate Salad (4 appetizer salads)
You will need 4 salad rings – 3” diameter/2”tall
3 sheets soy paper in various colors
4 Edible gold “Petali”
Cut soy paper into a variety of shapes and layer to make a pleasant design on 4 appetizer size plates. Lightly oil the inside of each of the salad rings. Position a salad ring in the center of each plate over the soy paper design. Pack ¼ of the avocado salad into the bottom of each salad ring. Drain the tuna and pack ¼ of it on top of the avocado in the ring. Top the tuna with the “caviar” and one gold Petali. Remove the ring and serve immediately.

Peanut Butter & “Jelly” Dessert Cups

To Make Peanut Butter Mousse:
4 tablespoons cold water.
¼ oz unflavored gelatin (1 Knox envelope)
2 cups (1 pint) chilled whipping cream
1 cup natural peanut butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar

Soak plain gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Dissolve by placing it in a microwave dish & putting it in the microwave for 10 second intervals, until melted. Let cool. Using an electric mixer, beat cream in a large well-chilled bowl. Whip the cream until barely stiff. Add melted and cooled gelatin all at once to cream during whipping. Stop whipping when cream forms firm peaks. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the peanut butter, cream cheese & sugar until well combined. Scrape down sides of the bowls as necessary. Turn mixer to medium speed & add half of the gelatinized whipped. Beat just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the 2nd half of the whipped cream and beat just long enough to combine. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and refrigerate for later use.

To Make Black Grape “Caviar”:
8 oz seedless black grape
2 ½ cups ruby port
½ cup granulated sugar
½ of a vanilla bean split
¼ t salt
1T calcium chloride
5 cups water
2t sodium alginate

In a medium bowl, dissolve the calcium chloride in the 5 cups of water. Set aside for later use.
In a 2 qt saucepan combine the grapes, port, sugar, vanilla bean, & salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Run mixture through the food processor until the grapes are liquefied. Strain solid matter out of liquid and discard. Measure 2 ½ cups of the cooking strained liquid & return it to the 2 qt stock pot. Bring it back up to a simmer. Dump in the alginate all at once. Turn heat to low and whisk vigorously over low heat for 2 minute. Run the mixture through a sieve. Transfer mixture to a squeeze bottle. Drop about 200 pearl sized drops into the calcium chloride bath at a time. Allow pearls to sit in the bath for 1 minute. In order to strain the pearls while retaining the bath solution for further use, have another medium bowl at hand. Pour bath & pearls into a strainer positioned over the 2nd bowl. Rinse pears under cold running water. Transfer to a sieve positioned over a bowl to drain for later use. Repeat jelling process until all of the alginate is used. Discard bath water.

To assemble:
18 mini chocolate dessert cups or
8 large chocolate dessert cups

Pipe the mousse into the center of each of the chocolate cups. Don’t fill the mousse to the edges of the cup. Leave space between the mousse & the cup’s edge for the caviar. Spoon the caviar around the edge of the mousse to fill in the cup.

Irish Cream Oyster
1 oz dark chocolate
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup strong brewed hot coffee
½ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 t sodium alginate
1T calcium chloride
5 cups water

Dissolve the calcium chloride in the water & place is a large, shallow, glass casserole dish. Set aside for later use. Have chocolate coarsely chopped & in a heat proof bowl. Place whipping cream in a microwave safe prep bowl. Microwave in 10 second intervals just until it starts it simmer. Pour hot cream over chocolate & stir until you have a glossy sauce. Set aside for later use. In a small saucepan combine the coffee and Bailey’s. Heat just until you see small bubbles around the sides. Dump the sodium alginate in all at once. Whisk over moderate heat about one minute. At this point it’s best to stop & refrigerate your mixture overnight until the foaminess is gone. Drop about a tablespoon measurement at a time into the calcium chloride bath. You can drop a few in at time but they should not touch each other. Allow them to bathe for about 2 minutes. Gently spoon each “oyster” out of the bath. Transfer to a sieve & rinse under gently running, cold water. To plate for presentation, put about a teaspoon of the chocolate sauce onto a Chinese soup spoon. Place one oyster on top of the sauce. It can be garnished with some grated chocolate.

Purchase items in BOLD in-store at Surfas or online at Culinary District!