Chef Chris Cosentino: Tweeter Extraordinaire

Chef Chris Cosentino. Lover of all things offal*. Passionate chef, restauranteur, and tweeter.

There's a reason we love going to sports games, apart from the actual viewing of the players on the field/court/pitch a few hundred yards away: the energy of 20-, 30-, or 80-thousand fans becomes almost palpable as we all cheer on a field goal/home run/basket/whathaveyou. High fives abound between strangers turned best friends--and you realize you're surrounded by your closest friends you've never met.

If you're not already tweeting, think of Twitter as that same type of arena for kindred spirits. It's not necessarily all about sports teams or rock stars--there are also tribes with who love cat videos just as much as the next person. The communities may be large (i.e. followers of Justin Beiber number 15.2 million) or small, but there's a place for everyone...
including those who love offal, as Chris Cosentino has handily proved with his 108,000+ followers.

Chris is an expert Tweeter. Just follow him for a day and you'll get pics of his latest dishes, finds in the local market, and other tidbits of a day in the life. You can also dive in a bit deeper by taking a "Peek into My Kitchen" with the Wall Street Journal's article on our Chef Chris.

Whatever the case, send him a quick hello or a "looks delish!" I'm sure he'd love to hear from you. And come to think of it, so would we.

Mundane vs. Magnificence

It's no far leap to accept that almost everything we touch and use these days, in and around the house or workplace, had to be designed by someone at some point. That said, it's a rare and special moment when one of these conventional items crosses the line from being solely "functional" to "exquisite."

We know this line well. It's a line that separates the "run-of-the-mill" from the more inspired, "work-of-art." And we're working to blur this line with each new shoe style we create with our chefs. We actually get a kick out of seeing how far we can push the limit--blending the functional with the fashionable. So it makes it very easy to identify when someone else is working to blur this same line as well.

The Deglon Meeting Knife Set

Is it possible that there's an area in your profession where mundane can become magnificent? Tell us about it.

Wristband to Track Health, Fight Obesity

We're very interested to see how this new project by Jawbone evolves and becomes available for the masses. It could have a lot of potential for being a helpful tool in people's lives. We all know that obesity in the United States is a growing problem and we definitely support gadgets that can help nudge us in the right direction when our will-power seems to let us down.

Would you wear one of these wristbands during your shift? Wouldn't it be great to track your activity/motion during your shift? Then again, if it can sense our rest/sleeping habits... it's going to be nudging us to slow it down and get sleep on a regular basis.

Check out more details here

3-D Chocolate Printing

We have to admit that we consume chocolate more than twice a year. Although, Halloween and Valentine's Day are pretty serious sweet tooth days, we like the to indulge in the occasional chocolate treat. We were impressed when this 3-D chocolate printing story hit the internet.

It's apparent that they're still in the prototyping stage, but what do you think of this potential?



http://www.fastcodesign.com/1664454/the-worlds-first-3-d-chocolate-printer

The Cookoff - Part 2

You can now relax from the edge of your seat. Here's part 2 of The Cookoff; enjoy!

The Cookoff - Part 1

We bring you a cooking competition like never before. Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh partnered up with Chef Chris Cosentino to compete against Deckers Outdoor CEO Angel Martinez and Chef Aaron Sanchez.

Check out this fierce competition below. We only request one thing.. no laughing is allowed.

Chef Chris Cosentino's Grilled Cornish Game Hen Fra Diavolo with Fennel & Dandelion Salad

by Chris Cosentino, Executive Chef
Incanto, 1550 Church Street, San Francisco, CA 94131; 415.641.4500; www.incanto.biz

Serves 2

1 red jalapeño peppers,
1 Serrano peppers
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried chile flakes
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp pimenton de vera dulce [Spanish paprika with a smoky note, but ground dried chipotle peppers may be substituted]
2 fresh bay leaves finely chopped [if you can’t get fresh, use 2 dried]
1 bunches fresh thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped, twigs discarded
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 1-lb Cornish game hens
Kosher salt
2 heads fennel
1 small red onion
1 lb baby dandelion greens [arugula may be subst]
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced

Directions
1. For the marinade: In a food processor, combine the jalapeños, serranos, garlic, and olive oil, and pulse until a paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and add chile flakes, black pepper, pimenton de vera dulce, bay leaves, orange zest, and orange juice. Mix well with a spoon. Set aside. Note: if no food processor is available, finely chop the peppers and garlic by hand and proceed with the recipe.

2. For the hens: Using a pair of kitchen shears, remove each game hen’s back by cutting along both sides of the backbone. Discard the bones or save for a stock. Lay the birds flat in a deep wide dish or two. Season with kosher salt then “massage” them with the marinade [you may want to wear rubber gloves for this; otherwise take caution in touching your eyes after handling hot peppers] and let sit for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

3. Preheat the grill or grill pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cooking the Cornish game hens over high heat will ensure carmelization, which adds flavor, and makes proper grill marks on the meat. Place the bird on the grill breast side down and cook for 5 minutes then turn it a ¼ turn to the left and cook for 5 minutes more. This will give you those sexy diamond grill marks. Flip the birds over and repeat the same steps, then place on a baking sheet in bake for 15 minutes. You can tell the birds are done when the thigh juices run clear. Set the Cornish game hens aside and let rest on the countertop for 10 minutes.

4. While the birds are resting, very thinly slice the fennel and red onion into a mixing bowl, add the dandelion greens, dress with a splash of lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper.

5. Put salad on 6 dinner plates, then top with 1 Cornish game hen per person. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve.



# # #

For more information on Incanto or Chris Cosentino, please contact chris Cosentino
at 415.641.4500 or chris@Incanto.biz

Chef Chris Cosentino's Negroni Recipe

Negroni Recipe

Ingredients:
- 1 oz junipero gin
- 1 oz Campari
- 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
Orange twist
4 juniper berries 2 for garnish
1 fresh bay leaf

Directions

Combine all ingredients in an ice filled shaker including 2 juniper berries & bay leaf. Shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass on the rocks. Garnish with a orange twist & 2 juniper berries. To make a orange twist, cut about a 1 1/2 inch by 1 inch peel off a ripe navel orange, with a vegetable peeler. Be sure to get just the skin and as little of the pith as possible. Simply drop the twist in the drink.

Chef Chris Cosentino's Salsa Piquante

Salsa Piquante
Serves 10

1 red onion
6 red fresnos
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp orange zest
2 cups picked flat leaf parsley
2 serranos
8 dried sweet peppers
3 dried cayenne peppers
4 dried cascabels
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Directions

Fine dice the red onion and the red Fresno chilies being sure to reserve the ribs and seeds from the chilies. In a blender place all the dried chilies with seeds, but stems removed, the serrano's and the centers of the red fresno with ½ cup of olive oil blend on high until the oil is red about 4 minutes. Once finished pour the chili puree into a mixing bowl and add the fine diced red fresno, and red onions mix well. With a micro plane zest a orange into the bowl then squeeze and strain the juice as well. To finish chop the flat leaf parsley mix in the bowl with the extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground pepper, let sit for 2 hours at room temp for it to develop its flavor.

Chef Chris Cosentino's Salsa Verde

Salsa Verde
Serves 10

1 cup parsley leaves
1 cup chervil leaves
½ cup tarragon
¼ cup minced chives
1 tsp lemon zest
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp salted capers
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Black pepper
¾ cup Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

First soak the capers in cold water to remove the extra salt, and then fine brunoise the yellow onion an season with a pinch of salt and macerate with the red wine vinegar. After washing and picking the herbs, be sure they are dry before coarsely chopping them. Place in a mixing bowl adding each herb after it is chopped; with a micro plane zest 1 lemon into the bowl then micro plane the garlic as well. Squeeze the vinegar from the brunoise onions and add to the herb mixture being sure to mix well. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, then add the olive oil to cover about ½ cup if you want it looser add more oil. Finish seasoning to taste I more acid is need add some lemon juice and let rest for 1 hour before serving so the flavor develops.

Chef Aarón Sánchez' Guacamole

Guacamole

2 mashed avocados
Quarter cup of diced tomato
Quarter cup of diced white onions
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
1 jalepeno finely minced
Juice from one lime
1 tablespoon chopped Cilantro
1 teaspoon kosher Salt

Mash the two avocados and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

Chef Aarón Sánchez' Salsa Picante

Ingredients

4 dried arbol chiles, stemmed
1 pound plum tomatoes, halved
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
Juice of 1/2 lime
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt
Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

Toast the chiles in a dry skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat, shaking the pan, about 2 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water on top, cover and let soak 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat a grill or grill pan to high. Grill the tomatoes, turning, until charred. Transfer to a food processor. Add the chiles and their soaking water, onion, garlic, oregano, lime juice, sugar and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt; pulse until chunky. Set aside, about 1 hour. Garnish with cilantro.

Chef Aarón Sánchez' Salsa Verde

SALSA VERDE

Makes 2 cups


1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 jalapeños, roughly chopped (yep, seeds, too)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
4 dried bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
1 cup olive oil



Add the vinegar, jalapeño, garlic, and bay leaves to the blender jar, puree until smooth, and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Stir in the herbs, and pour the olive oil in slowly and steadily, whisking the whole time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chef Aarón Sánchez' Smokin' Rita Cocktail

The Smokin’ Rita

1.5 oz Gran centenario anejo
1 oz Grand Marnier
.5 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz Float of del maguey mezcal

MensHealth.com Test Drives MOZO Chef Shoes

We recently sent a pair of Chris Cosentino's signature 5th Quarter shoe to Men's Health. Paul Kita tested them throughout the duration of a 12-hour pig roast. At the end of the day, Paul noticed something -- "[his] feet felt good. There was no indication [he] had acquired cook's feet. In fact, [his] feet were just about the only part of [him] that didn't feel worn down or tired out."

To read more about his day in his 5th Quarter shoes, click here.

Come Celebrate Swedish Midsummer with Red Rooster

If you're in the Harlem area, you definitely want to celebrate Swedish Midsummer with our Chef Marcus Samuelsson on June 24th.


Come join us at Red Rooster Harlem on Friday, June 24th, to celebrate Swedish Midsummer! We will be serving a special prix fixe dinner that features Swedish-inspired dishes. In addition to delicious food, the meal will feature a special cocktail for the occasion. Toast the longest days of the year with a Midnight Sun cocktail, which combines grapefruit- and lemongrass-infused vodka with Campari and fresh grapefruit juice.

The menu is Red Rooster’s take on classic Midsummer celebrations. Our Gravlax on Pumpernickel Bread with Avocado will start the meal with a Midnight Sun cocktail. The second course will be Helga’s Meatballs with Lingonberries and Mashed Potatoes with Pickled Cucumbers served with beer.

And for dessert there will be a delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Lemon Meringue, perfect for a summer night in our new outdoor seating space.


The menu will cost $45, and we will be serving it from 5:30pm until 10:30pm. For reservations, call Red Rooster at 212-792-9001.

Save The Ocean, Eat A Squid

A note from our Chef Chris Cosentino:

To start this off, I don’t like going on boats anymore, which is ironic since I grew up on boats, sailing, fishing and working lobster boats in New England. About 10 years ago I was in a boating accident that makes me second guess being out there that far on a little boat in the big sea. But this was the opportunity for me to catch the big nasty giant squid, so I was in. What an adventure it was I caught the big one for the day at 75lb and 45 minutes of fighting to bring the squid in I got my monster. Click here to read the story published in Men's Journal this May, and yes I barf!

Chef Aarón Sánchez on Heat Seekers

When it comes to spicy food, people all over the world love to play with fire. Chefs Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking sing the joys of the pepper from two distinctly different places in the world: Latin America and Asia. Aaron and Roger will take us on a tour of the hottest foods in the hottest restaurants in the U.S and Canada. It's Chili vs. Kimchee .... may the best spice win.

Chef Aarón Sánchez' Grilled Squash Picadillo

Ingredients

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off
6 tomatillos, diced
1 poblano chile, grilled, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced
1 cup crema Mexicana
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

Heat grill to high. Brush cut side of zucchini with 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, cut-side down, until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and continue cooking until just cooked through. Remove from heat and cut into small dice.
Heat remaining oil in a medium saucepan on the grates of the grill. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the corn kernels and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos, chile peppers, diced zucchini, and crema and cook until the cream begins to thicken the mixture . Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from the heat and add the queso fresco and cilantro.

New Chef Signature Shoes - Update

We recently unveiled our new Chef Signature line collection Marcus Samuelsson, Aaron Sanchez and Chris Cosentino.

Check out the fun new designs here: http://eater.com/archives/2011/02/23/a-look-at-the-shoes-from-sanchez-cosentino-and-samuelsson.php

New Chef Signature Shoes

We have recently collaborated with three chefs - Marcus Samuelsson, Aaron Sanchez and Chris Cosentino. Each has designed their own shoes that will be available later this summer.

Check out more details on Eater.com: http://eater.com/archives/2011/02/10/sanchez-cosentino-and-samuelsson-now-designing-shoes.php