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.



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