snow day breakfast

I just can not believe it's snow again...????oh well...it's Cleveland !

Try some times, some thing different instead your old scrambled eggs..Eggs en Cocotte ..truffle oil...Maldon salt....Capuccino...Fruit Smoothie...good to go...
V

Perfeckt sunday

It was a good and  long week at Americano....I often get a question from people... do I cook at home ???? Yes, all the time...I often cook food I want to eat, and whatever I'm in a mood for... yesterday I was in a mood for Paella. Perfect meal for a crowd, familly, friends, kids and goes well with beer or good glass of wine... chicken, rice shrimp for everyone. I always make a big batch of spanish sofrito , wich I keep in my freezer...so when is Paella time...is just a matter of minutes to put everything together...I don't use stock ...I use water...and I think real spanish rice works way better than arborio....I used Bomba this time, but I think my favorite is Valencia...oh...and it was a nice day to do this outside...start the grill too..

V

americano daily prep

Americano daily prep is being made...house pickles, ricotta cavatelli...

camera update

 Hi, would like to get get back to bloginn.. recently just update it my camera and would like to post more pictures from Americano. Spring and summer is coming with it's wonderfull goods...would be shame to misss all those wonderful food  shots.  Thank god winter is finelly over...it was depressing, cold and very long as usual...march is always one of the most boring month of the spring  for produce and food , because is too early in the spring to bring those wonderful produce..well but today is april 2nd and march is over as well !!! Will be long and big weekend for us... one of the weekends specials ..striped bass, local riccota gnocchi, tomatoes, black olives, spinach , fig tapanade vinaigrette !

Happy new year to every one

Happy new year to every one ! Please check on our latest review at cleveland magazine.

http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirsect.asp?sid=39519F5476BB417DB7E3088E4A835C6E&nm=Dining+and+Spirits

All holidays are finally over, and I'm looking forward creating and serving new dishes at Americano. Over the holidays Iv got a new toy...I PHONE...sweet...love that thing. As well purchased couple cook books ALINEA and UNDER PRESSURE, very nice , still have get more in to it, and study little bit more about latest approach on a molecular gastronomy and sous vide cooking.It actually finally helped me do my one hour eggs. After reading other peoples and chefs blogs finnally found an anwser in Thomas Keller under preasure cook book...145.5 F water bathis the right answer..for one hour...and you have a perfect white and yolk...I will be using those for multiple dishes where egg is required ...talking about carbonara's, updated versions for hollandaise, asparagus salads, salmon dishes, even soups...etc.

My old time favorite AC/DC in town toninght.....looking forward to some serious old fation  "KENGOOROO ROCK " ..didIsay that when I was 16een...I ve had a leather jacket with a AC/DC sign on a back ???

V

americano website and Truffles

Well,finally Americano website is finally upand running.... www.americanocleveland.com

Besides the meatloaf picture and my smiling face ...I thinks looks really good !!!:))Folks from Unity Design did really good job ! Thanks !

This month is probably one the busiest months of the years for any restaurant with private Christmas events and parties . By the way, at the end of this month I'm bringing domestic black and white truffles , the ones are about three or four times cheaper , than their european cousins. By the way our new years day evening menu will be based of black and white truffle tasting , 5 corse meal. Domestic oregon truffles I thing is just as tasty and uneic ...you can experience  wonderful l truffle flavor and aroma without paying ridiculous 1200 euro a kilo.. I don't know why so meny american chefs stuck to european truffles....first as a any fungus it goes bad very quick andl looses is wonderful aroma...second  because they are so expensive, people are very conservative about them...there is nothing worse when you go to the restaurant and paying money for some dish and expecting to find see or smell truffle aroma and flavor and it's not there...big disapoitmen t...so please when you say truffled this or that I wannna see o r smell ,or taste, or better all above..

ahh..did mentioned that canned truffles suck..they freezz well for a couple weeks...or can be preserved in butter..but never belong in a can..

love to cook with truffles

happy holiday to every one !

V

Americano news..

It's has been a while since my last post. I was out for a couple weeks.. with some flu...seems like they are getting stronger and stronger every year and its harder to fight againt them...finally I'm back on track !
First ! We got our first revue at Cleveland scene magazine http://www.clevescene.com/stories/15/79/our-little-secret
What a great feeling and pay off for all that hard work ! That just motivating us to work harder and for me, big input to be more creative about food and bring more people to americano to expiriance it.
Second ! Hopefully, our website will be up soon, we already got our dominion name...it will be americanocleveland.com Check on that soon ! I'm very exited about that !
This time of the year drives me crazy...this weather...maybe thats the sign of getting older, but lately I just can not take any of that snow and cold....and flu and everything what comes with it....exept Holliday Food...I love to cook Thanksgiving, Christmas and new years food....does not matter for fammily , friends, works...love all about it have couple good ideas how to kick it up this year, so once I'm ready and my ideas will become food on a table I will keep you post it !
Finall word on a Holliday rib roast , if somebody wants to impress fammily and friends. After cooking several weeks in a row at Americano, final decision and aswer on a prime rib is DRY AGING. Dry aging always has been a mistery for me...controled huminity and temperature...but simple quick aging is easy...two or threee days will do a trick and big differencne in your meat. Just simply be sure that your fridge is clean and dry. Place roast on a rack, simply dry it with a paper towels. Keep termometer inside for temperature control and make sure temperature of your fridge is between 36 and 39 degrees. Fan for air sirculation would be a good idea, but if you will keep your roast in that part of refrigarator where air is coming inside , that should do a trick. Two ...three days...and your roast willl loose some moisture concentrating beefee flavor and natural backtaria inside will start doing the trick denderizing and improving the flavor.....just like yougurt...or cheese..or sour kraut ...good backteria ...mot bad...after couple days you should notice darker ...deeper color change..of thats a case its succes...NO GRAY PARTS SHOULD BE APEAR...thats a sign of bad backteria taking over...those parts should be removed and aging should be stoped !!!
Alterelnatvly, who does nor want to go through this proces....roast can be simple salted and peppered the day before roasting...it's not the same...but better than salting right before goes in a oven... Good salt is crutual, I use only sea salt or Kosher salt ! Every bran in deferent so, choose the one you like it !Make sure roast slowlly ...220-275 degrees for about 4-5 hours( at restaurant we do 175-200)...until will reach 128-133 internal temperature...let it rest for at least 45 minutes...and you will get a lots of wow from the people you serve...if you want to serve with horseradish make sure buy fresh root from supermarket and grind it your self...what a difference....its easy ...it can go after it's pelled in a food procesor or blender with some vinegar and salt...and procecesd until smooth ! Happy Cooking ! No More bad rib roast this year for christmas !
God , I love to cook !
V
P.s Congrats to my lovely wife...she pass ohio bar andafter yeasterday giving pledge in Columbus, finally become a legal State of Ohio Lawer ! Wow !