With everything going on in France recently, we at The Manual thought it would be a nice gesture of solidarity for us to honor the country that stood by us during tough times.
Thanksgiving is coming up, and we wanted to give a tip of the hat to our friends by incorporating a little bit of French cuisine into our traditional American meals. We recently spoke with master chef Sylvain Harribey about his favorite American dishes.
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Chef Sylvain HarribeyImage used with permission by copyright holder
Chef Harribey happens to not only be the executive chef at the fantastic Gaby Brasserie at the Sofitel Hotel in New York City, but also a “Chopped’ champion. “Some of my favorite dishes at Thanksgiving are roasted pumpkins with Chanterelle mushrooms, broccoli with garlic and herbs, and potato gratin casserole,” Harribey said.
“Honey roasted duck breast, porcini potato gratin , grilled lamb chops , garlic sauce , grilled salmon , eggplant caviar, sautéed baby kale , olive tapenade,” the Chef added.
Gaby Brasserie at the Sofitel in NYCImage used with permission by copyright holder
So what are some ways we can incorporate the two eclectic cuisines this holiday season? Well, it’s a lot closer to home than you’d think.
Some French staples might already by on your menu. “A wild mushroom sauce,” Chef Harribey says would apply nicely, as would “truffle mashed potatoes.”
If you truly want to “French-ify” add this dessert to end your dinner on a sweet note.
Pumpkin Crème Brûlée (Feeds 6 People)
Ingredients:
5 whole eggs
5 egg yolks
1 quart of heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
1 small cup of sugar
8 oz. pumpkin puree
Directions:
Cut one vanilla bean in half vertically, remove the beans with a paring knife, add beans to the heavy cream, and heat to a low boil.
Be sure to include the casings of the vanilla bean to the heavy cream to reinforce the vanilla flavor.
Crack the whole eggs into a mixing bowl. Separate an additional 5 yolks and add to the mixing bowl.
Pour the sugar and whip the mixture until it becomes white.
Then mix in the pumpkin puree with the current batter.
When the heavy cream is hot, pour it slowly on the batter while gently mixing with a whisk.
Once it is all mixed together, a foam will start to form. Skim this foam with a small ladle. Pour the mix into the ramequin. Cook in the oven at 250 degrees for 45 minutes in a bain-marie and cover.
Once cooked, let it sit until chilled. This can be made 2-3 days in advance.
When you are ready to serve, use raw brown sugar and brule with a torch (or use your oven on broil; heat to 400- 450 degrees).
When the sugar is a nice light brown color, remove from the oven. Be careful, however, not to burn the sugar, as it cooks very quickly and will be bitter if overcooked.
Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, Woodinville is releasing a tequila barrel-finished bourbon
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Woodinville's newest expression
Washington State's Woodinville has the perfect whiskey if you love tequila and bourbon. Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, the award-winning distillery is launching Tequila Finish Woodinville Flagship Bourbon.
Tequila Finish Woodinville Flagship Bourbon
Releasing this weekend, Tequila Finish Woodinville Flagship Bourbon is a limited-edition experimental whiskey that you'll want to add to your Cinco de Mayo table. Like all of Woodinville's whiskeys, this limited-release offering takes a bit of a journey. First, the grains are grown at the Omlin family farm in Quincy, Washington. The grains are trucked over the Cascade Mountains to the distillery in Woodinville. The new-make whiskey distilled there is sent back over the mountains and added to new American oak barrels seasoned by the elements for 18-24 months.
Here’s how I built my own box of personalized iced coffees with Frazy Bottles
Customize your iced coffee
There's something extra fun about personalizing anything -- but especially your coffee. Perhaps this is why Starbucks fans love the detailed mobile ordering system that allows you to customize every component of your order. Similarly, Frazy Bottles enables coffee drinkers to customize every aspect of their coffee concentrate box when placing a personalized order. Building a box with Frazy Bottles made me feel like a kid in a candy store. From selecting my preferred sweetness level to fine-tuning how much caffeine is in each bottle, the whole experience is fun. Here's how I built my own personalized box of iced coffees with Frazy Bottles.
Personalizing your iced coffee
The Frazy Bottle ordering process is pretty simple. First, choose your box size: 6, 12, or 18 bottle packs. I chose the six pack to start with (just to see how I liked it). It's worth noting that the brand also has Boba tea options, but I only tried their coffee selections. After selecting your box size, you'll then move to a page to choose which flavors you'd like in your box. This is where things got especially interesting as I noticed cool and unique coffee flavors such as the Red Velvet Latte and Chocolate Chip Latte. I haven't had a chance to try all the flavors, but of the ones I did try, the Pumpkin Spice Latte was my favorite (you don't need to wait until fall for this).
These unexpected menu items at Komodo Las Vegas made my meal memorable
From appetizers to dessert, expect to be impressed
The difference between a good meal and a memorable meal goes beyond just great food. You can find great food anywhere and especially when visiting Las Vegas. Yet, the most memorable meals of my life have more than just stellar food. Memorable meals have an element of surprise or experience to them. At Komodo Las Vegas, unexpected menu items turned the dining experience unforgettable.
The menu is full of choices that go beyond what you'd see at a typical Southeast Asian restaurant, transforming a meal into a complete dining experience. From the Matcha Martini to the Surf & Turf Maki Roll, these unexpected menu items at Komodo Las Vegas surprised me in the best way possible.
Pumpkin Crème Brûlée (Feeds 6 People) 
