On taking notes.....

     One of the things I like to do, and encourage anyone who works in this industry to do as well, is to carry a small notepad and pen with them at all times especially when reading culinary books or going out to eat. At least for me it is during these times that ideas flow through my head at a constant rate. About a week ago I went to eat at Talde in Brooklyn. I ordered a salad that consisted of persimmons and autumn greens served with a saba ponzu sauce.  The interesting thing about this experience is that the persimmons were not ripe. Up to this point it had never crossed my mind to serve the fruit this way. It had the mouthfeel of a crisp apple with its usual flavor. This inspired me immediately to make a salad using persimmons in this manner. Up to now I have always used the fruit fully ripe when they are nice and soft in order to make a puree. I also like to cook them down with sugar and aromatics to make a compote or jam. After enjoying the dish I immediately jotted down some notes about the salad and ideas for dishes that came to my head at that moment. This is one of the dishes that was inspired by the salad I had at Talde. I paired the crunchy persimmons with tuscan kale and red onions. I tossed these ingredients together with a cider and maple vinaigrette. The vinaigrette consisted of apple cider vinegar, grain mustard, blended oil, maple syrup, dijon, egg yolk, and salt. I decided to make a granola to go along with the salad for an extra texture component. The granola consisted of oats and sunflower seeds that were tossed with maple syrup, brown sugar, spices, and vegetable oil. These ingredients were just combined and baked in a 350F oven for about 15 minutes. I was very pleased with the outcome of the final dish, here are some pictures....