Why The Diamond?

When I told one of my good old friends my restaurant will be called Elizabeth for my sister she closed her eyes and said she saw yellow diamonds...I said, perfect, that will be a logo.  It made perfect sense to me.  How lovely is the diamond for Elizabeth Restaurant and what does it mean?

"...the symbolism of diamonds goes beyond romance. Through centuries diamonds have been a symbol of love, excellence and purification. Diamond, because of its remarkable hardness and clarity, also still reigns supreme in its symbolism of power, strength, brilliance and unparalleled beauty. Diamonds are enchanting treasures that have fascinated mankind throughout the centuries. Many regarded them as magical. Not only were they rare and beautiful, no tool could cut them and even the fiercest fire would leave the diamonds unscathed.

Diamonds have been used symbolically because of their extraordinary physical properties. It was said that the Greeks believed diamonds were tears of the gods. Romans believed they were splinters of fallen stars. In Tibetan Buddhism, also known as Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle), diamonds are an important symbol and the Diamond Sutra is one of the most popular texts.

In ancient India, diamonds were not cut for fear that they would lose its magical properties. During the Middle Ages, it was believed that diamonds would grow darker in the face of guilt and shine brightly for the innocent. Another belief is that in the presence of poison, diamond would also change color. The rainbow colors of the prism were thought to give one magical power over Evil Eyes.

According to occultist myths, it was believed that diamonds possess several supernatural powers, e.g. a diamond's hardiness can only be broken by smearing it with fresh goat's blood. Or a diamond gives victory to he who carries it bound on his left arm, no matter the number of enemies.

It was also believed to have been used as a healing stone. Such as a way of detecting and detoxifying poison, opening spirituality channels and assisting calming creatures."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/202446

Why the Owl?

The symbols of Elizabeth Restaurant are close to my heart.  In researching more about what my symbols actually mean they became even more poignant.  Here is some of the affirmative text below...


"The Owl is often regarded as a messenger between worlds. The Owl Spirit is at home in the night and embraces darkness to their advantage. Owls easily see through the facade to the core of things where truth lives and breathes. People with the Owl Spirit are swift and precise with their thoughts and movements. Owls are highly aware beings awake to protect that which is sacred when most of the world sleeps."


"Through pop culture references, like Winnie the Pooh, and through folklore, we all associate owls with wisdom at some time or other.  Rather than intellectual wisdom, though, owls are connected with the wisdom of the soul.  However, there are other qualities that owl has.  Owls are often seen as mysterious, mostly because many owls are strictly nocturnal and humans have always found night to be full of mystery and the unknown.  Owls live within the darkness, which includes magic, mystery, and ancient knowledge.  Related to the night is the moon, which owls are also connected to.  It becomes a symbol of the feminine and fertility, with the moon’s cycles of renewal.

Even the mythology relates owl to this wisdom and femininity.  The owl was a symbol for Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy, before the Greeks gave their pantheon human forms.  According to myth, an owl sat on Athena’s blind side, so that she could see the whole truth.  In Ancient Greece, the owl was a symbol of a higher wisdom, and it was also a guardian of the Acropolis.  Diana, the Roman response to Athena, was strongly associated with the moon, and also the owl.  The Pawnee and the Sioux saw the owl as a messenger (akicita) to the first of all evil creatures (Unktehi).  While the Lakota tribe had an “Owl Society,” where the warriors fought primarily at night and painted dark rings around their eyes because they believed that would allow them to have an owl’s acute vision.

There are many superstitions surrounding the owl, many of which focus on death.  In Europe and America, owl was seen as a harbinger of death.  This was due to certain peoples, like the Dakota, and some Germanic tribes and Scandinavian Vikings, who would signal the approach of attack with the hoot of an owl.  This was and still remains the easiest bird call to imitate.  The Mayans called the screech owl of the Yucatan “the moan bird,” and believed that it meant death.

There are myths and legends from all over the world, from the Americas to the Far East.  Owls, as they always have, continue to be a source of wisdom, spiritual and intellectual."

Inspirations!

This Empress!

Smells are always good for inspiration.  I'm more often than not triggered by my "smemory"...A scent that reels me right back into a childhood memory.  Somehow, there is that dreaming, childlike scense I never want to lose, and I'm always searching for it or trying to recreate it.  My dinners have often been deemed as magical.  I like that!  Recently I received flowers with a note attached that read, "Thank you, sorcress, I'm still in wonderland."  I love that!  

Pictures also trigger me, a thought or emotion from one photo can create an entire dish...

If you wonder what happens in my head, here are some of my latest inspirations for my upcoming winter menu.

This deer skull.

These antlers and color palate.

This fungus!

Collaboration

This December 12th I will be joining forces with Brandon Baltzey and Crux in a pop-up event, which will donate all proceeds to Inspiration Corporation....I'm so pleased to be doing this event for Inspiration.  Last year I had a party for them in December, which was also a success.  

Brandon and I became friends on facebook when I think I saw his profile picture on my friend suggestions and it was of a nice looking dish, so I added him.  He approached me about this dinner about a month ago when he in return was inspired by the pictures of my food.  This past Friday he worked with me in my tiny kitchen and said, "You're like fucking MacGyver in here.  I can't believe you do this alone."  I'm certainly proud of what I do and it is such a compliment for that to be said by another chef who has worked in some of NY's and Chicago's finest kitchens.  

I'm really excited about this dinner and you all should be too.  I hope that many of you will join us.  The details will unleashed tomorrow!

Food Porn Part 3

More pics by Jennifer Moran of my Fall Menu, which runs until the end of December.

Rough Draft of Winter Menu

Bubble Tea
Bacon, Waffles, Banana, Maple

Salad Sponge
Goat's milk, sunflower, homegrown

Pierogi
Yukon gold potato, truffle, homemade cheese

Cured Fish Centerpiece and Fresh Cut Sprouts-Literally

Hanging
Salmon, paddle fish roe, bagels, cream cheese, onion

Pumpkin Patch
Lobster, fennel flavors

Encapsulated Soup
Black truffle, semolina, quail egg

Your Hand

Oyster Centerpiece
Chartreuse, pistachio, herbs, foraged juniper

Shrimp Noodle
Scampi

Oatmeal Dashi
Chia seeds

1 Pill Makes You Larger, 1 Pill Makes You Small

Scallop Motoyaki
Lychee caviar, perfect potato, lemongrass lobster consomme

Chicken Thigh, Salmon Skin, Truffle Chicken Liver Ragu, Hay Aroma

Hunted Deer Bresaola
Homemade ricotta, items from where the deer roams

Pork In Two
Chinese, Vietnamese

In House Dry-Aged Ribeye
Smoked buttermilk, broccoli, black garlic, tiny fish

Bacon Ice Cream Cone
Koval whiskey, black pepper

Mirepoix
Red onion, celery, carrot

Dark Lord...

Sometimes I'm just lucky enough to look into my refrigerator and think, "what is that darn bottle," and then to pull it out and discover it is a half bottle of Dark Lord that my guests have left from the weekend.  Today I worked in the kitchen at Leopold.  I have a week off and when I have time I like to go into kitchens and stage or volunteer.  I get so use to my own home kitchen it's nice to be in an actual restaurant kitchen and working in spaces with others.  Before I left for Leopold this afternoon I put a Cornish hen in a spiced brine and pulled it when I got home.  I knew I had potatoes and carrots, but nothing really to make a sauce with, that was until I found the Dark Lord.  I stuffed the Cornish hen with marjoram, garlic, thyme, and sage, seasoned the outside and then browned it on all sides in canola oil.  I roughly chopped carrots and potatoes and threw those into the pan with a touch of salt and once they had a little brown added a healthy cup of dark lord to deglaze the pan and the juice of half a lemon.  I tossed it in the oven at 350 and after about 25 minutes turned the bird and baked it for another 20-25 minutes...I wasn't really watching the time however I did check it frequently and pulled it when I had an inner temp of 165 degrees F.  I pulled the bird from the pan and set it aside and then allowed the juices and Dark Lord reduce a touch until it looked like an unctuous demi.  I cut the bird in half and scooped the potatoes, carrots and sauce over the top and I devoured it before I could even take a picture for you.  It was amazing.  My niece ate the other half when she got home from work.  She loved it too.  I suppose it was that bit of Belgium cuisine today which got me thinking of such a hearty meal.  Not everyone is lucky enough to have Dark Lord floating around in their fridge.  You can substitute for a nice dark beer.