Drs. Michael & Mary Dan Eades, Chef Heston Blumenthal, Author Tim Ferriss & the SousVide Supreme
What serendipity yesterday morning… As I got up around 7am, poured a cup of coffee and sat down with my iPhone, I discovered an email from Dr. Mike Eades inviting me to an event at the California Culinary Academy up in San Francisco that very day. It was to introduce chefs and the media to the new SousVide Supreme the Eades have designed and developed.
The Doctors Eades
The highlight for me was meeting these fine people, and they are every bit as smiling and friendly as you’ve seen in the videos here and there. This is a couple who feels very good in their own skin and in being together. Delightful all the way around.
So, not only did I get to attend, but Dr. Mike invited me to sit at his table with Dr. Mary Dan and himself. But guess who else? …None other than Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Work Week. Tim was very friendly to speak with and even recalled where I’d gotten him back on an April Fools joke he pulled on his blog a couple of years back.
But I’ll bet you want to know about the food, right? A couple of days ago, Dr. Mike put up the program and menu, so you can see what was on offer. Presiding over the food preparation was none other than world-renowned chef, Heston Blumenthal, self-taught proprietor of The Fat Duck near London and a longtime expert in sous-vide. The Fat Duck has been voted by professional chefs the best in the UK, and also best restaurant in the world. A few months back, Dr. Mike blogged about his dining experience there with the Mock Turtle Soup. Chef Blumenthal gave us a video presentation of all that goes into making that, and it’s substantial.
After a couple of other “how we do this” presentations and interesting anecdotes — such as doing a whole pig sous-vide in a jacuzzi — the tasting menu got going. I’m not going to put photos up of everything, but everything was truly fantastic.
I’ll put this one up first because some might think it odd that a world-famous chef would serve scrambled eggs.
Gently Cooked Sous-Vide Scrambled Eggs & White Truffle
Not only was the flavor unbelievable, but the texture was like pudding. I have long cooked my scrambled eggs on the smallest burner at low. Be patient. They taste completely different. Well, this is even better (and is helped along by the white truffle, of course).
Here’s the beef, perfect medium rare from edge to edge.
Steak Sous-Vide
I must say that the chicken was probably the best in terms of improvement over any other cooking method. Mike had warned me about this before we even got started, and he was sure right. It’s really difficult to describe, but it’s tender, moist, and has a flavor as though it has been infused with a particularly concentrated chicken stock. And while the skin wasn’t exactly crispy, it and the nice layer of fat were just delicious. I believe I’d buy a SousVide Supreme soley for the way it does chicken.
Heston, Mike & Tim
I did also get a chance to speak with the chef. Part of his presentation was about making stock, a subject near & dear to my heart. He did confirm that my way of two days in the crock pot is OK, but he likes to use the pressure cooker because, as he says, that wonderful aroma you’re smelling for a day or two is flavor you’re letting escape.
I’m gonna give the pressure cooker a try. I’ll need a lot of stock often, because once I get my SousVide Supreme I’ll need a lot of stock to make sauses to go with the great food that going to be coming out regularly.
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Doh — in Potrero Hill? I work around the corner! I would’ve brought you and the Eades some wine … if I’d been invited … sniff. 🙂
You lucky, lucky bastard! Some guys have all the luck. Sounds like you had a wonderful meal! I signed up for the newsletter about the Sous Vide Supreme on Mike Eades’ website, but haven’t received any feedback from it yet.
HELLO ALL:
I have a question about protein and strength. I am on a weight-loss, fat-loss diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates. My only carbohydrate sources are a plate of green cooked vegetables at lunch. I even quit eating apples, i used eat like 2 apples a day, but remember that 1 apple has about 20 grams of carbohydrates. And i think that 20 grams of protein kill more hunger and appetite than 20 grams of carbohydrates.
My question is, is this diet ok to maintain muscle-mass while losing fat? or do I need more protein in this diet to prevent catabolism and loss of strength while losing fat and weight?
BREAKFAST:
Protein-pancake made with:
8 oz of egg-whites
1 1/2 scoop of whey protein
LUNCH:
9 oz of baked chicken or turkey
A plate of cooked green-vegetables made with brocoli and green cabbage
DINNER:
A protein pancake made with:
8 oz. of egg whites
4 oz of egg-beaters
2 1/3 scoops of whey protein
Is this diet regimen ok or do i need more amount of protein in order to prevent catabolism and loss of strength while losing fat?
Thanx
.
I have to say I think you’re diet is not great. This looks like a low fat diet. Why eat egg whites and forego 95% of the nutrition, which is found in the yolk?
I think people are way too big on protein in general. If you’re moving around I don’t think protein requirements are huge. Read Primal Body, Primal Mind.
Also, depending on how overweight one is, lean loss can be an unavoidable certainty. I’ve seen it estimated in several places that about 25% of weight gain is lean mass, so as to move the added weight around. As one loses, it’s perfectly natural to have some of that be lean mass.
I’d say radically modify that diet. Get far more fat in it and reduce the protein substantially.
Hello Richard: Thanks a lot for taking your time to answer me. Well i thought that a high-protein diet was pretty good, i mean thought that a high-protein intake diet, didn’t have a great effect on insulin-levels and at the same time I thought that pure lean protein was less fattenign than fats. because fats have the double amount of calories than protein per grams. So you think that fats can provide me with energies during the day for my weight-lifting and for my aerobic exercises like bicycle and walking? I like egg-whites a lot. I even have an egg-separator here, to separate the whites from the yolks. And i throw away the yolks.
Anyways thanks again, and I think I will rearange my diet to decrease protein a bit and increase fats.
.
.
Fat is king.
@Low-Carber
FATS AREN”T FATTENING!
If I’m not mistaken, Egg Beaters are egg whites (with added coloring and chemicals).
It’s a rather bizarre diet you’ve got going.
…but I don’t want to wait 12 hours for my eggs to cook! 😉
How long did the various dishes take to prepare/cook?
I think the eggs were done in like 30 minutes. From what I understand, minimum cooking times range from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. The cool thing is that you can’t overcook, so you can leave food in for hours with the same result at the end.
I’m nowhere near a chef but do agree that pressure cookers do make a great stock. I started using one years ago when I came to Spain. 30 min and your done:)
Mouth watering. I can imagine making scrambled eggs sous vide overnight, ready and delicious when you wake up… yummy!
One thing that I can’t help thinking: is the sub-100ºC (212ºF) temperature enough to kill all germs?
There is a whole table available with temp vs. time. In other words, both are a factor, essentially inversely related, the lower the temp, the more time required at that temp to kill everything.
BTW, Heston also said that you can take the egg “pudding” in the morning and dump it into an omelet pan with hot butter and it only takes a few seconds on each side to have a tasty omelet.
Hi, what are the risks of xenoestrogens leaking into the food from the plastics pouches? I’ve been reading that these xenoestrogens are extremely dangereous to our bodies?
Not sure, Andrew. Living in modern society as we do, probably tough to avoid. Hell, even grassfed beef comes packed in plastic. So, my approach is to get to the 90%+ level with mostly real food and much of it not packed in anything and let the small details go.
Hi Richard,
Have you got Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon? I ask, as I’ve seen you refer to WAP on your blog.
In that book, it explains why you should never use a pressure cooker. The method damages the food, much like microwaves and bbq’s – I can’t remember the term used, but have a look if you have the book.
All the best.
Ben.
I have the book but have only used as reference from time to time. Thanks. I’ll look for that.
Sorry I missed this. 🙂
Food looks great and I love the way it cooks the steak from end to end. What was the surface texture?
By the way, have you read the 4HWW? Excellent book!
Michael
Nutrition and Physical Regeneration
That should be “how was the surface texture?”
Michael
Nutrition and Physical Regeneration
It was OK, but I think the point was to showcase the cooking method.
I started 4HWW some time ago but didn’t finish yet. In many ways I have similar lifestyle engineering, having the benefit of a company with employees.
[…] Richard Nikoley, of the Free the Animal blog, came to the San Francisco event and posted on it, so you can read his take, complete with photos, here. […]
Steak Sous-Vide O_O YUMMMMMM
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