ArtSpace Someone’s in the Kitchen – Pork Rind,Tuna Tartare,Pickled White Peach & Chives

This past Tuesday, August 10th, I did for my first of hopefully more dinner events at ArtSpace here in Shreveport. ArtSpace is located in downtown Shreveport and is housed in one of the many old buildings that make up the downtown area. I want to call it an art museum but it is so much more than that. There are about 4 levels that make up the whole space with the mezzanine holding a small kitchen and eating space.  The ArtSpace Cafe is open for lunch and they just starting this Sunday to have a Jazz Brunch.

Once a month they hold a “Someone’s in the Kitchen” event where a guest chef comes in and prepares a fixed menu that is paired with wine for $65 a person. Back in early spring I received an email inviting me to one of these events and i thought to myself  ”I could do one of these” . I emailed the culinary director stating who I was, what I wanted to do, that I do not have a restaurant nor any formal training but to look at my website and give me a shot. It took awhile to get a response but once I did the ball started rolling on being able to host one.

I wanted to do a menu that people would understand and find approachable but when delivered on a  plate,it would be something a little different and unexpected (in a good way )

You can download the full menu HERE : Artspace Menu

I started off with an Amuse Bouche of  a pork rind topped with Tuna Tartare, Pickled White Peach & Chives. I made the pork rind from the skin of the Pork Bellies I was preparing as an entree. This was the second time I have made Pork Rinds and it can still be a tricky process. I fried them the day of the event and I think I lost 10lbs just by standing over the fryer in this lovely 110 degrees Louisiana heat. I had originally wanted to place a thin slice of Lardo (from Cochon Butcher – Thanks Blake) between the fried pork skin and the tuna but the pork skin still had a pretty meaty fatty quality to it. The tuna itself was just finely chopped and left unseasoned.

I got the idea to make pickled peaches from Shola of Studio Kitchen and his upcoming Restaurant SPECK. I deviated from his recipe on the spices and instead used Togarashi, a japanese spice.  The peaches I picked up were White Peaches since the usual yellow were too soft and would not hold up to the pickling process. I topped everything off with chopped chives.

Up Next : Chilled Yellow Tomato Soup with Lemongrass smoked Crab