Dietetic Intern Tim Chin gives us a glimpse of what life is like in the pastry kitchen at Michelin-starred Rouge Tomate.

For the past two months or so, I have been spending two days a week cooking as an intern in the pastry kitchen at Rouge Tomate. The cozy space serves as a backdrop for dozens of daily tasks both menial and messy, accomplished by hands caked with flour and tacky with syrup, weary from whisking. Each day begins and ends with production – the preparation of products to be implemented in finished plated desserts. Typical duties include mixing tart dough, cooking curds, setting fluid gels or breaking down several pounds of fruits and vegetables to be cooked, poached, juiced or infused. In between, there are two rounds of service: lunch and dinner. Line cooks prepare plated desserts á la minute, deftly juggling up to five orders at a time and plating with both precision and speed.

I have since graduated from rolling hundreds of 11-­gram balls of apricot cookie dough and begun to work the line in spurts. I plate some portion of desserts during dinner service in between production tasks. Now, before going any further, I must admit that I am by no means a pastry “chef” – or even a pastry “cook” – despite seven months of training at a reputable pastry school. In my opinion, such titles require months to years of suffering, perseverance and spooning quenelles. But I do have a backbone. That the kitchen would place any faith in my ability to “work the line” is a testament either to my bull-­like toughness or – more likely – reckless determination.

But I’ve learned a couple things. I have been reminded of what it takes to make good food, and most importantly developed an appreciation for its conception and creation.

The Nuts and Bolts

Working the line is an exercise in ultra-­multitasking and sheer willpower. The lifeline of the station cook – the crutch upon which the entire service and even career rest – is mise en place : the preparation, arrangement and organization of ingredients required for service in plated courses. With proper mise en place a cook is a well-­‐functioning, well-­‐oiled machine. Without it, he or she is – as one of my mentors puts it – “in the weeds, destined for failure.”

After mise en place, it is all up to the cook to deliver the goods. The expediter (typically the sous chef or head chef when he is available) calls out orders, and the cook must have the good sense and skills to fulfill those orders. Plates fly in, food goes on the plates, plates go in the “window”, and plates fly out.

To get a better sense of service, let’s look at one plated dessert in particular:

Tartelette Madness

The seasonal miniature tartelette plate (at the time of writing, now phased out of production) consists of six elements: a lemon tartelette, a coconut tartelette, a chocolate-­hazelnut tartelette, a pistachio-­orange cream tartelette, a walnut mini-­‐pie and palpable frustration. Artfully arranged, these are five delicious morsels of confectionary goodness. Keep in mind that Rouge Tomate has made good on the promise of miniature: the treats are fit for the delicate hands of children – or better yet, Smurfs – but with all the fancy flavor sensibilities of an adult palate. The result is a blissfully sublime experience for the customer, and a conceivably difficult one for the line cook. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The dessert begins with cleaning the station of any visible extraneous debris. Then the cook procures a clean wooden board. He or she arranges a semolina tart shell, a coconut-­lime shell (both of which are triangular and identical in color), one round pistachio shell, and one round chocolate shell on a cutting board. Hopefully, these shells have been mixed and blind baked prior to service. Then the cook selects one pre­‐baked walnut pie on a separate plate to be heated in the oven. Next comes the piping: lemon curd for the semolina shell; coconut pudding for the coconut­‐lime shell, orange cream filling for the pistachio shell and hazelnut pudding for the chocolate shell. After piping, the cook squares off the sides of all triangular tarts so that the fillings are even and clean. Often the corners of these tarts break from the pressure of squaring, forcing the cook to start over.

Then come the garnishes. The lemon tart is garnished with grapefruit pulp and a sprig of micro basil – not too large, not too small, and never too “stemmy”. The coconut tart gets a sprightly helping of passion fruit seeds and a sprig of micro-­‐cilantro in the corner. The orange­‐pistachio tart receives one mini-­segment of clementine, one pomegranate aril, one half of a Sicilian pistachio, and one thin segment of confit orange peel. The chocolate-hazelnut tart needs a sprinkle of Maldon salt on top, and is finished with a brûléed banana slice.

Not out of the weeds yet. Somewhere amidst this dance, the cook must not neglect the walnut pie. It must be heated so as to be hot but not burned, sometime between the placement of orange peel and the torching of sliced banana. Once out of the oven, the cook pipes a delicate line of 0% Greek yogurt, places a dried date ball in the middle, and sprinkles with Maldon salt.

The tarts are set carefully on the wooden serving board. The board is wiped, placed in the window, and the dessert is ready for eating. The cook wipes down the station of debris and continues about his or her business.

I count roughly seventeen steps in the assembly of a dessert that typically goes out in the span of five to six minutes. Why subject oneself to such microscopic and potentially infuriating handiwork? For the cooks and career-­‐minded among us, the short answer is that we are masochists, eager for challenge and the inevitable exigencies of the culinary industry. The more acceptable answer may be that we don’t view the microcosmic plating of tartelettes as microcosmic or exasperating at all, but rather part of a greater, holistic approach to cooking in which every movement flows seamlessly under intense mindfulness and concentration. Plating a dessert then does not appear as a jumble of disparate elements and procedures because in short, we love and enjoy the process of making food.

But in stepping back, I garner a greater appreciation for what goes into my food.

I’ll be following up on this post next week with a piece on what my experience in the kitchen has taught me about mindful eating, considering all of the complexities and hard work that goes into its preparation.

Read part 2 of Tim's blog post here.

Last week our Executive Chef Anthony Moraes, Senior Culinary Nutritionist Andrea Canada and I embarked on a 10-day cruise aboard Celebrity Cruises’ Reflection to witness the launch of SPE Certified’s healthy and delicious offerings in both the Opus Restaurant (the ship’s main dining room or MDR) and Aqua Spa Cafe (ASC). Since none of us has been on a cruise before, we didn’t know what to expect in terms of the overall luxury cruise experience. To our surprise, we found a plethora of impressive, upscale cuisine with an extensive wine list and luscious cocktails to match!

Above: John Suley, Celebrity Cruises’ Director of Culinary Operations, adds a pinch of salt to one of his dishes.

We were awestruck by the elegance of the MDR -- a beautiful, Adam Tihany-designed setting that could be mistaken for a fine-dining restaurant in NYC. As of April 6^th, Celebrity Cruises, the MDR offers SPE-certified menu choices at every meal for every course – from Salmon Tartare (pictured above) to Chocolate Lava Cake – each and every one healthy and delicious!

We’re thrilled to report that we’ve been receiving some great feedback from the guests. Celebrity guest Maryann from Nova Scotia told me she has eaten mainly SPE dishes “…and was blown away. The flavors are just amazing!”

A favorite so far among Celebrity’s guests has been the Seared Branzino. Served over a creamy parsnip purée, this healthy dish contains 820mg of omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats are found in both the fish itself as well as the pumpkin seed oil used during cooking. The Seared Branzino also provides 70% of the recommended daily value of selenium and contains just 3g of saturated fat, making for a dish that is packed with nutrients rather than calories! Be sure to check out a full nutritional analysis of the dish here.

Many guests aboard Reflection told us when it comes to food, they were far more interested in quality over quantity and were grateful to be given the option of eating healthy food without sacrificing taste. Every day I’ve made my way to the gorgeous fitness center and found it packed – sometimes even finding it difficult to secure a treadmill! These cruisers were definitely a health- and fitness-conscious crowd.

What pleased us almost as much as the guests’ attitude towards the SPE-certified dishes was how the staff embraced our philosophy for great-tasting, nutritious cuisine. We’ve all had a great time on board Reflection so far, and are looking forward to rolling out SPE-certified cuisine to the rest of Celebrity Cruises’ fleet later this year!

There has been much buzz regarding this partnership, which premiered April 6^th onboard Celebrity’s newest ship, Reflection, where Caribbean-bound guests were the first to taste the exciting, mouth-watering dishes. Earlier today, Siafa met with Michael Bayley, Celebrity Cruises’ CEO, to hear how diners can indulge – without worrying about their health.

Michael spoke of Celebrity Cruises’ innovative approach to dining as being key to their philosophy of providing guests with an unmatchable luxury vacation experience. He stated that a natural next-step was for Celebrity Cruises’ culinary team to align itself with the chefs and culinary nutritionists at SPE to create nutritious and delicious offerings unique to the cruise line industry.

Siafa also spoke with Jeremy Bearman, Corporate Executive Chef  - SPE Certified and Rouge Tomate. As Chef Bearman explained the culinary and nutritional philosophy behind SPE Certified, he regaled LXTV’s audience with a cooking demonstration of one of the most popular dishes – the Seared Duck with “Fried” Wild Rice. After explaining the sustainability and nutritional advantages of using the duck’s own stock and natural fats during the cooking process, Chef plated the dish – weighing in at just 360 calories -- for tasting. To give Siafa the full SPE Certified experience, he was also served the nutrient-dense Roasted Carrot Cumin Salad and the delicious Bittersweet Chocolate Fondant.

Watch for Jeremy, Michael and Siafa on LXTV’s “1st Look” later this month!

Serving Michelin-starred food is no walk in the park. On top of focusing on taste, presentation, innovation and quality ingredients, Executive Chefs Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder (Seäsonal Restaurant & Weinbar) and Executive Chef Hooni Kim (Danji) go the extra mile by displaying a commitment to sustainably sourced and healthy food. Those commitments have been officially recognized by SPE Certified, as both restaurants are now serving SPE-certified dishes on their respective menus.

At Danji, which serves a selection of delicious shared plates to its customers on West 52nd St., New York City, Executive Chef Hooni Kim worked with SPE Certified’s Natalia Hancock and Anthony Moraes to tweak three dishes to SPE certification - without compromising on taste:

Soy Poached Sablefish with Spicy Daikon and Yu Choy

Spicy Whelk Salad with Buckwheat Noodles

Tofu with Scallions

View restaurant information and a nutritional breakdown of Danji’s dishes.

A few blocks away from the Korean oasis of Danji is the Michelin-starred Seäsonal Restaurant & Weinbar on West 58th street, well known in the city for its innovative and modern approach to Austrian cuisine. Executive Chefs Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder took the decision to tweak and submit three of their dishes for certification, which are all low in saturated fat and high in nutritional value:

Gurkensüppchen (cucumber gazpacho)

Sommer Salat

Zander

View restaurant information and a nutritional breakdown of Seäsonal’s dishes.

In a true testament to its versatility, the SPE certification currently lends itself to a number of cuisines across a number of restaurants in the United States, spanning from New American (The Living Room) to French (La Bécasse) to Mediterranean (Mediterra). With the addition of Danji and Seäsonal (Korean and Austrian respectively), we’re continuing to show that with the right expertise, any cuisine and any type of food can be transformed into something that’s not only healthy, but tastes great too.

You can join the movement and help us spread the word about SPE Certified by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook!

Environmentally conscious and committed to serving up fresh, simple and organic meals, La Bécasse is now serving three nutritious AND delicious dishes with the SPE seal of approval.

As the first SPE-certified restaurant in Michigan, Le Bécasse and Chef Guillaume Hazaël-Massieux join SPE Certified as a pioneer in the movement to offer diners a healthy, certified nutrient-dense and responsibly sourced meal, that doesn’t compromise on taste.

Amongst the new menu items, the “Scallops with Pineapple Salsa” entrée is sure to be a popular choice at less than 350 calories. It’s also high in vitamin A, vitamin C and selenium, which can help protect cells by neutralizing damaging molecules in the human body.

The other SPE-certified dishes include a beet gazpacho containing just 15% of the recommended daily value for sodium, and a seasonal berry dessert at just 120 calories.

You can view the SPE-certified dishes here, or click below to see a nutritional breakdown of each dish:

Beet Gazpacho
Scallops with Pineapple Salsa
Seasonal Berries

Nestled inside a popular boutique hotel in East Hampton, NY, The Living Room is all about fresh, local, organic and great-tasting food. And as of this week, four dishes from The Living Room’s menu are officially SPE-certified.

Part of the c/o The Maidstone hotel, which was recently named one of America‘s “most charming inns” and featured on CNN.com, The Living Room delivers food of an extremely high standard to guests who would expect nothing less. Executive Chef James Carpenter’s creativity is instrumental in implementing the restaurant’s “slow food” philosophy, which focuses on sustainability and an environmentally-conscious method of running a kitchen. All the while, Chef Carpenter also needs to ensure that every dish tastes delicious.

After working closely with SPE’s Culinary Nutritionists and Executive Chef Anthony Moraes, Chef Carpenter was able to make his commitment to environmentally-responsible and great-tasting food official with the SPE seal. Making tweaks to an original recipe, the Living Room's Roasted Chicken was reduced from 850 to 520 kcal, and saturated fat was reduced by 78%. The result is a beautiful dish that is both nutritious AND delicious.

As with all SPE-certified dishes, we have an online nutritional breakdown of The Living Room’s menu items below. The information includes a breakdown of the fats, carbs and protein in each dish, as well as vitamin content and the number of servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grain:

Organic Beet Salad

Mixed Green Salad

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

Strawberries with Crème Fraîche

To demonstrate his commitment to sustainability, healthy eating and great-tasting food, Chef Terry Strong of Mediterra Restaurant & Taverna worked closely with the SPE Certified team to develop dishes that not only meet the high standard of cuisine expected at the Princeton restaurant, but also provide a nutrient-rich choice for diners.

One of the SPE-certified dishes currently on the menu is the Whole Wheat Strozzapreti and Shrimp served with summer vegetables, roasted garlic, white wine and fresh lemon zest. The dish’s original recipe was tweaked to improve its nutritional value and make it eligible for SPE certification. “We changed the pasta to whole wheat and managed to double the vegetables on the plate. We also added an extra ounce of shrimp and were able to cut the oil in the dish by 50%” said Natalia Hancock, our resident Senior Culinary Nutritionist.

The Whole Wheat Strozzapreti and Shrimp is just one of seven delicious, healthy and sustainable SPE-certified dishes being served at Mediterra. You can see a nutritional analysis of each dish below:

Appetizers

Chilled Zucchini Soup

Mussels Provençal

Wheat Berry Salad

Entrées

Baked North Atlantic Salmon

Moroccan Chicken

Whole Wheat Strozzapreti and Shrimp

Desserts

Seasonal Berries

Here at SPE Certified we’re excited that more and more restaurant owners and chefs are making an effort to address consumer concerns about health and sustainability. Mediterra’s obvious commitment makes them pioneers in a movement geared to offer a greater number of healthy choices for diners that want to eat well without sacrificing taste when eating out.

See Mediterra's SPE-certified dishes here.

Even with so much going on, we found some time to head over to Michelin-starred Rouge Tomate to shoot twelve beautiful, SPE spring dishes. We think you’ll agree that each dish looks absolutely delicious – and I can assure you that they are!

Be sure to click on each dish to see an interactive nutritional analysis.

Crudo

Lightly Cured Arctic Char

Appetizers

Baby Spring Vegetable Salad

Cow's Milk Ricotta Gnudi (Dinner Appetizer)

Local Asparagus and Beet Salad

Spanish Octopus & Chickpea Salad

Entrées

Columbia River Salmon

Hudson Valley Rabbit "En Croute"

Maine Lobster Salad (Lunch Entree)

Squid Ink Fettuccine

Thomas Farms Squab

Desserts

Strawberry Soup with Yogurt Panna Cotta

Warm Apricot Clafoutis

Special thanks go to Executive Chef Jeremy Bearman, Executive Pastry Chef James Distefano, Culinary Nutritionist Kristy Lambrou and the entire team at Rouge Tomate for their gracious hospitality.

Photography by Evan Sung