One of my biggest culinary crushes is David Bull. James Beard Best Chef Southwest nominee, Food and Wine Best New Chef, Iron Chef competitor, and a genuinely nice guy, former Driskill executive chef David Bull will be returning to Austin in Fall 2010 with a trio of restaurants at the Austonian on 2nd and Congress. Congress will be the name of the formal dining room, 2nd will be a more casual bistro, and Bar Congress will round things out with the cocktail crowd.
Chef Bull recently conducted a vegetarian cooking class at Central Market. Do not worry, he has not gone vegetarian on us. Just showing off his creativity in a healthy way.
Black Garlic Miso Dressing
- 1/2 cup black garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup yellow miso paste
- 2 teaspoons green onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 cup water
Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and puree until smooth. Store covered in refrigerator until ready for use.
First course was a lovely little bite of avocado mousse with sunflower sprouts, jicama, jalapeno, and grapefruit.
Second was white gazpacho with red grapes, soy milk, and toasted almonds. White gazpacho is the lesser known cousin to the red version both of which are served cold and an excellent summer soup. Those are red grapes in the soup but chef Bull serves them peeled. Glad I was not working the kitchen during this class!
A bumper crop of Texas peaches this year inspired this watercress salad with Texas peaches on buttered brioche.
Daikon "noodles" with green beans and coriander were good but the dressing, Black Garlic Miso, was a flavor bomb of deliciousness.
Gnocchi with oven roasted tomatoes and black olive oil brought a delicious conclusion to the all veggie feast.
Authors bio is coming up shortly.
David Bull returning to Austin for me is like telling someone older than me that Elvis is really alive, and is now in concert. That, not only made my day, it rounded out my year on a high note! I can’t wait to see how much more brilliant he has become. He reminds us over and over again, that we are only mortals – for we could NEVER (EVER) even come up with his ingredient choices, none the less, his thought process, and then execution . We can’t keep him captive ( in Austin), but we can be grateful that he is back. For those of us lucky enough to have experience anything David Bull – Hooray Hooray he’s back!
I am so with you!! He plans to have a chefs table in the kitchen as well. Can’t wait!!!!!!!!!!!