Northern Divine Caviar

Northern Divine caviar – The Canadian Caviar that is 100% sustainable and Ocean Wise.

Northern Divine is the only producer of Fraser River White Sturgeon Caviar, and it’s not only what they’re offering, but what they’re practicing that is revolutionary.

The fish are raised in the remote mountains of the Sunshine Coast. It is in this pristine and un-polluted environment where the fish thrive. Northern Divine is the only company in North American who raise Sturgeon in Natural Spring Water. They are also one of the only companies to implement a 99.9% water recirculation system & a waste recovery program, meaning that the farm is operating at the highest level of sustainability for the environment. While other fish farms are destroying eco-systems, Northern Divine truly offer a sustainable approach, their practices don’t deplete wild populations, pollute local waters or harm sensitive habitats.

The caviar produced is distinctly different to anything else on the market. The flavor is remarkably smooth with excellent egg integrity.

Northern Divine Caviar is very delicate in flavor, this delicacy is achieved by the highly controlled environment, and fresh clean un-polluted water the fish live in. Northern Divine is in the process of becoming “Organic”, this means the caviar is 100% free of Borax. The only two ingredients in this Caviar is salt and fish eggs, with a LOW-SALT cure.  As a result the flavor is natural and refined with a fresh and clean finish on the palate.

Feel free to check out this video to take a tour of the farm and learn about what this amazing company has been doing for the last 13 years.

This year is the first year that these fish have produced Caviar & the supply is EXTREMELY LIMITED. Mikuni Wild Harvest is the EXCLUSIVE distributor for this premium brand of Caviar that is sure to re-define the level of quality & market conscientiousness in the world of Haute Cuisine.

The Lexicon of Sustainability

The Lexicon of Sustainability seeks to create a common, accessible language of sustainability. Douglas Gayeton and Laura Howard-Gayeton started the project two years ago, with a list of terms from thirteen areas of sustainability. As the project developed, overlapping and competing definitions were raised, often by the individuals or organizations who helped create the term or idea, and more terms were added. With the enthusiasm of the community and the abundance of ideas, terms, and definitions, the project expanded to encompass a traveling photo show, a video series, and even an online social network.

In short, the Lexicon is a resource for the rapidly expanding pantheon of sustainability, a way to clarify, through a crowd-sourced, evolving, conversational project, the words we use to talk about what's happening. And by using the words and ideas of the forerunners and the agents of change in the field, the Lexicon has a panoramic view of a truly complex topic and its equally complex vocabulary.

Mikuni's Tyler Gray and Mikuni forager Running Squirrel were both privileged to be part of the second in the 24-video series produced by Gayeton and Howard-Gayeton. Click to see the 5-minute video at vimeo.com. The video, which explains the concept of the foraging circuit, exemplifies a big part of Mikuni's ethos. After all, the core of Mikuni has been involved with wild, foraged foods in some way or other for their entire lives, and it has become their life's work.

Foraging, and sustainable production of food, is something that people are drawn to, that they do because they believe in it. In a culture where food is corporate, and production and profit often, unfortunately, come before food safety and quality, we - Mikuni - believe deeply in the value of wild foods. They are a resource that, though often undervalued, are appreciated by a growing community and network of people who understand that, though wild foods are not going to solve North America's food problems, they can and should be part of the solution.


Aside from the inherent value of wild foods as a cultural, genetic, and nutritional resource, they are, quite simply, some of the most remarkable ingredients available in the world. From a culinary standpoint, the intensity and diversity of flavor, texture, aroma and appearance of wild foods are unparalleled. And that is what we strive to achieve by sourcing unique, special & artisan crafted ingredients the world over, within the paradigm of a sustainable and environmentally conscious food system

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Small farms, great produce

Since the beginning, Mikuni has centered on sustainable foods. From the mushroom-filled early days, to today's huge array of seasonal, wild, and sustainably picked and produced foods, it's what defines Mikuni Wild Harvest. And as a part of that focus, Mikuni supports local farmers and sustainable small batch food production. Our unique picked-to-order program with the Santa Monica Farmers' market has allowed Mikuni to connect small farmers to restaurants and chefs across the country, expanding opportunities for both farmers and chefs. 

Harry's Berries is a perfect example of a small family farmer growing premium produce varieties. Not bred for storage or transportation, like those found in grocery stores, these varieties are all about flavor. That means, though, that Harry's Berries doesn't ship their produce in the usual way - they'd rather pick them right at the peak of flavor, instead of picking them early when they're sturdier but less flavorful.  Mikuni's pick-to-order program lets the farm send peak produce and guarantees careful delivery in the tiny window these berries and tomatoes need. 

Aren't they gorgeous?

But we're constantly looking for new ways to engage with innovative farmers doing interesting and inspirational things. 

The Brooklyn Grange is exactly the kind of farm we love to meet - and work with. A rooftop farm located in Queens, NYC, Brooklyn Grange is community-oriented and making great use of a rooftop in an otherwise industrial part of town. Plus, they're growing some really lovely produce.  

As we continue to expand our network of small farmers and producers, expect to see more availability and products from these farms and farms like them! 

Gilt Taste And Mikuni Wild!

Gilt Groupe, of the eponymous and hugely popular sale site, just launched their online magazine slash food market, Gilt Taste. Combining a focus on bringing sustainable, artisan products to a wide audience with the writing of a range of bloggers, chefs, and food writers, Gilt Taste (with Ruth Reichl at the helm and Frances Lam as features editor) is aiming to create a new kind of online magazine - one with no ads. We're happy to report that Mikuni is one of Gilt Taste's suppliers, bringing our Noble Tonics, truffle products, and ubiquitous wild foraged mushrooms and such to the retail market.
Right now,  Mikuni is supplying seasonally-appropriate ramps and fiddleheads, along with the Chef's Blend Mushroom Mix and a relative newcomer, Vidal Ice Syrups.

A nonalcoholic relative of ice wine, these ice syrups are made from the same frozen-and-thawed, super-concentrated grapes. They share the same sweet-tart, complex flavor – perfect for desserts, as a glaze for pork, or even on pancakes.

Stand by for many more new and exciting collaborations & offerings with Gilt Taste!

Kata Robata Features Noble Tonics at StarChefs Dinner

Kata Robata chefs Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi and Seth Siegel-Gardner were recently visited by StarChefs as they were honored as 2011 Houston Rising Stars.  The menu they prepared for StarChefs incorporated several of the Noble Tonics.  These stunning pictures below were taken by the guys and gals over at StarChefs and then passed along to me by Chef Seth.

  

"Oaxcan Flip" with Tonic 02


















"Dried Short-Ribs" with Tonic 04 Vinaigrette



"Aerated Chocolate Namelaka" with Tonic 02

"Foie Gras and Unagi Terrine" with Tonic 05



A Modernist Cuisine, 29 course Dinner….wow

Over the last 4-8 weeks the technical genius & creative talent that is Nathan Myhrvold and Maxime Bilet have been cooking a variety of dishes from their remarkable new book Modernist Cuisine. I had the pleasure of being invited to eat a 29 course dinner at the Intellectual Ventures laboratory last night….and its safe to say that my head is still spinning.

Although there were definitive elements of modern techniques with almost all of the dishes, the dishes all had excellent depth and presence. I’m not a chef, but I’ve eaten at enough new and cutting edge restaurants to know that a lot of modernist techniques used by chefs in recent days are more about the selling of a story…..rather than the pursuit of “perfection” through innovative technique & craft. I can without a doubt confirm that my experience last night was un like any other I’ve ever experienced in the realm of food & cooking be it Modernist or Classic, and I have no doubt that some, if not a large part of the “perfection” I experienced was a result of embracing Modernist technique and equipment. There is no way the depth of flavor, diversity of texture, & perfection of execution would have been possible without such tools as the combi oven, centrifuge, pressure cooker & thermal circulator used to prepare the epic meal. What this means for the future of restaurants we will, I suppose, have to wait and see, but one thing is for sure… Nathan, Maxime & their talented team of dedicated chefs cooked remarkably flavorful & creatively ingenious food with flawless execution..I won’t soon forget the experience, many thanks to you all.

The Menu:

Asian Pear, Watermelon and Spicy Pickle Chips

Description: Deep fried Asian Pear, Watermelon and Spicy Pickle Chips


Roasted Corn Elote

Description: Based on a Mexican street food, Freeze Dried Yellow Corn Kernels with Brown Butter Powder, Spicy Mayonnaise, Cilantro, Lime and Ash Powder


Taco de Asador

Description: Dehydrated corn juice tortilla with achiote flavored crispy beef jerky, pico de gallo juice fluid gel, smoked queso fresco, flash pickled onions and avocado puree

Crispy Chicken Skin, Peking Flavors

Description: Sous vide cooked and puffed chicken skin, served with hoisin, scallion oil emulsion, cucumber and shaved scallions.

Aperitif de Veau

Description: Warm emulsified soup of veal fat and veal juice garnished with an infused aromatic milk foam and an intense demi-glace spiked with sherry. It is the essence of Blanquette de Veau.







Apple and Wasabi Snow Ball (wasabi supplied by Mikuni)

Description: Aerated green apple juice sorbet, Frozen Fresh wasabi Powder

Spring Tajine (chickpeas supplied by Mikuni)

Description: Sous vide green chickpeas, pressure cooked pine nuts braised and sesame seeds in a tajine spice infused oil. The chickpea mixture sits on top of a green chickpea and sesame puree. It is garnished with a salad of pickled dry apricots, green olives, argan oil, orange blossom gelee and mint and finished with a yoghurt granita.

Ankimo, Citrus, Chamomile (fingerlimes supplied by Mikuni)

Description: Ankimo torchon, centrifuged honey tangerine and oro blanco grapefruit juice seasoned with honey vinegar, pomelo and finger lime juice droplets, chamomile and flash candied young ginger.

Spaghetti Vongole-Geoduck, Bagna Cauda, Sea Beans (sea beans & maitake supplied by Mikuni)
Description: Geduck noodles dressed with garlic confit oil, bagna cauda broth, sea beans, geoduck belly, maitake and walnut marmalade, dried miso powder

Beef Stew (tiny root vegetables supplied by Mikuni)

Description: Rare beef broth, sous vide cooked small root vegetables, cured marrow, pressure cooked barley, chard leaves

Baked Potato Soup

Description: Thin potato ravioli filled with shallots melted in bacon fat. Dressed with an intense broth of pressure cooked potato juice infused with roasted potato skins.

France in a bowl! (Basil fed snails, ramps, green almonds & borage blossoms supplied by Mikuni)

Description: Foie gras custard garnished with ramp leaf jus, glazed ramps, sous vide snails, frogs legs, green almonds and lime.

Carrot Soup

Description: Caramelized carrot soup, coconut ice cream, chaat masala, young coconut noodles










Cream of Mushroom

Description: Intense mushroom broth with Warm Bacon Chantilly


Raw egg shooter
A touch of protein to re-invigorate the appetite

Description: Raw quail egg of passion fruit yolk, lemongrass white and a few drops of chili oil

Goat Milk Ricotta Gnocchi, Pea Juice, Pea Butter Toast

Description: Flourless ricotta gnocchi with pea juice, fresh peas, walnut and pea butter toast

Polenta Marinara (basil blossoms & strawberries supplied by Mikuni) )

Description: Grits cooked in corn juice with a strawberry marinara, toasted corn oil, ricotta salata and basil

Cocoa Pasta with Sea Urchin

Description: Cocoa pasta dressed in cocoa butter, sea urchin tongues, sea urchin butter, salted candied grapefruit, tarragon and a shaving of sea urchin bottarga. Garnished with a fennel and grapefruit oil salad.

Mushroom Omelet(morel mushrooms supplied by Mikuni)

Description: Striped black trumpet and morel mushroom omelet with aerated scrambled eggs, morel mushroom marmalade.

Quillyute Spring Salmon and Meyer Lemon(Quillyute Salmon, Meyer Lemon, wild spring onion supplied by Mikuni)

Description: Sous Vide Salmon with a Spiced Butter composed of coriander seed, sesame seed, roasted hazelnut, white poppy, ginger and chamomile. It is served with wild onions dressed in smoked butter, roasted lemon jus and a condiment of roasted lemons and fermented garlic.

Roast Chicken, Jus Gras

Description: Roasted Chicken with a rich emulsified gravy of dark chicken jus and pressure rendered chicken fat. It is accompanied by vegetables that are pressure cooked in mason jars with the same chicken fat. These are garnished with an herb salad dressed with quince vinegar vinaigrette.





“BBQ”

Description: Hot Smoked Spareribs, Kansas City, South Carolina and MC Barbecue Sauces served with Ultrasonic Fries


Pastrami and Sauerkraut

Description: Short Rib Pastrami, Housemade sauerkraut with sweet onions, Brussels sprout leaves with fish sauce butter, cognac mustard with pickled mustard seeds, black bread crisps

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Fruit Minestra (kumquat& basil blossoms provided by Mikuni)

Description: Strawberry broth garnished with fresh compressed rhubarb, confit rhubarb, candied white beans, nitro shattered blackberries, cucumber, blueberries, kumquat slices and blossoms. It is finished with a quenelle of lychee sorbet.








Pistachio and Hazelnut Gelatos

Description: Dairyless/ Eggless Hazelnut Gelato with Coffee Granita and Candied Mandarin Tuile, Dairyless/ Eggless Pistachio Gelato with Arlette and Candied Olives


Pots de Crème

Description: Two pots de crème. The first is a cold infused coffee egg custard finished with a maple, porcini sable.. The second is a cold infused earl grey posset garnished with sous vide lemon curd.


Caramel Mou

Description: Gruyere cheese caramel, cheese water film


Gummy Worms

Description: Olive oil, vanilla, and thyme gummy worms.


Banana Truffle

Description: Banana juice encapsulated in cocoa butter and praline ganache shell.

MIKUNI RAMP EXTRAVAGANZA

West Virginia is one of the most prolific states for the ubiquitous springtime ingredient and chef favorite….the wild ramp. With a near universal late spring taking place across North America this year, the ramps are only now fully developed. The leaves are between 6 & 8 inchs in length and the bulbs are round and have the quintessential tear drop shape, making them perfect for pickling.

Check out this PopSci article for a simple and delicious pickle recipe from chefs Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot.






For the remainder of the ramp season, Mikuni will be offering a sale for all of your RAMP needs…be it pesto, pickling or preserving we have you covered with the freshest ramps on the market. The MIKUNI RAMP EXTRAVAGANZA (yes we like to be overly dramatic at times) is offering a DELIVERED PRICE OF $9.95 per lb. (no Fed Ex charge) on all RAMP orders over 20 lbs. with the potential for additional discounts for any orders over 50 lbs. please ask your sales rep for more details regarding additional discounts on bulk purchases. If your restaurant is in a city which Mikuni services direct, such as New York, Seattle or Las Vegas….your price for orders over 20 lbs. will be $8.95 per lb. delivered.

Tyler Gray on On The Menu

Here is a clip of Tyler Gray’s recent interview with On The Menu, a weekly radio show hosted by Anne and Peter Haigh.

Covering everything from Mikuni Wild Harvest’s founding nine and a half years ago, to what the company and Tyler have been up to lately. The show includes updates on some new and exciting projects, collaborations & artisan ingredients. Listen for details on Noble Tonics, including upcoming new chef collaborations as well as a brand-new all-New York product. You’ll also learn about favorite products such as the remarkable vinegar line from Jean-Marc Montegottero, Ice Syrup, and an innovative project with Soyoung Scanlan of Andante Dairy.

Unbridled Inspiration and Modernist Cuisine

Inspired by the recent launch of Modernist Cuisine, I started thinking about motivating passions in the food industry. I think it’s fair to say that anyone in the food service industry is in some way passionately connected to what they do, scratch that….or rather, let me re-phrase. I think it’s fair to say that anyone in the sustainable, artisanal, small farm oriented, upper echelon of the food service industry is in some way passionately connected to what they do…or at the very least a large majority are. Because let’s face it, there are easier and far less risky ways to pay the bills.

Polenta & marinara cooked in mason jars & garnished with micro basil opal micro basil Italian & micro basil blossom, supplied by Mikuni.


Being deeply entrenched for the last ten years in both the front and back of the house culture in this industry, I’ve come to realize that most of the characters are in this industry for some strong sense of passion or desire, and with varied motivating factors. It could be to evoke joy through heartfelt and personal service, or as a means to express creative ingenuity, or maybe to try and alter the perception and culture of a complacent population addicted to industrialized foods…or maybe it’s simply because they fell in love with food. Either way, a melting pot of passionate, dedicated and highly creative people can produce some really interesting results.

Mushroom omelet steamed in a combi oven, wild mushrooms provided by Mikuni.


Recently our company got to play a very small role in the manifestation of just one of these passion filled and creatively inspired results. The Modernist Cuisine has been in the making for almost 4 years, during which time Mikuni Wild Harvest humbly supplied a vast array of remarkably fresh & tremendously unique ingredients to the book's team of chefs. We like to imagine that in some small way these ingredients helped to color the pages, inspire the minds, and satiate the pallets of the dedicated, passionate and talented group of chefs who gave birth to this Magnum Opus of a cooking book. It is with great honor and respect that we at Mikuni had the ability to share, albeit in a most finite manner, in the development and evolution of this remarkable work. On the really hard and stressful days, which are many in this industry, we can remember this truth and be motivated in knowing that it’s important and worthwhile work, which in a multitude of capacities has the ability to inspire a ripple effect of change and growth in our world, or at the very least, feed it tastier food.

Clips from the ICE Launch Party for Modernist Cuisine

Here's a clip of an informal chat between Tyler Gray of Mikuni Wild Harvest & Maxime Bilet, co-author of Modernist Cuisine. The two had been in touch once or twice a week for the last 3 years regarding ingredients for recipe testing for the book, but they met for the first time in person at the Institute of Culinary Education book launch party in New York City on March 23. They were both pretty excited but Tyler had a little too much Champagne. We apologize for the terrible audio, but hopefully Maxime’s passionate expressions will be enough to tell some of his story.



And here's a clip from the Q&A period after Nathan gave his overview of the Modernist Cuisine at the ICE in New York, with much better audio.

Mikuni Wild Harvest is live!

With an ever-evolving range of products, Mikuni Wild Harvest always has something new to play with. Recent favorites include miner's lettuce, spring garlic, and some of the most fabulous tangerines you've ever seen. In coming days, we'll be doing dedicated posts on some of our favorite ingredients, including recipes and how-tos, and profiles on a few of the dedicated foragers who bring us these amazing finds.  Follow us on Twitter for updates on new products and check out our Flickr page for more great photos.