Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio ( Fabio Viviani )

Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio with Arugula, Roasted Pine Nuts, Aged Parmesan Cheese, Spherical Kalamata Olives and Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Prep Time: About 2 hours

Serves: 3-4



Directions:Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio:
1. Slice the meat.
2. Display and season the arugula, shaved cheese, toast the pine nuts.

Kalamata Olives:
1. Mix first three ingredients together, let rest for three hours.
2. Mix water and algimate together, let rest for 3 hours.
3. Scoop first mixture into second mixture.
4. Let rest 3 minutes.

Note: Xanthan gum is not strictly necessary, but it can be used as a thickener. You can also use a thicker puree and it will work as well. Without the gum you will have to keep the olive in the solution for longer, around 5-6 minutes.


1 lb. tenderloin.
4 oz. parmesan, aged 5 years
6 balsamic vinegar, aged 6 years
8 oz. arugula
8 oz. pine nuts
olive oil
salt and pepper
kalamata olives

Spherical Kalamata Olives:
400 grams olive puree
1.8 grams Calcic Acid
1.3 grams Xanthan Gum
1.5 liters water
7.5 grams Sodium Alginate or Algin

Top Chef 5 Spotted

Top Chef fanatics: meet your new Season 5 cheftestants. Photographer Kurt Strahm over at the blog Restless brings us the first paparazzi shots of a group of the contestants leaving their home base at 20 Bayard and getting into the white TC vans. If these are the contestants left at this stage of the game, we have four females (two brunettes and a blond seen clearly in the first two shots, one blond with a ponytail in the last shot) and at least six male chefs (six seen in first shots, an additional chef or PA with hat in last shot), and not a faux hawk nor a tattoo in site. Looks like a Colicchio-like shaved head is the hairstyle of choice for the NYC season, and a female chef could be taking over Spike's role as the self-consciously stylish contestant (the backwards hat, the high tops).
Now, Top Chef fans, restaurant industry insiders—and anyone else unencumbered by a million dollar confidentiality agreement—it's your turn to do your part. If you can ID any of the above chefs, let us know. We still have plenty of tickets to the New York Wine and Food Fest and some choice reservations for informants.