Hey, I have a question, how many of you like to cook?
>> [APPLAUSE] >> I cannot cook,
every time I try to cook, my house fills up with so
much smoke it looks like the inside of Snoop's tour bus.
>> [LAUGH] >> I really appreciate people who can
cook, because it is not easy, and it's even more complicated nowadays,
there's always some new technique that's coming out.
And have you heard of this new molecular gastronomy, have you heard about that?
It rolls right off the tongue is what it does.
>> [LAUGH] >> Anyway, what they do is they use all of
these crazy cooking methods, like liquid nitrogen, which is minus 350 degrees,
so instead of heating the food, it freezes it instantly.
You know, because we needed another way to lose a finger in the kitchen.
>> [LAUGH] >> So I guess the idea is to play with
the texture and the look of food, which can make it completely unrecognizable.
And I went to one of these restaurants one day and I accidentally ate two candles and
a napkin.
>> [LAUGH] >> Because
it's crazy complicated, and you know what?
I just want cooking to be simple, and by simple, I mean done for me, so I thought I
would bring someone here to cook for me right now, please welcome Curtis Stone.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Yeah.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> So.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Something has
either gone terribly wrong, did you want it to do that?
>> Something's happening here,
see this is why you want to be in front of your food when you’re cooking it.
>> Yeah.
>> But this is good, this is good.
>> Okay, so you have a new restaurant called Maude.
>> Right.
>> And it’s in Beverly Hills.
>> Yes.
>> And I want to go, I haven't been yet, but I hear great things, I want to, and
you have like a different, you feature a different food, right?
>> Right.
>> And today it is?
>> Cucumbers, so what we do is we take one ingredient and
then we do like a ten course tasting menu out of that one ingredient.
So, as a part of our creative process, we try and
figure out all of the different things we can do with that one ingredient.
>> Uh-huh.
>> So I thought I would show you a few of our methods.
>> Cuz I love cucumbers, so this is really working out for me.
>> Very good.
>> What's happening?
>> So over here, well,
what we've done, first of all, is we've just made a lemonade.
So I'm gonna show you, and then I've taken the juice of cucumber, and turned it into
these beautiful little bubbles, all right, so this is how a soup would come out.
But if you want something more simple, you literally just pour yourself
some cucumber lemonade and then sort of those cucumber bubbles on top, and
it can be a nice garnish for a- >> The bubbles just stay,
they don't ever go away?
>> Well they'll slowly dissipate, but they'll stay for long enough for
you to taste it.
>> Okay, let me taste this.
That's refreshing.
>> [LAUGH] >> That with vodka would be amazing.
>> [LAUGH] >> [LAUGH]
>> [APPLAUSE]
>> Well, it's just so
happens that if you want a little.
>> Great!
>> [APPLAUSE] >> [LAUGH]
>> [APPLAUSE]
>> A chaser, I like that, cucumber chaser.
>> Yeah, [LAUGH].
>> [LAUGH] >> All right, that's delicious though.
>> So one thing we do at the start of the month, is we say,
what are all the different forms that we can get it in?
So this is actually a micro version of cucumber, so taste this little guy.
>> What do you mean, a micro?
This doesn't look anything like a cucumber.
>> This is cucumber, believe it or not.
>> I don't believe you.
>> Really subtle, but you get the flavor?
>> Yes, but how is this a cucumber?
>> So you just start growing them, that's how they begin.
>> And.
>> So, it's a micro version.
>> Wow.
>> So we're going to do a salad, but the star of this ingredient,
the star of this salad, because I've got onions, a little vegan cheese,
some olives, some shovel of parsley, a quick dressing.
So you make a really quick simple salad, but then to bring it to life,
what I'm going to do is smoke some cucumber, so I've taken cucumbers and
just cut them in half.
>> That's legal now in California, right?
>> [LAUGH] >> This is how you're going to,
now, and I have a little [LAUGH] a little smoke gun here.
So we just light this little smoke gun up, and then we cover this with cling film.
Okay, and you let that smoke gun sort of fill the bowl, and look,
you can smoke anything, of course.
>> [LAUGH] >> Fruit.
>> [LAUGH] >> Protein.
>> [LAUGH] >> Okay, so that goes off, and
then you capture all that smoke, and
you wouldn't believe the flavor of how smoky that cucumber actually becomes.
I'm gonna cut you just a little piece, just so you can see.
>> Okay.
>> How smoky it can become, hope it's not too hot.
>> Not too hot, it's delicious.
>> So that would be the garnish of the salad on the cucumber.
>> Mm-hm.
>> Okay so, I'm gonna show you how to do a stir fry with cucumber,
which is a little out of the box, and I brought a little toy along.
>> Mm-hm.
>> This is the spiralizer.
>> Mm.
>> Right, so what you do, is you just gently sort of use.
>> Can I do that?
>> Yeah, come on.
>> Okay, and you have kids, right?
>> I do, two boys.
>> And do they cook?
>> They do, and see, look how long it gets.
>> So it looks, yes, instead of noodles, right?
>> Right.
>> Healthier.
>> Perfect.
>> Okay.
>> Good job.
>> Thank you.
>> So to do the stir fry, we start with a little oil that I can't see, but
let’s just go with garlic, onion and chili.
>> Do you need oil?
>> Yes, good job, thank you.
>> I don't know what this is, but it looks like it might be oil.
>> Just a little.
Okay, grab the cucumbers and toss them in there.
>> All right.
>> So we're making kind of a pad thai, so
the cucumber is going to actually act as your noodle in this dish.
>> That's what I said.
>> [LAUGH] >> You don't have to cook it very much,
mince some more of that micro cucumber and some basil.
>> This looks delicious.
>> And then a little of the sauce.
>> What is the sauce?
>> Chili, brown sugar, a little soy, and you toss that together.
>> Look at that, do we have an overhead shot like a cooking show,
because it really looks, look at that.
>> Yeah.
>> [LAUGH] [APPLAUSE] >> Your people are good.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay, so that gets tossed together, and
then you finish it with some peanuts, okay.
>> And what's the lime for?
>> The lime you can just squeeze over the top, just a few drops,
you don't want too much, and then you just serve it like that, and you've got-
>> Man, that was so quick.
>> Stir fry in seconds.
>> That was amazing how quick that was.
>> And then dessert, I've done a little granita, which is,
have you all heard of a granita before?
So this is like a refreshing little.
>> She has.
>> [LAUGH] >> Yeah there you go, one person,
that's good.
>> So it's cucumber ice.
>> It's a cucumber ice, but you sweeten it up, you add a little sugar and
you bring it to the boil.
>> With vodka, this would be great.
>> [LAUGH] >> [LAUGH] [APPLAUSE]
>> And the idea is you freeze it and
then you just run a fork over it so you continue to make that ice, so.
>> That is delicious.
>> Thank you.
>> Wow, all of this is delicious, and so all of this is at Maude in Beverly Hills.
>> That's right.
>> And everyone is gonna go there later, I can't pay for it, but you should go.
>> [LAUGH] >> I saw what I just said and
I saw all of you were like.
>> [LAUGH] >> A big mistake.
>> Thank you, Ellen, isn't that generous of her?
>> [APPLAUSE] >> It's on you.
>> [LAUGH] >> Can I tell you a funny story?
>> Yes, please.
>> I was, my wife told me, never try and be funny with a comedian because it really
backfires, but I was driving past your studio when Hudson was about nine months
old, maybe a year, so he's just getting a few words out like, Dada.
And we drive by your studio, and there's a big photo of you, and
we actually have a very similar dress sense.
>> Yes, we do.
>> Right?
>> Not right now, but we do.
>> So a sweater over the top of a collared shirt, and anyway,
we drove by and he looked up, and he saw you, and he went, Dada.
>> [LAUGH] >> I thought that was pretty funny.
>> There's something I've been meaning to tell you.
>> [LAUGH] >> That's adorable.
No, I know, the last time you were here, I actually thought that,
I thought that we have a similar style.
>> No, we do.
>> And your wife is gonna be in a show that I'm producing.
>> Yes.
>> It's very exciting.
>> Very exciting.
>> You'll hear about it soon, but that's really exciting.
Go to our website to learn more about Curtis' restaurant called Maude that
you'll all go to on your own dime.
>> [LAUGH]
>> [LAUGH] >> And we'll be back.