Michael J Cirino

Michael J Cirino is a cook. He is not a chef. He has cooked in a myriad of places that sometimes resemble a kitchen but never in any place that makes its living serving the public libations or gastronomy. Michael co-founded a razor, a shiny knife with Daniel Castaño in the summer of 2007 over many a Sunday-booze-facilitated-bocce-game spent talking about the dinner they would cook after the sunset. From these simple meals, questions arose and each Sunday became another chance to learn and explore.

Michael is the voice of this website and narrator for the adventures described within. He is the driving force behind a razor, a shiny knife creating and executing each event with an ever increasing team of amazing and inspirational friends. He has soft hands and rarely cuts or burns himself anymore.

Thank you for reading his words and for accepting this third-person writing style for the creation of this low-sodium bio.

Michael

A collection of Photos of Michael J Cirino

[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_212.jpg]Gratuitous
A gratuitous displays of pasta
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_139.jpg]A quick lesson
Michael explaining the easiest way to put food in your mouth, without it exploding all over your face
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_img_0751.jpg]Michael and truffle
A singular slice of black truffle to be placed on the last of the dishes completing the course
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_img_0873.jpg]Serious
A serious moment of enjoyment
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-01-san-francisco-045bw.jpg]Waking up in San Francisco
After six sleepless nights preparing for this weekends event in San Francisco I asked not to be awoken until we had gotten off the plane and picked up our rental car. The team was nice enough to let me sleep all the way to the HouseKu
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_img_9816.jpg]Propaganda
My wartime propaganda photo
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_miketweezesmint.jpg]Details
In the throws of plating the tweezers are busted out and i get dirty with some nano mint or orgeanol or some-nonsense
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2008-11-01stark63.jpg]A Stark meal
A close inspection of our venison tartar at our A Stark Meal with Ideas and Food.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_jennifer_may_photo-0732.jpg]Michael Cirino
Michael Cirino displays the duck stock which has been reduced six times until it is a jelly. Photo by Jennifer May for the New York Times
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_jennifer_may_photo-1243.jpg]Michael Cirino
Michael Cirino with the chicken skin wrapped tenderloins which were cooked using an immersion circulator
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_dsc09691.jpg]Danger
I wasn't in the best of moods this day to be completely fair
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_dsc09770.jpg]Proof of height
This picture proves without a shadow of a doubt that I am taller than Kristen.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_3516.jpg]Quiet time in the yard
Just a little break from the Japanese film crew and the intense heat of our small kitchen chock full of people
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_3521.jpg]Delicate Rain
Getting rained on in the most delicate of ways.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2008-10-kitchenconspirators-002.jpg]Trying not to pass out
After hours in the kitchen with a mean temperature over 35C i was just about ready to fall down.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2008-10-kitchenconspirators-012.jpg]Sweat
Sweat cannot be regulated in clothes of this nature
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_shiny_knife-20080920156.jpg]Onion confit
A confit of Japanese spring onions
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_shiny_knife-20080920028.jpg]Knife Sharpening
Knife Sharpening with some awesome sunlight
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_shiny_knife-20080920070.jpg]Bacon
because if you are going to do something you should do it right.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_shiny_knife-20080920159.jpg]A Little Snack for Jonny
Mr Cigar was hungry in the middle of his performance so he stopped by for some onions.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_shiny_knife-20080920161.jpg]A Truce
After many years things were finally "Patched Up"
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-06-20lemans-017_0.jpg]Silkie Chicken
A vicious display of our silkie chickens
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-06-20lemans-019.jpg]hello
Hi there you cute little black skinned chicken who is really gamy and hard to cook.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-06-20lemans-031.jpg]Le Mans
I was definitely confused more than just this once.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-10-11-demos-01.jpg]
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-10-11-kitchen-17.jpg]
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-10-11-kitchen-25.jpg]On the line
A quick trip to the line before service at our Locally Sourced dinner.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-10-11-kitchen-26.jpg]Lost ingredients
Hunting down that missing...
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-10-11-plating-10.jpg]Drop the bombs
A dark moment right before we unleashed hell upon the remaining dinners
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2007-piggy-2-013.jpg]Duck fat injections
I got my career started by injecting duck fat into things
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2007-piggy-2-011.jpg]Duck Fat Pig
Adding clarified duck fat that had been season with chili peppers and garlic into the lean sections of a pig before roasting it is a terrible idea, unless you want the pig to be delicious.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2007-piggy-2-013b.jpg]Success
Success.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2008-05-31-pig-roat-tim-022.jpg]
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2008-05-31-pig-roat-tim-071.jpg]
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[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2008-11-01stark45.jpg]
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_220.jpg]Preparing Mille-Feullie
Putting the final touches on two orders of Mille-Feullie
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_279.jpg]Foie Gras
Hard Decisions with dealing with a cake of Foie Gras that cost a couple of hundred dollars and many man hours of labor
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_86.jpg]Michael Making Pasta
Roughly one large egg per 90g of flour
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_img_0759.jpg]Black Truffle Explosion Plating
That last slice of truffle finding its home on top of this last "Black Truffle Explosion"
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_img_0773.jpg]Calotte de Boeuf Grillee
Ah the power of beef
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_img_0816.jpg]Beefery
Slicing and portioning beef rib cap for Thomas Keller's Calotte de boeuf
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_img_0818.jpg]Battle Continues
Bringing the rested beef from the butcher block on to the plates.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_img_0843.jpg]A commanding gesture
Late in the evening when words had lost there meaning we reverted to hand gestures and grunting
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-01-san-francisco-106.jpg]Service - San Francisco
Half way through our Keller/Achatz dinner in San Francisco I realized that I was wearing a sweater that had a pink stripe in it, so I made everything black and white until I figure out where the sweater came from and if I liked it or not.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-01-san-francisco-180.jpg]Michael at Ma(i)sonry
Michael relaxing at Ma(i)sonry after a very nice visit to the French Laundry and a delightful conversation with chef Cory Lee
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-01-san-francisco-203.jpg]Celebratory Fast Food
After our San Francisco dinner we took a short trip up to Napa to say hello to some people at the French Laundry, get lunch at an amazing restaurant on the side of a hill and then take a nap in the sun. On the way back we stopped for In and Out burger.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_318451867_img_0437.jpg]
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_318499528_img_0498.jpg]Michael and Mark
It is so hard to get Mark to take watermelons seriously.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2008-02-29-jasons-014.jpg]
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_dsc_2034.jpg]
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2009-01-san-francisco-050.jpg]Casual
Behind the HouseKu I get some chin wagging in and Jonny reminds us how well we should all look. While being blurry.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_aaimg_0285.jpg]Bowls
Carefully assembling each hand crafted bowl with its stable ingredients awaiting the hot and cold potatoes.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_aaimg_0288.jpg]Bowls
Carefully assembling each hand crafted bowl with its stable ingredients awaiting the hot and cold potatoes.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_p1000189.jpg]No Garbage Can
I didn't have access to a garbage can and I was producing a lot of waste, so what do you want from me.
[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_img_2208.jpg]
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[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2008-06-15-dinner-024.jpg]
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[img src=http://www.arazorashinyknife.com/wp-content/gallery/michael/thumbs/thumbs_2008-05-31-pig-roast-jonny-183.jpg]

Daniel Castaño Andrew Rosenberg

3 Responses to “Michael J Cirino”


  1. Experiencia culinaria diferente en el Metro de Nueva york « La Vaca Kamikaze
    on May 15th, 2011
    @ 07:42

    [...] puesta en escena estuvo orquestada por Michael J Cirino, fundador junto a Daniel Castaño de “A razor, a shiny knife” (una navaja, un cuchillo [...]


  2. Locomotive Dining, New York-Style | I Do Believe I Came with a Hat
    on May 22nd, 2011
    @ 23:50

    [...] The lunch was not squared away with the Metropolitan Transport Authority so everything had to be quick and removable. The six-course lunch—which was consumed in only half an hour—was eaten on “tables” made of narrow black planks tied to the handrails with string. Food was prepared off the train and delivered on-board at various stops, except for cheese and dessert, which had their finishing flourishes made on the subway car. ”We wanted to challenge ourselves,” said one of the organisers, Michael Cirino. [...]


  3. Cool As Ice (Cream, Made With Liquid Nitrogen) | The Bloggery by Underground Eats
    on Jul 3rd, 2012
    @ 15:21

    [...] and ice cream for our members with Studiofeast‘s Mike Lee and a razor, a shiny knife‘s Michael Cirino, the original food [...]

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