Eggs in Purgatory

Walnuts and Sage

2012-01-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

So, I was challenged with this theme by some devious friends and after thinking it over here's the recipe I came up with:

Don’t Call It BROOSHETTA!!! (Bruschetta with fromage blanc, pear, walnuts and sage)
“Bruschetta” (hard ch in Italian) loosely translated means “something burned”. In this case it is bread that has been grilled and scorched. It’s the big brother of the crostini. You can use a ridged grill pan or better still, an outdoor wood fired grill, such as your Weber.
The topping for this bruschetta is easy to make. While I would like to use a stracchino cheese for this, unless you live close to DiPalo in Incredible Shrinking Little Itay or Batali’s Eataly it’s going to be hard to find because it doesn’t travel well. So I’m using fromage blanc but you might substitute a farmer’s cheese. Stracchino, a cheese from Lombardia, gets its name from supposedly tired cows coming down from Alpine pasture lands.
Ingredients:
5 to 6 thick slices of country style bread or boule, each slice halved
1 bunch fresh sage
8 ounces fromage blanc or farmers cheese
½ cup walnut pieces, broken up
1 ripe comice pear or other pear of your choice (peeled and cored)
2 tablespoons butter
Wondra
Instructions:
In a dry pan toast your walnut pieces and set aside.
Cut up your pear into small dice.
Turn out your cheese into a medium sized bowl and work in the pears and walnuts with a fork.
Separate out between 10 to 12 sage leaves* and spread them on a plate or pan so that you can dust them lightly with the Wondra flour.
In a skillet lightly brown your better (beurre noir).
Fry the sage leaves until slightly crisp and lay them out on paper towel.
Heat up a ridged grill pan (dry).** When it’s hot, grill and turn the bread once on each side so that it’s toasted and burn marks show.
As the slices come off lay one or two sage leaves on each followed by a smear of cheese mixture while the bread is still warm.
*Note to cook; if your sage leaves are small you might want to add two or more to each slice. The idea is to deliver a little surprise note of herb to the bite.
** Better still if weather permits, fire up a wood grill using lump charcoal for more flavor. Do NOT use briquettes or your bread will taste lake motor oil.

Holy Smoke

2011-12-02T12:06:00.001-08:00

Holy Smoke Grill roasted Santa Maria Tri Tip
When you cook this your neighbors might think the college of cardinals have selected a new Pope because white smoke will be wafting over the hood. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! This is a California Central Coast specialty. If you are driving from Ventura County to the top of San Luis Obispo County you’ll see these medieval looking grill rigs set up in farmers markets, liquor store parking lots and many other places off Hwy 101. If you smell smoldering oak in the air someone is probably grilling tri tip nearby.
The seasonings here are mostly traditional, primarily salt and pepper. But I like to add a little more spice to it in the form of good Spanish pimenton. You can buy some pretty okay commercial rubs but they do contain things like “flowing agents” which don’t improve the flavor.
Two untraditional things I do are to use an internal brine, and then to serve it up with an Argentine Chimichurri sauce on the side. The brine idea I picked up from butcher Tom Mylan as described in the book PRIMAL CUTS by Marissa Guggiana. He uses an internal brine for prime rib. I’ve used it for that with great success and thought that tri tip was the next outrage I could pull off and indeed it worked. You will, however, need an injector for this but they are cheap. The meat remains moist while you still get that kind of burnt crusty exterior that we love here.
The other untraditional aspect to this yippee-ay-o classic is chimichurri. The Argentines are the masters of the grill and I bow down to them (but only so far) and their chimichurri goes so well with grilled meat that I resort to it all the time as a homemade table condiment.
Ingredients:
Wood. Like real oak or else oak lump charcoal. If you resort to briquettes you are a total weenie and have no business getting anywhere near a real grilling station, anywhere ever.
3 ½ pounds tri tip, intact
1 cup water
¼ cup sea salt for the brine, plus ¼ cup additional for the rub
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Spanish pimenton de la vera or piment d’Esplette
For the chimichurri
1 bunch parsley
½ of one bunch cilantro
8 to 10 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (or so) white vinegar
Large pinch of salt
Instructions:
One day ahead of cooking prepare the brine by bringing water to a boil and dissolving the sea salt into it. It may not dissolve completely but don’t worry about that part. Using your Frankenstein like injector squirt a good shot into the thickest part of the meat. Wrap it and refrigerate overnight.
Make the chimichurri ahead so that it’s there and finished when you need it
Stem and chop the parsley and cilantro
Combine the parsley and cilantro into the bowl of a food processor with the other ingredients except for the olive oil. Pulse a couple of times. Then with the motor running on low gradually drizzle in the olive oil. Let it rest.
Start your fire, preferably using the chimney method
In a pie pan or something similar mix up the ingredients for the rub; the remaining salt, the pepper and the pimenton. Rub all over the tri tip and don’t skimp on the salt part.
When your fire is hot enough grill the meat, turning only once*, until it hits an internal temperature of 130F. Take it off and transfer to a platter and let it rest covered in foil for ten minutes.
Carve and serve along with the chimi as a condiment.
*Note to cooks; it drives me ‘effing nuts to watch amateur patio daddy-o’s constantly flipping steaks and burgers. It only slows down the cooking process to where you just end up with road kill. My own dad was a master at that.

Bikini Girls With Machine Guns

2011-11-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I find good things by chance---it's maybe my restaurant radar.For about 25 years I lived in Hermosa Beach and the closest town to the south was Redondo. And for some weird reason I will always associate Redondo Beach with the Patti Smith song. Anyway, in a week of utter futility (not going into details) I was encamped in a hotel on PCH. First night of arrival I was absolutely dead tired and looking for a place to eat. Normally LA/CalMex bores the hell out of me but the closest place for anything was Ortega 120, a half block away. So, I entered and found this groovy restaurant bar and dining room decked out in post-punk and Mexican kitsch decor---you know, like skulls and stuff. As it turned out the food was really good. So good that I came back two nights later.

Apparently this restaurant is renowned for its tequila and margerita drinks, but as I drink neither I wouldn't know. But the food was damn good. On my first night I ordered carnitas enchiladas in a chile verde sauce. Two nights later I came back for the chile rellenos. Also really, really good. For some reason New York hasn't figured out Mexican yet, although Chicago has.

And here I have to ad lib that Arizona has made the chimichanga its official state food. If there is a more podunk state in the lower 48 I don't know which it could be. At least in the deep south they know how to cook. For the uninitiated, a chimichanga is basically a deep fried burrito.

On my final night in Redondo I crossed the border into Torrance in search of something Korean. The South Bay is blessed with wonderful Asian restaurants, most of which are located in strip centers, which never discourages me. So I found Yang San Park on Hawthorne Blvd and was in no way disappointed. I ordered a hearty kimchi pork stew, which of course came with six plates of other stuff. It was wonderful.

So if you are in the South Bay I'd give both of these places a nod.

Buffalo Frog Wings

2011-09-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

Through the Food Buzz “Tastemaker” program I received a sample of the new KC Masterpiece “Buffalo” marinade. As I’m a big fan of their products I was trying to think of something new and weird to do with it. About a year ago I was dining in one of my favorite restaurants, now defunct and ordered up a plate of these delicious frog legs that were prepped in such a way that they formed into what I refer to as frogsicle pops. So, I’ve recreated something close to that here but cranking it up a bit.

Ingredients:
12 frog legs
3/4 cup KC Masterpiece “Buffalo Marinade”
¼ cup superfine flour such as Wondra
½ cup panko style bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, clarified
Canola or grapeseed oil for frying
Hot sauce of your choosing; I like Crystal
Blue cheese or ranch dressing (cold) to accompany along with a relish tray of carrots, celery and radish.

Instructions:
This is the tricky step; using a very sharp knife cut into the tendons and trim off the meat along the lower portion of the leg. There’s not much. This is called “frenching”. What this will do is cause the meat, when it’s sizzling hot, to ball up like a lolly-pop.
In a wide flat Pyrex tray pour the buffalo marinade, add the frog legs. Make sure they are well coated. Cover the tray with cling wrap and allow to rest refrigerated for 30 minutes to one hour. Turn once or more during that time period.
When you are ready to cook heat up the oil in a deep dutch oven or fryolater. It should be at least 375F.
While the oil is heating dredge the “wings” in Wondra followed by panko. One by one drop them into the hot oil. DISCARD the marinade.
When the wings are sizzling hot remove them and place on a rack to drain.
Heat up the clarified butter in a sauté pan. Add the wings and season to taste with hot sauce---keep at hand at the table. Serve immediately with your condiments.

Crazy, Silly, Happy

2011-08-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

Because I spend a lot of time traveling I frequently make interesting discoveries in unlikely places, like say, Irvine, CA. I've now been back to the Diamond Jamboree shopping center about 10 or 12 times and it still knocks me out with it's crazy Asian vibe. I love it.

You can find a fantastic grocery in HMart, a dim sum parlour at Capital Seafood, a noodle shop at Ajisen and a totally amazing bakery 85° C (as in centigrade). The latter always has a long line out the door. Once you figure out the system, you get in line to get in, grab a tray and some tongs, pick out pastries that will make you swoon, and get in line to pay for them.

Each time I go back to Diamond Jamboree it becomes a new, exciting experience. A couple nights ago I was dining at the bar at Tokyo Table and two Asian-American guys working in commercial real estate sat down next to me. Great dinner company. One, Tony, gave me a long list of places to dine in Orange County. They also insisted on sharing their sake with me. Did I say I love this place? I can't wait to return.

March as I Left It

2011-04-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

April is not the cruelest month, it's really March. Ask Caesar. We spent most of March traveling to places you don't want to visit. With a mouth full of rocks (Foreign Legion term)we set out for Arizona. Our trip was bookended by airports bearing the names of right wing icons; out of John Wayne into Barry Goldwater and back again.

Before departure left car with sister and had dinner at Lucca in Irvine which was actually really good. Armandino Batali salumi with La Quercia prosciutto. Lucca is located in a shopping center in Irvine. Given that Irvine has no real city center that's not surprising.

In the morning Pierino was off to AZ. Picked up a Nissan something or other from Hertz and drove straight to Tucson. Dinner at Sullivan's was not so bad. No complaints---yet. Late Monday it was back to Phoenix, the Vortex of Evil. We camped out in Chandler, a hotel in an office park with nothing but chain restaurants in the vicinity. So we set off to a restaurant which we've blogged before, Anise. To our shock and horror it was closed. Another victim of Maricopa County's bizarre politics. This state is populated by anti-immigrant know-nothings who control the state legislature. When they're not smashing their cars into each other they're passing laws establishing an official state gun!

During a week of seriously bad meals we enjoyed lunch with a very dear friend who owns a bookstore in Tempe. She'd spent the morning with a "legislator" pushing for the state to collect sales tax on on-line purchases. These libertarian chuckleheads don't get the fact that it might bring in $65million in revenue to a state with more than 14% unemployment and massive debt. Meanwhile the governor is spreading urban legends about headless bodies in the desert and their convention business has all but disappeared thanks to stupid anti-immigrant laws.

Pierino got serious sticker shock upon returning his Nissan Whatever. We had a decent weekly rate from Hertz but there was an additional 50% in taxes and surcharges on top of the base rate!! Checked with Hertz and only one of the charges was their's and it was fairly minimal. Everything else was Maricopa/Arizona surcharge and then tax on the surcharges. Why is the state losing tourists and conventions? Because they are IGNORANT HOE HANDLES that's why. And they balance it out with bigotry and patriotism.

Upon return to Los Angeles Pierino was able to meet his good friend Kim, author and editor, and escort her to dinner for her birthday weekend. Kim had the misfortune of spending her birthday in Anaheim for work reasons. Despite what the sign say's, it's not the happiest place on earth. So, off to AOC for appetizers and then an unbelievable dinner at Providence. Problem was both of us wanted to order the same things. There were two indecently delicious amuse-bouches course which we can barely begin to describe. One was a "Screwdriver Bubble" which looked like a raw egg. There's your molecular gastronomy in action. Kim and Pierino both chose the Chitarra Pasta with Sea Urchin which was heartstopping. And after, they brought out a little birthday offering for Kim. Michael Cimarusti of Providence is up for a Beard award for Best Chef, Pacific.

Pierino returned to Paso Robles long enough to prepare St. Patrick's Dinner for the Oak Creek Commons commoners. Pierino cast it as French Patrick's Day; vaguely Irish dishes with a serious French twist.

Barely up for air, we swam (almost literally) back south. Worst rain on Hwy 101 that we've seen in twelve years, at least. More cars smashing into each other or into inanimate objects. A sporty looking car that had zipped by us wound up crunched against the median a few miles ahead.

Closed the month with a visit to our tax guy. After that, we had to indulge in a couple of glasses of pastis and a meal cooked with friends. Our appetizer course turned out well; "The Red and the Black"(pictured). This was roasted red pepper stuffed with black quinoa and aioli as a condiment.

And then it was April...

The Passenger in Chelsea

2010-12-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

Tree lighting week in Manhattan. A week we would avoid if we didn't have to visit there for work. Pierino has booked a nice hotel room down in Chelsea for four nights. Our flight is delayed by an hour and half. However our bag is wheeled out first with a thank you note from TSA inside. Then we are whisked into Manhattan by a driver from Coughingstan. Must be why we came home sick.

Midnight arrival at our corner, 8th Avenue and 22nd. The sign reads GEM Hotel except that it's anchored above a vacant retail space. Fortunately the hotel itself was actually one door away on 22nd. Boutique hotel room in the "Ascend" collection. You don't ascend very far because it's only five stories. Our small room with European style fittings has a view of the Empire State Building with the Hanukkah lights on.

Sunday we sleep. Meet a colleague for lunch at Katz's Deli for Matzoh Ball soup. By evening it's beginning to get really cold. So around 5:00 Pierino heads out the door toward a restaurant over on 7th Avenue. But on the chilly walk he notices a small restuarant at the corner of 8th and 20th, Le Trois Canards which sounds vaguely familiar. It was familiar because it had recently moved to this location from a few blocks away, one in which we had dropped in before way back when. We figured we'd check out the menu. Unfortunately the door was locked. But suddenly we were admitted by the lovely Samira who it turns out would be working all stations including the bar in the tiny dining room. As usual we order a glass of wine at the bar and see that the menu is perfect for a cold, winter night. Forget 7th Avenue!

First course, steaming garlicky escargots in their own natural shells so that you have to use those clamp thingies to pry them out. This was followed by a delicious tarte au cepes, spilling out good stuff including escarole. Pierino is a happy man especially after chatting with Samira, international woman of mystery. Before we leave Samira smuggles some extra biscotti out of the kitchen, which he sticks in his pockets along with the remaining half bottle of sparkling water. Unfortunately (not so really unfortunate, in the end), at about 2:00 a.m. Pierino wakes up realizing that he has left his bag hanging on the back of his chair. And he has an early train to White Plains in the morning.

So, after an 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. schedule of trains and meetings we go back to Le Trois Canards to retrieve our stuff. Once again greeted at the door by Samira. So we hang out for another glass of wine until they are ready to lock the doors. We discuss the films of Pontecorvo (The Battle of Algiers)and Fellini (La Dolce Vita)and then adieu.

And it's still stinking cold.

On our last night in Manhattan where else would we go? Doh! Back to Trois Canards. It's only two blocks away. This time we ordered their superb Onion Soup Gratinee. Now that will warm your bones when it's 18F outside. Au revoir Samira. Until the next visit.

I am the Passenger

2010-12-14T13:10:00.000-08:00

"I am the Passenger I ride and I ride..." ...and I ride and I fly and I drive... "And everything looks good tonight, Everything was made for you and me..."And I ride and I fly and I drive "And everything looks good tonight..."

And I meet interesting people in train stations and airport lounges and most often restaurant bars where I arrive by my ownself with a book. Over four days in New York I met a choral student from Beijing, two antique dealers, and a beautiful restaurant server with a fascinating personal history: Moroccan/Algerian; grew up in Alsace. Her Moroccan father was recruited into the French Army and covertly assisted the Algerian rebels and had to sneak out of Algeria in 1962, escaped to France and raised his family. Meanwhile, observed in flight; a middle-aged Indian woman in an opposite seat playing a video game on an IPad which seemed to involve shooting down birds flying past, as well as blowing up buildings. I don't make this stuff up

AZ: The Good, The Very Bad, and the Horribly Ugly

2010-08-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

I try to find something good everywhere I travel. Usually I succeed. In this case, I was bunkered in Chandler, AZ and with a little research turned up Anise, a Vietnamese restaurant on Dobson. Located in a strip mall (yeah, please name a Vietnamese restaurant in the western US that isn't), they ought to be a destination for anyone (like Pierino) stuck down there. The food is great. The charming Kim and Anne work the front of the house and will even order for you if you ask their advice. We went with that plan on our second visit. They make lovely, clear broths, which I think is the toughest to get right. Combined with crab meat, well...

Not everything in AZ is so charming right now. I happened to be there on the day that the district court blocked most of SB 1070. Now, could I just say that immigrant labor is the backbone of the restaurant and hotel industry in the state as well as most of North America with the exception of Guam and the Palin Territories. These people risk death walking through the desert just to wash dishes, cook and change the sheets in your hotel room. And you want to keep 'em out? Tell me why!

I was listening to KJZZ (an NPR affiliate) at the time that the decision came down. This was a local show with AZ callers (please remember that these people don't know that you are supposed to stop for red lights). Of course they were all offended and predicted that this will lead to a Republican sweep in November. They could be right. But what these morons won't accept is that the most conservative Supreme Court in 40 years will uphold the distict and circuit court decisions. Including Chief Justice Roberts? And then, what's your come back?

I heard one woman caller on KJZZ say, "when was the last time you saw an American [aka white] teenager working at a McDonald's?" How about they're too effing lazy to apply! Do you really think that Effing Ronald McDonald discriminates against white American teens? Shit, they grew up on Happy Meals, but it doesn't mean they want to work there. But these same idiots are also opposed to raising the minimum wage. You can't have it both ways.

And now for the decidedly ugly. I checked out of my hotel and was en route to the airport thinking that I had missed, for once, what is an all too familiar sight on Arizona roadways. That would be the ghastly car crash. Well, I didn't have to travel very far on 10 North to see the signs that access to I17 was closed. When I got there I could see why: in the connector lane a pickup was flipped over with the cab crushed. This happened to be a rainy morning. There are worse things than missing your off ramp. But hey, people in AZ will risk death to do that. And their thing about red lights? It means "Stop" not "speed up!"

One Buck Shuck

2010-06-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

I spent one night in "Sideways" country this past week on my way up the road to my new home further up the coast. During that stay I paid my third visit to "Root 246", Bradley Ogden's restaurant in the Hotel Corque in Solvang. And Chef Bradley, as widely rumoured, was in fact in the house. They offer a great deal on oysters. $1.00 for one Kumamoto. After that a caesar salad with a perfectly poached egg. That's spelled, MIGHTY FINE.

Chicago, Doh!

2010-05-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when there were only six teams in the NHL? I do. Pierino stopped being a Kings' fan when they changed their sweaters which then became gang colors. But going back to the old time days, we are a serious fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, so part of one day was used up just grabbing Hawks' swag.

I could be wrong but was this relief on the Michigan Avenue bridge sculpted to commemorate the B'hawks victory over Vancouver to advance to the conference finals?

Chicago, Oink!

2010-05-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

Could I just say again that I love Chicago. The City of Big Shoulders, Broad Bellies and Hog Butcher to the Nation. Pierino had scarcely two nights in town but departed well fed and happy.
After escaping from the boondocks of Naperville we hit the city and Michigan Avenue. Listening to bar chat at the Inn of Chicago (hotel)we heard about The Purple Pig, just two blocks away, almost opposite the Tribune Building. Some fast in room research and we were on our way. Anyplace that promotes "Cheese, Swine & Wine" is fine with Pierino. Preaching to the choir here.

The first night we supped on marinated olives, fava beans with an egg salad, and pig tails braised in balsamic. Could we have more pig please?

This was so good that we had to return the next day for lunch. Pierino really wanted to sample the "smears", and in our case this turned out to be the pork neck rillettes with mostarda. The rillette was absurdly good with burnt, crusty bruschetta slices of bread (is that redundant?). The mostarda though, was sort of wimpola. It was almost like a compote of fig and raisin with little of the curried kick that the real thing should deliver. Nevertheless, we loved that rillette.

One of Pierino's friends keeps bugging him to go to Avec, which he seriously wanted to try. It might help if you came along, Kim. No time on this trip, though. But I'll be back. You can bet on it.

Oh, hi!

2010-04-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the pleasure of cooking for some good friends up in Ojai, CA at "Piazza dell' Thatcher". The principal course turned out to be a paella made with fresh sea scallops from Alaska (thank you, Michael), fresh asparagus, and smoked Italian peppers along with the mandatory bomba rice, saffron and pimenton. As an appetizer, equaliser, I stole an idea from a chef friend. I bought some cerignola olives (big fat ones)and tossed them some maracona almonds and olive oil, along with some slivers of garlic. See the video clip. I plated this with some white "boquerones" around the platter. The boquerones are white anchovies in vinegar and oil and are guaranteed to convert to convert anchovy haters. Let's just say that there weren't any left on the serving platter when I returned from the kitchen. Chef Amber, I owe you one.

Cooks Illustrated v food52; The Thrilla in Nutella

2010-03-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

The food52 crowd was handed a throwdown by Cooks Illustrated: lab rats versus home cooks. Sweet. Mr Bowtie and starched apron, Chris Kimball at first tried to back out but got shamed into going through with it. Categories are "roast pork shoulder" and "sugar cookies". We'll kick butt (which in the language of pork is actually the shoulder---don't ask me why), and of course yours truly has entered with "Porchetta Pierino". Read all about it at www.food52.com By all means log in and comment. In the end this will all be decided by popular vote.

For those of you unfamiliar with Cooks Illustrated magazine, the whole format is to produce the "best" this or that. The flaw in that thinking is that your kitchen isn't the same as mine. Your oven could be calibrated 25 degrees hotter or less warm, your knife may not be as sharp, and maybe you are buying your "fresh" fish from the supermarket. Other than that the magazine is useful for showing you ways to multi-task your meat pounder. Doink!

The Dead Zona

2010-03-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

It's flat out effing scary in Arizona. A week back I was looking at the remnants of the umpteenth catastrophic car crash from my hotel window. They seem to lack three things in Arizona. Those would be red light recognition, brakes, and state funded rest stops. The latter is the newest ingredient in their particular and perverse fusion bomb.

So Pierino was encamped in Chandler (it works for business reasons). In Chandler dining establishments have names like "My Big Fat Greek Restaurant". Catch my drift? We could have done better by driving into the city where there are some good places, like Pizzeria Bianco but we finished each day too tired and too scared to travel more than a mile.

One find though was Durant's on Central Avenue in Phoenix. Pierino loves old school restaurant/bars even though he only drinks club soda in the daytime. We are used to dark bars, but this is really, really dark (hence the jittery lightscape in the image). So dark we could barely read the menu let alone our book. Opened in 1950, Durant's has that red velvet wall and banquette charm. We love these places. Phoenix now has light rail running down Central Avenue which solves to a degree the red light issue. The metro stops almost outside Durant's door at 2611 North Central. So we enjoyed a capable tuna salad with our obligatory club soda and squinted into the sunlight in the aftermath. For the record, the Pink Pony in Scottsdale is now closed.

We also visited our favorite bookstore in AZ. That would be Changing Hands in Tempe at Guadalupe and McClintock. We lunched with owner Gayle Shanks at Windy City Cafe and enjoyed real Chicago hot dogs. I mean these are authentic, dragged through the garden, right down to the poppy seed buns and bright green relish. If you've been to Chicago you know what I'm talking about. So if you visit Tempe be sure to buy a book at Changing Hands and a hot dog at Windy City, 1815 East Elliot Rd. Just don't drive through the yellow tape.

On the Road and Off the Reservation, Man Bites Dog

2010-01-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

Pierino is back on the familiar HWY 101 north again. We spent two nights bunkered in Buellton waiting for the storms to pass. 2 1/2" of rain in Solvang in about 5 minutes.

We took the opportunity to check out Bradley Ogden's new restaurant in Solvang at the Hotel Corque, which happens to be owned by the Chumash Indians who have more money than Bill Gates. The hotel is actually not on the reservation but close by on Alisa. We assumed our usual position at the restaurant bar with our book and Droid in hand and ordered from their excellent bar menu. First we ordered their Maytag Blue souffle with fennel and tangerine "sous vide" and baby arugula salad. In our opinion "sous vide" is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Why sous vide fennel except to justify your expensive immersion circulator? But it was a good dish.

Next up was their "foot long hot dog", which is their signature bar dish. They change it frequently. When we first read about it it was served "Chicago" style. This time it was served "Philly" style---a frightening prospect for a man who loves his dog. It was served with white cheddar rather than Philly's favorite condiment, Cheez Wiz. It's an all beef dog in natural casing from Hobbs in San Francisco. A damn fine item. If you don't mind spending $12 on a dog (and we don't)this is the place to go.

The Bridesmaid Again

2010-01-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

Pierino has scored another "editor's pick" with food52 in the "couscous" competition, but we are still picking away for a "finalist" spot. But here is our recipe for Fregola Bastia sauce à l àmericaine.

Fregola is the Sard version of couscous, heavier and more dense, and you have to crucify a lobster for this one. If you can handle that here's the recipe:

The details for this recipe really apply specifically to California Spiny lobster. But it should be adaptable to whatever live lobster you have access to. When I look at the calendar and see that it’s the first week of October I’m down to the fish market right away. October not only marks the opening week of the season but it’s really the peak of the season too.

I try not to argue with folks on the east coast about which lobster is “best.” It gets down to the fact that in season this is the best, freshest lobster I can find. The market availability can be limited because much of the catch goes to Asia.

And he is indeed spiny. I put on kitchen gloves in order to facilitate Monsieur Homard’s dispatch. He doesn’t have claws but he can surprise you with a wicked tail flip.

Fill your biggest pot with water and get it boiling. Give your lobster a clean death, a soldier’s death so that he can wake up in Elysium with kelp waiving in his antennae. This can be a problem because the carapace of spiny lobster in the area of eyes and brain is heavily armored on both sides. You might like to turn him over and plunge a heavy knife in that area, but if you whack off your thumb Monsieur wins. You decide.

The average weight for a California spiny is about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ lbs. Plunge the lobster into the pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Extract your lobster (now in Elysium) and allow him/her to cool down.

Monsieur Homard is pretty easy to break up. Separate the head from the body and you will probably have a lot of green tomalley running out which you should try to capture. If it happens to be Madame Homard you could be lucky enough to collect some roe.

Most of the meat will come from the tail, but you might be able to get a little bit of cheek meat from the head. Using sturdy kitchen shears cut down the belly and pull out the tail and carefully clean out the nasty bits. SAVE THE SHELLS. With some patience you can get a bit more meat from the legs.

Chop up the tail meat and refrigerate until ready to use, although actually it might be easier to dispatch your lobster in the morning, refrigerate the tail and do the chopping along with your prep work for the sauce.

Ingredients for Sauce Americaine:

4 tablespoons butter
Reserved lobster shells
1 shallot chopped
½ yellow onion chopped---roughly ½ cup
1 celery stick chopped
1/cup chopped celery leaves
1 carrot chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
¼ cup white wine
1 14 ½ oz can of diced tomatoes (substitute an equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes if you can find good ones)
1 pinch of Aleppo pepper or cayenne pepper (optional)
1 generous pinch of saffron threads
¼ cup Spanish sherry
Salt and pepper

Lobster cut into bite sized pieces

Roughly 6 oz of saffron fettuccine from Rustichella d’Abruzzo or other dried fettuccine

In a pan large enough to contain the sauce and the cooked pasta heat the butter over medium heat. Don’t let it brown. Once you have hot butter add the shallot, onion, garlic, celery and carrot one at a time stirring all the time. Add broken up lobster shells and continue to stir. Add the Aleppo pepper if using, the saffron and the chopped celery leaves. Add the white wine and simmer for about five to seven minutes (I tend to judge by aroma and color before moving on to the next step). Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes to the pan and bring to a simmer to reduce by about half. After a few minutes start your water boiling for the pasta.

When you feel the sauce is close to your satisfaction add in the sherry, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook a few more minutes. With kitchen tongs remove the shell pieces and discard. Put the sauce through a food mill over a bowl and then return to the pan.

Now add the cut up lobster meat to the sauce.

Salt the boiling water and add the pasta. The dried saffron pasta will cook rather quickly, in about 5 minutes. Other dried pasta might take longer. Add the pasta cooked just short of al dente directly to the sauce. Taste for seasoning. No cheese should be added.

This will serve two as a light main course or up to four as a first course.

Where's my sardine app?

2009-12-20T15:41:00.000-08:00

Recipe: Steinbeck’s Bagnat:

I came up with this recipe because I couldn’t find the canned sardine app for my new smartphone. Also because I found some really good tinned sardines when I was in Monterey, CA a couple months back. While there I discovered Cannery Row Sardine Co. The young entrepreneur behind this had the brilliant idea of bringing back sardines to Cannery Row. And he has a great product. Go to www.canneryrowsardineco.com to order. The price is a bit high but worth it in a supply and demand universe.

This sandwich is a riff on the pan bagnat and it will be “wet.” It’s supposed to be. Have an ample amount of napkins on hand. This recipe is intended to serve 4 but do the math yourself.

Ingredients;

4 ciabatta style rolls or the equivalent amount of sections of one ciabatta loaf.
2 four oz cans of Cannery Row Sardine Co.™ sardines packed in olive oil or the equivalent in imported tinned sardines.
2 to 3 really good anchovy filets (don’t wimp out on me)
1 sweet onion
1 heirloom tomato
1 bunch watercress
2 radishes---I like the French Breakfast variety because they grow well for me.
Nicoise olives, pitted and sliced (optional)
Sea salt and pepper
Your best olive oil*

The process: wash the watercress and maybe use a salad spinner to get water off. Slice the onions and tomato as thin as you can by hand and set aside. If you have a Kyocera hand slicer (remember mine is named Danton) use it to thinly slice the radishes.

Assembly: lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap on a board. Slice the roll in half lengthwise. Put the halves on the cling wrap and scoop out enough of the crumb so that you have two “canoes.” Give both canoes a generous dose of your best olive oil.

Place a good handful of leaves on the first “canoe.” Top this with the sardine and then the anchovies. Add tomatoes and onion in any order you would like. Finish with olives and radishes, all in a big pile. In the other canoe place the remaining cress. And turn over to cover the sandwich.

Wrap it all up in the cling wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Repeat with as many rolls as you have.

Great for those days when you don’t want to turn on the oven

*If I ever hear any of you use the term “EVOO” you will be permanently off the recipe list. Why? Because even though Rachael Ray has her own brand she doesn’t even know what the term Extra Virgin means. And I’m flat out serious. The world must be saved from this evil woman. Let’s get started!

food52

2009-12-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

Pierino wishes to thank Merrill and Amanda for giving him his fifteen minutes in the "Cook Spotlight". This is a great project. Check it out at http://www.food52.com/home The competition grows larger everyday. We're in for the ultimate throw down.

Profiles of Chefs We Admire; Amber Caudle

2009-11-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

We are still a devoted locavore (no matter where we happen to be). Pierino has been patronizing Mediterraneo in Hermosa Beach since it opened. From the name you can infer a Mediterranean theme. Chef Amber has been in charge of the kitchen for six years and she is case study in what young women chefs have to do to succeed. Her food and her talents have grown incredibly in the time we have known her.

As Chef Amber tells the story, she had no formal culinary training (like say, from one of the Cordon Bleu schools) but developed her love of the art and craft as a child cooking with her family. Her first opportunity to enter a restaurant kitchen took place in Colorado where she was allowed by the Sicilian chef to do nothing but prep. Nevertheless, she was invited to follow him to the new Mediterraneo in California. Not long after it opened, the chef and the owner parted ways. Suddenly Amber was in charge of the Med's kitchen. We can tell you from our conversations that Chef Amber is a very serious student of cooking and does practically nothing but study and cook. At first her menu of necessity had to conform to the one the exiting chef had left behind. For the most part it is tapas as in small plates with some entrees. Gradually Amber made it all her own.

Our chef has a fascination with Spanish items, even though two years ago she did a stage in Sorrento in a B&B. She is a devotee of the Slow Food Movement too. Of late she's done some freshening up to the tapas plates, which frankly we love. These were hard to sell at first, stuff like Spanish white anchovies (boquerones) and morcilla (blood sausage)but now they are a success. There are occasional specials not on the menu, but just ask to find out what they might be. We can say that on two occasions for small tables of Pierino's friends, Chef wowed everyone with off the menu dinners at a very reasonable price. This should also tell you that we are a big supporter of what Amber is trying to accomplish here. Think "Top Chef" qualifiers.

Recommendatons from the nightly tapas menu (cold and hot):

Cold: the pinxtos are exceptional but we like;

Pinxtos Anchovy (boquerones, aioli, roma tomato, egg)
Pappadews (sweet peppers, goat cheese, basil)
Fennel Salad (oranges, red onion, almonds, mint)---classic combination

Hot: our favorites include;

Tortilla espanola (potato omelette with piquillos, mushrooms, fontina, aioli)*
Sobrasada Bruschetta (manchgo, quince aka membrillo)
Lentil chorizo stew

And don't overlook the cheese plates!

So go out and support young chefs who work hard for you!

Mediterraneo is at
73 Pier Avenue
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

*Chef Amber has an ingenious method for preparing her tortilla

Suppli and Demand

2009-11-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

Suppli al telefono is classic Roman street food. “Telefono” refers to telephone wires. When you bite into one of these gooey croquettes the strings of melted mozzarella are the wires. We think the origins of this dish must be in Sicily where its counterparts would be the “arancine.” Lots of good ideas came to Rome from Sicily when the Jews were expelled during the Inquisition; most of the culinary ones involved frying stuff. My version isn’t kosher but you can make it so quite easily. The rice is the star here, tweak it as you will. Don’t even think about attempting this with long grain rice. You begin by making a risotto which you can do a day ahead. You can even use leftover “sticky rice” of the cal-rose variety or Spanish “bomba.”
Ingredients:
1 cup Arborio (or other short grain) rice
1 tbs butter
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 cups chicken stock
1 pinch saffron threads
3 whole eggs (2 for the rice plus one for your frying station)
1/3 cup grated pecorino cheese
¼ pound prosciutto or speck or spicy capacola (have it sliced thick), cut into ¼ inch dice
5 oz low moisture mozzarella
½ cup bread crumbs (panko)
½ cup all purpose flour
3 cups frying oil (olive oil would be Roman, but you can use canola or peanut oil as well)

Salt and pepper
1) Prepare the rice. Bring your chicken stock to a boil, add the saffron threads and lower heat to a simmer. Meanwhile melt the butter in your rice pan and add the onion. Allow the onion to color
2) Stir the rice into the butter with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until the rice is translucent.
3) Over medium heat add stock to rice and onion a ladleful at a time. Allow 25 minutes for rice to become al dente and remove from heat.
4) Turn your rice out into a large bowl and allow to cool. Beat two eggs and add them to the rice with several spoons of pecorino, plus salt and pepper. Using your clean hands squish everything together into a lumpen proletariat like mass.
5) In a large pot, preferably cast iron, enameled or not, heat frying oil to 370 degrees.
6) Again using your clean hands, shape the rice into egg shaped balls and insert a piece a chunk of mozzarella and a chunk of your preferred hammage. Close the ball tightly.
7) Your frying station consists of a plate of flour, the remaining egg (also beaten) in a bowl, and a final plate of bread crumbs mixed with more pecorino.
8) One by one, roll the suppli into flour first, dip into egg and finally roll in bread crumbs.
9) Carefully lower your suppli into your hot cooking oil. If you displace too much oil you won’t be yelling “Eureka” like Archimedes. You’ll be dialing 911. Allow your suppli to get nice and golden brown. Serve hot but with care.

Note to cook. There are many variations for suppli and they remain open to argument. Welcome to Rome. Among my favorites would be a ragu of regaglie (chicken giblets), which you could substitute for ham.

Twilight, the dinner not the stupid movie

2009-11-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

Pierino has spent an indecent amount of time crashing the Central Coast on his way to and from....points north and south. On our return trip from Hercules/Pinole we spent 20 hours in Monterey (we love Monterey) and after a long drive from East Bay landed ourselves at Stokes. This was fortuitous. Because Stokes has now closed. Shock, horror, awe, grief. New chef, but not his fault. We really liked the frogs legs. Bones were frenched so that you had nice toothy morsels of flesh like a lollypop on a little stick of amphibian tibia. The "Buffalo Sweetbreads" were flat out wierd, but they did taste good. Alas, folks this is Twilight for fine dining in Monterey. We'll miss restaurant bartenders Mario and Dino---but they'll turn up someplace soon. And the original chef Brandon Miller is cooking it up in Carmel.

At our hotel we picked up a copy of the free newspaper "Monterey Weekly" and as a consequence had a quick morning confab with Daren Warnick, the brains behind "Cannery Row, Sardine Co." Do you like sardines? Pierino love sardines. Pierino loves fish in tins. Daren got some timely press that pretty much wiped out his inventory almost over night, and it took him a little time to restock it. Price of success. But he has a good product carrying on the heritage of Steinbeck Country and you should go visit him at 700 Cannery Row.

Foodbuzz, Dawn of the Eggs

2009-11-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

After a rapturous dining experience at the "Outstanding in the Field" dinner Pierino quickly retired to his chambers at the Galleria Park. He woke up at 5:00 a.m. and discovered that there really was hot coffee on the mezzanine level. So back up four flights of stairs with newspapers. Hooked up with a pair of our favorite bloggers and walked down to Lulu for the sendoff brunch. The DIY SKYY bloody mary bar was pretty scary. We consumed two, along with Nature's Pride croque monsieur and of course...eggs, scrambled not stirred. Neat, sweet, petite.

Foodbuzz Day 2, Chapter 8 1/2

2009-11-10T18:23:00.000-08:00

Saturday evening we walked into a Fellini film. Very much like "8 1/2". We could almost hear the Nino Rota "la passarella" score playing in our head down at Greenleaf Produce (or was it Cine Citta?) for the "Outstanding in the Field Dinner". Like Marcello Mastroianni in that film we wanted to crawl beneath the miles of tables arranged like a maze, passing fork lifts, produce boxes and loading docks. Really, it was like the final scene of that movie---one of our all time faves. Thank God it didn't turn into "The Cook, the Thief...."!

The menu was astonishing!

Ahi tonnato on pain de mie with gochukaru and parsley made it's way through the gathered throngs

Mushroom dashi, maitake, shimeji, enoki mushrooms

Udon grilled Monterey calamari in a browned butter ponzu reduction, cucumber, kaiware, frisee & yellow pear tomato with chojang sesame vinaigrette

Sea trout(?) baked with dashikombu, fried garlic and Japanese curry powder

Mushroom risotto with koshikari rice, crispy maitake mushrooms

Soy braised beef cheeks and oxtails, baby carrots and fingerling potato, OB Beer and denjang demi

Roasted brussels sprouts, ponzu fried garlic, guanciale, bonito flakes (da bomb!) We're amazed we can still recall it from our Fellini daze.

Tell me if any of this looks familiar, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtDQOF_pU8A

Foodbuzz Day 2 Chapter One

2009-11-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

Slouching through San Francisco, Pierino arrived back at the Hotel Vitale for an outstanding Olive Oil clinic led by Chef Michael Touhy of The Grange in Sacramento. We tasted and discussed six different oils and left the session with yet another Foodbuzz gift, a very nice bottle of Olio Nuovo for our own kitchen.

Chef Michael did a wonderful job and all the bloggers who attended raved about it. After that it was a hike down to the Metreon in the excellent company of bloggers Lisa and Jin. City View's space was indeed that! The Taste Pavillion featured more than 50 producers. We sampled everything from crostini to olives to a variety of wines and cheeses---some items just being introduced to the market.

On our last spin through the aisles we unexpectedly ran into an old cohort, Sean Breheny, now at Earthbound Farm in San Juan Bautista. We remember Sean from back when he worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In those days Pierino was a vendor and Sean would give us a free walk through of the latest exhibits. What a great guy.

After making our way back to our hotel we rushed across the street to ship our swag bag supplies home. Thank you FedEx! After resting up we took the street car back toward the Vitale. Pierino is a major fan of the San Francisco street cars and never tires of riding them. On the way to the Vitale we a made quick visit to the San Francisco Railway Museum and snagged some souvenirs. The gift shop is close to the Ferry Building and only a block from the Vitale. Check out www.streetcar.org More to follow

Foodbuzz Reception

2009-11-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

We arrived in San Francisco late Friday for the Foodbuzz blogger conference. In the evening we gathered on the 8th floor terrace of the lovely St. Vitale Hotel overlooking the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge. Superb food and beverage was served, but Pierino exhausted from his long day sipped club soda while his colleagues consumed champagne and exotic drinks. We regret having missed the Street Food Fair. But alas, an early night in bed called to us.

Haunted Speakasy

2009-10-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

When Pierino is not traveling, cooking or writing he likes to enjoy the arts of theater and performance. This past weekend he attended a "haunted speakeasy" hosted by his friend Christine, a Smart Gal.
Visit www.smartgals.org to find out what's smart and what's not.

Waiting for Bonaparte

2009-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Pierino scored his second Food52 "editors' pick" for his "Big Zombie Mustard Chicken Tagine" about which editors Amanda and Merrill commented, "The mustard isn't the star of this show, but the dish is sweet and spicy in all the right ways."

So this week our entry for Week 19 is "Waiting for Bonaparte Muffaletta."

Big Zombie for Food52

2009-10-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Watch our entry for Food52 Week 18 "Big Zombie Mustard Chicken Tagine."

Not yet ready for Sundance

Chef Jessica

2009-10-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.easyreadernews.com/story.php?StoryID=20035476&searchfor=jessica jordan&ActualDate=2009-10-08

For the record I blogged Jessica's innovative cooking at least a year ago. North End is my hometown hangout.

Mind Circus Olimpic

2009-10-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend of October 2-4 Pierino had the opportunity to cook with really good friends. Bob and Steve shucked four dozen oysters for our delectation. Jeff points out which oysters to shuck while Pierino aims the camera.

Shameless Plugz

2009-09-29T10:19:00.001-07:00

Good morning everyone, yours truly aka Pierino, has an entry in Food 52's recipe contest at http://www.food52.com/home for "Walking Spanish Down the Hall Chicken Thighs" in "your best recipe using paprika."

Comment please. And vote early and often once the polls open.

RIP Keith Floyd

2009-09-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Purgatory extends a mournful welcome to Keith Floyd, a great big hearted talent. Before there was Jamie Oliver there was Keith Floyd. Before there was the obnoxious Gordon Ramsay there was Keith Floyd. Keith Floyd's BBC show's opening music was the Stranglers' "Waltz in Black." So we lose Keith and Jim Carroll in a single week.

Pierino enjoyed Floyd shows much more than "The French Chef." Like Graham Kerr he didn't mind indulging in tipsy, bawdy humour but not with each spoken line incorporating the "F" word as an adjective.

To borrow from Jim Carroll we'll say, "Keith I miss you more than all the others, and I salute you brother!!"

Pizza Spagnola

2009-09-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Crib Note Recipes #4; Pizza Spagnola

This recipe begins with a pipérade. It’s a not so distant cousin of ratatouille. It contains at least two types of peppers, flame roasted and peeled, seeded and sautéed with sliced onion and garlic in olive oil with a couple of pinches of Spanish pimenton.

You will also need pizza dough, which is easy to make at home and which also freezes well. Or perhaps purchase some from a pizzeria nearby. Other ingredients are good melting cheese and some Spanish olives.

For the pipérade roast peppers over an oven burner. Choose a combination of colors, with at least one green type. As I’ve noted before, I prefer pasilla and poblano peppers to green bell peppers. The roasted skin peels off more easily, and they are easy to peel, seed and scrape. And I think they deliver a richer flavor.

Once you’ve roasted the peppers place them in a paper bag and roll closed. Or put them in a large bowl and cover it tightly with cling wrap. They’ll need about 20 minutes to rest before they are ready. To continue your mise slice a sweet onion as thinly as you can. Thinly slice two garlic cloves. Coarsely chop a couple of nice tomatoes.

Heat some olive oil to the point that it shimmers and add the peppers, onion, tomatoes and garlic and begin to sweat them down. Season with sea salt and the pimenton . The onions should be caramelized and soft and the tomatoes almost melted.

At this point your pipérade is ready to use at once or to hold for several days.

For the pizza, roll out your dough and shape in a pan. Cover with a towel to allow a second rise (the second after its first fermenting rise).

Crank up your oven to its highest temp. I’ve found through the use of a laser thermometer that the floor of mine attains about 600°F.

Meanwhile thinly slice your pizza cheese. For this I use a Basque Idiazabal, and I use a swivel peeler to get almost paper thin slices. Brush the bottom of the dough with olive oil and then cover with the cheese. Top that with your pipérade and brush the edges of the crust with more oil. Top with a handful of olives and place on the middle rack of your oven. Depending on the heat and your dough it should take about 18 minutes to finish. Let cool and then slice.

Enchiladas/Fideos Pierino Style

2009-09-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

This casserole combines Mexican and Spanish elements in total, harmonious deliciousity. You will need a 14 oz can of red enchilada sauce (unless you make your own moles), a package of fideo noodles (sold in coils), 8 to 10 medium sized corn tortillas, ¾ lb ripe tomatoes, a firm sheep’s milk cheese---one which you like and which you can grate , approximately ¼ of one small head of green cabbage, cilantro washed and chopped (optional).

Begin by heating your oven to 400˚. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to boil on the stove top and lubricate your casserole with oil or butter.

Recipes for publication these days are supposed to remind you to open the can before using the contents, so please do that, right? Empty the enchilada sauce into a large bowl. Using a box grater, grate your cheese. You will need about 4 oz or more to your taste. Dice one tomato but leave at least one whole to slice.

When the water has come to a boil add coarse salt and then the fideo coils. Cook until just barely al dente. Drain the noodles and when cool enough to handle separate into strands. One by one dip a corn tortilla into your patient enchilada sauce---it’s waiting for your loving touch. Cup a tortilla in the palm of your hand, and using your non-wet hand spoon in some grated cheese, then pluck out some fideo to almost fill the tortilla add some chopped tomato and roll up to fit one side of your casserole. Repeat until the casserole is full with just one layer of enchiladas. Drip any remaining enchilada sauce over the top, followed by another handful of cheese. As fast as Zorro you must now slice your tomatoes and place these on top of everything else. Place the casserole in the hot oven.

Now grate your cabbage on the box grater which you have not yet put in the dishwasher. After about 20 minutes your enchiladas should be ready. And yes, your earthenware casserole will be hot to handle. Toss some cilantro over the top, if using, followed by the grated cabbage. For enchiladas Cal-Mex style top with sour cream----I’m not saying you should, just that you can.

Whatchamacallit

2009-09-02T09:20:00.001-07:00

This woodland creature is commonly known as:

a) Tom Hanks's pal in "Cast Away"
b) Celeriac
c) Shrekfruit
d) Alton Brown
e) Glutenintolerantosaurus

Chicken a la Plancha for a Summer Night

2009-08-29T11:51:00.001-07:00

Crib Note Recipes #2; Chicken a la Plancha
Simple, succulent and easy for these hot summer nights.

You will need a combination of chicken wings and thighs, Spanish pimenton de la vera (‘picante’), sea salt, rosemary and lavender branches (optional), mesquite or oak charcoal (essential) for the fire.

To finish and serve, you will need thinly sliced red onion and two or more peeled cloves of garlic (preferably from confit) , a handful of small olives, one meyer lemon and ground black pepper.

Begin by building a fire of hardwood charcoal. I recommend banking the coals to one side and placing a drip pan to one side at the bottom of the grill because to the extent possible you would like to cook the chicken over indirect heat. Position any fatty pieces so that they drip into the pan and not onto the coals. Begin skin side down and finish skin side up. Place a few rosemary and lavender branches (if using) on the grill grate amidst the chicken pieces so that they help perfume the skin and meat. Discard the herb branches which by now will be blackened.

While the chicken is cooking sauté the onions in a small amount of olive oil. Allow them to soften just short of full carmelization and add the garlic cloves and stir. When the chicken is finished transfer the pieces to a serving platter. Add a generous grating of black pepper. Top with sautéed onions and garlic. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the chicken and scatter the olives.

Serve with a green salad, and maybe some couscous.

Pissaladière from Crib Note Recipes

2009-08-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Allez cuisine! One more reason for you to master flat breads that you can top or fill with really swell stuff.

You will need 1 ½ lb pre-made dough, such as pizza dough. This dough freezes well and is handy to keeper in the freezer, tightly wrapped in plastic. Sweet onions, thinly sliced. Two or more peeled cloves of garlic. Eight to twelve good quality anchovies such as boquerones or alici. Black olives (pitted or not) such as niçoise . “Fruity” extra virgin olive oil. A sprig of fresh thyme, and a bay leaf. Bench flour. Sea salt and pepper.

If using a frozen dough allow it to come back to room temperature while still in its cling wrap.

Heat some olive oil in a pan large enough to contain the onions and slowly carmelize them, stirring frequently. This will take about 40 minutes over a low flame. You would use this technique when making onion soup.

Prepare a hot oven, 450º to 475º. No two ovens are calibrated exactly the same, so you have to know you own well.

Unwrap the dough and roll it out onto a floured board. Transfer the dough to a sheet pan you’ve rubbed with olive oil. Crimp the dough against the edges of the pan so that it will hold the filling. You would like the interior to be about 1/8” thick.

Cover the rolled out crust in the pan with a towel and allow it to rest for about fifteen minutes.

Fill the crust with a lavish amount of onions and the garlic cloves. Tuck in the bay leaf. Arrange the anchovies in a cris cross pattern. Scatter the olives across the top. Strip off the leaves from the thyme and sprinkle those around. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Brush the outside crust lightly with a little olive oil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the outside crust becomes nice and golden brown. Serve sliced.

Pupusas USA

2009-08-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

When not chasing after the Kogi truck Pierino is ever on the hunt for pupusas. Pupusas are native to El Salavador. They could be described as living a life somewhere between a soft corn taco and an empanada. The dough itself is made from masa and water and the interior filling is a mozzarella like cheese, and chicken or beef or pork or vegetables. The essential condiments include spicy cabbage slaw and some zesty salsa.
Here's a quick look from our spy cam of pupusas in progress at or local farmer's market.

Mary Sue Milliken of the "Two Hot Tamales" is also a fan and raves about the pupusas from the Central Market in downtown LA.

Off to Market

2009-08-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

Of late Pierino has been dividing his time on the ol' pie chart amidst trips to farmers markets and Surfas in Culver City. This makes for a busy but satisfying week: fresh produce from the markets and tools and prepared products from Surfas.

At the Friday Hermosa Beach market we stopped at Harry's Berries out of Oxnard and talked to Gabriel about strawberries.

The berries we purchased were small very sweet, and actually for all intents "organic" but for the fact that they are not certified as such. This is a very slippery slope for small growers and confusing as hell for the consumer. "Certified" is the operative word and there is an "economy of scale" trade off that confronts small farmers, particularly in terms of paperwork.

Pierino talked to Russ Parsons of the LA Times about this back when berries just beginning to show up in the markets. In an e-mail Russ wrote: "...until the advent of chemical pesticides, [strawberries] were a miniscule crop because they are so susceptible to soil-borne diseases that you couldn’t plant them in the same field more than two years in a row. Probably the worst pesticide that is used on strawberries is the same one that is used to fumigate houses for termite control. It’s applied to the soil before planting to knock down the virus load. It is very nasty and it is one of those that for me becomes a very difficult question of whether it’s worth it or not. On the other hand, there are few things more delicious than a great strawberry."

You can listen to Russ Parsons discuss this topic with Evan Kleiman on the podcast of Saturday's (8/15)"Good Food." KCRW.

So, when you can, patronize your farmers markets and talk to the growers. They are happy to answer your questions.

For Harry's Berries go to www.harrysberries.com

And if you don't live in Southern California you can shop Surfas at www.surfasonline.com

Ripeness Matters

2009-07-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, you walk into your local chain grocery store hungry for melons which are at the peak of their season. You are hoping for something ripe and sweet. You won't find it. Odds are your fruits have traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles to reach your market. They are picked before they are fully ripe because of the distances they must then travel. Possibly they are sprayed with ethylene gas to promote off the vine ripening. This does not add any sweetness.

And don't fall for "certified organic" a term which is virtually meaningless when it comes to flavor. It just costs you more.

The best thing to do is to buy local when you can. Get up early and visit the farmers markets. You will find salad greens that are crisp and delicious and fruits that are ripe and sweet. You can choose a melon, like the one picture, by sniffing the stem end. You should be able to enhale a bit of sweetness. Try that in a supermarket and you'll just get a musty smell.

If you are lucky enough to have a real green grocer located near you send your business his way. And ask questions.

Our Signature Recipe from Purgatory

2009-07-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Chicken Purgatory Soup

On a recent weekend I “grill roasted” a baby chicken (poussin) over a charcoal fire. I seasoned it with salt and pimenton dulce and laid it out over the wood coals, covered, where it developed a nice smoky flavor. There were leftovers.
I crafted this soup recipe to include three layers of “flame roastedness.” The other two are fire roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen) and a small green pepper blackened over a stove top burner. To these ingredients I added sliced okra and and red corn which I found at Whole Foods, but you can substitute white corn. I finished it with thinly sliced green onions and chopped cilantro. I plated it with long grain white rice.
I enjoyed this enough to make it the signature recipe for my blog.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbs chopped shallot
2 tbs olive oil
¾ cup chicken stock
1 16 oz can fire roasted tomatoes (e.g. Muir Glen)
1 ear red corn (or substitute white)
1 smallish green bell pepper, roasted over an open burner flame
½ cup slice okra, fresh or frozen
½ green onion (green and white parts), sliced
Chopped cilantro, just a small handful
½ of one wood grill roasted chicken, meat from breast, thigh and leg (note: you can grill the chicken over gas, lid closed, but you won’t get the smoky flavor, and I won’t respect you in the morning. And you’ll spend another ten years in Purgatory).
Salt and pepper
1 cup cooked white, long grain rice

Begin by flame roasting the green pepper on an oven burner, turning frequently. When the skin is blackened place in a paper bag, rolled closed to steam. Or place the pepper in a glass bowl and seal with cling wrap. Both methods work fine. I keep small bags around to recycle just for this purpose.When the pepper is cool enough to handle rub the blackened skin away (it's okay if a little bit clings). Cut into strips lengthwise, and then into smaller pieces across the width.

By hand tear the meat from the chicken and shred by hand. Set aside.
In your soup pot heat the olive oil and add the chopped shallot. Cook until just translucent.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the tomatoes. Season with salt and a couple of grindings of pepper and bring back to simmering, uncovered.
Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, carve the kernels off of the corn and stir into the soup.

Add the okra, roasted pepper and stir everything together. Cook at a steady simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, allowing the okra to contribute some thickening.
About half way through cooking begin steaming your rice in a coved pan over low flame. Usually 18 minutes does the job.

Taste the soup for seasoning. It will need more salt and ground pepper. Add green onions and cilantro to finish. Cilantro can be added over individual bowls. See note.
When the soup has thickened but is still “soup like” remove from heat. Add the rice to individual bowls and ladle the soup over or around the rice. It’s ready to eat.
Notes to the cook: if you are feeding guests offer them the option of having their serving with or without cilantro. I love the stuff but I’m now convinced that some people are genetically predisposed to dislike it. It’s not an acquired taste.

I picked up a pretty nifty trick for scraping kernels from a corn cob from Michael Chiarello. If you have a bundt pan, invert it, place the pointy end of the cob into the hole in the tube. Scrape away. The pan will collect the kernels so that they are not flying all over the place.

If you like you can use a larger chicken, maybe a Rocky Junior.

Spain: Why We Love Those Little Tins in Our Pantry

2009-07-16T18:27:00.001-07:00

This dish exploits the Spanish infatuation with canned seafood. They do a marvelous job of cramming superb fish into cans; tuna, sardines, anchovies, but also octopus, and all packed in olive oil! Let’s admit that imported canned seafood is expensive. But it’s worth it and it’s always there waiting for you in your pantry when you are hungry.

Octopus Tartine w/salad of romaine
Ingredients per person:
1 slice baguette cut on the bias (the tartine)
1 can octopus packed in olive oil (preferably Ortiz)
1 clove of garlic, sliced
Grey salt
1 tsp of Piment d’Esplette or other good Spanish pimento (aka paprika).
Lemon juice
Chopped flat leaf parsley

Begin by addressing the baguette with a serrated bread knife, “bon jour Monsieur baguette.” Turn the baguette on its side and make a long bias cut giving you a slice about 8” to 10” long, with one thin end and one thick end. Lightly toast in the oven and set on a serving plate.

Open the tin and drain the olive oil into a pan set over low heat. Add the garlic to color lightly and then add the octopus. Stir in salt, piment and lemon juice. Continue to cook until heated through. The octopus will already be quite tender. Finish with chopped parsley.

Carefully pour the pan juices over the bread on its serving plate. Spoon the remaining contents of the pan onto the bread. E’ voila!

Romaine salad

1 heart of romaine
Juice of one lemon
¼ cup olive oil
Fresh thyme
Fresh lavender
Salt and Pepper

Slice romaine crosswise into 1” ribbons. In a pyrex measuring cup combine the dressing ingredients and whisk with a fork to combine. Dress the romaine. Serve on the side.

Source information: This all sounds very easy but quality tinned Spanish seafood can be difficult to find. I’ve found Zingermans.com to be extremely reliable in quality and variety.

Deep Thought

2009-07-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

This past week I had to surrender my laptop for much needed work (the curse of the curious insertion point). It turned out to be an opportunity to think, read and write notes on legal pads in long hand sans the toggle on/off effect of Facebook and God help us, Twitter.

I spent my mornings studying and my afternoons cooking. Not disagreeable.

I turned to the work of deep thinkers Keller and Adria. Ferran Adria's books read like string theory as interpreted by Antonio Gaudi and Jacques Derrida. Amazing, eyeopening stuff. I won't be cooking from Adria soon but I have cooked and will continue to cook from Keller.

I also seanced with Julia Child. I think of Julia child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" as akin to the Old Testament. I own both volumes and they are shelved with the respect they deserve---or at least deserved in 1961. I read from them often but I seldom cook from them now. I do enjoy the part where Rachael Ray is cast into hell to be tormented by James "Beelzabub" Beard.

The New Testament begins with the gospel of Alice Waters---another American Girl in France. I think it may end with the Apocalypse. Surely it wont end with Keller---per se.

Pig has resumed its properly place among the heavenly bodies. Soon it will have its own constellation in deep space. No longer outcast as "the other white meat."
Real pork is back and it tastes good. Supermarkets are carrying real vegetables. And for those of you who are thrill seekers, your supermarket possibly has a sushi counter.

Another faint glimmer on the horizon is that young people are training to be real artisan butchers, breaking down carcasses and not just running primals through a band saw and sticking them in foam packages. The rock star icon of this movement is the Tuscan, Dante quoting butcher Dario Cecchini. He's not likely to be handing your kid a slice of bologna. Now this dream is still just that little bit of pinkish light in the early morning sky. But...

Things are not so good in the oceans. Believe in sustainable fishing? It's a joke. There's no miracle of loaves and fishes happening here. Learn to love anchovies and squid. Bigger fish which can attain great age are being taken before they can reproduce, hence dwindling stocks. Orange roughy aka slime head comes to mind. If you consume farm raised salmon you are committing crimes against nature and against yourself. So stop now.

I guess this is where I stopped thinking.

Give me analog....please

2009-06-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

The photo which accompanies this has a purpose. What could be more analog than an 8" chef's knife made from layered steel? It's beautiful and it has a function. Try tweeting some potatoes or onions!

We are so down with real hardware, as well as the original software, the book.

This morning we had the extreme annoyance of dealing with two large corporate firms who each, after interruptions in service, giving me call back numbers that don't work, finally drop me off in a call center in Bangalore. One of these firms is receiving "stimulus" funds. It begins with a "C". And the service in both cases sucked. What business model does this follow? We will save money by losing customers?

As far as I know my favorite bookstores and food purveyors don't have call centers or elaborate menu trees. I get to speak with real people. So buy local and don't give up on analog. Because we won't give up.

Wicked and Cool

2009-06-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Spiders. I love them. From China, the land where your t-shirts are made. But these tools are really, really useful. Scoop out gnocchi from a pot of boiling water. Diced vegetables that you've been poaching. Par boiled shrimp.The best french fries. Stuff like that.

I went to Sur La Table with my sister (she who hates anchovies)and she wanted to buy some expensive skimmer type thing. I pointed these puppies out.

I forgot to mention that they are cheap.

The Pantry Principle

2009-06-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Tuna , with white beans and artichokes with garlic crouton

Premium quality tuna packed in olive oil tinned or jarred and white beans have a love affair going on. So here is another variation from your pantry. And it’s simple. Shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes.

Tinned or jarred best quality imported tuna*
Canned white beans
Jarred artichoke hearts
Sliced, toasted white bread
Garlic clove(s)
Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Begin by toasting as many slices of ½” thick bread to the number of plates you are preparing.
Add some olive oil (not much) to the bottom of a sauce pan and heat that up. Add the white beans and a sprig or two of thyme and cook slowly, uncovered for maybe 2 minutes.

Meanwhile slice in half as many garlic cloves as you have toasted bread slices. Rub the top surface of each crouton with a half clove.

Plating; crouton goes on the plate. Top that with a generous amount of beans. Now portion tuna and artichokes over as well. Keep in mind that the tuna and beans want to hug and kiss. The artichokes like to be alone but they can handle a little white bean love too.
Now hard was that? And how long did it take you?

*Recommended labels include:
Consorcio
As Do Mar
Ortiz

Depending on where you live, finding tuna of this quality might be difficult. It won't be at your local supermarket. Whole Foods has some good product. But you might want to think about ordering on line in case amounts of 8 to 12. No point in ordering one tin or jar. It will be expensive but the freight ammortizes and it's always there in your pantry for you. Splurge on the "ventresca."

If you have trouble finding sources please leave a comment.

Top Chef the Masters

2009-06-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

Pierino loves Top Chef: The Masters. No more tears, attitude and elevated hair. Some talent, some wimps, some total incompetents and Ted Allen. Somehow the incompetents managed to survive three rounds, including one big fat blob of goo from our childhood hometown of Babylon, NY: "the judges just didn't get it."

So it's refreshing to see real professionals at work. Calm and collegial. And confident because they are already at the top. And they are competing for their favorite charity. They were given one challenge that would have made the season four chefs wet their pants: cook in a Pomona College dorm room using only a hot plate, a toaster oven and a microwave. We believe all four said, "I don't know how to use a microwave." But you got to see real professionals at work with calm and amazing resourcefulness and no snipping.

We won't tell you who won because you'll want to watch this.

The only part we didn't like was the judges panel. James Oseland editor of Saveur (we miss you Colman Andrews), Gael Greene who is 100 years old, and Jay Rayner of the London Observer. Don't know much about him. Oseland looked as if he were hoping a housefly would buzz past his face as an amuse bouche.

Upside, no Ted Allen.

Reasons to Love Cheese

2009-06-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Cheese is good for you. We confess to loving cheese more than wine. We liked the film "Sideways" but might have liked it more if Miles and Jack had gone on a cheese quest on the Central Coast.

Another reason for being a cheese eating surrender monkey (a lable I wear with pride by the way) is that you get to meet some really cool people. Take for example Laurent Bonjour aka The French Cowboy. Cowboy Laurent sets up his truck at various farmers market locations. He has a fine selection of excellent cheeses and and he really knows his stuff. He is pictured above with an epoisses in hand.

Yesterday we asked for some recommendations and he suggested a Cantal Vieux. He told me that its provenance goes back to the time of Christ. In keeping with our scholarly research efforts we looked it up and in fact Pliny the Elder commented on it in 100 AD. Now how cool is that?

So check out http://www.cheesecorner.net/ to find out where Laurent is setting up shop. You won't regret it.

What's not so cool now...

2009-06-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

...literally. Sorry but immersion circulators are not on our list for Santa. Okay go ahead and "sous" me. We own a portable induction cooktop. After that it's a sous to far. Okay, we own a pressure cooker---it doesn't come out very often. But if you are Thomas Keller you can sous vide stuff. After that some of the biggest screw ups on Top Chef have involved the circulators. Compadre Ruhlman doesn't agree with me on this.

What's cool now...

2009-05-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

What Pierino thinks are cool would be tiffin lunch boxes, composed of stackable tiers of trays. All neatly organized and cheap---unless you go to Design Within Reach where they are ridiculously expensive, but that's Williams Sonoma for you.

We cook away from home frequently so for us it's a convenient way to prep ahead. But they are also excellent for your picnic. Think green too. No little foam trays to fill up land fills with.

Our understanding (knowing nothing about Indian languages) is that the name comes from "tiffin walla"..."who carries a box." The imperial English shortened the name to tiffin. The ones we own were made in India.

What else is cool? Blackhawks v Redwings in Stanley Cup semis. This is the oldest rivalry in hockey going back to 1926 when there were only 6 teams in the league. Can you guess who the other four were? Carolina Hurricanes were not among them.

Setting the Bar of Bar Courtesy

2009-05-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

This we believe, after 30 years of constant travel. Be courteous and respectful toward your bartender.

One thing I learned when I was traveling solo and dining in good restaurants is that it's usually easier (and more appreciated) to take a seat at the bar (I bring a book along)and order the menu from there. Be prepared to chat with your neighbors and the bartender. Trust me, they'll ask you about the book.

Step two, be sure to politely ask everybody's name. It goes along way. Pierino's MO is to order one (or maybe two) drinks along with food. Nurse your drink and get to know people. During my travels I've gone back to quality restaurant bars after a six month interval, and say, Mario up in Monterey remembers me and what wine I ordered and points up the best things on menu. Not because Mario is trying to "sell" them but because he personally likes them. The term "sous vide" seldom comes up.

I do this at home as well. Basically because I visit bars to eat and not to drink all afternoon. So, these people have become my friends and not my servants. Sometimes the chef will come out and chat with me for awhile.

Back to bar etiquette. Don't yell that "we want three Captain Morgans." You'll wait a full half hour for drinks. A nod is all you need, he or she knows you are there. And be sure to always say please and thank you. As in, "thank you, Heather." "And, yes, I will look at a menu thank you."

Now enjoy your food and your book.

Classical Gas

2009-05-09T05:27:00.000-07:00

This past week we had an opportunity to cook dinner for good friends; something we love.

It's funny how a menu can begin with just one ingredient and then just roar off like a brush fire. Not a good joke just now. One of the first dishes we thought of was an old school iceberg lettuce wedge with roquefort dressing. This was approved by popular acclaimation. And then...

...but then we had to come up with a "classic" old school main dish. Pierino consulted with his friend Kim http://kimsunee.com/blog/ on some ideas. But what we settled on was osso buco. With some trepidation we ordered over the phone so that our friend Lee Van Cleef could pick up the package in Ojai. Let's just say it exceeded our expectations. What a relief. Four nice shank pieces coming in at 4 pounds total. Oh, yes.

Now Pierino's criminal mind went to work. The traditional accompaniment would be a risotto Milanese; but---- What we served was a saffron fettucine. Saffron is our favorite ingredient. End of discussion.

Pierino knicked his left thumb early into the game while chopping onions. This happens a lot. You put a tiny cut on the tip of your thumb with a sharp knife and you won't believe how much it will bleed. So: much hand washing, taping and retaping. Try this experiment; use a very sharp knife and poke the edge of your ear with it (you might want to test this in the shower because you will bleed lavishly). Okay,you probably don't want to do that. We're just saying...

A "classic" Roquefort dressing

Real Roquefort, crumbled
Hellman's/Best Foods mayonaise
Buttermilk (we love buttermilk)
Garlic salt
Possibly water to thin
A whisk

Combine ingredients to your personal taste. Our recommendation? Knock yourself out with Roquefort. You won't regret it.

Buitoni Angolotti recipe

2009-04-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

The Buitoni folks might put a hit on me for saying this but portobello and cremini are not "wild" mushrooms. They are the same 'shroom at different stages of age, the common brown mushroom which has been used since the 18th century in America. Give it a marketing name and hey.... it's still a good product

But because I'm supposed to be a "Taste Maker" here's the RECIPE;

1 package of Buitoni wild mushroom agnolotti cooked per package directions
1/4 cup walnuts
California walnut oil
Some really good Roquefort cheese (if you can find it after the 300% tariffs)

While your Buitoni is cooking lightly toast the walnuts in a skillet. Remove that from the flame and heat some walnut oil in a larger pan. Once the agnolotti are cooked toss them into the pan with the oil. Finish with walnuts and and generous amount of Roquefort. This will take less than a minute.

This is not one of my typical "Recessionist" recipes but you have to live free or die of hunger. The Roquefort is a splurge but it's really good. Buy it before they take it away from us. Note to cooks: we didn't want to pile mushroom on mushroom for this. We thought about truffle oil. But we like the recipe above best.

And by the way we loved the years when Diego Maradona wore the Buitoni shirt for Napoli.

My kind of town part 33 1/3

2009-04-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Flora and Fauna.

Flora was easy to sum up. The ivy on the Wrigley Field walls was dead. One more month maybe.

Fauna: guys with gigantic t-shirt jiggling bellies, feeding their kids corn dogs. When Van Cleef and I were at Doug's there was a guy heaping on condiments like it was "all you can eat Ketchup day". But he's probably telling his kids that you need to store up lipids for the winter.

And so far nobody has correctly answered the Ramones question.

My kind of town, part 3

2009-04-21T03:39:00.000-07:00

We go out blogging after midnight...

Another ball game at Wrigley but first we had breakfast and then hot dogs. We met up with Lee Van Cleef downstairs at Mercat. We couldn't figure out why the continental breakfast costs $18 and eggs any style costs $8. Well, it's the quality of the ingredients. Spanish chorizo, incredible cheese. Okay, we bought it.

Lee Van Cleef went out for a walk while Pierino went back to his room to read the papers.

Red line again, but this time we had to get to the shrine of all hot dogs. Pierino loves hot dogs and there is no better place to have a dog than Chicago. No better place in Chicago than Hot Doug's.

The Chicago hot dog is composed like this:
poppy seed roll
all beef frank in a natural casing (go for Vienna Beef)
yellow ball park mustard
green relish
chopped onions, lightly sauteed
dill pickle spear
one or two Chicago sport peppers
celery salt

No tweaking! Everything above is indispensible unless you are a total effing sissy.
Hot Doug's is on the northside about 3 miles from Wrigley. Go early and stand in line. They describe themselves as a "sausage superstore and emporium of encased meat". The Chicago hot dog will only cost you $1.75. But Doug (very nice guy) does real charcuterie. The "celebrity sausage" that day happened to be rabbit. $6.95.

Doug puts a lot of good things into a natural casing. Go visit him on N. California at Roscoe. We love this place.

From there it was back to Wrigley. Cubs lost again to a better team, the Cards. Pierino loved that the Cards' pitcher Weinstock was able to put down two sacrafice bunts to advance a runner each time. The Cub/Cardinal rivalry is huge. But we watched only two fist fights.

Back to the Blackstone for a couple more vodka tonics. Pierino's knees seem to respond well to warm temps and vodka.

Dinner at Shaw's Crab House for a little bit of old school. Scallops, shrimp and there you go. Kind of old Chicago atmo. Pierino gave up martinis a few years ago. But if you are up for them this is good place. They have two rooms; dining room and oyster bar but you can order from either menu in either room. Life is beautiful.

My kind of town, part 2

2009-04-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning Pierino woke up jet lagged, with painful and unreliable knees. We did have a great view of Lake Michigan although our early morning vision was a bit uncertain.

A few hours with the morning papers. We discovered that Marylin Chambers and Mark Fydrich had died. Phil Spector was convicted of second degree murder and sent to the Big House. Phil don't drop the Ivory Soap. It reminded me of a Ramones' song with the line; "It's the end, the end of the seventies. It's the end, the end of the century." How many living Ramones can you name?

Along with our friend who looks like Lee Van Cleef we walked to the Harrison Station and took the red line Metra to Addison for the ball game. We were at least an hour early but we wanted to pick up the vibe. It was overcast and cold, like very cold. But Wrigley Field is the shrine of shrines for baseball fans. Cubs have great fans who can combine the wit and stupidity of soccer fans in Europe. What a mix.

When we ordered our tickets we didn't know that it was going to be #42 day in honor of the late Jackie Robinson. "Who's in right?" Number 42 Fukodome. "Who's at first" Number 42, Lee. Whats on second and I don't know is on third.

Anyway Cubs, who don't look so good, lost to the Rockies. We also started the Giovany Soto index. How low could the Cubs' catcher's BA drop in two days. Dropping faster than the S&P.

Lee Van Cleef commented that, "they really drink a lot of beer here." More on that later.

Metra back to the Blackstone for some vodka tonics to unlock our knees. Dinner decision: Rick Bayless's Topolobampo. They weren't taking reservations but we were seated right away at what I think they call "the chef's counter" or something like that. It's right off the cooking line. In the morning your clothes have an aroma of ambient flavors. Lee Van Cleef ordered pig and Pierino ordered duck. Neither of us was disappointed, but we agreed that the pig was best. There is no better Mexican restaurant in America. And there may be no better Mexican restaurant in Mexico, because there really is no restaurant culture there. We had excellent service in cramped and hot conditions. Rick, we love you man. Wonderful flavors. Only the Two Hot Tamales can rival you.

My kind of town, part 1

2009-04-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 14 Pierino flew into Chicago with a friend for a couple of days of baseball and hot dogs. This time on the outbound flight we got the whole TSA body scan because we were wearing knee braces. We was crammed into a window seat with little leg space so it only got worse.

We cabbed on to the Blackstone on S. Michigan Avenue, great rates for an old hotel that has had a major makeover. Great rooms with views of the big lake.

Our friend (retired BofA exec, I'll give you his e-mail if you want to beat him up) and I took a stroll, for me a stagger, up Michigan Avenue for 1.25 miles---we argued about the distance. It was colder than f..k.

Anyway, when we got back to the Blackstone Pierino decided that we were not leaving. This turned out to be a serendipitous decision. The restaurant downstairs in the Blackstone became a discovery. Mercat a la planxa is wonderful. We haven't seen it reviewed before.

We enjoyed screaming hot scallops served in a cazuela, a fig salad wrapped in jamon that was like a log, a fragrant barramundi, and an arroz (bomba rice) with morels. When the latter plate came out the aroma was so strong that our friend asked "what's THAT"? I guessed truffle oil, checked with the kitchen, and was right even though it's not mentioned on the menu. Ample truffle oil.

Pierino would definitely recommend Mercat a la planxta to friends for its great Catalan style tapas menu. No foams, no jellies. No reviews.

Grapefruit...the other white meat

2009-03-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Pierino loves grapefruit (pompelmo in Italiano). We found these lovely pear shaped Shaddocks at Grow in Manhattan Beach. They require a little work. You will need a sharp knife because takeing off the rind is like skinning a basketball. And the pips are kind of big too---like the size of your canine teeth.

But once you are in there the fruit is delicious. Perfect combination of bitter and sweet. If you don't adore that then don't eat grapefruit. Ever.

Give him some air...

2009-03-12T07:45:00.000-07:00

Keller (yes, that Keller) is back with a new book from Artisan, UNDER PRESSURE which lands on your coffee table for $50. Pierino's take is that this is like the Simpsons meet the Jetsons.

Keller acknowledges that his book is meant for chefs. Who at home has an "immersion circulator" with a connoculater bypass? Keller predicts that these will become as common as microwaves. Of course some of the most conspicuous meltdowns on "Top Chef" had to do with cooking 'sous vide'. It's like the old Stouffer's boil in a bag swedish meatballs. Zio Pasquino would never think of boiling meatballs. Matzoh's maybe.

"I'M BILLY MAYS AND..."

Pierino is still trying to catch up with the epoch of molecular gastronomy. We have yet to make our first foam (espuma) but it could happen soon. We've been working on menus that are a tribute to Spain, the epicenter of cooking genius at the moment. We actually own a Ferran Adria baseball card. So far neither Ferran nor Keller have promoted a "salad shooter."

Our Breakfast with Pedro O'Brien

2009-03-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

Pierino aka The Recessionist,always a problem child with a criminal mind, has been pursuing a back to basics; low cost ingredients; and a "buy what's good in your markets now", agenda. And we are serious proclaimers.

Here is our latest:

Potatoes O’Brien with Flame Roasted Pasilla Peppers (for “A Breakfast with Pedro O’Brien”)

This dish is quick to make and the clean up is easy. Simply, fire roast the peppers over a gas burner until the skin blackens and then allow them to steam themselves to contentment in a paper bag. The rest of the prep is fast.

One essential tool is a cast iron pan. The other is the brown paper bag.

2 large white potatoes
1 medium sweet or brown onion chopped
1 or 2 pasilla peppers
Olive oil for sautéing the taters, we prefer to use a light Spanish oil
Sea salt to taste
Ground green peppercorns (or substitute black)

Turn on a gas burner to a medium flame. Using tongs place the pepper directly on the burner. If you are nimble you can do two at one time. The skin should blacken nicely but be sure to turn on your fan or otherwise at some point you will set off your smoke alarm. Place the finished peppers in the bag and roll the top closed. Now go to work on your prep.

Chop the onion and set aside. Peel the potatoes. It’s okay to leave a bit of skin on for color and flavor. Dice the potatoes. If you have a blonde standing nearby have her blow on the dice for luck.

Once the peppers are cool enough to handle remove them from the bag and rub off most of the skin. Again, it’s okay to leave some on. Cut off the stem end(s) and remove the seeds. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise and then slice the meat into strips. And if you have a stripper nearby…oh, never mind.

Heat up your cast iron skillet. Cover the bottom in olive oil and bring it to the point where it shimmers but doesn’t smoke. Now add the potatoes and begin to brown them up. After a minute or so add the chopped onions and allow those to get some color. Season with the salt and pepper. You will need to turn the mixture with a spatula from time to time. Once the potatoes begin to attain the al dente stage place a lid over the pan so that a little steaming action takes place. Don’t keep it on too long.Then check for texture and seasoning. When it tastes good, plate it up with a little hot sauce on the side.

Notes: We prefer pasilla peppers because they have a rich flavor without a lot of heat. For this dish they are much better than green bell peppers which take longer to blacken because they have a thicker skin and also a less complex flavor.
Other flavor options might be some chopped cilantro or chopped parsley.

In the hood but off the menu...

2009-02-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Pierino loves his neighborhood gang. Like really. Like a whole lot.

Chef Amber Caudle at Mediterraneo does very fine cooking. I've blogged Med before. A few nights ago I came in hungry, sat at the bar with my books as company.

Pierino had planned to order from the menu. BUT Chef Amber turned the tables with a wonderful seared scallop dish plated in a sauce that could have been an aioli but that it was made with saffron. Saffron is Pierino's favorite ingredient in the entire history of the cooking world.

Amber followed that course with a very nice pasta putanesca.

The chef does also make a really great Spanish style tortilla as an appetizer. Pierino has figured out the secret but he's not going to share it yet. Not without the chef's go ahead

Peace, Love and especially love your Chefs. You need them more than you might think. And they need you.

Breakfast with the Quaker

2009-02-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

Pierino typically doesn't eat a big breakfast. Normally we have a cup of coffee or a brioche and read the newspaper. Courtesy of Food Buzz and its Taste Maker program "Eggs in Purgatory" received some nifty samples of a new Quaker Oats product, "True Delights" granola bars.

Pierino likes them. Especially after having endured a lifetime's worth of "free" hotel breakfasts. Something about the smell of BHT in the communal breakfast room has always sent him scurrying back to his guest room. Hopefully clutching something other than USA Today.

But an oat bar in the morning goes really well with a cup of coffee. We liked the fact that the nuts were visible and added some excellent flavor and crunch. Our favorite was the "Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut."

Back to the Times

Trippa alla Romana

2009-01-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

As Pierino likes to point out, honeycomb tripe is the second stomach of "your favorite ruminant." And it tastes good so why not eat more of it? Marcella Hazan had this to say on the subject:

“At one time tripe was so popular that restaurants used to specialize in it, preparing it in a score of different ways. One of reasons it has become such a rare item may be that people no longer know how to prepare it. When you know how to go about it, tripe rewards you with tenderness so succulent, and a fragrance so appetizing, that more expensive cuts of meat cannot match.” ----ESSENTIALS OF CLASSIC ITALIAN COOKING

While Pierino has been off on one of his visits to Purgatory---he seems to like it there. Apparently they have a bootleg satellite set up so he is able catch the Italian football---Pasquino has been doing the cooking. This time it's a Roman classic.

Trippa alla Romana includes a number of favorite Roman flavors: celery (lots), hot pepper, mint, pecorino and parmigiano, and of course "trippa."

Because it's Roma there is plenty to argue about. But the basic recipe goes like this: take one to two pounds of honeycomb tripe, rinse it off and cut it into strips about 3" long. Cover it in cold water and simmer for about 2 hours. Meanwhile saute some chopped onion, some whole cloves of garlic lightly smacked, and some chopped celery in olive oil. Have that ready for when your tripe has finished its initial cooking.

To your soffrito of onion, celery etc add one or two dried red peppers or hot chili flakes to your liking. Add the drained trippa and raise the heat to medium. Add one cup of tomato sauce along with any leftover celery leaves. Partially cover and cook until tender. Grate equal amounts of pecorino romano and parmigiano cheese into a bowl. To the cheeses now add a lot of chopped mint and mix thoroughly.

Serve your tripe in bowls and finish each portion with a generous amount of cheese and mint.

Pasquino purchased 1 pound of tripe for about $3.00. And Roma beat Palermo 1-2 upon the return of Totti to the starting team.

---Pasquino

il poeta e il diavolo e il pollo, Part Two

2009-01-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

Pierino woke up with the blessing of beautifully smoke flavored leftovers from his wood roasted chicken. What to do?

One solution was to think about the oak wood flavor that still lingered in the chicken flesh. We went with our Tortilla Flats Enchilada Pie. Simple.

Buy a bag of corn tortillas, one ten ounce can of red enchilada sauce (Las Palmas is pretty easy to find),gruyere or jack cheese shredded on a box grater, red onion chopped. You are in business.

Begin by pulling off nice pieces of meat from the chicken carcass---still carrying its smokey residue. Shred by hand and set aside in a bowl. Into another bowl pour the enchilada sauce. Have an oven ready deep cooking dish handy.

Take a tortilla and drag it through the sauce and place it in your cooking dish. Add chicken, cheese a bit of onion and repeat until the dish is full or you run out of either chicken or tortillas. Pour over any remaining sauce. Top with more chopped onion. That jar of Spanish pimento stuffed olives that has been lurking the refrigerator comes in handy now. Slice them across the equator and scatter over the top.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. Optional garnish could be chopped cilantro or sliced, grilled scallions.

Pierino is missing Pasquino's trippa alla romana but he'll have to tell you about it.

il poeta e il diavolo e il pollo, Part One

2009-01-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

Pierino is still in seclusion reading the poet and thinking---about how Roma will finish in the Champions League. From his seasonably warm location on Wednesday he did watch AS Roma defeat Sampdoria 2-0 in a make up game.

During the afternoon Pierino grilled a whole, spatchocked chicken over a wood fire. First Pierino cut out the back bone and saved it for stock. He also saved that little package of inards. This is basic Roman il diavolo cooking. Pierino placed his chicken in a large zip-lock bag; but before doing so he rubbed the chicken all over with olive oil, coarse salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Into the bag he added the juice of four Meyer lemons. That went into the refrigerator (il frigerifero)for 2 1/2 hours.

Outside, over a wood charcoal fire Pierino grilled and roasted his whole bird. It came out beautifully with enough leftovers for la cucina recessionista.

Rapini with Penne

2009-01-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

This is less recipe than a lesson in frugal cooking. It wasn't so very long ago that the only form of "broccoli" you could find in the market had fat woody stems and smelled like sulphur when you cooked it.

In Italy the term "broccoli" covers a multitude of sins---but also varieties, especially in the south. Today broccoli rabe/rapini is readily available. Pasquino and his nephew suggest you try this sometime. Typically a dish like this would be made with orecchiette (little ears) but most short pasta forms such as mezze penne will work.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Trim the rapini and when the water is boiling add a handful of salt and plunge the rapini into the pot. Meanwhile have a large bowl of cold water standing by. After about a minute remove the broccoli rabe from the pot and plunge it in the water to shock it and set the color. Wrap it in towels to dry. SAVE THE WATER YOU'VE BLANCHED THE RAPINI IN.

Take one or two links of hot Italian sausage and remove the sausage from casing and break it into pieces. In a fairly deep 12" pan heat a thin layer of olive oil.Add the sausage to brown, add some chopped garlic to color.

In the same water in which you cooked the broccoli rabe (it should be nice and green)cook your pasta for maybe 9 minutes. Meanwhile add a good splash of red wine to the pan in which you have cooked the pasta and reduce until it almost disappears. Using a long slotted spoon, or ideally a Chinese wire "spider" scoop the pasta and add directly to the pan with the sausage. Add perhaps a splash or two of the water the pasta was cooked in and taste the pasta. If it's ready, season with salt and pepper and a most generous grating of pecorino cheese.

Serve with crusty bread.

----Pasquino

Zio Pasquino

2009-01-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

Pierino had to take some down time but welcomes his uncle Pasquino to take his place. Pasquino is an authenic romanaccio whose name comes from the talking statue near Piazza Bramante. The word "pasquinade" is derived from the snarky invectives against authority posted on the statue. It has a venerable history in Roma going back to the 17th century.

A pasquinade from Hitler's visit to Mussolini

"Povera Roma mia de travertino!
T'hanno vestita tutta de cartone
pè fatte rimirà da 'n'imbianchino
tuo prossimo padrone."

Zio Pasquino felt that his beloved nephew was straying too far from Roma, and cooking fancy French and American dishes. So Pierino will be away for awhile reading the "Purgatorio".

Blog in Black

2009-01-04T18:21:00.000-08:00

Remembering Glenn Goldman

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/01/glenn-goldman-r.html

Pierino's New Year's Resolution

2009-01-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

2008 for Pierino was a year of wandering or wobbling around trying out everything from any cuisine that caught his eye like a shiny toy in front of a child. Going back to basics and fairly massive historical research we produced a Hoppin John for New Years Day that was completely traditional but a bit too earthy and not for the contemporary palate. Sometimes history gets in the way.

So our resolution is that for 2009 we will be continuing basics but cooking the things that we are already best at and understand well, regional italian, tapas style Spanish, and Southern French (sort of). Stick to what you know. We will still do some wild experiments but you won't hear about 'em. Much.

Buon Anno

Watercress salad for the recession

2008-12-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

A quick salad for hard times: watercress, thinly sliced radish, chick peas, dressed with good olive oil and lemon.

Christmas morning breakfast

2008-12-25T15:35:00.000-08:00

Fra' Mani not only makes great dry cured salumi they also make breakfast sausage. We are stumbling back from the Jimmy Dean/Farmer John era to the old world of craft charcuterie. In the case of Fra' Mani it is the work of Paul Bertolli who previously the chef at Oliveto in Berkeley/Oakland, one of Pierino's favorite restaurants in California.

We are so grateful that artists like Paul Bertolli once again have access to quality pork coming from small farmers.

Breakfast was simple; we began in one pan with chopped potatoes in a thick dice. We began cooking those in peanut oil to bring a little color to the party. To that we added chopped onion and chopped green pepper and seasoned it. Once the potato is toothsome it's safe to begin your sausage in a second pan to brown.

Be sure your potatoes are properly seasoned (we used an herb salt from Sicily).

You are now ready for breakfast. Sorry about low quality picture but we ate it before we could snap another.

Feels like home to me...

2008-12-21T11:55:00.000-08:00

...feels like I'm already back where I belong---Randy Newman

There are a whole bunch of places where Pierino can hang his hat and hopefully find a useful kitchen or a good meal and call it home. And lose a sock in a hotel room or guest bedroom. But mostly we are off the road now but still applying the lessons learned from decades of travel.

First, support local wherever it is you live. Second, if you are on the road and dining solo bring a book and eat at the bar. A table for one is pretty stupid and also uncomfortable for the restaurant as you are wasting space for what could be a two top.

What we have learned over the years is that the people standing behind the bar are your best friends. A reservoir of local intelligence that you should not leave untapped. The book is a conversation starter with your cell mates at the bar and you gather more local news from them. And we've had many interesting encounters.

To illustrate our point yesterday Pierino went back to Boogaloo in Hermosa and had lunch (red beans and rice) at the bar with his friend Heather. Heather brought her own lunch out from behind the bar (roast beef debris sandwich) and we talked about local stuff. As in how important it is, especially now, to support our local business and markets.

Cafe Boogaloo is located on Hermosa Avenue in Hermosa Beach.

The Quinoa Chronicles, Part 2

2008-12-20T07:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Pierino was having lunch at Salt Creek Grille where one of their new small plate items is quinoa with dungeness crab and avocado. It's tasty and couldn't be more healthy.

Problem: it's not selling. If your average hay seed "foodie" doesn't know what something is they won't buy it.

Solution?: call it something else. We are thinking along the lines of "Bolivian Rice." It works this way, if you were to put "slime fish" on your menu nobody would buy it. How about "Patagonian toothfish?" So respectively renamed "orange roughy" and "Chilean sea bass" the fisheries for both have almost been wiped out.

We don't think line caught quinoa, masquerading as Bolivian Rice can possibly be overfished.

So ask your local chef to put it back on the menu and just tweak the name.

And for those of you who care about our fisheries go to www.seafoodwatch.org

It's sponsered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They are out front in their mission.

And the cabbage you rode in on!

2008-12-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

Something over 20 years ago Pierino was traveling in Italy with friends and armed with his classroom Italian which wasn't bad but...

We had access to a kitchen not far from Siena so with a degree of confidence Pierino walked into a green grocer and asked for a cabbage (we thought). Cabbage in Italian is "cavolo" but horse is "cavallo." Now the pronunciation is important. It is possible to find horse meat in Italy but not in a green grocer. After some head scratching we saw what we needed and discovered that we should have asked for "savoia."

Pierino was reminded of this story when he was making a big thick minestrone. Pierino's version isn't ribollita but it doesn't need any bread thickener. It will be plenty filling on its own.

This Little Piggy Went to Market...

2008-12-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

...and had his face sliced off, his organs taken out, his blood collected for boudin noir and his flesh ground up and stuffed into his own intestines. No wonder the other little piggy went "oui, oui, oui" all the way home. Nose to tail eating; let me know if they find a use for the oink.

This brings us to guanciale. Guanciale is a bacon made from this little piggy's cheek as opposed to belly. Please observe its creamy whiteness. Until very recently it was impossible to find outside of Italy. Happily there are now domestic sources.

It is an essential ingredient in bucatini l'amatriciana as well as spaghetti carbonara. But I've also been using it recipes which call for cured but unsmoked bacon. I can see that frisee salad with lardons and poached egg on the horizon.

I ordered this lovely cheek through Zingerman's.

Copia; the bad news

2008-12-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

Pierino hates to report that Copia in Napa has closed. It's a beautiful museum dedicated to food and to the memory of Julia Child. You can see Julia's own pans on exhibit.

Unfortunately the foundation couldn't seem to get out of its own way. So now it is in bankruptcy.

From the New York Times:"Copia was supposed to be a food and wine center," said Darrell Corti..."Please define that for me. It can't be a place where you go around giving parties for each other and expect to be successful." Darrell Corti is a very resonant voice in all things food. He owns the legendary Corti Brothers in Sacramento.

But Copia is unique and we hope it can carry on.

Return to Paso Robles Pt.2

2008-11-22T16:51:00.000-08:00

The night before leaving for home Pierino returned to another favorite local restaurant, Artisan at 14th and Park. We had two wonderful courses there, first was an abalone "BLTA" with pancetta, arugula and fried green tomatoes. We will let you figure out how the BLTA assembles itself. Unfortunately California's abalone fishery has long been done in, by the usual suspects. It's being farm raised in Cayucos but if you look for it outside of central California it's going to cost you.

Before our first course was served we tasted a really wonderful bread, which you can see pictured. We'll come back to the bread momentarily.

Second course was a duck confit with a winter chicory salad. Also delicious, with a local pinot.

Now the bread. We asked if it was made in house or purchased outside. As it turns out they get their baguettes from Hush-Harbor in Atascadero. Needless to say upon departure we checked in at Hush-Harbor in the morning as it was on the way home and easy to find. It's located in a strip mall but they make wonderful artisan breads. Is it worth driving 240 miles for a great baguette? We vote yes! 5735 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA. Sorry friends, no website. You will have to check it out in person. At least it's a beautiful drive.

A Very Good Hot Sauce

2008-11-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

How often can you say good "hot sauce" after you've left the McIlhenny plantation on Avery Island? Most of the new "gourmet" hot sauces want to grab your attention (and test your intelligence) with names like "Set Your Balls on Fire" or "Flaming Commie Sikorskies from Hell" and they boast more Scoville units than Alaska has people. Okay maybe that's not such a big boast. Sarah Palin can probably

throw a bottle across the Bering Straits to curious Russians. They won't like the Sikorskies from Hell joke though.

Chipotle? In my opinion this is the most misused ingredient since balsamic vinegar. Thanks again, Bobby Flay.

So I'm happy to say I found a really nice one when I was having breakfast at Maggie's in Paso. Pepper Plant, made in Gilroy, CA. It has a very nice balance of heat to flavor. Great with my potatoes. There should be some real flavor in there besides that of spent nuclear rods. Pepper Plant, made with Jalapenos, delivers the flavor and just the right amount of heat.

Later that day I went out to search for it and actually found it on the shelf at Albertson's. It might be hard to find outside of Central California, but you can buy it directly from the producer on line.

Return to Paso Robles Pt.1

2008-11-21T12:12:00.000-08:00

Pierino spent the beginning of this week in a town we love very much, Paso Robles. Shopped for olive oil, cheese and real estate.

We arrived Sunday and for dinner made a bee line for Villa Creek. We blogged this place back in September and it remains among our favorites. The weather in Paso is turning cold at night and Pierino didn't pack enough warm stuff because at times he's the absent minded professor. They make a great cassoulet but on this night we went with their delicious chicken pot pie.

Tuesday we had lunch at Buona Tavola, a very good Italian place which began it's life in San Luis Obispo at least fifteen years ago. Now they have an outpost in Paso just off the town square. Our lunch was a delicious fettucine sugo di carne misti. Mixed meats. Wonderful.

What got us wondering was that at 1:30 Pierino was the only customer in the place. They run a typical lunch service from 11:30 to 2:00 but we had the sense that maybe nobody else had been in before us. How can you open for lunch for just one cover?

Stay tuned for Pt. 2.

2008-11-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

Recipe: Walking Spanish Down the Hall Chicken Thighs

Back to the Zeitgeist. There are a couple of inside jokes in the name of this recipe. One of which is that “Walking Spanish” is the title of a Tom Waits song.

For this very easy recipe you will need chicken thighs including the skin and the bones. Don’t wimp out with skinless, boneless, taste free stuff aka chicken thighs light. This is a braised dish and you will need those bones. The other key ingredient is good Spanish pimento aka paprika. I prefer the ahumado meaning smoked. It’s easy to order on line from Tienda or The Spanish table.

4 Chicken thighs
1/3 cup Wondra
1 tbs pimenton
3 cloves garlic sliced
1 medium onion minced
2 tbs olive oil or enough to cover the bottom of your dutch oven
1/3 small olives (leave the pits in)
6 small white potatoes thinly sliced*
1 can diced tomatoes
½ cup red wine
½ tsp thyme, fresh if available
Zest of one orange
Salt and pepper

In a dish or pie pan add the Wondra and pimenton and then with a fork mix together
Pat dry the chicken thighs and dredge them. Season with salt and set aside
In your dutch oven add the olive oil and heat over medium
When the oil begins to ripple a bit add the garlic first and then the onions long enough to give them some color.
Add the chicken thighs
Turn up the heat to medium high and brown the thighs two at a time and set aside.
Off heat spoon off most of the remaining oil and fat. And return to the burner.
Add the red wine and reduce by half using a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the good stuff off the bottom and then return the thighs to your dutch oven.
Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer covered. Then add the olives and thyme .
After about ten minutes add the potatoes and recover.
Total cooking time is about 30 minutes but check with a knife or better yet an instant read thermometer. Season with salt and pepper and add the orange zest.
Taste and serve.

*A Kyocera adjustable ceramic slicer is great for this

What's good in California now!

2008-11-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

Pierino has been praising California cheeses and olive oils for years. Right now is a good time to seek these products out. New olive oils and seasonal cheeses are just coming on the market. However for some you may have to go to the source.

Cowgirl Creamery in Pt. Reyes makes wonderful camembert and epoisses with seasonal versions as well. Their bestsellers are the Mt. Tam and the Red Hawk. In Pierino's opinion the Red Hawk (an epoisses style) is their best. Their seasonal cheeses include Pt. Pierce with an herbed rind and St. Pat with nettles on the rind. All are delicious. Everytime I bring one to a dinner everyone raves about it. Cowgirl Creamery has an outlet in the Ferry Building in San Francisco, but I've been able to find them at Whole Foods. And you can order online directly from the Cowgirls.

Another new favorite is Pozo Tomme from Riconada, a sheep ranch in Santa Margarita. Very limited production. Look for it at Di Raimondo in Paso Robles or contact Riconada directly. They are wonderful people.

Olive oil. In Pierino's opinion these can at least be the equal of imported European oils. Olive growers have been bringing in tree stock from Italy which has thrived on the Central Coast and in the Napa area. Now most of the small production oils are a blend.

Pierino's favorites include Pasolivo from Paso Robles, Vineyard Canyon also from Paso, Balzana from Santa Ynez, McEvoy from Napa.

Pasolivo tends to be consistant from year to year. They've introduced two infused oils; lemon and tangerine. See the picture above. You can buy Pasolivo from Zingerman's but not their infused oils.

Vineyard Canyon, also from Paso, is wildly inconstant and very small production. They only do a couple of styles which unfortunately they keep tweaking. At their best, when you first taste them you will feel the burn! However some years they smooth them out, apparently to appease the wimps among us. But I always look forward to their new oils.

BTW Paso has an Olive Festival in August---when the temperature is maybe 105 degrees F. But it's more fun than the midstate fair.

Dinner for Four in Ojai

2008-11-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

Pierino has a really good friend from college, now retired who lets him get eight hours of Ojai sleep in the guest bedroom. In exchange Pierino does all the cooking (except for making coffee) and occasionally donates one or two kitchen tools.

On the Saturday night after Halloween we had two good friends over dinner. For cooking away from home (far away from home) it's always best to stick to things that can be cooked competently. Never experiment with a new dish or technique without perfecting it. It doesn't matter how forgiving your friends might be. They are friends and need to be fed well to the best of your ability.

Enough blather, here's the menu from Saturday:

Cheese board: Mt. Tam from Cowgirl Creamery, Spanish Mahon, and Spanish membrillo (quince jelly). Both Cheeses were a hit so we were off to a good start.

Salad: Romaine lettuce, radicchio, thinly sliced radish, thinly slice cumumber, hearts of palm and chickpeas. Basic oil, vinegar, dijon vinaigrette. They taught you vinaigrette in kindergarten, right?

Main course: roast chicken. Any good cook can handle this one, and in fact it's what many chef's love to cook at home. It's almost failure proof. Pierino used a 4 1/2 pound Rocky Junior, filled the cavity with a small amount of kosher salt, some rosemary branches and two lemons---pierced agressively with a small knife and then tied up the legs, reversed the wings and then rubbed it all over with olive and more kosher salt. Figure 20 minutes per pound at 375, keeping in mind that no two ovens are calibrated exactly the same. Pierino carries his trusty Thermapen to get accurate chicken meat temperatures in seconds. Once the chicken rests you are ready to go, go, go. Let the carving begin!

With no false modesty the host and his guests did everything but lick the carcass at the end.

Pierino's two favorite kitchen jobs are roasting chickens and making stocks and broths. Easy and rewarding. Try this at home with no fear.

The Tea We Love to Drink Now

2008-10-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Pierino loves green tea in the morning and then around lunch time. It's good for you. We found this wonderful tea in a Japanese market. I can't tell you the brand because I can't read kanji.

The great thing about this tea is that it is made with popped rice. When you brew it you get this nutty, almost popcorn like fragrance and it's delicious.

We have it for breakfast and then for a lunch time pick-me-up.

A Little Spain at the Sea

2008-10-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Buy local, eat local! Go Slow!

When Mediterraneo opened five years ago it was a welcome addition to the Pier Avenue scene in Hermosa Beach. At first it was a very pleasant place to go, with a wonderful front of house staff. But at the beginning the food wasn't that great. However once Chef Amber Caudle took over the kitchen full time it came soaring back.

Amber grew up in Atlanta and graduated from Auburn. Along the way she developed a real flair for Spanish tapas. Last week I was in for dinner with my friends Jim and Adele.

Dinner begain with a beautiful cheese board which included cubes of membrillo (quince jelly). I can't remember the order of courses but we had morcilla in two courses, scallops wrapped in jamon, potato tortilla, shrimp skewers, a beet and arugula salad, a plate of olives and I can't remember what else. It's a good thing that my friend Jimbo brought along his Rabelaisian appetite.

If you are down at the beach I highly recommend Meditteraneo. Chef Amber is doing a fantastic job!

73 Pier Avenue
Hermosa Beach, CA

Oh' Paso

2008-09-25T11:13:00.000-07:00

Pierino is back from a brief vacation in Paso Robles. We intend to live there in the not so distant future.

The place I always visit first, immediately on arrival is Villa Creek.

You can see it here with a full moon in the background.

On my first night in I ordered a cassoulet, not quite in season, but delicious.

While was eating my cassoulet at the bar (dining solo I'm always at the bar, where you can learn a lot of stuff) I noticed this pate plate come and be delivered to my neighbor. So the next night I went back and ordered it myself. Bread with rosemary, grilled fuet, salumi, olives, and at the right, a house made rabbit and chicken pate. Outstanding. I was able to chat with sous chef for a bit because he was working the front of the house. I knew the sources for almost all of the ingredients on the plate, so we had lively little talk.

Go to Paso, eat at Villa Creek.

There's a rumour around that Keller (the Keller) is planning to open a restaurant there. Makes some sense as Hwy 46 W takes you through local wine country and then over to the coast.

Apart from wine, if you visit Paso the things you should pick up are olive oil, cheese, and of course the local wines.

Bill's Place

2008-09-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Pierino just finished a much needed vacation up the Central Coast of California. I've been traveling up that way for years. At one point we decided to take the turn off to Arroyo Grande and instantly fell in love with with it because it is one of those old California towns whose history goes back to the late 19th century. There is this very cool steel and wood bridge which crosses the arroyo which is not so grande, but very pretty nonetheless.

Back to Bill's. After three years of dropping in maybe once or twice a year I finally learned that it was named "Bill's". What pulled me in the first time was this giant lion like thing in the front window. Inside there are a lot of dead animals who decided to hang their heads on the wall. This, I guess would be a Sarah Palin kind of place.

More soon because there are other good stories...

Eggs

2008-09-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

This passage comes from Russ Parson's book HOW TO READ A FRENCH FRY. Russ, who is a really nice guy when you meet him also writes "The California Cook" page for the new LA Times Lite.

"If the way most foods work is fascinating, the egg is nothing short of a miracle. Eggs can be used as a protein glue to bind ingredients together, as in batters for frying. They can also be used as emulsifiers, performing the seemingly impossible feat of holding water and oil in a permanent solution. And they can be used as thickeners, turning water into sauce."

See, I don't make this stuff up.

Oh' Canada

2008-09-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Awhile back Pierino was up in British Columbia and picked up this souvenir patch. But we can't figure out what it is intended to represent. Is this guy frog marching a seal, garroting it, or preparing to administer the Heimlich maneuver??

Oh well, Canada has given us Leonard Cohen, KD Lang, the Hansen brothers and I guess Alexander Graham Bell.

My Guilty Pleasures, chapter one

2008-08-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

I love this stuff! It's the Korean version of ramen. It's spicy and will provide you with all the salt you need for a week. And these packages only cost me 94 cents. When I can find them.

This is the stuff you wish you had during your starving college student days.

Now as an adult (or at least as a crazy Irish kid pretending to be an adult) I like to add other ingredients such as thinly sliced bok choy or Nappa cabbage along with some rehydrated shitake mushrooms and chopped scallions. I buy my shitake's at a Japanese market.

The latter is the part that they didn't teach you in college. Add some vegetables to your ramen.

"Celebrity" Food Show

2008-08-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Pierino spent this past weekend at the Horror Hilton in Anaheim attending a "celebrity" food show. The hotel is located adjacent to Disneyland and in the lobby of this cavernous place you can be trampled by a pack of kids who stand only about 3' tall. For me Disneyland is the "unhappiest place on earth." And as an evil prank I'm going to put this thought in your heads: "It's a small world afterall..." Now try and keep that tune out of your mind for 24 hours.

The show floor was mostly disappointing. I could walk it in about 15 minutes. However after a few passes I did meet some very nice people. I chatted with Nancy Ash of the California Olive Oil Council. California olive oils are one of my own causes.

The headliners were the crew from "Ace of Cakes", one of the only two good shows on the Food Network. Duff Goldman is like some rabalaisian character, owner of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore. His office manager Mary Alice was the one in control of their stage show. What surprised me was that taciturn Geoff apparently has a big following among fans of the show.

They do amazing stuff. Duff spent most of their hour on stage working and making wise cracks. But it wrapped up with him grabbing a hockey stick to slap cup cakes into the audience. He managed to hit his own mom.

Dante

2008-08-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I've tumbled back into the Inferno from Purgatory. But I'm working my way back up. However these are some of the most beautiful lines ever written:

Nel mezzo cammin di nostra vita, mi ritrovai per una selva oscura, che la diritta via era smarrita

One of the most beautiful verses in all of literature, and I have it memorized. But you have to remember that Hell isn't hot. It's freezing cold!
-

My Latest Obsession

2008-08-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

...is wood grilled artichokes. I've been back out on the road a lot lately. Fairly recently I was up in the Santa Ynez Valley staying on the outskirts of Solvang. If you saw the film "Sideways" you will recognize the familiar yellow sign outside The Hitching Post II in Buelton.

Sideways mania has calmed down considerably. So, I did my usual thing and walked in with a book and found a seat at the bar (kind of like Miles and Jack).

Now, when you pull into the parking lot you'll immediately smell the oak wood fire going outside. Very Central Coast. When you order it might take some time, not because the service is bad but because what they cook there takes time. I always try to read, but then I always wind up in interesting conversations with smart people at the bar. Oh well, I'll read in my hotel room.

This time I ordered two small plates. A grilled quail (please forgive me) and an incredible grilled artichoke which really set the bar for me.

There is also a place close to where I live that does an excellent job: Salt Creek Grille in El Segundo. Now comes the wierd part; they only have four locations, two in New Jersey and two in California. When I come in I don't even have to order because the bartender is going to set down my drink and and send back a ticket for an artichoke. Still more wierd, he and I both grew up in the same small town, Babylon, Long Island. He even showed me his driver's license. I'm a scrappy little Irish f*** but Patrick is a big one. He's a guy I would want to have my back. So I'm glad to have him as a friend.

Oh, yes and their artichokes are great although they do them over a gas grill but season them with liquid smoke. This is what scrappy little Irish effing cooks do, make friends and ferret out critical information.

So now I'm cooking them myself. I'm doing okay I think, and with a couple of more practice sessions this summer I will have it down. And hopefully a recipe will go out in the not so distant future.

Sous vide, the sequel, GONE WITH THE GEIST

2008-07-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/dining/23sousvide.html?_r=1&ref=dining&oref=slogin

So do you still want to poach stuff in bags? Maybe not.

Reporting from a secret location. But I will have more to add.

Stay Local Chapter 2

2008-07-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Let's face it you can't afford to buy gas. So once again I am singing the praises of one of my own local places.

The North End in Hermosa was once known as Critters and one of the diviest bars in all of the South Bay. Surfing legend Dewey Weber drank himself to death there. Two great friends of mine formerly owned the Mexican restaurant across the street. But since it changed hands I can hardly bring myself to go back.

The news about the North End is that it actually has a very talented executive chef, Jessica Jordan. The big guy on the left is Salvador. He has a counterpart, Servendo. I've seen these guys cooking in back, then washing glasses at bar triple sink and then bussing tables. There is a lot of multitasking going on! Jessica herself frequently works at the bar.

Now to the food. The regular menu is typical bar food. But the lunch specials are typically pretty good. However Monday is "gourmet night" with a special menu of five courses. Wednesday is "tapas" with a choice of eight small plates. Both nights are wonderful. I think in between there is the traditional LA "taco Tuesday" but I'm not going there...

The special menus change all the time. On recent visits (Monday) I've dined on pan seared duck crepes with hoisen and plum sauce, as well as a bay scallop and crab saute over cold angel hair. Both dishes are obviously Asian inspired but you might also find fire grilled jerk chicken with mango salsa, sweet pepper rice, roasted corn and pineapple saute'. Doesn't that make your mouth water!

This past week I stopped in for tapas and had delicious tempura battered squash blossoms with a yellow pepper-jalapeno sauce.

Chef Jessica's cooking rocks! And I encourage all of my friends to go.

The Next Geist

2008-07-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

The new zeitgeist sweeping through American kitchens is sous vide. Basically you vac seal a plastic bag and cook the contents. I'm not sure what accounts for its popularity after our molecular gastronomy phase, but my friend David at Bay Books, in Coronado showed me the new Artisan catalog and Keller (yes, that Keller) is bringing out a book on the technique. If I remember correctly, the book title is COOKING UNDER PRESSURE.

Okay, I guess I'll try some things out but this does remind me of cooking Stouffers' stroganoff when I was a college student in the days before microwaves. You dropped a bag of stuff into a pot of boiling water. Today's college students don't even know how to light an oven.

Today I think I might be preparing a "pasta primavera." This is not a traditional dish from anywhere in Italy. It was created at Le Cirque in New York in order to charge rich people exorbitant prices for inexpensive ingredients. But it can be prepared al minute.

Eat local, buy local

2008-07-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Pierino believes that you should support your community businesses. He believes that with all his whole heart. It might cost you a few more dollars than shopping at a chain or eating at a KFC but it matters!!!

In the photo at left you will see Big Bob who is a Hermosa Beach icon. He could be considered the Mount Rushmore of Hermsoa. Big Bob is the nicest person you might ever meet, and he is always sporting a cool hat. He guards the door of Cafe Boogaloo and when he unfolds from that chair he stands up at somewhere between 6"11" and 7'11". Let's just say he is a big guy. Bob is probably the reason that at Boogaloo there are no problems (unlike other bars/restaurants in the neighborhood). Sweet, gentle man but I would never want to mess with him.

But Boogaloo also offers up really great food. Owner Steve Roberts comes from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The menu is great but what often is off the menu is frequently better! You just have to ask. It's known locally that Tuesday is Fried Chicken night. And it's really good. But you need to ask your server.

Cafe Boogaloo is at 1238 Hermosa Ave 310 318 2324

I didn't mention that one of the reasons Big Bob sits outside the door is that on weekends they have a great live music venue. Recently I was lucky to see an impromptu Blasters reunion. On the bill was "The Gene Taylor Band featuring Dave Alvin" but toward the end of night Phil Alvin (giant head and all) stepped out on stage and all of a sudden it was the Blasters! One of maybe the top ten bands ever to come out of LA. Ever...

Surfin' Santa Barbara

2008-07-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

My favorite dining spot in Santa Barbara at this moment is Hungry Cat. No sign, but it's located at Chapala and Anapamu, with Hungry Cat discretely lettered on the the window. It's operated by Susan Goin who has the magnificent Luques in LA as well as another Cat in Hollywood. Also AOC in LA.

Down to business: the Santa Barbara Cat is small. The kitchen is available for all to see. Best seats are at the bar. Seafood again, rules!

In the photo above I'm not sure if the chef, Dylan Sultineer (big guy with beard at left) is conferring with his staff on the night's menu or comparing betting slips.

What I dined on was the "salted black cod [aka sable fish]. It wasn't anything like a real salt cod which must be dried and rehydrated. I think I'm doing that this weekend. But rather more like a cured, gravalax. The "local beans" were less successful---and I believe in buying local---kind of tough. But the cod was great. I wish I could have revisted on the following night to order the fried boquerones (anchovies) with dandelion, fennel and grapefruit...

There are so may wonderful things to taste here. Go for it

Paso, SLO, and Sliders

2008-05-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Just returned from one of Pierino's favorite car trips; Hwy 101 up to Paso Robles. Wonderful time of year to make the drive with yellow mustard exploding out of the hillsides along the highway. I brought along a couple of Yann Tiersen cds. His crazy waltzes really fit the mood.

I needed to hide away and get some work done in peace and quiet although at times I was feeling like the Martin Sheen character in Apocalypse Now.

As planned, I did have some really good meals. Paso (and the local pronunciation is Row-bulls) has two or three great restaurants but you quickly descend to "satisfactory." Still, this is a town I'd like to live in some day. I was hungry as hell when I rolled into town. My first stop was Villa Creek. I ordered at the bar and had their sausage, fruit and cheese plate. The sausage was house made and the cheese came from just down the road about 8 miles in Santa Margerita. Everything was terrific but the cheese, a sheep's milk cheese called Pomo Tome was outstanding. It tasted similar to a Basque Idizzabal but with very bright flavor.

The next morning I went to Raimondo in Paso to see if I could buy some of that cheese to take with me. They were a bit irked to learn that Villa Creek had it already when their order wasn't due for another week (at least). I then spoke with the kitchen at VC and they told me that they thought that they had bought up most of the production. I would say that's one more reason to buy local, and early.

Thursday evening in San Luis Obisbo (about 30 miles from Paso) brings to town the weekly farmers market. As I knew I would be cooking the next evening I bought some nice, small artichokes for I think, 4 for a dollar. Your local supermarket has chokes at about $4 each for globes... I guarantee those are going to be woody. Enzyte anyone?

While I was there I also picked up some Meyer lemons and young red onions.

After the market I went to a new restaurant in SLO named "Native." It's located on Chorro near the mission and the creek. Previously this spot was Mission Grill. But Native is so hip that they don't have a sign, just a chalkboard outside with the menu. The whole Feng Shui makeover look really works, taking full benefit of its great location. From the bar you can now look through the whole room down to the creek. I ordered their braised chicken lettuce cups which were excellent. But then...

...but then I went back to the menu and saw the dreaded term "slider" on there. Sliders are to the first decade of 2000 what napoleons were to the '90's. Anything that could be stacked could be and would be called a Napoleon. Hey, it's supposed to be an effing pastry! Sliders are reinvented White Castle burgers which go back to the 1940's and originally were called "Slyders" but sorry, no Rambo connection. Meaning I guess small things on small buns.

I think the chef at Native has many good ideas but next time I'm in SLO I'm going back to Novo.

Before leaving Paso Robles I stopped for lunch at the Crooked Kilt, a pub by the town square. I've wanted one of their T-shirts for awhile and I needed another garment because I hadn't packed smartly enough. When I looked at the menu there was a moment of serendipity. You can actually order a burger and a T for a single price; $25. As I only eat about five burgers per year this seemed like a good deal. And then I was on my way to Ojai.

Lesson 15: in Ospedale

2008-04-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

On a morning in late March [marzo] Pierino wakes up [si sveglia] in an unfamiliar [sconosciuto] room. Into his room enters a doctor [medico].

Pierino: where am I [dove sono io]?

Medico: Pierino you are in the hospital [ospedale].

Pierino: What happened [che sucesso]???!

Medico: You had a fall and injured your head and ribs. You have stitches [punti] and staples [punti metallici] in your head. Also you had cracked ribs [costole] and a punctured lung [pulmone sconfiemento].

Pierino: Aoh!

Could you please have the nurse [l'infermeria] bring me a coffee?

Medico: Sorry, not possible [mi dispiace non possibile].

Pierino: Why not [perche no]?

Medico: No caffinated beverages.

Pierino: Mortacci tua! E perche?

Medico: Because this is an American hospital [ospedale americano].

Pierino: Boh! Any other news [c'e altra notizia]?

Medico: Si. Roma ha perso a Manchester UTD 0-2.

Grida Pierino: NOOOOOO!!!!!