Sous vide, the sequel, GONE WITH THE GEIST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!!!!!