Potential Gold

Private Dinner - Agoura Hills, California

A couple of weeks ago Limor and I catered a small dinner party.  We were asked to come back and cook for a family which often uses our services.  This night was private sit down dinner for their friends.

The menu was as follows:

Hors d'Ouvres:

• Petite Shrimp Cocktail
• Individually Plated Seared Albacore Sashimi with Japanese Shaved Sweet Onion & Ponzu
• Seared NY Strip with Chive, Crispy Crouton & Truffle/Horseradish Sauce
• Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta on Wheat Toasts

Here is a picture of the appetizers:

Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of the salad.  Tonight's salad was an mix of Organic Baby Greens with a Creamy Green Goddess Dressing.  To that we added Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Crumbled Fresh Goats Milk Cheese, and Thinly Sliced Red Onion.  It was delicious!

Between the Salad Course and the Main Course we brought out a Palate Cleanser which tonight consisted of a Fresh Pineapple Granita.  I make this by placing pineapple into a blender and then straining the result. 

I add this fresh juice to a container and use the "egg test" to adjust the sugar level to the right place.  Once the sugar density is correct, I slowly freeze the Granita. 

To properly do this, you have to go into the freezer every hour and with a fork, mix the whole mixture around so that it doesn't freeze solid.  The result is always a light and icy delight the melts on your tongue like fresh snow.

I often give my clients plenty of room to decide on what menu they would like.  Once we have an idea then I present my menu options and we move forward from there. 

For the Main Courses we offered a Line-Caught Pacific Rock Fish with a Classic Beurre Blanc and a Grilled USDA Prime NY Strip.  The accompaniments on the plate were Roasted Carrots, Asparagus and Pommes Dauphinoise (aka Cheezy Layered Potato).  I made an amazingly rich demi-glace for the steak and finished it with Peppercorns and Brandy.  It was ridiculous!

 

Dessert was, and usually is, the last course of the night!  For tonights dessert I brought back a recipe that I picked up while doing my stage at La Locanda di Bu in Italy.  Under Chef Antonio Pisaniello, I learned and perfected the method for making flourless chocolate cakes.

With only a few ingredients, you transform eggs, chocolate, butter and sugar into deliciousness.  After 8-9 minutes in a convection oven they're hot and ready to be served.

To the cakes I added a home-made Orange Sauce which was fresh squeezed Orange Juice reduced with Sugar and I always add my signature Chocolate Truffle with two different types of cocoa powder.

Again - because of the night and the timing we were unable to get a picture of that dish but you'll just have to use your imagination!

Cheers!

Happy Birthday, Dad...Here's some Sushi!!!

For my dad's 60th birthday we decided to make a sushi night. We went to where our favorite local sushi chef goes to buy their fish in downtown LA and bought really fresh salmon, tuna and albacore. We bought plenty of fish and we were preparing to feed 80 people sushi! 

Here are some pictures of the prep work that was done in preparing the fish for tonight's sushi. 

Here are some of the pictures from the sushi that night. Amongst the rolls were:

Spicy tuna, Philadelphia, Salmon, Albacore, Tuna and some Aji...

Private Dinner - October 2009

Here's a posting we should have put up a few months ago.  Back in October, we were invited to cook for a dinner party in Agoura Hills, California.  Check out the menu and photos from that dinner.

Cooing in their beautiful home, we were asked to come up with a 'steakhouse' menu for this evening.  The menu was as follows:

Passed appetizers:

Grilled Lamb Loin on Olive Crostini with Roasted Red Peppers
Sesame Crusted Seared Tuna on English Cucumber Chip with Wasabi Crème
Fresh Basil Pesto Crostini with Imported Mozzarella & Cherry Tomatoes
Smoked Salmon Endive Spears with Croutons and a Dill Crème Fraîche

Here are some pictures we captured from the appetizers that night:

The first course was:

A seafood tower which consisted of jumbo shrimp and Alaskan king crab legs. These were presented at the table with smoking dry ice. This was a big success and delicious with the different dipping sauces.

The second course was:

The Classic Steakhouse Iceberg Wedge with Point Reyes Station Blue Cheese, Crisp
Bacon & Onion Strings

 
Between the second and third course there was a palate cleanser served. This evening's was a champagne mint granita.

 

The main course was served next. The guests had a choice of entree- Fresh Halibut Filet with a pesto sauce or Grilled Filet Mignon. These were served with Roasted Garlic & Shallot Mashed Potatoes,
Sauteed Mushrooms with Shallot and White Wine and Sauteed Asparagus spears with garlic and shallots.

The last course was Fresh Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Strawberry-Balsamic Compote and an Almond
Tuile. Finished with a home made chocolate truffle.

Spain & The World Table - Bocadillos (Ready to Eat)

The two posts below show you how to work up to the place we are at now.  In this post we will be putting together our two different types of Bocadillos.

The recipes I followed were taken from Spain and The World Table.

The photo below shows the Bocadillo set up with the Anchovy and Pisto Bocadillos.  You take a toasted slice of bread and add some of the prepared Pisto.  Above the Pisto you add a slice of anchovy and a drizzle of GOOD balsamic vinegar.  These are delicious.

Moving onto the second Bocadillo, the Anchovy and Pepper Bocadillos are made by placing some of the sauteed green peppers on top of some toasted bread.  The add the sauteed red peppers with garlic.  On top of that add some anchovy (here I used a slice of each type).  For added crunch and perfect flavor marriage, add a potato chip to the top.  This is magical!

Spain & The World Table - Anchovy & Pepper Bocadillos

In this recipe, adapted from the book Spain & The World Table (which I am working on for this section of Potential Gold), we will be continuing the work on Tapas.  The post below this is the starting point.

This post will be focusing on making an Anchovy and Pepper Bocadillo as well as the preparation of the anchovies for both posts.

Below - Limor is prepping the ingredients for a vinaigrette which will season this Anchovy & Pepper Bocadillo - NOT TO BE CONFUSED w/ the Anchovy & PISTO Bocadillo below.

Any fine vinaigrette will work.  Focus on the use of Sherry Vinegar and lemon juice as your acid.  You can see that there is a good amount of shallot and garlic in this particular vinaigrette.

Below you can see the ingredients needed for this Bocadillo (which I translated to toast point or crostini).

You will need some fire-roasted red peppers, fresh green peppers, a lot of chopped garlic and a bag of Lays Classic potato chips.

Mince the garlic and cut both peppers into strips.  

In a saute pan, add two to three tablespoons of good olive oil and start sauteing the garlic.  Add the roasted red peppers.  When an amazing aroma develops, remove the garlic and red peppers and add the green peppers to the now-seasoned oil.  Saute the green peppers until they have cooked down, reducing the heat of the pan so nothing burns.  Once cooked, remove the peppers from the pan into a bowl, saving the oil that the peppers were cooked with in the same bowl as the green peppers.

ANCHOVIES -

Below are the two types of anchovies I used for these Bocadillos.  Directly below are the salted anchovies and below that are the Boquerones.

For the salted anchovy, I just washed them gently in cold water and then let them sit in a bowl of half water and half sherry vinegar.

I purchased these Boquerones from Whole Foods Market but they are easy to make if you have your hands on fresh anchovy.  To make them, just clean the anchovy and fillet it.  Let the anchovy soak in half water and half white wine vinegar over night.  Remove the liquids the next day, taste a piece and if salt is needed (not always), add salt and cover with olive oil, fresh sliced garlic and fresh chopped parsley.

For these that I bought, I just rinse them and pat them dry.  I did sprinkle a touch of Sherry Vinegar on these as well.

Look for the post above this in the next few days for how all these yummy ingredients finally come together...

Spain & The World Table - Anchovy and Pisto Bocadillos

In this recipe, adapted from the book Spain & The World Table (which I am working on for this section of Potential Gold), we will be focusing on Tapas.  Two more posts will be part of this Tapas section...

Follow the pictures on this post for a simple and tasty treat!

We're going to make toast points with anchovie and sauteed vegetables which in Spain is called Pisto and resembles a small diced ratatouille - almost... 

Start by small dicing some zucchini, red and green bell pepper and onion.

 

Once your ingredients are ready, heat some good olive oil in a pan and start sauteeing the vegetables.  I add the onion first, followed by the peppers and finally the zucchini.  I did this on high heat to allow for good flavor development and some caramelization.

- Season to taste with salt & pepper

Once you taste that it is ready - take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature or just warm.

Step by Step - Fresh Pasta

Flour - Farina di Grano Tenero tipo 00

Scale it out - 200 Grams

Tunisian Tomato "Salsa"

The smell of this dish brings me straight back to my childhood.  At first sniff, I recall fun summers in the small neighborhood of Malcha, in the city of Jerusalem.  I remember my mom and her sisters making a feast of fried fish and 'chips'.

This tomato sauce was always there.  With the 'black' bread to soak up all the flavors, my favorite part was eating the crispy fish skin.  Dredged in flour and fried, the white flesh of the fish was always tasty and sweet.

For the sauce:

• Vegetable Oil for the pan
• Onion - 1 Cup
• Garlic - 1 Tablespoon, minced
• Tomato Paste - 1 Can
• Crushed Tomato - 2 Large Cans (not #10 large, just large)

Method:

In your pan, start by heating oil and sauteing the onion (don't be cheap on the oil...this is a rustic sauce!).  Once off to a good start and almost cooked through, add the garlic.  At this point, pay special attention to the garlic.  At first sign of color, add the can of tomato paste. 

Light Dinner

Cheeses, Sardines and Dolmas...

Often you get home and just want to chill...  After a long day, you go into the fridge and open up an easy to drink Heineken Light and kick back and relax.

In the fridge I had some cheese, Smoked Sardines and Stuffed Greek Grape Leaves.  With a few crackers we had a meal!

My Boos Block

I finally got my Boos Block.  I was working on a custom design for a while and had a friend lined up with the right skills to do it but the idea never made it through to production.

I wanted a large end grain block that was three inches thick by about eighteen inches wide by thirty inches long.  From my research, I understood that end grain blocks help against bacteria and just from common sense seem much stronger to the typical layout of a cutting board.

One day we were traveling through a Sur la Table near or in Glendale and there was a nice size Boos Block up for grabs.  It was $110 and well within my budget so I decided to get it.  So far, I've been very happy with it.  It's not end grain but it does the job at well below half of what I was willing to spend.

I think that after a good knife, the next most important thing in the kitchen is where to use that knife.  After a good rub down with a natural bees wax sealer paired with mineral oil, my board was ready to use.

Tri-Tip and Meritage

When you put it all together - this is what comes out!

Spain & The World Table - Classic Sangria & White Sangria

My first real experience of Spanish sangria was at a bar in the Spanish island of Ibiza.  I remember my eyes jumping at the pitcher of blood-colored liquid love.

I now am trying to recall the taste of what I experienced in Ibiza to the Sangria I've made here, in Los Angeles.  I remember the Sangria being tannic from the red wine but I also remember it being very strong on the citrus peel notes - I remember blood oranges and apple - so roughly chopped up that there were seeds, pith and peel floating around as well (probably adding to the authenticity of the pitcher).

Beef Tenderloin Butts at Lake Isabella

This becomes my job at all the social outings although R has shown some interest in learning the right way to peel the silverskin off of the tenderloin.  His skills are promising!

What do you eat on your camping trips?  And how many of your friends bring along air mattresses these days?!?!(is that still considered camping???)

Spain and The World Table

In the next few couple of weeks months, I will be posting about my experiences cooking through the book Spain and The World Table.  This fantastic book is full of beautiful photographs and recipes that will get you cooking Spanish quickly.

Spain and The World Table

My plan is to go through almost all of the recipes.  At first I thought to go from the front to the back but that means that one night we'll be enjoying many types of tapas and one night we'll be stuffed with many varieties of paella.

Since then, I have changed my view and the plan is to go through the book at my own pace.  I won't be cooking any pork recipes at my house but I do hope to get to those recipes too.  For all those disappointed with that, Jamon Serrano, Jamon Iberico and the beloved Pata Negra do not count as pork to me, so those should get on Potential Gold sooner or later (also some chorizo).

Stay tuned and keep a look out for the Spain & The World Table link on the right to jump straight to those posts.

Friday Night Bites

Friday nights are always fun.  Often times it is spent with my family and friends.  The food is always great and there is always a great mood to the evening. 

On this particular Friday night, Limor & I decided to host.  We haven't hosted yet and it was a good challenge.  There were fourteen guests confirmed and by the time it was over, I think a few more trickled in.

We started to prep on Wednesday for a Friday night meal.  The menu consisted of:

• Tuna Carpaccio alla CIA for anyone who's been to Caterina...
• Arugula & Mixed Green Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
• Ossobuco served with Risotto alla Milanese
• Chicken Cacciatore served with Roasted Pearl Barley
• Grilled Vegetables
• Misc. Cakes, Fruit Salad and other sweets

Overall I thought the dinner was a success.  Both the proteins came out very well.  The risotto had a few 'al dente' spots to it which I blame on the availability of proper cooking tools (I didn't use the right pot - too lazy to clean it). 

Everyone loved everything and the shocker for me was that almost everyone loved and ate the tuna.  Even Limor's grandfather enjoyed it and I wouldn't expect him to eat raw tuna!

Some didn't eat it though, but their portions were scarfed down by my mom...

Chicken & Mushrooms...Plain & Simple

I was home alone the other night - actually, I remember it was a Sunday night.  Limor was out and I was just lounging on the couch.  I stepped over to the kitchen and peeked into the refrigerator.

Inside I found some chicken breasts and a large helping of cremini mushrooms.  Right away I thought this would be a good match for a vinegary and earthy sauce that could use the help of some well rinsed capers and a dab of butter.

I pulled out my day-to-day ingredients.  I reached for my vinegars and came out holding onto a bottle of Sherry Vinegar and a bottle of White Wine vinegar which I picked up at Monterey Market in Berkeley.

I pounded out my chicken breasts and dusted them with a touch of flour.  Into a hot pan they went until golden brown on both sides.  I wasn't too concerned with the breasts being cooked, just that they were golden and delicious.  Later, they went back into the sauce to finish cooking.

Once the chicken was out of the pan,

Pasta, Haricots Verts, Wine

At the farmer's market the other day I found some great mushrooms.

Seared them on HIGH - added them to a rich stock flavored with Porcini that I brought back from Italy - Perfect.  A touch of butter and some cream just took it to another level.  A touch of chopped parsley to end.

At Costco they have a great product - Haricots Verts nicely packaged and ready to use.  Some of those - blanched in water as salty as the sea - topped with butter roasted thinly sliced almonds - just great.

The wine was brought over by my friend Yaniv.  He has a colleague in Italy who sends over some bottles and this time we enjoyed a nice Brunello di Montalcino as well as an Amarone della Valpolicella.

Simple Food

Some days I just feel like cooking normal, homie, easy food.

Above are some photos of:

- Turkey Meat Balls seasoned with cumin and turmeric.
- Imported Italian Tomato with Ground Turkey and Fresh Basil

Smothered Zucchini

I picked up some really great Zucchini from the Farmer's Market.  The farmer said they were similar to the 'Zucchini Bolognese' variety but that they were from Mexican origin.  I am not gonna chase the tail but they were very tasty.

This recipe is super simple and the results are always grand.

Party Snacks

From our past trip to Italy, we brought back some 36 month Parmigiano-Reggiano and we served it with some of PB's Balsamic Vinegar from Chalk Hill & a local Los Angeles Honey I found at the Farmer's Market.

Limor made a tasty Chickenless version of the 'Chinese' Salad.  The dressing is tricky - with so many variations we had to modify a handful of recipes to come up with the one she used.

Wine Corks

We have decided to start a collection - she wants to decorate the living room, maybe fill a vase (vahhs)...

Test Samples

These are the Classic Italian style Fresh Sausage...

These were some samples I HAD to try for quality assurance purposes...

Nice binding & protein extraction...sausage & beer...what could be better...

(my girlfriend enjoying them with me!!)

Paccheri Con Funghi Porcini e Salsa di Pomodoro

The theme ingredient tonight was Paccheri di Gragnano.  I purchased this pasta up the road from my flat on Solano in Berkeley at A.G. Ferrari (an overpriced Italian market that sometimes has the perfect specialty ingredient).

I first was introduced to Paccheri while on stage in Nusco (Avellino area of the Campania region in Italy).  There, my chef at the time, Antonio Pisaniello would make them with the most seasonal ingredient available.  Often for me it was with crema di zucca (gourd or pumpkin) and sometimes with a black truffle sauce.

Paccheri are really great and through my experiences this pasta is best enjoyed when not fully cooked and more on the al dente side.  Often times the pasta is layed out into a bowl and usually tossed with the sauce or even finished to cook with the sauce it is served with.

In my preperation I left the sauce off of the pasta and only mixed it through once I started to enjoy my plate.