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!

Champagne Salon and Delamotte Tasting at Wally's

The other night Limor and I enjoyed a wine tasting at Wally's Wine & Spirits in Los Angeles. The tasting was in collaboration with Champagne Salon as well as Delamotte.

We arrived around 7 pm to find the tasting room packed to the max. A few days ago Wally's sent out an email stating that the tasting was sold out. We made the best of it and received our tasting glass from the person who checked us in at the front.

From there we began with the Delamotte Non-Vintage Brut. For Limor who isn't a wine:o I enjoyed seeing her reactions and comments to the Champagne. The Brut was very traditional. We picked up a nose of toast, some tart green apple and Limor really thought the nose resembled the smell of something 'salty'.

From there we went onto the Delamotte Rosé. The Rosé was elegant and tasty. The blend of primarily Pinot Noir grapes really stood out. Unlike the cheaper wines, this Rosé was made by letting the skins stay in contact with the wine, releasing the color and flavor that we see and taste.

Unfortunately, the ONE Champagne I built up all my expectation towards was nowhere to be found. I bought my ticket to this tasting not for the Salon but for the 1985 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs. Unfortunately, we were scammed as that bottle wasn't poured at the tasting.

From the Rosé we moved onto the 1999 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs. The Blanc de Blancs was awesome. Although the pour was very skimpy, my one sip was really refined and the sharp difference from the first two wines was pretty outstanding.

Lastly was the Champagne Salon. The 1997 Salon Le Mesnil is what I think everyone else was there for. The bottle is extremely expensive - somewhere in the $400/btl area. I found the Salon very, very good but I am glad to say that I am not an extreme Champagne fan yet as that hobby could get really really expensive.

I want to really point out that it is not OK to say that a specific bottle will be poured and then NOT pour that bottle. I went to Wally's to taste a quarter century old Champagne and that didn't happen. Although it was my first tasting at Wally's, I do hope to come to another event there where I will expect more than this tasting.

 

 

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. 

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.

LA On Fire...

Go

HERE (Flickr Page)

to see pictures of the fires burning through the North-Western part of the San Fernando Valley.

The pics start off early AM on my drive to work with a view from the street as well as the fwy.

I get to work and then jump onto the roof to get a glimpse at all the airpower they brought in for this thing.

Early in the AM on the way to work there were the twin SuperScoopers flying around but the wind got too high for them the rest of the day.

I hope tomorrow is a better day.

Enjoy the pics.

Random Photos in Los Angeles

These pictures were taken on Beverly Boulevard near BLD.

I think this place was an old car mechanic shop - what a perfect place for a cool outdoor eatery (except for the residential neighbors...)

Interesting how its stayed vacant for so long.  I'm sure someone is holding on to it for that right moment $$$$.

Fried Chicken at BLD

Every Tuesday night at BLD in Los Angeles you can try some of the best Fried Chicken.  Mike and the rest of the chefs at BLD make one of the best Fried Chicken dinners I have ever had.  It will cost you about $25 for the meal + bev, tax and tip but it is WELL WORTH IT.

I can't say how long the special Tuesday Night fried chicken will last and I'm not sure if it's permanent, so try it while its still there.

How do you cool your watermelon?

When at the lake, do as lake people do:

Try not to let it escape - it will be cool in the center if you leave it in the water a couple of hours before you want to eat it...

Father's Office - Los Angeles - Best Burger & Sweet Potato Fries

Father's Office!

My friend Justin was in town the other week - he was visiting from Minneapolis and needed to get some real, good food into him FAST.  One of our stops on that weekend was to Father's Office in Santa Monica.  After hearing all the hype and rave reviews, we had to try it for ourselves.

To the bar we went because there aren't any servers to take your order.  After a short line, we were helped by one of the friendly bartenders.  For a beverage, Justin was ok with water as the night before we visited Tokyo Delves and anyone who is familiar with Tokyo Delves knows that you can't leave that place sober unless you're the DD.

The bartender helped me choose a glass of Great White from Lost Coast Brewery.  This beer resembled the Hoegaarden which I like so much.

For a snack we ordered the amazing sweet potato fries which are served in a mini shopping cart with a small side of strong blue cheese dipping sauce.  My beer went really well with this.  As we waited for our burger, we took in the atmosphere and had a few laughs.

We arrived at Father's Office at around 5 PM on a Saturday so in my opinion there weren't too many people there, and it wasn't a problem to order and get your food.  It's pretty simple - you order at the bar and get a plastic number - your food magically appears at your seat in a few minutes.

I didn't get the vibe that they don't want you there or that it's a foodie only type of place.  Its much more of a neighborhood bar type of place.  Simple and easy.  If we had bigger appetites, we would have ordered much more food.  Although the prices or above market average, it seems like you really get quality stuff.

Our burger arrived and it looked so good.  It was not what I was expecting.  The oval shaped burger was already cut in half which made it much easier to share.  The meat was cooked medium just the way we ordered it and after the first bite, it was very very good.

I can see how people say that this is the most amazing burger and bla bla bla but in my opinion, the burger was very very good - executed to the dot and I'm sure its exactly what the chef is trying to put out.  The bun was fresh and tasty - it was more bread then a bun - the meat was juicy and well seasoned.  The arugula was tatsty and added the right flavors that worked overall.  The blue cheese was on the money - not too much or overbearing and not too little - all of it was just right.

I can't wait to get back to Father's Office.  I want to go more hungry, and with more friends as it seems like a really fun place to let loose and have a good time with great beers and very tasty food.

Nove Italiano at The Palms Hotel, Las Vegas

While on the Las Vegas trip mentioned below, we were 'hooked up' at The Palms Hotel in Las Vegas at the new restaurant, Nove Italiano where chef Geno Bernardo cooks up a storm.

I was first introduced to the Nove idea a while back while I was still working at Fra' Mani.  Nove was dedicated to working with us and they even wanted to set up a large glass display case for the salami in their restaurant.

To top off the fact that I had the Fra' Mani thing, I also went to school with one of the managers on the floor and the two of us even spent some time in Italy together.

Now, given that it was a busy Friday night, I'm sure if it were a slow Tuesday night my experience would be different.  That being said, don't get me wrong - we had a blast - but you can see from the photos below that there was more expected and less delivered.

The night started off with a really weak Amuse Bouche.  Now, this amuse was so bad that I only ingested it because of the hunger which developed throughout the day.  Toasted baguette with Olive Tapenade - they do this at Olive Garden these days...  Just look at the way it was presented - it shows such poor taste and it almost instills a disdain for the person tasting this.  Bad!

I remember being told that Nove Italiano at The Palms Hotel did 'crudo'.  Oooooo...

So - being a HUGE fan of Moreno Cedroni, I opted for a taste of the crudo and I should have known better then to expect Cedroni in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas - 99 Cent Margaritas

Only in Las Vegas...

We recently went to Las Vegas for a birthday party.  We stayed at the The Westin Casuarina Las Vegas Hotel, Casino & Spa just off of the Las Vegas Strip.

The hotel was really nothing special with the only positive comment being the great shower the Westin offers.  I truly feel that this hotel being a Westin reduces the brands mark and appeal.

The restaurant is a joke at this hotel and the casino is barely that.  I originally booked this room by force, as it is what I was given from priceline.  I was really upset that I wasn't given a hotel ON the strip.  So after trying to fight priceline, I gave up as I read that there really isn't any hope in trying to fight the scamming web based Travel Company.

The thing that pissed me off the most was that the week before our trip, I had offers for hotels on the strip for less money.

Look, it happens and you can't get all giddy - sometimes you have to get shat on.  Priceline definitely shat on me.

So – to make myself feel better I drank 99 cent margaritas all night long…na, just kidding…  I saw this sign while on the way to Nove, the Italian restaurant at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas.

Nove will be another report, and I hope that by the time I’m done writing it, the place will have dramatically improved its food and service.

Pizza Research Institute (Eugene, Oregon)

On my short visit to Eugene, this was one of the most memorable spots I stopped in at.  The PRI is truly a one-of-a-kind establishment.  The person I was in contact with whom I assumed is the owner, was wearing flip-flops and a pair of jeans with a t-shirt and an apron - happier then hell about making and selling great pizza.

I went in just to take a quick taste and the stay lasted about an hour.  From the handwritten menu on the wall I had a choice of about four or five pizzas available that day.

Jo Federigo's Restaurant & Jazz Club (Eugene)

On a recent trip to Eugene, one of the most memorable dishes I enjoyed was the Seared Scallops with Miso and Cucumber Salad prepared by the chefs over at Jo Federigo's Restaurant and Jazz Club in Eugene, Oregon.

The scallops were sweet and buttery and the miso with cucumber was fresh and appetizing - I would have stayed for more but the Lakers were playing and I had to go watch the game...

XLB - the eating guide & Mei Long Village

One of my favorite foods in the whole wide world is Xiao Long Bao aka XLB.  XLB is a dumpling which literally translates to "little basket bun". 

These are commonly found in the areas of Shanghai and Wuxi, China.  Here in the US, XLB are also referred to as Soup Dumplings. 

These little pockets of love are worldly.  A thin, slightly translucent, unleavened dough surrounds meat which has been steamed.  In preparation, the meat includes a good amount of gelatin that once steamed, turns into soup within the wrapper of the dumpling. 

Most commonly served with vinegar and slivers of ginger, I love to eat my XLB in the following way:

Summerland, Gainey and Santa Barbara

So the other week some friends and I went wine tasting up in the Santa Barbara area.  We started with a nice tasting at Summerland Winery's tasting room in Summerland, CA, just south of Montecito on the 101 freeway.

We tasted a great Santa Barbara County Chardonnay, some great Petite Sirah and I really also enjoyed the Trio from Summerland.  The staff there was knowledgeable, friendly and warm. 

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...

Il Tramezzino

Il Tramezzino - a place I first went to in Beverly Hills is now opening in Tarzana.  The photos above were taken at the location in Sherman Oaks on Ventura Boulevard just west of Coldwater Canyon.

"Il Tram," as everyone calls it, is well known for its light and quick bites and also as a place to see and be seen.  For some reason unclear to me, this place is very IN at the moment.  I remember going there late one night and enjoying a hot croissant filled with Nutella and sliced Bananas. 

Pahlmeyer 2002

Not a bad bottle of wine.  This photo was taken at a friends house.

Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles

(Please excuse the "red" pictures - you'll understand if you've been to Roscoe's before)

Roscoe's is a legendary establishment.  Being around for many years, they are obviously doing something right!

Yes, this was my first visit to Roscoe's in my 18+ years living in Los Angeles.  I will definitely return and I actually look forward to the next visit. 

What I really crave is the waffle.  I thought the waffle was made very well.  There was a good spiceiness to the batter made with cinnamon and a few other ingredients for sure.  The syrup seemed standard issue Sysco but that was good too. 

The chicken was fried very well and the seasoning of the fry was great.  The meat was nice and moist.  I ordered a dark meat plate with two waffles.  It was a good choice.  Omer and Limor both ordered the classic Breast and Waffle plate. 

Linkin Park Live @ Staples Center

You know how it is...through friends of friends of friends we got some amazing tickets and VIP access to the Linkin Park show the other night in Los Angeles.

I've never been to the Staples Center so it was a really great way to see the ins and outs of such an amazing building. 

Likewise, I also was never at a Linkin Park concert so the two together were just great.

The music was very good and the lighting was outstanding.  I had the pleasure of meeting a few of the band members previously and they are all really humble and down to earth. 

The drummer of Linkin Park played a very amazing solo which I thought was world class. 

Providence

It was finally time to enjoy a nice meal in my hometown, Los Angeles.  A great excuse to splurge on a fantastic meal, and take Limor out for a night on the town, Providence was a great choice.

Providence came very highly recommended by many chef friends as well as some well known professional 'eaters'.

We started our night by taking some photos.  Our back-waiter was very joyful and enjoyed having fun with us.  So much so that he actually became our front-waiter for the night.  I think the original server didn't feel up to having fun that night (he looked way to serious in the funny costumes they wear!).

We ordered the five course tasting menu which I was warned takes about three hours to enjoy (it did).  I opted for the wine pairing. 

From the kitchen we first received a great plate of fresh butter and salt to go along with a great piece of bread (unfortunately, it was the only bread they gave us all night, except for some brioche as part of a dish).

Next out as teases was a "Gin & Tonic" in gelatinous cubes and a "Mojito" in spherical form.

The Sweet Life Bakery

Below is a letter from Stephen & Jill who are friends of mine from the CIA.  They have opened a great bakery in New Jersey and this is what they have to say...

"Hello,

Have you imagined opening your own restaurant, or being the chef and culinary creator of a concept? The Sweet Life Bakery would like to let you know that the city of Vineland, New Jersey is currently building a ‘food district’ in its downtown. It has the investors, but needs the culinary talent that you have to open a restaurant.

Our bakery has laid the foundation for a legitimate culinary destination, but downtown Vineland needs more genuine restaurants and specialty food shops to make it a truly special place. Nice restaurants will be opening here… do you want one to be yours?

There are financial incentives, a convenient location halfway between Atlantic City and Philadelphia, lots of growth in the general area, as well as the host of the newly founded Vineland Music Festival.

If you’re interested and would like more information, please call Jill or Stephen at The Sweet Life Bakery 856-692-5353, or e-mail us at [email protected]

If this is not something that interests you, please forward this on to any awesome cooks or talented chefs that you know. We’re counting on using the power of the web to find just a few people whose time has come! Thanks for your help!

We hope to hear from you or your friends soon.

-S&J"

Read their blog here.

Menu For Hope 4

It's finally time to do another good deed. 

This years Menu for Hope has begun and I was able to sneak in an assortment of Fra' Mani Salumi as a prize for this years raffle.  Make your $10 donations by following the information below and you could be a winner (yes, I know, we're all winners!).

The Prize code for the Fra' Mani Salumi assortment is UW34 - The set will include a random assortment of Fra' Mani Salumi hand chosen by Paul Bertolli.  Included will be an assortment of salami as well as Fra' Mani's new Cooked Sausages.  Shipping is included within the continental US and there is no delivery to a PO Box.  This set won't let you down and will be great for any Salumi lover or fan of Paul's work.

Inside a Flower

Inside a Flower.

Caviar & New Years 2007

To celebrate the new year and to bring it in with a nice kick, my friends T & E invited me for a bit of caviar.

A few days before, PB and M were over at T & E's and really had the gourmet tasting.

A trial was set up with three different producers of caviar.  One was from California, one from Germany and one from Italy.  Because I was not in attendance, I heard that the Italian caviar won top scores from the three producers.

I was able to 'taste' the Californian product which was great.

Some Wonder Bread toasts, Bellwether Farms Creme Fraiche and Grey Goose vodka accompanied the Sterling caviar produced by Stolt Sea Farm in Elverta, California.

Not too shabby and a great way to start 2007!

Thanks for reading!

I Won, I Won!

I never win anything...ever...but I guess when the cause is a positive one then luck is on my side.  Pim and a great group of bloggers have done it again. 

This year we raised over sixty-thousand dollars to help the UN World Food Programme.  People from all over donated gifts and prizes to those who donated.   I tried to give a salami but I didn't make the deadline.  There's always next year to give back.

So, I won a dinner for two at Manresa in Los Gatos care of Pim's Blog and the staff at Manresa (I think!).

Thanks!!

Pomegranate Flower

Taken at the Getty Villa.

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano

One of the Supreme Cheeses of the world, the true Parmigiano is nothing to phuk with. The chance finally came around for me to open up one of these beautiful wheels of cheese and I attacked the opportunity head on.

Here, at Al Vedel, we go through about forty wheels of Parmigiano a year. Being closed the whole month of July and a few weeks here and there, that is about a wheel of cheese a week. Hopefully this wont be the last wheel I open (my technique can use some help!!).

On eG, I posted about my visit to a family who makes Parmigiano – check that out. 

So – on with the process…How to get into the cheez:

The tools – what we use to open up the wheel is a cheese scoring knife – the one at the bottom with the beaked tip.

Then, the two chisel-like tools are used to shimmy there way into the cheese. Not much force is necessary in the entire process, although the cheese is damn heavy.

Once the cheese is scored with the knife, you jab the rounded knife into the cheese, rock back and forth till the knife enters the cheese, then insert the squared knife in to hold the cheese open. The squared knife is tapered and gets wider further up.  Here is a photo of the cheese scored and open in the center.

This photo shows the bottom half of the cheese, not yet scored, but open at the center.

As you can see, this particular cheese was aged well, with no defects of trapped gasses (holes) or off colors. You can also see the deposits of calcium in the cheese; that white ‘crunch’ that grana gets its name for. Yes, here they also call Parmigiano ‘grana’ – for its texture more than for respect for the other cheese; although, check this out as a rebuttal.

I’m working on one half at a time. The whole process took me about 20 minutes – I was having fun and took my time! 

The pile of cheese that comes from one wheel of Parmigiano is amazing. If each wheel weighs 30 kilos, then each wedge must weigh about two and a half kilos – or – five and a half pounds.

Each wedge then probably costs (in the US) from seventy to ninety (+) dollars. But then again, Parmigiano in the US is way overcharged – and minimally used compared to the amounts used here.

At the end, the pieces are wrapped in plastic and ready to use later. I look forward to doing this next week, although the sous chef made a comment about how “rustico” my wedges were. His come out perfectly straight and in line, then again he has been doing this for a long, long time!

Go Eat Cheese

Fra' Mani Salametto

 

Inside La Mortadella

The Mortadella in transit.

Inside view.

Inside view.

La Mortadella

Some R&D work led to these amazing hanging Mortadella.

(prior to the oven)

Thanks to our neighbors for letting us use their oven!

(almost ready to eat!)

Pig's Feet

Some people enjoy eating this pickled...how do you like your pig's feet?!?

(yuk)

Happy Olives

The fruit from these trees make one hell of an oil...

 

American Balsamic Vinegar

Check out this battery of Balsamic Vinegar in various wood barrels.  The people here surely know what they're doing!

And Yes, this really is in America (Sonoma, CA area).  Interested??