Vegas Baby Vegas!!

I am in Las Vegas for the week to work at a massive trade show, the hours in the kitchen will be gruelling but when I'm off I will be in the food capital of the country, just about every major chef in the country has a restaurant here and a few chefs from overseas as well. Its been a few years since I have spent any time here and its going to be fun.

Pork Belly

Pork belly is the cut of pork from which bacon is made; it has been around for a long time but has gained increased popularity in recent years with many chefs and home cooks who love its meaty flavor and texture. Another plus is the low cost due mostly to the excessive amount of fat, but this fat gives flavor, moistness and tenderness to the meat when cooked low and slow. In the Asian countries of China and Korea its also very popular and that gave me the idea of using a Soy Sauce, Mirin and ginger flavored braising liquid. A two pound piece cut in two and cooked about a hour in my pressure cooker. The falling apart tender pork was sliced and put on top of cooked Somen noodle with scallions and cilantro, a little braising liquid spooned over to moisten. Any kind of pork is a good thing and was great.

Hangtown Fry

There is a famous breakfast dish here in Northern California called the Hangtown fry, its orgins date back to the California gold rush in the 1850's. The town central to where this gold mining operation took place is called Placerville in the Sierra foothills. Back in those wild and semi-lawless days justice was swift and often resulted in death by hanging, which gave this town the nickname of Hangtown. There are a few stories about how this dish of expensive and rare ingredients came about. One is that the miners with new found riches were able to afford this type of food, I like the story of the condemned men being given a choice of their last meal before hanging, they would choose the hangtown fry with its basic ingredients of fresh oysters, bacon and eggs. The oysters being delivered fresh on ice from San Francisco a hundred miles away, it would have to take a day or two to arrive thus buying them some extra time here on earth. This famous dish can still be found on the menus in some bay area restaurants.

Hangtown Fry

Ingredients:

3 fresh organic eggs

3 Small Freshly shucked Pacific oysters

1 Strip thick smoked bacon, diced

Kosher salt/Pepper

Method:

1. In a nonstick pan cook the diced bacon till crisp, remove.

2. Dust the oysters in seasoned flour and fry in the bacon fat till cooked and crispy

3. Remove the cooked oysters and blot on paper towel.

4. Beat the eggs and pour into a greased hot pan, cook till just set.

5. Arange the cooked bacon and oysters on the eggs and serve hot.

6. If you are in Placerville, quickly get out of town when finished eating!

Oyster Mushroom Hash

A Sunday breakfast favorite of mine is some type of hash. Its is a one pan meal of crispy fried potatoes with maybe a meat like bacon. This time I used smoky bacon, diced russet potatoes, chopped green onions and oyster mushrooms. Everything goes into a nonstick pan and cooks into a crispy pieces, a fried egg goes on top to rain down warm yolk all over when cut open. hollandaise sauce? maybe, hot sauce? oh yes please!

Weeknight Bruschetta

Tonight with my daughter quietly doing her school homework I was faced with my daily challenge of "What to make for dinner" Using ingredients I had on hand I came up with bruschetta. This is basically a form of a rustic grilled toast with a savory topping. Having some nice Fontina cheese and Del Cabo organic cherry tomatoes it all came together fast and easy.

Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients:

2 Rustic bread slices, 1/2 inch thick

1 cup organic cherry tomatoes, sliced

2 slices Fontina cheese

1 clove garlic

3 leaves fresh Basil

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt/Pepper

Method:

1. Mix the tomatoes, basil and half the olive oil in a bowl, season to taste.

2. Brush the rest of the oil on both sides of the bread.

3. Grill the bread on both sides in a hot stove top grill pan or outdoor live fire grill.

4. When bread is crisp and golden remove and rub with the garlic clove.

5. Add the cheese slices while still warm and spoon the tomato mixture over.

Note: There are many variations to this recipe using the bread as a base for your choice of toppings.

Winter Garden Vegetables

I was looking the other day at the bare spot of soil where all my Summer vegetables were, this gave me the idea to plant a Winter crop. Hopefully with the shortest day of the year approaching there will be enough sun for growing the plants. There was not much of a selection of vegetables available this time of the year but Red Russian Kale and Toi Choi looked promising. With 24 baby plants in the ground its just a matter of waiting and hoping for a good harvest in a few months.

Toad in a Hole for Breakfast

The traditional English dish of Toad in a Hole is sausage cooked in Yorkshire pudding. My breakfast take on this classic is to cook a egg inside a cut out slice of bread, you get your egg and toast all done in the same pan. Always the key to any simple dish is the quality of its ingredients. To start I used a thick hand cut slice of Pain Au Levain from the famous Acme Bread Company in San Francisco. I used a three inch ring mold to cut out a circle from the center of the bread; a small glass works just as well if you don't have ring molds. This slice of bread goes into a hot nonstick pan with a dash of butter, and next a fresh organic egg is carefully broken and poured into the hole with a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper. Let it cook a few minutes on each side to brown the bread and cook the egg, a slightly under cooked egg yolk will ooze out when cut which is perfect for the crusty toast to soak up.

Green Eggs & Ham?

No not exactly but close, Today I made a breakfast dish using pork chorizo sausage, corn tortillas, eggs, spinach and the ever present avocado that I love to eat so much. This is a one pan saute of spicy crumbled chorizo and torn tortillas, a organic egg is added with a small hand full of fresh spinach. When the egg is just cooked and the spinach is wilted its onto a waiting warm plate topped with sliced avocado. I really like this kind of a one pan meal and its fast too. Other options can be added such as maybe potatoes, beans or a favorite salsa.

Pomegranate, Ancient Fruit with Recent Interest

The Pomegranate has been cultivated since ancient times with its origins in Persia and the Western Himalayan range but they can found everywhere in the Middle East and the Mediterranean regions. In recent years the popularity of pomegranates and its juice has increased due to its good health benefits. Some of these benefits are high levels of antioxidants and fiber. Most people tend to shy away from these fruits because they are afraid of the mess associated with removing the seeds. The dark red juice will stain. The simplest and cleanest method of extracting the juicy seeds is to score the thick skin and break apart the pomegranate under water in a bowl, separating the red seeds from the white membranes, the seeds will sink to the bottom and the membranes will float to the top. The now cleaned seeds are a great addition to a lot of dishes by providing bright color, texture and flavor. I like to sprinkle the seeds on top of my yogurt and granola in the morning.

Holidays and the Food Industry

Most people get to enjoy time off with family and friends during holidays, but the people in the service industry are there working hard to take care of them. This last week I worked at a restaurant in Monterey California and being open on Thanksgiving it was a busy time for the whole crew, we were not able to sit down for traditional holiday meal so we had to quickly enjoy a plate of turkey and stuffing during a quiet moment. In the bottom photo is not a sunset but the rising morning sun as seen from the back kitchen door, yes they are also long days in the kitchen.

My First Crab of the Season

My week long wait for the first crabs to hit the market is over, and a large Dungeness crab is in my possession. For my first taste of the season I had the idea of just eating it in its most simple form, boiled and cracked without anything but maybe a squeeze of lemon. Today's wet and cold weather changed my mind and I decided on making a hot Thai style curry, wow was it good. I am definitely looking forward to eating this again.

Thai Coconut Curry Crab

Ingredients:

1 cooked, cleaned and cracked Dungeness crab

1 can coconut milk

1 knob ginger, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 jalapeno, sliced

3 kaffir lime leaves

1 dash fish sauce

1 tablespoon green onions, sliced

1 tablespoon Thai curry paste

1 pinch cilantro, chopped

Method:

1. Saute the curry paste in a dash of vegetable oil.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 'till liquid is thickened.

3. Serve with steamed rice.

The Real San Francisco Treat, Dungeness Crab

Today is the first day of the Dungeness Crab season. The famous fisherman's wharf is filled with crab boats from up and down the coast and the word on the docks is that its going to be a bumper harvest with large dense and meaty crabs. But there is some trouble with the local fisherman wanting to restrict the amount of crab the northern boats haul, it can be up to 75% of the catch. They will then be heading back North when their crab season opens. The fisherman have agreed on a set price of $1.75 a pound and with the retail price mark up its still a good value. Hopefully the crabs should be hitting the stores in a few days, in the mean time I will have thoughts of fresh cracked crab with crusty bread and chilled Napa wine. I will post photos and recipes of these first of the season crabs.

Mexican Style Pickled Jalapeno's

I find that the sign of a good Mexican restaurant or Taqueria is the condiments they provide, freshly made salsas and big jars of pickled Jalapenos. I decided on making a big batch of pickled jalapenos with carrots to have on hand for whenever I want to eat them, which is most of the time. Jalapenos are good to use because they are not considered too hot with a low rating of 2,500-8,000 on the Scoville scale of chili hotness compared with the Habanero at 350,000-350,000.The pickling process will also make them milder so serve them with everything!

Pickled Jalapenos and Carrots

Ingredients:

1 pound Fresh jalapeno peppers, thick sliced

2 Carrots, peeled and sliced thick

1/2 Yellow onion, sliced thin

1 head Garlic clove, peeled

4 cups White vinegar

1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

4 Bay leafs

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Dry Oregano

Method:

1. Put all ingredients in a non reactive pot and bring to a boil, turn off and let cool.

2. These peppers and carrots can be canned using normal canning procedures or kept covered and refrigerated for one month.

Note: This basic pickling liquid is good to use for a variety of chilies and vegetables.

Swiss Chard

Today is really starting to feel like Winter and with the cool weather it brings the slow cooked comfort foods I like. While visiting a local farmers market I came across some nice organic Swiss Chard, I could not walk past them without buying some, the bright colors were amazing and I am sure that the taste would be just as good. I was thinking of doing a braise with them but decided on making flat bread with sauteed chard. The leafy vegetable was quickly cooked with lots of good olive oil and garlic then arranged on top of a crispy baked bread, excellent.

Mobile Food Trucks

They have been around for a long time with a old reputation of being dirty with questionable food, that has all changed and they are the new way to get amazing food cooked by some of the same chefs whose restaurants you might have dined at. The current down economy might have a lot to do with this current craze, buying and operating a mobile food truck is certainly a lot cheaper then a brick and mortar restaurant with the advantage of driving to where your customers are. The modern way of locating your favorite truck is with social web sites like Facebook and Twitter. The most common out there are Mexican taco trucks and here in Marin County there is a taco truck called "The Taco Guys"run by two guys who started out working in lots of restaurants and with the dream to do there own thing, The Taco Guys was born. The menu is a seasonal rotating blend of different tacos using the meats and fish with local organic produce. My love of the Mexican coast and a recent trip to Maui helped me pick the Maui fish taco, a lightly battered and fried marinated Ono fillet with lettuce, pickled onions and Sriracha mayonnaise sauce. The Hawaiian influence is the marinated Ono and Asian hot sauce. It was Delicious and the pickled red onions worked really well with the flavorful fish. The dream is alive and well.

The Food Guys

thetacoguys.com