As much as I missed my wife and kids Ken was the perfect travel partner. He is passionate about food and life and the greatest friend someone can ask for. We ate practically non-stop all day long. I would have driven Nadia and the kids crazy! When we weren’t eating we were talking to someone about food or immersing our selves in the “wet” markets (fish, meat, produce) or dry markets (If it can be found in water or on land it is available dried in bulk). I could not take it in fast enough. Chinese food is so dynamic. I had the best version of the classics that I have had in Chinese restaurants like BBQ pork (char siu), noodle dishes, and perfectly cooked full flavored chicken. I also experienced flavors and textures that I had never tried before from the unique texture of the salt-preserved “1000-year egg”, the spongy textured and incredibly tasty fish maw (the gas chamber of a fish that allows it to swim upright) to chicken feet and fish heads. Just when I thought flour had exhausted its amazing self in the world of breads and pastas I experienced a whole new world of flour made delights (buns, dumplings, and numerous wrappers). Like every country I have been to you can eat in the restaurants at home and experience food from around the world but it is never the same as going to the source. When you understand the heart and soul of a place and its people you understand the food in a totally different way. Watch for future blogs as I share specific experiences with delicious details along with pictures and videos. Until then I hope you are eating well and enjoying life! I can’t wait to kiss my wife and kids!

Eat well, Enjoy life, Be happy

Eat well, Enjoy life, Be happy

Feed the hungry by making a pledge (no cost) to eat good do good everyday.  America’s egg farmers are donating up to one million eggs to feed the hungry.

Lunchtime! Even though it is my birthday cooking is what I love to do so I was ready to dive into the kitchen. I rubbed a beautiful chicken that I got at McCall’s in Los Feliz, Los Angeles (Incredible butcher/fish monger that has the most pure, fresh product). I forgot how truly flavorful a good chicken can be. I rubbed the chicken inside and out with 2 TB my Indian spice blend and 1/3 C. of yogurt. The acidity of the yogurt accelerates the marinating of the chicken. The skin and meat turn golden-yellow. After a couple of hours I wiped off the excess yogurt and sautéed the bird briefly (make sure the oil is hot so the moisture of the yogurt doesn’t allow the skin to stick to the pan). I then added a handful of cubed potatoes to the pan with olive oil and brown mustard seeds. I roasted the bird at 350 until tender and juicy with a golden brown/yellow crust that became “Tandori” like. We were too hungry to get a picture of the cooked chicken. Sorry! The skin was crispy with a touch of chew that extracted the earthy, mild mustard-like flavor of the turmeric, the pungent medicinal quality of the cumin and the bright, cleansing note of the coriander seed. I mixed some red chile sauce, pureed mango and yogurt for the sauce. It was the sweet foil to all the richness and added a touch of heat as well. I steeped some black tea with the core of some mangoes for our beverage.

Dessert was a quick sauté of mango, red bananas, cardamom, brown sugar and butter. My son poured the orange liqueur and we all cheered as the flames erupted.

My wife took me to Mozza for a divine dinner. I felt like I was on the first date as I starred into her bright green eyes and drank the most luscious glass of dry rose. Dry rose is the perfect food wine. It has enough acidity to balance out the acid of salad dressings yet it has enough tannin, deep fruit and body to work with lighter meat dishes and pizza. (Mozza’s pizza dough is by far the best I have ever had. It is chewy like bread but thin and crispy. A brilliant accomplishment). I am going to stop now as I am getting too worked up and may go on forever! Thanks for reading. Have a great rest of the weekend and may your next birthday be everything you want it to be!! Enjoy.

Eat well, Enjoy life, Be happy

Achiote fish tacos with spicy pickled red onions. The flavors are inspired by my travels to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The bright reddish-orange annatto seed is the key to the earthy, warm flavor of achiote. When mixed with toasted cumin seed, Mexican oregano and a touch of black pepper the spice comes to life! This spice blend is great for fish tacos on the grill in the summer as well as rubbed on a pork chop or chicken breast and cooked indoors in the cooler months. I rub the fish with the spice mixture and then squeeze a touch of orange and lime juice on the fish to “activate” the spice. The moment the fish hits the hot oil in the pan the brilliant orange color bleeds into the oil. You get a mouth-watering golden orange crust on the fish. Flip it over and you know it is done cooking when a spatula slid halfway underneath the fish and lifted up breaks the fish. I break the seared morsels of fish onto a grilled tortilla and top it with creamy avocado, fresh chopped cilantro, crunchy shreds of green cabbage, grated cotija cheese and the spicy pickled red onions. I love they way two ingredients; salt and lime juice, transform hot, sharp red onions into to strips of bright pink, slightly crunchy and sweet shreds of pleasure. By adding some chopped habanero to the onions you get that “sweet heat” that I love. The bright citrus note of the habanero chile along with its piercing heat creates the perfect balance to the creamy avocado, the salty, slightly nutty cotija cheese and the fresh cilantro. The earthy, slightly pungent flavor of the spice rub encases the tender fish and remains the star flavor for sure. Whip up a margarita and make an early toast to summer! This spice blend as well as four others: Chinese, Italian, Indian and Mexican BBQ will be available here on my website in the next week. Enjoy.

Eat well, Enjoy life, Be Happy

By the time the show was over we were “STARVING”. As we drove home I was mind-tasting my way through the refrigerator to see what to make. I had some skirt steak and some eggs but not much more. I had some nori (sushi wrappers) and a nice supply of my favorite Asian superheroes of flavor (hoisin sauce, Sriracha chile sauce, plum sauce, oyster sauce, Thai chile sauce, fish sauce, etc). I decided to experiment with an Asian twist on steak and eggs.Skirt steak is easily one of the most flavorful cuts of meat (think carne asada!) and it’s thin so it cooks quickly. I mixed some fish sauce, hoisin sauce and sriracha (just a few drops) in a bowl. I added a TB of sesame seeds as well. I seasoned the steak (very lightly due to the high salt content in the condiments) and seared it in sesame oil over high heat until dark golden brown. I flipped it over and cooked it for just a minute more. I then took tongs and ran it through the bowl of condiments I created and glazed it evenly all over. I then laid the steak back into the pan so the sugars could caramelize and create a sweet/spicy glaze on my golden brown steak. I set it aside to rest and re-absorb its juices (the key to tender meat). This gave me the few minutes I needed to fry a couple eggs (med heat and a touch of oil as always). I broke half a sheet of nori into small pieces in the pan before cracking the eggs in. The bits of nori fried into the eggs creating a beautiful plaid jacket of seaweed on the eggs. Onto a plate with the steak and dinner was served in less than 15 minutes.

The combination of the sweetness from the hoisin sauce with the heat of the Siracha was incredible. The glaze cooked into the surface of the meat creating a glistening crust. The sesame seeds became perfectly toasted in the last minute of cooking and providing little bursts of “nuttiness” with each bite. The fish sauce (just a little) created that perfect depth of flavor and “what is that in there” sensation that I love with Asian ingredients. With the first assault of my fork the egg yolk ran out to join the juices of the steak and the drippings of the glaze to create a sauce that years of training as a chef could not compete with. The seaweed gave the egg such a unique taste of the sea almost creating a “surf and turf” sensation but was never overpowering. It was just enough to tie the steak and eggs together.

I couldn’t tell if my wife was more annoyed or scared with my endless self-praise over my new creation. Only after 14 years of marriage can one look say “shut up and eat, it’s late” so beautifully. I love that woman. I love this dish. Enjoy!

p.s. The meal was great with the La Vieille Ferme, 2008. A blend of Grenache, syrah and cinsault (classic Rhone varietals. Only $9 a bottle! Great fruit and not too much tannin. The fruit stood up to the spice and the egg softened the little bit of tannin in the wine which brought out the fruit even more.

Eat Well, Enjoy life, Be happy

I think the reason I never get tired of omelets is the same reason I love pizza; the topping possibilities are endless! I always open the refrigerator and make an omelet out of whatever we have but sometimes I like to take a little time to build my cold pantry. By spending 30 minutes on the weekend preparing a few incredible ingredients I am then ready for a last minute, quick, amazing omelet or egg dish anytime with almost no effort.

The basics of omelet making never change. Med-low heat, a touch of butter, and a non stick pan are the tools of perfection. Two eggs whisked with about a TB of water to keep them light and fluffy. A pinch of salt brings out the best flavor of the egg.

In this omelet I am using fontina cheese. It melts quickly and has a mild, rich cow’s milk flavor that goes beautifully with the earthy flavor of the mushrooms and the sweetness of the onions. You can use any cheese you have on hand as well.

Use your scrapper to “paint” the bottom of the pan allowing more of the wet egg to fill the space you created. Each time you drag the scrapper across the bottom of the pan your create light fluffily folds of tender egg. No stirring please. When you have just a touch of liquid left turn off the heat and fill your omelet. The residual heat will finish cooking the eggs. Fold the omelet over using your scraper and tilt the pan so gravity does the work for you. Once folded over you can then tip the pan and roll the omelet onto the plate. Top with herbs or spice of your liking or eat as is. Enjoy!

America’s egg farmers are searching for the next Incredible Person! You can share videos of you and/or your child’s extraordinary mind/body talents and skills on www.incredibleegg.org. The winner will have a chance to appear in an incredible edible egg ad along with other great prizes, including a year’s supply of eggs and a donation of 10,000 eggs to the winner’s local food bank of choice! On top of that, America’s egg farmers will match every video uploaded by donating one egg to Feeding America!
Eat Well, Enjoy life, Be happy

5 minute Breakfast Crumble

Serves: 2

Two eggs
2 pieces of bread
1 small, pre-cooked chicken/apple sausage

Place two eggs in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Turn to just below a simmer. Add the pre-cooked sausage to the water with the eggs and cook both for five minutes.

While the eggs are cooking toast two pieces of bread. Cut into cubes(croutons).
Remove sausage and chop into pieces.
Rinse eggs under cold water. Peel and place in a bowl.
Break up eggs with a fork. Stir in chopped sausage and croutons.
Spoon into two bowls (or ramekins) and serve!

You could also prepare the egg sausage mixture the night before and microwave it just until warm. The egg yolk coats the croutons making them rich and tasty. The chicken apple sausage provides just the right amount of meat flavor and the apple is the perfect touch of sweetness.

New News – America’s egg farmers are searching for the next Incredible Person! You can share videos of you and/or your child’s extraordinary mind/body talents and skills on www.incredibleegg.org. The winner will have a chance to appear in an incredible edible egg ad along with other great prizes, including a year’s supply of eggs and a donation of 10,000 eggs to the winner’s local food bank of choice! On top of that, America’s egg farmers will match every video uploaded by donating one egg to Feeding America!

Step one – Turn on grill press to heat up.

Step two – Hot pan, hot oil, drop in the mushrooms. Add a touch of salt and pepper. Sauté to golden.

Step three – Lay the asparagus in the grill press and drizzle with a touch of olive oil, salt and pepper. Close lid.

Step four – In a large bowl add your clean mixed greens.

Step five – In a squeeze bottle (my favorite) or in a bowl mix 1 part red wine vinegar, 2 parts olive oil, 1 tsp mustard, ½ tsp soy sauce, and a pinch of salt. Shake or whisk to combine.

Step six – Toss greens with dressing and place on plates. Spoon roasted mushrooms over greens. Lay grilled asparagus over greens. Garnish with shavings of Parmesan cheese.

Step seven – enjoy!

I love greens. They are healthy and full of flavor. They are the perfect palate for almost anything. Whenever I feel like “we have nothing in the refrigerator” I can always pull something together with some salad greens. A bite of greens lightly dressed with the sharp, clean flavor of red wine vinegar and mustard, the roasted creamy flavor of the mushrooms and the firm full vegetal flavor of asparagus adds a great texture as well as tons of flavor. The finishing touch of Parmesan is like the culinary magic wand. Its nutty, salty, Umami quality always takes a dish to the next level.

Eat well, Enjoy life, Be happy

I sautéed the baby shitake mushrooms in olive oil. The key to cooking mushrooms is to think of them as meat. You want to use high heat and get the oil hot. Mushrooms can take a lot of heat. Once they get a nice roasted golden brown color there is a barrier between the mushroom and the sauce which preserves their texture. Now you can do almost anything to them. You can add wine and/or meat stock and reduce for a great sauce. You can add a touch of cream and toss with pasta. As long as you get the outside of the mushrooms golden brown their texture will be nice; slightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. If you use low heat and don’t get them brown before adding liquid their texture will be spongy as they just soak up the liquid you add. In this case I did not add any liquid. I wanted to taste the full flavor of the mushrooms and the truffles via a bruschetta. Once golden I added a touch of chopped garlic and then shaved the truffle into the pan and turned off the heat. I always add garlic at the end so that it gives off its fresh perfume without getting toasted. The residual heat of the pan immediately infused the truffle flavor throughout. I added a handful of arugula and tossed again just to wilt the greens.

My daughter grilled the sliced baguette and laid them out on the platter. We topped the bread with the mushroom/truffle mixture and then dropped cubes of fresh mozzarella on top. A small drizzle of olive oil and there you have it. Before I got the first bite to my mouth I could “taste” the truffle via the smell. The strong woodsy, musty smell that you get when they are cold becomes a softer, richer mushroom flavor when heated. The truffle added an incredible depth to the mushrooms. The arugula added its peppery note as well as a balance to the richness. The cubes of fresh mozzarella melted half way from the heat of the mushrooms and then melted the rest of the way in my mouth. The fresh mozzarella tasted like a sip of pure, fresh, concentrated milk. My son was hesitant but when he saw the joy on the rest of our faces he gave it a try. He liked it too. A sip of yeasty, dry champagne is the perfect match. Killer appetizer or great lunch.

Eat well, Enjoy life, Be happy

There are many variations of the classic fish stew. I usually choose between saffron, smoked paprika or tarragon. This time the citrusy anise flavor of tarragon was calling out to me. I love the way tarragon converts the tomato broth into something that keeps you guessing. You think you taste spice due to the anise quality but then you taste a slightly medicinal herb quality. The back and forth play is awesome.

A great fish soup is all about technique. Layering flavors is the key to great cooking.

First – season and sear the individual seafood without crowding the pan. When they are 80% cooked take them out and reserve on a plate.

Second – add finely chopped shallots, red bell pepper and garlic to the same pan and mop up all of the flavor in the bottom of the pan. Once the veggies are evenly golden hit them with some white wine. Reduce to half.

Third – add ripe tomatoes if in season otherwise a can of good quality tomatoes (I always choose ones that have the fewest ingredients. I want tomato and nothing else). Simmer covered until the tomatoes break down and you smell a touch of heaven.Fourth – puree that mixture in a blender and add back to the pan.

Fifth – add chopped tarragon leaves and sliced potatoes to the broth and simmer until the potatoes are 95% cooked. Then add the mussels and the vegetables of choice (I used haricot vert and red bell pepper). Simmer until mussels open and veggies are cooked but still have body.

Sixth – add back your 80% cooked fish and turn off the heat. The residual heat will finish cooking the seafood. Divide the goodies evenly between the bowls and then ladle the broth into the bowls. Serve with grilled sliced baguette and garnish with a touch more chopped tarragon.

I take a spoonful of the broth and taste all the clean flavor of the sea before taking my first bite of fish. The broth itself could be a satisfying meal. I then spoon up a tender piece of scallop and a bite of the green bean. The next bite is a mussel that has fallen out of the shell along with a morsel of tender, creamy potato.  There are so many flavors and textures in a fish stew yet each ingredient has its moment to shine. I go from broth to seafood back and forth until there is just enough broth in the bottom of the bowl to mop up with my grilled baguette. Heaven!
Key Flavor Factors

1. Make sure seafood is dry. Get the pan and the oil hot. Season the fish and then sear. Don’t crowd the pan. You may need to do a few batches.
2. The broth should be fairly thin. You don’t want a tomato sauce you want a light broth that fills your mouth with flavor but without weight. The broth is like a spa for the seafood. Keep the heat low and keep the pot covered so the sauce does NOT thicken and reduce.
3. Layer the flavors. Roast and puree the veggies and tomatoes and then add more sliced veggies to the broth. You get lots of flavor this way.
4. By cooking the fish to 80% and then adding it to the broth at the end you get perfectly tender morsels of fish that give off all their juice to the broth.
5. Eat with your eyes closed and lose yourself in culinary heaven for a moment.

Ok, my wife is hungry. I am dying to try these Oregon truffles with some fresh mozzarella, shitake mushrooms and arugula crostini style. I will let you know how that turns out. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

I hope all your dreams come true in 2010!

Eat well, Enjoy life, Be happy