"Slow" Goings On About Town and Tartine Brownies

I've really been enjoying participating in the active local Slow Food chapter lately - it's apparent that they have some dedicated, hard-working people running these events - which makes it a real pleasure to show up and reap the benefits! This trend continued on Sunday afternoon last weekend, when I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Slow Food Santa Maria BBQ, hosted by Jay at the Linkery at Bird Park - near Morley Field. Jay slaved all day over his Red Oak Grill, cooking up some delicious tri tip (donated by Hamilton's Meats). It was served with wheat bread, homemade pinquito beans and fresh homemade salsa. I don't know how he managed to get it so tender - I've always thought tri tip was a little spongy and tough - but his was excellent.

If you haven't had a chance yet, you really must go see Jay at his restaurant in North Park, the Linkery. They are doing some great stuff with local ingredients and vendors. They will be moving to new bigger digs soon (on University) but will be keeping an interest in the old site - so it will be interesting to see what happens there!

There were a few silent auction items up for sale at the event - I took home the framed vintage print on the right, below. I also bid on the one on the left, but alas someone wanted it more than I. I guess the silver lining is that Slow Food made a lot of money on it!

I also had the pleasure of meeting Lotus, of Good Food Comes from Happy Cows and her husband Thor at the event. Lotus and her husband are both charming and fantastically good company, and I hope we will get to see them again soon. If you haven't already discovered her blog, you really should check it out. She writes about cooking, growing food and eating locally here in San Diego - topics near and dear to my own heart.

A big thanks to Membership Chairs Dominick and Donna for all of their hard work - I heard they got there at 7 AM to stake out the site, clean it up and get it ready for us to enjoy! Cafe Calabria and Jimbos also donated the iced tea and desserts, respectively.

Slow Food has two other fantastic-sounding events coming up that I wanted to tell you about. On August 26, 2007 is the Fourth Annual Taste of Slow Food at Orfila Winery in Escondido. Tickets are $55.00 for members and $65.00 for non-members. Food is included, but you'll need to bring some cash for the additional donation for beer and wine (from Stone and Orfila) if you plan to indulge. Tickets can be purchased (and you can view a partial list of the participating chefs) here. All proceeds benefit the San Pasqual Academy Farm. (I still owe you another post on my visit there.)

On Friday August 31, 2007 (Friday of Labor Day weekend) the Boosters of Old Town are throwing a event partnering with Slow Food and many local "Slow" eateries to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the arrival of the Overland Mail in San Diego. The "alfresco, lantern-lit dining experience" will take place from 5 to 9 PM in the historic plaza, and will feature food from the Lodge at Torrey Pines, Brandt Beef, The Linkery, Stone Brewing Co., San Pasqual Academy and Waters Catering, among others. The flyer can be downloaded here. To purchase tickets, click here.

I took some brownies to the BBQ on Sunday - made from Tartine's recipe - which calls for no less than a full pound of chocolate. I tried another experimental batch before making these - which utterly failed. I still have yet to find the perfect formula - the flavor in these is good, but they're just a leetle bit too dense. I think next time I will try beating two of the egg whites to a soft meringue and folding that in to lighten it up. In the meantime, I had a some requests for the recipe on Sunday - so here it is.

(That's a test batch of homemade maraschino cherries in the background (made with Marasca liqueur- more on those later - if they turn out that is!)


"Tartine" Brownies
by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson
Published in the Oakland Tribune October 25, 2006

Kitchen Notes: You can't use a cake tester or toothpick to judge doneness. Because the batter has a high percentage of chocolate, the tester comes out wet even if the brownies are done.

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used a Trader Joes Pound Plus 70% bar - I would have used Valrhona, but that's a lot of chocolate!)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
2 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed (not "tightly packed" as is the norm)
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping (optional) 2 cups nuts such as walnut or pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13 inch glass baking dish.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. If the heat from the butter does not fully melt the chocolate, put the pan back over the heat for 10 seconds and stir until melted. Set aside to cool.

Sift the flour into a small mixing bowl. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until the mixture thickens and becomes pale in color and falls from the beater in a wide ribbon that folds back on itself and slowly dissolves on the surface, 4 to 5 minutes.

Alternatively, use a mixing bowl and a whisk to beat the ingredients until the mixture falls from the whisk in a wide ribbon. Using a rubber spatula, fold the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture. Add the flour and fold it in quickly but gently with the rubber spatula so that you don't deflate the air that's been incorporated into the eggs.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top with the spatula.

If you are using nuts, evenly distribute them across the batter. Bake until the top looks slightly cracked and feels soft to the touch, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 squares (I cut mine into more like fifty!) The brownies will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week.

Daring Bakers July Challenge - Strawberry Mirror Cake

Joining the Daring Bakers has really been fun, in that it gives me the opportunity to use skills I learned in culinary school that I would never otherwise use at home. With this stuff it's use it or lose it - and it doesn't take long as I've discovered!

This months' challenge was a "Strawberry Mirror Cake" a classic French patisserie concoction involving a sponge cake layered with Bavarian Cream and topped with a clear strawberry gelatin layer - a.k.a. the mirror. We actually did a Passionfruit mirror cake in my cake decorating class last semester, (at Grossmont Culinary School, taught by James Foran - the pastry chef at Market.) Unfortunately the cake had to chill for several hours in order to firm the filling, so the mirror had to wait for the following class - when I was absent. Not only did I not get to see the mirror, but since I wasn't there when the cake was finished, I didn't get to take any home! Poor, sad me.

The cake we prepared in class was somewhat different from this recipe. We lined a ring mold with a thin layer of joconde sponge, patterned with a chocolate tuile batter. The mousse was the poured inside, allowed to firm, and then covered with the mirror. It was an elaborate process - but not especially difficult, technically.

For the lining (I wish I had a picture of the other side!) we laid a patterned template on a silpat with holes punched in it - stripes, checkerboard or polka dots, and spread the chocolate tuile batter over the form. It was then lifted off, leaving the pattern on the silpat. Sponge cake batter was spread on top of that (carefully) and then baked. The patterned cake was then cut into strips for lining the pan. (If you look at the cake in the bottom right of this photo, you can see how it looked before the mousse was added.)

For the July challenge, Peabody's method called for us Daring Bakers to make a layer of sponge cake in a jelly-roll or sheet pan, cut the layers to fit a springform pan, and cover it with Strawberry Bavarian Cream - sort of a firm mousse - then with the mirror. The rules specified that the cake had to be white, but substitutions were allowed for the fruit and the gelatin if anyone was allergic or averse to gelatin. As far as decorating, the only rule was that you had to be able to see the mirror.

This was a fitting send-off to the local summer strawberry season, and I picked up a couple of boxes at the Farmers' Market last Sunday that I used for the puree and the juice. I made those earlier in the week and stored them in the fridge until I was able to get around to the cake itself on Saturday. (The cake needs to chill for several hours in order to let the fillings firm up, so it's not a bad idea to make the fruit puree and juice and the cake ahead of time.)

The sponge layers came out nice and airy and were brushed with a simple syrup spiked with kirsch for flavor. With this type of cake it's important to really beat the heck out of the sugar and eggs at the beginning to get them to full volume and give the cake a nice elastic base. The cake flour is sifted into the sugar and egg mixture, and then a meringue is folded in for lift. The key is to not stir too much, or the batter will deflate. My layers came out about 3/4 of an inch thick.

As I prepped it, I realized the Bavarian Cream has all the ingredients for strawberry ice cream - just jelled instead of frozen. You start with a custard - cooking egg yolks, sugar and milk together until thickened. The strawberry puree and gelatin are stirred together and added to the hot custard, and after the custard mixture is cooled over an ice water bath, softly whipped cream is folded in. (I had to add a couple of drops of red food coloring for the pink color, since the cooked cream had an unappetizing slightly grayish color.)

One thing I was a little confused about - the recipe seemed to call for 2 1/2 Tablespoons of gelatin (noted in the recipe as TBSP) - but a packet of gelatin contains 2 1/2 teaspoons of gelatin. I wasn't sure, but I figured two packets ought to do it (close to 2 Tablespoons altogether.) That seemed to work fine, but I am curious to see if other people used different amounts, and what their results were.

I added some cut strawberries to the sides of my cake - both for decoration and because I cut my cake layers a little on the small side (I used the pan as a guide, but I guess I overdid it on the trimming!) I placed them against the sides of the pan before adding the cream, then added the second layer of cake, and filled it in with the cream - being careful to leave space for the mirror.

I lined my pan with parchment paper, thinking it might help keep the strawberries in place when the sides of the pan were removed. The paper absorbed moisture though, and sort of crinkled a bit - I wouldn't bother with that the next time.

When the cream was thoroughly chilled and firm, I made the mirror topping. Again, this seemed to call for a large amount of gelatin - 1 TBSP. I used one packet (2 1/2 teaspoons) which seemed to work well. I added the fruit to the top before putting the cake in the refrigerator to firm.

I was really pleased with the way the cake looked when I unmolded it, even if it was a little crinkly. I was planning to take it to a barbeque yesterday to share it, but unfortunately we weren't able to go. (Sorry Mendy - and Happy Birthday!) It doesn't keep well out of the fridge, so taking it to work is out. Husband is at work tonight... hmmm... Guess I know what I'm having for dinner!

Summer To Do List

1. drink lots of Trader Joes Iced Green and White Tea with Mint - mixed with a few drops of lemon simple syrup (simple syrup made with lemon juice instead of water.) Sooo refreshing.
2. drink lots of Syrah Rose and Rioja
3. wait anxiously for the delivery of the patio furniture next week (I got some of it as floor samples - hooray for sales!)
4. make homemade maraschino and brandied cherries.
5. make homemade ricotta and mozzarella cheese to eat with my upcoming homegrown tomatoes
6. read Harry Potter (or as my husband likes to call it "Hairy Pooper" - he's very mature) while drinking above-mentioned iced tea and lounging on above-mentioned patio furniture.
7. finish my summary judgment motion before doing any of the rest of the above
8. somewhere in there, throw a dinner party
9. go to the Slow Food Santa Maria BBQ this Sunday at Balboa Park put on by the Linkery (and you should too!)
10. fantasize about all of the fun things I could be doing if I didn't have to work all summer. Sometimes, I really do wish we were more like the French!

The R.W. Apple Archives and Other News

Browsing through the NY Times Dining and Wine Section today, I came across this link to the archives of R.W. Apple, Jr., the NY Times editor and correspondent who wrote about food and politics for some forty-odd years before his death last year. I've seen his byline many times, and always enjoyed his articles. The list looks to be a treasure trove of interesting reading. He was something of an institution at the Times, and is undoubtedly sorely missed. (I especially enjoyed his Santa Barbara recommendations from a visit with Julia Child.)

There are a couple of other interesting pieces on the Dining and Wine page as well, including this one about the increasing public awareness about the humane treatment of animals (hooray!) and Mark Bittman's 101 simple summer meals, which has been the most emailed article on the entire NY Times website for about a week now.

Frank Bruni Savages Harold Dieterle in the Times

Those of you who have watched Top Chef from the beginning will remember Harold as the winner of Season One. Apparently, he recently opened a restaurant in New York called Perilla, and it's quite popular.

Frank Bruni - the NY Times critic has nonetheless done a number on it, with some of his trademark offbeat criticism. There's something about his flowery language and overwrought phrasing that I find intensely annoying. What the heck is a "retiring entree" anyway?

My favorite nonsense (run-on) sentence though has to be this one though: "A perfectly innocent coconut cake, minding its sticky business, gets mugged by a Shrek-green, grassy-tasting scoop of frozen yogurt flavored with perilla, the Asian herb, better known as shiso, that’s celebrated by the restaurant’s name."

Yikes!

Lucques, the Kwik E Mart and Crowded House - Part II

I dunno, maybe it's the kid in me, but I really wanted one of these donuts - maybe a comic book and a Squishee too. So when we planned our trip to LA last week, I made sure we stopped at the Kwik E Mart in Culver City on our way up.

When I saw the crowd of people standing outside and circling the block looking for parking, I was A) amazed, and B) - afraid they would be sold out of everything. I wasn't far off - they were sold out of the Krusty O's, the Buzz Cola and Radioactive Man comic books, but they had donuts galore. They even had donuts on the floor. They also had Squishees, in fun Simpson's cups. I chose Marge - I feel like she and I have a lot in common. I'd forgotten how good a cherry slushee can be. The donuts, buzz cola and krusty o's are available at 7 Eleven stores all over the place - the comic books are harder to come by though, and may be sold out.

It was a little too crowded to fully appreciate the decor, but it was still fun to see. It felt like a "happening" - something new and different. It was a pretty brilliant idea - blending reality with advertising - and I think the success of the whole thing far exceeded their expectations. Call me psychic - but I predict we'll see more advertising like this in the future.

From the Kwik E Mart, we headed to the Farmers Market, after a quick stop at the H.D. Buttercup furniture store in Culver City. I hadn't been to the Farmers Market in a very long time and I was glad to see it hasn't changed much at all. The food stalls remind me of a combination of the Del Mar Fair and Pike's Place Market in Seattle. I love that they still have the old chairs and tables, and that each stall has its own personality. I had a lot of fun taking these photographs and we had no trouble killing a few hours just wandering around. We even found some Marie Sharp's hot sauce at one of those specialty hot sauce stores. (We always keep some of this in the pantry since we enjoyed it on a trip to Belize a couple of years ago.)

When six o'clock drew near, we headed over to Lucques for our early dinner reservation. There's something to be said for early fine dining. It was still daylight - so we could sit outside comfortably (and I had plenty of light to take pictures) and we had the place to ourselves for an hour or so. It was also sort of fun people-watching as diners filed in. We spotted someone we thought we recognized as a character actor - but we couldn't think of his name. That happens all the time in LA, doesn't it?

The service was professional and helpful but inobtrusive. We started with some drinks, and they brought these lovely almonds and olives, thick sour warm bread, sea salt and butter.

The menu was short and fairly well edited - the starters were heavy on salads with only one red meat option and one seafood, and a carrot soup. We chose the tempura soft shell crab and the cherry tomato and kumquat salad with purslane, lebneh and mint. The salad was a bright combination of sweet and tart with an accent from the purslane and mint. Every bite was perfectly fresh and the jewel-like colors were gorgeous, as you can see. I saw a lot of people eating the summer peach and nectarine salad, and it looked delicious too. (I have some peaches and nectarines on hand right now - something along those lines might be in order for dinner tonight.) The lebneh were little balls of soft herbed yogurt cheese - I think made with goat's milk, but I can't be sure.

The crab was also very good - but the flavor was dominated by it's "fried-ness." The aioli was also little bit heavy and sweet for me (not being a fan of mayonnaise based sauces generally) but the chopped salad was tasty. The large chunks on the bottom are bacon - which added a nice touch. Overall, James enjoyed this a bit more than I did - so we were each very happy with our selections once we each settled on one.

For the main course, I ordered poorly. I don't know what possessed me to order chicken in a seasonal restaurant like this - much less a fall/winter dish in the middle of summer. Silly silly me. When I asked about the title - "The Devil's Chicken" - they told me it was their take on a classic Julia Child dish - chicken baked with a dijon mustard crumb coating. One of the things I love about the Lucques cookbook is that it is full of sprightly reinventions of classic dishes (the chocolate bundt cake, for example) and being a sucker for Julia - I went for it. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't one of the best meals I've ever eaten. The crust was crisp on the outside but a little soggy underneath. It had good flavor though, and the chicken was juicy and perfectly cooked, so it's not as if I went hungry.

The succotash that we ordered as a side dish was my saving grace. It was the perfect summer side dish - fresh, crisp and bursting with sweet summer-vegetable flavor.

James' veal cheeks were perfectly cooked, served over risotto with a broth sauce. When the plate arrived he said "look, I've got broth!" I thought the meat was a little bland - but it's veal, so I guess that's expected.

For dessert, our very competent server sold us on the semifreddo with fresh fruit - a frozen concoction that tasted of of sweetened whipped cream, with candied orange peel, pistachios and a crunchy crust. The fruit was perfect, and it was a refreshing finish to the meal.

Out of curiousity, I also ordered the confiserie plate. The large chunk on the left is a piece of honeycomb covered with dark chocolate, which was to die for. The rest of the bits were pates des fruits, a marshmallow and some chocolates. There's also a caramel in there. I was hoping for some nougat and maybe some more caramel, but I'll take what I can get. This would be fun to share at the table with some coffee for a light dessert.

Our server also recommended a glass of wine for James' veal that we really enjoyed - in fact we liked it so much we asked him to write it down. It turns out it's from a boutique winery in Napa that specializes in Cabernet Franc, called Lang and Reed, and it seems to be an absolute steal at $22.00 a bottle.

From the restaurant we headed over to the Troubadour for the Crowded House show.. I personally prefer Neil Finn's solo stuff to the Crowded House material, but it was fun to see the band in such a small venue with so many avid fans. There are a few really good songs on the new album and they are coming to San Diego this Summer at Humphrey's. If the tune up was any indication, it will be a great show!

Lucques
8474 Melrose
Los Angeles, CA
(323) 655-6277
http://www.lucques.com/

Recommendations - anything with fresh vegetables or fruit - all of the produce was absolutely perfect. I'd also recommend seasonal specialties, everyone seemed to be ordering the salads and lighter dishes. Their short ribs are also very popular.

Lucques, the Kwik E Mart and Crowded House

I haven't had time to finish the post yet, but here are the photos.

We had a lovely meal at Lucques, and the Kwik E Mart was a hoot. They are sold out of most of the stuff though, so it's probably not worth bothering at this point. The concert was fun too - nice to see them in a small venue like that!

Cheers and happy weekend everyone!

Is this bye bye to Casa de Madera?

After reading all the wonderful comments on this thread on Chowhound, I was really looking forward to trying this new sophisticated sounding Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately though, it looks like I missed my chance. According to the post below, it looks like they fired their new young Mexican chef, telling her that her menu was "not working." It certainly seemed to work for some people - including Gayla, otherwise known as the Dining Diva and a virtual Mexican food authority. One commenter on the thread has already indicated that the quality has gone sharply downhill. Will it become yet another taco and burrito joint? Just what San Diego needs....

Iveth, the chef herself, posted a few paragraphs in response to this thread and a couple of others. Knowing they would soon be deleted, I snagged her comments and have re-posted them here, with a few edits to make it easier to read.

THEY SAID MY MENU WAS NOT WORKING?

Hi everybody, my name is Iveth Quiroz. Since I was very young I have had a "love-affair" with Mexican Cuisine, and I am very proud of it. I have worked in many restaurants in México City and the southeast of Mexico with important chefs. My influences come from the provinces. I grew up among people who love simple food, the land, and unpretentious cuisine. The Mexican cuisine is so very extraordinary and diverse it is difficult to say that a dish originates from only one state. My husband and I worked very hard to bring the authentic ingredients for Mexican cuisine to USA.

He is a consultant on the topic of Mexican cuisine in San Diego and other cities in the U.S. I worked as a chef at CASA DE MADERA, however, Tuesday, July 14 was my last day there. I contributed to their menu by making dishes like Verde Jade, Ambrosía Mexicana, Ravioles Malintzin, Empanadas Frida Kalho, Crema Mexica, Tacos de Nata, Tacos de Salmón al Pastor, Tostadas de Pulpo, Tacos de Pato, Crema de Aguacate, Pato en Mole de Ciruela, Chile Relleno de Mariscos, and many other dishes in both name and presentation. Many of these dishes were served in our own little restaurant in Playas de Tijuana named "Las Glorias" - which was considerated "Petite Gourmet" in San Diego-Tijuana region by the magazine Estilo gourmet (estilogourmet.com). Each one of these dishes contain the history of my country and our culture, riches that the Spanish added in a "Culinary mestizaje." I was grateful that I had the opportunity to bring my flavors to like your palates. I have read the reviews here about my job and I'm very grateful of your comments... The complaints about the food are also accepted in order to improve. Dining Diva, thank you for your visit and your words and their your companion. Good Luck!

CASA DE MADERA is a great place. I'll write about my new location. The Mexican cuisine is continuously changing, but it's essences are the same.

Bitch, Bitch, Bitch - a chain of disappointments

Even the most dedicated food snob if he or she is a - human and b - honest, will admit to consuming chain or convenience foods every once in a while. It's virtually impossible to avoid them with the busy schedules we all have - and let's face it, sometimes you just get that craving that nothing else will satisfy - say for some McDonald's french fries, or buffalo chicken fajitas. (Does anybody really order that?) Lately though I've experienced a string of disappointing experiences with some of my secret favorites - a humiliation made worse by the fact that I spent good money for this food AND betrayed my ideals while hoping to enjoy the experience.

First off, Starbucks has discontinued my beloved Mocha Valencia, replacing it with something called an Orange Mocha. Essentially it's 50/50 flavored syrup that they will put in a mocha for you. Blech!! It had a nasty bitter aftertaste that just wouldn't go away, and I ended up throwing half of it out. Last week, I also bought one of the worst croissants I've ever eaten at the Temecula store. Back in the old days they used to buy their pastries from local vendors. Now, everything comes ready-made to the stores, and the case is filled with shriveled donuts and sticky-sounding concoctions like "Orange Creme Coffeecake." I'll never find out, but I sincerely hope it doesn't taste as gross as it looks. From here on out, I think I'll stick with the coffee - that is when I absolutely can't find anything else.

I also have to say, I'm also a little afraid of the way these places continue to sprout across the landscape - I must have passed a dozen malls between here and Riverside the other day - each anchored by a Starbucks as its first tenant. Really, when is enough enough??

My second big disappointment came from Rubios, where I had one of the worst meals I've eaten in recent memory. Since the chain was sold by Ralph Rubio about three years ago, it seems like the quality has dribbled steadily downhill. They've closed restaurants, changed the menu and raised the prices, trying to increase the profit margin which appears to be stuck in neutral. If they keep serving food like what I ate the other day though, they might well end up in a ditch.

You might think I'm nuts, but I've always thought that the different Rubios locations varied in quality. The (now closed) Hillcrest Rubios always had good management, and I always thought the food there was the best - especially the lobster burrito. It came with a special buttery sauce that was just to die for. It was like lobster bisque wrapped in a tortilla. By contrast, the Fashion Valley location always loaded everything up with beans, and it just seemed a little sloppy.

A couple of years ago, someone sued Rubios, claiming that the lobster burrito wasn't really lobster. Never mind that langoustine is actually a variety of lobster, Rubios took it off the menu. Seemingly for good. In the meantime, they have tried a long list of gimmicks to lure in customers. On a few visits I enjoyed the grilled Mahi Mahi burrito - but the last one I ordered was dry and flavorless. Moving on, I decided this time to try the "Grilled Mesquite Shrimp" burrito (at the location in Rancho San Diego.) "Chipotle" sauce seems to be one the latest gimmicks. It might not be a bad move on their part since the chipotle flavor hides just about anything with it's overwhelming smoky flavor.

The tortilla wrapper I received literally tasted of plastic, so I had to open the burrito and eat the filling without it. The shrimp were limp and gummy, and predicably everything was overwhelmed by the smoky chipotle flavor. It tasted like chipotle flavored Elmer's glue. Actually, that might be an insult to Elmer's.

Most puzzling was the name - nothing in the burrito was grilled, nor was there any Mesquite. Frankly, I would have expected better from Taco Bell. This being the latest in a string of disappointments from Rubios, I think I am ready to write them off.

In other chain news - I finally tried Pinkberry frozen yogurt last week, in Rancho Cucamonga. I was up there on business, and swung by the new Victoria Gardens mall to pick up something from the Crate and Barrel furniture store. That place is huge by the way - it's something like the Otay Ranch Mall, but bigger - or at least further along toward finished. I just can't believe how the Inland Empire is growing by leaps and bounds.

Anyway, Pinkberry's yogurt is creamier and a little sweeter than our local version at Yogurt World on Convoy. Personally, I think I like Yogurt World better. The texture is a bit more dense, and it has more tangy flavor. The Pinkberry shop itself is surprisingly elaborate, with Kartell "ghost" chairs (the clear plastic colored ones that cost about $300. apiece) a lacquered pebble floor, and cool bright funky colors throughout. It seemed a little over the top for a place with only two flavors of yogurt, but it seems to be working for them. A new Pinkberry will open soon in Hillcrest at the corner of 4th and Robinson, across from La Vache in the old PB Home and Garden location.

On the positive side of things, I saw Ratatouille the other night and I HIGHLY recommend it. Cute, funny and actually very interesting - the kitchen in the movie is amazing, and I have got to try that dish. If you want to see how it's done, head on over to Deb's blog. Thomas Keller's version of the dish is also posted here on the NY Times website.

Tomorrow we are heading up to LA for a fan preview Crowded House concert at the Troubadour - but what I'm most excited about is dining at Lucques beforehand. We're also planning to stop on the way up at the Kwik E Mart 7 Eleven, on Venice in Culver City for some official Simpson's pink movie donuts and a copy of the Radioactive Man collector's comic book. Maybe some Krusty-O's too. (I actually thought that only the special stores had this stuff, but it turns out they have them at 6000 of the others too.) If you're wondering if there's a Kwik E Mart near you, check this handy map, and if you're wondering what the fuss is about, click here.

I'm not doing much cooking these days, but I'll be back later this week with a few new posts I have saved up, and Lucques, assuming we follow through on our plans. Ciao for now!

Simpson's James and Alice

The Simpson's movie website has this fun little feature where you can make yourself into a Simpson's character. Here's me:

And here's James:

Don't they look like us???

To try it out, go to the Simpson's movie website. It's pretty cute, and looks like they will be adding some more stuff soon!

Missives from Paris

A good friend of ours is spending some time in Paris this month. During the trip, he has been providing us with near-daily updates sent from his Blackberry. Some of them have been rather funny, and I thought it would be fun to share a couple of the choice ones. Please to enjoy...
********************************************************

From: Mr. C
To: Long List of Friends
Subject: DELETE THIS EMAIL

Please destroy all records of this communication after reading.

As a few of you know, I had a minor ankle injury earlier this year! Well with all the walking I have been doing, it started to hurt again. Ice did not really help so I had to do the unimaginable! Today I had no choice but to wear tennis shoes with jeans. IN FUCKING PARIS! (No shorts allowed here). Ankle feels better but my pride and sense of self-worth have been totally destroyed. At least I am sporting a purple Facconnable shirt and Versace shades, so all is ok if you only view me from the waist up!

Fashion note for those stateside: in Paris one may actually sport tennis shoes with pants if the shoes are La Coste (green alligator visible). (Mine are Nike - Kill me now)

As for flip flops with anything, suffice it to say that my longstanding boycot (despite ribbing from a few of you) and condemnation of said abomination has been cemented forever. I would just the same hack my legs off at the ankle as be caught dead in Place Vendome with a pair within 50 feet of my body.

********************************************************
This one arrived today:

From: Mr. C
To: list of friends
Subject: You can't sling a dead poodle (or other yap dog)

To say that Paris is a Euroliberal's Valhalla grossly understates the case. You can't sling a dead poodle in this town without knocking over at least one or more "Artiste" types, complete with the standard-issue scruffy beards, longish, unwashed hair, and, the signature piece: sullen-detatched-aloof expressions plastered on their faces (funny how people who rebel to express their non-conformist individuality actually wear a distinct and instantly recognizable uniform). Don't know a damn thing except that they hate Americans, le capitilisme, blah blah blah.

There are a few in my class and today they went on a self-rightous diatribe about the importance of books in spreading the message about anti-globalisation, anti-imperialism, reparations from the developing world to Africa, global warming, etc.

When one of them mentioned how he read at least 2 books on these subjects per week "for self awareness, so he could fulfill his duty to educate others," I exploded: with complete contempt I sternly lectured: "je n'achate pas les livres de papier, parce que je ne veut pas tirer les arbres. On doit achater seulment les livres electronic. Vous comprenez". My snail's cadance and palpable scorn were such that it probably took me 30 seconds to get that out, not counting (I) the obligatory 15 seconds of silent gloating and feigned exasperation-shock that followed and (ii) mock packing up the backpack while shaking one's head as though preparing to storm out of the class in protest!

They then went silent the rest of class, slumping in their chairs like recently-spanked children, while my scornful glare continued unabated!

Translation: "I don't buy books made from paper because I am not a murderer of trees. One must buy only electronic books. You understand."

I am having so much fun here every day I can't stand it.

Luckily for the French, he comes home next week.

Overpriced in the OC - Gulfstream in Newport Beach

A few weeks ago while in Orange County on business, I persuaded a friend who was with me to drop by Gulfstream near Fashion Island for a bite to eat - rather than battling the 5 PM Traffic on South 5. I've said before that I am not a big fan of chains - but I kind of make an exception for these Houston's places. I grew curious about this one after seeing it a few weeks ago on a trip to Sprinkles Cupcakes, also in the same mini-mall just South of Fashion Island. (It's quite a little upscale-yuppie haven, with Sur La Tabla, Tommy Bahama, Bristol Farms, Waterworks, etc.) I am always up for seafood, and I love the glossy-deco/retro appeal of these old style seafood houses - even when it's as faux as it is in this place.

Of course I was also after some Sprinkles cupcakes - which I purchased to take home (just as good as before, if not better.) Ted opted to eat his carrot cupcake right there on the spot. After tasting it, I marched back into the store and ordered one to add to my box. Really, really good.
After that, we headed over to the restaurant. It was still a little early for dinner and the place was fairly empty. We were just after a quick bite, so we sat at a bar table. I had in mind a fresh cold seafood salad, maybe a cup of chowder, and a glass of wine. Definitely some sourdough bread or similar. The menu at this place is fairly limited though, and extremely expensive. We didn't feel like spending thirty plus for an entree, or $18. for a starter portion of seared ahi. They didn't have any "Louie" style salads on the menu, nor did they offer a cup of chowder. With my options thus narrowed, I went with the shrimp cocktail, pictured above, (around $15.) It was good though, damn near perfect actually. The shrimp were firm and sweet, and came peeled and fairly well cleaned. They were served with a spicy red cocktail sauce and a really nice house-made remoulade. I dipped the lettuce leaves in that and ate them too - I had wanted a salad after all.

Ted ordered a bowl of clam chowder, which he said was good, but not transcendent. No sourdough bread, but we got a basket of their biscuits to share, at four for $4. They had rosemary in them, but it was so subtle I really didn't mind. They brought honey and butter to the table with them, and the combination really worked.

I understand the allure of a limited menu but this was a little extreme, as were the prices. The grilled fish sandwich was close to $20.00 and all of the starters save the soup were north of $13.00. Entrees were in the mid to upper thirties, for very simple preparations. This place has a more casual atmosphere in some ways, but I think the pricing and value of what you get at Oceanaire are superior, particularly considering they have a more extensive menu.

It's hard to say whether to recommend this place - I guess it really depends on how much money you might have burning a hole in your pocket. If it's a lot, then you may well be very happy!

Gulfstream
850 Avocado Ave
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 718-0187
Yelp reviews with more photos.

David Lebovitz's Salted Crack - I mean Caramel Ice Cream

I think I'm trying to recreate Bi Rite Creamery in my kitchen this week. (Have I told you that I'm contemplating a special trip to San Francisco just to check this place out?) Last night it was Salted Butter Caramel (phenomenal), tonight it was Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet (very good) and tomorrow (or the next day) will be Vanilla Raspberry Swirl. I made the bases/syrups all at once, and they are - or were - waiting in the fridge.

I know, all of these desserts and not a chocolate one in sight - but I have to say, I think my preference may be to eat the chocolate on or under the ice cream, rather than in it. There's nothing better than a scoop of really good vanilla or creme fraiche ice cream with a side of Boulevard Hot Fudge, some warm caramel sauce, or a sprinkle of malt powder. Brandied cherries and toasted sliced almonds don't hurt either.

But I digress. I have to tell you how good this Salted Butter Caramel ice cream is. It's so good, that I actually became angry today - downright mad - when I finished the tiny afternoon spoonful that I allowed myself, and realized I'd have to wait until after dinner to taste it again. It's so good that I actually want to horde it and ration it out (which is not my usual m.o.) It's definitely the best ice cream I've ever made.

I saw the recipe a while ago on his blog, and looked for it in the book The Perfect Scoop - but it's not there. It's here and only here, as far as I can tell. It's a little more complicated than some other ice cream recipes because it requires the cooking of sugar not just once, but twice. It's really not difficult though, and it's sooo worth it. I promise.

I did have a tiny bit of trouble getting mine to freeze. It took nearly an hour and was still fairly soft, but I suspect that could be due to one of two problems that are easily fixed. First, I might not have cooked my custard quite long enough. I have a tendency to overcook custards waiting for them to thicken, so I took it off at about 163 degrees. Next time I think I'd cook it about five degrees further.

The second (and more likely) possibility is that the base just wasn't chilled down quite enough when I put it in the freezer. It was a very hot day (at least 80 in the kitchen) and my ice water bath melted (as you can see above) so it didn't really do much to chill it down. I put it in the fridge for about two hours, and it was cool, but really the custard should be thoroughly chilled - eight hours or so is optimal unless your ice bath really works. Ultimately it came together, but I think it would be creamier if it hadn't churned for so long. (On the plus side, it's relatively soft straight out of the freezer!)

One suggestion I do have is to make the caramel for crushing right before you churn the ice cream. It gets very sticky after about an hour or so, and if I had chilled the base overnight, I would have had to figure out some way to store it. By morning, I suspect it would have been a sticky mess.

The Silpat was fantastic for this project - and David really isn't kidding when he says don't stop to scratch your nose before pouring out the caramel. I tried to stir in the salt, and the caramel burned in just that amount of time (you don't need to.) You have to stop when it's dark but NOT reddish - if it is, you've gone too far. The good news is that it's a quick process, so doing it over really isn't such a hardship (lucky for me). The picture above shows the caramel when it's almost there. Once it starts to darken, it happens fast.

The ice cream itself is creamy, buttery and sweet, with crunchy bits of burnt sugar and salt. It melts fast, and goes down even faster.

Too fast, if you ask me.

I used Maldon sea salt, organic milk and cream, and Plugra butter. Since the Plugra wasn't salted, I added an extra sprinkle of salt. I also added a couple of generous pinches during the cooling process to suit my personal taste.

This post is participating in Meeta's Monthly Mingle with the theme of ice cream! Check back sometime after July 4 for the round up and see all the delicious flavors!

I'll be back sometime soon with a catch up post about where I've been lately, and more about the farm tour. Have a good week everyone!