Jalapeño Girl

Hot Stuff Food Section Round Up

Grilling and other noshes on this week's food section round up on SFist.

Wagyu Beef grillin' and chillin'

The marbled, rich texture of Wagyu beef is pure juicy goodness. We recently grilled some Wagyu at my folks place, in Benicia.

While the $29 per pound wholesale price is steep, the beef's smell and flavor make it a worthy purchase for any serious carnivore.

Recommended side dishes: chunky herbed mashed potatoes (go smooth if that's your preference, of course!), grilled asparagus, and buttery San Francisco sourdough bread. The only dessert you may have room for after feasting is a piece of chocolate or nibble of a fruity tart.

Sichuan Hot in San Mateo

Eating at San Mateo's Little Sichuan Restaurant can be a hot, hot, hot experience. The dry fried chicken, shown here, and Ma Po Tofu (pictured below) were almost too much. Yet it was tasty, hearty, and good. Combining jalapenos and Sichuan dried chilies offered potent heat. There was also a pleasant hint of sweetness with the chicken that helped balance the spicy seasoning.

We specified that the food be hot spice wise, and Little Sichuan delivered. I noticed other chile eaters sweating and smiling. Many had Chinese beer, tea, and water. On some tables, there were bowls of broth with red chile oil or liquid on top that intrigued. Worth another visit.

Others may complain about the service, which can be spotty. On weekday lunch visits the service isn't always consistently good. Also, the restaurant has a worn feel. But I'm not going for decor or service. The spicy food with ample servings over rules these quibbles.

The restaurant has it's own parking lot, which is a bonus for the downtown San Mateo area. Also, you can walk through the "Mother Ship" Draeger's food emporium before or after your meal. It's right next door....

Little Sichuan Restaurant
168 E. 4th Avenue
San Mateo, CA
650.345.9168

Taste of the Nation next Sunday

Taste of the Nation

Experience the Premier Culinary Event

Taste of the Nation San Francisco
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Acme Chophouse
24 Willie Mays Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94107

Buy your ticket to the hottest food and wine event of 2008 and help fight hunger at the same time.

Share Our Strength remains one of my favorite charities because they have great food events and are fiscally responsible. I am volunteering the day of the event, and have been on the event committee in past years. Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation^® presented by American Express is the nation's largest and finest culinary benefit, featuring top chefs and mixologists -- all of whom will come together this spring to donate their time, talent and passion to end childhood hunger in America. Get your tickets here.

Iron Chef Michael Symon will be joined by three competitors from Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef”, including Gavin Kaysen (NYC's Café Boulud), as well as San Francisco’s own Chris Cosentino (Incanto/Boccalone) and Traci Des Jardins (Jardinière/Acme Chophouse/ Mijita). Finishing with the dessert course again this year is Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake fame and soon-to-open Orson.

Santa Barbara: Lettuce B. Frank's Hot Dogs & More

Years ago, one of the perks of working in financial printing was the free employee meal. Although I hate eating at my desk and avoid doing it now, back then it was an unavoidable daily routine. One of my favorite free meals at the time was romaine salad topped with chili, and sides of pickled jalapenos, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and onions. This is hearty comfort food at its best, and I always love the interplay of textures and flavors.

I was reminded of how good this meal is on a recent visit to Lettuce B. Frank (LBF) on State Street, in Santa Barbara. We read a review that said something along the lines of "don't let the cute name fool you, it's good." None of us were in the mood for a long, complicated meal after a day of spending "quality" family time together on the road. LBF seemed to have something for everyone in our party (gender stereotype alert!): draft beer and massively loaded hot dogs for the menfolk; chili, salad, fries, and fresh aguas frescas and fountain drinks for the ladies. Another potential bonus: LBF tries to be fresh, organic, and local with its ingredients. 

LBF's chili ($4.95) is a Texas red version that comes with cheese and onions. While I usually prefer chili with beans, this beefy version tasted good mixed with the Caesar salad ($6.95) I shared with my Mom.  The cheese and salad offered pleasing contrasts. I stole occasional nibbles of hand-cut russet potato fries from Oscar and they pass muster. Dad and I tried the 2 house made hot sauces, which are both cayenne based. The milder hot sauce seemed to be fruitier. 

We sat at the counter, and the friendly crew took good care of us. Watching Dad and Oscar chow down on their Dog Pounder ($7.50) and chili cheese, (pictured above, $5.50) dogs made me queasy yet a little envious. I miss me a good dawg. At a 1/2 pound, Dad's 100% all beef NY style Sabrette hot dog, looked massive and tasty. LBF has only been open a few months, and they seem to be working hard.

Other interesting menu items include more salads, rotisserie chicken, beef or pulled pork sliders, fish and chips, mini corn dogs ("corn pups" as pictured above), cheese steaks, dogs (turkey, veggie, or all beef) and sausages with every kind of topping and sauce (hmmm items: creamy horseradish, maple, and pesto aioli).

Lettuce B. Frank
413 State Street
Santa Barbara, CA
T: 805-965-7948   

The Bubble Lounge's Small Plates

Menu Pages readers, welcome.

Earlier tonight, I tucked in to some good grub at The Bubble Lounge. The Chef's name is Brian Konopka ("Little Sandwich" in Polish) and he hails from NYC.

Le Menu
Filo crusted Hearts of Palm with Prosciutto and Parmesan

Duo of Hamachi tartare with caviar and smoked salmon with crispy vegetables

Grilled Brie and smoked duck breast with fig jam-my fave

Caramelized banana and Tahitian vanilla creme brulee

Dark chocolate mousse with white chocolate whipped cream

Warm apple and walnut Napolean with caramel ice cream

Champagne chocolate truffles with Champagne and Grand Marnier-wonderful cinnamon notes here!

Champagnes by Gardet
Premier Cru Rose, 2001
Vintage Brut, 1999
Millesime Rose, 2000
Brut, NV

I'm off to Lake Tahoe to cater tomorrow. Hope no bears attack while I'm there! 

Catered Summer Dinner Menu for 30 guests

Here's a recent menu used for an event I worked on, along with miscellaneous notes:

Roasted Yukon gold potatoes filled with creamy asiago cheese & basil aioli-I keep meaning to ask the Chef, let's call him Chef Handsome, at what point in the prep does he sprinkle crack cocaine on the potatoes. They are so addictive, guilty staff members have been spotted popping them in their mouths as soon as they come out of the oven. The creamy garlicky goodness is worth any and all burns.

Grilled shrimp brochettes with tarragon, saffron and orange-No skewer soaking, which surprised me. There weren't any splinter complaints or sightings, though. Chef Handsome had me blanch then chop the orange zest, to make it more palatable and tasty. My fingers and nails became dirty from cleaning and pulling the tarragon, but the kitchen smelled wonderful and aromatic. While I enjoyed the layered flavors, another staff member poo-pooed it because of the saffron. Silly her.

Seared beef tenderloin brochettes with a red wine glaze-Tender, succulent, medium rare beef was a particular favorite of the male guests.

Summer veggie soup topped with a Parmesan crouton-NEVER put purple cabbage in a soup. It will quickly erase any and all evidence of golden, beautiful stock, and perfectly diced vegetables. Instead, you'll have a grayish-purple goopy looking mess that is impossible to fix or cover up. A crouton is only so big, you know. Put that purple cabbage to better use in slaws and garnishes.

Ceasar Salad-Although this was a zesty, fresh looking dish, many folks only nibbled on it. Chef Handsome was concerned, but I think the problem wasn't the salad. Maybe a serving of that purplish vegetable soup left them feeling like they'd already had enough veggies and good stuff? Tough to say.

Grilled New York steak with grilled asparagus and red onion, and mashed potatoes. Chef Handsome used white and green asparagus spears, and each guest received five total. Then came a pinch of the carmelized onions, and a pretty scoop of perfect mashers. Chef Handsome shared his trick for light, fluffy, perfect mashed potatoes, "Save some of the potato cooking water. Use that instead of stock. You won't need as much butter, and the water will provide saltiness." Mmmmmm.

I asked, "Do you let the potatoes sit for fifteen minutes, to cool before mashing?" Another Chef I know is adamant that that is one crucial step for texture and flavor alike.

"Yes," he said. I will repeat his potato water trick soon.

The steak was such a hit, that one female guest wandered into the kitchen, looking around. With a somewhat regal air, she asked Chef Handsome, "Where are the rest of the steaks? I'm looking for food for my dog. He's sick. Poor thing. Is there a steak I can take home for him, on a plate? Or in a doggie bag?" I thought to myself, "Lady, you've totally got priority issues. WTF?" Even though we had a handful of leftover steaks cooling and hidden under foil, Chef Handsome mumbled some sort of apology and shrugged. I was so glad he was saving those steaks for the clients. They needed to go to humans, not sick dogs. The regal woman shifted her weight and looked around some more and said, "Oh. Well. It was really good steak. He would've loved some." No doubt.

Chocolate cake with summer raspberries. Caffe Trieste Coffee & assorted teas. Steak, mashed potatoes, and this chocolate cake could easily pass as my last meal on Earth. While I'd go with a huge smile on my face, I am so over raspberries or mint as a garnish. However, there may be a dearth of options. Aside from tuiles and mini cookies, it's tough to come up with other dessert garnish options, eh?

Bar Menu: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. Sammuel Smith's and Corona. Crystal Geyser and Pellegrino. Coke, Diet Coke, and 7-Up. Sorry I didn't note the producers and vintages on the vino.

You Know You're a Caterer When...

...The skin around your finger nails turns brown and black. Whatever nail you may have is also dirty looking. Scrubbing with hot soap and water gets about half the grime and grit off. Hand lotion, or olive oil applied before bed helps some. The best solution for grimy fingers and nails? Masochists only for this one. My nails are super short as it is, but I use nail clippers to cut away as much filth as possible. The skin looks dead anyways, and cutting the skin off is painless. Really, it is. It would be useless to have open sores in this line of work, so I only cut superficially. Sadly, I have no clue what to do with the skin on the side of my pointer finger, which look like a busy road map of more dirt. Since the dirt isn't deep enough to cut through, I'm forced to keep washing and waiting for the appearance of grit to go away.

The reason my nails and skin are blackened is from hours of cleaning and picking herbs, for 2 separate events. Even though the herb bunches get rinsed first in a deep sink and colander, there is still enough trace dirty stuff to cause dirty nail.

Another nasty symptom of catering that is definitely freaky: blackened nostrils. How else to say it? Your boogers turn all black. While in the restroom for a break this week, I blew my nose. I had never seen such dry, black crud in a Kleenex. It was not blood, but looked like dried tar from a dirty street. There was a lot of it. The culprit? Hours spent cooking hot, glistening beef appetizers indoors. I kept thinking back to the somewhat oily, extremely hot, beef cooking pan that had tiny segments of garlic and beef in it. There must not have been enough ventilation, and perhaps I inhaled some of the oven's cruddy fumes throughout the event. I wondered if the warm, humid weather (Palo Alto, baby!) made things better or worse. The black boogers kept coming, later that night. My post-event relaxation was definitely cramped. I felt like a mad scientist every time I went to the bathroom and blew, hunched over the sink. Black, dirty tissue is painless but oh-so-gross. More extra hot water and soapy goodness to clean me up, stat!

Made in France/Le Village Warehouse Sale

My pantry needs stocking, so I'm headed to the Made in France/Le Village warehouse sale, later today. Although my cash budget is $200, I have been known to go overboard at this sale.  the rationale is usually: clothes, gas, PG&E. who really needs those things?? There's so many dreamy items to enjoy, from sparkling cider to oozy cheeses and high-quality charcuterie. Spices, olive oil, chocolates and French soaps round out the bounty.

If no one minds, I will sneak some photos, too. See you there?

Just a friendly reminder that Made in France / Village Imports
is holding a gourmet food and wine warehouse sale on:

- Friday June 29th from 02:00pm to 06:00pm

- Saturday June 30th from 08:30am to 01:30pm


Are you ready for Independance Day?

Looking forward to seeing you.

Sincerely,

The Team at Made in France / Village Imports

                         

©2007  Village Imports, 211 South Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA

San Diego vs. San Francisco Burritos. Discuss.

I read but haven't posted comments on the SFist great burrito debate, currently raging. Would I say the San Diego burrito is better? No. It is different and good, though.

Torta Time

Making tortas for a fiesty and hungry De La Hoya-Mayweather crowd turned out tasty results. These sandwiches are served at room temp and promise to be  meaty and satisfying.

Ingredients: Best Foods mayo, refried beans, mashed or sliced avocado, lettuce, pickled jalapenos, shredded pork butt, tomato and/or salsa. A soft  (pick it up and check, or ask if it's soft) roll from a panaderia works best. We bought twenty rolls for five dollars in the Mission. Be sure to not slice the roll all the way through. Otherwise, you may have a mess that will only get worse if you try and pick it up.

Another bonus with making carnitas for tortas is the meat and salsa taste even better the next day.

Shake It Off

It was dumb of me, really. Letting pickiness get in the way of eating. I went over four hours without eating. That was after having a large coffee, with a sugary pastry, and over two hours of driving on windy roads. Add hot weather, pregnancy, and the search for my Dad at a dusty car show, and the chances of me being grumpy are almost guaranteed. What surprised me was how shaky I was, in addition to being ravenous.

Oscar agreed that we should park (add fifteen minutes: who are you people that crowd car shows, anyways?), find food, and then track my Dad down. Oscar teased me, "You won't like the food at the show. It's going to be greasy," he said in a sing song voice. Ah, love. I kept changing my mind on what I wanted as we approached the show. Chinese food would be good, but who wanted to sit in a dark restaurant when it was so nice out? A hot dog with chili would hit the spot, but wasn't I supposed to be not eating sulfites? I am embarassed at how much I was whining to Oscar when we got into the show.

"No, I don't want a potato. Uhhhhh. Look at the line," I complained. I kept looking down the row of food booths. Shaved ice? Later. Fudge? Ditto. BBQ? Since my Dad is the BBQ master, it was a good guess that we'd have platters of meat for dinner, later. My shakes got worse. I sat down. I finally spotted a booth that didn't have a zillion people waited, and sounded appealing. "Can I have a carnitas burrito?" I said weakly to Oscar as I covered my face from the sun. "No rice. Thank you," I said as he dutifully walked over to get my lunch.

My being picky made us both miserable, sure. In my (weak) defense, I do have that baby thing going. As I gobbled, I barely cared that the burrito was far too mild. It was drippy and tasted good, overall. The shakes continued, so I kept eating. Of course, I was grateful to Oscar, and told him thanks again throughout the day. At least we seem to share a sense of humor. He made fun of my "I'm shaky," refrain later. He had good reason.

Ukiah's Chavez Market Taqueria

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It's likely to be good if a taqueria or market makes their tortillas on a hot griddle by hand. Thick corn beauties, warm and toasty. I was told by reliable sources--Robert Mailer Anderson and Zack Anderson--that the Chavez Market Taqueria has "the best" tacos and Mexican food in Ukiah, so I decided to grab a to go lunch there today. Since they have a full menu and I was more in the mood for a torta, I admired the tortilla making and decided another visit must, and will happen, soon.

How was the torta? The al pastor meat was well spiced, and the sour cream, avocado, pickled jalapenos, lettuce, and tomato were gooey, messy, and delish.

I'd like to try tinga, which is advertised as spicy shredded chicken. There's also menudo for adventurous eaters who may or may not be hungover. The market sells bottled hot sauces, and I decided to go for salsa habanera, "from the hottest chiles in the world," made by Castillo. My torta was hot enough, and I was starting to sweat a little, so I will crack open the sauce another time.

Chavez Market Taqueria
1424 South State Street
Ukiah, CA
T: 707-462-4697

Book Review: Slow Food Revolution

Take it slow! Enjoy the sensual side of things. If you must be lulled into such "beauty" (one of Alice Waters' descriptors), a great way to proceed is picking up a copy of Slow Food Revolution A New Culture of Eating and Living, by Carlo Petrini and Gigi Padovani.

Learning about unique, hand-crafted foodstuffs--Santo Stefano Di Sessanio lentils or Signora (cured meat) of Conca Casale, anyone?--in the Slow Food Revolution book makes for fun and interesting reading. These descriptions give good details on exactly the sort of Slow Food Petrini has in mind with his revolution. While I'm glad Petrini started working hard at getting folks to enjoy such small batch items, and focusing on the quality of their food and meals, I think he's still got a tough road. There's no arguing with his message that our lives are better when the food we eat is of a better quality--and the producers who make it are taken care of. Good, clean, tasty, fair, sure. Of course we want that.

The history of the Slow food movement is based in Italy, and covers big societal, political, and economic changes. Carlo Petrini has saved many foods from near extinction, and improved the quality of food and dining as a legacy. Perhaps most impressive, there is now a university dedicated to learning about farming, food, nutrition, and culture. (Imagine such a place! I'm sad I wasn't able to get my degree there.) Factory food is kicked to the curb as the Slow Food participants instead seek out the local, quirky foods, many decades or centuries old. One neat trick he's managed is to get farmers and producers to get a fair and decent payment for their products. The media spotlight helps promote their products as well as give them recognition for hard labor. It's inspiring to hear how humble folks from around the globe meet via Slow Food, and learn ways to survive and improve their farming operations.

It's good that the Slow Food organization continues to grow. The members will need strength. At least in America. Who doesn't try and eat local and artisanal? My bias: I guess I read enough food blogs to think this is happening often. Sure, it's wonderful to imagine having the time and inclination to slow cook meals that are always savored and enjoyed together, with a decent bottle of wine. But what about work? Cell phones? All those other distractions we run into? One thought I kept having while reading this book is that the Slow Food movement could only have started in Europe. I'm glad they've got their priorities straight and continue to influence the citizens of the world.

You Smell Like Bacon

Serious Eats included this meaty number in a round up.

I cooked a pound of bacon, and allowed it to cool before storing in the fridge. Oscar was completely wowed by how our place smelled. I liked the smell, too, and was looking forward to eating the bacon later that week with sandwiches, salads and eggs.

It seemed like I was trying to relax as much as possible that night. Eating bacon was a source of comfort. I had a big first day the next morning, starting work on a project that would last a few months. I was dreading an early start the next day. I wanted time to take a bath, read the papers, make and drink coffee and eat breakfast. I set my alarm for 6  a.m., with the goal of leaving no later than 7 a.m.

The next morning, Oscar shook me and asked, "What time is it?" I jumped out of bed and started howling. It was 7:08 a.m. This was awful, and I was starting to panic and sweat thinking about being late for my first day. I quickly realized I wouldn't even be able to take a bath or shower, given how late I already was. As I moved around, I realized my hair really smelled like bacon. A lot. Sure, that's a nice smell for home, but not something I wanted to share at the office. As I sped down 101, I kept getting bacon whiffs.

The folks on my new project probably thought I was weird that first day. Rather than expose them to my bacony smells, I would lean way back whenever someone greeted me or came close. I didn't nod my head yes or no in a meeting, for fear it would trigger puffs of bacon smells from my long hair. Just gave loud mmmm-hmmms instead. I'm not sure if anyone actually noticed the bacon smells I brought that first day. No way I was going to pipe up and ask.

When I told friends about it, the husband's eyes bugged out and he asked in a semi-shocked tone, "What do you mean, you smelled like bacon from the night before?!" He had pictured Oscar slathering bacon on me, in some sort of sex play. Uh, no.

 

New Zealand Lamb, Before and After

It may make some queasy to see animals knowing they will eventually be killed for the sole purpose of eating. If that's you, stop reading now. Staying with relatives in Whitianga, New Zealand gave me the opportunity to watch and observe their sheep herd. They have almost a dozen lambs that are rotated every few days, from one paddock to the next. The timing is decided on how much greenery they have consumed on each square of the plot. While they are alive, the lamb's purpose is to eat and subsequently fertilize the land. There is only one lamb named Lucy that will be spared from ending up as dinner. She is much larger and decidedly more vocal and outgoing than the others, as if she knows it's her turf.

Talk about eating local. 50 miles? How 'bout 50 steps or less? We ate lamb a few times in the three weeks we were in New Zealand. My uncle Steven uses a BBQ rotisserie to cook the leg. I asked how he does the killing. He shoots the animal in the head first, and butchers it immediately after.

Enjoying lamb is a common "truly Kiwi" meal. The meat was tender, juicy, and not at all gamey. Served with mint sauce, salad, kumera and pumpkin, foraged mushrooms (by the family's 78 year old grand-Mum), potatoes, and other garden items. Definitely filling and tasty fare. One interesting note: Oscar was first asked to carve the lamb, but the duty went to me after Oscar admitted that was my "area of expertise." Touche.

Hangi Time in New Zealand

Hangi (pronounced hung-ee) is a unique Maori way of cooking that is native to New Zealand. "Good tucker" aptly applies here, which  means "good eats," and "good eating." A hangi is an event and a process. As an event, it's a reason for a social party revolving around the presentation and eating of food.

The hangi method is steaming and smoking meats and root vegetables and can be done two ways. Hangi food -- lamb shoulder, lamb leg roast, pork roast and a muslin bag of squash, onion, potato, kumara (a sweet potato), herbs, salt and pepper -- is wrapped in huge cabbage leaves and placed in an underground pit with hot rocks, where it is covered and cooked.

Considering we drank beer every day on our three week vacation (like the Kiwis we were with), a beer-related hangi seemed apropos. This updated modern hangi happens in, you guessed it, a revamped beer keg. According to our hosts, Paul and Marie Whiting of Simpsons Beach, the beer keg hangi saves a lot of headaches. They had attended hangis using the underground method where the (drunk) cooks on duty opened the cooking pit too early. Once all that precious steam and heat escapes, there is not another chance to re-do it, which leads to undercooked meat and hungry, frustrated guests. Other factors effect the underground hangi: changes in weather, and not getting the rocks used for heating hot enough.

A propane tank is the heat source for the keg hangi. Next comes two kinds of New Zealand tree sawdust that are mixed and added to the keg base. The hangi is lit and heated for 30-45 minutes. Water is then poured on the dust, which provides the steam action. Veggies should be halved and the cabbage leaves rinsed. A basket will hold the hangi cabbage (first layer), followed by meats and veggies. The veggies pick up a meaty smokiness to them from laying on top of the meat.

How did the hangi taste three hours later? Smoky, tender, juicy, and hearty. The meats all had the texture of braised pork, and were succulent. It was a simple, straightforward meal. My favorite bites were of farm fresh lamb, onion, and kumara. Of course, every gathering needs a sweet ending. Ours came in the way of a pavlova made by the hosts' 78-year old Mum, and a carrot cake by my aunt.

Oscar and I stayed late enough to watch Merle Haggard and other country western legends on a DVD from the early seventies. Paul couldn't believe we "young folks" knew many of the songs. He was having so much fun, he offered a room for us to stay in, which we should've done. I was too hung up on having a tooth brush, face medicine, and jammies to accept. I'm guessing we missed a chance to continue drinking, listening to music and talking. I wish we had stayed over.

Offal Good's T-shirts

I would totally wear one of the "Lips & Assholes The Other, Other White Meat" t-shirts served up by Chris Cosentino over at Offal Good. Limited edition, and $30 a pop. I believe that same "Lips & Assholes" sentiment was also on our menu when we dined with Anthony Bourdain at Incanto, where Cosentino is the chef. Great idea, Chris. I hope the sales are strong. Will Cosentino get some Adidas kicks available for purchase, too? Adventurous holiday shoppers want to know.

Thanksgiving Highlights

Smoked BBQ Turkey, anyone? Since my Dad has long ruled the nine or so rotating stock of BBQ, smoking, & cooking devices in their backyard, we were happy to once again let him devote himself to turkey tasks for Thanksgiving. The results? Smoky, flavorful bird meat that looked a lot like ham due to its pink color.

The rest of the menu included early in the day nibbley-stuff like platters of cheese, salami, hummus, veggies, crackers, smoked salmon, shrimp, and other cream cheese spreads. Our main event was: the aforementioned brined, smoked and barbecued turkey, prime rib, walnut mushroom stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans with mushrooms, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Sweet endings were apple, pumpkin, and pecan pie.

Where I'll be Monday night: Anthony Bourdain's in town!

My fork is ready. It may not be possible to top our Incanto dining experience with Tony Bourdain, but I plan on trying. He has a City Arts & Lectures (sold out) event Monday night at the Herbst Theatre. Last week, I crafted and emailed a few late-ish night meal and drink itineraries for him to peruse. The tentative plan is to eat, drink, and of course get Tony ample smoke breaks. I will let you know where we end up.