The answer is yes. Yes, it is wedding season.

Last week I cooked for two bachelorette parties in Mission beach and one epic bachelor party for 17 hungry dudes.  The boys had a big rental house in La Jolla and were pumped for a big weekend. Most of them came from the East coast so I made sure to throw a little San Diego swerve their way with the corn and watermelon.  These boys were ready for a big weekend of fun and their energy about being together on a San Diego vacation was electric and contagious. I cooked for them on they’re first night to kick things off…it went well.  I don’t do wedge salads, but I felt justified with the play on Mexican corn.

Apps:
Twice baked potatoes with garlic chives, Gouda and truffle oil
Lamb Spanish meatballs
Chili lime pickled watermelon
Umami bomb-mushroom and roasted garlic stuffed Worcestershire/soy marinated grilled steak

Dinner:
Mexican corn wedge salad
Butter poached radish, blanched celery and herb salad aside grilled kabocha squash
Roasted salmon/ brown butter vinaigrette/roasted root veggie mash
Gluten free chocolate torte, banana whipped cream, almond brittle

Recipe For Mexican Wedge

1c Mexican crema
1/4c mayonaise
2-3T lime juice
1tsp kosher salt
1T minced red chile (fresno or arbol)
Grilled corn, kernals removed and salted
Iceberg lettuce, wedged
Queso seco or parmesan cheese
Hot chile powder

Whisk first 5 ingredients and season to taste; thin with milk if needed. *Dressing should be thick like blue cheese dressing. Plate the wedge, top with dressing and layer the corn, cheese and chile powder over the top.

Sprouts Market is bringin’ it. Well, at least when it comes to grapes. Recently I stumbled upon witch finger grapes.  You can see why their called that from the picture.

Pretty crazy looking right? These little ladies are sweet, with great texture and have a wonderful shape. New shapes help easily spruce up a salad or cheese platter. Witch fingers have got everything that fits my parameters for purchase, especially their interest factor and high rating on the cute-ability scale. I put them on this kick ass salad but they can easily be given to hungry little hands as a snack.

This salad was a roasted squash soaked with vinaigrette and topped with the main salad. Marinated zucchini noodles with toasted squash seeds, apple, feta, herbs. The squash added an entertaining component of dipping into the flesh as you dig in. Along with those fun witch finger grapes.

Using the seeds from the squash was a good move. The salad needed a toasted nut component, and these are a fun and frugal way to get that needed crunch. They are separated, boiled, tossed in seasoning and oil, then slowly roasted. The seasoning can be anything, just as long as there is salt. Even just salt would be fine.

Even hot sauce has a place in fine dining. Keeping busy with requests, I happily cooked a couple fine dining Mexican multi-course dinners of late. Definitely a cuisine that’s in my wheelhouse. It makes me happy to show people the beauty and complexity of the cuisine. As per my style norm, it was Mexico via SD farmers markets driven menu.

Here are a few of the dishes

Scallop ceviche with avocado, potato, cilantro, yellow chile, green heirloom tomato
Peanut guajillo mole soaked grilled cauliflower and spring onion topped with herbs, queso fresco and red walnuts
Lamb and Oaxaca cheese stuffed and grilled toro pepper with almond fresco sauce grilled tomatoes and green beans
Pickled watermelon, cucumber, mint salad
Carnitas with oregano/crema cabbage, tomatil lo sauce, jicama, shallot and chile arbol
Sweet corn tamale with fresh peeled peach, vanilla cream and bunuelos

Since no post is complete without pics and I’m horrible about them while on the job; here is an easy recipe for Mexican hot sauce. Hot sauce is easy and versatile. I sometimes will reduce it and monte au beurre for a chile beurre rouge. You can use dried or fresh chile, toasted, roasted, grilled or raw.

Eat in moderation

Enjoy but be careful. Gave some to my father in law and he started “French dipping” his breakfast sandwich in it. Delicious maybe; but a bad digestive decision a little later on :-/  What you see below (and at the top) are fresh Arbol chiles from my garden.  Arbol is a favorite of mine with a fresh fruity flavor that deepens to an earthy richness when dried.

2T chopped fresh or 1T dried chile (amount varies between varietals)
1 large garlic clove
¼c chopped onion
1tsp sugar
2tsp salt
¼c white vinegar
1-tsp tomato paste *optional…fresh tomato works as well

Puree and adjust to your taste buds. Remember that cooking or toasted the chile will completely change the dynamic of the chile. If you want it thicker add some no heat thickener like xanthan gum.

Side note…did you know there’s a band called Hot Sauce Johnson? Not sure what the name implies but they were pretty rad. Listen to a track, it’s saucy.

 

Staycation is one of my favorite words and activities.

After our last vacation in a big city, I was curious.  Are these cities really that rad?  Or, are we just in vacation la-la land, only seeing the positives in our surroundings?  After all, it’s pretty easy to have a good time when you have no responsibilities.  Knowing that, we started to wonder if we’d have as good as a time in downtown San Diego as we have in other big famous cities.  We just have to treat it as such.

So, we’ll see…we haven’t made the plans yet, but we will.  And while my wife and I are hemming and hawing over when we can afford to release the shackles of parenthood for a weekend; I cooked for a couple that did just that. With the kiddos in the rear view, this lovely Spring Valley couple decided on a staycation in La Jolla for a weekend.  I was brought in to cook for them on their first night there.  We all had a great time with the dinner, and they were cool enough to send me some pics of the food.

 

This party was yet another example of my minimalist needs. The kitchen was small, with an electric stove and not much else. I’ve been to amazing kitchens, hilariously tiny and several times, just gross. While this kitchen was clean, it had very little counter space. The couple’s dinner table was right next to me, which offered us easy access for good banter.

The nut’s ‘n bolts of this spring were nut’s ‘n beans.

This Spring I had a good time with green almonds and fava beans.  Favas were a revelation. I finally started grilling them whole and eating the entire pod.  Great food can be so staggeringly simple that it makes you question your own mental capacities.  I mean really!?  I never oiled that friggin’ thing up and threw it on the grill? Seriously though…treat a fava bean like asparagus on the grill and you’ll have a nice appetizer or side dish.  The younger and fresher the bean the better, and don’t eat the fibrous string.

 

Fresh almond

I had plans of a macadamia tree in my front yard. Had being the key word here.  Almonds are now the new plan, as they can be eaten in 2 or 3 stages. Before the nuts mature and dry, there is an early green stage. The shell and young nut can be pleasingly consumed.  The soft, fuzzy, soon to be hard shell is very tender in this early stage. For this stage, the earlier and fresher the better.  The almond itself in this stage is crazy, as it’s delicate and white with virtually no flavor. It has a thin tender skin with insides like a delicate grape.  I like to slice the whole thing or or bite into ’em when they are really fresh. You can also peel off the fuzzy shell and eat the “grape”.  

Almond grape is actually a great description.  They provide wonderful shape and interest to all things delicate and garnishy.  I’ve used them in a multitude of mélanges. I do whatever I can to keep the shape, texture and color intact. To the left they are seen sitting in cold water. Just waiting to be thrown into a topping for chunky salsa verde. Obtained easily in late spring from your local Mediterranean market.  

 

A couple weeks ago I cooked for 125 people at the Portuguese Hall in Shelter island. While i think all ovens are rad. This behemoth oven was over the top.

 

 This was the first time in years that I had been around any serious cooking equipment.  As I was turning on 3 different ovens to bake my cakes, the guy that oversees the place said (with a twinkle in his eye); “come over here; you wanna use this oven?”  Not being one to impose and being a little intimidated, I initially said no, but the guy insisted it was easy and he’d show me how.  This oven was friggin’ huge.  In the picture you see below, those are my cakes.  Each pan is a hotel pan…a chaffing dish pan for those not down with the lingo.  Roughly 20″x 12″.   

Please note the rack with which the cakes sit; yeah, there are 6 of those, all rotating within the oven.  I could have cooked 24 of those cakes all in 45 minutes!  And since it is always rotating it cooks everything totally even.  Sorry I’m nerding out on you here but the magnitude of it makes me proud of human engineering.

Here was the menu:

Appetizers:
Olives, flatbread and cut veggies with fresh hummus and babaganoush

Dinner:
Marinated and grilled garlic chicken thighs 
Beef kofte (Mediterranean grilled meatballs) 
Grilled peppers and onions
Greek salad- feta, romaine, fresh dill-parsley-cilantro, green onion, sumac, red wine vinaigrette
Yellow rice
Tzatziki
Warm pita

Dessert:
Honey and olive oil pound cake with vanilla whipped cream, toasted almonds and seasonal fruit

Dinner for four in a villa? No problem. Almost zero kitchen space with a tiny oven and wonky electric burner? Sure. Miniscule sink and short, undersized table? Bring it.

Ahhh, another day and another little adventure.  With “little” being the operative word, I was assigned the task of cooking a multi-course birthday dinner for four lovely ladies… in the kitchen you see above.

This picture shows a kitchen in a bungalow at Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach.  I was pretty excited to go; being a native, I’ve always passed by those little shacks but never actually went into one.  They’re cute and cozy but still full of energy since the pier is open to the public and the waves are heard around you.  This ill- equipped kitchen saw this impressive menu:

Roasted grapes with fresh ricotta and French bread with oregano and thyme
Asian glazed chicken wings

Salmon/corn soup/salted avocado/citrus supreme salsa
Raw salad: Shaved and pickled beets, cucumber, shallots/julienned kohlrabi, fuji apple, pistachios, herbs
Whey poached chicken breast/peeled blanched celery/smothered with sour cream dumplings, fava beans, caramelized sweet onion
Chile seared yellow fin/garlic butter sautéed fresh artichoke hearts/capers and red walnuts
Mint syrup/strawberries/mascarpone/fresh sweet butter biscuit

Even though the food was delicious, fresh and fun; the party was great because the people were great.  That’s why cooking privately rad.

In addition, there was little table to use as well…

I support the Military.  Not only do I respect and appreciate what they do, but my brother proudly serves in the USAF.  “For those who serve,” is always a real and heartfelt assignment.

Romance is needed

Recently, I cooked dinners for two wonderful military couples during their anniversaries. In addition to a first anniversary dinner. There was an equally important fifth anniversary dinner that doubled as a belated honeymoon. With me being married with children, I get fired up when parents get away for a couple days with just each other. It gives them time to let go of some of those daily peripherals.  Furthermore, what made the belated honeymoon extra cool, was they had rented a beach bungalow on a private beach.

Being a native; this was enlightening to find out about. Camp Pendleton has a beach for the exclusive use of military members. Moreover, it’s really nice and very reasonably priced.  Next summer would be relaxing to have my brother come down and spend a weekend there. Maybe he can babysit the kids.

Here are the menus I specifically created those two nights.  As per usual, most of the ingredients are procured at local farmers markets and butcher shops.  Whatever looks in season, cute, ripe and glowingly fresh, makes the menu. Thankfully, the review up on Yelp for this one :-)

The first menu

Asian Caesar salad
Truffle, garlic parmesan and herb potato skins
Seared pork with French gnocchi, fava beans and squash blossoms
De-boned and stuffed chicken wing filled with sunchoke mash and served over black lentils and sherry butter sauce
Lamb stuffed carrots with purple snow peas and chermoula
Asian marinated skirt steak with Chinese broccoli, caramelized shallots and pickled Persian cucumber
Vanilla mascarpone stuffed strawberries with maple lemon glaze and honey tuile

A second menu

Finally, some pics below to go along with this menu.
Grand Cru Original crostini with thyme, sherry gastrique red onion
Garlic, herb, parmesan and black truffle potato skins
Chicken fat hollandaise smothered roasted orange cauliflower
English pea soup with granny smith apple, soft boiled duck egg and togarashi tempura squash blossom
Honey roasted salmon with roasted pickled baby turnips, egg yolk gnocchi over lemon, truffle chicken broth
Sea bass ceviche with avocado and granny smith apple
Grilled ribeye, beef fat/thyme roasted carrots, chile/garlic/dark soy gai lan
Chocolate torte with roasted almond whipped cream and Justin port wine

Last spring we had one of those Sunday dinners that transcended what we knew of happiness and comfort.  It was a simple request and a simple dinner.  But like most things food–simple, done properly…is fekkin’ ridiculous. Soup and samich night ftw.

 

What does “properly” mean? It means care and attention.  You can still be attentive and caring, while keeping it simple.  Simple just means not having too many steps or ingredients and no stressful time crunch.  The following recipe is for tomato soup and was adapted from one of Bobby Flays books over 15 years ago.  This was my first tomato soup and is still my favorite.  The sandwich can be anything you like; that memorable night was probably Gruyere or Manchego and serrano ham with sourdough.  Just make sure it has melted cheese and isn’t burned ;-)

Tomato Soup

10 roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
olive oil
salt
2T chopped garlic
½ onion, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1tsp fresh chopped fresh thyme
at least 1qt. veggie broth
1c cream

Preheat oven to 325°. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Place on a sheet pan and roast for an hour. Heat a large sauté pot over medium high an add 1T of olive oil. Saute in the onion and carrots to cook until softened, stirring regularly. Add the thyme and sauté one minute more. Pour in the tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add the optional cream, and puree everything. Season to taste and strain through a chinois for a little unnecessary refinement.

Sourdough with Jarlsberg and caramelized onion grilled cheese taking a dip in creamy tomato soup.

 

 Living reflection, from a dream.”

This cake is indeed a dream come true.  I once again was a non-paying customer of McAnally Farm Organics–growers of premium citrus and avocado trees since 1975.  Tangerine season is upon us and although we’re just fine using them for juice, snacks and cocktails. Tangerines have found a new place in our home for this Tangerine Olive Oil Cake.

Quick back story:  I teach cooking classes with Big City Chefs.  One of their menus listed a tangerine olive oil cake.  I’ve made and had orange but never tangerine…so I made one. This is one of those recipes where your ingredients matter if you’re looking for ecstasy. Yes, Ralphs olive oil and tangerines will give you a cake.  But, if you want your eyes to roll to the back of your head, you’ll want farmers market tangerines and kind olive oil.  I can’t get enough of The Groves On 41 Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil; it’s ridiculous.  They actually have a tangerine arbequina oil but I didn’t have any on hand when I did the recipe.  Speaking of the recipe, here ya go.

Tangerine, Olive Oil Cake

4 medium-large tangerines
1c sugar
1/3c crème fraîche or sour cream
3 large eggs
2/3c Arbequina olive oil
1¾c all-purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
¼tsp baking soda
½tsp salt

Pre-heat oven to 350º and position rack in the middle. Line a 9×5″ loaf pan with parchment or grease and flour it.
Zest 3 of the tangerines, then peel and chop all 4.  Set that aside and rub the zest and sugar together with your fingers until the sugar is evenly moistened, (I used a processor).  Add in the eggs and cream, blend and add the oil while the machine is running along with 1/3 cup of tangerine juice.
In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Whisk in the batter confidently but with as few strokes as possible. Fold in the chopped tangerine.
Pour the batter into the parchment-lined loaf pan, and bake until deeply golden on top and a tester comes out clean (i.e., sharp knife or toothpick or skewer) inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Use the parchment to lift out the cake and let cool.  Serve with plain sweet cream or flavor the cream with praline, tangerine, raspberry or regular olive oil.  About 1T or more will work for 1 pint of cream.

Here are some pics to help you along :-)