I am excited for the season to change-for food reasons only…
There are times when I want to write a blog and I get my fingers on the keyboard and nothing happens. I want to write something when the motivation is there, and then it’s as if I have writers block! So, today’s entry is whatever comes to mind, basically…I am going to ramble. I hope you enjoy the small piece. Thanks for coming back to check out the site!
I am excited for the season to change- for food reasons only. The actual weather has been the same here in Napa all year almost! It never got cold, never really rained, it just felt like an extension of spring all year long. It is not a terrible place to live- being surrounded by small farms, artisan food purveyors, Michelin-starred restaurants and people that LOVE wine. It’s also pretty cool to have San Francisco less than an hour away. So, last night I had dinner at Morimoto. I really love it there. I have my staple dishes that I return to order every time I go, and the chefs send out new creative dishes in a friendly gesture when I visit. It’s a lovely place. Out of the 10+ dishes we had, my favorite of the evening was Kamachi Collar grilled on an earthenware, table-top Japanese mini grill- a Yakitori Hibachi. It was so simple, so beautiful with a grilled lemon half and spices such as ground Japanese peppers. It had crispy skin and succulent flesh. It was perfection to say the least. This is the way I like to eat. The salmon that we ordered had come in so fresh that they had to let it rest an hour before serving it to allow the protein to relax. That is pretty special. Can you imagine experiencing something similar in Japan? I MUST go. It just reminded me that this is how I cook as a chef, this is who I am as a chef and I need to remember that when contemplating a dish. Overcomplicating is unnecessary when you have ingredients that speak for themselves.
Having ingredients that speak for themselves is so important. That is why I have made major moves in my cooking to be a “responsible” chef when it comes to ingredients. Sourcing, researching, and learning constantly helps me to form good decisions when feeding myself and others. For example, one resource for fish besides the Monterey Bay Seafood Aquarium Watch list www.montereybayaquarium.org that I have recently found is www.fishchoice.com. It is important that we have the resources available to us to help us chefs locate the product that is sustainable and “in season”. There are some really good articles including one very informative article on orange juice on the website www.civileats.com . Did you know that Tropicana is owned by PepsiCo. and that Simply Orange and Minute-Maid are owned by Coca-Cola?? Interesting read.
Enough of that talk. A new concept will come with the fruition of some research currently taking place. Lot’s of new projects! I will be doing some traveling between now and then, so I hope to run in to you in your town! Follow me on Twitter and if I run into you out and about make sure you say “HELLO”!
I trust everyone is well. Drop me a line if you have a chance. See my updated calendar and try to attend some events! See you soon!
C
What I have been up to…
I have been enjoying some treats along the way during my recent travels …
Cabernet Grapes from Howell Mountain
Miyagi Oyster, Wasabi Pop-Rocks
No Knead Bread!!!
If you can recall, there is a limited amount of bread and pastry making on Top Chef. It is not that we do not enjoy eating, using, and cooking them of course. Quite honestly, there isn’t really time to bake bread. But, of course, I serve it in my restaurant. I LOVE bread. The biggest problem I see with baking bread at home is the kneading, the proofing, the waiting. I like the idea of wanting fresh baked bread and actually getting to eat it in the next couple of hours. …Read on…
Flamiche! Quiche Aux Poireaux
What am I eating right now? What is going on right now? I will tell you. The seasons are about to change and that makes me look to food to inspire me. Dinner last night was Dungeness Crab- one of the most sustainable seafoods that we can eat right now. And, not to mention they are delicious! Thai coconut soup and a spicy salad of cilantro, cucumber, hot chiles, ginger, and lemongrass. Key ingredient? Lot’s of fish sauce. I am in love. In love with food!
…Read on…
Restaurant Wars
This week was a trip! I enjoyed every minute of this week’s episode. The Quickfire was my favorite to date! From what I understand, and from reading his book “Medium Raw”, that Bourdain himself helped create that Quickfire challenge. I think it shows a great deal of skill- because Le Bernardin is INCREDIBLE and because every chef should know how to filet fish with minimal waste. You can see the look of, “oh hell yeahs” on the chef’s faces. It’s also the look of, “of s+%@, they got me now!” The objective? …Read on…