Matters of Taste

On a Roll: Magnificent Meatballs in San Diego

The lowly meatball, once content to park itself atop a tangle of sauced spaghetti, continues to roll merrily along at the front of the trend parade.  Just this week, a new restaurant opens in Denver, Zeno’s Meatball Kitchen, with eight types of meatballs including beef fajitas meatballs called  “Cojones,” “Blue Balls” with blue cheese and bacon, “Great Balls of Fire” made with chorizo and ranch slaw, and “Fowl Balls,” no explanation required.

But I’m happy to report that two of the best versions I’ve tasted in the last year are right here at home in San Diego.

                         

At The Fishery in Pacific Beach, chef Paul Arias hits the jackpot with his Spaghetti with Swordfish Meatballs (above). Cubes of impeccably fresh fish are loosely mixed with oregano, basil, garlic and parmesan cheese, with a bit of beaten egg and breadcrumbs to hold it all together. After a turn in a hot sauté pan, this hefty meatball has delicious little bits of char that contrast with the moist insides.  

Arias then stews the meatballs in a savory tomato sauce, adds them to hot spaghetti, and dusts the winning concoction with basil, roasted cherry tomatoes, grated lemon zest and toasted breadcrumbs. The aromas, tastes and textures add up to quintessential comfort food.

The Fishery, which opened its doors as a seafood restaurant-wholesaler in 1997, is well known and admired for the quality of its fish, and its progressive efforts to support healthy marine life and sustain local economies. That means, you won’t get a better piece of swordfish anywhere. And, you’ll only get Swordfish Meatballs at The Fishery when it’s the right season to fish the big whoppers.

It also means that Chef Arias has access to parts of the swordfish --- like the belly he uses for the meatballs --- that we mere mortals can’t buy. So, while I fully intend to experiment in my own kitchen with this yummy new discovery, I also plan to order my new fave at the restaurant every chance I get.

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There are lots of reasons to visit Brooklyn Girl Eatery, Mike and Victoria McGeath’s newest restaurant, in Mission Hills -- the luscious Chocolate Bourbon Bread Pudding and the juicy Williams Burger with blue cheese and cherry wood bacon among them. But it’s the Bacon Wrapped Vietnamese Meatballs that drove me mad last fall, and keep driving me back to the restaurant again and again.

                      


A combination of freshly ground shrimp and pork, the balls are smartly seasoned, light and airy. Each chunky orb is wrapped in a crackly bacon blanket and glossed with a lip-smacking sweet ginger glaze.  A trio is tucked into an artsy dish and topped with a vivid “Tiger Slaw” that seemed to me to involve cabbage, bell pepper, onion, carrot, celery leaves and ginger.

Listed in the “Street Starts” section of the menu, the Vietnamese Meatballs are designed to be shared as an appetizer. But, I’m warning you upfront: You want to be the pushiest person at your table, with the quickest fork, because everybody goes crazy over them.

                                      

They also go crazy over the whole Brooklyn Girl scene. The place is great looking, open and airy, with big-city style and a happy, high-energy crowd. The vast space is divided into a curvaceous bar area with creative lighting and assorted seating arrangements; an inviting dining area with floor-to-ceiling windows and dominant art on the walls; and a sunny corner café where you can watch bakers and cooks doing their thing. (Brooklyn Girl is open for brunch, lunch, dinner and late-night dining.)

Oh yes, the menu has plenty of delicious ways to continue after the meatballs, too, including a nice butter lettuce and bacon salad with fried capers; a crisp roasted duck with ginger and honey; and excellent pizzas from a wood-burning oven.

Three Cheers (and Two Feasts) - Lobster Season is Here

To me, the first spiny lobster plucked from the California Pacific on the first Wednesday of October is as important as the first pitch at Petco Park in March. That is, VERY important.

                                      

Arriving home from vacation over the weekend, we dashed out Saturday night to Rimel’s Rotisserie in downtown La Jolla for a lobster extravaganza.  The lobster, split and grilled over mesquite wood and topped with lip-smacking salsa fresca, was tender and moist, with a lovely sweetness and unmistakable fresh ocean flavor.

Served with a little tub of melted butter, black beans, lemon wedges, rice and warm flour tortillas, it was worth waiting seven months for --- the season ends each year on the first Wednesday after March 15^th.

Also known as California spiny lobster, this cousin of the Maine lobster has razor-like bumps on its carapace and two long spiny antennae, but no large claws. Found in the waters off southern- and mid- California and Mexico’s Baja California, this species is usually about 12 inches long when they hit the restaurant plate. 

Actually, I had waited two years for my Saturday feast. I didn’t get a single local lobster last year because the prices were prohibitive (40 bucks and up for a half-lobster dinner) and the availability was next to nothing. My seafood sources, a couple of local fishermen and fish market owners, told me that Japanese buyers  snatched up the local catches and paid sky-high prices for them, leaving little for local merchants. 

                                         
                                         

I don’t know what the dynamics of that dance are this year, but I’m thrilled that the lobsters are out there, and they are of top quality. I paid $39.95 for the whole lobster (about 1 ½ pounds) dinner at Rimel’s.

The next night I paid $35 for a whole lobster dinner (pictured above) at The Fishery in nearby Pacific Beach. Two lobster pig-outs on two nights in a row --- sheer heaven.

The Fishery calls its whole spiny lobster “Puerto Nuevo-style,” meaning that it’s cooked after the fashion popularized in Puerto Nuevo, a dirt-road town about a half hour south of Tijuana, Mexico.

In truth, The Fishery’s preparation is far more sophisticated than that of Puerto Nuevo, where the cheek-by-jowl eateries often pop lobsters into smoking vats of lard and serve them alongside frijoles fried in lard. At The Fishery my spiny beast was dusted with a house blend of four types of chili powder, poached whole, split, and finished on the grill.  Each chunk that emerged from the shell was charred on the top, but emphatically juicy underneath. The salsa fresca --- tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro – had just the right bite. The pinto beans were served in a crisp, fluted tortilla shell, dusted with cotija cheese. 

When I was little, growing up in Boston, a Maine lobster dinner was considered the ultimate luxury. Two dinners in two nights was like Christmas coming early. 

Bruschetta: Thinking Outside the Jar

Cucina & Amore Piquillo Pepper Bruschetta is a savory, preservative-free mix of piquillo peppers and artichokes that’s made in Peru.  Blended with just a touch of sunflower oil, vinegar, and spices, the veggie flavors are bright and distinctive, and the bumpy texture is appealing.

I first used it atop toasted ciabatta as an hors d’oeuvre. But the next morning was when the fun started. I daubed it on hash browns and scrambled eggs; tucked it into mini turkey-and-cheese sandwiches; mixed it into tuna and egg salads; and teamed it with chevre on a cheese tray. I think it’d be great in a baked potato, too, or folded into cooked rice or orzo to add color and pizzazz.

A jar costs $4.39 on Amazon.com, but I found it for just $2.99 at my favorite San Diego grocery emporium Barons Market (located in Point Loma, Rancho Bernardo, Temecula and Murrieta). Cucina & Amore also does pesto and pasta sauces that have lively flavors and are easy on the wallet.

Give the bruschetta mix a try, and pass along your creative recipe ideas.

A Truffled Mushroom Latte "Shooter" -- What's Not to Love?

Once upon a time a shot was just a shot. A plain shot glass filled with straight booze and drunk without ceremony. Oh, how I loved St. Patrick’s Days in the ‘70s, when we’d slurp a shot of Jamesons along with a Coors draft at Aspen’s Little Annie’s Eating House, all the while throwing quarters across the bar, for some reason I don’t recall now and probably didn’t know then either.

But shots and shooters have evolved over the years. Today, it’s more likely to be Jagermeister, Red Bull, Absinthe, jell-o or glitzy Goldschläger in that little glass, and the concoction is more likely to be shaken, stirred, blended or layered instead of simply poured. Moreover, today’s shooter often has no booze involved at all, but rather presents us with a few morsels or sips showing off the chef’s talent and inspiration.

  Recently I was blown away by chef Jason Knibb’s Mushroom Latte Shooter at Nine-Ten restaurant in La Jolla, CA. Served in a slim liqueur glass, it was no more than two tablespoons of soup but it packed huge flavor and an unforgettable come-hither aroma. Knibbs calls it a “latte” because of the pouf of creamy, truffle-scented foam on top. This isn’t a shooter to belt back in one gulp, but rather one to sip and savor and hope it will never end.

Here’s the recipe. Knibb doesn’t suggest how many servings it makes, but I’d guess it will serve 6 to 8 people as a first course; more if you’re doing elegant little shooters.

NINE-TEN'S MUSHROOM LATTE “SHOOTER” WITH TRUFFLE FROTH

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 leek, thinly sliced and washed well

3 celery stalks, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds cremini mushrooms

1 pound maitake mushrooms

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves picked from stems

½ Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced

1 cup heavy cream

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

For the Truffle Froth

2 cups low-fat milk

1 tablespoon white truffle oil

1 pinch soy lecithin, optional (this helps ingredients bind together…Bob’s Red Mill is a good brand)

Kosher salt

 

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a medium size stock pot over medium-low heat.  Add onions, leeks, celery and garlic. Stir and season with a teaspoon of kosher salt. Sweat vegetables until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low. Once vegetables are tender, add mushrooms and thyme. Sauté the mushrooms until they begin to wilt and become fragrant. Add potatoes and enough water to barely cover the ingredients.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Let simmer for 20 minutes over low heat. Add cream and remove from burner. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth. (Be careful when blending hot soups. If the lid is tight and there is not room for steam to escape, the lid will pop off and create a mess.) Once soup is blended, serve immediately or chill and serve later. 

To make the Truffle Froth, place milk and truffle oil in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Add the milk mixture and the soy lecithin to a blender and blend for thirty seconds. Season to taste. To re-froth just before serving, use a hand-held emersion blender or  blend in the blender again. Skim off the froth from the top of the milk and place on top of soup. Serve immediately.

 

 

The Beet Salad to Beat

Carl Schroeder, the genius behind Market in Del Mar and the new Bankers Hill Bar & Restaurant in San Diego, is loved and respected for many things: Cabernet-braised short ribs with sweet onion-potato puree; duck confit; blue cheese soufflé; and roasted king salmon with cauliflower gratin among them. But it’s his beet salad with goat cheese – first introduced at Arterra in 2002 -- that folk seem to fuss over the most.

And now it seems that Schroeder has done the impossible: Made it better.

Last week I enjoyed a terrific dinner at Bankers Hill. Kicking it off was the Roasted Beet & Fuji Apple Salad, an elegant assembly of red and yellow beets, wide, tissue-thin shavings of apple, arugula, goat cheese, candied almonds and creamy mustard dressing. Since I’m not normally crazy about fruit being slipped into a salad --- I especially dislike interloping berries --- I was pleasantly surprised to discover the flavor and texture boost provided by the sweet, crisp apple.

It seemed to me that the chef cored the apple, left the skin on, then ran the whole apple over a razor-sharp mandoline. The graceful ribbons tickled the tongue and looked beautiful atop the greens…if Christo ever decided to get into food, this is how it might look!

Chef Schroeder’s recipe follows. He, of course, roasts the beets and candies the almonds himself. However, to streamline the process, I suggest buying pre-cooked, cryovac-packaged beets (available at Trader Joe’s and other markets) and packaged candied almonds or even pecans or hazelnuts. Most important of all, use a good mandoline to get the apple slices paper-thin.

BANKERS HILL BEET SALAD
Serves 6

2 large yellow beets, roasted and sliced into rounds
2 bunches baby red beets, roasted and cut into quarters
6 oz baby arugula
1 large Fuji apple, shaved
1/2 cup candied almonds
6 oz. fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup of your favorite vinaigrette
Salt and pepper to taste
Honey Mustard Dressing, for drizzling

Dress the yellow and red beets separately in vinaigrette. Season with salt
and pepper. Place 2 slices of yellow beet in the center of each plate. In
a separate bowl, toss together the arugula, shaved apples, goat cheese and
candied almonds with vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste. Top each
plate of yellow beets with a small handful of the salad. Place the red
beets around the outside. Drizzle with honey mustard dressing.



HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground pepper

Building a Better French Fry

I can think of a lot of ways to jazz up homemade French fries, starting with frying them twice for maximum crispness, as the French do.

Dipping them in homemade aioli. Drizzling them with first-rate truffle oil. Spritzing them with malt vinegar. Those things work, too.

But until now I had never contemplated tossing French fries with duck fat.

Yes, I know that some chefs cook the starchy batons in a combo of duck fat and vegetable oils. But the 27-year old chef-owner of a new La Jolla eatery seems to be among the few who anoint regular cooked fries with duck fat, shallots, fresh herbs and grated parmesan cheese. Brandon Fortune, who hails from Atlanta, says he fries frozen white potatoes, “5/16” size, in soybean oil.  When they’re almost done, he swoops them from the hot oil and slips them into a metal mixing bowl that’s been sitting on an adjacent burner. Just minutes before the exchange, he scoops a tablespoon or two of room temperature (solid) duck fat into the bowl along with minced shallots and garlic, minced fresh basil and parsley and grated parmesan cheese. The fries are tossed around in their haute hot tub for a minute or two, then finished with a few drops of white truffle oil and a flurry of parmesan.

I tasted them recently during dinner at Aquamoreé, the restaurant that Brandon and his mother, Sheila,  opened about a month ago on La Jolla’s Prospect Street. It was love at first bite. Fragrant, delicious, the perfect ratio of crisp to tender, these were fries to shout about. Moreover, they were still stellar examples of the art some 20 or30 minutes after their arrival at our table. I asked Fortune how they keep their admirable crispy texture even after they’ve cooled to room temperature. It’s the duck fat, he replied, pointing out that duck fat is normally a solid, so as the fries cool, it returns to its solid state.

I guess that’s about as good an argument as you’re going to get about why French fries are bad for our arteries.

But it’s also about as good a reason as it gets for pigging out on Aquamoreé's Truffled Pommes Frites with Aioli Duo.

If you’re inspired to try this gig at home, be aware that Williams-Sonoma sells duck fat – all neat and tidy in a little glass jar – for $10.95 (11.2 ounces). Know, too, that there are plenty of Web sites out there giving instructions on frying potatoes and other things in duck fat or a duck fat-veggie oil combo. One of the most informative, and engaging, is The Cooking of Joy.

If you’re inclined intead to hustle over to Aquamoreé, you’ll find an attractive, stylish restaurant (with an unfortunately high noise level) and an extensive, eclectic menu that includes southern specialties such as shrimp ‘n grits, sophisticated fare such as espresso braised beef short ribs and seared ahi with pineapple-mango salsa, and clever riffs on international dishes such as carnitas sliders with jalapeno cabbage slaw.

 

 

 

 

A Perfect "10" at Nine-Ten Restaurant

The night before I left for my recent week at Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort & Spa, I met a friend for dinner in the bar at Nine-Ten in La Jolla. Normally, I like to sit in the dining room and order from chef Jason Knibb’s tantalizing menu that includes things like a summer peach, prosciutto and burrata cheese salad; Alaskan halibut with zucchini pesto and artichokes; and Maine scallops with crispy Yukon potato confit.

But on that night, I figured the bar menu’s big burger with a mountain of truffled French fries was a good idea, given that I’d be on a strict vegetarian diet for the following week. (In the 70 years since it opened in Tecate, Mexico, the Ranch has evolved from totally vegetarian to offering a fish option for dinner some nights. However, since the vegetable dishes are so inventive and full of flavor, I stick with them.) 

Served on pastry chef Jack Fisher’s freshly baked bun, with Dijon-spiked homemade aioli, and just-about-to-soften chunks of Point Reyes blue cheese, this was the Bo Derek of burgers. The meat itself was extraordinary – a mass of coarsely ground, natural, prime-grade chuck steak, gently formed into a plump patty. Ordered medium-rare, it arrived with a lovely charred outside, and a pink, juicy interior that was so loosely formed I could discern the varying textures with each bite. A lettuce ruffle, sliced tomato and homemade pickles completed the pretty picture.

So delicious was this burger that eight nights later, I was back for more. Why not conclude my spa experience the same way I started it, I asked myself as we drove home from Tecate. 

Again, the burger shone. And those two glasses of  Pinot Noir tasted mighty fine too after a week in the Ranch's alcohol-free zone.

Now, I’m not suggesting that either Nine-Ten’s burger-and-fries or Rancho La Puerta’s Garden Zucchini Casserole with Melted Cheese, Crispy Leeks and Chipotle Sauce is preferable to the other. I’m just saying I loved the bookend approach: Two blow-it-all-out burger feasts bracketing seven days of the kind of wonderful food we need to be eating if we want to enjoy a long and healthy life.

 You can create Rancho La Puerta menus at home with remarkable little effort with the cookbook, “Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta” by Deborah Szekely and Deborah Schneider. It’s $23.10 at Amazon.com.

 

Gastropubs 101

What’s in a name? Well, if the name in question is “gastropub,” the answer is, a whole lot of confusion.

So begins my story  in today's San Diego Union-Tribune.(Photo of Jayne's Gastropub in North Park, San Diego, by John R. McCutchen)

According to most sources, the term gastropub was coined in 1991 by the owners of a traditional pub in London, who wanted to team upscale, high-quality food with the beer and booze that drew fans to their establishment. The result was a new type of eatery that bridged the gap between booze halls and fine-dining restaurants, between pub grub and haute cuisine.

Check out the story on-line to learn about trend-setting San Diego restaurants, and easy ways to duplicate the gastropub's cool look and casual vibe in your own home. The FOOD story also includes recipes, including a terrific Black & Tan Mac & Cheese and  a dreamy cocktail called the Carolina Cross.

 

 

Feeding the Hungry: Food 4 Kids Backpack Program

Everyone is fixated on food this week. That’s what Thanksgiving is all about.

So it seems particularly appropriate to also spend some time thinking about the people who don’t have enough to eat.  The San Diego Food Bank launched a program in 2007 to provide food for chronically hungry elementary school students. Specifically, the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program provides food to feed them on weekends when they’re at home and often left with nothing to eat. (Photo from the San Diego Food Bank Website.)

Every Friday, eligible kids in some dozen San Diego, Vista and Chula Vista schools, receive backpacks with child-friendly items such as peanut butter, pop-top canned goods, cereal, juice boxes, fruit cups, raisins, pudding cups, granola bars, shelf-stable milk and macaroni and cheese tucked inside. The food is placed in a backpack for the student to carry home, avoiding the stigma (and hassle)  that might accompany a bag of groceries.

According to a Food Bank press release, “charitable donations are down this year and hunger in San Diego County is up.” To help address the problem, San Diego food bloggers, led by Alice Robertson and Caron Golden , are spearheading a fund-raising drive. The program costs a mere $6.00 per week per child to fund (that’s about two Starbucks grande lattes); a donation of $250.00 will fund a child for the entire 36-week school year.

Donors can contribute on line at FirstGiving.com. In addition, there will be a backpack and food drive on Saturday, December 12^th, from 9 am – 12 noon, at the Little Italy Mercato at Date and India Streets. Non-perishable, kid-friendly food items and backpacks in good condition are requested.

Living A Dog’s Life...and Happy About It!

Last night my husband attended a dinner meeting at The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA. The group dined in the Lodge’s A. R. Valentien restaurant on yummy things like seared halibut with baby red artichokes; warm lobster salad with Little Gem lettuce; and chicken cooked under a brick and served with wilted spinach.

Geena, our vivacious black lab, and I stayed home and dined on Wellness Super 5 Mix (Geena) and Trader Joe’s whole wheat spaghetti with Monte Bene Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce (me). 

When my husband walked in later carrying the traditional doggie bag – in this case, a small shiny paper box, Geena and I both sat up expectantly. Lucky for me, it was the human who got the treat this time, not the dog.

And what a treat it was. Tres Leches Cake, from the kitchen of Executive Chef Jeff Jackson, is a sublime creation of sponge cake soaked in condensed milk, whole milk and heavy cream. A popular dish on the potluck and church-social circuit, this traditional Latin American dessert (translation: three milks) is often soggy, overly sweet and piled high with frosting.

But the A. R. Valentien version, by pastry chef John Harmeyer, is an elegant, individual, dome-shaped package with a deliriously smooth, moist texture and a rich, caramelized creamy taste. Topped with cinnamon-scented whipped cream and tangy pomegranate seeds, it’s served with a fresh quince-apple puree and a weensy poached apple.

By the way, we did give Geena a dog biscuit so she wouldn’t feel left out. She ate it, but not before giving us a look that said “You cheated me!”