Matters of Taste

The Salmon Gold Standard

When I was in New York recently for the James Beard Awards (presented to the country’s top chefs and restaurateurs), the chitchat at one animated cocktail party  centered on the coming Yukon River king salmon season.

“It’s the best fish in the sea, eating-wise,” said Jon Rowley, one of the most respected seafood consultants in the world and the man widely considered to have introduced Copper River salmon to the masses in the 1980s.

Michael Bauer, executive food editor of the San Francisco Chronicle nodded in agreement, while other foodie professionals within earshot of the conversation joined in with their “Yeah, we can’t wait for the season to open.”

They’re going to be waiting a long time. Like about 365 days.

This week, the fishery managers in the Northwest declared there would be no commercial fishing of Yukon River salmon this year. That means none in your local fish market; none on restaurant menus.

The fishery managers also ordered drastic cuts in the number of fish that can be taken from the water by the native Yup’ik fishing families, who rely on the fish for food and to sell in order to make money for other living expenses.

In the last year or so, Yukon River kings have become the “new” Copper River salmon, the most sought-after catch-of-the-day. They are prized for their unusually high oil content. Rowley says the fish is so rich, fatty and flavorful it practically melts in your mouth.

The fish build up this fat, along with the highest level of omega-3 fatty acids (linked to healthy hearts and the control of arthritis and asthma) of any salmon in the world, by swimming some 2,000 miles up the imposing Yukon RIver to spawn.

But this year, according to news reports, a significantly smaller number of  king salmon have returned to the Yukon River, spurring the fishing embargo.

Rowley has suggested that the billion-dollar Bering Sea pollock fishery is at fault. According to an account on Gourmet.com: “More than 100 giant trawlers drag the waters off the Yukon River for pollock, but their nets intercept migrating kings. The salmon, so valuable to the Yup’iks, are illegal for the trawlers to sell, so they get dumped back into the sea as garbage—dead.”

There will still be plenty of good Northwest salmon in the marketplace this summer, but it will be other species and not the gold standard Yukon River. Cynthia Nims, a Seattle-based food writer and cookbook author, wrote this week in her blog that there’s still a slim chance that some Yukon River salmon might swim into the marketplace.

"There’s still a chance some of the salmon make their way into retail and restaurant channels yet," she reports. "King counts are being reevaluated every day and it’s possible they’re just running late this year."

I don’t know about you, but just learning these ins and outs of the king salmon fishery have made me hungry for whatever type of wild salmon that’s out there. (There's still some Copper River salmon in the marketplace, but it won't be around for much longer. I bought a delicious piece this week for $30 a pound.)

So I’m heading out to to shop and whip up my favorite salmon creation: A simply grilled filet, served over a heap of roasted, diced red beets that are warmed in a pan with homemade vinaigrette.

I also love Wolfgang Puck’s Grilled Salmon with Black Pepper and Ginger that should be served on a mountain of garlicky mashed potatoes.

4 pieces king salmon, about 6 ounces each
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
3 tablespoons chopped black pepper
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tomato, skinned, seeded and chopped
½ bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken stock

Heat 2 teaspoons butter in a saute pan until foamy. Add shallot, garlic and tomato and sauté for several minutes, or until shallot is translucent.

Add wine and vinegar and continue cooking over medium heat until reduced by half. Add chicken stock and reduce gain by half. Finish sauce by swirling in pieces of softened butter until desired consistency is achieved.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Keep warm.

Mix together ginger and pepper. Season salmon with salt and spread with ginger-pepper mixture. Sprinkle with olive oil and grill or saute salmon until medium rare.

Serve on a warmed plate, atop garlicky mashed potatoes.

Food For Thought

“The salad days of organic salad are wilting in favor of high-tech tomatoes.”

Thus began a disturbing blurb in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal that forecasts a future in which organic produce may lose out to genetically modified and mass produced foods.

“Gourmets’ fears of ‘frankenfoods’…seem to be taking a back seat to the growing global demands of feeding emerging middle classes in developing countries with limited natural resources.”

The article cites the dramatic earnings growth of Monsanto, the world leader in agricultural biotechnology. (The company makes seeds that produce insect-resistent, drought-tolerant crops.)

All of this is not to say that farmers’ markets and organic heirloom tomatoes are going away. Just that the current popular aversion to genetically modified foods “is turning into more of a luxury for the wealthy than a practical option for the masses.”

The stats posted by Whole Foods are a little scary to this fan of “real” food, locally grown, in a sustainable fashion:

“From 2001 to the end of 2006, the company’s (Whole Foods) earnings grew an average annual rate of 25%. In 2007, earnings were down more than 10% and they’re falling further.”

Columnist Karen Richardson doesn't go into the specific "whys" of Whole Foods' earnings downturn. Nor does the article say how meeting the increased food demands of the planet will immediately impact the supply of organic foods. But it is, for sure, food for thought.

Applause For Jack's La Jolla

The Italian word “viaggio” translates loosely as “let’s travel.”

Let’s not, I say.

With the opening of Viaggio on the second level of Jack’s La Jolla, I say let’s just stay right here in La Jolla and eat great food without the hassle of checked bags and delayed flights.

Open less than a week, Viaggio has slipped comfortably into the home of The Dining Room at Jack's, where talented chef Tony DiSalvo had been serving a super-upscale menu that featured lots of foam, froth and fanfare.

The new Viaggio menu -- simpler and Italian all the way --makes me want to cry. How can I possibly make a decision between a soft egg yolk and ricotta raviolo – one big, fat, paper-thin pouch that gooshes when you tap it with a fork,  or spaghettini with duck-foie gras meatballs and sour cherries? Between bluefin tuna bruschetta that sings with the flavors of the Italian Riviera in summertime, or a quivering panna cotta flecked with black truffles and pecorino.

When asked why he changed the concept of the upscale Dining Room at Jack’s to lusty Italian fare, DiSalvo responded “Because I wanted to cook the food that I want to eat every day.”

Apparently that includes a caprese salad with roasted cherry tomatoes still clinging to the vine and puddles of creamy burrata cheese (at right);  “bell”-shaped pasta with shrimp, lobster and crispy bits of guanciale (Italian bacon) in a buttery tomato broth; and pillowy potato gnocchi with prosciutto and pesto.

The new menu features 12 pastas, all made in house; imaginative salads including a roasted beets and arugula number with pistachios and grapefruit (at right); a dozen entrees including lamb chops “scottaditta” with spicy olives and mint; shellfish stew with Thai basil; and a grilled rib-eye steak “Fiorentina”-style. First-course prices range from $10 to $14;  all entrees are under $30.

Folks who visited Jack’s upscale dining room in the past will see few physical changes in Viaggio. The same muted grey color scheme is there; the same gauzy fabrics; the same openings in the wall that let in the lively nightlife scene on weekends and the starry sky on warm, clear nights.

A large farmhouse-style table with flowers, olive oils and vegetables has been stationed between the two dining areas in an attempt to convey a more rustic feel. It’s pretty enough but it doesn’t do much to warm up the coolness of the original space.

The atmosphere and service is still a bit too precious for my tastes. But am I going to let that keep me from the mint strozzapretti (short twisty pasta “ropes”) that are tossed with a ragu of rosy, crispy-edged lamb chunks, blinkingly spicy olives and pecorino cheese? Or the heady tiramisu that’s doused with a shot of espresso at the table? Not on your life.

And the remarkable “Summer Vegetable Soup” that features fresh fava beans, diced summer squash and bits of spinach and tomato, all floating in an almost-clear "broth" bursting with tomato flavor?  Well, let's just say that whether seated on a Queen’s throne or the curb outside a food kitchen, I’d still think it was the best vegetable soup I’ve ever tasted.

Di Salvo continued his explanation for creating Viaggio.

“I don’t want to just impress people. I want to make them happy.”

Mission accomplished.

--

Polished Pinot

So little time…so many good Pinot Noirs.

Today’s find is Quailhurst Pinot Noir Vineyard Estate Oregon 2003 Single Estate. 

Before today: Never heard of it. Today: Still don’t know that much. Googling Quailhurst is not exactly like Googling Kendall Jackson.

However, this rich, elegant  wine had me from hello, as in, from the first sniff.  I loved the delicate, red-fruit fragrance; the ripe berries and hint of spice; the soft tannins; the agreeable personality that let it partner flank steak (marinated in coffee and black pepper) without a mis-step, and allowed me to sit back and smack my lips without the the self-conscious “I taste leather and earth” routine.

According to the Web site, Quailhurst is also a respected stable of dressage horses; the Nassau Pinot is named after one such fancy-pants horse; and the wine won a gold medal at the N.W. Wine Summit (largest competition in the Pacific Northwest) and a silver medal at the Oregon State Fair Professional Wine Competition. I’m not sure what trophies ol’ Nassau himself has won.

On the Internet, the wine costs about $45. However, I found it at Costco last week for $18.99.  A friend of mine in the wine business says wineries sometimes “dump” things they don’t want any more at Costco. I intent to find out from my sources at Costco if this is true.

In the meantime, I’m heading back to the dump.

Who Knew?

At a cooking class this weekend at San Diego cookware shop Great News, I made a couple of delicious discoveries.

The first was the big flavor that a small bottle of American-made chutney can bring to a very simple lamb stew.  Cooking teacher Katherine Emmenegger’s stew consisted of lamb shoulder, chopped onion and white wine. It would have been perfectly nice like that. But Stonewall Kitchen’s Old Farmhouse Chutney added multiple layers of fruity, spicy notes that made it a memorable dish.

I’m now thinking of mixing the fruit-onion-spice condiment with pulled pork for sandwiches;  livening up cooked beans with it; and using it as a “sauce” for grilled chicken kebabs.

The second revelation at the class entitled “The Foods and Wines of Argentina” was a glorious sweet potato gratin that cut the traditional heavy cream quantity in half (and used vegetable broth for the remainder), and was seasoned with fresh sage, garlic and freshly grated nutmeg. It’s impressive how much more the potato flavor and seasonings shine when not covered up with a ton of heavy cream. This is a slam dunk for our Thanksgiving table this year.

Last, but not least, was a recipe for chimichurri sauce, which Emmenegger calls Argentina’s answer to ketchup….meaning that Argentinians plop it on just about every type of food.

I tasted five versions of chimichurri in as many days in Buenos Aires a couple years ago. But the Great News version was even better ---remarkably bright and savory, with an appealing texture (not too runny, not too greasy). Emmenegger gave credit for the success to her favorite sherry vinegar – Columela Vinagre de Jerez. It's available on-line at Sur La Table and Amazon.com.

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

1 bunch Italian parsley, washed, patted dry, with leaves removed from stems
4 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
2 large shallots, peeled
¾ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt, cayenne and black pepper, to taste

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients using the pulse method. Chop well but do not puree. Makes a generous cup.

The Electronic Shopping Cart

Throw away that tattered shopping list.

The Ikan is here.

According to a story in yesterday’s New York Times, this new contraption is out to revolutionize the art of grocery shopping by eliminating trips to the supermarket.

The Ikan features a color screen, a laser scanner and a Wi-Fi antenna that connects to your home wireless network.  Every time you’re about to throw away an empty container, be it a tub of yogurt or the dog’s favorite biscuits, you just pass it under the scanner and the product’s full name (and size) is added to your shopping list.

Keeping a grocery list on a piece of paper really isn’t all that difficult, you say? Well, the Ikan tempts with another important feature as well. When the list is complete, you click once and everything is delivered to your house at the time you specify.

Reactions to the $400 can’t-live-without gizmo are varied. Some folks don’t want to give up the “social” aspects of going shopping. Others are thrilled to let someone else battle the parking lot and lug the bags.

The green-conscious audience says the process consolidates many deliveries on a single truck, thereby removing a number of cars from the road.

Once it gets up and running in more markets, the machine supposedly will add more features such as how-to cooking videos and perhaps news and sports scores.

Read all about it….and let us know your take on this newfangled way to shop.

Wedding Bells

We all know about June and weddings.

But the “wedding” being held tomorrow at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City has a novel twist.

It’s a celebration of the “perfect pair”: seafood and Sauvignon Blanc.    

Oyster Bar spokesman Sandy Ingber talked by phone with Robert Whitley and me today during the “Gourmet Club” radio show on The San Diego Union-Tribune’s SignOnRadio site. Ingber explained that the restaurant came up with the idea of a June “wedding” to explore the many delicious pairings of seafood and the different styles of Sauvignon Blanc.

Tomorrow’s  “reception” is open to the public and consists of a three-course prix fixe dinner with a flight of three wines. The cost is $49.95.

Among the delectable food offerings are pan-seared Maine dayboat scallops with uni beurre blanc atop wonton skins; chilled Hama-Hama oysters with cucumber crème fraiche; and Yukon River salmon done with goat cheese, fines herbes and asparagus.

(Yukon River salmon, considered by the experts to be one of the two or three tastiest in the world, makes its official debut tomorrow, too. The season will last only about two weeks.)

Partnering the menu will be four Sauvignon Blancs from Sauvignon Republic, a company founded by four well-known wine-makers/chefs who love the way Sauvignon Blanc “expresses the terroir,” in other words how every SB tastes a little different based on where the grapes were grown.

There’s a 2007 Marlborough from New Zealand, rather more complex than the others, with lovely pineapple and citrus notes and a touch of minerality.

There’s a 2007 Stellenbosch from South Africa which is said to have a hint of passion fruit on the palate and be able stand up to chile-spiked foods.

The dinner’s 2007 Potter Valley from Mendocino is a young, light wine with nice citrus zest and a touch of tropical fruit. It’s good with fish tacos, ceviche and cioppino, and Pacific Rim cuisines.

And, the 2007 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc is “like adding a squirt of lemon to the dish and what food wouldn’t be enhanced by that?” That’s the opinion of pioneer CA wine country chef John Ash, who is one of the founders of the winery.

We can’t all rush out to the historic Oyster Bar which has been doing business on the lower level of the famous rail terminal since 1913. But we can all rush out and buy Yukon River salmon and a bottle of SB and have a big party without having to pay an organist, preacher or florist.

Here’s a recipe from John Ash to get the party started. His cookbooks  are among the most treasured on my bookshelf.

DUNGENESS CRAB IN WINE AND VERMOUTH                
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an appetizer

This simple dish celebrates one of the real treasures of the Northern California, Oregon and Washington coasts—Dungeness crab! I think its the best but unfortunately its not generally available outside these areas. You can substitute King crab, fresh mussels, clams and shrimp.  Serve with a big stack of napkins and lots of crusty French bread.

1 large (3 - 4 lb.) cooked, fresh Dungeness crab
1/4 lb. unsalted butter
2/3 cup vermouth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups clear fish or chicken stock
3 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or a combination of parsley and chives
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Clean, crack and separate crab into sections and set aside.

Place remaining ingredients, except parsley and pepper, together in a sauce pan and simmer covered for 5 minutes or so. Add crab, parsley and pepper and warm crab through.

Divide into large bowls with the broth and serve immediately.

I Scream...You Scream

NEW!

The word titillates food critics, much as “shoot-out” excites soccer fans and “Wall-E”” does it for Wii-crazed kids.

For 25 years at The San Diego Union-Tribune I was charged with finding NEW! – new restaurants, new wines, new food products, new gadgets. It’s become a habit.

Yesterday, in honor of the looming first day of summer, I scouted supermarket ice cream aisles looking for NEW! frozen desserts. 

Here’s what I found:

(Since there’s no such thing as too much ice cream, I’d also like to hear about your favorites, old or new. Just click the COMMENT button below while you wait for that Rockin’ Rocky Road of yours to soften up a bit.)

*** Haagen-Dazs Reserve Fleur de Sel Caramel. H-D takes one of the hottest candy trends and turns it into a creamy, dreamy dessert. The pale, delicately flavored caramel ice cream is laced with caramel ribbons and generously studded with Fleur de Sel caramels covered in a chocolaty coating. (Fleur de Sel is a type of coarse, flavorful salt that’s farmed from the sea in France’s Brittany region.)

The crunchy bits of flaky salt tickle the tongue and enhance the sweet caramel flavor. This is a winner in my book.

*** H-D’s new Mocha Chip is very good, too. The label says the chips are “milk chocolate flavored” – not exactly a rousing come-on. Nonetheless, they do taste good and I liked the contrast between the satiny ice cream and the crunchy “chocolate-flavored” bits. I also like the “wake-up” coffee flavor.

*** I’m not really crazy about Ben & Jerry’s new Imagine Whirled Peace. But, hey, with the shape the world is in these days, I don’t feel I can knock their efforts! (Plus it’s a tribute to John Lennon and we don’t want to knock him either.)

The ingredient list says there’s almond, brown sugar and vanilla flavors in this “caramel and sweet cream ice creams” product. But all  I really taste is a pretty plain, very subdued caramel ice cream. However, it is flecked with toffee cookie crumbs and adorable little chocolate peace symbols.

*** Sadly, not every new ice cream flavor out there is worth screaming about.

*** H-D’s new Sticky Toffee ice cream has an odd “cakey” texture and a disagreeable overdose of cinnamon.

(What is it with cinnamon? Manufacturers seem to think it makes us feel all “homey” and “comforted,” whether it belongs in the food in in question or not?)

*** Ben & Jerry’s Cake Batter ice cream, released in honor of the company’s 30th birthday, is downright boring.  However, if  you’re turned on by the thought of “yellow cake batter ice cream with chocolate frosting swirl,” then, by all means, go for it.

*** And B&J’s new Stephen Colbert’s AmeriCone Dream?  Well, let’s just say it sounds ("Fudge-Covered Waffle Cone Pieces and Caramel Swirl") much better than it tastes. I found the texture coarse and unappealing. There’s nothing subtle or graceful about the flavor. And the waffle pieces are soggy and taste like cardboard.

Bottled Water Update

Is it possible I was the last to know?

I mean, really, do all the rest of you already know about the K9 Water Co. that markets four types of “vitamin-fortified” bottled water for DOGS?            

That would be Toilet Water (chicken flavor), Gutter Water (beef), Puddle Water (liver) and Hose Water (lamb).

Trust me, I’m not making this up. My imagination isn’t that good.

During a recent panel discussion at New York University’s Fales Library – part of NYU's "Critical Topics in Food" series - I learned about the pooch hooch from my fellow panelist Alex Prud’homme.

Apparently, manufacturers want us to believe that it’s not just water they’re selling but a “beverage.” To that end, we now have Toilet Water, Tibet 5100    from Tibetan glaciers; Kona Deep from 3000 feet under the surface of the ocean around Hawaii;  Cloud Juice, which is rain water from Tasmania and, swear to God, Holy Spring Water said to be blessed by a rabbi, a priest, a monk, and a shaman.

Am I the only one that finds this sheer lunacy?

Pets owners who shell out big bucks for flavored bottled water was just one of the fascinating factoids dispensed by the group. Moderated by national restaurant consultant Clark Wolf,  the “Water: A Global Discussion of a Critical Topic” panel featured Marion Nestle, the author of  “What To Eat” and professor of Nutrition, Food Studies & Public Health at NYU; Chef Rick Moonen of rm seafood and r bar café in the Mandalay Bay resort,  Las Vegas; Prud’homme, who co-authored “My Life In France”  with Julia Child and who is currently writing a book about water; and myself.

The hour-long discussion will soon be on-line at the NYU TV & Media Archive. In the meantime, consider these “sound-bites” from the discussion:

** “The consequences of bottled water have an enormous effect on the “social contract,” said Nestle.  “Water is supposed to be free and a mark of what a society does for its people.” But, she continued,  with the “privatization” of water today, the water fountains on the school playground are broken or turned off and kids are forced to buy water or do without.

** Dentists are reporting a significant rise in the number of cavities in Americans of varying ages. Instead of drinking the municipal water (that tax money typically pays to fluoridate), citizens are drinking bottled water that contains no teeth-protecting fluoride.

** Some bottled water companies are attempting to deflect criticism by “creating serious initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint.” Fiji Water claims to pump a percentage of profits (the exact percentage not revealed) into forest preservation of Fiji.  Icelandic Glacial sends a portion of profits to African villages in need of sanitation facilities. Starbucks’ Ethos water has a similar “altruistic” program. The panelists recognized these efforts, while expressing cynicism over the companies’ motives, and suggesting that the world would be a better place if those bottles of water hadn’t been manufactured, filled, transported, refrigerated, sold and dumped in landfills in the first place.

** “There’s absolutely no evidence” that humans need to drink eight glasses of water a day, said  Nestle, adding that there’s plenty of water in other things that we eat and drink, from coffee and tea to foods such as lettuce and, even, she joked, in vodka.

 

"Open" Wide -- Where to Eat near Torrey Pines

Phil Mickelson is a big fan of Barbarella in La Jolla Shores.

Tiger heads for Pasquale on Prospect Street.

Clearly there’s more to the U.S. Open than birdies and bogeys. 

Where to eat and drink when it’s all over but the shouting is of vital importance.

Here are my picks for delicious food, style, atmosphere and comfort. All are within a short drive (car drive, that is) of Torrey Pines Golf Course.

*** George’s California Modern. There are plenty of good reasons why George’s has been one of San Diego’s most popular restaurants for decades. For starters, a great host (George Hauer), terrific chef (Trey Foshee), stylish but not overblown décor, and spectacular ocean view. (The al fresco rooftop Ocean Café offers more casual fare.) Located in the heart of La Jolla village.

BEST BITES: Meyer lemon ravioli with asparagus and morels

                   Roasted beet salad with arugula, currants, frisee
                   and feta cheese puree

                   Niman Ranch pork meatballs with polenta and
                   spicy tomato sauce

 

*** Whisknladle.  Who comes to California to eat indoors? All the seating at this popular new spot in the heart of La Jolla is on an open terrace that manages to be warm and cozy year-round. Lively young crowd. Very tuned in to artisanal products.

BEST BITES: Clever cocktails include a Lavender Cosmo

                   Squash blossoms with goat cheese and walnut honey

                    WNL Burger with three cheeses, bacon and a                  
                    sunny-side-up egg

*** Market. The talented chef Carl Schroeder makes every meal in this casually elegant eatery a memorable one. A five-minute drive from village of Del Mar

BEST BITES: Day-boat scallops with root vegetable rice and coconut      
                   ginger foam

                   Blue cheese soufflé with mache salad

                   Warm chocolate ganache cake with tangerine
                   “creamsicle” shake

*** Pacifica Del Mar.  Just a stone’s throw north of Torrey Pines in Del Mar, this good-looking seafood house has a large open terrace with a bluewater view, a lively bar scene and professional service.

BEST BITES: Ahi tartare with avocado, mango and wasabi creme   
                  fraiche

                  Barbecued sugar-spice salmon

                  Pan-roasted seabass with sticky rice

*** Barbarella. A cozy neighborhood place with a sophisticated and loyal clientele. Inviting sidewalk terrace is centered with a roaring fireplace. (Web site in the works. Located at 2171 Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla Shores; 858-454-7373.)

BEST BITES:  Best Caesar salad in town, bar none

                    Creamy risotto changes daily

                    Crispy pizzas from wood-fired oven

                    Ravioli with ricotta and roasted garlic

*** Harry's Bar & American Grill. Very pretty, relatively subdued spot in a Golden Triangle office building. Professional service and high comfort level.

BEST BITES: Skewer of shrimp, goat cheese-stuffed zucchini blossoms in a roasted red pepper sauce

                   Linguine with prawns, baby artichokes and brown butter sage sauce   
                  

***Pasquale on Prospect. It’s party time almost every night here thanks to live music (many nights), an exuberant owner and a vivacious crowd. Bumpin’ bar scene.  Elegant but not fussy. In the heart of La Jolla.

BEST BITES: Beef carpaccio with arugula, capers and Parmesan

                   Homemade lasagna

                   Seared yellowfin tuna in a pinenut/hazelnut crust