the food blog is live!

ok boys and girls, i have finally gotten a very early version of my food blog off the ground - this means i will probably be focusing all my efforts on publishing to that site, updating it, etc. so you probably won't see anymore updates here, but i will be writing my ass off over there. where is there? the new address is www.codcheeks.com - learn it and love it! also, i have a bunch of people who will be contributing to the blog, and if you want to contribute too, email me and i'll set you up. . .so far the majority of my contributors are in the aby area - if we could get some people from other places (like the bluegrass state), that would be great. . .and blogging is so easy, even an old fart can do it!

anyway, read codcheeks and let me know what you think!

then just don't eat it!

there has been a movement growing around the country to get foie gras banned, claiming it amounts to cruelty to animals. there is a ban taking place in california starting in 2008, and the a ban set to take place this month in chicago. i can sum up my opinion of the situation pretty succintly - these people are idiots.

first of all, aren't there a bunch of other animal rights issues that should trump this? i have to imagine the overall population of foie gras eaters in the united states is pretty small compared to, lets say, the amount of people who use cosmetics, lotions, shampoo, etc that is tested on animals.

secondly, by making such a big deal about this, you're creating more people out there who now actually know what foie gras is and are probably more likely to to try it. . .the surest way to make someone want something is to tell them they can't have it. it's like telling a fat person, let's say oprah for example, that she can't eat - the first thing she is going to go do is stuff her face. . .is that what you want?

i liken it to the whole issue of indenceny on tv and radio - if you don't want to watch it turn the channel - better yet, get rid of your tv. if you don't want to eat foie gras and are offended by the fact that it could be on the menu, then don't go to those restaurants and don't order - save it for people like me who would eat it on toast for breakfast if we could.

enough talking about it - everyone's homework for the week is to go out and eat some fois gras - and if you live somewhere where the man is keeping you from eating it, you can gaze lovingly at this picture and pretend . . .

slow food

i just finished reading my first installment of 'the snail,' the magazine put out by slow food, an organization set up to 'protect the pleasures of the table from the homogenization of modern fast food and life.' it's a pretty interesting organization and it is starting to pick up momentum. many people associate it with some sort of weird vegan thing, but it is actually aimed at making sure all food is protected, including rare breeds of cattle and swine, so that we will have a chance to eat their meat, drink their milk, and eat their cheese.

i'm a member of the sf convivium the fancy italian word for 'chapter), and there are conviviums all over the country, and more importantly, the world. . .they even have a chapter in kentuckey! mostly it involves learning more about food, going to events around different types of food, visiting farms where your food is grown, and most importantly, becoming educated on sustainable farming, eating locally, and supporting your local farmer. . . all good things to do, plus you get to eat really good organic vegetables and meats - nothing wrong with that! so, long story short - check out slow food - it's pretty interesting. . . .

think my wife would mind?

came across this great ink work at A Full Belly. if i had to do it all over again, i think i would get the pig on one arm, but i am not sure about the carrot - sort of a wimp in the vegetable world - now asparagus - that's one tough hombre.

the ultimate salad

michael bauer, the restaurant critic for the sf chronicle (and to steal a line from peter rose about playing baseball, "i'd run through hell in a gasoline suit" to have that job) started blogging a few months back, and it's been nice to get short observations from him about the restaurant world, culture, customs, etc. it's a lot less formal than a full review, and it's a nice treat to read about the places he likes to eat during his down time, favorite dishes, etc.

one of his more recent blog entries was about caesar salads - it's a great post (read it here) and it reminds me of being a kid and going out to dinner with my grandparents at a small french restaurant in san rafeal, ca. named la petite auberge - that is where my love for the caesar started. of course, in true old world style, the waiter would roll a cart out table side and mix the salad in front of me, always starting with one raw egg. . . it can't be beat. bauer offers some thoughts on the best place to find a caesar salad in san francisco these days, and i think i will make it my mission to give them my own taste test before the year is up!

bacon ice cream

came across the story of bacon ice cream from the washington post on another food site. seems like most of the comments about the odd flavors of ice cream include the word 'interesting,' which is always code for this 'this tastes like shit but i dont want to offend the chef.' i'm up for a scoop - trip to delaware anyone?

brined pork chops

man, those were some good pork chops! i've heard a lot of people talk about the benefits of brining pork chops vs. not brining them for a long time, so i decided to test it myself. the pork chops came out extremely moist and tender and were some of the best chops i've ever had, and surprisingly, not very salty. you can take the juices from the roasting pan and create a sauce by putting in a little white wine and reduce it, then adding some butter at the end to thicken it up, but i decided to taste them sauceless, and they were good. . .

the recipe for creating the brine is pretty simple:

1. you start with the base of the brine by combining 2 qts of water, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1/4 cup of sugar in a pot.

2. from that point you can pretty much add whatever else you want to flavor your chops with. i added some crushed garlic cloves, dried chili peppers, and come crushed corriander seeds.

3. bring the whole mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. pour it from the pot into whatever bowl/tupperware you will be using for soaking the chops, and let it sit until it becomes room temperature.

4. take the pork chops of out the fridge, and put them out, uncovered, and let them come to room temperature too (about 15-20 mins).

5. add the pork chops chops to the brine, and refrigerate for at least 24, but more than 48 hours.

6. when you are ready to cook, take the porkchops out of the brine and let them rest on a plate at room temperature for about 25 minutes.

7. pre-heat the oven to 375 (you can also grill these, in which case, you can stop reading now)

8. in a heavy bottomed pan, add some vegetable oil, and put on medium-high heat. once the oil is hot, cook the chops on each side for 2-3 minutes or until brown and then set aside (this can be done in batches if need be - add more oil as needed too).

9. once all the chops have been browned, place them in a roasting pan, and put them in the over for 15-20 minutes based upong the thickness of the chop.

10. once they are done, remove the chops from the roasting pan and set aside.


optional:
11. set roasting pan to straddle both burners on the stove top and turn both burners on medium heat.

12. add 1/2 cup of white wine, and reduce by half.

13. add back any juices that have accumulated from the chops while they have been sitting.

14. add 1-2 teaspoons of butter and remove from heat.

its pretty simple rescipe and it produces some great pork chops. .. . enjoy!

a food blog . ..also, avacado mousse with crab

so i was thinking that one of the reasons i had such a tough time posting to my blog is that i really don't feel like the daily minutae of my life needs to be documented - i need blog about something i actually love talking about - so i thought about it, and came us with food! i find that i have no trouble posting to the group site i am a contributer too (www.pleasureproviderclub.com) with regularity, since it is all about food, eating out, etc. so i think i will try to do some of that here too. there may still be some random musings about non-food subjects too, but i see this more and more morphing into a food blog. . .

to start, i am positng this crab and avacado mousse recipe, it's pretty easy to make and has a pretty big 'wow' factor. i got the recipe from the chronicles food section, and it was created by Victor Scargle (to read the full article, click here, which i must say, always has great recipes. i have been substituting poached salmon which i let come to room temperature, since ewa is pregnant and can't do shellfish. also, i always put the plates i am serving on in the freezer a few hours before (a la a good tar tar) to get them nice and chilled. if you need to get food forms for mousse, i got mine at sur la table (after going to william sonoma, who didnt have any)- also, you can just go to the hardware store and get then to cut PVC pipe - anything between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 inches in diameter would work. enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

Crab:
18 ounces Dungeness crabmeat
1 bunch chives, chopped
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Avocado Mousse:
2 avocados (about 6 ounces each), pitted and peeled
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 Roma tomato, cut into small dice
1/2 red onion, minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Citrus Salad:
1 ruby red grapefruit
1 tangerine
1 Meyer lemon
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or canola oil
1/2 cup micro cilantro, or regular cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

To prepare the crab: Drain crabmeat and squeeze out excess liquid. Pick through the meat to remove bits of shell; leave claws and large leg segments intact if possible. Toss the crab with the chives, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

To prepare the mousse: Using a food processor, puree the avocados with the lime juice and Tabasco. Use a rubber spatula to transfer puree to a bowl. Fold in the tomato, onion and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

To prepare the citrus salad: Slice off the ends of the grapefruit and then the rest of the peel, including the pith and thin white outer membrane covering the flesh. Remove grapefruit segments by cutting between the membranes with a paring knife. Work over a bowl to catch the juices. Set the sections and membranes aside. Repeat with the tangerine and lemon. Squeeze the excess juice from the membranes into the bowl, discard the membranes, and pour the juices into a skillet.

Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Pour into a bowl and let cool. Whisk the reduced juices to blend, then slowly whisk in the grapeseed oil until the dressing has emulsified. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

To serve: Place the ring mold or can on a salad plate. Fill the mold about one-third of the way up with the avocado mousse. Smooth surface with the back of a spoon. Place one-sixth of the crab mixture on top of the avocado mousse and press firmly. Remove the cutter or can carefully and repeat for each additional plate.

Toss the cilantro with the citrus sections and any juices that have accumulated, and place on the plate next to the crab and avocado, dividing the mixture evenly among the plates. Drizzle the citrus reduction on the plates and serve.

Serves 6