211 replies to this topic

[avaserfi]

That scallop dish looks wonderful. I especially love the idea of using sea beans to get that briney flavor in, complimenting the scallops.

I really wish I had access to some of the markets you do...I'm lucky if we have fresh, in season fruit available!

[ScottyBoy]

Good eye, yeah that's the idea. Kind of a no-brainer but I like to match main ingredients with garnishes that will compliment them. Sea beans and scallops, peas in the puree and the shoots from the plants on top...

Off to pick up some foie gras and document the beautiful new Berkeley Bowl while I pick up groceries for cooking today, see you soon blog!

Edited by ScottyBoy, 26 September 2011 - 11:49 AM.

[Kouign Aman]

Gorgeous food. Thanks for blogging.


Does anyone else find it interesting that Louisiana is local to Berkeley, per this sign?

[gfweb]

Everything is local somewhere.

[ScottyBoy]

Hehe, I'm sure anna marie just sent them one of there signs they use locally.

[ScottyBoy]

Lunch with my friend Chris at Pho Ao Sen. We searched all of Berkeley and Oakland for the best Pho and have found it. Chris calls it "God Broth". Two things I like about this place as well, the special sauce of fried shallots, chilis and fish sauce and the long green herb on the garnish plate.

Some fresh local Sonoma foie gras $37/lb. I'll soak it in milk to leech out any impurities, devein then pack it in salt to cure for 4 days. I use it like salted "meat butter" then blending it into sauces and such.

Then some pictures of the new Berkeley bowl, it's all nice and bright. I actually prefer the old one since I have the entire store memorized.

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[Katie Meadow]

Agree 100 percent on Pho Ao Sen. I've been going there for years and it is my very favorite pho. The broth is delicate, not fatty, and not on the sweet side. And it comes to the table hot. Plus I'm extremely fond of the homey atmosphere. However, not much else on the menu stands up to the pho. Down the street a few blocks is Pho King. I haven't ever been but they have a reputation for the Bun Bo Hue. Yes, that's right, Pho King is fun to say.

[ScottyBoy]

We are of the same blood, I hit up Ao Sen and Pho King for BBH. My friend Chris is going to be stoked when he reads this, those are our spots!

[ScottyBoy]

Just to add the final recipe to my "candy bar" desert on the last page, salted caramel.

1 1/2C sugar
1C cream
5T unsalted butter
1T kosher salt

Melt everything but the sugar and keep warm. Cook the sugar until a deep golden brown. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream mixture. Let cool in a container, put on everything.

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[ScottyBoy]

Really trying to catch up with everything that's happened in the last week.

Dim Sum at East Ocean with my friend Chris and his AWESOME Aunt and Uncle last Saturday.

Chilled marinated beef and jelly fish

Pai gwat, pork spare ribs with fermented black beans and peppers. Chris's favorite since he was little.

Cha siu bao.

Shrimp dumplings similar to ha gao but with green chives

Ha gao: shrimp dumplings

Egg, shrimp, and dao mue (bean sprouts) over lai mein (egg noodles)

X.O. sauce

Ja leung made special: chinese donut stuffed with shrimp paste and wrapped in a rice roll. with sesame seeds and sweet soy. My favorite!

Wu gok: taro root dumpling

And the view from the restaurant, really awesome.

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[Peter the eater]

Sea beans and scallops

Seas beans are those dark green succulent twigs? Looks like samphire - juicy and salty? Nobody sells them around here but they're real easy to forage.

[ScottyBoy]

Yup, they're also called sea asparagus since up close the spears look just like it. After I discovered I could get purslane and such all over the place I've really gotten into foraging.

There was a huge food festival in downtown Oakland over the weekend. As always I was too busy to make it down this year. My friend Jenny works for KQED's blog and has agreed to link this great article.

Will Wait for Good Food: Eat Real Festival 2011

[ScottyBoy]

Making gnocchi with foie gras sauce.

Sauce

150g Salt cured foie (small dice)
150ml duck demi glace
150ml cream (cold)
50ml marsala wine

Heat the wine and demi until simmering. Pour into a blender and add the foie to emulsify. Pour in cream just until blended. Strain through fine sieve.

Gnocchi

3 russet potatoes
70g grated parmasean
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt
100g flour

Bake the potatoes at 400 for an hour or so, until fully cooked. Run through a tammis or a ricer. You only need 250g.
Using the "well method" incorporate all the ingredients. Folding and not kneading, adding more flour when needed. When it's not sticky an dry enough cut into 4ths and roll into long 1/2" logs. Cut into little pillows.

In salted water boil them until they just rise to the top, I like to fry them in brown butter for 5 seconds. Or you can just heat in the sauce to finish.

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[Blether]

... gnocchi with foie gras sauce...

Gorgeous.

[ScottyBoy]

Thank you!

You can also charge that sauce into an iSi and make a killer mousse with it.

I hope my "recipes" are OK. I never really measure most of the time and I'm making an effort to weigh, measure and write down (which I should be doing in the first place). Also I'm just kinda betting for people on this forum to know the basics so I only have to describe some of the technique...

[ScottyBoy]

Hit up some late night tacos with my friend at our favorite truck, Guadalajara. Doesn't hurt that it's on the way home from the Oakland A's stadium

Cabeza (cow's head), tripas(stomach), langua(tongue), carnitas(fried pork). I like mine with the Mexican crema on top and plenty of radishes to snack on once the heat hits you. There are A LOT of taco trucks in the Bay Area as you can imagine but I think they do it all perfect here. The cabeza is my favorite, so rich with beef flavor and gelatinous.

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[Peter the eater]

... gnocchi with foie gras sauce...

Gorgeous.

Very gorgeous. I never put foie in the blender, now maybe I will.

[ScottyBoy]

Especially the trimmings you may come up with from a torchon or when you clean the lobes...waste nothing my friends.

[Kouign Aman]

Beautiful gnocchi.

When you are in the Berkeley Bowl produce section, is there a strong wonderful smell of fresh ripe fruit? It looks like there would be.

[ScottyBoy]

Oh yes, every section has a great aroma I love the tomatoes when it's at the height of the season!

Lobster mushrooms are in full swing right now.

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Edited by ScottyBoy, 27 September 2011 - 01:12 PM.

[KatieLoeb]

Gnocchi with Foie Gras sauce. You're killing me, dude. I have such a craving now that I can't get immediate gratification for. Might have to make do with some other form of foie satisfaction. Even if it means heading to the local gourmet shop and snagging a slice of pate...

[ScottyBoy]

If you can get a slice of torchon the sauce is a breeze...

[KatieLoeb]

I'll check on that! There's also really great pre-made gnocchi available at the Italian Market so perhaps this might be more easily accomplished than I thought. Problem is I have a ton of work to do today and don't really have time to cook. Might have to put off scratching the foie gras itch until the weekend when I can really relax and enjoy it.

Just so you know, I'm easily suggestible and easily led by photos and descriptions of gorgeous food. This blog has been quite challenging for me to read every day!

[Rico]

Gnocchi with Foie Gras sauce. You're killing me, dude.

Second that, but with just about every photo and description you've posted.

[ScottyBoy]

Great that I can be of inspiration to you. The sauce is easily plated with duck as well.

Hmmm, duck confit raviolo, foie sauce and truffle.....winter is coming....

[djyee100]

I'm salivating over the foie gras gnocchi and the dim sum. I'll have to make it out to that restaurant. At first I googled "East Ocean restaurant" which took me to some place in Alameda, and that made no sense with your pic of the view. Then I looked again at the pix, oh...Hong Kong East Ocean restaurant, in Emeryville. That makes sense. The pic is worth a close look, too.



The Port of Oakland on the left (container apparatus), and a very famous bridge on the right side of the pic (two little uprights visible, the right-side upright partly obscured by the hill, which must be...the Marin headlands). The big bridge is the Bay Bridge, leading to San Francisco across the water.

[ScottyBoy]

Oh yeah, we always just say East Ocean. Bay Bridge under construction, the new one should be awesome.The picture doesn't do the view justice, and imagine the sun setting behind the Golden Gate, in every sense of the word EPIC.

[Tri2Cook]

Lobster mushrooms are in full swing right now.

Yes they are. I foraged some nice ones along with a few chanterelles over the weekend. Still waiting for the matsutakes to show up (I found one so it shouldn't be long). The chanterelles are fading now but they were crazy this year. I've been using them like crazy and still have about 10 lbs. that went in the freezer. Hated to do that to them but it seemed better than tossing 'em in the compost.

[avaserfi]

Lobster mushrooms are in full swing right now.

Yes they are. I foraged some nice ones along with a few chanterelles over the weekend. Still waiting for the matsutakes to show up (I found one so it shouldn't be long). The chanterelles are fading now but they were crazy this year. I've been using them like crazy and still have about 10 lbs. that went in the freezer. Hated to do that to them but it seemed better than tossing 'em in the compost.

Most mushrooms dehydrate very well, if you happen to have a dehydrator or need an excuse to get one.

[ScottyBoy]

In the freezer they go to be pureed or thrown into a soup.

I used to have a friend who foraged mushrooms for me, used to come to my house with 25 lbs at a time. Can't complain though considering every season chanterelles are $7.95 at Berkeley bowl.

Back to work, it's gonna be fun tonight, the new dishes I'm making and the dinner is for a return customer who is a HUGE foodie (jealous of the restaurants/countries he gets to eat in). He has a great eye for photos so it should be a good send off for the blog tomorrow with his pictures.

Edit: Ah yes, dehydrating is an excellent route.

Edited by ScottyBoy, 27 September 2011 - 03:26 PM.