kalypso

She was using cal (calcium oxide) which was a little thick and had a few too many lumps by her own admission; but as Diana says "ni modo", not to worry if the slurry of cal is too lumpy of thick, it won't hurt anything There was nothing added to the fat. It was a combination of purchased fat and trim fat. We ran it through a food processor to break the fat into smaller pieces so that it would rener quicker than the large hunks with which we started. The rendered lard was incredibly rich and really amazing. We never used a whole bunch in anything, but it added some incredible depth to those dishes to which it was added. I'm currently on day 66 of a major kitchen remodel and as soon as I get a kitchen back one of the first things I'm doing is rendering some lard. The process is ridiculously simple for such a flavorful payoff.

8 of us were quiet in the van as it slowly crept over heavily cobbled streets up the side of a small mountain on the way to our first cooking class with Diana Kennedy. None of us knew quite what to expect other than we'd be doing a lot of cooking and to kind of expect the unexpected. The van finally found it's target - Diana's driveway (if you could call it that), and we hopped out and began the trek up the path to her house. Diana went green long before it was trendy or poltically correct when she purchased several acres of wild, undeveloped and waterless land in Zitacuaro, Mexico. What she has created over the last 30 years is an self-sufficient, eco-friendly compound replete with umpteen varieites of plants, flowers and foliage accumulated from all over Mexico. Since the 8 of us covered the spectrum in terms of knowledge and skill with the cuisine of Mexico the first day was devoted to covering some basics, like seasoning a comal Rendering lard from assorted pieces of pork fat, which looked something like this as it began the process of melting down It was eventually transferred to a small cast iron skillet to speed up and finish the process It was strained into an earthen crock Diana wastes nothing. The remaining chicharrones were used to top sopes By the end of our 3 1/2 days of classes with Diana we had also used that entire crock of lard...and then some. But, lordy. did we cook... (To be continued since I'm at work and will have to post as I have time)

San Diego Union Tribune article about Amy Findley and her new show.

Hey folks, remember, this was filmed at Hyde Park in the summer; IIRC it was pretty hot then. Also, commerical kitchens are hot and typically not air conditioned. Between outside ambiant heat, the heat given off by commerical kitchen equipment, body heat, and physical movement, commercial kitchens can be very, very hot. One of the kitchens in my operation routinely goes over 100* in August and September, even with ventilation and swamp coolers (which are most ineffective in SoCal). So, wow, if they had to turn off the hoods/ventilation system (which would suck out a lot of the heat) to accommodate the audio portion of the taping then that kitchen was sweltering and probably way worse than it normally would have been. Refrigeration equipment also has a tendency to get cranky in hot weather. I've had compressors go out and/or units shut down because of the heat. Refrigeration units need air circulation and if no air is circulating, and/or it's just plain hot, stagnent air sitting there, refrigeration units can run warmer than normal. When it's hot, they have to work overtime too, moreso if the refrigeration equipment is older.

It didn't feel like a Top Chef rip off to me. In fact, I kept wishing Top Chef had done great challenges like this rather than some of the ridiculously inane ones they did with insufficient resources. I think the one thing that IC was clear about was that they were looking for someone who could project a personal identity, style and "voice" with their food. TC didn't appear to be as much about skill as it did about playing a game with an often bazaar set of parameters. IC is pretty straightforward. I loved watching the chefs break down the raw components, and I loved that they docked them for errors. A big part of IC, especially the original Japanese version, were the wild and often wacky desserts and ice creams made from the theme ingredient. So tonights challenge was very much in keeping with the history and spirit of IC. On TC 4 I'd much rather watch chefs doing a challenge like this than feeding Padma in bed.

You might want to check the Baja Nomad web site. IIRC, the last time I was on it they had restaurant suggestions for all over Baja as well as forums where restaurants were discussed. La Paz was listed.

A few doors down from the intersection of 30th and University, on the east side of 30th is Urban Solace, a new restaurant that has only been open a couple of weeks. I stopped in for lunch today with a friend and had quite an enjoyable meal. The interior is stylishly elegant and when this place hits it's stride it will be a sophisticated addition to the growing cadre of good dining options in North Park. For a restaurant open only 2 weeks they're doing a lot of things right. Some of the recipes still need a little tweaking, but not by much. For example, the orange zest in the orange honey butter didn't really go with the green onions in the cheese biscuits, but the biscuits are good enough to eat plain. This is a not a difficult fix. They're open 11 am - 11 pm. I'd encourage everyone to try this place at least once. There is loads of potential, I think it will only continue to get better and better the longer it is open.

During this whole ordeal, the San Diego Union/Tribune never once mentioned that Brian Malarkey was a contestant on Top Chef, even though Oceanaire is one of the top restos in the city. So today, a week after the fact, the U/T ran it's Brian piece. Here it is the the Brian we hardly knew ye feature.

Dude, are you sure we live in the same city No, San Diego is not a fine dining city and if it ever is, I'll be the first to eat my words. But...we are going on day 63 of a major kitchen remodel (down to the concrete floor and wall studs. We've eaten out a lot and only 4 meals (Coco's, IHOP, Original Pancake House and Baker's Square) were National chains, and 3 meals (Anthony's, The Brigantine and Perry's) are local chains. The remainder have been indy operations. Adn, my god, we're located in that dining wasteland known as the East County The Original Pancake House is #2 on the Best Breakfast list, Cafe One-Three up on Park Blvd. one block south of El Cajon is #1. The worst meals were Anthony's and The Brig, and they were mostly bad because of the service. My 88 year old mother has been one of the diners and oldsters are not exactly known for being adventurous, but I have to say she's been a pretty good sport about things. I am currently in Florida, but off the top of head here are some of the places we've been where we've had decent to very good meals. Blue Water Grill - On India, sorta next door to El Indo Cafe One-Three Chopsticks Inn (La Mesa, old school Chinese/American) Ra*ka*de*ka La Trattoria (in Santee of all places Scootz (Santee, fabulous broasted spuds) Perry's in El Cajon for breakfast Fish Merchant in San Carlos the Little Fish Market Ranas.com in Casa de Oro (even more of a wasteland than Santee) Trattoria Antica Jayne's Gastropub Mayahuel None of these are fine dining spots to be sure and none of then them are ever going to rate a Michelin star, but they are serving up some remarkably decent to good food in weird, wonderful and unexpected locations.

Hey, give us some time. It hasn't even aired here on the West Coast yet Unfortunately, Top Chef has become rather tedious, perhaps to the point where the revered AB can't even work some magic? So, if CJ was eliminated that would leave Brian, Casey, Hung and Sara?

That's a rather provocative comment, care to back it up with some examples.

Wow, thank you so much. I'm flatter. I didn't think anyone read that list of ideas

It's definitely not on any tourist map, but it definitely does serve some truly good Mexican food. "It" would be the place with the unlikely name of Ranas.com in even more unlikely neighborhood of Casa de Oro. Located in a strip mall, more or less, at the intersection of Campo Rd. and Bancroft Dr. Ranas.com is worth the trek out from San Diego. (Look for the sign that says "Mexico City Cuisine") Be sure to bring your shades since the interior is painted in day-glo chartruese green The menu has only a few of the usual suspects and some more interesting items. Sure you can find tacos and enchiladas, but you'll also find sopes, huaraches and molcajetes. And I'll add, this is the only Mexican restaurant in which I've seen molcajetes offered as a menu item. The molcajete is heated on a grill until white hot, then assorted vegetables, meats and cheese are added and the whole thing is topped off with nopales. I've seen and eaten this in Mexico, but I've not seen it NOB, and I have not yet tried the version at Ranas.com. The chicken enchiladas are stellar with a bright, clean salsa verde. One bite and I was transported to Mexico, the flavor was that close. The cochinita pibil was different than any version I've had or made in that it was more like chunks in a gravy, but the flavor was right on the nose. Mama Testa in Hillcrest makes better cochinita, but Ranas version was perfectly fine. The tortas are enormous, bigger than you'd find in Mexico, but similar to what you find in Southern California. Specials the other night included cecina and chicken in pecan sauce. The telling thing about this place is that my 88 year old mother, who likes Mexican food but wouldn't know "authentic" if it bit her on the nose, wants to go back and try something else. She has her eye on the sopes...

I agree. It's one thing to have a couple of elimination challenges where they have cash limitations but time after time gets boring. HGTV's Design Star has been giving their contestants $10,000 a pop for their challenges and, for the most part, the constestants have risen to the occasion. $10,000 isn't a lot of design work, but, by comparison, the designertestants have shown a stronger creative streak than the Top Chef contestants. I'd rather see the cheftestants have adequate financial resources to do what they do a little more frequently than we have recently. Anyone else think this thing has gone on far too long. It's beginning to wear on me, I'm fast loosing intereset and, frankly, at this point I don't really care who wins. A recap show, a rerun of the reunion show, single eliminations, this thing is in a rut and going nowhere. It's slow boring and, increasingly, predictable. I like the concept and the format, but jeez, I'd like to see a quicker. livelier pace. Or perhaps I've just finally been reduced to sound-bite mentality

I was wrong. Nathan Coulon landed at the restaurant in the new Ivy Hotel downtown. Probably a good thing, most of the word-of-mouth I've heard about the resto in Ivy is that it's pretty bad. Suspect Nathan will be able to rectify that.

In Larkspur, CA, just over the Golden Gate is Emporio Rulli the quintessential Italian pastry shop. In San Diego you'll get recommendations for Extraordinary Desserts . One of the best pastry chef's working in SD is Jack Fisher. He moves around frequently, but I believe he's still at Addison, which is the restaurant for the Gran Del Mar Hotel. Extremely spendy.

what to do with it? So, I came home from my latest trip to Mexico with a bottle of Licor de Canela. I like the flavor a lot, it's a nice, soft, mellow cinnamon that goes really well in coffee and chocolate drinks. I haven't tried yet, but I think it will mix pretty well with bourbon. The color isn't quite neon red, but it's bright. I'm looking for suggestions of other things to do with the licor, liquid or not. I'm open to food/cooking suggestions as well.

I guess not - I had no idea he had left. When did we leave? I last ate there a month ago and it was as delicious as usual. ← I think he left about 6-8 weeks ago. Heard a rumor he landed at 1500 Ocean at the Del, but don't quote me on that.

Have you noticed any differences at MODUS since Nathan Coulon left as the chef?

I've worked in commercial kitchens for 32 years now and have had 3 knee surgeries in that time. A lot of physical therapy has strengthened the knees so that they are not the major problem any more. Right now it's definitely the feet (planter fasciitis) and hips for pain. Massage, jacuzzi/hot tub/whirlpool, and heat have all helped. And I really have to second the recommendation for Pilates. Not only does it strengthen the core muscles, it helps develop fluidity and lengthens and stretches muscles as well. I found the Pilates reformer more effective than Pilates mat classes. I've done Pilates for 2 years and highly recommend it for knees, hips and backs. Svarupa yoga is great for backs. Getting into the poses takes longer because the movements are done more slowly and they are held longer. The mat is heavily padded with extra blankets to support the body. Several people in the class I took were there specifically to deal with back pain. Swimming may also help because of the support water gives your body while you are exercising. And exercise really is the key to all of this. Kitchen work can be quite strenuous. Moving your energy and keeping the body energy moving is important because it ultimately helps keep the job stress on the body in check. Good luck.

Do you have an idea of what you'd like your menu to be for the raw bar? Since you're dealing with a highly perishable product and one that is suseptible to contamination as well as spoilage your source for the products and your own handling is important. Most seafood is sold with certification tags, if your vendor doesn't give them to you, you need to ask. This is your protection that the seafood has come from reliable sources and not contaminated. Your product needs to be maintained at temperatures under 40* F but above 32* F even during transportation between the point of puchase and your home. Most fish and seafood markets in my area will pack purchases on crushed ice if asked, yours probably would too if asked. Purchasing, storage and handling I can help you with, someone else will have to help you with the set-up and execution part of it.

Quite a lovely post Carrot Top. You've echoed some of my sentiments and feelings exactly, particularly the bit I quoted above. These are real people with real lives and not necessarily the caraciatures Bravo has created.

As far as was shown on TV.....nada

Actually, Tre was a pretty strong contender and had the most number of outright "wins". Check out this Wiki link and scroll down to the bottom of the page. I was beginning to kind of like CJ in this competition, but last week he tried to throw Brian under the bus and now this week with Tre.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. The place in between SC and Fruitilandia (which, btw, is worth a visit) is , IIRC, La Moreliana and I've been asking around about it for the last few months. I'm glad to hear it's good. Have you tried Carnitas Uruapan in Lemon Grove? It may, or may not, be owned by the people that own Carnitas Uruapan in Tijuana. The Lemon Grove branch is really, really good. How does the place next to Super Cocina stack up? Pork - and really good carnitas - is one of my major downfalls No...REALLY...it is