Cochon 555
So I am slowly recovering from the Epic pig battle known as Cochon 555 a roving pig cooking competition. It pits 5 chefs in each city cooking 5 Heritage pigs tail to snout. There are wineries pouring much wine, beers and this year, whiskey. An overall big day in food and drink. Come hungry and leave satiated. I was so full I couldn't even get down the ice cream Scoops was dishing out.
This year the 5 chefs were Chad Colby of Mozza, Ben Ford of Ford's Filling Station, Neal Fraser of The
EGGS
Seriously, who doesn't like eggs? I could eat them in any form, at any time. I have always been a big proponent of them, and add them to many dishes I cook. But nothing beats a simple egg scramble, a cup of coffee and the sports page my friends.
Now at this point in time I should point out that I am a fan of the real farm fresh eggs that are laid by hens who eat what they want, walk around a barnyard, and basically live like hens should. Not to get too political, but most
Coffee
Yes, most Americans live and breath with their morning cup. What, pray-tell, are most of them actually drinking??? Mostly hot caffeinated swill. Just look at the lines at a Starbucks every morning. No offense meant. Well actually ya, offense meant. I mean seriously, people still go there? Just shows you how little respect people have for this magic black elixir. I've had a better cup of black coffee, and cheaper, at 7-11. And if you bring your own cup in, the coffee is 99 cents.
Cabbage Soup Diet
Yes, the reason no one has seen any check-ins, or food posts is that I was trying out the Cabbage Soup Diet/Cleanse http://www.cabbage-soup-diet.com/ Now for people who know me, and know my passion for cooking and eating, they might be taken aback by this revelation. Well rest assured it WAS only for seven days. And the thing that got me was that you actually get to eat. A lot of friends, especially in the film business have done other more radical cleanses that just don't appeal to me.
Iron Skillet Use
OK, if you are checking this out, I hope you are a proud owner of at least one Cast Iron Skillet. Hopefully you are lucky enough like myself to own at least one that your Grandmother owned. Because it's all about the seasoning. The more you use it, the better they get. Now I'm not going to go into use and care here in this post, I want to tell you about an amazingly simple delicious way to make mushrooms.
Now I use my Skillet for everything. The flavors of all your past dishes can all
Santa Barbara County – Part II – Wine Country
Well here I will explore some of the spots to go in the Santa Ynez Valley for tasting wines and eating, and tasting more wines. Being it is so close to LA, most people don't give this area very much thought for having great wines. Well, I am here to correct that fallacy, because there are some superb wines available right up the road. And going in person you can cut out a lot overhead costs of wine shops, AND sometimes catch a special. I've already walked away with cases of wine for pennies
Hirozen Gourmet
I usually don't lose my head over a dinner, especially here in LA, where I tend to have many favorites, but Hirozen is phenomenal. So please only go if you are a true blue lover of real, authentic, fish. Go to some simple chain if you want a big picture menu of cut rolls. Don't bring that weak-ass attitude here. To a small tiny place in a non-descript strip mall along a non-sushi stretch of Beverly Boulevard.
I thought after one trip with a friend who is a regular that maybe we got lucky
Urbano Pizza!
Ok, I've just went and the meal still sits fresh in my head. My friend Anne Alderete @TunaToast Went last night to Urbano Pizza Bar www.urbanopizzabar.com and said it was fantastic! So today I just had to go. Tell me about a brand new pizza joint that makes traditional Italian crispy thin crust pizza and I'm all over it!
Well it did not disappoint. Not in the bit. Actually took my by surprise. This crust is so flavorful and so perfectly done, I'm at a loss for words. The whole set up is lovely.
Vesper Martini
Yes, I am going to tell you about one of my most favorite, and least known about drinks; the Vesper Martini.
As many people know, Ian Flemming wrote about a little spy called James Bond, or 007. And Mr. Flemming had an affinity for Martinis as did his character, Mr. Bond. In Casino Royale James asks for a Vesper Martini. When the bartender does not what it is he replies:
"Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold,
Santa Barbara Wine Country – Part I- Pre Wine Tasting FOOD
One of my favorite get aways from the City of Angels is the Wine Country of Santa Barbara County, aka Santa Ynez Valley. It is nearly the perfect little day or weekend trip. I've done both, the day trip and multiple days. There is as much or as little as you want to do. But primarily there is a lot of food and wine, and more wine, with some smattering of beer, if that's your bag. From LA, it's a little over two hours depending on route and traffic. Some sections of the 101 gets a bit
FOLLOW ME