Monterey Weekend

We had the pleasure of spending last weekend with our friends John and Linda in beautiful Monterey, this past weekend. We traditionally get together with friends Larry and Trish, and all of us rent a house in Cambria for a pre-Thanksgiving feast, but the good doctor Larry was on call this weekend in Sacramento, so the doctor's loss was our gain, as we had a wonderful time in Monterey.

Weather can be spotty this time of year on the Central Coast, but it couldn't have been better for this trip. Low to mid sixties with nary a cloud in the sky, Monterey Bay was a gorgeous dark blue, wind was absolutely minimal.

The ride down was uneventful, after getting out of the always-too-crowded peninsula and inching down El Camino Real on a Saturday morning. We wanted to get John a wine carafe for his upcoming birthday, which meant driving down the King's Highway for about 10 miles, making a stop for his gift, and then heading out Woodside Road towards beautiful 280, and our ride south. 280 cuts through some of the most beautiful (and expensive) real estate in the state. Formerly sleepy (although always nice) suburbs like Los Altos Hills, San Carlos, and even the Belmont and Redwood City hills have become homes to a good many of the benefactors of the dot-com and computer surges in nearby Silicon Valley. Homes that sold for under $50k when I was young, are now commanding several million dollars. Suffice it to say, if you can afford to live in one of these areas, that's where you want to be.

South on 280, onto 85 and through the western part of San Jose, past the equally upscale communities of Los Gatos and Saratoga, and the totally untouchable enclave of Monte Sereno, then onto 101 south. This stretch of 101 used to be an incredible bottleneck, virtually any time you drove it. I remember driving south through this area with my dad, when I was a kid. It seemed to be a perpetual backup in both directions, and it's the only way to get from the peninsula to the Central Coast, unless you're willing to drive WAY out of your way into the Central Valley and catch 99 or 5. But times have changed, and this is now five lanes in both directions, and traffic flies through here. Slow to 70 in the right lane, and you're likely to have people on your tail. Speed up, KEEP up, or get out of the way!

We arrived in Monterey at around three, and after bringing our things into the guest bedroom of our wonderful host and hostess' abode, we proceeded to get into a martini (gin, like God intended), some munchies, and of course getting nostalgic about the several decades (I'm not saying how many) that John and I have known each other. Linda raises Lhasa-Apsos and her two bundles of joy, Kitty and Daisy were their usual entertaining selves. These are wonderful dogs, descended from Tibetan palace guard dogs, so their small size belies their capabilities. The trick is that they don't know they're small, so they just go for it, when need be. Like us, they had four cats for quite a few years. We're down to two, they're down to one ... John's prized Bengal cat ... Jake. Jake's coloring is incredible. It's hard not to fall in love with these when you first encounter them, and this is exactly what John did at a cat show we all went to about 14 years ago. I was looking for a replacement for my Maine Coon (Ben), who'd died at at only 18 months old, and John was totally taken by the Bengals. But he's the last cat in their household currently, having survived Funny Face, Curie, Sabrina, and their outside cat whose name escapes me. I enjoy my cats, they love their cat and two dogs, but I've come to believe that fewer is better. They get more attention, stay mellower, and really appreciate their homes and peeps.

Taste Cafe and Bistro, Pacific Grove

Saturday night's dinner was at a local spot called Taste Cafe and Bistro, in nearby Pacific Grove. I'd been here before, and remember it being very good, but last night's meal was one of the best I've had in years. Absolutely superb food, service, beverages, ambience, interaction with the owners, and for me, it's going to be a tough one to beat.

I had a Chilean meritage while the others shared a bottle of Bocage Chardonnay. All were superb, complimented the food perfectly, and priced fairly.

The Caesar salads were the most perfectly balanced I can recall. It's so easy to go too much in the wrong direction with any of the ingredients in a Caesar, and this one was perfect. Traditional romaine lettuce with a light dressing, garnished with shreds of Reggiano Parmesan, and topped with a thin slice of baked brioche. Inventive, balanced, impeccable.

The ladies both had the halibut special, which was perfectly cooked and seasoned, accompanied with mixed vegetables, incredible camelized onions, and their famous potatoes au gratin. John had the veal medallions, which were equally delicious. I had the roasted half chicken, again perfectly cooked, garnished with roasted garlic and Italian parsley sprigs, also served with carmelized onions, mixed roasted vegetables and the au gratin potatoes. My benchmark for roasted chicken is the Los Altos Grill (formerly called Bandera's), and I think tonight's was better. This is no small accomplishment!

I've used the word balanced twice here, and it's meant as the highest form of compliment. With any of these meals, the diner could have easily been led in an extreme direction with just the slightest more "this or that" in the mix. But everything simply fits at Taste. Nothing overshadows anything else, all the spices are done in proportion to the dish, gravies and sauces are complimentary, not dominant, and it all makes for a rare meal indeed.

I'm not a big dessert eater, but I had to sample the home made butterscotch pudding, which is served in a creme brulee type ramekin, garnished with fresh whipped cream and a sprig of fresh mint. Once again, something you don't see on every menu, and it was absolutely perfect. If I wasn't totally full from the meal, I would have been tempted to lick the dish.

Host / owners Bill and Sue Karaki have created an elegant, yet comfortable dining experience. They personally visit every table, and are at the ready for anything the diner may need. Between Monterey, Pacific Grove and Carmel, our friends John and Linda truly have a plethora of excellent restaurants around them, and there's good reason why they eat at Taste a couple times a month. An absolutely wonderful food and dining experience.

Saturday night was capped off with some amazing 16 year old Lagavulin Scotch. Appreciating fine Scotch whisky is one of several "vices" my childhood friend John has gotten me into over the years. Others include fine cigars, great gins (which is the ONLY way to have a real martini), cameras, and fly fishing. We also have a strange anomaly in common, which is that we tend to make an in-depth study of our interests. I've said too many times over the years that I believe I know a lot about a very few things. But I definitely do my research, as does John. Doesn't hurt to know everything there is to know about your vices (interests), right?

We awoke Sunday morning to a warm, crystal clear Monterey sky. There was no question but to pack some essentials and head for the beach for a makeshift brunch. John had brought a bottle of Dom Perignon to my brunch last Easter, but given the fact that I had about 10 people, we opted to save it for the "pre-Thanksgiving" gathering. I stopped at our local Lunardi's Market on the way out of town and picked up some huge, gorgeous strawberries, which I thought would be the perfect compliment for the Dom P. A stop at a great French bakery in Pacific Grove would add an absolutely perfect ham and gruyere quiche to our quarry, and we were off to the beach.

The Central Coast gets its share of fog, Monterey being no exception. But this November morning was absolutely gorgeous. Mid 60's, no wind, clear skies, and it couldn't be a more perfect setting. We shared the quiche, strawberries and Dom Perignon, and felt very decadent sitting on the beach watching the surfers. As much as I love our home in Bend, there's something to be said for November weather like this.

We headed back to their beautiful home for a little more conversation, then headed out for the 102 mile drive home. Along the coast that skirts Monterey Bay, inland past Castroville (artichokes galore), up past our old home of Gilroy (garlic capital), and back up 280 and home.

I was thinking pork chops for dinner, but the local Safeway didn't have any thick ones that weren't already pre-stuffed and living in the meat display case. I opted for a pork loin roast, which I stuffed with an apple, shallot, thyme, bread crumb and salt and pepper combo. Note to self: Omit the shallot next time. Not a disaster, but a distraction for sure. Rice pilaf and simple green beans capped off a great Sunday dinner.

I love weekends like this, and they're quite rare. We spend our lives working too much, and not enjoying the genuine pleasures in life. Good friends, great food, beautiful surroundings, and a reduction in the pressures around us, are something to be cherished. And I do.

This Chef's Knives

This article was prompted by a visit from my good friends Carolyn and Bruce, a few weeks ago. They were out on a business trip from their home in beautiful Roswell, GA and we decided to spend the day up in Napa doing some wine tasting. Carolyn wants to get him a great set of knives for Christmas, and asked for advice. The "need" on his end was prompted by him hacking off the end of a finger with a dull knife, which he relayed to us as we were partaking in some rack of lamb, risotto and haricot verts, which I'd thrown together for Carolyn and her co-worker, and our friend Dave. Note that you CAN "throw together" a totally lavish meal in under an hour, after work. I do it every night.

But as I thought about recommending a set of knives, I decided to do what I tend to do, which is to dive into it more thoroughly, and present some pros and cons of several types, as well as a final recommendation. Keep in mind that this is purely my recommendation, based on knives and accessories that I use and / or have used, and specifically knives that are in my collection. I'm fascinated with the concept and supposed sharpness-factor of ceramic knives, but I've never used one so you're not going to see any discussion of them here. I'm not going to write about the $25 Forschner/Victronix 8" Chef's Knife which is touted universally as the best buy in a knife, but I use one that's very similar, which is made by Dexter, and I'll tell you about that one.

What you will read about are what's in my knife block, what's hanging on the two magnetic wall racks, what's in the drawer, why they're where they are, and what gets used the most. I'm not particularly into gadgets and gimmicks, but there are a couple that I'll mention, as well as some essential accessories.

Actually, let's start with an accessory ... Where do you store your knives? In a drawer? Wrong, unless they're in a wooden holder specifically made to hold knives. Otherwise they bang together which makes mince meat out of the blades. In a block? Ok solution, but not the best, and they're expensive and take up counter space. Assuming you have some available "side-of-a-cabinet" space near your work area, your best be is one or two magnetic knife holders. They run $15-20 apiece and hold six or seven knives safely, and within easy reach. As much as I love Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma, if you have a restaurant supply store nearby, that's where you should buy them. They're generic, and half the price of the afore-mentioned culinary temples of joy. I have two of them and they hold my most-used knives (with one exception, the Shun Ken Onion has its own bamboo holder).

My small collection includes:

(Top rack) 8" Henkels santoku, 8" Henkels chef's, 6" Wustof chef's, xxx, Forschner-Victronix 7" Granton edge santoku, Henkel's paring knife

(Bottom rack) Martin Yan Chinese cleaver, 8" Global chef's, 8" Dexter-Russell chef's, 4" Dexter-Russell utility knife.

In the knife block on the opposite counter is a Dexter bread knife, serrated tomato slicer, straight boning knife, curved Granton edge boning knife, Lamsonsharp Chinese cleaver, 6", 8" and 10" Lamsonsharp chef's, and kitchen / poultry shears.

(Top drawer knife rack) 10" Dexter chef's, my indispensible F. Dick steel, a couple utility knives, another Japanese cleaver (smaller version), and an Acu Sharp sharpener.

So what do you need all these for? Obviously you don't. Most home chef's specialize in a couple styles of food and can get by with very few knives. It amazes me that people buy huge knife collections and expensive blocks to hold them. Even the three-piece Global set that I bought, which seemed like such a great deal at Sur La Table, has proven to be a waste. I love the 8" Global chef's knife and use it daily, but the two utility knives have been used two or three times each, and they live in the drawer.

Regardless of your budget, your most used knife will be your main chef's knife. Some prefer a 10", I prefer an 8". I have several, they have varying degrees of pros and cons, but they get the most use by far. And the one that gets the most use is a Dexter 8" chef's which I bought prior to attending a six weekend Professional Cooking series at the California Culinary Academy. It cost me a whopping $25 in 1994, and it's still the most used in my collection. The Global chef's gets a lot of use because it's very thin, perfectly balanced, great for fine slicing and dicing, and a total joy to use. The Henkels gets used for things that require a heavier knife (great for chopping onions and smashing garlic cloves). The 7" Wustof is a great knife, and was a present from my wife-to-be, just prior to our marriage. I use it for in-between type jobs, and I use it a lot.

The 6, 8, and 10" Lamsonsharps get very little use, but the Lamsonsharp cleaver gets tons of use. I had the cleaver first and used it all the time, so I ordered the chef's knives having never used them. They're probably great knives, but I've never gotten the edge I want on them. Sounds like a good weekend project in my copious spare time. But the cleaver is a very nice knife, and quite likely the one I'd pick if I could only have one knife on a desert island. The Martin Yan cleaver is nice and stays very sharp, and it also gets quite a bit of use. A cleaver or a good santoku is essential, I feel. Both my cleavers have permanent "thumb" marks at the top rear of the blade, because I hold them at the front of the handle and upper rear of the blade, I've done so for years with both of them.

The 7" Victronix with a Granton edge is an awesome knife, and was under $30. Great all around knife and excellent for slicing meat and poultry. I also have a long ham slicer with a Granton (scalloped, not serrated) edge which gets lots of use around the holidays. Ideal for slicing a turkey, prime rib, pork roast or a whole beef filet section.

I have two 10" chef's knives, and I'm not exactly sure why I bought them. I probably read somewhere that every collection should have one, and I really don't understand why. I use the Dexter 10" for slicing half-frozen London broil meat into thin slices when I make beef jerky. And that's the only time I use it. The Lamsonsharp doesn't rock well, so it goes unused for the most part.

I have a couple of utility knives that I like. My 4" Dexter gets as much use as the 8". I use it constantly when I'm cooking. I believe I paid about $6. for it. The Henkels 4" on the other hand, was likely five times as expensive, and I almost never use it. I also have a small curved knife which was sold as a cheese slicer at one of the garlic stores just south of Gilroy. It's absolutely the perfect knife for slicing tomatoes, which is all I use it for. And I slice EVERY tomato with it. I believe I paid six bucks for this one too, and I've had it for well over ten years.

Last but certainly not least, is my latest acquisition and pride and joy ... an 8" Shun Ken Onion chef's knife, which comes with its own bamboo holder. If you've never used a Shun, make it a point to ask if you can try one the next time you find yourself in a Sur La Table or Willaims-Sonoma store. It's one of those things that's ridiculously expensive and worth every penny. I believe mine was around $200 which puts it at eight times the cost of the Dexter, a great knife in its own right. This was a gift from my wife, which is the only way I'd ever get one. No way I could justify paying that much for a knife. But they're absolutely awesome looking and feeling, perfectly balanced, very unique handles, a blade that looks like a samurai sword, and it's the sharpest knife I've ever used. It literally glides through an onion. It also garners lots of "ooohs and aaahs" from guests who hang around the kitchen when I'm cooking. But a more expensive knife won't make you a better cook.

A dull knife can make your prep time miserable, but virtually any knife can be sharpened to a fine edge. Good ones hold their edge better, but you can make do with what you've got, if you know how to use the knife and of course how to sharpen it. I've tried every kind of sharpener and I have two extremes that I use exclusively. I have a three-slot Chef's Choice electric sharpener that can put an edge on anything (including granton and serrated edges), without ruining the knife. Great sharpener, but they run about $125. Again, it was a gift, and I love it. I also use an Acu-Sharp sharpener that works phenomenally well on dull knives and costs about ten bucks. Sharpening stones work great if you have the patience to use them. I don't. I have a couple of them, and they sit in the back of the drawer.

While knife brands and sharpeners are debatable, one constant that you'll find among butchers is the type of steel they use; the steel of choice is made by German company F. Dick, and at about thirty-five buckes, this steel's a steal. They've been in the knife and steel making business since 1778, and they've got it down. I was introduced to it on the first day of a three weekend butchery class at the culinary academy, and it's the only one I use. Learn how to use a steel correctly and do it after every use of the knife. If you're doing a lot of cutting with one knife, stop and steel it every now and then. A steel doesn't "sharpen" your knife, but rather keeps the edge straight and the inevitable burrs that develop, at a minimum. Mine's on the counter within reach the whole time I'm preparing a meal.

Along with being the most expensive and unique looking of my knives, the Shun also has one additional feature. While they say you can use a Shun sharpener and get good results, they recommend you keep the original packing box and ship it to them once a year. They're more than happy to sharpen it back to factory standards at no cost other than the postage. Amazing toy, for sure.

So to get back to the original intent of this article, what would I recommend to my friend Carolyn for Bruce's Christmas present of a set of knives? A set of Globals that includes an 8" chef's, the larger santoku wth a granton edge, a utility knife, and of course an F. Dick butcher's steel would be all he needs. A nice set of Henkel's with an 8", utility, slicer, and shears would also last a lifetime and he'd love using them every night. Both of these stay sharp, look great, and make your time in the kitchen a pleasure. Never put them in the dishwasher, buy a magnetic rack for them, steel them often, and watch the smile on his face the first time he uses them.

However ... you can't go wrong with a few Forschner-Victronix knives, and anything that says Wustof or Lamsonsharp will also last a lifetime, and of course if your budget will accomodate a Shun Ken Onion ... that's the best.

Oh, and Bruce ... ANY of these are capable of taking the tip of another finger off, by the way

Cajun Halloween

It's a chilly Saturday on the San Francisco Peninsula, Halloween 2009, and also the end of daylight saving time. I just received an email from my friend Barb, up in Bend, which is a picture of an elderly native American gentleman and the following observation: When told the reason for daylight saving time the Old Indian said, "Only the government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket." I like this. Arizona doesn't have daylight saving (other than the Navajo reservations), nor does Hawaii, Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands. But in California, it's always a welcome treat in the Spring, and I suppose we gain an hour tonight so I'll endure the next few months of it getting darker earlier in the evening. Life will surely go on ... always does.

But tonight's going to be a Cajun Halloween, of sorts. Small gathering, so far ... my wife and myself, my sister Colleen and her husband John. A small but excellent gathering! My sister loves kids, adores her nieces and nephews, and is a firm suscriber to the Peter Pan principle of "Never allow yourself to feel older than seven." So she arrived early in her Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin T-Shirt, prepared to dole out candy to the millions of kids that were surely going to visit our house in this very family-friendly neighborhood. She was thrilled when the first set of kids (great home made bug and rocket costumes) arrived a little after five, when it wasn't even remotely dark yet. But hopes of a big crowd of trick or treaters faded quickly as the hours went by, and we ended up with four sets of two kids to the house. This means a couple things ... first, my co-workers are going to have a huge amount of assorted candy to share tomorrow, and second ... what's happened with Halloween and all the kids? I'm obviously unsure if this is the trend elsewhere, but it was a little disappointing, to say the least.

Friends and avid readers know I grew up in Daly City, California. Now this was a few years ago of course, but Halloween was awesome! First, after the age of five, kids' parents never joined them in their trick or treating rounds through this little suburb just south of San Francisco. We'd go out in groups of two-to-four, fill up our pillow cases with candy, go home and empty them out, and head out for another round or two of the same. I had candy for months! And at around 9:00 we'd all head down to the Westlake Shopping Center for the annual Halloween celebration in the parking lot that faced what was then known as Alemany Boulevard, and was renamed to John Daly Blvd a number of years ago. For those of us who grew up there, it will always be "Alemany."

The parking lot that faced the afore-mentioned boulevard featured the likes of the Westlake Liquor Store which was owned by 49er legend Bob St. Clair, the Westlake Music Store, King Norman's Toys, Johnson's Enchiladas, a drug store, Georgette's Beauty Salon (still there, as is Georgette), Vern's Ice Cream, Compton's Cafeteria (best custard anywhere), See's Candies, and Walgreen's. And on Halloween, this lot would be packed with kids, parents, and pets who would partake in the live music and free goodies. One thing that could be counted on every year was little tubs of "50-50" orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream, which would be given away for the asking. This was back in the days of Cho-cho's and Sidewalk Sundaes being the most popular ice cream varietals, but the little tubs of 50-50's were awesome. I'm sure I'm dating myself ... how many of you remember Cho-cho's? Just as I thought.

It was a safer time, for sure. These were also the days when I'd ride my bike ten or fifteen miles in several directions, with the only condition being "be home for dinner at 5:30." It wasn't unusual to spend a Saturday with a friend or two, riding into the City, all over Golden Gate Park, over to Larsen Pool for a swim (for a dime, as I recall), to the Zoo (which was free, back then), and back up Lake Merced Boulevard, across ALEMANY, and home to the Park Plaza Apartments. Just be home for dinner ... and we always were.

So where were the kids last night? I'd like to think they were at parties or gatherings where they were having fun, and of course being safe ... undoubtedly with parents in tow, as that's how things are done these days. But I miss the notion that they can't be out and about visiting the friendly neighbors in their home turf, amassing a collection of sweets that they'd take home and sample, sort, and squirrel away somewhere for the next several weeks. But last night, they were a no-show.

My sister and John did show though, and dinner turned out awesome. Colleen brought a Malbec from their recent trip to Argentina, and it was incredible with the jambalaya. I added a bottle of Zinfandel from Adelaida in Paso Robles for good measure. Also good.

Appetizers were kept simple because I had a feast preparing in the kitchen. Carr's crackers, a brie, and a Kerrigold aged Irish cheddar were plenty. Colleen brought an awesome salad, which meant one less thing I had to prepare. I love doing salads, but I always like not having to prepare a course. Most cooks do. I've said this many times in this blog, but never be hesitant or intimidated bringing things to a meal at a chef's house, or in fact inviting them over! Your food's undoubtedly great, and we love being cooked for. All of us do!

I started the red velvet cupcakes early in the day, and made the frosting while the two dozen little gems were cooling on the cooktop. This is a fairly common recipe, and in fact if you Google it, the results are virtually identical. Mine came from my friend Siobhan, who owns the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Truckee. I'll try to remember to post it on the website, and the jambalaya recipe is already out there. These turned out really good ... I thought the frosting that consists of two cubes of butter, a pound of cream cheese, and four cups of powdered sugar needed just a bit more ... so I sprinkled some Sharffen Berger mocha chocolate nibs on the top. Perfect.

The jambalaya took shape early in the afternoon, and was actually done before anyone arrived. Very easy to do a quick reheat, which is what I did just before I served it. The cornbread was served in the Lodge cast iron pan I baked it in, which seemed fitting.

After dinner, we got into the last of my Zin Alley Port, which of course is always served in my Port Pigs. Consistent crowd pleasers, both the Port and the Pigs. There's just something to sucking your dessert wine out of a glass pig's tail, I guess.

Great night, always a treat seeing my sister and her hubby, the food worked, and we gained an hour via the end of the afore-mentioned Daylight Saving, granting us an extra hour of sleep, which I currently need as I'm fighting a cold. But I'm still wondering where all the trick or treaters were last night. Perhaps there were ghosts and goblins out in the neighborhood, and we were the only ones safe???

Gourmet - R.I.P.

The news came out today that the powers-that-be at Conde Nast Publications have seen fit to cease production of Gourmet Magazine. I’ve been reading Gourmet since the late sixties, when I was still in high school. It was in fact one of the first magazines I subscribed to (along with Surfer and Road and Track, actually). Gourmet was a trendsetter, inasmuch as it paved new ground in the way that food, travel, and the “good life” was written about. Specifically, it brought the mysterious world of “gourmet” food preparation and travel to exotic locales, to the common person’s mailbox each month. And I was every bit the “common person” in the late sixties.

Prior to Gourmet, “food” magazines were generally written for the lady / cook of the house, and took the form of family meals buried in the bindings of Redbook or Ladies’ Home Journal. Cookbooks of the era were still of the Joy of Cooking and Better Homes and Gardens variety, and were similarly aimed at the family cook, who was predominantly the lady of the house.

But Gourmet opened up the world of food to people like me, and millions of others. In my case, a straight, single male, who simply enjoyed the kitchen, and had no use for anything resembling fast food or Swanson’s TV dinners. Throughout my college years in San Mateo and San Diego, and for a good number of years after, I lived alone and prepared all my meals. And it's no coincidence that I've been the cook of the house for my wife and myself (and some very appreciative guests) for the past 20 years. From a relatively young age, “fast food” meant a meal prepared in my wok. Not a run to McDonald’s (although until “Fast Food Nation,” I must confess two or three Big Macs per year … but no more than that).

Gourmet made exotic things like risotto and rack of lamb seem doable to the untrained home cook. Braising wasn’t much more complicated than boiling, so why not try it? Parchment paper actually had a use. Barbeque could actually include seasonings and something beyond a rib eye or New York strip. Foods had a correct point of “doneness,” which didn’t include cremation of innocent cuts of meat. Vegetables could be combined in a myriad of ways and spiced in a million different ways, to produce something tasty and even “exotic.”

Gourmet was also about travel and the rewarding experiences of foods that weren’t common to the American palate. A pictorial of Morocco would include not only shots of Casablanca, but also an explanation of what a tagine was (both a cooking vessel AND the meal that is contained in it). A tour of China would contain pictures of the Great Wall, and a true recipe for local Szechwan fare. A visit to Japan would feature Shinto temple pictures, and the way the Japanese prepare miso from scratch.

What you didn’t find in Gourmet was anything other than natural preparation methods. Very little in the way of canned, frozen, packaged … anything. These are the raw ingredients; this is how you put them together to create something special.

Gourmet was gorgeous. It was a visual masterpiece to behold. Month after month, it was an amazing production with few peers. Recent publications such as Saveur and Fine Cooking do a commendable job, and excel in some ways Gourmet didn’t, but for the sheer beauty of each issue, Gourmet had no competition. They were simply the best at what they did.

Inevitably, this conversation has to turn to the common verbiage of hard times, recession, and the like, but I for one don’t have to like it. My favorite surfing magazine, Longboard met a similar fate recently, and this is the capper. Gourmet will be missed. You have to wonder what the proverbial “powers-that-be” are thinking to let such a gem slip away. To give you an idea of the importance of this magazine to the cooks of the world, I just ran the spell checker on this document, and the words “tagine” “miso” and “rib eye” were flagged as not in the dictionary. I rest my case.

Sheila

Page 372 of Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins' wonderful cookbook "The New Basics" contains a recipe for Manhattan Clam Chowder that I've done dozens of times, with varying modifications, but always to rave reviews. Page 659 is their consummate chocolate mousse recipe which I resurrect a couple times a year, with some subtle twists, and blow my guests away. There are recipes for almost everything any one of us would want to cook in this book, presented in a totally real fashion, in such a way that we all have to feel that we can do them, likely with a large degree of success. It's a confidence builder that provided so many of us with a depth of knowledge and techniques, in the 80's.

I hadn't heard of Sheila Lukins' passing until I received the latest issue of Time Magazine. There she was, sharing a page with longtime Vanity Fair writer Dominick Dunne, having left us way too soon.

My dear friends Candy and Michael gave us New Basics for a wedding present on August 26th, 1990. It rapidly went from a "this is cool, I'll have to try some of these," to my most revered cookbook. I've amassed dozens (more than that, I must confess) cookbooks over the two decades since, but it's still the most used book in my collection, by far. What Joy of Cooking and of course Julia Childs' early cooking bibles provided for the last generation, New Basics did for those of us who got into cooking in the 1980's. Their first book, The Silver Palate Cookbook was a huge success, but my first introduction to Sheila and Julee was New Basics.

Several huge sections of my 850 page copy, have literally fallen away from the binding. Dozens of pages are "dog-eared" for easy reference, and the most used recipe pages have blotches and stains from the ingredients in the dishes. It's likely a mini-biohazard in the making, with things like chocolate, eggs, clam juice, gravy, tomatoes, chicken, and who knows what else ... gracing the pages of my beloved guide to culinary secrets.

The 50 page index will give you an idea of the depth of the recipes and techniques contained in New Basics. From Abalone to Zucchini Blossoms, all things meat, fish, and poultry, desserts to please the most demanding home cook, amazing vegetable and side dishes, and techniques that most of us likely never knew of before digging into this book. It's the source for so many things that have become regulars on my table. Sauces, subtleties, sweets, and everything in between, presented in an easy to understand everyday language that encourages the most timid of wanna-be home chefs to experiment and push the envelope on their own personal culinary comfort zone.

Sheila will be missed. She was such a huge influence on my generation of cooks. And at 66, she's left us way too young. Fortunately we have her books and her recipes, which were magical. She's left behind a legacy that will most certainly live on, and continue to inspire the hidden chefs in all of us.

Santa Cruz Weekend

Spent a fun weekend in Santa Cruz, and experienced several excellent meals along the way. After yet another major disaster at work, we managed to escape the Peninsula by about 2 in the afternoon. We had reservations for two nights at Chaminade, a nice resort in the foothills behind Aptos. We'd been there many years ago when one of my wife's "duties" was to scope out locales for the following year's executive retreat. Tough job, which gave us the opportunity to stay free at not only Chaminade, but the likes of Meadowood, Silverado, Carmel Valley Ranch, and Highlands Inn. All were wonderful in their own unique way. Meadowood and Carmel Valley Ranch are both simply elegant ... upscale resorts that would please virtually anyone. Silverado was nice, but geared more to the golfing crowd, and we're not golfers. Highlands Inn had the unique feature of a full size hot tub in the middle of the living room. I've talked about this with other people who've stayed there, and was relieved to learn that we weren't the only nut cases who dumped bubble bath into the tub and turned on the jets. Hey ... leave it next to the tub and we're going to use it!

Chaminade's not as upscale as the other resorts above, but it's a very nice place, and the restaurants are both very good. We went to the buffet last time, so we opted for Linwood's Bar and Grill for dinner on Friday night. I started with a Tanqueray 10 martini (up with a twist, thank you) while my better half ordered a froo-froo drink ... a Pina Colada. Dinner consisted of a double size pork chop cooked to perfection, topped with a mango chutney, served over mashed potatoes, accompanied with mixed vegetables. My wife ordered a sea bass with a fruit based salsa topping, and also potatoes and veggies. Everything was great, but I was amazed at how good the single baby carrot tasted. I asked our server about it, and she said the bartender grows organic fruits and vegetables, and this was a sample. You'd never think a single carrot could make such an impression, but this one definitely did. Good stuff.

Saturday lunch was at the Crow's Nest, which overlooks the beautiful entrance to the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor on East Cliff Drive. The view of the boats, big and small, stand-up paddle boards, and the ever-present pelicans, was absolutely gorgeous on this 90+ degree late summer day. I opted for the fish tacos and a side of their incredible Boston Clam Chowder. The tilapia tacos were done to perfection, wrapped in two tortillas like the authentic ones are done in Mexico. Topped with a cabbage slaw, garnishes of a light salsa and tartar sauce, they were excellent. And the soup's always great, which is why I always get it when I come here. I used to frequent Boston and Cape Ann quite regularly, and was always on a quest for the best clam chowder. That title goes to The Barnacle in Marblehead Mass, but the Crow's Nest comes close to Legal Seafood's chowder, which I mean as a compliment. Risa had a pear, pecan and gorgonzola salad with sliced skirt steak that had a vinegar-based marinade that was excellent. The Crow's Nest is always a fun spot, both for people-watching, and scanning the harbor for sights and critters. Seals, seagulls, and the afore-mentioned giant pelicans are always hanging around, and add to the restaurants ambience. Amazingly, I've never been here for dinner or even sat in the formal downstairs area. Upstairs, outside is where you want to be here. Highly recommended.

Saturday night's dinner was at the world famous Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola. Glad I thought to make reservations via Open Table, as I overheard people being quoted "hours" for a table. Plan ahead. Nice place, but I prefer not to wait "hours" anywhere for a meal. We took the famous tram down the beautifully landscaped hill, from the upper to the lower part of the property.

Shadowbrook is in a phenomenal location, a half block from the beach, overlooking the tiny Soquel Creek, just prior to it emptying into the Pacific at Capitola. The tram reminded me of a smaller version of the Duquesne Incline, which my wife and I rode a few years ago on a visit to her native Pittsburgh, PA.

Capitola has a special place in my heart as a long time California surfer. It's the first place I ever got "locked in" to a wave. This is a fairly rare situation where you turn at the right time, and the wave is breaking just behind you, propelling you along at a perfect clip, breaking just behind your head. My old surfing buddy Rick Washford and I were driven down for the day (thanks to his mom), and we caught some singularly spectacular waves. I was 14, Rick was 13. Several years ago ...

Shadowbrook is more than a pretty face of a restaurant ... great food compliments the gorgeous decor, and this night was no exception. First decision was wine, adult beverage, or both. Since our excellent server Brandy said "yes" to my request for Tanqueray 10, that sealed the deal. Risa had a lemon drop. We opted for entrees and uncharacteristically, no salads or soup. Still semi-full from the great lunch at the Crow's Nest. We both chose the specials, which was swordfish for her, steak for me. Both were excellent, as was the Argentine Malbec which was under thirty dollars, and perfect for the dishes.

So, donning my critic's hat for the weekend's restaurants, I'd be hard-pressed to be unkind to any of these three spots. Chaminade's Bar and Grill was great, and featured the best single carrot I've ever tasted. The Crow's Nest is always great, and the hot, clear end o'summer day just added to the ambience. And Shadowbrook was its traditional excellent. Service was superb in all three spots ... quick, not overbearing, friendly, perfect.

For the ride home, I wanted to cruise the spots where I grew up ... Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, maybe an up-and-over the hill through Bonnie Doon. The road out of Santa Cruz over Graham Hill, brought back some fun memories. Up Zayante Road is where Marty's grandparents lived. We'd occasionally be treated to a day at the Trout Farm, where several big pools awaited us. There's a corral area off to the west where Christie and Nancy Murray used to board and train their horses. These were the next door neighbors to my grandparents, who I spent summers with between ages 5 and 13. We learned to swim together, bugged Mr. Farley to take us out on the San Lorenzo River on his rowboat, and broached the notion of coming of age at the weekly dances in Ben Lomond. Fun, innocent times.

It had become that nebulously debatable time between breakfast and lunch ... around 11:30, when we found ourselves about a mile outside of Felton on Highway 9. We spotted McCay's Cottage, and it looked interesting and inviting, so we stopped. Uh-oh ... the sign greeted us with "cash or checks only ... no credit cards." I rarely have more than a few bucks in my pocket, but amazingly, we had enough cash to cover breakfast ... which apparently was what we were going to order. I'd pretty much settled on a bacon and cheese omelette when the server stopped to tell us about the specials. We're doing a "Joe's Scramble," ... stop the presses ... you mean like a "Joe's Special? Yes ... scrambled eggs, spinach, ground beef, mushrooms, and cheese. Done. Thank you very much. Risa had the signature French Toast, and we both were happy campers. Great French Roast Coffee, everything on the menu was obviously very fresh, prices were reasonable, service was first rate ... McCay's Cottage was a hit. Highly recommended. But bring cash.

I love weekends like this one and need more of them. We don't get a lot of formal vacation time currently, as work seems to be eating up the bulk of our lives. But these little jaunts to places both new and old, can rejuvinate your spirits and remind you that life is indeed a wonderful thing.

Gems and Jules

August 19^th. Memorable as my parents' anniversary ... this would have been their 61st, had they both lived to see this day. Childhood sweethearts who met in the 5th and 6th grade respectively (dad was a year older), they literally lived their entire lives together. Today’s also the day I began yet another trip to the house we miss so much in beautiful Bend, Oregon. The big house across the street from the Deschutes River that we pretty much had made to order. We miss it, and it seems almost criminal that it currently sits virtually empty, lacking our belongings and us. No furniture, no Calphalon pot rack above the big kitchen island, no fancy cutlery ready for my daily culinary creations, and most notably … no cats!

We had four, when we lived here. Annabelle the old lady kitty, who valiantly made the trip back to the Bay Area with us, only to finally give in to her 18 years of driving us crazy shortly after we moved back. Cody, the giant 28 pound Maine Coon managed to pick up diabetes after we moved to Bend, lasted a couple years, but ended up leaving us just before we moved. Our two “pound kitties” Penny and Abigail are going strong, both now pushing 12. Strange not having to close doors behind me, clean the sandbox, make sure the food and water’s out, etc. The only living things in the house this weekend are yours truly, and a couple tiny spiders I ran across hiding in corners of the rooms. I generally don’t like spiders inside, but the house is so empty, I let them be. Critter company.

Great ride up on Wednesday. Made it in eight hours flat, which is equal to my best time ever. I left a foggy overcast morning in the City, and by the time I hit Fairfield it was in the 80’s. Redding was about 103, and Lake Shasta was 107. Sunroof open, air conditioning on, great day for a little 500-mile cruise. The only other time I’ve done this in eight hours was when I was initially moving the four cats up, 3 days prior to Risa, and 4 days before the movers would arrive with our 18,500 pounds of “stuff.” How did we possibly amass nearly ten TONS of STUFF? George Carlin once did a whole stand up bit about our need as a society to keep moving to bigger and bigger houses, because we keep getting more and more stuff, and need more room to store it. Interesting concept, generally pretty true.

I’m rarely more than 10 MPH over the speed limit, so the only variables are how many stops I make along the way, and of course how many trucks I get stuck behind. On this trip, it was two “comfort” stops, owing to the five 12-ounce diet Cokes I drank, plus the obligatory 10 minute stop for a smoked turkey on a Dutch crunch roll from Granzella’s Deli in Williams, CA. I’ve written about this place before, but suffice it to say that it’s (1) the law, that you have to stop here for a sandwich when you’re passing through, and (2) it’s not any great secret … this place is packed from opening ‘til closing, every day. And there’s NO other reason to stop in Williams other than for gas and/or Granzella’s. Great spot, not to be missed.
I’ve written extensively about this trip, so I won’t bore you with it again. But a couple things stood out; I think the stretch of high plains just outside of Weed, as you head toward Klamath Falls, is one of the prettiest places on the planet. It’s almost like something you’d see on Mars … varying heights of small peaks for miles and miles in every direction, ultimately becoming the Cascades in all their splendor. And to the right, you’re right at the base of Mt. Shasta, which is absolutely breathtaking year-round. A little further along and there’s a stretch of about ten miles where you parallel irrigation creeks on both sides of the road. This is a particularly beautiful stretch, and it’s not uncommon to see an eagle, a great blue heron, and always an array of ducks and egrets. A bird watcher’s delight, to be sure.

Upper Klamath Lake (and there is no “lower” to the best of my knowledge), took on a particularly serene look on this day. This is a huge lake, very shallow so there’s rarely any watercraft on it, and it varies from eerily mysterious and ominous looking, to the way it looked today, which was spectacular. Not a ripple anywhere ... totally calm, blue, and almost inviting.

The trek up Highway 97 was uneventful, save for one odd thought. It’s inevitable that you’ll be stuck behind a truck from time to time, and you get to know where the passing lanes are and look forward to them with glee. For several miles, I found myself behind a huge truck that was hauling what seemed to be a million bales of hay. Obviously, hay is dry, and it’s going to blow off to some extent when it’s in transit at 55 miles per hour. But as I watched this truck’s hay blowing off the truck at a fairly good clip for mile after mile, I wondered just how much he’d lose on any given trip? I wonder if this is “shrinkage” that the farmers count on. Will he lose the equivalent of a bale in an afternoon? Maybe several bales. If you’re the buyer, are you going to get less hay if you get one of the outer bales that are losing bits and pieces all day long? I suppose in the grand scheme of things, this is just another random thought that crept into my head during my 500-mile journey north. The mind’s a wonderful thing.

First night in town, and I couldn’t resist a cruise through the Downtown area, even though I’d just spent eight hours traversing the 512 miles from the Bay Area. I didn’t know what I wanted for dinner until it hit me, about half way up Bond Street; Olde Towne Pizza. I grew up with Toto’s pizza in Daly City. A Toto’s #2 (salami, sausage, mushroom) was the only way to go. Always. Bend doesn’t have a Toto’s, but Olde Towne is definitely the best in town. I arrived at 8:50, and it looked like they were about to close. They were. Initially they said I could only get slices, but the pizza cook said if it was a “to go” order, he’d be happy to make it. After all, they didn’t officially close for another ten minutes! This guy hand-tossed a perfect crust, applied all the fresh ingredients, and basically approached it like it was his first pizza of the day. And I can only assume that he’d probably been tossing crusts for the past eight hours. I appreciate good customer service. I cook most nights, and I totally love being cooked for (as do ALL chefs, by the way). This guy went out of his way, the rest of the staff was all friendly, and the experience is exactly what makes me return to this place over and over. My medium size mushroom and salami pizza lasted me for three days of varying combinations of dinner, lunch, and yes … breakfast on one morning.

This trip was predicated by a few house chores that I needed to get going before the rain, snow, and winter elements took hold. Winters here can be anywhere from mild to ridiculous, and they’re totally unpredictable. After four years of snow and sun, the front outside of the house needs painting. I was thinking that it would only be the “trim,” but a gentleman who knows this stuff way better than I do, that it needs some serious attention, convinced me. So we’re getting the full treatment on the front fascia … power wash, caulking, scraping, priming, and of course painting.

Chores done, today I get to go for a ride and explore the high desert of Central Oregon. I began the day by heading south, up and over the freeway and out Knott Road. This is the ride I used to take twice a day, while “commuting” (this has taken on a whole new meaning, being back in the Bay Area!) to work and back. One of the landmarks I’d pass every day was two llamas, a white and tan one, and his constant companion, a brown one. And I have no idea if they’re boy llamas, girl llamas, or whatever. But they’re always within a few feet of one another, somewhere in this big open field. Inseparable buddies that spend every day together in a big open field, which I assume is their private turf. But it’s an interesting constant … they’re always there … day, night, rain, snow, or 90 degree heat like today. On this day, I found them about 10 feet apart, under a shade tree, one standing, one lying down. Together, as always. Buds.

This day also took me to the lodge and ski lift area at Mt. Bachelor. Very different scene in the summer, when the lot’s only got a handful of cars … tourists who ride the lift to the peak and back. Today’s an 80-degree day in the big parking lot that’s commonly in the teens or less throughout most of the winter. Mt. Bachelor features some of the best skiing in the western U.S., and it does a great business all winter. But summer’s different.

Two other chores for this trip were to check on some water that seemed to not be draining along side of the house, and to pick out some trees for the yard. We’d originally planned to copy our next door neighbors and plant some aspens, but we discovered that like the beautiful poplar that ate our backyard in Gilroy, they tend to send out roots for miles in every direction. I took a ride to Redmond with our gardener Alonso, and with the help of a very knowledgeable nursery worker, we decided on a slightly different aspen that doesn’t send out roots, and a non fruit bearing pear tree, which is going to provide shade, look gorgeous, and give us some beautiful flowering branches in the spring. The yard’s looking gorgeous. All the little plants and bushes I put in a couple years ago, are growing and thriving. I find it an honor to provide a place for the bees to congregate, as they’re currently doing in the back corner of the yard, on one of the little flowering bushes that I took a wild guess on two summers ago. My maple tree is in full summer bloom, and looks phenomenally healthy. The lawn’s impeccable, no cracks on the patio, both the barbeques are working fine … life is beautiful in the backyard.

Like with any new house, the yard started out as a big dirt lot, with a little 10 by 10 “patio.” I have two huge barbeques, a smoker, big patio table that seats six, lounge chairs, etc. First up, a much bigger patio. I opted for 20 feet deep and 30 feet wide. Big enough to enjoy all the yard toys do some summer entertaining, but still leaving lots of room for lawn, plants, a gravel walkway, and trees. I initially planted two trees; a maple, which is thriving and gorgeous, and another one I can’t remember, which lasted one season and never came back in bloom. But today, we added three new trees, which Alonso did a great job placing along the fence, and in the far end of the yard. Two aspens and a beautiful Aristocrat Pear have joined the rest of the foliage in the yard. Since the bees love the purple bushes so much, I wonder if we’ll attract a partridge to the pear tree this winter?

While Alonso was struggling with the rocks and volcanic ground in his tree-planting endeavor, I cruised up to Terrebonne where my friend Bob had entered his truck in the annual “Cruz In” car show. Awesome cars! Hot rods, old classics, real old classics, muscle cars, an incredible looking Bentley, customized pickups, and a completely hand built motorcycle that was really very cool.

Another local gem was my choice for lunch on Thursday and again on Saturday. It’s called Soba, and it’s as close as you’re going to get to a pho-like Asian soup in Bend. I’ve tried other things on the menu, and everything’s good … the Mandarin Chicken Salad in particular, is always a winner. But I usually opt for the Asian Noodle Soup, which you can “customize” to your likes; Vegetarian, won ton, chicken, or any combination, and your choice of noodles. Wednesday’s soup at the Soba in Sisters was with won ton, Saturday’s at the Bend restaurant was with chicken, and both were ordered with soba buckwheat noodles. Like the pho that we all love so much in the Bay Area, it’s a tasty, healthy and filling meal for about six bucks.

I had an ulterior motive for being in downtown Bend on Saturday … no trip is complete without hitting up Powell’s for some great candy. My co-workers look forward to me taking these trips, because they know the department candy bowl will be restocked on Monday morning. I managed to escape with thirty-two dollars worth of candy this time. Last trip ran me over fifty, as I recall. Avid readers and friends know that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but there’s a couple that get me every time … I’m a sucker for Charleston Chews (bought vanilla and chocolate bars and a box of individual sized), Rocky Roads, and the best candy bar ever made … U-No’s. Also picked up some Necco Wafers, Mallo Cups, Abba-Zabbas, and a favorite from my childhood … Flicks. These were “movie candies” when I was growing up. Saturday afternoon matinees at the Serra Theater always included a round tube of Flicks. We used to drop them in our Cokes, and when you got to the bottom of the drink you’d have a bunch of semi-frozen chocolate Flicks. I relayed this story to the young guy at the counter at Powell’s, and he looked at me like I was nuts. Trust me … I wasn’t the only one who did this. Works great with Milk Duds and Chocolate Raisins too.

Saturday night was a special dinner gathering. It’s always a treat to see any combination of our best friends up here, and this evening’s gathering at a new restaurant called “Jules” included Bob and Chris, Chuck and Barb, and John and Cathy Connelly. Jules is a recent addition to Wall Street, occupying a spot that used to be a wine and cheese bar, next to the newly revamped 900 Wall. Jules features mostly Mediterranean foods, lots of “small plates,” and a couple of specials. Tonight’s included a quail entrée, and a sockeye salmon, but I opted for the chicken kebab with rice pilaf. Great entrée, which followed several killer appetizers of hummus, babaganoush, pita slices, and a bread/olive oil/crushed almond dip that was incredible. Highly recommended, great new downtown spot.

Sunday morning meant once again saying goodbye to Bend (which interestingly was originally called “Farewell Bend” until the early 1900’s), and 512 miles back to the Bay Area. Next trip’s in late September, then possibly not until the Spring of 2010. The Siskiyou are generally no fun to drive in the winter, and a preponderance of ice from K.Falls north makes for a long slippery trek. But this was a good trip. Got everything done that needed doing, had a great time at the house, saw lots of friends, and got a chance to relax a bit. Amazing how I’ve grown to enjoy this ride. It’s partially because I’m driving up to the house we like so much, but it’s also a great chance to reflect on the beautiful scenery of Northern California and Central Oregon. And it always seems to give me a new topic for this blog!