……… I was Thinking…..

March 23, 2010 at 12:36 pm (guille)
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One of the things I have not said about Spain is that they also have really good affordable Hash, (aka Costo, Chocolate, Petas, Porros.and so on) and just right now I indulged myself with just a puff (or two)…. so it took me to this Thing:

There is $$$$$ to make in Spain, with food. Many people think really? In Spain? Food? But they have one of the best cuisines in the world…and that my friend is TRUE.

Now, I am talking about World Cuisine, although I am a Contemporary Japanese Style food trained Chef, I have the opportunity to live in one of the most eclectic cities of the world: San Francisco, Motherfucking California.

And there are sooo many food shacks…. you name it, you have it, in a 7 by 7 mile city. Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, French and Italian, Tapas (which by the way in San Francisco all pretty much suck)…. blah, blah….. all within a couple city blocks.

And now that I am here and I don’t have that stuff, I just make it myself at home. And again, you name it…… Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, French, Italian…. and Tapas (which by the way here they DO NOT suck) je, jeje….

So my point is that here, although Asian food is growing in big cities, they don’t do it well period. Lack of know how, lack of flavor, just lack and still no luck….. and they just put a fancy “Comidas Asiaticas” sign at the door….. fancy words in the menu that serves Pad-thai and gives you crappy pasta….Shit !! I pay 6.95 usd for a huge bowl at King of Thai and that one is not even the best. If I open just a small Taqueria with good food…. you know, just one of those places that every Hood in SF has, Burrito, Tacos, Quesadillas, Tostadas…. and the all-mighty salsa.

I am Spanish, but let me tell you something (whoever is reading). The cooks that have worked with me for the past 10 years, 70% of my employees are mostly Mexicans (that’s how it works in SF) and they cook “staff meal” or what we call family meal, and that food that they cook is what their moms cooked back home in Mexico, And of course, it will be silly of me NOT to learn from them…… so I did, and watched, and did not talk, just saw my guys from Yucatan Peninsula cracking authentic Mexican food in 2 hours for over 50 people everyday. So yeah, I fucking learned!! I know how to cook that stuff. And I do it good. I cook for them, yep, yep…. reverse Engineer!! And they say: “No esta mal por ser Espagnol” which means “Not bad for being a Spaniard” which in reality…. given the MACHO attitude Mexicans have…. means: “DAMN That Shit is good!” Or at least that’s what I’d like to think. Maybe they just say it because I am their boss…. whatever the case, I know my carnitas people.

And that is just Mexican. True authentic Japanese in a big city….. don’t even wanna know how well a business that will be. Spanish people love Food, They eat all day, 3 to 4 meals a day….. not counting the food at the bars, because that is a given. They know how to appreciate good food, different food. To me, the best food critic is my friends and family and if you put a shack or a fancy restaurant that is different and you know what you are doing, they will go.

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A LITTLE MORE….food and travel…

March 16, 2010 at 10:23 am (guille)
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As in right now, I am traveling thru Castilla la Mancha province on my way to the beach, on my way to see the lady after picking up some stuff I forgot and some stuff she made me bring back..well you know it is just women. I just stopped in “La Gineta” a small truck stop to go to the bathroom and get some food (which by the way it was pretty shitty) although, even in these places they have the all talk about amazing Spanish products: (AGAIN JAMON, QUESO, BREAD AND BEER ARE ON THE EVERLASTING, NEVER CHANGING SPANISH MENU) and of course I do not mind.

This morning before coming I met with SAYES a really good friend and DJ extraordinaire, (I know when he reads this he is gonna like the comment), but he is Good, and I am listening to some fresh new deep House, and for those who don’t know me, apart from making food I make beats. ( not as good as food), but just like they say….(you can be good at one thing, not many things). Damn! This track is good.

My short stay in Madrid was pretty much about the same when I left it. Cerveza, mas tapas, mas tapas…with the family and friends….i love eating but at this point I’d love to have a fresh salad, my mom has been cooking for me, she likes that cause she has barely seen me in 10 years and I like it even more…the chef gets to sit down and eat instead of cooking. Mommy mommy mommy !!!

People ask me why I travel on the bus, Armando: you have money you should take the train or the plane….my friends say; just because I live in the US it does not give me a bank account full of cash, besides even if I had all the money, after so much time away, the bus is the way to go…..the landscape, dessert like view, small roads, sheeps and cows, trees without stress..and the smell from chimneys burning veggie charcoal…I remember when I was a kid…it is getting dark, the sky is beautiful and the bus is pretty much empty. This track is also pretty goo, I am finding myself kind of dancing on the seat to the rhythm of house..thanks SAYES!

Can’t wait to see “La china”, I wonder was she has been up to: Hola! quiero pan y jamon!!!!! Probably, she loves jamon, and this country is starting to look like her playground…she told me she wants to come back to Spain every year, and that is scary ‘cause we have barely started to scratch the surface of this place.

Well as in for now that’s all…tomorrow fish shopping, more cooking and more writing to come….cheers.

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Reunite!

March 16, 2010 at 9:51 am (slk)
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Armando and I have been apart for 5 days now. He assumed the responsibility of getting the rest of our luggage for us and left for Madrid last Friday.

The first couple of days by myself were strange. The weather was cold and wet, so I thought I’d watch a few episodes of this anime I downloaded before leaving the states. Well, it turned out to be one of the most absorbing shows I’ve ever seen so a few episodes turned into an entire series. I did make an effort to keep up my routines though. In between episodes I managed to write a small superCollider patch that outputted cyma frequencies with variable phase, did yoga and gone out for walks, meditated, sung and toned. And I ate a lot of Principe (a chocolate sandwich cookie that’s really tasty.) In case you’re wondering, the series is Code Geass – Lelouch of the Rebellion.

The third day the sun emerged, so did I. I went to explore south of La Mata, then north. I basically walked all around, and absorbed as much sun as I could. I went into the dunes where Armando used to take naps and make out with girls. I walked in the Mediterranean to let my feet absorb the magnetism of this sea as well as its contaminants. It was a day of being conscious. I focused on my prana tube, my breathing, and my relationship with my surroundings…. the sun, the sea, the air around me, and the sand below my feet.

The fourth day I decided to walk to Torrevieja. What I set out to accomplish in 40 minutes turned out to be three hours. It was a beautiful walk though, and I got to do it barefoot half the way. La Mata is comprised mainly of sandy beaches, so half the way there it was possible to walk barefoot either on the sand or on the wooden boardwalk. Then, a cluster of ugly hotels mark the halfway point. Beaches here are no longer sandy but pebbly, rocky, and kinda trashy. So from here I cut inland and took a hilly road where I had a great view of the ocean. Then, came my favorite place. The ocean is much bluer past the hills. They are also harder to access, which may be why the water’s more pristine. And it’s perfect for me because I like to climb rocks. I found a tattered brick staircase that led half way down a not-so-steep cliff, then from there the water is a few rock’s hop away. On the way down I greeted an old man with his little dog. This place is so beautiful. The yellow and purple cactus flowers, the green algae growing on the reddish brown pumice rocks, all this against a clear blue sky and turquoise sea… absolutely breathtaking. Being me, I had to take the difficult way back. So, I kept going around the bend until I found a cliff that’s manageable (as in I can climb it with one hand holding my shopping bag of a purse). It was comical when I emerged, because right there was a picnic table with two guys having lunch. I thought they looked puzzled, but then again I didn’t have time to really look before I ran away. In a distance I saw the old man with his dog. He smiled at me as if we shared a secret.

Gradually, the pumice rocks became sandy beaches again. I got to a place where there are giant rope sculptures on the beach. I climbed onto one and got to the very top. Climbing on top of things make me so happy, it’s weird and impulsive, my love to climb up really high and then look down from the top.

By the time I got into Torrevieja, everyone’s having siesta. So, all I did was go inside the Mercadona and got some lemon, romaine hearts, a can of anchovies (this one took me a while because I was looking for anchoa not bocarones) and my new favorite drink: yogurt with coconut and pineapple. Then, I happened upon a giant roll of Principe in a convenient store next to the bus stop, so I grabbed that too. Don’t need much to be happy here. Sun, water, cookies, a boyfriend who is about to come back, things to climb and a computer with internet connection so I can later blog about it. On this particular day, I didn’t feel the least bit lonely not speaking the language of the country I’m visiting. Climbing rocks took care of that; it reminded me that I’m friends with the elements of this planet and am never truly alone at all.

Today is the fifth day. It was a day of amazing productivity that started last night with a busy night of dreams. I won’t bore you with the details of what I’ve been productive with, you’ll read about them soon enough either here or on silverslik.wordpress.com. In any case, it is now 07:20pm, and it’s time to call Armando on the bus!

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Chia Recipes

March 13, 2010 at 1:39 am (slk)
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After finding out that a particular brand of “precision laser-cut chia seeds” sells for almost seven times more the price of regular, whole chia seeds ($44 / lb vs $7 / lb), I grounded our supply of the Aztec super food (thanks Armando) and indeed, it is much easier to digest and at least twice more powerful.

Fruity Chia
3 small or 2 big Apples
8 Dates, pits removed
4-5 tbsp Chia Seeds
1/4 cup Dried Mulberries
Blend the apples and six of the dates together. Transfer that mixture into a bowl and stir in the chia seeds and mulberries. Chop down the remaining 2 dates into pieces and stir those in too. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming.

Chia Fresca
2 tsp. Chia Seeds
10oz pure Water
Juice of one Lemon or Lime
Agave syrup or raw honey to taste
Simply stir the ingredients together and enjoy. This is still a popular drink in modern-day Mexico.

Sweet Shortbread Chia
4-5 tbsps chia seeds
2 cups fresh apple juice
2 tbsp lucuma powder
1/4 cup dried mulberries
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
Soak the chia seeds in the apple juice. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Leave to soak for at least 10 minutes before consuming.

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Paella

March 11, 2010 at 9:43 am (slk)
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There’s a small hole in the wall a few streets down from the Justo beach house called Cafeteria de San Antonio. If it wasn’t for Pedro we’d not have found this spot until weeks later. Here they serve a different menu del dia every day of the week, and apparently it’s the spot to be at on Paella Wednesday. Naturally, that’s were we went yesterday.

Sure enough, it was packed tight. We were told to come back at 2:30pm. When we got back, we scored a table right away and decided on drinking vino tinto con soda water. They serve the wine in a pitcher, very cute. Then the paella came. Oh the paella. We actually saw the whole pan sitting on top of the bar when we came around the first time. It looked delicious, but it tasted even better now. See for yourself, how fast it disappeared.Vino Tinto con Casera

Paella Mixta

Mmm!

Gone

Flan de Huevo

Pan de _________ (Bread Pudding)

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Churros con Chocolate

March 10, 2010 at 9:10 am (slk)
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What exactly is the allure of fried dough?

It seems that not only every country has its own version, but its various regions and cities all has their own variety, and there is always a debate about whose fried dough is the most superior. May the fittest fried dough win.

In Taiwan and China there’s yuo-tiao (油條), which is a fried dough shaped 12 ~ 18 inches long and is has a cross section of about 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches. It’s made with flour and water, fried in oil. It’s not to be eaten by itself, but to be sandwiched between two stir fried pancakes (燒餅). Sometimes they’re used as croutons instead, ripped into little pieces and thrown atop congee, or rice porridge (粥). There’s a variation of it that is round and short and served sweet (sprinkled with granulated sugar) but I believe that is actually a knock off of a doughnut and don’t consider it genuinely Chinese.

In Spain, there’s churro and porras. I had the best churro today from a truck parked at the end of the La Mata flee market. The way they serve it was awesome too; they take a piece of paper and roll it up into a cone, then load up your half a dozen or a dozen churro in it, then it rains sugar for the churro before they get eaten. I thought I had the best churro and porras in Madrid at this little place called San Segundo, guess things just keeps getting better and better and you just never know. Apparently the secret to a great churro is the temperature of the oil in which you fry them, and the temperature of the water with which you make the dough.

In the states, we have doughnuts. The southerners take their doughnuts way seriously, they even have a chain of designer doughnuts called ______. My roommate was actually dating one of that family’s heirs a while back. I would like to think I came up with the nickname Doughnut Prince for him, but sadly he’s been stuck with that one for much longer than I’ve known him. I can probably count how many times I’ve had a doughnut with my fingers. Not my favorite thing. Doughnuts have a bad reputation because cops like them. Nobody knows where this whole stereotype originated, probably because doughnut places tend to stay open 24 hours and cops working all shifts can rely on them for a caffeine and sugar high. The cops seem to have embraced this association well, I actually see them hanging out in doughnut shops all the time. Of course no one ever paid any attention to what other types of people hung out in doughnut shops, because making fun of regular fat people is just no where near as fun as calling a policeman a doughnut-chomping pig. It’s the same as a bad driver, you secretly smile if they turn out to be Asian because that’s what you were uttering under your breath in the first place. You might not even secretly smile but shout and whoop in your seat because you were right in thinking that kind of driving has got to have been an Asian. Sure, I do it all the time. And, apparently, I’m a pig when it comes to churros too.

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Aj’s arrival…little late….

March 9, 2010 at 11:21 am (guille)

Well, well, it has been a while since I have written in this blog. I promised to
myself that I will resume writing while abroad, away from the US.

I arrived feb19th 2010 in Madrid. My family was there, brother, Mama, and
uncle Jose. Shit they looked old! I wonder if they see the same of me…. probably.
I am getting white air all over. Anyway, shortly after I arrived I was already at the hood’s bar having beers and eating one of my all time favorites: pig ears. uhm!

Being an Executive Chef in America I wish I could have those ears stuffed into my ears for breakfast every once in a while. This trip is mostly about family, family and
friends, those who I left behind, those who I never forgot and apparently they have not forgotten me either….. and that Aj likes. Family, friends and FOOD, tons of it.

I have not stopped eating. No need to state that Spanish cuisine is one of world’s best but after almost 10 years out of reach, I kind of appreciate it even more. I pretty much started with the classics, jamon (any kind, all kind…. this shit is goood), chorizo, salchichon, butifarra (white colored hybrid between chorizo and blood sausage), morcillas (blood sausages), chorizo Pamplona, tortilla, Fuet, all kinds of dried and cured meats. All this followed by pig innards…. see that maybe sound kind of disgusting, but in this part of the world they know how to make innards taste good, hats off not only to the Spaniards but the Italians, Portuguese, Greeks and of course the coolest (at least they think they are), the French. Tripe, intestines, kidneys and liver came my way and I indulged on them. Morro, which is cow’s face and they looks like….. well, my friend David aka “Termi” describes them as the callous on a bartender’s feet that got thrown on the griddle. But believe me, they are also tasty.

And…..Coffee! The real deal, not that American crap of “S’turd-bucks” for 3.95 usd.
1.20 euros over here all good ass espresso (even if you want it with milk) and
not fancy stuff….. cappuccino, frappuccino, macchiato….. fair trade? Well here is the fare trade. You pay for cafe con leche and you get cafe con leche. That’s fare trade.

After 6 days of food, family, friends and the worst jet lag i ever got in my life Baby girl came. Steff and guess what…. I got to do it all over again!! With her. Oh! I am not getting into those details cause she also writes here and it can be read.

A crazy dinner with my crazy famiy (no one speaks a word of English apart from the occasional OK, Ok) was mandatory to meet Aj’s girlfriend, after all we are a Mediterranean culture and that must be done. I was flipping out, they were flipping out, and I am pretty sure SHE was too. Regardless, it was lots of fun and more food, my family loves her and that is good.

Getafe is a small town/city in the outskirts of Madrid. All my friends live there, but honestly the place kind of sucks. I grew up there, it is my roots, my beginning
and many people I love dearly still live there and as long they are happy, I am happy. I just wish there was more stuff to do, so I went to Madrid for the day, the big City, the capital…. the speed, the noises, the constructions, WTF? There are holes everywhere! No wonder when Robin Williams came to Madrid, he stated in the press conference: “I hope you find what you looking for,” as if there were treasure hunting all over Madrid. I wonder if they got the joke. Probably not, and who cares there is beer nearby. I missed the tranquility of California while in Madrid, but you can’t have your own cake and eat it too….. or that’s what they say, which I never fully understood the meaning anyway.

Getting internet here….. OMFG! Retarded. Not even gonna go there. But I live in SF and over there it is nice and easy, not nickles and dimes, limited access with limited speed. Really? Hello……2010!!! If the world really ends in 2012 in Spain will be in 2015 cause here things are slow…sloooww…but there is jamon and siesta and that I like!

We went to a little beach town in Alicante by he eastern coast of Spain. We are staying at my family beach house that they got when I was 12 and I spent all my summers here….. pretty much sunbathing, and getting drunk by the beach with my friends, just like everyone else, eveywhere.

As of right now I wake up and go get just enough fish for the day at the lonja (where fishermen bid for the fish), and do the same the next day. All produce here is amazing, as a chef I just can’t get enough of this stuff. Today a kilo of sardines for 4 euros was our lunch and those fuckers were still bleeding! Next time I am gonna eat them raw. Ok thats is all for now….

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Marrow Soup!

March 7, 2010 at 8:43 am (slk)
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We went to the super market earlier and came back with a whole jamon leg. It smelled so good! And it only costed 2.25 euros.

Armando decided to make chicharrones, so we munched on pork fat bits fried in olive oil all afternoon. Then, when finally we stopped nibbling on deep fried pork fat, Armando said “Let’s make a soup.”

He had me chop celery, carrots, green bell peppers, red bell peppers and onions into small cubes. Then, with the magic of a pressure cooker, he made a sopa de pata de jamon in less than two hours. It was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever had. Think cured bone marrow leaking out and flavoring the entire pot with the most amazing umami. To finish the soup, Armando added some fideo. It’s a type of Spanish pasta, and looks like chopped up spaghetti about 1.5 inch in length. I can’t begin to explain how it tasted to you. It was rich, salty in a smoky cured way, and loaded with minerals, and if you heard me call it liquid gold you wouldn’t even think I’m exaggerating in the slightest. I must’ve gained 5 lbs from having this pot of soup for a couple of days. It’s delicious, but enjoy in moderation or suffer the consequences.Thank god…..

The leg was pre cut

Playing with …..…… food

Marrow!

Pig # 26081. Know your food by name.

Pork skin….

More pork skin….

More pork skin….

Take a swim in the fryer

Towel dried

Chicharrones!

Chicharrones!

Veggies for the soup

Treasure inside the pressure cooker

Liquid Gold

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Tortilla Espagnola de Pedro Justo

March 6, 2010 at 10:42 am (slk)
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I learned to make Tortilla Espagnola Spanish Omelet from the master himself today.

Here, watch and learn.

Pedro Justo used a total of 4.5 potatoes, 1.5 small onions, and 7 eggs. I think you may want to experiment with a few less eggs.

  1. Peel then thinly slice (carpentry-style) potatoes. Russet potatoes are the best. Lightly salt.
  2. Rough chop onions. Using about 2 inches of olive oil, saute them in a flat deep pan.
  3. When onions start to brown a little, strain and separate the oil and onions. Keep the oil in the pan and set the onions aside for now.
  4. Saute potatoes in the oil from step 3 until cooked. They’ll start falling apart.                
  5. Add the onions from step 3 to the potatoes. Whip up the eggs (try 5), leave them aside for now.
  6. Strain the potatoes and onion mixture, separate the oil and solids. Leave about 1“ of oil in the pan. Mix the potatoes and onions with the eggs from step 5, then throw the entire mixture back into the pan.                                                  
  7. Using a plastic spatula, constantly free up the sides of the pan of adhesion. We also want the finished product to have a nice round edge.
  8. Flip the omelet back and forth several times (Pedro did 4 flips), using a plate / pan cover, until the omelet is firm and cooked (check with a toothpick or knife). It’s important to find a plate / cover that fits the omelet perfectly and is easy to handle.
  9. Let it chill a bit, then slice and serve. It’s delicious with a good loaf of bread, or by itself, and tastes just as good or even better the day after, served cold.                                                                                                                                                

I might experiment with putting pickled daikon in the egg and potato mixture next time to create a Spanish and Chinese hybrid (蘿蔔乾烘蛋 + Tortilla Espagnola).

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