Korin Knives

I've written before about purchasing a new knife, how there are very few things as great as a new knife. Things like: clean sheets day, new car smell, new socks, that kind of stuff.
Well,....nothing compares to this knife. For so long, so long, I've wanted a real sashimi knife, a knife that would slice with 2% effort from me, a knife that wants to give perfection in it's movements, a knife that has it's own goal and purpose already built into it.
Wilson had a Misono knife last time he was in my kitchen and we talked about how important a good knife is, I mean a really good knife. He told me about a store in NY that had an old man that sat on a plank of wood with another plank in front of him and wells of water around him, in these wells where sharpening stones that he would use to personally put an edge on your knife.
Korin is the name of that store.
"The oldest known Japanese chef knife is over 1200 years old. However, even 1200 years ago, individual knives and special cutting techniques were employed for cutting different types of food. Today’s Japanese chef knives are fashioned by techniques that were originally developed for making katana or traditional samurai swords. The shift from sword-crafting to knife-crafting began in the mid-nineteenth century in response to Commodore Perry’s forced opening of Japan’s borders to Western trade. After World War II, General MacArthur totally banned Japanese sword-making, which forced large numbers of highly skilled craftsmen to turn their skills and attention to the fashioning of kitchen knives. So, for inspiration, the dedicated sword craftsmen began to look to the ambitious creations of creative chefs. In this way, they soon elevated Japanese knives to a state of universal renown. Many centuries later, the "unforgettable sharpness" of the katana is still the distinguishing mark of the Japanese knife." (source: korin.com)

Charleroi PA

Carrie and I took a drive back to my home town. I've been here for almost two years now, and it hits me every now and then, that craving for spaghetti. I may make it at home every now and then, like my parents did with Prego Traditional, ground beef and extra touches from the spice rack.

But three places have a special place in my heart and memory when it comes to Americanized spaghetti, 1. The American Legion in Belle Vernon and their home made pasta 2. My Grandmother's house (sadly no longer available) and 3. Rego's, where I had my first job as a bus boy and every night I got a plate full of spaghetti with meat sauce.

I haven't had it over 16 years and it's still as great as I remembered. There's just something about it. It may be just that it's a memory that can be returned to.

I never order spaghetti anymore because the memories of what's good and what I like are already in place, and that's what I want when I eat spaghetti. So, I wait until those time are possible. It's been tough living a little over an hour away from Rego's and waiting until recently to get a fix, but man was it worth it.

On the way out of town we stopped across the river to see a really great friend of mine, who just a happens to manage a pizza shop that is known for another favorite food memory of mine.

She insisted on making one for us to take home. With a belly full of spaghetti, I had to have a slice after about five minutes smelling it in the car.

"The Red Top" is what makes Armando's what it is. And the people that love making pizzas the right way.

"Quality ingredients, quality flour, quality craftsmanship in making the dough", I think that's how Mandy put it.

Thank you again Mandy.

Local Customers

These pictures where taken just behind the restaurant property.

Just an idea of how far out we really are.

And I think I want a pet cow.
I saw one do something that actually took some thought a couple weeks ago while driving into work, and I thought for a split second "maybe I shoudn't eat them", but then I thougt about how tasty they are and I was quickly over it.

Beer Dinner

On Friday, March 28th, we will be conducting our first ever "Beer Dinner". $50 a person.
Reservations can be made here if anyone is interested.
There will be five courses all paired the best I can do. the beers will include some that we've tasted locally and out in LA. Most likely a Piraat Triple IPA, a Grotenbier that's been aged in a cave (possibly the greatest thing I've ever smelled), a couple micro brews and something a little dark for dessert.
I'm playing around with some usual ideas in unusual ways. Like, Buffalo Wings but made out of veal sweetbreads with a clear blue cheese dressing.
Still planning the menu for the most part though. Trying to keep it fun but upscale.

Foo Fighters / LA story

I didn't meet them or anything. Someone, I'm not sure how to get a hold of, made a couple copies for me and I can't stop listening to them.
Thank You.
So, we traveled up the 101 (well, eventually) through Santa Barbara, Los Olivos, Solvang and then on to Lompoc. This is what makes up most of the third and forth days. We ended up on the "Sideways" tour at times and a little lost at times. I slept in the car for the most part.

At one point we went out to eat and I had an Epiphany...the food sucked!
"Does my food suck?" I asked myself.
After all, we were enjoying foods I've made before in professional career. You know: Chicken, Filet, Lamb Chops, salmon maybe? this wonderful plate of calamari.....this shitty plate of calamari. No flavor, no love, no respect for what it is what sauces go with it (a freaking lemon wedge?! Come on! My Lamb was plated in the modern day approach of linking all the bones together in the center over a slob of roasted garlic mashed potatoes with a sprig of Rosemary sticking out of it....oh wait....that's how it's been done for the past 70(?) years minus the mint jelly.
As much as I try, I know I don't hit it on the nose every time and I always always wish I could do better, but I feel a little better at night knowing I tried. I don't ever want to rest on my laurels, or laurels from years past. Food can't progress as long as millions of customers are willing to pay too much for mediocre food. It bothers me when time is running out and I end up serving something I'm not completely satisfied with, yet the customer loved it. It doesn't make me feel any better.


We did make it to the Pacific Ocean, and drove on the beach (you can do that on Pismo Beach), it was pretty damn cold but awesome to see the hillsides so close to the shore.

I also ran into a little Agar Agar in it's natural state.
Very cool.

Back from LA

Pardon my lack of enthusiasm, the trip to LA was really a great experience, but riddled with bad turns. I will not and do not want to go into detail, but it started as soon as I landed. A phone call that caused excruciating worry that led to hope that, three days later led to an end. And with all that worry and stress came sickness and other feelings.

Still, as I write, I'm running a fever and this is the most I've done all day.

The only other thing I want to say on the matter is that, I hope guilt doesn't make life long decisions.


On to the trip.


So, after getting some Thai food the first night and drinking my stomach into a state of settled-ness, we went for burgers.
That's right, burgers. Many of you have probably heard of the In and Out Burgers like I have but never had a chance to try one do to the fact that they just don't come out this way.
I used to work with this guy from California, Sam Perry, he said the In and Out Burgers were worth being flown out to SC when he needed a fix.
I gotta say, they are damn tasty. Freshly made, fresh cut fries, a super-burger staff that is more professional than most "High End" places. All they did was focus on the product. Which there are three. A hamburger, a cheeseburger or a double double. Unless you know the secret menu.

I got a double double animal style.....filthy.


Then we headed up the coast.....on the wrong highway for several hours. It's OK, saw a lot of great scenery, gives the mind time to wonder.
We ended up in Solvang , a Danish town close to several wineries.

Leaving for LA

This was going to be a post about the final product of Grape Soda Meringue, but Blogger is having some more problems and won't let me upload pictures right now.
I may have to redirect this site in the near future.
I need to figure out how first.

Aside from that, I will be on the left coast for a little over a week, eating and visiting more wineries. I will bring back many pictures and stories.
See you soon S&S.

The road to Montevina

I have to point out one thing first, It's seems too weird sometimes when I find something, wether a website or an ingredient or a product that I've never seen before and then I read aobut it two days later on someone elses blog or in the news or somewhere. I don't think (in any way) that I'm beating someone to the punch of marking new ground, I just think it's extremely coincidental sometimes. I would put a link to http://www.ideasinfood.com/ and thier rescent post about Dublin Dr. Pepper but my link code won't work on this page anymore. But, I to ran into Dublin Dr. Pepper apon entering the Montevina wine tasting room. I was so sick of tasting wine at this point, I walked up to the little reach-in cooler they had to see what esle was there to drink and there it was....A "new" Dr. Pepper, to me at least. Go here, http://www.dublindrpepper.com/history.aspx?odrd=true&setuser= to get the history of this Dr. Pepper offspring. Anyone that knows me, knows I love Dr.Pepper. I often kid (seriously-like) that I will someday make a meal based on "my favorite ingredients" Dr. Pepper, Cool Ranch Doritos and a Kit-Kat bar.

Back to the trip. On this day we arrived at Montevina winery in Amador County. We had the privelage of taking the tour, which ended up being almost 4 hours...well spent. We were given the tour by the VP and former Wine maker, Jeff is his name and he pulled no punches with us. We spent 30 minutes looking in great detail the finer points of the 1/2 a million dollar machine that bottles the Montevina juice. And it was awesome. Any question, he was all over it, anything you wanted to see or taste, he was cool with it. No holds barred. We felt like we were boring him at some points.

But then it was on to the tasting room. 17 Different wines. We took our time.


On top of all of this was the house itself, Villa D'toro. Huge. Only four bedrooms, but the last thing you did there was sleep. It was for pure entertainment puposes only. Game room, pool (too cold for), garage with ping pong and darts, living room, dining room, brunch room, sun room, TV rooms, basically if you needed a room for anything it was there.

Dinner was prepared for us the fisrt night by the onstaff chef and server. The second night?.....I really liked the kitchen. Two reach-ins says a lot.

Napa Valley day 2

We started today with a tour of the Trinchero Winery Bottling warehouse. We walked through the barrel room and saw the massive level of production they are working in. Our guide Rosie was quite a character, which always makes a tour more interesting and memorable. That or all the animals (mascots) that go along with most tasting rooms.


If you click on the video, you get a small idea of how loud it was. And they crank out some bottles.

After that came Peju, a new one to me, but one I will keep an I out for. Even if just for the fact that Alan, our taste pourer, was awesome. He is an older gentleman that comes off very professional and knowledgable, but as soon as he starts pouring it's a whole new person.

We were actually told about him by someone at the first winery we stopped at, I just didn't realize this was the guy. He told jokes and lymrics and actually rapped, complete with a little "scratch" pad.


He caught me off gaurd, I only caught the very end of one of his songs. The wines were really good to.

A slightly last minute stop at Frog's Leap.

Then to Ana's Cantina (probably one of the only bars in town) for a little local brew. I love Red Seal, and it was on tap.
Then we headed out to our reservation at Go Fish, another Cindy Pawlcyn restaurant in Napa, for sushi, oysters and sake.

Back from Cali

I have a feeling this will be the first in a series of many postings concerning my recent trip to Napa and Amador Valley's. ( I was wrong in previous post about hitting Sonoma)

First off, I need to state (or re-state) that I've never been any further West then Ohio, so this trip was especially exciting to me.

The pictures and the comments may get a little boring to some, and I'll try to include as much "Food" for others. Including the price of Whoppers in Vegas.

The only time spent in Vegas was in the airport, we were treated to a grand entrance via the runway next to the Strip. I never knew how close everything was to the airport, and how little it is really. Just a random pyramid and a sky needle surrounded by lots of pre-fab homes.

I did triple my spendings on the return lay-over.

We then arrived in San Fran and drove up to Napa Valley. We hit our first winery around 3ish, I can't remember the name of it, but it was the only place to skimp on the tasting portions. Every place else was extremely generous and friendly.

We stayed at the http://www.sutterhome.com/> actual Sutter Home which most people know for their White Zinfandel, and as well you should, they produce in great volume mainly for banquet restaurants and the common wine buyer. They take care of the majority. I bet you didn't know that they are owned by someone else though. A family of Italian immigrants that also own, produce, grow and bottle a lot of great wines. The Trinchero'>http://www.tfewines.com/">Trinchero Family who also produce Terra d'oro, Folie a deux, Menage a Trios, and Montevina to name a few. (There will be great times at Villa D'oro at Montevina to come)

As predicted, we didn't make it to The French Laundry not to Bouchon. It's ok. I will someday. This trip was not a trip for just me, it was for everyone and everyone was focused on wine. But, we did however find some really great food while we where there. The first night was decided over an in room list of restaurants and menus. This one looked the most interesting and we already were recommended to "Go Fish" the next night. http://www.blogger.com/>Cindy's Backstreet
was such a surprise to all of us. It was, however, my unknowingness of where every single chef in the world has put up shop. I realized the as we were leaving that we just had an incredible meal because this was a http://www.blogger.com/>Cindy Pawlcyn joint. And everything was top notch.

Vias Wine/ The Spotted Pig

New York got a little smaller this trip, more on that later.
The whole point of the trip was the wine tasting, www.viaswine.com and it was insane. On the ninth floor of the Marriot Marquis were at least 30 tables, each with 4-9 wines at them along with maybe 800 people all trying to spit into white (possibly scallop) buckets. I was so hungover from the night before, I almost didn't make it. I'm know it was worth going to for our sommelier, but it was way too much for me. Too many (stereotypical) snobby wine connoisseurs, although I am very grateful to the owner for taking me along and to Mary for suggesting that we attend.
I have to say, I feel slightly influenced right now, ...I read Kitchen Confidential years ago when it first came out. And, recently, I acquired the book on CD version with Anthony Bourdain reading in his own tones and personalized expressions and emphasis on words. I've been listening to it for the past couple days, and I can hear his voice in my head as I type....kinda weird. More on that later.
Back track, the first night in NY on Sunday, we went out to get sushi, It was stuck in my head do to all the Sake conversations as of late. We hit a place called Sushi Samba, the food was good but very very small. We did try some sakes though. It was late and we asked our server for a bar nearby that would still be open.
Off to Barfly, about three blocks away on 3rd ave, Five minutes into getting comfortable at the bar I notice someone walking towards me out of the corner of my eye.
"hey man? aren't you....???"
"Heyyy?..? , oh yeah! You're Foster's old roommate."
"Yeah, so are you, right?"
Long story short, New York gets smaller when you run into someone you met twice in your life at 1am in a random bar around Gramercy Park.
Hours of conversations ensued, along with 2 other bars, and hence the hangover for the wine tasting the next day.
BUT!, I got up fairly early the next day (all things considered, 5am bedtime) and decided to walk around town (everyone I was with were still asleep). It was nice, cool air, refreshing, and I wanted to really figure out how the streets were lined up. And I was starving.
I started off to my right, figured I'd loop the block and get my bearings, 3/4 around and what do I see....Les Halles! the restaurant made famous in my mind by the the aforementioned book Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdains kitchen of the time. Although, as far as I know, aside from his books up on a shelf in the dining room, he has little to do with it now.
Everything's coming together. The guy I ran into the previous night (and his current roommate) strongly suggested a well know gastropub, The Spotted Pig.
Stating that I would be able to divulge in every part of the pig, a tour de pork, inside and out, "the ear confit are amazing", head cheese, intestines, trotters, everything....
Yeah. Look at the menu, no pig on it.
After an hour and a half hour wait, well spent really watching the bartender "pull" beer from an old school pressure system....she was hot that's all I need to say, we sat down to a cramped table setup, a server who'd been asking me to "move!" out of his way for the past hour and a half that all the sudden was willing to treat my like a human (or patron of his) and several plates of really good food....although this plate of Skirt Steak was like $28 or something ridiculous like that.


The Mop Rolls and the Chicken Livers where amazing though.

Turns out, the Pig From Head to Toe menu only happens on certain occasions.
It was a good time though. New York Usually is though.

sake

We've got a Sake dinner coming up on the 8th of February. I didn't realize how much I didn't know about it. Mary, a wine rep, really helped us get started on learning, then a stop at Samba Sushi in NY let us experiment with some mixed Sake drinks and tastings with food.
Then Ben told me about www.esake.com , it's awesome! There is so much to read and learn about Sake. Tasting notes on the basic 5 grades of sake, food pairings, how it's made, etc.
I recommend to anyone that loves the warm sake you normally get at American sushi places to expand into what higher grade sakes really are.

Snowshoe

Vacation!
It's been several several years since I've been on vacation.
Two, maybe, in my life.....well, adult life.
One really great time when I was about 19 with my friend Mandy, driving south and sleeping where we could. Really, someone should have told us that you have to be 21 to rent a hotel room.
The second one about 4 years ago with an ex. Stressful do to money more than anything. Hard to just relax.

This one though....This is what movies are made about. Or should be.
Friends, family and friends that feel like family all gathered for a week in the mountains of West Virginia. Snow Shoe Mountains. (My links still aren't working)OK, West Virginia is completely unimportant to this gathering.
But, think about it....10 or so people in the same house. Chefs, bartenders, servers....all breeds bred of the f&b industry. We're all bringing coolers full of food, bottles of booze (that I'm sure are mostly opened before we get there), wine, music, movies, and all the stories we have of the good times we've all spent together in the past.
We will cook, eat, drink, relax.....some may venture outside for skiing or something like that. I'm going to relax and enjoy this.
The only thing I'm worried about is what the kitchen is stocked with. Equipment, plates, silverware....salt?
I'm bringing salt. You can't live without salt.
I'll take many pictures and get back in a week.
Enjoy yours, I'll enjoy mine.

Meetings

OK, so I really didn't meet everyone that I should have.

But, I was close enough to get some pictures.


For at least four or five years now, I've been a fan of Ideas in Food and knowing they would be at the chefs congress I had to at least introduce myself to them. A photographer offered to take the picture.




Whylie Dufresne was there. Joel Robuchon was there.



Pretty much more than you can ask for from two days in New York.
Grant Achatz and Paul Liebrandt where judging the PacoJet compitition.
The whole thing was a surreal experience.