Monthly Archives: August 2009

Wexler’s Is the Real Deal!

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Have you ever played a sport and entered ‘the zone’? I’ve had many moments in my life where, lost in a state between the physical and mental, my instincts and training take over and I am transported to another dimension. Body and mind are fuzed together and it is almost as if I was floating above the space, looking back at myself. All was perfect.

This might be a strong metaphor for my lunch experience at Wexler’s, but there are certainly hints of this realm. Everything was simply effortless, yet incredibly well-planned. From the moment I arrived, until stepping back out into the street, Wexler’s was a model of the dining experience, as I would expect it to be executed by professionals who are in ‘the zone’. I can honestly say that it was one of the best lunches I’ve had in San Francisco, ever.

I had heard about Wexler’s and frankly had the wrong impression. I thought it would be a bar, first and foremost. I knew it had modern interpretations of Texas BBQ. From the blogosphere, I knew of their 4505 Meats Hot Dog. I was shocked to enter into a modern-designed restaurant that felt like anything but Texas BBQ or a bar. Yes there was a bar and yes they focus on interpretations of some BBQ classics. But this is a San Francisco treasure, top to bottom – not akin to any predisposition I held.

The setting is very clean and modern, yet warm and sophisticated. You can see the humble shell of the facility behind the well-selected elements that make up the design. The ceiling soars with a wooden rib-cage pattern by Aidlin Darling Designs, who took great pains to bring life to the former Les Amis location.

Photo Courtesy of Tablehopper

Photo Courtesy of Tablehopper

The lunch menu bounces back and forth from the US South to Northern California with confidence.  Charlie Kleinman, formerly of Fish and Farm, wants us to believe that Monterey Bay Squid and Little Gems belong right next to Texas Chili and Smoked Chicken Wings. Call me a believer.

The Bowl ‘o’ Red Texas chili is simply perfect. House smoked short ribs are delicately spiced and complimented with pickled shallots and creme fraîche. There is just enough to get you started but left for wanted more. This is how appetizers should be.

The Chilled Heirloom Cucumber Soup started with a bowl containing a few towers of red pepper confit, topped with smoked ricotta. The soup was poured over top from a small tea pot. It was an elegant presentation to an equally elegant soup.

Even the little gems salad (you know I loves me some little gems, don’tcha?) blew me away with tasty cornbread croutons and sublime smoked cippolini onions. Pure inspiration.

The pulled lamb sandwich is amazing on it’s own, but throw in some watermelon vinegar (you heard me!) and a divine slaw of green peach and red cabbage. Well, you’ve got to just try it yourself.

But the piece due resistance (said with Texas accent please) was the 4505 Meats Mission Dog. I’ve had a few of these dogs lately (both 4505 and Mission style). Nothing I’ve tasted was able to bring all flavors together in such a complete package as this treat. In fact, the guys at Mission Burger might pop in here to see how a great foundation is accented by the proper accessories. The perfect bacon, pickled chilies and caramelized onions sat atop a light sauce, fresh baked bun and the 4505 foundation. I wanted to stand and applaud.

Banana Cream Pie

And there was still dessert. What can I say about a Bourbon Banana Cream Pie with dulce de leche and fleur de sel? Except that the graham crust gets no mention and deftly cradled all of this love without flaw.

Needless to say I give Wexler’s a hearty endorsement. I almost don’t want to return for fear that the ‘zone’ was just an ‘on’ day for the team. But something about Wexler’s tells me that these pros take this seriously and bring their ‘A’ game every day.

Wexler’s
568 Sacramento Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 983-0102

Mission Burger

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I finally had the opportunity to scoop something. Across the food-wire today, I learned about a new venture from the Mission Street Food guys, called Mission Burger. The story goes…..next door to the Mission Street Food space (which if you haven’t heard, is kinda cool – click on the [LINK] to learn more about their guest chef series on Thursdays and Saturdays) is a big-honking Asian supermarket called Duc Loi. Duc Loi happens to have this banging kitchen in the corner of the market. And it never gets used.

Mission Burger

The dudes from MSF are fans of this cultish style of burger preparation, cited as follows:

*granulation is our term for the process popularized by Heston Blumenthal, a michelin 3-star chef based in London. Blumenthal combines strands of ground meat to create a loosely grained “meat column” (not Blumenthal’s phrase), then slices the column into patties. The result is, well, a delicacy.

So, they work out a deal with the market, even get them to thrown in $1 to charity for every burger sold, and this Sunday they opened up Mission Burger. Simple concept. One burger, one veggie burger, fries. I got mine on Monday. Here’s more on their menu:

Beef Burger: 1/3 lb of aged harris ranch brisket, short rib and chuck, granulated* and seared in beef fat. Served with monterey jack, caramelized onion and caper aioli on a griddled acme bun – $8

Vegan Burger: maitake, shitake, roasted kale, edamame, scallion, sesame seed and fava-chickpea patty. Served with avocado and miso “mayo”** on a griddled acme bun – $7

Fries – $2

So, here’s the skinny. Mind you, I have a strong opinion on burgers. I’ve written about them [LINK]. I’ve eaten my weight in them many times over. I have a fascination with the form the same way I do for pizza, meatballs, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and other pure food forms (all links to blog posts).

This burger threw me a little. I love the concept, but was skeptical since I rarely find anything more satisfying than simple chuck, ground fresh. Period. But, they are definitely on to something here. The labor pays off in flavor and texture. It’s a really tasty burger and where you might expect a little gristle, fat globule or char, there is nothing but a consistent course texture. It’s close to my ultra-fresh ground, but a little more dense. Where it really hits you is with the flavor. Under each slightly greasy, aoli rich, oniony bite, is some pretty fucking tasty animal flesh. The brisket, short ribs thing works. Wow.

Mission Burger

The fries were too salty, but a solid compliment to the nummy nummy goodness of the meat. I could see a different set of accompaniments working well with this burger. Perhaps toned down a little and focused back on the beef, which really needs to be revered. I kept feeling like I was distracted by onion and aoli.

Is this a contender for best burger in town? I think they have a shot if they can remain consistent and pull the reigns on the access0ries. I rarely shower such praise on a newcomer in a realm that is so contentious, but there’s something about Mission Burger that is right in so many ways. Go for yourself and let me know what you think.

Street Food Fiasco

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I promised my friends I would rant about the San Francisco Street Food Festival, so here it is. You know you love when the Zealot gets angry.

Regarding the recent Street Food Festival – I get that the cause is altruistic. Very nice to be promoting something for La Cocina. I appreciate that and am hesitant to be so down on the planners because their intentions were good. But…..

First, how can you have a “street food” festival without street food vendors? I talked about this last week and kinda hoped they just didn’t list the real vendors on the invitation. But no….just the creme brulee guy was there. Apparently, in a twist of irony, an actual street food vendor was detained for operating without a license. Newcomer “Don’t Forget Your Lunch” showed up without registering to bring some real street food cred and wound up in the slammer (so to speak).

It looks like next week’s EAT REAL FEST [LINK] Oakland actually has some real street food in the lineup. Perhaps they might be organized enough to keep lines manageable?

That’s the other gripe. Wandering down 24th street with my son at 3pm, we were excited to meet some friends and chomp some street bites. As we neared Folsom, the crowd started to thicken. Texts started bouncing around: “It’s a Zoo, We didn’t Even Go In. Too many people. Long lines” from my friend Sarah. From Alan: “Drinking at Homestead and making our way down” and 17 minutes later: “Yeah. We are officially out. Heading to Roosevelt Tamale Parlor”. As we arrived, it was clear that if we wanted any food we would have to wait in multiple long lines (I heard anywhere from 20-45 minutes each) just to pay for something I can get in their restaurants. I started waiting in the ticket line and was 15 minutes in before getting any food. Try that with a 4-year old in tow.

We wound up at Casa Sanchez because they had a big space out back with an open table (that seemingly hadn’t been bussed in hours). Roosevelt was pretty packed. It turns out that Casa Sanchez (and the other mission businesses that got slammed) didn’t know about the festival nor the resultant overflow of people who were fed up with waiting. Lines wrapped around the block at Humphrey Slocombe and other nearby favorites. Casa Sanchez was deep deep in the weeds. We felt sorry for them, but even worse for ourselves as we suffered through some pretty poor dishes that were slapped together. At least they had beer.

So what is to be learned? Planners of San Francisco outdoor festivals take heed: Stay true to your purpose. If you are going to promote street food, in support of street food vendors, include street food vendors. Only street food vendors. We appreciate that Delfina and Absinthe are capable of preparing street-like foods, but they miss the mark in authenticity when they can prepare everything in their full kitchens. Also, plan for crowds. We are a big city and people like food here. If we have to wait for more than 5 minutes max to get anything at a festival, you have failed. Plain and simple. Think ahead.

Street Food Festival Tomorrow!

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The fad that’s sweeping the city, that swept the world since Roman times, is sweeping Folsom Street, between 25th and 26th this Saturday. The first annual San Francisco Street Food Festival [LINK] will occur this Saturday, August 22 from 11am to 7pm in front of La Cocina.

Some of the touted vendors include:

Absinthe: Cheddar-cheese corn nut brittle, Jamie’s famous hot dog, Peach and sage shrub

Aziza: Squid salad with maras pepper, preserved lemon, cabbage, mint and cilantro, Moroccan “taco”: flatbread with harissa and braised beef cheeks (as well as a vegetarian version)

Bi-Rite Creamery: Strawberry Popsicle, Ice Cream Sundae

Chaac Mool: Handmade organic corn tortillas with slow-roasted and achiote rubbed pork shoulder, Yucatecan sandwiches with milk and cinnamon braised pork, Agua de Jamaica

Delfina/Pizzeria Delfina: Zeppole: fried pizza dough with mascarpone pastry cream, Pizza Fritta: fried calzone filled with escarole, pine nuts and olives, Limonciata

El Buen Comer: Tacos de Guisados; Rajas con Crema, Torta con Mole Verde, Agua de Horchata

El Huarache Loco: Tacos Alhambre: Mexico-City style tacos with carne asada, longaniza, bacon, grilled onions and peppers, Huarache con Nopales; Corn masa cake with cactus salad or steak, Watermelon Agua Fresca

Endless Summer Sweets: Clairesquares: Deep Fried Clairesquares, Funnel cake with strawberries and cream

Estrellita’s Snacks: Salvadoran Plantain Cake, Pupusa Loca (or mixed vegetarian pupusa), Ensalada Salvadorena (Mixed Tropical Drink)

Heaven’s Dog/Slanted Door: Vegetarian Steamed Bun, Lemongrass pork vermicelli bowl, Lychee-infused iced tea and las palmalitas ranch organic lemonade

Kasa Indian Eatery: Pav Bhaji; Spicy potato on grilled white buns with crunchy red onions, Kati Roll; Flaky buttery roti wrapped around charbroiled chicken or spicy cauliflower, Mango Lassi

Laiola: Gypsy pepper gazpacho with almonds, grapes & tarragon, Heirloom tomato “tomàquet” with grilled bread, Summer melon agua fresca

La Mar Cebicheria: Sanguche de Jamon Norteno: Slow-roasted pork leg served on an acme roll with salsa criolla, Ceviche Clasico; Mahi-Mahi served in a lime juice marinade with habanero, nectarines and sweet potato, Chicha Morada

Onigilly: Onigilly; Savory Japanese Rice Balls with Either Teriyaki Chicken or Marinated Eggplant, A Sweet! Handmade Kika’s Treats S’mores. Green Tea

Poleng Lounge: Balinese lamb and pork satay sampi on lemongrass skewer, Vietnamese style BBQ oysters with rendered bacon-scallion oil and lemon pepper sauce, Calamantea (Mactan Island iced tea with pineapple and calamansi)

Sabores del Sur: Chilean Beef or Vegetarian Empanadas, Anticuchos Chilenos; Marinated New York Strip and Beef Heart with Potatoes (or no heart if you please), Chicha

Zella’s Soulful Kitchen: Local Corn with Homemade Honey Butter, Pulled BBQ Chicken Sammie with Spicy Slaw, Southern Sweet Tea

Every dish is going to cost under $8. There is no charge for admission. I plan to attend with a posse, but I have to say that I’m a little skeptical about this whole thing. There are a lot of restaurants featured in that list, but where are the real street food vendors? Where’s El Tonayense? How about Little Skillet? Any of the Thursday farmer’s market superstars, like 4505 Meats, Pizza Politana, RoliRoti, Tacolicious? I’m just saying…..seems like it’d be a different vibe if we could actually get the street food vendors to a street food festival!

Making Macaroni and Cheese

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This could be my most popular post of the summer. We’re talking mac and cheese. Nothing touches the souls of so many inner-children (which is the majority of my readers – that means you Murley) than a nostalgic romp around comfort food. And nothing says comfort food more than mac and cheese. And, nobody can touch my mac and cheese.

Let’s start with a tour around town. I’m expecting comments here people, cause I know you have an opinion. There are so many mac and cheese options in San Francisco it’s mind-numbing. I might venture to say that there is more mac and cheese than pizza. Every chef wants to show his pedestrian sensibilities. Everyone thinks theirs is the best. Many hit the mark. Few fail, simply because the addage applies: mac and cheese (or pizza) is like sex: even when it is bad, it is good. That is why I can’t stop shoveling in my son’s crappy Annie’s Shells and Cheddar (ugh shudder). Here are a few of my favorite versions:

macaroni-cheese

French Laundry: what can I say about Thomas Keller’s reinterpretation using Butter-Poached Lobster with Creamy Lobster Broth and Mascarpone-Enriched Orzo other than it simply elevates the form into something transcendent, Oola: it’s been a while, but I came back time and again for their cheddar mac and cheese (and bone marrow too!), Home: consistently a pleaser – this version is light on flavor and seasoning but nails texture and creaminess, Memphis Minnies: perhaps the opposite of Home – hits hard with flavor yet has a gloppy texture and the pasta is overdone, 1300 on Fillmore: I like the use of spice in this version, Luna Park: versions with broccoli and ham add a hearty twist. I know there are many many others that are worthy of praise, so leave a comment if you have an opinion.

But this is a post about how to make good mac and cheese. I’m going to give you the foundation and you’re going to run with it. I’ve been poking around with this dish as long as any other I can recall. If there is one thing I am confident I do well, this is it. And, as always, it’s about concepts. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get messy….

Pasta: this is probably one of the few times that I will tell you that good pasta (for the sake of being good) isn’t completely essential. Yes, I typically use good pasta, but I’ve had some failures with expensive varieties. I’ve found that a number of my Rustichella d’Abruzzo varieties didn’t work well. A grainy, versus smooth, texture produces significantly different results. What I am looking for is something that holds the cheese in the shape, while also keeping it’s body and not soaking up too much into the pasta itself. That’s why curly works great. Penne is ok. Campanelle, Cappelletti, Cavatappi, Gigli, Conchiglie, Pipette, Riccioli all work very well. Lower-end brands like Barilla are fine, but stay away from Safeway or other generic brands.

kinds of pasta

When you cook your pasta use heavily-salted water. Cook it 3/4 of the way and pull it from the pot. Run it under cold water to stop the cooking. Try not to let it sit too long and dry out.

The Sauce: Cheese on its own won’t cut it (easy does it inner child people). You need a sauce. To me, the best foundation is a bechamel or other white cream variety. Depending on the type of cheese you are using and desired effect you can use a simple bechamel (note that I do not use the french technique for a proper bechamel in my mac and cheese, but you certainly can for added flavor) or turn it into Soubise with melted onions or leaks for more gumption. To make my simple bechamel melt some butter and add some flour (look it up if you need proportions, but I suggest doing this sauce enough that it’s second nature) which makes a roux. Whisk in some hot milk slowly until a thick sauce forms. You can steep the hot milk with herbs to add other flavors. Salt to taste. Note: if you want a little more depth and nuttiness, you can brown your roux mixture before adding milk. Add your shredded cheese directly to the sauce. After it melts you should have a velvety-thick and glistening cheese sauce.

2008_06_16-MakingRoux

Cheese: Here is where we get to be creative. I was just telling someone that making macaroni and cheese is really more of an art-form than we give credit. Cheese making is a true culinary art, much like wine making and charcuterie. So, the act of blending cheeses in a sauce is a skilled practice that produces orgasmic results, much like blending wine. Go ahead and challenge me on this one sucka, I dare you!

Where to begin? There is so much room for creative expression here I’m at a loss. Well, no, not really. C’mon! Start at Gruyère. Why? Cause it just works. Never met a Gruyère I didn’t like, especially melted into a bath of hot milky sauce and poured over pasta. The sharpness and age of Gruyère gives you kick of earth with an elegant finish. Toss a bunch into your bechamel and see how it tastes. Always shred your cheese, BTW. If you want some creaminess without compromising the funk, add some Fontina. Want to bring it back home to America, toss in a sharp Vermont cheddar. Go Brit with some English or Irish varieties. Add bite with provolone or parmigiano, pecorino or asiago. Blue? You want blue? You got blue. Go blue! The idea here is that with a white sauce, almost any cheese can be melted and creamy. Go bistro with some goat cheese (or drunken goat for that matter). How about a truffle flavor (Cypress Grove’s Truffle Tremor is my ultimate fav)? Use your cheesemonger at the market. They’ve been down this road before. Ask them to surprise you. Surprise yourself.

rd2

Additional flavors: I’m somewhat loath to push you towards this just yet. Truthfully, not many versions are successful with additives. Stick with the pasta and cheese and you’re fine. But if you’ve got the moxie, here are some suggestions to help you out. Bacon works. Works really well. Smokiness and sweet cured meat, thick – ok. Pancetta = good. Almost any version would work with bacon (truffle excluded, unless you’ve got mad skills). Goat cheese works great with bacon.

Bread crumbs are a solid option. You can melt butter on them and saute some herbs with them to add a nice flavor pop. Try sage or rosemary. Saute the herbs to open them up. Big flavors are the key here. I like to toss some raw green onions into my bacon-goat cheese version just before serving and sprinkle some on top for garnish. Maybe some horseradish, maybe some mustard. If you’re going to put veggies in, make sure they have a lot of flavor and don’t overcook them so they become mush. Broccoli can work, sweet peas (and prosciutto, hmmm), chard or collards – sure. Meats are good too. Sausage could work. Braised meats would be heavenly – think luscious short ribs.

Once the elements are prepped I grab a massive bowl and toss everything together. A lot of sauce is good – don’t be shy with the salt either. If it seems to saucy, it isn’t. The pasta will absorb more of the sauce when cooking and nothing is worse than a dried-out brick of mac and cheese (hello Whole Foods!). Your pasta should be swimming. Toss it into a baking dish. Take a handful of the cheese and put a layer on top. Cook it till the stuff is hot inside. Then hit it with the broiler to crisp up the top. No need to cook the thing forever, just get it hot and get that crust. The longer it cooks, the drier and mushier the pasta gets.

When nobody is looking, take a rubber spatula and scrape the inside of the mixing bowl. Eat it – now. I must confess that I rarely eat my own mac and cheese at a dinner party. This is because the best time to eat it is while your cooking it. A little taste here, another there. I’m often way too full to consider eating by dinner time. Everyone thinks you’re so healthy. Ha!

So kids, with this one I implore you to experiment and be playful. Break free from the traditions and think about how flavors play together. Taste a bunch of cheeses together and see what happens. Macaroni and cheese is an opportunity for an amateur chef to play like a big dog. No risk, no reward.

Top Chef Orgy Tonight!!

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Oh Bravo thank you, thank you, thank you….tonight you will return Padma Lakshmi and whisk the bobble-headed Kelly Choi off to oblivion. What were you thinking anyway? I actually look forward to bringing back Tom Colicchio and even Gail Simmons (Toby Young I could do without) because Gael Greene, Jay Rayner and James Oseland were pretty much a snorefest! And the so-called ‘Masters’? I don’t think I’m the only one who finds the regular, hungry, innovative Top Chef competitors, and format, are far more intriguing.

What began as an interesting concept, Top Chef Masters, devolved into a poor facsimile of an enjoyable TV institution. The food was hardly “Master” caliber (perhaps due to the limitations of the challenges) and the personalities were all simply too cordial. The contestants were just too nice and too far along in their careers to make interesting TV. Really, the most difficult obstacle for them was overcoming the fact that none have prepped or produced in years. Hubert Keller outclassed everyone. Win or lose, he has gained immense respect in my book as a talented chef and personality.

Bravo must have anticipated a falloff in appreciation of their Top Franchise because tonight they are pouncing on the heels of Masters with a regular season kick-off. Back-to-back. Padma. Sigh. Check it out starting with the Top Chef Las Vegas premier at 9pm Comcast (6pm DirecTV) followed by the Masters Finale at 10:15pm Comcast (7:15pm DirecTV).

What can we expect from Season 6? From the Bay Area, there are few entrants:

Preeti Mistry: Executive Chef, Google, Bon Appetit Management Company
Mattin Noblia: Owner, Iluna Basque
Laurine Wickett: Chef / Owner Left Coast Catering

I think Vegas will be an interesting backdrop for the competition. I suppose there won’t be much mention of sustainability! My guess is that Vegas courted Bravo because they Vegas is hurting….big time. But what a setting: lots of restaurants, big kitchens, tons of celebrities (did I hear Natalie Portman??) and celebrity chefs (please no more Rocco).

Dining Alone

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This feels like a Michael Bauer blog post. Postulate on  dining-related question to elicit reader feedback…..

I was in Boulder, Colorado this weekend and wound up dining alone at Jax, the home of Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg (I’ll post specifically about the meal later). As I sat at the bar I met some really cool people dropping their son off for college. I had fun getting to know them (and ultimately a few others as the conversation grew and the drinks flowed) and chomping down a lovely Cioppino. It got me thinking about the other times that I’ve dined alone and how I really feel about the experience.

There are many occasions where I simply do not prefer dining alone, not necessarily because of the solitude, but more because of the limitation on ordering. Tonight I have to be in the East Bay and thought about popping in to Pizzaiolo after my appointment. But the thought of it leaves me less than excited, because I don’t think I could choose one dish and be content. Pizzaiolo, like many of my current favorite places, is best appreciated family style.

Many menus are designed to complement themselves and there is an art to crafting the experience through ordering (oooh that sounds like a juicy post unto itself). Sauntering up to the bar and ordering a pizza or pasta may be plenty satisfying, but I would definitely long for a salad, meatballs or whatever other treats I could order with abandon in a group.

I suppose this is another reason why the current street food movement is appealing. One dish (or a very simply menu), easy to order and consume in solitude without feeling like you’re shorting the experience. In fact, you are embracing the experience. It’s designed for the solo diner to grab something special, share in a atmosphere and never feel like something was left out.

What do you think? And where would you recommend I go in the East Bay for a solo meal?

No Reservations San Francisco Tonight

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I saw Tony at the Farmer’s Market when he was here in March to film tonight’s episode of No Reservations (airs on the Travel Channel at 10pm Comcast, 7pm DirecTV). I was with my son and it was one of those moments I immediately regretted.

You know how sometimes you see a celebrity and immediately react like they are someone you know? This alone proves to me that it would suck being a celeb.

I threw my boy onto my shoulders and walked over, saying to him loudly enough for Tony to here, “look buddy, it’s Uncle Tony” (incidentally, that is what I call him to my son when he sees AB on TV). Tony sort of snarled and looked me in the eye while he continued his ongoing conversation. I knew it was not cool. I stopped dead in my tracks and popped my boy down to his feet. We hovered for a moment and then ducked out. Even my four-year old was wise enough to see the screw up as he said “daddy, what was that?!”.

This is exactly where I nearly accosted the man.

This is exactly where I nearly accosted the man.

Lot’s of rumors abound about what Tony will cover tonight, but I’m sure it will feature old-salty haunts of San Francisco yesteryear mixed with the cutting edge that makes our city the epicenter of the sustainable movement. I know he has a love-hate relationship with the locavore ideals, mostly because many of the people espousing it are hypocrites in his eyes.

Lastly, my apologies for the sporadic posts lately. I’m finally one of the casualties of the economy and have had to bust my ass lately (and take work I would have avoided like the plague). I’m headed off to Colorado for some backpacking on Wed, but hope to get on a better schedule soon. I’ll try to come up with some posts on the trail and will likely review Jax in Boulder, home of Top Chef winner Hosea Rosenberg.

Gai Yang and More About Laos

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Most people are surprised to learn that many of the “Thai” dishes they eat in the USA is actually more akin to the cuisine of Laos. Dishes like larp (meat salad, often with duck, buffalo or chicken), som tam (green papaya salad), sticky rice and gai yang (grilled chicken) are staples of the Northeast Region of Thailand, known as Isaan, which borders Laos. The region is know for being the backwater of Thailand and therefore produces hearty-rustic cuisine, unlike the more refined Royal Cuisine of Bangkok. In fact, the cultured Thais make a joke of calling Isaan “Lao”, a dig intended to distance themselves from their country brethren.

For my part, I love Isaan and Laos. I love the people, the food and the culture. They are easy-going, jovial sorts who eat with their hands, drink lots and lots of booze (Lao Lao) and welcome you as family when you visit. When I meet a new Thai person for the first time and they are surprised that I speak some Thai, I often break the ice by saying “phom pen kohn Lao”, which implies ‘I am from Isaan’. Laughter ensues.

I don’t cook Thai food often. Frankly, I leave most Asian food to Asians. There are subtleties that only evolve from submersive practice of a cuisine over a lifetime that I may never master. I can fake it with the best of them, but seeing an old woman huddled over a mortar and pestle banging out some som tam is truly one of the great culinary treasures on this earth. From the way she masterfully slices the papaya, to the exacting measure of garlic, fish sauce, dried shrimp – it’s an artform. I have a much better grasp of diner food, Continental and California techniques.

Still, when I get a hankering to throw down some Thai, I look to Isaan. The dominate flavors all come together in almost every dish: spicy, sour, sweet and salty. Fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar and chilies form the foundation. The stuff is pretty easy to make, but wows a crowd because it is at once exotic and damn tasty.

This weekend I was in full 4-year old mode. With an only child we are hyper-sensitive about arranging for play dates. It gives him companionship and gives us a break. I was all about the play dates this weekend. Sleepover, birthday party, park, kid’s club at the gym – it was exhausting. To make matters worse, on Sunday night I offered to BBQ at my house. It was either that or play chase, hide and seek, puzzles and watch Spongebob all night. I welcomed the hoard of children that would come. The cooking, I can handle.

I grabbed some whole chickens from Avedano’s a female-owned sustainable butcher shop in Bernal. I’ve had mixed opinions about their offerings, but I’m fully on board after these chickens. At $3.79 a pound for pasture-raised birds, it was a great deal and a great bird. The birds got cut up into 8 pieces (minus the back, skin-on, bones-a-plenty) and took a soak in a bath of good fish sauce (not the crap from the Philippines), garlic, palm sugar, a splash of soy, a hint of chilies, white pepper, coriander and black pepper. I tossed and turned them four about three hours. The longer the better.

For sticky rice you need to have a special basket and pot. Look online if you don’t have a Thai grocer nearby (but I mean really, who doesn’t have a Thai grocer nearby? sheesh). The “sweet, glutenous rice” needs to soak in water for about 2-3 hours before cooking. You can find this special kind of rice from, you guessed it, a Thai grocer. Or online. You must use the right tools here – you can’t fake sticky rice. And this is the only rice you can serve with these dishes. Ya hear me? Fill up the cooking pot and put the rice in the basket to steam until it is tender and forms a nice ball when squeezed together.

Back to the chicken. Light a charcoal fire on half of your grill. Put all of the marinated chicken pieces on the other half. Let them cook with indirect heat and smoke, turning occasionally, for about 20-30 minutes. Keep checking for doneness so they don’t dry out. By using indirect heat, it is much harder to dry out the chicken. When you’re just about to pull them off, put them over the coals for a minute to get some sweet char on them.

Serve the whole mess family style. Put the sticky rice in a bowl and cover with a damp warm towel. Toss the chicken in a little bit of Thai sweet chili sauce, just to give it a light glaze. Not too much. Encourage your guests to eat with the hands and tear in. The technique is to scoop some rice and then grab a hunk of meat with the rice. The sounds of chomping and slurping an “oh that’s good” and “give me more” will follow. A true food orgy.

I served this batch with some fiery haricot verts (Dirty Girl Farms: we love you!) made with some simple roasted chili paste, a little fish sauce, ciopllini onions and a splash of soy. Saute them on high heat until slightly tender. I also cheated and grabbed a bucket of Som Tom I had Grand Pu Bah whip up for me. You try and manage a gaggle of kids running around your house for an impromptu BBQ AND make Som Tom!

For dessert, I have to give a shout out to our friend Katja who was able to pull together a honey-yogurt ice cream last minute that rocked! We topped them with the Dirty Girl Farms strawberries for a perfect end to the meal.

This dinner made me think that maybe I could go a little deeper into Thai cuisine. Subtleties be damned, the stuff is just that good. At the least every chef needs to be able to pull out some family-style Thai that shake things up from your standard ho-hum BBQ to something otherworldly.

Technology Monday: Backpacking Cuisine

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Next week I am heading out on a long-weekend to the Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness in Colorado. I’ve been backpacking and camping most of my life. My father would take me to places like the Delaware Water Gap and the Wharton State Forest in New Jersey. Needless to say, this was rare amongst my fellow Jerseyites-of-the-80s, who would find it difficult to hit the trail in their Z-Cavariccis, leg-warmers and Forenza Sweaters.

Food was always important to us and it was a welcome challenge to try to make something tasty under spartan conditions. My dad’s prize possession was his “quickie pie maker”, a cast-iron press that would squeeze two pieces of bread and some filling together to make a ‘hot pocket’ of sorts. Roasting our apple sauce pies, laden with margarin, was the highlight of our camping trips. It didn’t matter how heavy this beast of a tool was, dad carried it without complaint (along with most of my stuff as well when I was young).

Waiting for Our Applesauce Quickie-Pies

Waiting for Our Applesauce Quickie-Pies

When I got to college I actually took a course titled: Backpacking and Camping. Gotta love Temple University! While, you can certainly get a good education there if you dedicate yourself, they have plenty of coursework for those who just want to coast. I took three years of Russian and still cannot speak a word (but I was able to pass with A’s simply by giving the teacher a nice bottle of Vodka and sitting next to the Russian kids during the one-page final exam – true!).

In Backpacking 101 we mostly socialized, including our young, strapping teacher named Brett. There was a syllabus and we glossed over the lessons each week. Some inexperienced students actually asked questions and engaged Brett’s knowledge of the woods. For our final we were to spend a weekend on the Appalachian trail at Pole Steeple, the unofficial midway point of the trail. There were a lot of cute girls in the class, so I was excited to get away with some new people. A girl named Audrey had agreed to be my tent-mate. Although she had a boyfriend, she was definitely the prettiest girl in the bunch and would at least add some street-cred for bunking with me.

I Can't Believe I Found This Picture

I Can't Believe I Found This Picture: Me & Tentmate

The trip was pretty great. Total strangers hanging in the woods, getting high and drunk for school credit!? I even picked up a new technique and dish while we were there. One of the campers brought an old bucket pot which he filled with sliced onions, hunks of pepperoni and a few cans of baked beans. He hung it over a branch in the fire and let it cook low and slow for a long long time. As is often the case when backpacking, the food might have tasted better not matter what was in it. But the simplicity of the one-pot meal was not lost on me and became the inspiration for many more to come.

Skip ahead to my adulthood. I lived in Colorado for six years and spent a lot of time in the wilderness. My roommate Tom was old-school – carrying an external-frame pack with a bag of P,B&J sandwiches and hot coffee. Me? I was all about the technology and lowering my pack weight. You know the type. Fucking anal pricks. We would scrap a perfectly good pack, or stove, or canteen just because there was a new one that was 3 ounces lighter. We say shit like “ounces add up to pounds”. REI was built on the backs of our compulsions.

P,B & J Tom Takes a Break To Water His Dog

P,B & J Tom Takes a Break To Water His Dog

But, as a foodie, I was left with a dilemma. With the little stove and the little pots and the weightless foodstuff, how can you possibly make decent food? (I bet you were wondering how I was going to piece the technology food angle in – and it only took me 620 words). No quickie pies for me (apple sauce, bread and pie clamp are all too heavy). No pepperoni beans (onions, cans of beans, big pot – no, no, no). Might as well face it, backpacking food sucks. Right?

Kinda. Not really. Maybe. But modern technologies have certainly improved the options for lightweight foodstuffs, some of which I am going to detail below:

Pre-Cooked Bacon – The single greatest revelation I’ve had on the trail is the discovery of this boxed wünderkind of salted cured animal flesh. This stuff can live without refrigeration for a few days, it takes very little time (and fuel) to cook. To the depraved, over-exhausted mind of the trail rat it tastes as good as any bacon on a normal day. It’s light.

Freeze-Dried Fruits & Veggies – This stuff has been around for ever, but it just seems better these days. You can buy any assortment of veggies, mix them all up, put them in a baggie ready to dump into a powdered soup, powdered potatoes, mixed with chicken (see below) and curry powder. The potential uses are endless. A creative chef can actually make a palatable dish that is healthy to boot.

Vacuum-Sealed Meats – Getting protein on the trail has always been a challenge. Jerky was really the only game in town until recently. Now populating the shelves of the tuna aisle are fifty different varieties of tuna, salmon, chicken preserved and sealed in little packets that last for months. They are not light, but they are not heavy either. They sure beat freeze-dried meats, which simply don’t stand up as well as their veggie counterparts. Just toss a bag into pasta, curry or any other dish and you’ve got wholesome treat.

Powdered Eggs – Close enough to the real thing for scrambles and omelets – add meat and veggies to bolster.

Packaged Meals – Two kinds to consider here. First, at the camping store there are a few brands, and endless variety of add-water meals. I like to cook my own meals so I avoid the lasagnas and the beef stews. But the technology in this stuff has come a long way and dare I say, they’re not half bad. Especially desserts. In fact, I strongly encourage the desserts. Cobbler that weighs next to nothing – just add water – done deal.

The other type of packaged stuff is just on the shelves at the supermarket. I know, I’m always talking about sustainability and proper shopping, but for this purpose alone you might have to hit the schlocky stores. Whole Foods has a few lightweight treats, but apparently convenience and speeds are important to a lot of people cooking in this country. Safeway’s aisles are full of crap in boxes that can be prepared by just heating or adding hot water in under five minutes. Don’t forget to check out the packets of sauce available. Pesto? The intrepid chef could find a lot to work with here. In fact, I think this was a Top Chef challenge.

Next time you are hitting the trail and need to lighten the load, know that your options are plenty. Maybe after this trip I’ll post some recipes. Not quite sure how many of my readers are outdoorspeople. I suppose we’ll see by today’s reader stats.