A Sad Day in the World of Chocolate

Hey Food Fans,

Sorry for the gap in postings.  However, today seemed as good a time to write as any.

So not so long ago, I waxed poetic about the wonders of desserts and, namely, chocolate.  Today, one of chocolate's most seminal figures passed away.

No, not any of the Hersheys.

No, not Lady Godiva (whoever the heck that is)

No, not Russell Stover (and for Pete's sake, stop buying those cheap-ass chocolates)

Today, Robert Steinberg passed away.

("Who's Robert Steinberg?)

If you wondered the above, that is the essence of my complaint.

Robert was the co-founder of Scharffenberger Chocolate, one of fine cuisine's most celebrated and used chocolates.  A regular staple among gourmet bakers, Scharffenberger is one of America's first artisan chocolate makers, and its factory in Berkeley is a popular destination as visitors marvel in the traditional techniques of making chocolate.  The result?  A chocolate that is not only ultimately satisfying, but one that contains a variety of different flavors that dance on the palate.  No wonder the tour guides there tell you NEVER to chew the chocolate.

Yet Robert is a classic example of how, in the toughest of times, following one's passions can take life into a new and exciting direction.  In the mid-1990s, after being diagnosed with lymphoma, he began learning about how artisan chocolate was made, using large stone grinders and high-end cacao.  Joining with John Scharffenberger,  the experiment began with in Steinberg's apartment, using, of all things, a coffee grinder, a mortar and pestle, an electric mixer, and a hair dryer to start making chocolate.  Soon after that, the factory in Berkeley opened.

Scharffenberger only uses accurately fermented cacao nibs and pays above market rate from their Latin American suppliers for them.  They were the first chocolate maker to indicate on their bars what percentage of the chocolate is Cacao.  So began American cuisine's fascination with high-end chocolate.

So with great gratitude to Scharffenberger's chocolate tradition, perhaps you can do one of the following to pay tribute to Dr. Steinberg and his chocolate revolution.

1. Buy a Scharffenberger bar.  Might I recommend the 73% bittersweet.  Only take the 99% unsweetened if you want a head rush.

2. Order a desert that indicates it uses Scharffenberger, Valhrona, or a comparable chocolate-maker's chocolate.

3. On Valentine's Day, take a pass on the Russell Stover.  It may be cheap, but you get what you pay for.

We're in this together. Save NOLA.

Hey Food Fans,

Our good friend the Passionate Eater has taken us through some fun times in New Orleans, from her adventures through the NOLA food scene to her recent wedding and subsequent reception (which can be quite a food undertaking in its own right).

Today, however, her dear home city stands once again the path of a deadly hurricane. It has only been three years since Katrina rained horror on this magical city and its people, and the nightmare has come back.

So as you enjoy this final weekend of the summer, no doubt partaking in food, drink, and merriment with you beloved, please do think of the citizens of the Gulf Coast and do whatever you can to help our fellow citizens in their time of need.

Show your support by donating to the American Red Cross.

Burger Contender #1: Shake Shack, NYC

So remember that post about the great burger debate? Here's a place to fuel the fire.

So we've talked about how the burger comes in all shapes and sizes. Also how a place like California has a long and distinguished burger tradition thanks to the fascination with the drive-thru. Consequently, New York City doesn't have a great burger tradition, with things like deli sandwiches and street hot dogs occupying the ranks of city institutions.

Enter Shake Shack, a stand in Madison Square Park run by the Union Square Hospitality group, which is home to the legendary Gramercy Tavern, one of New York's top restaurants. With Shake Shack, Danny Meyer has come upon a great concept of a simple burger stand in a refreshing park setting in lower Manhattan. On temperate summer days, like the day I went, it's quite an ideal spot to be.

The burgers, however, are superior. Flavorful patties that are juicy and succulent. Creamy and tangy shack sauce. Fresh toppings. Certainly, this burger excels at the required elements. I ordered the Shack Stack, which is a double cheeseburger with a 'shroom burger in the middle. The 'Shroom burger is a breaded, deep-fried portabello with muenster and cheddar cheeses cooked inside. It squirted some of the cheese out on my first bite, which made for some nice dip for the crisp fries.

The shakes are rich and creamy, and come in different varieties, most notably the "Shack Attack" consisting of chocolate custard, hot fudge, chocolate truffle cookie dough, Valhrona chocolate chunks, and, for good measure, chocolate sprinkles. That even makes me, a baker and lover of all things dessert, gasp.

So NYC's burger tradition begins with this wonderful stand in Madison Square Park. It's crowded at all hours, but for good reason. I really can't think of a much better way to spend a non-muggy summer day in NYC than taking in a Shake Shack burger, a shake, and simply kicking back and watching the people go by.

NYC: BBQ Central? You're joking, right?

So picture this. You're a clasically trained french chef. You work for one of the city's elite restauranteurs. Your food entertains a clientele of Manhattan power players. For most foodies, this is the life.

And then, oddly enough, your next career move takes you away from NYC and into the great American southwest. What now? High-class Manhattan dining is unlikely to find a hold on the frontier.

This is the path of Adam Perry Lang, formerly of Daniel Boulud's staff who returned to NYC a few years ago to open Daisy May's BBQ, arguably the finest BBQ establishment in the city. The southwestern influences mesh with Lang's classic training to create original renditions of BBQ classics.

I never eat at BBQ places in California, largely to save my palate (and my diet) until I get to savor the dry-rub ribs at Daisy Mays (washed down with a sweet tea). They also offer sticky ribs, chicken, and a slew of original side dishes. At night, however, private groups take over the joint as whole roasted pigs, pork shoulder, and rack of lamb are served to large parties at a premium price.

Can it contend with the traditional offerings from the South? Lang has won several competitions against BBQ royalty, as he has infused his knowledge of other cuisines to enhance his BBQ prowess.

So while it seems like a great change for someone from Lang's roots to go from French Haute to southwestern BBQ, the tangy, spicy, satisfying offerings that come out of the Daisy May's smoker are like no other you have tasted. Thus, I enthusiastically recommend hitting this joint on your next visit.

(Pictured: Dry rub ribs with mashed potatoes and cole slaw (before and after), Jumbo beef rib (before and after), Sweet tea.

NYC Delicatessens: Sandwiches like no other.

One of NYC's unique culinary contributions is the overstuffed deli sandwich. With famed spots like the Carnegie Deli, the Stage Deli, and several other ones to name, NYC has a rich tradition with this classic dish.

Slices of corned beef, pastrami, or other cured meats are heated (sometimes with a cheese topper) and placed on rye bread with only a few notable yet subtle extras, most notably sauerkraut or russian dressing. From reubens to pastrami and triple-decker sandwiches, there are so many interpretations to savor.

The above-pictured sandwich is a Pastrami sandwich from 2nd Ave Deli, a small yet enthralling deli on the Lower East side. This particular rendition is topped with cole slaw as well as a side of both russian dressing and deli mustard.

But if you can't get to NYC, I make a reuben using pretty much the same stuff. Here's my version:

Two slices long rye bread

1 Cup sliced Pastrami or corned beef

1/4 cup sauerkaut

2 slices swiss cheese

Thousand Island dressing (about the closest to Russian you can buy in a major supermarket)

After spreading the dressing on both slices of bread, place the sauerkraut and then the meat in equal portions on each slice of bread. Place the slices of cheese on top.

In a toaster oven, lay each open-face slice on the rack and toast for about 6-8 minutes. Remove, place together, slice, and serve.

The Cabinet is coming to NYC!

Hey Food Fans,

Hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend and such. Just wanted to let you know that the Cabinet is paying a visit to what Colonel Slade called "Freak show central" in "Scent of a Woman."

That's right, New York City.

From street food to the swanky halls of Le Cirque, there's much to see, hear, do, and of course, eat, in NYC. So stay tuned to the Cabinet as, for the next week, we dish on just a sampling of what this amazing city has to offer your palates.

Father's Office: The burger that ends (and starts) all debates

Ask anyone, foodie or not, about what makes a good burger, and you'll hear different ideas and beliefs. Is it the bun? The cheese? The toppings? The fries? The patty?

Today, burgers come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. From the no frills, simple yet delicious burgers at Louis Lunch in New Haven, CT, to the California classic In-n-Out double-doubles and the $30 burger at New York's 21 Club, interpretations of this traditional American institution cover the entire flavor spectrum and are all noteworthy for their own reasons.

In Southern California, where the automobile is king, drive-thru's and takeout joints have only intensified the food world's obsession with the burger, and in the Southland, foodies all point to Father's Office, a simple and unpretentious establishment in Santa Monica, where Chef Sang Yoon offers what many consider the best burger in Los Angeles, in addition to other offerings that resemble that of a Spanish tapas bar. It is only fitting then that a wide selection of beers are available on tap. At any and all hours, the place is packed, and the fact that you can only place orders at the bar ensures a heavy crowd.

Knowing this, another location recently opened in Culver City on Helms Street. Although much larger, I hear the place gets equally heavy traffic at peak hours. Armed with this knowledge, I began last Saturday's southland trek with the aim of arriving at the Culver City Father's Office right after the noon opening time. You can imagine my surprise when I saw the sleek, shiny establishment nearly empty upon my arrival.

The Father's Office Burger is a simple yet stunning combination of flavors. The patty is solid, and accentuated by the presence of caramelized onions and gruyere cheese, which offer a notable clash of sweet and bitter. The arugula greens in the burger also provide a unique play on the usual presence of greens in a burger.

The fries themselves are also of note. Thinly sliced frites with a hint of garlic are provided with a creamy garlic aioli dressing for dipping. It is to be mentioned, though, that several customers opt to pay a little extra for a basket of sweet potato frites instead.

At $14, is surely isn't cheap, but it is one of the few unique superior culinary offerings in the southland that won't completely destroy your wallet. But don't take my word for it. If anything, this burger only starts new debates on what belongs and doesn't belong in a good burger. By all means, I'd really like to know what you think about what makes the perfect burger.

Happy Eating

Since When Does A Restaurant Get Away with Charging $4 for an Arnold Palmer

So before you think I'm high-strung in blogging about only the upper 25-30% of all restaurants I eat at, let me share an observation from a restaurant near and dear to many of you, The Cheesecake Factory (where my better judgment has not ordered cheesecake in over two years).

Whenever I'm not in the mood for a beer or a diet cola, I usually order (or pour myself from the refill fountain) an Arnold Palmer, that classic combination of lemonade and iced tea. Seeing as how it usually does not make too much effort to make, most places are glad to charge the same amount for it as a soda.

Thus, you can imagine my surprise when my check said my Arnold Palmer costs $3.95. And since most places like this only charge about $2.50 for soda or lemonade, I think I have the right to be a little befuddled on why this combination deserves the markup.

P.S. If you need to work off all this food I'm telling you about, might I suggest a twilight stroll after a warm day. It's cool and refreshing and keeps you in surprisingly good shape. And to think, you thought this blog was just about food.

Michael for the masses (or at least those who don't live near San Francisco)

So judging from my previous post a while back, you have gathered that I am a fan of Michael Mina. I first encountered his cuisine at Aqua in San Francisco, and then to his new and fabulous location in the St. Francis Hotel in Union Square. From his foie gras to interpretations on lobster (including a lobster corndog, if you can believe that) and powerful way with Kobe beef, Michael has built a reputation that powers an $80 million a year restaurant empire.

So with no excessive deliberation, I selected Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point as the location for my family's graduation/father's day dinner. The restaurant is located on the lush grounds of the Monarch Beach Resort, a luxurious resort that hosts many conferences and visitors to the area (including fans attending the US Open down at Torrey Pines, as evidenced by the guests carrying USGA plastic bags around the grounds).

As we were seated, my seat faced the outside patio, where the blinding OC sunset was in its last throes, requiring me to wear my Ray-Bans for a little bit before the sun went down. The decor is simple yet elegant.

Michael's appetizers usually consist of a central ingredient with three or so interpretations to chose from. You can choose one of them, or a tasting trio of a couple of them. I had the duck tasting trio, consisting of a roasted duck breast in plum sauce, a crispy duck thigh with shallot jus, and, of course, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, this time served with a peach sauce (more commonly, apples are used). Not too overwhelming, but still very good.

Sadly this night, the restaurant was out of Maine Lobster, one of Michael's most famed dishes. Otherwise, the entree offerings are diverse and inventive, and with it being Father's Day, the restaurant was offering prime Kobe Beef steaks at the price of $35 an ounce, with the most common portion being five ounces (naturally, we passed). But one offering stood out to me.

Whole-Fried Organic Chicken.

Honestly, who in their right mind goes to a five-star restaurant and orders FRIED CHICKEN? Okay, I concede the fact there is also a Kobe beef burger on the menu which seems kinda boring, but FRIED CHICKEN?!?!? Furthermore, it's only best when ordered by two people, as they will cut it tableside. So one more of us has to be crazy enough to try it.

The reason I wanted to take this most unusual risk was that I saw Michael's book at a Borders last summer and was pointed to the recipe by the jacket cover. As I scrolled down the ingredients for the frying base, my brain gasped.

The recipe calls for the chicken to be fried in oil and a cup of DUCK FAT.

I've said it several times to myself, and I'll say it here. When you have to fry an animal in ANOTHER ANIMAL'S FAT, THAT's BIG LEAGUE!

(My family wanted to know if it really was duck fat they friend the chicken in. Reluctantly, the waiter confessed it, and I was vindicated)

Reluctantly, my brother agreed to have the chicken with me, threatening that if it was not the best chicken he had ever tasted, I would have to pay for the next two fancy dinners we had together (given that they would mostly likely be in New York, an expensive proposition).

So the chicken arrives served on top of a mountain of truffle-infused mac'n'cheese and broccoli. The serve cuts the chicken on a spiked board (for those in the know, it makes sure the juice that leaks out doesn't collect and make the base of the chicken damp). They then pour onion sauce on top and accompany it with a couple of onion rings.

The dark meat chicken was quite flavorful. The onion sauce didn't add too much, but the mac'n'cheese was a pleasant surprise. In the end, it's just another example of Mina's playful cuisine, that amuses and satisfies his diners.

We would've ordered dessert, but upon seeing the menu, we discovered that all the desserts we would've ordered we'd already had at other Mina establishments. Add being full from the meal, and we quickly passed, save for some chocolate covered ice cream morsels that came with the check.

So our verdict? If you've never had Michael's food before, this is a stunning place to come to and learn about his playful and elegant style. If you have had Michael's food before, however, Stonehill has little to offer in the way of the new, and you probably would be best served saving your money for his San Francisco restaurant.

Hardly Wait-ing

Last week was graduation week in the city of Irvine, meaning thousands of families and friends converged upon the OC in all its splendor. But regardless of the location, graduation means two things:

1. Hotel reservations are impossible (and also somewhat prohibitively expensive).
2. Restaurant reservations are in short supply.

Knowing this, I made both my dinner reservations about three weeks prior to graduation week.

Saturday brought my brother and I to Roy's Newport Beach location, a hip and modern place where Hawaiian fusion supreme reigns supreme. We arrived at about 7:20 for our 7:30 reservation, but tonight was unlike any other night I had been.

There was a party of 13 in the private dining room, and slews of large parties of families with their graduating children. So much so that a crowded bottleneck assembled at the host stand and into the bar. After waiting about 20 minutes in the bar and looking at the menu, we still had not been called. We went back to the host stand to check on the progress, and they said we were second in the queue.

For those of you new to formal dining, this practice is wholly unacceptable, especially if the restaurant doesn't acknowledge wrongdoing and offer some kind of remedy (and had this been done to a reviewer, it's suicide_. But it's hard to communicate to the staff that they've entered this realm where they need to give you something in exchange for your patience. It has been my experience that if you can show a mild degree of impatience and frustration on your face, they get the message.

Thankfully, the staff at Roy's did. They reassured we would be seated and once so, we would be given some complimentary appetizers. Surely enough, an order of pot stickers and an order of Schezwan fried calamari were immediately rushed to our table after we were seated.

I had the steamed Opakapaka, knowing it is a special kind of fish in island cuisine, but was somewhat ignorant of the fact that give our location, the fish was probably not going to be fresh. As a result, its distinctive taste was not present in the dish. However, most of the other elements of the meal were solid, from the appetizers and my brother's Coconut-crusted halibut.

(And as questionable as it sounds, we skipped dessert, deferring to see what the establishment in my next entry had to offer)

In the end, no matter what the circumstances, it is key to remember that as a paying customer, one has certain rights in a fine dining establishment. The staff trains year after year to meet the requests of the customers in the effort to establish the restaurant as an elite dining location. Tonight, the staff at Roy's did a good job of fixing a bad situation, but could also benefit by making sure that this does not happen in the future, so as not to lose on offering complimentary dishes to angry customers.

Coming up next, the tail-end of the graduation week recap, featuring Michael Mina's Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point.

The Master Returns to LA (?)

So the dear foodies at EATER LA recently reported with some inside intel that Thomas Keller, the master behind The French Laundry, Per Se, and Bouchon is planning a return to the LA dining scene. The report mentions that the LA outfit will be like Bouchon (Keller's much less expensive but still delicious bistro), with some small adaptations to the scene.

My first thought was, "Is LA ready for Keller?" People by and large come to Napa just to drink and eat with purpose, meaning those who usually eat at Keller's establishments have well developed palates and an affinity and knowledge of good food. In a way, the audience Keller cooks for is a self-selecting one.

The way dining seems to me to work in LA is that everybody's looking for the next hot place. Where are the celebs eating? Is a Food Network star opening an outfit in town? (those in the know are familiar with the fact that Keller is not exactly the most media savvy chef there is). So I really wonder if Southland diners are really ready for a Per Se or French Laundry, with its nine-course, three-hour meals. A restaurant like Bouchon is a little easier for eaters around here to put their hands on.

The first Bouchon I ate at was the one in the Venitian in Las Vegas. While I enjoyed the food immensely, I was somewhat perturbed by the couple sitting next to me, which consisted of a 35-year old man and his comely, shapely female companion, who I imagine he took to the restaurant just to impress her. He had no interest in the specials, scoffed at the waiter, and didn't take interest in any of the creative stuff on the menu, and, seemingly turned off by his ignorance, his date asked ME to describe my dessert of warm chocolate bouchons. Now, sharing the joy of Keller's food with the other patrons is a trademark of Thomas' restaurants, but doing so at the expense of this woman's knucklehead date is just pathetic.

Some I'm hoping this LA outfit won't have such diners, and that the Southland's foodies will come to appreciate what makes Bouchon's Yountville outfit the neighborhood favorite it is, with local residents filing in each week and weekend for a satisfying yet simple meal. My advice to you dear diners is that the exuberant experiences provided by The French Laundry and Per Se are only best appreciated if one is well eaten in the simple yet elegant aspects of haute cuisine. In this respect, Bouchon is a great place to start.

Attack of the Desserts!

Food is never fun unless you can share it, so here's a culinary assault on my dear classmates at school. Where we'll strike next, and what will we serve? You never know!

Follow Up to to the "Will Whatever's in your cart" post

Hey food fans,

Hope you all had a great memorial day weekend. Something happened to me today that I just had to write about right away.

So I'm going to class today with a plate of Emily's "Black and White Brownies" that I made over the weekend. They're the first dessert I learned how to bake from the book. As I get out of the elevator, a woman who had to be in her late thirties or early forties was walking in and almost ran into me. She says "Oops" as she gets out of the way as I say "Excuse me." But then her eyes find their way to my plate of brownies, to which she then responds with an exotic "Ooooohhhhh!"

So maybe I have found an alternative chick magnet to a dog or a baby.

Oh, by the way, I was announcing a baseball game over the weekend when the same young lady I mentioned in the shopping cart post walked by my booth. Our eyes met and she flashed a smile at me. I blushed. But then again, I had just had one of those brownies, so I was pretty amped up to begin with.

How to cheat on your ribs

Okay, enough about desserts for now. Since Memorial Day is coming up, a BBQ post.

Sometimes, we’re so hungry that we eat so fast without a thought to how something was made. Granted, we all need to eat, and there just those days when you need something fast to fuel up.

Last summer, a review on espn.com rated the best stadium food in baseball. Omitted from the list was the Dodger Dog, much to the dismay of Dodger fans. The review explained its omission, stating that the dog was hastily prepared and had been cooked via boiling rather than grilling.

Within a couple of months, the word “Grilled” appeared next to every mention of the Dodger Dog inside Dodger stadium.

Back ribs can be prepared in a similar way as well. Purists and aficionados insist that the slow cooking, smoking, and indirect heat methods used to cook most ribs are sacred and not to be tampered with. The same people would not even dare use a gas grill. Many an amateur griller makes the mistake of cooking the ribs on the grill from the start, resulting in a burnt outside and an undercooked inside.

However, this recipe from Bon Apetit reveals another way to prepare back ribs that ensures the tender, falling-off-the-bone doneness of smoked ribs without the six-hour wait. This recipe can be duplicated with the more common pork back ribs. To the people I’ve served it to, they don’t know the difference.

Here’s hoping your guests don’t either.

I love LIME, especially spelled backwards (hint hint)

It's really hot these days down in the OC, and what better way to great an Orange County heatwave than with. . .LIME!

Key lime pie to be exact.

Okay, when I first heard about Key Lime Pie, I really wasn't impressed. I mean, how good can a pie made out of LIME taste? I already know how to make good lemon squares, so how could this be so much different?

Well, turns out that this pie is great after a hot and muggy day. Its citrus tart and tang mesh well with a ginger cookie crust and whipped cream on top. Our dear eaters in Florida (I know of at least ONE Floridian who reads this blog) swear by the pie and are somewhat particular about how it should be made. I don't have a lot of fruit desserts in my arsenal, but this one is a great addition for the warm months ahead.

So I thus present to you dear eaters my Key Lime Pie, with the hopes that it just might be able to cool down my rampant spring fever (yeah, that kind=).

Learn how to make it HERE

Will whatever's in your cart help you get to her heart?

A couple of years ago, Wal-Mart had a "singles night" promotion, where if you were single and looking, you could attach a pink ribbon to your cart while you went shopping to indicate your status. It was immensely popular in foreign countries, but didn't quite fly in the U.S. I think Jim Rome addressed it on his radio show, indicating that having to go to Wal-Mart to meet your future spouse "was clearly a sign your life has not gone as planned."

I mention this because I was at the local Trader Joe's today when I saw a beautiful young woman waiting for her friend near the check-out line. I thought about going up and saying hello or something or other, but I began to worry about the items in my basket. Every now and then, one of the check-out girls asks me what I'm shopping for after they look at what I'm buying. Naturally, I think this a great opportunity to score some points.

Today, my basket contained a box of Clif Bars, a bunch of basil (for pesto, see previous post), a pack of Chicken Andouille Sausage, Frozen vegetable eggrolls and frozen chicken eggrolls. Not a terribly boring spread, but not an impressive one either (like the one I had a couple of weeks ago when I was shopping for a dinner party). Not thinking much of my basket, I walked by and attempted to flash a smile.

So what does what's in your grocery store cart say about you to a potential mate? Had I been shopping for a bunch of ingredients for pastries and desserts, I might've had a little more confidence and something to talk about. Had I had a cart full of frozen pizza, I might've just kept on walking since the contents of my cart would easily scream "douchebag."

Which reminds me, I just got my copy of Classic Stars Desserts, which you can buy in our webstore. Maybe I should start planning a dessert party sometime soon. Stay tuned.

Searching for Michael Mina? You might not have to go far.

As a fan of food, it's a special treat to see an accomplished chef in person. So much so that at a recent event in Monterey featuring chefs such as Thomas Keller, food enthusiasts and professionals laid down four-digit entry fees just to get in.

Personally, I have seen Morimoto, Daniel Bolud, Adam Perry Lang, and Michael Mina in person. Not only have I seen Michael in person at his amazing San Francisco restaurant, I've actually walked by him on the streets in San Francisco. His food has always been cutting edge, and meals at his restaurants are among the wildest flavor adventures I've had the privilege of joining.

But what was once a San Francisco institution is becoming a worldwide machine. Michael's cuisine has found new places including Orange County, Scottsdale, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City. He's not on Food Network like the Bobby Flay's and Mario Batali's of the world, but his cuisine is among the very best around.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/30/FDUM10AIFE.DTL

This article appeared in today's San Francisco Chronicle. Yet as the Mina empire spreads worldwide, one must be somewhat concerned if the originality that started the legend can continue. I'm hoping it can.

Desserts and Pastries: A Foodie's Secret Pleasure

The entree plates are cleared, the bottle is empty, the table has been wiped down, and, hopefully, the seated people are grinning from the meal. And now, to close the evening, there is but one part of the show still to come.

"Would you like to see the dessert menu?"

Desserts and pastries are a cook's greatest pleasure. The challenge to pack in so much flavor into little bites and tastes is among one of the most difficult in all the arts. At the same time, it is the most pleasing. Diners, friends, and family groan with delight at the taste of a superior dessert, and it's just the thing you want people to have in their minds after a meal of your creation.

I discovered this at a young age. In high school, each of us brought food to various student group meetings, and one time, my mother pulled out a recipe for brownies from a book called "Stars Desserts" by Emily Luchetti. Entitled "Black and White" brownies, they were a favorite at the bakery outside of Stars, a once legendary San Francisco restaurant.

They were an immediate hit, and seeing the pleasure on the faces of my fellow students, especially the female ones, I knew this was something I should get into.

I pored through more of the book. Black and White brownies gave way to Macaroons and Lemon Squares, all favorites of the bakery. When my family moved to a new house, our next door neighbor had two huge lemon trees in her yard, and the same day we took the lemons off the tree, they made it into decadent lemon squares. Just like that, I became one of Emily's fans. At the new house, we had a dream kitchen, and I spent hours in there practicing technique and baking for my mom's co-workers, my brother's co-workers and fellow law students, and my own colleagues and friends.

When I dined with my parents, it always came down to me to order the chocolate dessert. So when I stumbled upon Emily's recipe for Chocolate Silk, I had to try it. It is the ultimate chocolate-lover's dessert. After visiting San Francisco's Scharffenberger Chocolate Factory, I had to use their bittersweet chocolate in the recipe. Trust me, it's like nothing you've ever tasted before, even if you think you're the biggest chocolate-lover you know.

(As an aside, a memo to all you fellas out there with women who love chocolate to impress. There is nothing that shows you are clueless about chocolate quite like giving her Russell Stover's. You'd be better off giver her radishes)

So I enthusiastically recommend Emily's books, which you can purchase in the webstore. Start baking, share with me what you find out, and enjoy one of the richest pleasures food has to offer.

The art of the Macaroon:

The Joy of Pesto

A couple of weeks ago, I was driving home from a nightclub in Costa Mesa with a 30-something year old classmate of mine. She was mildly buzzed and ready to go to sleep, but as we were chatting about how spring break was going, she interjected:

"Oh by the way, you have to make me pesto."

I had pesto sauce for the first time when I was six years old. I was at a family friend’s house while my parents were moving our stuff into a new place about 30 minutes away. It was green and it tasted funny, like nothing I’d ever seen before. Not exactly the most inspiring beginning to what has become my favorite pasta sauce.

Today, pesto is used in everything from pasta to pizza, from dips to sandwiches. And the summertime is great because that’s when basil, the ingredient in the sauce, grows large and fragrant. Go to most farmer’s markets in the summertime, and you can get huge bunches of it for 99 cents. At the famous Gilroy Garlic Festival, its served everywhere you go.

The clash of flavors is simple yet satisfying. The aroma of the basil, the pungent garlic, the texture of the pine nuts, the richness of the cheese, and all complimented by the distinct taste of extra virgin olive oil. Yes, this sauce has something for everybody.

Here’s the way I like to make it:

36 Basil leaves, rinsed and dried
3-4 cloves garlic
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup pine nuts
¾-1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine and mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender. If too thick, add small amounts of olive oil. This makes enough sauce for a pound of spaghetti.

I recently rediscovered the sauce’s versatility in sandwiches. Here’s a simple favorite of mine, with a little twist on the old grilled cheese and tomato.

ITALIAN SALAD SANDWICH
Two slices of sliced long sourdough bread
Two slices of a large tomato
(Optional: Two cucumber slices)
Pesto sauce
One slice of mozzarella or provolone cheese

Coat one side of each slice of bread with pesto sauce. On one slice, place tomato (and cucumber, if desired). On the other slice, place cheese. Place in a warm toaster oven for about five minutes, until bread is toasted and cheese melted. Remove bread slices, place together, slice, and enjoy.

(A word to the wise: Your breath will smell of garlic for quite some time after eating, hence not advisable on a first date).

Why do I love to cook?

Everything about me says I shouldn’t. I’m a 28-year old man. I’m a bachelor. I’m a student. My parents come from a country where women cook while men work during the day and sit on their asses at night. I love sports. I play video games. How could I possibly be a “Foodie”?

It started when I was a child. My father was a San Francisco businessman while high aspirations for his children. So much so that he thought it would be a good idea to start bringing us to fancy restaurants at a young age not so much to show off wealth, but rather for me and my brother to learn what it’s like to eat in a place like that. At first, it was painstaking. The food took too long, it tasted funny, and we had to wear these stupid clothes JUST to get in. But as time went on, we caught on to the culture of food and its power to entertain, excite, inspire, and bring people together.

On the other end was my mother, a physician with the hidden fantasy of being a cook. So much so that she spends a lot of her spare time cooking and baking. Every now and then, I’d help her out and continued to learn until the day I could handle myself in the kitchen by the time I was a teenager.

As an impressionable young man with no game, several told me that the ability to cook and bake would make me desirable to women. Because of that, I got reasonably good at cooking and baking. I practiced, I tested, and kept at it until I mastered several dishes (I also learned to dance the same way, and for the same reasons). It has yet to yield results. Nevertheless, Randy Pausch once said that “experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” So I haven’t been on a date in forever, but at least I’m not living on McDonalds like many of my counterparts are.

Food is an art unlike others because it nourishes. Not everybody needs to look at paintings, listen to music, or dance the waltz. But sooner or later, everybody needs to eat. Because eating is such a central activity to our lives, we often gather around it. Think of every major celebration there is in life, and food plays a large role. From family dinners to weddings, charity fundraisers, sporting events, and political gatherings, food often plays a central role.

Good food, however, gets people talking. I love the way flavors dance on palates to the point where they become words out of a person’s mouth, or better yet, incomprehensible groans of pleasure and satisfaction (Mmmmm, Yummy, Ahhh). While it is one thing to experience great tastes, it is another to know that the great tastes your company experiences comes from the work of your own hands.

So that what cabinet is all about. To share food recipes, ideas, and experiences, while showing people how to make new ones. You are most certainly welcome to join me on the relentless search for flavor.