When we went to the Hermosa Beach Farmers Market yesterday, I was on a mission. The week prior, I'd cantered down the food aisle just for a Look-See as I'd already had lunch. New among the purveyors was "Chef Barry's Spicy Banana Gourmet BBQ" (try saying that with a mouthful of food.) I liked his menu and resolved then and there to come back next week with an appetite.
His menu is simple: the four meats are all "slowly smoked" and are: brisket, pulled pork, fresh salmon, chicken breast, all served on Chef Barry's handmade rolls.
The sides are: Sweet-Smoked Baked Beans and Homemade Mac & Cheese and Jalapeno Potato Salad. The specialite de la maison is his invention - Spicy Banana Jalapeno Corn Bread muffins.
I elected to try all of the sides as they intrigued me the most. Chef Barry regretted it, but he was out of Mac & Cheese so I can't report on it, but the fact that it was sold out speaks for itself. I would imagine it's a popular dish with mothers, encumbered with little kids at the market.
Since "Too hot is just about right" with me, I thought the Jalapeno Potato Salad wasn't that spicy at all. If I were going to do this, I'd pour pickled jalapeno juice over the still warm potatoes after I'd drained them. I wish Chef Barry would consider two versions - the regular and JALAPENO Potato Salad, but that's just me. In fact, it was good. The potato chunks al dente, the onion chunked, not minced - if you're going to have onion, then damn it! Have onion!
The minute I saw the beans, I knew they'd be good -- a lovely, dark brown in a thick syrup with bits of pork peeking shyly out. They were, as they say in Texas, larrupin!
Classically-trained, Chef Barry makes his own mayonnaise using canola oil. Everything is fresh and made from scratch. I was dying to ask if he grew his own jalapenos, but decided that was kind of a snarky question.
But his great invention is the Banana-Jalapeno Corn Bread muffins. I don't like bananas but I do like "hot" so it was an "I have to try this" deal. I liked the petit size and the baby muffin top overhang. Bananas and jalapenos work well together. The bananas sweeten any sting from the bits of jalapenos.
He told us that his wife is a pastry chef and she was dubious about his muffins, but today she takes some to work with her every day!
Chef Barry Erlich caters - 310-704-1911 -- and you can dine live, so to speak, at the Tuesday Torrance Farmer's Market or the Friday Hermosa Beach Farmer's Market.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
An Italian Passover Seder Dish
This comes from Bon Appetit -- and you don't have to be at a seder to enjoy it!
MATZO-ALMOND CROCCANTE (Italian brittle)
5 sheets matzo
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup margarine; butter if you don't keep kosher
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup sliced almods
5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/4 teas. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teas. sea salt
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a Sil-pat and spray with non-stick stuff. Break up the matzos, keeping them in a single layer - no gaps.
Stir the sugar, margarine/butter, honey and 1/4 cup water until the sugar dissolves. Don't stir it, but do swipe down the pan sides with a wet pastry brush (or if you're very careful a wet paper towel wound around a spoon.)
When the syrup is a deep amber color, pour it evenly over your pile of matzos and then sprinkle the whole thing with the almonds. Let it cool, then melt the cholocate and drizzle it over the almonds. Finish by dusting on the cayenne and sea salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then break it into pieces and enjoy.
I think the cayenne and sea salt would make this treat awesome and low in calories.
MATZO-ALMOND CROCCANTE (Italian brittle)
5 sheets matzo
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup margarine; butter if you don't keep kosher
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup sliced almods
5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/4 teas. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teas. sea salt
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a Sil-pat and spray with non-stick stuff. Break up the matzos, keeping them in a single layer - no gaps.
Stir the sugar, margarine/butter, honey and 1/4 cup water until the sugar dissolves. Don't stir it, but do swipe down the pan sides with a wet pastry brush (or if you're very careful a wet paper towel wound around a spoon.)
When the syrup is a deep amber color, pour it evenly over your pile of matzos and then sprinkle the whole thing with the almonds. Let it cool, then melt the cholocate and drizzle it over the almonds. Finish by dusting on the cayenne and sea salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes and then break it into pieces and enjoy.
I think the cayenne and sea salt would make this treat awesome and low in calories.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Egg-zackly!
Bon Appetit turned it's not inconsiderable talents to eggs - the perfectly boiled, scrambled or poached, to be exact. I have my own ideas about these subjects and I don't doubt that you will have, too. There are many ways to skin a cat.
Bon A says for perfect hard-boiled eggs to put six of them in a medium-heavy sauce pan. Add water to 1 1/5 in. over the eggs and bring the water to a boil. The minute it starts boiling, clap on the lid, take the pot away from the heat and let it all sit for 10 minutes.
I've got a better and faster way. Eggs, pot, water, boil. I've got a wooden "spoon" (it has no spoon bowl) that I use to gently lift out an egg, hold it over the counter away from the heat and see how quickly the egg dries. When it's nearly an instant process, the eggs are done. You could also use a slotted spoon.
Jean-George Vongerichten's Scrambled Eggs
4 eggs in a room-temperature skillet with 1 1/2 T butter
Lightly season with cayenne pepper and sea salt
Put the skillet on a medium-low heat and start whisking. Whisk continually until the eggs have formed small, soft curds. Take the skillet off of the heat and beat in 1/2 T butter.
The God of the Foodies, Thomas Keller, says he poaches his eggs like this because he claims vinegar "tightens" the whites so they don't fringe out in the water:
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 eggs
Carefully slide the eggs into the vinegar, get your water boiling and then stir it so that you have a vortex, whirling around the pot of water. Gently slide the eggs in and keep stirring - this collects many of the fine white strands and gives you a more compact-looking finished egg.
For any egg dish that requires a raw egg, I try very hard not to include the "chalazae" which is that small pece of string that looks like an umbilical chord to me. Using the shell is the easiest way to nab the little rascal and throw it in the sink.
Bon A says for perfect hard-boiled eggs to put six of them in a medium-heavy sauce pan. Add water to 1 1/5 in. over the eggs and bring the water to a boil. The minute it starts boiling, clap on the lid, take the pot away from the heat and let it all sit for 10 minutes.
I've got a better and faster way. Eggs, pot, water, boil. I've got a wooden "spoon" (it has no spoon bowl) that I use to gently lift out an egg, hold it over the counter away from the heat and see how quickly the egg dries. When it's nearly an instant process, the eggs are done. You could also use a slotted spoon.
Jean-George Vongerichten's Scrambled Eggs
4 eggs in a room-temperature skillet with 1 1/2 T butter
Lightly season with cayenne pepper and sea salt
Put the skillet on a medium-low heat and start whisking. Whisk continually until the eggs have formed small, soft curds. Take the skillet off of the heat and beat in 1/2 T butter.
The God of the Foodies, Thomas Keller, says he poaches his eggs like this because he claims vinegar "tightens" the whites so they don't fringe out in the water:
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 eggs
Carefully slide the eggs into the vinegar, get your water boiling and then stir it so that you have a vortex, whirling around the pot of water. Gently slide the eggs in and keep stirring - this collects many of the fine white strands and gives you a more compact-looking finished egg.
For any egg dish that requires a raw egg, I try very hard not to include the "chalazae" which is that small pece of string that looks like an umbilical chord to me. Using the shell is the easiest way to nab the little rascal and throw it in the sink.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
In Which Our Accountant Breaks My heart
Fellow Greed heads may remember that I was gloating about turning a $500 paycheck into a new computer, printer and writing all of it off! Yes!!
Alack a day (yesterday.) We motored stately up to Beverly Hills and our CPA's offices. After the greetings and seatings, I asked Les how long I'd been a client and we worked it out to about 46 years -- but I started with his Dad, Sherman, when I was about 26. Richie and I married and Sherman got a new client. We were shocked when arriving for an appointment with Sherman to be greeted by Les with the sad news that his father had died the summer before.
I couldn't wait to tell Les about my windfall and plans for it. He leaned back in his chair behind the massive desk and ... laughed. "The cut-off is $600 and you have to make it from the same person or company. At $601, you can report it; otherwise, just stick it in your pocket and forget about it. The government doesn't want to know." I believe the subsequent sulk lasted for nearly 10 minutes...
Les has something of a sardonic sense of humor (always a good thing in my opinion.) He said a lawyer told him that the best way to avoid family fights over a will and to avoid probate is to write a hot check and die. No assets, no probate and no family wars. There's nothing to inherit!" (triumphantly.)
Warming to this theme, Les went on to say that our generation (and he was being generous; he probably isn't even 50 yet) was taught NEVER to touch the principle, but to live off of the interest." He continued, "Kids today don't do that, they just spend, spend, spend so here's what to do. Add up your assets, divide that sum by the number of years you expect to live and -- that's your yearly allowance!"
The catch to this, of course, is that no one knows how long they will live. You can guesstimate all you want, but the fact remains -- no one knows.
But, I wondered, could not averages come into play? Example: My father's parents died ages 64 (him) and 101 (her.) That's a total of 165 years. Divide by two for the average and my Dad shoud have died age 82.5. Unfortunately he was only 81 when he died. My mother's parents died age 86 (her) and 96 (him) for a total of 182, divided by two, she should have died at age 91. She died at 87, four years short of that goal. (But she also had Parkinson's disese, beginning age 81.)
Now, my parents' number is 168, divided by two, gives me only until age 84 and I'm about to be 72, so I have 12 years left to spend half of all of our money.
Who wants to go to Paris? But, of course, 1st class! We're not going to live forever, you know.
Alack a day (yesterday.) We motored stately up to Beverly Hills and our CPA's offices. After the greetings and seatings, I asked Les how long I'd been a client and we worked it out to about 46 years -- but I started with his Dad, Sherman, when I was about 26. Richie and I married and Sherman got a new client. We were shocked when arriving for an appointment with Sherman to be greeted by Les with the sad news that his father had died the summer before.
I couldn't wait to tell Les about my windfall and plans for it. He leaned back in his chair behind the massive desk and ... laughed. "The cut-off is $600 and you have to make it from the same person or company. At $601, you can report it; otherwise, just stick it in your pocket and forget about it. The government doesn't want to know." I believe the subsequent sulk lasted for nearly 10 minutes...
Les has something of a sardonic sense of humor (always a good thing in my opinion.) He said a lawyer told him that the best way to avoid family fights over a will and to avoid probate is to write a hot check and die. No assets, no probate and no family wars. There's nothing to inherit!" (triumphantly.)
Warming to this theme, Les went on to say that our generation (and he was being generous; he probably isn't even 50 yet) was taught NEVER to touch the principle, but to live off of the interest." He continued, "Kids today don't do that, they just spend, spend, spend so here's what to do. Add up your assets, divide that sum by the number of years you expect to live and -- that's your yearly allowance!"
The catch to this, of course, is that no one knows how long they will live. You can guesstimate all you want, but the fact remains -- no one knows.
But, I wondered, could not averages come into play? Example: My father's parents died ages 64 (him) and 101 (her.) That's a total of 165 years. Divide by two for the average and my Dad shoud have died age 82.5. Unfortunately he was only 81 when he died. My mother's parents died age 86 (her) and 96 (him) for a total of 182, divided by two, she should have died at age 91. She died at 87, four years short of that goal. (But she also had Parkinson's disese, beginning age 81.)
Now, my parents' number is 168, divided by two, gives me only until age 84 and I'm about to be 72, so I have 12 years left to spend half of all of our money.
Who wants to go to Paris? But, of course, 1st class! We're not going to live forever, you know.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Our Roving Photographer In Hermosa Beach
Undaunted by threatened rain, ignoring the parade delay until next Saturday, our heroes (Richie and "D") hooked up for a couple of beers at the Poopdeck.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Beaches and Chicago Vie for "Windy City" Title
It's been extremely windy for the beach cities here today. The tree tops below us are tossing their heads like debutantes. Scornful debutantes.
We had to go to the supermarket so decided to take a detour to see how the ocean was faring. Angrily! Huge gouts of white foam tore over the top of the breakwater wall (which is probably 15 ft. high. White surf beat high up onto the beaches. No boats, no swimmers, no surfboards; only people safely parked in cars to admire Savage Nature.
The "moutons" were running like a stampede. "Moutons" or "sheep" is what the French call white caps.
The palm trees along Catalina had shed all of their old, brown leaves all over the street. City llandscapers are going to have a fine job tomorrow when the wind quits. Or if it quits.
But I must say, it's a CLEAR day!
We had to go to the supermarket so decided to take a detour to see how the ocean was faring. Angrily! Huge gouts of white foam tore over the top of the breakwater wall (which is probably 15 ft. high. White surf beat high up onto the beaches. No boats, no swimmers, no surfboards; only people safely parked in cars to admire Savage Nature.
The "moutons" were running like a stampede. "Moutons" or "sheep" is what the French call white caps.
The palm trees along Catalina had shed all of their old, brown leaves all over the street. City llandscapers are going to have a fine job tomorrow when the wind quits. Or if it quits.
But I must say, it's a CLEAR day!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
New Dreams of Avarice and Pure Greed
I had a great streak of luck lately. A fellow writer engaged me to do a line edit of his 400 page novel for the princely sum of $500! You may be assured I accepted readily. In fact, I'd barely finished reading his e-vite to financial wealth, when I'd sent back, "Sure." (Didn't want to appear anxious. "YES!" might have seemed a tad... well, you know.)
He delivered the MS and I am now on chapter 3, having begun the job this morning. A rainy day is perfect for this kind of operation. I have occupied the dining room table and am hard at it.
However: when I divided 400 pages by $500, I found I was working for eight cents a page! This doesn't seem right to me - I would have figured $1 per page and 1/24th of a cent instead.
But that is of no concern to me. What is making dollar signs in my fevered brain is this:
Come April, 2013, I will have income as a writer to report!
Why is this such a big deal? you ask? Because I can write-off a new computer and a new printer and all the paper I used up over this year as well as printer ink, postage...
I don't have to show a profit, I just have to prove that I earned money, working as a writer. Our accountant (the very able Les Paver, Beverly Hills) will plotz.
He delivered the MS and I am now on chapter 3, having begun the job this morning. A rainy day is perfect for this kind of operation. I have occupied the dining room table and am hard at it.
However: when I divided 400 pages by $500, I found I was working for eight cents a page! This doesn't seem right to me - I would have figured $1 per page and 1/24th of a cent instead.
But that is of no concern to me. What is making dollar signs in my fevered brain is this:
Come April, 2013, I will have income as a writer to report!
Why is this such a big deal? you ask? Because I can write-off a new computer and a new printer and all the paper I used up over this year as well as printer ink, postage...
I don't have to show a profit, I just have to prove that I earned money, working as a writer. Our accountant (the very able Les Paver, Beverly Hills) will plotz.
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