2012:A Fat Boys Year In Review

    So 2012 is winding down and I got to thinking about where I have had the chance to eat, read and watched. So I decided that I would try my best to touch on some interesting things to the last year...Enjoy

    Last Christmas I received a copy of Brian and Michael Voltaggio book called Volt.INK and in the spring of 2012 the wife and I went down to Los Angeles to get away for a few days. It was on this trip that we not only had the chance to have lunch at INK.Sack but Mr. Voltaggio took a few minutes out of his schedule to sign my book.

    If you get the chance to have lunch at INK.Sack you have to order a bag of Crab Chips with whatever sandwich you get...Trust me this is one of the best things you will ever snack on!

    COCHON 555 is 5 chefs, 5 winemakes and 5 heritage breed pigs. This is a multiple city competition. In four years the COCHON Tour has served over 35,000 guests, harvested more than 1 Billion Media impressions for “heritage breed pigs & family farms” and featured over 1500 food pioneers supporting a better food system. When the tour landed in Boston the winner of the Cochon competition was Jamie Bissonnette owner of TORO and COPPA.

     July 1st and the state of Claifornia officially banned the sale of Fois Gras courtesy of animal rights organizations like PETA. If you do not know what Fois Gras (fatty duck liver). Foie gras is made from livers that have been plumped up to several times their normal size through force feeding, a process called gavage. There are California restaurants that finding loopholes to be able to serve it by bringing it in from out of state. What sucks is that restaurants could face up to a $1,000 fine per day.

     David Chang (Momofuku) gets his own show on PBS this year called "The Mind Of A Chef". I love this show because is the pages of the magazine "Lucky Peach" were to come to life this is what you would get. Daisy (my youngest daughter) and I will sit and watch this show as often as possible.

   For all those who are fans of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" he calls it quits with the Travel Channel but do not fret he has joined CNN for a new show and do not forget the cooking reality show he is doing on ABC.

   Here is a couple of stories from the 2012 Eater archives: Gordon Ramsay applied for the UK trademark for "The Spotted Pig," which is, uh, not his restaurant. It's April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman's restaurant in New York. Rumor has it Ramsey will be returning the trademark to it's rightful home. Zagat printed its 2012 guides to Bay Area restaurants with the name of the city misspelled "San Francsico." A restaurant in Moscow held a caviar eating competition in which twelve "lucky" souls had to eat a half kilogram of black caviar worth $70,000 as fast as humanly possible. The prize for winning? More caviar. And last but not least from the EATER universe Ghostwritingate: New York Times writer Julia Moskin claimed a whole bunch of celebrity chefs used ghostwriters; a whole bunch of cookbook authors (including Gwyneth Paltrow, Bobby Flay, and Rachael Ray) had a problem with it.

    Oh yeah I forgot to tell you I got a free pair of kitchen shoes and Chris Cosentino;s book "Beginnings" because not only do I watch to much Top Chef but follow cool people on twitter!!

   Well that is it for now....I hope everyone there has a great new years and remember no one eaters better then a fat boy!!

   Cheers!
 

Chef Fight Club....Some of the best feuds in the food world!

So with all the business with Anthony Bourdain and the Travel Channel I got to thinking about how many feuds exist between other chef. So I started with EATER and The Braiser and here are my top 5 favorite chef feuds!! Please not I am not trying to make mountains out of mole hills I just think some of this stuff is funny. Enjoy


5) Jose Andres v. Gordon Ramsey: I am the first to admit that I enjoy the trainwreck known as "Hells Kitchen". Every season seems to get worse. When Chef Jose Andres had taken to Twitter to voice his opinion of FOX "Hells Kitchen", ""Hells Kitchen is not making my profession look good. watching with daughters for first time, and I feel so ashamed! Don't treat people badly."

4) Alton Brown v. Adam Richman: Alton Brown slammed Man vs Food star Adam Richman for his "disgusting" show, in which he takes on local pig-out spots and their insane food challenges. "That show is about gluttony, and gluttony is wrong. It's wasteful. Think about people that are starving to death and think about that show. I think it's an embarrassment." My favorite thing was when The Food Network had Adam Richman as a judge on IRON CHEF.

3) Jamie Bissonnette v. Anthony Bourdain: Most people do not know Jamie Bissonnette. I wish I could live in Boston and work under him.  Bissonnette finds Bourdain to be highly entertaining but skewed in his perspective on Boston: "That fuckin' prick comes to Boston and he doesn't go to any restaurants, and he goes to fucking dive bars in Southie and then he goes on to say that Boston doesn't have any good fucking restaurants?

2) Eddie Huang v Marcus Samuelsson: Huang's main point seems to be that Red Rooster isn't true to Harlem in any sense. By presenting "upscale" soul food at a premium, Huang argues that the restaurant is both misguided and condescending. "By catering to diners outside Harlem and talking down to the ones who live there -- promising things like "elevated" soul food -- he treats the place like a museum exhibit," Huang writes. "He speaks in stereotypes, desperately trying to capture snapshots of villagers dancing, praying and bespoke-suiting to display in this playhouse of a restaurant."

And last but not least and my favorite feud is....
1) David Chang v. San Francisco Chefs: During a Q & A with Anthony Bourdain at the 2009 NYC Wine and Food Fest, Bourdain asked Chang about food trends that he hates. His response:"F***in' every restaurant in San Francisco is just serving figs on a plate. Do something with your food." After the SF Asia society cancelled a book tour event due to the comment, Chang stood his ground saying, "Why would people get upset? I'm not gonna retract what I said. I think everybody needs to chill out. People need to smoke more marijuana in San Francisco."
 

Sometimes You have To Ignore The Letter In The Window!

Daisy Diggin' Into MOMOFUKU

    I like food, I like to go out to eat with the wife and kids. I like everything from fine dining to food trucks. I also think that sometimes when looking for somewhere to eat you have to look past the letter in the window (LA County establishments have a letter given to them by the health board). What makes for somewhere to eat better then just reputation and where all the hipster kids are calling "cool"?

    On Monday my daughter Daisy and I went to Central Fish Market in Downtown Fresno,Ca. so we could get groceries for dinner, but first we needed ramen! We ordered a couple of bowls of ramen, she had a Japanese soda and I had a can of Sapporo. As we sit eating we are digging through my MOMOFUKU book so we can figure out what we need to buy.

    Central Fish gets busy, I mean super busy. It took us almost 35 minutes to get out food and like always it was worth it. Downtown Fresno has a bunch of places to eat but there is something about Central Fish. If you sit long enough everyone is going to walk through the door. When I say everyone  I mean white guys, black guys, business people, old people, constructions guys...I mean everyone!! This is one of those times where the local know best.

   Just because there are a bunch of fixed gear biks, dudes in jean cut offs and they sell Pabst does not mean it is the cool place to go. Sometimes I do not mind a table that is a little beat up and grimy with the smell of fresh seafood next door in a neighborhood most people won't hang out in after dark.

   Do you know what the locals know?  More importantly are you a local and you do not know where the gems are in your town? If not I think it is time to see what is in your own backyard.

   
  

4 Chefs I follow on Instagram

   Alright, so here is the deal I love Twitter and Instagram and so I have decided to share with you guys my list of favorite chefs I am following on Instagram. This list is in no particular order.

Chopsticks for nose picking..DOPE

1)Jamie Bissonnette (jamiebiss): I found out about Jamie becuase of a book called Primal Cuts (a must own). Jamie is the chef/owner of Coppa Boston and is an old hardcore kid, so this automatically made me a fan.

Cosentino and Denis Leary

2)Chris Cosentino (offalchris): I consider Chris Cosentino one of the most important "nose-to-tail" chefs in California. If you have not check out his book "Beginnings" you should especially if you are into cooking seasonally

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3)Michael Voltaggio (mvoltaggio): Owner of LA's INK and INK.SACK and oh yeah he won Top Chef season 6. There is just something cool about the guy. If you can slurge for INK do it. If you can not then you need to go to INK.SACK and have the Crab Cake Chips!

4)Nate Appleman (nappleman):  Best New Chef of 2009, James Beard winner and walked away from Pulino's in New York to go work for Chipotle. Yeah you heard me right, Chipotle (which I love by the way)! He left for his son. Anyone willing to give it all up for family is tops in my book.

Election is over....Now we eat!!!

    So the election is over and in the state of California one of the most talked about propositions on the ballot was prop 37 "Genetically Engineered Foods Labeling".

   I got up this morning kicked on the news to see that it actually was voted down on. I was quite suprised. For the supporters of this bill it was very straight forward, let us know what is in our food. That was it. It was supported by a union (UFW) and some other organizations.

   People that were against it had a huge list of reason (price hikes for food, effects on farmers, lawsuits...etc). They were concerned about exemptions for some foods and not others. The people that were for "NO" for this bill were Coca-Cola, Nestle and some other major chemical companies (BASF to name one).

   Now that labels are not going to be put on our food by the state what is next...It is really simple. It is our responsibility as consumers to pay attention to what we are buying and eating. Spend the extra money at your farmers market, ask questions of your butcher (find a real butcher). It is not hard to find out what you are putting in your body...Just start paying attention.

    I understand why people wanted to see 37 pass and I thought it was going to, but now it is up to us to take care of ourselves and our families without interuption from the government or big business!!

    Now go eat!
   

My View On Veganism...The Can Is Open!

   So I am going to write this and try to do it without sounding like an ass and being disrespectful to my friends who are vegan.

   I do not support veganism especially as a for of protest. As a healthy lifestyle option if done right I will accept, my boy Burrito has already lost one pant size in less then a month (way to go!!)

   This whole conversation stated when i posted the following quote..."Be a vegan, be vegetarian, but know that you're not actually changing any industry. You're just opting out, not actually supporting small farmers who treat their animals well." -The Ethical Butcher. This is a statement that I actually agree with.

   There are some great farms that are family run that raise there animals in good conscious and when it comes time for slaughter it is done humanely. There are meat markets that are totally sustainable and only sell organic meats and restaurants that support these markets,butcher and farmers.

   Listen I am not talking about shit with Paula Deans overly tanned face on them, I am talking about people that actually care about what they are raising and selling to the public. So then all these vegan "activist" are so against animal cruelty why do they not even give a nod to those who are working hard to things right for those of us who are not vegan.

   Listen I am willing to post vegan recipes here if they are good but this will be the only time I post anything about my view of  being a vegan when it comes to animal rights....Thank you and good night!!

   Bring on the hate!!!

FOODxCORE...Official Fat Boy Meatloaf

   We all grew up eating meatloaf. Good or bad it is a staple of dinner time. This is what I like to call "The Official Fat Boy Meatloaf". The recipe is two parts: the actual meat loaf and the sauce for the meatloaf. It sounds like a lot of work but trust me....well worth it! Like always I hit up my local meat market to get my meat. Nothing is better then meat from a local butcher and meat market!!


Ingredients:
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 1/2 lbs. fresh ground beef
1 1/2 lbs fresh chorizo
3 Bacon Slices cut into quarter inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp Tapatio
1/2 Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp of creamy style horseradish

Glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp Tapatio
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp of creamy style horseradish

   Preheat your oven 325 dgrees. Beat the eggs and add them to the bread crumbs. Put the ground beef in a large mixing bowl add salt and pepper. Add the chorizo and bacon. Mix lightly. Add the egg and bread crumbs mixture, ketchup, tapatio, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish. Knead the mixture by hand until it all begins to hold together.

   Grab a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, shape the meatloaf by hand. Smoothing the edges and cracks. Place in the middle of the oven.

   Making the glaze is super easy, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

   Put a thermometer in the center of the meatloaf for the first 30 minutes or until it reaches 100 degrees. When it hits 100 degrees baste the meatloaf  every 10 minutes until it reaches 145 degrees. When it hits between 145-150 degrees pull out of the over and let it rest for 10 minutes. Whenever I make it I usually make a batch of mashed potatoes. If there is anything left it makes good sandwiches!!

Top Chef Masters...Hope you are watching!!

   Ok so it is time for the new season of Top Chef Master and I hope everyone pays close attention to what the chefs are doing.

    After the first episode of TCM on Twitter Chef Chris Cosentino posted the question "What ingredients did I use in the quick fire challenge?" If you answered the question correctly Chris and Mozo Shoes picked a winner. The winner won a pair of Chef Cosentino;s signature MOZO Kitchen shoes and a signed copy of his book "Beginnings"

   So follow Chef Chris Cosentino @offalchris and also follow MOZO Shoes @MOZO_Shoes just because!!

I need a job in a kitchen so I can wear my new shoes!!

FBxHC Travel Tip!!!

     First I just found out that September 3rd we will see the final season of No Reservations....This makes me sad!

    So this weekend the wife and I took another trip to L.A. and in all reality you guys should not be surprised by this. This trip was not about finding cool food but as a barber I had the chance to participate in a cool promo event with a local LA barbershop. When I got done on Saturday we were trying to figure out what we were going to do for dinner.

Chinatown Summer Night

    When I travel out of town I never eat at restaurants that exist where I live. So this trip I had caught wind that there was a big event in Chinatown called Chinatown Summer Nights. Kung Fu movie blasting on a wall, about 10 food trucks, dj's and craft vendors. Just a super cool event to hang out at (wish I would of  had my girls with me, they would of loved it). Oh yeah, it was free!!!

    So here is my travel tip. You go on holiday to a place that has Disneyland, Magic Mountain or Knott's Berry Farm why are you going to spend your time and money at crappy corporate chain restaurant when there is so much more to the city and surrounding area! Grab a local paper (OC or LA Weekley in So.Cal),check the internet for cool local events or local restaurants and when in doubt ask. Trust me it is worth it!!

    Enjoy your travels and enjoy the city you are visiting.

  

  

   

INK....Another 24 hours in the City of Angels

The only picture I took!

   On one of our last trips to Los Angeles the wife and I went out of our way to eat at Micheal Voltaggio's sandwich joint called Ink.Sack (which is on the same block as INK). Last time we already had dinner reservations at The Playground in Santa Ana so Ink was going to have to wait.

   Last week the wife and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary and due to unforeseen circumstances we really did not do anything, but as soon as a few things cleared up I called down and made a reservation for us. It was kind a late reservation but considering we did not leave the central valley until almost 1 pm on Sunday that was a good call!

   Checked into the Westin at LAX around 5 relaxed for a bit and then headed out. We got to INK a little early so we grabbed a couple of cocktails at the bar while we waited. As we sat with our drinks Micheal Voltaggio is working his own line. The restaurant is laid out with two kitchens the hot kitchen and the cold kitchen (I think the bar tender said "They use a lot of liquid nitrogen in the cold kitchen". Sorry if this is incorrect!)

   When we sat down Beth already new she wanted the scallop dish, but we have decided next time to come with more cash so we can do his tasting menu! Below is exactyle what we ate for dinner:

• hamachi, dashi sponge, soy-yuzu, radish, rice cracker
• baja scallops, egg yolk gnocchi, mushroom hay
• brussels sprouts, pig ears, lardo, apple
• wagyu beef, carrots, tendon, horseradish tofu

   I am going to be honest...this was hands down one of the best meals I have ever had. I think I ate most of the brussel sprout dish, the egg yolk gnocchi was so good (I think this was Beth's favorite dish of the night) and the Wagyu beef was so tender. I wish I could explain how good and odd the hamachi dish was. The menu had three pork items and I wish I could of tried them all (I love pork)

   You will notice there are no pictures, well the reason was...I could not bring myself to be that dude!! I believe that sometimes there is a time and place for busting the phone out and taking picture but I think if you are out at a nice restaurant with your wife for your anniversary you should keep the phone down and so I did.

   My last trip south I had the chance to meet Mr. Voltaggio briefly and he signed my copy of VOLT Ink (which I have read straight thru). As I read the book it made me a big fan of these guys and in the book I found this calculated genuis in the way they looked at the food they prepared. Now that I have had the chance to eat at Ink I am hoping to re-read the book and maybe get a whole new perspective. I told Beth that I would do dishes at Ink if it meant I could learn as much as I could possibly learn.

   Thank you Ink for a great dinner and nice evening!

Yay for noodles! The rise of noodles in America.

    I grew up eating ramen even to this day it is a common thing around the house. Ramen in a cup, a package and really what ever form we can find. Seriously, my 13 year old if she could get away with it would eat noodles everyday!

   I have had noodles when I went to Japanese resaturant but it was not until we moved to Spokane,Washington that I had PHO. I noticed there were quite a few PHO joints and they always quite busy.

   The days of ramen being connected to broke college kids has almost gone the way of the buffalo so to speak. The truth is the way people view noodle in general seems to have changed.

    When it comes to noodles at home people seem to be finding to ways to eat there noodles differently, preparing them with other ingredients then just the broth and noodles. In our house we actually own the "Momofuku" book by David Chang and we will make our own broth ad other ingredients to have with our noodles. We love going out for PHO as a family and turns out this is the case of a lot of people.

#26 seafood PHO!!

   The fact is people just love noodles. I hit up Eddie Huang of BaoHaus in New York city and asked the question "Why do you think ramen has become so popular in the U,S, lately?" and this is what he had to say...."It's been popular but I'm not the biggest fan... Would rather a bowl of soba, kalbi tang, pho, or beef noodle soup any day"

     I think the only real point I have to make is go eat a bowl of noodles...trust me!! If you have never had noodles outside of a packet of dry noodles from the store you do not know what you are missing!!

Tako Tuesday!!

on Twitter @Takobbq

    So today instead of sitting around the house I rolled into Fresno,Ca with the wife and hooked up with the kid over at Fresno City College to check out the newest food truck to hit the scene here in the area. The truck is called Tako Bbq.

    Before I really get into the food of the Tako truck I want to kind of say that the food truck culture is really new to this city. This is not LA or San Francisco, but this is a town that kind of seems to not be the most supportive of a scene that really wants to grow it's legs and run.

   So if you are looking for a decked out truck with cool graphics wtapped around it you are going to miss it. This looks just like any taco truck in Fresno. They have there logo on it but really other then that it is not anything special looking. But do not judge the truck by it apperance.

Facebook: Takobbq truck

      So I was not sure what to order so we ordered one of each taco and the kimchee quesadilla. Lindsee ordered the Kogi burger. So I started with the Kimchee quesadilla that had colby jack cheese and the truth is I would never of thought of putting kimchee and cheese together.

   They had 4 kinds of tacos and the truth is they were all really good. next time I will be ordering the Tako dog!!!

    Support local food trucks. Follew them all on twitter and facebook becuase the more the trucks get support from us as consumers then hopefully we will see more trucks hit the pavement. I look forward to the day that we see a food truck meet up in  Fresno!!

FOODxCORE.....Sweet Chili Pulled Pork

Sweet Chili Pulled Pork is a working title.So when getting ready to prepare this unless your neighborhood market has a real meat counter find a real meat market who actually know something about meat. I personally visit Glick;s in Visalia,,CA or The Meat Market in Fresno,CA. There is something about going to a meat market that has a staff that knows about what cuts of meat are what but more importantly selling meat that has been cut there in house....Enjoy!!

After cooking for almost 12 hours...There were no leftovers!

 
Ingredients:
1 T oil
2 chopped onions
6 minced garlic cloves
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 oz chili sauce (1 small bottle)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 T Worcestershire
3 lb. pork shoulder






Supplies:
Crockpot
Small Sauce Pan

Saute the onions in the oil until soft. Add garlic, chili powder, and pepper and cook another minute or so. Add chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Heat till boiling stirring constantly.

Put the pork shoulder in the crockpot and pour the sauce over it. Cover and cook on low 12 hours or on high 6 hours, until pork is basically falling apart.(Leave it in a little longer, it will not hurt anything). Shred the meat with a pair of forks and return to the pot and keep warm in the sauce. Serve over buns on a pile of steamed rice.

This makes a LOT of pork but I have found that if I am making it for a show there is not going to be anything left. In the off chance you have leftover you can freeze it for later!

6 lbs. of pork shoulder at 7 am!!

Now hipsters have there own little corner of the planet!

To all you guys still wearing your sisters pants, eyeglasses that I wore when I was in the 4th (I had to wear em and it was not to be cool), ya flat iron your hair more then not and you just kind of look like you asking for a butt kicking. Girls wearing leggings and cardigan sweats that belonged to your grandpa and for some reason the exact same glasses. Do not forget the fixed gear bikes that crowd around the the local starbucks.

So Travel + Leisure recently released a list of Hipster friendly cities. First here is Tavel + Leisure's definition of a hipster "A smirking attitude toward mainstream institutions means they tend to frequent cool, often idiosyncratic restaurants, shops, and bars—the same kinds of venues that appeal to travelers looking for what they can't find at home." My definition are just people that annoy the crap out me at shows.

So here is the top 10 Hipster friendly towns cities:
1. Seattle, WA
2. Portland, OR
3. San Francisco, CA
4. New Orleans, LA
5. Portland, ME
6. Providence, RI
7. Austin, TX
8. San Juan, PR
9. Philadelphia, PA
10. Denver, CO

Frankie The Barber presents....FOODxCORE

I am really happy to be doing this show because anytime I can do a show to get kids in our community to think about something other then themselves it is a good thing!!

Leaders (Facedown Records)
Darasuum (Riverside, CA)
Farooq (Fresno)
Hands On Deck (Visalia)
special guest

Cost is 7 bucks (5 bucks with donation of 2 or more non perishable food items). Below is a list of food items we are looking for.

Dinuba Youth Center
214 South L St.
Dinuba,Ca 93618

Meals in a can (stew, chili, soup)
Tuna and canned meat
Peanut butter
Canned foods with pop-top lids
Low-sugar cereals
100% fruit juices in single serving boxes
Canned fruit packed in juice

I like beer, but this one had me scratching my head!! Voodoo Doughnut Ale

As a kid I grew up watching to movie "Strange Brew" and there were always jokes about beer and doughnuts. When I heard about the Voodoo Doughnuts Ale I had to try it. I started sending out e-mails on Facebook to anyone I knew up in the Portland area figuring there had to be one person who could get me a bottle of this strange concoction.

On St.Patrick's Day I walked into a the local Whole Foods and as I am purchasing my pack of Murphy's Irish Ale I turn around to see this pepto-pink bottle labeled  ROGUE Voodoo Doughnuts Ale.

So today I went back to pick up some stuff for dinner and it was calling my name and this time I could not pass it up. The problem was that I put it in the fridge to get a chill on it and more importantly to get the guts up to crack it open.

Pulled it out of the fridge cracked it open and  and poured some in a glass for my wife and all I got was this sweet scent of maple. I finally take a drink and swish it around in my mouth like some snooty beer connoisseur.

I am a fan of many of the beers that ROGUE puts out, but this is one that has left me scratching my head. I went into this beer with an open mind but unfortunately left with a weird taste in my mouth. You can tastte the maple, the smoke from the hops and the hint of bacon.

As I was reading up on Voodoo Doughnuts Ale they obviously encourage pairing with pork and doughnuts. I got to thinking about how this works with pancakes or waffles.

I am glad I got my hands on a bottle of this and gave it a try but unfortunately the more I had to drink the more I have found it as a beer that I will not have again.

I do have to thank ROGUE for thinking out of the box!!

Pizza Night At The House

Today was one of those days that all of a sudden we looked at the clock and it was 4:30 so we are trying to figure out what to do for dinner (this is a common occurrence on Sundays). I suggest I run over to Pappa Murphys or I can run to the market and get stuff for us to make out own pizza.What do we do? Head to the store!!

Our store of choice is Fresh and Easy in Reedley because we have found that compared to buying groceries in Dinuba,CA (where we live) we get better quality products. Before leaving the house first thing I did was throw a pizza stone into the over and turn it on to 450 degrees (yeah I own a pizza stone).

Some meat, chees and veggies

So here is what we picked up from the store...basil, heirloom tomatoes, uncured pepperoni and Daisy picked out a Sopressata salami. The cheese we used was a whole fresh mozzarella

We were trying to decide if we were going to make our own pizza dough and when I looked at the clock I knew there was not going to be enough time so the store has a pre-made pizza dough that turned out to be really good. Please know that I would always at least try to make your own dough. It is worth it!!

So I get the dough rolled out and the first pie get olive oil, fresh basil, mozzarella and both the pepperoni and salami.I also put slices of green heirloom tomato slices. Got it on the pizza stone and let it cook for about 20-25 minutes. Pulled it out and the crust was down and the cheese was nice and melted all over and you can smell the basil. Totally happy with the way it came out!! 

The second pie we did had a tomato and garlic topping instead of pizza sauce (imagine something you would put on a crustini). The wife put the peperoni, salami cheese and tomatoes on it. this was a little heavier of a pizza but I think I ate 3 slices of it.

This is the kind of dinner that can get the whole family involved where it is in prepping and rolling out the dough or just putting the ingredients together. Yay pizza!!!

St. Patrick's Day....I love this week!!!

I need a couple more arms!!

   First I am working on a post about Culinary School v. Working Your way up the ladder. I am hoping to get some feedback from some chefs and see what they have to say about this topic. I am also getting ready to not only have pins done but the first FBHC t-shirt....Can not wait!!

   So here is the question...What do you like to do for St. Patrick's Day?  Everyone likes to go out, party and get drunk and I get it but for me I use St. Patrick's Day to fix a huge meal for my family and if the day permits my fiends.

   To be honest I try to spread it out over a few days. St. Patrick's Day is always Corned Beef, Cabbage and potatoes. The 16th of March is usually a Shepard's Pie with Irish Soda Bread (recipe for both of these will be posted by weeks end). Last but not least the 18th of March is nothing but leftovers (I love a good Reuben sandwich!)

St. Patrick's Day 2011

    Well I hope everyone out there has a great and safe St. Patrick's Day!!

On The Road....FEED ME!!!

   First I want to congratulate Paul Qui for winning season 9 of Top Chef:Texas...Now on to business!

   I have a long history of working as a promoter within the hardcore scene. I am not talking about huge giant tour packages  trying to make fat cash but small venues, touring bands, local bands...etc. even if the shows were not mine I was connected with shows somehow. When working with bands I always had a couple of stipulations: 1)Local bands did not get paid
                                              2)Out of towns got traveling expenses 
                                              3)Will always find a place for you to sleep (hotels or homes)
                                              Last and most important....YOU WILL BE FED!!!

   Please understand, I have never ripped off a band. I have always worked my ass off for bands and oh yeah I HAVE NEVER FED A BAND PIZZA FROM LITTLE CEASERS!!! Not all touring bands have the privilege of a "rider" being told that they want or need. I have seen a habit of bands not getting fed and for me this sucks. When a band is on the road and all they eat is crappy food a good home cooked meal say a hell of a lot!!

Me feeding the masses 

    I have some of the best memories connected with food and bands....barbeques after shows so a band can eat before getting back on the road, bands coming together for a home made pasta and bread before a show, tri tip and potatoes...etc. Also if a band sleeps on your floor take the time to fix them breakfast. A stack of pancakes or waffles with some bacon or sausage goes along way for a band getting ready to drive half a day!! They guys have a budget to survive on!!!

    I have had the opportunity to feed and hang out with some great bands like Ramallah, Death Before Dishonor, The Koffin Kats, 25 Ta Life, Leaders, Swimming with Tsunamis, Fight Like Hell and others.

    All I have trying to say is that if you do shows take the time to feed a band....They like to eat and trust me in the end they will appreciate it!!!
  

24 Hours in the city of Angels

MV INK.SACK

   So Friday morning the wife and I got into Los Angeles to early to check into our hotel room and several hours before she was going to get her hair done so we got back in the car and headed straight towards Melrose Avenue so we could have lunch at INK.Sack. This is a sandwich shop that is owned by Micheal Voltaggio and it is actually on the same block as INK. The shop is open from 11 am-8 pm. Menu is simple to read so you are not left trying to figure out what you are ordering. I ordered the Spicy Tuna sandwich and a bag of Maryland Crab Chips. I look forward to going back to and try The Jose Andres.

Spicy Ahi Tuna and  Crap Chips

Around 5:30 we got on the road towards Santa Ana for dinner at The Planground in downtown Santa Ana. The Playground is owned by Jason Quinn. You may remember him from season 2 of The Great Food Truck Race with his truck The Lime Truck. For dinner Beth had the burger that was not even on the menu and I had Pork Bolognese with Crispy Polenta. They have a great beer selection that is filled with local and regional brewers. The food was really good and it is a cool restaurant. If you plan on checking it out make a reservation....Trust me!!


   Got up this morning walked down to the Starbucks down the street from the hotel, checked out and we headed to DTLA so we could go to the Farmers Market and see the Sur La Table (so rad!!). This is what a farmers market should be!! There were places to eat, meat to purchase (I counted 3 meat counters), fruits and vegetables and several specialty markets. I was blown away and plan to bring a cooler with me next time so I can get some stuff to take home with me.

Lavender Honey Biscuit

Ludo Truck

   Last stop of the day....LUNCH TIME!!! So before I left for LA I knew one thing I wanted to do was find the Ludo Truck and that is what we did!!! It was not super easy to find becuase it was tucked back off from the street. The Ludo Truck is owned by Chef Ludo Lefebvre and it kind of changed the way I view fast food chicken (screw you KFC). I ordered the Messy Po Boy and Beth had the Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich with spicy coleslaw and pickles. I got lucky because I got the last the last Po' Boy. Oh yeah and do not forget to try the Honey Lavender Biscuit...Holy crap!! For a french dude he's got a good grip on southern food.

Messy Shrimp Po' Boy

   I got the opportunity to not only spend some well needed time with my wife but got to me a couple of very talented chefs (Micheal Voltaggio and Jason Quinn) ate some good food and was a bit overwhelmed by Amoeba Records (but left with a couple of gems!).

   Next trip we take the kids!!!

First Recipe...Stuffed Quesadilla

Stuffed Quesadilla from Burrito (Fist City MX)

Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Turkey (I used a combo ground beef and chorizo)
2 Peppers
1 can of Pinto Beans
2-4 Burrito Size Flour Tortillas
1 small bag of Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese




Supplies:
frying pan
tongs

Open up can of pinto beans and place in bowl and put in the microwave for 3 minutes.
Brown your meat and 1/2 way through place in sliced peppers and cook with it.
Place meat and peppers in a separate bowl
Pour in Canola Oil in frying pan ( enough to cover the bottom of the pan )
Warm up in until it's get hot
Place tortilla in pan with oil and lay some cheese on 1st then scoop in mixture of meat and peppers and place inside of tortilla. With tongs as tortilla begins to rise fold in half (into a shape of a taco) and hold down until brown.Place on plate on top of paper towel for a few seconds .
Plate with Pinto Beans on top and garnish with cheese and your favorite Salsa

Food and your kids

So  am a dad of two daughters and today I got to thinking about the importance of not only getting your kids active in the kitchen but showing real interest in food.

The first kid to spend time in the kitchen was Daisy as she started to show interest in baking. We bought her an Ace of Cakes book a couple of off beat cookbooks and my mom had purchased her a cupcake cookbook. For my birthday one year I got a copy of Momofuku and Daisy fell in love with that book because she loves ramen. Daisy and I have now made our own dashi broth and ramen broth.

Lindsee is our oldest and I think the day I took her Ye Olde Kings head in Santa Monica I think something clicked. She crashes at my mom and dad's house during the week since she is going to City College and has started to show interest in cooking for herself. I bought her the Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook for Christmas and today her and I made a trip to the fish market where she got stuff to make Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) and has asked me to buy her a rice cooker.

Both of the kids want me to take em to LA for a food truck meet up, which I am more then happy to do with them!!

My point is this....food is an awesome way to spend time with your kids. Teach em to cook. Teach em where there food comes from and more importantly teach them to be open and adventurous about what is out there.

Last Meal

   So this has been a post I have slowly been working on. It started just using Twitter and hitting up chefs and asking them what there last meal would be if all they had was 20 bucks and then I stared hitting up not only chefs but friends of mine that are in bands and just flat out asked "If you could pick your last meal, what would it be?"
   Well below is what some of the people I asked had to say.
Duff Goldman (Charm City Cakes-Baltimore,MD) @Duff_Goldman "2 double-doubles, fries, and a coke from In-n-out."

Fabio Viviani (Top Chef season 5, owner of Cafe Firenze Moorpark,CA.) @fabioviviana "Roasted chicken and 3 cheap bottle of wine, fuck it im going to die anyway at least i want to be happily buzzed."

Vic- The Koffin Kats

Zak Victor (The Koffin Kats) Last meal would be would be that poison blowfish that has to be just cut the right way not to be deadly.

Jesse Wagner ( The Aggrolites) Spaghetti and Meatballs cause that's what I like to make, I love garlic, my grandmother was Sicilian and her sauce got me hooked.

Jesse Wagner - The Aggrolites

Marshall Lichtenwaldt
 (The Warriors and culinary student extraordinaire) Escargo, savory gorgonzola cheesecake, duck roulade, roasted baby red potatos, sauted veg, and twinkie ho-ho tiramisu.

Eddie Huang ( owner of BaoHaus and host of Cheap Bites on Cooking Channel) If mom's house is not an option. Din Tai Fung. Restaurant of my pop's childhood and mine... undefeated!


And for my last me I figure if I am going out I am going out stuffed and tanked with a good plate of bangers and mash a fresh bottle of Jameson's whiskey and a couple of Guinness!

Been a while!!

So I know I have not posted much mainly because I put a lot of time in the barbershop I work in and my barbershop blog.

So it is a new year and the holidays are behind us and for me so is a lot of ridiculous meals!! Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were so good. No food out of a can my wife did an awesome job with both meals.

   Oh yeah did I tell you what I got for Christmas....Momofuku Milk Bar cook book and Sur La Table Things Cooks Love....More cool books to add to my collection.

So I am hoping that this year I post some stuff on some cool restaurants, food trucks and Chefs. If you have any ideas or suggestions please hit me up.
Cheers,
Frankie