It has been so long....

I am hoping to revitalize this page. Got some new books to share and some recipes to work on.

Dinner Time With The Wife And Kid #2

So it is Valentines Day and the truth is I have been sick as hell for the last 24 hours.

Finally up and moving about I figured I owed the wife dinner at least.

On Saturday nights at Gazebo Gardens in Fresno,Ca there is a food truck meet up which features Dusty Buns Bistro, Bravo Bites and several other local trucks. One of these is TAKO BBQ.

TAKO is hands down one of my favorite trucks the owners are super nice people and the food is killer.

Daisy is a noodle kid so she had the glassy noodles with spicey spam. Spicey spam is something her and I love. I had the kalbi beef burrito

Kalbi is usually done with a beef short or even pork (I guess you could use chicken). The marinated is made is usually made with say sauce, ginger and garlic. I also add sesame oil to my marinade.

Beth had the kalbi tacos with the fresh kimchi that they make themselves.

We finished up with some dessert from the folks at Summertime Pies. Beth had the blackberry pie, I had the turtle pie and Daisy had the chocolate cream pie. This was a nice way to end dinner.

Chef Carlos Llaguno Morales

It was announced this evening that Chef Carlos Llaguno Morales has passed away at 38.

Who is Carlos Llaguno Morales? He was the executive chef at NY Les Halles. Some of us were introduced to Carlos on multiple episodes of Anthony Bourdains "No Reservations". He came to the states from Mexico in 1994 with no culinary experience and over the years moved up the ranks. It is inevitable that he ended in a good place when you work under Bourdain over the years.

So tonight we here at FoodXcore want to pay our condolences to the friends, family and collegues on the passing of a chef who earned his part of the American dream.

I believe anyone who works in rhe kitchen can learn a lot from guys like Chef Carlos.

LocaL on Indiegogo

Please check this fundraising records out....super dope cause with one awesome chefs involved!!!

FOODXCORE take over at Pizanos

So recently we partnered with Nick Galvin over at Pizanos in Visalia and did a 3 course meal.

We started with an appetizer of Togarashi edimame. Pre-cooked and then put on a cast iron skillet and thrown in Pizanos woodfire oven.

Salad was a mixed green salad with a sesame vinaigrette.

Third course was my baby!! we did a pizza with kahlua style pork and 3 week old kimchi. Did I tell you I made the kimchi myself!

It was a cool evening and I was really happy to have been able to do it and I hope to do it again!

Pizanos Pizza Of The Day

Today I partnered with Chef Nick Galvin to create there pizza of the day which features salami, shaved jalepenos, jalepeno infused honey and mozzarella!!!

Back To The Basics

So I currently am working part time on the line and doing prep work. The rest of the week I am working front of the house at a pizza joint (both restaurants are owned by the same people).

One of the things I have been working on is learning some basics and one of those basics is learning how to cook the proper omelette.

I Got home from work and had some dinner and a couple hours later I realized I was still hungry so I grabbed a pan, 2 eggs, some butter and made sure I had some salt & pepper.

Oh yeah did I tell ya my wife decided  she wanted one as well.

In food simplicity has to be on point.Something as simple as an omelette can be easily screwed up: to much salt, not enough salt, overcooked and even undercooked.

Are you like me and you never went to culinary school do not use that as an excuse. Work on the basics at work and at hime.

What Is American Food....

Have you ever thought about what makes food "American"? More importantly is there really such thing as "American" food anymore.

I am sitting here having breakfast this morning and looking at what is in my neighborhood.you have my work that has a heavy Mediterranean influence, there are several Mexican restaurants and Indian restaurant. Do not forget the restaurant that is called and "American bistro" that has a huge freaking menu (I really hate huge menus).

There are things that are very much American staples; Chicago style hot dog, a proper lobster roll, shrimp & grits, brisket from Texas (I want to visit Franklins). But I grew up in California where it is a very different world.

I think California is an interesting place when you are looking at food culture because throughout history it has seen some of the heaviest migration of so many different cultures. A perfect example is Fresno,Ca has the biggest Hmong community on the entire west coast (some say in the country).

Think about it where did Kogi start....California!

So as I wrap up this post think about where you live: the communities, the culture and the food. Trust me if you look beyond the bright lights of Red Lobster,Olive Garden and Pzza Hut....you will not be dissapointed!

Thursday at Tazzaria

So today is Thursday and my shift at Tazzaria starts at 4 pm so today I grabbed my pig tails that I smoked over the weekend and blasted to work early and as soon as lunch was done being served I set up a small work area.

I tossed the pig tails in cornstarch and dropped them in the fryer basket. I let them cook for a few minutes and they got just a little crisp on them. I tossed them in sweet chili sauce. Before heading to work I was trying to find some pickeled daicon to finish the tails off.

So I grabbed a bowl and LJ and I took them down stairs to my boss. We talked about what I should do differently but he had never had pigs tail. The awesome thing is that he liked them!! The truth is everyone who ate any of them liked how they came out.

This was an awesome feeling to do something cool and different and people liked it. I look forward to doing it again!

So it is almost 4 pm which means it is time to officially clock on and I already had my prep list for the night and on todays list....Gnocchi.

This is something I have only done one other times with the owner showing me how to do it. So today I made a batch x4 to make sure we have enough to get through the weekend. So I get on all my "mise en place" (look I used a fancy word).


Get the dough made and rolled out and Ryan takes enough for an order and then comes back into the kitchen with a bowl of gnocchi in a sage cream sauce and "here is your finished product". I will be honest......It was good, not dense and a nice texture.

Ryan even had LJ taste it....Even he said I did a good job. It even got back to James that I did a really good job on the gnocchi.

I think the rest of this work week I need to pay attention to Mike & Ryans  line so I can start breaking it down for them and learn where it all belongs......It was a good day at work.

Whole Hog Butchery

So I have been taking a class at the local community college and the class is called Animal Evaluation and Processing. This is a class a bunch of students have to take as part of different ag sci courses.

I knew that we had a slaughter and breakdown coming soon and today I was really excited to find out that we were doing a pig slaughter today.

I was hoping to to hang up my GoPro and shoot the whole process from beginning to end but the teacher said "No". So out of respect for my teacher I pulled it down. I do hope to video as we start breaking down the primal cuts over the next two weeks.

So before the teacher stunned the 350 lb pig all I could think was the Lords Prayer making sure I gave a sense of gratitude for what was about to happen. With a whole class of students the process started at 10:02 pm and ended at 11:32 am.

I was asked by a friend about the kill method.The instructor used a gun that had a captive bolt that was backed by the charge of a .22. This rendered the pig OUT! The next step was to quickly cut the animals throat. This was something that had to be done quickly before  rigor mortis starts to set in.

There are may procedures used to slaughter and animal and due to what we had at the school it was a bit crude and not like a million dollar plant The truth is the way we did it at the school is the way people have been doing it for hundreds of years. Truth is first thing I did was call my dad and tell him about what I just done. He began to tell me about his grandparents and how they would raise pigs and use everything. He told me his grandma would render all the fat, put it in jars and put it in the basement of there home and use it during the years.

Our instructor started  and showed us how to pull the skin off and so I finally get my hand dirty and start helping pull the skin off by cutting against the skin and the fat. As I am watching the process and we are half way through pulling the skin off I look at the teacher and say "I want the head" and that is what I got.

I was talking to the instructor and I made the comment that there is something surreal about this whole process. Watching an animal go from death to what becomes a usable product for consumption.

We as consumers do not think about where are food comes from and how we get it. Today I have a better understanding of where it comes from.

This weekend I am going to be making a batch of my Irish sausage and my goal is to make sure I do not waste a single ounce of meat. Did this change my life....I am not sure. Did it change my point of view on a few thing....DEFINITELY!!!!

Recommended reading: The Ethical Butcher by Berlin Reed

Kitchen To The Shop And Back To The Kitchen

So I have been working as a full time barber since November of 2011. Over the last year I have had a rough time providing for my family doing what I love.

About a month ago I was offered a job working in two local restaurants  (owned by the same family).

I took this job knowing I would have to cut my time in the barbershop way back but I would also be seeing a steady weekly paycheck.

What started as a job at there pizza joint working as a  front of house shift lead has turned into me working as a prep cook in the kitchen of there restaurant.

Before becoming a barber I  worked as a line cook at Mizuna in Spokane,wa. But the truth is that it has been a few years. Close to 8 years to be exact.

I do not feel like I am starting from scratch but I am definitely able to say man I am out of  practice!

I am not sure what's to come but I am enjoying my time in the kitchen. I am working with and for some good people and I am grateful.

Sausage making

The Big Tip....Death To Kind Gestures

So I am sitting here in the hospital with  the wife and I put the tv on Food Network.

First commercial they show features Food Network demigod Rachel Ray and her new show called "The Big Tip".

The show has Rachel traveling the country and leaving giant tips (10 large) for deserving servers.

I think that this show is a crappy idea. I think it pisses on all the good news reports we heard over the last year of random people who left killer tips for hard working servers out of the kindness of there hearts.

Rachel Ray giving money should help Food Network ratings..

EAT INK-Recpes, Stories, Tattoos

Here are some of my favorite profiles found in favorite Eat Ink

EAT INK- Recipes, Stories, Tattoos

I have been meaning to get around and writing a review about"Eat Ink" but the job has been keeping me busy. So here we go!!

I am a cookbook nerd and collector of tattoos so this book was going to be an obvious purchase. Having a history in the kitchen where all my friends who are cook, dishwashers and back of house staff all being tattooed this book was a no brainer.....This book was a great idea.

"Eat Ink" is broken up into 5 chapters...Hoofed, finned, winged, rooted and sugar. So you guessed it each chapter is going to feature a chef that is a top in his field.

"EAT INK" features chefs from all over the country and from different backgrounds. There book features former Top Chef contestants, Contestants from Hell's Kitchen, James Beard Foundation nominees and more.

There is a common thread between many of the chefs in this book and that is they did not start in the kitchen. There are plenty of them (chefs) that knew this (career as a chef) was what they wanted.

The more I read the book the more I actually like it.My first glance through it had chefs with one or two tattoos and I was like "Really, this is what your going to cover in a tattoo cookbook?"

As I read the recipes the great thing is that most of them are really approachable. That is important because so many cookbooks come out and are not easy for the daily at home cook.

I will be honest I was hoping to see more guys like rhe Voltaggios, Aaron Sanchez, Jamie Bissonnette and a few other bigger named and heavily tattoo chefs.

Starting To Get It

So as you see in the pictures I have been working on another
batch of pork belly/bacon. I am going to be honest trying to find quality products to make a good bacon is not easy. Here in the Central Valley there are very few places to purchase pork belly.

I have one meat market that only sells is cryopacked and frozen. I have found another that does not sell it unless you are buying bulk. I have found a mexican market that I am able to buy belly but the only problem is you do not know how good the quality of the meat is going to be.

The first time I purchased 4 pounds of it and the quality was not bad. This last purchase where I purchased 8 pounds the quality was not as good as I would of liked. A lot more fat and a lot less meat which gives you a mediocre bacon.

There is a meat market I still need to pay a visit to and see what they off if anything at all.

When I was younger in Madera,Ca there was a place called the Meat Locker which was where my dad had our pigs butchered after there were slaughtered. It was a meat market and butcher shop and when I was in high school it was where we would go to get all or our deep fried goodness for lunch (deep fried burritos and potato wedges rule)!

You really do not realize the importance of quality over quantitiy until the time comes for you are trying to learn and make your own food. Meat that is raised well is better then meat that is "industrially" raised.

As I learn more about bacon and get ready to start learning how to even make my own sausage my goal is to used some of the best products I can. I want to give my family good food and if I plan to make food available to the public I want to know that I am giving the public a quality food that I can be proud of!

Super Bowl Sunday At Peeves In Fresno,CA

So this Super Bowl Sunday we dropped the kids off at the Fresno Convention Center so they could go see Disney On Ice and the wife and I went to Peeves Public House to watch the game.

This is the first time we had been to Peeves and they really have not been open very long. Peeves Public house & Local Market is new to downtown Fresno but is making there home in a spot on the Fulton Mall with a lot of history.

So lets start with the beer. Peeves has a great selection of beer in cans, bottles and on tap.They have local staples from the fine folks at Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company which is only a few blocks away from Peeves. I had the barley wine from 21st Amendment and a Smoked Scotch Ale which was bloody awesome. When I asked about the taps they were telling me that they swap them out regularly.

The menu on this day consisted of one item because they had partnered with a local church who provided a bunch of appetizers so on the menu they were doing a pulled pork sandwich. Normally the have several items on the menu that rotate based on what local farmers, vendors/distributors bring them. They do a full breakfast on the weekends (which I look forward to paying a visit for).

Now for the one thing I was looking forward to checking out....there market in the space next door. All kinds of cool stuff from locals. Canned/pickled foods, milk from Rosa's Dairy, a few meats from a couple of local farms. The truth is it has got me thinking about working on some bacon recipes/

In the end this is a business that I am hoping to see be successful in Fresno,Ca. And more importantly I hope that this trend of farm to table and local purveyors does not go away anytime soon!!

Chef Charlie Trotter

So it has been quite some time since I posted but todays post is sad news for the city of Chicago.

Chef Trotter passed away today at age 54. His family, friends and a lot of big names in the food game have done nothing but pay respect to a man who really in the end helped shape some of Chicago's food culture.

Chicago chef Graham Elliot (Master Chef judge) tweets: "CHARLIE TROTTER: chef, mentor, trailblazer, philosopher, artist, teacher, leader. He now belongs to the ages."

The first time I heard the name Charlie Trotter was because of Anthony Bourdain and "No Reservations"

Cities with major food culture there are men and women who have helped shape the face of food in there cities and what I have read and learned about Charlie Trotter was he was one of these men

I am not sure what to say but here at FoodXCore we offer our condolences to his family, friends and to all those chefs influenced by him in one way or another do not forget what he taught you because someone has to pass it on!!

Cheers!

Aloha Spirit...Sometimes It Is A Food Thing

So this morning I got to my work set up and did what I do almost every morning and that is walk down to Char-Cu-Te-Rie in here in downtown Visalia, Ca for my morning coffee and time to kick back and do some reading.

 This week I have been reading The Ethical Butcher but today I grabbed the travel issue of Lucky Peach magazine and started reading an article that featured Roy Choi (Kogi and A-Frame) and Christina Tossi (Momofuku Milk Bar).

Roy starts talking about the "aloha spirit". "The aloha spirit happens in many ways. Can you think of letting someone in your house without feeding them, or let them go on the road and not pack them a lunch?" This question got me to thinking about food, friends/family and being involved in the hardcore scene.

One of my favorite things in life is when my wife and I open our home up to friends. Whether it was for a special occasion or just to say "Come over I am firing up the grill". You could almost always count on after any-show our house and yard would be filled with friends and bands who were on the road.

I knew first had that bands on the road did not get good meals on the road so if they were in my house they got fed. There is nothing better then a bunch of guys hanging out around a bbq grill in the snow drinking beer.

In September of 2007 I put together a going away party/birthday party for my wife (we were getting ready to leave Spokane and return to California). I used my buddies restaurant and cooked three pork shoulderes and prepared Kalua Pork, tons of rice and potato salad. Beth made her garlic bread that everyone freaking loves (she has only given the recipe to one person and the is Joey). It was an evening of just spending time with friend.

I think about the times of sitting around a diner and eating food that may not be the nest on the planet but you sit there for a couple of hours with your friend and just b/s the whole time. Everyone has had those late nights at Dennys.

Sometimes I think people miss the point of food. I think food is about community. I was not trying to do something awesome when I would cook late nite after a show it was about bringing people together. The truth is some of the best food around is not always the "best" food but the best times.

When you are eating or in some cases feeding people think of what Roy Choi said about the aloha spirit...Sometimes that is what it is all about.

It Is Burger Time You Suckas!!

Molly Hatchet

    So today I go to lunch at Brewbaker's Brewery in downtown Visalia,Ca. I pull up a stool at the bar order my beer (Dopplebock) and asked what was the special called "Australian Open" and as the bartender began to describe what was in on the burger and as soon as he got to the fact that there was on egg on the burger I say "That will do...Lets go with that".

    Recently I filled out an application for one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Ana,Ca and one of the questions on the application was asking about my favorite burger and why. So this got me thinking...What makes a good burger?

Double-Double Animal Style

   First and for most how do you have your burger cooked? I like my burger medium rare to medium because there is nothing worse then an overcooked burger. If you are out and you order anything over medium you are looking at an overcooked burger, especially if it sits under heat for a few minutes.

    I put the question out there "What make a good burger?". David Villalpando for Fist City MX says a good burger is "sirloin, chorizo, bleu cheese, jalapeno and onion rolls oh yeah and bacon!!"

    One of my favorite things to do when in LA is hit up the Grill Em All Truck because the truth is they have some of the best burgers around. Not only do you get burgers based on your favorite metal bands but just good damn food. Oh yeah by the way have opened a brick and mortar in Alhambra! Can not wait to visit there real restaurant.

Waste Em All

Well in the end is there a such things as the perfect burger, I don't know because like anything that is good it is subjective. A good burger is only as good as its ingredients. If you use crappy meat, crappy cheese or mediocre then guess what you are going to get a crappy burger.
   
   If you are at home making burgers use the time to experiment, do not just slap meat into a patty and if you are out grow a pair of balls and try something new when it comes to your burger. Trust me it is the best way to go.