Its the oldest method of cooking food there is. One part dead flesh + one part fire = two parts of deliciousness.
The summer is here and without warning, it seems this year, the sun is most definitely out to play. So, my friends how do we culinarily make the most of the season and the outdoors in the West Coast way? One word- Grilling.
I know what You're thinking. "Don't you mean barbecue?" The answer is yes...and yet a resounding no at the same time. The technicality lies in the method. Barbecue traditionally refers to meat cooked with low consistent heat over a longer period of time, perhaps even indirect heat or smoke (slightly different from smoking). The debate can be made whether or not sauce or juice is used in the process as well as, the term can refer to the meat itself.
Whereas grilling refers to food cooked over direct intense heat for a relatively short period. For the most part when people think about their backyard summer hot dogs and burgers it's going to be grilling, or a cook-out.
Now, I know that may all be a little pointless and boring for some. Knowing that won't change how people view the bag of charcoal or tank of propane (a whole other debate), and probably won't influence your vocabulary one bit. That's ok.
The point was just to put a little bug in your ear to get you outside. Call up some friends, start a fire, and eat something you like. It can even be vegetables...shhhh don't tell anybody. It doesnt have to be perfect just perfect for you, hence the checkered table cloths.
"If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him... the people who give you their food give you their heart." - Cesar Chavez
Food is life, life should be good.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Food and Childhood
"There either is or is not, that’s the way things are. The colour of the day. The way it felt to be a child. The saltwater on your sunburnt legs. Sometimes the water is yellow, sometimes it’s red. But what colour it may be in memory, depends on the day. I’m not going to tell you the story the way it happened. I’m going to tell it the way I remember it."
— Charles Dickens (Great Expectations)
Do you remember it? The day, the smell, the taste. Maybe it is, as Dickens says not the way it took place exactly, but you do remember it. There is, for you, something.
I remember being a child and standing in the kitchen on a chair with my mother, watching her bake as she was taking decorating classes at the time. I was fascinated by how something so good as cake could look like my favorite cartoon characters. When I was 4, my parents had a party for me and there was Mickey Mouse in frosting. Amazing.
One day I remember vividly as the first time I ever did anything in the kitchen by myself. So here goes my memory. I hope it makes you smile at the thought of your own.
It was summer I think. I was old enough to read, maybe 6 or 7, but I was out of school. My Mom was at work and I was home with my Dad. Someone stopped by, an older friend of my family and He needed to speak about something, so they went into the office and I was left with free reign of the tv. Every kid's dream. I do though have to confess to being a very active child.
So, there I am watching tv, and I don't know. Maybe I saw a commercial, maybe I was just a kid, but all of a sudden, cake sounded like a great idea. It still is a great idea come to think of it. So I pull a chair out from the table, go to the cupboard where I knew all the baking items were, and I pulled out a box cake and a can of frosting. I was able to follow the directions, heat the oven, crack the eggs, pour the milk, and with some difficulty pour it into a pan.
A few minutes later, with the smell of something baking, my Dad jumps up and comes running into the room to see what was going on. After I explained myself I got a firm talking to about how I shouldn't be climbing on chairs, let alone turning the oven on without an adult. Then two men stood there puzzled. "You baked a cake?" "Yeah, but I think I'll need help with the frosting", and when it was done I got my help and the three of us sat down and had a piece of my creation. It was a rainbow cake, white with the sprinkles baked in, and a white frosting.
From then on, whenever there was a gathering, my parents had people for dinner, or something like that I was allowed to bake a cake and got help decorating. That's a memory that is special to me, it was my first experience and it made me comfortable in the kitchen. Something that has obviously stuck with me to this day.
So, you can imagine how I felt the first time I saw my neice standing on a chair next to my mother in the kitchen. Being told to keep her hands away while the mixer was going, but being able to lick the batter off when it was done. That's my memory. It may not be a perfectly perfect memory, but its mine. You have one too. Food is life...life should be good.
Enjoy!
— Charles Dickens (Great Expectations)
Do you remember it? The day, the smell, the taste. Maybe it is, as Dickens says not the way it took place exactly, but you do remember it. There is, for you, something.
I remember being a child and standing in the kitchen on a chair with my mother, watching her bake as she was taking decorating classes at the time. I was fascinated by how something so good as cake could look like my favorite cartoon characters. When I was 4, my parents had a party for me and there was Mickey Mouse in frosting. Amazing.
One day I remember vividly as the first time I ever did anything in the kitchen by myself. So here goes my memory. I hope it makes you smile at the thought of your own.
It was summer I think. I was old enough to read, maybe 6 or 7, but I was out of school. My Mom was at work and I was home with my Dad. Someone stopped by, an older friend of my family and He needed to speak about something, so they went into the office and I was left with free reign of the tv. Every kid's dream. I do though have to confess to being a very active child.
So, there I am watching tv, and I don't know. Maybe I saw a commercial, maybe I was just a kid, but all of a sudden, cake sounded like a great idea. It still is a great idea come to think of it. So I pull a chair out from the table, go to the cupboard where I knew all the baking items were, and I pulled out a box cake and a can of frosting. I was able to follow the directions, heat the oven, crack the eggs, pour the milk, and with some difficulty pour it into a pan.
A few minutes later, with the smell of something baking, my Dad jumps up and comes running into the room to see what was going on. After I explained myself I got a firm talking to about how I shouldn't be climbing on chairs, let alone turning the oven on without an adult. Then two men stood there puzzled. "You baked a cake?" "Yeah, but I think I'll need help with the frosting", and when it was done I got my help and the three of us sat down and had a piece of my creation. It was a rainbow cake, white with the sprinkles baked in, and a white frosting.
From then on, whenever there was a gathering, my parents had people for dinner, or something like that I was allowed to bake a cake and got help decorating. That's a memory that is special to me, it was my first experience and it made me comfortable in the kitchen. Something that has obviously stuck with me to this day.
So, you can imagine how I felt the first time I saw my neice standing on a chair next to my mother in the kitchen. Being told to keep her hands away while the mixer was going, but being able to lick the batter off when it was done. That's my memory. It may not be a perfectly perfect memory, but its mine. You have one too. Food is life...life should be good.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The demystefication of wine
First of all, demystification is a word, I know cause I googled it. Isn't it great that google is now a verb? As I was saying. Wine. It has existed very nearly since the beginning of time it would seem. And yet for something that has been around the entire written history of man, and has played such a prominent role in history, It is still something that baffles many people. They ask questions like, "How do I pick a good bottle?", "Red or White?", and "What goes with fish?"
In recent years wine education has become much more prevalent however, especially among foodies. I'll confess to being one of these, who've received my education through trial and error, tasting room attendants, various articles, and my properly well educated family. I can say I have experienced truly award winning wine and pairings that would make your jaw drop.
Wine pairings done by professionals are something not to be missed. They can play tricks in your mouth and make you enjoy the experience more than you knew was possible. Certain wines pair with certain foods for a reason and they know what those are, and in the future we will be bringing you some of those pairings that hopefully you can try and enjoy the way we have.
In California we are fortunate to be in what is now one of the world's premier wine growing regions. This allows us access to world class wine makers and wineries. And as a result, world class wine. Ultimately, though, what appeals to your palate is entirely a personal matter. So in answer, you pick a good bottle by trying it out. Take notes of what you like. Look at rating scales. Speak to professionals and listen to their advice, but don't be tied down by it. LEARN what YOU like. Red or White? Up to you. What does go with fish? Whatever you feel like having with it. Take the time to learn some basics, learn from those who know, and don't be afraid to make a mistake.
http://www.endlesswine.com/
Enjoy!
In recent years wine education has become much more prevalent however, especially among foodies. I'll confess to being one of these, who've received my education through trial and error, tasting room attendants, various articles, and my properly well educated family. I can say I have experienced truly award winning wine and pairings that would make your jaw drop.
Wine pairings done by professionals are something not to be missed. They can play tricks in your mouth and make you enjoy the experience more than you knew was possible. Certain wines pair with certain foods for a reason and they know what those are, and in the future we will be bringing you some of those pairings that hopefully you can try and enjoy the way we have.
In California we are fortunate to be in what is now one of the world's premier wine growing regions. This allows us access to world class wine makers and wineries. And as a result, world class wine. Ultimately, though, what appeals to your palate is entirely a personal matter. So in answer, you pick a good bottle by trying it out. Take notes of what you like. Look at rating scales. Speak to professionals and listen to their advice, but don't be tied down by it. LEARN what YOU like. Red or White? Up to you. What does go with fish? Whatever you feel like having with it. Take the time to learn some basics, learn from those who know, and don't be afraid to make a mistake.
http://www.endlesswine.com/
Enjoy!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Food and Our Emotions
What is it about food that can evoke such a strong emotional response in people? "Comfort" food is not just a figment of our imagination, it is something real. Admittedly, comfort food is generally not the healthiest food for us. But, when it comes down to it, when most people need to feel that comfort they won't care. This is because in that bite, be it salty, sweet, sour, tangy, savory; whatever it is, it does something for you inside.
It brings back a memory. Maybe, the first time you tried it, how you felt then, a simpler moment, the people you were surrounded with. Perhaps, it brings you back to childhood, to a time when you were loved unconditionally and special moments involved special treats. Or maybe, just maybe, it just feels right to have found something so delicious that you don't want to let it go.
Whatever the case may be for you, there is little point in denying that for most people even the simplest meal can touch our hearts in a way we can't fully understand. It's at that point that it becomes more than just fuel for our body. It becomes a part of us. It is for this reason that we cannot be fanatical in our approach to food either way.
If we completely give in to this emotional response we leave little room for the necessary fuel to keep us active and healthy. If we completely ignore it however, just think of the part of ourselves and our lives we are missing out on.
Enjoy!
It brings back a memory. Maybe, the first time you tried it, how you felt then, a simpler moment, the people you were surrounded with. Perhaps, it brings you back to childhood, to a time when you were loved unconditionally and special moments involved special treats. Or maybe, just maybe, it just feels right to have found something so delicious that you don't want to let it go.
Whatever the case may be for you, there is little point in denying that for most people even the simplest meal can touch our hearts in a way we can't fully understand. It's at that point that it becomes more than just fuel for our body. It becomes a part of us. It is for this reason that we cannot be fanatical in our approach to food either way.
If we completely give in to this emotional response we leave little room for the necessary fuel to keep us active and healthy. If we completely ignore it however, just think of the part of ourselves and our lives we are missing out on.
Enjoy!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Society and Our food
More than ever before in history, we as a society are disconnected with our environment. We go to the store and get whatever we need. We rarely have to work for it. And if what we need is not at one store we simply go to the next. This is so in the times we live in because it is the most practical, most efficient, and most profitable way of supplying our necessesities. But does that make it best for us?
We have, since early in our history become a consumer nation. Following in the western way of life laid out by Rome. And while the nation itself may produce a large quantity of the food consumed by it's citizens, that is only because it is a large country. And still we dont produce everything ourselves.
Reality is, we live now in a world economy. There is no escaping it. We cannot realistically all grow our own food, raise our own animals, churn our own butter, or make our own cheese. And most would have no desire to even if they could.
However, we've lost something in that. A connection with our sustinence, an understanding of where it comes from, What is involved in it's preperation; and as such, We've lost an appreciation for the ingredients of our livelyhood. For the food itself.
Food is life...life should be good. It only can be with the best possible ingredients. For most of us the only thing we can control in our food chain is what and where we buy. Regional, fresh produce, in season that hasn't lost its quality equals better choices, better ingredients, better health, and better food.
Enjoy!
We have, since early in our history become a consumer nation. Following in the western way of life laid out by Rome. And while the nation itself may produce a large quantity of the food consumed by it's citizens, that is only because it is a large country. And still we dont produce everything ourselves.
Reality is, we live now in a world economy. There is no escaping it. We cannot realistically all grow our own food, raise our own animals, churn our own butter, or make our own cheese. And most would have no desire to even if they could.
However, we've lost something in that. A connection with our sustinence, an understanding of where it comes from, What is involved in it's preperation; and as such, We've lost an appreciation for the ingredients of our livelyhood. For the food itself.
Food is life...life should be good. It only can be with the best possible ingredients. For most of us the only thing we can control in our food chain is what and where we buy. Regional, fresh produce, in season that hasn't lost its quality equals better choices, better ingredients, better health, and better food.
Enjoy!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Food is life, life should be good.
The purpose of this blog is going to be to explore all things food. Food is what fuels our life. It binds us, brings us together. Whether dinner time with your family, a special evening with the one you love, a meal with friends, or just wandering around your local farmer's market. Food is life and life should be good.
In California we have, (arguably to some), developed a style of our own when it comes to our food. We are fueled by our heritage. Our ancestors took chances, struck out in search of a dream, and weren't afraid to thumb their noses at convention. We appreciate tradition, but are not bound by it. This is clearly seen in the success of California wine. This is what we're going to be trying to get to the heart of. What makes our style? How does it come through in our life? How do we express it in our food?
Enjoy!
In California we have, (arguably to some), developed a style of our own when it comes to our food. We are fueled by our heritage. Our ancestors took chances, struck out in search of a dream, and weren't afraid to thumb their noses at convention. We appreciate tradition, but are not bound by it. This is clearly seen in the success of California wine. This is what we're going to be trying to get to the heart of. What makes our style? How does it come through in our life? How do we express it in our food?
Enjoy!
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