Out with the old and in with the new

Jen finally took down her Raspberry Poppyseed Cake with Lemon-Mint Granita last Friday as it was time for a refresh. It was also one of those rare, fortunate days, Jen brought home the rejects for me to taste. It didn't have the full plate up and was missing the granita entirely, but man, the cake as Mmm...mmm...good and so moist and flavorful. I am not a cake person, either, but balance of sweetness and tartness and the depth of the flavors was very enjoyable to me. Jen did have a friend complain that the cake was too dry, but I think he was off his rocker that day. However, that dessert is no more, and for those who missed it, you better get into Salt House before you miss Jen's other creations.

To replace the poppyseed cake will be a Basque Cake with Honey Plum Sauce served with Earl Gray Ice Cream. For the uninitiated, the cake is named after the Basque region of France where it is a specialty that has pastry cream encased in a light shortdough pastry. The Earl Gray ice cream should be a nice contrast to the sweetness of the honey plum sauce as well serve to highlight one of Jen's favorite drinks in the world, Earl Gray tea.

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Culinary Word of the Day: Basque Cake
A.K.A. Gâteau Basque. An invention of the French Basques from the town of Cambo-les-Bains, but with the Basque passion for pastry-cream filled confections, it reflects tastes on both sides of the border, France & Spain. While always distinguished by the presence of a filling, a Gâteau Basque can have a spongy cake or a crisp pastry exterior, and the filling can consist of pastry cream (plain or almond-flavored), fruit preserves (cherry is common, but other fruits can be used), or ... both. Source: The Traveler's Lunchbox

Wake Me Up When September Ends

What's going with the world? Most mornings I peruse the net for headlines and news from around the world, and a few days ago, I was just hit with a string of articles that made me just ask, "what the hell is going on here?" I mean fine it's normal to see this stuff in the paper every once in a while... all in the same day.

It began with a story of two girls in Arizona who were duped with counterfeit bills at the lemonade stand. I bet they didn't think of that as an option in Lemonade Tycoon. Seriously, though, it's hard enough to be a kid these days with a war going on, threats of terrorists everywhere, kidnappers, rapers, and now you'll even be targeted by scammers at your lemonade stand.

And talking about war... In Tampa, Fl, junk yard workers found a discarded surface-to-air missile, a.k.a. SAM, lying about.

Experts were drafted in from the nearby MacDill Air Force Base, who quickly identified the object as a Patriot. They said that it was harmless, as it was missing its warhead. MacDill spokesman Lt. Omar Villarreal confirmed that the missile did not contain, in his words, 'the part on top that goes boom.'

Gee... that makes it all better except that the article went on to say that "the missile still had its rocket motor and guidance system." Don't these things cost millions of our tax dollars? And aren't countries like North Korea and the "bad guys" trying to amass this technology? God help us while we simply dump our missiles in an unprotected junk yard and not tell the workers.

Something a little more upsetting was a report out of Jersey City, NJ where a woman found a little something on her lawn one day. What she found was a "AT-4 missile launcher that is used to fire against tanks and buildings. The device was first approved by the U.S. Army in 1985 and its very powerful warheads can penetrate through more than a foot of armor." Officials trying to calm the situation responded with a statement saying the rocket launcher, which is good for one use only, had already been fired. Uhmmm... ok... so this rocket launcher we used and simply discarded on this woman's lawn who also just happens to live in the flight path of a near by airport. WTF!?!

In other news, it is now illegal to take winnings from a defective slot machine. In Elizabeth, IN, prosecutors are considering charges against individuals who collected winnings from a faulty slot machine at Caesars Indiana. The slot machine was handing out $10 for every $1 put in it because of a software defect. There were a number of people who collected from the faulty machine until one of them reported the error.

Kathryn Ford of Louisville, Ky., the gambler who alerted the casino, said going after the other patrons was unfair.

When a slot machine jams and gamblers lose money, they don't get it back, she said.

"It doesn't work in the reverse," Ford said. "They need to forget it and move on."

At least one person has her head on straight, even if the prosecutors and the casino don't seem to have their head on right.

If all else is going to hell, why not just murder and steal. Well, at least the latter is what one bird in the UK has begun to do.

Shop assistant Sriaram Nagarajan said: "He's got it down to a fine art. He waits until there are no customers around and I'm standing behind the till, then he raids the place.

The bird is even picky as he only takes one particular kind. He has become quite a celebrity with the locals too. They have named him Sam and even pay for the bird's chips. I'm lost for words when even the wildlife get into it. Thanx Susan for this one.

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Culinary Word of the Day: Honeywater
Yesterday's, July 25, post listed honeywater as an ingredient in the Candy Cap Mushroom Martini. I tried finding information about honeywater and found very little about it. I did end up with what looks like a Swiss recipe from Astray.com. Honeywater is a strengthening drink - for a cold, or before going swimming in Lake Lugano. I'm not certain if this is in fact the same honeywater that was in Jen's drink, but if anyone knows more about honeywater, please do leave a comment.

Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city...

Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose? The lights are much brighter there...
You can forget all your troubles; forget all your cares, and go
Downtown -- things will be great when you're
Downtown -- you'll find a place for sure
Downtown -- everything's waiting for you
-From Petula Clark's Downtown

Few of you may know that Jen used to volunteer at St. Anthony's Soup Kitchen in San Francisco for years. Along the way Jen made many friends, but one in particular remains close to Jen's heart. She's a mature, retired lady named Pat. I've met her only a handful of times but what a lovely, kind person she is, so generous and joyous. Last week, the three of us met up for our semi-monthly get together at Downtown Restaurant in Berkeley, CA.

Downtown is a restaurant and bar that caters toward yuppies to established professionals and the occasional neighborhood regular with a big emphasis on the arts. Large, modern canvas works are hung throughout the large, honey-oak accented dining room. They also have a stage against the far wall for their Jazz concerts occasionally held there. Their food unfortunately does not live up to the expressiveness of the art that is displayed. Their menu was a bit confusing as they wanted to mix the different dining styles of tapas with normal entrée plates. Thus, entrée prices ranged from $12.50 for the Spring Risotto to $26.00 for Grilled New York Steak without indicating how much food you really are getting for that price. Is it a small, expensive tapa or fair-priced, full and rich dinner plate? Well the three of us ended up ordering the salmon, sole, and pork shoulder plates, that ultimately were good but forgettable, with a bottle of equally forgettable wine. The sole was well prepared but the dish as whole lacked pizazz. The salmon and pork dishes were essentially the same dish: only so-so cooked protein over risotto & cherry tomatoes. Their desserts had a little more flair as they tried things like a corn crème brûlée (for those who remember Jen had a corn custard tart on her menu at the same). The corn crème brûlée was the best of the three desserts we had but lacked the some corn flavor that Jen's custard had. In contrast to their food menu, the drink menu was very interesting with peach-passion fruit soda and a variety of cocktails made with St. George Spirits famous for their Hanger One vodka distilled right here in the bay area on the old base in Alameda. The weirdest listing we found was an Aqua Perfecta Candy Cap Mushroom Vodka. Upon ordering it, our waiter did a double-take and asked if we were sure that's what we wanted. Thinking it would be just straight over ice, it was a surprise to see it come in a martini glass. It turns out even the bartender thought it wouldn't be good, so he doctored it with Madeira, honeywater, lemon juice, and a lemon twist. It was it definitely tasted like a plain English button mushroom but worked surprisingly well. It worked much like how olives or onions do in a martini. The Candy Cap was certainly the most expressive part of the meal aside from the company, of course. In conclusion, we'd rate Downtown as a good experience, but there are many other impressive restaurants we'd rather eat in downtown Berkeley. Maybe we'd come back for a jazz concert...maybe...

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Culinary Word of the Day: Madeira
Named after the Portuguese-owned island where it's made, Madeira is a distinctive fortified wine that's subjected to a lengthy heating process during maturation. It can range in color from pale blond to deep tawny and runs the gamut from quite dry to very sweet. The pale golden Sercial is the lightest, driest Madeira, while the rich, dark Malmsey is the sweetest. Bual and Verdelho are both medium-sweet wines. The flavor of American-made Madeiras cannot compare with that of the Portuguese originals, but then they're a fraction of the price. The lighter Madeiras are often served as apéritifs, while the richer, darker Malmsey is perfect for after-dinner sipping. Madeira is also an excellent cooking wine and can be used in both sweet and savory preparations. Source: Food Lover's Companion

I ♥ iPhone

Oh my iPhone...

Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone, besmear'd with sluttish time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,
Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory.
'Gainst death and all oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room,
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.
-William Shakespeare, Sonnet 55

Oh how I do love thee, my future iPhone. But how does one justify 6+ crisp Franklins to hold your slick frame in one's hand, to "oh and ah" at your touchscreen interface, and to dance about with your iPod features while flipping through web pages with your amazing browser capabilities.

I could go on and on about the wonders that Steve Jobs imbued upon this device, but in the end, I do not have one in my hand. While the geeky side of me craves the new toy, the practical side cannot part with that much money for phone. I've devised a compromise to satisfy Id and Ego. Sometime before the iPhone was released I purchased a bunch of Apple Stock (aapl). What I'm banking on is to make money on the iPhone craze, and with those gains, purchase the phone. Essentially, this allows the hype to pay for my craving. Now, it being about 3 weeks since its release, I've already made an unrealized profit of almost one and a quarter iPhones. I'm at the point where I should just sell and start enjoying my iPhone. But that pesky sense of common keeps telling me that I should wait for the v2.0 or at least until my current phone is dead. Needless to say, my Id is unamused and has had to suffice by listening to my Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollow audiobook while enjoying the blackberry pie Jen made me over the weekend. ;)



Fun math:
The second Pizza Theorem
What is the volume of a pizza with thickness a and radius z?

pi z z a

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Culinary Word of the Day: Chenna
A fresh, unripened cheese used throughout India, although it's most popular in the eastern part of the country. It is made from cow's or buffalo's milk and resembles a cottage cheese that's been kneaded until it's closer to the consistency of a light cream cheese. Chenna, which is available in Indian markets, is used primarily in a variety of Bengali desserts. Source: Food Lover's Companion

Italian Sparkling Wines

In honor of the Wine Club meeting tonight, I'm going to give my nod to Italian Sparkling Wines.

Every couple months or so, Jen and our good friend call together a meeting of the Wine Club which they both founded. The format is for each person to buy a bottle between $8-20, Jen would research the wines, and then she would report her findings while members do tastings over dinner. It's a great social affair as well as a fun way to learn about wine. I am not a member because, well, I don't really drink wine among other factors, but I do learn a lot from the Jen's research on wine.

For the Wine Club meeting tonight, our esteemed friend, Amit Shah, choose an Italian Red Sparkling Wine. What makes his wine interesting is that most people in America are used to French-style sparkling wines, and also, among the less common Italian sparkling wines, a red sparkling is even more rare. Furthermore, the red sparkling wine was a style highly regarded by European royality and that was one of the inspirations for why the winery choose to make this wine. What makes Italian sparkling different than the French variety is the Italian use of carbonation to make the bubbly part as opposed to French-style of bottle fermentation. They do not pump gas into the wine like carbonated soda but trap it by what is called the charmat method. The Italian also have grades of their bubbles, spumante and frizzante, meaning full sparkling and slightly sparkling, respectively. These grades are more easily created using the charmat method.

One of my all-time favorite wines to drink is Moscato d'Asti. It's a sweet semi-sparkling from Italy's Piedmont region. I would liken it to grape version of Orangina but with higher quality bubbles. Epicurious says of it to have "a mild level of sweetness balanced by vibrant acidity." We got a few bottles from our friend Rachel and her husband David a little while back. Whenever a bottle was opened and despite my lack of interest in wines, I'd drink the Moscato like it was water on a hot day without even knowing it.

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Culinary Word of the Day: Charmat Method
A bulk method for making SPARKLING WINES developed around 1910 by Frenchman Eugène Charmat. The Charmat process involves faster and less expensive production techniques using large pressurized tanks throughout production. These interconnecting tanks retain the pressure (created by the production of CARBON DIOXIDE during FERMENTATION) throughout the entire process. For many winemakers, the Charmat process replaces the expensive MÉTHODE CHAMPENOISE technique of secondary fermentation in bottles, thereby enabling them to produce inexpensive sparkling wines. Charmat wines can be good (although, once poured, they often lose their bubbles quickly) but are usually not as esteemed as méthode champenoise sparkling wines. The Charmat process is superior, however, to the technique used by some producers of simply pumping carbon dioxide gas into STILL WINE (like carbonated soft drinks are made). The Charmat process is also called bulk process and in the United States, wines may be labeled "Bulk Process" or "Charmat Process" (the latter being preferred). In France this process is also called cuve close; in Italy it's known as metodo charmat or sometimes autoclave (the Italian name for the sealed tanks). In Spain it's called granvas, and in Portugal, método continuo. Source: Epicurious

Home View of the Corn Custard Tart

IMG_2426,
originally uploaded by InnerSpirit.

Here's a view of the old Corn Custard Tart with Blackberries without the Apricot Soda. (Yes, it is as good as it looks!) Too bad it's off the menu now. Please send in your pictures or links of Jen's Desserts if you'd like them to be posted on Man Behind the Chef. I know you wanna see more of this yummy goodness.

New dessert... and a new assistant

Jen took off her Corn Custard Tart with Blackberries and Apricot Soda yesterday. She took a couple of the remaining tarts home and, god, were they good! Corn custard was apparently too savory for one of the owner's tastes. Such a shame...sometimes I wonder if the restaurant is limiting Jen's creativity. In any case, she's come up with a new concoction: the Chèvre Panna Cotta with Blackberry Compote and Macadamia Tuile. This should be a real treat for you goat cheese fans and may even surprise those of you who are unfamiliar with or not fans of chèvre.

Also, I have a little secret to tell which is Jen has a new assistant. As reported earlier, Jen's old assistant, Marty, left Jen for green pastures up in Oregon almost two weeks ago. Jen's been trying out new assistants ever since while having to cope with a broken ice cream machine and working longer and more days to cover what two people would have done. I can't name the new assistant just yet but stay tuned. Jen's very happy to have found this person.

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Culinary Word of the Day: Chèvre
French for "goat," chèvre is a pure white goat's-milk cheese with a delightfully tart flavor that easily distinguishes it from other cheeses. Some of the better known chèvres include banon, bûcheron and montrachet. "Pur chèvre" on the label ensures that the cheese is made entirely from goat's milk; others may have the addition of cow's milk. Chèvres can range in texture from moist and creamy to dry and semifirm. They come in a variety of shapes including cylinders, discs, cones and pyramids, and are often coated in edible ash or leaves, herbs or pepper. Store, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Old chèvre takes on a sour taste and should be discarded. See also pyramide. Source: Food Lover's Companion

Pork bun story was a hoax... or was it...

On July 12, I posted a story about the Chinese cooks putting chemically flavored cardboard into steamed pork buns, and now, apparently the Chinese government is saying it was all a rouse, put on by an unethical reporter. The freelance reporter has been detained and confessed to police that he produced the fake story under pressure for having nothing after spending two weeks investigating pork bun quality. The news station where the original story aired issued a profound apology and "vowed to prevent inaccurate news coverage in the future." Check out the new story here.

I, on the other hand, am suspicious of the whole chain of events. This may sound a bit like a tin-foil hat story, but I come from a family that escaped the communist take over of Vietnam. I have been to communist Vietnam and have experienced first hand the power of the communist propaganda machine. With the Olympics coming up in 2008, China has much to lose by letting any negative reports leak out about food, safety, or security. Even in the financial sector, I've heard of many analysts speculate that the Chinese Government would use all its power to prevent any large dip in the Chinese market at least until after the Olympics. And you cannot deny the fact that China doesn't not have a great track record when it comes to free and unadulterated speech. They don't call it "the Great Firewall of China" for nothing. So who's to say they didn't arrest this poor sap and put out the story to clean up his mess. Maybe I do want to go to the Olympics now...if just to verify the story myself. ;)

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Culinary Word of the Day: Canning
Canning is a method of preserving food by first sealing it in air-tight jars, cans or pouches, and then heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating microorganisms. Because of the danger posed by Clostridium botulinum (the causative agent of botulism) and other pathogens, the only safe method of canning most foods is under conditions of both high heat and pressure, normally at temperatures of 240-250°F (116-121°C). Foods that must be pressure canned include most vegetables, meats, seafood, poultry, and dairy products. The only foods that may be safely canned in a boiling water bath (without high pressure) are highly acidic foods with a pH below 4.6[1], such as fruits, pickled vegetables, or other foods to which acid has been added. Source: Wikipedia

No, I didn't say help. I said... Yelp!

Some of you may have heard or even used yelp, and others of you may even be one of those infamous Yelpers. Either way, it's a place to get reviews restaurants and businesses by regular, everyday patrons. I'm not a friend or foe to yelp as they have not been particularly friendly to my favorite pastry chef nor have they been even-handed in many of the reviews I've read but they do offer something to the growing masses. A rather infamous yelper, who is a friend of a friend, did write this comical review of an old standing, exclusive establishment that goes by the nickname, "the drunk tank." Read it here.

Carlsberg and mentos

We all know what happens when you add mentos to diet coke.. but what happens when you add mentos to beer?

Read a book!

I was gonna write a big post about wide world of peas or do a shoutout to Anne (we miss you, btw! Hope you still read this.) But I found the best rap video ever! For those you know Jen... you'll understand why...

Read A Book!


Lyrics:
Yeah! Wazzap, y’all? This yo’ boy G-Mic. See, I usually do songs with, like, hooks and concepts and shit, right? Well, fuck that, man! I’m tryin’ to go platinum, so I’m gonna rock this shit! Check this out, y’all:

Read a book! Read a book! Read a motherfuckin’ book!
Read a book! Read a book! Read a motherfuckin’ book!
Read a book! Read a book! Read a motherfuckin’ book!
Read a book! Read a book! Read a motherfuckin’ book!

R-E-A-D A B-O-O-Kaaaay
R-E-A-D A B-O-O-Kaaaay
R-E-A-D A B-O-O-Kaaaay
R-E-A-D A B-O-O-Kaaaay

Not a sports page, not a magazine, but a BOOK, nigga! A fuckin’ book, nigga! Yeah!
Not a sports page, not a magazine, but a BOOK, nigga! A fuckin’ book, nigga! Yeah! Not a sports page, not a magazine, but a BOOK, nigga! A fuckin’ book!

Raise yo’ kids, raise yo’ kids, raise yo’ goddamn kids!
Raise yo’ kids, raise yo’ kids, raise yo’ goddamn kids!
Raise yo’ kids, raise yo’ kids, raise yo’ goddamn kids!
Raise yo’ kids, raise yo’ kids, raise yo’ goddamn kids!

Now, yo’ body need water, so drink that shit!
Yo’ body needs water, so drink that shit!
Yo’ body needs water, so drink that shit!
Yo’ body needs water, so drink that shit!

Buy some land! Buy some land! Fuck spinnin’ rims!
Buy some land! Buy some land! Fuck spinnin’ rims!
Buy some land! Buy some land! Fuck spinnin’ rims!
Buy some land! Buy some land! Fuck spinnin’ rims!

Brush yo’ teef, brush yo’ teef, brush yo’ goddamn teef!
Brush yo’ teef, brush yo’ teef, brush yo’ goddamn teef!
Brush yo’ teef, brush yo’ teef, brush yo’ goddamn teef!
Brush yo’ teef, brush yo’ teef, brush yo’ goddamn teef!

And wear deodorant, nigga!
Wear deodorant, nigga!
Wear deodorant, nigga!
Wear deodorant, nigga!
Wear deodorant, nigga!
Wear deodorant, nigga!
Wear deodorant, nigga!
Wear deodorant, nigga!

It’s called Speed Stick! It’s not expensive!
It’s called Speed Stick! It’s not expensive!
It’s called Speed Stick! It’s not expensive!
It’s called Speed Stick! It’s not expensive!

Now read a book, read a book, read a motherfuckin’ book!
Read a book, read a book, read a motherfuckin’ book
Read a book, read a book, read a [explosion]

Yay China for the new Pork Bun Receipe!

The Associated Press put out an interesting food article today about Chinese Pork Buns. The headline was... Beijing steamed buns include cardboard. Yes, you read that right. The original report comes from China Central Television where they led an undercover investigation on baozi, or steamed pork buns, in the growing Chaoyang district of Beijing. Baozi are a common snack in China as they are in China Town restaurants across America. Steam cooked in large bamboo baskets, they have an outer skin made from wheat or rice flour and a filling of sliced pork, but the new filling recipe called for 60% minced, caustic-soda-soaked cardboard and 40% fatty meat with some powdered seasoning for good measure. Even the interviewed cook admitted it didn't taste like much.

"This baozi filling is kind of tough. Not much taste," [the reporter] says. "Can other people taste the difference?"

"Most people can't. It fools the average person," the maker says. "I don't eat them myself."

Doesn't look like I want to go to the the 2008 Olympics anymore...

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Culinary Word of the Day: Banh bao
Bánh bao in Vietnamese. Banh bao is a ball shaped dumpling with pork meat, onions, eggs, mushrooms and vegetables inside. The steamed bun often has ground pork, Chinese sausage and a portion of a hard boiled egg inside. This delicacy originated with the baozi from China but was adapted by the Vietnamese and is also available in most other countries with Vietnamese populations. Source: Wikipedia

Anglaise Anyone?

If you been by to the Salt House lately, looking for some of Jen's yummy ice cream to cool down from the summer weather, you may have noticed there is none to be had. Jen's ice cream machine, the contraption at the center of such controversy, has been finicky since the day it came it. Its short history has included starting rivalries, requiring a 20-minute reset cycle, leaking lid, and shorting out electrical receptacles, and now it even electrocuted Jen's assistant, not too badly thank god. He is in good health and with all his hair not permanently spiky. With such a hazard, it has been taken out of commission for the time being to see if it will even be salvageable. Thus, Jen has reverted to a modified limited menu. Many desserts will be without ice cream and others will be replaced with anglaise.

Those of you who are not in the know may be surprised to learned that ice cream requires a machine. It's function is to whip the ice cream base, or anglaise, while it's being frozen. The whipping motion incorporates air and breaks up ice crystals to make a fine, pleasing texture for the ice cream. The anglaise sauce is simply the unfrozen, unwhipped, but beautifully flavored ice cream base. The same flavor concepts will apply to Jen's modified desserts, but the original intended textures (and temperatures) will be off.

Let's all cross our fingers, and hope that the ice cream machine will be fixed soon.

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Culinary Word of the Day: Crème Anglaise
The French term for a rich custard sauce that can be served hot or cold over cake, fruit or other dessert. Source: Food Lover's Companion

Note: Do check out the Culinary Word of the Day on July 2 for more about Custard.

Extra Note: On July 9, I posted Birch Molasses as the Culinary Word of the Day. I have since been corrected. Proper molasses is a byproduct of sugar refining process, and thus Birch Syrup, which is typically not ever refined down to a solid, cannot yield molasses. I've changed the July 9th CWotD to be Birch Syrup.

Private Honeydew reporting for duty!

This weekend Jen and I were in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA to celebrate the wedding of our our good friends, Liz McMunn & Keith Tetangco at the La Playa Hotel. The event was an amazing affair filled with magical energy of love and happiness. Jen was the Private of Team Honeydew, as the bridesmaids called themselves.

Her teammates were Captain Honeydew, a.k.a. Amanda Molina, and

First-mate, Hannah Dworkin.

The wedding had a sea theme, hence the nautical titles, fitting for a wedding in a town "by the sea." Seashells and starfish adorned all the beautiful decorations including the name tags, center pieces, and the garland around the gazebo, and the reception was held in the Poseidon Room.

Moreover, the bride and groom have never looked so happy. We already knew the two were ridiculously in love; their wedding was a beautiful affirmation and joyous celebration of that love.

Along the way, I got to spend time with a lot of old friends like Dr. Colin Dewey, Elmo Pittenger, Peterangelo Vallis, Captain Honeydew, and Brent McCullough. I also made lots of new friends: Cindy, The San Diego Twins, Elmo's girlfriend, and a cute little girl, named Amanda, who loved to dance. Stop by my flickr photostream to see pictures of the wedding. I can't say my photos are any good for this event... I was just having too much fun to stop and pull out my camera.

Bonus sidenote... the wedding happened 7-7-07! A lucky day for the lucky couple. Liz & Keith's Wedding even made their local paper in Merced.

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Culinary Word of the Day: Birch Syrup
Syrups, sauces, and confections can be made from birch syrup. Similar to maple syrup, birch syrup is "rich and spicy sweet, with a wonderful caramel-like flavor...produced on our homestead in Alaska's Susitna Valley, the vast river valley of the Alaska Range. Each spring we collect the sap from the paper birch and evaporate it to syrup in much the same way pure maple syrup is produced. It takes approximately 100 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of birch syrup; maple by comparison is approximately 40:1." Source: Debra's List. Another great read about Birch Sap is the Alaska Science Forum.

What's up with the intersections last Saturday?!?

On Saturday, I felt like I lost one of my nine lives. Coming home from a leisurely trip to Jen's parent's in the Sunset District, I came to the intersection of Taraval and 19th. It was a very common experience for me to take Taraval to Laguada Honda to get over the hill. Easy peasy ... or so I thought.

I was in the left lane of east bound Taraval right behind a Toyota Corolla. When our light turned green he pulled up into the intersection, stopped, and turned on his left turn blinker. I HATE PEOPLE who don't indicate to show their intentions. Not knowing he was going to turn, I had pulled up behind him, fully stuck in the intersection. Well, Mr. Toyota didn't have it very easy and had to wait until the light turned red before the westbound traffic paused for him to go. That left me with a problem, I am stuck in the intersection and have a red light. My instinct was pull forward and go through the intersection. Well, 19th is very wide 6 lanes, center divider and some extra for parking. Before I even got to 3/4ths of 19th Ave, the northbound cars were already moving. Sh*t! The van in the farthest lane also gunned it putting him in a perfect trajectory to broadside my little "Island Girl" pickup truck. That instant I had to swerve nearly 15 feet around the path of the van to barely clear my pickup from an early demise, let alone save my own heath. After pulling though that ordeal the driver of the van, who is obviously at fault because my being in the intersection gave me the right of way, had the tenacity to still honk at me. Just thank goodness no one was hurt.

Later that same day... that overwhelming feeling that I lost another one of my nine lives came again. This time it happened in Oakland at my house that I'm currently selling. I was mowing my lawn when a crazy driver rounded a corner too fast and actually RAN INTO MY HOUSE!!! My house sits a little off to the right of a T-intersection and is uphill significantly from the street. This driver was speeding up the center stick of the T and made wide right that he could not control.

He ended up careening into the side of my stairs that leads up to the house.

The impact actually lifted up and broke a huge cement slab that was my walkway.
The idiot driver actually got out of his car looking all dazed and confused. I was gonna run and see if he was ok and check if there was anything I can do to help.
However, when he saw me standing there, he got into his car and just sped away...

leaving a trail of car fluids, tire marks from burning out,

car parts strewn about,

and of course, the damage to my house.

I seriously was in a state of shock and could not believe what happened but did my best to catch his license plate. Well, immediately after, Jen came out of the house and a salesman who was up the street and saw the whole accident came to the scene. The three of us could produced a partial license plate, the fact the car was a new model Chrysler or Dodge sedan, and that the driver was a 5'10"-6' black male with bald head light tee shirt and jeans. Jen hopped on the phone and told the cops everything we had. They said they'd be on there way. Well it took nearly two and half hours for the cops to show up to take our statement. But in that time, we did uncover a critical piece of evidence...


The idiot left his license plate behind.

This is gonna end up being an insurance claim and nothing more, but if you see a newish silver or green Dodge with frontal damage with the license plate 5QTD395, call the cops and give me a holler. I'd love to have a few words with that idiot.

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Culinary Word of the Day: Vermouth
A fortified wine that some historians date back to the time of Hippocrates, when it was used as a medicinal. The word "vermouth" comes from the German wermut or vermut ("wormwood") which, before it was declared poisonous, was the principal flavoring ingredient. Today's vermouths are flavored with a complex formula of myriad botanicals including herbs, spices, flowers and seeds, the exact recipe depending on the producer. There are two primary styles of vermouth-sweet (red) and dry (white). All vermouths are derived from white wines. Sweet vermouth was introduced in 1786 by Italian Antonio Benedetto Carpano. It has a slightly sweet flavor and a reddish-brown color from the addition of caramel. This Italian-style vermouth is served as an apéritif and used in slightly sweet cocktails like the americano. Dry vermouth, created by Frenchman Joseph Noilly in 1800, is also called French vermouth, although today it's also produced in other countries including Italy and the United States. Dry vermouth is served as an apéritif and used in dry cocktails like martinis. Drinks made with half sweet and half dry vermouth are referred to as "perfect," as in a perfect manhattan. A vermouth's flavor begins to dissipate as soon as it's opened so it should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 months. Source: Food Lover's Companion

Blackberry corn custard tart with apricot sparkler

Blackberry corn custard tart with apricot sparkler,
originally uploaded by susebraids.

Here's a picture of Jen's newest dessert courtesy of Susan Juan. More pictures of Jen's dessert can be found on Susan's Flickr Photostream.

Derelict of my Duty...

Apologies to the readers who have been looking forward to new posts on Man Behind the Chef and have not gotten their fix. I'd like to share news that Jen's yummy, warm Rhubarb Tart is off the menu... and in its place our favorite pastry chef has created a Corn Custard Tart with Blackberries. This concoction is a recipe derived from one of the most difficult projects she's ever embarked on, a corn flan. The dessert also comes with an extra treat of Apricot Soda Shot on the side! The soda base is apricot poached in vermouth infused with juniper berries. The vermouth and juniper berry flavor combination is a classic from gin martinis (gin is flavored with juniper berries). Also, many chefs poach with white wine, and vermouth is a type of white wine with aromatics. When served, the soda water is mixed with the base to form a spritzy shot.

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Culinary Word of the Day: Custard
A puddinglike dessert (made with a sweetened mixture of milk and eggs) that can either be baked or stirred on stovetop. Custards require slow cooking and gentle heat in order to prevent separation (curdling). For this reason, stirred custards are generally made in a double boiler; baked custards in a water bath. A safeguard when making custard is to remove it from the heat when it reaches 170° to 175°F on a candy thermometer. Custards may be variously flavored with chocolate, vanilla, fruit, and so on. Stirred custards are softer than baked custards and are often used as a sauce or as an ice cream base. Source: Food Lover's Companion