Carta Musica, Bottarga, Chilli

Udon Mentaiko

From my favorite Japanese resto in Hong Kong. Secret recipe so the restaurant will remain nameless!

starch, best quality Udon
mentaiko
good quality vegetable oil
butter
fresh lime
fresh lemon
shiso
korean chilli powder

1. boil udon and save the water; heat oil on low heat, then add mentaiko and butter
2. add udon, turn heat up and add udon water until creamy and rich
3. add a couple of squeezes of lemon and lime
4. once plated, add shiso and chilli powder, as well as some extra mentaiko for garnish

Los Angeles Observations

Oh that blue sky and uplifting optimism that permeates everyone and everything. It'a a pity there's never enough time to sample more. I guess these little teaser trips keep us going back. Only regret is not going to Animal to this time, but still lots of highlights:

• Trois Mecs: luckily got a table, with the standout being the black truffle grilled cheese. 
• Rustic Canyon: our top dish here was better than anything at Trois Mecs: the Clam Pozole Verde
• Gjelina's: what's there not to like about riding your bike from Santa Monica via Venice to Abbot Kinney for lunch at Gjelina's? Highlight was ricotta gnocchi, beluga lentils with squid and salsa verde and the gob-smacking butterscotch pudding with salty caramel.
• Bestia: hugely popular Italian run by a charming young couple who have just gone for it. The gent is Israeli so traces of the Middle East in some of the dishes including the chicken liver which was spread around the interior of a terra cotta bowl like one would do with hummus in Beirut.
• Tasting Kitchen: around the corner from Gjelina's and feeling a little more grown-up. Smart crowd and Med fare not bad at all. Interesting that Jonathan Gold puts Gjelina much lower on his top 101 resto list. Although maybe slightly less refined than Tasting Kitchen, the flavors are gutsier at Gjelina.

Fusilli & Squash

I couldn't resist jotting this down following a quick glimpse of Gennaro's tube channel. How nice it would be to have his little garden terrace overlooking the Amalfi Coast. Don't overdo the rosemary.

freshly-made fusilli pasta
orange squash
red chili
garlic
rosemary
vegetablie stock
olive oil
maldon sea salt

1. cut squash into cubes, about the size of a thumbnail
2. boil water
3. saute garlic in a lighter olive oil, then chili and rosemary (2-3 sprigs for 400 grams of pasta)
4. let develop some color before adding stock
5. cook for about half our or until soft
6. add pasta into when 1-2 minutes short of finish time
7. give a nice stir, add more olive oil (perhaps an extra virgin this time)
8. taste, season and serve

San Sebastian Observations

What a fun time getting re-acquainted with the San Sebastian pintxos scene, 17 years later. Already long the destination for many a foodie, I fear for this little gem's future as second and third waves of mass tourists arrive. The bar food is very much steeped in tradition with only a couple of places going out on the culinary limb. These note are the result of a lot info distillation and even better: first hand visits to all but one. I am ranking the bars in order of food and ambiance. For the food, I've listed dishes in order of delicioso-ness. Ambiance ranks highly if the place and its clients feel local and the bar itself has a good look preferably in its original decorative state (1-10 score for each with top combined score of 20). A recommended itinerary--assuming your capable of a drink in each establishment--would be: Paco Bueno + Txepetxa + Ursola + Borda Berri + Gandara + La Vina for cheesecake (!). Save Cuchara for lunch, starting with Bar Martinez nearby. For a day in Gros, start with Bar Roberto and Ricardo and finish at Bergara.  All bars are in the old town except where indicated.

• Gandara (9+8=17): really good all around place with quality food and tourists. Ceps and egg yolk, gildas, grilled ham and cheese croissants, prawn and cod skewer, jamon croquetas, grilled red peppers, fried guindillas (only late July-early Aug); percebes (a sort of barnacle). Famous for their little spider crab tart but nothing special. A properly chilled Albarino is on hand, perfect accompaniment! Michelle very happy.

• La Vina (8+8=16): one of Godfather Arzak's favorites with great service to match. The cheesecake is a legend with many people in town finishing their night here for dessert. Otherwise award-winning cheese cone (albeit from ages ago), fried cod, meatballs & fries, bellota jamon plate, good Muga (Rioja). 

• Borda Berri (10+7=16): Barcelona chef who deserted Cuchara San Telmo. My favorite modern pintxos place. Kebab of pork rib, "Risotto" with Idiazabal cheese, Salmorejo with smoked bacalao, veal cheek and tomato confit.

• Cuchara San Telmo (10+6=16): great food but the worst-kept secret in town and better to go for lunch. Smug tourists abound. Trailblazers who did away with pintxos, shifting to small, made-to-order dishes. Burrata & clams (maybe my trip favorite), suckling pig, veal cheeks that the Borda Berri chef obviously brought with him.

• Ursola (9+7=16); If you can, stand at the middle table outside as it's a prime spot. High quality food because the chef has some serious credentials. The place to have San Sebastian's hallmark dish: Kokotxas (hake's throat) in pil-pil sauce. They will likely recommend them grilled, but try the classic way first! 

• Haizea (7+9=16): adjacent to the market, one of Godfather's Arzak's favorites from what I understand. They were always happy to open a bottle of Cava because that is what my mama wanted to drink. La Patrone is eager to please and will go out of her way to make their house specialty: salt cod in brick pastry. No need to go for the pintxos on the bar! 

• Bar Bergara (8+8=16):  the ambiance score is relatively high not due to decor but local clientele, just up the street from Bar Ricardo and Bar Roberto.  Fresh and well-presented, modern touch. Stand-out pintxos is the tomato "hamburger" with dates (vegetarian). In Gros.

• Txepetxa (8+7=15):  only anchovies on toast served here, plus an excellent gilda. The toppings are great, but it's the perfect texture of the baguette that got me the most. Three favorite toppings were spider crab, sea urchin cream and black olive. The jardiniere garnish also excellent!

• Bar Roberto (5+10=15): off the beaten track in Gros, specializing in Vermut with a couple of stand-out pintxos. Roberto is a professional. He's been there forever and I have a feeling he will still be there many years from now. Dried bonito & tomato on toast, smoked eel with seaweed on toast. In Gros.

• Bar Ricardo (5+10=15):  just across the street from Bar Roberto and tad more local. The place for croquetas jamon. His vermu includes a secret sauce including a mixture of campari, angostura bitters and Picon (super cool). In Gros.

• Paco Bueno (4+11=15): hands down the best ambiance in the old town hence the cheeky score of 11. Crazy and crude, just like the Spain we love. In business since 1950 doing the same darn thing year in, year out. The only thing to get here is prawn in batter. Just have one otherwise your appetite will be shot!

• Casa Valles (5+10=15): home of the original Gildas! The only thing I had, as most of the food on offer seemed average. More of an institution and very local by San Sebastian standards, hence the 10 score. In the Center.

• Bar Martinez (7+7=14): feeling pretty local even if on the tourist strip. The salmon mousse with home-made mayo on baguette slice my favorite here. Oh and the tuna-stuffed pepper with tartare sauce.

• Bar Tambril (5+7=12): a nice enough place with great location on Playa Constitucion but the main reason to go is the "anchovy in tempura".

• Bar Nestor (7+4=11): a tourist trap although apparently very good at the three things they focus on: grilled rib chop, tomato salad and the coveted tortilla. Chinese clamouring around the door at opening for first seats at the bar was enough to move on the next place. The only place I didn't sample on this list but wanted to score it anyway!

• Fuega Negro (7+4=11): tries to be Brooklyn but struggles, although had some very good fried chicken, hamburger sliders and house-made pastrami excellent. A daring place by local, more conservative standards.

Grilled Mozz & Anchovy Toasts

Why didn't I think of this before?

nice quality baguette
anchovies in oil
chili sauce (not tobasco)
mozzarella

1. slice and slightly grill bread (only slightly otherwise the bread will have burned before the mozzarella melts)
2. place mozzarella and anchovy slice, with a drop of chili sauce
3. grill until cheese starts to bubble, serve right away

Tonight's Dinner

A delicious Japanese-inspired supper tonight. Except for the mozzarella and anchovy toasts which I got from Boca di Lupo's Kenedy.

• grilled mozzarella & anchovy toasts
• rosemary-garlic olive oil crudo (sashimi-grade red snapper, sweet prawns, squid)
• spaghettini & mentaike
• Fuji apples

Foie Gras Ginger Macaroon

Just had this little beauty at Le Bouton in Nishi-Azabu. And that was just the first nibble. Then came a delicate salad of grated vegetables and crab, then a sale de porc and watercress salad, followed by a chocolat fondant and pistachio ice cream. Impec.

1. make macaron with ginger
2. find best quality bloc or torchon de foie gras
3. slice a square of foie gras and insert between the two macarons

Daniel Rose's Creme Caramel

I think the best creme caramel that I have had, from Daniel Rose's La Bourse et La Vie in the 1st. Congrats to this American chap for bringing back the classics in this sweet little bistro near the Passage Vivienne. 

1 whole egg

7 egg yolks

150 gr sugar

2 vanilla pods

1/2 liter creme liquide (light cream)

1/2 liter whole milk

caramel: 200 gr sugar

1. heat oven 115 degrees C
2. prepare caramel with the sugar and 4 tblsp of water; when finished pour into some ramekins then place all of the latter into water filled pan
3. mix egg, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla bean contents; add the cream and milk and pour through a sieve
4. pour into 8 separate ramekins and put the pan in the oven; cook 35-40 mins until the cremes are solid
5. let cool and then place in the fridge for around 12 hours, de-mold and serve

Tomato Risotto

This has fast become Manou's favorite. I made it for family last night adding a couple of extra touches including topping off the rissoto with some confit cherry tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella on the side.  Fast becoming one of my favorites too! This recipe is good for 5-6 people.

1.5-2 cups arborio (or other quality risotto rice)
2-3 young garlic cloves, minced
1 white onion, minced
1 cup white wine
4-5 cups heated best vegetable stock you can make or buy
1 cup good quality Italian tomato passata
2-3 tblsp butter
1 cup parmesan
fresh basil
EVOO
maldon sea salt, ground black pepper
best quality cherry tomatoes, different colors of possible
buffalo mozzarella

1. slice cherry tomatoes in two, toss in a little EVOO, salt & pepper and minced garlic, place in a small dish in the oven and cook at 120 for 1-2 hours or 150 for 1 hour.
2. saute garlic and onions in EVOO and season, do not let brown
3. when translucent and soft, add rice
4. stir rice, allow it to toast ever so slightly but make sure it does not stick to pan
5. turn heat up, add wine and allow to evaporate before adding stock
6. keep adding stock slowly as rice cooks
7. after about 8 minutes cooking, add half of the passata
8. keep stirring as passata will stick
9. when rice is to your liking and to ensure smoothness, add a bit more stock, remaining butter and parmesan, torn basil leaves (additional broth needed to absorb the parmesan, or else the risotto becomes too stiff), do a quick stir and put a lid on the risotto for about 1-2 minutes
10. serve with confit tomatoes on top, some grated parmesan, extra drizzle of EVOO and mozzarella on the side