Life Tastes Good

Public School: 805

January 23, 2015

This week’s restaurant has been my go-to since we moved. Public School 805 has a great concept, trendy atmosphere, quality service and DELICIOUS food.

Public School is a chef-driven gastropub serving exclusively craft beer and delivers, “An Education in the Art of Food & Beer.” They use only the freshest quality ingredients, sourced from local Farmer’s Markets whenever possible. The eclectic, seasonal menu includes favorites such as the Colorado Lamb Burger, Roasted Poblano with Quinoa and the infamous Bacon Cheddar Tots, which are a must try! “Recess” (aka Happy Hour) is held Monday through Friday (in most locations) and boasts items such as Parmesan Truffle Fries, Crispy Ahi Tuna Tacos and PB&J Sliders. The bar features a vast selection of seasonal artisanal cocktails and sommelier selected wines. –Public School

Walking into this restaurant is like walking into a grade-school time warp; chalk boards, school books, hopscotch floors, clipboards, composition notebook and multiple choice scantron menus GALORE! The vibe is unlike anything I have experienced before, BUT the food…The food is what keeps people coming back for more.

The drinks aren’t to shabby either. I tried a couple of their signature cocktails and enjoyed both. The Crushed Velvet consisted of a blackberry and blueberry reduction, lavender and karlsson’s gold vodka. It was refreshing to taste and stunning to look at.

I also had the Fireside Chat, made of apple, cranberry, sage and high west double rye. It lived up to its name. It was smoky and bold. Exactly what you picture drinking next to a warm fire.

Both paired very well with my food.

First up I had the “Cutting Board.“

The Cutting Board consisted of artisan cheeses, two types of salami, and some “crunchewy” bread. As Head Chef Drew Petersen put it, it’s the perfect blend of crunch and chew, and I agree!

Next up we had Bacon Cheddar Tots!

They were just as delicious as they sound, but most importantly, these were tots made with love. Nothing frozen here. They take two days to make and are worth every minute. Crispy on the outside, cheesy on the inside and filled with bacon bliss. Topped it off with sriracha ketchup and I was one happy guy.

BUT…If anything could top fried Cheddar-Bacon-Potatoes it would be this pizza. The House Pepperoni Pizza made to perfection.

I would argue that this pizza is made with the best pizza dough I’ve ever had! The dough was cooked evenly through-out, which is my pet peeve of pizzas. It’s seasoned to perfection and the perfect thickness.

This is a pizza that could end the deep dish/thin crust lover debate. Everyone would leave happy.

Top that off with endless pepperoni, a killer tomato sauce, parmesan, garlic, and jalapenos sliced long-ways, which gives you way more bang with each bite. Simply stellar.

Last, but not least, I had the Huntsman Burger. Ground chuck, lettuce, tomato, a nice fatty/creamy avocado, rich huntsman cheese, nice and salty applewood smoked bacon and sweet balsamic onions all wrapped up in a warm brioche bun. Doesn’t get much better than that. This is one flavor packed burger!

Overall, Public School 805 is a great spot to not only eat, but to take in the atmosphere with some friends. Great ambiance and killer food make this a go-to in my book.

Restaurant Row

Mouthful Eatery

January 15, 2015

After my last blog about the importance of shopping local small business, I decided now is as good a time as any to explore my new neighborhood for a great place to eat!

I’m certainly not a food critic, but I know what I like to eat and if I can share my good experiences with you–awesome!

The first restaurant I got the pleasure of going to was Mouthful Eatery in Thousand Oaks, CA. It was the talk of the town on YELP and just my style, which is a smaller, more intimate, artisanal type of restaurant.

Mouthful definitely delivered! I met with one of the owners, Luis Alberto Sanchez, who gave me the scoop on how Mouthful Eatery came to be. He has years of experience in fine dining and explained that he always wanted to open his own Five Star restaurant, but only had the funds to open a Sandwich Shop. Luckily for us, he opened up one heck of a Sandwich Shop!

It’s obvious from the beginning that this is food from the heart. It’s a mix of Luis’s high end dining experience, his Peruvian background and a passion for fresh-quality-food.

The first items we had were these refreshing lemonades. My wife enjoy the Cucumber Mint Lemonade the most, while I was over the moon for the Pineapple Lemonade. Besides the pulp factor of these drinks, you can tell they’re made from scratch from the first sip. They’re fresh and light, with just enough tart and sweet. Its exactly what you would get if you juiced on your own, at home. No concentrate here!

Next we had a few starters on the healthier side. Both delicious.

We had the “Hail to the Kale” salad, which was absolutely tasty! It’s made with kale, organic tofu, roasted hazelnuts, valencia oranges, roasted mushrooms and butternut squash with a maple-miso vinaigrette. The flavor combination was entirely unexpected and unique in the best possible way. It has a nice level of acidity with the use of Miso and you cut through that with the sweetness of the maple and oranges. Really nice flavors and a great vegetarian option.

I’m already a big fan of Green Bean Almondines, I’ve made them on my channel before, and now I’m a fan of Mouthful’s version as well. Healthy, savory, fresh–classic.

Next we had Yuca Potato Fries with a Peruvian cheese sauce. If you’ve never had a yuca potato it is a nice mix between a mild sweet potato and a kennebec potato (white potato).

My favorite part of this dish was surely the Peruvian Cheese Sauce. The flavor composition had me stumped, and for good reason. The main spice used in the sauce was one I hadn’t exprienced before–Peruvian Yellow Pepper. It blended perfectly in the queso like dip. Just enough spice and flavor to set it apart from the other cheese sauces I’ve had.

After the sides and salads were devoured, we tried three sandwiches off the menu; after all, this is a sandwich joint!

First up was the Albondigo, or Meatballs on Fire Sandwich, which led me to the conclusion that Mouthful really knows their audience. The sandwich was made up of turkey meatballs, chipotle-tomato BBQ, melted
provolone, kale pesto and crispy onion rings. Literally every component that is a top seller right now, in one sandwich. It was great! Nice combination of tender and crunchy, with just enough sauce to to keep the entire sandwich full of flavor, but not messy.

I noticed that the sandwich also came with a side of pickled cabbage, as did most of the dishes. I’m definitely a fan, but its not something I see a often so I asked Luis about it. He explained that when he work at Nic’s Beverly Hills, patrons would frequently ask for sides of their pickled cabbage, which he soon became a mega-fan of himself. He took note and now serves them as a tasty side with the dishes in his own restaurant. Just another example of how this restaurant is a true representation of his life and experiences. It’s not a cookie cutter sandwich shop and I truly appreciate that.

Second sandwich we had was the La Sarita, pork shoulder sandwich, made with roasted pork shoulder, sweet potato, pickled red onions and aji amarillo aioli. This was a SOLID pork sandwich. The pickled red onions are classic, the sweet potato was a great touch, and the carnitas was very high quality. A trait I noticed about everything we were served at Mouthful–high quality ingredients.

I saved the best for last! The Omo Saltado, or steak sandwich, was killer! If you’re a steak and potatoes kind of person, this is the sandwich for you. High quality tender beef (angus skirt steak), amazing caramelized onions, and the perfect amount of steak fries IN THE SANDWICH! In one word, “delicious.” I’ll be having this one again and again!

We finished off the meal at Mouthful Eatery with Carmel stuffed Peruvian Shortbread Cookies. Great way to finish off the meal. I know how difficult a good shortbread is to make and Mouthful pulls it off exceptionally.

All-in-all, I had a great experience at the Mouthful Eatery and would highly recommend them to you.

Any eatery that understands the in and outs of high-brow dining AND appreciates a solid sandwich, is my kind of place.

If you have any recommendations for a great place to eat in the Los Angeles or Ventura County area, let me know!

I would love to take in all of the great eateries this town has to offer.

Main Course

Waldorf Salad

January 10, 2015

The New Year is here and if you’re anything like me you may want to kick it off with a good dose of Healthy Living.

I’m doing just that and starting 2015 with #SaladWeek!

These won’t be your typical lettuce and ranch concoctions, but rather a series of fresh, flavor-rich, gourmet salads that will excite everyones palletes.

Kicking it off, the Waldorf Salad.

In a medium nonstick saute pan add 1 cup of halved walnuts…

…1/4 cup brown sugar…

…4 tbsp honey…

…and 1 tbsp of salt.

Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the sugar has melted and the walnuts are coated thoroughly in the sweet sticky mixture.

Transfer the candied walnuts to a tray lined with parchment or wax paper and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Slice 1 whole Gala or Honey Crisp apple.

Then cut those slices into batonnets which are like matchstick-like shapes.

Put the cut apple into a mixing bowl and add a little lemon juice…

…and olive oil. Quickly toss it all together and set aside until ready to use.

Cut 2 endives into quartered wedges.

Season with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil…

…and a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Place the seasoned endive on a very hot grill for 1-2 minutes on each side, then remove from the grill.

Toss a handful of cut and cleaned frisee into a mixing bowl along with a few leaves of radicchio and season with olive oil…

…lemon juice…

…salt, and black pepper.

Place some of the dressed frisee and radicchio onto a serving dish…

…along with a few pieces of the grilled endive…

…candied walnuts…

…apple sticks…

…a few dollops of greek yogurt…

…some good ’ol crumbled blue cheese…

…and a few leaves of italian parsley for a refreshing finish.

Feel free to chop all the ingredients up and make this a “Chopped Waldorf” if you like something a bit easier, but either way, this is one of those salads that’s going down in my book as a fav. ENJOY!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:7]

| Left: Pepper Grinder | Top Middle: All-Clad Bowl Set | Top Right: Boos Cutting Board |

| Bottom Middle: Glass Bowl Set | Bottom Right: All-Clad Fry Pan |

Food for Thought

Top 10 Food Trends of 2014

January 9, 2015

Let me start off by wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

This year treated me very well with the arrival of my first child, another amazing year with my beautiful wife, a growing business, and a new home with a MASSIVE kitchen!!

All-in-all, 2014 left me feeling very blessed; so before I go full speed ahead in 2015, I’d like to pay homage to the “Top 10 Food Trends of 2014!”

Reinvented Classics:

In 2014, I saw a ton of popular dishes re-imagined with a contemporary twist! I got to experience Buffalo Chicken Fried Cauliflower, Fried Green Tomato BLT’s, a Deconstructed Salt and Vinegar Potato Chip (self explanatory) and I made Sloppy Joe SLIDERS!

This is a trend that I truly appreciated.

Classics are popular for a reason. They tend to be simple to make and are timelessly delicious; but like any good thing, the same dish over and over again can lose its charm. Re-imagining the classics is a great way to keep culinary enthusiasts excited about a dish they’ve had many times before.

Food Fusions:

Some chefs, myself included, chose not only to reimagine one classic dish at a time, but to combine multiple favorites into a single conglomerate of TASTY goodness!

And why not?? Who can resist Bacon Pancakes, or Grilled Cheese Pizza??

Umami:

Also known as the “fifth taste, was also a HUGE hit in 2014.

Taste is made up of certain components: Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, and now Umami; which is the savory aspect of taste (found in food like olives, tomatoes, parmesan, anchovies, ect.).

#FoodPorn:

It was everywhere! Thanks to Instagram, we all know what’s for dinner tonight and I love it. It has been a great way to get everyone excited about food, and really invested in what they’re eating.

I also think food can be quite stunning, so why not share your visual experience with the world??

VeggieMania:

Veggies made a MEGA comeback in 2014! This has to do a lot with the growing popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets, which have restaurants serving more veggie based dishes, as well as the growth of societies’ consciousness of what they’re consuming. Everything has nutrition labels now days and I believe that makes people think twice about what they’re eating; hence 2014’s veggie rich diets.

Kale:

Of all the vegetables that graced our plates this year, Kale was probably the biggest fad of them all. Kale salad, kale chips, kale smoothies, kale in omelettes, kale with lunch, kale with dinner, kale, Kale, KALE! It was everywhere in 2014.

Do we think it will remain a fad in 2015, or will we find a new Super Food to take its place?

Regardless, kale is certainly good for you. Of all the greens it packs one of the mightiest nutritional-punches, but I have to tip my hat to marketing teams around the world. They took something that has been under our noses for generations, shined a spot light on it, and made it the hottest trend of 2014!

Acaí Bowls:

They’re light, energizing, healthy and above all delicious. I became a big fan of the Acaí Bowl this year after my wife asked me to make her one. I’ve been hooked since. It’s the perfect way to wake up, fuel your body, and get the day going without too much fuss.

And the best part of them being a trend, is that you can find them anywhere and everywhere.

Cold Pressed Juice:

Another 2014 discovery that my wife introduced me to, was Cold Pressed Juice. Traditional juices are certainly still packed with nutrients, however, by cold pressing vegetables or fruits into juice, the juice is never allowed to reach room temperature. This does two great things: Its prevents the juice from oxidizing and protects live nutrients from dying off. So by cold pressing you’re ensuring the maximum about of nutrients remain in the juice, for our consumption. I’m a fan.

Nutella:

If raw fruits and veggies are NOT your thing, you can always sweeten some apple slices with a heap of Nutella.

I’m such a Nutella fan that I did an entire #NutellaWeek where I made: Nutella (from scratch), Nutella Lava Cake and Nutella Ice Cream!

I’m certainly not alone in this obsession. Not only were those videos some of my most popular uploads, but I’ve seen Nutella based desserts all over restaurant menus in 2014, and it makes perfect sense. Nutella has set a new precedent for chocolaty-goodness. Lets see if 2015 can top it!

The Cookie Cup:

Dominique Ansel, the creator of Cronuts, unveiled his 2014 creation, The Cookie Shot, and had an overnight hit. It’s simply genius. Take two components that are famously good together, cookies and milk, and make them into one self-contained dish.

It’s one of those things that you ask yourself “Why didn’t I think of that?” Hats off to Ansel. He did it again.

That wraps up the trends that I noticed in 2014, but I’m really curious to see what trends you took note of this past year.

Let me know in the comment section, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Main Course

Crab Cakes

December 29, 2014

While in Bermuda, we had the pleasure of experiencing a three course meal, on a Yatch, out to sea! The views were stunning and the food was spectacular.

One of the courses we had, was a fish cake made from fresh fish caught the day before. It was probably my favorite part of the meal and hopefully my Crab Cake rendition will become a favorite of yours. Enjoy!

In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together one egg yolk…

…1 tbsp of white wine vinegar…

…and a pinch of salt.

Slowly drizzle in 1 cup of canola oil while whisking until the mixture becomes very thick and pale.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a separate medium size mixing bowl add 1 tbsp of chopped tarragon and1 tbsp chopped cilantro…

…Add 1 tbsp minced red jalapeño…

…2 tbsp minced red onion…

…2 cups toasted bread crumbs…

…3/4 cup of lump blue crab…

…1 egg yolk…

…1 tbsp lime juice….

…and 2-3 tbsp of mayonnaise.

Mix until thoroughly combined.

Line a baking tray or a large plate with 2 cups of toasted bread crumbs as evenly as possible.

Place a 4 inch ring mold on the tray. Begin molding the crab mix into the ring mold.

Firmly press the bread crumbs into the “cake” making sure to coat it on all sides.

Pour 3 tbsp of canola oil into a large nonstick pan thats on medium heat.

Let the oil heat up for about 1 minute, then begin panfrying the crab cakes.

It shouldn’t take any longer than 5-6 minutes on each side, but just make sure that the bread crumbs are golden brown and the center of the crab cake is hot.

Smear a dollop or so of spicy aioli (recipe below) onto a plate.

Place a crispy crab cake right on top.

Top the crab cake with a simple salad of arugula sprouts (any sprouts will do).

Add shaved radish, shaved red onion, and a drizzle of olive oil. ENJOY!

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:8]

| Top Left: Mixing Bowls | Top Middlet: All-Clad Frying Pan | Top Right: All-Clad Mixing Bowls |

| Bottom Left Shun Knife | Bottom Left: Ring Mold Set |Bottom Left: Whisk |

| Bottom Middle: William-Sonoma Maple Cutting Board |BottomLeft: Baking Sheet |

Food for Thought

DIY Herb Garden

December 29, 2014

As a chef I’ve wanted my own personal herb garden for years, but never had the room for it. Now that my family and I are in the new house and we have more space to work with, I’m finally able to make that happen.

I’m definitely not a gardening expert, but I did pick up a few tips and tricks that could work for you.

The biggest come up of this whole project were these tree planters I bought at a plant nursery for $12. That’s literally a quarter of the cost that similar sized planters and pots cost everywhere else.

They were a bit deeper that I needed and not completely sealed like a pot would be, but with a fraction of the money I saved and bit of elbow grease I made them into the perfect planters for my atrium.

I started by laying bricks at the bottom of each pot.

Since I didn’t need as much depth as the planters offered, and I had these bricks lying around, I was able to save on unnecessary soil costs by filling in the bottom of each planter.

Also, since these planters weren’t completely water resistant, I cut waterproof plastic liner to the size of each planter…

…and secured it with staples, about 3 inches from the rim of the planters.

I used a razor blade to cut off the excess plastic just above the staples and used a screw driver to poke several holes into the very bottom of each planter liner.

The goal was to make the pot mostly water resistant, but you still need drainage for the plants to thrive.

I used a basic garden soil for the base of each planter…

…and topped that off with an enriched potting soil.

I used my hands to break apart the natural clumps that formed in the soil. I wanted maximum mobility for the roots of each herb to spread and thrive.

I put in just enough soil to cover up the top of each liner.

I was sure to water the soil prior to planting. It made potting much easier, and was more gentle on the roots of each herbs and I pressed them into the soil.