Coastal Cooking with Chef Michael Hutchings

Haricot Vert Salad

Harry's Berries has had a stall at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market for many years. Harry's Berries is not just a strawberry farm, a very good strawberry farm that is to say. They have other specialties like the French/Filet Beans. Mind you, they are very pricey at $13 per pound, as much as beef tenderloin. The fresh-picked beans, when cooked al dente, make a delightful squeak when you bit them. I prepared them for dinner by blanching then serving them with fresh thyme and caramelized spring onions.

I have included a salad recipe that features the beans. Add a grilled local whitefish for a great dinner.

 

French Filet Beans

 

 

Cherry Heaven

 
Rainier Cherries - Santa Barbara Farmers Market

Bing Cherries 

Cherries have hit the market. Right now they are coming from the Central Valley in California. They are sweet and beautifully colored. I have decided to preserve some in Everclear distilled alcohol. Both Bing and Rainier are in season. Here is a method for preserving cherries.

Cherries in Eau de Vie

During the summer months, preserve fresh cherries in grain alcohol or Kirsch. Served with some of the cherries, this eau de vie makes a great after-dinner drink. I sometimes use pure grain or fruit alcohol (about 190-proof) that I dilute by half with distilled water or substitute vodka instead. The cherries are also delicious pitted and cooked in port then served with crêpes or French vanilla ice cream.

Trim the stems of about 1 pound large sweet cherries such as Bing or Ranier, leaving about 1/2 inch of stem attached to the cherries. If the stems are pulled out, the alcohol will permeate the cherries, making them soft and mushy instead of firm and crunchy. In a bowl, mix about 1/2 cup light corn syrup and 11/2 cups eau de vie or vodka. Pack the cherries into a glass jar and pour the alcohol mixture over them, adding enough so it just covers the fruit. Cover the jar with a tight-fitting lid and set aside in a cool place, such as a cellar, for at least a month. Serve a few cherries in a brandy glass with some of the liquid. The cherries will keep for a couple of years.

Here are the Wikipedia notes for cherries.

"Rainier is a cultivar of cherry. It was created in 1952 at Washington State University by Harold Fogle. It is a cross between the Bing and Van cultivars.

Rainiers are sweet cherries with creamy-yellow flesh. The cherries are very sensitive to temperature, wind, and rain. About 1/3 of a Rainier cherry orchard's crop is eaten by birds.

Rainiers are considered a premium type of cherry. They sell for $5 per pound or more in the USA and as much as a dollar each in Japan.^"

Guacamole

The New World has provided many new foods to the old world. Some of the stars are potatoes, chocolate, corn and the avocado.
Guacamole is the apotheosis of the avocado. It combines several New World foods; avocado, tomato, peppers and corn.
"New World" foods
According to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith editor [Oxford University Press:New York] 2004, Volume 2 (p. 146-7), these foods are native to America. Please note, this is not a complete list of indigenous foods.

Corn (maize)
Wild rice
Beans (navy, cranberry, black, kidney, lima)
Peanuts (South America)
White potatos (Peru)
Sweeet potatoes
Pumpkins
Winter squash
Blueberries, huckleberries
Cranberries
Persimmons
Paw-Paws
Strawberries*
Cherries*
Grapes*
Raspberries* blackberries
Currants, red and black*
Mulberries
Black walnuts
Hickory nuts
Beechnuts
Hazelnuts
Pecans
Chestnuts*
Chinquapins
Pine nuts
Turkey
Allspice
Juniper
Sassafras
Chilies
Chocolate (Mexico)
Vanilla (Mexico)
Maple and hickory sugars
Honey*, locust

* certain varieties of these items also are indigenous to the Old World

The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson, 2nd edition edited by Tom Jaine [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2006 (map page 1) lists:

potatoes
tomatoes
haricot beans
chocolate
maize
cassava
squash
pumpkin
groundnut (aka peanut)
turkey
pineapple
avocado
papaya
chilli peppers
sweet potatoes
Jerusalem artichokes
maple syrup

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Guacamole
Guacamole is an avocado-based dip which originated in Mexico.[1] It is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados with a molcajete (mortar and pestle) with lime juice and salt. Some recipes call for tomatoes, coriander, garlic and seasonings.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Guasacaca
3 Commercial guacamole
4 References
5 External links
[edit]History

Guacamole was made by the Aztecs as early as the 1500s.[1] After the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, guacamole became popular in Spain.
The name comes from an Aztec dialect via Nahuatl āhuacamolli, from āhuacatl (="avocado") + molli (="sauce").[1] In Spanish, it is pronounced [ɡwakaˈmole], in American English /ˌɡwɑːkəˈmoʊliː/, and in British English sometimes /ˌɡwækəˈmoʊliː/.
In the United States, "National Guacamole Day" is September 16, although some sources offer November 14 as the date.[2] The Hass Avocado Board identifies November 14 as "National Spicy Guacamole Day".[3]

Blown Away

Last Friday we catered a reception for the Mental Health Association in Santa Barbara County. The outdoor event at the Lobero Theater nearly ended up in Summerland. Wind gusts were literally blowing food off of the trays. A quick call to my legal council indicated that I was not liable for flying cookies. The macaroni and cheese along with mini marzipan cakes were big hits.

Chef Michael

 

Buffet at the Lobero Theater 

Pasta Station

Adult Macaroni and Sharp Cheddar Cheese with Truffle Oil

Chicken Station

Paella of Chicken with Rice Pasta

with chorizo peppers and tomatoes

Station Three

Mexican Salad - Black Beans, Mango, Corn - Jalapeno Dressing

Cheddar and Ham Biscuits - Honey Mustard

Greek Ratatouille with Pita Chips

Garlic-Parmesan Crisps

Coffee and Sweets

Regular and Decaffe Coffee

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemon Biscotti

Mini Almond cakes

Chocolate Truffle Cups

Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Holding Down the Table

 

Mini Marzipan Cakes

 
  

Lemon curd

 

Meyers Lemon

Here is any easy lemon curd recipe from my chef-friend James Sly. Use it to fill tart shells or cakes. It keeps well and also freezes.

Chef Michael

Michael Hutchings

Freedom - Graduation Day

One of my favorite cartoons off all time depicts two prisoners chained to a wall in the first frame. The next frame depicts an earthquake shaking down the walls. The last frame shows the prisoners still chained to the only wall left standing. The caption reads: "Graduation Day." This is the comment on the mantel of responsibility that is conferred along with the diploma.

My youngest daughter, Beverly, just graduation from USD. We are proud of her accomplishment and certain she will be successful in whatever she chooses to do. Congratulations to Beverly.

Naturally, we catered the lunch that followed. Bev and her roommates had a shared celebration at Teri and Joe's home in the San Diego area. Joe made some terrific caramelized pineapple-rum drinks to punctuate the day and Christine made a wonderful chocolate mousse cake.

Chef-Dad Michael

 

Graduation Day

Dad and Grad Beverly

Dad and Bev at 50s Dance

The Menu

Shrimp Cocktail

Assorted Chips with Salsa and Guacamole

Antipasto Tray

Olives, Cheeses, Italian Meats

Italian Bread Sticks

Smoked Salmon, Bagel and Cream Cheese

Cold Roast NY Strip and French Bread

sliced cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, condiments

Cold Roast Chicken Boudrain

Caesar Classical

Rice Pasta Salad with Parmesan

Poached Lobster

Passion Fruit Tarts

Celebration Cake

Fresh Berries

Buffet Spread for Grads

Passion Fruit Tarts and Lemon Tart

 

The Grads - Beverly, Amy and Sam

 

Chocolate Mousse Cake by Christine Dahl
 
    

Pool Table

Here is a shot of a cake Christine Dahl made for a client recently. The pool balls are made from fondant icing. Rack-um-up.

 

 

Private Museum Reception

We recently catered a reception at a private museum in Santa Barbara. The museum houses an amazing collection of Americana, sports memorabilia and geological specimens worthy of a national museum. It provided an electric atmosphere for some of our more popular nibbles. The California Gaspacho has been particularly well received and is a refreshing warm weather appetizer. The recipe follows. Please note that the shrimp are optional.

Chef Michael

Buffet Reception

 

Smoked Salmon on Brioche

 

California Gaspacho

 

 

Chef James' Asparagus Appetizer

 

Buffalo Wings "No Bones"
 

 

Earthquake Cookies

 

Mini Apple Tart Tatin
 

 
 
 
 
 

 

Spring Dinner

Warning!!

These photos were taken without the aid of a food stylist and were quick shots taken during dish up.

OK, so much for the disclaimer. These are from a small dinner party yesterday. The client has terrific china so a Big Mac would look good on them. The pea soup is a variant of Soupe de Cresson from Le Gavroche in London. My chef-friend (happy birthday by the way) James Sly (Sly's restaurant) upgraded the method to use ice for a quick chill(see the recipe below). The Salmon Lasagna is from the potato king-chef, Joachim Splichal's Patina Cookbook. The potatoes are baked until tender and layered with salmon then finished with a clam broth and sherry vinaigrette. The tenderloin is simply done with purple potatoes cocotte, romanesco, cippolini, haricot vert and a mushroom medley in tarragon demi glace (did I say simply?).

To finish I made Narsai David's marzipan cake and added a few berries and strawberry coulis.

Chef Michael

 Spring Pea Soup with Garden Mint

 

Salmon Lasagne with Potato Pasta & Clams

baby spinach, brunoise, vinaigrette

 

Beef Tenderloin with Market Mushrooms

little veggies, tarragon jus

 

Almond Cake with Berries

 

 

Archival Stuff

The Chez Carey restaurant was an Orange County icon in the 1970-1980s. I did an apprenticeship there in 1974. My position was on the broiler which also meant I prepared a lot of the garnished that went with the menu items. I ran across my original notes that were my cheat sheet while I memorized all the variations. The Chez was a great learning experience and still serves me well to this day. The chef, Fred Hossli, was a taciturn Swiss well versed in the Escoffier style. We made all our own stocks, butchered legs of veal and primal cuts of meat. I remember well the large vat always bubbling away with fish, chicken and veal bones.

Chef Michael

 

Menu Cover 1974

 

Garnishing Notes

 

Dessert Notes
 
 

 

Viva la Casada

 

Fleischmann Hall Transformed

 Santa Barbara is a wedding mecca due to its climate and abundance of great venues. We recently catered a wedding at The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The theme was a mexican menu. What is a classically European chef doing making Mexican food? Because that is what the bride and groom wanted and there is only one kind of food, good food. Cooking is 60-70 percent ingredient driven with the balance involving style and technique. Guests love seeing the tortillas being made. Marianna almost had blisters after making over 300 tortillas. In spite of a nearly 1 hour delay for bridal photos, the guests enjoyed a tasty, authentic mexican dinner.

Viva la Casada

 

Marianna Preparing Tortillas

 

Martin and Angel Mixologists

 

Agave Nectar Mergaritas

 

Appetizers Creekside

Tortilla Chips with Pico de Gallo, Tomtatillo, Roasted Tomato

Botanas of Shrimp - Chili Dipping Sauce

Guacamole with Thin Corn Chips

Side Plate For Bride and Groom

Garlic and Chili Marinated Flank steak

Cumin and Citrus Infused Chicken

Onion-cilantro Relish - Tapatillo Hot sauce

Tomatillo Salsa

Roasted Tomato and Chili salsa

Shredded Mexican Cheese Cheese

Spicy Pickled Peppers and Onion

Sour Cream

Handmade Corn Tortillas

Lime Wedges

Grilled Vegetables

Pinquito Beans Santa Maria Style

Green Mexican Rice 

Caesar Salad with Side of Vinaigrette

Vegetarian Cheese Enchilada

Churros - Chef's Compliments

Fresh Strawberries with Whipped Cream, Brown Sugar

 

The Buffet and Salsa Bar

 

Strawberries and Housemade Churros
 

 
 

 

 

Caviar Service

Caviar Service with Brioche and Potato Latkes

As a kid, I went to Utah to spend summers with my grandparents, Grandma Helen and Grandpa Joe. Fishing was always one of our most enjoyable activities. We fished the Strawberry Reservoir, Provo Canyon, American Fork Canyon and other little creeks. Trout fishing involved a number of lures such as trolling rigs, some kind of cheesy paste, night crawlers and of course salmon eggs.

 

Salmon Eggs

 

Salmon eggs were my impression of fish eggs as a kid. Segue to the fabled Club 33 in Disneyland. I was introduced to lump fish caviar which in my mind was not much up from fish bait. We used it to garnish canapés at banquets. It is a salt, fishy roe used more for appearance than real gastronomic interest.

In 1974, at the Chez Carey in Orange, California, I got a taste of Beluga Caviar and my world view of caviar took an up-tick. It was on the menu for $8.75 at a time when the minimum wage was $1.50 so that was a days pay. Now that same caviar is banned from importation and the best is osietra caviar and it wholesales at $110 per ounce. Naturally, I don't use it for fishing!

Chef Michael

 

Oscietra Caviar

 

Dinner for a Mogul

This was a dinner for a client in Santa Barbara. Call me old fashioned, maybe archaic at times, but dishes from the classic repertoire still hold water. The first course was pure Escoffier with the sauce Maltaise, hollandaise with blood orange juice. The balance of the dinner played off of classics as well. The ice cream sandwich reminds me of those sugary frozen treats we got as kids from the Good Humor Man that jingled his way around the neighborhoods when I was a kid. This adult version had chocolate sablé cookies to frame the vanilla ice cream and we served chocolate and caramel sauces on the side.

Chef Michael

Choux Puffs and Gruyere Cheese

Smoked Salmon on Brioche

Mini BLT

Asparagus in Puff Pastry

Maltaise Sauce

Butter Lettuce with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

and fresh citrus

Boneless Rack of Lamb with Tomato-Mint Relish

wild rice and French Green Beans

or

Mustard Crusted Halibut

pan wilted baby spinach, wild rice

Assorted Breads

Ice Cream "Sandwich" on Chocolate Shortbread

chocolate sauce and berries

Coffee

 

Asparagus in Puff Pastry with Maltaise Sauce

 

Butter Lettuce Salad with Pomegranate Dressing and Citrus

 

Roasted Lamb, Mint-Tomato Relish, Wild Rice

 

"Ice Cream Sandwich"

Good Humor Man 

 

 
 
 
 

 

Eine Kleine Lunch Musik

The great Mozart composed not just pillars of classical music like the 35th Symphony. There were many light, playful pieces as well. Likewise, not every meal is a grand and glorious Veal Orloff or Grand Marnier Soufflé.  Here is a little "ditty" of a menu I prepared for a spring luncheon. This trio made for a lovely, light repast. Guests enjoyed the gazpacho, sans shrimp. If you can get a fresh shrimp like a Santa Barbara spot prawn, add them to the soup. Do a simple sauté with a little garlic and a flash of Pernod.

Being a "radical" chef, I am not averse to extending the theme of a classic like a Niçoise salad. I used fresh asparagus vs haricot vert, used a roasted game hen and made a potato salad with fingerling potatoes.

The berry tart is a classic from Le Gavroche in London, Sablé aux Fraise. The dessert hinges upon the light-crumbly texture of the shortbread cookies. Yes, there is butter in the dough.

Chef Michael

California Gazpacho

with avocado

Chef's Salad Niçoise Style

asparagus, game hen, tuna, potato salad, olives

local greens, tomato filets, vinaigrette

Fresh Berry Tarts "Open Faced"

stack of shortbread disks and fresh berries

 

California Gazpacho

 

Salad "Niçoise

 

Berry Sablé

 

 
  

Death of an Icon - R.I.P Gourmet Magazine

This is a post I wrote last year and forgot to publish it. Editor note

The announcement by Condé Naste that Gourmet Magazine will cease as of the November issue has sent a ripple of nostalgia through the gourmets and foodies. It is though a classy uncle had passed away. The 68-year-old Gourmet - which published stories on agriculture, exotic travel, the latest from top chefs’ kitchens, and recipes that ran the gamut from quick to elaborate - was closed because of decreasing ad revenues. It seems that printed publications emanating from brick and mortar publishing firms are all getting a hit from the electronic evolution of the internet. The first issue was January, 1941. After the outbreak of war later that year and the initiation of food rationing, the editors advised reader to retain the magazine for cooking after the war.

The magazine was long the benchmark of the culinary world. Many of the giants of the food world, past and present, have appeared in print over the years. A restaurant had not arrived until it was reviewed in the publication.

I still have the original Gourmet Cookbooks in my library. They are filled with the classics from the old European repetoire that had graced menus since the late 1800s and early 1900s. While the photos look a bit dated, the food still holds its own.

My restaurant, Michael's Waterside, was reviewed in November of 1987.

R.I.P. Gourmet Magazine

Hold Your Horses

 

Photos from The Star-Ledger

We catered a Derby Day fund raiser for the Assistance League in Santa Barbara. They used the running of the 136 Kentucky Derby as a theme for the event. We also themed the menu for a Derby classic. I updated and made the recipes practical for feeding a crowd of 100.

Juleps anyone?

Chef Michael

 Warm-Hot Selections

Southern Ham Biscuits

Baked Pimento Cheese with Crisps

Fried Green Tomato with Cream Cheese and Basil

Hot Brown - Classic Warm Turkey Sandwich

Wild Turkey Glazed Pork Meatballs

Beef Sirloin with Henry Bain Sauce

Cool Selections

 Shrimp with Red Cocktail Sauce (Medium size)

Benedictine Cucumber Dip with Crudites Vegetables

Stuffed Deviled Eggs

Southern Potato Salad

Kentucky Derby Pie Bites

Key Lime Curd Bites

 

Guests are Greeted with Mint Juleps
 

 

Local Jazz Musicians Set the Mood

 

Beautiful Spring Day Frames the "Betting" Table

 

Mounds of Shrimp

 

Key Lime Tarts

 

Derby Pie

 
 
 
 
 
 

Sostenuto - Sustained

I music, sostenuto is a term from Italian which means "sustained." It occasionally implies a slowing of tempo, though more often it refers to a very legato style in which the notes are performed in a sustained manner beyond the their normal values.

In marine biology, sustainable means that a fish specie has a stable or growing population in spite of harvest for a food source. All to often in the course of human activity, natural resources are depleted or destroyed. We human are so clever we can eliminate the the very sources of our sustenance (Middle English, from Anglo-French, from sustenir).

 

Ty Warner Sea Center

The Crew - Chef's Michael and Christine 

We participated in an event at the Ty Warner Sea Center to promote sustainable seafood. Local chefs teamed up to prepare seafood dishes that featured local, sustainable seafood products. I prepared farmed red abalone from The Cultured Abalone, a local onshore sea farm that produces red abalone, haliotis refescens. Ben Beede has been growing abalone for over 15 years. The effluence leaving the farm is actually cleaner that the seawater that is drawn in from a deep intake just offshore. The main feed for the abalone is the giant kelp that is abundant along the coast of North America. They harvest this fast growing seaweed under a license from the State of California.

The trend now is to manage fish stocks in a manner that insures the food source forever. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has been a leader in that realm. They provide a Seafood Watch that details the status of commercial fish species and guides your selection. There is even an iPhone application so you can check on the fly while dining or shopping.

 

Local Restaurant Featuring Abalone

 

Preparing Abalone
 

 

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has its own sustainable seafood program as well. Local restaurant are encourage to promote local and sustainable fisheries on their menu.

Their mission...

"The mission of the Sustainable Seafood Program is to educate our community about the impact of their seafood choices on on the health of the planet.  By increasing community support for sustainable and local seafood , we hope to do our part to ensure that all the tasty dishes we enjoy today are available for generations to come.  Our vision is to see Santa Barbara become known as a town that actively supports the longevity of their local fisheries and that leads the county in support for a sustainable seafood movement."

This program emanates from the Ty Warner Sea Center in Santa Barbara. Here is their take on what is sustainability.

"What is sustainable seafood?

In a nutshell, sustainable seafood can be wild-caught or farmed raised, but must be harvested with care to maintain stable catch levels in the long-term without major harm to the environment and other sea life.

• Various aspects of the fishery are considered when evaluating its sustainability:
  
  • Are harvest levels monitored? Many fisheries are still not properly monitored to be able to calculate what the true harvest levels are.
  • Are harvest levels low enough that fish population will survive over the short and long term?
  • Is any harm done to the fish’s habitat, such as alteration of sea floor habitat by trawling?
  • Are large proportions of non-target species (by-catch) killed in the process?
  •  What is the carbon footprint of the fishery? Many fish are shipped long distances, requiring a lot of energy and packaging to transport the catch
     
• There are also several criteria specific to fish farms
  • Are the farmed fish fed wild fish that are caught un-sustainably?
  • Does the farm create pollution and other impacts on the area around the farm?
  • Does the farm minimize risks of spreading disease or genetic contamination to wild populations? 

Much of the seafood caught locally in the Santa Barbara area is harvested sustainably and requires minimal energy to make the short trip to get fresh seafood to the consumer.

We promote locally-caught sustainable seafood as the best choice to support a healthy ocean." 

 

 

Live Spot Prawn

I had a new sushi dish made from live spot prawns. Sushiteri had this little gem on a special last night. The meat in the head portion was baked and delicious. The tail meat had a fresh, briney-sweet quality.

Spot prawns were a "new discovery" back in the 1980s. These delicious shrimp were know but not much utilized. The explosion in interest in food fueled a demand for fresh, interesting products. Huge amounts of these shrimp were soon being harvested by trawlers that came down form Oregon.

In time, the fishery was overfished and the State Fish and Game started to limit the times of harvest and eventually halted it all together. Now the spot prawn is a limited-occasional catch and is also trapped live for the specialty restaurant market. They are know for their sweet flavor and firm texture. Spot prawns are actually in the shrimp family and are one of seven species harvested on the West coast.

Buy them live if you can. After they die, an enzyme in the head spreads throughout the shrimp turning it dark and softening the flesh. Avoid those that smell of ammonia and have dark patches. Spot prawns can be prepared in all the usual methods: fried, grilled, barbecued, sautéed, boiled, roasted, baked steamed or poached. Look for them in Santa Barbara at The Santa Barbara Fish Market in the harbor area.

Spot Prawns at Sushiteri

 

One of my classics from 1990

Technical Information from CFF

California Fisheries Fund

contact us | [email protected]

California Fisheries Atlas - Spot Prawns Updated June 2008 Species Spot Prawns, Pandalus platyceros Life history (biology, habitat, range) Range throughout California; largest shrimp found on the west coast Hard-bottom habitat; depths of 150 to 1,600 feet Protrandic hermaphrodite: begins life as a male and may change sex around fourth year Spawning: typically occurs in September and female carries 1,400 to 5,000 eggs for four weeks Sexually mature age 3 (around 1.5 inches carapace length); typically live up to 6 years Feed on other shrimp, small molluscs, worms, sponges Stock assessment status No formal stock assessment; more abundant in B.C. and Alaska than in California; in California, more abundant north than south of Point Arguello Vulnerability N/A Protected/declared species interactions Unknown Gear types Traps; Spot prawns may not be taken or possessed using trawl nets Gear specifications Plastic oval-shaped traps or rectangular wire traps; traps shall be made of mesh with a minimum inside measurement of 7/8 in. squared Vessel lengths range from 28 to 85 feet, with an average length of 47 feet Each string of traps shall be marked with a buoy bearing the commercial fishing identification license number issued to the owner/operator  Historic gear In 2003, California was the last state to phase out trawl fishing for spot prawns Associated conservation concerns Low bycatch and habitat impacts, although traps may cause some damage to fragile glass sponges and corals found in hard-bottom habitats Management, commercial Jurisdiction(s) California Fish and Game Commission FMP No Code sections 14 CCR §180.0-180.5; FGC §8590 Restricted access 3 Tiers of spot prawn trap permit (Tier 1, 2, or 3) and a general trap permit Spot prawn trap permits can only be renewed under the category (Tier 1, 2, or 3) in which they were originally used Only Tier 1 permits are transferable; Tier 2 or 3 permits not transferable and null and void upon death of permit holder No more than 500 traps may be used for Tier 1 or Tier 3 permit, except that no more than 300 traps may be used within 3 miles of the mainland shore between Point Arguello and Cal-Ore border No more than 150 traps may be used and no more than 5,000 pounds taken per year for Tier 2 permit Daily logbook requirement Tier 1 Capacity goal of 17 (met in 2005, 2006; exception granted 2007 when 18 permits issued) TAC No Average landings weight was 428,409 lbs. for 1997-2007 2006 commercial landings weight was 320,100 lbs for a value of $3,495,380 (see graphs below) Current seasons, size limits, other restrictions Season closure: From Point Arguello to Cal-Ore border, early May to late July; from Point Arguello to Cal-Mex border, early November to late January Fishery closures/ MPAs No commercial take in state marine reserves or parks, except for Point Lobos and Big Creek according to stated season requirements Proposed regulations Recreational component Small recreational fishery in N Cal Gears fished Fathom plus traps may be used Code sections N/A Regulations N/A RecFIN/ CRFS info Unknown Social context Participation statewide Commercial fishing began in Monterey in 1993 when prawns were caught incidentally in octopus traps Tier 1 permits issued in 2007: 18 Tier 2 permits issued in 2007: 3 Tier 3 permits issued in 2007: 10 Participation by area Fishery is mainly in Southern California; most vessels operate out of Monterey, Morro Bay, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Informal fishing territories used by remaining 17 spot prawn fishermen Fishing and trade organizations Unknown Seafood industry context Product forms Sold fresh, frozen (at sea and at processor) Seafood selector status Spot prawn (U.S.) listed as a good alternative, although B.C. Spot prawn are a best choice MSC certification status N/A Potential for value added Unknown Miscellaneous Sources DFG Marine Region 2001.  California’s Living Marine Resources: A Status Report.  Spot prawn http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/status/spot_prawn.pdf

 

 

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Where's the Beef - Kobe That Is

Kobe beef from the Wagyu bread of cows is without question the most expensive beef in the world. We recently cooked a dinner for a client that was celebrating a friend's birthday. The beef was ordered from Newport Meat Company and it arrives as a matched pair of tenderloins, complete with a certificate of origin. Note the "nose print" in the upper right hand corner. Each animal has a unique nose print like a finger print.

We prepared the beef using a new method. The filets are butchered then glued together using a special enzyme the binds the meat proteins. After the meat is seared and cooled, it was cooked sous vide. That method uses a controlled heat water bath to precisely cook the meat.

 

Certificate of Origin
 

The menu featured some specialty food items that the host has business interest in. The caviars are fantastic but in very limited supply. The dinner was memorable.

Chef Michael

Bliss Caviar with Potato Blini, Fingerling Potatoes and Brioche

Wild Char, Brook Trout and Uruguayan Sturgeon Roes

garnishes of crème fraîche, chopped eggs, onion, chives, lemon

Roasted Breast of Maple Leaf Farm Duck Crostini

Sautéed Foie Gras Escallop

Raspberry Gastrique Sauce with Fresh Berries

Kobe Beef Tenderloin

Cipollini Ragout and Daube-Olive Sauce

farmers market vegetables, rosti potatoes

Seasonal Cheeses

Humbolt Fog, Mt. Cam Brie, Eweforia, St. Agur

quince paste, walnuts, dried peaches, Rudolph Steiner Toast

Bittersweet Chocolate Cake

passion fruit sauce and whipped cream

D'Angelo Breads

Petite Fours and Coffee Service

 

Shipping Box

 

The Tenderloin Out of the Box

 

Preparation of the Tenderloin

 

Using Transglutaminase to Bind the Seams

 

Wrapped to Allow Binding

 

Searing in Oil

Bliss Caviar with Scrambled Eggs

 

Elegant Table Setting

 

Hand Written Menu

 

Foie Gras with Raspberry Demi Glace

 

Kobe Beef with Cippolini Ragout

 

Cheese Course from C'Est Cheese

 

Celabration Cake by Christine Dahl

 

Norbert Furnée Decanting 1937 Madeira