Scoop's California trip

[ScoopKona]

Breakfast!

"A great sardine is better than a mediocre lobster" -- Ferran Adria

 

[ScoopKona]

Couldn't find prepared horseradish at the store. (Shame, because I like eye-wateringly-hot cocktail sauce.) Captain Toady's actually brings a little heat. So, an acceptable substitute. Shrimp cocktails, champagne and NFL for T-day.

 

[TheHolleys87]

Breakfast!

"A great sardine is better than a mediocre lobster" -- Ferran Adria

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Those sardines remind me of a wonderful lunch we had on the waterfront in Kavala, Greece. Several different kinds of fish, prepared a little differently each, but amazingly delicious!

 

[lynne]

Couldn't find prepared horseradish at the store. (Shame, because I like eye-wateringly-hot cocktail sauce.) Captain Toady's actually brings a little heat. So, an acceptable substitute. Shrimp cocktails, champagne and NFL for T-day.

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I always have horseradish root on hand. There is nothing better than fresh grated horseradish. Sometimes you can find it in KTA but I usually bring it back from the mainland.

Glad you found a reliable substitute.

 

[zentraveler]

$10 on Amazon. It stays permanently in my checked bag and insures I always have a really sharp knife for cooking in travel kitchens. Amazon.com: ZYLISS Paring Knife with Sheath Cover, 3.5-Inch Stainless Steel Blade, Green: Paring Knives: Home & Kitchen

 

[magmue]

I have an Anova sous vide, and agree about steak. It really removes the fear of ruining an expensive piece of meat by overcooking. My biggest failure was an attempt to do a rare steak for DH in one bag at the same time as salmon for me in an other bag - the salmon got overcooked.

I use my Instant Pot liner for the water bath.

I get bringing steaks/chops to med/rare in sous vide then finishing them with a quick pffft-pffft on a hot grill to impart grill marks

My current approach to the final sear is to heat a cast iron skillet under the broiler for the last 5 - 10” of sous vide time. Take the meat out of the bag, dry it off, and pop it in the skillet with the broiler still on high for 2-3”. Both sides get seared at the same time with minimal grease spatter.

 

[ScoopKona]

My current approach to the final sear is to heat a cast iron skillet under the broiler for the last 5 - 10” of sous vide time. Take the meat out of the bag, dry it off, and pop it in the skillet with the broiler still on high for 2-3”. Both sides get seared at the same time with minimal grease spatter.

A winning strategy. On the mainland, I have an infrared grill that gets hot enough to melt salt. (That's coming with to Hawaii.) So that's my solution for the final sear -- 15 seconds is usually enough.

And I always use the juice in the bag for SOMETHING. If nothing else, a gravy. Hell, eat enough steak; save the juice; and make French onion soup with it.

 

[magmue]

Ooh, 15 seconds?
I am officially jealous.

 

[ScoopKona]

We have moved to Napa. Probably our 20th week there over the past decade. Here's some baby-back lamb ribs and grilled artichokes with garlic/lemon/olive oil.

 

[ScoopKona]

Ooh, 15 seconds?
I am officially jealous.

Sounds like the space shuttle blasting off when I fire it up. Infrared searing grills were the one piece of equipment I loved the most when I was working in the casinos. Look for grills made by TEC. Those work. Most of the "infra-red" grills sold at big-box stores are absolute bull-[excrement]. They put glass diffusers over standard grill elements and call it infrared. Real infrared uses ceramic plates with thousands of tiny holes to create a glowing white-hot element that will burn anyone foolish enough to do the "hold your hand over the fire to see how hot it is" thing.

 

[cafeirene]

I took @lynne 's suggestion and went to the Pacific Grove farmer's market today (every Monday). Picked up strawberries and outstanding mushrooms. Also went to Pezzini farms (I'll be here often) for artichokes and Brussels sprouts. And my stand-by, Monterey Fish Company for Branzino, scallops, sardines, oysters and squid.
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Here's the first dish. A little tapas to go with Monday Night Football -- sardines grilled over a wood fire and then drizzled with maître d'hôtel butter

nice start to your stay. assuming you are Highlands Inn. We make Pezzini Farm a stop every trip either to Carmel or on the way home (home resort for us, a little over an hour away). Even tho the kitchen is bijou, it is possible to cook nice meals there with a little planning. Finding a great selection of fresh fish is an extra bonus, must be interesting to have a completely different seafood selection than you get on island! Hope your California stay was good.

 

[ScoopKona]

nice start to your stay. assuming you are Highlands Inn. We make Pezzini Farm a stop every trip either to Carmel or on the way home (home resort for us, a little over an hour away). Even tho the kitchen is bijou, it is possible to cook nice meals there with a little planning. Finding a great selection of fresh fish is an extra bonus, must be interesting to have a completely different seafood selection than you get on island! Hope your California stay was good.

We're in SF now. No kitchen. Just a microwave. But since crab season keeps getting pushed back, it doesn't matter so much. We'll eat in Japantown, on Stockton and North Beach every day.