FIRST ZUCCHINI

" Who Hates The Plant", Not Mr Juan Guerrero

"The most interesting man in the world", and our farmer/Director of stewarding

HERBACEOUS

RBI FARMS HERB GARDEN.

Lemon Thyme, Cilantro, Marjoram, Mint, Tarragon, Chive and Basil, Rosemary, Lavender.

SOPRESSATA

Our House Made Salumi

"By the hand"

We pay homage to the American grand master of hand crafted salumi, Mr. Paul Bertolli. We have been making our own salumi for the last 6 months and have had relatively good success, although we don't have the facilities to make it perfect. If you really want to get it done than start reading, it's no joke. I guess I could show you a generic picture of me on a stool pouring liquid Nitrogen into the grinder to keep things cold down. Covered with sausage, plunging like a mad man but I'll save you the image. Trust me when I say we give sweat, blood and tears for our craft, it’s the truth .Come see me at the El Biz and I'll give you a slice with some house made baguette. It’s pretty darn good. But we stand on the shoulders of giants. There is an old biblical phrase that states.

"As Iron Sharpens Iron, So One Man Sharpens Another". thks TC

Purple Tongue

"HUCKLEBERRIES"

In season and looking fresh and beautiful, Cant wait to make some dishes. We're looking at adding them to an existing dish of chicken liver, cherries, coffee and lavender mustard. I'll attach picture of the dish soon.

Sake, Sake, Sake!!!

Fermentation with air lock
My label

SAKE.......Even the word itself makes me think of century’s old master samurai brewing rice wine with a thousand year old Zen master brewing technique. A slow and pain staking process that is more about patience and mental fortitude than it is to culinary genius, a process that was most likely started by peasant farmers putting old fermenting rice to good use. I must say that sake is easy and hard at the same time. It is easy to read the recipe, but impressively hard to get proper ingredients. Anyone can put rice in a jar with sugar yeast and sherry culture, but can you make true Sake. I found that to make it right you need to do your homework, but you also have to crack the tight lipped Japanese Sake brewing community to get the good stuff. Koji Kin spores. 50%-70% milled Yamada Nishiki rice, Sake yeast and the purest water you can fine. I almost gave up a few times, but my inner samurai kept telling me don't give up. Yes, tight lipped is what I am going to be about how I got to my first successful bottle of Sake. I named it Heart and Soul; as well as shūji that in an ancient Japanese script on the bottle. Sweet, semi clear and flavorful Sake is what is was able to make. I am not saying that mine is as good as the time held sake brewing tradition in Japan, but my smile is as big as theirs after drinking it. The Japanese proverb says, "It's not the time spent getting from the start to the finish, but it is the appreciation of the time in between". I now have a greater appreciation for the Junmui daiginjo Sake which is only .5% of all the sake produced in Japan. If you want to take it to the next level there is Ginga Shizuku "Divine Droplets" sake that are drip pressed in an igloo outside in only cretin times of the year. Too bad it doesn't snow in San Diego or you would have a picture of me and my igloo drip pressing my next patch. Until then we don't sell it to the public or I'd be the next generation moonshine. We give it away as a compliment with our Japanese influenced dishes. Don't expect it when you come. The last patch is gone and it takes 3 to 4 months to make. But if you’re among the lucky ones when the brewing is complete, you'll be able to sample my SAKE, Nectar of the gods.

Tartufo Nero

Bring on the Albas' in everyone Can’t sleep. We Make a Fonduta Ravioli with Shaved black truffles, truffle infused beurre monte, and shaved black truffle. A dish that was an inspiration from my Executive Sous Chefs time working in San Francisco. Thank you Nancy Oaks for what can't be made better.

El Biz and Veranda

For those of you that haven't seen our restaurants and ballroom .El biz on the top left, Veranda on the right and the newly built Aragon Ballroom below. We're back to work tomorrow and the fun begins. Food, food, Saki and more food.