Introducing the KoReuben!

Nothing like the holidays and time with friends and lots of meat to create something new. As with Nacho Kugel, I am blending 2 culinary traditions into something new and delicious. 

What is a KoReuben you ask? Quite simply it is a Reuben, that classic Jewish sandwich, with some Korean flair! Let me break the components down for your drooling pleasure. 

Obviously, you need to start with the Pastrami. This took some work to get the flavor profile I wanted. 

As you may or may not know, Pastrami is basically smoked Corned Beef. So we'll start with how I made my Corned Beef. Step 1 is to brine a brisket, usually with traditional pickling spices. To that mix, I added Korean Chili Powder, Soy Sauce(in place of some of the salt), ginger powder, and toasted sesame seeds. After brining for 5 days, I pulled the brisket and transferred it to cook Sous Vide for 6 hours. Inside of the bag, I included some Bulgogi sauce to add a bit more Korean Flavor. Once the Corned Beef was complete, I added a fresh spice rub with more of the Korean influence and added the meat to the smoker for 6 hours. While the meat smoked, I rubbed it with the reduced juice from the corned beef, keeping it moist and adding more flavor. Let's just say it plainly, this Pastrami was like crack, so good!

The second piece of the puzzle for my KoReuben was the toppings. 

In a traditional Reuben, you would probably have Sauerkraut. For this creation, I made my own Kimchi from scratch, napa cabbage-based with green onions and carrots, versus green cabbage-based kraut. Again, leaning in on the Korean flavors. If you start the kimchi at the same time as the brining process, you will have a pretty good kimchi to pair with the sandwich Though I recommend starting your kimchi sooner so it has more time to mature. This is the recipe I based my kimchi on.

For the cheese, tradition would call for Swiss cheese. I tried that version and it works well, but you could also sub in a Spicy Monterey Jack cheese for some flair. 

On the bread front, I stick with old faithful, Marbled Rye, as a preferred bread. 

And finally, if you like, mustard to finish the sandwich. My preference would be spiced ground mustard, maybe going so far as to do horseradish mustard, or to match the smoked meats, a Stout or Porter mustard. I like the ones from Sierra Nevada. 

And that my friends, is the KoReuben! Live long and eat more!

Doing the Impossible

Many years ago, I started hearing about something Impossible, a burger that looks like a burger, cooks like a burger, and tastes like a burger, but was made in a lab with plant protein. Suffice to say, it was in the back of my mind for a long time and I was very curious.

When it finally came to market, you could only get this burger at a limited number of fancy restaurants. And no offense, but if I am going to a fancy dinner, I'm not getting a vegan anything. So I waited...

Months and months later, it came to my attention that it was available at fancy burger joint Umami Burger. With my mentee in tow, we decided to check it out.

The Umami Impossible burger comes in the California style, 2 thin patties, grilled hard. Topped with cheese and special sauce.

The results: My first impression was wow! This tastes like a burger. Almost. But very close. Let;s break this down. First, the hard grilling really tasted like grilled meat. Which is why the first impression was so good. When you look at the meat, it even looks like burger meat. Once you take a few more bites, you realize it isn't quite a burger. There is an aftertaste that is not quite right. Not saying it is bad, it just isn't burger. But, my burps sure tasted like burger!

But one thing I had read about this burger, that Umami didn't deliver on, was that apparently when cooked Medium Rare, this burger would bleed. So, had to find an impossibly bleeding burger.

And in stepped The Counter, another burger chain that was now carrying the Impossible burger, and they cook it fat so it will bleed. So one day at work, a bunch of us ordered Impossible burgers. This time the burger came fat and when you bit into it, it definitely was juicy and runny like a burger with a pink color. I was impressed with the technology. Unfortunately, I didn't really pay attention to the condiments they used on the burger when I ordered it. It was very Mediterranean, with goat cheese and balsamic dijon. So the burger got a bit lost with those overpowering flavors. That said, when I found nibbles on the side not covered in cheese, they tasted about the same as at Umami. Good grill flavor, something different at the end. Verdict, mostly disappointed by my not seeing the goat cheese toppings. I'll give it one more bloody try.

And try I did, with another visit to the Counter, but this time, I made it my way. With cheddar cheese, bacon and mushrooms, AKA how I like my burgers normally. And at the end of the day, having it my way was a nice touch, but I probably never need to have another Impossible burger. I love beef. And if I was a vegan, I would still probably not get this burger again. Why? Aside from the slightly different flavor, mostly it is price. This costs more than a regular beef burger, and doesn't taste as good. So in my mind, it is more of a gimmick at this point. If they can get mass production, that is environmentally friendly, so the price is cheaper than beef, I might give it another try.

Until then...

Ya, I got suckered into the Impossible world 1 more time. But this time was different, it was Impossible Chorizo! In a taco salad from Mendocino Farms. Basically, it appears they took the Impossible burger and mixed it with taco seasoning. And it worked. By far the best version of impossible I have had. The seasoning basically makes it taste like chorizo without the weird taste. It reminds me of the Sofritas at Chipotle, which I usually get when I got to there. Why? Because it is an alternative to the same choices I get everywhere else.

So my Impossible quest ends for now. I hope they find a way to make the price more palatable, because beef is still king!

Nacho Grandma's Passover Kugel

This year was my 39th Passover, but it was a year of many firsts!

First, this was the first year my uncle did not lead Sedar. And thus it was the first year that my father did lead Sedar. Let's just say it was a bit more relaxed.

Second, this is the first year we didn't have Passover with our extended family, which meant we hosted and had to do all the cooking.

Which means that Third, we had free reign to make the food our way. 

So while this is not a blog about fast food on Passover, it is a blog about the food we cooked on Passover. 

While there are some dishes that will always be on the menu, I came up with 2 new dishes to celebrate our freedom from the other half of the family cooking, and to celebrate our location, SoCal, versus Chicago or NJ.

So on Friday, rather than roasting a chicken or a turkey for dinner, I decided to revisit a dish from my Naughty or Nice Christmas past, my Turducken roll. For those who don't know what a Turducken is, read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken

Of course, we were only feeding 5 people, so doing 3 whole animals was a bit overboard. Rather, I came up with a smaller version as follows:

What you are looking at here are pounded chicken breasts wrapped around turkey sausage wrapped around duck breast. And all of that wrapped in the Duck and Chicken skins. And the duck came out perfectly pink. Want to learn how? Shoot me a note. 

The second dish I came up with was representative of being in LA/SoCal. Most Kugel recipes are for noodles. Of course, being Passover, noodles are out. The second type of kugel you see, usually for Passover, is a potato kugel. Which is basically potatoes au gratin. No complaints, I love that dish, but it didn't call to me. So I started thinking about what else I could use for the kugel. 

While thinking about this, my roommate and I were having a debate if corn tortillas were kosher for Passover. And it turns out they are, and they are not. It all depends on your upbringing. If you are Ashkenazi, a Jew of Eastern European descent, then they are not kosher. But if you are Sephardic, ie Mediterranean, they are Kosher. Confirmed via the internet (because I believe everything I read that fits in my worldview on the internet) here: https://www.quora.com/Are-tortillas-kosher-for-Passover

Considering LA's climate is more Mediterranean than Eastern European, I say they are kosher. And with that debate completed, the birth of corn tortilla kugel, aka Nacho kugel, was born. 

Basically, I took a normal Grandma's noodle kugel recipe, and substituted corn tortillas for noodles, cutting them about a half inch wide. In place of sour cream, I used Mexican crema. I still kept the cottage cheese but added queso fresco as well for flavor. Toss in eggs and you have kugel. I also went the savory route instead of sweet. 

Since we were protein heavy with the turducken on Friday and smoked Brisket on Saturday, I kept these nachos veggie heavy. I roasted poblano peppers, and sauteed garlic, leeks(cut the same width as the tortillas), mushrooms and tomatoes. Tossing all the ingredients together and baking until the corn tortillas on top are crispy and the whole thing is firm. And then topped with Guacamole.

I'm definitely thinking of adding ground beef, chicken or chorizo next time! Maybe even carnitas or smoked brisket. They are Nachos so almost anything will work. 

And with that, Nacho Kugel was born!

PS I took this picture after people dug in, oops.

PSS After the fact, my brother started making matzoh tortillas, which might be another evolution of this dish for the Ashkenazi peeps out there.

PSSS Huge shout out to the third new tradition by my brother, 10 hour smoked brisket!

Fuggetaboutit in San Mateo

Sandwiches, quite possibly the most versatile and fun lunch option anywhere, have always been a mainstay in my life. From my years growing up in NY(pastrami and corned beef heaven), to cheesesteaks in Philly(hoagie vs sandwich?), to my Italian roots, to California style(AVOCADO), the possibilities are endless. From the choice of bread to meats to toppings. Heck, I love a good Safeway sandwich if only because of the olive tapenade option.

So working in San Mateo means needing a reliable and close sandwich shop. One that has variety in all the areas I mention, and doesn't break the bank. Because living in Bay Area, shit gets $$$$. Burgers for $18? I remember growing up and hitting delis or Schlotskys(in its short stay in White Plains), and you could get a whole meal for $5. So the fact that getting a decent sandwich for under $10 feels like a victory also feels like a defeat, especially when the sandwich doesn't deliver the goods.

In San Mateo there is a spot called Americano. And this is a sandwich shop! Small hole in the wall in a small strip mall. You walk in and there are 40 sandwiches to choose from. And they run the gamut of options. 4 types of bread, including dutch crunch and sourdough, which did not exist in my life on the east coast, but are ever so important now.

Meat options til the sun comes up, from turkey to chicken to italian meats to roast beef, bacon and pastrami, and combos of them all!

They have all the standard toppings, and their secret, aka, Godfather sauce. A deli with a Godfather sauce, ya, that sounds like home, or New Jersey for you Sopranos fans who don't know any better.

The thing that really got me here is the availability of capicola. If you don't know what Capicola is, and you watch the Sopranos, then you weren't paying attention and probably think the Bada Bing was an amusement park(which it kinda was, but I digress).

Capicola is the meat that Tony loved, though he called is gabagool, because as we all know, New Jersey isn't the classiest of places. Who else would take the name of one of the most sensual of the cured meats(though not the most sensual George), and it's lovely Italian name, and make it sound like drool? Probably the people who named New Jersey the Garden State, but that's a debate for a blog that isn't this one.

Anyway, anytime I see Capicola, I gotta have it. If you don't know what it is, click here. A deliciously cured pork shoulder, with lots of fat, it can't be beat.

For me, the sign of a good sandwich is the thinness of the meat(unless its pastrami or corned beef of course). Why is thinner better? Simple, the thinner the slice, the more surface area of meat in your whole sandwich. 1/4 lb of meat in 1 chunk is not the same as 10 super thin slices, where each slice has the potential to deliver goodness. And at Americano, they slice them thin!

There is one sandwich here I really love, the Deuces. I'm not sure why they don't call it the Pittsburgh, because like in Pittsburgh, they put french fries on this sandwich. With Capicola, Bacon and Salami! And Mozzarella. And this place doesn't skimp on cheese.

But what I love about this place is when you make changes, they don't charge you extra. So on a recent visit, I subbed the fries for onion rings on my Deuces, and whoa nelly! That was a great idea. From the amazing combination of flavors from the 3 meats, to the ooziness of the mozz, adding in onion rings, with that deliciousness of fried bread and cooked onions, really brought it all together.

So if you are ever stuck in traffic on the 101 in the San Mateo area, which is a definite possibility, jump off the Hillsdale exit and get yourself a tasty sandwich. And then hit Bevmo for a road soda while you sit in traffic.

Kidding...

"Nice Buns" she said

Any of you who know San Francisco know we have some very interesting people in this town. And if you know the city, you know the Tenderloin packs a lot of "personality" into a shrinking neighborhood.

So if I told you I was eating in the Tenderloin and someone said to me "nice buns", you'd imagine I was speaking to a prostitute of some sex(gay, straight, trans). And I would say "Thank you, I work out" and then run before they tried to get their claws in me.

But in this case, the buns in question weren't of the gluteous maximus variety, but rather the Taiwanese street food variety.

Everyone knows about the now not so trendy Food Truck scene. It has been thriving in San Francisco for many years. And one of the stars of the scene has been The Chairman. This truck specializes Taiwanese stuffed buns, and always has long lines of people wanting to dig in.

But they now have a Brick and Mortar location, which has become the norm for successful food trucks. And it was at this small spot in the Tenderloin that I came on a Friday night for a quick bite.

The Chairman specializes in 2 types of buns, Baked and Steamed. The difference comes down to size. Baked buns are basically burger sized and are the larger of the 2. Steamed buns are about street taco sized. So if you are hungry, the Baked buns are the way to go. I tend to prefer the baked buns in terms of the flavor of the bun itself, while the ingredients inside remain the same.

Being a brick and mortar location, they have a bit of an expanded menu. So while I have had all their meaty buns in the past(cause I don't do vegetarian when given the option), I had never had their 2x Fried Chicken Wings.

The wings come in 2 sizes, 4 and 6 wings. Which doesn't sound like a lot, except when they told me that each wing is the full wing, with both the single boned drum and double boned wing. They come in a slightly sweet sticky sauce, which was very tasty, and made better with sriracha. However, when someone tells me a wing is 2x fried, I expect something a bit more crispy in nature, and these were not really crispy at all. I'm a sucker for good fried wings, and unless the location is Korean, I think these days you are out of luck. That said, the wings were meaty and a good value considering the size of the portion.

On this occasion I also grabbed a steamed bun to compliment my wings. I had the pork belly, their most popular choice. I've said before I'm over pork belly, so I went against myself on this. But in small volume like this, I think it's a nice treat. And paired with tumeric pickled radishes, a great combo of flavor.

My friend had the braised pork on a baked bun with sprouts. Side by side, his looked like a complete meal on a bun. The baked bun just looks tastier, with the shiny coated exterior of the bun, contrasted with the boring white of the steamed bun.

So if you are hitting the Chairman for a quick bite(which is convenient since it is close to Great American Music Hall and Mitchell Brothers), I recommend getting a baked bun with pork not of the belly variety. You can't go wrong with the choice.

And they will hopefully have beer soon to help quench your thirst.

So slap those buns and enjoy!

Fat Boy Friday

Ah Friday's, the last day of the week. You've been working hard, and now for a hard earned lazy lunch. I think I started Fat Boy Fridays at my last job. We happened to work next door to a Super Duper Burger in San Francisco. Which aside from great burgers, has free french fries with every beer at happy hour. There aren't many better ways to end a week that that.

But I now in San Mateo now, and there is no Super Duper outside my office. Actually there isn't much of anything. Just 1 restaurant called Apple Fritter. Yes, there is a Specialtys down the street but I hate that place. And in the other direction is a shopping mall with Asian restaurants. Most of which leave a lot to be desired.

But I went to Yelp to learn more about the Fritter. Now I know Yelp is evil, coercing companies to pay to remove bad reviews that could damage their business. Very mafia like but without Al Pacino in the starring role. However, when any establishment has over 400 reviews and 4 stars, there is no amount of coniving that Yelp can do to effect that, So I went to the reviews. And they were very enthusiastic about the burgers and breakfasts!

So I asked some people in the office, and sadly no one had actually eaten there. Ok maybe 1 or 2. But in an office of over 30 people, no one had eaten at the closest place to them. I was mystified and had to learn more. And learn I have.

To date I think I have eaten at the Fritter 5 times. Every time I have gotten a burger. Sometimes with chips, sometimes with fries, and sometimes with a custard shake. All are great.

Let's start with the most important part, the burger. This is one of those places that has standard burgers, and then the wacky burgers with different toppings, including a burger on a donut. I love those things! And anyplace that is willing to put it on their menu shares my fat guy in a skinny body mentality, or they are just fat and prone to heart attacks. Either way...

Rather than review each burger I've had I will touch on the basics, namely the burger and traditional accompaniments. First off the patty. I hate these places that griddle a thin patty and call it gourmet. If you can't cook a burger with some thickness and still leave some pink, so aren't trying. These guys griddle there relatively thick burgers in butter I'm pretty sure, cause they crisp up real good, but still retain some pink in the middle. That's all I expect from a burger like this, and it is super tasty. And if you add cheese, it isn't some skimpy piece, but a mass of cheese. My burger on Friday had massive amounts of cheese escaping the sides, and not dripping like some thin piece of cheese, but holding together because it was such a thick slice. And the bacon is cooked just right, not limp, not crisp, right in between.

Now you can add different cheeses, and mushrooms and all sorts of other stuff, and trust me, all the combos are great! And they have other fun burgers like the Luther(on a donut!), Wild Thang(with onion rings), Hawaii BBQ.

Chips vs fries is your next decisions. The chips are fresh made in house and come out how. Super crispy and delicious, and seasoned well, they are outstanding. The fries are long and thin, though not quite McDs thin, but just as good if not better. Because they are a little fatter, they still retain the feeling of actual potato on the inside.

This place also makes mean shakes. But they are made out of frozen custard, not ice cream. Choice of blends include M&Ms, oreos, Butterfingers and much more. The nice lady who makes them even came to our table after we ordered them on Friday to ask us a couple of clarifying questions on how we wanted them and offered her opinion. She's the best!

Of course, they make fresh donuts daily, and also make a mean breakfast as well. Lines out the door to order are the norm here. And being in San Mateo means lots of sun, so try to snag one of the outdoor tables if you can.

If they had better coffee, this place would be a dream, but at least they have beer! So if you find yourself in San Mateo, god help you. But if you are hungry, hit Apple Fritter! You'll be pleasantly surprised.

We're coming back in 2017!

Happy December 2016! Which means Thanksgiving is over, and I'm working off the extra pounds, which is very tough in a walking boot, grrr.

And Thanksgiving means being home with the family, and my parents asking why I haven't been writing more, especially as I eat so much fast casual food which is great for reviewing. Of course, I somehow magically didn't eat anything fast casual while in the city.

But I'm back in San Francisco, the mecca of fast casual. And when I looked at my email this morning and saw the receipt from Square for dinner and boom, we're back!

So what did I have for dinner you ask? With 2 colleagues from work, we wandered our way into the SOMA Food Truck depot. For those who don't know, this is a permanent location in San Francisco where there is always 6-10 different food trucks parked. They also have tons of seating, outdoors and covered, plus beer and wine and games. I've watched the Super Bowl and Presidential Debates here, and it is quite the scene.

But last night I happened upon a new truck, which is always fun. This one specialized in Filipino food. Now SF is definitely light on this cuisine, though if you head to Daly City or Fremont, it is available in abundance. But when you see a cuisine in s food truck, you know it won't be like anything you find in the traditional restaurants.

So we decided to give the Sarap Shop a whirl. And we were not disappointed.

You can choose to have you meal on rice with pickled veggies, in a wrap with french fries inside(how very Pittsburgh) or as a salad. I think we all know as a hot blooded American, we chose the wrap option.

I chose the breaded BBQ chicken, and my colleague had the pork belly. Side note on pork belly, I'm pretty over it. Just give me some roasted pork or braised pork, hold the fat, or throw on some bacon. Maybe that's because I've had some much fatty pork belly recently that wasn't great that I can't stomach a whole plate of it.

But back to the food. Let's start with the bread. They used a thick wrap, not tortilla or pita style. So it had that soft fluffy interior after being slightly grilled on the outside. Inside we'll start with the chicken. Breaded, Fried and lightly tossed in their BBQ sauce, and there was a lot of it in the sandwich So much that when a big piece fell out, I kept eating because there wasn't room to put it back in. I love it when places don't skimp on the meat.

Also in the sandwich were french fries. Crispy, thin and golden, McDs style, they add that nice texture into the sandwich in the beginning. Of course, it is a big sandwich, filled with their version of cole slaw, which has some great tang, so after some time the fries get soggy and lost inside. But still, who doesn't love fries in their sandwich(or burrito).

The pork belly sandwich delivered as well. The meat wasn't too fatty, a bit crisp from frying, and coated in delicious adobo sauce. And having made adobo myself, it's easy to get wrong, and these guys get it right.

Of course these guys aren't there every night. Usually in their spot in an Udon shop which I am also a fan of. But if you feel like stalking a very good sandwich with Filipino flavor, you can't go wrong here.

And coming up soon, my review of Apple Fritter in San Mateo. Think super greasy burgers! Yes!