Category: San Luis Obispo

Posted on

hunting for the wild and elusive uni

Fresh from Catalina Seafood CLICK on picture to read more about this deliciously wonderful ingredient!
"UNI" the heart of a cultivated taste for Sushi! 😉 Fresh from Catalina Seafood CLICK on picture to read more about this wonderful ingredient

When I was a child, finding ‘fresh uni’ was challenging as was finding great sushi. However, today we have wonderful sushi restaurants – not only in California – but around the world. My daughter Karen took great delight in sending me a few pictures of some  great sushi at Balducci’s in Capetown, South Africa! Karen can be so cruel! 😉

Now, it is great living in San Luis Obispo, California; however, there is a downside. The downside is that there are a lot of folks here who don’t want the place to change. It does feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole when you hear people debating whether or not ‘sewers’ should be built? Never-the-less, the winds of positive change move even the most stubborn mountains and the first elements of civilization are making there way here… including great sushi.

Call it habit, stubbornness or perfection, but I have always enjoyed making my own sushi starting with the finest and freshest ingredients. Thanks to the internet, we can buy ‘uni and delivered to this far flung outpost’.

Now, maybe my daughters will be a bit envious?

Posted on

nothin like home cooked ribs

nothing like home cooked ribs

One of the favorite family favorites is making our own home cooked ribs … or bbq ribs if you prefer that term.

I don’t know which of my daughters love ribs the most, but it is always something they ask for when they touch home base. Kristin is flying by on her way back to more graduate school, but staying long enough to cook and bake with the ol folks.By the way, it takes a bit of doing to get the ribs right… but it is well worth the effort. Click on the picture above to see how we make them.

Bon Appetite

Posted on

censorship apparently continues at Cal Poly

cal poly student newspaper
Cal Poly's Mustang Daily is supposed to be student run

After a recent article written by a conservative student columnist apparently offended administrators, the student was summarily dismissed before his final column appeared.

“after talking with Patrick, we have decided not to hire you again as the Republican columnist for the Mustang Daily….” (a  portion of note sent to the conservative student columnist )

It has been my observation and opinion that nothing happens at Cal Poly without direct administrative approval. Given the fact, that this termination occurred right after the writer took the administration to task in a highly circulated article on the mysterious selection process of 3 candidates for campus President…. seems suspicious especially when a columnist of a differing opinion continued.  BTW, no candidate for Cal Poly President accepted the position.

Cal Poly continues to have significant unaddressed problems in administrative transparency and disclosure, support for free speech, growing a significantly larger administrative staff and perpetuating a negative campus climate.  There seems to be no end in sight.

Cal Poly is obviously ‘learning by doing’ … badly.

Roger

READ MORE Here on Cal Poly

Posted on

bread pudding is an improvisational recipe

dad's bread pudding

There was a time that people had the ability to add and subtract in their head, eye ball a construction project with beautiful results, paint without numbers and create something wonderful. However, everyone can recapture those long lost abilities and cooking skills by simply viewing most things including recipes as ‘guidelines.’

My grandmother was brilliant in the kitchen and she would tell me that cookbooks are ‘useful’ and help to ‘spark an idea’, but were really only ‘guidelines.’  This time in my bread pudding, I used banana nut muffins, croissants, and french bread as the base. This is why a bread pudding can be wonderfully different every time!

I believe all ‘Bread Puddings’  were really only a catch all dessert bound together by eggs, infused with fruit and cream, and covered with a yummy sauce. One nice feature of my bread puddings is that they reconstitute very well. Left over sections can be placed into a container covered with sauce and they microwave back to life beautifully!

So here’s the recipe... make it for someone you love.

Posted on

it’s the spice of life

dad and his coffee
"cheers!"

I am lecturing tomorrow on the contributions of ‘spice’ over the ages to our culinary world. The attendees will not be culinary experts, except those who come by it naturally; they are college students. Yes, they will be fed.

Although spices have had an important place in collective history, many spices have virtually been forgotten in the last century. Few remember the uses of fenugreek, cardamon or mace. This is possibly why that all of my favorite cookbooks are well over 100 years old!  However, with a renewed interest by both the professional and the skilled amateur has brought the use of spices back  to the forefront.

History tells us that spices were often used as a preservative and anyone making  corned beef or pastrami knows that to be true! It is impressive that someone could throw meat (often brisket) into a container covered with liquid and spices to ‘cure’ the meat over a couple of months, cook and consume the meal and suffer no ill affects, hopefully.

According to a recent study, oregano, garlic, allspice and oregano were 100% effective against a host of bacterial species they were tested against! In addition, thyme, cinnamon, tarragon, cumin, cloves, lemon grass, bay leaf, capsicums (hot peppers), and rosemary all inhibited more than 75% of the bacteria they were tested against. If you enjoy sushi, as you might imagine having Wasabi and ginger placed along with your meal has more meaning than just being a tasty flavoring!

Also spices are most often used in the hotter climates with Ethiopia,Kenya, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria and Thailand being the biggest consumers! (Of course , it helps that the production is done right next door or locally!)

Today, people making changes toward a healthy diet are finding that spices not only add the little bit of zing they want to their meal, but are low in calories and high in anti-oxidants.

Here are a few sites for further reading:

UCLA Biomed Library on Spices

McCormick Science Institute