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The Best Drink of the Week

The winner is Nectar of the Gods, a tequila cocktail at Seta restaurant in Whittier.

It's as divine as its name. To make it, you muddle strawberries in a heavy, squat glass, then add a lime, cut in half, and muddle it too. 

The tequila is Gran Centenario Roseangel, which is lightly colored and flavored with Mexican jamaica flowers. Pour in a good jigger of that, squeeze in some more lime juice and then add agave syrup to taste. 

Turn the drink into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake well. Pour back into the glass and top with a squirt of soda.

The last step is to perch a plump strawberry on the rim.

Congratulations, Seta.

Seta, 13033 Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90601-4202. Tel: (562) 698-3355.

A Stir-Fry with Tofu Noodles

There's nothing new about tofu shirataki. It's sold online and even in my neighborhood supermarket. But I never noticed it, or thought about using it, until my friend, Theresa Lin, started talking up its merits.

Theresa is a chef, cooking teacher and radio and TV show host. And I think she knows everything there is to know about Chinese cooking.

To find out more, I went to a dinner for which she had devised all sorts of tofu dishes and tried the noodles there.  And I was impressed.

Working with them myself, I was even more impressed. Unlike Italian pasta, tofu shirataki isn't delicate. You can cook it in advance, boil it vigorously, reheat it in the microwave and it never becomes soft and gummy. It's a blend of tofu and Japanese yam starch--konnyaku is the Japanese name--and this gives it stability. Traditional shirataki is just made from yam starch.

My market stocks the House Foods brand in both the fine noodles that I used and fettuccine.

Its tofu is made with American-grown soybeans and processed in Gardena, which makes it a local product, for me at least.

For my test, I reworked a recipe for Singapore kway teow that I developed years ago, changing the beef to chicken, altering the seasonings and substituting tofu shirataki for rice noodles.

The dish turned out very well. Light and fresh, it is easy to make and allows for advance preparation. That makes it perfect for warm summer days.

STIR-FRIED CHICKEN WITH  TOFU SHIRATAKI

3/4 pound boneless chicken thighs
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger root
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/4 cup mushroom soaking liquid 
2 (8-ounce) packages tofu shirataki noodles
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups bean sprouts (about 4 ounces)
Salt
2 green onions, including tops, chopped

Cut the chicken into bite-size strips 1/3- to 1/2-inch thick.

Place the chicken in a bowl and add the soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sugar. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or longer.

Soak the shiitake in a bowl of water until soft, then drain, reserving the water, and cut into strips.

Combine the cornstarch, oyster sauce and mushroom soaking liquid in a small bowl and set aside. The recipe can be prepared in advance to this point.

When ready to cook, place the shirataki noodles in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the noodles, return to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Drain well.

Heat a wok over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until very hot. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry 2 minutes. Then add the shirataki noodles and cook 2 minutes, separating with a fork so as to mix in the bean sprouts. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Turn out onto a heated platter and keep hot.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok. Add the chicken and stir-fry until cooked, 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the heat. Add the mushroom strips and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir the reserved cornstarch mixture and add to the wok. Cook and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds. Turn the chicken out onto the noodles.  Sprinkle with the green onions.

Season to taste at the table with additional soy sauce or salt.

Makes 4 servings.

 

Ensenada's Cowboy Winemaker

J.C. Bravo isn't really a cowboy. He's a high school teacher in the town of El Sauzal, near Ensenada. 

But he has a vineyard too, and he works it with the gusto of a guy at home on the range. His chief wine, a gutsy, fruity Carignan, is just what you'd want for a barbecue at the ranch.

Carignan is usually a blending grape. That's how they use it in southern France, where it thrives. But Bravo doesn't fuss around. He makes a pure, 100% Carignan, and wine lovers seek him out to get it.

Bravo is located in the Ejido El Porvenir near the town of Francisco Zarco in the Guadalupe Valley. That's in the heart of  Ensenada wine country.

Still under construction, his cava is lined with adobe brick made by his brother. If Bravo knows you, he might bring in bread and cheeses from the region to taste with the wine.

And if you're really interested, he'll go with you to the vineyard, a 20-hectare plot planted with fruit trees as well as grape vines. What you notice right off is how far apart the vines are, not like most vineyards where they cluster together. Wide spacing is better. The roots don't bump each other, he says.

And you don't see an irrigation system, because there isn't one. The vines are watered naturally by rainfall and the moisture that drifts in with breezes from the coast. If that's not enough, a well on the property supplies water.

And there's no need to fumigate. Winds keep the vineyard clear of rot.

Born in the Guadalupe Valley, Bravo sold grapes to other wineries until the demand fell off, then took up wine making himself. His first release was in 2001. Production is small. Carignan has grown to 750 cases a year, and Bravo says he won't do more than 1,200. "Poquito pero bueno" (not much but good), he says.

The current release is the 2007. The 2008 has been in bottle for five months, and the 2009 is in barrels. Bravo, who says he doesn't like the taste of wood, put it in used American oak

He also makes a small amount of Palomino, a white wine with nuances of sherry.  And he's just started to produce olive oil.

That's a lot to handle while working full time. But Bravo is going to retire from teaching in a year and a half. And he's as excited as a kid counting the days until the end of school. No long lazy summer vacation, though. He'll work all the harder at what he really loves, grape growing and wine making.

JC Bravo Vinos, Emiliano Zapato 680, Ejido El Porvenir, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California Norte, Mexico. Tel: (646) 155-2068.

A Junk Foodie Confesses

I'm such a purist that I hardly ever buy canned food, frozen food, or anything highly processed. Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, forget that. The truth is, I've become a junk food junkie.

This happened when a friend (?) turned me on to Gamesa's Arcoiris cookies. Right now, four dozen of them are sitting in my kitchen, and it's a struggle to keep out of there.

The cookies are quite small, really, so I don't feel too guilty about eating one, then two, then three and, the other day, four.

They're little squares of crisp, not very distinguished, cookie dough. It's what's on top that counts--four little blobs of gooey, chewy marshmallow coated with coconut.

Two blobs are pink, and two are white. This doesn't fit the name Arcoiris, which means rainbow. But so what.

The cookies are imported from  Mexico, and you can find them in any large supermarket where Latinos shop.

The nutrition information is on the box, but I prefer not to read it. It wouldn't stop me from eating them anyway.

Now that I've finished writing this, I'm going to the kitchen for my reward. Doesn't every purist deserve at least one lapse?

Where Saturday Night's Alive

What a dinner--15 courses, three bottles of wine and a glass of mezcal--in what has to be the best place to spend Saturday night in Ensenada.

That place is Benito Molina's restaurant Manzanilla. It's the unofficial gathering spot for the Ensenada food and wine crowd, the movers and shakers, that is. The later you stay, the better it gets. Closing time is just a formality. 

The night I was there I spotted Hugo d'Acosta, the superstar of Baja wine making, whom I hadn't seen in ages, he's so busy. Who else was there? Several winemakers, an artisanal cheese producer, seafood distributors, a chef about to open a restaurant, an artist bringing Molina a stash of the Mexican green huazontle and more. It's like a weekly networking session, greased by good food and wine.

Molina was in the kitchen dealing with a whole sturgeon he had picked up at the local fish market. That turned up in the first course, hot crostini topped with the fish, tomato, green chile, garlic and herbs.

And it appeared again as sturgeon two ways, half the thin slices topped with capers, onion and vinegar, the rest with green chile and soy sauce.

Not until the end did Molina swerve from his passion for seafood to send out a meaty dish called tongue, stomach and hoof. This soft stew of beef parts under a strip of fresh pasta was hard to tackle after so much food.

The previous course had been just as rich--corvina with huitlacoche risotto and fresh radish salsa.

Molina had made the risotto with Morelos rice, a short, plump-grained Mexican rice that he says is just as good for risotto as arborio. The salsa was a tribute to his mother, a native of the state of Campeche where radishes are common. 

In between were endless plates of oysters and clams, smoked and raw. Fresh sardines had been cured two ways: with salt, vinegar and garlic and with chile serrano. They were partnered with a mound of the thick cultured cream called jocoque.

Molina also sent out squid in a roasted beet sauce with lime and orange juices, fresh ginger and habanero chile.  And cabrilla, a type of sea bass with Swiss chard and poblano chiles. And a bowl of smoked clams with bacon and potatoes in creamy saffron sauce, a sort of Ensenada style clam chowder.

He topped locally raised abalone with a spicy tomato sauce. And paired grilled mackerel and sardines--a lot of sardines were in that day's catch, obviously--with shiso from the gardens of Laja restaurant in the wine country. And presented a clam topped with gorgonzola and sitting in tarragon butter (above).

After all this, there still was a cheese plate to deal with and a platter of desserts including mango blended with whipped cream, a "fallen" chocolate cake and cookies topped with dulce de mango.

The wines were Vinas Pijoan Silvana 2008, which blends Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier; an Estacion Porvenir 2008 blend of Palomino and Chenin Blanc and Pijoan's Domenica 2007, which combines Grenache, Petit Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The mezcal?  By that stage, nobody cared where it came from. We just headed for a taxi because in only a few hours we had to start out on another day's eating marathon.

Restaurante Manzanilla, 139 Teniente Azueta, Ensenada, B.C., Mexico. Tel: (646) 175-7073.

Wine and a Lamb Sandwich

Petit Verdot (little green grape) shows up primarily in Bordeaux blends, but it also appears on its own, as a varietal wine.

There's a good example at the San Antonio Winery in downtown Los Angeles. The grapes came from the Riboli Family's estate vineyards in Paso Robles--the Ribolis own San Antonio--and the wine was made in Paso Robles, then brought to the downtown winery for barrel aging. The yield: 1200 cases.

The name on the label is Opaque. Made 100% from Petit Verdot, the wine is opaque in the sense that it is very dark. The rich flavors were perfect with what I was eating in San Antonio's Maddalena restaurant, a hot roast lamb sandwich with a thin layer of creamy dressing that included a bit of mint. 

Beautiful wine, delicious sandwich.

The winery tasting room price for the 2006 Opaque is $25. The lamb sandwich is $8.98. The San Antonio Winery, which offers tours and tasting, is located at  737 Lamar St., Los Angeles, CA 90031. Tel: (323) 223-1401.

The Best Dessert of the Week

.....Or maybe the month.

This warm Valrhona chocolate cake with Valrhona cocoa sauce is so rich that what looks like a miniature portion is more than enough. Only a bit of flour holds the cake together without detracting from the impression that you're eating nothing but chocolate.

If anything could make this dreamy dessert more perfect, it's the salty caramel ice cream on the side. A bowlful of that wouldn't be enough.

The credit goes to Christine Banta, chef of La Boheme in West Hollywood. It's on the menu there, but Banta also contributed it to a tasting dinner at Gonpachi in Beverly Hill. No conflict. The two restaurants have the same owner.

La Boheme, ‎8400 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069-4296. Tel: (323) 848-2360‎.

Gonpachi, 134 South La Cienega Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA‎ 90211. Tel: (310) 659-8887‎.

 

This Caldo is Good for the Soul

Chicken soup may be food for the soul, but caldo de pollo is even better.

Actually, it's the same thing, but with a Mexican twist. That means ingredients such as corn, chayotes and Mexican zucchini. And limes, hot chiles and cilantro on the side.  And rosy Mexican rice to add to each bowl. 

It's so good that you can't help but feel wonderful as you eat it.

The recipe isn't mine. It's the real thing, from Leticia Carrillo of Los Angeles, who is originally from Colima, the capital city of Colima state. Her daughter, Elda Hernandez, gave it to me. And Elda knows the details, because she makes it all the time.

After assembling the ingredients, you'll need the biggest stockpot or Dutch oven you can find. If you don't have a really big pot, cut the recipe in half to fit into a smaller pot.

If you like a lot of broth, add 2 cups more water at the beginning or 2 cups chicken broth at the end. Adding the green vegetables toward the end of the cooking time will keep their color bright, but putting them in at the beginning makes the broth richer. I do it that way, but take your choice.

And don't forget to say "gracias" (thanks) to Leticia and Elda.

LETICIA CARRILLO'S CALDO DE POLLO
(Chicken Soup)

4 pounds chicken pieces, such as all legs or legs and breasts
4 carrots
1 pound Mexican zucchini
1 onion, cut in half
½ small green cabbage
1 large chayote
½ pound green beans
2 ears corn
2 medium russet potatoes
2 stalks celery
3 roma tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste, optional
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
4 quarts water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
Garnishes:
    Chopped cilantro
    Sliced serrano or jalapeno chiles
    Chopped onion
    Lime wedges
Mexican Rice

Remove the skin from the chicken pieces, but leave the meat on the bones. Wash and set aside.

Peel the carrots and cut them diagonally into ½-inch slices. Cut the zucchini into 1-inch chunks. Cut one onion half into 6 wedges. Chop the remaining onion and set aside.

Cut the cabbage half into 2 wedges. Remove and discard the cores, then cut crosswise into 1-inch slices.

Peel the chayote with a sharp vegetable peeler and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half lengthwise into thirds, then crosswise into 1-inch chunks, including the seed.

Remove the tips and stem ends from the green beans and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Cut each ear of corn into quarters

Peel the potatoes and cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1-inch chunks. Place in a bowl of cold water and set aside.

Remove the strings from the celery and cut crosswise into ½-inch slices

Combine the tomatoes, onion wedges, the garlic cloves, oregano and several generous grinds of pepper in a food processor or blender. Add the tomato paste if wanted (for redder color) and blend until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the pureed mixture and simmer about 7 minutes, stirring often, until thoroughly cooked.

Add the water and salt and stir. Add the chicken pieces and all of the vegetables except the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, loosely covered, 1 hour. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed.

Add the drained potato chunks and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.

Arrange the cilantro, chiles, chopped onion and lime wedges in separate bowls.

Serve the soup in large heated bowls, including some of the chicken, each vegetable and one piece of corn in each serving.

Place the garnishes in separate bowls to season the soup as desired. Place the rice in a heated bowl so that each person can add a spoonful to the soup.

Makes 8 servings.

MEXICAN RICE

1 cup long grain rice
3 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 roma tomato, peeled and chopped
2 cups heated chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon salt

Place the rice in a bowl and wash with cold water. Drain off the water and repeat until the water is clear. Drain the rice well.

Heat the oil in a  saucepan. Add the rice and cook until it begins to turn color. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, then add the tomato and cook until tender, mashing into the rice.

Add the broth or water and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil gently until most of the liquid is absorbed, then reduce the heat to very low, or place a heat diffuser under the pan and cook until the rice is tender and dry.

Makes 8 servings to accompany the soup.

 

Taking a Chance to Eat Tacos

My friends insist that Tijuana is dangerous, ugly, scary. That I'm unwise to go there, and they would never take such a chance. 

Not having spent any time in Tijuana, they have no idea what it's really like. All they know is what they read, and the press focus is crime (there's none at home?), not places like Tacos Varios La Cacho.

La Cacho is a Tijuana neighborhood, and tacos varios are tacos de guisado, tacos topped with the dishes of the day, spooned onto a layer of rice.

Bill Esparza (Street Gourmet LA) had spotted the shop on a previous trip and took several of us there to try it.

What we found was a pleasant, friendly, family-run business, a former street stand upgraded to an indoor cafe that opens onto the street. Very small, with just a couple of tables and counter seats on either side, it's well run and spotless.

Of the five tacos we ordered, my favorites were two I wouldn't have chosen if I had been on my own--lengua entomatada and chicharron en salsa verde.

The lengua (tongue) had been cooked in tomato sauce, a simple, well-flavored home style dish (at right).

I eat very little chicharron (pork skin cracklings), because I don't like fatty foods. But the flavor of the green sauce, a little tart and a little spicy, was so irresistible that I grabbed the last bite.

The other toppings were beef milanesa, tortitas de camaron (dried shrimp cakes) with nopales (below) and cheese with poblano chile strips.

"Otro concepto en tacos" (another taco concept), the flyer says, inviting people with demanding tastes to try the guisados. 

Up to 25 dishes are available daily, among them chicken mole, picadillo, marlin, shrimp with three cheeses, chicken stew, machaca and birria.

The shop also serves tostadas, burritos and full meals that include rice and beans, a choice of any three guisados, corn or flour tortillas and a fresh fruit drink.

When leaving, be sure to check out the shoe shop next door. It's run by a daughter of the family and amounts to a stylish gallery of footwear in a very small space.

Tacos Varios La Cacho, Calle Guanajuato 2374, Colonia Cacho, Tijuana, B.C., Mexico.