Indy Car Races... And a Teriyaki Stick!!!

The pre-race jet show.

And, they're off!!!

I scored three tickets to last week's Indy Car Races at Infineon Raceway, and it was a rippin' good time! I took a fellow veteran, a Navy buddy of mine, and his fiance with me, and thank God I brought my earplugs!

The races were great, but it was clear by lap 25/75 who was going to win, barring some vehicular malfunction. So we headed to the booth's for SWAG, a beer, and of course some fair food!

After perusing the variety of foods: your usual foot-long corn dogs and hamburgers, we stumbled upon a couple cool items: a smoked meat place, where we got pulled pork nachos, and a teriyaki stand, where I of course got a teriyaki stick, because I must try teriyaki anywhere and everywhere I go. This didn't disappoint.

Wine Tasting in Coastal Sonoma County

This past weekend was important to me, as it really marked not only my last weekend of the summer (school at SFSU started this week), but it was my last time to spend with my lovely lovie, Kristi, for at least a few weeks, as she is headed of Boston University for graduate school. So the week was filled with all the fun things we love, among which is wine tasting!

I love the coastal wine country! I feel that the small-town wineries that we have available to us here away from Sonoma and Napa are really hidden gems, as they often only charge $5 for a tasting fee (if they charge at all!), and you can get much more than three or four small pours in a flight. Plus a certain charm exists in these places--the feeling is casual, the emphasis is on the wine and nothing else, and the employees of the wineries are often retired, there simply because they love it there! This all translates to a much more enriching experience than what I've found in the Sonoma Valley or Napa Valley.

Our plan was to hit three or four wineries, but we only made it to two because the second was so great that we had to end on that note!

Winery 1: Russian River Vineyards

5700 Gravenstein Highway North

Forestville, CA 95436

Friday's Flight (in the order tasted):

1. 2009 Rose of Pinot Noir
1. 10/10 in my opinion! I've always like Rose, but this one is special, notably the subtle flavors that reveal themselves on the palette. That is what really stood out: the number of subtle flavors that play out.
2. 2008 Syrah: Anthony Austin
1. According to our server, this Syrah was done in the more traditional French style, and the result is a Syrah with an extremely refined, almost elegant taste. The sweetness of blackberries is strong while the more smokey elements were less present, which is how I prefer it. Overall,  10/10.
3. 2009 Charbono (Mendocino County)
1. Now this gets a 10/10 because it was a totally new grape for me! Considered rare (only 97 acres of Charbono grapes exist in the U.S), this wine (a red for those who are new to it like me) is dry, very dry, but tasty. Could be drunk in quantity, were it a little more affordable.
4. 2009 "Chester" Zinfandel
1. My second go-round with "the Chester," as the winery calls it, was great again. I really like Zinfandel, but what stands out about this one is how mild the flavor is by comparison to the bouquet. It has a HUGE bouquet so the mild flavors are enjoyable AND surprising. 9/10.
5. 2008 Syrah
1. Labeled as having "Big bold tannins" by the winery, the flavor was not that bold. But it did have lots of cassis/leather/smokiness in the flavor, which I'm not a fan of. A well done wine, just not for me. 6/10.
6. 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
1. While also advertised as having intense cassis throughout, I felt this Cab was tart, very tart--it physically made me pucker--but that mellowed what I thought would be too much smokiness in it. This would be great with a rich meal, as I believe the tartness of it would aid in cutting through fattiness in a rich meal. 8/10.

Synopsis: As a winery, this place is great. As a restaurant/winery experience, it is amazing! Cork's, the on-site restaurant, has incredible food, brunch every day of the week, and an affordable menu for brunch, lunch or dinner. Today we just ordered truffle fries, and I had the Russian River Vineyards' Sauvignon Blanc, a fairly dry wine that was nice and light to start the day with.

Truffle fries with ketchup and a garlic aoili; RRV's Sauvignon Blanc.
(KP's Blue Moon in the back.)

Winery 2: Cahill Winery

What I really need to talk about here is how wonderful Cahill was overall. Warm welcome, smiling faces, and a long tasting menu! All the wines were good, all the ports were great, but what really needs to be mentioned is their spirit called 24 Degrees, and it has a pretty cool story behind it.

As told to us by the winery's owner (in the warehouse, as we were doing a comparison test of chardonnay in a steel tank against the same grapes in oak barrels) this spirit, oddly similar to tequila in taste and smell, is distilled from a number of cases of over-fermented kosher wine that he inherited with the property. Mixed with lemonade, it makes an incredible margarita!!!
In addition to the number of wines we tasted, the impromptu tour of the warehouse and the tasting there and all the dessert wines, the tasting room also served walnut cookies and chocolate truffles (made with their own grape-balsamic vinegar), pairing them well with the wines. The walnut cookies were so good, in fact, that I had them email me the recipe. You know I'll post pics as soon as I get to bake 'em.

Here are the strawberry margaritas we made with 24 Degrees, or "Tequila-Wine," as KP calls it.
Not to say that all the wines weren't memorable and delicious, but I will say that 24 Degrees stole the show on this visit. But I'll be back.

P.S. I heard an interesting story while at Cahill from a serious aficionado(I have yet to authenticate it, but it is still fun):
               In the 1800s there was a Cabernet vineyard next to a Sauvignon Blanc vineyard. The plants
               somehow became cross-pollinated, and voila: Cabernet Sauvignon.

Adding a New Tool to the Tool Chest

This was my grandfather's cleaver. That is enough to make it special. But what makes it a little more so is that the other day my grandma, who we call G-Lo, said I should have it now because I am now the family cook. It made me really happy.

And since I believe that respect for one's work space and tools is paramount to being successful in any endeavor, I am showing my tools respect by welcoming the newest :)

Meatball Subs

Isn't Kristi a great photographer?!?

A meatball sandwich is one of my favorite sandwich, and one of my top three favorite foods overall. I have looked for some time for the method of making a delicious meatball, and I have found it: in lieu of adding breadcrumbs, I added day-old bread soaked in whole milk for 20 minutes (I used two cups of cubed bread for 3 lbs of meat). This gave the meatballs almost a luxurious texture, keeping them moist but adding to the richness in an understated way.

You can use whatever combination of meats that you want (traditionally pork, beef, and veal are used), but I like to keep things on the lighter side. So I used one pound each of 95% lean pork, 96% lean beef, and 99% lean turkey. To that I added 2 eggs, fresh garlic, fresh Italian parsley, salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and a touch of cinnamon. After mixing well, I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup to portion out the meatballs, forming all of them and placing them in a large casserole dish.

Once the meatballs were formed, I heated some light olive oil in a deep pot with a heavy bottom (a Dutch oven would work), and browned each meatball on all sides. I then covered the pan with foil and baked the meatballs at 325 for 15 minutes.

Once the meatballs were finished, I made a little bit of gravy, taking a much more simple approach than I normally would. So I took 3 small cans of good tomato sauce and a can of low-sodium beef stock, kosher salt and black pepper and simmered over low heat for a few minutes until barely boiling. I then simmered several meatballs in the gravy to lend it flavor, about 15 minutes.

Sandwich assembly was a cinch: slice and butter the roll, toast in a pan or oven, spread some gravy on the bottom side of the roll, slice two meatballs into halves and place all four pieces on the roll,

add another spoonful of gravy, place provolone cheese on top, another spoonful of gravy, and into the toaster oven for a few minutes on broil to melt the cheese.

First Tomatoes From the Garden!

Our first tomatoes of the season are in, and here pretty soon the plants are going to be producing more tomatoes that we can keep up with! (Luckily I make great spaghetti sauce so I'll freeze some for the winter.)

These were picked Sunday night, so I used them that night; I just made a little Caprese salad, using only what we had in the house. Fresh ingredients=delish.

Adding a Little More Punch to my Already-Delicious Sangria

Sangria is, and has been for some time, my favorite summertime drink. Cool, a little sweet, great depth of flavor, and it can pack a punch if you let it.

This past Tuesday I decided that I wanted to pack a little more punch into this awesome wine-based drink, sort of make it more like a cocktail. My girlfriend, Kristi, or KP as I call her, had just got into town and I wanted to celebrate a little!

Regarding the Sangria, my first thought was to just double the rum, but my culinary intuition persuaded me that the flavor would be off if I only did that.

So I start thinking about all the good Sangria's I've had over the last year--Cha Cha Cha's in San Francisco's Haight district, Sharkeez in Newport Beach, CA, and some other little cantina off the Balboa pier in Newport Beach, CA. The only thing all three have in common is pineapple juice . . .

What a gem of an idea: add pineapple juice. I don't like sugary things so I was a tad reticent to add such a sweet juice. But sometimes there is only one way to find out: Just freakin' do it. So I committed and made a sample batch, test-kitchen style.

This sangria rocked our socks off, and user be warned: you only need a couple glasses before you're no longer able to drive.

We loved this recipe. Here's how it went down:

Ingredients:

• 1 each lemon, pear and apple
• 2 oranges
• 1 large bottle bargain Sangria wine (the HUGE bottle)
• 4 cups white rum
• 1, 16-oz can pineapple juice
• A tall glass pitcher
• Wine glasses
• Ice

Process:

1. Slice the fruit. Put half into the glass pitcher, set aside half for the second part of assembly.

2. Add half the rum to the fruit in the pitcher. Stir a few times.

3. Add half the can of pineapple juice to the fruit in the pitcher. Stir.

4. Add half the wine to the pitcher (or however much it will hold). Stir.

5. Add the other half of the fruit, rum, and pineapple juice to the bottle with the remainder of the wine in it.

6. Leave out for up to 12 hours, refrigerate after that. 

7. Serve in red wine glasses with lots of ice. If desired, you can make a beautiful presentation by alternating a few ice cubes with slices of orange, created a layered look.

Note: You may need to use a strainer to keep pulp out of the glasses if the wine sits for several hours. 

Keeping the Edible Journey Healthy

Many people ask me what they should eat because when I lived in Orange County I worked as personal trainer. While the routines of my clients were constantly changing, the nutrition advice I gave and continue to give is always the same.

Main Principles

Just like when you're cooking for the best possible flavor, cooking for the best possible health starts with the ingredients:

• Only eat nutrient-dense and fiber-rich carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, yams, brown rice, lentils and whole wheat bread or pasta.
• Eat lean protein at least three times per day in the form of cottage cheese, eggs (specifically egg whites), chicken breast, white fish, lean beef (sirloin or 97% lean ground beef) and 99% lean ground turkey.
• Use healthy fats (mono- and polyunsaturated) in place of saturated fats, which means instead of butter, lard, shortening, or any other animals fat you should use canola and olive oils, avocado, and occasionally include salmon in place of your white fish.
• Eat green vegetables at as many meals as possible, especially with any large protein serving. My favorites:






• Asparagus, grilled or steamed
• Broccoli, steamed or oven roasted
• Green beans, steamed

• Drink 96-120 ounces of water daily. Why? The short answer is that water regulates essentially every function in the body, which for us means that it facilitates the metabolization of body fat into energy
  (i.e. burning fat) as well as the synthesis of nutrients for repairing damaged muscles (i.e. recovery).

Secondary Principles

1. Oven roast or grill meats and vegetables in lieu of pan frying or deep frying
2. Eat whole fruits and vegetables in lieu of juices and smoothies*
3. If you're trying to "tone-up", which really means lose body fat, cut out the carbohydrates after 4pm! This can be done by having a satisfying dinner of grilled chicken, grilled vegetables of your choice, and a green salad.
1. If you're trying to "bulk up," eat the aforementioned salad after your dinner, before bed, to give your body some much needed macro- and micro-nutrients before the long fast that is bedtime.
4. Read the ingredient labels! In case you didn't know, the ingredients are listed in the order of how much of each ingredient they contain. That means that if sugar or corn syrup is one of the first two or three ingredients, that item is mostly sugar!!! So get unnecessary sugar out of your diet by selecting all-natural peanut butter, jams and preserves, breads, etc.
5. While you're looking at the ingredient label, check and see how many words there are that you can't pronounce. Scary, isn't it? So do your best to cut out those items that include words that you don't know!
6. When you use sweeteners, strive to use honey or agave in place of white sugar.
7. Buy low-sodium everything--you can always salt your food more with kosher salt.
8. Make your own salad dressings. This will keep you in control of how many processed things you put into your body. (I promise I'll put my favorite four up soon.)
9. Every once in a while you should do a cleanse. I'll put my 11-day cleanse up in its own article soon.

Meal Plan--Fat Loss

Example 1:

• Meal 1:  6am
• 6 oz cottage cheese (150 cal, 23 grams protein)
• Tomatoes or other fruit (60-85)

• Meal 2:  9-10am
• Whole Wheat (WW) English muffin (130)
• 1 tsp butter (36)
• 1 egg plus 2 egg whites (112, 13)
• 8 oz water
• Meal 3:  12-1pm
• 2 slices low-cal whole wheat bread (160, 4)
• 1 tbs PB plus 1 tbs jam (155, 3)
• 8 oz water
• Meal 4: Afternoon snack
• Yogurt (100, 5) or 
• String Cheese (110, 5)
•  Apple or pear (65)
• Meal 5: Dinner
• 4 oz chicken (187, 35)
• 6 oz squash or sweet potato (82/162)
• 2 cups broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or salad (free)
• Optional:  2 tbs salad dressing (170 cal)

Totals: 1,285 - 1,497 calories/day, 86 grams  protein/day


Example 2:

• Meal 1:  6am
• 1 cup breakfast cereal of choice (about 140, 4)
• 1 cup skim milk (90, 9)
• Meal 2:  9-10am
•  ½ avocado (182)
• 1 egg plus 2 egg whites (112, 13)  
• Choice of veg and/or tomato (40 cal)
• 8 oz water
• Meal 3:  12-1pm
• Tuna salad—easy on the mayo!!!—(225, 26)
• 2 pieces low cal WW bread (160, 4)
• 8 oz water
• Meal 4: Afternoon snack
• Yogurt (100, 5) or
• String Cheese (110, 5)
•  Apple or pear (65)
• Meal 5: Dinner
• HUGE salad (free)
• 4 oz chicken (187, 35)
• 2 tbs dressing (170) or  
• Soup with lean protein and vegetable (and noodles?)

Totals: 1,285 - 1,497 calories/day, 86 grams  protein/day

Meal Plan--Beginner Muscle Gain

Ø  Eat at home in morning:

o   1 banana

o   2 tablespoons all-natural peanut butter

NOTE: You can augment this with a glass of nonfat milk or 15-20 grams worth of whey protein mixed in water.

Ø  Take to Work/School:

o   15-20 grams worth of whey protein in shaker (mix w/ water)

o   Meal

§  7 oz yam

§  ½ c broccoli

§  ½ large chicken breast, either butterflied or sliced into chunks

o   Meal

§  1 c brown rice

§  ½ large chicken breast/turkey burger/lean beef burger

o   Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat

o   String cheese

o   Piece of seasonal fruit

o   2-4 boiled eggs (w/ lemon pepper, seasoned salt, Tabasco sauce, etc.)

Ø  Dinner at home:

o   Large salad --4 cups greens

o   Raw vegetables as desired

o   ½ chicken breast PLUS ½ avocado OR 4-6 oz steak/beef

o   Salad dressing as desired

The proof is in the pudding: While I'm no longer in this condition, the above dietary principles are the ones I used to get me into shape for the Mr. Orange County Muscle Classic in 2005, which was also the best shape I've ever been in.

__________________________________________________________________________________

*Smoothies that combine blended fruit, juice, and a clean protein source, like whey protein, are one of the best things you can have within 40 minutes of an intense workout. However, outside of post-workout environment, smoothies and juices are very high on the glycemic index and can spike insulin levels, thereby resulting in an environment in the body that is not conducive to either fat burning or muscle building, the main subjects it is my intent to address here.

Scrumptious (and Easy) Toffee

I'm proud of this one because I used all intuition, no directions. Thursday evening I had a hankering for something sweet but was too lazy to go to the store, so into the pantry I went. Being out of eggs rendered all my baking recipes useless, so I had to do something with sugar, butter, nuts, and chocolate.

I've watched the show Chopped enough times to have a basic idea of what I wanted to do, so I just decided to wing it! Here's how it went:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon Maldon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chocolate of choice
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted then roughly chopped
• A few drops of canola oil

Process:

1. Start the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring periodically at first then more frequently as it melts. Once the chocolate is all melted, add the canola oil and continue to stir periodically until ready to use.
2. Over medium heat, add all the sugar to a medium saucier. Stir frequently until the sugar has melted and is in a liquid state, about 5-10 minutes depending on your stove top, pans, and altitude.
1. THE SUGAR WILL BE VERY HOT, USE CAUTION
3. Once the sugar is in a liquid state, add the vanilla, butter, and pecans, stirring well after the addition of each ingredient.
4. Once the mixture is a very smooth liquid with no lumps and BEFORE IT BURNS transfer it to a parchment paper-lined pan with at least a half inch lip (to contain the toffee).
5. Sprinkle with Maldon salt immediately, then drizzle with melted chocolate, spreading with a rubber spatula to create a textured, rustic top.
6. Cool for several hours at room temperature or for one hour in the refrigerator, then chop into pieces of the desired size.

Overall I feel that this is a great recipe and was a great jumping off point, but here is what I will do better next time:

• Do some research to see how I can incorporate cream, and
• Research how exactly to induce the best possible texture (velvety and smooth) in the toffee.

I love the Village Bakery (You Can't Always Make It At Home)

My hometown of Sebastopol, CA, has one of the greatest little bakeries that I've ever been to! It is called the Village Bakery, and they put out everything from morning pastries like sticky buns to desserts like pies, tarts, brownies, and cookies. They also bake some of the beat bread west of the Mississippi River! Given our close proximity to San Francisco, sourdough is a local favorite and our family favorite is the Sebastopol Seeded Sourdough.

This isn't actually the seeded version, but it is Sebastopol Sourdough!

I really do love it!

In addition to the things I already know and love from the VB, they also feature an assortment of goodies:

So far I have had the apricot tart, all the cookies, and many of the breads. They are ALL delicious!!!

Dinner with the Prices--More Good 'ole 'merican Food

A stellar example of Trey's fantastic camera work.

It is my first night on my annual summer trip to Orange County with my family to visit my grandma and my girlfriend's family, the Prices. On the first night in town an easy dinner is always the best bet, so tonight we have a great group--Kristi's dad, Fred, her two older brothers, Trey and Brad, their girlfriends, Katrina and Hayley respectively, my brother, Benjamin, and Trey's longtime friend 'Drew, and we are grillin' burgers and 'dogs.

Brad made the burgers (using Montreal steak seasoning, one beaten egg, and some other goodies from the cupboard) and Trey manned the charcoal to give us perfectly cooked burgers, hot dogs (Nathan's, of course), and some bratwurst.

I know no one is going hungry tonight!

Brad, the mad scientist!

Trey playing with his new camera, Brad and Drew tag teaming the grill.

Trey doin' work on a burger.

And of course my homemade mac 'n cheese!

JG's Homemade Mac 'N Cheese:

Ingredients:

• 1 quart- half gallon whole milk
• 1/2 a white onion
• 1 large bay leaf
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons AP flour
• Kosher salt
• White pepper
• Two 16oz boxes of desired pasta, boiled (my favorite pasta for this is large shells)
• 4-6 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 large ham steak
• 1/2 bag frozen peas
• Goldfish/Cheeze Its/ Italian breadcrumbs 

Process:

1. Begin by warming the milk in a medium saucepan over very low heat with the bay leaf and half an onion in it.
2. (Boil the pasta and keep warm.)
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucier. Gradually whisk in flour, creating a rue. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Chop the ham into small cubes.
5. Cook the rue about 10-15 minutes to get the raw flour taste out, then begin whisking in the milk, about a cup at a time, until you have a creamy, fairly loose white sauce. 
6. Add 4/5 of the cheese, reserving a little for the top. Stir until you have a rich cheese sauce. Season to taste.
7. Using a large pan or pot, put half the noodles in the pot. Then add 3/4 of the cheese sauce, ham and peas. Stir.
8. Add the rest of the pasta, cheese sauce, ham and peas and stir until well incorporated.
9. Pour into casserole dish prepared with nonstick cooking spray.
10. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
11. Finish by sprinkling crushed Goldfish over the cheese layer. (Use breadcrumbs or Cheeze Its if desired)
12. Bake at 375 F for 25-35 minuted, depending on your oven.