Applause For The Kook! Seriously. Also, A Big Hand For Gjusta's Porchetta Banh Mi.

Last Friday's surf session was pretty much a success. In fact, I got applause on one wave. Really, this is no lie. A woman perched nearby on her board clapped for me after I got up on a wave and got a nice little ride. Okay, I'll admit it was from a fellow Kook -- or, well I should say a student who's part of a big group from USC I sometimes see out there. They all have big green Grecos like mine, and I know they're from USC because the school's logo is right there on the board in big black letters. Anyway, it was nice to get that little bit of encouragement -- if she only knew how long and hard I've worked to earn it. The weekend, unfortunately, did not offer up a surf session. Conditions were just kind of cruddy. But this week I managed to get out again on another super-mellow day, and I managed to catch a few really small waves. There was this one dude, though, on a super-long board, who was amazing. You'd barely see the wave he'd be going after, but he'd pop up in an elegant, almost effortless way and ride it all the way in. He made it look really, really easy, and for a while I was even trying to mimic his moves (plus I was super, super jealous to be honest, thinking 'why can't I do that?'). I tried, but I was having much less stellar results. Still, it was a good day, so I'll pat myself on the back, even though my old mentor would not approve. I still have so far to go, but progress is being made, and that's the important thing.

Afterwards it was lunch time and, as always after a session in the water, I was really hungry. I've been a very big fan of both Gjelina and Gjelina Takeaway in Venice, but so far I haven't gotten to their latest venture, Gjusta, although it's been on the must-try list. Then I saw they have Banh Mi, and I love Banh Mi, so here's lunch:

This was the Porchetta Banh Mi, and I'm here to tell you it's one really really delicious sandwich. Let's begin with the bread. Gjusta is also a bakery, and their baguette was just out of this world -- crisp crust, soft in the center, so so good. There was pate along with the Porchetta, some pickled vegetables, lots and lots of cilantro (sorry Sam) and a sauce that I'm guessing had Sriracha in it, and there were probably jalapeños or some kind of chiles because the sandwich had a really powerful kick. This was one of the best Banh Mi I've had, I think even topping Gjelina's brisket Banh Mi, which was also pretty amazing. Everything at Gjusta looked extremely tasty. Definitely a return is in order to try more. Okay, it was on the pricey side -- this isn't a cheap lunch, but these guys put so much care and love into what they do, it's worth it.

For all things Gjusta:

www.gjusta.com

Baby Got Thrashed. Then Baby Did Good. Plus An Ode to French Fries. Yep, You Can Make Them At Home.

Remember how I said I was trying to only paddle out when conditions were in my sweet spot? Well, once again, I ignored my own advice and went out on a day that was a little bit rough. I got caught up in one sort of gnarly wave -- it wasn't that big, but it was messy -- and I pulled something in my shoulder so that kind of sucked for a couple of days.  But my next session was back to my ideal conditions. In fact it might have been even on the small side, as these waves didn't have a lot of pop to them, and when they did, as a nearby surf-chick said, they were closing out. She also brought up a problem that's been a recurring one for me, but one that I am still working hard to overcome -- I guess she was watching as I started to paddle into a wave, but I didn't quite catch it. She said, 'couple of more paddles and you would have had it!' I've heard that before. Many times, so yeah, I get it! Sometimes I just give up too soon. Another thing that happened the other day was I was a little late on starting to paddle on one wave, so I kind of nose-dived. That used to freak me out a lot, but not so much now, so more progress. All in all, though, even though conditions were super mellow, it was a fun day, and while I was in the parking lot strapping the board back to the roof, somebody nearby was eating fries from In-n-Out. I love French fries. Does anybody not? Would you trust a person that doesn't like French fries? I'm not sure that I would. Fries are one of those perfect foods, so simple -- you only need three ingredients, potatoes, oil and salt -- but so incredibly delicious and satisfying when done right. So of course I got a craving.

Did you know you can make really good French fries at home, like these here?

Well, you can. It's really not all that hard. And you don't need a lot of fancy ingredients or equipment. I think people are sometimes afraid of deep frying, but there's nothing really all that scary about it. The one piece of equipment you do need, though, is a deep-fat thermometer, so you know the temperature of your oil. This is important. If the oil isn't hot enough, your fries will be soggy. If it's too hot, they'll burn. But to make truly great French fries, you'll have to actually fry them twice, first at a lower temperature, which cooks the potatoes, and the second, at a higher temperature, which will crisp them. Here's the good news: you can do the first fry a couple of hours ahead, and let the potatoes rest. That way all you have to do when it's time to eat is bring the oil back up to high heat and fry the potatoes again for just a few minutes.  So the next time you get a craving for fries, why not try making them at home. It's not all that hard. Really, go for it!

Awesome French Fries
(serves 4)

2 large Russet Potatoes
1/2 to 1 quart canola or peanut oil
Sea salt

1. Peel potatoes (or, if you're like me and you prefer the peel on, don't!). Cut potatoes into strips about  1/4 inch by 1/4 inch. Place potatoes in bowl and rinse with cold water several times, until water becomes clear. Cover potatoes in bowl with 1 inch water and add in an inch of ice cubes. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to several hours).
2. Place oil in a large pot or Dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer. The oil should fill the pot about half way (you want to leave several inches from the top free as the oil will bubble when you add the potatoes). Heat oil to 325 degrees.
3. Drain the potatoes. Using a kitchen towel or paper towels, blot them as dry as you can. When oil is at 325 degrees, lower in about half the potatoes (don't crowd the pot). Fry 5-7 minutes, until potatoes become soft and limp, and are just beginning to take on a light blond color. Remove and drain on paper towels. Continue until all potatoes are fried this first time. The potatoes can now rest for up to 2 hours. Don't cover or refrigerate them. Just leave them at room temperature.
4. When ready to finish the fries, heat oil again, this time to 350 degrees. Again, don't crowd the pan! In batches fry the potatoes until crisp, golden and puffed, about 1-2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and you may keep them, as batches are done, in a 200 degree oven until all potatoes are fried. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve right away, with Heinz Ketchup or whatever dipping sauce you like.

Heading home from the surf, I stopped at McCall's Meat and Fish in Los Feliz and they had these beautiful bone-in rib eyes. So we had steak and fries, or as the French say, Steak Frites! You don't need a recipe for grilling a steak, do ya? Just get the best steak you can, salt and pepper it all over, and let it sit at room temperature for a good hour before cooking it.  Then get a nice charcoal fire going and add some wood chips if you dig a bit of smoke. Grill the steak until it's done how you like. Carve it up, and serve it with your beautiful crisp and salty fries. Easy, huh?

No Good Weekend Surf. But Delicious Bagels In Malibu. And Hamburguesas Punta Cabras!

Have you heard of Hamburguesas Punta Cabras downtown on Spring Street? I recently read about its debut, and it all sounded so delicious I took a detour and grabbed lunch the other day. Here's what I ate. Looks pretty tasty, no?

More on the burger in a bit, but first some meditations on surfing. Although I've noted that I have found my sweet spot in terms of surf conditions, often I go out when I know it's not. And then I regret it. I'm not sure what this is about except to say that surfing -- or trying to surf -- becomes a compulsion. No sooner to I get home from an outing in the water than I'm figuring out when I can get out again. I look at Surfline rather constantly in an attempt to determine the ideal day and time. But sometimes I only see the parts of the reports that I want to see! For instance, the report might highlight the fact that waves are in the 2-3 foot range. Okay, that's good. However, if you read more closely you might find that these are bumpy waves, or there's lots of wind, or some other factor is unfavorable. Which is why sometimes you get to the beach and there are very few surfers out. They are doing a better job of reading the reports, and staying out of the water when conditions suck.

So a brief cursory glance at Surfline revealed things looked cool in Malibu for Sunday. But I hadn't  really studied the report with care. When we got to the beach I could see conditions were not at all right. Still, the beagles got a nice beach walk in, and I jumped in the water with my board and made a few lame attempts to catch something. Then I gave up and we had these for breakfast on the beach:

Yep, more bagels from the most excellent Brooklyn Bagel Company, topped with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, fresh ground pepper and some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Even the beagles love them. See?

Derric could have snatched that in a second, but he was a good boy and didn't.

Now back to that burger. Hamburguesas Punta Cabras is run by the guys who also own Tacos Punta Cabras in Santa Monica, Chefs Joshua Gil and Daniel Snukal. I haven't been there yet, but I love tacos so it's on the list. Most definitely for a post-surf lunch. Most definitely to try the fish tacos. Hamburguesas Punta Cabras is a neat little space, and the burgers are old school -- which is always a good thing in my book. It's just burger patty, nicely charred on the griddle, a little shredded lettuce, tomato, house-made pickles, a little grilled onion and cheese (you can, of course, get it without cheese but why would you do that?) on a nice, soft old-school bun that's also been buttered and grilled. On the burger as well is their version of 1000 Island dressing, 1000 Islas. This sauce has a nice little kick. The dude behind the counter also gave me a couple of other salsas to try. One was kind of a creamy ranch and the other a green salsa that also had some spice. (side note: I was wearing a t-shirt that features an old Renault Le Car (!) with a longboard on the roof. The guys manning the grill dug it!) Anyway, for a little extra you can get a second burger patty, and they also have turkey and black bean burgers, but I'd stick with the beef. I scarfed it down very quickly, as it was extremely good. Oh, also you can get the fries dirty, which I didn't -- maybe next time -- but they looked really enticing, sort of like In-N-Out's fries done animal style. On them were Chorizo Cheese and more of that 1000 Islas sauce and some grilled onion. Yes, next time for sure.

So if you have to be downtown and you're hungry, hit these guys up:

www.hamburguesaspuntacabras.com

And remember -- always get your bagels at:

www.brooklynbagella.com

Close Encounters With Creatures Of The Sea -- Plus Suzanne Goin's Halibut With Fava Beans And Fingerling Potatoes!

Whether you surf, SUP, swim, boogie board, kayak or take part in any ocean sport, eventually you will encounter creatures of the sea. Here in Southern California, dolphins are particularly prevalent. It can be disconcerting at first to have a dolphin swim close because they can be rather large, and if you have phobias like me it can be never-wracking. However, when you get over your idiotic phobias, it's cool and somewhat awe-inspiring to be among dolphins. In Malibu, especially in winter, there was the occasional whale sighting. Then one time, just as I was entering the water near Tower 26, I felt something brush against my legs. I looked down just in time to catch a glimpse of something small but shark-like in shape, maybe a foot long, with dark spots on its body. I thought it might be a tiger shark, and when I got home and googled it, sure enough that's what it looked like. It was a baby, though, so no need to panic. Unless mama was around, I guess. I've seen schools of various fish, and Pelicans often soar overhead (okay, I know not a sea creature, a bird). Then there are the sea lions, which lately have been having a tough time off our shores, with many sick pups washing ashore in need of care. I saw one being attended to by lifeguards recently, and I hope that little guy was okay. But on my last surf session, a sea lion was following me. Seriously, if I tried paddling off in one direction, there it was, and if I changed course it did too. Another surfer even commented on it -- he was, like, "dude, that sea lion must like you!" At some point I shook him, or he swam off. At first I was a little rattled -- why is this creature following me? But then I just chuckled over it.

I don't think I've ever encountered a halibut out there. I'd probably remember if I did, because the halibut is a flat fish, and therefore somewhat funky looking. I have, however, encountered halibut on the plate. In fact we love halibut, maybe because it's such a mild fish. So after the past couple of surf sessions, with all these encounters with creatures of the sea, I was at McCall's Meat and Fish in Los Feliz, and there was some really sweet looking Halibut -- in fact the season for halibut is just getting under way. When I saw it, I thought of a great recipe I've made from Suzanne Goin's "Sunday Suppers At Lucques," which features fingerling potatoes, fava beans and pea shoots along with the halibut. This dish you see here:

Okay, I'll admit this is not the simplest recipe; it has a few steps, and some ingredients you probably don't have on hand. But I made it once for dinner guests, and it didn't fail to impress. Because it's Spring, the favas and the Meyer lemons and the pea shoots are available at your local farmer's market, and maybe even some supermarkets. Of course you can cook the potatoes and prep the fava beans ahead, and you can also make the creme fraiche and lemon salsa earlier too. So plan a little, and give it a try if you're a halibut fan. I've mentioned this before, but if you like to cook get a copy of "Sunday Suppers At Lucques". You'll be glad you did.

Halibut with Fingerlings, Fava Beans, Meyer Lemon and Savory Creme Fraiche
(recipe adapted from Suzanne Goin's "Sunday Suppers At Lucques")
Serves 6

6 halibut filets, about 6 ounces each
1 meyer lemon, zested
1 tbsp. thyme leaves
2 tbsps. Italian Parsley, roughly chopped
2 pounds (in pods) fresh fava beans
1 1/4 pounds small fingerling potatoes
5 tbsps. unsalted butter
2 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces pea shoots
Savory creme fraiche (recipe follows)
Meyer lemon salsa (recipe follows)

1. Season halibut with lemon zest, thyme and parsley. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to boil. Remove fava beans from pods. Drop beans into boiling water for about 1 minute, then drain and plunge into cold water. Now use your fingers to remove and discard the tough outer peel, reserving just the bright green beans themselves. set aside.
2. Place potatoes in a medium pot. Cover with cold water by 4 inches. Add 1 tbsp. salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Reserve a cup of cooking water and drain potatoes. When cool, lightly smash them with the heel of a hand.
3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add 4 tbsps. of the butter, smashed potatoes, and stir until potatoes are coated with butter. Season to taste with salt. Add fava beans and a few tbsps. of reserved potato water. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
4. Remove fish from refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking. Season filets with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes (note: I used a smaller pan as I was cooking 2 filets this time. You may have to use two pans if cooking all six, or cook them in batches). Swirl in the olive oil, and 1 tbsp. butter. When foam subsides, lay in halibut filets. Cook without disturbing 3-4 minutes, until fish is lightly browned and starting to crisp. Turn fish, lower heat to medium-low and cook a few more minutes, until fish is starting to flake and almost cooked through. Remove from heat. Set aside.
5. Turn on the heat under the potatoes and favas to medium. Toss until they're heated through, then add the pea shoots. Continue cooking a minute or so more, until pea shoots begin to wilt. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
6. Spoon the potatoes onto warm plates. Dot half the creme fraiche over them and spoon half the lemon salsa on top. Arrange halibut filets over potatoes. Spoon remaining creme fraiche and lemon salsa over each piece of fish.

Savory Creme Fraiche

(note: Chef Goin says if you can't find fresh savory, you may substitute equal parts fresh rosemary, parsley and mint -- that's what I did, as I couldn't get Savory, and we had the other herbs growing in the garden).

2 tsps. savory leaves (or the combination mentioned above)

3/4 cup creme fraiche (or you can substitute sour cream)

1. Finely mince herbs. Stir into creme fraiche or sour cream. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Meyer Lemon Salsa

2 large or 3 small Meyer lemons
2 tbsps. finely diced shallots
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. minced savory (or do like I did…a combination of mint, rosemary and parsley)
1 tbsp. sliced mint (less if you do the substitution)
2 tbsps. chopped Italian parsley (again, less if you do the substitution)
Salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Supreme the lemons. C'mon, you know how to do this, right? Okay, kidding! But if you do, do it. If not, cut both ends off lemons and then slice off the skin and pith. Then carefully slice between membrane and fruit to remove just the segments of fruit. Place segments in a small bowl and reserve juice, removing seeds (it helps to do this over a bowl so you capture all that juice. You should have about 1/4 cup).
2. Place juice in a small bowl with shallots and 1/4 tsp. salt. Let sit for 5 minutes, then slowly whisk in olive oil. Stir in the lemon segments and the herbs. Season with salt an pepper, if needed.