Circle Of Life. No Food Today.

The ocean is always a beautiful place to be. But sometimes it can be a little sad. Sunday's surf session, for instance, started out so great. First thing I saw when I hit the path was a woman carrying what seemed to be a newborn down to the shore. It was like she couldn't wait to show her baby the sea. Sweet, huh?

Meanwhile, I had made it out for Dawn Patrol, and the conditions were nice and mellow, the sea almost glassy, the sky a slate grey. One thing was strange though, I noticed, almost immediately after paddling out. There were what appeared to be three dolphins, just hanging very close to shore, and close to each other. It's certainly not strange to see dolphins off the coast here in California, but usually they're just passing by, heading either north or south. I always find it soothing, and maybe even good luck to see dolphins, so I was happy at first to see these guys. But they didn't seem to be heading in any direction. Were they feeding on something? Mating? Another Surfer soon paddled up next to me and also commented on this strange sight. I wasn't quite sure, but it almost looked like one was larger, and there were two smaller ones, so maybe it was a mama and her babies, and that was nice, because it fit in with the theme of seeing the mom and her baby a few minutes earlier.

So we turned our attention back to trying to catch waves. Often on weekends there are swimmers too. These hardy souls swim way out past where surfers are waiting to catch waves, and I always admire them for their courage and endurance, because that kind of swimming is not easy. So I was sitting up on my board when a lady swimming north approached. We traded 'good mornings,' and then she said "it's so sad. One of those dolphins is very sick." Apparently the larger dolphin was really struggling, while the two others were swimming in circles around it. They didn't seem to want to leave it, and it was as if they were watching over it. Was it a parent? A friend? A dolphin sibling? At one point the current pulled me a bit closer, and you could clearly see the face of the ailing guy. I think I even heard him or her let out what sounded like a defeated sigh. It was so moving, and it made me want to cry. Maybe the fellow surfing next to me said it best: "circle of life" is how he put it. And then this idea struck me: how lucky are dolphins? They love the ocean. And they get to spend their entire lives in it.

I tried to get a few more waves, but now my heart wasn't it so I headed in (getting a good pummeling from one wave when I wasn't paying attention!). I figured the lifeguard knew about the dolphin, but I was going to say something. I passed another surfer, though, who was coming from just having done that. They'd alert Marine Patrol, and if there was something they could do to help the dolphin, that's what they would do.

So, yes, circle of life, but still kind of a bummer. Couldn't think of a good segue into something food-related, so we'll just leave it at that for this episode.

Every Time's An Adventure. Plus The Little Jewel's Soft Shell Crab Po'Boy.

Pretty much every time I strap my Greco to the roof of the car and head to the beach, it feels like going on a little adventure. You never really know what's going to happen. For example, today once again conditions weren't quite what I expected, but there were fun little waves, and so I paddled out and caught a few. I have made some really major improvements lately, and I'm not sure why, but I'm going with it, and it feels really good. Anyway, also on the subject of the unexpected, I was heading home, and I look to my left at a stoplight just after having left the beach, and there's my old surfing teacher! I have to get him to come and see the improvements (although with my luck, I'll choke when he's there watching so maybe not quite yet, eh?).

While we're on the subject of being adventurous, it's good to be an adventurous eater. I've always been one, even as a little kid. It often amused my parents -- I ate escargots (snails!), and once tried Pheasant Under Glass (didn't need to do that again), and I think the first time I ate Soft Shell Crabs was when I was about twelve, at some restaurant our parents had taken us to in Westchester County, in New York. I can still recall that dish -- there were three Soft Shell Crabs on an oval plate. They'd been, I think, dusted in flour, and then simply fried in butter, and then a lemon-caper sauce was served on top. "You eat the whole thing, shell and all," I remember being told by my dad (or, well, it might have been the waiter). So I took a bite. There was a slight crunch, and then the taste of the sea. They were really delicious, and a little exotic, and from them on I'd order Soft Shell Crabs whenever they were in season and I'd see them on a menu. They often have them for sale at McCall's Meat And Fish in Los Feliz, and one day I'm going to get some and try to recreate that dish. The only thing that's been stopping me is I'm not sure Sam's going to like them, and they're not cheap!

But there's another place that's been featuring Soft Shell Crabs, one of my new favorite lunch spots, The Little Jewel Of New Orleans, in Chinatown. If you haven't been here, go. Go right now. The food is excellent all around, and there's also a little market where you can buy cool things, and there's always great music playing in the background, and everybody is always having a good time. Lately Chef Marcus Christiana-Beniger has been featuring a Soft Shell Crab Po'Boy, and every time I see the picture he posts it's been a day that I haven't been able to get there, and that's been a bummer. But the other day I finally scored one of those puppies. Here it is:

This Po'boy knocked my socks off! Oh, wait, I wasn't wearing socks. But it would have had I been wearing them. Two perfectly fried, crisp Soft Shell Crabs sat on one of those incredible Leidenheimer rolls. There were pickles, Gruyere cheese, and a kicky remoulade. I added a little Crystal Hot Sauce, of course, and along with a Swamp Pop to wash it down, I was in Po'Boy Paradise.

Thanks again, Chef, for bringing this sweet gem to LA.  Again, everybody go!

littlejewel.la

New Surf Bud. Plus A Pink's Chili Dog At Home. Yes, you can!

Generally, since I stopped taking lessons, I surf solo. This is often nice because getting out in the water is a good way to escape the hassles and the noise of everyday life. However, it's also a necessity, since none of my friends surf. But this past weekend, I ended up surfing with a buddy. It was a nice gentle day in Santa Monica, and when I paddled out this dude happened to be next to me. We traded 'heys' and then got to talking, and it turned out he was still sort of figuring things out too. The truth is he was better than me, although he had a ways to go too, to be honest. But in between going after waves, he'd point out things I was doing right, or I'd do the same thing for him, and it was nice for a change to have a dialogue going. I think it helped me too, because I got up on several waves, and I went after way more than I usually would. So hopefully we will run into each other again because it was a nice change of pace. Oh, one other surfing note: there's a great lesson I stumbled on -- it's on You Tube, and it's this Aussie (I think) dude. He gives a really amazing lesson about the mechanics of a wave, and I've watched it a gazillion times so I can really absorb it. If you're interested you can find it here:  https://youtu.be/hVyatMUYwZw.

Later that day we were going to a barbecue at a neighbor's. The mandate was bring a side dish to share to go along with burgers and hot dogs. At first the usual things ran though my head -- potato salad, cole slaw, things like that. But I figured there would be more than enough side salads. For some reason lately also I've had Pink's on the brain. Everybody from Los Angeles -- and many from outside of the city even -- knows Pink's, the little hot dog stand at the corner of La Brea and Melrose. My standing order at Pink's is two chili cheese dogs and an order of fries (or, occasionally, onion rings). It's important to get the fries or onion rings because you need something to scoop up any chili that might fall out onto your plate.  Here is what my chili cheese dog looks like:

Pink's dogs are steamed, and they have a nice snap when you bite into them. I'm pretty sure they're all beef. The cheese is as it should be -- American, so it melts perfectly. There's always a few onions scattered on top. And then there's the chili -- it's a little spicy, a little greasy, and there are no beans. It's the kind of chili that's more of a sauce, or a condiment, and less like the kind that may or may not have beans (I know, Texans shudder at the thought of beans in chili). It's certainly a close relative to the kind of hot dog chili you find in Rhode Island, or the kind known as Coney Sauce. Regardless, Pink's chili is just delicious in that sort of decadent, you-know-you-shouldn't-be-eating-it sort of way. Oh, here's a Pink's tip -- there's always a line, so if you want to go for lunch, for example, try to get there at around 11:30.  You'll beat the crowd. But back to that neighbor barbecue, and the need to come up with a side to bring. I thought it would be cool if I could somehow duplicate Pink's chili, and a google search turned up a couple of recipes that claimed to produce something pretty close. The one I chose to adapt comes from egghead forum, which can be found at www.eggheadforum.com. I have to say the results were pretty good. Here my version simmers away on the stove.

This chili was a hit at the barbecue. People made chili cheese dogs and chili burgers, and in the end I should have doubled the recipe because it went pretty fast. So, can't get to Pink's, but want a Pink's-style chili cheese dog?  Try this:

Pink's Style Chili For Burgers And Dogs
(Recipe adapted from egghead forum.com)

1 pound ground beef (20% fat, or higher!)
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup water (or more)
2-3 tbsps. chili powder (use 3 if you like it hotter)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 tbsps. finely grated white onion
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. white vinegar
Fresh ground pepper to taste

1. In a medium skillet, brown ground beef, breaking up into small pieces. When meat is brown, drain off fat into a glass measuring cup. You should have about 1/4 cup.
2. Add flour to the beef fat and stir to blend. Add in beef broth. Return this mixture to the skillet over medium heat. Cook the roux, stirring, until it starts to brown.
3. When roux is a nice dark brown, stir in beef and remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chili sauce is the consistency you like -- if you like it thicker, cook it longer. I like it to be not too thick, so I simmered it for about 20 minutes. Also, if it gets too thick you can thin it with a little more beef stock, or just water. Taste for salt. I needed to add some more toward the end.

To make a Pink's style chili cheese dog, steam your hot dog, then slip it in a steamed bun. Line the bun with a couple of slices of American Cheese, add the hot dog, then top with chili. Squeeze on yellow mustard, sprinkle with some chopped onion and you're good to go.

Ride The Wave, Not The Board. And a Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake!

Somewhere recently, I'm not quite sure where, I read this about surfing: "ride the wave, not the board." I don't know why, but this little sentence struck a note with me the more I turned it over in my mind. I think a lot of times when I'm out in the water, I am way too conscious of what my board is doing -- or is supposed to be doing, or where it is exactly when I'm not on it, and stuff like that. What I should be doing is just focusing on the wave. Go with the wave, and the board will go with you, I guess. Anyway, I like the way that sounds, and I'm going to try to incorporate it into my surfing life.

Last Sunday I had a nice session in some mellow waves out in Santa Monica. I was surfing near this other dude who was far better than me, but later, in the parking lot, he flashed me a shaka sign!  So that was cool.  I think he saw how hard I was trying, even if I was wiping out all over the place.

Back at home, in the garden it's zucchini time again. In a big way. If you have ever grown zucchini you know what I mean -- suddenly you become inundated with them. Also, they are always the first thing to start producing in a garden, at least here in California. Plus, if you don't keep an eye on the plants and keep harvesting, the zucchini can turn into baseball bats overnight. So in the last week or so we've been eating tons of zucchini. One night I made The Smitten Kitchen recipe for a Zucchini Ricotta Galette. This meant I had leftover ricotta. Also I picked a bunch of ripe lemons from the tree in our front yard. So I figured why not look for a way to combine lemons and Ricotta. A little research turned up a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis for an Orange Ricotta Pound Cake. This one called for a lot of orange zest and Orange liqueur but just as I was wondering whether or not I could substitute lemon zest and lemon juice for the liquid, I spotted another writer who did just that. So the recipe, adapted from Giada, is also adapted from Alexandra's Kitchen, which can be found at www.alexandracooks.com.

I added a lemon glaze because I still had some lemon juice to use. This glaze is used on an Ina Garten Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe, so I figured it would work here too. it did. The cake turned out really excellent -- tart, sweet, and very very moist. Take a look:

So if you find you have leftover Ricotta around, and maybe you have some lemons, why not try this pound cake? You won't regret it!

Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
(Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and Alexandra Cooks)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
plus more butter for greasing pan
1 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting pan
2 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk Ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 large, or 2 small lemons
2 tbsps. lemon juice
Lemon Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan generously, then toss in some flour and turn and shake the pan so it's even coated. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, cream together butter, sugar and ricotta until light, about 3 minutes. With mixer running add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. In small amounts, add in flour and mix, slowly, until just combined. Don't over mix.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan*. Bake in preheated oven, 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Let cake cool ten minutes in pan, set on a rack. Then remove and set cake back on rack. Drizzle with lemon glaze.

* I suggest placing the pan on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet before going in oven. I've found that, depending on the size of the eggs used, the batter really can inflate and sometimes drip over the sides of the pan so you'll want to catch them before they hit your oven floor! They are tasty, though, and can be considered cook's treats.

Lemon Glaze

(Adapted from Ina Garten)

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. In a bowl stir together confectioner's sugar and lemon juice until smooth.