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.

Couple of Surf Sessions. Couple of Lunches: Knuckle & Claw and Wexler's Deli!

I am giving myself props for surf sessions last Wednesday Sunday. Why? Well, once again conditions were slightly different than I expected from reading reports on Surfline -- when I got out and took a look-see for myself, I could tell it was out of my comfort zone. It wasn't that the waves were all that big, but the ocean was choppy, and waves were coming in fast, with little time between them. I have issues with choppiness, but the good news is I put those issues aside, and I paddled out anyway on both days. Sunday's session was particularly good. My old mentor/teacher did not approve of my giving myself pats on the back -- he thought I was way too easy on myself, but since I've come such a long way in terms of overcoming fears and phobias, I have to do it anyway. I have learned that sometimes if you don't pat yourself on the back, nobody else will, so often it's okay!

Good, productive surf sessions deserve delicious lunches, I say. Recently I had read about Knuckle & Claw, a new place in Silver Lake devoted to lobster Rolls. Who doesn't love lobster rolls, that perfect simple combination of lobster meat and, if you're in Connecticut, melted butter, and elsewhere mayonnaise and maybe a little chopped celery, all piled into a split top hot dog bun that's also been grilled in butter, so that the bread develops a nice, little crispiness? We are particular fans of the lobster rolls at Lunch, in Amagansett, New York, and on this coast Connie and Ted's in West Hollywood's has awesome ones, as does the Hungry Cat. Here is Knuckle & Claw's version--

These rolls were really stuffed with perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned lobster meat. This was, as far as I could tell, closer to the Connecticut version, the lobster napped with butter, although I think I could detect some mayonnaise inside the bun as well. Served with a dill pickle, and with some Cape Cod Salt and Vinegar chips on the side, this was a pretty perfect lunch. So the next time you want a lobster roll, hit up Knuckle & Claw. I can't wait to get back to try the chowder too.

But wait, there's more! Surf Session #2 also merited a fine lunch. I've discussed and been partial to the MacArthur Park at Wexler's Deli downtown in the Grand Central Market. This sandwich, a tribute to the #9 at Langer's, is so, so good -- pastrami, Swiss cheese, cole slaw, Russian dressing, on excellent seeded crusty rye bread. I've had it several times, when not ordering my other favorite at Wexler's, half lox, half whitefish on a bagel. But I'd been eyeing the Reuben, and now it was time. Here, have a look at it:

Now I have a new sandwich to love at Wexler's! The Reuben is made up of corned beef with just the right amount of fat, sauerkraut, Swiss, and Russian on that same rye, but it's grilled, so the bread has that golden, buttery crunch to go along with the saltiness of the beef and the tang of the kraut. Wow. Another amazing lunch at Wexler's. In fact I was walking with it on a tray toward a table at the Grand Central Market and some dude looked at it and said, 'where'd you get that?' So I pointed him in the direction of Wexler's. You should go too.

Here's some info:

Knuckle & Claw: www.knuckleandclaw.com
Wexler's Deli: www.wexlersdeli.com

Another Good Surf. Another Great Burger. An Oklahoma-Style Fried Onion Burger.

More steps forward in the surf odyssey! Two sessions in a row of paddling straight out to the line-up and then paddling into some waves. Conditions have been in the sweet spot for a while now, for me anyway. The boys and girls who crave bigger waves are out of luck. But while I'm doing well catching some little guys, we still need loads of work staying on the board after the pop-up. But it will come, I am sure of it!

It was burger night after that second session, and that's always a good thing. Recently I had seen an episode of Cooks Country on PBS where they made Oklahoma style fried onion burgers, and they looked extremely tasty. I've heard of these burgers but never made them, so I decided to give it a go. But first what's the origin of the fried onion burger? Well, a little research uncovered the following: fried onion burgers seem to have come to life in El Reno, Oklahoma around the time of the Great Depression. Beef was expensive, but onions weren't, and a thin layer of onions stretched out the meat; so it was economics that was at the root of it. Of course the combination also proved to be delicious. That always helps, no? Side note: Route 66 begins not far from one of my favorite surf spots in Santa Monica. Route 66 also runs by El Reno. Coincidence? Hmmmmmm.  Anyway, most credit a joint called the Hamburger Inn, and a dude named Ross Davis, with the burgers' origins, so kudos to him. Here's my rendition--

So if you can't get to El Reno any time soon, you can make an Oklahoma style Fried Onion Burger at home.  Do it!

Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers
(Recipe adapted from Cooks Country)
Serves 4

1 medium onion, very thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
12 ounces ground beef (80/20 is best)*
Salt and Fresh ground pepper
4 burger buns (brioche buns are awesome if you can get them)
3 tbsps. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. veg. oil
4 slices American Cheese**
Sliced dill pickles
Yellow mustard
Potato chips for serving

1. Place onion slices in bowl and toss with 1 tsp. salt. Transfer to colander and let drain 30 minutes, or longer. After draining, place onions in dishtowel, or paper towels, and squeeze them dry. Really squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Season onions with some fresh ground pepper. On a baking sheet, or a piece of parchment, divide onions into four small piles.
2. Season beef with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Form into four balls.
3. Place a beef ball on top of each pile of onions. Press and shape beef into patties about 4 inches in diameter (you can do this several hours ahead of time. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge).
4. In medium skillet (non-stick is preferred, but I didn't use one), heat 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tsp. vegetable oil. When butter stops foaming, transfer burgers to skillet, onion side down. Cook over medium heat, about 6-8 minutes, until onions are golden and caramelized.
5. Meanwhile, butter sliced buns. Heat another small skillet. Place buns in skillet, buttered side down. Cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Place cheese slices on bottom half of buns.
6. Flip burgers, crank heat to high and cook until done, about 2 minutes more.
7. Set burgers over cheese, top with pickles and yellow mustard. Serve with potato chips on the side, if you like.

*burger note: as always when you buy meat, poultry or seafood, you get what you pay for. Look for a butcher that grinds and blends beef in-house. Like McCalls Meat and Fish!

**American Cheese note: did you know most supermarkets have a deli section where you can buy American cheese by the pound? That way each individual slice isn't wrapped in plastic, which is a real waste. So think about buying it this way.

One Step Back, Then One Step Forward. Plus Baja Fish Tacos!

So after a totally excellent session last week, I headed back to the beach for another, but this time I sucked, so it was that one step forward, two steps back thing. For the second session, conditions were not ideal, so not totally my fault, but I was itching to get back in the water after a few days away so I went for it anyway. Mostly it was swim and splash around time because even though surf was elevated, there really were no good waves to catch, even for the more able surfers. Waves were closing out, which means, I think, they're not really rideable. But then on Sunday things swung back in my direction. Waves were mellow. The tide was on the high side for me by the time I could make it, but I put my wariness of high tide aside and I just went for it. Sometimes you just have to push yourself a little, right? By the way, I have joked in the past that I'm 'backward' surfer. I like small days and I used to, before I knew better, dug low tide because I could always touch the bottom of the ocean with my foot. Then I learned that low tide is bad because you're more prone to injury when you wipeout and there's less of a watery cushion. So I'm trying to get better about being backwards, if that makes sense! Anyway, Sunday was a fun day. I paddled into a bunch of waves and caught a few. My old mentor's words still ring in my head, though -  I still tend to pop up too soon, and I have to always be thinking of how and where I place my front foot. And stay low! So, still a lot to work next time and, I'm sure, the time after that.

On to dinner after the fun surf. I figured a classic post-surf meal would be ideal, like fish tacos, Baja style. These you see here:

A little history on the fish taco. There's some controversy, it seems, about the origins of this most excellent of meals. Some claim the fish taco was born south of the border in San Felipe, and others insist it was in Ensenada. Most agree on the basics, though. The dish consists of some sort of firm white fish, usually beer battered and deep fried. This part may have descended from a wave of Japanese that immigrated to Mexico in the 1920's, apparently, because the batter is close to a Tempura batter if done right -- the crust should be thin, but really, really crisp. The fried fish should be served in a warm corn tortilla and topped with some sort of mayonnaise based white sauce, a little red or green salsa and some sliced cabbage, along with a squeeze or two of fresh lime. This recipe, adapted from America's Test Kitchen, includes pickled red onion and jalapeños, and cilantro on top if you like it.

Where ever Fish Tacos came from, they are always so good. So the next time you have a day at the beach, I say make them for dinner.

Fish Tacos, Baja Style
(recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen)
Serves 4

For Pickled Onions and Jalapeños:
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 large or 2 small jalapeños, sliced (seeded if you want less heat)
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsps fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

1. In a small saucepan add vinegar, lime juice, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar.
2. Pour hot liquid over sliced onions and jalapeños. Let sit 30 minutes or longer, then drain, but reserve liquid.

For White Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 mayonnaise

1 tsp. lime juice

salt and fresh ground pepper

Milk or water for thinning

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Thin the sauce with a little milk or water until it's a pourable consistency. Set aside.

Cabbage:

1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced

1/4 cup reserved liquid from pickled onions

Salt and fresh ground pepper.

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well. Set aside.

Fish, batter and tacos

1 pound firm white fish, like Halibut or Cod, skinned and boned*

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup beer
1/2 - 1 quart vegetable or canola oil
8-12 corn tortillas.
Tomatillo salsa or Pico de gallo
Chopped Cilantro
Lime wedges

1. Slice fish into strips, about 3 inches long and an inch or so wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Set a rack over a baking sheet to drain fish once fried.
2. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and beer. Don't over mix.
3. Pour oil into a large pot or dutch oven until pot is about 1/3 full. Heat oil to 350 degrees.
4. Stir fish strips into batter. When oil is at 350, carefully lower battered fish strips into pot. Don't over crowd -- fry in batches if you have to. Fry until fish is golden and cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Remove to rack to drain. Continuing frying until all fish is cooked. Place rack in oven to keep warm.
5. Warm tortillas over gas flame until charred in spots, or warm them in a microwave, covered with damp towel, until pliable.
6. Construct tacos! Lay 2-3 warm tortillas on each plate. Place fried fish on tortillas. Top with salsa of choice. Add on some pickled onion and jalapeños, then some sliced cabbage. Drizzle tacos with white sauce, top with Cilantro if you like, and serve with lime wedges.

* Fish note: the most important part of buying fish is finding a good fish monger. We have McCalls Meat and Fish here in town, but it's also a good idea to periodically check the Monterrey Aquarium's site, which lists the best choices in terms of sustainability. The link is below.

For the best fish if you're in LA: www.mccallsmeatandfish.com

For the Monterrey Bay Aquarium: www.seafoodwatch.org

Victory In The Surf! Plus A Victory Dinner. Linguine With White Clam Sauce (Linguine Alle Vongole).

Breakthrough! The other day was, most definitely, my best surf day ever. I had waited all week for conditions that looked like my sweet spot, but a problem arose: I couldn't make my preferred mid-tide. Still, it was close enough that I figured I'd go for it. And I'm so glad I did. This is definitely one of those stories about sticking with something, even if you're sucking at it, even if it seems like you may never see the light at the end of the tunnel. This has often seemed the case in my surf life. But I ended up having unqualified success, choosing waves, paddling into them, and getting up and getting rides. I don't know why everything came together. But I am still so stoked it did. Now if I can just duplicate it every time.

So on to a celebratory dinner, which you can see here:

Yes, linguine with white clam sauce. I figured since the sea was nice to me on this session, it would be cool if the sea helped provide dinner. Or, under the sea really, because you have to dig for clams, but still clams always remind me of the ocean, with their briny taste and smell. And when I stopped in at McCalls Meat and Fish on the way home, there were the beautiful Littlenecks you see below, along with a few other things you need for this recipe.

This is a super simple dinner to make. The recipe is adapted from Lidia Bastianich's excellent cookbook, Lidia's Italy In America. If you love Italian-American food like we do, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. You will cook from it frequently.

Linguine With White Clam Sauce
Recipe adapted from Lidia Bastianich
(serves 4 big eaters or 6 small ones)

6 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
36 Littleneck clams, scrubbed
1/4 tsp. peperoncino
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 pound linguine
3/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
Grated Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese* (see note below)

1. Add 1 tbsp. kosher salt to a large pot of water and bring to boil. In a large skillet heat 4 tbsps. of the olive oil over medium heat. Toss in sliced garlic, and when it starts to sizzle add in the anchovies. Stir until anchovies dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and peperoncino.
2. Lower the clams into the skillet, along with about 2 cups water from the pasta pot. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes. As they open, remove the clams to a bowl. (if any clams don't open after five minutes, toss them).
3. When all clams are done, increase heat to high. Add 1/2 cup of the parsley. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Meanwhile shuck the clams, reserving any juice and adding it to the skillet. Set the sauce and clams aside.
4. Cook linguine until al dente. When it's nearly done, bring sauce back to simmer. Add the pasta to the sauce, and drizzle with remaining 2 tbsps. olive oil. Cook and toss until the pasta is coated with sauce. Add the shucked clams, and remaining parsley. Cook a minute more to blend the flavors and serve.

*cheese note! It's a real no-no in Italy to have cheese on a pasta that has seafood. However, we like cheese on ours. So it's up to you. If you like cheese, pour it on! Just don't do it if you find yourself in Rome.

For the best seafood in LA: www.mccallsmeatandfish.com

For all things Lidia: www.lidiasitaly.com

More Surfing…More Tacos! Carne Deshebrada! (Or...Shredded Beef Tacos)

Yes, there was surfing last week and this week. The tally? Two so-so efforts, and one pretty good one. For the first sessions, surf had been way up, and conditions not great. By not great I mean there was a lot wind, especially on the second outing, creating choppy seas; not even the good surfers were out because it just wasn't very rideable. So this wasn't entirely about me being a dork, although it was a little, of course. Mostly, though, it was about catching some smaller inside waves, or just practicing pop ups in the whitewash. But then Saturday was a nice mellow day, and I had a really productive session; paddled out with no problem and got up on a couple of small, little waves. Fun! A little on the crowded side, though.

Speaking of mellow days -- a Saturday or a Sunday perhaps -- mellow days are ideal days to make Carne Deshebrada, or Shredded Beef Tacos. Why? Well, the beef needs a long braise in the oven. You don't have to be standing around babying it -- you can hang out and do other things, but you do have to check on it periodically. Roughly translated, Carne Deshebrada means meltingly tender, spicy (but not too spicy) beef (often recipes call for skirt steak, chuck or flank), in warm corn tortillas, topped with a tart cabbage slaw, and crumbled queso fresco. This version, adapted from America's Test Kitchen, uses short rib. As always, get the best quality short ribs you can find. These came from McCall's Meat and Fish in Los Feliz, and they are always amazing.

A good thing about this recipe is not only can you make a lot of it but it's also really really easy, plus you can make it ahead and then reheat it so it's good party food. Another plus? Leftovers make great enchuritos (or, as some people call them, wet burritos). Here's what the final put-together tacos looked like:

And here's how it's done:

Shredded Beef Tacos/Carne Deshebrada
Serves 6-8
(Adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

1 1/2 cups beer
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 ounces (4-6) dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
3 bay leaves
2 tsps. ground cumin
2 tsps. dried oregano
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2 inch cubes
16-18 corn tortillas
Cabbage slaw for serving (recipe follows)
Queso Fresco
Lime wedges

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a Dutch oven or large stew pot combine beer, vinegar, anchos, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, 2 tsps. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, cloves and cinnamon. Arrange onion rounds in single layer on bottom of pot. Salt the meat, and place chunks on top of onion rounds in one layer. Cover, place pot in lower third of oven, and cook until meat is well browned and very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours (see, you could just sit back and have a beer yourself! But definitely start checking at 2 hours, and add a little more beer, or water, if liquid looks low, which mine did -- the meat should, by now, be almost submerged in liquid so let that be the rule).
2. When beef is tender, remove it to a bowl. Strain liquid through a sieve into 2 cup liquid measuring cup (don't wash the pot!). Remove some of onions, but leave a few in. Remove bay leaves. Transfer remaining solids to blender. Let strained liquid settle, then skim off fat as much fat as you can. Add water as needed to make 1 cup. Pour liquid into blender with solids and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pot.
3. Shred  the beef using two forks. Bring sauce to simmer. Add shredded beef and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt.

Cabbage Slaw:

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsps. salt

1/2 large head green cabbage, or 1 whole small one, cored and shredded (6 cups)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

1 Jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 cup fresh cilantro

1. Whisk vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add cabbage, onion, carrot, jalapeño, and oregano. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 24). Drain slaw and stir in cilantro just before serving.

For Tacos:

1. Warm tortillas, either directly over a gas burner until charred in spots on both sides, or in the microwave, covered with a damp towel, until just heated.
2. Spoon shredded beef into each warm tortilla. Top with slaw, and some Queso Fresco. Sprinkle more Cilantro on top if you like. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

So if you find you have leftover beef, it makes a really good enchurito/wet burrito. Or you could use it in just a regular burrito, or a torta. Here's an Enchurito, though: 

All you need to do is reheat the beef over a very low flame, and if you think you need it, add a little water. Then, fill warmed flour tortillas with the beef, top with sauce, some cheese (we used cheddar and queso fresco) and cilantro. Add a dollop of sour cream and you're good to go. For an enchurito sauce recipe, refer to this blog post from January 6, 2015.

For the best short ribs in LA: www.mccallsmeatandfish.com
And here's a link to America's Test Kitchen's site: www.americastestkitchen.com

Still A Kook In The Water. But Not On The Slopes! Plus More Little Jewel Of New Orleans Deliciousness.

While I have many phobias and fears that have hindered my progress as a surfer, it's a different story on the slopes. My skiing skills are top-notch! Really, this is true. And it's mostly because my parents threw me and my brother and sister on skis when we were really little and therefore fearless. I was four when I started skiing. At that age you get pointed down a hill (most likely a gentle bunny slope) and you just go. Wheeeee! In those days nobody worried about helmets and other protective gear so if you hit anything, good luck! Anyway, about every chance my parents could get they took us all skiing. A favorite spot was Okemo, in Vermont, where we'd stay at this little inn called the Okemo Lantern Lodge, which was run by a jolly, somewhat large woman named Marian Cardwell, and her stick-thin, rather surly husband, Paul. Marian Cardwell was an awesome cook, and included in the price of a stay at the Lodge were breakfast and dinner. When I smell bacon sizzling in a pan, I think about the Okemo Lantern Lodge, as there was often bacon on the menu at breakfast. Or sausages. And always toast with lots of butter. Dinners were usually hearty and down-home type meals, roast beef or turkey, and always there were relish trays and vegetables Mrs. Cardwell had raised and canned herself, and really good warm rolls. I wish the lodge was still there, but apparently it's not so that's kind of a bummer.  I had laid off skiing for a while after moving to California, but when I figured out how close to LA you could ski, I got back to it. So the  weekend before last I took myself up to Mountain High because I figured better take advantage of the snow while it's there! I'd have preferred Mt. Baldy, which is actually even closer, but they are too reliant on natural snow and weren't open for skiing, unfortunately. But Mountain High was fun, if a little too crowded. The only downside was the food at lunch time wasn't great, and that kind of sucked because, like with surfing, one of the great things about skiing is eating, both during and after!

Anyway, shortly after the ski jaunt, a dear old friend and her husband were in town visiting their daughter at college. This friend went to Tulane, so New Orleans has been on my mind. Then I saw an Instagram post from The Little Jewel of New Orleans that they were featuring a special at lunch, a Wagyu Beef Double Cheeseburger Po'Boy. Now that sounded freaking delicious, and I so wanted to try it, but here's the thing about the Po'Boys at the Little Jewel.  They are huge! These sandwiches are so packed with goodness they can easily, I've learned, feed two hungry people. So I was all set to order that Double Cheeseburger Po'Boy, but I knew what would happen. I'd shove the whole damn thing in my mouth without stopping, and I wouldn't be able to move for the rest of the day. But, I've always wanted to sample the Cochon de Lait, so here's the lunch I ended up choosing--

In fact I hadn't tried any of the Parish Fair size sandwiches at Little Jewel, but I'm here to tell you this is the perfect size lunch for one (unless you are a very hearty eater. Then, by all means, have a Po'boy!)  And actually it too was packed with meat so that some spilled out and had to be eaten with the hands after polishing off the sandwich. What is Cochon de Lait? Well, I'd say it's like a New Orleans version of Carnitas. It's pork (I'd guess shoulder or butt) that's been braised a good long time so that it's meltingly tender. It was served on this delicious soft bun with cole slaw and pickle. Add a little hot sauce, some of those salt and vinegar potato chips, and the ginger ale and I was in lunch heaven. Again, thank you Little Jewel for having come to LA and blessed us with your presence. And maybe, after a really long day of skiing, or a really long surf session, I'll get that double cheeseburger Po'Boy after all!

www.littlejewel.la.com