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This week's food section in the San Diego Union-Tribune features my piece on how to make vegetarian tacos and quesadillas, courtesy of Chef Trey Foshee of Galaxy Taco. Foshee invited me into his kitchen and taught me how he makes the key sauces that turn a vegetable-laden taco into a rich and satisfying Mexican experience, proving you don't need animal proteins like fish or beef or lamb to make a great, authentic dish.
Photo by Eduardo Contreras
We're heading toward the end of my six-part series on unusual proteins. Part 5 of the Protein Shakeup series looks at how we can enjoy non-animal protein in the form of beans and grains. For this I turned to Catania's executive chef Vince Schofield, who taught me two marvelous bean dishes that are far from the traditional beans in a pot he ate as a child, prepared by his Mexican parents. One dish, Beans and Harissa, borrows from North African flavors and adds some lardo to boost the taste buds. The other, Merguez Sausage and Beans also has a North African twist, thanks to the spicy lamb sausage. Then I add my own recipe for Sorghum and Tomato Salad, a new favorite of mine that can be adapted to any whole grain.
Beans and Harissa photographed by K.C. Alfred for The San Diego Union-Tribune
It's been a fun week. On Tuesday, I made an appearance on KPBS FM's weekend edition with 2Good2B chef/owner Rodney LoveJones to talk about cooling summer foods--those dishes that you can prepare on a sultry day without having to turn up the heat. Readers of San Diego Foodstuff will recognize some of the dishes I mentioned, like my gazpacho soup, my new coconut milk melon soup, and my watermelon pizza salad. You can listen to the segment and get a couple of recipes on the KPBS website.
On Wednesday, the fourth of my six-part unusual proteins series this year for the San Diego Union-Tribune appeared. This one addresses how to prepare octopus and squid. I went to two marvelous San Diego chefs for help with this. Danilo Tangeman of JRDN makes a sublime octopus panzanella, so I spent time with him in his kitchen learning how to both cook octopus and how to make the salad. I turned to Solare chef Accursio Lota for a primer on making squid. Both were hugely helpful and shared their time and recipes. You can find the story here.
Are you a fan of Filipino food? Do you even know what it is--beyond lumpia or adobo? I've been spending time with Arterra Del Mar's executive chef Evan Cruz, who was born in the Philippines and steeped in Filipino culture, learning about this lovely, under-appreciated cuisine. Now I've written a story about it for The San Diego Union-Tribune and it's out today. And, you'll get two marvelous recipes from Evan: pork adobo and turon, a dessert version of lumpia made with jackfruit and plantain.
I've recently started writing for the webside SafeBee.com--and my first piece, "6 Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat More Veggies" has been published. Take a look. You might learn something. Plus, I have included two of my favorite recipes for kids and adults: chunky gazpacho (perfect for these hot summer days) and zucchini pancakes.
Today, the third part of my six-part series this year on unusual proteins was published in the San Diego Union-Tribune's food section. Enjoying the Whole Fish looks at how home cooks can go beyond the filet or steak and create dishes that feature the entire fish. Cook it whole or learn how to break it down and cook the parts.
Thank you to Chef Andrew Spurgin, who taught me how to make his classic salt-encrusted fish, and to Tommy Gomes of Catalina Offshore Products, who spent time with me demonstrating how to break down a gorgeous farm-raised hiramasu.
Chef Andrew Spurgin preparing snapper (photo by Eduardo Conteras)
