Poached Egg and Smoked Salmon on Toast

Just reading the title made me want this dish again.

Apparently, my husband can poach eggs. Perfectly. I'm a little miffed that I didn't know this for the first 13 years of our relationship. But now that I know, he's going to be in the kitchen a lot more frequently.

What you see below is completely my husband's doing. Lightly toasted sourdough, a smear of a French herbed cheese, sliced baby heirloom tomatoes, olive oil, lemon salt, pepper, smoked salmon, chives, a couple pieces of arugula, poached egg.

Look at that gorgeous yolk. There was absolutely nothing I would have changed with this dish.

Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XXVII

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If you're going to be holding my foot hostage, you better be rubbing it.

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I so wish my aunt Eulalia's nickname had been lollipop instead of Emma.

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I saw that woman's nipples in the casino.

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Stop licking my phone.

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If I ever get thrombosis, I'm f*(k!ng set, dude.

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Grilled Buffalo Wings

I'm a little late to the party, but I received a free bottle of KC Masterpiece Hot Buffalo Marinade from Foodbuzz, since apparently they consider me a Tastemaker.

I rarely (and by rarely, I mean never) buy bottled marinades or dressings. But this was free, and KC Masterpiece makes decent products, so I gave it a shot. Also, there's no high-fructose corn syrup in their Buffalo marinade, so that made me happy, even before tasting it.

I marinated wing sections for about 30 minutes while I got the grill going, then grilled the wings over indirect heat (so as not to burn the sugar in the marinade), basting occasionally.

Served with a simple iceberg wedge with homemade blue cheese dressing, this was a great simple meal. (The dressing recipe is from Great Greens, a cookbook that I highly recommend.) Thanks, Foodbuzz!

Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XXVI

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Dude. I seriously had a crush on Lorenzo Lamas back in '85.

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"Luke's such a dick, he didn't invite me to his birthday party."
"That's because he's Asian now."

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I can help you if it has to do with making spaghetti, being awesome, or Canadian trivia.

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I have the power of a hundred horses, and my brain is as bright as a thousand candles.

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I feel so dirty buying the giant box of Goldfish.

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SD Street Eats Food Truck

Next up in my food truck adventures is SD Street Eats. This was actually the first truck we visited, and the one that inspired us to try others. Seared ahi and braised short ribs off a truck? I was skeptical at first, since I'm used to "roach coaches", but these guys changed my mind.

Here's the ahi. Perfect.

And here's the Asian-braised short ribs. Tender and saucy.

The slaw that came with both dishes was super-spicy with wasabi. It made my nose run and my throat burn, and I loved it. And look, wood sporks!

Their menu changes pretty frequently. Currently they're offering smoked bacon mac & cheese and a Brandt burger. As soon as they're back in my area for lunch, I'm there!

Baby Artichoke Risotto

Baby artichokes are so cute, how could you resist them? I hadn't made a risotto in at least a year, so it was time to remedy that. I used this recipe from the NY Times with no alterations.

Pretty, huh?

Unfortunately, I didn't trim the chokes well enough, and ended up with some tough leaves. Oh, and this recipe makes a LOT of risotto, so you'll probably have leftovers. If so, make arancini. Fried cheesy rice? Yes, please.

Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XXV

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The Asians think I'm a karaoke Jesus.

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Instilling a love of cured meats is every parent's responsibility.

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Have you ever heard a turtle have sex? It sounds so weird.

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I saved the human race today. You're welcome.

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I don't think I'd ever want to eat something called Dave's Hot and Juicy.

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Meat and Eggs in Various Combinations

I love meat, and I love eggs, and I especially love the two together. Here's a random sampling of various combinations:

Kabanosy with an overeasy egg and an English muffin. Kabanos is like a Polish Slim Jim, only a thousand times better.

Sucuk with scrambled eggs and an English muffin. Sucuk is a Turkish dry cured beef sausage, with a slightly sour tinge. I like it, but my husband doesn't.

Hamburger with an overeasy egg. There's something about a runny yolk on top of juicy beef.

Sunny-side-up egg cooked in a ham cup, on toast.

Bagel sandwich with black forest ham, scrambled egg, avocado, provolone and bacon. Mmm, bacon.

What are your favorite meat/egg combinations?

Asparagus, Fingerling Potato, and Goat Cheese Pizza

I had some fingerling potatoes and a beautiful bunch of skinny asparagus to use up. Searching Epicurious, I found this recipe for Asparagus, Fingerling Potato, and Goat Cheese Pizza. Why not?

I followed the recipe, except for reducing the amount of goat cheese, since neither my husband nor I like large amounts of goat cheese.

Was it good? Yes. Would I make it again? Probably not. I guess I just don't like potatoes on my pizza. As a matter of fact, I roasted the leftover potatoes and asparagus in some olive oil, and we preferred that over the pizza.

French Fries with Eggs

OK, it's not just french fries with eggs. There's other stuff. And the potatoes aren't deep fried. This is one of my husband's creations, and, I've got to say, it's pretty darn good, and also a great clean-out-the-fridge meal.

Buy yourself a bag of frozen french fries. Heat up a little oil in a skillet, and dump in as many fries as you want. Cook, stirring and tossing, until the fries are as crispy as you want. Beat up a couple eggs, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until the eggs are set.

That's the basic "recipe". We've added cheese to the eggs. We've also added roasted chile pepper strips, and bell peppers and onions (saute with the fries). Garlic can't hurt, and mushrooms would work as well. Various toppings we've used include tomatoes, green olives, avocado, and sprouts. If you're not vegetarian, add some bacon or other pork product. Serve with toast, English muffins, or by itself. And don't forget the hot sauce.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms

It's zucchini season, which means it's also squash blossom season. Since we're currently vegetarian, I couldn't make my parents' recipe of beef-stuffed blossoms, so I went with cheese instead.

I mixed some finely chopped green onions and basil into some goat cheese, then stuffed each flower with about half a teaspoon of the mix. Next up, I whipped up a quick batter of sparkling water and flour, about the consistency of thick pancake batter. (You could use beer or plain water, too.) Twist the top of each flower, give it a quick dip in the batter, and fry in about 1/4" of oil until golden.

Since I had some beautiful heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market, I made a quick sauce to top the flowers. But they're also delicious on their own.

Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XXIV

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I had a bad day and all I wanted was some pho, but instead I got this bowl of lies.

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I don't believe that hummingbirds have legs. They're too little.

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"I'm gay! I'm not going to populate!"
"See? Then you don't need nuts."

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"Do you ever think that she's hot and sweaty because you're a 220-pound Mexican that lays on top of her?"
"Dude, I smell like Manteca in the morning."

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I do not eat, nor f@(k, nor associate with chickens, dammit!

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Stop ruining my shit, Jenna, I'm trying to be the harmonica master.

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Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XXIII

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He's not weird, he's just Russian.

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I like what you did with your tampon, I mean, dresser.

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It's bright and obnoxious and it's got stars on it. It looks like me.

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Just as I reject Satan, I reject Pepsi.

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You can't rub Chipotle on your wounds and expect them to heal.

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Facial hair is creepy. It's like pubic hair for your face.

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Green Truck SD

Continuing on with my exploration of San Diego food trucks, next up is Green Truck.

They've got trucks in LA, SD and New York, and provide organic food, prepared (according to their website) in solar-powered kitchens. Here's their mission statement:

And look, they run on veggie oil!

This was the menu the day we visited.

You guys know me, I wasn't about to get a vegan burger or a beet salad. I opted for the grass-fed burger with aged cheddar, chipotle sauce, tomato and mixed greens.

And you know what? AWESOME burger. It was pink in the middle! The chipotle sauce added a bit of tang, the bun was nicely toasted, and the cheddar melted nicely. I can't wait until they're back in my area, because I need to try their hand-cut sweet potato chips!

Super Q Food Truck

It seems that food trucks are all the rage lately, doesn't it? I'm not talking about what we here in southern CA call "roach coaches", providing questionable "Mexican" food while dripping a stream of fryer oil that's never been changed. I'm talking nice trucks, serving good, restaurant-quality food.

San Diego has a pretty good variety of trucks - BBQ, burgers, veggie, even sushi! (Check out San Diego Food Trucks for daily updates.) Since I'm out in the 'burbs, not all the trucks make it up here, but I have had the chance to sample several.

First up: Super Q Food Truck

Nice truck, professionally painted, and clean! And check it out - they even set up tables with tablecloths.

Their website says that their BBQ has elements of North Carolina, St. Louis and Texas. They've got pulled pork, pulled chicken and brisket. Fries, potato salad, mac'n'cheese make an appearance, as does a mysterious "Vegetarian Entree: Ask for Today's Selection." (Although, I'd have to question why a vegetarian would even consider a BBQ truck.)

You can get the 'Q on a roll with just coleslaw, or you can go all-out and get a Super Q Melt. For example, the Super Q Pork Melt consists of 3-cheese mac'n'cheese, pulled pork, sauteed onions and melted cheddar on grilled sourdough.

I wasn't brave enough to try a Super Melt (as I had to go back to work after, and not pass out in a food coma), so I got the pulled pork with coleslaw.

Tender pork, just the right amount of perfectly seasoned sauce, fresh roll, crunchy coleslaw. This, my friends, was an excellent sandwich.

Stay tuned for further San Diego food truck adventures!

Steak and Vegetable Kabobs

Summer and grilling. They're like Joanie and Chachi. Or not. But you know what I mean.

I was lucky enough to find some Hatch chiles at the new Whole Foods nearby, and decided on chile hummus. It's absolutely delicious, very spicy, but completely non-photogenic, at least not by me. So pop on over to Taste of Beirut, where you can get the recipe.

I asked my husband what he wanted with the hummus and pita (which was actually Trader Joe's naan, but whatever). He said steak. I said veggies. He said steak. So, I compromised.

I marinated the beef (NY strip, cut into chunks) in a mix of olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and a bay leaf. The meat went onto skewers along with bell peppers, onions and mushrooms, then got thrown on the grill until the veggies were charred. During grilling, I drizzled some olive oil, salt & pepper on the kabobs. (Be careful, olive oil is really smoky. Cough.)

Amazingly, some of the beef was still pink in the middle (yay!). Next time I'd used a slightly fattier cut of meat, and also bigger chunks, so that the veggies can be completely charred without overcooking the beef.

Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XXII

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"You know, the priest, the pasture."
"Not pasture, pastor."
"Whatever, the fat guy with the hat."

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Stop giving my mushrooms nipples.

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This is like a Mexican chocolate boner right here.

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Why are you always killing the Olsen twins?

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What the hell, goat wiener?

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Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XXI

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If I had to die and come back as somebody, Derek Jeter would be on my list.

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I've been reading Romans lately, and Paul's kind of a dick.

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"Are you British?"
"Yes, yes I am."
"Well, pip, pip, cheerio!"
"Hey, that's racist."
"No, it's ok, I've got a black President."

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"Dammit, work!"
"Maybe technology knows you're a doucher."

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Quit rubbing your man-meat all over my KitchenAid.

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Spanakopita, Almost

OK, it's not really spanakopita, because I used ricotta instead of feta. But that's what I had on hand, and the end result was delicious.

Making this reminded me how much I dislike phyllo dough. Super-thin sheets of dough that crack if you look at them wrong.

But, it was worth it. Crispy flaky layers, rich cheese and spinach with a hint of nutmeg.

Pierogi with Squash Blossoms

I picked up a couple bunches of zucchini flowers from the farmers market the other day. I could've stuffed them with ground beef, breaded and fried (like my parents do). I could've made a quesadilla. Or tossed them to pasta. But instead, I decided to add them to pierogi.

First, start caramelizing an onion. Low and slow, this takes about an hour. While that's happening, cook up some bacon and crumble it. Cut the squash flowers in half lengthwise and crosswise, removing the reproductive part of the flower. Briefly sauté (more of a wilt, really) the flowers in a little butter. Boil your pierogi, then pan fry them until crispy. Top the pierogi with onions, squash blossoms, bacon, and sour cream.

Heaven in a bowl. Pierogi by themselves are good. With onions, bacon and sour cream, even better. Adding squash blossoms cuts through all the carb and dairy richness, lending a brightness to the dish, "almost like peas", the Husband says. I'm not sure if they taste like peas, but they definitely have that green taste that is a welcome addition. So the next time you have pierogi, add some squash flowers. That way you can say you ate your vegetables.

Tonkatsu Curry

My Youngest is enamored with all things Japanese, and asked for curry. Instead of making my typical curry with veggies and meat, I decided to make an all veggie curry with tonkatsu (panko-breaded pan-fried pork chops).

Tonkatsu couldn't be easier - salt and pepper the pork, coat in panko crumbs, and pan-fry.

Serve with white rice and boxed curry, and you've got a quick dinner that even your picky teenager will love.

Side note: I keep thinking of making curry from scratch, but the Japanese lady I work with says "Why? Too hard. Use box." And since I think she's secretly a ninja, I'm following her advice.

Savory Scones

If you all couldn't tell by now, I'm much more likely to reach for something savory over something sweet. So when I came across Bite My Thumb's recipe for rosemary, parmesan and black pepper scones, I knew I had to make them. (Also, I have about 100 pounds of fresh rosemary that I need to do something with.)

These are delicious just out of the oven slathered with good butter. If you've never had black pepper in a baked goodie before, you're missing out. And, if rosemary's not your thing, you could easily switch it out with dill, oregano, basil, tarragon, whatever.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I hear a scone calling me from the kitchen.

Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XX

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Do you mind not leaving your wine where I can dip my shorts in it?

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There needs to be a takoyaki and okonomiyaki truck. I'd hijack that m@th<$fu

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It's like a big giant sparkly butt plug. Please, can I set it on fire?

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Pandora is the asshole of the iPhone.

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Hey wait a minute, that's not Mexico, that's Ohio.

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It's not easy to say jungee bumpers.

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The only problem with Doobie Brothers radio on Pandora is that every now and then you have to hear a Doobie Brothers song.

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Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XIX

(SPECIAL EDITION!)
All of today's quotes are courtesy of my Youngest.

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Can you imagine if you were just walking, and all the Mexicans decided to do a flash mob?

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Why did you call me a single finger ninja monster?

I didn't, I said take it like a man, you pansy.

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Dad and I had this idea that every time we want something fattening, we punch each other in the face.

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Well, pardon the hell out of me, your royal highness.

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No, dude, you don't understand, you were David Bowie on a dragon, and you had to fight a dark overlord in a white castle while he was throwing rock bombs at you. I'm not high. I swear.

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Random Quotes from the WIP Household, Part XVIII

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Where did you get those shorts? They look like my grandmother's babushka.

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"Then, in the early 1990s, an analyst researching asteroids placed a piece of ALH84001 under an electron microscope."

Oh, no, he didn't.

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How did you find that?

Because I'm a gypsy.

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Do you know how badly I want to take a glass bottle and break it, and threaten someone with it? It's just one of those things that I want to do.

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Things turned purple. They turned purple and they started spinning, sir.

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Lamb Tongue Tacos

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I have this, um, problem, with buying random "off cuts" of meat, and then figuring out how to cook it. This time it was lambs' tongues.

I braised them with bay leaf, garlic, onion and peppercorns until tender. Then I peeled them. This was definitely on my top ten list of weird things I've done in the kitchen that I don't want to do again. Then chop, mix with chile sauce, and make a taco.

My favorite? No. But I'm glad I tried it.

Kaito Sushi in Encinitas

It's been a while since I've done a restaurant post, and what better way to bring it back than with Kaito Sushi in Encinitas? We've been there three times, and each time, we sat at the bar, and didn't order anything, just let the itamae (sushi chef) serve us what he thought was best. This is Edo-style sushi, ie. the real deal.

I'm going to (mostly) shut up and let the pictures do the talking:

Raw scallop, cooked scallop:

Aji:

Ono "carpaccio":

Eel tempura with fried eel spine: (I could eat fried eel spines like popcorn.)

Bluefin:

Skipjack:

Needlefish: (Completely unknown texture to me - crunchy, almost. Amazing.)

Tuna with garlic oil:

Fried oyster:

Tuna:

Toro:

Unknown fish topped with grated rock salt: (I want that salt!)

Halibut:

Clam:

Anago (salt-water eel):

Spanish mackerel:

Spanish mackerel skeleton, fried:

Fried smelt with shisito peppers and butternut squash:

Giant clam:

Baby octopus:

These guys know their sushi. It is hands-down the best I've had in San Diego. If you're in the area, please go, you won't be disappointed. (And you can follow them on Twitter for daily updates on their offerings.)

Kaito Sushi
130-A N. El Camino Real
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760) 634-2746