My Awkward Photo Op With Anthony Bourdain

Yesterday -before work - I went to Book Passage in the Ferry Building to have Anthony Bourdain sign my copy of his new book, "Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook."

I'm a big fan of course. I love to watch his TV program "No Reservations" with my son who digs it almost as much as I do. It's perhaps not the best program for kids but believe it or not, I think my son learns a lot from it. His mind is opened up to other countries, cultures and their food. My son is also adventurous with food. He may not like everything but is usually willing to try something new, which I find to be a very appealing attitude. I think the majority of people I get on with the best are also those who love and appreciate different kinds of food and aren't afraid of pushing their culinary boundaries.

Despite the "educational" aspects I think my son also loves all the cursing. Even though it's bleeped out, he gets a huge kick out of it in addition to Bourdain's other humorous observations. My son is well aware that Bourdain is a bad man and he likes him all the more for it. I wanted to bring my son along but he was in school.

I waited outside in long queue while I baked in the sun until it was my turn. I had him sign the book to my son and myself and then took a photo. Bourdain was hopped up on Red Bull and looked slightly overwhelmed, though mostly content. I really didn't say anything to him besides "thank you" as I had to assist the kind woman taking photos with the zoom feature on my camera. She got it figured out just in time to take this awkward looking snap.

And faster than Bourdain slides on the ice in the opening sequence of his program, I was back in the Ferry Building wondering if I should buy a six dollar Affogato with Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream at Blue Bottle Coffee.

-güero

Güero Eats: Corazon de la Mission

Corazon de la Mission, the street food event at La Victoria this past Saturday appeared to be total success as far as this güero's taste buds’ could tell.

I received a Facebook invite from the my old schoolmate and owner of La Vicotoria Bakery, Jaime “Jam for the People” Maldonado, so the family and I headed over for some of what the Mission District is known for – delicious street food!

We sampled some wild boar perogies from ForageSF, empanadas from Venga, smoked sausage gumbo from the Gumbocart and lastly I gotz to give special shout out to my man Dontaye from Goodfoods with his “big bad” brisket that melts in your mouth. My son and I usually hit up Goodfoods at the Alemany’s Farmer’s Market on for their pulled pork sliders with spicy cole-slaw, so it was a added surprise that Dontaye and his awesome mom were in the house.

Unfortunately we couldn’t sample everything from the other vendors but Jaime assured me on Facebook that more events are coming so being a food lover and a Missionista by default, I’m excited.

Some dismiss the whole street/cart/truck food phenomena taking place in The City, LA and other cities as just another food fad and who knows, maybe it is but then again, who gives a culo de rata? I wish all fads tasted as great and were so much fun.

It’s what makes San Francisco and Mission district in particular such a great place. There is so much innovation and creativity going here whether it be in art or food and it’s awesome that all the street chefs know and help each other out. It’s reassuring to know that despite a crap economy, people here are trying out new ideas and new models that could spread and change the way we eat.

Jaime "Jam for the People" Maldonado from La Victoria

Dontaye Bell from GoodFoods and the Wild Child

Iso Rabins from ForageSF

GÜERO READS: THE GASTRONOMY OF MARRIAGE

Gastronomy of Marriage: A Memoir Of Food And Love by Michelle Maisto, Random House (Sep 2009)

Sadly, in today’s world, 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce – that rate even higher in California. If any of us were told that we would have a 50 percent chance of being run over by a car if we crossed the street, surely most of us would not bank on those odds and stay safely put. But despite the awareness of those odds, many of today’s couples, as they always have, double down and make the nuptial plunge. In her first memoir, “Gastronomy of Marriage: A Memoir of Food And Love”, author and certified foodie, Michelle Maisto, well aware of the pitfalls of marriage, takes great care and thought into her own decisions. As the title clearly states, it’s about food and love: two subjects that for Maisto, and for the benefit of the reader, are scrumptiously intertwined.

Maisto, who is Italian-American, opens up her heart like a well-stocked pantry. Though her eyes, she recounts the story of her courtship and engagement to Rich, a fellow writer who happens to be Chinese American,(It’s like Marco Polo realized in America!) in an honest, thoughtful and well, just down right delicious way. Maisto observes her thoughts on love and life and blends them tastefully with her fondness and fascination with food – instilled in her from generation to generation though her Italian heritage.

As anyone who has been in a relationship knows, when two people come together, we come as individuals: with different backgrounds, different points of view and in many cases (especially now-a-days) - different religions and cultures. Along with all of that, of course, are differences with regards to what, when and how we eat. All these things we bring to the table and Maisto, a self-professed home kitchen expert, takes up the Iron Chef challenge.

All told, I must say that this story was most revealing to me because I know the author and her husband, Rich, personally. Rich and I were roommates and friends for over two years in Los Angeles and we have continued somehow to stay in touch despite his and Michelle’s successful and busy lives in New York. I always understood how much they meant to one another but reading about them really brought a depth and texture to their relationship that I could have never otherwise appreciated. Michelle has not just written a book about recipes and ingredients for great tasting meals; it’s about taking everything you have, what’s available, what’s nourishing and creating your own ingredients for deep, kind and lasting relationship.

(Reader Caution: make sure you are not hungry while reading! The author of this book possesses mysterious powers in which she uses words that will titillate the taste buds!)

-the Guero

Michelle Maisto will be hosting three upcoming book signings here on the West Coast:

SAN FRANCISCO:

Thursday, September 24, 6PM at OMNIVORE BOOKS

3885 Cesar Chavez St

San Francisco, CA 94131-2013

(415) 282-4712

Friday, September 25, 12:30 PM at ALEXANDER BOOK COMPANY

50 Second St

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 495-2992

LOS ANGELES:

Saturday, September 26, 2 PM at BOOKSOUP

8818 W Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90069-2125

(310) 659-3110

Also you can visit her wonderful blog, The Market Report.

BRUNCH WITH THE BUDDHA

This past Sunday turned out to be an interesting day. Woke up, late as hell. I was supposed to meet a friend as she was going to let me tag along with her to visit her Thai Buddhist temple in Berkeley. It was a beautiful warm day and aside from the admonishment I received for not being punctual, we were off to a pretty good start. Met up at the Civic Center in The City and jumped on to BART(for what I thought was going to be my last BART ride due the impending strike an all). My friend, who's an ace cook, stayed up all Saturday night preparing a feast especially for the monks at the temple. She needs good karma and so do I. So between her cooking it and me schlepping it, hopefully we'll scrape up enough good merit to get us though these dog-shit days of health care woes, never-ending Middle-East wars, and a tits-up economy.

(Wat Mongkolratanaram - Thai Buddhist Temple)

The Temple has been in Berkeley for about 25-odd years and every Sunday they host a huge Thai brunch where you can get a hefty plate of tasty Thai food for very little and sit and eat in a sunny court yard. It's kind of like a weekly church spaghetti feed in which the proceeds help keep the temple running. It's only open for three hours between 10 am and 1 pm. I couldn't believe the size of the crowd and I was told that this was a slow day. I also learned from a temple member that they used to have longer hours but a few years back, but when the neighborhood started gentrifying a few years ago, the neighbors started bitching. This in my opinion is tantamount to moving next to an airport and complaining about noisy jets! But hey, that's gentrification, even in the People's Republic of Berkeley! That is what happens when croc-wearing, stroller-pushing yoga moms move in and start organizing. By the way - I have nothing against yoga, moms, crocs, or strollers. Oh bloody f-ng hell, I think you get the point already.

Since I came with my friend, I didn't actually eat the food from the brunch as I was given the honor of eating from the pot luck brought by the regular temple members. Despite feeling like a like fish out of water, the Thai people were all nice and treated me warmly. I sat on the floor with them and dug in to the colorful looking, home cooked fare: spicy beef stews, yellow curry chicken, Thai omelets and a bunch of other good tasting dishes. Later, my friend took me into the small prayer room where she taught some young children and myself how to make an offering and a prayer. I'm not a big believer in the supernatural and that sort of thing but I went along for the experience (kind of like sitting and standing and kneeling and standing again at a Catholic mass; you just follow everyone else and hope to baby Jesus and all the chubby little angels that you aren't the last one moving!). I made my prayer for world peace but I also added a special rider prayer that I can get my samsaric ass, along with my family, back to Los Angeles as soon as f-ng possible.

Afterward, I shook a can of sticks until one fell out. Using the corresponding number from the stick, I matched it to my reading. I have to admit that what it said about me was frighteningly accurate and my friend, who is all too familiar with my personality flaws, had a right good laugh. So, after feeling slightly clowned by the buddha, I gave my offering in form of some good-ol' American greenbacks with the hope that some of my karma would be transformed, or at the very least, that the monks could use the money to buy some cool new shit at Costco. But that, however, was not the end of the journey.

ANOTHER HIATUS, ANOTHER RETURN...

It's been awhile since I spent any time blogging but I'm back again. Sometimes you just need to sit back and let life happen for a while. And while I haven't been sitting back much, a lot of life has been happening.

A few days ago, I returned from a little jaunt down to Southern California. It was an extremely rushed but fulfilling trip. My wife, son and I tried to catch

up with as much friends and family as possible and sadly , as to be expected, we were not able to meet up with everyone. I did however get to finally experience the Mexican/Korean fusion at the Kogi Truck (Twice- once next 4100 on Sunset in Silverlake and second, in downtown the following night - underneath the skyscrapers with dotted lights along with warm weather and traditional Chinese music playing from an open-air concert nearby- what a fantastic evening!).

In San Diego, We "stalked" a former employee of ours to new her job at a fine and very busy Mexican restaurant in Old Town where I had some amazing shrimp (ranchero style). It turned out to be a profound moment for me to see her again, as I had to abruptly close the business and leave San Diego last year and I was unable to say goodbye as properly as I should have. But seeing her again and knowing that she had accomplished so much since we last saw each other, made my eyes well up. This was a young woman who worked from day one all the way though the closure of the store - the first employee I hired who turned out to be a great manager and a trusted friend. Now it's well known that I'm a pretty cold and unsentimental bastard but I found it difficult to hold the emotion back. It took just that one moment for all three years to come back and smack me right solid in the gob. And whenever I get a little sad, I just turn to food which in this case included dipping the most savory homemade flour tortillas into the ranchero sauce. Hey, we all have to find ways to cope, right?

The following night also proved to be a great meal as some of my old friends, some family and new friends met up for some hardcore Korean BBQ in at the medieval-looking Chapman Plaza in LA's Korea town. The meat just kept on coming and coming: brisket, kalbi (Short Rib), teji kogi (Spicy Pork), and pork belly (uncured Korean bacon)! Along with all the banchan (side dishes) and beer, we all had a great time. So much so that after the feast, we moved the party over to the Cafe across the plaza.

Food, friends, and family - the three F's - that was essentially the theme of our return visit to Southern California and while we were exhausted, we enjoyed every bit of it. Of course no visit to Los Angeles would be complete without being pulled over by LAPD - and even that turned out to be pretty cool.

FINALLY, DECENT MEXICAN FOOD IN POWAY

Poway is great place to raise a family but it's a terrible place for food. It's mostly your standard typical , corporate chain restaurants where flavors are watered down to accommodate the lowest common denominator of suburban taste buds, but growing up in San Francisco and living in Los Angeles has really spoiled me when it comes to authentic ethnic foods.
Aside from my favorite drive-thru taco joints like Molcasalsa, I hadn't found a place that serves more traditional Mexican food in Poway until I finally walked into Lupe's Cafe on Poway Road, just west of Carriage Road.

It's small place that probably once was a coffee shop/ diner. It's seems as if it's family owned and I think the owner is from Jalisco, Mexico. I originally stumbled into the place because I had a hankering for some caldo and I couldn't find it at the the other taco places. Since finding this place two weeks ago, I think we have been like 4 times. We've had the caldo de pollo, caldo de camarone, the chicharrone de res, mole pollo. I haven't been disappointed yet. The taste is authentic and flavors are spicy and full. Nothing is held back. Most of the patrons are actually Mexican, which is always a good sign but I have seen many other gabachos there, like me, feeding their faces. I also like that they have about about 4 different hot sauces at the table. So if you consider Chevy's Mexican food to be Mexican food, then this place just isn't for you, but if you want down home type Mexican food, then this is the place for you. The Guero says check it out!!!

The family and I just there last night, so here is snapshot of the caldo de pollo.