How San Diego Does Memorial Day</h1> <article> <h1>How San Diego Does Memorial Day</h1> <p>mmetter — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:34:00 GMT</p> <p><i><b>Whether soaking up the San Diego sunshine</b></i> <i><b>with a margarita and fish taco</b></i> or watching the sun set over the Pacific with a magnificent locally produced cabernet and cooked to perfect Brandt Beef filet, the culinary delights in America’s Finest City are as abundant as our scenery... </p> <p>For most people, gastronomic delights surrounding Memorial Day include plump hamburgers, all-American hot dogs oozing with onions and relish (well mine do anyway) and for the extravagant carnivores a hearty steak charred to perfection. Such was my fiancée’s astonishment to find that instead of the traditional fare my friends and I had decided to serve up a San Diego staple known fondly as the fish taco.</p> <p>The Fish Taco originated in Baja California, Mexico, and is usually consisting of grilled or battered and fried fish, cabbage, pico de gallo, and a sour cream or citrus/mayonnaise sauce, all placed on top of a corn or flour tortilla. In California, and San Diego in particular, this dish has become a hotly contested debate among chefs as to who has the best recipe for mouth-watering fish taco success.</p> <p>So on our beautiful, sunny, poolside Memorial Day celebration we tapped into a Grilled Fish Taco recipe that recreated the famed Rubios sauce, which makes my mouth water now even as I type this. </p> <p><b>San Diego Memorial Day Menu</b><br />Grilled Fish Taco with Rubios Chimichurri Sauce<br />Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions and Feta<br /><br /><b>Grilled Fish Taco with Rubios Chimichurri Sauce<br /></b>(From San Diego Home Garden & Lifestyles Magazine)</p> <p><i>Makes 8 Tacos</i></p> <p>Ingredients:</p> <p>16-24 ounces fresh Mahi Mahi filet(s)<br />1 tablespoon olive oil<br />1 teaspoon lemon juice<br />1 teaspoon garlic salt<br />1 teaspoon black pepper<br />8 corn tortillas, preferably stone ground (available at Rubio's)<br />2 avocados<br />1 cup Monterey Jack, shredded<br />1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped<br />2 limes, quartered<br /> Chimichurri sauce (recipe follows)<br /> Salsa fresca (recipe follows)</p> <p>Preparation:</p> <p>1. Marinate the Mahi Mahi filets in mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic salt and black pepper for at least 30 minutes, refrigerated.</p> <p>2. Char-grill Mahi Mahi over medium heat, clowly, about 3 to 4 minutes each side until fish is white, firm, and tender.</p> <p>3. Cut filet(s) into eight equal pieces.</p> <p>4. Heat fresh corn tortillas on a skillet until hot and soft. Place in a basket and cover with a towel to keep hot.</p> <p>5. Halve avocados, remove pits, remove the skin, and slice for placement in the tacos. Lay out on plate and sprinkle with salt.</p> <p>6. Place shredded Monterey Jack in bowl.</p> <p>7. Chop romaine lettuce and place in bowl. Slice limes.</p> <p>8. Assemble tacos by placing Mahi Mahi in a tortilla, then spoon on chimichurri sauce and salsa fresca, and lay down a couple of slices of avocado. Sprinkle with jack cheese, lettuce, and finish with a squeeze of lime.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Chimichurri Sauce</span></p> <p><i>Makes 1 Cup</i></p> <p>Ingredients:</p> <p>1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley<br />4 large garlic cloves<br />1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro<br />2 fresh seeded jalapeños, minced<br />1 teaspoon crushed red pepper<br />1/4 teaspoon black pepper<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil<br />2 tablespoons mayonnaise<br />1 tablespoon plain yogurt</p> <p>Preparation:</p> <p>1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.</p> <p>2. Pour into a bowl and set aside for 20 minutes.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Salsa Fresca</span></p> <p>Chop 2 Roma tomatoes, one quarter of white onion, 1/2 a small bunch of cilantro, 2 jalapeños and 3 serrano peppers. Place in a bowl and add salt and a little olive oil to taste.</p> <p><b>Watermelon Salad with Pickled Onions and Feta</b><br /> (From Cooking Light Magazine)</p> <p>The sharpness of pickled onions offers a pleasing contrast to crisp, juicy watermelon and salty, creamy feta cheese.<br />Yield 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)<br />Ingredients:</p> <p> * 1 cup vertically sliced red onion<br /> * 1/4 cup red wine vinegar<br /> * 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt<br /> * 1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar<br /> * 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil<br /> * 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br /> * 2 1/2 cups cubed seedless watermelon<br /> * 1 small cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)<br /> * 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled feta cheese<br /> * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint<br /> * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil</p> <p>Preparation:</p> <p>1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain.</p> <p>2. Combine balsamic vinegar, oil, and pepper in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add onion mixture, watermelon, and cucumber; toss gently to coat. Arrange watermelon mixture on a platter. Top with cheese, mint, and basil.</p> <p>A little about the Rubios chain from its website:</p> <p>When most college students go away for spring break, all they come back with is a sunburn. But not Ralph Rubio.</p> <p>Every spring, Ralph and his buddies would head to the Baja village of San Felipe, where you could camp on the beach for free, catch some rays, and forget about studying. One night, a hungry Ralph spotted a taco shop with an unusual specialty advertised in the window: fish tacos. He ordered one, took a few bites, and was hooked.</p> <p>Over time Ralph became pals with Carlos, the man behind the counter. Carlos showed Ralph how his fish tacos were made. Ralph went back to San Diego and perfected a recipe of his own.</p> <p>Several years later, with his father Ray as his partner, he opened his first restaurant - a walk-up stand in Mission Bay. Since that day back in 1983, Ralph, with the help of a lot of great people, has sold more than 50 million fish tacos.</p> <p> </p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Road trip for Santa Barbara martinis + olives</h1> <p>duskieziggy — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:09:00 GMT</p> Santa Barbara, CA-- a beautiful place to visit anytime of the year! There's nothing better than grabbing a little sunshine in the middle of winter. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival was the perfect excuse to jet into Santa Barbara for a fab 3 day getaway. The Santa Barbara Intl. Film Fest. (S.B.I.F.F.) celebrated its 24th year in January and truly is one of the most impressive film festivals I've attended. The lineup of stars, films and parties is like no other! Festival's...(<a href="http://community.landofwineandfood.com/blogs/duskieziggy/archive/2009/04/07/road-trip-for-santa-barbara-martinis-olives.aspx">read more</a>) </article> <article> <h1>Wondrous Wine Events in San Francisco</h1> <p>jmelendez — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:02:00 GMT</p> San Francisco is a gateway to the northern California wine countries. Not just a place to call your home base when visiting, but a place where the wine countries periodically come to The City. There are a few large wine events that come yearly to the City’s Fort Mason Cente r and these wine events highlight California wines. Late January of each year, comes ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) an infamous experience where you can try the varied Zinfandels from across California. Zinfandel...(<a href="http://community.landofwineandfood.com/blogs/jmelendez/archive/2009/02/20/san-francisco-wine-country-wondrous-wine-events.aspx">read more</a>) </article> <article> <h1>Autumn in Napa Valley</h1> <p>pkuleto — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:43:00 GMT</p> Autumn has arrived here at Kuleto Estate, and in its quiet, rustic mountain way, it’s spectacular here at our winery. I love fall in the Napa Valley. Everything seems to slow down, and I mean everything—nature, people, meals, even conversations. The roads are quieter, the tasting rooms are more relaxed and intimate, and I even think the wine pours are heavier. While summer is definitely high season in wine country, for me, autumn and the early months of winter are almost as good as it...(<a href="http://community.landofwineandfood.com/blogs/pkuleto/archive/2008/11/17/autumn-in-napa-valley.aspx">read more</a>) </article> <article> <h1>fall harvest AGRITOURISM in sonoma county</h1> <p>duskieziggy — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:33:00 GMT</p> by Duskie Estes of zazu & bovolo restaurants + farm and Ziggy the WINEgal a note from Duskie... Harvest time is our favorite time of year. Our friends are all working outside all hours of the day and night to bring it all in when the fruits are ripe. Our winemakers come into the restaurants bleary eyed from lack of sleep with their blackened grape stained hands looking for someone else to prepare them plate of warm food. The wineries are a buzz with visitors wanting to check it all out. The aroma...(<a href="http://community.landofwineandfood.com/blogs/duskieziggy/archive/2008/10/28/fall-harvest-agritourism-in-sonoma-county.aspx">read more</a>) </article> <article> <h1>Upcoming Events in Wine Country</h1> <p>duskieziggy — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:56:00 GMT</p> Fall Hopland Passport Saturday and Sunday ~October 25th and 26th, 2008 Hopland area (located in Southern Mendocino County) wineries assemble and "roll out the barrel" showing their finest in Rhone, Italian, Burgundian, and Bordeaux varietals ranging from Arneis to Zinfandel. Each winery will entertain you in their own special way, which could include live music, bocce ball, barrel tasting, barbeques, book signings, reserve and future tastings and much more…come and find out for yourself...(<a href="http://community.landofwineandfood.com/blogs/duskieziggy/archive/2008/10/15/upcoming-events-in-wine-country.aspx">read more</a>) </article> <article> <h1>Origin of my culinary adventures</h1> <p>nealfraser — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:56:00 GMT</p> I was born in Los Angeles and have been cooking in and around Los Angeles for 20 years. I started my career with Ed la Doux at Cayote Restaurant in Laurel Canyon. It was the closest restaurant to my parent’s house. I still remember the first day walking in and asking for a job… and they said yes! For those of you who don’t know Ed Ladoux – he was the guy who invented the California Pizza up in Prego in the Bay Area. He was then hired by Wolfgang Puck to be the opening pizza...(<a href="http://community.landofwineandfood.com/blogs/chefnealfraser/archive/2008/10/15/a-chef-s-beginnings.aspx">read more</a>) </article> <article> <h1>A tasty tomato treat, unbelievable bacon, and perfect pinot</h1> <p>duskieziggy — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:50:00 GMT</p> From Duskie..... Nepotism aside, my husband, John Stewart, makes the most incredible bacon I have ever had. To honor its spectacular nature, we throw a party all about it on Labor Day … the BLT + ice cream social! We get a basket of the best ever bread from Della Fattoria in Petaluma, cook up about 75 pounds of our Black Pig bacon, make an array of spreads, and invite folks to BYO tomato, as it seems required in Sonoma County that everyone have a tomato plant out back. I’ve included...(<a href="http://community.landofwineandfood.com/blogs/duskieziggy/archive/2008/09/25/a-tasty-tomato-treat-unbelievable-bacon-and-perfect-pinot.aspx">read more</a>) </article> <article> <h1>Harvest Season in the Arroyo Grande Valley</h1> <p>btalley — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:11:00 GMT</p> <p>It’s harvest season in the Arroyo Grande Valley, my favorite time of year. This is when all of the time, money and energy invested earlier in the year finally pays off. The pinot noir harvest for Talley Vineyards began today when we harvested about two tons from some of the very best sections of our West Rincon Vineyard. After careful hand harvest in the early morning, the cool grapes were transported the short distance to our winery where they were sorted by winemaker Leslie Mead, Vineyard Manager Kevin Wilkinson and members of our sales and marketing team. This is a great way for Leslie and Kevin to start to assess the quality of the vintage. It’s also a great way for others in our company to learn more about the hard work that it takes to produce our handcrafted wines. </p> <p>In addition to pinot noir, the harvest of some of my family’s most important vegetable commodities has also begun. Green bell peppers has long been our specialty at Talley Farms, and that harvest began about two weeks ago. Within the next couple of weeks, we will be picking and packing bell peppers all day, every day, until we complete the harvest around Thanksgiving. Within a week, we’ll have lots of red bell peppers, which I love to take home and grill. They’re a really flavorful and healthy addition to any meal.</p> <p>We’ve also started harvesting our organic heirloom tomatoes. We have to look long and hard for ripe tomatoes now, but within the next three weeks, we should be harvesting every day. I anticipate that we will continue with tomatoes through November. We plan to experiment with hoops to cover the plants, keep the tomatoes warm, and extend our season.</p> <p>We now sell our produce, Thursday-Sunday, at the Talley Vineyards Tasting Room. Fall is a great time to visit—we’ve got our new pinot noir releases available for sale—and you can witness the excitement of harvest.</p> <p>Brian </p> <p> </p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>STAYCATION</h1> <p>duskieziggy — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:32:00 GMT</p> I have discovered some cool places this summer… as summer is our busiest time in the restaurant and on the farm, I need to stay close while finding exciting adventures for my girls. Our family rented a house on Stinson Beach on the lagoon side. It amazed me how relaxed I could get so close to home. There were so many fun activities for the girls. The house was stocked with boogy boards, sea kayaks, a canoe, and even a rowing shell. There was a little beach on a canal full of tiny crabs for...(<a href="http://community.landofwineandfood.com/blogs/duskieziggy/archive/2008/08/27/staycation.aspx">read more</a>) </article> </main></body></html>