Bringing us all back to wonderful slow food, I’m going to name another one of my favorite indulgences; cheese filled pupusas. In the Mission District of San Francisco are a great number of Mexican, Central and South American restaurants. Panchita’s Restaurant No. 2 is one central to everything, and has the best hand-made pupusas in the city that I’ve had the pleasure of eating. Pupusas are typically a Salvadoran dish, and are small hand-made stuffed corn tortillas (kind of like filled tortilla cakes) which have been cooked on a greased grill. The most common stuffings include Cheese (particularly/typically Quesillo or Queso Oaxaca, which is a soft South American cow-milk cheese which is stretched curd cheese, similar to how Mozzarella is made), pork and or/beans.

At Panchita’s I typically get the spinach & cheese, and/or the pork & cheese filled. Can you believe that the meal pictured at the bottom of this post (which is two pupusas, rice & beans) was $5.75? One of the best deals in the Mission.

To accentuate the Slow Food theme of this week, however, I must warn you that at Panchita’s that due to the individual care for the preparation of the hand-made meals, the service suffers. My friend Dana and I went there for dinner prior a theatre production meeting. We had an hour and 15 minutes. We were almost late to our meeting. It took 10 minutes before we got menus, another 10 to get water, and about an hour after arriving to get our meals. Only three of about four of the 15 tables were occupied by paying customers. Dirty plates from other prior patrons remained on tables the entire time we were there. Again, however, I have to stress that with their limited staff I’d rather that they do as they do; spend time putting care into all the food they make, than provide instantaneous service.

I’ll return here again and again… but if you have a favorite place to recommend for cheese pupusas, or have a fail-proof recipe for them that you want to share, please write in on the comment section. Thanks.

It’s both ironic and awful that on the same day (yesterday) that I write about Slow Food, Kathy and I, with our friends Jeff and Anna, ended up having fast food prior to seeing a movie together.

WHY?

Well, for a few reasons. We WERE in a hurry, plus my parents recently gave me a couple free Jack-in-the-Box cards that they had received for participating in a survey (they thought we might have an opportunity to use them). Also, it was another chance to provide content for Canyon of Cheese since I was curious to see what cheese might be found on the menu.

My childhood was spent in Southern California, which is kind of the birthplace of fast-food burger chains. There’s an excellent chapter in the book “Fast Food Nation” which describes how automobile culture, a year-round moderate climate, and a desire for consistency combined with speed gave birth to the uniformity of fast food franchises. If you aren’t familiar with Jack-in-the-Box, it is a burger franchise which originated in San Diego, California. Around the same time that other chains were having characters such as clowns and kings to attract younger customers and families, Jack-in-the-Box was already primed with its own ”fun” persona. Unlike McDonald’s, Jack-in-the-Box was named after its whimsical mascot (does Ronald McDonald look Scottish to you?). To further their recognition in the fast-food realm, all of their drive-throughs had Jack-in-the-boxes like the ones you see pictured here [Photo credit for the color Jack: Jenquin. Thanks for the permission!]. The speaker to place your order was in the ruff of Jack’s outfit. Not to be outdone by McDonaldland’s host of characters, Jack-in-the-Box developed their own in the 1970’s, such as Jack, Small Fry, the Onion Ring Thing, the Hamburger Meister, the Shakes and my favorite, the Secret Sauce Agent (see video at the end of this post). In 1980, with sales falling compared to the competition, Jack-in-the-Box (or its hired marketing company) reinvented its self by “blowing up” all of the old drive-through Jacks and revamping its menu. Fourteen years later, Jack “returned” making more marketing history. Actually, the history of Jack-in-the-Box is more interesting then their food ever was or will be…

Which brings us to the food, and the cheese.

Cheese at Jack-in-the-Box seems to come in two varieties; a yellow-orange, or white.  Both are a types of processed cheese, most commonly called American Cheese. There are a few reasons that fast-food places use processed cheese, but the main two are cost and uniform melting. Many “real” cheeses don’t melt well; the liquids (natural oils in particular) and solids may separate in such a way that the cheese looses its visual appeal, and/or the taste may be lost.

I’ve stated (including in my FAQs) that I’ll eat processed cheese when/if it is the only choice, but I’d also like to point out that I NEVER go out of my way to have processed or “American” cheese. This time, however, I specifically choose items with cheese. I got a Jumbo Jack, with cheese, as well as a sampler of deep-fried items; Jalapeno Poppers, Mozzarella Sticks and some kind of chicken nuggets. Please note by clicking on the picture how the color, size, and shape of the items are all practically the same.

Kathy decided to get a kid’s meal. A grilled-cheese sandwich, applesauce, and a chocolate milk. When she ordered, they told her they were out of applesauce, so her two healthy alternatives were fries or onion rings. Jeff went for the 2 tacos for 99 cents. Note from the picture that the tacos utilize a slice of American cheese. Anna got a “sirloin burger” (with cheese)… Kathy’s grilled cheese was perhaps the blandest food I have had in months. Iceberg lettuce has more flavor then this sandwich or cheese had. As to the fried foods, again, no distinction. I had to wonder; “am I eating fried mozzarella, or chicken?”

Since I tend to eat fairly healthily, I’ve found that fast food has an adverse effect on my stomach, and at least for a half-hour after having some it feels like there is a rock in my stomach. I think you have to build some kind of resistance or acclimation to fast food to be able to digest it easily. The body is pretty resilient, but honestly, there’s no reason for you to torture yourself (as we did) by eating fast food. Particullarly if cheese suffers in the process. Fried foods can be great, but do it right: July’s Gourmet magazine arrived yesterday; here’s a fantastic recipe from them for Fried Mozzarella (LINK).

DO YOU love fast food cheese? Hate it? Have a story or comment? Please use the comment section.

Lately I’ve been reading a lot about the “Slow Food” movement.  Even this morning I read about it again in Triple-A’s VIA magazine. The  Executive Director of the “Slow Food Nation” event (Labor Day Weekend, 2008, in San Francisco; the California Artisan Cheese Guild will be present) defined it rather succinctly in the article:
Q What’s slow food?
A It’s an international movement that promotes devoting more time to how we buy and cook our food. A lot of families now think about food as just fuel or nutrients. We’re trying to get people to dedicate a little bit more bandwidth to the role food plays in their lives.

If you’re an adult, no longer in college, and the majority of your meals are either made by someone you don’t know (i.e. fast food) or it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare (i.e. frozen or microwavable food), then trust me, it is time for you to SLOW DOWN. For me, there is nothing quite as meditative as cooking, and when you’re able to use the freshest ingredients you can, not only will it be healthier for you, the taste will also be worth it.

As a kid I was never forced to eat Brussels sprouts, but as an adult, I know I really like them. Slightly crunchy (if cooked correctly) with a cabbage-like taste, and best of all; fantastic with the right types of cheese!

High on Kathy’s list of favorite cheeses are hard Italian cheeses such as Parmesan-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. I found a recipe on-line which would use both the Brussels sprouts I had as well as some cheese we had waiting in the fridge. Pecorino Romano is a sheep’s milk cheese which has been made in Italy for over 2000 years. The cheese is typically aged between 5 and 8 months, and is good for grating. Like Parmesan, Pecorino Romano has a nice salty taste to it, but typically isn’t as sharp as Parmesan. In the pictures on this post you can see that I grated it for the recipe (here’s a review I wrote of the Microplane grater I have). Kathy called as I was cooking to let me know she got off of work early. I warned her that the meal would still be ready as late as originally planned, since in the process of utilizing Slow Food ideals, the meal’s preparation would not be rushed. …plus, feeling I had lots of time, I added caramelized onions to the recipe (it’s what you do when you have both time and lots of onions. Caramelizing onions can take about an hour and 15 minutes.).

The recipe below is from an excellent blog-like website named “101 Cookbooks“. I’ve written to its owner, Heidi Swanson, to hopefully receive permission to reprint her recipe, so if you are reading this, she has either given permission, or you are getting a sneak preview.

 
Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

This is the only way to eat brussels sprouts: cut in half and cooked until deliciously tender inside and perfectly brown and crusted on the outside.

Use brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed. You can finish these with many different types of cheese but I tend to go for Parmesan when the weather is good. I trade that in for heavier cheeses like gruyere or Gouda in colder weather. I finished them off with some toasted hazelnuts the other night – delicious!

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don’t overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

Chanced upon a nice series of videos by Will Studd who’s; “extraordinary odyssey… to cover international artisan and farmhouse cheeses…”

Sounds like a dream job! If you’re familiar with San Francisco, you’ll recognize the well-established shoe shine stand on Market Street at the end of this clip. The gentleman being asked about his favorite cheeses also charges tourists to take photos of him and his stand. Wonder how much he got for this impromptu filming about his love of; “American, French, and Swiss cheese…”? I also wonder if the Sirens in Studd’s Odyssey sing the praises of locally produced cheese to knock him off course and trap him on the rocky isles of processed cheeses? Enjoy.

If it seems I haven’t posted in a few days, it is because I haven’t! Kathy and I took a short trip down to southern California to visit with friends and relatives.

There’s something about Southern California which doesn’t seem to allow for as much cheese consumption. Perhaps it is the warmer weather? Or the types of stores in the area? We were in both Orange and Los Angeles counties during our trip, and with the exception of an excellent meal that our friend Patrick prepared, we didn’t have many meals which specifically involved cheese.  I spoke to Patrick several hours before going to his home for the dinner he was preparing. Again, I asked if we could bring anything (he wouldn’t let us; he had the whole meal covered). He did, however, suddenly remark; “great! I’ve got a cheese expert on the phone…” He was was making Mediterranean food for us all (everyone invited are friends through/due to the theatre, but who all now live in L.A.: Brice & Leslie, and Stacy), and wanted to recreate an appetizer dish he had once had which was pitas, cheese, olives, mint leaves and hummus. He’d picked up some really nice Feta, but couldn’t quite recall if that was the type of cheese he should have be serving. Actually, that was exactly the type of cheese, and it excellently accompanied everything he prepared. The appetizer is well worth repeating, and the ingredients can be found at most any grocery store.

Feta is typically made with sheep’s milk, and is kept in a brine (or olive oil, wine, vinegar, or a combination) to prevent the cheese from being too dry and also to abate any bacteria or molds from growing on the cheese. Feta tends to have a very salty taste due to the brine, but a large amount of varieties can be found from fairly soft to fairly dense. The cheese hails from the Mediterranean, and is often associated with Greece since many major brands of Feta are imported to the US from there. In the SF Bay area of California there are a great many Mediterranean food stores which have a variety of Fetas to choose from. Check to see if your town also has a good shop where you can pick up both some Feta and some excellent olives to go along with it.

We had thought we might bring some Halloumi to Patrick’s dinner, but we hadn’t the chance to locate any, and Patrick really did provide everything for the fantastic meal (Sorry Joachim; no tales of Halloumi this time; we narrowly averted the experience).

Although the Feta that Patrick served was perfect for this meal (not too salty, just the right firmness, and not too crumbly), I must warn you; feta is not for everyone. If you have not had the experience of eating Feta, I strongly encourage you try it, but allow your mind to not have any preconceived notions based on its color or texture. Allow its sharp, somewhat salty taste play across your tongue, and be sure to see how it tastes in combination with other foods. Personally, I LOVE Feta, but I’ve often met cheese lovers who do not care for it.

Kathy and I try to make it to the southern part of California fairly often, but I’m still unaware of where we should go for cheese and/or restaurants which feature cheese prominently. Please let me (and other readers) know if you have suggestions by using the comment section.

The rest of the pictures you see here are from the great meal with our friends, and Patrick’s wonderful cooking. Click on the images for a large view of the pictures, launched in a secondary window.

Please, don’t ever consider me a cheese “snob”. I’d like to think that I am not. Connoisseur? Maybe. Enthusiast? Most certainly. I’ll take time to comment on the best and worst cheeses that I get to have, as long as we are talking about cheese.

Left work early enough today to make lunch at home. Had postponed eating as long as I could, so I needed something quick and tasty. Grilled cheese sandwich. There are people out there who are experts at grilled cheese sandwiches, and see it as a true art form. I applaud them, but for the rest of us it is often whatever bread we have, butter, and just about any cheese we can find in the fridge. Kathy and I got to see Anthony Bourdain speak once at a chef’s supply store in downtown San Francisco. He was asked what his favorite comfort foods to make at home were. Not surprisingly; tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

For the pictured sandwich, I used caraway Havarti, and Gruyère. Havarti, traditionally, is a Danish cheese, named after an estate on the largest island of Denmark, Zealand. It’s a cow milk cheese which has a semi-soft texture, and can have fairly sizable curd-holes throughout its body, depending on how the cheese has been made. Domestic versions of Havarti are fairly common, but the taste difference, when given the chance to compare, can be huge. Whether from Denmark or here in the U.S. (mine is from California) you can often find varieties, such as the one I’ve pictured, with either dill or caraway added. Easy to melt, Havarti is excellent for a variety of dishes, and works very nicely on sandwiches.

My next few days will be filled with theatre and computer repair, but I hope to find some cheese to comment on too. If I can get some Halloumi, I may bring some to a grill dinner party on Monday.

There are amazing things that you can do with cheese in cooking, and one of the simplest treats you can make for yourself is home-made Macaroni & Cheese. If you are an adult, and you are still occasionally making box-mixes of Mac. & Cheese which come with a packet of powdered neon orange “cheese” (or a Tetra Pak of bright orange glop), then let me help reform you to what it means to eat real food again.

I’m forever trying new recipes of Mac & Cheese, but the one I’m putting here is my mainstay, fall-back, recipe of Mac & Cheese that I make over and over again. Although I think it’s a great recipe, I WANT to hear of your favorites! Please, please, post your favorite in the comment section and/or provide a web link so that I, and all the readers, can give it a try.

I’m also always looking for restaurants which serve amazing cheese dishes. As to restaurant’s cheese plates, or “flights” of cheese, those I find often, but great cuisine heightened by using quality cheese? Let me know about your favorites from restaurants!

I often make this dish for theatre production meetings. The pictures in today’s post are from Sunday  (6/8) when we had a photo shoot for our upcoming original comedy, “Pride & Succubus”

Alright. The recipe. It’s simpler than I make it look; I’ve merely added notes, which ought to help, from the years I’ve been using this one. Enjoy!

Gourmet Magazine’s Five Ingredient Mac & Cheese (with comments by Bryce).

Serves four adults as main dish.

Total time: hour and ten minutes.

Active time: roughly 20 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1/2 pound (half package) of elbow macaroni

·         1 can of stewed, sliced tomatoes (plain or Italian style are both fine. Fire roasted can also be nice)

·         3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

·         1/2 pound cheddar cheese, grated*

·         Salt & fresh ground pepper (yeah, yeah; these are ingredients six & seven)

 *  Cheese notes; get the sharpest, highest quality cheddar you can. DON’T EVER use pre-grated. I like extra-sharp aged white Cheddars, but I always also use some orange cheddar in the mix for a more “familiar”-looking Mac & Cheese color to satisfy cheese novices. All Cheddars which are orange are merely dyed for distinction and eye-appeal. Cheddar cheese is naturally white or cream colored. Usually I’ll mix two or three cheeses. Often, a third of the cheese I use will be Gruyère. Really though, any cheddar will work, but the better the taste, and the higher the quality, are the best to make this dish really work well.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Meanwhile, grate your cheese, reserving 1/3 of it in a separate bowl. In a large mixing bowl, pour the whipping cream, and as much of the liquid from the canned tomatoes as possible. Dice the tomato slices. While dicing, attempt  to reserve as much of the liquid on your cutting mat/board as possible. Place the tomatoes and their juices into the mixing bowl.

Mix in 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper into the bowl (I use a lot more fresh ground pepper; use to your own taste).

Once the macaroni is done, drain, and mix macaroni into the liquids and tomato mixture. Mix with a large spoon (this helps cool the macaroni before adding the cheese). Add 2/3^rds of your grated cheese. Mix well. Pour into a shallow glass casserole dish (such as a lasagna pan). Top with the remaining 1/3 grated cheese. Add additional fresh ground pepper if desired. Bake in oven for 45 minutes until mixture is bubbly and the top is getting fairly beyond golden brown.

Best served with a salad or something healthy for balance.

When we have company, or a theatre meeting, I double the recipe above.

Below is a preview of the press photo for “Pride & Succubus” which will be performed in San Francisco in August (7th – 23rd, 2008). Many thanks to Crystal Gariano (Photographer), Dana Constance (Graphic Designer; did all the photo touch-up work), and the actors Kai Morrison and Faith Aeryn [and yes, Ian, and all the Thunderbirds!] Now go get what you need to make the recipe above!

Perfect weather prevailed in Menlo Park, California, over the weekend (June 7th/8th) for Sunset Magazine’s Celebration Weekend event, which is like a mini-exposition. Held at the magazine’s headquarters (Sunset’s work “campus”) a couple hundred vendors, tourist boards, companies and demonstrators helped bring; “the pages of Sunset to life.” Truly, it was a great opportunity for people to witness the scope of the magazine’s ideals for living in the west. I was there on Saturday, volunteering with the California Artisan Cheese Guild (CACG), of which I am a member, helping serve free samples of just a few of the many great artisan cheeses that California has to offer.

These events make me feel; how can I describe it?  …like the feeling you have as a kid and it’s time for recess at school. My day job is great, and the work I do with the theatre company that I helped co-found is incredibly fulfilling, but having the opportunity to also work with cheese, and alongside some of the best people in the world of cheese, is almost like a guilty pleasure. Present on Saturday, from the CACG, were Lynne Devereux (primary organizer for the Guild to attend the Sunset event), Sue Conley & Maureen Cunnie (co-founder and cheesemaker, respectively, of Cowgirl Creamery), Rhonda Gruber-Hemmi (of Bravo Farms), Mariano Gonzalez (master cheesemaker of Fiscalini Farms),  Maxx Sherman (of Marin French Cheese Company), Sadie Kendel (creator of Kendall Farm’s Crème Fraîche) as well as Raymond Hook (of Cheese Works West). I am certain that I am unfairly forgetting someone, not to mention that as my shift ended, other fantastic CACG members and volunteers arrived to help out.

Sunset had given us four long tables in the “Artisan Courtyard” which was a perfect shaded area for us to serve samples of cheese and talk to the thousands (yes, literally thousands) of people who came to Sunset’s event. Our area was sandwiched by both bread and wine, so the Guild felt entirely at home.

Shortly after we had set up and the day’s event, which began at 10am, a line started to form. It took up to 20 minutes for people to make it to us; apparently the Guild’s offerings were a huge hit. Much, if not most, of the other food-related areas at the event were items for sale. Although the Guild had a few cheeses for sale, ones that we were giving free sampling of, the main point of the Guild’s presence was to have the visitors, who may not typically be exposed to quality Californian cheese, to try some of what this great state had to offer.

The constant stream of people who waited to sample the nine or so cheeses encompassed the entire dynamic of California, including every possible age and ethnic background. Some people were from out of the country as well, and I had the chance to talk in German to a few couples. Many visitors were both knowledgeable and inquisitive, whereas others may have been trying artisan cheeses for the first time. The line moved slowly, since the visitors really took an interest in what each Guild member had to say about the cheeses they were sampling. As it turned out, I was stationed at the start of where the line arrived to our area, and as is my fashion, I made sure to welcome each individual, couple or group warmly, expressing appreciation and excitement that they were going to sample just some of the finest cheeses California has to offer. It was fantastic to witness the reactions of each individual as they came through and tried each cheese. 

Although my shift with the guild was only 8am until 1pm (Kathy and I had to return to the East Bay to attend a very different event with our friend Peter Finch of KFOG), I felt almost hoarse from talking so much to all the people who sampled the cheese. The CACG is such a wonderful organization, and for those of us who love cheese, it’s an excellent opportunity to stay on top of all the exciting things which are happening not only in California concerning cheese, but also in the world. If you also want to join up, or at least support all that the Guild does, become a member.

Kathy had come along on Saturday, but whereas I was a volunteer, she paid the $12 to enjoy the event as a visitor. With the amount of free items, demonstrations and ideas she got from the visit on Saturday, she felt she received far more than the cost of admission. She even attended a cooking demonstration given by Ted Allen, who is often a judge on telvision’s Iron Chef, as well as having been on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. She said that he was knowledgeable, personable, and entertaining. The rest of our very busy weekend involved classic rock, theatre production meetings, vampires (photographing them in the daytime), and yes… cheese! Tomorrow I may write something about my favorite gourmet-style Macaroni & Cheese recipe.

Care to comment? Have questions about the Sunset event? Please use the comment section!

Below is a list of the wonderful cheeses the Guild provided samples of on Saturday for the Sunset event.

Love it when two of my loves come together; dADaIsm and cheese.

Been slightly deficient lately about posting, and I’ll admit it is not because I haven’t been eating cheese. No, it has more to do with the fact that our theatre company has auditions coming up (Saturday, June 14th, 2008) for our latest production; “Pride & Succubus” by Claire Rice. It’s Jane Austen meets vampires, and we’re having our auditions at the historic St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. What, you say you LOVE Jane Austen? You say you, or someone you know loves vampires? And, what…? You, or someone you know is an actor? Let them know about the auditions, they can get all the details sent to them if they e-mail: info @ thunderbirdtheatre.com

The picture above? Taken during one of our prior productions, “Los 7 Magnificos” which was the basic plot of “The Magnificent Seven”, and/or “The Seven Samurai” except that the bad guys were evil Quakers and the good guys were masked Mexican wrestlers. This is our type of humor. Tell actors you know that we’re having auditions on the 14th of June.

Where’s the cheese, Bryce?

What, Jane Austen and vampires not cheesy enough for you? Well alright then; why not come out and try some wonderful artisan cheeses this weekend (Sat. & Sun., June 7th and 8th) in Menlo Park, California, at Sunset Magazine’s “Celebration Weekend“? The California Artisan Cheese Guild will have a booth both days, and there will be samples. I’ll be volunteering at the booth Saturday morning, so drop by and say hello.