This post is Part IV of a four-part series of articles about our visit to Carlsbad Aquafarm. We would like to thank Rebecca Richards & Link Mathewson for making this trip possible and Norman Abell for educating us on their methods of shellfish farming. We were curious to learn more about how their Luna oysters are sustainable after tasting some at Slapfish. What we uncovered was a complex and precise process dedicated to producing the best product possible. If you missed Parts I, II, and/or III, you can find the first here, the second here, and the third here.

"We're not the biggest farm and certainly not the largest oyster and mussel one. We're a little more diversified, growing things that make sense but with the same staff, the same place, the same equipment. We try to do different things. We're probably closer to a model of a farm that might come from an earlier time where they were doing a lot of different products in one space as opposed to one large single crop."

As Norman built upon the farm's philosophy, he told us that a lot of what they do that isn't repeated by others is based on geography. Tanks in Washington and Oregon would be frozen in the winter whereas these farm's tanks can be used year-round. In regards to carbon footprint, he was not a big supporter of the idea of restaurants sourcing their produce from a large number of farms no matter how local; realistically, is that still a small carbon footprint considering all of the driving? It's an argument that many in the food industry face, the "local" argument. He referenced Chef Rick Bayless from Chicago with whom he had talked about a most salient point - "How in the world am I going to have local oysters? What are we going to do about that? How are you in California going to have local wheat? Maybe it'll be from Central Valley but certainly it's not going to be grown anywhere in Los Angeles or Orange County." We were inclined to agree a little too but did find comfort in hearing that this debate is constantly on the mind of food suppliers as well.


So what can we really do? Norman advised us to start eating lower on the trophic level instead of eating only tuna or salmon. Mussel and oyster use a lot more efficient methods to make an ounce of protein than a salmon would. This is where he calls out to the chefs to teach their customers about better foods and ways to fix food culture today. "They're the ambassadors for anything that's new. They're also the R&D for what's coming and what we should be thinking of." It was no surprise at that point that our conversation even drifted over to the slow food movement but that's another story for another day.


In addition to the marine products, they’re also trying their hand at lemon and lime farming for tastings. These young trees lined the walkway as we took a peek into the nursery where they grow the algae and micro-algae. An empty culture room stared back at us as we peered in the window - it allows for culturing of many different micro-algae as shellfish food, or as Norman puts it, "Gerber baby food." Below the nursery grounds was a circulation pond for the power plant which happened to also contain plenty of fish and oysters, some of which are probably ten years old.

"What are some of the biggest challenges that you find here?""I think right now, especially for oyster, it’s seed availability. Changes in the ocean’s pH level, due to ocean acidification caused by the overabundance of carbon dioxide trapped in our atmosphere, is preventing newborn oysters from producing their first protective shells and hence, they’re dying at alarming rates. What that means for us is when we place an order with the hatcheries, it won't necessarily be filled 100%. Like last year, we only got a quarter of the seed we ordered. So it really affects the availability right down to how many oysters we have to sell to how many jobs we have available."

We walked away with much more information than we thought we'd learn. The oysters were hard work to farm despite their original historic debut as a food source cheap enough to be eaten regularly by the working class. The existence of this farm, of all shellfish aquafarms, is just one of the many effects of overharvesting which has also increased prices. So we were pleasantly surprised to be able to take some home with us! After all, oysters are not only excellent sources of zinc, iron, calcium, selenium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin B12 but also delicious.


We researched a little bit about our first exposure to shucking our own oysters (rather ill-equipped though, I must say) and learned more about oyster handling and safety such as not storing oysters in water during refrigeration lest they die, how tightly closed the shells of live oysters should be, and how to check for whether or not an oyster is alive and safe to eat. The lack of an oyster knife led to a battle between butter knife and oyster shells but eventually, all was tastily had. These Lunas were definitely sweet, delicate, and somewhat fruity in aftertaste though certainly briny to start. There was so much liquid/liquor inside each as well. Given their taste, I am now even more curious about the beer that had been made by Ballast Point Specialty Brewer Colby Chandler and friends with Lunas as an ingredient.


This post is the final post of four. Part I can be found here, Part II here, and Part III here. You can also visit www.carlsbadaquafarm.com! They are located at 4600 Carlsbad Boulevard, Carlsbad, CA 92018 but are unfortunately closed to the public. What's that mean for you, the shellfish-loving fiend? Catch them at one of the farmers' markets or take a step into one of the many restaurants they source to, like Slapfish! 

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

Note to self: roasted mint does not look sexy even on a sexy rack (of lamb). Regardless, it sure tastes sexy, and our dinner of a mint crusted lamb rack was just perfect. I'm sure part of it has to do with the fresh ingredients we were able to use while making this - the herbs in Duc's indoor garden have proven very useful in our dishes. The lamb came from the impressive deal you can snag at Costco; no really, take a gander yourself. These came Frenched which means the meat has been shaven down/off the bone "handle" for easier eating but if you prefer them not Frenched, go for it! One thing I do like about cooking lamb and writing up recipes for it though is how simple making it really is - after all, the true flavors of the meat is what you're trying to taste and by keeping it simple, you let the lamb shine.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 8 rib chops)

• 1 rack of New Zealand lamb, Frenched
• 2 tbsps garlic salt
• 2 tbsps black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh sweet basil, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 cup olive oil + extra for brushing

Step 2: Prepping the lamb
I like to rub the meat with salt and pepper and let it sit before adding anything else to it. Brush a little bit of olive oil all over the rack to give it the barest of coats and to allow the salt and pepper to stick. Rub salt and pepper on all sides. Let sit in the fridge 15-20 minutes.


Step 3: Making the rub
Chop up fresh mint and basil. Mince three garlic cloves and crush one (I used a Microplane grater to get the same effect). Why not mince or crush them all? I like having the crushed garlic in there to help form a viable "paste" while the minced is for your eating pleasure afterward. Add in olive oil and mix thoroughly.


Step 4: Cooking
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cooking a whole rack requires both using the stovetop and the oven. I didn't chop it up beforehand so that the juices could stay intact. Think about how amazing it looks, smells, and tastes when you slice it after cooking, and those juices seep out. Yeah, exactly. Anyhow, in a large skillet on high heat with a tad bit of oil on the bottom, sear the meat on both sides. Basically the meat will brown just a smidgen before you know to take it off the heat. Place rack on a foil-lined baking sheet, and cover top & bottom with mint & basil paste.


Step 5: Finishing
You're going to cook it between 15-20 minutes depending on how rare you want the meat (though I prefer my lamb medium rare). In your cook time, remember that meat continues to cook even after you pull it from the oven from its internal temperature. Let the meat rest for a few minutes after removing it from the oven. Then slice and serve!


Photography by Duc Duong as he resisted eating everything immediately.

If there is one thing you take away from an interaction with Chef Chris Tzorin (Executive Chef at Savannah Chop House), it's that the guy is a tornado of energy. Whirling around behind any kitchen set-up or even among guests, Chef Chris is a gregarious personality with great passion for his cooking and certainly not one to hide his accomplishments. We met him first at the Golden Foodie Awards last year and were immediately impressed by how actively he talked about Savannah Chop House. Every time we interacted thereafter, it was hard not to smile at his enthusiasm and hard not to indulge in his delicious creations. His booth's sample was our favorite pick during the OC Restaurant Week Launch Party, and our restaurant experience at Savannah Chop House had me swooning over the bruleed scallops. So when he told me that he would be doing a cooking demo at the Essex Skyline Apartments, I was there to make sure I got a behind-the-scenes peek at how a young, promising chef makes his dishes.


The venue itself for the cooking demo was the Lounge/Wine Room of the Essex Skyline Apartments, a sky-kissing two-tower complex on the confusing corner of MacArthur and MacArthur in Santa Ana that boasts a community of residents especially interested in lifestyles of fine dining, etc. The cooking demo programming for the year is the brainchild of Anne Vallone, Activities Director, who has tapped into a niche of residents that enjoy these educational courses. The likes of Chefs Deb Schneider (Sol Cocina), Angela (Inka Mama’s) ,Lindsay Smith (Nirvana Grill), Adam Starchman (Seasons 52), Jenny Ross (118 Degrees), and Doug Stratton (Spiced Bamboo) have graced the showroom with their dishes already. On deck are Chef Roy Hendrickson from Zimzala for 10/28 and Chef Marco Zapien from Melissa’s produce for 11/6. In regards to the room set-up, there were well-curated furniture, plenty of space for a group of 20-25, and even a monitor-camera set-up for easy viewing of the cooking action.


After telling us a bit about himself and his career so far as a chef (including appearing on soon-to-air episodes of shows on the Food Network such as Cutthroat Kitchen), Chef Chris started up a simple Caesar salad for everyone. It was mixed with just enough of the creamy, signature Caesar salad dressing to allow for even distribution among the roughly chopped lettuce without oversaturation. I could easily have more of these but the next steps were up for the next dish already as we were crunching on greens. For libations, water, white wine, and a special margarita were available (made of boiled lemon juice, pineapple juice, water, sugar, agave, and Tres Sietes tequila).


One of the great things about the cooking demo aside from Chef Chris' energy was his insistence on showing everyone the tips and tricks of kitchen prep. The demo was not just about showing a dish from ingredient to plate but also how to be efficient with your time in the kitchen and how to safely use kitchen tools (and improvise!). The course after the salad starter was his Pistachio Milanese (with whipped potatoes and chocolate mole) - a competition-winning dish that is actually offered at Savannah Chop House on Tuesdays for just $5 a plate. Without a meat pounder to use on his steaks as he was wont to do, Chef Chris instead showed the crowd how butterflying cuts of steak will also produce a similar effect (making sure to press down on the fold to flatten the cut a little bit, of course). Dipped in flour, an egg wash, and crushed pistachios, the steak was then seared quickly in olive oil before placed into a pre-heated oven of 400°F to finish. He advised using Yukon gold potatoes for whipped potatoes (done in a stand mixer) and to never boil them but rather to steam them; boiling apparently holds too much water and changes the texture. With chocolate mole spread on a plate and topped with a bounteous scoop of potatoes, the dish was finished with slabs of the pistachio-crusted steak. Yum. That mole really brought it over the edge.


The next course was a Seafood Ceviche (scallops, shrimp, and crab in a cucumber cup with avocado slaw), a version using poached seafood instead of just chopped up. He began by explaining how to make pico de gallo, what he referred to as a kind of modern mother sauce. The slaw was a combination of red and green cabbage with avocado and lime juice which all topped the gorgeous ceviche nestling in a petite cucumber cup. Simple enough to make, this looked the perfect appetizer bite to bring to gatherings as long as you have patience for the precision of the cups. I had watched sous chef Eric carve out the innards of each cucumber piece when I first came in; it definitely takes patience.


His third course was a hefty bite of Achiote Salmon with Mango Pico de Gallo and Asparagus. Rubbed and seared with annatto and cooked to medium, the salmon was pampered into tastiness and sat atop lightly salted and crunchy thin asparagus spears. A tangy mango pico de gallo garnished the rest, and the plates were decorated by his own sauce mix of olive oil, cilantro, and spinach. The fish flaked away underneath the pressure of my fork, showing its perfected doneness, and the asparagus snapped with each bite. It was a beautifully presented dish but also a beautifully delicious one.


It seemed a shame to end the meal already after listening to all of his helpful tips and tricks. However, the next course of dessert certainly wowed the guests and showed the level of creativity that Chef Chris takes. Fresh strawberries were tossed in Tres Sietes Reposado tequila and confectionery sugar to create a sweet, alcoholic glaze before becoming subject to an injection of more tequila. If that seems over the top, the sugar really helped balance everything out (natural and added) as well as the dark chocolate to swirl the berries in on each plate. How does one go wrong with pumping fruit with alcohol anyway?


Interspersed between courses were raffles for the guests including pepper grinders, bottles of tequila, and a gift certificate to the restaurant. It looked like everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the demo which was easily attributed to the informative and boisterous host of the evening - Chef Chris Tzorin. Combine that passion with the freshness of ingredients from Melissa's Produce and the fun of Tres Sietes tequila, and you have yourself a winner of an event.

Photography by Minerva Thai. More photos are available on Facebook here.

3441 E Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90803
Pricing - $$ | Dining - Casual | Cuisine - American (Southern)
www.theatticonbroadway.com


We came to The Attic via suggestion of a friend who had heard about it through his boss. Long Beach is a little out of our norm in terms of visiting but there's quite a bit to be explored there too. The Attic looked just like a regular street-facing house that happened to have a lot of people inside. Modeled after what seemed to be a home from the South, it carried menu items that I was accustomed to seeing in Louisiana (or any Cajun/Creole focused place), and the decor inside was reminiscent of such as well. Our drinks that meal ranged from my lemonade to Duc's "The Lolita" ($6 - apple, lemon, and ginger juice) to Thomas' "Hurricane" ($10 - rum, spiced rum, orange juice, grenadine, and amaretto). They certainly did not skimp on the juices for the Lolita which had a smooth but spicy kick to it. The Hurricane unfortunately did seem watered down and orange juice was the main flavor profile.


Our appetizer to start was the Fried Green Tomatoes ($10 - served with Vidalia onion relish, alligator andouille sausage, and Cajun buerre blanc). I had looked for hushpuppies on the menu but found none - this had to do. The cornmeal crust was nice as were the sausage and buerre blanc but the tomatoes were sliced a tad too thick and were not tangy enough. Perhaps these were just a bland batch to start with. I've certainly had better. Their New England Clam Chowder in a cup held the illusion of being too small a serving but the heartiness of the base and the abundance of clam in the mix made the size appropriate. It first made us curious because the coloring was yellowed but perhaps the spices made that difference. I found it quite good though not the traditional New England clam chowder which we were more accustomed to.


That soup was my "entree" for the meal seeing as I had eaten beforehand. However, the two men did decide to order full entrees themselves. Duc's was their Chicken and Okra Gumbo ($14 - chicken, okra, alligator Andouille sausage, bell peppers, onion, celery, and spices slow-cooked with brown butter roux over white rice topped with scallions), a large plate of the classic treat which was aptly thick. We found hardly a piece of okra to our disappointment, and the traditional gumbo flavors themselves were not very prominent. In fact, it came off bland though the pieces of meat were manageable. As for our friend, he went for a Reuben sandwich which came in its toasted bread glory with several layers of meat. We had a taste and enjoyed it but wondered what it was doing on the menu at The Attic which seemed southern food-oriented. The fries the sandwich came with were a hit and came with their house sauce! All in all, fairly okay food but nothing to make a trek out there for.

Photography by Duc Duong.

You all drive the boat when it comes to these Test Kitchen posts (unless there isn't participation)! For those of you unaware of the series, I post up on Facebook a picture of an ingredient I haven't cooked with before, and readers submit either suggestions on what to do with it and/of the type of stuff they want to see me do with it. Last week's was tomatillo. It almost seemed natural to put together a salsa with this stuff but how to make it different? Oh that's right - roasted it a little bit for a spin on the traditional tomatillo salsa. This recipe produces a spicy bowl of delicious dipping for your chips so make it as often as you like when you've got the munchies!

Step 1: Ingredients (yields about 2 cups)

• 1/2 lb ripe tomatillos
• 1/2 white onion, quartered
• 1 serrano chile pepper, seeded
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 lime, juice only

Step 2: Roasting the ingredients
Honestly, this recipe is super simple. Quarter half an onion, deseed and slice lengthwise a serrano pepper, and halve the tomatillos after removing the husk. Broil for about 10 minutes until vegetables brown.


Step 3: Finishing
Peel garlic cloves and drop into a food processor. Add roasted vegetables and lime juice. Puree and then serve!


This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: Enfuso's Smoky Fig Oil Emulsion Blend

"These unique products blend a hefty amount of our balsamic vinegar reductions with our extra virgin olive oil. Due to the amount of the thickened balsamic and the high viscosity oil, when you shake the bottle vigorously for a few minutes or empty the bottle and whisk it, the oil and balsamic will emulsify (i.e. form an emulsion which is :"a fine dispersion of minute droplets of one liquid in another in which it is not soluble or miscible.") Yes, the oil and balsamic will not separate after emulsifying. Smoky Fig: Fig Balsamic and Smoked Early Harvest Arbequina flavored with garlic, salt & pepper. A unique blend of sweet fig and smoky essence that is a huge flavor enhancer for glazing, topping and drizzling. Think of it as a unique BBQ baste without any tomato." [Enfuso]

We met Enfuso at a Williams Sonoma Artisans' Market one day and were struck by how tasty their balsamic vinegars and olive oils were. This Smoky Fig emulsion was one of those unique flavors you can't get out of your mind so here we are with it as a Test Kitchen ingredient - thoughts? Comment on the picture when it goes up on Facebook.


Photography by Duc Duong