Shihan Chef Nobu

On my latest trip to Los Angeles I got a reservation, thanks to my Uncle Isreal to the famous Matsuhisa it normally takes a year to get a reservation, so this is a HUGE deal. 

Matsuhisa is Chef Nobu's very first restaurant, it is arguably the best sushi place in the USA!

The restaurant is very, very tiny the sushi bar is very narrow not even two people can fit through! The dinning room is also very small but there is still room for lots of famous people. I sat at a table and Kenny G was eating behind me, how cool!

But now on to the yummy part, for an appetizer I got the toro tartare with caviar in a dashi broth. The toro tartare was intricately flavored yet keeping the fish's natural flavor and the caviar nicely complemented the fish, The toro tartare had  a very bold dashi broth that was very strong in that great mouthwatering umumi flavor.

Overall,it was an awesome way to start a meal.

Next, I ordered some tuna sushi and it was interesting how the tuna had a vinegary sauce and Chef Nobu's dry miso seasoning. It was very good and a new experience for me and a very interesting way to make sushi.

My Aunt ordered the tempura plate and I got to try the shrimp tempura, which was very light with a
dipping sauce, always a classic.

Dad ordered the fish and chips it was very simple but it was the best fish and chips I have ever had.

I also got some normal tuna sushi it was absolutely perfect the rice was sticky and absorbed the soy sauce perfectly the tuna was rich, tender, umaumi, and every thing you could want one bite of sushi to be, no other sushi will ever top it.

Except another order of sushi from Matsuhisa!

We got desert from Chef Nobu and it had shaved ice and great mochi and some banana tubes they were all very good.

Chef Nobu made an unexpected stop at Matsuhisa and came around meeting the dinners and I talked to him and he was very happy! I got to tour the very, very ,very tiny kitchen, I saw the dish washers and how the restaurant can't function with out them and I saw the little grill area and the tiny sushi bar and how each plate is like a canvas and they put the seasoning and oils on it like art. Art that is why I love sushi so much- simple, elegant, purposeful food.

I will forever remember the advice Shihan Chef Nobu gave me.

   

Love the tuna, Leaf

Logan

The Smoking Gun, a who done it?

The Smoking Gun is made by Polyscience.

Well, let's start with Polyscience (http://www.polyscienceculinary.com/). They are one of the best modernist food tool providers around. They are true innovators, and they help us cook interesting "out of the box" type of food.

One of Polyscience's many tools is the Smoking Gun.

There are many reasons why I use it is, but the biggest is because I'm from Memphis - home of the slow smoked BBQ. Smokey food rules the city and it is a huge part of our local food culture. 

The Smoking Gun (http://www.polyscienceculinary.com/the-smoking-gun.php) shoots smoke out a tube and you put the tube in a bag with whatever you want to smoke, and leave it in there for a few minutes. It is that easy, and the solid smokey taste is real. It has no artificial tones of fake smoke. 

They offer several kinds of woods. Hickory is the strongest and boldest flavor, It will make you go WOW. While Cherry and Apple are more subtle and sweeter.

If you use your smoking gun a lot, the smoke may start to taste bitter- either get some new tube or soak your tube in bleach and water. 

Now, I have experimented quite a bit with the smoking gun and I have over 40 recipes so this is not just a one shot gun!

Love the Cabbage Leaf,

Logan

Karl Strauss

Now Karl Strauss is also at the City Walk in LA it is upstairs and a bit hidden. The menu looked pretty good to me so we tried it.

The inside is pretty relaxing a bit woodsy and they have a bunch of beer which of course, I cant try.

I ordered a burger topped with fried egg. I can get those at Patrick's at home so I know I like them. I pulled off the pork belly which was sliced too thick and MAN, OH MAN was it good. That egg was the best egg I may have had. In fact it was so good I got and extra one! My Mom got a burger too and she loved it. I mean we were hungry and it was fresh and tasty. We sat in a quiet spot and watched the people walking around below.

We also ordered the pretzel appetizer and they were good. The sauces tasted nice and it was really nicely plated. That can be hard to do to a pretzel.

I would go back anytime. In fact, I want to say thanks for the 2 great meals and the delish eggs.

Love the Cabbage Leaf
Logan 

Karl Strauss Brewing Company

The Grand Peabody Hotel - Honorary Duck Master That is HDM!

Coco from Master Chef Jr came to Memphis to join us to watch the show. I mean we are both home schooled and it is more fun to be with friends then to be home alone.

She stayed in the GRAND Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis. Now, if you have not come to Memphis or visited the Peabody you probably don't know what is so exciting about the Peabody. IT HAS DUCKS - Yes LIVE ducks in the fountain in the lobby. 

Now this is an old hotel- refinished in the most elegant style to which it was built. Dripping with wood and paint and flowers, NO Hipsters allowed with their modern rooms and diamond encrusted peep holes. This hotel is for those who want elegance of a long forgotten age and history and a story...

So, of course, there is a story here-- and Duck Master Anthony tells it with flair. He is the 5th Duck Master and it is a cool job! 

It goes like this -- The Delta starts in the Lobby of the Peabody Hotel and ends in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The old hotel had a manger in the 1930s and he was going hunting with some friends and some Jack Daniels Whiskey... and the live duck decoys were left in the lobby fountain. Now the next morning when they went downstairs the ducks were just swimming in the fountain and the guest loved it and a long standing tradition was born.

Then Mr Pembrose came into the picture and he said he could train the ducks to march from the fountain across a red carpet and into and elevator all the way to the roof, across the roof, and up to the duck palace where they would be sheltered for the night.

Now this Grand idea is true and today you can go to the Peabody Hotel and watch the ducks come into the fountain and leave the each night. Anthony with make it a great event!!!

Now what made this event even better was Coco and I being DUCK MASTERS- in APRONS and with Canes- As aspiring Chefs we had to promise to not cook DUCK at the Peabody!!! It was so much fun to march the ducks around the fountain and into the elevator!! 

Before the hotel tour, we got a tour of the kitchens and we even got to cook a Fillet with Chef Derek in the Capricio Grill. We also toured Chez Philipe and it was stunning!! Very posh and old fashionably GRAND. Now I love kitchen tours but this one really was the best yet, cause that filet was FINE!!!!

Thanks you so much Peabody Hotel, and Staff!

I loved it

Love the duck weed,

LOGAN HDM

The Peabody ducks are wild, only tour the hotel for 3 months and then are released to a restful island where they can then return to the wild if they desire.

P.S I went to the grand ballroom and spoke to the Memphis Chamber Luncheon 

P.P.S I went back to enjoy a night at the Peabody after I won MasterChef Jr.

Capriccio Grill™ at The Peabody

Fan Art !!! Thank You So Much !!!

Fan art!

Thanks to you, I now have enough fan art to make a fan art Gallery!!

I  receive tons of wonderful fan art from social media.

I think that if I printed-off ALL of it, I would not have enough wall to hang them on, and that is a predicament!

If you guys keep it up, I won't have enough ceiling too, and that would be a bigger predicament!

My favorite fan art masterpieces are the cartooned ones, just a bit more than the edited fan art masterpieces.

So keep drawing, doodling, editing, and creating!

I cant wait to see the next fan art masterpiece!

Love the cabbage leaf,

Logan


Here you go (more on the next post):

 

 

St John's Soup Kitchen

Some of you have asked for this story, so I will share it.

This is very personal and it forever keeps me humble!

I went to the Soup Kitchen to cook. It is close to my home so I walked with my Mom. It was the Christmas meal and my good friend John was working. I headed to the kitchen but John stopped me and asked me to fill gift bags and pass out gifts. Now, this is a nice job a fine job but, not really what I love to do.

Of course, I did it that is what was needed. 

John noticed that I was not overly happy like I normally am and he asked me what I was missing. He is a super nice guy and knows that good Volunteers have to be doing what they love to do too. 

I told him I really just wanted to be cooking, but the meal was over and no cooking was left.

Now, no one gets turned away at St Johns, if it is at all possible - so when an elderly African American man came in no one could say, no food left.

John grabbed me and said he needed me to whip up something for this man. We got frozen bread, left over pasta sauce and some pepperoni. I mean the pantry was pretty bare. They had just fed 150 folks.

I made some sandwiches and nuked them, really this was not the best meal... not even a meal... not even a school lunch.. but it was all there was. 

We found some other items like a yogurt cup and some granola bars and then rushed out to bring the gentleman his dinner. 

John told him I had met President Obama and that I had made this food. His eyes welled up with tears, he clasped my hand and told me he was GRATEFUL and HONORED to shake my hand. The hand that shook President Obama's. His eyes glowed with gratitude and love. He said he was blessed I came out to cook for him. He told me he was proud of me and thanked me. 

My eyes filled with tears - this was not a steak dinner, not a soup kitchen dinner, and yet it was much better than being hungry.

As I walked back to my warm home with my frig filled with food - I cried, my Mom cried. 

I need to cook him Steak or something.....

I am GRATEFUL for all I have,

Always!

Love the cabbage Leaf,
Logan