The Best Damn Risotto I Have Eaten In (17) Years!!! thanks, Il Pastaio!!

This is just a “short” note to discuss a risotto I ate last night at Il Pastaio,
which for lack of a better word, was @#$% ing Transcendent! Ethereal! Sublime! Exquisite! Celestial!!

In any case, you get the point that it was delicious.
It was this:
Lemon and Saffron Risotto.
The Arborio rice was al-dente- perfectly so.
*Note to TLV “Chefs” – You DO NOT make risotto by putting rice and water into a pan, covering it, and walking away. Testo di Cazzo!!!!!
You must STAND THERE AND STIR IT, CONTINUALLY, THE ENTIRE TIME.
And PS. remember the Italian saying of how to make perfect risotto:

“Rice is born in water, and dies in wine”

This means, add wine to the rice in the pan first- before anything else!
Not water, or  the old Israeli favourite- powdered chicken soup concentrate.
I’ll give you guys this helpful tip free of charge!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arborio_rice

It was FLAT- which by the way, is EXACTLY the way it is supposed to be!
You aren’t supposed to be able to stack up risotto up in a tall pile!!
(i.e., unlike the SPACKLE which is passed off as risotto everywhere else in Tel-Aviv- soggy, mushy, filled with butter, cheap cheese, and believe it or not usually cream too, and so thick it can be and usually is, put into ring-molds and formed into solid, nasty, mountains- and usually served with some more crap piled on top of that, I might add!!)

It was filled with the delicate taste of both fresh lemons, and the ephemeral fragrance of a very special type of saffron.

Which comes from, well, let’s just say:
“A Nation with whom Israel does not have Diplomatic Ties with”.
It is the best saffron in the world, and if you happen to watch the Istanbul episode of my show, Duet, (here’s a promo clip from here. The clip is in Hebrew, sorry.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=142785493139&ref=mf

The show itself however is in English.
If you happen to live in Asia, Europe, Russia, or Israel, you can see it on tv.
If not, ask GRB media, which is the US distributor, to release it in the US. Thanks!!

There you will see me comment on finding some of it in the market there.
NO ONE here, other than me, uses this stuff, and instead uses the cheap,
C-grade Spanish saffron which has an unmistakably bitter aftertaste.

Did I mention the slight creaminess of EXACTLY the right amount of Parmigiano Reggiano?!

The colour of that heavenly saffron shining like the golden rays of a sunset in Paradise?!
The sighs of sensual delight as we all devoured every last grain of rice and then felt like picking up the plate and licking it?!

Well, in any case, the last time I had a risotto that perfect, it was made by the blessed hands of my legendary saute cook, “Manny”  (Manuel)-
A tiny, aggressive, Yucatan Mexican Mayan Indian, who happened as well as being one of the best line cooks I ever had the privilege of working with, was a true master of the art of making a perfect risotto, had a wicked and cynical sense of humour, and was also married to a 6- foot tall Irish redhead who loved to drink  and fight almost, well, ok, even more, than Manny himself.
What a Legend!

But I digress: the risotto, made by Manny, that had been burned into my memory as being the best I ever had, up until last night ,
(And p.s. this includes the dozens I have eaten all over Italy)
happened to have been a wild mushroom risotto, made with a mix of pristine wild chanterelles,  lobster mushrooms, and porcinis, from the forests of California, and hand-delivered by a bear of a guy who looked like he himself lived in a hollow log in the same forest his precious mushrooms were collected in!!)

Manny, “En Camote” (deep in the S**T ) of a particularly vicious service which included, among other things, tickets rumbling out of the printer like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, RH half-drunk on a bottle of red wine hidden indiscreetly behind the waiter’s buzzer, yet nonetheless expediting perfectly the seething mass of aggression, stress, and fiery madness that was an  Enrico’s Friday night dinner rush-

And in the middle of this mayhem, Manny passed down the line to me, as I was working my usual station on the grill, directly in the malevolent, tractor-beam like glare of RH, the leftover remains from a pan of that mythological risotto.
I stuck a spoonful of it in my mouth, in between throwing on the grill a frightening number of duck breasts, tuna steaks, boneless quail, and god knows what else the Evil Expeditor had mercilessly called to me all at once..
And I tell you when that risotto hit my tongue I heard a heavenly chorus of Angels singing!

About 20 minutes later, a waiter comes running in, risking the Wrath of RH by showing his face in the kitchen without being buzzed- warning us that a table of Italians were on their way to the kitchen and they wanted to speak to the chef about the risotto they had just eaten.

“WTF?!” I remember thinking, “what in the name of Batman’s Mother does anyone have to say about the risotto?! It was perfect!”
I turned my attention back to the grill, whose entire surface was by now completely covered, with not a centimeter to spare- yet nonetheless didn’t prevent RH from calling me another 9-10 items which he could see with his own eyes I couldn’t possibly fire, yet still earned me a withering comment referring to my clumsy ineptitude, or something of that nature.. and a dirty look, too!

A few seconds later, 3 Italian guys who looked like they just rolled out of their Villa in Sicily, burst into the kitchen :
“Who made that risotto?!” they demanded, looking around aggressively.

RH turned and fixed them with a scowl frightening enough to turn your blood to ice- and sad “That guy”- pointing to Manny, who at this point was 12 saute pans deep in the middle of a typically colossal fire of orders-

What happened next was a shock, I’ll tell you-
That was 17 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday!
These 3 Italians jumped behind the line, grabbed Manny, and one after the other, kissed him on both cheeks- shouting that they had made a bet that the only person who could have made that perfect risotto was an Italian- and that the waiter told them that not only was Manny NOT Italian- he was a Mayan Mexican Indian- and they had bet him 100$ each that he was lying-

After shaking his hand and giving Manny 100$ as well, they went out of the kitchen in search of the waiter, who had just made a hefty bonus for the evening.. and who Manny himself searched out after the shift to demand a 50% cut of the proceeds that the waiter had earned due to his risotto skills…!!
Well, anyway, as usual, I seem to have gotten distracted, but the point being, is up until last night as I said, Manny’s Risotto was the best I’ve ever had…

So enough of this talking.
Get your A** over to Il Pastaio this instant, and ask Tel-Aviv’s incarnation of Manny- (Moshe- who is chef Itzaac’s sous-chef, who I demanded to meet last night and basically did to him what those Italians did to Manny years ago-)
to make you a risotto- ANY damn type he decides to make-
Although I would highly recommend asking, or outright begging, if necessary, for that saffron and lemon risotto, which I will be dreaming of, with lust and desire in my heart, until next time I am there to eat it again!!!!!

http://www.ilpastaio.co.il/pasta_ita.html

Thai house! finishes TLV’s “the Fab Five”!

For anyone foolish enough to go looking for a good, authentic, Thai meal in TLV, I have one thing to say:
“It’ll end in tears”.
Unless, of course, you go to “Beit Thailandi” (or, in English, “Thai House”.) 

This place is not only an old and venerable TLV institution, more than 9 years old, but literally the ONLY place in Israel which serves  delicious, AUTHENTIC, and REAL Thai food-
NOT the usual hideous hybrid between Kosher Chinese, and  the dumbed-down,
Israeli-ized ,“Pad Thai/Chicken satay” crap sadly served to the unsuspecting public in almost every other place claiming to serve Thai food in Israel. 
Watch out, along with your order of “pad Thai”, they might try to sell you a “Rolex” or a used car, too!!! 

 

“Thai House”, although virtually unknown to the TLV Local Dining Public, hilariously enough, is nonetheless packed every single night with European, American, and Asian tourists and expatriates, and, of course every single TLV chef and cook on their night off. 
Not to mention the Thai ambassador and diplomatic corps from all over the Far East.
I mean- you can forget about getting a table here without a reservation at least a night ahead.
But mention this place to most of your local Israeli friends who are not “Industry” , and be prepared for a blank look, combined with a sound like, “Whaaaaa..???” 

Now, let me warn you right off the bat- The service is horrible.
Bored, distracted, 20-something year olds will come with glazed eyes to your table and recite with all the interest of a donkey affected with ADHD, the party line, as related to spiciness, ingredients, etc.
If you interrupt her hypnotized monologue to say that you would actually like to have the food made as spicy as the cooks themselves eat, she may shake her head as if waving away mosquitoes, and repeat “ummm…but it’s spicy”  

(this is my only complaint- even dishes listed as “spicy” are in fact, tame as a pampered housecat, and no pleading, threatening, or demanding for extra heat will get you anywhere- the only way is to keep ordering more and more extra fresh chilies on the side until they finally get the point..) 

But I digress. 

Since when do I give a Monkey’s Uncle about bad service in TLV??!!
That goes without saying!! And I really couldn’t care less about the service when the food is as good as it is here! 

Perfect Tom Yam- exactly sour and complex, served correctly with real Thai sticky rice…
Yum Neua- a delicate, yet intense salad of raw beef with naam pla, mint leaves, fresh chilies, and shallots, is one of my favourite dishes, both to make, and to eat, and at Thai House, they make it perfectly- and with the thoughtful and necessary plate of cucumber and white cabbage chunks served on the side to act as a palate-cleanser to cool you down between bites of this deliciously aggressive taste explosion… 

The Green Curry? Sublime.
Rich, decadent green curry made with (yeah, it’s true!) coconut milk which the Thai cooks prepare by hand, fresh, themselves. Not from tins. It’s damn hard work, and well worth it, believe me!! 

 And, one of their touches which no one else in town can match, the addition of the irreplaceable tiny, “Pea” eggplant- bitter, astringent, and absolutely integral to the perfection of this dish- In Thai culinary language, these eggplants are considered a medicinal ingredient, and it is no mistake that they are added to this rich, heavy, dish.. these eggplants have an enzyme which breaks down fat and cholesterol, making it much easier for the body to metabolize the rich coconut milk based dishes that they are traditionally served with in Thailand.

By the way- they grow these themselves, at their own farm! plus a lot more special, authentic Thai vegetables for their exclusive use in their dishes- including really esoteric things  like bak Pong and Pak-kana, both delicious and healthy Thai vegetables, which have no substitute-
You simply must taste them for yourself!! 
These are grown for the special dishes which are written on a separate page and given to those who really want a true taste of Thailand unavailable anywhere else.. 

Forget about the wine list- No wines really belong with Thai food anyway, and order a Thai beer. For dessert the tapioca with coconut milk is perfect.. not too sweet, not “updated”, etc.. EXACTLY as you would get it in BKK.. 

I spent 12 days in BKK (Bangkok) last year while shooting “Duet”, and I can tell you- I spent every spare minute I had, eating, drinking, and exploring this incredible city of dreams.. 

The herbs.. the markets.. the delicacy, intensity, the sensuality and aesthetic beauty of everything- from the fish and shrimps piled up in the markets, to the unimaginable beauty of the incredible flowers, in every corner shrine.. 

filled with the heartbreakingly beautiful bunches of huge pink and white lotuses.. the exotic 3am flower market with it’s displays of mountains of orchids..mounds of jasmine buds, roses, neroli and lotus..dripping with dew and surrounded by food sellers offering everything from bags of salt-and- pepper quails,  fermented chiang-mai sausages, crispy coconut tuiles filled with salted shrimps and chili paste… 

I lost myself happily in Thailand, I wandered down alleys filled with ancient shops filled with gold- plated Buddhist offerings.. dusty lanterns..rolls of silk and priceless gold jewelry.. hundreds- years old Temples and shrines filled with exquisite art, peacefulness,  with the scent of incense wrapping you like a silken veil.. 

Contrasted surreally with huge, glittering shopping malls filled with the latest luxury goods and top- flight electronic gear, designer and couture clothes, both real and counterfeit, and above all, the scent, the taste, the crackling sounds of swirling life and the electrical feeling of scent, taste, sensuality, and culinary delights, which filled my senses at every turn. 

I felt strangely at home and at peace in Bangkok.
I could happily live there. 

For now, until I go back, I go to eat at Beit Thailandi. 

The delicacy, discipline, and passion of this noble cuisine is respectfully recreated here.. 
In the confident and professional hands of Yariv Malili and his wife, the Thai-born chef, Lek Sunan.. who make every attempt to bring some of the magical Kingdom of Thailand here to us in TLV…And for that, I am truly thankful! 

Sawasdee Kah! 

Thai House
בית תאילנדי
8 Bograshov St.
Tel-Aviv
Tel: (03) 517-8568

Il Pastaio! in the TLV Top 5!

“Il Pastaio”?? “what, is this some new place in town??”
This is what I hear every time I mention that I love this place.
The fact of the matter is, Il Pastaio has been open in TLV for more than 18 years- or, , similar to “Dog Years”, that means about 18,650 “TLV restaurant years”.

And in that time, it has managed to avoid falling into virtually every one of the stereotypical pitfalls of most of the other places in town- It isn’t owned by a huge group of  greedy and pompous investors, all of whom expect to take home 5-digit monthly salaries for doing nothing, while demanding their manager hire a chef to work 6 days a week for a global salary that their spoiled kids would laugh at if offered as their allowance, and closing the place after 2 years, amidst scandals and lawsuits.

It hasn’t been expensively decorated by some stuck-up interior designer who pays more attention while planning the space to the size of the sex/coke sniffing lounges (bathrooms) than to the size and comfort of the kitchen.

And most importantly of all, at Il Pastaio, they could care less about hiring some high-powered PR firm to pump the media full of overblown and inaccurate press releases, articles, and interviews ad nauseum, bringing in tons of people who don’t know or care if the food is actually good or not, as long as they can say they saw the chef on TV or read some ass-kissing article written by someone who was paid to sit there and write a glowing review.

No. Here you come because you want to EAT DELICIOUS FOOD.
Nothing more, nothing less!

Let’s speak frankly:
The place doesn’t have flattering lighting.
Normally this is something I am unforgiving about, being, ahem, of  “A Certain Age”.
But I suck it up, put on some extra make-up, and STFU about it here!
It has a few tattered posters of Italian Formula 1 racecar drivers adorning the walls, as decoration.
And if I am not mistaken, there may even be a vase of artificial flowers in the corner. Yikes!

However- what it lacks in atmosphere, it more than makes up for in the food.
They make perfect pastas, all by hand by the chef, Itzac, who is the son of the owner, who works in the front, along with his sister.

You won’t see him offering some “wasabi-flavoured pasta with Brazilian meatballs” or similar experimental silliness, complete with 4 different sauces in squirt-bottles splattered all over the rims of oversized square plates here!
No way!!! He is Old-School all the way!
Respect!!!
They also sell their superb fresh pastas by weight from the shop, if you feel like cooking at home..

My particular favourite pasta here is the Porcini raviolis- delicate, small, charmingly cut in the shape of an actual porcini mushroom, they are packed with intense, true porcini flavour. Every time I order these I feel like ordering another plate of them when I finish the first one! There are excellent gnocchi in real Italian Gorgonzola sauce (NOT cheap, Israeli “Rokfor” I might add!!) Delectable, Lasagne Bianca, perfectly made. Succulent Scalloppine of Veal with Porcini mushrooms, another one of my favourite dishes here. Also an excellent-quality rare entrecote steak, grilled and thinly sliced, on a bed of pristine, fresh arugula, it is light and clean. Too bad there’s no radicchio to be found in Israel!! But that’s not their fault!!The “Carciofi alla Giudia” (Jewish Artichokes- the classic Roman dish) are surprisingly made with delicately marinated artichoke hearts- different, and exquisite. I always eat 3 by myself. (What?! gluttonous you say??! Thank you!!)

Even the old standard Veal alla Milanese, which most people seem to think is just another word for “schnitzel” (it is NOT!) is precise, tender, juicy, and made with a thin slice of REAL veal, with the bone, lightly dredged in crumbs and pan-fried- NOT heavily breaded with a nasty, thick batter of flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs and deep-fried in soy oil, as you will find if you make the horrible mistake of ordering “Milanese” elsewhere.

As a matter of fact, I basically am going to go out on a limb here and say I would be damn surprised if no matter what you order here, won’t be delicious.

As for wine, the list isn’t worth mentioning, but who cares. I always order a few bottles of Orvieto Classico,

and at less than 90 shekels a bottle, it’s light, crisp, refreshing and goes perfectly with the food here.
If you insist on being a snob, bring your own good bottle and pay the corkage.

As you all know, I adore Rome. In fact, it happens to be one of my favourite cities.
here is a great place I love, and you should try, when in Rome:
Hostaria Romana
Via del Boccaccio, 1, Rome, Italy
064745284

I can truly say that Il Pastaio, in both authenticity of food, family-run and warm, and with it’s absolutely non-TLV poseur-oriented atmosphere, I feel like I am sitting in Rome every time I go here, and you will too.

I adore Italian food, and it is one of my most cherished foods to both cook, and eat.

I guess conservatively, I have spent more than 20 years studying and cooking Italian food, from all areas of Italy, and it makes me damn mad to see some coffee-house cowboy with 2 years kitchen experience insulting this noble cuisine by serving up soggy, overcooked pastas swimming in bowls of hideous cream sauces, or plating up “gnocchi” that are so heavy, Tony Soprano could use them as weights when he sends someone who double-crossed him, to “Sleep with the Fishes”!

And it makes me even madder to see some “Top Chef” who, as accomplished as he may be in his own style of food, nonetheless has zero experience in Italian food, yet opens some flashy “Italian” place with his name splashed all over the press and with a line out the door- because  he apparently thinks, “How hard could it be to cook Italian food??” and his PR team will back him up- all the way to the bank- at the expense of the dining experience of the Israeli Public.

But when you eat there, if you have actually ever eaten true Italian food, you realize, to your dismay, that you have just been, well, screwed yet again-
Compliments of the nepotistic and clique-ish Israeli PR machines and their fawning servants, the media.  I’m not naming names here, but I could!!!

Do yourself a favour and avoid the hype, the nonsense, the empty pretensions of unqualified charlatans,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8StG4fFWHqg

And more importantly, avoid the inevitably mediocre food to be found so often in so many other “Italian” places in TLV -
and go get a truly excellent Italian meal at Il Pastaio.
And don’t forget to tell those guys over there to get a plate of Jewish Artichokes ready for me! I’m on the way over!!

Il Pastaio
איל פסטיו
http://www.ilpastaio.co.il/
27 Eben Gvirol street
אבן גבירול 27
Tel: 5251166

Yoezer Wine Bar! Unsurprisingly, in my TLV’s Top 5!

Sometimes, you just feel like Getting Away From It All-
And when that happens to me, and I can’t grab a last minute ticket out of here, I head for Yoezer.

Yoezer, for me, is one of those rare spots which when I am sitting there, makes me feel like a million bucks.
The atmosphere of course, is amazing, in fact in my opinion, one of the most beautiful spots around-
In an ancient Arabic house with vaulted ceilings and almost French-Gothic style rustic interior, it will take your breath away.
But it is the absolutely Top-Grade French Wine List which no where else in town, oh let’s face it, in Israel, can come close to, as well as the European class service and food, which seals the deal for me.

Ok, listen- I’m not going to lie. This place is EXPENSIVE.
They don’t skimp on the butter or cream, either- which as you all know, I do not usually use much of myself- But so what!
You don’t come here everyday- it’s a place to come on special occasions, so don’t be cheap, and forget about the cholesterol too for a while!

Really, a few extra hours in the gym is a small price to pay for that DIVINE Heart of Entrecote, or the fresh Polenta with Poached Egg and Truffles!
Damn, that is TASTY!!

My personal favourite happens to be an absolutely decadent plate of “Carpaccio” (now listen- “Carpaccio” at Yoezer, does NOT mean a tiny plate of frozen, paper-thin, pounded to death slices of filet with a few sad arugula leaves on top, and a shaving of parmesan, if you are lucky- like most places!)
NO WAY! I do not exaggerate when I say, the Carpaccio here is in a League of It’s Own-

There must be about 250 grams of thick-sliced, aged raw beef filet, cracked pepper, and drenched in the very finest extra-virgin olive oil!! Hallelujah!
Shovel it up like a blood-crazed Viking with some of their perfect pain levain! Wash it down with a fine Bourgogne, like maybe a Gevrey Chambertin!
Oh Hell Yes!!!

Now, as I said before, Yoezer is definitely the place to go when you want to feel Spoiled and Important.
But it’s not all because of the food and the wines- Shaul Avron, the legendary owner or Yoezer, and the veritable “Godfather” of the Israeli Culinary Scene-
is what really makes this place Where It’s At, for me-

He presides at the bar, taking time to talk to all the heavy hitters from Industry, the wine biz, cooks, chefs, FOH guys, and Camp Followers of the restaurant biz- Handing out pithy comments, tales from a lifetime of fine food, wine, and travels, wine recommendations, and best of all-
Woe be to any challengers who dare try to Drink Him Under The Table!

Now, as everyone knows- Alon likes to drink wine, and he can drink A LOT of it- But Shaul separated the “Men from the Boys” a few months ago-
We were sitting at Yoezer, eating endless plates of food sent out by Shaul, and drinking endless bottles of wine, too!

I think I mentioned before, one of them happened to be a 2005 White Aligote Bourgogne, which tasted EXACTLY like a plate of fresh oysters-
I’ve never tasted anything even remotely similar! Exquisite!!
Anyway, to make a long story a bit shorter, Alon and I staggered out of there about 6pm, after sitting there since noon, and Alon claims he didn’t even remember the taxi ride home!!

And, Shaul was still sitting there, as crisp as a daisy when we left, sipping another glass of wine! Or was it a martini?! Well, I actually don’t remember!
What a legend!!

When ever he comes to Omnivore, he brings his own wine, because let’s face it, mine does not make the grade, sits at my bar, and I am honoured and happy to get any comments he might have about my food, I can tell you that from the heart!

As well as all the other desirable features I have just mentioned, Yoezer happened to have also redeemed my reputation with my Dad last year-
He was visiting, and I had been dragging him around all week in TLV from one dive to another, and let me tell you something- My Dad is not the type who “Gets” paper napkins.
Especially thin, crappy ones pulled out of a dispenser and printed with “B’Te’avon”. No. No. No.

Anyway, finally I got smart, and brought him to Yoezer.
I swear he had tears of joy in his eyes when he sat down and picked up a huge, soft, pressed, linen napkin from the table!
And that was even before he had a few cocktails before dinner, and as he put it so succinctly:
“Finally, Rima, a place which pours a decent glass of Bourbon!”
Thanks for saving the day, Yoezer!!
As a matter of fact, I still have a pile of those very same napkins I borrowed from Shaul a while ago for Omnivore, and “forgot” to give back!

Now look- don’t come crying to me if your wallet feels a little lighter after dinner at Yoezer, and you feel a little heavier- just remember my Motto:
”Your Body is Not a Temple- it’s an Amusement Park!”

So Enjoy The Ride!!!!!

Yoezer Wine Bar
יועזר בר ייו
2 Yoezer Ish HaBira St, Jaffa (in the alley right across from the Clock Tower)
03 6839115

*here is a cool link which will allow you to see a “virtual tour” of the interior:
http://www.3disrael.com/telaviv/yoezer_bar_wine.cfm

Yoshi! in my TLV’s Top 5!

“Japanese food and TLV.” 
Hmm. Something in this sentence seems wrong…
Well, until Yoshi (Yossi Holu) came along, that is.

I’m very sorry to say this, but the fact that there are “Sushi” bars on every block in TLV, does not mean for ONE SECOND that I would eat at these places-
In fact- I would not send my cats to eat there.

 

For example, here, for your amusement, is a badly-written, hilariously provincial, and embarrassingly ridiculous article about TLV being a “Mecca for Sushi”

http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3499855,00.html

And to this I have one thing to say: YOU RECKON???!!!!

i.e:
“Japanika”- comes to mind as a big offender-
A Kiosk in the middle of Rothschild Ave, serving frozen tuna sold as “Maguro”, Nasty, hard-packed makis made with refrigerated, soggy rice you could use as glue to hold together bricks, pre-cut vegetables prepped hours before service, shlepped down the street from the apartment serving as a prep kitchen by dejected “cooks” who are paid minimum wage to shovel up pre-made slop bad enough to induce someone who loves, respects, and understands real Japanese cuisine, and sushi, to commit Harakiri-

And worse yet, the !@#$%! place is packed every night!

And don’t think I am singling them out for abuse!
This is a very long list which I will devote another post to in future!

Anyway- The point being, many people here claim to love sushi, yet it is my sad belief that 99% of the people here have never actually really eaten real sushi, or Japanese food.
As well as the awful “Sushi Bars” in TLV, just look at all the Kosher catering offering “sushi” at every single Horrible Wedding… And this is what people think sushi is?! WTF?!!

If you are not in TLV and can’t go to Yoshi,
Here is the link to my favourite Sushi bar in NYC:

Blue Ribbon Sushi
119 Sullivan St
(between Prince St & Spring St)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 343-0404

In fact, before Yoshi came along, the only place in Israel I would eat Sushi at, was at my house!

And I should note that I have spent 25 years studying Japanese philosophy and culture, and 19 years studying and practicing Japanese Cuisine!

Sorry to get on a Rant, but Sushi is not something that a housewife, or even a cook or chef, can prepare after reading an online recipe, or watching some crappy tv show, or buying a book!!

In fact it makes me DAMN ANGRY to be at a shop and see someone come in, clutching a print-out from the internet, proclaiming to one and all, that she has decided to make sushi that evening, because, “How hard could it be- It’s just rice and raw fish!”
!@%$#@$!!!!!

This is a lifelong discipline which requires YEARS of dedication and understanding of both culture and philosophy, not to mention all aspects of devotion to the subtleties of this noble cuisine!
There are guys in Japan who work for 7 years or more, just perfecting the artistry of correctly preparing Sushi Rice!

NOT as I might add, how things are here (with a very few exceptions
which I will discuss later) where a resentful foreign worker or 17 year old student before he leaves to the army, is preparing horrible vats of rice not fit for pig food, after about 2 hours instruction!!
And, the Citizens of TLV are eating it, and liking it! WTF?!

Now, back to what I was discussing before, which is YOSHI:
let’s face it: The location sucks.
The interior was not designed by some Muckety-Muck interior designer, for 2 million dollars (Thank God!)
It is extremely simple, to the point of being “un-designed”.
The waiters, who know the menu inside and out, and are pleasant, professional, and knowledgeable.
(This is in stark contrast to most of the “waiters” at most of Tel-Aviv’s other Sushi bars, where they are chosen only for their looks, and usually fancy themselves to be aspiring models, or moonlight as ’selectors’ at the nightclubs on their days off!)

You won’t see “Brazilian-salsa-maki” or any other fusion crap on his menu!
And all these points make this place virtually invisible to the sushi-eaters of TLV!
So take my advice- if you want to avoid poseurs, and temples of hype devoted to the design of the furniture, and instead you just want to concentrate on Real Japanese food- come here!!!

At Yoshi, he has not only just perfect sushi but also authentic and unusual Japanese first courses, such as his Agedashi Dofu,
which is a paragon of delicacy-  the dashi with it’s subtle scent of the sea, from the kombu in the REAL dashi-
(the Japanese equivalent of basic chicken or beef stock-)
(And by REAL, I mean, none of the MSG- filled, instant dashi you can buy at the shops-) 
Combined with the lightly smoked flavour of the freshly-shaved dried bonito flakes shivering on top of the lightly crispy rectangles of crispy tofu floating in that ethereal dashi-
And with the correct garnish of freshly-grated daikon radish adding astringency and contrast to this classic dish, Yossi (“Yoshi”)shows his confident and exquisite hand.

Similarly, he has REAL Japanese Hamachi Yellowtail Sashimi and Sushi-

And I must say now- with truly perfect Sashimi and Sushi, just as important as the quality of the fish, is the manner that the fish is sliced, and the sharpness of the knives, the direction of the cut regarding the tendons of the fish, and of course the correct preparation of the rice- which prepared right, should maintain each separate grain in prefect individuality, and al-dente-
NOT a disgusting, squashed, mush!!!!!

Yoshi does all this, and also keeps the respect for his ingredients by serving with the correct garnish of Tosaka-nori and julienne Daikon radish with his sashimi- And, correctly, the fish is NOT cut in paper-thin slices as if for carpaccio!
No way!! perfect, almost 1cm-thick slices of top-quality fish are what you will get when you order Sashimi here!!

His Maguro salad? SUBLIME!!!  Cubes of A-Grade maguro, cut a’ la minute, dressed lightly with a Japanese mustard (NOT wasabi!) sauce, with fresh wakame seaweed and edamame… oh man alive!!! “Oishii” !! (delicious)

And his “Spider-Roll”- a whole, tempura-fried soft-shell crab, rolled in a Maki with tobiko caviar! Heaven!!
I have been known to eat 2 of them by myself!!!

As for sake, I recommend the “Nigori”- which is unfiltered sake with a white, milky texture and fragrance of fresh almonds and lychees.
Or the austere and refined “Jinjo”- the equivalent of a dry, crisp, Pinot Grigio or Fume Blanc.
Of course, these are served cold.

As I said before, and I will say it again:

If you want flashy interior, models as waiters, and cream-cheese and bacon makis,  or “Fusion” crap, etc-
Go elsewhere.

If you want the only truly authentic Japanese food in TLV- Go to Yoshi.

Arigato Gozymasu!!!

Yoshi:
76 Arlozorov, corner of Shlomo Ha’Melekh, Tel-Aviv
03- 522-5125

יושי- רחוב ארלוזרוב 76, פינת שלמה המלך, ת”א. 03-5225125.

The Only 5 restaurants I will eat at in TLV!!! I’ll start with Picola Pasta

*NOTE*     This post will be in 5 installments!

“Oh, you’re a Chef! In Tel-Aviv! Great! Can you please recommend to us your favourite places? We heard a lot about XXXX  and XXXX”……blah blah blah

This is my sad fate upon people learning of my occupation.
Now at the risk of sounding like a Snob, a Misanthrope, or a Jerk- I must be honest.
There are only 5 places in TLV where I will throw down my hard-earned money to eat dinner at, and not have the feeling afterwards as if someone has just jacked me for my wallet, keys, Nike trainers, and self-respect, or in more frank terminology, “left 100 dollars on the dresser”.

Here they are:

1. Picola Pasta:
First of all, Yoav, the Chef and owner, is what I like to call an Alpha Personality- Charming, hilarious, witty, and more importantly, supremely passionate about food and incredibly knowledgeable about Italian wines and Grappas (of which he possesses the absolute finest selection in Israel)

His restaurant used to be across the street from where it is now, a tiny place consisting of 4 tables and 3 more outside in summer months, and Yoav alone in the kitchen, and his nephew Aviv waiting tables, now it is a slightly larger 6 tables, plus the wine bar upstairs- And losing nothing of the intimate and secretive environment  of the original. 
He opened in 2000, the year I made Aliyah, and after discovering it, it became the place where if it was my birthday, a happy occasion, or a romantic date with Alon, my first choice to go to.

Why? Not necessarily because of the food only- which is simple, rustic, pastas- No handmade pastas, no meat, no fancy nonsense- De Cecco pasta, with a variety of sauces (my favourite being anchovies and mushrooms- and which I always specify extra anchovies, and a half lemon on the side.)
My only complaint is I wish he would include some freshly chopped flatleaf parsley which would elevate and clean up the intense flavour of the dish perfectly.
But nevermind!!! I adore this place, and on top of that, his pizzas are sublime!! THIN crust- in fact, it would even pass my old boss’ test!
i.e, If a piece of pizza flopped over at the end, due to a too-thick or soggy crust or too heavy ingredient load- Straight into the bin!!!
Also, his Panna Cotta is seriously the best in TLV, and in fact word-class-
None of that huge, jello-like, wobbly crap seen all over town which if thrown on the floor would bounce like a superball!
No!!  this Panna Cotta (“Cooked Cream” in Italian) is delicate- barely set- gently perfumed with pure vanilla seeds and an espresso bean! Not too sweet! not too big! elegant!
And perfect with one of the rare and exquisite Grappas that Yoav travels all over Italy to find and bring back!

 

More importantly, the secret, hidden, wine and Grappa bar upstairs makes you feel as if you were in London, Rome, SF, or NYC-
Tiny, cool, quiet, tasteful- and with an unbelievable Italian wine list, and Yoav (after he finishes work in the kitchen downstairs) to come up, recommend wines, tell absolutely un-PC jokes and travel stories, meet an incredible mix of people from Swedish diplomats, Italian tourists, to Israeli TV personalities- and feel like you are in another world!!! I buy all of Alon’s birthday presents here, by the way- the last being a 1965 Barolo!!!!
In short- two thumbs up, way up.
For the overall experience and gracious yet unpretentious atmosphere which is so rare in TLV.
Piccola Pasta: 53 Ben Yehuda Street, Tel Aviv. 03 529 0643.

The Chef Of A Thousand Names!!!!

 

I’m sure everyone has heard the saying, “Any press is good press”, right?
Well- that may be true. Although after seeing the context of Tiger Woods’ name splashed all over every media format in the known universe today, I’m sure he would disagree.
However- in my case, my name is spelled completely differently every time my name appears in print.  Now this would be extremely useful if I was, say, a spy, a movie reviewer, or a money launderer.

However- since I am a chef, this causes me all kinds of angst.
First of all- without the intention of sounding like an Ungrateful Bastard, I really don’t see how it is possible for my name to be spelled in these recent variations:

Rima Olivera

Rima Aloe Vera (true)

Rima Oliver

Rima Olivier

רימה אוליוורה

רימה אוליברה

רימה אולוורה

“Ok!! What’s the big deal??!!  @#$!! Diva!  why are you complaining??! Get over yourself!! Jeez!”    
I can hear what you guys are thinking- what, you think I just fell off the turnip truck or something??!

Well- first of all, let me point out that as well as being a buzzkill, seeing your name constantly misspelled, is demoralizing. Not to mention, in a more tangible example, crappy for Google searches.

I mean, it’s not like my name is THAT difficult to spell!!
I mean, it’s not like I have THIS guy’s name: Bart Bruyninckx !!!
Yeah- it’s true- This is the Endive farmer who I met in Belgium while filming “Duet” Belgium, with Chef Felix Alen.

Now, as well as this poor guy probably never in his entire life, having the chance of seeing his name spelled correctly, happens to grow the MOST EXQUISITELY PERFECT tiny, baby Belgian Endives in the world, which he charmingly calls “Chiconnettes”. 

As everyone knows (especially my old Crew) my favorite food in the world, is Chicory- That means, Radicchio, Escarole, Frisee, Puntarelle, and of course – Endives.

This weakness happened to be the reason why I was almost unceremoniously removed from an El- Al flight back home out of Belgium- Apparently, the entire box of Bart’s sulime “Chiconettes”, which I had stashed in my luggage, had an export label which was in numerous languages- including Arabic..
I was pulled aside, and grilled at length on why I happened to be travelling with something written in Arabic. Suffice it to say, after 2 hard shooting locations in a row, an ear infection which required my ear being punctured by a Frightening Belgian Doctor, so I could fly, I was in no mood for diplomacy.
I ranted, raved, told them to remove me from the flight, and had to give my Entire Jewish Family Pedigree in order to be allowed on the flight!!  And, it was a small price to pay in order to keep my precious Endives!!!

Anyway- I seem, as usual, to have gotten off the track- and for that, I apologize!!

However- I hope very much when you email me to thank me for telling you about these ethereal endives, and why never ever to fly El-Al, you will spell my name right!!!

Sincerely-

Rima Olvera

Rima Olivera

Rima Aloe Vera (true)

Rima Oliver

Rima Olivier

רימה אוליוורה

רימה אוליברה

רימה אולוורה

“it’s Complicated”- Anise!! what did you THINK i was going to say?!!

I can hear it already- a deafening roar of outrage and offense, at the very mention of the dreaded word- “Anise” !!
Well, sorry guys, but I am compelled to try to clear the wrongly slandered name of the sublime Anise!!

First of all, you might not be aware of this, but “All Anise Is Not Created Equal”- what I mean is, people have a tendency to say,  ‘I despise anise!” across the board, as if fennel, liquorice, star anise, aniseed, etc are all the same thing…

Well- they are not.
Most of you have heard of, if not taken a drink of, the legendary French liqueur Pernod, or Pastis- which admittedly, to a novice, or a hater, is, well, let’s just say “hardcore!!”.

Not everyone feels the same desire as I do to sit in a market in Provence at 6am, with the, ahem, “Rustic” companionship of the men of the woods and farms who have come to the market to sell their exquisite treasures, and after unpacking, sit in the market cafe, smoking non-stop, arguing over the day’s upcoming sporting matches, and of course drinking Pastis-

And you know what?
I don’t blame you!! However- I do blame anyone who refuses even to try Anise in food, or as an accent, in certain preparations.
You are really going to miss one of the more ethereal  sensory delights on the planet!!

Pastis is a subject which afficionados can spend hours discussing..
Suffice it to say, I do not have all day to spend on this topic-
Because, if I did, I would be late for cocktails, and my evening “Arak” (a Middle-Eastern anise liqueur of varying degrees of sophistication- from the highly refined and elegant arak of Lebanon and Syria, to the somewhat more proletariat versions produced in Israel.. “elite” (as pictured here, is cheap as chips (aprox. 5 dollars per bottle, and although blue-collar, delicious nonetheless!!!)

All of them potent, intense, and absolutely delicious mixed either with ice-cold water, or fresh squeezed red grapefruit juice- or  superb as a sherbert on a hot day! (or, at my beloved “Gabe’s”-mixed with cheap, artificial, grapefruit soda!! Yikes!!!)

Here is how to make a arak or pastis sherbert to die for!!
-take 1 cup half- and –half (1/2 cup each, heavy cream, half milk)
Scald in a pan with 1/3 cup sugar. (note: i do not think this sherbert should be too sweet. in fact i prefer it on the sour side. If you disagree, add more sugar, but remember not to add to much or your sherbert will not freeze completely)
Let cool to room temp.
Mix with 2 cups fresh-squeezed fresh pink grapefruit juice, and 2 shots of Arak, Ouzo, Raki, or Sambuca  (do not use Pastis or Pernod for this as it is too strong!!)
Chill thoroughly, then freeze in an ice-cream machine. Either serve immediately, or put in freezer til later, then scoop out and serve in highball glass with additional shot of Pastis poured over plus pink grapefruit segments and chopped fresh mint… Anyway, as usual, I digress:
Pastis (which by the way, is distilled from the Asian herb “Star Anise”) first appeared in France in the 1930’s,

 

following the ban on Absinthe, which was made from the totally different tasting European herb “Green Anise”- distilled to a dangerous 74% alcohol content, and made even more lethal by the addition of Wormwood,( “Artemisia Absinthia”which is a powerful soporific and hallucinogenic compound, with addictive qualities as well! However, in it’s defense, it was used in the middle ages as a water purifier and antibacterial!! 
Now that’s some Good Medicine!! Hardcore!!

Some of the paintings of Van Gogh, Manet, and Picasso, were done under the influence of Absinthe, and their increasingly erratic behavior now can be attributed to the brain-altering effects of Absinthe- otherwise known as “Le Fee Verte”- or “the Green Fairy”-

 
In any case, things got so out of control in the late 1800’s, that a total ban on the drink was ordered, and it took a while, 17 years to be exact, for  Paul Ricard, to formulate a drink which tasted similar, without using wormwood, and without the sky-high alcohol content of the forbidden, and sorely missed, Absinthe..

Today, 130 milllion liters of Pastis are sold in France alone- and this is not mentioning the enormous popularity of other Mediterranean anise liqueurs such as Greek Ouzo, Turkish Raki, Italian Sambuca, and my beloved Middle-Eastern Arak! 

By the way, everyone has their own favorite brands-  In France, the most popular being “51”, Ricard, or Pernod- and always served with a carafe of
ice-cold water to mix it with (usually 4-5 parts water to 1 part pastis-) The effect of it turning from clear yellow or clear, to milky white is the result of the decreasing alcohol level, due to diluting with water, and some of the components becoming insoluble- This is known as the Ouzo Effect..and it is beautiful..Like looking at a liquid Opal glowing with it’s own internal light…

Here are some excellent drinks to make with Pastis:

Mauresque: (“Moorish”) 2 shots Pastis, 1 shot Orgeat Almond Syrup, 1 drop Orange Flower Water, mix, pour over ice cubes in tall glass, top with soda water

Marie la Sanguine: replace vodka with Pernod or Pastis in a Bloody Mary

“Tomate”: Pastis with a splash of grenadine, with an orange twist and soda

One of the more delicious examples of anise I can remember was last year when we were shooting “Duet” in Istanbul.. 
Alon and I went after I finished for the day to an amazing small fish restaurant in the Taksim (the main promenade through the center of Istanbul) where there was not a tourist to be seen, only dozens of Turks, dressed to the nines, eating huge, outlandish platters of all kinds of fresh fish and seafood, and washing it down with bottles of ice-cold “Tekirdag Gold” Raki!!

Of course, we followed suit- and finished a whole bottle with our 2-kilo “Kalkan”- the mighty and aristocratic Bosporus Turbot!!

I still have half a bottle of that stuff which I carried home with me, and I treat it like gold!! Smooth as silk! Powerful as a upper left hook punch encased in a velvet glove!! Divine!!!!

by the way- the best way to enjoy  Raki is with chilled green melons, green or red plums, and Turkish Feta cheese -“”Yufka”- the very best Feta in the world.  Heaven!!!!!
 

Another thing I really love about anise liqueurs, besides the decadent buzz, and overall euphoria- and never with the aggression or melancholy that may strike you as when you are drinking gin, or vodka, I might add- is it’s absolute irreplaceable benefit to cooking- especially in dishes involving fish or seafood.

My mom, (who as all of you know, is world-famous for being one of the most exquisitely horrible cooks on the planet-)  hates and despises anise, fennel, and all it’s cousins with an almost religious intensity bordering on fanaticism..
Just the insinuation that anise may be lurking in a dish she is about to eat is enough to drive her into a rage, or tears!!
Nonetheless, this does not prevent me from slipping liberal splashes of Pernod into a Bouillabaisse,  or on top of a grilled lobster, and if she eats it, she proclaims it delicious!  If she only knew what she had just eaten, she would disown me!!

Just this week I made a strange, bizarre, and completely delicious confiture of forest mushrooms, in a star-anise gelee, which I served with a lamb “Pastilla”, for Omnivore….. Which was duly devoured by one of my best friends,
pronounced “delectable”, and then when confronted with a written menu mentioning the star-anise- he turned a ghastly shade of green and asked me, voice quivering with horror -“But you didn’t actually use star anise in that dish, did you?!”

The same folks who claim to despise garlic, yet when confronted with a bowl of perfectly made, delicate, melting garlic Confit, will eat it all and ask for more, are usually the same ones who will love a creamy, nutty, delicate, and gentle soup, made with nothing more than fresh fennel bulbs braised in olive oil, pureed, mixed with fish stock, some tangerine zest, a splash of cream, and some fresh mussels, and toped with a slice of Pan Levain fried in olive oil..  and chances are, they won’t even notice it is fennel unless you tell them!
Fennel, like garlic, loses all of it’s harshness and aggression when made into confit, or braised, grilled, or roasted..

Me and my old Hippy Dad used to collect wild fennel and use it to grill fresh chanterelles and porcinis from the woods, and to make tea from it’s flowers- which by the way, is extremely healthy and cleans the blood and liver and removes toxins from the body..

In short-  What I am trying to say here, is- “Give Anise a Chance”!!”
It may indeed be a stretch to think that everyone should be downing tall glasses of Pastis or Pernod..  And I’m not recommending that you do! or, maybe I am!!

 

What I am recommending is that those of you who hate and fear the stuff, try to be a little open minded, and use it in a way that you would use, say, saffron, or vanilla, or bay leaves.. All delicious, unique, and amazing flavours when used carefully and with restraint- which will bring out all the delicacy and potential of the dish it is in…. and yet, if overused, will overpower, and destroy it.

Here, to prove my good intentions, are directions for how to make a sublime Lebanese style Tabbouleh Beef Tartare..
And please! Trust me and add the arak/raki/pastis… you won’t feel it, but the complexity it adds to the dish is incredible..

First- soak 1/2 cup Bulghur Wheat in cold water til al-dente, drain, set aside.

Hand chop about 400 grams (about 1 lb)  fresh beef filet, finely.

brunoise 1/3 red onion

chiffonade 1/2 cup (packed- about 1 bunch) fresh mint leaves

chiffonade 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

finely grate 1 clove garlic

juice plus zest from 1-2 big lemons

1 hot green chile (or to taste- can leave out if you want, but i think it’s better with..) minced

Mix all of these ingredients, kneading well with your hands, add sea salt/atlantic salt and plenty of fresh ground pepper to taste, plenty of extra-virgin olive oil, plus a big handful toasted pine nuts..

Form into a “patty” shape on a platter, score with a diamond pattern, then pour 1 shot  Arak, Raki, Ouzo, or Pastis over top, garnish with whole mint leaves, more pine-nuts, generous drizzle of olive oil and some edible flowers plus grilled Pita or toasts….

So til next time…I hope you will have taken the plunge and overcome your Anise Fears.. and don’t forget to thank me next time you are sitting around eating a huge plate of grilled fennel with orange and fennel seed vinaigrette, and Crottin goats’s cheese!!!

A’Sante!!!

“So Long-And Thanks For The fish!!!”

 

For those of you not familiar with this quote- it happens to be from a novel from the series of which I adore- Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy”- An irreverent and hilarious satire about the entire galaxy…and the ridiculous and destructive consequences of Human Nature..

 
Specifically in this book, the protagonist revisits what he thinks is Earth, although it was destroyed in a previous novel.. Only to find out that the Earth he is now on, is an artificial one, created by Dolphins as a nature preserve in their “Save the Humans” campaign…

Now, this might seem irrelevant, but I assure you it is not- This post is about  SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD and FISHING PRACTICES…

I guess I should point out that I grew up in a very remote and isolated part of Northern California- A place called Mendocino, where all us kids grew up with the Pacific Ocean as our backyard- where we were as familiar and comfortable with the sea and it’s secrets as we were with our best friends-
At the time, in the 70’s and 80’s, this part of the California Coast was still almost pristine, unspoiled, and full of every imaginable marine life-

 
Of course, there was no way to make a living then in that place unless you were either a Marijuana Farmer,

 

or a fisherman, or someone who made their living from something connected with the sea– which all of our friends and family fit either into one or both of these categories..
In any case, life was different.

There were so many Abalone, me and my dad (A Marine Biologist who actually happened to be the first man to dive under the Antarctic ice) used to go out in his canoe and pull up our limit in the time it took to free-dive down 4 times and pop them off the rocks-
We were so damn broke sometimes, we ate these when we had nothing else, and we used to make jokes as we ate our Abalone by candlelight in his cabin in the redwoods, that we were eating a delicacy for free that the “Rich Tourists” paid fantastic sums for.. Because we didn’t have much else!!

I still have friends there, and they hide their Abalone Diving Spots jealously, and yet still have a hell of a hard time even finding their legal limit
(see link about Abalone regulations)
And God help you if you make the mistake of taking undersize Abs, or over your limit!!! That will be a VERY expensive mistake!!!!
http://sonic.net/~rocky/abregslimits.htm

Ling Cod was so plentiful, only the very cheapest restaurants sold it, as “Fish and Chips”. You couldn’t get rid of the stuff!!! We used to serve it for Employee Meals at the restaurant I worked at in High School!

 
This fish is now so rare as to be a protected species, with extremely strict restrictions!
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news04/04032.html

You guys all have eaten “Uni” (Sea-Urchin, or Oursin, roe) at a Sushi Bar, right??

 
Well, it may surprise you to know that in the early 80’s in Mendocino, there were so many Sea-Urchins, that they were considered a pest, and in order to get them, all you needed was a wire mesh screen and a small boat- You could pull up literally hundreds of pounds of them in a few hours.

 

These were then sold by the pick-up truckload (20$ a pickup load!!) to the marijuana farmers, who smashed them up and used them for fertilizer!!!!!

Around the mid 80’s, the Japanese got wind of this immense stock of “Uni”, sent agents out there to our coast, started paying the fishermen 500$ per 50 lbs…Which were then iced down , driven straight to the airport, and flown to Japan.. where the prices even then were around 100$ per cleaned pound…and the prices just kept going up..

 
And now, the once plentiful Sea-Urchin is a rare sight… And it’s a good chance that if you eat Uni, even in Japan, these came from Mendocino!!!

By the way, this type of Sea-Urchin should not be confused with the French “Oursin”, which come from Brittany, and are managed well, and not threatened in any way at the present time..
However, they are extremely susceptible to pollution, and whole colonies can be wiped out or contaminated by industrial pollutants and sewage pathogens, etc- Therefore, be careful to only eat fresh, LIVE Oursin, from a reputable restaurant!

 

My family originally comes from Carmel, on the Monterey Peninsula.

 
My dad did a lot of research for Scripps Institute of Oceanography, and logged loads of technical dives in the Submarine Canyon in the Monterey Bay- the 3rd deepest in the world-
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://sanctuarysimon.org/monterey/images/build/sc_overview_1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://sanctuarysimon.org/monterey/sections/submarineCanyons/overview.php%3Fsec%3Dsc&usg=__BdetGJCesvCo7mipxL6t5GSUxgY=&h=190&w=270&sz=24&hl=iw&start=19&um=1&tbnid=kw5Jl2akobEcjM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=113&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsubmarine%2Bcanyon%2Bmonterey%26hl%3Diw%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:he:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GGLJ_en%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

The things he studied and photographed I can remember seeing photos as a kid and being AMAZED at this fantastical world, lying beneath the waters, as close as we could see, yet a completely different universe, with its own life forms, rules, mysteries, and secrets-

 

 
Ones which we may never now know in full as it has been almost irreparably harmed by pollution in the last few decades.

Now, I  hope you will forgive me, as this post, as usual, seems to have taken on a life of its own, which took a different track from my intention of just providing a short and accurate overview of which types of fish you should be eating, and which you should avoid, if you care at all about sustainability and conservation, and have a desire to be able to eat fish in ten years from now..
So perhaps I should get to the point…

 

Which is, as much as I would love to scarf up Abalone to my heart’s content, gorge on Sicilian Tuna Bottarga on a regular basis,

 
and shovel up platefuls of Chilean Sea-Bass, I just cannot, in good conscience, do this anymore…
(Friends!!!!!! PLEASE DO NOT EAT CHILEAN SEA-BASS!!!!
although it was once my favourite fish, it has been exploited and overfished to the point that anyone who eats it, or puts it on the menu of their restaurant, is directly contributing to the probable extinction of a species-
So- I urge you to NOT TOUCH IT, and to tell any restaurant that serves it that you do not want to see it on menus!!! *sob*)

As distasteful as the subject is- the reality is, we live in different times, and it’s literally up to us, and especially those of us who are chefs, to lead the way in making ethical and responsible choices about what we will cook, eat, and serve to our clients!!!!

 

Lots of people say to me, “What’s the big deal?! There’s always Fish Farms! Why the hysteria?!!
http://www.sviva.gov.il/Enviroment/bin/en.jsp?enPage=e_BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=Zone&enDispWho=fish_farms_e&enZone=fish_farms_e
And to this, I sadly must say- Fish Farms are no silver bullet to stop the vampire of overfishing and threats to species- Fish Farms can cause different problems, both ecologically, and biologically, which in the long run, could add to the problem, not solve it-
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=31&art_id=vn20050405065346180C545538&set_id=

We  also need to understand that continuing to deploy huge, modern, fishing fleets using every bit of technological advantage to find fish and then pull them up in absolutely unsustainable numbers, just cannot continue-

If you love travelling in Italy, as I do, and know the Italians’ love of seafood and fish, it will break your heart to go there now and go to the fish markets and speak to the fishermen and fish merchants- who have seen catches decrease in size and quality to the point that many entire villages and economies dependent 100% on fishing, are destroyed..

 

Why?? OVERFISHING. Plain and simple.
People seem to forget that complaining to the government when quotas and limits are put into effect, as if it is some punishment designed to create suffering for the fishermen- It is a NECCESSARY MEASURE effected to try to preserve at least a tiny bit of base stocks of fish and allow the populations to stabilize!!!
http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2008/11/too_many_tonnes_of_tuna.html

I love fish, as all of you know-
in fact, it is my favourite thing to eat, and to cook.
But because I love fish, I am more careful than ever to make sure the choices of fish I am buying are responsible choices…
As time goes on.. the amount of Ahi Tuna, Grouper, Yellowtail, etc. I use is going way down, and my use of sardines, anchovies, local blue crabs, mackerel, etc, is going up.. And I urge you to do the same…
Save the rarer and precariously balanced fish species for special occasions, where they belong!!

 

Here again is the link to Monterey Bay Aquarium’s great pocket guide to safe and sustainable seafood- I hope very much you will download and use this, and speak up when you see something you know shouldn’t be on a menu…
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_regional.aspx

This obviously is just a tiny bit of information, to hopefully just get everyone to think twice about what kind of fish you are buying and eating, and where they are from, and what is the status of the species…
I for sure am NOT planning on stopping eating fish!!!
Just trying to be a little more thoughtful about it..

NEXT POST….
BACK TO MY USUAL WISE-ASS COMMENTARY AND BON-VIVANTISM!!!  so please don’t delete me..:) 
And now if you will excuse me I happen to have a fish
(local red palamida- there’s tons of ‘em here!!!)  in the frig which I am going to make into a big plate of sashimi!!!

My Precious Knives!!!!

Well, I guess I don’t need to point out that I am not a typical girl-
I mean, I love shoes, and don’t mind a nice session of vicious gossip with my friends (99% of whom are a bunch of cooks- Men cooks I might add)
but that’s about the end of the similarities between me and a normal girl.

 

For one thing, I don’t own any jewelry, I drool over high-performance sportscars, I adore really aggressive sports and go out of my way to involve myself in truly nasty debates and discussions- and the more hostile they get, the better I like it.

 

But I guess the thing that really makes me doubt whether my chromosomes are in order, is my obsessive passion for KNIVES!!!!

 

Now to be fair, I have been in the kitchen for 27 years, so it’s only natural that I should have accumulated a few knives over the years. But this goes way beyond a normal set of professional knives that every chef should own.

My knives are truly my most valuable possessions, and every chance I have to add to my collection- I do!
Alon has caught this disease as well now, and he is just as likely as me to be the one busting out the “beaucoup d’argent” for a really special one..

When we are in Europe or elsewhere we always make sure to go to a few really top- end knife shops, and we usually discover a few hidden gems of our own, too!

Like the handmade, teflon-coated filleting knife from Finland we bought at
“Cotelleria Galli”, Via Spada 36R, in Firenze, Italia!

Now, I could really waste endless time on this subject, but bragging aside, I think it’s a damn shame that so many home cooks, even ones who are quite accomplished, and quite a few professional chefs too, NEGLECT their knives, or worse yet, don’t even bother to own a really varied set and don’t appreciate just how much better their experience in the kitchen will be when you are using the EXACT knife meant for the EXACT job!! 

 

Nothing gets on my nerves more that seeing someone sawing away at a tomato with a dull kitchen knife! Or trying in vain to thinly slice a piece of raw fish using a damn boning knife or worse yet a Chef’s knife, instead of a razor-sharp, Japanese slicer!!! Sacrilege!!!

Now, I can hear what you guys are saying right now: “What’s the @#$! big deal?! a Knife is a knife! as long as it’s sharp, there just isn’t that much difference!”

 

NONSENSE!!!
Just as you wouldn’t wear a pair of 6” Christian Louboutin stiletto heels on the tennis court, using a knife for a purpose other than what it was intended for ruins both the ingredient you are working with, and your pleasure in the kitchen as well.

I will describe here a few general and specific types of knives, and why I think they are worth owning- and I sincerely hope you will take my advice and stop being cheap and lazy when it comes to knives! You will thank me!!

First of all- everyone needs a Chef’s knife.
This is the most versatile and necessary knife in the kitchen, and even though it’s true as with anything else ‘You Get What You Pay For”, in this case, you can actually buy a very effective and high-quality Chef’s knife which won’t make you have to take out a second mortgage, (unlike the really esoteric Japanese sushi and sashimi knives)

For example, “Wusthof” (Germany) makes exceptional knives, and their new series “Culinar” is not only beautiful, but great fun to use, too.
http://wusthof.com//desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-74/52_view-99/categories-99 
I just bough a fish slicer in Prague a few months ago, and ever since then, all my cooks try to stael it every chance they get!!
Wusthof’s “Classic Ikon” series is also stellar and I tell everyone, if you can afford just one top-end knife, get this series’ Chef knife to start.
OVERALL GRADE:A

Zwilling J.A. Henckels makes many series of knives, and in fact I’ve been using Henckels knives for over 20 years, they are probably my overall favourite knife company.
http://www.zwilling.com/en-WW/Product-Range–sortiment/Knives–knives/Series-overview–serien.html
And up until recently, their “FiveStar” series was my top choice. That is, until they premiered their new “Cermax” series.
Made for Henckels, in Japan, by a centuries- old Japanese knifemaking firm, this is the god damn Ferrari Scuderia 16M Spider of knives!

 
It’s the wet-dream generator for all knife freaks!!! In short, it ABSOLUTELY SETS THE WORLD STANDARD for quality and performance. It blows any other knife I have ever used out of the water!!!! Made from high-tech Japanese MicroCarbide Powder Steel. It’s as sharp as a scalpel!!
However- it’s frighteningly expensive, extremely high-maintenance, and unless you are someone like me who needs a knife that won’t give me blisters after using it for 9 or 10 hours straight- this probably isn’t the right knife for everyone.

I don’t use mine that often, as I use it mainly as a tool to dominate and lord over other cooks, once in a while letting them test it to slice a green onion or something, after which they leave my kitchen, stifling sobs of jealousy and rage, and go home to throw all their knives in the trash in disgust!!!!!
However, their “Miyabi” series is similar in feel and precision, and at less than half the price, it is also an EXCEPTIONAL knife.
I own one, and it sure won’t be the last!

I used it for the very first time on camera shooting an episode of “Duet” with Chef Zdenek Pohlreich in Prague, and it cut through a huge chunk of meat like it was butter!
The director made us do the shot again because I said “Fuck!! This is GREAT!!”
OVERALL GRADE:A+

“Global” Knives: No doubt you have heard of this brand, because it has been overhyped and aggressively marketed to the point that every amateur cook, housewife, and many chefs seem to think this is supposed to be the world’s best knife.
To this i say, HAH!!
They are no better than a “Trophy Wife”- that is to say, it looks beautiful, but their annoying and superficial characteristics do not justify the investment in owning one.

I myself own a few, and if I make the mistake of using them to cut anything tougher than a bunch of parsley and the job takes longer than 10 mins, I have a nasty blister and a bad attitude.

I use them for NOTHING except chiffonading herbs, and I keep them razor-sharp, which helps. 
They are made from Molybdenum-Vanadium, which is a metal I  love, but not in these knives.. I must admit I find them beautiful, but …
OVERALL GRADE: C-

JAPANESE KNIVES:
Obviously, this is a category which could go on for hundreds of pages.
In general, Japanese knives for professionals are made from Damascus, or layered, high-carbon steel, and are fully or partially handmade.
They are precision tools for top professionals and are horribly easy to damage, very high-maintenance, and useless to anyone other than a specialized chef who really needs these tools.

This being said- I cannot live without my Shun yanagiba, my Masamoto sashimi knife, my “Takobiki”, and my Saiku vegetable knife.

however- I have decided life is not worth living until I get my hands on THIS:
A handmade, Suminagashi Deba ( called“ink on water”- because of the beautiful patterns of the dozens of layers of folded and pounded steel)

Now, as you probably have figured out.. I could beat this subject like a proverbial Dead Horse.
So before Alon beats me, for staying up all night writing about knives…I will leave you with the hope that I have at least given you a desire to go out and improve your knife collection.. And consider yourself warned!!! Once you start down this path of knife obsession.. There’s no going back!!!!!

Duet FaceBook Fans

"Duet" with Chef Rima Olvera on Facebook

Categories

• Duet with Chef Rima Olvera
• knives
• Markets
• Omnivore
• Rants
• Restaurants
• Things I like
• TLV top 5
• Travels

Archives

• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009

Friends

• chef David Wells site
• Foodnwine blog
• Hagit Evron
• Laura's best recipes
• Rima's show "Duet" fan page
• Tamar Matsafi

Recommended

• chef David Wells site
• Foodnwine blog
• Hagit Evron
• Laura's best recipes
• Rima's show "Duet" fan page
• Tamar Matsafi

Recent Posts

• The Best Damn Risotto I Have Eaten In (17) Years!!! thanks, Il Pastaio!!
• Thai house! finishes TLV’s “the Fab Five”!
• Il Pastaio! in the TLV Top 5!
• Yoezer Wine Bar! Unsurprisingly, in my TLV’s Top 5!
• Yoshi! in my TLV’s Top 5!
• The Only 5 restaurants I will eat at in TLV!!! I’ll start with Picola Pasta
• The Chef Of A Thousand Names!!!!
• “it’s Complicated”- Anise!! what did you THINK i was going to say?!!
• “So Long-And Thanks For The fish!!!”
• My Precious Knives!!!!

Recent Comments

• Jonathan on The Best Damn Risotto I Have Eaten In (17) Years!!! thanks, Il Pastaio!!
• Baroness Tapuzina on Thai house! finishes TLV’s “the Fab Five”!
• Jonathan on Thai house! finishes TLV’s “the Fab Five”!
• jasmin on The Only 5 restaurants I will eat at in TLV!!! I’ll start with Picola Pasta
• Monika on Yoshi! in my TLV’s Top 5!

Copyright © Chef Rima's Notes | The Guru Theme by Work at Home Guru