The Divine Dish

Dinner at Kitchen 1540, L’Auberge Del Mar

Posted on Apr 15, 2009 under Archives | No Comment

The menu at Kitchen 1540 encourages people to share plates and new tastes.  It is divided into several parts, including starters, raw plates, oysters, entrees, extras, cured meats and cheeses and dessert.

The new restaurant which opened in November of last year is light and airy with lots of seating options – the central dining room with vaulted ceilings and modern tables with a great view of the kitchen, private dining in a room surrounded by wine-encased glass walls or outdoor seating in the cabanas around a fire pit.

I was fortunate to be able to sample a tasting menu of Paul McCabe’s modern American cuisine while doing a story on San Diego getaways.  It began with the Hiramasa Sashimi, above, with compressed fennel, duck cracklings and stellhead roe.  It was paired with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from The Crossings winery.

Next came a playfully plated Mano de Leon Scallop, featuring a popcorn puree, baby corn and a maple syrup reduction with some popcorn on the top.  Buttery and delicious.

The broth in this Alaskan halibut dish was really good.  It included fava beans, artichokes,  and mussels with some preserved lemon rind.  It was paired with a chardonny from Wild Oak by St. Francis winery. Yummy.

The foie gras dish came with the foie gras perched on a 400-degree black sea rock with crackling blood-orange pop rocks (yep, like the candy, and it was a nice accent to the dish) and a citrus emulsion.

When offered I will never turn down foie gras, and this dish was my favorite.  The foie gras was perfectly cooked.

Okay, three foie gras pics are excessive, but how can you not love foie gras?  Here it is before I dived into it.  It was paired with sauternes, an after dinner dessert wine that pairs perfectly with the foie gras. After eating this dish I slept really well.

My final course before dessert was a succulant Kurobuta Pork Shoulder with herb gnocchi, napa cabbage and smoked bacon pickled onions.  The pork was tender and rested on pillows of fresh gnocchi.  Also delicious. Paired with a Cambria Syrah from the Santa Maria Valley.

My final dessert course was a strawberry martini and fresh strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream.  Everything on the menu was cooked perfectly and tasted great.  Kitchen 1540 is located at the L’Auberge Del Mar, 1540 Camino Del Mar, reservations recommended at 858/793-6460.

Interview with Kitchen 1540 Executive Chef Paul McCabe

Posted on Apr 15, 2009 under Archives, Chefs, Interviews | No Comment

I sat down at Kitchen 1540 at L’Auberge Del Mar and spoke with Executive Chef Paul McCabe before I had a wonderful tasting menu that he prepared.

Chef McCabe’s background includes extensive training in French, Mediterranean, Southwestern, Pacific Rim and Spa Cuisine.  A native of Sedona, Arizona, he began his career as an apprentice for Chef Michel Blanchet of L’Ermitage restaurant in Los Angeles.  This classical training prepared him for a position at L’Auberge de Sedona and the Sibu Café in Kona, Hawaii, where he added Asian techniques to his classic styles.  After stops in both Los Angeles at the five-star L’Ermitage Hotel and Arizona as Executive Chef at Enchantment Resort, McCabe settled in San Diego in 2001 and has been with L’Auberge Del Mar since fall of 2004. Heralded as a “rising star of American cuisine” by the James Beard Foundation, Chef McCabe has cooked for some of Hollywood’s hottest stars, world figures and epicureans from around the globe. 

Giant Ranunculus in Bloom at Carlsbad Flower Fields

Posted on Apr 01, 2009 under Archives | No Comment

Last weekend my good friend Sachi and I took a trip to Rancho Sante Fe for a story I am doing on San Diego getaways.  We stopped off at the Flower Fields in Carlsbad and were amazed at all of the ranunculus in bloom.  These are my favorite flowers (and Casablanca Lillies, for anyone interested) so I had to check out the 50-acres of flowers.

The flowers are planted in September and October and are in full bloom from March to mid- May, so you can only catch them for a short time.

Once you enter the grounds (go early as there is usually a long line), you are free to wander through the fields and view the flowers.  Here are some pics of the flower rows:

Native to Asia Minor, the ranunculus is a member of the buttercup family of flowers.  It is also known as the Persian Buttercup.  Ranunculus are also grown in France, Israel, South Africa, Australia and the Mediterranean.  The flower has no fragrance and also lacks nector, so they don’t attract insects.  Here are some close-up pics:

The Flower Fields are open from 9 am to 6pm, beginning March 1 and running through May 10.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids.  It is well worth the drive (about an hour and a half from LA, and you can shop at the Carlsbad outlets if you go – located right next to the flower fields!) and entrance fee to view these beautiful flowers.

Calling All Chocoholics, New Chocolate Tea at the Langham

Posted on Mar 25, 2009 under Archives | No Comment

The Langham, Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena, launched their new Chocolate Afternoon Tea last Sunday.  I took my mom (who loves going to tea) to sample the new sandwiches and chocolate desserts.

The entire Lobby Lounge is decorated with beautiful chocolate sculptures, some are pictured below:

We started off the tea with a glass of champagne.

Next came a tray of savory tea sandwiches all containing a different chocolate essence.

Here is my plate of sandwiches and a yummy scone.  They include a white chocolate and avocado mousse with vanilla marinated shrimp, cucumber white chocolate mint mousse and grapefruit, smoked salmon and roasted fennel with cocoa nib mousse, serrano ham burrata mousse with chocolate caviar and foie gras mousse profiteroles with chocolate dust.

Mom and I both liked the foie gras mousse profiteroles the best, though all of the sandwiches were really tasty.  We also got to choose from a variety of teas, including chocolate mint truffle, mayan truffle, pear caramel, English breakfast and green tea passion.  I had the pear caramel with pears and Ceylon and China black teas and a touch of vanilla and sweet caramel.  A perfect match for the sandwiches.  Scones were chocolate chip and chocolate marble.

We then got to choose from all of the desserts that were on the chocolate table.  These included chocolate madelines, cardamom truffles, orange black tea madeline, earl grey milk chocolate, cocoa nib macaroons, white chocolate bark hazelnut and ginger, lemon poppy bread with chips, milk chocolate orange gateau, chocolate raspberry gateau, chocolate orange bread and chocolate cream fruit tarts, among others.

Above is what I chose, all very good.  My fave was the chocolate cream fruit tart, close up below.

Mom liked the chocolate macaroon.  We then visited the huge chocolate fountain, where you could dip fruit – strawberries and melon, cakes, brownies and marshmellows into the flowing chocolate.  Below is what I chose.

My favorite was the brownie, very chocolaty, mom’s was the strawberry.

Last came some nice hot chocolate, served in pretty cups.

My mom and I loved this tea.  For anyone who loves chocolate it is a must.  Chocolate Afternoon Tea is served every Sunday afternoon at the Langham, reservations can be made at 626/568-3900, $59 per person.