“I am probably one of the few people around who saw the real Caesar Cardini making his salad. I was about 9 when my parents took me to Tijuana, just the other side of the border from San Diego.
They were so excited when big jolly Caesar himself came to the table to make the salad, which had already been written up and talked about everywhere. And it was dramatic, I remember most clearly the eggs going in, and how he tossed the leaves so it looked like a wave turning over.” -Julia Child
This double-decker sandwich was inspired by Caesar Cardini’s famous combination of ingredients from almost a century ago. Over the years, many have added chicken breast to the salad to make a more substantial meal. Here, I cook up moist and tasty chicken burgers from freshly ground thigh meat. Garlic toast stands in for the croutons. And a caesar aioli and hard boiled eggs replace the original egg-garlic-cheese dressing. I use two types of anchovies, of which unfortunately, Julia Child would disapprove. She said, “You don’t want herbs and anchovies and things like that – then you have adulterated it.” But fans of anchovies will agree that they add another layer of umami savoriness to the sandwich. Also included are lemon and parmesan cheese, in an effort to capture Mr. Cardini’s authentic flavor combination.
I have no recipe to share today. I simply want to take a moment to thank you for your kindness over the years. Your enthusiasm, encouragement, and interest are huge motivating factors. Nothing makes my day more than hearing from you – that you tried one of my recipes and loved it! And not only did you cook my dish, you took the time out of your busy day to let me know. How cool is that? You rock.
Not knowing how to link a website, nor understanding that I should actually say something about the meal, I naively thought Taste With The Eyes would be a blog about food and restaurant photos. I’ve learned a lot since then. I never realized how this little project could lead to making friends all over the world, all the fun to be had, and all the skills I would acquire. It has been such a sweet experience. So, the theme for the anniversary is “blogging is sweet” and since desserts are few and far between here, as I am definitely a savory gal, I thought I would share a few shots of Chef Perry’s house made gelato bars taken at Terranea Resort’s Sea Beans restaurant.
It is my hope that Taste With The Eyes continues to inspire you just as reading your blogs and hearing your comments inspires me. I’m grateful for the people this blog has brought into my life. It has turned into quite a passion over the past seven years! As a direct result of blogging, I am now a food writer and photographer for a local paper, I photograph food for a world-class resort, and have my Korean recipes featured weekly in the Korea Herald Business.감사합니다 K-Herald! And who knows what fabulous people I shall meet and what fabulous opportunities lie ahead? I hope our paths cross soon and often. It is an honor and pleasure to know each and every one of you.
Merci Beaucoup.
Your Friend, Lori Lynn
“The pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite – toujours bon appétit!” -Julia Child
“ I want the amateur diner to enjoy the food as much as the connoisseur.” -Charlie Trotter
It’s one of the best kept dining secrets in all of Southern California, where the food is impressive, the service is genuine, the ambiance is unique and the cost for a 5-course gourmet meal is … $25.
The students of the Los Angeles Harbor College Culinary Arts Program benefit from community participation and this is a secret they don’t want us to keep.
“Those who pay careful attention to their taste buds will discover in the complex flavor of asparagus, tomatoes, cheese and meat, a common and yet absolutely singular taste which cannot be called sweet, or sour, or salty, or bitter…” – Dr. Kikunae Ikeda
Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry, Washington D.C., 1912
You recognize it in the meaty taste of a sizzling rib-eye steak hot off the grill. Beyond salty, you sense it in the savory tastes of aged Parmesan and cured anchovies on a Caesar salad. Beyond sweet, your mouth waters over the flavor of a warm ripe heirloom tomato picked right off the vine.
Can you taste it yet? In addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter…it’s umami, the fifth taste sensed by the human tongue.
Umami is defined as the savory taste and round mouth-feel imparted by glutamate and nucleotides such as inosinate and guanylate.
Over a century after its discovery, there is a huge fascination with this fifth taste because understanding the science behind umami can help cooks create more luscious dishes and help foodies better appreciate their meal.
It will eventually be known as one of the premier steakhouses in Southern California.
But what started out as a routine 30-day waiting period for a liquor license turned into a business nightmare. It is one that sadly affected not only successful businessmen but the little guy as well. Theirs is a story about an uncooperative state bureaucracy, bad luck, and perplexing alcoholic beverage policy, but through the team’s perseverance and commitment, resulted in a happy ending.
Just down the street from their other restaurants – Michael’s on Naples Ristorante and Michael’s Pizzeria in Long Beach – the partners of Michael’s Restaurant Group negotiated a lease to open a high-end steakhouse called Chianina (KEE-a-NEE-na). The opportunity arose when the owners of Kelly’s, the previous restaurant in that location, chose not to renew their lease but still maintain the rights to their liquor license.