Can I get a turkey?

A couple of months ago Farra and I were at Curtis' stand at the Hillcrest Farmers Market getting some eggs and I asked him "Can I get a turkey for Thanksgiving?" He chuckled and said "Oh I'm sorry I'm all sold out", I could not believe it. Wait a minute, I actually can. He sells out of his 20 dozen eggs of his highly coveted Wynola pastured chicken eggs by 9am every Sunday, by the way they are $7. That's in 1 hour! Even though Farra goes every Sunday and buys a dozen eggs, which are always treated like gold in the house, we still couldn't get one.

Ever since I tried Curtis' chickens I knew that I wanted one for Thanksgiving this year. I dreamed about it. So I asked him if there was anyway I could go on a list in case someone cancelled, and he told me to email him. After emailing him he told me that he would guarantee a turkey that I could buy from him if I came out and helped him slaughter the turkeys. I don't have any experience with this at all, but I'm always up for an experience where I get be closer to the process of where my food comes from. I mean, shouldn't we know what it takes to get our turkey to our Thanksgiving dinner table?

Last Friday I had the opportunity to go out to Curtis Womach's Ranch out in Wynola with Steph and Michael from The Linkery as we were all on the same deal, "come help, get a turkey". As soon as we get there we are put right to work, Steph is in charge of chasing and catching them , Michael is all about reaching inside of them and taking out all their insides, and I'm on the "washing and packing up" job. It was a very grounded experience to actually be out there and participate on getting these turkeys from their home to other peoples homes.

Steph chasing the swift turkeys.

I know this image may be hard to look at, but this is the most humane to kill a turkey. The turkey is placed in these cones and then their neck gets sliced. Most commercial turkeys are slaughtered in ways that could possibly turn you into a vegetarian.

After they are killed the turkeys are thrown into this scalder so the feathers can be pulled out easier.

This spinner gets the feathers out pretty quickly.

Michael at his post taking the insides out.

Curtis at his craft.

Caught uploading a pic on facebook as I take a break from rinsing, washing, stuffing, and bagging the turkeys for the lucky ones.

In the fridge patiently waiting for Thanksgiving, and I will give thanks to this turkey for being part of our dinner.

Ok, I don't mean to brag, but.......well I guess I do mean to.

This post may not have much of a culinary reference, but it does share several images of some of our other obsessions, Mexico, photography, and details. Our friends whom are getting married next year in the small bohemian beach town of Sayulita, also have this charming wedding blog tulleandfeathers. She does such an amazing job of capturing the beauty and simplicity of the wedding and its couple. There is nothing that slips past her, and at times she makes me want to get married again. Check out the link she forwarded from her blog, which is the one we were in. Can't wait till their wedding.

Falling into Fall

The fall beer dinner brought us back those feelings we all remember growing up in California, the falling leaves, those brisk cold nights, layers of clothes, the smoky aroma of wood burning, or not! At least we think its fall right? We decided to push ourselves a bit and use some of our favorite styles, Belgian beers.

Chanterelles foraged by my good friend Josh. He had come to visit a few days earlier and since he knows of my love for these earthly beauties he went out foraging in his South Carolina backyard, and flew them out here for me. What better way to use them than to share them with everyone.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup with Fried Sage Leaves and a Toasty Parmesan Crisp. Ommegang's Abbey Ale did the honors on this one.

Local Grass-fed Flat Iron with Duchesse de Bourgogne sauce, Roasted Shallots,Parrano Mashed Potatoes, and Chanterelle Bundles. The veggies had the Vegetarian Sheppard’s Pie option. Paired with Rodenbach Grand Cru. Kevin and I wanted to use local grass-fed beef so we headed over to Homegrown Meats in La Jolla and found some from the Palomar mountains.

As always we brought the salad after the main. Sweet Pear and Apple Salad with Bitter Endive and a Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing paired with Firestone Walker's, Union Jack IPA.

Lastly, everyone's favorite, dessert. This handmade Pumpkin Ice Cream & Churritos were the perfect pairing for The Bruery's Autumn Maple. The ice cream still had some nice texture from the pumpkin puree and its sweetness was complimented by the beers dark roast malt, sweet molasses, and the immense amount of yams in there. A couple of months ago, Kevin and I were at The Bruery's brewery. Hot day and all, we walked in and smelled the sweet aroma of yams. As soon as we knew what they were brewing up as their fall beer we knew we had to use it. This was probably our favorite pairing, as well.

Thanks to all the new diners. It's always our pleasure creating a beautiful space, carefully testing out the perfect beer pairing for the handmade food, and being able to share it with all of you.

We will see you in January for the next event, which we have a surprise twist that we know you will all love and appreciate.

La Mesita

f a l l i s h e r e . . .

Savory Squash Soup with Crisp Parmesan Toast
Ommegang Abbey Ale
Brewery Ommegang, New York

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Filet of beef with Duchesse de Bourgogne sauce, roasted shallots,
Parrano mashed potatoes, and braised greens
-- vegetarian option available --
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Brouwerij Rodenbach N.V., Belgium

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Sweet Pear and Apple Salad with Bitter Endive and a Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing
Union Jack IPA
Firestone Walker, California

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Handmade Pumpkin Ice Cream
& Churritos
Autumn Maple
The Bruery, California

NY's been ACE'd

The city that never sleeps has just been graced by one of our favorite hotel groups, The ACE. We've had the opportunity of checking out the one in Palm Springs and just love how in everyone of their hotels they incorporate the essence of the place, twist it up, and spit it back at you with a space that makes you feel like you have seen the whole city. Next time you're in Portland, Palm Springs, Seattle or NYC check it out for its restaurants, bars, or the rooms. NY Times article.

Get your fresh coconuts here!

This morning I was reading the Fashion/Style section of the NY times and I found an interesting article about coconuts in there. I was not surprised to find a coconut article in the Style section as it is NY and they are known for trendsetting, but it was just funny to me to notice how these trends sometimes start. Yes, coconuts are a great nourishment source for fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but it just poses the question, "are the hipsters capping coconuts and drinking its water for the health benefits or is it the new accessory?". I think it may be the new accessory / healthy food trend. Regardless if coconuts are the new accessory, at least people will be walking around pretty healthy.

Cerveza, Amigos, y Comida!

This last beer dinner was such an amazing experience. Choosing the dishes to this Mexican theme and using the special releases of Ballast Point beers really pushed us to be a bit more creative. Mexican food is usually on the top list of people's favorite food so our inspiration was to use traditional ingredients and dishes but twist them up a bit.

Thanks to all of you who attended and helped us in creating the wonderful and memorable moments with our food, the making of new friends, the craft beer, the Jarocho music from L@s Cafeter@s, and of course thanks to Miguel Hidalgo for rallying it up and getting Mexico on its way to its independence.

For those of you who could not make it, we hope to see you at the next...OCTOBER 18TH

Same-day picked local black mission figs from the backyard tree topped with goat cheese and drizzled with chipotle honey

1er tiempo: Grilled shrimp taco in a jicama tortilla with watermelon pico de gallo and tlacoyos de huitlacoche. Paired with Ballast Point Fathom India Pale Lager
The freshness of the jicama, watermelon and the citrus in the shrimp brought out the fruity hoppy aroma of the beer. Its light clean and refreshing lager body really balanced the spice and overall flavors. The tlacoyos de huitlacoche with a dash of chile de arbol salsa were just a nice treat...really nice treat!

2do tiempo: Chile Pasilla relleno de picadillo con frijoles negros Paired with Ballast Point Abandon Ship Smoked Lager
The chile's bittersweetness and smokiness was complimented with depth from the smoked lager, which had a nice medium body with some balanced smoky flavors. The lightness of the lager helped cut all the rich savory flavors from the pork picadillo. The black refried beans were fried southern Chiapas style...dried out and then flipped like a pancake!

3er tiempo: Ensalada de espinaca, ejote, y betabel con aderezo poblano. Paired with Ballast Point Longfin Helles Lager
The spiciness of the poblano dressing along with the fresh spinach, radish, and green beans were a nice pair with the light, cleansing Helles style lager.
I always love how the 3rd course gets the palate cleared up and ready for dessert.

4to tiempo: Pastel de 3 leches al chocolate con un picoso ganache Paired with Ballast Point Black Marlin Porter with cocoa nibs
Who doesn't love pastel de 3 leches? So how about it with chocolate? We used a whole grain pastry flour that gave it a nice nutty texture for the milks to soak up really nicely. The chocolate used for the cake and ganache was from Oaxaca, pure and spicy.
The sweet and rich & spicy ganache pieced the dish together with the porter's rich, robust, and toasty sweet cocoa nibs.
This all went down suavemente!

La Mesita diners in the garden and under the moonlight

Nothing goes down better after a handcrafted Mexican meal like some Mezcal and homemade sangrita in the lime cups. For the Mezcal we poured Scorpion blanco, and Don Amado reposado.
Salud!

After the party is the after-party!
L@s Cafeter@s all the way from El Lay sharing with us the beautiful music that is, Jarocho. I didn't spot that many Guayaberas, but I know the few that repped it, Brad!
Listos pa' tirar party!

Encantados!

Where else can you see someone with an donkey's jawbone used as a percussion?

Thanks to Jeff from Ballast Point for all the beers, La Mesita crew, our followers, and life for giving us the opportunity to do these events and take food and beer to another dining experience.

Que Viva Mexico, Que Viva!!!

Dogfish Brewery takes on Chicha

Dogfish Head Brewery, the makers of the delicious festina peche, the beers we have all been drinking this summer, is at it again. Sam Calagione, founder of the brewery has taken on making Chicha the traditional Peruvian method, but the process is a bit more complicated than normal beer. You actually have to chew the maize in your mouth, spit it out, and then you boil it with water. Yes they do chew and the spit becomes a key part of the brew. Saliva has natural enzymes that break down the starch in corn, which turns into sugar, which ferments into alcohol. Little did he know it was a huge physical endeavor for his mouth.
Read more....

Congrats to Woodberry Kitchen

This morning I got a text from co-"la mesita" partner about Woodberry Kitchen and how they were referenced in one of her favorite blogs, apartment therapy. Turns out that Woodberry Kitchen was named one of the top 10 new restaurants in Bon Appetit. You know how sometimes you read on all these restaurant lists and say to yourself "Oh I wish I would have eaten at one of these on the list so I know why they were chosen"? Well, we ate there and I can surely agree with the people at Bon Appetit. The whole team is knowledgeable and friendly. The menu is well thought out with great local ingredients and love put into it. Click here for the article. I wish I could be in Baltimore this weekend. I guess I shouldn't complain because we are about to have a fun Mexican themed beer dinner this weekend with live Jarocho music. Ok, I feel better now.

¡Que Viva México: su comida y sus tradiciónes!

September is Mexico's month!

Grilled shrimp in a jicama taco
with watermelon pico de gallo and tlacoyos de huitlacoche
Fathom IPL
Ballast Point

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Chile Pasilla relleno de picadillo
-- vegetarian option available --
with frijoles negros
Abandon Ship Smoked Lager
Ballast Point

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Ensalada de espinaca, ejote y betabel with aderezo poblano
Longfin Helles Lager
Ballast Point

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Pastel de tres leches al chocolate
with spiced ganache
Black Marlin Porter
Ballast Point

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Live Jarocho music

Food, beers, & a Wedding!!!

We just got our hundreds of pics from our wedding in digital format and we are so excited to share some with you. This post is on food, but there will be more to come on the actual place. Our photographer did an amazing job to say the least. If you are thinking about someone for your wedding you seriously need to consider her. Check her out at QWeddings. The place where we got married is called Hotelito Desconocido, probably one of the best private, intimate, and breathtaking beaches in Mexico. The name says it all, it is definitely a hidden hotel gem with impeccable service and a setting that will make you never want to leave.

The dinner table awaits the authentic handmade Mexican food.

What better breakfast than menudo after a night of hard partying!

I just love this beautiful and lively picture of beans, one of Mexico's many treasures.

Huachinango (snapper) a la parrilla with some garden fresh squash, chayote, and onions. Simple, healthy, and beautiful.

Da beers. Gotta have these ice cold, especially when its about 85 degrees and lots of humidity, plus we were celebrating. I do prefer negra's though, let's be clear on that one.

San Francisco Solo

I recently visited the bay area sans Juanito and
I had to post a few pictures from the
Academy of Sciences.
Living roof, rainforest, penguins, glowing jellysfish....
you have to see the sea dragons and the male cardinalfish,
which incubates the eggs and cares for the young in his mouth!


And what better way to say it?
RECYCLE COMPOST LANDFILL

Garden Date

Saturday morning in the garden on a bed with a canopy above you, big white fluffy pillows, baby kicks, dreams and lots of color....

Menu:
shirred eggs with fresh garden delights:
sauteéd zucchini and topped with arugula and tomatoes
apples with honey
cornbread with fresh strawberries
english breakfast tea

Thank You! July, July, July, Oh My!

Another exciting evening to celebrate the seasons!
This time we were fortunate enough to have an amazing kitchen to work in and we took full advantage of this! It definitely was able to accommodate our largest group yet! Thanks to Holly & Fred for your home, Kevin and Jackie for your kitchen love, Aileen for your photo magic and Jeff and Ballast Point for the awesome session beers!

F really outdid himself with this one. We had thrown out the idea of cooking some meat underground and he absolutely ran with that idea. It took 160 bricks and lots of elbow grease during the 4th of July weekend for this new appliance to be in place.

The pit began warming in the early morning hours around 7am by throwing about 20lbs of charcoal in there. The pork was marinated and then wrapped in banana leaves, placed inside a roasting pan, and layed down in the pit. It was then cooked in the pit for about 4 hours where it reached temperatures of over 500 degrees. The pit was then covered by a metal plate and soil thrown above it to ensure no air sneaked in.

The real deal...dug with love and stacked with passion! It's no wonder the pork tasted so amazing ... shouldn't we all construct an underground pit in our backyard?

Grilling is always a summer favorite with too high of temperatures to operate an oven inside. It's absolutely worth it to buy mesquite charcoal...not briquettes!
The corn with its protector, was grilled with the husk which achieves the same texture of the kernel as boiling would, but with a smokey grill flavor.
The peaches were grilled with branches of rosemary thrown into the charcoal to give an herbal smokey taste...

When July takes over the kitchen....

To begin: Tomato consommé
See our post here about how it was made.

1st: Crispy zuchinni flowers stuffed with ricotta & mint served with a spicy peach chutney paired with Avery's 16 saison.

The ricotta cheese stuffing had lemon zest and red peppers that brought out the saison's zesty aroma and its light effervescence. The peach chutney added some balance on the sweet side and brought it all together.

2nd: Pibil inspired Pork served with Berry Beer Baked Beans
paired with Port Brewing Co. Hot Rocks Lager

It was no coincidence that this underground course was served with a beer that practices the same methods in preparation! The berry beer baked beans were baked for hours with a raspberry lambic. The beer's malty sweet characteristics cut through the pork's flavorful fat and the marinade's rich flavors.

3rd: Grilled Peach Salad with Prosciutto and a Creamy Dressing
paired with Marin Brewing Co. Stinson Beach Peach Ale
As always, we love to offer the greens in between the meat and the sweet. The spicy arugula and the saltiness of the prosciutto balanced perfectly with the creme fraiche and goat cheese in the dressing.
Simple and cleansing in preparation for the sweet.

4th: Warm Strawberries with Pimm's and Vanilla Ice Cream
paired with Bayerischer Bahnof's Berliner Weisse served mit schuss style with
Castle Brewery's St. Louis Framboise
Of course everyone loves dessert, but this one had dessert in the beer, too. The handmade crumbled shortbread cookies with the broiled strawberries, essences of vanilla and ginger and handmade ice cream paired beautifully with the tartness of the berliner and the framboise kicked in to balance the sweetness.

Thanks to everyone for a beautiful evening under the July sky!