Uni is a gift from the gods. There is nothing better than cracking open a live sea urchin to find the gold of the sea. It’s truly like opening a treasure chest. We are very fortunate to have Catalina Offshore Products www.catalinaop.com here in San Diego. They supply the best uni there is, and lucky for me are supplying the new Whole Foods in Encinitas that is literally 5 minutes from my house. I couldn’t ask for anything better.
Size comparison 6in knife
Blanca
437 S. Highway 101 #301
Solana Beach, CA
858-792-0072
www.dineblanca.com
Dined here on May 17, 2011
I have been a patron of Blanca since it first opened it’s doors. I’ve always been impressed that no matter who the chef was running the kitchen the food was always at high level with great attention to detail. Since Chef Gavin Schmidt has taken over the reins in the last year I can easily say he is the best chef Blanca has had. He is one of the few chefs in the area that is truly taking advantage of what San Diego has to offer. From foraging for nasturtium, flower blossoms and other ‘weeds’ in our local parks to gathering fresh seaweed from the ocean a few blocks away to implement in his amazing ‘still life’ dish. Chef Gavin is truly embracing farm to table to it’s fullest. We are lucky to have him in SD and if you haven’t made it to Blanca yet you really need to make it a point to do so.
The tasting menus are extremely affordable at $80 for the chefs tasting(7 courses I believe) and $70 for the vegetarian. The vegetarian tasting will easily satisfy the biggest meat lovers out there. Chef Gavin has a way of bringing out the true flavors and showcasing them in a unique but traditional way. Check out GastroBits review of the vegetarian tasting http://www.gastrobits.com/2011/05/blanca-vegetarian-tasting-menu.html
Click pictures for larger versions
Sourdough/Poppy Seed/Rye
All bread is made in house daily.
Ciccioli/Nectarine/Caviar
Still Life of Local Waters
spot prawn, uni, oyster, seaweed, dashi, smoked avocado
Vegetable Composition
castelvetrano olives, citrus vinaigrette, yogurt and chamomile spheres
Grilled Asparagus
fried hen egg, meyer lemon mousse, chocolate mint
Artichoke Soup
blood orange, spot prawn, fried baby artichokes
Olive Oil Poached Halibut
spring vegetables and blossoms, nettle emulsion
Dungeness Crab
brown rice porridge, crab tempura, carrot & lemongrass emulsion
Seared Foie Gras
cherry, licorice, artichoke
Chicken & Foie Gras Dumpling
Roasted Guinea Hen
legumes in various forms & textures, nasturtium
Eucalyptus Roasted Lamb
pistachio, lacinato kale, puffed farro
Intermezzo
honey parfait, tangerine, pine
Strawberries
various preparations with rosemary, black pepper, and balsamic gelato
I always love a roasted beet and blue cheese salad, and this where I got my inspiration for this dish. I just love the way the beet color saturates the pasta but still has the pasta color on the top.
Roasted Beet Agnolotti
Roaring 40′s Blue Cream Sauce/Pistachio Dust/La Querica Pancetta
ECP is my go to pizza place and is the only one that I’ve found on the west coast that is similar to the pizzas back in Boston. They are consistently good and I’ve never been let down. This is not Neapolitan style just a good solid pie! Must try if you are in the area. Artichoke special is my favorite, I always order well done so the bottom is a little burnt.
http://www.EastCoastPizzaOnline.com/
Dario Cecchini is the worlds best butcher. Check out this great video put together by FineDiningLovers.com
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Porcini Tagliolini alla Carbonara
Wild Mushrooms/Guanciale/Lardo/63 Degree Egg
I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by these simple corn muffins but oh how I was wrong. They we absolutely delicious. The crust was super crunchy while the inside was sweet, tender and moist, probably due to the addition of the honey (which wasn’t in the original recipe which omitted the honey and called for 1 1/4 cups sugar) I think scaling down the sugar to 3/4 cup and adding honey made them have a great balance between sweet and savory…They were a great side to the ribs, especially after spreading some BBQ butter on them while warm. but they were also a great after dinner dessert snack with coffee or milk all on their own. They were simply addictive.
Cherry/Honey/Cornmeal Muffins
Recipe
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temp.
2 large eggs, room temp
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
about 10 ounces of cherries, halved and pitted (or blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries)
Preheat oven to 375. line 16 muffin tins with paper liners. whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 3/4 cup sugar. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and honey; pour over flour mixture, whisking to combine.
Divide batter evenly among paper lined cups, top batter with fruit (2-3 berries per cup) then sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until evenly browned on top, 20-25 minutes. transfer to a wire rack to cool before removing cupcakes.
Bon appétit!
This was my first time smoking meat and definitely not the last.
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Apple Wood Smoked Pork Butt
11hr smoke – 1 1/2hr rest
Pulled off smoker @ 198 degrees
