fresh fresh fresh...

live scallops: they bite unless you eat them

what makes food great? mind blowing? memorable? its all about how great it taste. and to do that you have to respect the product, treat it and cook it and serve it with the utmost respect. and that's how you get great food. people for centuries have taken that into account. how our society has turned food into something fast and mediocre is just sad. people used to stand in lines just to walk past the kings and queens eating lunch, a glimpse into what these royals ate was what drove them to make recipes that somewhat resemble what they saw. i love that! i love how people used to love food more than war. well i love food more than war, hey given the choice between perfectly made eclair or a hand grenade I'll pick chocolate with sweet cream filling any day of the week. maybe all the war lords just need a good cook meal and maybe a hug. who knows.. but that's just going on to way too serious of a topic of my liking. 

orange clam: it is really both man and woman in appearance

back to food. good food starts with great products and then of course the chef, the guy/girl should do their best to bring out the best flavors and not mess it up. yes, some so called chefs mess things up and make people hate something that actually started out really really good. point being sushi. its fish, yes just fish. an actual creature that was swimming a few hours/days ago is now sitting on your place. he/she has not been cooked by the chef and there isnt some

generic sauce on it (thats goes to all those places who have taught people that ponzu or spicy mayo is a substitute for soy sauce and dunking your fish in: yes, people do ask for ponzu or spicy mayo, that doesn't say you know how to eat sushi, it only says that you pay for overpriced, over sauced fish and probably don't know what salmon or tuna actually taste like. stop telling people you eat sushi, you eat sauce). real sushi, you place that piece of fish in your mouth and it melts your tongue into a burst of life and stars... i'm not sure about you but that's the type of experience i have on a regular basis when i'm eating sushi. if you're not getting that same feeling, you should reconsider your sushi place. give me a ring and i'll bring you where the food transcends earth. people have often why i'm so passionate about food and my reasoning is that it makes me feel better about life. it not only provides sustenance for me but it makes me feel happy, builds relationships with those who i dine with and those who serve/prepare my food. its how relationships are built between people. hell there was a trade based solely on spices, spices that made food better. if something as small as saffron was more valuable than gold then i think those priorities of that world is one of the reasons why i love history and history that involves the foods that people ate. foods that made a difference in everyday life. 

golden eye snapper: he was delicious

i was able to be at my favorite sushi spot recently during the slow times and i was able to take some cool pictures of the fish/seafood that had just came in. yes they let me go back and see what they are cutting and this is why i love this place. i know the food is fresh. so fresh sometimes the things are still moving or alive. live scallops , live abalone, live sweet shrimp, live giant clam, and fresh whole salmon and golden eye snapper. these are not only delicious but are soo beautiful when they are whole, its amazing how fresh these things are. the owner was playing with one of the scallops and almost got bit! scallops shutting on a sushi chef's finger might have been a funny and ironic story. but thankful it didnt happen. 

salmon

so there you go. why i love sushi and why i love food in a nutshell. i dont take life seriously but i do take my food seriously. eat what is good and eat with people who love food as much as you do and life will be a bit more pleasant regardless of other issues. if i wasn't in love i would be content with being in love with food. i'll have more post coming up from my week in los angeles. 

eat extraordinary everyday! 

tune in....

tune in tonight!!!!!

premiere of Throw Down with Bobby Flay: Sushi

time: eastern 9pm and midnight 

          western 6pm, 9pm and midnight

where: foodtv/food network 

i'm pretty excited as my former boss/friend is now going to be challenged by bobby flay to make sushi... this should be very interesting.. and i'm not telling you the outcome. tune in tonight!!! 

the good stuff

there are some things that cannot be found anywhere else but the special places that i go to. and for sushi.... its rare to find a place with quality and fish of this rate. it took me a million times to my spot to finally get the special aji bones.... aji is Spanish mackerel. and the fish itself in sushi form is great, but if you're lucky and knowing.. you can get the bones fried up for you with a sauce and eating the whole fish makes you really appreciate the flavor and the moment.

so aji is close to the top of the best foods that you can have for sushi...

next... i need to express the wonders of the salmon belly... actually the belly of any fish is crazy good. you thought the salmon sushi was good... if they have salmon belly its the whole fish in your mouth that you cannot get enough of. the color of the belly is a delight orange of yumminess. its melts in your mouth... i insist on everyone trying it out. and yellow tail belly is yummy as well.

tools... standing behind the sushi counter not as a customer has given me more insight on the preparation of sushi and of course a greater appreciation for when i do get to eat it. i've fallen in love with the usage of the blow torch.... especially on the ika (squid) they do its special like that at the place i work at... but in general the torch gives whatever its used on a great smoked flavor... i got some action shot of scallops being torched with spicy mayo on it.

i hope everyone enjoys the pictures i've taken at sushi central. where i am currently hanging out at for the summer. "crack fish" pictures are on its way...

eat extraordinary everyday!

sushi ... part deux

so I'm back in Cali... the wondrous ways of the sunshine really makes my day a bit better even if i am not doing anything special. yesterday i had a few hours to kill and lone behold i was at sushi central in the west side. amazing.. i was fed some amazing stuff.. Ono...scallops... Spanish mack.. and some other good stuff i have no clue at this current moment to their names.. but it was just amazing. i spent roughly 3 hours there and just had a blast sitting. its one of those places that you can just eat great food and be happy. and surely it makes me smile every time i have something new placed in front of me. i like going to places where i can just sit in confidence that the food that is coming out is going to be great every time.

finding a place that you love is key to being a happy eater. not only does the food need to be great, but the space itself needs to be welcoming. and nothing makes me happier than seeing the faces of people who love to make and eat food just as i do. when you go into a place where instantly feel much better, you know good times will come of it. since being back in Los Angeles I'm just glad to be able to have the options of going to my favorite places to dine. its great to be able to just eat well. once you live in a place where there is nothing but fast food you start to appreciate the small family owned joints that you see all over Los Angeles.

so everyone go out and have some sushi... and btw.. don't eat bluefin tuna/toro*... its getting on the endangered list actually extinction list.. so as consumers you stop ordering it, the chefs will stop buying it and the fish will get a chance to reproduce and not be over fished. we humans have a responsibility to replenish what we eat and be aware of the way/things that we consume for our pleasure. ..speaking of pleasure.. i need to get some oysters up in my tummy ... nothing like fresh raw oysters to brighten up my day...

eat extraordinary everyday.

*correction to the blog. i was corrected by the trusty sushi chef i work with on the daily basis... so eat all the other types of fish you like.