Bye Bye Foie Gras

If you haven't already heard, the State of California is looking to ban foie gras from being used and sold here. The law that they are looking to pass in July states:

"This bill would establish similar provisions regarding force feeding a bird, as defined. The bill would prohibit a person from force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird's liver beyond normal size, and would prohibit a person from hiring another person to do so. The bill would also prohibit a product from being sold in the state if it is the result of force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging the bird's liver beyond normal size. The bill would authorize an officer to issue a citation for a violation of those provisions in an amount up to $1000 per violation per day."

Now for those of you who don't know, foie gras is fattened ducks liver and man, is it good!!! I think most people have a bad conception fo foie gras and think it's inhumane to the ducks. Chef Anthony Bourdain went to Hudson Valley Foie Gras farm (one of the biggest purveyors of foie gras in the US) to find out the scoop on what's really going on.

Many chefs here in San Francisco and around the area are trying to defeat the bill. Several big names like Thomas Keller, Chris Cosention, and Michael Chiarello have weighted in on the subject. A group called "Artisan Farmers Alliance" represents "all of America's foie gras framers and others involved in bringing artisanal agricultural products to the American table." They have helped to defeat similar bills in Maryland, Maine, and Chicago. Here is there petition if you want to sign it.

Chef Socks

Well, there not really chef socks there basketball socks. In the cooking industry, I would say that a chef's feet take the most punishment(followed by their liver! Ha!). We can stand on them from anywhere between 8-18 hours, usually on hard concrete floors. Our feet become like hard stones, callous and rough and usually always in pain. I know some days I get out of bed and the first 6 steps are the hardest. There are many different types of chef shoes out there that give good support but in the long run, when your standing so much, your feet hurt no matter what.

When I helped to open Original Joe's, I worked for 6 weeks straight putting in around 75-85 hours a week. My feet were killing me even thought I had good shoes. A guy I was working with suggested I look into socks made by Nike for basketball players.

I found Nike Dri-Fit Elite socks that are amazing!!! They give you extra support in the areas where your feet are more susceptible to injury and impact. The fabric helps to pull sweat away from your skin keeping your feet drier and more comfortable. They also provide arch support for stability and cushioning around the ankle and Achilles which helps protect your foot from irritation caused by rubbing.

These socks run at $14 a pair which is a little steep in my opinion for socks but....I could care less when it comes to my feet. If your a chef, I HIGHLY recommend you get a pair and try them out. I guarantee you'll see a world of difference. My feet now hate me a little less every day! :P

Our First Harvest

We were finally able to harvest our first thing from the garden: bok choy and savory! For the past month here it's been raining for a week and then has been sunny for a week. The plants have been thriving in this weather and started shooting up like crazy. I haven't been able to spend as much times as I've wanted in the garden due to my back so the bok choy went a little to far and started to flower!

The purple cauliflower should be ready in the next month or so. And I have to get some lattice for the beans on the left side as their climbing like crazy!

Now with the bok choy and savory gone, I had holes to fill. Next up: Japanese eggplant, summer squash, and purple peppers! :)

Japantown

About a week ago, Andi and I took a trip to Japantown here in San Francisco. It's a very small section with mostly shopping and food stalls. They have all types of stores with everything Japanese!

This is the Five-Tiered Peace Pagoda in the main square.

I found a huge bookstore with lot's of books from and on Japan. They also had a lot of silly books like the one above!!

I like "Coming Soon-Why Daddy's in a Dress!"

This book was awesome!! So true! However, I couldn't find Andi inside.....

Somebody bought herself a set of Hello Kitty magnets.

We tried a noodle shop while we were there that we found online. I was hoping it would be good but it was just so-so. However, I ordered an appetizer that was amazing-Soy braised pork belly with cracked black pepper, fresh horseradish, and scallions!! Soooooo good!

An Easter Joke For You!!

My New Knifes

Here in San Francisco, everyone has their own knifes. Since San Francisco is such a huge food city, the job market for line cook positions can be very competitive. Every line cook I've encountered, whether they are Hispanic or America, have their own knifes and resumes! In Boston, none of our line cooks had resumes!! I've had a set of Wusthof knifes at home for over 10 years and they have been amazing. However, I didn't want to take in my house knifes so I started hunting online for some new ones. My new sous chef at The Daily Grill recommended a place here in the city called "Sur la Table." They had a great assortment of knifes along with everything else a chef could dream of!!

The first knife I wanted was a boning knife. I bought a 6" Shun Classic Gokujo Fillet Knife. Made in Japan, it has sixteen layers of high-carbon stainless steel and is super light in your hand. It's perfect for butchering as it's slightly curved and has a great feel to it. It's like slicing through warm butter!!

My next one was an 8" Miyabi Birchwood Chef's knife. This little baby is also made in Japan with 101 layers of steel and is made in the same style as Japanese swords. This one is super light and amazing to cut with!!Both come with a lifetime warranty no matter what happens. I highly recommend both if your looking for some good, sharp, light knifes!!

Down For The Count

So last Monday I was at work helping to put away an order that just came in. I was bending down to grab a box(which I do carefully since I've had problems before) and I felt something in my back give. I've had back pain before and usually just ride it out. I thought I had just pulled something small and if I watched it carefully it would go away like it always had before. However, two days later I could hardly put my shoes on. I went into work and was helping out on the line for breakfast when my back completely gave out!! I could hardly move, my face turned white(or so I was told), I felt nauseous, and started to sweat. I haven't had pain like that since my lung collapsed years ago and they had to break the cartilage between my ribs to get the chest tube in! I was taken to an urgent care office where they told me that I had a severe lumbar strain. A lumbar strain is "when the ligaments, the tough bands of tissue that hold bones together, are torn from their attachments." HOLY SHIT does it hurt!!! They injected a muscle relaxer into my back, did a little physical therapy, gave me some pills(anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxants, and pain pills) and sent me on my way. I now have to wear a back brace at work(which I've been out of for 5 days now) and can't lift anything for several weeks.

This is right where it hurts!!! It felt like my entire back was tied into one large knot and every time I moved someone was stabbing me with a knife right in that spot! Not fun. :(