Before there was California Fusion Cuisine or even California Cuisine, there was the California health food craze.  This is a style of cooking that still defines what most of the country thinks everyone in California eats every day.  Anyone that lived in California in the late 80’s will remember some of the hallmarks of this misguided good frenzy, from enormously sized composed salads to anything and everything with cashews. These were bad enough, but the one signature example of California’s contribution to the mid-to late 80’s, and to the perception of America as a whole cannot help but be the chicken sandwich with avocado and bean sprouts, otherwise known as the California Chicken Sandwich.

In its basic form, this is just a sandwich composed of chicken, avocado, bean sprouts and cheese.  There isn’t anything intrinsically wrong with it, it’s a good meal.  When I worked the line at my local Lyon’s restaurant we made hundreds of these things every week and they were well liked.  The downfall of this unassuming little dish is that somewhere, somehow, it found its way into the American psyche and became linked to California in the same breath as tofu, Haight-Ashburry, Flower Power and brown rice. Just ask a non-Californian what we eat every day and chances are they’re going to mention tofu, bean sprouts and avocado.

My wife is Texan and has teased me about this combination since the day we met. (Fair, since I tease her constantly about having to ride a cow to school.) This post is for her as much as it is for the rest of the world.  Yes, this dish is indicative of what California was in the 80’s. Yes, it’s something many Californians would like to forget, and something no self-respecting chef in the state would place on their menu.  In fairness though, it’s stood the test as a great combination of flavors and when I though of it the other day I simply couldn’t pass up the chance to make one.

Just for old times sake, you know?

So I present to you my latest version of California’s most widely recognized dish; the California Chicken Sandwich.

Hope you enjoy.

Read more…

Popularity: 4% [?]

(You could also call it a California Steak Salad, but I hate branding a thing “Californian” just because it uses Avocado and Sprouts.)

It was all about a quick and healthy lunch.  I had a basic idea of combining a few Asian flavors with some darned good fruits and veggies I’d found at the market.  For the protein, some beautiful beef top chuck blade steaks.  For the fruit, a nice avocado. And for the veggies, some of the freshest alfalfa sprouts I’ve seen since moving to Texas.  The dressing was pretty simple to figure out as well, since stone fruit is to beef what apples are to pork and citrus is to chicken, I’d just use a little plum sauce to make a vinaigrette and call it fantastic.

Fantastic isn’t even close.  Not by a long shot.

I have a new go-to meal.  The flavors, the textures, the aromas…  All of them make me a bit woozy in their perfection and balance.  Just the right amount of sweetness from the dressing, tanginess from the vinegar and the succulence of the avocado and beef paired with the bitter crunch of the scallions and alfalfa sprouts sing a kind of symphony of wondrous voices.  It’s truly a thing of beauty, and one I highly recommend to anyone.  The fat lady has sung.  It was perfection.

If you only ever make one of my more California inspired dishes, make this one!

Read more…

Popularity: 1% [?]