Misión 19 - Tijuana, Mexico

Dinner - Saturday, September 1, 2012

Our first experience with Javier Plascencia's cuisine took place earlier this year on American soil, at an El Take it Easy pop-up dinner. There, he presented a short tasting - five dishes representing five of his restaurants. We were impressed.

So, when the Dining Diva (who is well acquainted with Plascencia) volunteered to organize a trip across the border to Misión 19, we jumped at the opportunity. Our motley crew of 12, which also included my friend gastrobits, were mostly Baja novices - indeed, this was my first visit to Mexico ever (I have groused about various visa issues in previous posts). Meeting at the US-Mexico border, we crossed on foot, and cabbed to the restaurant, a scant 5 minute ride away.

"Food for Words" at Georges California Modern - La Jolla, CA

Dinner - Sunday, August 19, 2012

When Chris Kostow and Trey Foshee join forces for a meal, it's bound to be a success. Bound by a common thread (the former having worked for the latter), these two generations of chefs weaved a seamless menu at a charity dinner to benefit Words Alive, an organization that works to foster a passion for reading in the community. We were fortunate enough to attend this fundraiser, making a few new friends and enjoying some good food.

Intermezzo 5 - Sacher-Torte

This is one of Vienna's most famous delicacies, dating back to its creation by Franz Sacher in 1832. It is a (fairly dry) chocolate cake coated with apricot jam and an icing of dark chocolate. Strong-tasting, but not overly sweet, allowing the quality of the chocolate to come through. Sacher-Torte is traditionally served with unsweetened whipped cream and a cup of good coffee to counter its dryness.

To this day, its recipe is a closely-guarded secret, although there are undoubtedly many pretenders to the throne - indeed, legal battles have erupted over claims to the "Original Sacher-Torte". The cakes are available in a number of sizes -  the one below is the second-smallest size (16 cm diameter), purchased from the Café Sacher in Vienna.

Sacher-Torte - Hotel Sacher, Vienna, Austria (2012)