Paula Deen who made a remarkable career with her southern style of cooking with charm, has announced she has been diagnosed with adult onset diabetes (type 2).

Now the judgments come in- that her food and lifestyle led her to this diagnosis and the pundits are asking for her to “repent.”

As a physician let me be clear here:

Paula Deen’s diabetes is not a deserving fate for what she cooked, it is more a matter of genetics than anything else. For those who are unlucky enough to have the genetic code that predisposes them to diabetes, the odds are they will become its victim, as they get older.  Even the most “in shape” individual, who eats “right” who has the genetics for diabetes can no more avoid that than you can avoid a car accident  if someone misses a stop sign because they are texting.

Perhaps I am jaded – as someone who researches diets and does weight loss surgery- I’m reminded that HL Mencken said that physicians are not suppose to offer repentance but absolution. But a body never lies- and while we don’t know the “right” diet- we do know that  certain foods can kill you.

While the news enjoys the pseudo-feud going on between Deen and one of my favorite writers-chef Anthony Bourdain, we in medicine hope that Paula Deen is using her celebrity to benefit millions who are diagnosed with diabetes. She is also cashing in a check from a sponsoring company;  isn’t that the American way?

The real quote from Bourdain is one anybody can respect, “Honestly, I have no ill will toward her personally. I respect anybody who’s had a trajectory like hers. But I don’t like the brand. If her shtick is food that’s going to rush you along your way to diabetes, then it’s not a brand I particularly like. I am the last person in the world to be advocating for any kind of healthy eating or lifestyle. The only distinction between us, actually, is that my show comes with a parental advisory and hers doesn’t. “

I won’t endorse Paula Deen’s cooking as “healthy” and most of it would cause blood sugar to rise higher than it should.  Food can kill you, but it cannot cure you. Hopefully Paula Deen will use her celebrity to advocate for diabetes education and awareness.  I also wouldn’t mind if she would come out with a few recipes that won’t raise the blood sugar as much as twinkie pie.

Until then, I’ll be watching Bourdain eat camel cheeks in some far away place, wishing I was there with him.

The original spicy tuna

But our story is at Nick-San, in Cabo where with his protege and then partner Angel Carajal they started restaurants in Mexico and ultimately Cabo San Lucas. The original fusion of Mexican-Japanese started here- with the fresh ingredients from Mexico and importing the rice, oils, vinegars and soy sauce (even the chop sticks are imported from Japan). It is quite the trick- you use the local, fresh seafood and import the staples that won’t deteriorate with travel. In doing such you end up with tastes that you will not have imagined, even if you think you have had great Japanese food before.

It is here, where off the coasts you can still obtain blue fin tuna – Toro- the rarest, and most prized of all tuna.  If you are going to eat that dish, then there is one place to have it- and that would be Nick-Sans. But do not limit yourself- my suggestion for eating here is simple– give the menu to the waiter, and tell them to feed you – and enjoy a sample of the best, freshest seafood that the Sea of Cortez and Pacific have to offer, with the steady hand of the chefs.

A simple fry on macral provides a texture change that proves heaven is on earth

Nick-San stands as a restaurant that continues to define great seafood, ever changing as techniques and food sources change, the only thing that doesn’t change is the demand for fresh seafood and the perfectly balanced taste.

Nick-San is the perfect restaurant to bring someone who says they don’t like seafood, or they don’t like sushi. It will be here that their lives and tastes will be elevated – transformed. It will also mean that they will never settle for second best.

Happened to pick a day when the owners were in town

While sushi can be found everywhere from corner stands to grocery stores – there is one mecca in North America, and with respect to Morimoto, this is the place.

For years Cabo was only known as a great fishing town- but Nick-Sans has made Cabo San Lucas into a great fish-eating town. People own time-shares here to spend vacations to golf, to fish, to smoke fine Cuban Cigars- and for those who know- to enjoy the ultimate seafood fest.

One the top ten things to do in Cabo, eating at Nick-Sans occupies three places.

There is nothing like Rack of Lamb- one of my favorite dishes – and easy to make

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees – and arrange the oven so the lamb can sit in the center of it

Ingredients:
Rosemary – fresh – chopped about 3 T
Kosher Salt
Olive Oil 2 T
Minced Garlic 2 cloves
Italian Bread Crumbs 1/2 cup
Dijon Mustard 2 T or more

Season the Lamb generously with the Kosher Salt

In a separate bowl mix the remaining ingredients. Be generous.
Lather on the lamb
Place the lamb in the center of the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
At the end of 25 minutes turn the oven off, but leave the lamb in the oven for another 20 minutes.
At the end of 20 minutes remove the lamb
Let the lamb rest on the counter for 10 minutes- then cut and serve.

For expanded detail go to the recipe section on this blog

Sous Vide will cook the chicken perfectly- but you need to do a flash fry for the Maillard Reaction

It is keeping that chicken together- cooking it whole, making the chicken in such a way that the aroma from the chicken will permeate the house. The ultimate comfort food- and yet, too often when people cook it the chicken skin is soggy, the chicken meat is dry – and we look to sauces to overcome it. But learn to make chicken well, and you will have great, healthy food.  When Jonathan Waxman was voted off Top Chef Masters – he had made chicken. The judges thought that the chicken was too simple, but it was done perfectly. Did those judges ever try to make chicken?
Some of my favorite restaurants for chicken include Zuni in San Francisco- the perfectly cooked whole chicken. That recipe was adapted in our recipe section- the key for that is salting the chicken a day or two ahead of time and allowing it to dry in the refrigerator. Ad Hoc and Bouchon – of Thomas Keller – who prefers to brine the chicken before roasting it (salting does the same chemical process without the messy brine). Tarbell’s has perfected the pan roasted chicken. Michael Mina’s Sous Vide Chicken provides an amazing flavor profile, that is difficult to find.
Jeffrey Steingarten, the food editor for Vogue magazine, noted how the roto-broil 400 made the perfect home rotisserie chicken. It became my mission to find one- which I did, and he is right- this is the perfect rotisserie unit for people. The problem is they don’t make that unit any longer. I found one on E-Bay and had the unit refurbished. The unit is a work horse, and will probably last another 54 years. Since most people can’t find these units to test a modern one I purchased the Ronco platinum unit (you may have seen Ron Propel’s set-it-and-forget-it infomercials). This produces a moist chicken, but the heat generated does not give the perfect crispy skin – still not a bad unit for the home cook.

The Roto-Broil 400 makes the perfect chicken

We go back and forth in our house- making the chicken on the rotisserie – which is simple, to the oven roasted whole chicken. Both have great qualities, and both leave the house with an aroma of the perfect comfort food. Learn to make a great chicken- and you will have one or two nights a week when you will have a great meals.

Skin cut away to reveal the perfect chicken- crispy skin, moist meat

The Crows Nest on the 20th floor of The Hotel Captain Cook has one of the most spectacular views in the world- surrounded by the Chugach Mountains in Alaska, and seeing Mt. McKinley off in the distance a person gets to see Cook Inlet, at sea level- to the tallest peak in North America. From sea level to the peak of McKinley represents the highest peak one can see on planet Earth, 21,000 feet – Everest, by contrast, starts at 11,000 feet – so you only see a 13,000 foot mountain). The décor of the restaurant is—well, could be cardboard, with a view like this I am not certain one would pay attention to the table settings.

Sitting at the bar waiting for a table, there is an impressive wine list- with some hard-to-find wines, such as Leonetti and Quilceda Creek.  A great view, great wines – can’t wait for dinner.

But that is where the interest ends. Cutting to the chase- there is a bar here, there is a 10,000 bottle wine cellar here – and there are some great restaurants within a few blocks.
Alaska is blessed with availability of fresh seafood – from King Crab, black cod, and five species of salmon.  Combine that with the Matanuska Valley where the land of the midnight sun makes vegetables fresh and great.  You have to work to destroy these ingredients – and consistently The Crows Nest did.
Overcook salmon? It is a delicate fish- when fresh and served simply there is an amazing fresh taste of the ocean, great oils, and if combined with something to cut the oil (you could do it simply with lemon) – you cannot have a finer meal.  Cooking salmon is not difficult- it can be pan seared quickly – it can be grilled – it can be baked. It takes little time, and minimal talent with fresh ingredients.  Consistently, and sadly – this beautiful fish was overcooked. Not on one night, but several – not just Silver Salmon, but King salmon.
But seafood was not the only sin – duck made two ways.  Who doesn’t love a crispy duck skin, with a moist breast – overcook it and you have leather and jerky.
This restaurant has had some amazing chefs come through its doors over the years. Including Dan Jacobson who opened Corsair across the street (after your drink here, go there for dinner). The current Chef, Gary Murphy, Jr. is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America – so he probably knows how to cook these simple foods, but clearly some of the line chefs do not.
The dinners are simple- and if the line-cook wouldn’t over cook the meal you will have a fine place to eat. It is a shame- since we stay at this fine hotel often. The room service is wonderful – they don’t overcook the burgers.
This is a hotel restaurant that will see finer days and hopefully Chef Murphy will throttle his crew to produce the great food that the region is known for. For now, it is a great place for a glass of wine before dinner – somewhere else.

Crow’s Nest at The Hotel Captain Cook
939 W. 5th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Reservations: Suggested
Hours: Mon-Sat 5pm-9:30 pm Lounge is open until midnight
Credit Cards: American Express, Visa, Master Card
Attire: Casual
Handicap Facilities: Stroller and handicap accessible

The experiment was a restaurant that Keller called, Ad Hoc. The idea:  cooking food that Thomas Keller liked to cook at home. It became more than a temporary respite- it has become an institution – instead of an ad hoc, temporary restaurant- it is Ad Hoc a temporary relief from hunger.

The menu is fixed- there is a choice of one item on the menu- sometimes you can order a bit of this or that, but one item, and they can pair it with wines, or you can have a few from their list. This is a good thing for me – as my wife still takes time to see what she wants from a menu!

Simple food, made well, and fresh food- as from the garden out back  (in this case, Ad Hoc has the garden out back)– prepared perfectly- provides a taste that cannot be replicated by processing, freezing, packaging, or even a quick trip via FedEx.

The restaurant is casual- from the waiters wearing blue jeans, simple shirts- and clearly encouraging you to do also. The table is simple, comfortable, spacious,  zinc-top. The wine is served in tumblers; and amazing wine at that. Add a bit of rock and jazz in the background.

But it is the food that is the star here- and the food – how do you spell amazing? Pork Loin- and add the Ribs.  Yes- the ribs spend 48 hours in the Sous Vide- but why not? I have Sous Vide at home, and most of America will eventually- the point is, the ribs were moist, tasty- something you cannot achieve without Sous Vide, so why compromise?

Ad Hoc is the type of restaurant that serves the food you wish mom could have made. Simple dishes- be they chicken, or pork, or fish – accompanied by vegetables grown “out back” (literally).

Some find Per Se a bit stand-offish, and are intimidated by the delicate flavors of French Laundry- but here, here is a restaurant that you could dine at every evening, and feel at home.

You know the joke- a customer asks a waitress, “Do you have cherry pie like my mom use to make?” “Yes, sir” “in that case I’ll take apple.”  Here is the food elevated to perfection- the ribs moist – yes moist. I know, all the bbq fans say ribs should fall off the bone, and when they fall off the bone it is because the meat is dry and the bone is hot- here- the ribs are moist, and you taste the meat, not the smoke, not the char.

Yes Pork Loin is an inexpensive meat, and it is simple to make- but try it here.

And chicken- oh, who wasn’t disappointed when Jonathan Waxman was tossed off Master Chef because he made chicken and they said he should have gone outside the box and made more? Have you tasted great chicken? Probably not- yes everyone makes it- but who makes it perfectly – a few places – and here is one of them.

This won’t cost you an arm and a leg. You will taste food you have tasted before and wonder if it is the same. Come here- try it—when you come to Napa- this is food you can relate to.  I love French Laundry- but Ad Hoc is what I eat daily- and aspire to make in my kitchen.

Thank you, Thomas Keller, for raising the bar in my kitchen, to make my food better. Simple formula really – starts with great ingredients and make it perfectly.

When you think of Masaharu Morimoto you think precision- when asked about his childhood food memory, he recalls baseball – and how his mother made certain that every rice grain was the same size.

That same precision went into Morimoto’s in Napa, California, opened just off main street in 2010. With Executive Chef Jeffrey Lunak – his second time around with Morimoto (having been chef de cuisie at Morimoto in Philadelphia). It is difficult to imagine that anything Moimoto would do, would be without continuity, precision, and perfection.

Simply put- the food is precise- the seafood fresh – the vegetables picked properly and locally at the right time – and food cooked to perfection, made to order.  This is food that if not cooked precisely could not hold their perfect blend of smoked bacon with the udon noodle.

The tuna Toro – plated perfectly with garnishes lined up in a single serving dish- to the point where I measured them with my iphone- and the variance between them was less than 1 mm. The combination of wasabi, nori paste, avacado, and nuts- well, I wanted more.

There is nothing simple about Morimotos food- while the ingredients are simple, and fresh, and prepared to the right temperature at the right time- in a complex plate with other foods- to be able to bring them together making a perfect blend- but allowing the individual flavors to shine.  Leave those ingredients together for another five minutes and the food would be reduced from that fine melody to a cacophany of taste and smells.

Yes- the rice grains were all the same size.
Some might claim that $60 for Alaskan King Crab leg is excessive– it would be if the leg  was frozen.  But this one was t fresh, a large leg , the  crab must have been flown in as you can  still smells the salt from the Bering Sea. Too often King Crab is obtained frozen, with smaller legs– still a good product, but without the flavor and texture from a fresh, large, King Crab leg. So the unseasoned palate can get crab for less- but to get this quality crab for less you would have to buy it in Alaska – off the boat. The restaurant is not overpriced from value- but this is not the place for those who prefer fast-food sushi, and draft beer.

The lunch sets were complex – but perfectly sized to not stuff one.

The specialty drinks- well- you can’t just have one.

The decor in his restaurant is decidedly minimalist, but not cold – the simple decor is warmed up by the wood. The floor is concrete, and yet the restaurant avoids the look of an overdone loft.

Recommended Dishes:
Alaskan King Crab Leg
Tuna Toro
Any and all of the lunch sets
Morimoto Omakase
Any sushi
Wine List : this is Napa- drink something you can’t find at home
Price Range -
lunch sets are $25 and a great value
Oysters $20 for 1/2 dozen
Dinner entrees range from $23 to up – but the “morimoto Omakase” or Chef’s Choice is $110 per person.
Hours: Lunch Wed-Sun 11:30 – 2:30 pm
Dinner Sun-Thurs: 5pm – 10 pm Fr-Sat 5 pm -11 pm
Lounge Sun-Thurs 5 pm – 12 am Fri-Sat 5 pm-1am
All major credit cards
Wheelchair and Stroller access — all on the street level

Shark fin soup was traditionally considered a delicacy, served for weddings, or business banquets. It is a sign of wealth, of prestige often costing over $100 per bowl of soup. This has led to an entire industry of “fishing” for sharks for their fins- leading to wholesale slaughter of sharks, some of which are endangered species. Irresponsible fishermen cutting the fins off sharks as they are alive, then tossing them back into the ocean for a slow, miserable death.

An endangered Hammer Head Shark- defined while alive

All of this for a soup that doesn’t have much flavor – does not look appealing – and has health risks (high levels of mercury). The claims for health benefits from sharks have been proven incorrect – as a physician, who has examined the data—shark does not provide any health benefits for humans at all, and in fact, should never be consumed because of the potential high levels of mercury.

The shark is a magnificent creature- having been around for over 400 million years. It provides an important ecologic place in our oceans. The movie “Jaws” may have terrified us, but that is just a movie.

One of the finer palates in the food industry, Gordon Ramsay, will tell you that the soup is about as interesting as a bowl of consume, saying “so sad the damage is being caused for nothing.”

There is not much I won’t eat, or won’t try. Traveling the world for the finest, freshest ingredients- and bringing home recipes for family, friends, and patients. But this is one dish that should not be tried- or encouraged.

Left to die a slow death on the ocean flor

Remove the prestige from shark fin soup. It may have been so when someone would fish for the shark, and bring it to the table – but the wholesale slaughter by mafia-fishermen, often done illegally – turns this tasteless soup from prestige to shame.

This magnificent fish- defined while alive - an endangered Hammerhead

The perfect recipe - yet to come

No matter where I went in the world, if they had peanut butter pie on the menu I would try it.  Some of them came close, but never  quite close enough.

Kay’s Kitchen was a restaurant located in a converted house that overlooked a marina in Ketchikan, Alaska. Simple food but made fresh and became a popular lunch spot in Ketchikan in the 1960’s and 70’s.  When I returned to Ketchikan in 2002 (the first time in 25 years) I was happy to see Kay’s was still there. New owners- they had bought it from Kay, who had retired.  I asked if they had the all-famous peanut butter pie- indeed, they said. They did, but it was not her recipe.

Kay didn’t give the famous recipe for her peanut butter pie- so they experimented in the kitchen.  They think they finally got the recipe spot-on.  So I had a sample- indeed they had. They said that Kay still frequented the place and noted they had the peanut butter pie on the menu and asked for it.  Since Kay hadn’t given them her recipe, they said “we were always out when she asked for it.”  I asked why they thought Kay was so mysterious about her recipe- “She says she is putting it in her cookbook, and wants to save it for her daughter.”

Nine years later I have the urge to go back to Ketchikan again- this time with my wife and 13-month-old son.  In looking up Kay’s Kitchen the bad news was it is closed, the good news is that Kay Gunderson came out with a cookbook.  So I ordered it—cost me much more to ship it than the twenty dollars they wanted for the book.

The cookbook tells the story of her restaurant, and a bit of her life, then goes through a lot of the recipes I remember growing up in Ketchikan (mom loved the Reuben sandwich). Wholesome meals, heavy with starches, but the kind of fare that one grew up with in the 60’s and 70’s. For me, it was a heavy dose of nostalgia.

There it was- her recipe for peanut butter pie. Two days later, I gathered the ingredients, and was ready to test it with my wife and mother-in-law.  Carefully following her directions- blending the peanut butter and butter, and all the ingredients- I was excited.

Baking the pie exactly – watching over it as a hen would her eggs – taking it out of the oven at the exact point of rising

It didn’t look the same. The color was a darker brown, not the lighter as I remembered.  And served at room temperature? No- not the same as I remember.  Why? Why Kay Gunderson did you do this to us?

There are a lot of recipes for peanut butter pie out there.  The one in Kay’s book is good, tastes more like a Canadian butter-tart (recipe is here).

I hear her daughter has a restaurant in Ketchikan now- I will ask her for the real recipe. Until then, we will continue the search for the perfect recipe.

The closest recipes so far have been the cream cheese, peanut butter no bake ones- but they are a bit heavy.

Back to my lab.

In our quest to find the method to make a perfect chicken breast without over cooking – we have examined poaching, baking, grilling, pan frying, and slow-cooking.  Sous Vide is the clear winner.Have you ever had a piece of chicken that was cooked too long? It comes out tough, dry, and overdone. The more you overcook proteins, the drier and tougher they become.  Sous Vide eliminates this- because the food is cooked at a precise temperature. The Sous Vide water oven keeps a precise temperature usually within 0.1 degree F.  Chicken  cooked Sous Vide  at 148 degrees will never become dry and tasteless.

Sous Vide sounds pretentious but it is quite simple.

First, the seasoned chicken breast is placed into a plastic bag, usually with some herbs. The bag is vacuum sealed and then placed into a water bath that is kept at a constant temperature.

Precise cooking is the reason that the finer restaurants in the United States are cooking Sous Vide Style.  Not just chicken, but pork, lamb, beef, vegetables, eggs, and even fruits. There is no doubt that within a few years, almost every kitchen will have a Sous Vide water-oven.

The chicken is seasoned, placed into plastic then vacuum sealed

.

Placing the herbs in a plastic wrap

This consistency in temperature is impossible to achieve in the standard oven. Cooking a chicken breast at 350 degrees (the standard temperature)   means the outside will be 350 degrees, and the inside will be anywhere from 160 degrees (typically) on up. There is not much room for error- a few minutes longer in the oven and the breast is overdone. Contrast that with the chicken breast made Sous Vide- where the entire breast is at 147 degrees (or whatever temperature you prefer). No over cooking, and if the breast is left in the water oven longer than 45 minutes- it will not over cook.

Removing chicken from the water oven. It has been cooked for about 45 minutes at 147 degrees F

Once the Sous Vide cooked chicken breast is done the breast becomes the basis for a number of other recipes- in this case – chicken Parmesan.  Recipes are in the recipe section. Simply by adding some sauce and mozzarella then quick trip in the oven to melt the cheese (typically five minutes) the dish is ready. This makes it easy to entertain.  Imagine, having the chicken breasts in the Sous Vide water oven when guests come over.  They won’t overcook, and when the time is just about right for them to have dinner- the preparation is simple.

From the Sous Vide chicken breast - we make chicken Parm