Cookbook Tuesday: Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home

There has been a lot of poultry on my mind lately.  Maybe because it is Fall and the air is a bit crisp Or that the pie contest is on SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!  But I heard this weekend that its going to be crisp 100 degrees in Southern California.  So it's totally Autumn.

When I think of chicken, I think of Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc. 

Oh there's a pig on the cover...

There we go.  We took a trip out to Napa for Memorial Day. While we didn't eat at Ad Hoc, we at at Addendum. I had to try the fried chicken.  We were in this mood where we had to make fried chicken and that the fried chicken from Ad Hoc would be a good control. It was a good as I thought it would be.  Armed with this taste memory, I made the chicken according to Ad Hoc at Home and it was effing delish! 

This book, to me, is the perfect Fall book.

Oh, A summer vegetable gratin? 

Well, uhh, does it look a little familiar? 

FUN FACT: Thomas Keller was the food consultant on the Pixar movie, Ratatouille.

This book is great reference book for almost anything.  Need a Thanksgiving side dish? A chicken pot pie recipe perhaps? Ad Hoc's got it! Thomas Keller's cooking is beyond me, see Per Se. What  I love about Ad Hoc at Home is that it is food for the home and they are easily adaptable.

Want to eat there? Ad Hoc

Eating Out Huy Fong Foods

I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon! Huy Fong Foods is the maker of your pho's BFF, Sriracha. They also make Sambal Olek, and Chili Garlic.  If you have been living under a rock, or just don't care about local/national news, Huy Fong Foods was declared a public nuisance by the city of Irwindale.  During the chili grinding season, the air in Irwindale had supposedly become spicy from the chilies, that eyes were watering and the air had become so thin that people were coughing because they couldn't breathe.  The city has since then had a change of heart. In a great PR move and to celebrate 34 Spicy Years, Huy Fong Food opened up its doors to the loving public to see and experience first hand the chili grinding season. 

So the tour is free? Cool! Oh you get to try the Sriracha ice cream for free? Hella tite! Wait, you get a free shirt and a commemorative bottle of Sriracha? I'm in!   

What they don't tell you is that you get to wear a kick ass red hair net! 

The tour is self guided and if you are like me, you go the wrong way.   

The tour takes you from start all the way to finished product. It starts outside where you can see the peppers trucked in and unloaded. The pepper they use is a mature jalapeno that is grown in Ventura. A little hometown pride here!  They have a 48 hour window from when the chili is picked and then ground, so the peppers have to be somewhat local.  Here and the grinding room are the only places were you notice the air to be "spicy," Not anywhere outside the factory or in other adjacent rooms. I didn't get watery eyes, but Shane got sneezy and I had a few coughs. No tears and it wasn't noticeable outside the factory. You also get to take one of the chilies! This tour just keeps on giving.  

Like an idiot, I lost one of the free ice cream vouchers, but I don't require much and I am a great sharer. 

Then I stole a cart.

 J/k but everyone that works at Huy Fong Foods was super nice and they have a pretty good gift shop.  

The founder, David Tran had cardboard cut outs of himself throughout the factory.  This one was probably the best one. 

This little bottle is so rad!

As you can see in the background, I do have other hot sauces in the mix.  It actually takes us a while to finish a whole bottle.   I love that they opened up their doors, Willy Wonka style and said, "Hey guys! We're just making hot sauce."  

Pretty good party favors if you ask me! 

Take the tour and see it for yourself!  Spots are filling fast and the tours are limited! 

Friday Light Reading

Thank GOD it is fucking Friday right? For me this week was too long and I am ready for the weekend.  Things should be back to normal this week. I hope....

This week a midst the preseason hockey and post tradeshow madness, I was able to make a crust and filling for the KCRW Pie Contest.  I am super nervous!  While I am keeping most of what I do hush hush on the Internets, here are a few pictures of the R and D.  I'm not completely ready to share my recipe as I am making a few tweaks here and there.  I wanted to make sure it is just right! 

Keep it crusty.  Gotta let it sit in the cold! 

I tried carving EEO for Eizelle Eats Out but I'm still working on the art part. 

I'm trying to decide which crust to use... 

Since it's the weekend, I figure why not provide some light reads for you Saturday hangover reading pleasure. 

Ruffles Tumblr: Yeah, I accidentally clicked on a banner ad but this is surprisingly hilarious!

Cleo's Carrot Cake: So you know my love for Jewels of New York by now.  But Cleo the Bunny has a recipe video! AHHHHHHH!!!!! SO CUTE!!!! Recipe in the link!

   

Top With Cinnamon:  New favorite blog. She's like 18 and is having a book published? Jells for sure.  

This Week in SnackChat Part 2.

I either went a little screencap crazy or you guys are sending in lots of SnackChats.  Probably a good combination of both.  Here are the rest of the SnackChats from this week. 

What is this? Tacos for ants?

It's basically a protein style taco. 

 Pass dat shit.

 

I made this in my dreams, with a blindfold.

Whatever this is, I need a dinosaur in a hat.

#saddesklife Sorry bro, I was out of town.

I know those fries. Probably the best fries ever! 

That geo tag tho.

This was actually my meal, but SncakChat'ed by a friend and SnapChat'ed to me. 

I love the weird shit! 

True dat my friend! Unless it's a happy meal.

 Whoa, that is the same red bag in the picture above.

This one came to me this morning. Oh Dustin at least the stove wasn't on.

Thanks friends! Keep them coming! SnapChat user: log.lady

This Week in SnackChat Part 1.

 You may be looking at the calender and asking yourself, "Is today Thursday?" The answer is no, sadly.  I just had a shit ton of SnackChats that I didn't get to post because I was out of town.  So enjoy!

Wait, is Guy Fieri my friend on SnapChat?

A sign of a good fry is when the oil soaks through the paper.

Oh the 80's.

 

You know you are all growns up when you order a root beer float at the bar.

Wait, the buffalo chicken sandwich is not in the Bloody Mary? GETOUTTAHERE!

#cleanplateclub

This Too Shall Pass, from my eyes to my bowels. See what I did there? No?

I can't eat with you.

Good ole' Nachos Barrios.

Touche!

#chinesefoodmonday taking over.

This last picture is not a SnapChat because my sister in law doesn't have the app.  We got this the day after the kiddies birthday party.  The plate is the gift we got them.

It's Cookbook Tuesday Time.....Kinda.

Tuesday is when I share little parts of my bookshelves. When I come to think about it, I have never actually shared my bookshelf.  

I hope you enjoyed that little glimpse into my house.  

When I say it's Cookbook Tuesday, kinda, I mean that today's feature is not really a cookbook at all.  It's a magazine, but at the price they sell it for, it is practically a book.  Cherry Bombe is all part food and some parts fashion.  Let's just say this magazine is right up my alley.  For example, Karlie Kloss is on the cover of issue one making her famous Karlie's Kookies. Other features include the Manrepeller, Alice Waters and April Bloomfield.  This magazine celebrates women and food.  That's so girl power I love it!

I have all three issues to date.  The first two were easy find as they were in the cooking section at Barnes and Nobel. But issue three, with Ruth Reichl on the cover was effing hard to find.  The bad thing, I went a pretty long stretch without it.  The good part, I found it at Madewell.  Again, I feel like this magazine was made for me.  

 There are recipes in the magazine too!

Cherry Bombe introduced me to Diana Yen and if it wasn't for Cherry Bombe, I would have never been Internet introduced to Cleo the Bunny. 

I love reading all the articles and getting inspired. I wish I was creative and a good writer sometimes.  I daydream to live a day in the life of these pages. 

Oh, feature on Christina Tosi? YESSSS!!! LOVE THIS MAGAZINE!

You can buy copies on the Cherry Bomb site

Want more, I listen to Radio Cherry Bombe on Stitcher or here!