November 2009 Exercise – Robert Wilson, Sous Chef, Wingate University, Wingate, NC

Mini crab cakes w/ a strawberry and habanero pepper puree and beef tenderloin w/ roasted red pepper and chocolate demi-glaze

To participate in the next exercise, please send an e mail to: jeffrey@bauscherinc.com

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http://deepplate.wordpress.com and “Deep Plate” on Facebook

November 2009 Exercise – Domenic Battistella, Executive Chef, Red Rocks Café, Huntersville, NC

Autumn Venison Duet
Pumpkin infused tar tare, pine smoked olive oil foam, yoke
Cinnamon coffee roasted tenderloin, Chilhuacle roast pumpkin, pickled fennel

To participate in the next exercise, please send an e mail to: jeffrey@bauscherinc.com

See all your favorite chefs’ collections of past submissions at the Deep Plate page on Facebook.  Please become a “Fan”. 

http://deepplate.wordpress.com and “Deep Plate” on Facebook

A San Francisco artist who was chosen by city officials to paint a mural on Market Street was stabbed last weekend, and his paint was stolen while working on the piece.

Glen Park resident Jason Hailey, known among artists as “Chor Boogie,” has been painting a 100-foot-long mural in the 1000 block of Market Street as part of a series of city projects intended to beautify the seedy strip and attract more pedestrians and bicyclists.

But on Saturday, the aerosol artist became a victim of that effort.

While working on the colorful mural around 7:15 p.m., Hailey was attacked by three male assailants after a female swiped one of his spray cans, according to reports from the artist, his agent and those corroborated by the Police Department…

…The stabbing occurred about two weeks after Mayor Gavin Newsom held a media event on mid-Market Street to tout recent improvements in the area, including a largely expanded police presence.

During the event, Newsom said the area was being patrolled by 32 beat officers, 16 per shift, which is double the number prior to the changes. At one point, the mayor helped paint a portion of Hailey’s mural after the artist handed him a spray can.

Mike Aldax, [sfexaminer.com]

Holly and I were doing some geocaching yesterday  when we came upon Bertee’s, near Fortville, Indiana.

Neither of us had ever been here, or even heard of it, for that matter.
It’s kind of out in the middle of nowhere, and I don’t recall ever seeing
them advertised.

Bertee’s bills itself as a “family friendly sports cafe’ ” and they’ve hit
it spot on.  There are two sections, family dining, and a pub side, and both of them are non smoking.  Both sides offer miltiple large screen TVs, and there were several families in there watching the Colts when we visited.

Let me say up front that I LOVE this concept…a family pub.  There’s a nicely appointed game room, live music on the weekends, sports all the time, and aways some menu special for the kids.  The atmosphere is pleasantly noisy
and busy without being overwhelming.

We were greeted by a host and promptly seated, and our service throughout the meal was nothing short of outstanding.

Looking through their menu, their speciality seems to be pizza and wings. They also have a full compliment of sandwiches, salads, and steaks on their menu.

And, they have a breaded tenderloin on their menu, so that’s what I ordered!

The first thing that I noticed is that the sandwich is HUGE…and THIN.
Matter of fact, far too thin for my liking.  It’s pounded out near paper
thin, and that’s the problem with this sandwich.  It’s so thin, I really
never could get a good taste of meat, it’s near all breading.  I can’t give
the flavor of the meat a fair shake, because I never got enough of it in a
bite to really taste it.

The breading was pretty…well, average.  It was nice and crunchy, but there was nothing that set it apart from a thousand other tenderloins out there.

On the plus side, the sandwich is very large and filling, and the price is right..  $7.99 and that includes your choice of fries or chips.  The fries were really very good…the high point of my meal. There were plenty of condiments, and the sandwich was served exactly as I ordered it.
On the minus side…it was far too thin, and perhaps just a bit overdone. It wasn’t a bad sandwich, it just wasn’t a  great sandwich.  As we left, I told Holly I was “full, but not satisfied”.  I’m going to give Bertee’s breaded tenderloin sandwich a 2.5 out of 5 bites…just average.
If you’re not searching specifically for a great tenderloin, I AM going to recommend you visit Bertee’s for some pizza, or wings, or even a steak.  The service is well above average, and the atmosphere is quite fun.  A family could have a lot of fun here, and we will visit again to watch the game with friends.

I’ll pass on the tenderloin, though.

Bertee’s is located at 10462 Olio Road in Fortville, Indiana.  You can also
visit their website here.

In today’s Sunday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle in the Bay Area section, Wonderland was featured on the front page. Follow the link below for the whole story.

Wonderland Brightens Tenderloin, Artists’ Spirit

“San Franciscans have an endless supply of museums, galleries and exhibit space to visit when they need their art fix. But over the past few weeks, some of the city’s most eye-catching, conversation-sparking art has been available free of charge and in perhaps the city’s unlikeliest space: the streets of the Tenderloin.”
-From the article.

Friends! Raise your voices and sing with me a song of the city’s salvation, and join us as the silent speak once more and walk again down yesterday’s forgotten streets. For today we have found a kindred soul, and she has given my beloved tenderloin the gift of a grand work of exquisite beauty.
She has also given me the chance to say that SHE is one of US! That THIS is Last Call, San Francisco, that THIS is what I ‘m talking about! She…she..
…She feels me, yo!

Her Mural On the corner of Golden Gate and Jones sublimely invites the ghosts of those very streets to shine once more and forever,  to slough off their opulent decay and let  forgotten elegance be restored to the crumbling ruins of their faded facades.

The granite heart of the Hibernia, hard and cold like a banker’s, has all but rotted away from the inside. But now she is lifted once more, freed from a sink of disrepair by the call of the spirits of San Francisco’s former splendor. The memory of her imposing walls is captured forever in golden light, made immortal at the hands of the preserving angel, Mona Caron.

Her work, rich in detail and history, is a true masterpiece of technique that brilliantly encapsulates the tenderloin within its self, a tongue- in-cheek picture in a picture, a reflection of the many faces and people that make this neighborhood what it is.

Each one of the characters that line her painted streets seems entirely unique and familiar, as though they actually were portraits of the local fixtures, painstakingly rendered in miniature. Deceptively simple outlines convey volumes, while each understated stroke of the brush gives a subtle sense of ease to their movement.


I also would like to point out that she painted this mural with all of its clean, fine lines on a bumpy-ass rough stucco wall. Go ahead and try that if you think it’s easy. It’s not. The Dead don’t have hands that steady.

The sky above mid market is a mirror of hers, down to the deep velvet quality of the ethereal dusk light,
where throughout it all our favorite little landmarks are hiding in plain sight, waiting for us like old friends until we thrill in their discovery and can be brought together by the unifying recognition of the famously familiar.

From the little known…

to the infamous…

to the historic…

They let us know this is Home.

This is Home forever.  Regardless of development’s haste and the invasive monolithic towers that spring up to leave us in shadow, regardless of the ongoing urban renewal projects that displace the poor and leave our once colorful neighborhoods sterile and homogeneous, and regardless of the burgeoning temperance movement that will soon herald the REAL Last Call for San Francisco, we will remain here through it all.

And beneath the trendy heaps of glass and corrugated sheet metal that dot the skyline, the soul of the city rests her bones of brick and masonry,  her tired flesh of bedrock and steel, while she waits for the day the  fault line beneath her decides to crank up the heat and clear out the kitchen once more.

But until that day we need not be despairing of our loneliness, for the ghosts of old San Francisco will always offer reassurance, a reminder, a promise they tell us “We will never be strangers here.”
So say the ghosts who thank you, Mona Caron, for a such a joyous memorial,

… and such a fitting tribute.

San Franciscans have an endless supply of museums, galleries and exhibit space to visit when they need their art fix. But over the past few weeks, some of the city’s most eye-catching, conversation-sparking art has been available free of charge and in perhaps the city’s unlikeliest space: the streets of the Tenderloin.

It’s called Wonderland, and it took dozens of artists, most of them local, working for a year and virtually for free to produce the 15 large-scale installations.

There are giant wood frames wrapped in shiny silver material on the rooftops of the Warfield theater and Showdogs, a sausage joint across the street. A sound installation of recorded voices of Tenderloin residents singing and telling their stories. A big, hot pink, platypus-looking creature on wheels inspired by whimsical drawings by children.

There’s no wine and cheese opening for this exhibit – and you might have to walk past panhandlers and drug deals to see it. But for Lance Fung, curator of the show that closes Nov. 15, that’s what makes it worthwhile.

“Will a show at the MOMA change someone’s life? No, you have to save 20 bucks to go there,” he said. “I’m surprised that a project like this hasn’t happened yet in San Francisco.”… [SFGate]

J and M Smokehouse is a new BBQ restaurant just west of Indianapolis, in the town of Clermont.  It’s in the same building as The Staging Lane bar, and close to the entrance of Indianapolis Raceway Park.  Naturally, the decor is racing related, with posters, photos, and other racing items hung from the walls, ceiling, and just about every other imaginable place.

Although it’s a rib restaurant, they offer several other menu items,
such as angus burgers, prime rib, and lunch specials such as stuffed peppers and scalloped ham and potatos.

When I saw they had a tenderloin on the meno, offered grilled or breaded, I was torn.  After all, it’s a RIB restaurant.  But who am I to pass up a breaded tenderloin, especially when I learned that they’re hand cut and breaded when you order them.

The meat itself is quite tender and juicy…really, nothing short of
spectacular.  On of the best pieces of meat I’ve ever had.  The breading? Just as good.  Nice and cruncy, great flavor and texture, that perfectly compliments the taste and texture of the meat.  The sandwich is served on a nice, fresh, bun, and the condiments are plentiful and served on the side so you can dress the sandwich as you wish.

And the price?  $6.95, and that includes an order of not french fries, but FRESH fries, as they call them.  The fries were just as spectacular as the sandwich..absolutely outstanding.

As I was eating this sandwich, I thought to myself  “Why don’t more people know about this place?”….part of it is because they’ve only been open for 5 weeks.  And part of it might be because they’re a bit off of the beaten
path.  If you’re craving a good..no, make that a GREAT breaded tenderloin sandwich, do yourself a favor and give them a try, because I’m giving them a 5 out of 5 bites…as good as it gets.

A word about their ribs…..Holly choose the sampler platter which included pulled pork, ribs, brisket, and chicken.  Since it was a sampler platter, I had to sample a bit of it.  I believe they were the best ribs I’ve ever had,
the pulled pork had a wonderfully smoky flavor, and the brisket and chicken was simply delightful.

J and M Smokehouse is located at 10725 E Highway 136 in Clermont.  You can visit their website at:  http://jandmssmokehouse.com/

"The Mona Lisa"

If you’re in the Bay Area this Saturday there’s some pretty cool FREE stuff going on over at the Shooting Gallery — a Stencil Workshop (spray paint provided by Montana) and you can bring t-shirts and stencils from home or create stencils there and work on a giant wood panel they’re installing in the alley beside the gallery.  That fun will be followed by a Street Art Lecture with Apex, Vulcan and Neonski talking about their signature “Super Burner” murals (some of which have as many as 500 colors in them).

All the deets are right here.

OK, so you’re thinking,  “Coffeehouse???  I thought  this was  a tenderloin only blog….”

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse is not only a coffeehouse…but also a full service restaurant, with a bar, and a complete menu ranging from breakfast, to lunch specials, to steaks for dinner.

Cornerstone is located at the corner of 54th and College, in the same building that houses Moe and Johnny’s, and they appear to have identical menus.  The coffeehouse has a nice patio for outside dining, and an attractive, wood paneled dining room.

The Cornerstone has a “neighborhood bar” feel to it, and it’s obvious that this restaurant has earned a loyal following.  While having lunch, we saw several customers being greeted  by name as they entered.

I ordered, of course, the breaded tenderloin.  Although I’ve eaten here before, I believe this was the first time I’d had the tenderloin.  I expected it to be good, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The meat itself is as moist and juicy as any tenderloin I’ve sampled….far above average.  It was pounded, but not paper thin, but the perfect thickness to give you a nice sized bite without being overwhelming.

The breading is nice and crisp, and extremely flavorful.  It made me wonder, this sandwich is as good as any in Indy, but is largely overlooked by the media.  In several recent articles and surveys, I’ve not seen it mentioned, yet it stands up well against any tenderloin sandwich in town.  It’s served on a nicely toasted bun, and goes for $7.35 with chips.  Fries or Onion Rings  (which were excellent, by the way) will set you back around $1.00 more, certainly worth the price.

I’m tempted to add this sandwich to the 5 bite hall of fame….but there is one thing that prevents me from doing that…the service.  The service isn’t terrible, but it’s a lack of attention to details that keeps Cornerstone in the category of a very good restaurant, instead of a GREAT restaurant.  I ordered my sandwich with mayo and onion only  (stressing to the server the word  “only”), and she brought it with onion and mayo.  And lettuce, tomato and pickle.  The problem with that is that the tomato and pickle soaked into the bun before I had a chance to pick it off of the bun, giving me flavors on the sandwich I didn’t want.  Add to that just generally slow service…I can’t give it in good conscience a 5 out of 5.

I will give it a 4.5 out of 5….certainly worth driving across town, especially if you’re not in a hurry for lunch.  If the Cornerstone pays more attention to the little details, I have no doubt they’ll be one of the standout restaurants in the Broad Ripple Area.
Cornerstone Coffee is located at 651 E 54th Street in Indianapolis.

A Tenderloin adult nightclub that earned the ire of neighbors and city officials alike for noise and violence was ordered closed by a Superior Court judge Wednesday.

The club recently closed its doors voluntarily after the City Attorney’s Office filed a motion to shutter the nightclub, which would often operate after hours. The court ordered the club to stay closed for one year.

The City Attorney’s Office complained of “illicit drug sales, prostitution, extended hours permit violations, illegal alcohol consumption, noise nuisance violations, and repeated episodes of violence and disturbances of the peace in the surrounding neighborhood, which includes nearby senior housing.”

Even more intriguing was that the owner of the building, Terrance Alan, also serves on The City’s Entertainment Commission, which is set to receive broad powers to discipline problem nightclubs throughout San Francisco.

On Monday, Alan apologized to the Board of Supervisors City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee about his tenant Pink Diamonds, and he promised to assist in evicting the operators. [sfexaminer.com]

Challenge Dairy sent me a little gift pack and a challenge to create a holiday appetizer. I didn’t grow up eating a lot of the traditional holiday fare…..I’m Puerto Rican so we do things a little different. I thought a little bit about what a good appetizer would be and I had some turkey tenderloin that I had sitting around after the 24, 24, 24 adventure so I decided to make a rub with the spices they sent me that consisted of chipotle, fennel seed, and beau monde.

Then I butterflied the tenderloin and stuffed it with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Then I trussed it.

Then I seared it in Challenge Butter that I clarified.

After I had a nice sear on the outside I placed the pan in the oven until I reached 155F. I removed it, let it rest then took the same pan and made a Beau Monde Ala Minute Sauce and whisked it all together with the Oxo whisk they sent me. Served it over some sauteed zucchini with a little baby arugula…..ta-da!

Ingredients:

• Turkey tenderloin,   Brined in a sugar and salt mixture for 2 days
• Roasted pumpkin seeds
• Challenge Butter
• Spice Islands Chipotle, Beau Monde, and Fennel Seed seasoning
• Baby arugula
• Zucchini
• Shallot, minced
• White Wine

Procedure:

1. Butterfly the tenderloin and stuff it with roasted pumpkin seeds
2. Rub it with the spices
3. Place in pan with hot clarified butter then sear each side
4. Place entire pan in the oven at 325F….cook until internal temperature reaches 155F…remove and let rest
5. Pour off excess liquid in pan then pour in a little more butter
6. Toast shallot in sauce
7. Deglaze with white wine and remove from heat and add a little Beau Monde seasoning and Challenge Butter
8. Whisk
9. Serve over Turkey Tenderloin

Enjoy,

Eric

Art in Storefronts (AIS) launched on Friday with a celebration featuring live bands and the students of LINES Ballet. AIS is the latest project in the Tenderloin / Central Market district — Wonderland, the East-bound traffic closure on Market, and yet another building-scale mural.

Find Yourself in Natural History, Helen Bayly and Leeanne Miller. (pictured, left)

…”At the end of October, San Francisco will launch Art in Storefronts, a collaboration between the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and the San Francisco Arts Commission that will fill 20 unused storefronts in four neighborhoods with the work of local artists. The goal is twofold: to spruce up areas that have seen high vacancy rates and to help support artists in a down economy.

There may eventually be another benefit, says Lisa Pagan, who runs San Francisco’s business improvement districts program. “The hope is that this may help people look at individual storefronts in a more positive way,” she says. Translation: get enough art lovers to traipse up and down a certain block and maybe some of them will start thinking about what a great place it would be to rent a storefront for their business.”  [time.com]

Wonderland art exhibition in the Tenderloin

Wonderland is a large-scale outdoor exhibition in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, and runs from Oct 17^th to Nov 15^th. Seventy eight local and international artists participated in the project and collaborated with the residents. The exhibition features all aspects of the Tenderloin, including its rich history and negative issues such as underground sex trade, drug trade, homelessness, illegal immigration to name a few. Tenderloin is the most intensely populated district and there are 4000 children who live here.

The initiative of the exhibition is to bring hope and change to this seediest, and most dangerous neighborhood of San Francisco, however, I think that it is not going to be easy.

The artists alone can’t help decrease the drug trade and crime rates in the Tenderloin. Art can’t evoke the influence of the crazy people and criminals. As we all know, some residents of the Tenderloin basically consist of the  homeless, drug dealers, prostitutes, seedy-looking transsexuals and people with mentally illness. The crowd is extremely dangerous and scary. One day I saw a woman vomiting and peeing on a trash can, and in another day a seedy looking guy screamed in my ears. Most of our normal people get very scared while walking through this area. I know the power of art is tremendous but in the case of the Tenderloin, reinforcement of safety and security is much more important.

Sliced pork tenderloin on a bed of quick-cooking couscous

One tenderloin prepared as directed will yield 3 servings, while the couscous and salad will serve 4 to 5. It is easy to make two tenderloins, just double the rub amounts and continue as directed.

1 (approx. 1 pound) whole Pork Tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
Kosher salt
3 cups small cauliflower florets (1/2 to 1-inch pieces)
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large shallot, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup couscous
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 small white onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 400′ F. Sprinkle the salt onto the garlic clove and mince together until the garlic and salt forms a paste. Mix in the 1/4-teaspoon cumin and 1/8-teaspoon ceyanne.

Trim the tenderloin removing most of the tough silverskin. Cut a couple of inches off the thin, pointy end so that you have a more uniform shape – it will cook more evenly. Save the small piece for another use. Rub the garlic mixture all over the pork and leave at room temperature about 30 minutes.

Prepare the Salad: cut each grape tomato crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces. Thinly slice and then chop the onion into 1/2-inch lengths. Mix together the tomato, onion, cilantro, vinegar and salt (about 1/4 teaspoon). Taste for seasoning and adjust with additional vinegar or salt as needed. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Prepare the Couscous: Mix together the 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon tumeric and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Put the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss gently. Place into the hot oven. After 15 minutes, add the shallot slices and chickpeas to the pan and roast an additional for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender. Right after placing the chickpeas in the oven, heat the chicken broth on high in a small saucepan. As soon as it reaches a boil, stir in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and the couscous. Immediately remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and stir in the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas. Drizzle the teaspoon of vinegar over the couscous and toss. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Finish the Pork Tenderloin: Heat an oven-proof frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Sear the pork tenderloin, 2-3 minutes per side or until nicely browned. Put the pan into the 400′ oven for 15-17 minutes (you can do this while the cauliflower is still cooking) . When done, remove from oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2-thick medalions.

Serve the salad, couscous and sliced pork together on warmed dinner plates.

After the Wonderland lick-off in Boeddeker Park on Saturday, Lance Fung let a tour through the neighborhood.

FEAR HEAD (pictured to the right) is a collaborative mural designed by Roman Cesario and Mitsu Overstreet and installed by a large team of local street artists. The work is is based on the theme of Fear revolving around the Tenderloin. The image will evoke literal and narrative issues that surround the neighborhood coming from within the community and outside of it as well. [wonderlandshow.org]

The show is open until November 14, and it’s free and open to the public.

Also, ABC 7 News did a story on Wonderland on October 16, the night before the opening.

See us on the news here: