The Top Chef Breakfast Sandwich [Recipe]

After watching the latest episode of Top Chef season 10 in Seattle I got inspired to do my version of the quick fire challenge winner dish. The green forest breakfast sandwich about nothing.

InstaSandwich

Ingredients 

½ bunch of Basil 

½ bunch of Parsley 

½ bunch of Coriander 

½ jalapeno pepper 

3 shallots 

4 cloves of garlic 

100 grams of pancetta 

100 grams of chorizo 

3 eggs 

4 slices of bread 

50 grams of grated Gouda cheese 

50 grams of grated Parmesan cheese 

1 Avocado 

Olive oil 

Water 

Milk 

Pepper 

Salt 

Preparation 

Parsley / Basil puree 

Blend the basil, parsley, coriander, shallots, 2 garlic cloves, jalapenos, touch of salt, pepper and add slowly a bit of water into a blender until it gets a pureed consistency 

Eggs 

Beat 2 eggs, some milk, add salt and pepper. On a pan, add a bit of olive oil, lightly fry the pancetta and chorizo, then add the eggs mix, most of the basil puree, and the grated cheese. Cooked like you’re doing an omelette 

Aioli 

On a blender, add 1 egg, a pinch of salt, 1 garlic clove, and a touch of the puree. Blend adding slowly olive oil until it gets a mayo consistency 

Bread 

Drizzle the bread with olive oil and toast it on a hot pan 

Finally add mayo to the toasted bread, add the cooked eggs, some avocado, and enjoy 

Eggs

Preparation

Final product

Eggs remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Pick” 

George: It'll be different this time

Susan: I need someone a little more stable

George: I'm not stable? I'm like a rock. I take these glasses off, you can't tell the difference between me and a rock. I put these glasses on a rock. You know what jumps into most people's minds? Costanza!

Susan: People don't change

George: I change I change. Two weeks ago I tried a soft-boiled egg. Never liked it before. Now I'm dunking a piece of toast in there and I'm loving it

Susan: I'm not a soft-boiled egg

George: And I am not a piece of toast

Susan: I just don't think we have anything in common

George: That's okay. That's good. You think Louie Pasteur and his wife had anything in common? He was in the fields all day with the cows, you know with the milk, examining the milk, delving into milk, consumed with milk. Pasteurisation, homogenization, she was in the kitchen killing cockroaches with a boot on each hand

Susan: Why were there so many cockroaches?

George: Because. There was a lot of cake lying around the house. Just sitting there going with all the excess milk from all the experiments

Susan: And they got along?

George: Yes! Yes. You know. She didn't know about Pasteurization. He didn't know about Fumigation. But they made it work!

London

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Cachapas in Camden

Weather hasn't been nice with Londoners during the last weeks but I had to visit my friend Augusto's new food stand in Camden Lock Market Cachapa Kingdom. Yes the same one of Arepa & Co who prepares amazing Venezuelan arepas in London, now he has a new addition to his repertoire Venezuelan cachapas. 

Cachapa stall

A cachapa is some sort of sweet corn pancake, fresh ground corn mixed with a thick flour battered and cooked as a crepe or pancake, we usually eat cachapas for breakfast or diner, sometimes after a night out drinking. Traditionally we fill it with a special white cheese (Queso de Mano), Augusto sourced an Italian mozzarella that works perfect and it’s quite similar in texture and flavour to our cheese, the proof that it works is that he hasn't received any complaints from Venezuelans so far when they try the cheese, and I assure you we are quite picky with that. 

Possible combinations

You can have other traditional fillings including cheddar cheese, roasted vegetables (not so traditional for us but an all time seller in London), and Augusto's grandma recipe of Carne Mechada (shredded beef). I got mine with mozzarella cheese and it was excellent.

Final product

If you’re around in Camden go there and have a try of Venezuelan cuisine you won’t regret it. 

Keep calm and go to Camden

Corn reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Cadillac” 

Susan: So, was George helpful at all? 

Elaine: Yeah. Oh, yes, yes, he was very helpful. Hmm, because, you know, Art and I were getting into this whole thing about his business. You know he's an importer-exporter 

Susan: Yeah 

Elaine: George felt that I was too adamant in my stand that Art should focus on the exporting and forget about the importing 

Susan: Wait a minute. I thought that Art wanted to give up the exporting 

Elaine: What'd I say? 

Susan: The importing 

Elaine: I did. Uh... 

Susan: So, what does he uh, import? 

Elaine: Uh... chips 

Susan: Oh... What kind of chips? 

Elaine: Potato 

Susan: Ah 

Elaine: Some corn 

Susan: And what does he export? Elaine: Diapers

Cachapa Kingdom (Arepa & Co)

Venezuelan Cuisine

Aprox Damage: £5

Area: Camden

Borough: Camden

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The Best Fajitas in the World

A long time ago, to be more precise 6 years ago when visiting my friend Reuter in Houston my appreciation for Tex Mex food changed completely. It was Reuter’s birthday and we went to eat fajitas at Lupe Tortilla. Yes that’s the name that has been haunting me for six years, that make me compare every fajitas I've eaten with the succulent and perfect beef fajitas I got that day in west Houston. 

Mi Casa es Tu Casa

Pancho Villa Style

Lupe as their motto “Es Pretty Good” a simple not complicated Tex Mex style restaurant in Texas with 12 locations. Vast menu but I would recommend to focus on the Sizzling Fajitas, lime pepper marinated, beef, chicken, shrimp, and pork tenderloin, or even combination of those 1 lb or ½ lb with all the respective trimmings, guacamole, pico de gallo, grilled poblano, cheddar cheese, sour cream, grilled onions, rice, frijoles, and flour or corn tortillas. But it doesn’t end there you can add also, pepper shrimp, jalapeno sausage, grilled shrimp, or pork ribs. 

Tortillas

Corona

Cheese

Queso Flameado

I felt like in the parable of the prodigal son when I was back. Anxious waiting for my fajitas, thinking they might have changed something and now they aren’t as good as they were before. Let me tell you this they were phenomenal. Still the best ones I have had, I think is the juicy beef that is just perfect and it makes the difference. 

Definitely the meat 

Fajitas Time

Mexico reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Pitch” 

Russell: What about you, George? Have you written anything we might know? 

George: Well, possibly. I wrote an off-Broadway show, "La Cocina" actually, it was off-off-Broadway. It was a comedy about a Mexican chef. 

Jerry: Oh, it was very funny. There was one great scene with the chef, what was his name? 

George: Pepe. 

Jerry: Oh, Pepe. Yeah, Pepe. And, uh, he was making tamales. 

Susan: Oh, he actually cooked on the stage? 

George: No, no, he mimed it. That's what was so funny about it.

Lupe Tortilla

T: +1 713 522 4420

Tex Mex

Neighborhood: Upper Kirby

Houston
Twitter: LupeTortilla

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European Fusion in Battersea

I went the other night to Clapham with some colleagues. The place Entree, they define themselves as a quality local, yet unpretentious. Two levels offering a European menu influenced from France and Italy, in a candle light atmosphere and a cocktail bar named Bentley thanks to their piano, where you can have a drink and enjoy the music of the resident pianist.

The place (copyright Entree)

I ordered as started a Rosary goat cheese, pickled beetroot, watercress and mustard vinaigrette salad, and as main a 28 days Dexter Galloway beef rump with rocket and parmesan, thrice cooked chips and béarnaise.

The Menu

Goat Cheese Salad

The food was ok, again nothing amazing, the beef was good, the thrice cooked chips were excellent, but the goat cheese salad was all over the place without any balance. The best of the night was the Bentley bar with the resident pianist playing 80s repertoire.

Dexter Galloway Rump Steak

Chips reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Cadillac” where Susan suspects George is having an affair.

Susan: So, was George helpful at all?

Elaine: Yeah. Oh, yes, yes, he was very helpful. Uhm, because, you know, Art and I were getting into this whole thing about his business. Uhm, you know he's an importer-exporter.

Susan: Yeah.

Elaine: Uhm, George felt that I was too adamant in my stand that Art should focus on the exporting and forget about the importing.

Susan: Wait a minute. I thought that Art wanted to give up the exporting.

Elaine: What'd I say?

Susan: The importing.

Elaine: I did. Uh...

Susan: So, what does he uh, import?

Elaine: Uh... chips.

Susan: Oh. What kinda chips?

Elaine: Potato.

Susan: Ah.

Elaine: Some corn.

Susan: And what does he export?

Elaine: Diapers.

Susan: I'm sorry for bothering you.
Elaine: Oh, no, it's okay.