Spikey Foods

I just realized.. I love food that is protected by spikes! It's probably because I think the hidden treasure inside is worth all that protection..

Chestnuts or marrons here where I live in Switzerland of the sweet variety (only found here in Europe) grow on deciduous trees and come to harvest in the Autumn time. The chestnut is actually not a nut but a fruit- with the burrs of the outside turning yellow and splitting open to release the fruit when ripe.

The creamy, white flesh of the chestnut has to be cooked (most often roasted street side and served in a bag) to soften but has an incredible sweet nutty flavor. One of my mortal sins!

For those of you who know me well, y'all know that my other temptation (besides ice cream) is... Uni! or Sea Urchin. Sorry for not having a picture.. but I don't have on of my own to display. I was just sooooo enthralled by this realization today that I felt compelled to write about it- even without the photo.

Sea Urchins are purple (sometimes brown, green, olive or red but the ones I like to EAT or purple) and considered Echinozoa's with their hard outer shell and globular shape and spikes covering their body. A very distinct flavor, Uni is not for everyone. Essentially eating the 5 perfect tongues of orangy creamy roe- it has a very fishy, distinct sea water taste, and if good uni, very sweet. Although it is mainly synonymous with Japanese food, it is also eaten in many part of the Mediterranean, made into a "cebiche" type concoction in Chile and in part so New Zealand.

Nowadays the best Uni comes from Japan. Small, beautiful tongues of Uni, packed with sweetness and flavor. I pity those who feel the need to cook it- as the slimy creaminess is part of the appeal. Most places in the US have Uni that is farm raised from Santa Barabara (yes and giving me easy access to it at all time whilst in California)

Sweet, delicious and creamy... just like the marron. I see a trend here!

My Favorite Sushi restaurant in San Diego is Zenbu a swanky, upscale small sushi eatery- priding themselves on the freshest sushi. The lounge is good too with great cocktails although the bartender will no longer make Mojito's since it clogs up the dishwasher. The lounge a couple doors down is a great alternative if the actual restaurant is packed. ALWAYS SIT AT THE SUSHI BAR. the sushi chef's take their jobs VERY seriously... and you get your food a lot faster that way ( The service is usually REALLY REALLY REALLY BAD at the tables... a waitress once tried to charge us for Toro when it was clearly just Maguro.. do you KNOW who your messing with missy when it comes to sushi????). If you sit at a table, you will have to wait for them to go out and catch the fish and probably eat your fingers before that point in time...

Zenbu has some definite highlights:
If available: Toro (DUH!)
If still available: Zenbu has a huge live tank in their kitchen- where they have live uni (sea urchin) and live amaebi (sweet shrimp) all taken live out of the tank a la minute and still moving when served to you.
Also quite good are their Tuna tots (not on the menu) with wasabi mayo
AND... although I would never ever ever admit this again- they do have some good rolls- Particularly the Wind-And-Sea (banana and eel- sweetness of the banana compliments the eel very well) and a roll with hamachi and pears (which they no longer have on the menu).

All this sushi speak is making me crave sushi! For those of you "advanced" sushi-ites like myself- don't get irritated by the incompetent scantily clad beach girls who mmmm and aww at california rolls and won't try anything raw.. TRUST me... there are a lot of them there. Enjoy your sushi because it is WONDERFUL.

Zenbu
7660 Faye Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
Tel: 858.454.4540
Hours: Sunday- Weds 5pm - 10:30 pm
Thursday- Saturday 5pm - 1:30 Am