Some may ask, where the freak have you been?(Ok maybe the one person reading this) I have been on a fish quest to find the perfect fish for the perfect fish taco. I wanted a fish taco like the ones you get on the beach down the old Baja way. Good news is that I found it and have created it. Check out the educational video about fish and then the creation of the worlds best fish taco. Seasoned and baked to perfection, the cod is then place in a grilled taco shell with cabbage and our own cool Guacamole Ranch sauce. Pick it up and slam it, you will enjoy it I guarantee it

Peace and love

Chef

As all three of you food geeks who follow this blog are aware, Fish Tacos made their re-awakening this week at Costa Vida. From the crystal clean, Ice cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean we landed some delicious Cod fillets. Cod is a very flavorful fish (when cooked right) with a flaky tender texture. Packed with Omega 3’s and just the right amount of fat (don’t panic it’s good fat), cod is the perfect fish for the advanced fish taco eater.

Coated with a jalapeno, honey and cilantro spice, the fillets are baked to order in front of your eyes. Once removed from the oven (not deep fried or from sitting in a steam table all day), these tender fresh baked morsels are place in a freshly grilled tortilla with cabbage and a cool avocado ranch sauce. As healthy as it is good, the new fish tacos pretty much rule and are the best you will find.

I have been asked why cod? and I respond; cod is available year round, comes from clean waters in the Atlantic and is a very consistent product. Fish is just good food and so good for you, especially our fish. Check them out and let me know how they are.

Much Love and Peace and Fish Tacos

Chef

From humble beginnings

Ok, so it has been a while but with the flood of requests wondering where I had gone, I figured it was time again to address my huge following. Actually no one even wondered and my following of 1 must have been on vacation. In reality I felt it necessary to come to the aid of swine or pigs as we know them. First of all, who was the moron to name H1N1 the Swine flu. It has nothing to do with Pigs and now many in society wonder if it is safe to eat pig. Are you kidding me? of course Pork is safe to eat, remember it is the “other white meat”

If you could only be in the Costa Vida kitchen when the sweet pork is slowly simmering with the carrots, onions and chilies. As the aroma of the spices penetrates your olfactory system, you can’t help but give thanks for PORK. You see, after four hours of simmering, the sweet pork emerges tender, fall apart and amazing, and as the chunks of this tender moist delicacy fall onto the pan I can’t help myself from double fisting pieces of meat and carrots and onions (of course when no one is looking). Let’s all celebrate this wonderful animal and eat heaps of sweet pork at Costa Vida.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

CHEF

Greetings my Costa food freaks,

You might be wondering why I was on TV making fresh delicious juice. I love to play with cool kitchen toys and this juicer was way cool. Secondly fresh juices offer incredible health benefits and the taste of fresh produce blended together or by itself is out of this world. The ability to utilize the nutrients of the skin and rind of the produce creates a whole new world of flavor opportunities.

At Costa Vida we use the natural juices to create unique flavor profiles in our food. The juice of cilantro, jalapeno, limes and tomatoes add intense flavor to the Pico de Gallo. The addition of fresh serrano juice and pulp give the kick needed to produce the salsa fresca. The fresh raspberry juice and raspberry pulp combined with the roasted chipotle peppers make the raspberry chipotle sauce to die for.

Vegetable juices are also a great medium in cooking rice, pasta and potatoes. The juices add flavor to any dish that requires liquid in the cooking process. You can also add back in the pulp that was extracted from the juicing process to create texture and substance to the dishes that you are preparing.

When I juiced fresh grapes, whole limes, pineapple, oranges and strawberries, I produced a concoction of Biblical proportion that made me feel warm and fuzzy all over and my love for the juicer toy increased.

Cool Kitchen Toys (juicer)+Fresh Fruits and Veggies=Party in your Mouth

P.S. The almost dance like moves in the video are merely the intense affect of the juice party that was grooving in my mouth

Keep it Hot, Keep it Cold, Keep in Fresh

Chef

Greetings and salutations Costa food lovers,

The sun is out and the weather is warming up and that can mean only one thing, other than golf. It is time to pull out that incredible beast we call the Barby. This is not refering to your childhood sweetheart in the doll form. This has nothing to do with Barbie, although she now drives a mini van and needs bi-focals

I am referring to the Barbecue, that wonderful cooking aparatus that still has remnants (hot dog, chicken and steak drippings) from last years final horrah. Why we neglect this fine piece of equipment all winter has me befuddled.  Nevertheless it is time to clean, lubricate and prepare for battle on the grill. The upcoming blogs will include some pre-season grilling tips and recipes. Here are some pre-season barbecue conditioning or rebuild tips.

1. Clean and grease the wheels, make sure the axle is not bent or broken.
2. If you are lucky enough to own a kick booty pressure washer, use it to remove all foreign matter that is clinging on for dear life. Make sure to dry off the barby after washing.
3. Make sure all gas connections are safety inspected and ready for use.
4. Clean all orifices (on the barbecue) these are those little holes that the flames shoots out of (again on the barbecue). Clean orifices help produce even heat distribution and eliminate hot spots.
5. Fill up the propane tank or start conditioning the wood chips if you do it naturally (no gas).
6. Stand back and fire it up. If the barbecue is still in one piece, get the grill surface hot to burn off any residual objects.
7. Season the grill surface with a grill towel seasoned with a small amount of oil (not Penzoil 10-40 weight but regular old vegetable oil).  Wipe the oil onto the cooking surface to season the grill. This will help reduce the sticking factor. The grill should be cleaned and seasoned after each and every use.

Happy TGIF Costa Vida lovers of fine food. The topic of discussion; Cilantro. Who would have thought that many common weeds of old would evolve into delectable herbs and flavor creating foods. Cilantro grows close to river beds and swampy areas naturally and for a long time was considered like it’s cousin the dandelion (now used in salad mix everywhere) a fairly useless plant. When used fresh, the flavor is intense and the smell of fresh chopped cilantro is second to none. On the other hand, dried cilantro rolled in paper and smoked is not cool and gives off a stank aroma (so I am told).

Cilantro at Costa Vida is part of the life blood that gives many of our dishes a kick of fresh, clean flavor not found in any other food. Cilantro should be used with any combination of fresh fruit and vegetables dishes, including salsas, pico, relishes, purees, stuffings, rice, and the list goes on. When you mix cilantro with fresh lime juice, onions and tomatoes you create possibly the simplest and most pure form of divine cuisine.

Fresh raspberry, lime juice and cilantro ice cream is one of the best things you will ever put into your mouth. Some of you (maybe just one of you, possibly the only one reading this) might be grossed out but don’t knock it until you try it. Experimentation with food leads to happy mouths and satisfied nerve endings. I am currently working on an edible cilantro body wash. Can you imagine how sweet that would be? Go ahead and let your mind wander to the possibilities.

Bottom line, cilantro has evolved into a premium herb that will elevate the flavor of your cooking endeavours. Live it and love it.

Keep it Fresh, Keep it Hot and Keep it Cold

Chef

Listen up Costa Vida Lovers of Good Food. Life is too short to sit and peel fresh garlic gloves with a small knife or with your fingernails. This Oscar Nominated presentation will help show you how to do it the easy way. I can only think of a few things better than fresh roasted garlic, one of those things being, Roasted Green Chili sauce with the roasted garlic in the sauce. The other thing that could possibly be better would be a quick jaunt in an F-16 jet over the valley.

But seriously folks, garlic is an amazing food and will enhance almost every dish that you make, and roasting the cloves gives an incredible sweet flavor and makes it a piece of cake to peel. I would love to hear some roasted garlic stories from you foodie types. I love new ideas and different recipes. Thanks for being a part of Costa Vida and my life

Chef

At the start of this new year, I think it is appropriate to list some New Year Resolutions. Ideas that will help make your food taste better, look more appealing and bring greater raves from friends and family.

10. Resolve to sharpen your knives at least one more time than you did last year, which will probably be a total of 2 times.

9. Man up and take the swim goggles off when cutting onions.

8. Throw out at least 1 small spice can that you purchased in the 70’s. You know which ones they are.

7. Make an attempt to actually bake a loaf of bread, yes from scratch.

6. Try the beef enchilada with the red enchilada sauce and cheese at Costa Vida.

5. Learn to flip and cook eggs over easy without breaking the yolk.

4. Read my blogs and ask for ideas on food.

3. Raise the flavor level of all food you make by 10% by tasting your food before serving it.

2. Go Fresh! Go Fresh! Go Fresh!

And the number 1 resolution for 2009:

1. Feel the exhilaration of preparing a meal wearing only your apron, yep buck naked.