-  Before cooking anything, put a small pot of water on the stove and keep it at a low boil.  Chefs need to taste constantly, but there is absolutely no excuse for putting the spoon used to taste back into the cooking food without first submerging it in boiling water for a good 5 seconds.  I actually prefer if chefs get a new spoon each time, but if that’s not practical, use the boiling water to sterilize the tasting spoon.

-  Be exceedingly wary about food borne illness/cross contamination. I really don’t care about those chefs professing some new found confidence in the safety of animals now in contrast with past sanitary conditions.  I actually think the opposite, unless you clearly know where you’re getting the product and how the animal was raised.  A sad greedy lust for the almighty dollar has driven down the cleanliness/humane treatment and diet of most beef/pork/poultry today.

- Wash hands with soap and hot water frequently.  And for goodness sake, never touch face, mouth, hair etc when in cooking mode.  And speaking of hair, I put mine up in a hat before cooking.  There is no greater food buzz killer than a strand of your homage to Samson in some poor diner’s lobster bisque.

When handling raw meat or poultry:

A.  Use a designated cutting board (mine is distinctly colored red)

B.  Wash everything especially the hands with soap and hot water immediately after task

C.  Try to designate one area of the kitchen for meat/poultry prep and focus stringent cleaning there afterwards

D.  Use a multitude of freshly washed cotton towels, meaning after a few uses, move to a new towel.  Going through 10+ towels per meal should be normal

- Refrigeration.  This point is very important.  In most food, microorganisms exist, and many are helpful or at least harmless, but there is an amount of roughly 1% that are pathogenic.  I have noticed food left out rapidly loses its edibility around the four hour mark.  I can just see it slipping away.  The minuscule amount of bacteria begins to multiply and if left out in the temperature ranges of 60º – 100º, mesophilic bacteria, gobbling up the nutrition of your food, reproduce by fission at an alarmingly fast rate.

So if you are like me and vehemently despise: botulism, staphylococcus, e.coli, trichinella spiralis, and their friends:

1.  REFRIGERATE YOUR FOOD WITH DUE VIGILANCE.

2.  WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND HOT WATER FREQUENTLY BETWEEN STEPS.

Specifically, keep food at these temperatures:

Produce:  40º – 45º

Dairy:  36º – 40º

Eggs:  38º – 40º

Fish/Shellfish:  30º – 34º

Meat/Poultry:  32º – 36º

- Reheating Food

This is an often overlooked reason for food-borne illness.

The rule of thumb is:  Heat the food to at least 165º for a minimum of 15 seconds.  This may require using an instant read thermometer, to make sure.

First song off my cd:  A Year in Los Angeles.

From the cd:

No Prayers Could Ever Save Me from the Love You Never Gave Me.

850 S La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036-4810
(323) 931-3000

Both times I’ve visited, the wait staff and owner were very personable and attentive.

The Wonderful and Charming Ms. Satoe regaled me with tales from her recent trip to dreamy Spain.
She had the No. 5 Pork Burger and I indulged in the special of the day: Burger with tempura battered anchovy, manchego and garlic cloves. OMG. I am now a giant among mortals.

We indulged in the pickles, which were genius. The watermelon rinds tasted of caramel and the spiciness of the other vinegary contenders were a perfect foil.

A childhood weakness haunted me with the troublesome and wickedly irresistible French fries and Onion Rings. So addictive I’m worried.

On a different occasion, with the assistance of the Lovely Viv Savage, the Glittery Jaehi and Captain Jeff, we proceeded to take down the menus offerings.

The Savage

Glitter Girl

The Captain

It’s all quite special.

My Umami Burger.  It’s all that.  Yes it is.

This is my “may I please try a bite of yours” look.

This song leads off the cd “Hieroglyphic Emotions”.

Jaehi and Mae get ready to dine on Kobawoo’s specialties.

Atsuko is the Kobawoo poster girl!

Vivian contemplates the delicacies to come.

The specialty I read the best reviews on Yelp was Daeji Bo Sam.
The pork had much less fat than other restaurants, according to Jaehi.

On a thinly sliced daikon with the pickled mildly spicy condiments.
Like a little Korean taco!

The highly respectable and fun to pronounce Bi Bim Bap followed!
The panchan (little side dishes) were pretty good.

And last but not least, we dug into the seafood pancake: Hae Mul Pa Jeon.
A national favorite for good reason!

My new music project,  Saints & Starlettes, is well on its way.

Each CD, 6 in all, has a different musical take and theme.

A Year in Los Angeles explores the plight of artists from every genre, imagining their name in lights and coming out west to pursue the call.  Acoustic Rock.

In The Trunk is to be played loud (think it goes to 11).  Funk and Rock.

No Prayers Could Ever Save Me from The Love You Never Gave Me is my catharsis.  Melancholia indulged.  Acoustic mixed with Mellow Electronica.

Elements in Continuity – Parallelisms presented itself to me as a pause in time.  Each song took cues from observing 12 different lost ancient civilizations, learning of their advanced highly evolved state and questioning what caused their vanishing.  And wondering will our civilization follow suit.   Spacious Acoustic.

Hieroglypic Emotions This muse reminds me of the ache within us all to communicate, be it by mere silence, through carved symbols, a calligraphied manuscript, a podcast, chat window, an email, a lyric, a conversation.  Still, I am further reminded that even the most open action has its secret side.  Alternative Electric and Acoustic Rock

Grace - worships, adores, appreciates and contemplates my profound love for God.  Not to be confused with the God who is used as an excuse to start wars, judge and condemn others, annihilate peoples and cultures, sit superior in distorted entitlement, while guilting and fleecing the poor of their pennies.  Electronica/Trance

I have been in the process of renovating and reinventing.  In so doing, it’s been heartening to see progress and signs of hope everywhere.  Coincidences, if you will.

Part of feeling more connected to self and to others is the notion that things can get better.  Where there is no hope, the people perish, goes the saying.

These organizations listed below are giving me a great sense of calm and participation.

Global Compassion
-  Helping War Torn and Afflicted Nations:
http://www.womenforwomen.org/

This organization leaves me awestruck.  They’ve been featured on 60 Minutes a few times for the courageous work they’re doing in the Congo.  I am currently sponsoring a woman from Nigeria and it feels so nice to know how much good Women for Women International is doing for victims of war and oppression.  They also are in the following regions of the world:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Iraq
• Kosovo
• Nigeria
• Rwanda
• Sudan

Doctors without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres truly inspire me.  Their courage to help in harsh conditions cannot be underestimated.

http://www.msf.org/

This famous organization is a Christian Non Profit, helping people all over the world have decent affordable homes.

http://www.habitat.org/

- Helping Homeless in the U.S.

Just as I feel the victims of war tend to mostly be those without economic means, namely in large portion: women, the challenges of being a woman struck down in poverty exists on the streets of the United States as well.  Locally the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles is a place where women can make life changing strides with the support of counselors, where there is food and shelter, health care both physical and mental, violence prevention, art therapy and programs to help improve literacy.

The mission of the Downtown Women’s Center is to provide permanent supportive housing and a safe and healthy community fostering dignity, respect, and personal stability, and to advocate ending homelessness for women.
http://www.dwcweb.org/

Global Environmental Healing

Heal The Bay is a great website to learn the grade of cleanliness of your favorite beach… and is often a motivator to get out and contribute to its clean up.  Often just going to the beach with this implement

I got mine at Osh Hardware

and a garbage bag for a couple of hours is the nicest thank you I can give to our beautiful shores.

-  Clean Oceans
http://healthebay.org/volunteer/default.asp

I am quite the neophyte when it comes to contributing to cleaner air.  I have a beastly daily commute to work and I am not yet carpooling.  So this site is giving me a consciousness to finding my contribution or lack there of.

-  Clean Air
http://www.cleanaircampaign.org/

Our Government Acting with Accountability and Conscience

This section has me really excited to participate.  Knowing who is in charge, what is happening with our tax dollars, watching and caring about the course of our nation and its issues and calling out our elected officials when we feel our needs are not met is a cherished responsibility.

-  Know Our Leaders
http://www.whitehouse.gov/
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/

-  Follow The Money
http://www.gao.gov/

Delights: The Brie and Honey Roasted Hazelnuts in Cinnamon Puff Pastry Glazed in Port Syrup, Oven Roasted 8 Ounce Center Cut Served with Gratin Potatoes, Braised Belgian Endive and Pomegranate Jus, Wild King Fillet on a Warm Spinach, Fennel, Red Onion and Tomato Salad with Crispy Potato and Citrus Beurre Blanc.

This restaurant was featured in the movie Sideways.  The food doesn’t disappoint.