Mine is Better: Caprese Salad

Last summer, on a roadtrip down the Pacific Coast to Big Sur, we had a chance to eat at two landmark restaurants: Nepenthe and Sierra Mar at the luxurious Post Ranch Inn. We didn't stay at either place, but camped and ate lunch on two consecutive days. Each restaurant provides an eagle-eye view of the Pacific, but at Sierra Mar your food is on the same level as the coastal clouds. We ordered a $16 Caprese Salad -- a tower of heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil pesto, and extra virgin olive oil. It was amazing.

When we returned home, Jay wanted to try to recreate this simple dish -- however adding more pine nuts and fresh basil leaves. What makes this salad so special is the type of tomato, olive oil, and cheese used, which is why this is best enjoyed in late summer when tomatoes are at their peak.

Here in Seattle, we are fortunate to enjoy Billy's tomatoes from Tonasket, Washington (near the Canadian border). Our favorite olive oil is Trader Joe's California Estate (a steal at $5.99 per bottle) -- grassy, peppery Arbequina olives. Any fresh mozzarella can be used, but the buffalo is a must if you want it to knock your socks off. This also wasn't your typical thick basil pesto with pine nuts blended in. It was fresh basil oil with toasted pine nuts on top. Delicioso!

Mine is Better ... or As Good: Eggs & Grits

Often, when eating at a restaurant, Jay will say "Meh. Mine is better." I get inspired to try cooking something when someone I know (who is not a James Beard award winner) does something brilliant with very few and simple ingredients. Case in point: grits. I just traveled to the South, near my birthplace, and still do not understand this complex starch. However, my friend Tristan once made for an amazing breakfast in Portland of grits and poached eggs -- especially with a tremendous bowl of cappuchino (which, sadly, I no longer imbibe). It was phenomenal!

So I returned home to Seattle, bought some boxed grits and applewood smoked bacon, and tried my hardest to replicate Tristan's wonderful feat. I added a leaf of spinach, dusted the eggs with some cracked pepper, and drizzled it with olive oil. Poaching is a world unto itself, with multiple if not infinite variations; my favorites include dropping the eggs into a pan of boiling water and a generous slosh of apple cider vinegar, covering with a lid, and removing 3-5 minutes later with a slotted spoon. These I believe I made with the flexible green patent-pending poachers acquired at our local Metropolitan Market. They were almost as good as Tristan's -- plus, with pork!