Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 7, 2010

This, That, and 
That Other 
Thing 

 THIS: I was out walking 
the Boulevard (Sierra 
Madre that is) Tuesday 
night with friend Cindy 
and her Maltese four-legged 
beastie who answers to the name “Sparky” and who 
should answer to the name “Sir Barks-a-Lot.” In 
the neighborhood of Charcuterie we ran into Scott, 
coincidentally the owner and Chef extraordinaire 
of Charcuterie. 

 Scott invited Cindy, Sparky and I to join an ad 
hoc think tank discussing new items designed to 
enhance his already tantalizing menu. In a nano-
second Cindy’s shouted out her latest passion (at 
least the one with which I am most familiar) sweet 
potato fries. Scott said, “Done.” He was already 
offering them. Sparky kept uttering the words 
“chicken, bacon, steak, chicken, bacon, steak, 
chicken, bacon, steak.”

 When all eyes fell on me I first made Scott promise 
he would not remove the Reuben sandwich from 
the menu (he assured me.) I told him I was satisfied 
and invited him to comment. He uttered possibly 
the greatest word in the English language…
DESSERT.

 No, not as in Sahara. Rather, as in yummy. 
He is making all his own sweet delights and has 
opened a dessert research and development wing 
of Charcuterie. Cindy, Sparky and I have signed on 
to be proverbial “lab rats.” Being a rather vocal lab 
rat, Cindy immediately backed Scott up against the 
wall imploring him to add banana cream pie and a 
HFS! What’s a HFS you ask? 

 HOT FUDGE SUNDAE! Cindy said build them 
and they will come! Scott said his would be the best. 
And on your behalf, the lab rat coalition is going to 
hold Scott to his sacred pledge. I’ll even buy one for 
fellow columnist, Stuart Tolchin.

 There is also a lemon meringue pie in the works, 
cheesecake, crème bruleé and more. For the global 
warming crowd: Sorbet in a variety of flavors served 
with fruit for those hot summer days. 

 Keep your eyes, ears, nose and palate close to 
Charcuterie in the upcoming weeks. 

 THAT: Now, switching gears, I wanted to offer 
up a couple of deep cerebral thoughts that one 
might ponder while on vacation. This is offered as 
a service just to keep those minds working during 
their inevitable downtime. Ready?

 Why is it called “after dark” when it really is “after 
light?”

 How come abbreviated is such a long word?

 Why do we have to wash bath towels? Aren’t we 
clean when we use them?

 Why do we say something is out of whack? What 
is a whack?

 Why is “phonics” not spelled the way it sounds?

 And for all you existential intellectuals: Doesn’t 
“expecting the unexpected” make the unexpected 
expected? Think about it till your head hurts.

 FINALLY, THAT OTHER THING: A great 
deal of energy has been expended shutting down 
the recent proposed water rate hike. Now, as we 
all (should) know, a rate increase is ultimately 
inevitable and necessary. So, why not switch gears, 
stop complaining, and start expending effort into 
figuring out what we have to do? The city council 
has made a commitment to get out and amongst us 
to hear the will of the people. Let’s hold them to that 
pledge and start coming up with ideas. 

 I know. Maybe we can discuss it over hot fudge 
sundaes at Charcuterie!

RICH Johnson

7

Food & Drink

 
Mountain Views News Saturday, August 7, 2010

TABLE FOR TWO 

By Peter Dills

The Great Potato Wars

 How’s that for an epic 
battle? Stick’em up while 
I salt you. Certainly, 
when you take prisoners 
here, they are never returned. From time to time, I will 
sprinkle in the subject of comfort food or Americana. 
No one knows for certain which - mad genius or Betsy 
Ross - created the French fries, but Americans have 
certainly embraced the yellow strips of sunshine as 
our own. Just like the sun, I have cut back over the 
years, because I know that the better the fries the more 
likely the oil used is fattening. Last week I went to an 
Angel Game and, as a gesture of my thankfulness, 
I invited my host to have a beer after the game. He 
suggested the Gastropub in Monrovia. I have been to 
The London Pub a few times and I liked the upbeat 
servers, clean surroundings and ($9) glass of “J” 
Champagne. 

 Going here reminded me of the question. Why can’t 
everyone, or at least more restaurants, offer the other 
vegetable, French fries? It has got to be the common 
and unglamorous label that the fry has been given. I 
think it goes something like this: the restaurant owner 
spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on their 
kitchens and furniture, while the ubiquitous fries is 
so conventional, so everyday, that they simply can’t 
envision that plain item on the menu after all the 
toil and expenditure they have invested to give their 
restaurant presence and swagger. This is not to pick on 
the Monrovia pub alone, but I was hoping for better 
fries. You would be amazed at the number of places 
that don’t have fries, or dare I say, Un-American plates 
of French fries. So, what is the best type of potato to 
use with a fresh French fry? I went to Vons and asked 
the produce guy that very question. He said most use 
a Russet Potato, so I bought one, for less than a buck 
and I am sure the restaurants pay less. That night I 
cleared the kitchen and began my experiments. I was 
getting them up to an acceptable level but something, 
just something, was absent from these fries. I called 
my friend Robin Salzer from Robin’s and he said. 
OHHH No!!!! Russet is what they cut and freeze; 
the best potatoes are the Kennebec Potato. All the 
restaurants that know their salt in the potato wars use 
the Kennebec!!! In’ Out uses them, as does Island’s. 
The secret is that they have less starch and water, 
which gives them more flavor when frying. Have 
you ever had Belgium fries? They are great but they 
will set the pocket book back, in fact ($8) in my most 
recent order. They are Kennebec fries as well, but twice 
cooked. 

 Thus, the Kennebec is the winner and undisputed 
champion. If you want to know where you go for 
French Fries? Email me at the chefknows@yahoo.
com. Can you pass the ketchup?

Taste of Sierra Madre

 Join me on Saturday, September 11th 9:00 am – 
4:30 pm for the First of what I am certain will become 
an annual event. Join this inaugural event in Sierra 
Madre’s Kersting Court. Enjoy food samples from 12 
restaurants and the Farmers’ Marketplace. Sample 
the Sierra Madre Police and Fire department cook-
off at noon; witness live music on the hour starting 
at 1 pm with special 
guests, and patriotic 
songs to close the 
event at 4:30 pm. 300 
Limited tickets for 
VIP Coolest Kitchen 
tours 9:30 am - 1:30 
pm. Visit Savor the 
Flavor, Best Buy 
Drugs., $20 General 
Admission. Phone: 
(626) 355-3471.

 Listen in or lose 
out, this Sunday at 5 
PM my radio show 
on 790 Talk Radio 
KABC


Ask jai……


Ask jai is a weekly column that will strive to honestly answer your job search 
questions relating to job searching techniques, networking skills, resume 
writing and interviewing. The employment situation is getting better, however, 
it is still a challenge finding were the jobs are located and how to get pass the 
“gate-keepers”. As an Executive Recruiter I was privy to working directly 
with Corporate Recruiters and understanding their process in selecting which 
candidates to interview and hire. I will candidly answer your questions, 
possibly bluntly answering you questions, but I will be totally honest. My 
objective is to help you achieve your employment goal. 

Q: I have been applying for jobs for the past 2 years. I now have a gap in 
my work history. It’s obvious on my resume that I have been unemployed 
for 2 years. I don’t want my resume to look like I have not been doing 
anything. What should I do? Jane P.

Dear Jane P

 Employers have been more understanding during the past few years regarding unemployment gaps, 
given the current state of the economy and unemployment. I would suggest that you include in the 
Work History section of your resume any significant length of time spent doing volunteer activities, 
self-employment, care-giving, traveling, or any training that would be relevant to the position you are 
seeking. This section should be similar to the rest of your resume. Include the organizations name, 
your responsibilities and list of your accomplishments. 

Q: I’ve e-mailed hundreds of resumes and cover letters over the past month and have not received one 
response from any employer. My background is sales and marketing. What should I do? Baffled

Dear Baffled

 Some employers are waiting to see if you are pro-active and aggressive in pursuing a position with 
their company. This is especially true if you are seeking a position in sales and marketing. First step 
is to develop a follow-up action plan and timeline. Allow 5-7 days between communications. Send 
an e-mail to the employer stating that you are following up regarding the resume you sent and let 
them know that you are still interested in the position, offer that you are available for any questions 
or interview at their convenience. Then make a telephone call and try not to leave a voice message. 
If you have to leave a voice message be prepared to express yourself professionally. Next, mail a hard 
copy of your resume and letter to the employer. Possibly make another follow-up telephone call. 
Your communications should always be positive and not overly aggressive in tone or manner. Finally, 
decide when to stop contacting employers who are not responding. There is a fine line between 
becoming annoying and aggressive. Continue applying, reaching out and sending your resume to 
other employers until you find that position. 

Q: I am invited to lunch by the company recruiter and the hiring manager for a second interview. Does 
this mean they want to hire me? Charles

Dear Charles

 Employers usually conduct lunch interviews to assess your social and communications skills in a 
public setting. Treat lunch interviews as a continuation of the employer’s screening and interviewing 
process. Do not relax. Dress professionally and brush-up on your table manners. Do not drink alcohol 
or order expensive food. Be prepared to ask and respond to questions. Within 24 hours after lunch 
send a thank you note or letter to the recruiter and hiring manager. 

 
There’s yet another breaking 
news story about the state of Net 
Neutrality, and some of the big 
players are yet again angling for 
advantage in what looks to be a 
deal of blockbuster proportions 
for all parties involved. The details 
of the completed or un-completed 
deal will be available for public 
display soon enough. This matter 
bears significance in that it shows 
in no uncertain terms exactly how 
the ever-murkier issue of Net Neutrality will be decided once and for all. The issue of Net Neutrality 
suffers from no shortage of available information, both public and private, attempting to educate 
consumers on the pros and cons of either position and, if one reads either position long and deep 
enough, one would be hard-pressed to decide against the arguments being made in favor of one side 
over the other. 

 What’s also becoming clearer is that with the FCC deciding to opt out of the process of forging 
a sensible plan whereby telecoms, content providers and consumers would all benefit from decisive 
action and clear delineation as to what each was required to contribute and what each could expect 
from a Net Neutrality plan, You, We and Us as consumers look to be the only parties involved that 
will actually be neutral, as in having no effect or input on any decision reached. The FCC was the only 
entity involved that had any real obligation at all to look out for the interests of the consumers in these 
transactions. 

 As it stands now Big Business will once again be crafting and enforcing the policies that will affect 
access to and content delivered on what is arguably the most important technological innovation in 
the last generation. They will most likely be writing the legislation that will pass into law concerning 
this issue and ,we as taxpayers, will eventually be subsidizing this private enterprise even though it has 
now pretty much evolved into a must-have public utility, as more and more of our telecommunications 
are swallowed by (and interestingly enough, sprang from) our telecom infrastructure in the first place. 

 The reason why this issue matters at all is that the freedom of innovation, access and content that 
grew the Internet in the first place is now in danger of being usurped by the biggest players in the 
marketplace. Their reasons for their insistence on a new state of affairs will probably sway an already-
compliant marketplace into complying even further with their new demands, but we will end up 
paying for and subsidizing an Internet that costs more and delivers less. Now that the FCC appears 
to be opting out of the game, the consumer will have even less input into how things eventually turn 
out. But don’t worry. Consumers have long become accustomed to accepting less and paying more and 
will make the necessary adjustments yet one more time without too much fuss. The real shame in the 
matter is that, in this case, those who do care are too small to do anything about it and those who don’t 
care are too big to have to care. George Carlin had a rant about the real owners of this country and went 
on and on about how they always end up getting what they want. Unfortunately for us, this appears to 
be yet another case of just that.


Let’s Try Something New:

PURSLANE (Portulaca oleracea)

A versatile, tasty plant found world-wide

by Christopher Nyerges

 

[Nyerges is the author of Guide to Wild Foods, Enter the Forest, How to Survive 
Anywhere, and Testing Your Outdoor Survival Skills. He has been leading 
Wild Food Outings since 1974. A schedule of his classes is available from 
School of Self-Reliance, Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041, or on-line at www.
ChristopherNyerges.com.]

 Every Wednesday at the Sierra Madre Farmers 
Market, Gaytan Farms is there selling produce. Often, 
they have the unique plant called purslane. Henry 
Thoreau was fond of eating purslane, and consumed 
it frequently during his Walden Pond experiment. He 
wrote: "I learned that a man may use as simple a diet 
as the animals, and yet retain health and strength. I 
have made a satisfactory dinner off a dish of purslane 
which I gathered and boiled. Yet men have come to 
such a pass that they frequently starve, not from want 
of necessities, but for want of luxuries."

 Purslane is probably one of the most versatile and 
well-liked weeds commonly available. The plant can 
be eaten raw, lightly cooked, pickled, fried, in soup and 
stews, and the seeds can be ground into flour. Though 
not available at the produce section of supermarkets, it 
often appears at farmers markets.

 In salads, use all the plant but the root. Wash it 
carefully to remove any dirt and sand adhering to this 
low-growing plant. Chop the leaves and stems for the 
salad. The leaves are mild tasting and slightly slimy. 
The thick, succulent stems are juicy and "crunchy." A 
salad of only purslane, with seasoning and chopped 
onions, is very acceptable fare. The stems are great to 
quench your thirst when hiking along a dusty trail. 

 As spinach, the plant should be lightly cooked in a 
small amount of water, seasoned, and eaten. Gently 
fried, either alone or with onions, eggs, etc., it's a 
delicious entree.

The chopped stem and leaves also mix well in soup, 
stews, and egg omelettes. 

Purslane is not only good and versatile, it’s good 
for you! Dried purslane has been found to be about 
30 percent albuminoids (protein) and 35 percent 
carbohydrates. 100 grams of purslane contains 2500 
I.U. of vitamin A when cooked; .10 mg. of riboflavin 
and .06 cooked; 103 mg. of calcium raw and 86 
cooked; 25 mg. of vitamin C raw and 12 mg. cooked; 
21 calories; and small amounts of phosphorus, niacin, 
and thiamine.

 In 1986, purslane was identified as being the richest 
leafy-plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, a substance 
that helps reduce the body's cholesterol levels and 
reduces the risk of heart attack. This discovery 
was made by Norman Salem, Jr., a lipid biochemist 
(with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and 
Alcoholism in Bethesda, Maryland). 

 Interestingly, rather than suggest people begin 
including purslane in their diets, Salem and his 
collaborator, Artemis P. Simopoulos (of the American 
Association for World Health in Washington, D.C.) 
studied range-fed chickens at a Greek farm which 
fed on wild purslane. The yolk from one large-sized 
egg from purslane-fed chickens contained about 300 
mg. of omega-3 fatty acids (17.87 mg. per gram), the 
same amount contained in a 
standard fish oil capsule, and 
10 times more than what is 
found in a typical supermarket 
egg (1.74 mg. per gram). Salem 
and Simopoulos' findings 
about the eggs was published 
in the November 16, 1989 New 
England Journal of Medicine. 

RECOGNIZING 
PURSLANE

Purslane is a low-growing 
fleshy herb, whose 
outstretched, sprawling, 
prostrate stems are from three 
to twelve inches long. The 
stems are tinted red, round-
shaped, and very succulent. 
The leaves are succulent and paddle-shaped. The tiny 
little flowers are yellow.

Introduced from Tropical America, purslane was in 
the United States before colonial times. Purslane is 
believed to have originated from India, from which 
it gradually spread throughout the world. Here in 
Southern California, purslane is not one of the early 
spring weeds. Rather, we find it sprouting up in the 
early summer, and it seems to prefer rose beds, fields, 
and even hard-packed soils. 

If you're still not sure what purslane looks like, go 
to any nursery. Where the herbicides are sold, there 
is usually a chart with photos of all the "noxious 
weeds" that must be eradicated, with the names of 
those herbicides which will kill them. Invariably, the 
wonderful purslane is found on such charts. Why? 
Because it sometimes grows in rose beds. As Walter 
Kelly's Pogo reminds us: "We have met the enemy, and 
he is us." 

RECIPES: Verdolago con Queso

This is a simple recipe. Collect one quart of tender 
purslane, including the stems. Once washed, gently 
boil for about two minutes. Drain the water, and chop 
the purslane into smaller pieces. Return the purslane 
to a skillet, and shred a half cup of Monterey jack 
cheese over the greens. Warm on a low flame until the 
cheese is melted. Serves two.

Succulent Sunshine

Clean one quart of purslane stems and leaves. Cut into 
one-inch pieces and place in clean jars with lids. Add 
three sliced garlic cloves and 10 peppercorns. Pour 
one quart of raw apple cider vinegar over the purslane. 
(You can also use old pickle juice, or jalapeno pepper 
juice). Keep this in the refrigerator at least two weeks 
before using.

Serve as a side dish with omelettes, sandwiches, and 
soup.

The Shepherd Sings at Noon

This sandwich recipe was sent to me from Greg 
Kirshner of Fullerton, Calif. It's very simple. Using 
toasted or untoasted rye bread, add a few slices of good 
ham. Instead of pickles, add a small handful of fresh 
purslane stems to the sandwich. Add a mustard and 
horseradish mix.

Other - Chopped purslane can be mixed into your 
egg omelettes, added to lettuce salads, and used as the 
main salad ingredient. 

TOO BIG TO CARE

SIERRA MADRE’S FARMERS MARKET

Wednesdays - 3-7pm

 

Fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits from California family farms. 

Specialty foods, vegetarian and vegan dishes, ethnic foods and hot food - 
Everything you’ll find at the farmers market has been made or picked fresh, is 
pesticide-free and preservative-free. Free public parking on Mariposa.