Red O is a San Diego outpost of the Rick Bayless empire, located near the University Town Center shopping center. The space is very large, divided into a bar and a dining area, both with high ceilings. A divider helps contain the noise of the bar. The restaurant is clearly designed for high-class, high-ticket evenings out.
The chips were very good. The salsa was excellent with a distinctive note of smoked peppers.
My main course was lamb chops in mole negro. The lamb was succulent and nicely lamb-y without being overly strong. The sauce was very smooth, full of multiple flavors that were perfectly balanced. I also ordered a side of Mexican street corn. I had been looking forward to a little cob gnawing, but this version was much easier on my face and clothes. The corn was the highlight of the meal, much as I liked the lamb and sauce. The combination of corn and cheese was very satisfying, a tribute to the genius of street food.
I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b...
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