Filed under: Caroline's Seaside Cafe, Culinary Confessions, Dish of the Month, Features, Museum Cafe, Sculpture Court Cafe, Staying Healthy
Greetings and Happy New Year Everyone!
Usually when I’m getting ready to type my Giornale I have notes, photos and ideas already in place way in advance. I would say for every issue I prepare myself about a month in advance.
Now, since I haven’t done a Giornale in the last few months, then you know the outcome…I have so much to tell you. I’ll try to consolidate this issue down to the very best or to the most important parts of 2011.
So …where to begin?
Let me start out by saying that I am sitting at the desk in my new home office with a cup of espresso and a crazy cold and flu. But I couldn’t let it stop me… I just wanted to let you know in advance in case I misspell something or in my delirious mode I write something bizarre. I don’t deal very well with medicine to begin with, and combined with a shot of espresso….yeah baby….mind goes crazy!!
Speaking of what the mind can do, here’s a little story about sixth sense:
A few years back while visiting during the holidays, my father and I would drive down to Scripps pier where I would surf and my father would walk on the beach admiring the beauty of La Jolla.
At the end of my surf session, we would meet in the parking lot by the Institute of Oceanography. Back then the lot was kind of a mess with a large construction zone which would later become the Scripps Seaside Forum. Just out of curiosity and as good Italians, we managed to cross the fence and start walking through the construction zone. I had absolutely no idea what that building was going to be. We just walked around admiring the architecture and the layout of the space. Then my father pointed out a spot on the upper level (the building was almost fully completed) and said, “See up there…wouldn’t it be great to dedicate that space to a restaurant and have the best view in this city. You should look into it.”
I replied, “Dad, you’re out of your mind. There is no way anyone will get this spot. It must be for some office use or something.” After all, UCSD was in charge of this development, so I was thinking it would be for research more than food. But he insisted, “Son I am telling you right now, just look into it. Do me a favor so I can feel good about this a few years from now.”
My father is for sure no kind of medium or anything like that. He’s actually a very humble man who had an amazing career but had to retire at age 40 due to an illness that almost killed him. But he always had a great sense of business, and I have to be honest that without his wise advice at so many times in my life I wouldn’t be where I am today…who know where I would be.
I am a strong believer in the saying “Things happen for a reason.” I also believe that the best reason for that moment years ago was for me to appreciate being with him, listening to his advice once again. But as most of you know, part of that UCSD construction project turned into our newest venture – Caroline’s Seaside Café – which opened August 8th, 2011 and became one of the hottest spot in town.
So, looking back it was a special kind of intuition, or sixth sense, when my Dad not only had the vision to develop a restaurant in that space, but he saw ME being the person to do so. Being able to share this story means a lot to me, and I hope that you are all lucky enough to have a father like mine. I am forever grateful to him for what is has contributed to my life.
Man the espresso is working now.
I’m typing as fast as a Ferrari would race at the Grand Prix. Hey wait a minute, speaking of racing… Check this out, back in May one of my good friends kindly invited Salem and I to go stay on his brand new yacht which was being launched in Monaco during the Formula One Grand Prix.
We got to take a private flight, stay a week on the yacht, watch my dream car racing, eat good coastal French food, dance and drink until dawn, and follow it all up with a slice of pizza at 6am. Come on! For sure you didn’t have to twist my arm. For those who’ve never been in that part of the world during that time of year, I suggest you save whatever you need to so one day you can treat yourself to the most amazing time of your life.
On the boat we were fortunate enough to have one of the top chefs in the yacht industry (an Australian dude picked against all the Europeans lined up for the job), and we had some unbelievable meals on board. Lunch, dinner, happy hours….eating all day was definitely the highlight of the trip. But I have to be honest and hopefully not harsh, the food in the restaurants we tried was way below my expectations and in some cases quite bad. I don’t know if that was because that week the town goes crazy and every food establishment is completely packed, but it was not what I expected. They were over priced and over booked. At one restaurant, we had a reservation at 10pm, but weren’t seated until 1am for a “reasonable” price of 2000 euros. NUTS, isn’t it?
To avoid disappointment I suggest, if you happen to go, you opt for fine dining restaurants when possible. And for casual eating, stop at little shops to grab a slice of pizza or a salame baguette and a beer. It’s definitely worth it.
So thank you so much to my dear friend for treating us to such an amazing trip. His boat, one of a kind. The company, best ever. During the trip I was over my head excited, and even now I can’t talk enough about the fun time we had.
Another year of Philanthrophy has gone by…
Yes, once again we were able to make a difference in the charity world. As a company, not only did we have the privilege of catering some of the most amazing charity galas and help worthy organizations raise unbelievable amounts of money, on top of it I personally had the privilege to help create one of the newer galas in town.
The 3rd annual PEERS gala took place last November at a phenomenal private estate in Rancho Santa Fe. The PEERS Network is a professional not-for-profit group founded by local entrepreneurs who want to give back to the San Diego community. The evening was put together to benefit Just In Time (JIT), an volunteer-driven organization that assists former foster youth with the resources needed to ensure school, job and life success.
As a PEERS member, I kind of took charge of the event’s planning and logistics, but of course we worked as a team, and Just in Time helped so much along the way. What I personally handled was creating the food portion of the evening by inviting some of my chefs/friends to donate their food and their time for this amazing cause.
The evening started a bit rocky. No joke, we planned an outdoor event for 300 people and two days beforehand, the worst rain storm ever hits San Diego. So PLAN B kicked in and we rented a huge tent, and with the help of Janelle, our PEERS event coordinator, we managed to get lighting, cover every corner, and make room for everything outdoors. With that taken care of we thought, “Yeah, we’re good to go…right?”
The rain was so hard that it started dripping right into the tent! Panic…frantic moments…despite months of planning and thousands of dollars later, we are going to fail…but NO WAY…things happen for a reason… trust me…
We get there on party site early and start running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to cover everything, getting soaked with the water leaks in the tent. Then one of our PEERS has a great idea. “Let’s go get sand bags!” Sure let’s do it…only thing is, we didn’t account for the tent having to hold 300 guest, which would require not just a few but a few hundred sand bags… wow…go figure how to get them!
Long story short, we managed to get some sand bags, we did start right on time, the rain kept pouring all night, trees were falling on the street, people were delayed, the “F” word was the main word of the moment…people start arriving, one after another…the space got pretty full. It was like a reality show, but worse because I wasn’t just watching.
Fortunately, the outcome of the evening was that our 300+ guest raised a record (at least for us) of $175k.
Did I have to share all this with you…heck yeah!!!
After all we did, I think it’s a good lesson. Everyone can help, and through any circumstance and any challenge, you can make a difference in people’s life. So for this coming year, look in to helping others. You can always ask me for the names of any charity organizations that need help since I work with a boat load of them. Roll up your sleeves, get your check book ready and let’s do it.
DISH OF THE MONTH: Anello di Zucca Con Burrata e Bieta Saltata
No Giornale has ever been done without the recipe of the month….
Come on, after all my blog is called “Culinary Confessions” so I must talk about food at some point right?
Everyone wonders what is in season and what’s not. There is a perception that winter doesn’t offer much of a selection of good produce since it’s cold. But cold weather helps in growing specific things, and cold weather makes people think of comfort food. So the recipe I’m about to share with you is the perfect reflection of that.
You can use this recipe for your small dinners at home, or when you have some people over. Think gourmet, and spend some time creating something unique. Get away from those baby greens, dried cranberries and blue cheese salads and try something new as a starter.
You know that all my recipes are pretty easy and I call it “Dummy Proof,” which means they’re super easy to execute. On a recent visit to the Little Italy Mercato (Farmer’s Market every Saturday), I was walking around the produce stands looking for something that would be perfectly in season and could be served as a starter. I saw squash. I saw chards. I smelled the farm fresh garlic. Down the street I saw a cheese stand…blink…an idea came up in my head right away.
So I bought all of the ingredients, went back to our Museum Café in La Jolla and started playing with it. Here is the outcome:
Anello di Zucca Con Burrata e Bieta Saltata
Butternut Squash Ring with Burrata & Sauteed Swiss Chards
Download recipe for Butternut Squash Ring with Burrata and Sauteed Swiss Chards
Try it out…and enjoy with a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc.
Ok, we are getting close to the end. My espresso is gone and my cold keeps bothering me, so I guess going back to bed is my only option for the day.
Just some quick updates about our company before I wrap up:
- Of course most of you already know about Caroline’s Seaside Café. If you haven’t been there, you should go on a beautiful sunny day. It’s priceless.
- Museum Café in La Jolla celebrated our 10th year, and as a gift MCASD and ourselves decided to give it a little lift as far as colors, menu items and ambience. So look out for some new things coming up in the next few weeks and then share with me your thoughts…I love feedback.
- Sculpture Court Café was still going strong last year. Finally the awning issue over the Sculpture Court was resolved, and we had our best year ever. In addition to the new awning the Café will also get a little lift in the next few months, hopefully before the summer comes.
- And last but not least, we don’t talk about so much about this part of our business, but do you know that we have a fully licensed and insured bar services department? Well, I guess alcohol in this country means $$, because that was the most profitable part of our year. We now have three exclusive beverage contracts: Museum Of Contemporary Art, San Diego Museum Of Art and Scripps Seaside Forum. Looks like there are more to come, thanks to our beverage services team who did an extraordinary job last year earning the trust of many institutions and organizations during the busy season.
click for larger view
And to finish…I promise you I am done after this…
I am so excited about this I have to let you know. You know my other passion is sports. Finally after so many years of racing triathlons I decided to become one of the team sponsors for our Triathlon team Breakaway Training.
From now on when you see those bright orange uniforms at local or national races, look above the bib (yes, right at the athlete’s butt) you can see our name as the co-main sponsor.
I am so excited and so honored that in addition to that, I decided to go back racing longer distance. Therefore my training journey will start hopefully soon (once I feel better) and I will share that with you in the next few issues.
The first race of the year is Half Ironman Oceanside. For those of you who need a life change, talk to me about it. I’m a good listener, and I know I can help you and direct you to the right sources so you can be one of us.
Triathlon is not only a sport but a lifestyle and I embrace that every day…
That’s all people….talk to you soon!
Until then,
Mangia Bene e vivi meglio
Giuseppe Ciuffa
Caroline’s Seaside Café by GIUSEPPE to provide gourmet food service at the Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society and the Environment on the Scripps oceanfront campus.
This summer, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography will open a new café at the Robert Paine Scripps Forum for Science, Society and the Environment, known by the nickname Scripps Seaside Forum. The café will be operated by none other than Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering of La Jolla.
View from Caroline's Seaside Cafe
The café will be named Caroline’s Seaside Café by GIUSEPPE in honor of the long-time support and generosity of the family of William A. Nierenberg, who served as director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, for 21 years. Known for his boundless curiosity and energy, Nierenberg helped build Scripps into one of the world’s leading environmental research institutions. The café will be named for Caroline, wife of Nierenberg’s son, Nico. Although Nierenberg passed away in 2000, his family continues its connection and support of Scripps Oceanography.
The menu will include healthy and creative California-style cuisine with a focus on organic and sustainable sources, hormone-free meats and poultry, fresh produce that is locally grown and seafood selections meeting nationally recognized sustainability criteria.
UC San Diego’s construction of the new café will be completed on July 15, and following additional outfitting by Giuseppe, the cafe will have a tentative opening the first week in August. The cafe will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, except during UCSD holidays and campus closures.
Caroline’s Seaside Café will be open to the public and will provide the primary food service for more than 2,200 faculty, staff, students and volunteers at Scripps Oceanography. The café will feature breakfast and lunch daily with a main menu selection and daily specials. In addition, eco-friendly plates and take-out containers will be used, though china and flatware will be used for dining in.
Caroline’s Seaside Café by GIUSEPPE will add ocean-view indoor and outdoor dining as the newest component of Scripps’ extraordinary, oceanfront conference center facility, located in the heart of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography campus. The Scripps Seaside Forum was awarded LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in August 2009. The rating is based on site sustainability, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design process.
Filed under: Culinary Confessions, Dish of the Month, Features, Staying Healthy, Weddings
Happy Spring Everyone!
Usually I would start my Giornale with a little story, but since I’m so excited about the upcoming season, I want to start off with the dish of the month…but of course I’ll add a story about it.
DISH OF THE MONTH:
Colazione del Contadino
(The Farmer’s Breakfast)
Colazione del Contadino "Before"
There is something so fascinating about simplicity in cooking, especially using classic methods and fresh ingredients. I grew up eating very simple dishes created from the most seasonal ingredients. At the farm we didn’t really know any different, since everything was sourced there. With very few trips to the grocery store, we ate everything that was available that season and there were plenty of choices.
This dish reminds me so much of my Grandmother (Nonna Antonia would have been 100 this year). On early mornings in the Spring, the outdoor temperature would still be a bit low in our area of Italy, and on busy days my father would ask me to go help Nonna Antonia. Like most kids, I would ask, “What do I get to do?” His answer would be, “Get your Nonna to cook you breakfast before we start the day, and you get to pick the ingredients you want.”
Even at that age, I would think, “Cool!” I already knew that I was going to become a chef, so it was a no brainer to take a quick walk around the farm and pick the ingredients.
Stop #1 – Figure out the protein. I would see all our chickens and pick the eggs still warm (No kidding! How much fresher can you get than that.) A couple of times they got kind of mean and started chasing after me.
Stop #2 – Figure out the vegetable part of the meal. I would see a beautiful baby zucchini with a nice little blossom and think “Frittata!” Then I would pick some onions and keep wandering around the garden.
Stop #3 – No breakfast would be served without fruit, so I would pick whatever looked best and would be easiest to reach. As a kid, there were a couple of times when, trying to be helpful, I climbed a fruit tree too high and took a bad fall. After that I always looked for things that could more easily be accessed, like the little wild strawberries I loved. They were so sweet, one bite was like pure sugar on your tongue.
Once all the ingredients were in my little wicker basket I would go back to the farmhouse and my Nonna would take care of the rest. Colazione del Contadino was one of my very favorite breakfasts, a simple and flavorful frittata accompanied by a couple of pieces of grilled bread with our olive oil and some sugar (a cheap version of French Toast.) Every bite was so good, I can still see the smile on my Nonna’s face. She was so proud of her little grandson, and she always made me feel very special.
Colazione del Contadino "After"
So since it’s springtime, I felt like giving you a very simple dish idea to make for your kids, or better yet, have them help make it and learn how to do it just like I did.
The one thing you may not be able to find is the cheese we used, because back then we would make our own Caciotta, which is a semisoft cheese made from sheep’s milk. I am pretty sure that nobody in this town will have that, so I suggest a great substitute – fresh feta.
Visit the downtown farmer’s market and look for Spring Hill, which is the very best feta product at this moment. While you are at the market, make sure to buy cage-free organic eggs and baby zucchini with blossoms. The dish photos show the kind of fruit I would serve at this time of the year.
Enjoy! And let me know if you want to hear more about farm style, simple cooking.
An Ultimate San Diego Wedding
On January 19th, we catered the ULTIMATE San Diego wedding. Actually, it’s not just my opinion – the wedding was the prize for Magic 92.5′s “Ultimate San Diego Wedding” contest, sponsored by Bridal Insider. Over 200 couples entered the contest and the public chose winners, Rachel Stewart and Matthew O’Donovan, to receive the free wedding courtesy of over 30 local vendors. More information about the contest and the winners.
We were asked to be the caterers for Rachel and Matthew, and we had a great time with their theme of “golden winter romance.” As always, the El Cortez was a gorgeous backdrop for their special day, and as you can see in the pictures, the couple had a wedding they’ll never forget.
Share Your “Best Of” Opinion
As you’ve seen over the past year, we’ve grown in many ways, and we’ve also recommitted ourselves to the things that are most important to us, like healthy living and sustainable food. So much of what we do is in response to the support and great feedback we get from our clients. We are always deeply grateful, and we hope we’ve given back to our community as much as we’ve gained.
The San Diego Magazine “Best Of” poll is just one way for us to get that all-important feedback, and we hope you would take a moment to vote for us. If we’ve delivered the kind of service this year that you’ve found worthy of mentioning, then all of us at Giuseppe Restaurants and Fine Catering can celebrate a job well done!
Please click here to place your vote. There are several categories, so we are concentrating on the following:
- Best Chef – Giuseppe Ciuffa
- Best Catering – Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering
- Best Outdoor Dining – Museum Cafe at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Thank you so much for supporting us!
Getting Ready for Graduation
Each year as the end of the school year gets close, I see families rushing around, getting ready for more warm weather activities and all the changes that will come with the summer. Students are busy too, concentrating on their final exams, and probably daydreaming a lot about their vacations. I also notice that, since it’s not something that happens every year, graduation parties can get planned at the last minute, with families not realizing the preparation it can take to produce the event they had imagined.
I look at my kids and it seems impossible that they’ll be done with school someday. From the graduation events we’ve catered, I’ve come to see the party as a fun and special way for the whole family to reflect on their achievements and to mark a turning point in their lives.
So here is my reminder that comes at this time each Spring… If you have a soon-to-be graduate in your family, it’s time to party! For students who’ve reached your goals, whether it’s a diploma or a degree, you deserve some fun. And for parents who’ve given all your support over the years, it’s your celebration too.
For parties of any size, you can choose from our full-service private catering, Specialty Menu drop-off service, or private dinners at our cafes. Just get started soon! Call 858.581.2205 for more information.
Stay Healthy
A couple of times each year, I share my thoughts about health and fitness, since I spend a good amount of time training for my triathlon races. I’m always looking into ways to stay healthy and fit, but sometimes I overlook things and I pay the price.
A perfect example happened right before the holidays. On the evening before Thanksgiving, I was having dinner with Salem, the kids and some other friends and families. It was a great evening. We grilled all night, cooked some serious side dishes and drank some good wine. At one point, we said why not and smoked a couple of cigarettes just for the fun of it. Bad combo for someone who lives a very healthy lifestyle!
The result was an episode in the middle of the night where I woke up, tried to stand and passed out not once, but twice. Luckily Salem was there to help me. Long story short, I ended up in an ambulance and spent the night at the emergency room.
So what happened? Nothing was wrong with me, but they called it a fainting episode that can happen to people sometimes when getting up too quickly. In any case, the doctors asked me to go for a follow up visit to make sure there was nothing wrong with my heart. Being a good stubborn Italian, I waited a few months but did finally get all the tests they ordered.
Thanks to a good friend who recommended the Cushman Wellness Center at Sharp Hospital, I found this unbelievable deal called the Men’s Health Assessment. For the unreal price of $399, I got a full check up that included all blood work, check of my BMI (body mass index), weight and body fat and a stress test for my heart. They even fixed me a great breakfast and finished with a one hour massage to die for….what is there NOT to like!
Doctor Levinson is the man in charge. During the stress test he was right there with me at the treadmill. He would ask, “Go higher? How do you feel?” and I would answer, “Good Doc. Keep going.” Then again, he would ask, “Go higher? Now how do you feel?” and I’d answer the same, “Good Doc. Keep going.” After about 18 minutes of this, the guy looks at me and smiles. “Giuseppe, you have the heart of a professional athlete. Your level of fitness is way above average, and yes there is nothing wrong with you. Happy now?”
You bet I was happy and blown away! Two months before, I was freaking out, concerned that there was something wrong with my health. In one afternoon, I had a doctor reassuring me and telling me I had the heart of a pro athlete. It was such a relief and a self-confidence builder that now I’m recommending everyone get their health checked.
I got my health report in the mail one week later. Each category was detailed and tailored to my current conditions. More than ever, I know what I need to do to stay healthy, and I’m re-energized about taking good care of myself. I think about all the valuable things that I learned from my health report, and I encourage all of you to take the time to go there and try it out. Especially if you have a full working schedule with everyday stresses and an active lifestyle. Better safe than sorry! For more information about the Men’s Health Assessment, call 1-800-82-SHARP.
That is it for this Giornale. It really helped me clear my head, and I hope that all the things I mentioned will help you to feel better in life, from food, to health to physical activity. I can’t wait to give you some of the latest and most exciting news, so I will send a special announcement soon. Stay tuned on Facebook and/or Twitter and you’ll find out soon enough!
Until then,
Mangia Bene e Vivi Meglio
Filed under: Features, Sculpture Court Cafe | Tags: culture & cocktails, london underground after party, san diego museum of art, sculpture court cafe
Do you remember last month when I wrote about PEERS, the San Diego nonprofit I joined to help give back to the community??
It was so exciting to see San Diego Metropolitan Magazine feature PEERS in their December issue! (Read full article below)
Filed under: Culinary Confessions, Features, Museum Cafe | Tags: giuseppe ciuffa, giuseppe fine catering, rowena kelley, san diego catering, san diego union tribune, veteran caterer
Rowena Kelley from the SD U-T spent some time behind the scenes with us before a party of 500. Read her story AND get some recipes…
Filed under: Culinary Confessions, Features | Tags: chef giuseppe ciuffa, italian roots, la jolla light, la jolla light interview
I had fun with this interview by La Jolla Light, with questions like “If you hosted a dinner party for eight, whom would you invite?” Read the full interview here.
Thanks LJL!!
I had a great time cooking at the Celebrity Chef Tour yesterday!
If you missed it, here’s the video. I’m on after South Coast Winery (about the 39 minute mark).
Filed under: Features, Staying Healthy | Tags: Bethany Leach Mavis, TriathlEats, triathlete magazine, triathlete.com
Here is something really cool. I’m featured in next month’s Triathlete magazine in a section called “TriathlEats.” You can read it online here or by clicking the page image above.
I’m honored and amazed to get this write up for me and the cafes in a magazine like Triathlete. If you see me around La Jolla today, I’ll have a very big smile on my face!
