Full Belly Files | New Machines, Feasting on Seven Fishes, and More

This edition of Full Belly Files was originally emailed to subscribers on December 8, 2023. To receive Matt Kettmann’s food newsletter in your inbox each Friday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

When my mom said she was buying a new breakfast-sandwich making machine a couple months ago and asked if I wanted one, I politely declined, explaining that the last thing I needed was another device to crowd my small kitchen (or, more likely, the garage overflow zone). Plus, how hard is it to stack up eggs, cheese, meat, and bread with the pans we have?

Of course, when we got to my mom’s house in Aptos for the week of Thanksgiving, the first thing I wanted to check out was that machine. And then we used it for at least three, maybe even four mornings in a row, tweaking the ingredients each time.

Hamilton Beach’s Breakfast Sandwich Maker | Credit: Matt Kettmann

Yes, I was impressed by Hamilton Beach’s Breakfast Sandwich Maker (that’s actually what it’s called), which manages to cook the egg, melt the cheese, and toast the muffins (or other breads) into a very satisfying combination. We played with spicy jams, arugula, sausage in the egg, cream cheese for moisture, a super spicy yellow chile from my yard, and a few other variations, and the results were always quickly consumed.

Do I need one myself? Probably not, although I did notice their dual version, which would eliminate the wait time required with the solo sando one if you’re making food for more than yourself.

Sticking with the device-avoidance theme, I did not dive into the Instapot trend like so many did a few years ago. I’ve happily enjoyed meals made in the speedy slow-cooker — which is really just an automated, fast-working pressure cooker — including Neighbor Steve’s phenomenal pho that I’ve written about here before. But I never saw the need for one myself.

Then I bought a bunch of beans from Rancho Gordo, and quickly realized that, with an Instapot, I wouldn’t have to plan a day in advance and then lord over the stove or slow-cooker for hours to cook the next batch of beans. I mentioned as much during my daughter’s end-of-season flag football party, when a mother of another player — who we learned was the sister-in-law of Foothill School friends we’ve known for many years — mentioned she had one gathering dust.

Breville’s Fast Slow Pro and Chiapas black beans with tomatillo salsa and onion-pepper quesadilla | Credit: Matt Kettmann

A day or so later, a barely used Breville Fast Slow Pro showed up on our porch without even a note or a knock, and I was suddenly an owner of a Instapot-like machine. Last week, I used the sear function to heat up some onions, carrots, and garlic, then kicked it into full-gear by filling it with chicken stock and Rancho Gordo’s Chiapas black beans, a k a frijol negro de varas. They were done in under an hour, whereas it would have taken many hours of soaking then a few more hours of cooking to accomplish the same task.

I’m not entirely sure what else I will cook in the Fast Slow Pro. Most of the recipes I’ve read proclaim the magic of saving time during preparations where I don’t typically mind the time it takes, such as braising meats, making soups, and so forth. I also like using my CrockPot just fine, and appreciate the ability to make adjustments as the flavors come together.

But for beans? I’m never going back to the slow days. Thanks Rya!

More Things to Make, Eat, & Drink

The Holy Rossa at Mentone; Madeline poses with Stagnaro Bros’ prawn tacos. | Credit: Matt Kettmann

While up at my mom’s, we had a great dinner at Mentone, the Aptos outpost of Manresa founder David Kinch, who was working in the kitchen that evening. Highlights were the bluefin crudo special; pesto-soaked gnocchi Genovese; spicy, flaky soppressata pizza; and Holy Rossa cocktails (tequila Amaro Rosssa, bay, chile, and lime). Later that week, on the Santa Cruz Wharf, we snacked on very satisfying prawn fish tacos from the walkup counter at Stagnaro Brothers Seafood, a longtime classic, and then watched sea lions bark at each other from below the planks.

That Sunday, I took my son to the 49ers-Buccaneers game at Levi’s Stadium, where my mom has season tickets. I’ve been many times over the years, and I always in search of a great bite of food, as the many menus certainly look delicious. (The crab sandwich there was once a hit, but no more, I hear.) This time, we tried a fried chicken sandwich and a spicy chicken sandwich from The Chairman. They were just fine, not great. Maybe I’m just expecting a bit too much from stadium food.

On the work front, I met up with Eden Rift winemaker Cory Waller, who lives in Capitola, and we tasted through his 2020 bottlings on the seaview porch of his neighbor’s home. They’re great as usual, distinct from the rest of the Central Coast since they’re grown in the hills of San Benito.

Then I spent nearly $400 on wine at Deer Park Wine & Spirits, which is right by my mom’s house. Managed by super savvy buyer Caileen Brison, I walked out with a wide range of bottles, from Canary Islands rosé, a white from the Azores, and a red from Sicily to a mission grape bottling from Lodi and peppery cab franc from Santa Cruz. It’s worth a visit to stock up if you’re in the area.

Italian sausage soup and grapefruit-avocado salad | Credit: Matt Kettmann

On the stovetop, I used an old family recipe to make an Italian sausage soup one evening while at my mom’s, where we perused the old box of faded recipes from generations past. Back home in Santa Barbara, I made a grapefruit-avocado salad, which apparently my grandma Barbara used to eat all the time. I’m not sure what she used as dressing — I hung out with her quite a bit until her 2001 death, but I don’t recall this dish — so I used olive oil, salt, pepper, jalapeno, and cilantro. No matter what topping you choose, the creamy avo balances the tart fruit quite well, so I recognize the appeal.

On the way from Aptos to home, I finally caught the kitchen open at Giorgio’s inside of Parkway Liquors in Buellton. The founder Giorgio Curti happened to be working the busy register, and I also ran into a former Indy intern Hudson Hornick, who is now a city councilman in Buellton and deputy county counsel. Even after the half-hour drive home, Giorgio’s margherita pizza, chicken parmigiana, beet salad, caesar salad, and, my son’s favorite, the short rib tortellini were all stellar. A must-stop whether you’re staying in Buellton or just passing through on the way home. 

The next day, after a paintball birthday party at The Shack in the hills of Vandenberg Space Force Base near Casmalia, the teenage horde stopped for ice cream and fro-yo at The Sweet Stuff in Buellton. We didn’t order the ice cream nachos, which come with waffle cone chips, but I might have to check them out in the future. 

Last week, I drove down to Carpinteria to meet the two dudes behind Dang Burger, which is now serving out of the Sunburst wine bar. Being Tuesday, they weren’t actually open, so I wasn’t actually able to try a burger, but I’ll be back soon before writing that story. Instead, I opted for the chilled udon noodle dish at The Good Plow. It was just what I needed, and likely healthier than what I would have devoured at Dang.

Feast of the Seven Fishes on TV and @ Lil Dom’s

The Italian-American Christmas meal known as the “Feast of the Seven Fishes” is getting plenty of attention this year. In the epic chef series The Bear on Hulu, it’s the setting for one of the most visceral family-drama episodes I’ve ever seen. And now showing on Netflix is the cute Allegheny, Pennsylvania-based rom-com called, yes, Feast of the Seven Fishes, starring the squeaky voiced Skyler Gisondo as the local boy trying to go to art school when everyone else wants him to take over the family grocery store.

For those not lucky enough to be in a family that hosts this feast, Lil Dom’s Seafood in Carpinteria is throwing their own version on December 22. Covering the seven fish bases, the menu features crab claws, BBQ oysters, fried calamari, tuna crudo, smoked black cod, crab pappardelle, and spiny lobster spaghettoni. I’ll let the experts debate whether having crab twice still counts as seven fishes.

Wine Prints for Sale

It’s always fun to see who reads this newsletter. One fan is Thomas Reynolds, whose Thomas Reynolds Gallery briefly popped up near the Arlington Theater after existing for 25 years in San Francisco before going online only.

He emailed to let me know that he’s selling “a series of striking images of California’s wine regions created by Michael Schwab, one of the nation’s preeminent graphic artists.” The images are 15.5 by 38 inches each, and are selling for $600 each. Click here for details.