SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. & MODESTO, Calif. — In the not too distant past, food carts and catering trucks were referred to as “roach coaches,” places people warily visited out of convenience or as a last resort, but certainly not as a culinary destination. Today, a fleet of fancified food trucks, often backed by popular chefs, has rolled into cities across America, serving everything from Asian tacos to French frog legs. Some specialize in “cultural mash-ups,” fitting unlikely flavors together in hand-held bliss. Others showcase classic cult favorites with a twist or items featuring very specific products, like cupcakes, or ingredients like specialty cheeses and fresh tangy buttermilk.
Smartly utilizing the explosion of social media, food truck followers track the locations of their favorite “meals on wheels” through sites like Facebook, Twitter, Mobi Munch and Myspace. The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) has secured recipes from a few of these popular gourmet gadabouts so you don’t need to venture out or search your Twitter feed to bring the best food truck flavors to your kitchen table tonight. Hop into the driver’s seat and try your hand at a few food truck favorites that feature real California dairy like the Buttermilk Truck Famous Biscuits from the Buttermilk Truck in Los Angeles or the Kimchi Quesadilla from trend pioneer Kogi BBQ, located in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Dessert will be sweet with a cold glass of Real California milk and Coconut Marshmallow Cupcakes by Cupkates from San Francisco.
Dairy products made with Real California milk can be identified by looking for the Real California Milk and Real California Cheese seals, which certify that the products are made exclusively with milk produced on California dairy farms. Ninety-nine percent of California dairy farms are family-owned. California produces more fluid milk, butter, ice cream, yogurt and nonfat dry milk than any other state. The state is the second-largest producer of cheese, which is available nationally under the Real California Cheese seal.
About the California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s more than 1,620 dairy families. With headquarters in South San Francisco and Modesto, the CMAB is one of the largest commodity boards in the United States. The CMAB executes advertising, public relations, research and retail and foodservice promotional programs on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California Milk and Real California Cheese. For more information on California dairy products, visit www.RealCaliforniaMilk.com.
BUTTERMILK TRUCK FAMOUS BISCUITS
8 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of garlic powder
8 tablespoons cold unsalted Real California butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup Real California buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted Real California butter
Heat oven to 400°F. In a mixing bowl, stir dry ingredients together with a fork. With a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add buttermilk. With your hands or a rubber spatula, quickly fold together dry ingredients and buttermilk until a sticky dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; roll out 3/4-inch thick. With a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut dough into rounds. Transfer to a sheet pan and brush with melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 6 biscuits
Tip: Buttermilk Truck uses these biscuits for their popular Buttermilk Brick breakfast sandwich. To make it at home, place 2 buttermilk biscuits on a bed of hash-brown potatoes, top with 2 over-easy eggs and chorizo gravy. If desired, sprinkled with grated Real California Cheddar cheese.
Recipe courtesy of Buttermilk Truck, Los Angeles, Calif.
Recipes for Kimchi Quesadilla by Kogi BBQ, Coconut Marshmallow Cupcakes by Cupkates and Chorizo Gravy are available at http://www.RealCaliforniaMilk.com/recipes/.
Source: The California Milk Advisory Board
