tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286024752024-03-14T00:17:38.755-07:00Gastronomy 101***<a href=http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2007/01/about-this-blog.html>PLEASE CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG</a>***KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.comBlogger346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-79334075889260026722013-03-13T17:04:00.001-07:002013-03-13T17:11:45.341-07:00RECIPE: Serious Eats' Foolproof Pan Pizza<script src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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It was love at first sight ... the second I saw <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/01/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe.html" target="_blank">J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's Foolproof Pan Pizza recipe</a>,I was twitterpated. I was definitely going to try to make this and see if it was really proof against this fool. Overall, I think I'm a pretty good cook, but when it comes to trying out new recipes, usually if there's a way I can totally mess it up, I will. Even if I get the actual process right, chances are I'll do something like try to check if the bottom's cooked while the pie is still in the pan and dump the pie all over the kitchen. :( (True story).<br />
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Well, happy to say Mr. L-A has done it again. You could do worse than compile all his recipes and just use them as your cookbook. He takes a thorough and scientific approach to cooking but also has a way of translating it all for the casual home cook. The recipe was seriously easy - there is a lot of waiting time but very little active effort to expend. It's pretty much just mix the dough, let it rise, make it into a ball, let it rise more, spread it out and put on toppings, cook. Voila!<br />
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I got my toppings from Whole Foods. It's just regular shredded mozzarella, pepperoni and basil, but you could use anything. I couldn't help but do pepperoni, since it's a classic but I would love to try other toppings like chili peppers, goat cheese, red onions, mushrooms ... I could go on. I noticed someone warned in the comments to stay away from too many "wet" ingredients like bell peppers and other vegetables, because it can make the pizza soggy, so keep that in mind. <br />
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My pizza came out just like it was supposed to, with a crispy, chewy crust, tasting like the platonic ideal of the Pizza Hut pies of my childhood. The great thing about getting recipes from a foodie website like Serious Eats as opposed to a cookbook is that people leave their comments and feedback about the recipe, so before you even start you can read through and if you have any situation that varies from the recipe - like a particular climate or different pans or wanting to adjust the amount, then someone has already either asked the questions, provided the answer or maybe even made a detailed chart with measurements for every size of pan you might own (See the <a href="http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2013/01/the-pizza-lab-the-worlds-easiest-pizza-no-knead-no-stretch-pan-pizza.html?ref=obnetwork" target="_blank">comments to this post</a> for said chart). And there are tons of suggestions for topping combos if you can't settle on something on your own or want to try something new.<br />
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KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-64031285528941301302013-02-07T10:45:00.000-08:002013-02-07T10:45:24.250-08:00BOOK REVIEW: The Homemade Pantry + How to Make Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last year, this was basically the one cookbook I wanted to add to my collection. It's not a collection of recipes for meals; instead it details how to make the basics that you keep around in your fridge or pantry to use in other things. This includes items like butter, cheese, granola, sauces, snacks, etc.<br />
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I love this idea because often on my full time work schedule that often includes unexpected overtime, plus the fact that there are only two of us, meal times are typically geared towards the simple and quick meal for one or two without a lot of major meal planning going on. Baking can be an exercise in frustration when you work from home, as you are then faced with a mound of cookies or other sweets that you really shouldn't eat. You don't want them to go to waste, but there's no convenient break room to dump them in so other people will eat them for you.<br />
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Enter <i>The Homemade Pantry</i>, which allows me to scratch my cooking itch by whipping up staple items that I know I will use regularly. The author is <a href="http://www.eatingfromthegroundup.com/" target="_blank">Alana Chernila</a>, a food blogger and farmer who found herself married, a mother and running a farm at an age when most of her friends were pursuing graduate degrees or urban careers. Her writing is friendly, clear and approachable. You get to know her a bit throughout the book, and the personal stories really help connect you to the food and the life she lives, but the personal stuff never takes too much attention from the information, which is rendered in a way that's clear and easy-to-follow. The book has a great visual aesthetic as well, with beautiful pictures and a layout and page design that makes everything easy to follow and read.<br />
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The beginning is filled with preparatory tips and general advice as well as a detailed list of equipment needed to prepare the things in the book. There's basically everything you need to make all of these simple items. I think this book would make an especially fantastic addition to a parent's cookbook library. Chernila is a mother of two girls and her recipes very much reflect that lifestyle, taking into account busy schedules and hectic homes. If you are feeling guilty because you wish you could fit more wholesome, homemade stuff into your child's diet but are finding time and energy are hard to come by, this is a great way to incorporate some fresh homemade things into your repertoire, and the book includes convenience items like baking mixes and frozen foods that you can make yourself instead of buying them processed and packaged from the store, as well as easy homemade snack and treat ideas that are great for kids. <br />
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Below are examples of a couple of items I made from the book, as well as a sample recipe for butter. <br />
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<b>Paneer: </b>This is a homemade cheese from the book. It is called ricotta in the cookbook, but it really doesn't fit the defining factor in a ricotta, which is made using fermented and recooked whey ("ricotta" means "recooked"), while this cheese is made with the curds. I would call it a paneer as it is made using basically the same process as an Indian paneer. I do not have a milk cow in my backyard like Chernila does, so I just tried to acquire the best milk I could find. The kind that comes in a real glass bottle! This particular cheese didn't require any fancy ingredients, which is why I chose it to make. It came out very fresh and mild and was delicious in a salad, in sandwiches, or just baked on a toast. There are other cheese recipes in the book, including mozzarella and cream cheese, but they require more specialized ingredients. <br />
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<b>Butter: </b>This is a butter I made using the book's method, which is probably about the same as other methods I have used in the past, but it's nice to be reminded of how easy and quick it is to make your own butter. Since this is about the simplest recipe in the book, I'm including it as an example. You will just have to go out and get the book yourself for more.<br />
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<b>Butter Recipe from <i>The Homemade Pantry</i></b><br />
<b>(Makes 6-8 oz. or 12-16 tablespoons)</b><br />
<ul>
<li>1 pint heavy cream</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon kosher salt</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<li>Combine the cream and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cover with a dish towel to prevent splattering. Beat at medium to high speed, peeking in every 20 seconds or so. In 1 to 3 minutes, the cream will be whipped and airy, then it will stiffen. After that, the cream will break, and you will have both liquids and solids in the bowl. </li>
<li>When the fat separates from the buttermilk, pour the buttermilk into a jar and refrigerate for use within three days (you can use it to make pancakes!)</li>
<li>Run your hands under cold water, then squeeze the butter together, kneading it in the bowl. Place the bowl in the sink, rinse the butter in cold water, and squeeze it again. Repeat this process until the water runs clear and the butter does not release any liquid when you press on it. </li>
</ol>
<b>STORAGE: </b><br />
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<b>Room Temperature: </b>covered container or butter bell, 5 days<br />
<b>Fridge: </b>covered container, 1 week<br />
<b>Freezer: </b>roll and cut into sticks, wrap individually in plastic wrap and a freezer bag, 3 months<br />
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<b>IMPORTANT TIP: </b>Don't skimp on the squeezing and kneading of the butter -- if you do, the buttermilk still trapped in the butter will cause it to go rancid within a day. Keep kneading until there is no sign of cloudy buttermilk coming out of the butter. <b> </b> <br />
<b><i> </i></b> KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-22312358144970173962013-01-30T12:27:00.002-08:002013-01-30T12:35:11.301-08:00SEASONAL COOKING: Green Chard Smoothie<div id="fb-root"></div>
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Winter is the time for hearty greens, all braised or roasted or otherwise cooked up and providing those good vitamins so you don't wither away in the frosty chill. The thing is, I like my greens raw not all cooked and wilty and soft. This is not a problem with regular lettuce or kale, which I can toss into a salad and chomp down like the good little rabbit I am.<br />
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But when you get something a little more substantial, like chard, it doesn't work so well to just eat raw. They are bitter and thick and really need a little cooking to mellow them out and refine the flavor.<br />
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But if you're a weirdo like me and MUST eat them raw, throwing them in a smoothie is the perfect way to do it. You may be thinking ... ewwwww! But here is the secret -- once you put sufficient fruit with your leaves, the whole thing tastes like fruit, with the added bonus of being a beautiful brilliant green color and giving you a metric ton of Vitamin A, C and potassium. This is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat, and eating it raw gets you the maximum nutrients. <br />
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The key for this is really having a good blender. Chard is thick and could be difficult for cheap blenders. My BlendTec handles it like a champ, though.<br />
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So here's how you make it:<br />
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- 3 cups chard (leaves only)<br />
- 2 bananas (frozen if you have time)<br />
- 1/2 cup juice (I like pineapple, apple is probably good too)<br />
- 1 cup ice<br />
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If you're a smoothie making person and have add-ins hanging around like protein powder or flax seeds, toss them in for maximum health.<br />
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<script src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script> KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-24119625809047707652013-01-15T14:25:00.000-08:002013-01-15T14:25:32.985-08:00January in the GardenSo, I know it's not cooking, but ever since I moved and now have this lovely big yard, I've become obsessed with gardening. And since growing is one of the beginning processes to eating, I'm shoehorning it in here, since it's my blog and I can do whatever. It's really rewarding to grow your own food and there's nothing fresher than something just plucked out of the ground or off of the branch. So I thought I'd keep a log of what I'm doing in the garden each month, the successes and not so much successes and what chores each season brings.<br />
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<b>Paperwhite Narcissus: </b>Paperwhite Narcissus is a bulb that can be forced in the winter time and has becomes a traditional decorative plant for Christmastime. This year I tried growing my own and it is super easy. You can just toss the bulbs in a glass container with rocks or a regular container with soil, water and leave them. They grow into these beautiful white flowers in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, it turned out that my husband just despised the smell of these. They smell like flowers to me, but to him they smelled of something chemical - like burnt plastic. So they live outside now, and when the flowers die back I'll plant them somewhere out of his nose range. They do well in the ground also and I saw several of these in gardens around the neighborhood this winter. It may take two years for them to bloom again if I plant them in the ground now, but we will see. <br />
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<b>Planted - Renegade Spinach: </b>I had one container of lettuce where only two of the seeds sprouted, leaving me a bunch of open spots, so I planted this spinach. I had planted it earlier in the fall but it was still so warm and the spinach bolted - meaning it grew too fast and went to seed before I could harvest it for eating. This can happen in warm weather, so I am trying again now that it's colder to see if the spinach grows better now. Hopefully in about a month and a half I will have some hearty spinach leaves for salads. <br />
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<b>Growing - Lettuce: </b>This green and red lettuce that I planted in my EarthBox is now big enough to eat. I have been making salads with this and there's really nothing like it. The lettuce grown in the cool weather and picked straight out of the ground to eat is more tender than anything I've ever had. I have grown both a red and a green lettuce for a pretty salad mix. Winter is also a nice time to grow lettuce because in my area there are no bugs to munch all the nice leaves. In summer, you have to monitor pretty closely around here because pretty much everything tends to get chomped on by someone. <br />
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<b>Something New: </b>There has always been a little bird feeder in this area of the garden. Unfortunately, it's hard to keep it stocked because birds are PIGS. They gobble up a whole package in a couple of days so I can only fill it once a month or so. But my dearest madre got me this pretty bird bath for Christmas and now I can at least provide them with fresh water while they await their next feeding frenzy. This part of the garden is starting to look really pretty between the herb boxes, the bird stuff and the citrus tree. There's also a lavender plant that I hope will grow nice and bushy and fill in some of the blank space there.<br />
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<b>Maintenance: </b>Now is the time to prune those trees. Lemon trees do not need a lot of pruning, and right now there is still a ton of fruit on this tree, but we had a bunch of branches that were dragging on the ground. That creates a nice pathway for any bugs or bad stuff that wants to get on your tree to just stroll on up, so I hacked off a bunch of those really low hanging limbs. KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-46464429107207301322013-01-03T16:58:00.000-08:002013-01-03T17:05:59.602-08:00SEASONAL COOKING: Acorn Squash Bisque<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This won't be the last squash post you'll see around here, so get used to it. Winter squash and the soups that they transform to are one of the best things about winter. Sitting under a woolly blanket with a steaming bowl of thick, sweet and spicy squash soup is sure sign it's winter, even in L.A. (Hey, it gets cold at night here!)
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<b>About Acorn Squash: </b>Acorn squash is a winter squash that is dark green on the outside and orange/yellow on the inside. It is native to America and the first Western settlers to come upon it actually thought it was a type of melon. Whoops!<br />
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If you are considering growing this yourself, it is very easy to grow and can be directly seeded outdoors. It also produces delicious squash blossoms that can be eaten as well. It takes about 85 days from germination to harvest, then another 10 days of curing outside or in a warm, dry space.<br />
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When buying, look for a squash that is dull and not shiny, which as much green as possible. Make sure it has no soft spots. <br />
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Squash stores really well and will last for month in a cool and dry location. Just like pumpkins, you can save, toast and eat the seeds. Nutritionwise, it is a great source of potassium and dietary fiber. Other preparations for acorn squash include stuffing with wild rice and other ingredients and baking or roasting. If you want to improvise, acorn squash matches well with bacon, brown sugar, butter, maple syrup, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, pepper and sage. <br />
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<b>My experience: </b>
<b></b>Since this is just a recipe I took from somewhere else, just giving it to you is not very useful. So let me annotate it a bit with my own experiences in making the recipe. The main thing is that microwaving process was a bit uneven. One squash microwaved perfectly according to the directions, but the other took several goes in the microwave before it was ready to scoop. This is perhaps due to different levels of ripeness, or thickness of the squash or just my microwave. It might be better to just go with the roasting method if you have a good oven, because in the end it took the same amount of time. Also, it is no joke about waiting until they are cool enough to handle. These things get really hot.<br />
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Other than that, everything went pretty much according to plan. It made two batches in my blender and came out really smooth and creamy. I have a really good blender so I was able to put it in, hit the "soup" button and come out with something nice and silky. If you don't have a really good blender it might take a while to get it smooth enough.<br />
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This is irrelevant, but I get really excited to make a recipe that calls for fresh thyme because I can go out and snip it from my herb box, just enough for what I need. It's one of those rare moments when how you wish you would live matches up with reality. Here's a cool tip I learned for fresh thyme: pinch the top of the sprig between your thumb and first finger and then just zip your fingers down the stem. The leaves will come right off! (If all works as it should, anyway). <br />
<br />
<b>RECIPE</b> (from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/336548/acorn-squash-bisque?czone=food/produce-guide-cnt/produce-guide-fall&center=0&gallery=275063&slide=281166" target="_blank">Martha Stewart</a>):<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients: </b><br />
<div class="item-list">
<ul class="content-multigroup-group-ingredient">
<li class="ingredient first">
2 acorn squashes (3 pounds total)</li>
<li class="ingredient">
1 tablespoon butter</li>
<li class="ingredient">
1 medium onion, finely chopped</li>
<li class="ingredient">
Coarse salt and ground pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient">
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish</li>
<li class="ingredient">
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth</li>
<li class="ingredient last">
1/2 cup half-and-half</li>
</ul>
</div>
<b>Directions:</b> <br />
<div class="item-list">
<ol class="content-multigroup-group-steps">
<li class="step first">
Place squashes on a paper towel and microwave on high just
until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 8 to 10
minutes. Remove from the microwave, and halve each squash lengthwise (to
speed cooling). When cool enough to handle, scoop out and discard the
seeds. Scrape out flesh into a bowl; discard skin. (To prepare in oven,
preheat oven to 450 degrees. Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out and
discard seeds. Place squash, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet;
cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast until almost tender when pierced
wtih a knife, 15 to 25 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scrape out
flesh, discard skin, and proceed with step 2).<br />
</li>
<li class="step">
In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion;
season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3
to 5 minutes. Add squash, thyme, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a
boil over high heat; reduce to medium, and cook until squash is very
tender, 10 to 12 minutes.<br />
</li>
<li class="step last">
Working in batches, puree mixture in a blender until very
smooth, about 1 minute. Return to pan; add half-and-half, and season
generously with salt and pepper. Thin bisque, if needed, by adding more
water. Serve garnished with thyme.<br />
</li>
</ol>
</div>
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KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-74511288466419341872012-12-13T15:00:00.000-08:002013-01-03T17:00:18.969-08:00Seasonal Cooking: PersimmonEveryone knows it's time for apples and oranges, but fall and winter aren't as limited as you might think when it comes to fruit. There are many ways to branch out and liven up your cold weather menu, one of which is persimmon. Persimmon is in season October through February.<br />
<br />
The name "persimmon" actually comes from the Algonquin language of Powhatan, from words that mean "a dry fruit." <br />
<br />
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<br />
There are two types of persimmon that are widely available: Hachiya and Fuyu. The above pictured type is a Fuyu, which accounts for 80% of the persimmon on the market. It is generally eaten raw and can be sliced like a tomato. I think a fuyu persimmon actually is quite similar to a tomato except that it is sweeter and more solid in texture.<br />
<br />
Hachiya persimmon is rounder and fuller and is not good to eat until is fully ripe due to the high levels of tannins that make it very astringent. You don't want to eat a hachiya persimmon until it feels like you are holding a bag of juice more than a fruit. These persimmons are usually pureed and used in baking, but if you want to, you could just remove the top leaf and scoop out the fruit with a spoon to eat. In Asian countries, hachiya persimmons are often dried and eaten as a snack or used in cooking. <br />
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<br />
Fuyu persimmons are great to eat just raw. They can also be used in puddings, pies, cakes and cookies. I think they taste great with prosciutto, so I use them in a salad with prosciutto, arugula, olive oil and salt/pepper. It's a really simple and quick lunch or starter that really brightens up a gray day with its colors. <br />
<br />
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<br />
Bonus Pic: The persimmon came with my produce delivery, but I am also growing my own stuff in the yard. Currently I am growing some lettuce. The autumn/winter weather in California is nice for growing lettuce because the cooler weather keeps the leaves tender and flavorful. Here are my baby lettuces getting a bath in the rain.<br />
<br />
<b>More on Persimmons around the web: </b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide?tab=854381&ref=16" target="_blank">Martha Stewart's persimmon recipes<b> </b> </a><br />
<a href="http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2011/12/five-ways-to-eat-persimmons/" target="_blank">Five Ways to Eat Persimmons - Smithsonian Mag</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/persimmon.html" target="_blank">Persimmon Facts - California Rare Fruit Growers</a><br />
<a href="http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Persimmon-Pudding" target="_blank">Persimmon Pudding</a> (a traditional persimmon preparation from Indiana)<br />
<br />
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</div>KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-69713668209803918312012-12-02T17:30:00.000-08:002012-12-02T17:32:22.925-08:002012 Update: Farm-To-Table Restaurants in Los AngelesI originally posted this article in 2007, but it's popped up again on my most viewed articles Since people seem to be interested in this topic, I figured I would update this article for the current restaurant climate in L.A. Although most of the restaurants originally discussed are still great choices, I wanted to take off any that were no longer with us and add some new ones that are additional great choices. So if you are looking for dining options in Los Angeles that feature seasonal and often locally farmed ingredients, here is a current selection of top options that are either personal favorites of mine, or widely acknowledged to be among the best restaurants in the city: <br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Canele: </span>I have not yet been to Canele, but from what I know of it, it is a small neighborhood place beloved by folks in the area. Owned by a former commodities trader and a seasoned restaurant manager, this is the kind of place where you will find the menu chalked up on a board, and people who stop in for dinner on a regular basis. <br />
<br />
3219 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village, CA (323-666-7133)<br />
<br />
Who has reviewed Canele?:<br />
<a href="http://www.calendarlive.com/dining/cl-wk-critic12oct12,0,4337855.story">LA Times</a><br />
<a href="http://www.laweekly.com/eat+drink/first-bite/first-bite-bon-appetit/14696/">LA Weekly</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kevineats.com/2009/05/canele-los-angeles-ca.htm" target="_blank">Kevin Eats </a><br />
<a href="http://www.potatomato.com/blog/?p=3757" target="_blank">Potatomato</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mweats.com/2012/08/02/canele-los-angeles-ca-usa/" target="_blank">MW Eats</a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Wilshire: </span>Honestly, I did not expect to love this place as much as I did. From the front it looks kind of like a generic fancy restaurant for Westside preppies, but inside (or preferably outside) what you find is a delicious, seasonal menu served in a gorgeous setting. I recommend the outside dining if the weather is at all amenable. They have a beautiful backyard space with an elegantly rustic atmosphere perfectly suited to the food. It is an excellent place for group dining, as you will want to share everything. Their menu changes daily and not only do they support local farmers, but wish to be a neighborhood hangout and entice regular diners. Note: Since I have dined there, Chef Andrew Kirschner has left Wilshire and now has a new restaurant, Tar & Roses, in Santa Monica.<br />
<br />
2454 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica (310-586-1707)<br />
<br />
Who else has reviewed Wilshire?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://carolineoncrack.com/2008/09/17/wilshire-restaurants-new-dessertcocktail-menus/" target="_blank">Caroline on Crack (dessert/drinks) </a><br />
<a href="http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/03/happy_hour_the_wilshire_restaurant_santa_monica.php" target="_blank">LA Weekly (Happy hour)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-0319-review-pg,0,7218213.photogallery" target="_blank">LA Times</a><br />
<a href="http://nomnomcat.com/2012/07/21/dinela-wilshire-restaurant/" target="_blank">Nom Nom Cat</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rustic Canyon:</span> I was dying to eat at Rustic Canyon ever since I met owner, Josh Loeb, who came to speak at a wine class I took about his experience opening and running a restaurant. He is very cute and a really nice guy and he and his wife sound like a lovely couple to spend time with. Josh has a great philosophy about food and is a certified wine expert, while his wife, Zoe Nathan is a superb pastry chef. The restaurant is cosy but modern as designed by the couple themselves. Rustic Canyon grew out of the happy times Josh had at the farmer's market dinner parties he had with his friends, and he wanted to recreate that feelig in a restaurant. The food is seasonal, local if possible and constantly changing. Josh and his wife also have several offshoot places that have opened in the wake of Rustic Canyon's success: Huckleberry (a bakery and cafe that serves up a ridiculous good breakfast), Milo & Olive (pizza, pastries & bread) and Sweet Rose Creamery (handmade ice cream). <br />
<br />
1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (310-393-7050)<br />
<br />
Who else has reviewed Rustic Canyon?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.laweekly.com/2011-11-10/eat-drink/rustic-canyon-99-essential-restaurants-2011/" target="_blank">Jonathan Gold</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kevineats.com/2011/03/rustic-canyon-santa-monica-ca.html" target="_blank">Kevin Eats</a><br />
<a href="http://la.eater.com/places/rustic-canyon" target="_blank">Rustic Canyon Articles on Eater LA</a><br />
<br />
<b>Eva: </b>Eva is one of my current favorite restaurants in all of Los Angeles. This is partly because it is local enough that I can walk there, but it is also because of the magic that happens when a person who is truly talented and passionate opens his own small restaurant, supported by an equally passionate and dedicated wife. If you go to Eva even a few times, perhaps even only once, you will leave thinking of Chef Mark Gold and his wife Alejandra as friends. They treat everyone who comes in as a true guest and they will do anything to make you feel comfortable and welcome. The menu is always a mix of new and interesting things with standard favorites. Chef Mark has recently returned from a stage at NOMA in Denmark, currently considered the best restaurant in the world so I highly recommend a trip right now to see how his visit there has influenced his cooking. <br />
<br />
7458 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 323-634-0700<br />
<br />
Who else has reviewed Eva?<b> </b><br />
<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/18/food/fo-review18" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/18/food/fo-review18" target="_blank">LA Times</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/eva-restaurant-los-angeles-ca-90036_2la090816.html" target="_blank">Gayot</a><br />
<a href="http://www.yournextbite.com/2010/03/eat-local-seasonal-simple-refined-cuisine-at-eva-restaurant-in-la.html" target="_blank">Your Next Bite</a><br />
<br />
<b>Cook's County: </b>This rather low-key little restaurant on Beverly Blvd. is a hidden gem. I shouldn't have to say it, but it's a chalkboard menu type of place that serves fresh, seasonal food from a chef who was trained under L.A. greats Nancy Silverton, Mark Peel and Suzanne Goin. I adore this place. It's a somewhat casual neighborhood place that still feels special and the food here is beautiful and flavorful. The menu proudly boasts a long list of the local farmers they support, and the current selection is filled with seasonal ingredients like winter squash, fuyu persimmon, black kale and satsumas as well as hearty cold weather choices like fisherman's rice, duck confit and braised short ribs. If you are not a meat eater, I can attest that the vegetarian choices are every bit as well-prepared and tasty as the meat choices. <br />
<br />
8009 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 653-8008<br />
<br />
Who else has reviewed Cook's County?<br />
<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/23/food/la-fo-0324-gold-20120324" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/23/food/la-fo-0324-gold-20120324" target="_blank">Jonathan Gold</a><br />
<a href="http://www.thedeliciouslife.com/cooks-county-restaurant/" target="_blank">Delicious Life (photos)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kevineats.com/2012/04/cooks-county-los-angeles-ca.html" target="_blank">Kevin Eats</a><br />
<br />
<b>Gjelina: </b>I have not eaten at Gjelina myself, but it is definitely a hot spot of the moment with lots of food lovers raving about it. The menu consists of small plates, pizzas, a much praised wine list and the item that consistently gets called out as a must-try item -- the butterscotch pot de creme. Reservations are hard to get, but walk-ins are also accommodated at communal tables if you are open to getting friendly with your fellow diners.<br />
<br />
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice (310) 450-1429<br />
<br />
Who else has reviewed Gjelina?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/gjelina-a-restaurants-irresistible-party-dishes" target="_blank">Food & Wine</a><br />
<a href="http://www.laweekly.com/2011-11-10/eat-drink/gjelina-99-essential-restaurants-2011/" target="_blank">Jonathan Gold</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kevineats.com/2011/07/gjelina-los-angeles-ca.html" target="_blank">Kevin Eats</a><br />
<br />
<b>The Tasting Kitchen: </b>Another place I haven't (yet) tried for myself, but gets a ton of praise in local food circles. According to some, this place is worth it just for the bread and butter. The menu seems to be a modern take on classics served as small plates or pasta dishes with a casual, fun feel to the restaurant, a nice wine selection and great cocktails. It's definitely a hot spot right now so expect it to be overrun by a trendy crowd for a while, but like Gjelina there's a communal table is reservations are hard to come by.<br />
<br />
1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice (310) 392-6644<br />
<br />
Who else has reviewed The Tasting Kitchen?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://la-confidential-magazine.com/dining/articles/blazing-trails" target="_blank">L.A. Confidential</a><br />
<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/07/food/fo-review7" target="_blank">L.A. Times</a><br />
<a href="http://www.laweekly.com/2009-09-03/eat-drink/the-tasting-kitchen-catch-it-if-you-can/" target="_blank">LA Weekly/Jonathan Gold </a><br />
<br />
<b>Hatfield's: </b>Husband and wife team Karen & Quinn Hatfield have settled in nicely to a Melrose location that has been the bane of lesser restaurants. The tasting menu is heaven for locavores and you can choose a regular or vegetarian version. I highly recommend this restaurant for veggies - even though I am a dedicated omnivore, I choose the veggie menu here because it is so good. The service is fantastic and they have managed to transform the somewhat large space into a tranquil and comfortable dining environment.<br />
<br />
6703 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles (323) 935-2977<br />
<br />
Who else has reviewed Hatfield's?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-review-20100422,0,7085836.story" target="_blank">L.A. Times</a><br />
<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/diningtravel/restaurants/topfivelosangelesrestaurants" target="_blank">Epicurious</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mattatouille.com/2010/03/hatfields-restaurant-los-angeles-ca.html" target="_blank">Mattatouille</a><br />
<br />
<b>Salt's Cure: </b>While Salt's Cure, as the name suggests, is known mainly for their meat, I am known to order a soup and salad more often than not when dining here. The soup is probably the best soup in town and whenever it gets the least bit chilly, I find myself dreaming of a trip to Salt's Cure. Another favorite dish of mine is the crab cake - I will get it whenever it pops up on the menu. My husband is a big fan of their chicken, although be warned that some of their meat dishes come in generously manly portion sizes. Pretty much everything is butchered and made in-house and the small, friendly and knowledgable staff and give you as many details as you wish on menu items. They have an excellently curated wine and beer list. The space is tiny so if you want a table reservations are a must. We have had great luck with just showing up for a counter spot, and you get an up close and personal view of food prep plus banter opportunities with the chefs.<br />
<br />
7494 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood (323) 850-7258<br />
<br />
Who else has reviewed Salt's Cure?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/23/food/la-fo-review-20101223" target="_blank">L.A. Times</a><br />
<a href="http://www.laweekly.com/2011-01-06/eat-drink/restaurant-or-butcher-shop/" target="_blank">L.A. Weekly/Jonathan Gold</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kevineats.com/2010/12/salts-cure-west-hollywood-ca.html" target="_blank">Kevin Eats</a><br />
<br />
<b>Lazy Ox Canteen: </b>Gotta represent downtown so I present you with Lazy Ox Canteen. This foodie paradise in Little Tokyo features an eclectic menu of seasonal small plates with standouts generally agreed to be anything made from a pig and a great burger. This is definitely a "cool" place that attracts a younger crowd but it's location and excellent food make it a nice choice for anyone going to a show or museum and looking for a dinner/lunch option in the area. Note: Chef Perfecto Rocher is no longer with the restaurant as of this October. Travis Chase, formerly of Tin Table in Seattle, is the new executive chef at Laxy Ox. <br />
<br />
241 S. San Pedro St., Downtown LA (213) 626-5299<br />
<br />
Who else has reviewed The Lazy Ox Canteen?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/22/food/la-fo-gold-20120623" target="_blank">L.A. Times/Jonathan Gold</a><br />
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-review18-2010feb18,0,4533496.story" target="_blank">L.A. Times/S. Irene Virbila</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kevineats.com/2012/04/lazy-ox-canteen-los-angeles-ca-2.html" target="_blank">Kevin Eats</a><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-89870503642135567292012-11-25T23:15:00.002-08:002012-12-02T14:07:00.457-08:00Seasonal Cooking: Fennel, Carrot and Apple Soup<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4322793/?claim=uvvbupkv4fu">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yGZsTQiE5EQ/ULL-W40ozBI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/K1vjNAjzK7w/s1600/carrots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yGZsTQiE5EQ/ULL-W40ozBI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/K1vjNAjzK7w/s320/carrots.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Earlier this year we made a much anticipated move and our new place includes a beautiful backyard! I had been growing a few things in boxes before and I am excited to expand into real gardening. My old boxes are still going strong, and filled with herbs and strawberries. I have also been growing vegetables and these feathery fronds above are carrots, which represent one of my first successes in growing fresh veggies to be eaten. </div>
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I am also getting fresh produce delivered from <a href="http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/" target="_blank">Farm Fresh to You</a> to round out my fruit and veggie selection and keep me eating healthy. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqKrRZ96UOA/ULL6wywrlpI/AAAAAAAAB1A/oXmdxCPp-a0/s1600/soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqKrRZ96UOA/ULL6wywrlpI/AAAAAAAAB1A/oXmdxCPp-a0/s320/soup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Even though we haven't exactly been suffering from very cold weather this fall, the season always gets me in the mood for soup. Also, soup is a great way to take a lot of vegetables and create a meal that can be enjoyed over many nights. This is a good feature for our little household of two, so that we can enjoy all of our vegetables before they are past their prime.<br />
<br />
My latest box included fennel and apples, so together with my carrots I created this delicious and seasonal soup to be eaten with a crusty, rustic hunk of bread.<br />
<br />
<b>Fennel: </b>Fennel is a good source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese, and folate as well as calcium, magnesium and iron. It can be eaten raw in salads and braised, roasted or grilled in addition to cooking in a soup.<br />
<br />
When cooking with fennel, trim the stalks about an inch above the bulb. If grilling, keep the root ends to keep the pieces together. For other cooking methods, trim about a half-inch off of the root ends before cooking.<br />
<br />
To slice fennel, stand it on the root end and cut vertically.<br />
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<b>Roasted Carrot, Fennel & Apple Soup</b> (from www.yummly.com)<br />
<br />
INGREDIENTS:<br />
<ul>
<li>1 lb. carrots (cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces)</li>
<li>2 medium apples (peeled, cored and cut into 16 wedges)</li>
<li>1 small-medium fennel bulb (white part only, cut into wedges)</li>
<li>Olive oil</li>
<li>1 clove garlic</li>
<li>1 tablespoon ginger</li>
<li>kosher salt</li>
<li>3.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock</li>
</ul>
DIRECTIONS:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 400º F.</li>
<li>Place carrots, apples and fennel onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Make sure to coat the pieces evenly. Bake in the oven for 45-60 min. Carrots should still be somewhat firm, but apple and fennel will be soft. </li>
<li>Remove the carrots, apple and fennel from the oven and put them into a large saucepan along with the oil. Add garlic, ginger and a large pinch of kosher salt to the saucepan. Pour the stock over the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 min.</li>
<li>Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender in batches and puree it until smooth. Be careful blending hot liquids. Add more stock if you want to get the soup to your desired consistency. </li>
<li>Garnish ideas: dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, walnuts or croutons. </li>
</ol>
Serves 4
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<script src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script>KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-6769906506887012092011-08-19T10:12:00.000-07:002011-08-19T10:19:23.421-07:00RECIPE: Corn and Cheddar Muffins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VVjjmRelRfY/Tk6Z_6aLhGI/AAAAAAAAByA/8tbpjMag3cc/s1600/IMG_0326.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VVjjmRelRfY/Tk6Z_6aLhGI/AAAAAAAAByA/8tbpjMag3cc/s320/IMG_0326.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642616706431681634" border="0" /></a>
<br />One of my favorite new things I've discovered lately is the bread baking column on Serious Eats. I love to bake more than any other kind of cooking so it's exciting to have a steady stream of things to make. Above are some <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/08/bread-baking-corn-and-cheddar-muffins.html">corn and cheddar muffins</a>.
<br />
<br />I made them with fresh white sweet corn from the farmer's market and some Vermont cheddar. These are great warmed up with some butter.
<br />KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-53107982388473259852010-12-13T11:40:00.000-08:002010-12-13T11:40:09.719-08:00RESTAURANT: LudobitesIn order to understand Ludobites, you have to understand the people behind it. Ludovic Lefebvre sometimes looks like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TQZqSWZuRsI/AAAAAAAABts/_wXqgYJIGXM/s1600/ludo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TQZqSWZuRsI/AAAAAAAABts/_wXqgYJIGXM/s320/ludo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550240454264374978" border="0" /></a><br />But more often he looks like this:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKHNyL5eI/AAAAAAAABsw/ktoYPRtF5Do/s1600/P1000682.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKHNyL5eI/AAAAAAAABsw/ktoYPRtF5Do/s320/P1000682.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541831198043268578" border="0" /></a>His wife, Kristine, sometimes looks like this:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TQZrPPjWWOI/AAAAAAAABt0/RdWSyEBrunM/s1600/kl1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TQZrPPjWWOI/AAAAAAAABt0/RdWSyEBrunM/s320/kl1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550241500397721826" border="0" /></a><br />But more often, looks like this:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TQZrPVSL_eI/AAAAAAAABt8/NUgSYPNC-Yg/s1600/krissy2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 302px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TQZrPVSL_eI/AAAAAAAABt8/NUgSYPNC-Yg/s320/krissy2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550241501936352738" border="0" /></a>Ludovic Lefebvre is one of the top chefs in the world. Kristine Lefebvre was a high-powered entertainment lawyer and one-time contestant on "The Apprentice". In other words, they are both gorgeous and talented and you would think, therefore, extremely worthy of hate. But you would be wrong.<br /><br />All you have to do is spend one night at Ludobites, the pop-up restaurant they run together to understand that in reality these two are sweet, friendly, down-to-earth, fun and crazy in love with each other. All they want to do is hang out together, have fun, make food and extend their hospitality to anyone who cares to join in.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKHkJ5i4I/AAAAAAAABtA/CuoY6jnNMnw/s1600/P1000724.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKHkJ5i4I/AAAAAAAABtA/CuoY6jnNMnw/s320/P1000724.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541831204048309122" border="0" /></a><strong>Half Chicken, Chorizo, Poached Egg, Chanterelles, Saffron Onions Soubise<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></strong>What is Ludobites? Ludobites is a pop-up restaurant that takes over various locations in Los Angeles for temporary amounts of time. They have served up dinner at Breadbar, Royal/T, Gram n' Papas and Max in Studio City. Ludobites is also practically a cult. People eagerly await for the next location to be announced and when reservations open, the site gets so flooded with requests that it regularly breaks down altogether and reservations usually fill up in a matter of minutes.<br /><br />In execution it is a bistro-style affair, with Ludo cooking the high-flown, imaginative dishes which made him a wunderkind chef, with all the ambiance of an intimate, informal French family kitchen.<br /><strong><br /></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKHddBI7I/AAAAAAAABs4/JbHdEXh13wg/s1600/P1000683.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKHddBI7I/AAAAAAAABs4/JbHdEXh13wg/s320/P1000683.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541831202249450418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ludo Torches a Dish at Gram 'n' Papa's<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>It definitely feels like a family affair. Kristine is there to greet you at the door with a huge smile. Ludo is always around, making his presence felt and running the kitchen, and the servers are often the same from location to location.<br /><br />You feel, when you attend a Ludobites, like you are getting to know the Lefebvres, so accessible and friendly and casual are they - they treat everyone who comes in like a friend and it's easy to see why they are a winning combination, with Ludo as the wild child whose unrestrained creativity is sort of managed and directed into a successful business practice by his capable wife.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKG3em2BI/AAAAAAAABso/B-9ZdUQETjg/s1600/P1000680.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKG3em2BI/AAAAAAAABso/B-9ZdUQETjg/s320/P1000680.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541831192055568402" border="0" /></a><strong>Caramel Souffle, Blanco Grapefruit, Fleur de Sel Ice Cream<br /><br /></strong>And the food? The food is like nothing you've had elsewhere and nothing you will ever have. It's combination of classic French technique, a wild imagination and some molecular gastronomy thrown in there as well. As long as you are ready to let go, be open-minded and give things a try, then you will find food that ranges from classic to homey to elegant to outrageous.<br /><strong><br /></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKGrRCj1I/AAAAAAAABsg/7OILVCEHnWg/s1600/P1000679.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiKGrRCj1I/AAAAAAAABsg/7OILVCEHnWg/s320/P1000679.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541831188777439058" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ludo Takes a Short Breather<br /><br /></span>Some of my favorite dishes have included: poached egg with potato mousseline and chorizo - though this was a dainty looking dish, all done up in a petite serving dish with flowers and a smooth, gourmet appearance, the flavor was hearty and satisfying and I would have this for breakfast any weekend.<br /><br />Steamed duck with a crispy skin puree - I am not normally a huge fan of duck. It is difficult to cook just right and therefore it is a bit of a gamble to order it. It was the words "crispy skin puree" that enticed me though and I'm glad I risked it. The duck was cooked perfectly and it was as satisfying as a good fried chicken - tender and juicy with a contrasting crunch. The saddest thing about Ludo dishes is that even as you eat them, you know you will probably never eat them again.<br /><br />One thing I always look forward to is the fresh bread selection. It could be a fluffy baguette or it could be an exotic naan, but it's always well executed with some kind of exceptionally flavorful butter to make it the most memorable bread experience you might have in a restaurant.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiJz5FIdKI/AAAAAAAABsY/ElJQqAk75sc/s1600/P1000678.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiJz5FIdKI/AAAAAAAABsY/ElJQqAk75sc/s320/P1000678.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541830866068075682" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Grilled Octopus, Oregano, Grilled Hazelnut Polenta, Pineapple Aioli, Piment D'Espelette Gelée<br /><br /></strong>The thing that defines Ludobites to me though, is the unexpected moments. That is where they really shine and where you know this restaurant is deserving of the cultlike adoration it gets.<br /><br />During Ludobites' time at Royal/T - almost exactly one year ago - J. and I went for dinner and were greeted by the chagrined, frazzled looking Kristine, who gave us a menu but informed us that due to an "emergency in the kitchen" the menu was pretty much thrown out and if we stayed, we would be consenting to a fixed meal that they could not predict ahead of time what we would eat.<br /><br />We just shrugged and said "sure!" We later found out that one of the sous chefs had up and left in the middle of service and the kitchen was small enough that it basically equated half the staff walking out. It turned out to be one of the more fun dinners I have ever had. The entire meal was a surprise, and we never knew what we would eat until it came. I felt it was a success and it really showed how even the most dire situations can work. If the staff is willing to put their nose to the grindstone and work through it, and the diners are willing to set aside their personal entitlement and desires and just relax and be served then it will work out. Since the meal was discounted for the inconvenience, and we still got a multi-course gourmet meal I think we got one of the more fantastic bargains of our life - all we really gave up was the ability to choose for ourselves what we ate.<br /><strong><br /></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiJzusFPMI/AAAAAAAABsQ/GWDdUvTJ2Gk/s1600/P1000676.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 209px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiJzusFPMI/AAAAAAAABsQ/GWDdUvTJ2Gk/s320/P1000676.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541830863278652610" border="0" /></a><b>Steamed duck with crispy skin puree and lemon verbena and a balsamic white peach<br /><br /></b>The other incident that defines the spirit of this restaurant to me was at this last Ludobites 6.0 at Max restaurant in Studio City. As we were nearing the end of our meal, a large party was coming in and Kristine asked if we would mind scooting over one table and that she would buy our dessert for the favor. Of course, scooting down one place was hardly an effort and we didn't really feel any need to be compensated for it.<br /><br />But when she found out that we had paid the bill before she could take the dessert off, Kristine insisted on getting us cash out of the till to pay us back for our dessert, and she ended up giving us more than it even cost. It was an extremely generous and friendly gesture and as it happened we chatted and she really revealed their mindset as she talked about wanting to host a big dinner at their house.<br /><br />"Do you really want all these people knowing where you live?" I asked. And I watched the realization dawn on her. She had been so excited about the thought of hosting everyone at her home that the complications of their celebrity, even as localized as it is, hadn't occurred to her. She really does think of them as just two people hosting dinners for everyone and having fun.<br /><b><br /></b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiJzLuBxII/AAAAAAAABsI/Z1dO67o9RPw/s1600/P1000675.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiJzLuBxII/AAAAAAAABsI/Z1dO67o9RPw/s320/P1000675.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541830853891572866" border="0" /></a><strong>Poached Egg, Potato Mousseline, Chorizo<br /><br /></strong>So now the hard part - how does one actually go to Ludobites? It's always roving and it only happens during specified times. The best way to get updated on when it will be open for business and where is to go to the <a href="http://www.ludolefebvre.com/ludobites">Ludobites website</a> and sign up for the mailing list. They will update you by e-mail when the next Ludobites will be and when reservations begin.<br /><br />The next part is just persistence and luck. Getting a reservation can be difficult but I will say that we have always succeeded - and if you do not succeed in getting booked at first, keep trying. Seats open up and they do seem to take a certain amount of walk-ins if you are willing to wait, depending on the location.<br /><br />Good luck!<br /><strong><br /></strong><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiJyTRcVaI/AAAAAAAABsA/OEilmB1tBj8/s1600/P1000674.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 249px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TOiJyTRcVaI/AAAAAAAABsA/OEilmB1tBj8/s320/P1000674.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541830838739293602" border="0" /></a><strong>Goat Cheese Soup, Bacon, Lardo, Tofu, Green Apple, Frisee Salad</strong>KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-26446754549187778052010-10-21T21:27:00.001-07:002010-10-21T22:12:12.863-07:00hey i totally made this all by myselfSo I don't have any particular talents. I can do a lot of things, but I'm not really great at any one thing. Because of that I get way too proud of myself whenever I successfully do something and it's not messed up. I cannot believe it every time and it's like a miracle. (The reason for this is the many many messed up projects that will not ever appear on this blog.)<br /><br />So recently I have done a couple of things ALL BY MYSELF and they turned out good. I am so pleased with myself, I am showcasing it all here on this blog.<br /><br />Okay first, I am totally a farmer! I've been wanting a yard forever, but it's pretty clear that it's going to be a long time before I ever have one. So this year when a cool nursery opened up down the street, me and J. started a container garden. Besides the decorative plants, I decided to try to grow some vegetables. Guys, it worked! They grew! And for the most part, are still growing. It's amazing. You just put water on them every day, fertilizer once a month and murder any bad bugs that show up. Voila, foods.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMETlS1OsZI/AAAAAAAABqU/6dJTPhSiqGU/s1600/smallpeppers.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMETlS1OsZI/AAAAAAAABqU/6dJTPhSiqGU/s320/smallpeppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530723348818866578" border="0" /></a><br />This is my cute mini bell pepper plant. You can see a flower, which is waiting for a bee to visit and two baby peppers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMET9_V1hTI/AAAAAAAABrU/dPRjzIlwiT8/s1600/peppers.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMET9_V1hTI/AAAAAAAABrU/dPRjzIlwiT8/s320/peppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530723773083649330" border="0" /></a><br />When the peppers are ready, they turn orange. They are like little teeny tiny bell peppers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMET9r-U6LI/AAAAAAAABrM/OT_Jtr9AGMI/s1600/peppersalad.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMET9r-U6LI/AAAAAAAABrM/OT_Jtr9AGMI/s320/peppersalad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530723767884769458" border="0" /></a><br />They are nice in a salad and I bet they would make really cute appetizers with a stuffing. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMET8h334UI/AAAAAAAABq0/nXuUL8UP0cE/s1600/greenpepper.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMETmHz-pRI/AAAAAAAABqs/nYa06ZPXSfo/s1600/bigpeppers.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 280px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMETmHz-pRI/AAAAAAAABqs/nYa06ZPXSfo/s320/bigpeppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530723363040699666" border="0" /></a><br />This is my big pepper plant. These are Italian roasting peppers. They are ready once they get big enough (about 60 days). If you leave them on the plant long enough they will turn red, but I have only been patient enough for that one time.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMET8h334UI/AAAAAAAABq0/nXuUL8UP0cE/s1600/greenpepper.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMET8h334UI/AAAAAAAABq0/nXuUL8UP0cE/s320/greenpepper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530723747993477442" border="0" /></a><br />Here are the first peppers that I picked. These three peppers are the first vegetables I ever grew myself, so I am very proud of them all even if some of them are handsomer than others.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMETl3ws-tI/AAAAAAAABqk/GDv4ZJtrXoU/s1600/fullsandwich.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMETl3ws-tI/AAAAAAAABqk/GDv4ZJtrXoU/s320/fullsandwich.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530723358731991762" border="0" /></a><br />I roasted the peppers and put them on a chicken sandwich. Delicious but they were pretty spicy, so really a sandwich should have less peppers than this.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMETk9KZI1I/AAAAAAAABqM/fLIS_ilDnZM/s1600/kale.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 271px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMETk9KZI1I/AAAAAAAABqM/fLIS_ilDnZM/s320/kale.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530723343002051410" border="0" /></a><br />This is my poor kale. The kale grew like gangbusters, it was nuts. In this picture it is twice as big as when I got it and it ended up getting twice as tall as that. But I could not keep the aphids away from it - they kept coming back even after I would mass murder them all. I could never actually eat it because of so many bugs, so I ended up having to let it go. :( I will probably replace it with another pepper plant because I am telling you, those are so easy.<br /><br />I also want to give a plug to my nursery because it is the greatest. It has all kinds of amazing things - not just plants but gifts and stuff for your house too. The people are really nice and know all about plants and you can bring your dog there and they will give it treats.<br /><a href="http://www.rollinggreensnursery.com/hollywood.html"><br />Rolling Greens Nursery</a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMET9ddsp5I/AAAAAAAABrE/LOO8TRmsGT0/s1600/mozza2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TMET9ddsp5I/AAAAAAAABrE/LOO8TRmsGT0/s320/mozza2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530723763989817234" border="0" /></a><br />Okay, the other thing I made is cheese! That is mozzarella cheese that I made all myself. It is really easy, as long as you have the stuff and a recipe. For my birthday, J. got me a deluxe cheesemaking kit from <a href="http://www.artfire.com/users/urbancheesecraft">Urban Cheesecraft</a>. These people are really great. Not only did the kit and recipes make it really easy to use, but at first they accidentally forgot to put some of the recipes in my kit and when I e-mailed them, they sent them right a way, plus gave me an adorable heart shaped cheese mold as a gift.<br /><br />The mozzarella is made with milk, rennet, citric acid and cheese salt. You just cook the milk until it separates into curds and whey, take out the curds and then knead them until turn into cheese, basically. Mine is a little rustic - you have to stretch and knead it for a looooong time to get it so smooth like store cheese. Patience isn't really my strong point. But when you eat it, it is really like mozzarella! I have been enjoying it with apples and figs.KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-56297418236968475382010-09-14T12:36:00.000-07:002010-09-14T14:51:23.616-07:00NEWS: DineLA Restaurant Week + MUNCH LA CancelledFirst off, sad news, everyone. The MUNCH LA food truck event for this weekend has been canceled. I'm unsure why, but at least it seems that it will be rescheduled, so I will be sure to look out for any new dates. Here is the official statement from the event:<br /><br /><blockquote><span><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Due to unforeseen circumstances, MUNCH LA regretfully has to cancel its event on Saturday, September 18th, 2010. MUNCH LA deeply apologizes to our supporters for any inconveniences and we hope to reschedule our event soon. In the meantime, full refunds on tickets will be available. Please let us know if you have any questions and we will keep you posted.</span><br /></span></span></blockquote><br />But now ...<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_UE2eCjoI/AAAAAAAABoE/_0b7lIG7bZA/s1600/20090828-good-news-everyone.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 124px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_UE2eCjoI/AAAAAAAABoE/_0b7lIG7bZA/s320/20090828-good-news-everyone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516861248358223490" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_TnP4iV8I/AAAAAAAABn8/HslMLTt8zuw/s1600/20090828-good-news-everyone.jpg"><br /></a>Good news, everyone!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's almost time for DineLA again! October 3 - 8 and Oct. 10 - 15, local restaurants will offer sweet deals to take advantage of. Lunches will be offered for $16, $22, or $28 depending on the place, and dinners for $26, $34, or $44 depending on the place. It's a great time to try places that ordinarily wouldn't be on your agenda for reasons of price or location, or whatever.<br /><br />My recommendations for this year:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_oIdj39MI/AAAAAAAABoM/OxRdxHBgOFs/s1600/Evan-Kleiman200.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 81px; height: 120px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_oIdj39MI/AAAAAAAABoM/OxRdxHBgOFs/s200/Evan-Kleiman200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516883300623840450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Angeli Caffe</span> - Lunch and Dinner at the lowest price point. Menu still TBD. Honestly, Angeli Caffe is a good deal at any time of the year, but it can also be one of those staple places that you forget about because it's just always around. It's a good excuse to go back if you haven't been in a while.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_orRV5NVI/AAAAAAAABoU/46ZPHF7Xp94/s1600/menu_neal.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 64px; height: 79px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_orRV5NVI/AAAAAAAABoU/46ZPHF7Xp94/s200/menu_neal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516883898639398226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">BLD - </span>BLD is offering a $26 dinner. <a href="http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaurantweekv2/details.html?id=27175">The menu offers a choice of appetizer, main course and dessert</a>. BLD is another low key option that offers a chance for an amazing deal. If the weather isn't too cold yet, you can even bring your doggie and eat outside. If you're missing Grace, maybe BLD can comfort you a little.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_pbs0tB8I/AAAAAAAABoc/WtRGOq-AbKw/s1600/DavidMyers_200.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 126px; height: 126px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_pbs0tB8I/AAAAAAAABoc/WtRGOq-AbKw/s200/DavidMyers_200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516884730650101698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comme Ca - </span>If you have not tried Comme Ca yet, this is a great opportunity. Both lunch and dinner are offered at the highest price point, menu is still TBD. This is a great place to bring people that you want to impress with really nice food but you don't want to freak them out with a snooty atmosphere or strange menu choices. I brought my whole family here and it was a complete success. The food is all simple and familiar but prepared impeccably and the wine list and cocktails are top notch.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_qYXzI0bI/AAAAAAAABok/p55hDL9mdfc/s1600/info02.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 115px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_qYXzI0bI/AAAAAAAABok/p55hDL9mdfc/s200/info02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516885772978409906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eva - </span>Eva is pretty much my favorite restaurant at the moment, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Mark is an awesome guy and he is always offering good deals, but this takes away the effort of looking for them yourself. A <a href="http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaurantweekv2/details.html?id=33281">three course dinner for $34</a>, and the food here has never let me down. I definitely recommend the chicken and the lemon cake, but any choice is probably the right one.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_q60_Gp2I/AAAAAAAABos/xPGqV03LAfM/s1600/suzannetracht.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 117px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_q60_Gp2I/AAAAAAAABos/xPGqV03LAfM/s200/suzannetracht.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516886364928780130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jar - </span>If you love Mad Men and you haven't been to Jar then you need to go right away. Put on your Don Draper suit or your Joan Holloway wiggle dress and go there. The atmosphere is somehow both modern and retro, both classy and perfectly comfortable all at the same time. <a href="http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaurantweekv2/details.html?id=33305">Their DineLA menu offers three courses for $44</a>, with choices for each course. Do not let the traditional food choices fool you, I would never recommend any place that was bleh. As long as you like meat, you are in for a real treat.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_rpFWcd1I/AAAAAAAABo8/fh6rbcjbah8/s1600/bio_img2_meschin_bros.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 102px; height: 137px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_rpFWcd1I/AAAAAAAABo8/fh6rbcjbah8/s200/bio_img2_meschin_bros.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516887159595628370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Little Next Door - </span>If you are anything like me, it doesn't take too much to get to the point where you feel like you desperately need a vacation. We can't always just pop off on our travels, but a meal at the Little Next Door is a reasonable alternative. It really feels like you've gone to another country when you eat there, and chances are the people next to you will be legit French to provide some immersion. For DineLA, they <a href="http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaurantweekv2/details.html?id=28547">offer lunch and dinner at the lowest price points</a>. There's no reason not to go here, unless you just absolutely hate French stuff, and then I feel sorry for you.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_sBzvMgHI/AAAAAAAABpE/XBqI5ISfMvc/s1600/SuzanneGoin.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 87px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_sBzvMgHI/AAAAAAAABpE/XBqI5ISfMvc/s200/SuzanneGoin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516887584364331122" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lucques - </span>There's pretty much no excuse not to have gone here yet - Lucques' Sunday supper already offers a very good deal every single week. But maybe it's just not convenient for you to go at night or on the weekend. But maybe ... if you work in the area, here is your opportunity. Lucques is doing a lunch for DineLA, menu still TBD, three courses for $28. Treat yourself. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_snCZ7MRI/AAAAAAAABpM/RUhHvdX5wqo/s1600/john-rivera-sedlar.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 90px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_snCZ7MRI/AAAAAAAABpM/RUhHvdX5wqo/s200/john-rivera-sedlar.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516888223956807954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rivera - </span>Rivera is a trek for those of us who live in a more westerly direction, but it's well worth it. It's also a bit of an upscale dining experience, so DineLA offers a good opportunity to try it without having to splurge so much. They are offering <a href="http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaurantweekv2/details.html?id=31519">lunch and dinner at $28/$44 respectively</a>. They also specifically have a veg option for those herbivores out there. Make sure to have some tortillas and even though it's extra, you should probably try at least one of the quality cocktails they have going on. It will be worth it.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_ts7qJhtI/AAAAAAAABpU/JN4mtpFx_H8/s1600/feniger.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 75px; height: 101px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_ts7qJhtI/AAAAAAAABpU/JN4mtpFx_H8/s200/feniger.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516889424736650962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Susan Feniger's STREET - </span>STREET is a really fun place to eat. It's best to be daring and try even the weirdest sounding stuff because that stuff is often the most surprisingly great. For DineLA, they are offering <a href="http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaurantweekv2/details.html?id=32057">lunch and dinner</a> at the middle price range. The menu represents a sampling of their regular offerings although if you choose the lunch, you get one of chef Susan Feniger's specialties - a braised beef taco.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_uMYhOMII/AAAAAAAABpc/MHfS8b3R2yc/s1600/2363653272_2e37f0861b.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TI_uMYhOMII/AAAAAAAABpc/MHfS8b3R2yc/s200/2363653272_2e37f0861b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516889965059780738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bazaar - </span>I would definitely recommend everyone experience The Bazaar at least once. It's a really fun and surprising experience and a good way to ease into trying some more "avant garde" food because you have plenty of traditional options as well. The upside to this <a href="http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaurantweekv2/details.html?id=12215">DineLA offer</a> is not only the price ($44), but the sheer number of options. You get to choose from a long list of options rather than just a few so picky eaters have less reason to turn down this format. In particular, the "appetizer" portion offers you a choice of one "crazy" option and one traditional option so that you can try both and compare. Be sure and vist the patisserie for a candy after your meal and check out the very interesting gift shop or whatever that is.<br /><br />So those are all of my favorite places, but there are a lot more options. You can check out if your favorite restaurant is doing something, and look for menu updates on the <a href="http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaurantweekv2/index.jsp">DineLA page</a>.KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-22344756731553202432010-08-24T14:04:00.001-07:002010-08-24T14:10:46.279-07:00NEWS: MUNCH LA Food Truck Extravaganza, Sept. 18 at Fairfax High<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/THQ1SUIUfFI/AAAAAAAABns/twLe-Bu3NUI/s1600/munchla+top+with+trucks.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 206px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/THQ1SUIUfFI/AAAAAAAABns/twLe-Bu3NUI/s400/munchla+top+with+trucks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509086832938482770" border="0" /></a><br />Ooh breaking news ... on Saturday, September 18, MUNCH LA will hold its first event - a food and fashion extravaganza featuring over 30 of L.A.'s famous food trucks as well as indie fashion vendors. The event will be from 11am - 5pm at Fairfax High.<br /><br />Sought after food trucks such as LudoTruck (Ludo Lefevbre's fried chicken), Let's Be Frank (gourmet hot dogs), the Dim Sum Truck and Tropical Shaved Ice will be there. The full list of trucks follows:<br /><br />Ahn Joo, Baby Bad Ass Burgers, Big Swirl, Calbi BBQ, Crepe n Around, Del’s Lemonade, Dim Sum Truck, Don Chow Tacos, Dosa Truck, Dumpling Station, Eat Phamish, Fish Lips, Flying Pig, Frysmith, Greenz on Wheelz, Greasy Weiner, India Jones, Kabob N Roll, Komodo, Lake Street Creamery, Let’s Be Frank, LudoTruck, Nana Queens, Slice, South Philly, Sweet Truck, Tropical Shave Ice, Vizzi and more.<br /><br />In addition, attendees can do some designer shopping, as Young Fabulous & Broke, Hudson Jeans, Wendy Glez Lingerie, T Bags, Dylan George, Paige Denim, Boheme Jewelry and others will be on hand to offer their wares.<br /><br />Tickets are available in advance at <a href="http://www.munchla.com/">munchla.com</a> ($7) or at the door on the day of ($10)<br /><br />WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 18th, 11am – 5pm<br />WHERE: Fairfax High School; 7850 Melrose Ave, LA 90046KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-64614191523743787882010-08-23T09:12:00.000-07:002010-08-23T10:40:56.166-07:00THING 80: Harry's Seascape Strawberries<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/THKeaRCpZXI/AAAAAAAABnk/4CpBQ_ENkmA/s1600/seascape.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 306px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/THKeaRCpZXI/AAAAAAAABnk/4CpBQ_ENkmA/s400/seascape.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508639468315829618" border="0" /></a><br />Strawberry farmers are always on a quest to build a bigger and better strawberry. In strawberry terms, what that means is they want the perfect everbearing strawberry - one that produces a large amount of fruit for a long amount of time.<br /><br />Seascape berries were birthed at the University of Davis and they are an extremely productive variety of strawberry, and even better than that, have a very good flavor. Seascape berries are particularly suited to California, but will grow especially well in any cool region with a warm micro-climate.<br /><br />Not only is the berry one of the better berries for commercial growing and selling, but this year, researchers at Purdue have discovered that it may be able to go into space with astronauts. In attempting to discover which produce might be cultivated on a space shuttle, it was determined that Seascape berries require little maintenance or energy, are not sensitive to the amount of daylight available. In fact, what they found with the Seascape was that with half the light, the plant yielded lesser amounts of berries, but each berry was bigger, such that no volume was lost overall. The plants are small, and the berries are easy to grow and consume with little waste. Total space berries.<br /><br />At the Farmer's Market in Los Angeles, the place to get these berries (and others) is Harry's Berries. Harry's Berries is a family farm in Oxnard that has been growing strawberries since 1967. Harry Iwamoto was from a farming family that went back generations in Japan. He moved to the U.S. in the late 1950s and worked as a gardener until he was able to move to Oxnard and begin the farm, which grew strawberries from the start. They started with a roadside stand and a wholesale business, but various circumstances caused them to scale down their operation and now they focus on specialty varieties of both strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, which they sell at farmer's markets. Harry unfortunately passed away while they were moving to the smaller field, but his daughter and her husband still run the farm today.<br /><br />Harry's sells berries at Farmer's Markets from Montecito to Torrance, and they are in at least one market and usually more every day of the week.<br /><br />They sell two varieties of strawberry: Gaviotas and Seascapes from February through August, with maybe a small amount other times of the year, with spring being the peak. Gaviotas are sweeter strawberries, perfect for buying and eating straight away. Seascapes are more acidic but sturdier and are perfect for baking as well as eating.<br /><br />Harry's also sells beans and tomatoes when they have them and processed foods made with their products: preserves, juice, and salsa.<br /><br />Be warned that at peak season these specialty berries are much more expensive than what you would find in the store. But for a special treat they are worth it. Juicy and delicious, but not too sweet they are great for eating alone and even better for baking in a tart.<br /><br />To find out when Harry's Berries will be at a market near you, visit their website at: http://www.harrysberries.com.KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-41552733056650870682010-08-03T11:20:00.000-07:002010-08-03T11:41:26.450-07:00THING 44: Strawberry Donut from Donut Man<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TFheSdpXKtI/AAAAAAAABnE/iqWiPcvyUEg/s1600/donutman.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TFheSdpXKtI/AAAAAAAABnE/iqWiPcvyUEg/s400/donutman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501250616121830098" border="0" /></a><br />Without a doubt, Jonathan Gold's description of these donuts is a prime example of why he is a Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer, so it's impossible to write anything about them without providing an excerpt that shows how incredibly persuasive this man can be when enticing you to be enthusiastic about a food you might otherwise never bother to try:<br /><blockquote>It is an iceberg of a doughnut, a flattened demisphere big enough to use as a Pilates cushion, split in two and filled to order with what must be an entire basket of fresh strawberries, and only in season. The fruit is moistened with a translucent gel that lubricates even the occasional white-shouldered berry with a mantle of slippery sweetness, oozing from the sides, turning the bottom of the pasteboard box into a sugary miasma in the unlikely event that the doughnuts actually make it home.</blockquote>This ... this is why he wins. Anyone who can use the word "miasma" in a description of food where the end result is that you desperately want to eat the food is a master.<br /><br />The Donut Man is something that I may never have tried, but for Mr. Gold. I love donuts a lot, but the Donut Man is located in Glendora, way out in the San Gabriel valley, and although I do sometimes have occasion to go there, I usually go straight to my destination and then home, without the desire to stop at random donut shops along the way.<br /><br />But it's true that the Donut Man has something no other donut shop around here has, and that is donuts that feature fresh fruit - strawberry in spring, peach in summer. A strawberry donut from Donut Man is not a withered, overfried slab of cake with pink icing strewn over the top. It is instead a fluffy, airy glazed donut-bun surrounding a mound of fresh strawberries drowned in their own sugary glaze.<br /><br />How accurate is Mr. Gold's description? Entirely accurate. By the time you get the donut home, the bottom has turned into a sticky sweet mass of goo, but the top remains light and fluffy and the strawberries fresh and glowingly red. You can even save it for the next morning, but I recommend to eat it as fresh as possible so that it doesn't lose a bit of softness or warmth and the ooze:solid ratio remains in a manageable balance. The miasma can only encroach so far before the quality starts to suffer.<br /><br />As Gold himself admits - Glendora is going to be at least 45 minutes away from you, and there's nothing there unless you're lucky enough to have relatives that give you an excuse to head out there every so often. But it's close enough to all of that legendary Chinese food of the San Gabriel Valley, so you could do worse than to make a day of it, abandoning whatever diet you are on and heading east for a day of gluttony.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Donut Man, 915 E. Route 66, Glendora, (626) 335-9111.</span>KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-50312804415260162592010-07-14T18:25:00.000-07:002010-07-14T18:28:19.854-07:00IT IS TRUE BECAUSE THE INTERNET SAID SOJust so you know ....<br /><br /><!-- Begin I Write Like Badge --><br /><div style="overflow:auto;border:2px solid #ddd;font:20px/1.2 Arial,sans-serif;width:380px;padding:5px; background:#F7F7F7; color:#555"><img src="http://s.iwl.me/w.png" style="float:right" width="120" /><div style="padding:20px; border-bottom:1px solid #eee; text-shadow:#fff 0 1px"> I write like<br /><a href="http://iwl.me/w/d7939cdb" style="font-size:30px;color:#698B22;text-decoration:none">David Foster Wallace</a></div><p style="font-size:11px; text-align:center; color:#888"><em>I Write Like</em> by Mémoires, <a href="http://www.codingrobots.com/memoires/" style="color:#888">Mac journal software</a>. <a href="http://iwl.me" style="color:#333; background:#FFFFE0"><b>Analyze your writing!</b></a></p></div><br /><!-- End I Write Like Badge --><br /><br />I'm sure this comes as a surprise to no one since these blog postings bear clear similarities to the works of David Foster Wallace. But it's best to make it official, just in case.<br /><br />Also, I actually am going to post something here soon ... just a busy schedule but I have tons of pictures saved up to write things about.KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-30845172510055187892010-06-15T22:10:00.000-07:002010-06-15T22:44:55.927-07:00THING 15: Gnocchi from Angeli Caffe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TBheO_WWz6I/AAAAAAAABm8/tejdRp9XwLg/s1600/gnocchi.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/TBheO_WWz6I/AAAAAAAABm8/tejdRp9XwLg/s400/gnocchi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483236157939961762" border="0" /></a><br />You may have ideas about gnocchi - preconceived ideas of what it is and how you feel about it. You have to forget about these preconceived notions when you eat gnocchi at Angeli. Evan Kleiman is famous for her gnocchi and part of the reason is because her gnocchi is perhaps not what you were expecting. For starters, Angeli gnocchi is not the potato gnocchi of Northern Italy that most people envision when they think of gnocchi.<br /><br />Kleiman's gnocchi is the Florentine version made with ricotta (also known as gnudi). Compared to the other type of gnocchi you might as well be eating clouds of delicious. It is lighter and more delicate. They are perfectly round balls of light and fluffy goodness. The gnocchi is a special and as such, it doesn't have a uniform configuration. You have to wait for the server to tell you what type of gnocchi you can order that night. It very often has a sage and brown butter sauce with or without other accompaniments. It has been known to be made with beets, spinach, lemon, peas, or other things that happen to be good at the moment.<br /><br />Mine was plain and simple with the gnocchi and the sage-brown butter sauce and that's it. Even in such a simple arrangement it was one of the better pasta experiences I have ever had. Perhaps its biggest triumph was that people at the table who originally poo-pooed the idea of gnocchi based on past experiences had to admit that it was some pretty amazing gnocchi once they tasted it.<br /><br />It is also a light dish for an Italian restaurant, where most plates are piled with mountains of pasta or pizzas. You can easily put this away after an appetizer or salad and not feel like you are going to burst. I make no claims as to their actual level of healthiness, only that you won't feel like a complete glutton after eating it.<br /><br />So that was the dish, but even if gnocchi doesn't float your boat, I still recommend a visit to Angeli. I can't believe anyone in L.A. hasn't eaten there, but there's a lot of people here and a lot of restaurants. Angeli has been around since the '80s and it has been the same ever since I first set foot it in it almost a decade ago. I still have many of the same servers and even the same busboy since that first visit and that says something about what type of place this is. My feelings never change about this restaurant and as proof of this, you can go and read my <a href="http://la.foodblogging.com/2007/02/16/angeli-caffe-evan-will-you-be-my-valentine/">love letter to Angeli</a> from Valentine's Day three years ago.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.angelicaffe.com/">Angeli Caffe</a><br />7274 Melrose Avenue<br />Los Angeles, CA 90046<br />(323) 936-9086KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-66705864069584221482010-06-02T21:51:00.000-07:002010-06-02T22:37:21.428-07:00THING 25: Whatever Lou Tells You to DrinkThing 25 was a fairly non-specific directive and I interpreted it rather loosely. "Lou" is Lou Amdur, the owner of restaurant/wine bar Lou, a wine connoisseur and repository of knowledge, and husband of New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis.<br /><br />At any given time you go to Lou, a number of people in there will be people who know he and his wife. I don't know them, so I haven't had the pleasure of a personal wine recommendation, but I figure that everything on the menu is included in things that Lou would tell you to drink, and our waitress also clued us in to a secret wine not on the menu. But I am not going to describe the food and drink in particulars, especially since I'll admit I made a few trips to Lou, because it's kind of addictive. The best way to describe a visit to Lou is to describe in general, since both the wines and food are variable and change often.<br /><br />First of all, Lou is extremely unobtrusive. Tucked into the corner spot of a mini-mall, scrunched between pollo places and laundromats, from the outside you cannot tell what it is. The large storefront window is draped in curtains from ceiling to floor. You have to boldly make the choice to find your way through them before you can see what this "Lou" place is. Inside the restaurant dark and warm, decorated in rich reds with black and white. The menu is written on a chalkboard and reflects seasonal and farmed ingredients, mostly from the Santa Monica farmer's market. On Mondays they offer a set menu concocted by chef DJ Olson.<br /><br />The wine list also changes every three to four weeks. The wine list is sort of an avant-garde exercise with the wines categorized into different categories to help you decide what will go well with what you eat, and then each given a succinct description from the mind of Lou that may or may not be helpful. (Descriptions range from the very descriptive (fresh, zingy, tart) to the difficult-to-interpret (slutty? Not Funyons?). If you are lucky you will get a helpful server who can guide you through your choice, or you can read over the descriptions and categories and go with your gut, you probably won't be wrong. For one of my choices, it had been warm weather so I chose one described as apples and hayrides and it did indeed taste like summer in a glass. Success!<br /><br />The food is always seasonal and fresh and everything I have tried here has been delicious. They have some interesting farmed meats, not just the usual chicken, lamb, and beef but also things like bison and antelope. I tried the antelope, and was relieved to find it was perfectly cooked, as I've never tried it before. It was like eating a nice venison. You can tell that care is taken to find the best ingredients and you can tell when there is something they are quite enthusiastic about. When we were last there, you had several opportunities to eat Tony Hook's 10-year cheddar cheese and I took more than one because it's my favorite cheese.<br /><br />I highly recommend that everyone seek out Lou at least one time. It's really a hidden treasure (although they have no problem filling the seats) and it feels very much like a getaway in the middle of Hollywood. The variable menu means you will probably want to come back just to see what your choices will be next time.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.louonvine.com/" target="blank"">LOU</a><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=724+vine+street+los+angeles+ca+90038&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=us&ei=-WtKSs7TDJPdlAfC9YEh&ll=34.084725,-118.326573&spn=0.009632,0.019591&z=16&iwloc=A" target="blank"">724 Vine Street</a><br />323 962-6369<br />Monday – Saturday 6 PM – 12 AMKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-72872403317968219162010-05-11T19:35:00.000-07:002010-05-11T22:56:49.247-07:00AprilSpring is my favorite. The weather is nice, but it's not hot yet and this year we had enough rain that everything was growing and blooming like crazy, including delicious produce. The farmers' markets are starting to get a bunch of good stuff. We can't stop planting new stuff around our house and we want to be outside all the time. Meaning, it's hard for me to sit down and write stuff on a blog. But here are many pictures from April.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oWRvM0sZI/AAAAAAAABmA/OVw1uN4oe9w/s1600/P1000523.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oWRvM0sZI/AAAAAAAABmA/OVw1uN4oe9w/s320/P1000523.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470209191378727314" border="0" /></a>This is a cream of dandelion soup made with dandelion leaves. They are very bitter, but the cream mellows them a bit. They are also very good for you, being very high in potassium and Vitamin A. Dandelion leaves are also diuretic, so this soup is called <span style="font-style: italic;">creme de pissenlits</span> in France, which basically means "have fun wetting the bed after you eat this." But honestly you don't need to worry about that unless you've also drank way too many glasses of wine. I adapted the recipe from <a href="http://akitchenofherown.blogspot.com/2007/11/creme-de-pissenlits-or-bridey-soup_14.html">A Kitchen of Her Own</a> to make it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oWRVLM_0I/AAAAAAAABl4/ILelY60nabw/s1600/P1000531.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oWRVLM_0I/AAAAAAAABl4/ILelY60nabw/s320/P1000531.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470209184392609602" border="0" /></a><br />Strawberry-ginger jam. I got these strawberries right when they were first coming out for the season and they weren't yet as ripe and sweet and juicy as they are now that they are in full effect. But they still made a nice small batch of refrigerator jam that is delicious on a buttery piece of toast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oWQ1x5SII/AAAAAAAABlw/ljbmzBblqJs/s1600/P1000532.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oWQ1x5SII/AAAAAAAABlw/ljbmzBblqJs/s320/P1000532.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470209175964960898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oWQmaOVHI/AAAAAAAABlo/EEkyTjHBXm0/s1600/P1000535.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oWQmaOVHI/AAAAAAAABlo/EEkyTjHBXm0/s320/P1000535.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470209171839145074" border="0" /></a>A squash blossom quesadilla.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oWQQ22WhI/AAAAAAAABlg/jgGoJ-qUx-U/s1600/P1000535.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVuNs51aI/AAAAAAAABlY/vP4YZxFDPKE/s1600/P1000539.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVuNs51aI/AAAAAAAABlY/vP4YZxFDPKE/s320/P1000539.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208581091055010" border="0" /></a><br />Fresh chamomile tea. The fresh flowers make for a very bright apple-flavored tea. You could also dry them to save for later if you're not going to use them all right away.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVtxyawTI/AAAAAAAABlQ/Qk6nREt2j6s/s1600/P1000540.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVtxyawTI/AAAAAAAABlQ/Qk6nREt2j6s/s320/P1000540.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208573597991218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVtmQ8sFI/AAAAAAAABlI/frBHwgKcbOI/s1600/P1000542.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVtmQ8sFI/AAAAAAAABlI/frBHwgKcbOI/s320/P1000542.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208570504818770" border="0" /></a><br />This is rapini, otherwise known as broccoli raab. It's another bitter green like the dandelion leaves that is really good for you with lots of potassium and Vitamin A. In spring it also has pretty yellow flowers but I sauteed them with garlic so no pretty flowery dishes for me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVtX1KP1I/AAAAAAAABlA/9f-3vTULxQc/s1600/P1000546.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVtX1KP1I/AAAAAAAABlA/9f-3vTULxQc/s320/P1000546.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208566630170450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVtBQriSI/AAAAAAAABk4/wt2Pi0EQPxM/s1600/P1000547.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVtBQriSI/AAAAAAAABk4/wt2Pi0EQPxM/s320/P1000547.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208560571582754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVtX1KP1I/AAAAAAAABlA/9f-3vTULxQc/s1600/P1000546.jpg"><br /></a>This is the end of the season for chanterelles so I made sure to get some before they are gone. They are delicious sauteed in butter and then made into scrambled eggs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVWNYD5EI/AAAAAAAABkw/l-p9LvxE4yg/s1600/P1000555.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVWNYD5EI/AAAAAAAABkw/l-p9LvxE4yg/s320/P1000555.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208168686773314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVV4v3O4I/AAAAAAAABko/3I8W4rDw6b4/s1600/P1000557.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVV4v3O4I/AAAAAAAABko/3I8W4rDw6b4/s320/P1000557.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208163149462402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVVZzr-kI/AAAAAAAABkY/0L_9NHSwnnQ/s1600/P1000560.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVVZzr-kI/AAAAAAAABkY/0L_9NHSwnnQ/s320/P1000560.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208154844002882" border="0" /></a>There are tons of onions right now in all stages of growth from baby to kid to adolescent to adult. I used these to make a small tart based off of this recipe at <a href="http://kitchenconfit.wordpress.com/2008/05/01/spring-onion-bacon-and-goat-cheese-tart/">Kitchen Confit.</a> I made a miniature one and I used yogurt instead of sour cream. It was really good but not as healthy as all the greens. :( You can't eat these all the time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVVhIcvyI/AAAAAAAABkg/vlBZdLWIhlY/s1600/P1000559.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVVhIcvyI/AAAAAAAABkg/vlBZdLWIhlY/s320/P1000559.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208156810133282" border="0" /></a><br />Here is a dog who wonders if I will give him some of my delicious food.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oUlzUbLJI/AAAAAAAABj4/8kkE69uJhgs/s1600/P1000563.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oUlzUbLJI/AAAAAAAABj4/8kkE69uJhgs/s320/P1000563.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470207337058479250" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVVZzr-kI/AAAAAAAABkY/0L_9NHSwnnQ/s1600/P1000560.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVVD2JbZI/AAAAAAAABkQ/IgRqd-7aJ2s/s1600/P1000562.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVVD2JbZI/AAAAAAAABkQ/IgRqd-7aJ2s/s320/P1000562.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470208148948741522" border="0" /></a>Green onions, the baby version of onions. I made another quesadilla with these because ... well, I just love quesadillas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oUlGmCXII/AAAAAAAABjo/8L0m_08oPgg/s1600/P1000565.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oUlGmCXII/AAAAAAAABjo/8L0m_08oPgg/s320/P1000565.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470207325052755074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVAPAklfI/AAAAAAAABkI/YM_wV9ACfFw/s1600/P1000566.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oVAPAklfI/AAAAAAAABkI/YM_wV9ACfFw/s320/P1000566.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470207791168001522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oU_rn31-I/AAAAAAAABkA/CClObzpzpEs/s1600/P1000568.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S-oU_rn31-I/AAAAAAAABkA/CClObzpzpEs/s320/P1000568.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470207781669165026" border="0" /></a>This is the Petrovic Blasting Company - a brass band that plays at the Farmer's Market. They are really good and this is their biggest fan watching them. He refused to leave his spot right in front for anything. It's the cutest thing ever.KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-90170752074646975752010-04-24T15:26:00.000-07:002010-04-24T16:05:07.871-07:00THING 6: Tito's Old School Tacos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S9Nxdq1ha1I/AAAAAAAABjI/tCONQ06rjH0/s1600/P1000517.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S9Nxdq1ha1I/AAAAAAAABjI/tCONQ06rjH0/s320/P1000517.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463835527459466066" border="0" /></a><br />It's true that there are taco stands galore in Los Angeles. It is almost mystifying to think how any one of them could distinguish themselves. Taco stands are basically made to be a place you go because it's close, it's cheap, and the food is of the type that, even if it's not the best example of its kind, it's also really hard to go badly wrong with a basic taco or burrito.<br /><br />Tito's basically resembles most taco stands. It has the same basic dishes (taco, burrito, enchilada, tostada) and it's cheap. But there's something about these tacos that makes you want them even if you're not nearby. I have driven from Koreatown to West Los Angeles at lunchtime for these tacos and it is a miracle if you can get me to go somewhere that's out of walking distance.<br /><br />A modern foodie would probably be mystified. There's nothing immediately special about the food at Tito's. It's far from authentic, it's not healthy, nor is it fused with any other international cuisine. It's just Americanized Mexican at cheap prices eaten in an ugly dining room (or preferably outside if it's nice weather) after waiting in a long line to have your order taken by a weather-beaten old woman or a bored teenager. So what is the magic?<br /><br />My guess is that it is in the super crunchy tacos. The tacos are so crunchy and crisp and greasy that they kind of hurt your teeth when you bite into them. Your teeth recoil from the combination of crunch and fat that they know are not good for them and yet it's a deadly combination. The hard shell combined with the beef slow-cooked until it's soft and tender makes a satisfying texture combination, while the fat provides the flavor since these tacos are anything but spicy. And for me of course, it's also the cheese. Shredded cheddar cheese is mounded on the top to slowly melt from the heat that radiates through the protective layer of lettuce.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S9NxDNqbRQI/AAAAAAAABjA/3LTO9IwM3bY/s1600/P1000518.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S9NxDNqbRQI/AAAAAAAABjA/3LTO9IwM3bY/s320/P1000518.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463835072951698690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S9NxC9xZYwI/AAAAAAAABi4/PnAZCsvxwIk/s1600/P1000518.jpg"><br /></a>There is just something unique about this place that is definitive of the best part of Los Angeles - these places littered about here and there that seem like no other place in the world in some quirky or old-fashioned or just plain bizarre way. Tito's opened in 1959 and I doubt it's changed much since then. Certainly its design aesthetic is a relic of that <span style="font-style: italic;">Mad Men-</span>era and even the mot high tech thing in the room - the video game machines are hilariously obsolete. A round of X-Men vs. Street Fighter, anyone? I'm pretty sure I could take Wolverine with Chun Li's Lightning Kick.<br /><br />I should probably mention that tacos are only $1.70 without cheese and $2.20 with cheese. Depending on where you're coming from, you might pay more in gas than for your food.<br /><br />So, Tito's might not be a place I'd show off to a visitor from afar but even so, I would say that a great deal of its charm is that it feels so definitive of Los Angeles, and having places like this - that you know are always going to be there, and will always be the same - that's one of the things that make a place feel like home, and I think that might be the magic, right there.<br /><br />I can't really end this post without mentioning their amazing theme song. It's possible that THIS is the real magic, and that we're all being brainwashed in some fashion by the theme song, which commands everyone to love Tito's. In fact, I suspect this might be their terrible secret, as I can find no discernible method for turning off the theme song at the <a href="http://titostacos.com/">Tito's Tacos</a> website.KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-87483313705238344852010-04-09T12:54:00.000-07:002010-04-09T16:06:19.737-07:00THING 47: Eva Solo-Brewed Coffee from LA Mill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7-JPI7VV6I/AAAAAAAABiw/5M5KUTblidw/s1600/P1000437.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7-JPI7VV6I/AAAAAAAABiw/5M5KUTblidw/s320/P1000437.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458232166583719842" border="0" /></a>Without these "things" I may never have tried this coffee. Or not for a while anyway. I like my coffee in the morning, but not enough to drive all the way out to Silverlake to get it. Not to mention to get a morning coffee that costs about 4x as much as my regular coffee. But this is some pretty special coffee, and a special occasion (like going to see the Clientele at Spaceland) deserves a special cup (or two) of coffee.<br /><br />So we decided to head into LA Mill for dinner. This will be one of the fanciest coffee places you go - they appear as a nice restaurant and they do serve food, and their menu matches their decor. Slightly upscale dinner fare, but nothing too fancy. Jason had sliders and I had a Spanish-inspired panini or pork, manchego cheese and piquillo peppers. The food was good - nothing drop-dead amazing but just solidly delicious. What we were really waiting for, however, was this coffee that was so special.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7-JO50POyI/AAAAAAAABio/9HfjpoOoIV8/s1600/P1000436.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7-JO50POyI/AAAAAAAABio/9HfjpoOoIV8/s320/P1000436.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458232162527427362" border="0" /></a>As soon as we began to peruse the coffee menu, we could tell it was pretty serious business. The list of coffees is extensive and they come with stories, some of them as elaborate as the most detailed fantasy. Things like "These beans were plucked from the cold, dead hand of a giant by the agile young beanstalk climbers of Ouagadougoo. The giants once traded these precious beans for cows, but as time went by, their stock began to dwindle and now the fearsome giants and the nimble beanstalk climbers war ceaselessly over these beans, which are grown and fed to the giants' special hens. The hens then lay golden eggs, which, when smashed reveal these precious and flavorful beans. When brewed they release a bright, floral aroma whose flavor contains hints of the honeysuckle flowers that grow so near their beanstalks as well as citrus overtones and a tiny trace of sunshine and cloud as is to be expected from Giantland, so high in elevation."<br /><br />It's basically stuff like that. And it costs about $8.00 to get it brewed using the Eva Solo device, as specified by Mr. Gold in his strict instructions as to what exactly it is you must try before passing away. I think it made about four cups though, so although it was more expensive than my local corner coffeeshop, it wasn't forbiddingly so. We tried a kind that was a special addition to the menu at the time and was described by the waitress as being very unusual. It was. It just had a somewhat different flavor to it. It was described as candy-like, but I didn't find it so. I probably wouldn't choose to drink it every day, but if you are going to try something special, you might as well go all out and get the weird thing, so I'm glad I got it, because it was good, in its own unique way. The waitress was really helpful as well. I highly recommend asking for advice here and you will end up with something that makes you happy.KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-29534337130533466062010-04-08T13:08:00.000-07:002010-04-08T13:54:15.216-07:00Picture BreakI really have a real post, that I will hopefully put up tomorrow, but I want to take a break to put up some cool pictures I have accumulating.<br /><br />First, we had some people over to our house to watch the Oscars last month and our lovely guests brought the most amazing cupcakes from <a href="http://www.bigsugarbakeshop.com/">Big Sugar Bakeshop</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S744wBIN60I/AAAAAAAABiA/flUB4Qug1lg/s1600/photo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S744wBIN60I/AAAAAAAABiA/flUB4Qug1lg/s320/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457862196007398210" border="0" /></a>Each cupcake had an image representing a Best Picture nominee or an Oscar on it. They came in vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet flavors and all were delicious. I really cannot talk up this bakery enough. It is in Studio City, very near my former workplace and it is one of my favorite bakeries I've been to in L.A. They are extremely creative, but the stuff they make is not overly complicated or unbalanced. For example, their cupcakes are my top cupcakes in Los Angeles. Most of the trendy cupcakes seem to load on frosting completely out of proportion to the amount of cake and it's gross. I end up lopping off most of the frosting and leave it on the plate. These cupcakes have a correct proportion of frosting to cake, with not too much of either one. Thumbs up. Plus look at the kind of artistry they create with their special themed products. That's pretty talented.<br /><br />Secondly, my mom sent me photographic evidence that I have always been a pretty expert baker. I may not have been so great on the sanitary practices long ago, but that was a wilder, more free time, you know - the '70s. I was also WAY ahead of the cupcake trend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S75BRmbxf-I/AAAAAAAABiI/DDd2lA9gMw0/s1600/Katies+cupcakes1001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S75BRmbxf-I/AAAAAAAABiI/DDd2lA9gMw0/s320/Katies+cupcakes1001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457871569050238946" border="0" /></a>Um ... I have to taste it to make sure it's okay! Yeah, that's it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S75BTVNKNyI/AAAAAAAABig/pUkGYOO7dm8/s1600/Katies+cupcakes001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S75BTVNKNyI/AAAAAAAABig/pUkGYOO7dm8/s320/Katies+cupcakes001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457871598785279778" border="0" /></a><br />Frosting is serious business.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S75BTHy-vHI/AAAAAAAABiY/mTuG3kK3Jus/s1600/Katies+cupcakes3001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S75BTHy-vHI/AAAAAAAABiY/mTuG3kK3Jus/s320/Katies+cupcakes3001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457871595185814642" border="0" /></a><br />Gotta taste the frosting too. I really hope I didn't keep using that knife, gross.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S75BSbgbwFI/AAAAAAAABiQ/0H0lOfV3b5c/s1600/Katies+cupcakes2001.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 206px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S75BSbgbwFI/AAAAAAAABiQ/0H0lOfV3b5c/s320/Katies+cupcakes2001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457871583296864338" border="0" /></a>Ta-da, cupcake for you!KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-88289528033259033922010-03-31T12:42:00.000-07:002010-03-31T17:36:16.778-07:00THING 52: Mozza Pizza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7OmNV8gX7I/AAAAAAAABho/xD_q1u3YNo8/s1600/P1000425.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7OmNV8gX7I/AAAAAAAABho/xD_q1u3YNo8/s320/P1000425.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454886321835237298" border="0" /></a><br />Many cities have their own "signature" version of pizza, and proponents of each type of pizza are willing to argue all night that theirs is the best - whether it be from the source in Naples; or a large, thin New York slice; or perhaps a hearty deep dish from Chicago.<br /><br />Here in Los Angeles, we don't really have a "signature" pizza, except perhaps the use of untraditional toppings, made famous by Wolfgang Puck. But even so, you can get a "California-style" pizza at five different places and have five completely different pizzas even in the most definitive aspects, like crust thickness and cheese-to-sauce ratio.<br /><br />It would be a fine thing if we decided to make Nancy Silverton's style of pizza the definitive Los Angeles pizza. In my book, it can compete with any pizza anywhere. It's not just the variety of really good, really fresh ingredients in both unusual and familiar combinations. It is mostly the crust. A crust that was carefully created through many tests to be chewy enough to give it some substance, but airy enough that one can eat the pizza without feeling heavy and full afterward.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7OmOMkvZoI/AAAAAAAABh4/WOLF0nYZ9iQ/s1600/P1000428.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7OmOMkvZoI/AAAAAAAABh4/WOLF0nYZ9iQ/s320/P1000428.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454886336499508866" border="0" /></a>I can think of nothing better than to go sit at the bar at Mozza, eat pizza, drink wine and watch pizza being made, or the bartender do his thing. Every pizza is made to order in a real wood oven. When the restaurant first opened, Nancy Silverton stood over each pizza, approving it before it was served. Now the cooks have it down to a science. Each pizza comes out of the oven light, airy, crispy and with toppings perfectly cooked.<br /><br />The options will satisfy anyone, from the pickiest kid to the most adventurous gourmet. If you like variety, there are always some seasonal toppings on the menu, like flash fried sage in the winter, or artichoke and lemon in the spring. One of my favorites has a spicy salame with Fresno chiles. It's hot, but satisfying - a step up from the pepperoni pizza of my childhood. Other favorites include the squash blossom and burrata, fennel sausage, and the aforementioned pizza bianca with sage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7OmNmCOsOI/AAAAAAAABhw/G1FUPbYUQ_w/s1600/P1000427.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7OmNmCOsOI/AAAAAAAABhw/G1FUPbYUQ_w/s320/P1000427.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454886326154211554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S7OmNV8gX7I/AAAAAAAABho/xD_q1u3YNo8/s1600/P1000425.jpg"><br /></a>It's hard to write about one particular pizza-eating experience, as Mozza is a place we go to for a special treat fairly regularly. But one thing about this night was that we vastly miscalculated what the wait would be. It was cold and a bit rainy, and we thought we could just show up and not have to wait too long for a spot at the bar.<br /><br />We were wrong. I think we waited about 90 minutes to finally sit down, as the tiny square where people can wait just continued to fill with people at a steady stream, but only empty out at an extremely slow trickle. By the time we sat down, the pizza had gone from "damn good pizza" to "we've been waiting so long, this is now the best pizza ever created." It was worth the wait, though, which is a high honor coming from me, since I hate waiting. It was also worth it to get to sit at the pizza bar for the first time. 99% of the time we end up sitting at the wine bar, to the point where we started wondering if the people at the other bar were paid extras who sat there all night. But this time we learned that no, it's possible to sit there and it's fun to watch your pizza get made, and try to guess what they are making now.<br /><br />The wine selection is small but carefully chosen. You can't really go wrong, but the bartender will help you if Italian wines and their many alien grapes get you confused. In addition to pizza, the chopped salad is always a good option, and for dessert the butterscotch budino would probably be in my personal "things to try before you die" list.<br /><br />But the real reason to come is always the pizza. From now on, this will always be "Los Angeles-style pizza" to me.<br /><p><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="mainHeader">Pizzeria Mozza</span><br /> 641 N. Highland Avenue<br /> Los Angeles, CA 90036<br /> 1.323.297.0101</p> Hours of Operation:<br /> Daily: Noon - MidnightKThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-45289800312647733032010-03-13T00:33:00.000-08:002010-03-13T00:50:10.205-08:00THING 87: Plain Doughnut from Bob's Coffee and Doughnuts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S5tOQziifFI/AAAAAAAABhg/gEPjgl2HqT4/s1600-h/donut.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AZySJdar_ew/S5tOQziifFI/AAAAAAAABhg/gEPjgl2HqT4/s320/donut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448034224854694994" border="0" /></a>The first thing I chose out of the 99 things I must eat before I die was a no-brainer. Bob's Doughnuts is pretty much a regular destination, since my husband has a love for doughnuts like no other except perhaps Homer Simpson. But even though I've had many of Bob's delicious doughnuts, I have never yet had a plain one.<br /><br />While this first choice of "thing" was in many ways the easiest, it still contained an element of challenge, which was to face up to all of those frosted, glazed and sprinkled donuts and absolutely turn my back on them in favor of a doughnut that is utterly and completely nude. I hope you won't be too harsh on me when I admit that I purchased two donuts - one plain and one one sprinkle. I hope Jonathan Gold can forgive for diluting the purity of his 87th thing.<br /><br />But this blog post is not about a sprinkle doughnut, so what transpired between the sprinkle doughnut and I will forever be a mystery as far as you are concerned. I am here to talk about it's fancy-free brother, the plain doughnut.<br /><br />Although I will probably stick to frosting in the future, I have to say I'm glad I took this opportunity to try a perfectly plain doughnut. Michael Pollan would advocate that everyone take to the farm or the forest to connect with exactly where their meal came from, so as not to become to disconnected from exactly what it is we're eating. Perhaps in a similar vein, we should also go for a plain doughnut every once in a while to remind ourselves that what we are eating is not cake or a mere pastry, but that what we are eating is in fact a fried product. It a pastry multiplied by more fat and it's probably best that we don't forget that.<br /><br />And that is basically what eating a plain doughnut is like. It is a big reminder of what a doughnut actually is and where it comes from (the fryer). That's not to say it's gross - of course it's not! It's a fried thing, which by law must be delicious. It just allows you to reflect more clearly on the fact that a doughnut is delicious not just because of the rich flavor that the fat introduces, but also the texture - the slight crunch on the outside contrasted with the moist soft cake inside is something you will not get from any cupcake, now matter how big it is baked nor how much frosting is piled atop it.KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28602475.post-15170708818445663142010-03-03T21:29:00.000-08:002010-08-23T10:42:00.138-07:0099 THINGSSo last week, Jonathan Gold published his list of <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/2010-02-26/eat-drink/99-things-to-eat-in-l-a-before-you-die/">99 Things to Eat in L.A. Before You Die</a>. When I saw this, a flash of inspiration struck me, because to be perfectly honest, I've had a hard time keeping this blog going. *checks date of last post--yep*<br /><br />I still enjoy it, and I love eating and cooking and drinking and taking pictures of food, but somehow something happened that I never actually thought would be--I now get paid, as my job, to write things and I spend a whole lot of my time writing things for money. That doesn't make me enjoy writing any less, especially since writing for fun is a lot more enjoyable than the stuff I normally have to write. However, when you've just spent 6-8 hours in a row writing stuff, what you want to do is plop in front of the TV or game or do some reading instead of writing. I just get kind of ... tired of it.<br /><br />So I've been thinking what I've been wanting is a project-something I would want to do anyway but that would give me enough incentive to continue and see it through and would give me lots of material to write about. And folks, I think this is it. Seeing as how I'm not getting any farther away from death, I should probably start eating these things now - just in case. So I'm going to make my way through this list and try to experience what Mr. Gold wishes we all could experience.<br /><br />Now for some rules. First off, not all of these things will be easy, desirable, or even possible for me to eat, and certainly not in order. So I am choosing my own order, and I'm starting with the things that are easiest for me to get (and that I most want to eat). I will work my way up to the challenging ones and will do by best to bravely snarf down even the wriggliest creatures. I reserve the right, however, to decide that there is a substitution that I believe is even more worthy of being eaten before death, because I do have my own opinions. And, for example, if I'm going to get pizza I've wanted to try for years, I'm not going to have eggplant on it, since I don't like eggplant. So there. Anyway, I am setting out the entire list below, which I will update with links as I have them. I'll put it on the side so you can come pore over it whenever you like.<br /><br />THE LIST:<br /><br />1. Fugu (Urasawa, 218 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills)<br />2. Goat’s milk gelato (Bulgarini Gelato, 749 E. Altadena Drive, Altadena. (626) 791-6174)<br />3. Romanesco cauliflower (Weiser family farms)<br />4. San nak ji (Masan, 2851 W. Olympic Blvd., Koreatown. (213) 388-3314)<br />5. Sherry Yard’s Kaiserschmarren (Spago, 176 N. Cañon Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 385-0880)<br /><a href="http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2010/04/thing-6-titos-old-school-tacos.html">6. Tito’s old school tacos (Tito's Tacos, 11222 Washington Place, Culver City. (310) 391-5780)</a><br />7. Luna oysters<br />8. Sesame cream puffs (Pâtisserie Chantilly, 2383 Lomita Blvd., No. 104, Lomita. (310) 257-9454)<br />9. Vietnamese spring rolls (Golden Deli, 815 W. Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel. (626) 308-0803)<br />10. Hot pastrami (Langer's Delicatessen-Restaurant, 704 S. Alvarado St., L.A. (213) 483-8050)<br />11. Bone marrow flan (Cut, 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 276-8500)<br />12. Little flower sea salt caramels<br />13. Spicy lobster (Newport Seafood, 518 W. Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel. (626) 289-5998)<br />14. New style sashimi (Matsuhisa, 129 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills. ( 310) 659-9639)<br />15. <a href="http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2010/06/thing-15-gnocchi-from-angeli-caffe.html">Gnocchi (Angeli Caffe, 7274 Melrose Ave., L.A. (323) 936-9086)</a><br />16. Lechon (Eva’s Lechon, 4252 W. Third St., L.A. (213) 383-3179)<br />17. Tortillas (Rivera, 1050 S. Flower St., dwntwn. (213) 749-1460)<br />18. Apple pie and eel (Wa Sushi, 1106 N. La Cienega Blvd., No. 201, W. Hlywd. (310) 854-7285)<br />19. Sausage and eggplant pizza (Casa Bianca, 1650 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock. (323) 256-9617)<br />20. Huarache de cabeza (El Huarache Azteca #1, 5225 York Blvd., Highland Park. (323) 478-9572)<br />21. Kalbi taco (Kogi)<br />22. Lamb tongue sandwich (Canary, 1942 Westwood Blvd., Wstwd. (310) 470-1312)<br />23. L.A. Street dog (Fab Dogs, 6747 Tampa Ave., Reseda. (818) 344-4336)<br />24. Hollenbeck burrito (El Tepeyac Café, 812 N. Evergreen Ave., City Terrace. (323) 268-1960)<br />25. <a href="http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2010/06/thing-25-whatever-lou-tells-you-to.html">Whatever Lou tells you to drink (Lou, 724 Vine St., Hlywd. (323) 962-6369)</a><br />26. Pain au chocolat (Anisette Brasserie, 225 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 395-3200)<br />27. Paleron with kumquats and cream of wheat (Lazy Ox Canteen, 241 S. San Pedro St., dwntwn. (213) 626-5299)<br />28. Welsh rarebit (Musso & Frank Grill, 6667 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd. (323) 467-7788)<br />29. Flautas (Ciro's, 705 N. Evergreen St., E.L.A. (323) 269-5104)<br />30. Dill fries (The Gorbals, in the Alexandria Hotel, 501 S. Spring St., dwntwn. (213) 488-3408)<br />31. Fish kidneys (Jitlada, 5233 Sunset Blvd., Hlywd. (323) 667-9809)<br />32. Chicharrones de queso (Lotería Grill, 6627 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd. (323) 465-2500)<br />33. Corn chowder (Ivy, 113 N. Robertson Blvd., L.A. (310) 274-8303)<br />34. French dip (Philippe's, 1001 N. Alameda St., L.A. (213) 628-3781)<br />35. French dip (Cole's, 118 E. Sixth St., L.A. (213) 622-4090)<br />36. Birria (El Parian, 1528 W. Pico Blvd., L.A. (213) 386-7361)<br />37. Country white bread (La Brea Bakery, 624 S. La Brea Ave., L.A. (323) 939-6813)<br />38. Hot dog on a stick<br />39. Sizzling catfish (Chinois, 2709 Main St., Santa Monica. (310) 392-9025)<br />40. Hickoryburger (Apple Pan, 10801 W. Pico Blvd., L.A. (310) 475-3585)<br />41. Hearth-baked bagel (Brooklyn Bagel Bakery, 2217 Beverly Blvd., L.A. (213) 413-4114)<br />42. Vegetables en papillote (Palate, 933 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale. (818) 662-9463)<br />43. Quinoa with edamame (Akasha, 9543 Culver Blvd., Culver City. (310) 845-1700)<br /><a href="http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2010/08/thing-44-strawberry-donut-from-donut.html">44. Strawberry donut (Donut Man, 915 E. Route 66, Glendora. (626) 335-9111)</a><br />45. Chili (Chili John's, 2018 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank. (818) 846-3611)<br />46. Beef roll (101 Noodle Express, 1025 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. (626) 446-8855. Also at 1408 Valley Blvd., Alhambra. (626) 300-8654)<br />47. <a href="http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2010/04/thing-47-eva-solo-brewed-coffee-from-la.html">Eva Solo-brewed Coffee (La Mill, 1636 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake. (323) 663-4441)</a><br />48. Oki dog (Oki Dog, 5056 W. Pico Blvd., L.A. (323) 938-4369)<br />49. Cheeseburger (Comme Ça, 8479 Melrose Ave., W. Hlywd. (323) 782-1178)<br />50. Saffron silk ice cream (Saffron Spot, 18744 Pioneer Blvd., Artesia. (562) 809-4554)<br />51. Yellow fish fried with hair seaweed (Giang Nan, 306 N. Garfield Ave., No. A-12, Monterey Park. (626) 573-3421)<br />52. <a href="http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2010/03/thing-52-mozza-pizza.html">Mozza pizza (Pizzeria Mozza, 641 N. Highland Ave., L.A. (323) 297-0101)</a><br />53. Pork pump (Shanghai Xiao Chi, 828 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra. (626) 588-2284)<br />54. Knife cut noodles (JTYH Restaurant, 9425 Valley Blvd., Rosemead. (626) 442-8999)<br />55. Soon Tofu (Beverly Soon Tofu Restaurant, 2717 W. Olympic Blvd., L.A. (213) 380-1113)<br />56. Pho bac (Pho Minh, 9646 E. Garvey Ave., No. 108, South El Monte. (626) 448-8807)<br />57. Pig candy (Bigmista, Sun. at Atwater farmers market; Tues. & Sat. at Torrance farmers market; Thurs. at El Segundo farmers market. Menus, hours and preordering info at bigmista.com)<br />58. Egg salad sandwich (Euro Pane, 950 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (818) 577-1828)<br />59. Cha chiang mein (Mandarin House, 3074 W. Eighth St., Koreatown. (213) 386-8976)<br />60. Oyster po’ boy (Little Dom's, 2128 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz. (323) 661-0055)<br />61. Cheese enchiladas from lady who hangs out near @BreedStScene (twitter)<br />62. Al Bap (A-Won, 913½ S. Vermont Ave., Koreatown. (213) 389-6764)<br />63. Brandt beef (HOWS Supermarket)<br />64. Krakatoa-blend coffee (Beans sold at Surfas, and through monkeyandson.com.)<br />65. Potato tacos (El Atacor #11, 2622 N. Figueroa St., L.A. (323) 441-8477)<br />66. Thali (Rajdhani, 18525 Pioneer Blvd., Artesia. (562) 402-9102)<br />67. Ludo’s fried chicken (ludolefebvre.com.)<br />68. Prime rib (Lawry's, 100 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 652-2827.)<br />69. Grilled prime rib (Campanile, 624 S. La Brea Ave., L.A. (323) 938-1447)<br />70. Seviche (Mo-Chica, in Mercado La Paloma, 3655 S. Grand Ave., L.A. (213) 747-2141)I<br />71. Banh mi (Mr. Baguette, several locations, including 400 S. Atlantic Blvd., Monterey Park (626-282-9966) and 8702 E. Valley Blvd., Rosemead (626-288-9166)<br />72. Foie gras and biscuits and gravy (Animal, 435 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. (323) 782-9225)<br />73. Panuchos (Chichen Itza, in Mercado La Paloma, 3655 S. Grand Ave., L.A. (213) 741-1075)<br />74. Pad thai (Krua Thai, 13130 Sherman Way, N. Hlywd. (818) 759-7998)<br />75. Ancient ginger soup (Noodle Island, 800 W. Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel. (626) 293-8839)<br />76. Mcgrath’s rainbow chard (mcgrathfamilyfarm.com)<br />77. Green corn tamales (Border Grill, 1445 4th St., Santa Monica. (310) 451-1655)<br />78. Burrito (Lupe's #2, 4642 E. Third St., L.A. 323-266-6881)<br />79. Chicken Pot Pie (Good Girl Dinette, 110 N. Avenue 56, Highland Park. (323) 257-8980)<br /><a href="http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2010/08/thing-80-harrys-seascape-strawberries.html">80. Harry’s seascape strawberries</a><br />81. Squid with piquillo peppers and pig’s ear (Providence, 5955 Melrose Ave., L.A. (323) 460-4170)<br />82. Corned beef hash (The Grill on the Alley, 9560 Dayton Way, Beverly Hills. (310) 276-0615)<br />83. Salmon sashimi (Kiriko, 11301 W. Olympic Blvd., No. 102, W.L.A. (310) 478-7769)<br />84. Maple bacon donut (Nickel Diner, 524 S. Main St., dwntwn. (213) 623-8301)<br />85. Godmother (Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery, 1517 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 395-8279)<br />86. Soup dumplings (Din Tai Fung, 1108 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. (626) 574-7068)<br /><a href="http://gastronomy-101.blogspot.com/2010/03/thing-87-plain-doughnut-from-bobs.html">87. Plain doughnut (Bob's Coffee & Doughnuts, Farmers Market, Third & Fairfax, L.A. (323) 933-8929)</a><br />88. Hot dog (Let's Be Frank, Helms Ave., between Venice and Washington boulevards, Culver City)<br />89. Doro wot (Meals by Genet, 1053 S. Fairfax Ave., L.A. (323) 938-9304)<br />90. Boat noodles (Sapp Coffee Shop, 5183 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd. (323) 665-1035)<br />91. Brisket (Bludso's B-B-Q, 811 S. Long Beach Blvd., Compton. (310) 637-1342)<br />92. L.A. Galbi (Park's BBQ, 955 S. Vermont Ave., Koreatown. (213) 380-1717)<br />93. Hot almond milk in pastry (Capital Seafood Restaurant, 755 W. Garvey Ave., Monterey Park. (626) 282-3318)<br />94. Sashimi (Kiyokawa, 265 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310) 358-1900)<br />95. Chongqing fried chicken (Chung King, 1000 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel. (626) 286-0298)<br />96. Peruvian roast chicken (Pollo a la Brasa, 764 S. Western Ave., Koreatown. (213) 382-4090)<br />97. Sprats (Natraliart, 3426 W. Washington Blvd., L.A. (323) 732-8865)<br />98. Lobster roll (Hungry Cat, 1535 N. Vine St., Hlywd. (323) 462-2155)<br />99. Maple bacon biscuits (Huckleberry, 1014 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 451-2311)KThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02165100078263150451noreply@blogger.com4