Interesting Food Blog

Here's one that focuses on Asian cuisine...
http://steamykitchen.com/blog/

Kiwami

Dining Companion: Courtney P.
Date: 5-17-09

65 Roses

Dining Companion: Stephanie L.

Date: 5-16-09

After a fun evening of wine tasting and nibbling and gathering our free goodies, we set off to meet Janine S. in Los Feliz and jetted up the hill to The Greek Theater to watch some Latin Jazz (featuring the gorgeous Andy Garcia!). Apparently Jimmy Smits walked right by me and I did not even notice. Grandma would be so jealous....

The Cutie's Famous "Wild" Squash

Food Event- June 4, 5

Presented by Zagat

June 4 & 5, 2009

Simon LA

8555 Beverly Blvd. (La Cienega Blvd.)

Join Iron Chef champ Kerry Simon for a four-course menu built around a special ingredient – tuna. Expect mini tuna sliders with smoked bacon and avocado, ahi tuna crudo with lemon and Serrano pepper, and pan-seared ahi tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes and baby bok choy, plus a Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert. Optional wine pairings will also be available.

Event Details:

$48 for four courses, $15 for wine pairings; tax and tip not included.

Dish

Dining Companions: Janine S., Kate G., Angie R, Stephanie L

Date: 

Mmmm.  Banana pancakes with banana cream.  The nice thing about eating with people you know and are close to is that you know what you all like, and you can find something for the table to share.  For me, I usually want a savory breakfast, but the sweet dishes are always so tempting.  I usually only want just a bite of the sweet, not a whole one.  So I was happy when the other girls landed on the same menu item as me- the banana pancakes.  We got the tall stack of three rather large pancakes.  It was more than enough for the five of us to share as an "appetizer".  

Eggs Benedict...

The wait staff at the restaurant was very polite and helpful.  When I saw crayons on the table of course I wanted the coloring book placemats reserved for children.  The server asked me to autograph it and give it to him.  Who am I to deprive him of it?? :)

Dish

734 Foothill Blvd, 
La Canada, CA 91001
(818) 790-5355

Deep Fried...Bacon...Sugar...

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

Diavolina/944 Magazine/Report Signature Party

iPhone/iTouch Applications

Food related "Apps" for the iPhone or iTouch:

-Open Table

-Urban Spoon

Memories of Cajun Christmas

This year instead of our traditional Christmas fare, I decided to cook cajun cuisine for our friends holiday dinner.  I made okra, jambalaya, dirty rice, and hush puppies.  All of these things can be made at home with little effort and result in a lot of flavor.

I started with mixes that my father brought me as souvenirs from his trip to New Orleans.  You can find many of these packets in your regular supermarket or in specialty food stores.

OKRA

There are a number of ways to make okra.  Since we were eating a lot of heavy food, I decided to bake the okra.  I defrosted a package of frozen okra and tapped it dry with a paper towl (okra can be suuuuuper slimy).  I separated the okra into two piles- one for the side dish, the other for the jambalaya.  I placed the okra on a lightly greased pan and placed the pan into a 400 degree oven until lightly crispy/browned.

JAMBALAYA

Start by sauteeing onions until they are soft and shiny.  Add chopped up bacon (chopped into small pieces; this can be made easier by freezing the slices first).  Then add the chopped meat.  I highly suggest mixing meats- pork/veal/beef.  If you can only use one, use beef.  Beef is the central ingredient so get good beef!  Take a pre-cooked chicken and shred it.  There is no reason to cook the chicken yourself.  Follow instructions on the package as to the seasoning mix and stock increments.  Other things you can add- grilled or boiled shrimp, okra, corn kernels.  If you feel like being Martha Stewart, you can take the leftover chicken carcass from the shredding and make your stock from scratch.  I did and it worked out well but I only did half homemade stock and half purchased.

HUSH PUPPIES

I followed the instructions to the letter, but I left them in a bit longer.  They taste really good with a little extra browning- it gives it a real nutty flavor.  These are kind of like corn bread but crunchy on the outside, light on the inside.  It's a sweet/salty combo to die for when you add homemade honey butter.  Just mix equal parts honey and butter.  That's it.  For a variation, you can add jam to taste and make a fruit honey butter.  I tried it with apricot jam.

DIRTY RICE

Begin by sauteeing some chopped onions.  Add chopped bacon if you wish.  Then brown the meat and follow the instructions on the package.  Make sure to drain any excess grease (not all of it, but the extra) before adding the seasoning or it will be too runny.

Add some cajun or zydeco music and eat away!

Food Festivals and Events

http://www.chefdance.com/

Food Related Movies

-Ratataouille

-Simply Irresistible

-No Reservations

-Chocolat

Candy Making Class

http://losangeles.olx.com/candy-making-class-5-16-09-iid-27712940

May 16, 2009

Animal

Dining Companions: Noel N and Ben R .

Date: 5-8-09

I love Animal. Love Animal. Love love love.

I first wanted to visit the restaurant after seeing the cooking show about the two owners, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. Two Dudes Catering on Food Network was an awesome show following the two Floridian chefs as they catered parties from the small to large.

Last night's dinner at Animal was my ninth or tenth time eating there. The menu changes daily with a number of rotating items that pop up on the menu frequently. The chefs strive to maintain a menu with seasonal and local ingredients utilizing the best of the season. The minimalist decor and neighborhood feel create an atmosphere that accents the food. No art on the wall to detract from the food which is the star of the show.

Often, I get two appetizers just to try multiple things. Here are a few menu highlights:

-flat iron steak (rotating accompaniments)

-branzino with artichokes, garlic, and ramps

-polenta with bolognese (appetizer)

-pork belly with kimchi (a spicy slaw with peanuts and cabbage and carrots)

(There are often other pork belly variations if the kimchi one is not on the menu)

-burrata cheese with crostini

-fried hominy with lime (deep fried individual corn kernals, great to share, heavy for one person)

-chicken liver toast (one piece, perfect for one person) appetizer

-foie gras on a biscuit with maple sausage gravy (one of their signature dishes, $22 for an appetizer but totally worth it)

-blood orange and olive salad appetizer

-balsamic pork rib entree with salad on the side (wow. it falls off the bone, it has an amazing sauce, and it's a huuuuuge portion)

The only thing I've tried that I didn't love was the poutine. Poutine is essentially french fries with cheese and short rib gravy. It's a canadian classic, and as a Degrassi fan I have always wanted to try this dish. I liked it, don't get me wrong, but it was a large portion and it's very heavy. This is a definitely something to share with others if you order it. I wouldn't order this over something else.

I haven't tried the veal oscar (with crab) yet but it looks amazing. I'm also thinking about the quail fry and the fried chicken livers.

The back of the menu is full of beers and wines to choose from. The list is carefully crafted and selected. We all enjoyed our wine. Noel and I had prosecco (a white sparkling wine similar to champagne but Italian).

And now for the dessert. The bacon chocolate crunch bar is two "slices" of what vaguely resembles slices of bacon but it mostly chocolate with a hint of bacon lying on a bed of anglaise sauce. This is the signature dessert that is always on the menu. Otherwise the desserts change. The tres leches dulce de leche cake is good, not great. The chocolate pudding is delicious. it comes baked in a small glass jar (you may recognize from the yogurt that originally comes in it) with cream on top. It's small but it's rich so it satisfies. The pudding is thick and chocolatey. Delish.

Another thing that adds to the experience is the staff. Everyone I've met there has been helpful, knowledgable, and excited about the food. I really appreciate the service from the waiters to the busboy to the hostess. The food, the decor, the people...all of this blends together to create the ultimate neighborhood dining experience.

Mmmmm. Foie gras, pork belly, and pudding. Heaven.

435 N. Fairfax Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90036

www.animalrestaurant.com

7-12-09 Update: We had the foie gras and maple sausage gravy again. My friend Stephanie H. wanted to order another. So did I. We also had lamb chops with beets, garbanzo beans, and peas and a yogurt sauce. Maybe the sumac was a bit heavy, but it was perfectly cooked. We also had a pork shoulder and porcini agnolotti dish with a sage sauce. Mmmmm. The beet salad with onions, feta, kalamata olives, and tomatoes was perfect. A nice vegetarian dish to cut the richness of our other dishes.

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Yu N Mi Sushi

Dining Companions: Crystinue C, Julie K, Melissa O

Date: 5-6-09

Monday and Wednesday ritual.  Sushi after pilates.  Is it counter productive?  "I think not!" I say as I rationalize my obsession with sushi to myself.  After all, I would eat the sushi anyway, at least this way I'm getting in some pilates first!

This time, we were seated near the sister Kardashian- Khloe and Kortney- and Kortney's overtanned boyfriend Scott.  The only thing I could see that they ordered was some cucumber salad thing that Khloe picked at and I thought I saw a Spicy Tuna #2 Roll too (but that's nothing new, EVERYONE orders that there.

We ordered our usuals: The Nicky Roll (soybean wrapper over rice with shrimp tempura and a baked shrimp on top, amazing sauce with sesame seeds), The Spicy Tuna #2 (a classic spicy tuna cut roll with ground up wasabi/seaweed chips on top and wasabi roe), and The El Nino Roll (pepper tuna, crab, avocado, smelt egg, and amazing fried onion pieces ala French's canned onions along with an amazing creamy sauce).  I also added some salmon sushi which comes with a piece of kelp and sesame seeds.

Our favorite sushi chef, Aki, as usual sent over some kind of unusual snack.

I also have to say, I'm not really an iced tea person, but their iced tea is so good.  It's a green iced tea (boy is it green!!!) and it has a nice flavor that needs very little sweetener.

9475 Santa Monica Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Swine Flu

As an avid hypochondriac, I tend to come down with the latest form of influenza or disease that gets a lot of media attention.  Bird flu?  Had it.  SARS?  Had it.  Hoof and Mouth?  Pretty sure I had that too.  :)

But for some reason, I have no connection to the swine flu.  No symptoms, no fear, nothing.

I came to that realization today after eating my second order of carnitas since the outbreak.  And let me tell you, this wasn't from a fancy restaurant.  This wasn't even from a cheap chain restaurant.  This was from a good old fashioned taco truck.  Menu full of mistakes, dirty, junky, taco truck.

I got a bit of a tummy ache at one point and never did my mind even wander to swine flu.  Everyone's minds have gone straight to swine flu to explain the divine to ridiculous.  Every inane cough, sneeze, or itch is swine flu.  But not me.  I have held steadfast.  And I attribute this all to my love of the pig.  Sure, I'm a crappy jew.  It might be poetic justice for the blatant and flagrant non-kosher jew to die from swine flu, but I think god wants me to eat carnitas.  And bacon.  And pork belly.  Oh god, pork belly.  

So, I lay down on the couch in the bathroom, had some water, and twenty minutes later I was fine.  Much ado about nothing.  Of course, I will be checking for a curly pink tail after my shower later.  I'm only human....

Briganti

Dining Companions: Tony G, Mary Lou, Emily A, Manny M, John P, John B, John F, Rene, Robert T, Cindy L, and Rene
Date: 5-6-09

As that I'm transferring offices with two other co-workers, our colleague and friend Tony G. took us out for a good bye lunch.

Briganti, in South Pasadena on Mission between Fair Oaks and Fremont, is reminiscent of an old Italian restaurant.  The variety on the menu makes it easy for a large group since everyone was able to find something they liked.  We started off the meal with some orders of calamari.  The rings and tentacles were lightly fried and coated with breading.  The tomato sauce on the plate was good as well.  Also, there were plates of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and an assortment of breads.

John F and John P enjoyed their rigatoni bolognese.  Manny and Rene enjoyed their Pasta Puttanesca.  In fact, there was a brief debate at the table as to what Pasta Puttanesca translated into (Whore's Pasta).  Emily had the seafood salad which came to the table as a bright combination of colors.  It looked like spring on a plate.  John B and Cindy L had the branzino (mediterranean sea bass) roasted with vegetables.  John had his over a bed of mashed potatoes, Cindy had hers over a bed of spinach.  Mary Lou got a panini (an Italian pressed sandwich).  There were many varieties of these sandwiches on the menu.  I had the gnocchi which offers choice of sauce.  I asked for a "pink" sauce.  The gnocchi were light and delicious.  The plate was a good sized portion, perfect for lunch.

Mother's Day Specials

Tiara Cafe (Downtown)
All mothers will receive a complimentary glass of sparkling wine!!!  In addition to offering our wonderful brunch menu, Tiara Cafe has joined up with Urban Shopping Adventures for the perfect Mother's Day package.  Receive brunch for two and a personal guided shopping tour of the Fashion District's best locations.  Check out the details at www.downtownla.com/mothers-day/.  Be sure to mention the "Mother is a VIP" package when making a reservation. 

Berri's Pizza Cafe

Dining Companion: Emily A

Date: 5-5-09

Not wanting to deal with the crowds at Mexican restaurants, Emily came over to do her laundry and we ordered in and watched TV.  

I ordered my usual coconut shrimp with tamarind sauce and decided to forgo my usual clam appetizer (which is good but can be a bit salty) and get a nice salad with parmesan cheese, tomatoes, pine nuts, and arugala.  The salad was a new item for me and I really liked it.  The dressing was like a creamy balsamic and went well with the ingredients of the salad.  It must have smelled pretty good because when I went into the kitchen to grab a soda, I turned around and saw my dog on the couch leaning over into my salad having a bit of a nibble.

Emily ordered the "sacred dish", a chicken dish with vegetables.  She liked it, but didn't think it was anything special.  

The pizzas and pastas at Berri's are good too.

The delivery was on time.  The food was good, as always, but somehow, it just seems like a lot of money for what you get.  We didn't get any bread with our meal either.  It's good, and open late, and there's a wide variety of items, but maybe it's just a bit expensive??

* Note: If you get their menu, there are coupons inside- they help!

Natalee Thai

Dining Companions: Karen S, Crystinue C

Date: 5-3-09

Girls' Night.  My place.  Be there or be square.  :)

So, two of my best girlfriends from college (sorority sisters) came over to do a girls night in my backyard.  We hung out with my dog, relaxed in the hot tub, and drank grapefruit mojitos.  I couldn't find a recipe in either of my bartending books for mojitos and didn't feel like looking it up on the internet so I just approximated the recipe based on the large number of mojitos I've had out at bars (recipe below).  We also had some champagne but the bottle was a bit old and a bit corked (we finished it anyway!!!).

We sat in the hot tub and gossiped until the Thai food from Natalee arrived.  When the food came, we all got out of the tub, laid out our beach towels on the back deck and picnicked.  California Curry (classic curry with coconut milk over potatoes, carrots, and chicken), Pad Thai (mmmm, very egg-y, I love it!), spring roll appetizers, and beef and chicken satay (with spicy cucumber slaw and peanut sauce).  We also ordered some white rice for the curry which we didn't finish (my dog was happy to help eat it).

The California Curry is so good.  It has a very full body for a curry sauce which I would attribute to the coconut milk.  It gives it a really interesting dimension.  You could almost eat it just as a soup.  It has a creamy, nutty, with a tiny bit spicy flavor that complements the potatoes, carrots and tender chicken.  The chicken comes in large pieces.  One thing that can make a curry bad is chicken pieces that are not quality pieces or are too small and get overcooked.

For dessert I made bumbleberry blossoms and we ate them in the hot tub again.

* Free Delivery * Online Ordering * 

998 S. Robertson Blvd. 10101 Venice Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90035 Los Angeles, CA 90230

http://www.nataleethai.com/

MY Grapefruit Mojitos

Take equal parts water and white sugar and add a few leaves of mint (make sure to wash them first!) and put them in a microwave safe glass.  Microwave for about a minute until all is combined.  Microwave times and strengths vary so just keep an eye on it.  The mint will infuse from the heat into the simple syrup.

Take grapefuit juice (preferably fresh squeezed) and add the simple sugar and rum to taste. Drop fresh mint leaves into the glass as decoration.

Natalee Thai is located in the bottom of a mini mall on the corner of Olympic and Robertson. There's another location in Culver City.

Good Earth

Dining Companions: Lauren K, Lisa M, and Raquel G

Date: 5-3-09

The post work out meal.  Ahhhh.  And boy did those girls work me out!  We all met up at my high school to do some running, lifting, and stair climbing.  Let it be known, that I do not like to work out.  It should also be disclosed that I haven't worked out in about 6 weeks when I came down with bronchitis.  Nevertheless, I chugged my way through it and got to enjoy the post work out meal.

We continued our healthy day by going to Good Earth on Ventura Boulevard.  I hadn't been there since I was a kid, which should tell you how long this place has been around.  In case you don't know how old I am (a lady never reveals her age), that's saying it's been around for a long time.

As a side complaint, when did you start having to pay for meters on a SUNDAY in the val?  Ugh....Good Earth does offer valet, but We were seated quickly and the waiter brought our waters right away after I asked.  The menu features many varieties of smoothie-type drinks but we all stuck to iced tea or water.  I had the passion fruit iced tea (very subtle passion fruit flavor, almost none) and Raquel had the cinnamon.  I had never tried cinnamon iced tea before but hers was surprisingly good- very refreshing.  Cinnamon goes well with the flavor of iced tea.

The waiter brought us out multi grain rolls with butter and some type of apple compote.  I didn't love the apple stuff but it was okay.

Lisa got the spinach salad, Raquel got an omelet (that I didn't taste but looked really good), and Lauren and I got the salad and sandwich combo.  My vegetable sandwich with sprouts, avocado, and munster cheese was okay.  It did not have a ton of flavor.  Also, I forgot to ask for the french baguette instead of the grain baguette.  But I got the spinach salad as my salad.  Wow.  That was amazing.  It was a cold spinach salad with vegetarian bacon bits (I swear, they were good, honest to god), spinach, shredded egg, mushroom, and choice of dressing.  We both got the honey ginger vinaigrette.  I was a bit concerned, because sometimes ginger can be too pungent for me, but this dressing was unreal.  It was delicious.  I could have ordered an entire second salad.  One nice thing about their sandwich and soup or salad combo, is that there are a lot of each category to choose from.  I hate when a restaurant has a long list of delicious sandwiches but only lets you choose from two or three when it comes to the combos.

Racquel also got a side order of banana pancakes.  I wasn't in the mood for sweet but it looked really good  You could see whole slices of banana, not just some banana mush added to the batter.

Also, a nice option on the menu instead of the standard side dish of grilled potatoes are Air Fries.  This trademarked and patented process yields a very tasty french fry that is much healthier than the traditional fry because of the Air Fry technology.

The menu is rather large (it's not totally vegetarian- there's turkey, fish etc.), the servers were prompt and pleasant, and the refills on the iced tea are free.  How can you go wrong?

The Hall At Palihouse Holloway

Dining Companion: Courtney P

Date: 3-8-09

Dining Companion: Nina G. (aka the artist formerly known as Nina S.)

Date: 5-2-09

This marks the fourth or fifth time I've gone to The Hall, but the first time I went for brunch.  We both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

It was a lovely summer day and we chose to sit outside in their patio area.  For those unfamiliar with the layout of the building, it is a long term residential building with a bar/restaurant at the bottom.  There is a small room for private parties, a patio area, and a bar area.  

The restaurant started us off with two small pieces of honey cake.  The cake was delicious so we asked for me and they brought us two more slices apiece!  Yum.

Nina had eggs benedict with asparagus.  The asparagus were HUGE.  I had poached eggs with short ribs and a potato cake.  Amazing.  The portion was not huge, but it was very tasty.  There were a lot of flavors blending together nicely.

The menu changes periodically.  The first time I went there they had sweet corn tortellini that were so interesting and so tasty that I still dream of them.  This is definitely a good place to order multiple small plates if that's your fancy.

The desserts are very beautifully presented and taste good.  The best one I've had there is the chocolate muffin.  It is however, terribly named.  It's more like a flourless chocolate cake that is baked in a jar.  I don't know why it's called a muffin.  It's fabulous.  Very rich.

The drink menu is particularly good.  I've had the grilled grapefruit margarita (who knew) and  the St. Germain.  The grilled grapefruit margarita is very interesting.  It has a lot of pulp in it, but there's something so unique about the flavor of grilled grapefruit that plays nicely off the alcohol.  The St. Germain was my favorite.  I do so love my champagne cocktails.

Another bonus?  You can bring your dog to the restaurant if you sit in the patio area.

8465 Holloway Drive

West Hollywood, CA 90069

(323) 656-4020

www.thehallbrasserie.com

Washington DC Restaurants To Check Out

* Olives (Todd English's restaurant)

* Jaleo (amazing tapas, I crave it often)

* Zaytinya (interesting tapas, great scene)

* Zola (attached to the best museum- The International Spy Museum- and very chic.  Food is great)

* Georgia Browns (amazing fried green tomatoes)

* TenPenh (on 10th and Pennsylvania, hence the name)

* Grillfish (fabulous happy hour)

* Nora

* Asia Nora

* Circle Bistro (right off the blue line- very convenient)

* Mie n Yu (gorgeous, amazing, and right in the heart of Georgetown)

* Pizzeria Paradiso (DC classic, very tasty)

* Old Ebbitt Grill (classic, famous for seafood)

* Teatro Goldoni (never went but I heard it's amazing)