Side Trip - Fried Chicken Dinner

I have been out of commission for a little bit but am back and have some new recipes to share. I was a bit under the weather and not feeling like cooking, eating, or thinking about food - luckily that has passed. Before getting sick (luckily) I got to test the waters at the newly(ish) opened Farmshop in Los Angeles. Farmshop, the brainchild of Jeffrey Cerciello (formerly of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group), features a Sunday night fried chicken dinner (sound a little familiar? Ad Hoc much?). No complaints here - it was the best fried chicken that I have ever had. I know this is a big statement, but it was immensely tasty - so flavorful, unbelievably moist and juicy, highly craveable (and the sides were pretty tasty too). I look forward to going back.

Georgio's Cucina: A Pop-Up in the Valley

I flew to LA this weekend and had great plans to take advantage of dineLA Restaurant Week (reservations at Ortolan and illusions of more prix-fixe grandeur). Unsurprisingly, my flight was delayed...and then delayed further. Forty-five minutes into the delay, we came to terms with the fact that we were going to have to cancel our reservation, and I put Ortolan back onto my wish list. (It worked out for the best, as I was greeted by a fantastic throw-together, home-cooked meal of veal with chanterelles and salad with purple basil.)
I did, however, take advantage of an exciting development -- a pop-up restaurant had come to the valley (could it be the valley's first?). Georgio's Cucina is a two-month West Coast venture by New York-based chef, Gary Robins. It is in a strip mall off of a relatively foodie-rich part of Ventura Blvd (home to Sushi Nozawa, Asanebo, and Laurel Tavern), and the restaurant itself was an old school pizzeria complete with deep-red leather booths and a dark woody interior. I kind of loved the setting just for being so unpolished (and so valley) and it made the dining experience all about the food, which was fine because everything we had was delicious.
The meal began well with fabulous olive bread (care of La Brea Bakery) and citrus-y Arbequina olive oil (we asked for seconds...and thirds). We tried the house sangria (made simply with fruit and wine due to liquor license restrictions), which was pleasant and nicely infused with blood orange.
For starters, we ordered two different crudos -- they have a variety of flatbreads and an assortment of appetizers including duck polpette (meatballs) and grilled octopus. The crudos: first, the "capesante," which was sea scallop with pomegranate, basil, and toasted hazelnuts in a flavorful broth. The scallop was the most buttery and tender that I have ever tasted.
The second crudo was a thai snapper accompanied by japanese horseradish (I think this would be wasabi, and while I LOVED the dish, I could not detect a hint of the horseradish), yuzu and green apple. This dish was unique and supremely tasty.
For my entrée I ordered the pappardelle with braised duck in a porcini fennel broth topped off with aged pecorino. It was a perfect cozy-feeling Fall meal with a scent of tarragon and maybe a touch of five-spice. We also ordered the pumpkin gnocchi with sage brown butter, walnuts and pecorino -- this is a fairly common pairing but it was done exquisitely. The gnocchi were made without any potato, and they appeared to have been sautéed on the outside to give it a little crust. They were perfectly fluffy and creamy on the inside (some declared this the best dish of the night). Our final entrée selection was the porchetta served with polenta and broccoli rabe. Another great dish. The highlight: the most beautifully crisp skin I've ever tasted.
We couldn't leave without trying a dessert, so we all split the flourless chocolate cake. I really enjoyed it, some wanted it to be more dense. It tasted like a chocolate mousse with a crispy top crust -- what is there to complain about?
I really enjoyed Georgio's (also, our server was lovely, and to top it off we could actually hear one another speaking) and I hope hope hope that Gary Robins decides to take up permanent residence in the 818.

9.8.10

Final LA blog (for this trip) - Blue Plate Oysterette

I know I just went to Blue Plate butttttt we were in the mood for easy seafood and had never been. The newest addition to the Blue Plate family (of two) is in amazing location, right on Ocean with a view out to the palisades. They have dressed it up with a light beachy feel and put a few picnic style benches outside to enjoy the weather and the people watching.

We ate:

- shrimp cobb salad - generous portion, as Blue Plate is wont to do, and very tasty. The shrimp were cooked perfectly with no iodine-y flavor and the dressing was zesty and not too heavy.

- fish tacos with grilled mahi mahi, cabbage and a cilantro aioli, accompanied by fresh pico de gallo and guacamole - The fish tacos were surprisingly delicious. The fish was cooked to perfection, very moist and flaky, and the aioli was delicious (didn't taste at all like they had squeezed mayonnaise on the tacos) and the whole thing had a nice mild spice. The only weak part was the guacamole which tasted like they had used slightly overripe avocados but I don't want to take away - it was great. Closing thought - straightforward and easy to eat, perfect beach food. mm

9.6.10

Canelé, Atwater Village - great. They have a long open kitchen that is remarkable in that all the chefs look up and smile at you when you walk in, and not cheesy, mass factory smiles, but pleasant natural smiles AND it is even more remarkable in that all the chefs are focused and calm - no yelling, no visible madness, just cooking and enjoying.

We ate: farmers market salad (lush lettuce but a little lackluster as we had to have components removed due to an onion-family 'aversion' at the table :). I should also mention that they serve the most fabulous dark crusty bread that would make the French proud. For our mains: boeuf bourguignon with buttered noodles - more like what I think of as a beef short rib dish but with a nice hearty wine-y quality, roast chicken with socca (a speciality of southern France, socca is a chickpea crepe/cake, having had no former experience with socca, this was great with a nice crunch and Mediterranean flavors), French feta and harrissa, annnndddd I got a delightful arctic char with herbed couscous, baby beets, avocado and a sort of raita (yogurt, dill, & cucumber).

Dessert: we were feeling gluttonous so we got two: buena chica cheesecake, which was a generous sized individual cheesecake that tasted very traditional but not overly sweet, and fresh mulberries with creme fraiche ice cream and two gloriously buttery cookies. I am not one to order dessert out really because I have very base desires when it comes to desserts (ie oreos and costco apple pie) but the cheesecake was quite good. I felt compelled to order the mulberries because I love them and you hardly ever see them on menus because they are so fragile and don't last long at all once picked, these mulberries were nice but a little tart and had lost a little of their luster from bush to plate, but still it was fun. Canelé, I look forward to visiting you again.

Here is a little article from a Bon Appetit blogger who got to work for a day in the kitchen at Canelé and he has a picture of himself with the chef/owner Corina Weibel, who was one of the pleasant smiling faces I saw when I walked in - take a peek.

9.4.10

Another good home-cooked meal from LA-
We found ourselves pleasantly inundated with figs from our friends' trees, thus, an appetizer of figs with goat cheese (1/2 wrapped in prosciutto for the non-veggies).
For drinks I muddled basil, raspberry and white peach with a shot of gin, a few drops of agave nectar and topped it off with prosecco.

Dinner: Pasta sauce a la Mary - fresh garden tomatoes, lemon zest, basil, salt & pepper, and a light drizzle of olive oil. We did a big seafood bake of dungeness crab, lobster, and Alaskan king crab and tossed the seafood in with linguine and the fresh tomato sauce. The dungeness crab was sweet and moist and it always tastes that much better when you have slaved away to procure the perfect little claw morsel. mmm

9.2.10

Based on my recent posts I feel like I am writing Super Size Me, unfortunately it appears I just crave burgers on a much too frequent basis. Thus, here goes another entry chronicling my burger binge.

Blue Plate -
I ordered: the burger (obviously) with sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions. I requested it medium-rare (my standard) and it arrived looking beautiful on the outside, very picturesque - I had high hopes . . . which were quickly dashed. The burger was a thin patty, a uniform drab grey on the inside. It was dry and flavorless. I normally love Blue Plate (I usually order the Turkey Club on La Brea Bakery wheat bread), it isn't haute cuisine, but it's good and consistent and this meal left me disappointed. My dining partner ordered the breakfast quesadilla which includes a hearty helping of cheese with eggs, bacon, tomato, salsa and avocado. It was perfectly tasty.

For dessert we couldn't resist a heaping slab of Susie Cake's red velvet cake. I hate to be a naysayer, but I tried SusieCakes ages ago and was disappointed. In spite of my past experience, this red velvet looked so enticing that I thought I'd give it another go. Once again, disappointment. It wasn't very cocoa-y and it was overly fluffy - almost the texture of angel food (exaggeration) as opposed to the proper dense cocoa-y confection it is meant to be. Verdict - I like Blue Plate but this was sub par.

8.31.10

Catching up- simple summer meal.

I made honey lime chicken (inspired by the marinade article in Sunset magazine) with a peach salsa and fresh corn on the cob.

Chicken:

Mix 3 tablespoons honey, the juice of 3 or 4 limes (approx. 1/3 cup), small handful of cilantro finely chopped, 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tablespoons sweet thai chili sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the marinade over a half chicken, cut into its respective parts (if you don't have enough marinade, make more). You can marinate for 1 hour to 1 day, depending on how forward-thinking you are (I marinated mine for ~45 minutes). Grill it on the bbq (alternately I have baked it in a 350 degree oven and sauteed it in a pan, your choice).

Salsa:

Combine in a bowl: 3 just-ripe peaches or nectarines (I used white peaches) diced, 1 jalapeno finely chopped (I remove the seeds and membrane, depends on how spicy you like things), 1 anaheim pepper finely chopped, a couple of tomatoes diced, 1 cup corn, 1/2 tsp srirarcha, 1/2 cup cilantro, juice of 1 lime, salt to taste.

Corn:

You know what to do.

8.30.10

Zig's: Home of the Bullet

One of my LA stand-bys, Zig's is a diner with a lot of valley "flair". Frequented by a variety of characters (ranging from bikers in leather to goths with mathematical equations tattooed on their arms to old men in Hawaiian shirts) Zig's provides consistently delicious, heart unhealthy American fare.

We got a chocolate shake, fries, a turkey sandwich (delicious, thick deli turkey), and a burger (traditional with thousand island! fab fab). I think the whole meal cost a grand total of $14.00.

8.29.10

Rustic Canyon - Wonderful meal. My first dining experience here was good but I wasn't blown away. On this, my second, visit it was heavenly. Ordered:
appetizers
- Ricotta gnocchi with duck ragu - generous portion of meat, the ragu reminded me of my favorite from Osteria Mozza.
- Sweet corn agnolotti with caramelized corn and parmesan (or as everyone now feels the need to say on menus, "parmigiano-reggiano") - spectacular. I want a lifetime supply.
drink
- mottled peach with basil and prosecco - fine but nothing special, the peach was not that flavorful but it tasted refreshing and summer-y.
mains
- a niman pork chop with peaches, corn, and basil - a bit disappointing, the meat was slightly overcooked.
- the BURGER !! with caramelized onions, arugula, house made pickles, sharp cheddar and an herb remoulade - I have decided that this is my favorite burger of life, thus far (even better than Spruce). It isn't over the top, they don't try anything too elaborate it is just well seasoned and has great toppings.
- Branzino with roasted artichokes, confit tomatoes, eggplant and a few more veggies - good, straightforward (ordered by the health-minded member of the group who enjoyed it but declared that next time he would be ordering the burger).
If you wanted insight as to how the chef at Rustic Canyon, Evan Funke, prepares his burger click here (although you may prefer to be ignorant re: the fat that goes into making a sublime burger).

8.23.10

Mozza2Go - Another Blackboard Eats inspired meal.

The food was great and the service dismal. Ordered: Roasted red pepper focaccia a la Nancy Silverton, only offered on Monday nights; meatballs al forno (I happily ate the leftovers over fresh pasta as a midnight snack the following night); Mario's lasagna - fabulous bechamel. Almost seems unfair to call it lasagna because it was so superior to anything I have ever encountered that goes by the same name.
Pizzas: squash blossom with burrata and tomatoes (yum); Mozza's version of the 'meat lover's pizza' - speck, fennel sausage, salami, and pancetta (one piece is a meal unto itself, I had three meals' worth).

Click here for Saveur's version of the squash blossom pizza.

Summer Fruit Buckle

Summer Fruit Buckle (aka throw in anything you have around) - adapted from an LA Times recipe. Crumb topping - Sift 1/2 cup flour and 1/3 cup sugar. Add the zest of two lemons, a generous dash of salt, and cut in a 1/2 stick of butter. Toss in about 1 cup of oats. Cover and chill.
Cake - Grease a 9x9 pan and preheat oven to 350. Whisk together a generous 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg in a medium bowl. Cream six tbsps butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and the zest of one lemon until light. Add two eggs one at a time.

Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture, one third at a time, alternating with (a hefty) 1/2 cup buttermilk (start and end with dry). Once everything is incorporated fold in the fruit - I used two enormous peaches (sliced), two plums (sliced as well) and 3/4 cup blueberries. Pour the batter into the greased pan.

8.20.10

Los Toros, Chatsworth -
Best meal deal of the week. To start: an ample supply of salsa, chips and piping hot bean dip (all you can eat bean dip . . . mexican cuisine at its best). I got the "luncheon special" - carnitas burrito (filled with rice and refried beans), served with rice, refried beans (of course), and guacamole, all accompanied by a blended margarita = $6.75!!

8.17.10

Shiro in Pasadena -
We started by ordering the grilled baby artichokes with a light arugula salad (attractive, but weird metallic taste) and also chose a shrimp mousse ravioli with maitake mushrooms in a wild mushroom cream sauce. The ravioli was the best dish of the night with a wonderful mushroomy flavor; although I must say that the shrimp filling was not at all mousse-like.
Main courses: Sonoma duck breast in an orange sauce (very rare but good), black cod marinated in mirin and miso (à la Matsuhisa) with japanese eggplant (tasty but the skin was not quite as wonderfully crisped as the Matsuhisa version. For Nobu's recipe click here), and, for the main event, whole sizzling catfish with Ponzu sauce and fresh cilantro (more about the presentation probably than the actual food). Good not great. Being a starving student I thought the prices bordered on offensive, but with my Blackboard Eats discount it was almost worth it.

8.16.10

Homegrown tomatoes with fresh basil and burrata for an afternoon snack.


For dinner I made fish tacos with mahi mahi and a cilantro-lime slaw.
Recipe: I used two mahi mahi filets to serve 3 people. Season the mahi mahi with salt and pepper, chop four cloves garlic and about 1/2 cup of cilantro and rub those onto the fish. I then put the fish into a dish and let it marinate while preparing the rst of the dish. For the slaw: slice a half head of cabbage toss it into a bowl and add in the juice of 1 or 2 limes, 3/4 cup cilantro, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper, and sriracha to taste. Mix it all together and set aside. Open a can of black beans and warm them on the stove top. I chopped some avocado and cherry tomatoes to use as toppings. To finish the dish heat a pan with a little bit of olive oil, once warm place the mahi mahi in the pan and sear it for about 4 minutes on the first side and then flip it and leave it on the other side for two more minutes. Remove from the heat and break the fish into chunks. Warm some corn tortillas and pile on whatever toppings you please (I served mine with slaw, beans, tomatoes, avocado and a healthy dollop of sour cream. Next time I might swap in some radishes and queso fresco.).

Vacation - posts from the city of angels

No better place to start than an LA institution.

3 a.m. fries, blintzes and a vanilla shake at Canters. Delish.