Pardon My Crumbs

NFL Potato Skins: Super Bowl Snack Genius

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

So exactly two years ago today, I'm flipping through Food Network Magazine when I stop dead in my tracks. I turn the magazine lengthwise, similar to how I can only imagine a man would to an issue of Playboy, and start to "Oooh" and "Ahhh." My husband, Bryan, looks at me curiously, finally asking "What food needs an entire vertical spread of a magazine?"

"Potato skins. Customized for each of the NFL's 32 teams," I replied.

"Oohhh," he said. Followed by a grab for the magazine and a "Lemme see!"

It was then that he understood. Simply put, the idea of creating custom potato skin recipes reflecting a city's local ingredients, flavors and food favorites is brilliant. Totally brilliant. Which is exactly why I'm sharing this post again, two years later. It's a classic, just like these potato skins. So even if your favorite team isn't in the Super Bowl (ahem, 49ers), find the recipe and try it anyway. At least they can be at your Big Game party in spirit!

Here's how you make each of the potato skins:

General directions: Pierce 4 large russet potatoes with a fork. Bake directly on the oven rack at 350 degrees until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool, then quarter lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch shell. Brush both sides with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake, skin-side up, at 450 degrees until crisp, about 15 minutes. Add your favorite team toppings. (For cheesy skins, flip the baked shells over before topping, sprinkle with 1 cup grated cheddar cheese and bake an extra 5 minutes.)

AFC TEAMS

1. Baltimore Ravens

Chesapeake Butter Potato Skins: Melted butter, Old Bay Seasoning, grated parmesan and chopped chives

2. Buffalo Bills

Hot Wing Potato Skins: Blue cheese dressing, cayenne hot sauce, and chopped celery and carrots

3. Cincinnati Bengals

Five-Way Chili Potato Skins: Cincinnati-style chili, kidney beans, chopped onion, shredded cheddar and oyster crackers

4. Cleveland Browns

All the Way Potato Skins: Deli-sliced corned beef, shredded Swiss cheese, grated horseradish and spicy mustard; bake 5 more minutes

5. Denver Broncos

Western Omelet Potato Skins: Sauteed green pepper, onion and ham, paprika and chopped parsley on cheesy skins

6. Houston Texans

Tex-Mex Potato Skins: Refried beans, crumbled chorizo, shredded monterey jack, hot sauce and pickled jalapenos

7. Indianapolis Colts

Fried Pork Potato Skins: Mayonnaise mixed with mustard and hot sauce, sliced fried pork cutlets, chopped tomato and diced red onion

8. Jacksonville Jaguars

Deviled Crab Potato Skins: Crab salad, cayenne pepper and paprika; bake 5 more minutes

9. Kansas City Chiefs

KC BBQ Potato Skins: Pulled pork, barbecue sauce and sliced scallions on cheesy skins

10. Miami Dolphins

Cubano Potato Skins: Mayonnaise, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and sliced pickles; bake 5 more minutes

11. New England Patriots

Maple-Bacon Potato Skins: Apple butter, crisp bacon and maple syrup on cheesy skins

12. New York Jets

Deli Pastrami Potato Skins: Deli-sliced pastrami, Russian dressing and dill pickle slices on cheesy skins

13. Oakland Raiders

Loaded Tacos Potato Skins: Shredded chicken mixed with taco seasoning, queso blanco, sour cream, salsa, pickled jalapeños and cilantro

14. Pittsburgh Steelers

Steel City Sausage Potato Skins: Sauteed onions and kielbasa, sauerkraut and grated Swiss cheese; bake 5 more minutes

15. San Diego Chargers

California Fresh Potato Skins: Guacamole, sprouts and shredded monterey jack

16. Tennessee Titans

Nashville Side Potato Skins: Creamy mac and cheese; bake 5 more minutes

NFC TEAMS

1. Arizona Cardinals

Southwestern Nachos Potato Skins: Salsa, pickled jalapenos, chopped scallions and cilantro, and sour cream on cheesy skins

2. Atlanta Falcons

Georgia Peach Potato Skins: Peach preserves mixed with yellow mustard, cubed ham and canned fried onions on cheesy skins

3. Carolina Panthers

Country Ham Potato Skins: Ham salad, chopped parsley and minced pickles on cheesy skins

4. Chicago Bears

The Works Potato Skins: Sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spear, pickled peppers, yellow mustard, chopped onion and tomato, celery salt and poppy seeds

5. Dallas Cowboys

Texas Chili Potato Skins: Chunky chili, grated longhorn cheddar, chopped onion, sour cream and hot sauce

6. Detroit Lions

Coney Dog Potato Skins: Sliced hot dogs, chili, diced onions, shredded cheddar and yellow mustard

7. Green Bay Packers

Wisconsin Beer Brats Potato Skins: Beer cheese spread, sliced grilled bratwurst and brown mustard

8. Minnesota Vikings

Cheeseburgers Potato Skins: Grilled mini burgers, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and pickles on cheesy skins

9. New Orleans Saints

Muffuletta Potato Skins: Assorted sliced Italian deli meats, provolone, olive salad and sliced pepperoncini

10. New York Giants

Sausage and Peppers Potato Skins: Sauteed onions, green peppers and Italian sausage and fresh mozzarella; bake 5 more minutes

11. Philadelphia Eagles

Cheesesteaks Potato Skins

Sauteed onions and roast beef, Worcestershire sauce and Cheez Whiz; bake 5 more minutes

12. San Francisco 49ers

Frisco Gourmet Potato Skins: Artichokes pureed with goat cheese, garlic, fresh herbs and olive oil; bake 5 more minutes

13. Seattle Seahawks

Pacific Salmon Potato Skins: Flaked grilled salmon, sauteed wild mushrooms, and chopped parsley and chives

14. St. Louis Rams

Toasted Ravioli Potato Skins: Ricotta mixed with parmesan and chopped basil, tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella; bake 5 more minutes

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mojo Shrimp Potato Skins: Shrimp sauteed with rum and mojo sauce

16. Washington Redskins

Red-Slaw Skins Potato Skins: Red-cabbage slaw and crumbled bacon on red potato skins

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Pancetta & Shallots

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Everyone I know seems to be on some sort of a detox program this month. The amazing thing is that 25 days into January, most of them are actually sticking to it. I'm on one, too, but that doesn't mean I have to eliminate every food that I love. Take pork, for instance. Add crispy bites of pancetta or prosciutto to a vegetable side dish -- in this case, Brussels sprouts -- and you've got yourself a meal that's still hearty and flavorful. Especially when the Brussels sprouts are steamed in stock rather than pan fried in a pool of grease. This easy recipe is a staple in my in-laws house and thanks to my fab father-in-law for sharing the recipe, it's now one in ours, too.

Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta & Shallots

Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta & Shallots
Adapted from Food Network

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces paper-thin slices pancetta, coarsely chopped
1 large shallot, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth

Directions: Partially cook the Brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water, about 4 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until beginning to crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the shallot and saute until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts to the same skillet and saute until heated through and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts, about 3 minutes. Serve.

Saute pancetta until it begins to crisp, about 3 minutes

Add shallot and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes

Add partially-cooked Brussels sprouts & saute until heated through

Add broth and seasonings and bring to boil, covering until dish begins to steam

Plate, serve and enjoy!

Recipe: Warm & Wintry French Onion Soup

2012-01-23T08:00:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite cold-weather meals is French onion soup, perfect for today's rainy weather. When I was little, my parents would take my brother and me to the Hamburger Hamlet (RIP), where I would order a mini crock of French onion soup and attack the gooey layer of cheese with my spoon. I never wanted to eat it too fast, making an effort to get some melted Swiss, delicate bread cubes and caramelized onion in each bite. When I was done, "dessert" was picking the crunchy cheese off the sides of the bowl, creating a mini cheese crisp I couldn't get enough of.

Homemade French onion soup is easier than you think!

I never thought to make it at home, assuming the soup was labor-intensive and incredibly complicated. That all changed when my father-in-law made perhaps my favorite French onion soup from scratch during the holidays and I asked him for the recipe. Turns out it's beyond easy to make and is really healthy. No, really. I promise. It's also an instant crowd pleaser and the perfect cold-weather meal. Try it for yourself. It will become a staple in your meal rotation.

FRENCH ONION SOUP
Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine
YIELD: 8 servings

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 cups thinly vertically sliced Walla Walla or other sweet onion
• 4 cups thinly vertically sliced red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 8 cups less-sodium beef broth
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 8 (1-ounce) slices French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)

Preparation: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in sugar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high, and sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is golden brown. Stir in wine, and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and thyme; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours. Preheat broiler. Place bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until toasted, turning after 1 minute. Place 8 ovenproof bowls on a jelly-roll pan. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Divide bread evenly among bowls; top each serving with 1 cheese slice. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Sauté onions in Dutch oven for 5 minutes or until tender

Increase heat to medium-high, and sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is golden brown (mine wasn't golden brown yet)

Stir in wine, let cook for 1 minute. Add broth and thyme; bring to a boil.

Divide toasted bread evenly among bowls.

I could eat the soup just like this... but we can't forget the cheese!

Top each serving with 1 cheese slice. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Food & Wine Mag's "Best Ever Nut Brittle"

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

The holidays are over and I'm left with empty cupboards, a whole heck of a lot of Lean Cuisines and oddly enough, two pints of heavy cream. I'm one of those people who feels extreme guilt when perfectly good grocery items threaten to go bad, and heavy cream is no exception. So I'm beating the expiration date by using the cream in a big batch of Food and Wine Magazine's "Best Ever" nut brittle. Don't let the name fool you, it really is the best I've ever had. Not to mention, it will make great snacky-snacks for Bryan's poker night on Friday.

It's True: The Best Ever Nut Brittle!

Here's how you make it:

Best-Ever Nut Brittle
Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine
Servings: 2 pounds

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces roasted salted peanuts, cashews, pistachios and/or pecans
Fleur de sel or crushed Maldon sea salt

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water, butter and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is light brown and registers 300° on a candy thermometer, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the nuts, then immediately scrape the brittle onto a large rimmed, nonstick baking sheet. Using the back of a large spoon (oil it lightly if it sticks), spread the brittle into a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with salt. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Break the brittle into large shards.

Combine the sugar, water, butter and corn syrup

Cook until mixture registers 300° on a candy thermometer

My preferred combination of nuts: Peanuts, cashews & pecans

Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda. Careful, it'll bubble!

Add in the nuts, quickly stirring to combine. Do it fast or else they'll harden in a chunk.

Immediately scrape onto a large nonstick baking sheet (I lined mine with foil). Spread out quickly with the back of a non-stick spatula.

Let brittle cool for 30 minutes then break into large shards

MAKE AHEAD The brittle can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Must Try: Drunken Udder Alcohol-Infused Ice Cream

2012-01-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

Two words: Sober January*. Quite literally, a sobering month without any alcohol during which one (in this case, yours truly) attempts to detox from all booze and other adult delights. To be fair, all adult delights for me revolve around booze, so January means no Tanqueray & soda, no Domaine Chandon champagne, no Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc, and no fabulous red wines of any varietal. So instead of imbibing during meals with friends or a weekend date night, I'm living vicariously through Drunken Udder, a new discovery that combines two of my favorite things: booze and ice cream.

Photo Courtesy of LA Times

Why no one thought of this before is beyond me, and frankly I'm jealous. Drunken Udder is an "artisanal adults-only ice cream. It takes two of the best vices in life -- alcohol and ice cream -- combining them into one amazing frozen treat." I mean, just look at these flavor combos:

• Bourbon Salted Caramel
• Caramelized White Chocolate Godiva
• Rum Roasted Banana
• Vodka Vanilla Bean
• Milk Chocolate Stout
• Chocolate Cabernet Crunch
• Tequila Lime Sorbet
• Cinnamon Spiced Rum
• Keoke Coffee
• Pina Colada
• Saffron Candied Ginger Soco
• Love Affair
• Bailey's Jameson Caramel Swirl
• Burnt Honey Orange Scented with Candied Pistachio and Honey Whiskey
• The Dirty Elvis
• Tequila Vanilla Bean with Toasted Pepita Praline
• Prune Armagnac

I could swim in the Bourbon Salted Caramel and perhaps bathe in the Cinnamon Spiced Rum. But I'll have to wait to taste them until February after this cruel Sober January runs its course. In the meantime I leave it to you, dear 21+ year-old reader, to enjoy Drunken Udders' offerings at Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks or at the W Hotel in Westwood.

Drunken Udder Ice Cream

www.drunkenuddericecream.com

Contact Drunken Udder

*Note: Sober January really isn't all that bad. And I swear I'm not an alcoholic. So there.

DineLA Returns on Jan. 22 + My Top 5 Picks

2012-01-11T19:24:00.000-08:00

Happy 5th anniversary to DineLA! Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the DineLA deal: Two weeks, 300+ participating restaurants serving specially-priced, three-course prix-fixe meals for lunch and dinner. This year, Jan. 22-27 and Jan. 29-Feb 3 are the dates to remember. All you need to do is choose a restaurant, make a reservation and relax while sampling signature dishes provided by some of LA's top chefs. For its 5th anniversary DineLA is going big, signing on the likes of LA Mag's "Best New Restaurant" award-winners Sotto, Picca, The Spice Table, Mezze and Ray's & Stark Bar. Not to mention Italian hotspot Mercado di Vetro. Now the decision is up to you: where are you going to go?

I've already got my list ready ready and waiting. Here are my top 5 DineLA picks:

1. Sotto: I've been there. My husband hasn't. Enough said. I get Test Kitchen deja vu walking into the Pico Blvd. sub-level restaurant, but it's a whole different animal now. Co-owners and chefs Steve and Zach have transformed the place and are serving incredible Southern Italian-inspired dishes. The thick-cut bread with lardo is dangerously indulgent, the Guanciale pizza arrives with glistening house-cured pork cheek and blistered crust, and you'll want to lick the plate of grilled pork meatballs. Don't worry, no one's watching.

Spice Table's Catfish Banh Mi
(Photo courtesy of GrubstreetLA)

2. The Spice Table: Sure, it's cheap even without DineLA's special pricing. And its rumored to be crowded and loud. Whatever. TST has been on my "list" for a long while now. I don't know why, but we haven't quite gotten over the downtown dining hurdle unless we need to kill some time before a concert or Lakers game. I'm willing to brave the crowds and the noise for Spice Table's Southeast-inspired Banh Mi (lunch only), Kaya Toast and Beef Randang.

3. Mercado di Vetro: From hotels to restaurants, SBE just does it right and MDV seems to be no exception. It's the place everyone is talking about, raving about its wood-oven pizzas (tomato ricotta with basil and balsamic... mmm), cured meats and housemade pastas. I can't wait to try the warm farro salad, Ceci crostini and ravioli pasta stuffed with an oozy egg yolk.

4. Grub: A favorite brunch and lunch spot of Bryan and mine for years, Grub is now serving "supper." The menu is creative and indulgent with dishes like potato chip-crusted fried chicken, "crack" bacon quesadilla and Irish nachos (who needs chips when you can load up bits of potato?). Don't forget dessert: the luscious chocolate bacon sandwich is sure to blow your mind. And your diet.

Short Order Burger
Photo courtesy of ShortOrderLA.com

5. Short Order: Right by my work and a perfect place for a colleague lunch. Short Order is the genius brainchild of Nancy Silverton and the late Amy Pressman. Nancy's Backyard Burger (Nancy Silverton's beef blend, Artisan bacon, Comte, Avocado, Tomato, Onion, Iceberg, Spicy Mayo) and Amy's Turkey Burger (Organic Turkey, Sage Cheddar, Melted Celery, Leeks, Mustardy Mayo) are worth every penny plus some. Even though it's not on the lunch menu, get a side of spuds. You won't be sorry.

Day #9 of Holiday Appetizers: Making A Party-Perfect Cheese Platter

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Don't have time to make appetizers from scratch? No problem! It's really easy to doctor up some store-bought goodies and make them fantastic in just a few minutes. A staple at any great cocktail party is a gourmet cheese plate. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. At our party, I got four cheeses: a Double Creme French Brie, a sharp white Cheddar from New Zealand, aged blue cheese, and a log of goat cheese.

DIY Gourmet Cheese Plate!

They were great as they were, but I went one step further and rolled the goat cheese log in a homemade mixture of crushed pistachios and dried cranberries. It took about five minutes and the green and red mixture was a great for the holidays. I put some pita crackers and flatbread crackers from Trader Joe's on a cute platter right next to the cheeses, then stuck little signs in each cheese letting guests know which one was which. Then I walked away and enjoyed my party. Done and done.

Gourmet Cheese Plate
All ingredients bought from Trader Joe's

Double-creme French Brie
Wedge of Blue Cheese
Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (Best from Ireland or New Zealand)
Plain goat cheese log
1/2 cup shelled pistachio nutmeats, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
One box pita crackers
One sleeve flatbread crackers with mixed seeds (get plain if you prefer)

To make goat cheese log: Pulse dried cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Follow with the pistachios nutmeats, sifting any dust out afterwards. Mix pistachios and cranberries together. Lay goat cheese log on a piece of Syran Wrap topped with nut and berry mixtures. Using your hands, press handfuls of the mixture onto the goat cheese log until it is completed coated. Wrap in Syran Wrap and tightly twist ends to secure. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Goat Cheese log rolled in crushed pistachios and cranberries

Arrange cheeses on a platter

When ready to serve, arrange cheeses on the platter. Make sure to unwrap goat cheese. For an extra touch, stick little signs in each cheese with the name and origin. Add crackers or baguette slices and serve!

Day #8 of Holiday Appetizers: Molasses Gingerbread with Mascarpone Cream & Orange Confit

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Gingerbread. It's polarizing. Some people love it, some people hate it. I happen to fall in the first camp, where the smell of gingerbread reminds me of baking in my grandma's kitchen as a child. For a recent cocktail party, I decided to go for an adult version of the classic holiday bread, making a gingerbread cake topped with mascarpone cream and a slice of orange confit (it's basically candied orange peel). While the cake was baking our house smelled like Christmas, a little spicy from cinnamon and ginger and a little sweet from the rich aroma of molasses. Heaven, if you ask me.

Molasses Gingerbread Bites with Mascarpone Cream and Orange Confit

I made the cake one day ahead and kept it wrapped in an airtight container, then simply sliced it into bite-sized pieces, piped on the whipped topping an added a mini slice of orange confit. You could certainly do without the cream and the orange, instead topping it with a glaze or eating it warm with some cinnamon ice cream. Either way, it's delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Molasses GingerbreadCake with Mascarpone Cream

Recipe from Food & Wine Magazine

CAKE

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup boiling water

ORANGE CONFIT

1 orange, zest peeled with a vegetable peeler and sliced lengthwiseinto 1/8-inch strips
4 cups water
1/2 cup sugar

MASCARPONE CREAM

1 cup Mascarpone, at room temperature
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch square baking panwith vegetable cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flour with theground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk thecanola oil with the brown sugar, molasses, honey, eggs and lemon zest until smooth.Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. Whisk in theboiling water. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1hour and 10 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cakecomes out clean. Set the pan on a rack and let the cake cool completely, about2 hours.

Combine dry ingredients

Whisk wet ingredients until combined

Bake gingerbread batter until golden brown and light and fluffy

Cut cooled gingerbread into bite-sized pieces

In a medium saucepan, combine the strips of orange zest with the waterand sugar. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until syrupy and the orangezest is soft, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the orangeconfit to a plate; discard the syrup.

To make Orange Confit: Boil orange peel, sugar and water for 30 minutes or until tender and syrupy

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed,beat the mascarpone with the cream, orange zest, confectioners' sugar and saltuntil soft peaks form. Cut the molasses-gingerbread cake into squares andtransfer to plates. Dollop the mascarpone cream on top, garnish with the orangeconfit and serve.

Top with small dollop or piping of Mascarpone cream

Add small slice of Orange Confit to whipped cream.

Serve and enjoy!

MAKE AHEAD: The cake can be wrapped in plasticand kept at room temperature for up to 2 days. The orange confit can be storedin an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Day #7 of Holiday Appetizers: Spinach Artichoke Dip

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

If there is one ubiquitous appetizer, it's got to be spinach artichoke dip. It's at every party and everyone seems to love it. It's cheesy, creamy, oozy and gooey but with chunks of cooked spinach and artichoke that make you feel a little less guilty. Whatever; it's holiday season, indulge a little (or a lot)! A little cream and cheese won't hurt you!

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip with Fresh Baguette

A word of advice about making the dip: When I decided to make it from scratch, I thought it would be one of the easier appetizer recipes to follow. Turns out draining the liquid from the cooked spinach was a real task. I tried a few different ways and found the best method was to let the spinach cool and then squeeze out the liquid with my hands. Once you get past that, you're golden! Add in the cream and cheeses and bake it in the oven until it's golden brown bubbling. Slice a fresh baguette and serve!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for baking dish
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds spinach, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
2 cans artichokes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup milk
6 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Baguette slices, breadsticks, or crackers, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot,heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8minutes. Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt beforeadding the next; cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to acolander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.

Saute onion and garlic until translucent

Add spinach in batches, waiting for one to wilt before adding the next

Stir wilted spinach with onion and garlic. Transfer spinach from pot to a colander to drain. Press and squeeze to until water is removed.

In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in creamcheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hotsauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle withremaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.

Place spinach back into pot. Add cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and Mozzarella and stir to combine

Transfer to a serving dish, surround with baguette slices and serve!

Day #6 of Holiday Appetizers: Classic Deviled Eggs

2011-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

Can there possibly be a more perfect appetizer than a deviled egg? There are so many variations you can make of the deviled egg -- spicy, sweet, seafood-filled -- but I'm a fan of the classic. Hard boiled eggs, Dijon and yellow mustard, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of salt. Done and done. Putting the filling in a food processor gives it the a flawlessly smooth consistency, and taking the extra step to pipe the filling into each egg really kicks the presentation up a notch. The only downside to these beauties is that the cooking process makes your house smell like egg, so definitely do it the morning of your dinner party. Otherwise, they're guaranteed to disappear!

The Perfect Appetizer: Classic Deviled Eggs

Classic Deviled Eggs

1dozen large eggs
1/2cup mayonnaise
11/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
11/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
3dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Sweetpaprika or pure ancho chile powder, for garnish
Minced chives, for garnish

In amedium saucepan, cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a rolling boil.Cover, remove from the heat and let stand for 12 minutes. Immediately drain the eggsand gently shake the pan to lightly crack the shells. Fill the pan with coldwater and shake lightly to loosen the eggshells. Let stand until the eggs arecool. Drain and peel the eggs; pat dry.

Cook eggs and let cool; remove shells

Cut eggs in half and remove yolks

Continue to remove yolks until all are removed

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully transfer the yolks to a mini processor. Add the mayonnaise, Dijon and yellow mustards and Worcestershire sauce and pulse until smooth and creamy; season with salt. Using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip or a teaspoon, fill the egg whites with the yolk mixture. Arrange the eggs on a platter, garnish with paprika and serve.

Put egg yolks in a food processor with Dijon and yellow mustards, Worcestershire and salt. Blend until smooth.

Transfer egg yolk mixture to a piping bag fitted with a medium-sized star-shaped tip

Pipe yolk mixture into each egg white

Top each egg with a pinch of cayenne, ancho chile or paprika

Top each egg with a tiny sliver of chive (Hint: Use tweezers for best placement of chives)

Arrange on a serving platter and serve!

Day #5 of Holiday Appetizers: Parmesan, Gruyère & Thyme Cheese Straws

2011-12-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Savory, bite-sized snacks are probably my favorite things to munch on at cocktail parties. They're easy to grab, don't fill you up too much, pair fantastically with red wine or champagne (my drinks of choice), and are general crowd-pleasers. Case in point, my mini mac and cheese cups and Parmesan, Gruyère and thyme puff pastry twists. In the past, I've gone with store-bought versions of the twists from Trader Joe's but always found them to be too dry or have already broken into pieces in the box. So for our cocktail party I decided to make them from scratch. Looking back, I'm so glad I did.

Parmesan, Gruyere and Thyme Puff Pastry Twists

Photo Courtesy of Food.com

The hardest part about this recipe is taking the time to defrost the puff pastry in the fridge. Aside from that, you grate some cheese, chop some thyme, throw some egg wash on the pastry, add the toppings, cut it into strips, twist onto a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. While the twists are baking, they fill your house with most delectable aroma of bubbling cheese and buttery pastry. It's absolutely fantastic and can be made one day ahead, just make sure to store them in an air-tight container.

Cheese Straws

Recipe makes 22-24 long or 44-48 short straws

2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm), defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
Flour, for dusting
1 extra-large egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out eachsheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10- by 12-inches.Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry.Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1⁄4 cup of the Parmesan, 1⁄2 cup of theGruyère, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper.With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cuteach sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips.Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Clockwise from top left: Gruyere cheese, Parmesan cheese, thyme, egg

Place thawed puff pastry on cutting board

Roll out puff pastry dough to approximately 10" by 12"

Brush puff pastry with egg wash

Sprinkle cheeses and thyme on puff pastry sheet, gently pressing down with rolling pin to make sure toppings stay put

Cut into thin strips of desired length with a pizza cutter (hint: longer strips are easier to twist and keep their "twist" shape better while baking)

Twist strips and place on parchment-lined baking sheet

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't over bake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Bake twists until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes

Place in your favorite serving bowl and enjoy!

Day #4 of Holiday Appetizers: Turkey & Basil Tea Sandwiches

2011-12-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

Need a quick, easy and light appetizer for a crowd? These turkey and basil tea sandwiches will take you about 30 minutes to throw together and they're both darling and delicious. Get some cinnamon swirl bread, turkey, basil, make a scallion cream cheese and you're good to go. Okay, maybe it's a bit more involved than that, but I've got step-by-step directions and photos below. Enjoy!

Turkey Tea Sandwiches

Turkey Tea Sandwiches

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Scallion Cream Cheese:

3/4 pound (12 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sandwiches:

1 loaf dense raisin-nut or raisin cinnamon swirl bread, sliced
8 thin slices peppered or smoked turkey breast
Fresh basil leaves

Directions: For the scallion cream cheese, combinethe cream cheese, scallions and the salt and pepper in an electric mixer fittedwith a paddle attachment. Do not whip.

For the sandwiches, have the store slice the breadlengthwise on a meat slicer into 1/4-inch-thick slices. (If that isn'tpossible, you can slice it crosswise with a very sharp knife.) Lay out 8 slices of bread and spread them all with a thinlayer of scallion cream cheese. Place a single layer of turkey on half theslices, cutting the edges to fit the bread. Place the basil leaves randomly ontop of the turkey. Top with the other 4 slices of bread, cream cheese sidedown.

Combine cream cheese, scallions, salt and pepper in electric mixer

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Spread the scallion cream cheese on one side of the bread

Spread scallion cream cheese on the other slice of bread

Spread a layer of turkey and basil on one side of the bread

Lay the sandwiches on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, coverwith damp paper towels and wrap the sheet with plastic. Refrigerate until thecream cheese is cold and firm. Place the sandwiches on a cutting board and,with a very sharp knife, cut off the crusts. Cut each large sandwich in halfcrosswise, and then cut each half diagonally, twice, to make a total of 8 smalltriangles. (If the bread was cut crosswise, follow the assembly directions, thencut off the crusts and cut diagonally, twice, to make 4 small triangles.) Servechilled.

Close the sandwich, cut off the crusts and cut into quarters

Place quarters on a parchment-lined baking sheet

Turkey Tea Sandwiches

Day #3 of Holiday Appetizers: Wild Mushroom Cups

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie, these appetizers aren't the prettiest on the plate. I like to call them the Little Miss Sunshines of Appetizers because they might not be beauty queens, but my goodness are they great for entertaining. These little gems are perhaps some of the most delicious party appetizers I've ever had. My mom found the recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine about 15 years ago and has been making them at her cocktail parties ever since. As a kid, I used to sneak them off the baking sheets before being shipped off to grandma's house, hoping that there would be one (one!!) left for me after the party. Suffice to say I was always disappointed when I came back home; it didn't take me long to realize that if there's one appetizer guaranteed to be gone, these mushroom cups are it. And our party was no exception.

Mushrooms Cups: The Little Miss Sunshine of Appetizers

Forget the fact that they're slightly unattractive, the mushroom cups are so good that at our party I literally couldn't get them from the baking sheet to the platter. The minute the cups started baking friends would swarm the kitchen from the savory aroma, grabbing the steaming little cups and popping them in their mouths before I could even get them off the baking sheet. This time, however, I made sure to save a few for myself. :)

Here's how you make them:

Mushroom Cups

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine, circa 1993

Makes 36 mushroom cups

36 slices white bread
5 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 pound mushrooms, minced (I use a mixture of Button, Cremini & Shiitake)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut out a 3-inch round with a round cutter from each bread slice, press the rounds into 1/8-cup muffin tins, forming cups, and bake the cups in batches in the middle of the oven 12-15 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Transfer the cups to racks and let them cool.

Use a cookie cutter to remove the cups from the pieces of bread

Continue until all pieces of bread have been cut out

Press the rounds into 1/8" muffin rounds and bake until golden brown

In a skillet melt the butter over moderately high heat and in it sauté the onion, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté the mixture, stirring, for 15 minutes, or until the liquid from the mushrooms is evaporated. Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle the flour over the mixture, and stir the mixture until it is combined well. Add the half and half, return the skillet to the heat, and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring, until it is very thick. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the salt, the cayenne, the black pepper, and the chives, the parsley, and the lemon juice, and let the mixture cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Saute the butter and onion until soft

Add mushrooms and cook until the liquid has evaporated

Remove from heat and add flour. Stir to combine.

Add cream, seasonings and herbs and cook until mixture is very thick

Transfer the cups to a baking sheet, divide the mushroom mixture among them (I use a piping bag with a large round tip), and sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top. (The mushroom cups may be made up to this point and kept frozen, wrapped tightly. Reheat the mushrooms cups on a baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes, or until they are heated through). Bake the cups in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Pipe the mushroom mixture into the cups

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on each mushroom cup and bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Day #2 of Holiday Appetizers: Mac & Cheese Cups

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine

Who doesn't like Mac and Cheese? Especially when it's an adult version filled with Parmesan, Gruyere and Grana Padano cheeses and a drizzle of truffle oil? I know I certainly couldn't resist that! I went for a PG-rated version at our holiday cocktail party, omitting the truffle oil in favor of a dash of cayenne pepper. Why? Believe it or not, not everyone loves truffle oil (I know, I don't understand it either) and I wanted to make sure my appetizers were equally opportunity people-pleasers.

I made these the night before our party and popped them in the oven right as the first guests started to arrive. They cooked in about 10 minutes, came out of the pan in perfect little bites and were a serious hit. Friends even came into the kitchen to get first dibs at subsequent batches. They're super easy, delicious and as low maintenance as mini hot apps get. Here's how you make them:

Mini Mac and Cheese Cups
Recipe Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
4 ounces Grana Padano cheese (or use Parmesan Reggiano)
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water. Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.

Brush the pan with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the Gruyere and Grana Padano cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk, paprika and cayenne. Fold in the macaroni. Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top. Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve. Note: The cups can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight. Bake and serve the next day per the directions.

Make the roux and add the Gruyere and Grana Padano cheeses

Stir cheese until melted and comes together

Fold in the macaroni

Pack macaroni and cheese mixture into mini muffin tin

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake until bubbling and crispy

Day #1 of Holiday Appetizers: Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

"Eat Dessert First." Good words to live by, if there ever were any. A cocktail party can't survive on savory stuff alone, and for good reason. The holidays are bursting at the seams with fabulous dessert flavors like gingerbread, egg nog, cocao and peppermint, just to name a few. For my cocktail party I opted for the latter, combining chocolate and peppermint in a miniature whoopie pie rolled in crushed candy cane pieces. I made 21 whoopie pies and they were gone before the party was halfway through, disappearing off the tray as quickly as I could bring them out!

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Here's how you make the Whoopie Pies. Don't forget to check back tomorrow for Day #2 of Holiday Appetizer Recipes: Mini Mac & Cheese Cups!

Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

WHOOPIE PIES

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (see Note), sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk

FILLING

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
One 7.5 ounce jar Marshmallow Fluff
3 drops peppermint extract
1 cup crushed peppermint for rolling (gourmet versions available at Surfas, Sur La Table & specialty stores)

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In the large bowl of a standing mixer with the whisk attachment (or use a handheld electric mixer), beat the butter and brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients and milk in three alternating additions; scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl as necessary.

Combine dry & wet ingredients

Using a tablespoon, scoop 12 level mounds onto each baking sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake the cakes in the lower and upper thirds of the oven for about 16 minutes, until risen and firm; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Transfer the sheets to racks and let the cakes cool completely. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the confectioners' sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla seeds until fluffy. Beat in the Marshmallow Fluff. Scrape the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip. Pipe the filling onto the flat sides of half of the cakes and close the whoopie pies, pressing to evenly distribute the filling to the edges.

Use a tablespoon to drop mounds of batter on each baking sheet

Bake for about 16 minutes

Beat filling ingredients in bowl of a standing mixer until fluffy

Using a piping bag and large star tip, pipe filling onto one half of each whoopie pie

Top with other half of whoopie pie and press gently until filling reaches edges

Pour the peppermint pieces on a plate (or wide bowl) and gently roll the edges so the pieces stick to the filling. If the filling isn't all the way to edge of the cake, gently sprinkle the peppermint pieces on the filling with the your fingers. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve. Note: If your party is especially warm, consider freezing the pies so the filling doesn't melt and run out of the pies. The pies are equally delicious frozen, like a giant peppermint Oreo!

Gently roll in crushed peppermint pieces

Refrigerate or freeze on tray until ready to serve. Transfer to serving platter and enjoy!

Starting Tomorrow: 10 Days of Holiday Appetizers!

2011-12-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season for holiday cocktail parties! Bryan loves Summertime where he can be master of the grill, but I go crazy for entertaining during the holiday months. Since Bryan and I just moved into our first house a few months ago, we knew we wanted to throw a housewarming party during the holidays. Next thing we knew, our "Ho-Ho-Housewarming" party was born! Bryan handled the bar like a pro and my responsibility was (no surprise): THE FOOD.

10 Days of Holiday Appetizers, Starting Tomorrow!

I wanted to make about 10 bite-sized appetizers; a variety of sweet, savory, hot and cold finger foods that could survive the evening and wouldn't require a ton of maintenance on my part. So last month, I started scouring cookbooks and my favorite foodie sites, compiling a list of contenders. After much deliberation I settled on 10 fantastic appetizer recipes that I want to share with you as my "10 Days of Holiday Appetizers." So starting tomorrow, get ready for ten days of deliciousness! My list is vegetarian-friendly, beginner-friendly, budget-friendly and will satisfy the sweet and savory lover in all of us. If you're hosting your own holiday party, consider these apps. Best of all, each of them can be made ahead so you can get out of the kitchen and enjoy your own party.

See you tomorrow for Day #1's recipe: Miniature Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies!

Recipe Coming Tomorrow: Mini Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Warm Up With Pappa Al Pomodoro: Tuscan Tomato Soup

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Fall is my favorite season to cook at home. There's just something fantastic about filling your home with the smells and tastes of cold weather comfort foods. Aromas like roasting potatoes, bubbling beef stews and smoky pulled pork just make me happy, especially when they can easily satisfy the appetite of a crowd. In the last few weeks alone, my kitchen has seen likes of pot roast, beef stew, turkey chili, and most recently, a rich Tuscan bread and tomato soup called Pappa al Pomodoro. Talk about a winner!

Pappa Al Pomodoro - Hearty Tuscan Bread & Tomato Soup

Photo credit: Serious Eats

The day I decided to make the soup it was a pouring rain outside and the wind was howling, a rare sight in LA yet a perfect opportunity to spend an afternoon making a hearty soup. It's is essentially sauteed carrots, onions, garlic and fennel, layered with crushed Italian plum tomatoes and an entire cubed loaf of day-old ciabatta. I found the recipe from Ina Garten's book, Back to Basics, but I modified the recipe a bit as well as traded her prosciutto and crouton topping for a healthier basil and Parmesan option. It was so easy to make and I was thrilled when friends cleaned their bowls, asked for seconds, and Bryan made me promise to add it to my Winter cooking repertoire. Try it for yourself using the recipe and step-by-step photos below as a guide; I'm sure it'll be a hit!

Pappa Al Pomodoro

Adapted from Ina Garten's Back to Basics Recipe

1/2 cup good olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes, crusts removed (I used a flax ciabbata loaf)
2 (28-ounce) cans crushed Italian plum tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano)
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano

Directions: Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

Cook onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic until tender.

Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, salt & pepper.

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

Serve in a bowl with chopped basil & grated Parmesan.
Photo credit: Serious Eats

Restaurant Review: Osteria La Buca

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Handmade Buccatini Carbonara
(Photo Credit: Stephen Sakulsky)

Everyone has a memory of a nearly perfect meal. You know, the one that lingers in your mind long after you've swirled that final bite of al dente pasta coated in bolognese, sopped up the last drop of soup with a chunk of crusty bread, or savored that final sip of Italian vino rosso. The tastes, smells and sounds live on after you've signed the check and reluctantly walked out the door, satisfied yet sad that it's over. For me, that meal happened at Melrose Ave's Osteria La Buca, just a stone's throw from Paramount Studios but worlds away from Hollywood's touristy culinary scene.

Osteria La Buca's Dining Room
(Photo Credit: Stephen Sakulsky)

One step into Osteria La Buca, especially at dinnertime, and you're greeted by a dark, minimalist interior, lit sparsely overhead by delicately industrial fixtures (if there is such a thing). A floor-to-ceiling glass wall is all that separates you from the hustle and bustle of Melrose traffic, but La Buca's rustic wood-lined walls, glowing candles and centerpiece bar invites and insulates diners from the outside world.

Sit down, order a bottle of Montefalco Rosso from Italy's Umbria region and let Executive Chef Jason Neroni's inspired menu sink in. Neroni, a Southern California native whose resume reads like that of a Top Chef Master -- think Spago, Tabla, Blue Hill, Alaine Ducasse's Essex House and Downing 10 Food and Wine -- was brought in last spring to lead Osteria La Buca's kitchen. He brought with him a serious farm-to-table approach, a phrase that in many cases proves cliché but in Chef Neroni's kitchen is a philosophy that rules all.

Osteria La Buca's Executive Chef Jason Neroni
(Photo Credit: Stephen Sakulsky)

On the particular evening I was at Osteria La Buca, the tables were filled with diners enjoying plates of Neroni's housemade chicken liver pate, porchetta di testa and terrine campagnola by candlelight. Servers went by with order after order of homemade pastas -- made in La Buca's designated "pasta room" upstairs -- like Ricotta Gnudi coated in brown butter, smoked prosciutto, balsamic and rosemary; short rib ravioli with parmesan butter, black pepper and vincotto; and Bucatini Carbonara, topped with an oozing poached egg and mascarpone, guanciale and black pepper.

Tallegio Pizza with Hen of
the Woods Mushrooms
(Photo Credit: Stephen Sakulsky)

Neroni's pizzas were also in hot demand, arriving at each table with perfectly blistered, chewy crusts bordering Taleggio cheese, hen of the woods mushrooms and sage; spicy Soppressata with tomato, mozzarella, oregano and garlic; and even Neroni's post-service favorite: paper-thin slices of pressed pork head, mozzarella and an egg so fresh it was laid by Lake Arrowhead fowl that very morning.

While the pizzas and pastas were great, I could have had an entire meal from the antipasto selection alone. A small bowl of Brussels sprouts with poached egg, Granapadano cheese and boquerones (marinated white anchovy) vinaigrette was easily the best I've ever had. Word to the wise: It's a small portion, so get two.

Pork meatballs with Calabrian chilis were tender, packed with flavor and served with a Romesco sauce that we literally wiped clean from the bowl. And Neroni's pièce de résistance -- his bountiful salumi platter -- was culinary art, almost too beautiful to eat. Key word: Almost. We savored the platter, finishing every bite save for a few slices of bread burned beyond repair. That was the only downfall, and a big one at that: the aroma of appropriately-charred bread can be lovely, but the bitter smell and taste of outright burned bread overpowers everything else. We simply moved it aside.

Pork Meatballs with Calabrian Chiles & Romesco Sauce

(Photo Credit: Stephen Sakulsky)

Four hours, a few glasses of wine, several licked-clean plates of food and countless laughs later, our Osteria La Buca dinner was over. We were the last to leave the restaurant, on our way out passing candles burned down to nubs, a bartender closing up shop, and Neroni about to enjoy his post-service pressed pork pizza. Over a month later, I'm still thinking about that meal and can't wait to take my husband back for round two.

Osteria La Buca
5210 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 462-1900
http://www.osterialabuca.com/
info@osterialabuca.com

Beat the (Dec!) heat at Neveux Artisan Creamery

2011-11-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's not often that you get to write about a new ice cream shop -- or artisan creamery, excuse me -- during the end of November. However, considering our LA temps have topped off at 80+ degrees over the last few days, it's truly appropriate. I mean, really, what the heck happened to Fall?

Anyway, I digress... if you're looking to cool down at a hot new ice cream shop, check out NEVEUX Artisan Creamery on Melrose. It opened in early September by owner Leo Neveux. If you're a fan of San Francisco ice creameries Bi-Rite Creamery and Humphry Slocombe, you're in luck. The two NorCal shops served as inspiration for NEVEUX's standard and seasonal flavors, which are creative without going too crazy. Think Salted Caramel, Strawberry Balsamic, Honey Lavender, Rosemary Butterscotch, Blueberry Chevre, Rhubarb Mint, Espresso Caramel, Ginger, Toasted Marshmallow, Coconut Curry Lemongrass, Pepper Peach, Maple Fig, Roasted Banana, Pineapple Sage and Caliente Cinnamon Chocolate, and even the current seasonal flavor, Pumpkin Spice Cranberry.

Those sound so good I'm not sure whether I want to lick them frozen out of a cone or eat them as chocolate-dipped ice cream bars. If you'd choose the latter, get in your car now. NEVEUX has select flavors available as bars dipped in either dark or milk chocolate. Can you imagine the eating a toasted marshmallow ice cream dipped in dark chocolate? It's like a frozen s'more, but hell, why stop there? I'd just stuff the ice cream sandwich between two homemade graham crackers and enjoy. That's like a frozen s'more on crack. Seriously.

Photo Credit: Yibo Studio

It's inevitably get "cold" again, but no worries. NEVEUX also serves espresso, cappuccino, lattés, macchiato, etc. made with coffee beans sourced from Vancouver, Canada-based 49th Parallel roasters. Or, if you need something more substantial with your ice cream, there's another option: have dinner down the street at Chef Eric Greenspan's The Foundry on Melrose, where NEVEUX's ice cream is on the dessert menu.

NEVEUX Artisan Creamery

7407 ½ Melrose Avenue (@ Martel)
Los Angeles, CA 90046
@neveuxcreamery
NEVEUX's Facebook page
(no website currently)

RSVP NOW: Esquire's LA Chefs' Dinner at Sotto

2011-11-28T20:01:00.001-08:00

As we speak, Playa's Chef John Sedlar, Sotto's Chef Zach Pollack & Chef Steve Samson, and Ray's & Stark Bar Chef Kris Morningstar, each recipients of Esquire Magazine's "Best New Restaurants in America" award, are cooking together in Playa's kitchen to celebrate their joint achievement -- and share their cuisine with Los Angeles food-lovers. If you weren't lucky enough to score a seat at tonight's dinner, the chefs will reconvene at Sotto on Monday, December 5, for the last night of the dinner series with another special $65pp menu.

The five-course menu at tonight's dinner included Huitlacoche Tortelli; Chilaquiles alla Sarda; Fall venison with roasted corn; rabbit with Mole; and chile and chocolate. Sounds fabulous, doesn't it? I can only imagine what they'll do for their final evening, so try to get your tickets like, NOW. And don't complain about the $65 per person entry fee because you're actually saving serious dough by combining the fruits of each chef's labor into one decadent evening.

Want to reserve your spot? Send an email to info@sottorestaurant.com with the following info:
- Your name
- Number of people in your party
- Requested reservation time

Good luck & enjoy!!!

Sotto
9575 W. Pico
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 277-0210
www.sottorestaurant.com

Heat Up Your Stocking Stuffers: Jenkins Jellies' Hell Fire Pepper Jelly

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it: I have a spicy food addiction. Whether it's Jitlada's tear-inducing Thai food or Trader Joe's habanero hot sauce, I have an affinity for all things hot. That said, my favorite spicy foods are those that don't sacrifice flavor for heat's sake. So when I received a jar of locally-made Jenkins Jellies' Hell Fire Pepper Jelly last week, I was in heaven.

Jenkins Jellies Hell Fire Pepper Jelly

Jenkins Jellies was started by Hillary Danner, an L.A.-based actress-turned-mom-turned-preserves-entrepreneur who needed a way to keep up with the constant bounty from her backyard fruit trees. If you can't eat 'em, can 'em. She enlisted the help of longtime family friend, Maria Newman, and expertise of Chef Jared Levy, and officially launched Jenkins Jellies. Among the jellies is the aforementioned Hell Fire Pepper Jelly, a "blend of organic sugar, vinegar, pectin, fresh organic and non-organic hot & sweet peppers and cayenne." I'd venture to call it happiness in a jar, especially during the holiday season.

Each jar (available in 4.8oz/$8, 11.9oz/$12 and 16.9oz/$20 sizes) comes affixed with a tiny spoon warning would-be tasters to stir the jelly first. Drats, you can't just dive in? Don't worry, it's worth the 10 second wait. One look at the pepper jelly -- seeds and all -- and you know it's named Hell Fire for a reason. Danner and co. isn't messing around but have managed to balance layers of heat and sweet in a way that works with, well, everything. Which is perhaps why my jar is, well, nearly empty.

Try it with a dollop of goat cheese or creme fraiche on a water cracker...

I started innocently enough: Hell Fire Pepper Jelly on multigrain toast. Then on a toasted waffle smeared with flax peanut butter. Then on water crackers topped with a dollop of chilled creme fraiche to temper the heat. Then, at the behest of Mario Batali, on a ripped chunk of warm crusty bread slathered with soft Pecorino cheese. Good God, that should be illegal. The combination of warm, pillowy bread with nutty Pecorino and the subtle build of the sweet spice was so good I had flashes of hoarding the Hell Fire Pepper Jelly and keeping it for myself. Then I came to my senses and realized I had to share it, lest no one else understand how incredibly great this pepper jelly is.

Jenkins Jellies Hell Fire Pepper Jelly is available online at www.jenkinsjellies.com, in-store at Danner's Studio Root 66 in downtown Los Angeles, and Dean & Deluca specialty stores nationwide. Get one for a friend for Christmas. Stuff a jar in your favorite foodie's stocking. Add it to a gourmet holiday gift basket. Ladle it on top of cream cheese and crackers for a perfect holiday party appetizer. Drizzle warmed pepper jelly over a piece of cheesecake. Or just get one for yourself, stand in the kitchen and eat it out of the jar. I won't judge you.

Stroke of Genius: Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust

2011-11-20T13:20:00.001-08:00

If you're the overachieving type when it comes to homemade holiday goodies, you MUST check out this inspired -- and undoubtedly delicious -- pie crust made from miniature cinnamon rolls. I saw it this morning on Tastespotting, one of my favorite, drool-worthy sites, and couldn't resist sharing it with you. It comes from the food blog Taste For Adventure, which begs the question, "Ever find yourself at a crossroads between sweet potato pie and cinnamon rolls?" For all of us lucky enough to answer "yes," this surprisingly easy recipe is for you. I have to give it extra kudos for the step-by-step photo instructions.

Cinnamon-rolled stroke of genius...

...Turned magically delicious holiday pie.

Take A Bao Opens Studio City Location

2011-11-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

Last April I wrote about an unexpected place to get a great, affordable lunch in a cool setting: the Westfield Century City mall (of all places). The modern, open-air redesign boasts live music, a sushi bar and culinary options befitting (most) discriminating foodies. My favorite spot in said food court is Take A Bao, which just happens to have opened a second location in Studio City.

While the new 'Bao might not be in a fabulous food court, the free-standing Ventura Blvd. location offers an updated version of Chef Gavin Portsmouth's Asian-meets-French inspired menu. Standards like steamy bao buns are still filled with everything from spicy sesame citrus chicken, BBQ pork, and miso beef, but Muscovy duck leg confit and Banh Mi are new additions. Creative salads like the 8 Veggie and Asian Cobb (my husband's favorite) are joined by a BBQ Chicken, Arugula and Glass Noodle option.

My favorite "Take A Bowl:" Spicy Sesame Crispy Chicken

Want something with a little more heft? New hearty dishes on the over-the-hill's menu include Yellow Curry, Shrimp & Tofu with tiger shrimp, chili aioli; Roasted Market Fish in banana leaf with coconut-kaffir broth and broken rice with wok-charred snap peas, Chinese eggplant, bok choy, finger chilies and Thai basil; and Thai Style Fried Chicken with twice-fried half chicken, Asian vegetable slaw, sizzling basil-chili dressing and garlic lime aioli. To drink, a full alcoholic bar is highlighted by craft beer on draft, beer floats (I'll take a Coffee Toffee Stout Float, please), and vodka basil lemonade.

Take A Bao

11838 Ventura Boulevard
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 691-7223
www.takeabao.com

Grub For A Great Cause: L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade Culinary Cookout

2011-11-02T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is seriously near and dear to my heart. If you're looking for plans this weekend, look no further than L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade Culinary Cookout this Sunday, Nov. 6 at Culver Studios. Host chefs Susanne Goin, Caroline Styne (Lucques, Tavern, A.O.C.), and David Lentz (The Hungry Cat), along with honorary hosts Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, and emcee Jimmy Kimmel are using food as a weapon in the fight against children's cancer.

Yes, this event will have tastings from the creme de la creme of our nation's superstar chefs at every turn, celebrity appearances from the big and small screen, and a too-good-to-be-true auction (Napa Valley Cookout for 10 at Robert Mondavi's house, anyone? Or how about a spectacular dinner for 12 made in your home by celeb chefs Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto), Michael Cimarusti (Providence), Matt Molina (Mozza), Michael Tusk (Quince), Paul Kahan (Blackbird), and Josiah Citrin (Melisse Restaurant) and paired with 100-point Robert Parker rated wines? If that's not enough, foodie-filled trips to Japan, Seattle, NYC, NOLA, Phoenix, San Francisco are also on the block.)

But most importantly, 100% of proceeds from each tax-deductible $175 General Admission and $400 VIP ticket will go to fund Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. I know, I know -- the tickets are anything but cheap, but here's the deal. As someone who has visited Cedars Sinai's Samuel Oschin Cancer Center nearly 100 times in the past two and a half years, I can't explain the gut-wrenching feeling you get when you see a small child suffering from cancer. That's not to take away anything from how hard it is to watch my own husband get poked, prodded and hooked up to chemotherapy infusions, but to watch the tear-streaked cheeks of a 3, 4 or 8 year-old child who has to endure painful shots, losing their hair, and endless rounds of medication is beyond heartbreaking.

Cancer in any form is horrendous. It steals our most loved ones right before our eyes, much too soon and far too fast. We need to find a cure and we need to find it now. Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer is trying to do just that. That said, is $175 a lot for a food event ticket? Sure, it's up there. But is $175 a lot when it comes to giving someone's child, someone's little brother or sister, or your child's best friend another chance at a long life? I don't think so.

If you need extra incentive, let me drop a few names of the participating celeb chefs and mixologists to tantalize your taste buds (and loosen that grip on your wallet):

Eric Alperin (Los Angeles, CA) – The Varnish
April Bloomfield (New York, NY) – The Spotted Pig
Neal Bodenheimer (New Orleans, LA) - CURE
Michael Cimarusti (Los Angeles, CA) – Providence
Giada De Laurentiis representative (Los Angeles, CA) – Giada At Home, Everyday Italian
Vinny Dotolo (Los Angeles, CA) – Animal
Danny Elmaleh (Los Angeles, CA) - SBE's Restaurant Portfolio
Neal Fraser (Los Angeles, CA) - Grace
Suzanne Goin (Los Angeles, CA) – Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern
Hedy Goldsmith (Miami, FL) – Michael’s Genuine
Gabrielle Hamilton (New York, NY) – Prune
Jonathan Grahm (Los Angeles, CA) – Compartes Chocolatier
Maria Hines (Seattle, WA) – Tilth
Brian Huston (Chicago, IL) – The Publican
Paul Kahan (Chicago, IL) – Blackbird, avec, The Publican
Tony Keene (West Hollywood, CA) – Gordon Ramsay at the London
David Lentz (Los Angeles, CA) – The Hungry Cat
Greg Lindgren (San Francisco, CA) – Rye on the Road
Joseph Manzare (San Francisco, CA) – Globe
Jeff Michaud (Philadelphia, PA ) - Osteria
Matt Molina (Los Angeles, CA) – Mozza
Russell Moore (Oakland, CA) – Camino
Zoe Nathan (Santa Monica, CA) – Huckleberry
Christina Olufson (Los Angeles, CA) – Lucques
Lachlan Patterson (Boulder, CO) – Frasca Food and Wine
Gilbert Pilgram (San Francisco, CA) – Zuni
Zach Pollack (Los Angeles, CA) – Sotto
Steve Samson (Los Angeles, CA) - Sotto
Jon Shook (Los Angeles, CA) - Animal
Nancy Silverton (Los Angeles, CA) – Mozza
Susan Spicer (New Orleans, LA) – Bayona  
Stephen Stryjewski (New Orleans, LA) – Cochon and Butcher
Johnathan Sundstrom (Seattle, WA) – Lark, Licorous
Michael Tusk (San Francisco, CA) – Quince
Marc Vetri (Philadelphia, PA) – Amis, Osteria, Vetri
Jonathan Waxman (New York, NY) – Barbuto
Shiho Yoshikawa (Los Angeles, CA) – Sweet Rose Creamery
Gail Silverton/Joel Gutman (Los Angeles, CA) – Gelato Bar

Vintners, ticket sales, ALSF donation and parking details after the jump...

That's quite a list, isn't it? Practically a who's who of Top Chef Masters contestants. However, I certainly can't forget the vintners. After all, what else would there possibly be to pair with all that fabulous food? Here are just a few of the winemakers who have generously donated their time and wine to the event:

Alta Maria
Bonaccorsi
Dragonette
Elizabeth Spencer Wines
Grassini Family Vineyards
Hollywood & Wine
Inception Wines
Jorian Hill
Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant
La Fenêtre
Lang & Reed
Lioco
Martian Ranch
Melville Vineyards
Penfolds
Presqu'ile Winery
Preston Vineyards
The Rare Wine Company
Stephen Ross Wine Cellars
Villa Creek
Click here for the full list

Tickets must be purchased prior to the event, so get on it. You only have a few more days. There are several tiers of tickets, and all of them are tax-deductible:

2010 LASF Event

1. Meet-and-Greet Ticket (limited quantity): $1,200 ($1,000 Tax Deductible)

Exclusive invite to Chefs dinner featuring menu by Nancy Silverton and Marc Vetri to be held the evening of Saturday, November 5, 2011.

Dinner includes: meet-and-greet with chefs and exclusive beverage tastings

Early admission/first-taste opportunity at L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade

Admission to VIP seating area at L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade

Admission to After Party at The Hungry Cat

2. VIP Ticket: $400 ($250 Tax Deductible)

Early admission/first-taste opportunity at LALAL. Admission to VIP seating area.

3. General Ticket: $175 ($100 Tax Deductible)

Tasting of Chefs Signature Dishes, Open Bar

4. After Party Ticket: $75

Includes drinks and select food at The Hungry Cat, Santa Monica, from 4pm to 12am

Can't attend but want to help? Make a donation to ALSF help stop childhood cancer here. All major credit cards are accepted.

L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade Culinary Cookout

When: Sunday November 6, 2011 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Where: Lawn of Culver Studios, Culver Studios, Culver City, CA 90232. View map.
Website: www.alexslemonade.org
Twitter: @alexslemonade

Parking: Valet is available at the event. Parking is available inside the Trader Joe's parking structure on Ines Street. Please do not park in surrounding neighborhoods.

Fukuburger Opens: A Vegas Truck Lands In Tinseltown

2011-11-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

The rule is, "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," but Fukuburger owner Harry Morton doesn't play by the rules. His first restaurant venture, the innuendo-heavy Pink Taco, migrated from Scottsdale to Los Angeles just a few years ago, and now his Vegas-based Fukuburger (pronounced Foo-Koo) truck is following suit with a brick & mortar venture in Hollywood.

Fukuburger may have ditched the truck but it hasn't abandoned its Vegas-based ingredients, serving a menu of beef burgers made with Larry's Great Western Meats. Burgers range from the "Lucky," "Egg," "Pig," "Mushroom," and "Spicy." Simple and self-explanatory. There's also the obligatory "Crispy Chicken" sandwich for the beef averse, but don't balk. It comes with Fuku's signature (and addictive) crack sauce. Sides include Furikake Macaroni Salad, Jazz fries (make sure to add gravy and crack sauce) and whatever else the chefs' have up their sleeve that day. And for dessert -- wait for it -- shaved ice.

Hungry yet? Check out (Fuku)burger porn below. Just make sure to wipe your Fuku drool...

Fuku Burger | Fuku-patty topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onions, wasabi mayo and drizzled with Fuku-sauce.

Tamago "Egg" Burger | Fuku-burger with Furikake, Teriyake & wasabi mayo finished with crispy onion strings and fried egg.

Chicken Katsu "Crispy Chicken" | Panko encrusted chicken with shredded cabbage finished with "crack sauce" and Katsu sauce.

More burger porn after the jump...

Kinoko "Mushroom" Burger | Fuku-patty with grilled Shiitake mushrooms, pickled red ginger, Teriyake and finished with wasabi mayo.

Buta "Pig" Burger | Fuku-patty with Applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, pickled red onions and red ginger, finished with Japanese BBQ sauce and wasabi mayo.

Karai "Spicy" Burger | Fuku-patty with pickled cucumbers, avocado cream, finished with Habanero Kabyaki. (Photo credit: @paosison)

Fukuburger
1634 Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
(323) 464-3858
http://www.fukuburger.com/
@FukuBurgerLA

Larry's Venice: A Legit Gastropub In Venice Beach

2011-11-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

Venice Beach is growing up... at least when it comes to foodie options. Case in point: Larry's Venice, an open-air, (nearly) beachfront joint regularly packed with locals (gasp!) and a menu filled with sophisticated fare. Don't believe me? Stop by during the day and join sun-worshippers on Larry's expansive patio, sipping craft beers and noshing on fried chicken Caesar baguettes and pork cheek "BLTs." At night, the sun-worshippers make way for hungry young professionals and Venice locals, unwinding while enjoying pizzas and house made charcuterie plates. Friendly banter takes place under the night sky, aglow from countless string bulbs and Larry's mosaic-tiled fireplace.

L arry's Exterior (Photo Credit: LA Times)

While it might sound too good to be true for a beach boardwalk notorious for European tourists, West Coast juiceheads and hallucinating hippies, Larry's Venice was a long-time in the making. Mark and Erwin Sokol -- Hotel Erwin pioneers -- joined forces with Waterloo & City Chef Brendan Collins to bring Venice Beach a legitimate gastropub dedicated to serving more than just hot dogs and pizza slices on the boardwalk.

Duck & Pistachio Pate | Seasonal Marmalade, House Made Pickles, Toast

Potted Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Parfait | Sweet Potato Jam, House Made Pickles, Toasted Brioche

Collins' menu, all priced from $8-$15, is affordable yet inspired, filled with the chef's signature pates, charcuterie, small plates and, dare I say, a selection of pizzas whose crust outperform those of a certain N. Silverton. At the bar, craft beers abound. Twenty six, to be exact. Even my beer snob husband would be impressed with the selection.

Brussels Sprout Pizza | Bacon, Parmesan, Chili Vinegar

Shrimp Diablo Pizza | Roasted Poblanos, Cilantro

Bacon & Eggs | Sous Vide Pork Belly, Asparagus, Egg

While Larry's has only been opened since mid-August, Collins' menu has very few misses. His vision for the small yet satisfying menu clearly benefits from his professional chef experience just a few miles east in Culver City. Potted chicken liver and foie gras parfait comes complete with sweet potato jam, house made pickles and toasted brioche. Shrimp Diablo pizza makes good on its name, delivering a touch of heat tempered by wisps of cilantro. Brussels sprouts atop a crisp, bubbly pizza crust intermingle with bacon and chili oil, turning a traditional side course into a killer meal.

Seared King Scallops | Pistou, Basil, Snow Pea Salad

Braised Colorado Lamb Shank | "Acini de Pepe"

Bacon-Wrapped Organic Salmon | Roast Beets, Gnocchi, Horseradish

A cleverly named bacon and eggs feature sous vide pork belly topped with asparagus and a meticulously cooked egg. And one look at the braised Colorado lamb shank and the meat practically falls off the bone into the bed of "acini de pepe" pasta below. Green curry mussels were among the best I've had, packed with ginger, Fresno chile and a sauce made for soaking charred bread. Desserts are fun and filling, from a DIY ice cream sundae with homemade maraschino whipped cream and candy toppings to Collins' tried-and-true sticky toffee pudding.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

DIY Ice Cream Sundae | Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Maraschino Whipped Cream, Gummy Bears, M&M Candies, Chopped Nuts

Crumble | Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

So grab some friends and an appetite and head down to the boardwalk. Sip on boutique brews and order a few pizzas, the mussels, charcuterie and perhaps an entree. A few bites of each will do. Some food for thought: while Larry's might be changing the foodie scene, it hasn't cracked the code behind Venice's terrible parking situation. Tip: Valet is available in front of the restaurant on Windward Ave.

Larry's Venice
24 Windward Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
310.399.2700
@LarrysVenice

Larry's is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Valerie Confections' Fall Open House, Oct 31-Nov 5 (tons of FREE goodies!)

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Cheese-, choco- and charcuterie-holics, mark your calendar! From Oct. 31 to Nov. 5, Valerie Confections opens its doors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during its fall open house. Come hungry and ready to sample a difference decadent confection each day, from Valerie's oversized chocolate bars, hot cocoa, array of cookies, cheeses and even charcuterie.

The open house also celebrates the debut of Valerie Confections’ SUPER-CHOC-O-FOOD collaboration with Commune Design, resulting in a chocolate bar seemingly on fruit and nut steroids. Got questions or need gift ideas? Valerie's fabulous and knowledgeable staff will be on hand to chat and help answer any of your questions.

Valerie Confections' Fall Open House tasting schedule is as follows:

Monday, October 31st: Debut and Sampling of SUPER CHOC-O-FOOD

Valerie Confections teamed up with Commune Design to create this multi-media chocolate experience that is truly one-of-a-kind. SUPER CHOC-O-FOOD combines stunning packaging and an over-sized chocolate bar filled with a medley of nuts, fruits and soy salt for an innovative product that challenges the conception of chocolate merely being candy.

The bar contains darkened milk chocolate with a hint of caramel, and is loaded with dried pears, apricots, golden raisins, macadamia nuts, cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds and peanuts. The presentation alone is an experience that must be seen and tasted, to be believed.

Tuesday, November 1st: Hot Chocolate And Cookies

Cookies and hot chocolate are the perfect holiday indulgence to give others, and to give yourself. Smooth and rich, the hot chocolate is wonderful on its own, but when paired with a crisp, chewy cookie, the combination is irresistible. Cookie flavors include Gingersnap, Oatmeal Raisin, Matcha White Chocolate Macadamia and the crowd-pleasing milk chocolate and almond filled Durango.

Wednesday, November 2nd: Chocolate Dipped Fruits And Chocolate Mendiants

A sophisticated holiday gift idea, the locally sourced, organic dried figs, pears and oranges used in the Dipped Fruits are hand-dipped in either bittersweet or darkened milk chocolate. Strikingly beautiful, the Mendiants blend spices, cocoa nibs, teas, organic nuts, unique salts and dried and dehydrated fruit atop disks of chocolate for a sumptuous treat that is a marvel for the eyes and the palate.

Photo Credit: Valerie Confections

Thursday, November 3rd: Preserves Paired With Cheese And Charcuterie

The preserves from Valerie Confections have been touted as the “Best in LA” by Los Angeles Magazine. Hand-made using locally sourced fruit, the preserve flavors include White Fuji Apple & Vanilla Bean, Blenheim Apricot, Plum Ketchup and Mango Jam. The preserves are expertly paired with a wide array of fine cheeses and charcuterie.

Friday, November 4th: Mint Petits Fours And The Debut Of The Valerie Confections Tea Assortment

Specially blended by the American Tea Room for Valerie Confections, the new line of premium loose leaf teas are both inspired by and created to complement the extensive line of preserves and confections. The signature flavors include Black & Blue, Mint, Blushing Berry, Toasted Fig, Sweet Sencha and Blood Orange & Black tea. A reinterpretation of the Mint Mendiants, the Mint Petits Fours are a modern take on the classic confection. Each petit four has three layers of dense chocolate cake and two layers of rich white chocolate mint ganache. Covered in bittersweet chocolate and topped with an organic candied mint leaf, the presentation is finished with a ribbed ivory box and a green satin ribbon.

Saturday, November 5th: Seasonal Sweet And Savory Pies From The Market

A collection of Sweet and Savory pies are the perfect accompaniment to every holiday meal. Valerie Confections features both Seasonal Sweet and Savory pies available in full size or hand-sized versions. Seasonal Sweet flavors include Apple & Salted Caramel and Cinderella Pumpkin, while the Savory selection includes a Padron Pepper Potato & Fontina and a Kabocha Squash & Bleu Cheese pie. All of the pastries are sealed with a buttery, flakey crust

Valerie Confections

3360 West 1st St.

Los Angeles, CA (Intersection of Virgil and 1st Street)

(213) 739-8149

Held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5 from 10 am-6 pm

@ValerieConfctns

This Sunday: LA Magazine's "The Food Event 2011" at Saddlerock Ranch

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's back! This Sunday, October 23 from 1-4 p.m., LA Magazine hosts its sixth annual "The Food Event 2011," a culinary extravaganza at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu. Check out demos and expert panels from celebrity chefs like Karen & Quinn Hatfield (Hatfields), Ricardo Zarate (Mo Chica, Picca), and Steve Samson and Zach Pollack (Sotto); tastings from nearly 40 top LA restaurants such as Farmshop, Lukshon, Patina, Playa and Osteria La Buca; and libations of fabulous wines and spirits. The Malibu location, home to Semler and Saddlerock Wines, is smack in the middle of acres of natural beauty, vineyards, and rolling hills. It's worth the 30+ mile drive for a few hours of tranquility, tastings and total foodie bliss, all just outside LA.

Wine Tastings from "The Food Event 2010"

Photo credit: Flickr/LearnAboutWine

Tickets are $95 each, which might sound pricey. However, considering other foodie events charge upwards of $150 per session, it's a steal. Especially given the level of culinary talent on "The Food Event's" roster. Bring a blanket, comfy shoes and your appetite. If and when you inevitably indulge a bit too much (is there such a thing?), stretch out on the grass on your blanket and enjoy the view. You'll be ready for another round in no time.

LA Magazine's The Food Event 2011

Saddlerock Ranch

31727 Mulholland Highway

Malibu, CA 90265

Buy Tickets

Trick or Treat: Chef Kerry Simon's Halloween Junk Food Platter

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

LA Market, Chef Kerry Simon's restaurant in downtown Los Angeles' LA Live/JW Marriott Hotel, is known for its retro, comfort-food themed dessert platter. Think homemade milk & cookies, doughnuts, Froot Loop treats, cotton candy, snowballs and Faux-stess cupcakes. It's a time capsule on a plate, filled with treats that nary an adult nor child can resist. It's only natural that the king of junk food cuisine adds a "trick" to his treats, serving up a Halloween-themed dessert platter from October 15-31.

LA Market's Signature Junk Food Platter, courtesy of Chef Simon Kerry

Photo Credit: GastronomyBlog

The dessert plate, aptly named Simon's Spooky Sweets, includes the following treats:

Orange and purple coconut snowballs

Bat and mummy cake pops

Pumpkin-shaped Rice Krispy treats

Frosted brownies with gummy worms

Candy corn and carmel corn parfait

Fruit loop treats

Chocolate chip cookies

So head down to LA Market for a "ghoul's night out" and stuff your face with Simon's decadent desserts. It's Halloween season after all, when candies and calories don't count!

LA Market

LA Live/JW Marriott

900 West Olympic Boulevard

(213)765-8630

From Sea to Plate: The St. Regis Hotel's "Fish Ritual" in Punta Mita, Mexico

2011-10-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

Everybody needs a quick getaway once in a while. Bryan and I got ours a few weeks ago courtesy of a ton of accrued Starwood hotel points and US Airways flight credits. We traded those bad boys in for a quick three-day stay at the St. Regis Punta Mita, about 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Two planes, one car and four hours of travel time later and we were spending a Thursday afternoon sitting on a picturesque white sand beach, welcome margarita in hand. Talk about a departure from an office cube and LA traffic!

Upon checking into the hotel we were greeted by Carl Emberson, the St. Regis' General Manager, a boisterous fellow who is eager to share his love for the hotel property and its many amenities. He was particularly excited about the Fish Ritual, a weekly activity where local fisherman haul their catch of the day onto the beach and St. Regis guests get to hand-pick their fish for lunch and/or dinner. But wait, it gets better.

St. Regis' Catch of the Day, Straight out of the Pacific!

Bryan and I walked down to the oceanfront, where one of the St. Regis restaurant chefs and his attendants were manning the Fish Ritual. A table prepped with a bed of palm fronds and ice was topped with an array of stunningly beautiful fish, from red snapper to rainbow fish to Mahi Mahi. I'm talking sparkling scales, jewel tones, clear eyes and firm flesh. It doesn't get fresher than that.

Friday's Fish Ritual at the St. Regis Punta Mita

Every decision regarding the fish is made by the guests, from the specific fish they want, how they'd like it prepared (Ceviche? Grilled? Steamed in a banana leaf?), any accoutrements they prefer (Garlic basil sauce? Champagne Savoyan sauce?), what time they'd like to have it ready (Lunch? Dinner?) and even in which of the three St. Regis' restaurants they'd like to dine. Forget the trend of "from farm to table," we're upping the ante to "from sea to plate."

Here's what we chose:

Fish: Red Snapper
Preparation: Ceviche (appetizer)/Parilla con Talla Verde, aka grilled with garlic basil sauce (entree)
Where: Sea Breeze Restaurant
When: Dinner at 7:30pm, the best time to watch Punta Mita's gorgeous sunset

Build the Perfect Fish Dish

With the exception of a pointing at a sad little lobster stuck in a restaurant's tank, never before have we been able to literally choose our protein -- barely hours out of the sea -- and see it transformed into mouth-watering dishes. We started with the ceviche, which was marinated in lime juice, onion, spices and served with chopped tomato and fresh chips. Simple yet delicious. Our entree followed, huge filets of grilled red snapper topped with a light garlic basil sauce. To describe the snapper's flesh as anything other than sublimely succulent would be a disservice to the chef. It was easily the best piece of fish either Bryan or myself have had.

Appetizer: Snapper-Turned-Ceviche

Entree: Grilled Red Snapper with Garlic Basil Sauce |

Ratatouille of Vegetables & Jasmine Rice (not shown)

The Fish Ritual was a truly unique experience, one that we'll remember fondly. And if you're curious, it didn't break the bank, either. For two portions of the ceviche and two fish filet entrees, the bill came in at about $75 (US). It felt awesome to know we had literally walked down to the beach, pointed at the fish we wanted, chose the when/where/how and showed up a few hours later to enjoy a pescado feast. If you're in Punta Mita, definitely check St. Regis' fish ritual out. Then make sure to spend the rest of the day enjoying a cerveza by the pool. :)

Bonus Photo: Stunning View During the Fish Ritual

St. Regis Hotel Punta Mita

Lote H-4

Carreterra Federal 200, km 19.5

Punta Mita, Nayarit 63734

Mexico

(52)(329)2915800

Dessert Review: Adelia's Blondies Mix (Makes a Darn Good Pizookie, Too)

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Bryan and I hosted a small dinner party to celebrate the birthday of a close family friend. We had dinner ready to go (our go-to homemade pizza recipe), bottles of booze were getting their chill on, but something was missing: dessert! Oh no! You can't have a birthday without a birthday dessert, whether it's a cake, cupcake, pie, or even just a scoop of ice cream. Instead of panicking or running to the store, I knew exactly what I would do: whip up a batch of Adelia's Blondies.

Adelia's Blondies: A Southern Family's Favorite Recipe

A few weeks prior I had received a packet of Adelia's Blondies mix direct from Nashville, where Amelia's all-natural mixes and recipes for blondies, brownies and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are made. While Adelia herself passed on at the ripe old age of 97, her great-grandchildren are honoring her legacy (and her name) by passing along their family's favorite baking recipes for bakers like you and me to enjoy.

Adelia's Blondies Mix

Blondies -- if you haven't heard of them -- are wonderfully soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie bars. Imagine if a brownie was made out of chocolate chip cookie dough, but had the same delicately crackly, caramelized crust on top. Well, that's a Blondie you're imagining and they're absolutely delicious.

Adelia's Blondies Mix couldn't be easier to make. All the dry ingredients -- a flour mixture and a brown sugar -- are contained in individual bags inside the Blondies package. All the "baker" needs to do is provide an egg, some vanilla extract and unsalted butter. Simply melt the butter, whisk in the brown sugar until combined, add one beaten egg and a splash of vanilla. Gently whisk in the remaining bag of dry ingredients until combined, pour the mixture into an 8x8 greased baking pan and let it bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Voila! Blondies!

Count 'Em: Blondies' Combined Six Ingredients

Melt butter and add brown sugar

Mix until butter and brown sugar are thorough combined

Whisk beaten egg and vanilla to the sugar/butter mixture, then add remaining bag of dry ingredients.

Whisk all ingredients to combine (Make sure to appreciate the abundance of chocolate chips!)

Butter and flour a baking pan (I didn't have an 8x8 baking pan, so opted for a round pan instead)

Pour Blondies mixture into prepared pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

Sounds easy enough, right? It is, except if you're me and you've just moved into your first house and have never used the built-in oven before. Not to mention the oven is a brand you've never heard of, with no manual to be found, and the only "directions" on said oven are hieroglyphic-like squiggles surrounding the oven dial like a clock. Not to worry, you just find a "squiggle" that looks somewhat familiar (two horizontal lines must mean top and bottom heating elements, right??), wait until the oven feels hot enough, and pop in your Blondies. I wish it were so easy.

The photo above -- yes, the one with the perfect looking Blondies -- was taken about when my oven's timer said it was 12 minutes into the 20 minute cooking time. Looking good, right? Well, sadly, just more three minutes passed and the Blondies looked more like Brownies. In a word, I was dev-a-stated. Expecting the worst, I grabbed the poor Blondies out of the oven, flipped them out onto a plate and... was thrilled to see a wonderfully gooey, cookie dough-esque center. All was not lost and gosh, it sure smelled great.

Blondies' Disaster Averted!

My darling husband, bless his heart, said to me, "It looks like a pizookie," which is essentially a pizza made out of cookie dough. To make one, cookie dough is pressed into a pizza pan and baked until it's a giant, warm, amazing cookie. Then it's typically covered with layers of ice cream, fudge, caramel, nuts, etc. It's a giant cookie pizza with and ice cream sundae as a topping. Who wouldn't want that for their birthday?? My heart sang because pizookies are beyond awesome. And slightly retro, which makes them even more cool.

Adelia Blondie-turned-Pizookie!

After all was said and done, I averted a major birthday dessert crisis. Adelia's Blondies mix stood up to the challenge, survived my insane oven, and gave a table full of birthday revelers a killer dessert. There was not one bite left, at which point I was forced to physically pull the plate away from my husband so he didn't lick it. I'm looking forward to trying Adelia's Blondies mix again, but this time after I figure out my oven. The fact that their mix delivered an incredibly delicious product even after being tortured by my oven really says something great about their recipe.

If you want to try Adelia's Blondies, Brownies or Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies mixes for yourself, visit AdeliaGourmet.com. Each $8 mix is available for purchase online.

Adelia's Blondies Mix

Available at AdeliaGourmet.com

Price: $8/package

Questions? AdeliaGourmet@gmail.com

Follow: @AdeliaGourmet

My Culinary Epiphany in... Ohio???

2011-10-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

I had a culinary epiphany last week. Where? In Ohio, of all places. I know, I can barely believe it either.

Last week, I spent four days in Cleveland, a city that Drew Carey practically put on the map and about which Ian Hunter sang, with genuine gusto, "Cleveland Rocks." Turns out it's also a place on the cusp of a serious foodie explosion, evidenced by the likes of Iron Chef Michael Symon, TV and real life chef and owner of some of Cleveland's most popular restaurants: Lola's Bistro (fine dining), Lolita's (gastropub) and B-Spot (burger joint). He's also responsible for bringing Cleveland's undiscovered and perhaps under-appreciated culinary delights to the attention of millions on shows such as The Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." Pierogis, anyone?

Photo credit: ABC News

After trying (and falling in love with) Lola*, I was looking for another recommendation. Imagine my surprise when I asked local after local where to eat and nearly every single one of them said, "Dante in Tremont!" There was no hesitation, and every recommendation was accompanied with that face. You know the one. The one where someone is actually reliving the memory of one of the best meals in their recent history, but all they can manage to do is contort their face and say, "OhmiGAWD. It is just SOOO good." Four of those faces later and I was sold.

Dante -- the signature, Michelin-starred restaurant of Chef Dante Boccuzzi -- is on a darling tree-lined street in a historic-turned-hip part of Cleveland called Tremont. And when I say hip, I mean it in the sweetest, smallest town kind of way. The restaurant is literally on the one main street of Tremont, located caddy-corner from Symon's Lolita, across from a surprisingly chic boutique (I bought a chenille-esque sweater made in Bali), and next door to a liquor store that seems to specialize in Wild Irish Rose fortified wines. Did I mention it is Michelin-starred?

Photo Credit: Dante's Restaurant

Suffice to that the meal was pretty killer -- my shaved artichoke salad came with a goat cheese foam, arugula and aged balsamic, while Boccuzzi's innovative Black Forbidden rice risotto (originally reserved for Emperor's) arrived brimming with candied ginger, shiitake mushrooms and rock shrimp. But what I appreciated most about Boccuzzi's menu was his creativity when it came to portion sizes. If you're anything like me, when you're dining out you like to try bites of several different dishes. Unfortunately, ordering more than one appetizer and entree per person is nearly impossible with today's gigantic portion sizes.

Simple yet Brilliant: "Tasting," "Appetizer" & "Entree" Portions

(aka Small, Medium & Large)

Dante's got it right. The menu is organized into three sections: appetizers, signature starches, and entrees. While entrees are one-large-size-fits-all, appetizers are easily sharable amongst two people and the signature starches, including soups, handmade pastas, polentas and risottos, are offered in tasting-, appetizer- or entree-sized portions. I thought that was absolutely brilliant: the simple idea of offering some of the most popular items on the menu in three easily distinctly manageable sizes. Want only a bite or two? Order the tasting portion. Want a little more, to share with a friend? Opt for the appetizer portion. Heck, do the same with five or six dishes, satiating your palate with menu items like handmade Linguine alla Carbonara with poached egg and house made pancetta (the charcuterie is drying inside what used to be a bank vault, complete with massive steel door), the polenta with grilled prawns and zucchini, or the sweet Ohio corn chowder, packed with smoked bacon and sourdough croutons. Or, if you know exactly what you want, go for the entree size.

The point is, Dante's subtle tasting-appetizer-entree portion options really encourages diners to experiment and make their way through the menu. That means they'll order more dishes, find more options to recommend to friends, and the restaurant will make more dough. If you think about it, it's really a win-win strategy, one that I wish more restaurants would adopt.

Dante

2247 Professor Ave.

Tremont, OH 44113

(216) 274-1200

www.danteboccuzzi.com

*If you're anywhere near Cleveland, go to Lola. Now. Order the Beef Cheek Pierogis, handmade Cavatelli with Rabbit Bolognese & a glass of Norton Vineyard's 2007 "The Monster" Zinfandel. Life-changing.

DineLA Restaurant Week Starts Today!

2011-10-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

I'm officially excited (and hungry)! DineLA is back, taking over LA's restaurant scene from October 2-7 and 9-14! You know the drill: Hundreds of Los Angeles' restaurants are offering prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner, often filled with their best-selling dishes. The menus are tiered in three price levels designed to meet the budgets of every Angeleno:

Deluxe Dining: $16 lunch/$26 dinner
Premier Dining: $22 lunch/$34 dinner
Fine Dining: $28 lunch/$44 dinner

DineLA's participating restaurants range from L.A.'s culinary cream of the crop – think Craft, Fig & Olive (Obama's fave) and Scarpetta, just to name a few – to more casual offerings such as Casa Vega and Hostaria del Piccolo. There are literally hundreds of restaurants to choose from but only so many meals in a day, so make your reservations accordingly -- and fast!

But wait, there's more: A list of locally-lauded hotels have signed on to offer "Stay & DineLA" packages, where you can stay one night in a guest room and enjoy a meal at a participating dineLA restaurant. Book a reservation and a night's stay at LA Market in the J.W. Marriott, Scarpetta in the Montage Hotel Beverly Hills, or Asia de Cuba in the Mondrian Hotel, among others. Consider it a mini stay-cation, or just a really fabulous place to crash if you have too much vino.

Need more info? Get it at DineLA.com.

Taberna Mexicana: L.A.'s Latest "Must-Try" For Modern Mexican

2011-09-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Move over, Red O and Rivera. We've got a new contender for L.A.'s best modern Mexican restaurant. Taberna Mexicana, a new(ish)-comer to the trendy "MoMex" (aka Modern Mexican) scene, opened last Spring and has been turning out refined, authentic Mexican cuisine ever since. What's more, the restaurant has a Beverly Hills address minus the attitude, and Executive Chef Alex Padilla has a story that will put a smile on even the most botoxed of Beverly Hills' housewife faces.

Talk about the American dream. After leaving his native Honduras in 1985 with his family, a 16 year-old Padilla found himself forced to adjust to life -- and high school -- in Houston. In the coming months, Padilla's mother took a job as a line cook in the kitchen of Houston's famed tortilla factory-turned-restaurant, Ninfa's on Navigation.

This seemingly unsuspecting move helped Padilla himself discover his passion for the culinary arts. Even as a bystander, it was inside Ninfa's kitchen that Padilla soaked up the ins and outs of Mexican-turned-American staples: tamales, fajitas and queso flameado.

Photo Credit: Flickr/Boots in the Oven

In 1988, a 19 year-old Padilla left Houston to work in a small restaurant in San Francisco, where celebrated chef Nancy Oakes recognized his talent and mentored him in the kitchen of her James Beard award-winning and Michelin-starred restaurant, Boulevard. Padilla started as one of Boulevard's dishwashers but with Oakes' training, five short years later he landed the coveted Executive Sous Chef spot. Four years later Padilla went out on his own, refreshing his repertoire through Europe and Mexico and ultimately opening three award-winning restaurants in Northern California: the Mediterranean Thea and Mexican Bistro's Colibri and Consuelo.

In 2006, Padilla went back to Houston and took over as Executive Chef of Ninfa's, at the time a $3 million per year operation serving a generic array of what Americans thought Mexican food should be: heavy servings of refried beans, tacos, enchiladas, etc.

Chef Padilla reinvigorated the menu, first by literally cutting the fat and replacing lard with extra virgin olive oil. (What, you say? Mexican food without lard? It's true!) Next, Padilla introduced housemade sauces, spice mixes, and lighter, more flavorful versions of authentic Mexican recipes. Dishes like handmade "Oaxacan Style" pork tamales with roasted pasilla peppers, tamarind-glazed BBQ salmon tacos, and crispy calamari tossed with Ancho and Serrano chilis became menu staples (see right - Photo Credit: Flickr/Turi319). Locals and critics alike praised Padilla's efforts; in only two years Ninfa's racked up the awards and more than doubled its bottom line.

After proving himself in Houston and Northern California, Chef Padilla is taking L.A. by storm at his newly-opened Taberna Mexicana. After a recent dinner at Taberna's N. Bedford drive location, I can say that Padilla's upscale Latin restaurant is a welcome respite from WeHo's uber-trendy/bouncer-guarded Mexican restaurants (I love you, Red O, but the bouncer has GOT to go), yet a dressier alternative to some of East L.A.'s killer hole-in-the-wall Mexican joints. The vibe is rustic yet modern, with wooden beams and wrought iron lanterns juxtaposed against black leather furniture and a decidedly contemporary accent wall. It's comfy and trendy without trying too hard, with a welcoming air as a result of both the the decor and friendly waitstaff.

In the kitchen, Padilla is doing what he does best: turning out dishes that combine a serious respect for tradition and his signature touches. "Chips and salsa" arrive redefined as baked plantain, yucca and blue corn strips and served with two housemade salsas: a spiced pasilla pepper version and a toned down tomatillo with avocado and mango. Chicharron de Queso y Carnitas, a massive yet delicately rolled shell made from Manchego cheese, pork crackling and shredded pork, is an undeniable head-turner. Cueto en Mole, a mouthwatering mole-rubbed Filet Mignon served with housemade corn tortillas, is easily the most tender and flavorful piece of steak I've ever had in a taco. In fact, calling it a "steak taco" seems a serious injustice. The boldly-spiced Yucatan pork stew, Cochinita Pibil, arrives at your table still bubbling and accompanied by refreshing crema and tangy pickled onions. Tiradito de Pulpo, a terrine of poached octopus sliced paper -- and I mean paper -- thin, is beyond delicate in texture but with a wang of flavor from a caper aioli and jalapeno. Finally, while the dessert menu is full of filling delights like Pastel Tres Leches with a torched marshmallow topping, Padilla recommended the Sopa de Fruta filled with farmers market fruits -- think pineapple, apple, peach, berries and passionfruit -- the Chef had hand-picked earlier that day, arranged beautifully and topped with a pineapple and jalapeno granita.

Housemade Plantain, Yucca & Blue Corn Chips |

Served with pasilla pepper salsa (left) tomatillo salsa with avocado & mango (right)

Guacamole | Pumpkin Seeds & Queso Fresco

Tiradito de Pulpo | Poached Octopus with Roasted Jalapeno, Caper Aioli & Garlic Chips

Cueto En Mole | Filet Mignon with a Mole Rub & Chipotle Aioli

Hand-Pressed Corn Tortillas for "Build Your Own" Tacos

Cochinita Pibil "Yucatan Pork Stew" | In Banana Leaf with Fried Plantains, Crema & Pickled Red Onions

Sopa de Fruta | Passionfruit, Pineapple, Strawberry, Apple, Peach and Berries with Pineapple & Jalapeno Granita

Taberna's menu is full of so many hits that even the few misses were slight. Carnitas Verde, a delicious mound of shredded pork topped with Oaxacan cheese and tomatillo sauce sat on a bed of doughy, bland masa. And the Callos de Acha y Pepitas, the pumpkin seed encrusted scallops, were ever-so-slighty gritty and tough. The buoyant spring I love in a perfectly seared scallop had been lost, but the base of corn "grits" with Huitlacoche roasted garlic sauce was divine. Like I said, certainly not glaring errors but when compared to other stand-out hits the misses were apparent.

Carnitas Verde | Braised Pork, Oaxaca Cheese in Tomatillo Sauce

Callos de Acha y Pepitas | Pumpkin Seed Scallops on Fresh Corn "Grits" Huitlacoche Roasted Garlic Sauce

Cocktails!

From left to right:

1) Refrescante Morgan | Espolon Reposado Tequila, Cointreau, Orange Juice, and a Hint of Ginger and Jalapeno.

2) Margarita Piña | Espolon Blanco Tequila, pineapple agua fresca, muddled pineapple, juices of lemon and lime, and simple syrup.

3) Margarita Mole | Espolon Blanco Tequila, Chef's homemade 18-ingredient mole spice mix, agave, lime juice.

Overall, Taberna Mexicana is doing a fantastic job bridging the gap between trendy and authentic Mexican cuisine. Chef Padilla's experience, skill and passion for his craft comes through in spades. He's constantly putting modern touches on traditional Mexican dishes, doesn't cut corners when it comes to tried-and-true techniques or authentic ingredients, and it shows in his cooking. His menu has options for both adventurous and conservative eaters, and the restaurant's staff are helpful and knowledgeable about each item. We are looking forward to returning and working our way through the menu.

Taberna Mexicana

369 N. Bedford Dr.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310) 858-7070

Grab the Defibrillator: Denny's Intros "Let's Get Cheesy" Menu

2011-09-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

Denny's has hit rock bottom. And apparently at the bottom of said bottom, there is a giant pool of melted cheese. Now, don't get me wrong. In my college days, Denny's really did the trick for late-night, "I-won't-remember-this-meal-tomorrow" drunk binges. Nothing hit the spot better than Moons Over My Hammy or the Grand Slamwich, especially when 20-year-old metabolism was able to power wash it all out of your arteries come 10am. But with the recent introduction of its "Let's Get Cheesy" menu, I just feel like Denny's has gone too far. Either that, or it has a surplus of Velveeta in its restaurant's pantries that it absolutely must use by the end of 2011.

My beef isn't that the calorie or fat gram count is too high. Then again, 101 grams of fat for the Winner Winner Cheesy Dinner (did they get permission from Guy Fieri to say that?) -- which includes two fried chopped beef steaks covered in Pepper Jack cheese sauce, a side of creamy Mac 'n Cheese and broccoli topped with cheese sauce -- might be overkill. Or it might just kill you on the spot. Either way, it's nasty.

But I digress... my real issue with this is that Denny's has completely trained Americans to eat fake food. What the hell is "cheese sauce" anyway? Does it have a hint of cheddar cheese? A whisper of Pepper Jack? Is it filled with hydrogenated oil or silicone? Does it follow after General Mills & Kraft by using cellulose (aka processed wood pulp) as a cheesy filler? Perhaps most importantly, why does it have to come "slathered" on broccoli, nothing more than an innocent veggie bystander? The saddest part is that this menu is no doubt going to be a hit, either as a result of sheer curiosity or from folks who just can't say no when the word slathered appears on a menu.

What's on the menu and exactly how bad is it for you? Here's a play-by-play of each of the "Let's Get Cheesy" menu items. Caution: Read at your own risk. You might want to pull out that defibrillator, just in case.

Denny's "Let's Get Cheesy" Menu

1. Mac ‘n Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt

Introducing the ultimate in patty melts. A hand-pressed beef patty topped with our NEW creamy Mac ‘n Cheese, melted Cheddar cheese and zesty Frisco sauce on grilled potato bread. Served with a side of our wavy-cut French fries.

Nutritional Info:

Calories -- 1690

Fat -- 99 grams of fat

Trans Fat -- 1

Saturated Fat -- 36

Cholesterol -- 180

Sodium -- 2010

Carbohydrates -- 126

Fiber -- 7

Protein -- 64

Sugar -- 11

2. Cheesy Breakfast Sampler

Featuring a Cheddar smoked sausage and two eggs scrambled with Cheddar cheese. Served with hash browns topped with melted shredded Cheddar cheese and choice of bread.

Nutritional Info:

Calories -- 710

Fat -- 50 grams of fat

Trans Fat -- 0

Saturated Fat -- 20

Cholesterol -- 560

Sodium -- 1950

Carbohydrates -- 29

Fiber -- 2

Protein -- 36

Sugar -- 2

3. Cheese Please Omelette

Three-egg omelette with a blend of cheeses folded in. More cheese? You’ve got it. We top it off with creamy cheese sauce and diced tomatoes. Served with hash browns and choice of bread.

Nutritional Info:

Calories -- 800

Fat -- 57 grams of fat

Trans Fat -- 0

Saturated Fat -- 21

Cholesterol -- 780

Sodium -- 2090

Carbohydrates -- 34

Fiber -- 2

Protein -- 37

Sugar -- 4

4. The Big Cheese Country-Fried Steak & Eggs

A golden-fried chopped beef steak smothered in Pepper Jack cheese sauce. Served with hash browns topped with melted shredded Cheddar cheese, two eggs cooked any way you’d like and choice of bread. Big cheese indeed.

Nutritional Info:

Calories -- 1210

Fat -- 84 grams of fat

Trans Fat -- 2

Saturated Fat -- 34

Cholesterol -- 590

Sodium -- 2630

Carbohydrates -- 53

Fiber -- 5

Protein -- 59

Sugar -- 1

5. Winner Winner Cheesy Dinner

Two golden-fried chopped beef steaks covered in Pepper Jack cheese sauce. Served with a side of our NEW creamy Mac ‘n Cheese, broccoli topped with cheese sauce and dinner bread. This is one dish that truly lives up to its name.

Nutritional Info:

Calories -- 1520

Fat -- 101 grams of fat

Trans Fat -- 4

Saturated Fat -- 45

Cholesterol -- 25

Sodium -- 3330

Carbohydrates -- 77

Fiber -- 9

Protein -- 73

Sugar -- 5

6. Say Cheese Sizzlin’ Skillet

Flavorful blend of diced Cheddar smoked sausage, fire-roasted peppers and onions, grape tomatoes and seasoned red-skinned potatoes. Topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, cheese sauce and two eggs cooked any way you’d like.

Nutritional Info:

Calories -- 1120

Fat -- 84 grams of fat

Trans Fat -- 0

Saturated Fat -- 28

Cholesterol -- 900

Sodium -- 2790

Carbohydrates -- 41

Fiber -- 5

Protein -- 49

Sugar -- 9

7. Strawberry Pancake Puppies® with Cream Cheese Icing

Six bite-sized round pancakes made with strawberry and white chocolate chips. Sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with a side of cream cheese icing for dipping.

Nutritional Info:

Calories -- 670

Fat -- 20 grams of fat

Trans Fat -- 0

Saturated Fat -- 12

Cholesterol -- 25

Sodium -- 1200

Carbohydrates -- 114

Fiber -- 2

Protein -- 9

Sugar -- 64

8. Strawberry Cheesecake Milk Shake

Thick, creamy hand-dipped milk shake made with vanilla ice cream blended with strawberry topping, cream cheese and real cheesecake. Topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

Nutritional Info:

Calories -- 850

Fat -- 50 grams of fat

Trans Fat -- 0

Saturated Fat -- 29

Cholesterol -- 205

Sodium -- 450

Carbohydrates -- 84

Fiber -- 1

Protein -- 17

Sugar -- 70

Need Plans Tonight? Try "Tuesdays Best" At Original Farmers Market

2011-09-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Looking for something to do tonight? Head to the Original Farmers Market's "Tuesday's Best" event tonight from 5-9 p.m. Check out food sampling, cooking demos from Farmers Market purveyors, live entertainment, dine & shop specials, and FREE parking (gasp)!

The night will fly by, so plan accordingly. Here's the evening's official schedule of events:

5pm: China Depot
Manny Chang demonstrates his special recipe for Chicken Chow Mein.

5pm: Sushi A Go-Go
Learn how to make the perfect hand roll.

6pm: Huntington Meats
Learn how to make Portuguese and garlic artichoke sausages with Jim Cascone.

7pm: Loteria Grill (my personal favorite)
Chef Jimmy Shaw shows you how to prepare one of his favorite dishes.

8pm: Little Spain
Chef Alejandro Pages shows you his special technique for making classic Spanish paella.

Time to Move... But I'll Be Back!!

2011-08-31T20:08:00.001-07:00

Pardon My Crumbs is staying put, but Bryan and I are moving! We've bought our first house and between balancing escrow, packing and long work hours, sadly food blogging has taken a bit of a back seat this month. Not to worry, though; our big move is this weekend and we can't wait to get settled. I've got lots of posts itching to be finished -- exciting new restaurant and product reviews, delicious recipes, and pictures of our new kitchen -- but they'll have to wait a few more days. I promise to be back up and running in the next week or two, but wanted to explain the (exciting) reason why I've been MIA. Have a great Labor Day weekend!!!

Beverly Hills Happy Hour Alert: Taberna Mexicana

2011-08-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

Can it be? Mexican food without lard? Nary a pinata in sight? Plantains, yucca and blue corn strips served with homemade salsa in place of stale chips and bland pico de gallo? It's true, and it's at Taberna Mexicana in Beverly Hills. Now before you jump to a "Beverly Hills' Mexican food must be overpriced and inauthentic" conclusion, know that Taberna Mexicana is different. Not to mention, it has a brand spanking new happy hour (my personal favorite) from Monday to Friday 4 - 7 p.m. with $7 dishes like fajita sliders with Poblano chile strips, avocado, grilled onion and cabrales cheese; a chorizo burger wrapped in crispy chicharron (mmm, pork rinds) with chipotle aioli and mushrooms; and a light halibut and shrimp ceviche. Sound worthy of a mere $7 per dish? I'd say so.

Taberna Mexicana's New $7 Cantina Happy Hour!

What's more, every dish on the menu is made from scratch in Taberna's kitchen, from hand-pressed corn and flour tortillas to the 48-hour marinade flavoring the habanero-laced Cochinita Pibil. And, in a fantastic twist, lard has been banned in favor of olive oil, resulting in healthier versions of traditional dishes that won't leave you feeling like a tub of lard yourself.

Wash down the flavorful fare with a glass of wine ($5), specialty Mexican beer ($4) or a specially-priced hand-crafted margarita ($6), described by Taberna as perfect with "no more and no less than 'small batch' distillery tequila, fresh squeezed lime juice and sea salt... poured over large, slow-melt cubes of clear ice." Or, if you're feeling fruity, ask for a seasonal flavor like Bing cherry or avocado, muddled with a fistful of fresh fruit.

Taberna Mexicana Happy Hour - Cantina Bar Menu (All dishes $7)

Sopes | Carnitas with black beans, tomatillo salsa, cojita cheese

Empanadas de Camarones y Jaiba | Shrimp and crab with pickled slaw

Chorizo Burger | wrapped in crispy Chicharron with Chipotle aioli and mushrooms

Fajita Sliders | Poblano strips, avocado, grilled onion and Cabrales cheese

Tostada de Ceviche | Halibut and shrimp

Ostiones | Oysters with tequila Mignonette and salmon roe

Guacamole

Tacos de Carnita | Tomatillo salsa with onions and cilantro

Fajita Taco | Guacamole, pico de gallo, shredded cheese

Taberna Mexicana

369 N. Bedford (at Wilshire)

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310) 858-7070

www.tavernamexicana.com

The Stove Restaurant: Mammoth Lakes' Best Breakfast Spot

2011-08-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've been driving to work the last few mornings wondering, "Where did everyone go?" It seems like the vast majority of Angelenos have taken August off, ironically leaving the roads clear for the rest of us not fortunate enough to go on a last-hurrah summer vacay. I'm jealous... errr... happy for them! While there might be a vast difference between soaking up Maui's UV's vs. my office's florescent rays, it doesn't stop me from dreaming about where I would take a quickie vacation. I wouldn't go anywhere extravagent or long-term; instead I'd like to replicate a trip my parents used to take us on every summer to Mammoth Lakes. We'd jump into the car at 3 a.m., (to be fair, I was carried in a sleep-induced haze) and head North, timing the six-hour drive so we could arrive just in time for breakfast at The Stove: an age-old breakfast dive in the tiny mountain town, famous for heaping plates of blueberry pancakes, waffles, ham steaks, eggs and mason jars of iced coffee. The meal would kick-off our trip perfectly, and we'd spend the rest of the week hiking, catching trout and enjoying al fresco meals on the deck of a Lake Mary cabin.

The Stove: A Mammoth Lakes Institution

Just about a year ago my husband and I were driving home from a wedding in Lake Tahoe and we made a special stop at The Stove. He had never been to Mammoth Lakes and it had been years since I had been back to The Stove, so it was only natural that we stop. Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. Maybe it was the nostalgia or the clean mountain air, but everything was just as I remembered it. The wood decor, the line out the door, and the unfazed waitresses flip-flopping between taking orders, slinging food and bussing tables. We ordered a mountain of food to share: ham and scrambed eggs, blueberry pancakes and banana pancakes dotted with crunchy macadamia nuts.

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

World's Best Bite

Banana & Macadamia Nut Pancakes

Bryan couldn't believe the portion sizes when they arrived, remarking that they seemed designed for carbo-loading before an all-day hike. From my previous experiences with my family, that's absolutely true. The ham and eggs nearly cascaded off their plate and the "short" stack of pancakes was anything but, yet we cleaned those plates as though our upcoming 300-mile trip back to L.A. was a foot race, not a drive.

(Ham) Steak & Eggs

Mason Jar Iced Coffee, complete with old-school Honey Bear!

It's been nearly a year since that meal and I'm vicariously reliving it through the photos! Maybe a quick drive north is in order...

Fresheast: Not Your Typical Chinese Takeout

2011-08-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

It's official: my budget has been put on a diet. Except this diet is an exciting one, because we're in the process of buying our first house. Turns out a mortgage payment, insurance, taxes, closing costs, title fees -- and on and on -- costs a lot. Hence my budget diet. Now, when I envision someone on a tight budget and/or buying a house, one thing immediately comes to mind: take-out Chinese food. It's cheap, it's fast, and it's something movies often portray new homeowners eating out of cartons while sitting on an unfurnished living room floor. Well, when I'm that new homeowner eating take-out on my living room floor, it better be delicious and it better be somewhat healthy.

Enter WeHo's Fresheast. I'm not about to sacrifice flavor or high-quality ingredients just because I'm on a budget, so I feel like it's kismet that I discovered Fresheast recently. No MSG, saturated fats or grease-laden chow (mein) here. Instead, you'll discover Fresheast has transformed Asian take-out into a cuisine that's light (on your waistline and wallet), healthy (nutritional content and portions), yet full of vibrant flavors (think Thai, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese influences). The menu is chalk full of authentic Asian dishes like Green Coconut Water Curry, Palak Paneer, Bulgogi and a Larb Gai Bowl. The addition of an innocuous bulgogi-themed burger rounds it our nicely for those less adventurous eaters. The fact that you can order online makes it even better.

Larb Gai Bowl

Bulgogi

Spicy Garlic Noodles

Here's where Fresheast's takeout is different from your typical takeaway joint. Chef Jonathan Schwichtenberg and his team make all of Fresheast's sauces, marinades and spice blends in-house. All the meats, vegetable and grain ingredients are organic and sustainable. The beverage menu might as well double as an antioxidant juice bar, offering squeezes of orange, lemon, apple, cucumber, spinach, kale and red beets. All glasses, utensils and tableware are biodegradable. Heck, the plates are made from pressed palm fronds, proving that Fresheast both walks and talks earth-friendly speak. You'll feel even better about yourself when you're able to recycle your dinner plate back into the ground that it came from.

Miso Glazed Chicken

Goa Shrimp

Fresheast Juice

Of course, Fresheast is a fully functioning restaurant as well. It's perfect for a casual lunch or dinner with friends who want great food but don't want to compromise their budgets. Dishes arrive hot, fresh and in sizable portions that are easily shared (and enjoyed as leftovers). But if you ask me, go for the takeout, cuddle up with some TiVo and enjoy dinner knowing you didn't break the bank or your diet.

Palak Paneer:

Green Coconut Water Curry

Fresheast
8951 Sunset Blvd., Suite G-51
West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.fresheast.com
Order Online Here

Seattle's "Street Doughnuts": Ginger Spice & Everything Nice

2011-07-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

The last time I had a doughnut, I was living in Dallas. You see, it's okay to eat doughnuts in Dallas. Encouraged, even. But living in L.A., apparently we all sign an unspoken yet very strict agreement barring us from the wonders of the deep-fried, tubular, glazed stomach sinker. It's a sad reality, but one that almost everyone that I know follows. So when I ended my societally-enforced SoCal donut strike two weeks ago, it didn't count. Why? I was in Seattle. Plus, they were mini doughnuts.

Here's how it happened and boy, am I happy that it did. On our last morning in Seattle, Bryan and I -- most literally -- stumbled upon a tiny food truck emblazoned with "Street Doughnuts" on its side. It was the morning of the Fourth of July, a national holiday when everyone seems to BBQ but no restaurants actually seem to be open. We were starving, admittedly irritable and unable to agree on which of the 50 coffee shops in our ONE square mile radius would be most local and also have breakfast sandwiches. A tough combo when you've officially eliminated Starbucks from your options due to its monopolization of the coffee world.

Street Doughnut's Mini Truck

Enter Street Doughtnuts. The tiny truck was a shimmering beacon of hope in a landscape of "closed signs" and unacceptable coffee chains. One look at the menu brought even more promise, offering creative flavor combos such as cardamom + ginger dusting; mango sauce + coconut; chocolate sauce + coconut; chocolate sauce + roasted peanuts; and the ever fascinating vanilla pudding + Nerds dusting. Yes, Nerds as in your favorite double-sided box of childhood candy. Of course, the combinations were only friendly suggestions. You can create combinations to satiate any sweet, salty or savory tooth. Curry and caramel would have been a hit, but we thought of it too late.

The Mini Menu

Suffice to say we were desperate, so we went with option #1: A small order of doughnuts dusted with cardamon and ginger. The process was simple enough; tiny rings of dough were dropped into an itty-bitty fryer (that's the technical term) and flipped halfway through. The 2-inch doughnuts emerged golden brown and piping hot and were immediately shaken with a mix of cardamom and ginger sugar. Our friendly doughnut-maker then transferred them to a small bowl lined with parchment paper, stabbed two doughnuts with oversized cocktail picks, and breakfast was officially served. Thank you baby Jesus for giving us baby doughnuts.

Mini Donut Ma'am, Hard At Work

To say the mini doughnuts hit the spot was an understatement, because both Bryan and I immediately transformed back from grumpy "feed me now" monsters into lovely human beings. Human beings that stood happily on a sunny Seattle sidewalk and popped tiny spiced doughnuts into our mouths, "cheering" every one before each bite. And my goodness, were they delicious. The doughnuts were so delicate, giving way like a tiny pillow with each bite. The parchment paper helped absorb any excess oil, ensuring the spice and texture wasn't overshadowed by grease. The cardamom and ginger sugar dusting gave true meaning to "sugar, spice and everything nice," not to mention boosted each doughnut's exterior with a wonderful subtle crunch.

Breakfast of Champions: Cardamom & Ginger Mini Doughnuts

I don't know if we were just starving or if they were really that good. Either way, the Street Doughnuts were awesome. So the next time you're by Seattle's market, look for an empty parking lot at 2nd Ave. and Pike Street. If you're lucky, the Street Doughnuts truck will be there. Check out the chocolate sauce and coconut doughnuts below, which we didn't get but I admired from Street Doughnuts Facebook page.

Mini Doughnuts with Chocolate Drizzle & Coconut Flakes

Photo Credit: Facebook

Street Doughnuts

2nd Avenue & Pike Street

Seattle, WA 98101

www.StreetDoughnuts.com