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Restaurant Review time! Post & Beam in Baldwin Hills

2012-01-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

Oh sweet sweet Baldwin Hills, how you've searched and yearned for newness, modernity...dare I say Good Eats. Well, the wait is over. As I will not be the first to say, the freshly opened Post & Beam more than fits the bill. A welcome addition to the otherwise ho hum community. Post & Beam brings a fresh, modern twist to the gastronomic community, a gastropub, oozing with some serious swagger thanks to a couple big hitters on the scene, Govind Armstrong and Brad Johnson. These guys know what's up. They know what people want, and they deliver. Stylish, smart, and utterly delectable, Post and Beam is basically the place you want to call your neighborhood joint. Small-ish [in a good cozy, I wanna-snuggle-some-swanky-sexy-guy kind of way] exposed kitchen, massive flaming wood burning oven, some spunky servers bouncing around, and a pretty awesome unpretentious clientele. When I arrived with my friend, I was beyond frazzled, erratic and in much need of a libation. Despite my eccentricity, the warm host seated us, and jovially (if not slightly sarcastically) offered me a drink to calm my nerves [I like this girl already]. My friend and I started with some beers. Local, of course, thanks to the limited yet well tailored drink menu. Hefe for her, IPA for me.
Our server was delightfully cute in his overambitious, meticulous description of the menu, which truth be told, I appreciate, and give him props for. After all, how could he know that I know my salsa verde's from my gremolatas, or that a supreme tallegio is a far cry from a fontina.

Okay, the food: Now, before you judge me, I know I only tried four dishes #fail. Trust me, I originally intended on four guests, therefore increasing my total Govind inventions significantly, so yeah, my bad, but what I did eat was phenomenal.
We had the charred broccolini, the meatball pizza, grilled octopus, and buttermilk panna cotta.

And I already have my list of items I'm ordering next week, when I inevitably go back. The pizza was perfectly charred on the bottom, kissed with a sweet tomato sauce (arguably the best Ive ever had #suckitmozza) and topped with a myriad of cheeses and chunks of soft sweet turkey meatballs, and dusted with fennel pollen. To my surprise, the fennel flavor was bold and noticeable. Not in a bad smack-you-over-the-head-way, but in a bright, wow-that's-unexpectedly-delicious way. The broccolini was charred within an inch of its life (again, not at all a bad thing), yet still retained a slight crunch, and flavored with a hint of garlic, and alleged chili. Delicious in its own right, however I feel could still use a bit more spicy ass chili kick. The octopus is what really excited me. This octopus was super tender, a delicious charred caramelized exterior, and soft succulent center. Accented by bright preserved lemon shards, fresh parsley leaves, and chickpeas, prepared two ways. A little olive oil perhaps, and I'm sure a dozen other delicious ingredients. It was the perfect dish. The menu is super smart. The ambiance is soft, yet modern, and cozy, but contemporary. At the end of our meal, the front of house manager treated us to the buttermilk panna cotta, which was both unexpected and incredibly kind. Let me tell you friends, it was unbelievable. I was totally trying to be 'good' and skip the dessert, in favor of a particularly snug pair of J Brands, that are sitting in my closet, staring me down... I digress... However, this little plate of sweet, slightly tart, orange-y, vanilla-y lusciousness was worth the extra couple miles on the treadmill tomorrow. A perfect panna cotta, topped with candied orange peel. Jay Rayner once said that "...a properly set panna cotta should move like a woman’s breasts..." Well, not that I'm an expert, but I think this buttermilk, orange version pretty much perfected it.

On my 'to-try' list next time? mussels, sticky ribs, mushroom and nettles pizza, cauliflower with salsa verde, and short-ribs.... Dare I ask... Will there ever be a reincarnation of the undisputed short rib grilled cheese? Hey, a girl's gotta ask.

Go. Eat. Enjoy.

Oh sweet sweet, sweets!

2012-01-13T17:06:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was lucky enough to shoot at two delightfully sweet specialty chocolate shops. Chocolatine, in Thousand Oaks, CA, and Trufflehound, in Ventura. If you are ever anywhere near the area (as in within 50 miles) I strongly suggest you stop in. Absolutely delicious.
Additionally, both these fabulous shops were featured in this months issue of Westlake Magazine. So please check out the articles for more information.
Special thanks to Claudia and Fred, and Hugo and Sabrina. Lovely lovely people.

Chocolatine pastry case

amazing cream stuffed rum pastry

Hugo and Sabrina

Sabrina- She's so perfectly French

Trufflehound's pristine truffles

Claudia filling the molds

The most amazingly perfect orange scented couverture

Claudia with her masterpieces

My Friendsgiving Soiree

2011-12-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

My FRIENDSgiving celebration was one to go down in history. I could sit here and gab all day about the details, the inside jokes, the small catastrophes ,the raving successes, the missteps, the everythings... but I won't. All that is truly important here was that I had a lovely small group of people who were kind enough to grace me with their presence on what could otherwise be a rather anticlimactic holiday. Yes, I'm talking to you, all you 'lost children' as I like to call you. Those (like myself) who live in cities where the rest of their family does not, therefore, you typically conclude the much hyped social/family surrounded holidays, with the bottom of a bottle of wine, or two...or three... Well, not this year. I like getting all these people together and celebrating with copious about of said wine, but also delicious food, extra helpings of raunchy, perhaps a tad inappropriate humor, and using the time together to forge new relationships with people, and cast new memories to be reveled and savored for the the next years undoubted soiree...

I was delightfully surprised at the great lengths my guests went to, in contributing to the gastronomical celebration. A homemade apple pie (all the way from San Diego, sausage and cheese bites, a richly addictive french silk pie (somewhat reminiscent of this lil beauty made form Thanksgivings past), homemade hot toddy, the undoubtedly most famous of the evenings eatings, the citrus bundt cake, which will go down in history... And you all know how much I love bundt cake, ahem... and of course, the notorious green bean casserole.
In addition to zillions of reasons I'm thankful to the fabulous friends I have, I was especially happy that my little brother came to visit and celebrate this Thanksgiving with me. All the way from wee lil Stilwell, Kansas... Now I would be remiss if not to say I was more that concerned that Los Angeles may prove to be a bit much for him. The crowds, the traffic, the cloths, the fast-talking-social-media-loving people, the hipsters... I can see his wide eyed confusion now, the look of 'What have I gotten myself into..." You can imagine my relief when on Thanksgiving he laughed, joked, socialized, and above all undoubtedly had a genuinely fun time. He embraced my home, my friends, my driving habits... I was so pleased, and it filled my heart with joy to know that he liked my friends. Not liked, loved. He had a blast. And all the while sporting his reptilian clad boots, Chuck Norrisesque wranglers, and big honest Midwestern smile on his face. Its a miracle he didn't get eaten alive in Los Feliz... Actually come to think of it, he was probably idolized. Well, perhaps not idolized, that's why we steered clear of West Hollywood... He really would have been in trouble there...
Special special SPECIAL thank you, from the bottom of my big ol' perpetually hungry heart, to Anais, Dax, Adriane, JP, Benny, and Brian.
You all fill my life with happiness, laughter, calories and JOY! Couldn't do it without you
Love.

Way overdue... Strawberry Pineapple Cream Pie

2011-11-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

Well, in a perfect world, this post would have happened late August.... And ow its November...the day before Thanksgiving in fact. Wow. I dropped the ball on that one. Life happened, and work happens, and lets skip ahead.... Here I am now, finally posting on the amazing pie that I made what seems like ages ago. This pie is one that apparently has been in my family for years. I say apparently, because I have no memory of ever eating it as a child, but then again, I have scattered food memories as a child. I digress... My mom tells me this is the pie she notoriously would spend 2 hours making and once finished it would disappear in less than two minutes. It was a crowd pleaser, to say the least.
Its not a particularly inventive or unusual pie. No unexpected flavorings, or fancy emulsions, just a simple custard based pie, with a delicious glaze, and as long as you have some juicy, ripe strawberries, you're good to go.
Now, I know its now November, so the prime strawberries season is passed. Boo me :( I apologize. However, if you live in California, you can almost definitely get some berries right this second at the grocery store. And if you can't find any strawberries for less tan 10 bucks a pint (I'm talking to you Midwest), then bookmark this recipe and look forward to next season :) Plus, this has to be a welcome change form the zillions of eye-poppingly fall inspired dishes. If I read one more pumpkin or brussels sprouts recipe, I'll jab my eye balls out with a veggie peeler...
Thanks to my momma for sharing this lil' gem with me. It was quite fun making it from scratch, especially trying to decipher my chicken scratch directions that I wrote down, as my mom rattled off all the directions over the phone, from memory. I kinda hope that by the time I have children, I'll have recipes engraved in my brain that I can recite from memory. Seems like a cooks right of passage. Hmmm Food for thought. Pun intended.

My Mom's Strawberry Cream Pie
As for the pic crust, I always use the classic Betty Crocker recipe. Its tried and true, but if you have a different crust recipe you trust, by all means do it! As you'll see in the picture below, I wasn't quite so successful with my crimping this time around... Its a toss up, sometimes I'm an expert pie-crust crimper, other times, I go down in flames... This was not my greatest showing. However, lesson learned for next time, don't try to get too much height on your crimps, otherwise they'll just flop over, all droopy and sad.

Pie Crust (thanks to Betty Crocker )

1 cup Gold all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

In medium bowl, mix flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
Gather pastry into a ball. On lightly floured surface, shape dough into flattened round. Wrap pastry in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable.
Heat oven to 425°F. On lightly floured surface, roll pastry with floured rolling pin into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.
Bake 15 or so minutes, until golden brown, and remove from oven to cool

The Method
In a saucepan, combine 3/4 C sugar, 3 T cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp salt.
Whisk in 2 C milk, and heat over medium until it slightly boils, and whisk continuously, until it thickens. Whisk and cook at a full boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk a small amount of hot mixture into a separate bowl, with 3 egg yolks, to temper the eggs. Then add the tempered eggs back to the hot mixture in the saucepan, and whisk vigorously, over medium heat for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla.
Cool slightly.
Fold in 3/4 C crushed pineapple VERY well drained. I actually wrapped the crushed pineapple in a tea towel and wrung it super tight, to extract all liquid.
Then fold in approximately 1 C whipped cream. I probably added a bit more than that, its not an exact science at this point...
Spread mixture into cooled pie shell and refrigerate.
Slice a pint of strawberries, very prettily, and arrange on top of pie.
Glaze
Crush 1/2 C strawberries and combine in a pan over high heat, with 1/2 C water and cook 2 minutes at a full rolling boil. It will begin to thicken slightly, remove from heat, and strain through a sieve-- press berries slightly, to get any excess liquid. Discard crushed berries, reserving strained liquid. Return liquid to pan, and add 1/4 C sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch, and heat until boiling. Boil for couple minutes until it thickens and clears.
Remove form heat, and set aside to cool (or refrigerate).
When you're ready to serve, brush glaze over berries, and voila!!! All done.
Enjoy
Good luck keeping it around for more than 24 hours...

Savory Maple and Rosemary Custards

2011-11-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

Lets say I was feeling especially inventive and spontaneous one evening, and as such, decided to make savory custards... in the actual egg shell.
I've seen it before, at restaurants, or on TV, so I knew it was most definitely within my realm of understanding, and capability. My kitchen looked like a war zone after it was all said and done, but the end result was stunning, and outrageous delicious. Well worth the effort. I also made the bacon chips, and glazed them with even more maple syrup, so that sweet-salty bite was perfect for dipping into the custards.

This would be perfect appetizer to a fall menu... dare I say Thanksgiving? Or on a less stressful day, a lovely intimate dinner party.
The original recipe was one I found through Tasting Table, via Chef Erik Anderson and Josh Habinger of The Catbird Seat in Nashville
Here is the original recipe
I made a couple minor changes. First, I used rosemary instead of thyme, and I omitted the Truffle oil (yuck!...no offense) and the pine oil, because I felt the rosemary was woodsy enough. Additionally, I added more maple syrup to the bacon strips, during their bake time, I just brushed them with a thin layer of syrup, before sandwiching them between the sheet pans and baking.
Check this one out folks, and have fun.

Tres Leches Cake : Back to Baking!!

2011-09-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying, this cake batter calls for ZERO butter, and ZERO oil. Yeah, I was skeptical too... Alas, this was the best tasting cake batter I've ever tasted, and it baked up like a dream. A bit of a strange path to a delicious end. I've DIED and gone to heaven. Bar none, this is my favorite cake I've baked to date...Wow, I love tres leches cake.

The batter is one of those beat the egg whites first, then beat in sugar, then eggs, then dry ingredients. So it kind of came together looking like Marshmallow Cream. And oooo... so tasty, and creamy.

Bake it 25-35 minutes, pull it out and pierce it allover with a toothpick

Pour over this rich, sweet deliriously yummy milk sauce, and let it soak into the cake. Then you repeat, and repeat, and... well, you get the picture. Then just refrigerate until ready to serve.

Its a bit of a process, but by no means an advanced recipe. The final product is this soft, ridiculously moist, and sweet, sugary soaked delight. The best part is the bottom, where the cake browned from baking, and all the rich milk mixture soaked through and sat there. Oh my sugar-heaven dream.
I used Emeril Lagasse Recipe, for which you can find HERE !! Thanks Emeril. The only changes I made are as follows:
I used nonfat sweetened condensed milk, nonfat evaporated milk, 1% regular milk, instead of whole milk, and half+half instead of heavy cream. Also, I didn't even bother topping it with whipped cream. Its already so sweet and perfect, I just think whipped cream would be overkill, for real. I just serve it with more of the blender milk sauce on the side, and pour a touch more over the cake once its plated to be served.
Then I smuggle any leftover milk sauce and sneakily hoard it all for myself for later.... when no one is looking. Yeah, its that good. Hiding-food good.

The ugly duckling

2011-09-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

Granted, this thing may look a bit unappealing, or thrown together haphazardly, the product of many failed Julia Child omelet attempts... but its not. This little omelet, as non-photograph-able as it is, is absolutely delicious. All because of eggs. I love eggs!! They're the culinary equivalent of ductt tape. A-n-y-thing can be turned into a meal with the simple use of eggs. Leftover veggies, random leftover meats, grilled chicken, taco meat, sausage, tofu, whatever. You can just mix it all together, then stuff it into an omelet. OR if you really want to get in and out of the kitchen in a hurry, just make a 'scramble.' Or as I like to call it, mega-meal. Eggs are NOT just for breakfast, as I would like to assume all of you lovely foodie people know. Frittatas, omelets, scrambles, souffles, aiolis, hollandaise, poached on top of salad... Okay, I am getting a bit fancy near the end of the list, but don't even bother with the souffles and emulsions nonsense. Just make an omelet. They are so darn satisfying, incredibly healthy (if you play your cards right) and a cinch to make. Plus, the creativity factor is endless. I've made Italian omelets, Greek omelets, soulful hearty omelets, thin ladylike eggwhite omelets, and many many Mexican omelets (my favorite). For this little ~~beauty~~ er.. ugly duckling... I had some soyrizo in the fridge I needed to cook, before it went bad, so that was the inspiration for dinner. Yup, I was inspired by not wanting to go grocery shopping [again] and some near expired imitation meat product. Classy, that's how I roll. Then, I just figured, I have eggs, I have some spinach and bell pepper (stuffed away in the freezer somewhere), and I always have onions and garlic. Boom. Omelet! I will also mention, this is a great eating alone, one person meal, for two primary reasons (1) Ypu only have to cook what you're going to eat, and there is no crazy oven business involved, and no shoveling through the abyss of tupperware containers to find a matching bottom and lid to stash the leftovers (2) You can make as much as you want, and not have to worry about [A] being judged for eating too much/too little, too much hotsauce, bah blah blah, or [B] making it look pretty, to impress your roommate, even though they probably wouldn't care anyway. Which brings me to my final point. The ugly part. I DON'T CARE. I'm about to cover the thing in salsa or sriracha and begin rapid dis-assembly with my fork anyway, so as long as I can get it from the pan to my plate, I'm happy. Phew, it fels good to get that out. Enjoy folks. Easy, and delicious, and surprisingly healthy. Way better than cup o noodles, or a sandwich, any day... And you know how much I love sandwiches.

The Ugly Duckling Omelet
Put whatever seasonings you want into the beaten eggs. And stuff the omelet with whatever leftover oddities you have in your fridge. Frozen veggies work well too, just slightly defrost in the microwave first.
1 whole egg
2 whites
pinch of
   dried basil
   dried oregano
   salt
* Whip, or mix with a fork, all these ingredients in a bowl and set aside

1/4 c smallish diced onion
2 cloves garlic (because I love garlic, and no one is around to smell your awesome breath)
a few cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
handful of spinach
a few tablespoons already cooked meat (in this case soyrizo, but use whatever you want, or not at all) 1-3 tablespoons shredded cheddar

In a large skillet, saute onion with nonstick spray, or olive oil, for a few minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes, give it 5 more minutes, or until soft and aromatic. Remove from heat, and transfer sauteed mixture to a plate. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel, and spray with nonstick again, heat at medium-med high heat. Pour beaten egg mixture into the skillet and allow to set up for a few minutes.
Now that the eggs are about 75% cooked, spread the sauteed mixture, as well as precooked meat, and spinach over top of the eggs. Let sit and cook for a few more minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and attempt to fold over, into a half moon shape.
I always over stuff mine, because I like lots of stuff inside, so I nearly always break mine in parts, or just have some spillage (overflow). Not really a bad thing. Again, this is just for you, and its going to taste fantastic regardless, so if its a bit Picasso style, take pride. You're an artist
Transfer to plate. Turn off stove (so you dont burn your house down, I care about you, I'm just looking out for you). Get fork. Get salsa, or ketchup, or marinara, or whatever your condiment of choice. Now enjoy some quality YOU time. Perhaps add a magazine, an ipad, a radio... if you're like me, and can never being doing only one thing at a time.

Oh, and you may notice all the weird pictures all over the table in the images... That's because this was a bit of a 'working' solo dinner, I'm in the middle of my www.beckyreams.com redesign, so that's me organizing all my photography for various galleries and such. Stay tuned on that matter... Woo!

Non Edible Delicacies

2011-08-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

I can certainly drool over these fall fashion lovelies!
If only chic duds were as affordable as doughnuts....sigh....

These shoes would make me feel like a grown up, with a grown up income.Tory Burch arelia Tassel Pump

I would never leave home without my ipad, and no one would ever know! Assuming I will be getting an ipad to fill this magnificent red portfolio clutch ASOS leather portfolio clutch

Have you heard??? Zara will start selling online in SEPTEMBER!! Haaaaaalleluiah!!!! In any case, this will be my winter coat. I. Love. It. Even if it never gets cold enough in LA to warrant it. I can easily pull off the "Oh, you're not cold?? I'm freeeezing, I had better keep my super luxe looking, kinda-making-me-sweat-but-who-cares, coat." Round neck frock coat

This seems like kind of the perfect silk blouse I've been looking for. I'm obsessing over silk blouses right now. I want them in zillions of colors! J. Crew Blythe Blouse

The Entire H+M Fall Lookbook is weep-worthy deliciously gorgeous. E-ver-ything is stunning. The rich hues, and high contrast are stunning-- and a refreshing change from all the muted hues, and 'old-timey' looks of the last two seasons of lookbooks... Plus, a lot of these looks are right up my alley in terms of styling. Layers, dark colors, neutrals, with pops of color... And long straight hair. eeeeeee!!!! Im in love.

Be happy!!

2011-08-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie list of current obsessions, loves, flights of fancy...
[1] Adorable cups, sturdy enough for my clumsy self, yet cute enough to spruce up your boring cupboards. Modernist Mugs from West Elm
[2] The enviable, extraordinary travel writer, Melissa Kronenthal, photographer, foodie extraordinaire... whips up this light, gorgeous looking cake. I heart cake, bt even more so ADORE pudding. This is a clear winner for me, not to mention it looks easy enough to whip together, bake, and ravenously consume... all before anyone has to know... From The Traveler's Lunchbox make this Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake
[3] Yet another fabulous all around super woman, Heidi Swanson marries two of my favorite things, frozen desserts and booze! AND, with a clever schmancy twist. Lillet!! I've been dying to wrap my head around this french spirit for months now... Heidi is plucking my heart strings with this baby... Checkout these Lillet Buttermilk Shakes, from over at 101cookbooks
[4] There really aren't words. Con Poulos is an idol of mine. I love everything he does. His photos are gorgeous, and it never seizes to amaze me, that somehow every one of his images always seems fresh, current, and timeless. Not to mention anything Food & Wine touches, turns to gold. Can you tell I'm a fan?? Love. Here and here
[5] Just a dream... I wish I were there right now, eating those big, succulent grilled shrimp, and sipping sangria, or Argentinian beer, or lemonade, or whatever-it-doesn't-really-matter-I'm-in-Buenos Aires.... Ah.... Wanderlust had been hitting me hard these last couple weeks. No thanks to my love affair with AFAR Magazine

Just thought you'd like a little pick me up !!
Now excuse me, I have to come back from my daydream, and plant my feet firmly back down on LA ground... shucks...

Help me help you!

2011-08-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

That's right folks. I want to cook with you. Why not right?! Why just look at pretty pictures of food, when you can make the food yourself! Hooray!
I'll show your all the details, the tricks, the secrets, all the sneaky tasty recipes, and techniques.
Check it out, and CLICK below and hopefully we'll be whipping up chorizo stuffed cannelloni in no time...
Playa Del Rey Cooking Teacher

I play with my food.

2011-08-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is indeed a fancyish ham and cheese mini sandwich, in the style a la Big Mac. Sandwiches are fun food. Hand's down, perhaps most fun food ever. What's that you say? No?? You scoff? Sandwiches aren't the most fun ever...? Well then, you disbeliever, lets look at my reasoning
1. You get two big slabs or wheaty, carby, delicious bread
2. You can put literally ANYthing inside, add a sauce, and smoosh together, voila, sandwich-- EASY
3. No silverware needed (**most of the time)
4. They can be uptight and fancy or downright sleazy (Ahem, croque madame vs. sloppy joe --both delicious, both completely opposite
5. Men love them. Double win. You make him a sandwich, he thinks you're a genius amongst women. And you know you're a genius because cook-time and dirty dishes are both significantly reduced
6. You can eat it anytime. At school, on the sidewalk, at you desk, at your bar method class....Okay, well maybe not the last one. Those bar method gals would rip you to shreds at the mere thought of you subjecting yourself to carbs in their presence. eek, scary.

Still disagree? Fine, if so, you are a crazy silly person, whom I cannot relate to. My apologies. However, please continue reading, I'll still most certainly share the recipe with you.
So tonight, I was looking for a slightly more inventive way of eating my leftover baguette, prosciutto, and brie. Yes, you see, already sounds fancy, because I have prosciutto... this has to be good. You have cheese, bread and meat...What s a more obvious answer? SANDWICH! AND its a fancyish sandwich because it ain't yo momma's ham and cheese sando.
You can't really even call this a recipe, so we'll say its my methodology for fun sandwich creation

Sourdough baguette, sliced into thin ovals
Some Brie, sliced into approximately equally sized thin ovals or chunks, don't get too precise or freak out if there are overlaying pieces
Prosciutto, a couple slices, torn into smaller pieces.

Oil or butter the bread
Place said bread into med-high heat skillet
place cheese quickly onto hot skillet surface to speed melt time, then transfer to bread slice
Use same quick heat method with prosciutto, then place onto of cheese
Place top piece of bread on top, sprinkle with cracked pepper, and place another pan (or I used a tea kettle) on top to weigh them down.
Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then flip and replace weight.
Cook 2 more minutes, or until crisp and slightly brown on outside.
Remove from pan, and slice in half.
Serve with honey mustard
Now you have these figgin cute little two-bite brie n' prosciutto sandwiches. And they're so little, you can hold one in each hand, and dance at the same time.
Super fun. And three ingredients. Hello?! Awesome.

Restaurant Reviews for Dummies- Strikes again! The Tripel

2011-05-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

A lovely, run-of-the-mill, Tuesday evening seemed like the perfect opportunity to test the waters at a new local restaurant/bar. I've been wanting to try The Tripel for what seems like forever now. Translation: a month. The word around the neighborhood is that its kinda cool, kinda trendy, very LA of the moment. Owned by the same people as Hudson House, in Redondo Beach, (also a fave restaurant of mine). The Tripel offers a definitive cornucopia of craft beers from places you've probably never heard of, and a well written menu of upscale jazzy bar food. Sounds right up my alley. The vibe is dark and a little moody. One wall is entirely comprised of (what appears to be reclaimed) wood, with carved out words scrolling across if from wall to wall.

Little exposed light-bulbs, that look like they belong in an auto-body shop, hang from the ceiling, and high top tables are adorned with mini tealights. The place is small. Like really small. But in a completely great way. The bar is close enough that from just about anywhere in the restaurant, you can read the chalkboard listing the current brews on tap [at least 15 beers mind you]. Impressive bottled and canned beer [yes, canned] in addition to their tap selections. They have libations for any palate. A lengthy wine list and inventive cocktail list also pads their drink menu.
My top choices: New Belgium's La Folie. A big bottle sour, split it with someone. SO so good
Hop Rod Rye IPA, a really nice amber--this guy is fairly malty, thanks to the rye.
Also, if you want something lighter, they have some great Hefeweizen's.. I can't remember the name of the one we tried.... fail me. Sorry.

The food is pretty sweet too. We took out a pretzel burger, the red curry biscuits with honey butter and beer battered onion rings. All tasty. The burger was meaty, juicy, topped with a slaw of sorts, and aged cheddar, on a pretzel bun. If you still haven't had pretzel bread, i.e. you're living in some underground bunker, or abiding by Atkins--both travesties, then you need to. Pretzel bread is frigging awesome. Furthermore, I eat good cheese so infrequently, that when I do, its a thing of beauty, and this aged cheddar was. I Highly recommend.
The onion rings were also a fav. Crispy, but just a bit greasy. Like greasy in a really good way. Classic beer battered-style. The biscuits were delicious, flaky and unusual with their red curry infusion. However, when you serve anything with clover honey and clotted cream in a bowl bigger than the biscuit itself, its kind of like insurance. Its gonna be good.

I recommend checking this place out. The people are cool, and the vibe is chill. It's Playa Del Rey, so you aren't going to run into any pretension. Just get a beer and talk to the people at the table with you. We sat at a communal style table and struck up quite the interesting convo with some nice fellows from across the pond. Its always nice to get tipsy, well fed, and well entertained, not matter where you are. In this case, I was extra happy, just I was a hop, skip, and a stumble away from home...
CLICK on a picture to see it b-b-b-bigger

Restaurant Reviews, for dummies

2011-04-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

I've recently started writing articles for examiner, and as such wanted to give y'all a heads up. I've always really liked food, and really really liked trying new restaurants, bars, food fairs... anything LA food related. I guess it seems like a natural progression that I would start writing about it. Double bonus: As food photography is kind of the center of my creative inspiration and adoration, this serves as another great way for me to get out there and keep putting my camera lens to good use. And might I say, on some fantastic looking models...I.e. the gorgeous edibles all over the city... nom nom nom...
So yeah, check out my reviews about once a week or so. I try to go places that are either are new to me, (or LA in general, as in new openings). Anything from a place with a killer beer list, or cheap delicious tacos, finer dining, the [so called] best LA burger. Anything.

Have a place I should try?? I'm ALL EARS!
I recently dined at Manhattan Beach Post on Monday night's opening. You can see it here ...as well as some other little write-ups on MoMed and Zengo...
A note on writing: I am by no means a pro journalist, nor do I attempt to be. There are some absolutely amazing writers out there--you know who you are, and if you are in fact, I would hope you aren't turning your nose up, just attempting to decipher my fragmented ramblings....
In any case, I simply like food and love photographing it. I attempt to fuse the two into a slightly cohesive mass of words, in hopes someone will find it useful, or at the very least, entertaining.
Okay, public service announcement concluded.

Banh Mi --If they can do it, I can do it!

2011-04-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

Banh Mi is all the rage these days, right? Have you noticed, every new restaurant, or even new menu for that matter, is featuring its own rendition of the Vietnamese baguette sandwich. And why not, I mean, they're delicious, and different. Not your typical ham sandwich, and devoid of white sliced bread and American singles... This little sandwich is spiked with an intriguing combination of pickled vegetables, sweet and savory components, and the perhaps nontraditional, addition of a horseradish based spread. The banh Mi is a sandwich based on a richly flavored pork, that is quickly seared and caramelized, then layered on a chewy, french baguette, lightly spread with a creamy sauce/condiment, then topped with crisp vegetables. All together, the result is a deeply satisfying light and refreshing sandwich. As with all my new recipe research, I ran through countless recipes, and read many menus, looking at how one sandwich differed from another, looking for inspiration for my version. I ultimately decided [almost] entirely on one recipe. Fro the immensely entertaining and gifts ladies at Food52. I love getting their emails once or twice a week, highlighting their recipe challenges and new tricks, and anecdotes on what they're cooking. Always inspiring to try something new. The recipe for their Banh Mi featured on their site looked not only tasty, but slightly nontraditional, and totally approachable : translation: I could do it on a week night. That's the winner. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, and made some changes, and additions/substitutions, however the original recipe for which I was inspired can be found HERE. Thanks again to Merrill and Amanda and to the original recipe contributor Monkeymom, well done my friend

Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches

Recipe notes:
I've said it once, I'll say it a gazillion times. When it comes to flavorings, spiciness, and additional condiments... do as you please! You can easily omit the shaved onion, or substitute scallions, or nix the horseradish and use mayonnaise, or cut back on the jalapeno if you please (however I strongly urge you not too... haha, I'm a heat addict) Also, something I figured out after the fact: there tends to be a pretty hefty bread to meat/veggie ratio, so if you want to, you could hollow out the baguette just a little bit, before assembling the sandwiches. This may make them a little easier to eat, and overall help the balance of the sandwich, I'll probably try this next time. However, the chewy baguette is delicious, so if it doesn't bother you,forget I even said anything
1 pound pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons Fish sauce
1 tablespoon Agave nectar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 green onion, minced
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 French bread, sliced lengthwise, and then into quarters (or smaller for smaller sliders)
red leaf lettuce
sliced jalapeno
peeled and sliced cucumber
thinly sliced or shaved white onion
chopped cilantro
chopped (or torn) fresh mint

pickled carrot and radishes (Recipe below)
Horseradish Sauce (Recipe below)

Cut tenderloin across the grain of the meat into ½ inch pieces. Flatten each piece to an even ¼ inch between two pieces of saran wrap, on a large cutting board. I use my polling pic, but if you have a meat mallet, more power to ya. Literally.
Mix marinade ingredients from fish sauce to crushed pepper. Add marinade to the meat, in a large shallow dish. Make sure all pieces of meat are coated in marinade. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Preheat a skillet, very hot. Med-high to high. You want to cook the meat very quickly. The result will be a rich dark color on the outside, and caramelizing it will enhance the flavor. Add vegetable oil to meat and stir to coat. Work in batches, a few slices of meat at a time. Not too many, or you drop the temperature of the pan, and then they cook slower. If this happens it will be more difficult for you to get that great sear we're looking for. The pan may smoke a lot, you you should turn on your hood fan. Also, each side should cook a few minutes, then flip and finish cooking on that side for a couple minutes. Continues this way to cook the whole batch. If the pan starts to smoke too much, that means residual marinade is sticking and burning, which will probably burn onto the meat, which is not a good thing. To prevent this, just take a wet cloth, and brush the pan off after each batch, then add a tad more oil before searing more meat.
To assemble sandwiches, spread a little horseradish sauce on the top side of your sliced baguette then on the bottom half, layer a couple slices of meat (allowing those juices to soak into the bread--YUM). On top of the meat, assemble a little piece of lettuce, some pickled carrots/radishes, a few thin slices of shaved white onion, a few thin slices of cucumber, and a sprinkling of both chopped cilantro and fresh mint. Take some of the thinly sliced jalapeno and stick them onto the horseradish coated top slice of bead. (This just helps to hold them in place.) Also, as a warning, this sandwich is not necessarily an easy one to eat, but I trust you'll figure it out.

Pickled Veggies Recipe, courtesy of MonkeyMom

Pickled Carrots and Radishes

* 1/4 pound baby carrots, peeled (**I used regular carrots, sliced into oblong coins)
* 1 bunch red radishes, preferably breakfast radishes (daikon are more traditional. I just think red radishes are beautiful.)
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 cup apple cider vinegar
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 2 tablespoons sugar

Slice carrots and radishes into quarters (or sixths for thicker guys) lengthwise. Mix all ingredients together. Taste for seasoning. Let stand as little as an hour or up to overnight. They keep for several days.

Horseradish Sauce

Okay I know this is pretty involved, so try and keep up.
4 T Sour Cream
+
1.5 T Fresh grated horseradish
Mix.
Enjoy.

Okay friends, hope you have a fun time making these little guys. I did, and trust me, you'll enjoy eating them... Don't forget, lots of jalapeno.

A break from the kitchen

2011-02-04T13:57:00.001-08:00

Its true, its true, despite your possible notions of my superior cooking-ish faux cheflike kitchen prowess, I am indeed NOT a full time cook. Nope, not at all, its in fact a hobby, just like all of you. I do it before, after , and in between working for moolah. If the Benjamins were floating down from the heavens on a regular basis, then I would cook full time, but until that happens, I will stick with the real job.
Aside from my kitchen and restauranting escapades, I fill my life with pictures. Taking them, looking at them, editing them. And I Love it. I adore photography, and am lucky enough to be making a life around it. Today I just wanted to share with you a small sample of something I was working on last weekend. A full day filled with high spirits, interesting, creative, talented people.
I do believe I'll start doing this on a semi regular (well...as regular as my posts are...) basis. Sharing my various photography projects, images which I feel you may find pretty, fun, intriguing, rad, peculiar, and of course delicious.
Thanks friends.
Cheers
special thanks to the wonderful people who made this day possible.

Niki Chopra Richardson, independent consultant, and writer. My partner in crime on this venture, super talented, and great at what she does. A little more about her here
Syliva, over at A Packaged Parties, was not only incredibly kind and accommodating, but resourceful beyond belief! Her showrooms, and rental inventory was nothing short of miraculous.
Al and Ruth from Affectionate Digitals provided these gorgeous handcrafted invitations and paper cards, with stunning calligraphy and detailing.
All the amazing pastry chefs and happy incredibly helpful people at Sweet Arleens
Janet and Lissette Di Pietro, the creative minds behind A La Mode Party Favors Dolling up the set with their fantastic little boxes and cute party favors
Jan provided the breathtaking flower arrangements. Let me tell you, this woman knows what's up. She created some unbelievable (and heavy!) arrangements for us. Very chic, tasteful, and honestly, perfect. Couldn't have done it without her, definitely look to her for many a fabulous flower, Jan's Flowers
And lastly, Mike for providing the stunning wedding gowns from his quaint, but gorgeously well stocked boutique, Bridal Collection And thanks to Christina for modeling these beautiful pieces.

Cuban flair

2010-12-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

Well, now that it is all said and done, the holidays are 112% behind us, I feel like I can finally catch up, and get back to, real life. As soon as December 1 hits, its a whirlwind of anxiety, rushing, financial insecurity, deadlines, parties, late work hours, heavy traffic...oh, and some holiday cheer thrown in there somewhere...Phew, I'm exhausted all over again, just thinking about it. Don't get me wrong, I love the holiday season, and love everything about this time of year, however, its just one of those things, we love it, but we kinda love when its over. Case in point? I am finally writing this long over due post. Earlier in December, I was invited to a holiday party, wherein I was excited to bring a side dish (as I always am). So the question becomes, obviously, what to bring? More specifically what run through my brain...'What to bring that will be both impressive, and delicious that everyone swoon over, that is both healthy-ish, but not so healthy that no one will want to eat it, and will undoubtedly win me the unspoken prize of best side-dish/appetizer, allowing me to reign victorious. Yes, true story folks, I'm somewhat of a competitive person, even though in person, I'll deny it, in response, "Oh, I just wanted to make something simple, and yummy." Okay, truth be told, 'simple' is a very subjective term, ahem, but nonetheless, I love cooking (obviously, otherwise why would you be reading this) and will cook something for any party, regardless as to whether or not it was initiated that I needed to bring anything. That's just me.
SO, for this party, I knew I wanted to make some sort of smallish food, single servings, that was both inventive, tasty, not to unfamiliar to people, and not a typical pigeonholed holiday party food. I.e. no pigs in a blanket, no fondue, no ham and cheese weirdness, ect ect. I decided on sliders. Sliders are totally approachable, impressive to look at all arranged on a platter, and the fillings/garnish options are endless. I decided on a pulled chicken slider, with a distinctly Latin flair. Totally unlike any usual holiday dish, this fresh finger-food was fabulous, and given the zero sandwiches left at the end of the night, it seemed to be a pretty popular food table addition.
There are a lot of components to this dish, no questions about it, however, the skill involved in each part isn't difficult, and the only somewhat challenging part simply come at the end, when you're trying to jam pack all the goodness onto one bun, which I will mention, its okay if some of the 'stuff' falls off, that just means there's more little tasty nuggets to pluck up and taste test along the way...
You can make pretty much any step of this dish in advance and just bring it all together for assembly. If you make the chicken in advance, I recommend shredding it within 30 minutes of taking out of the oven, because its much easier to shred when its warm. Then simply refrigerate it until you're reading to assemble the sandwiches. You can reheat the shredded chicken in the oven, with a little added chicken broth for like 20 minutes at 300, until its warmed through, and juicy.
Okay, so the list of components for the Cuban Pulled Chicken Sliders
Cilantro Crema
Pineapple Salsa
Fire Roasted Poblano Peppers
Pickled Red Onion
Cumin Spiced Pulled Chicken
Hawaiian Rolls

Aaaaand the Recipes

Cilantro Crema
1/2 C Mexican Crema (available at any Latin market, or at most major grocery stores, in the refrigerated section in the dairy dept)
scant 1/2 C chopped cilantro
1-2 clove(s) minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to you taste, if you like more heat, by all means spice it up!)
Mix all ingredients together. Tricky, I know. Season with a little salt and pepper, and taste to make sure its flavorful.

Pineapple Salsa
1 Whole fresh pineapple, trimmed, peeled, cored, and finely cubed (you'll end up needing only about half the pineapple cubed up, fyi
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
2 T tequila
1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 tsp Sriracha
good seasoning of sea salt
Mix all the ingredients together, and toss well to combine. This salsa is best after it sits for a little while, stirring every so often, so the seasoning and the tequila all kinda absorbs into the fruit and peppers.

Poblano Peppers
This isn't so much a recipe as it is a technique. One of my favorite techniques by the way. Fire roasting peppers is a great way to lessen their fiery flavor (if applicable) and to give them a deeper richer flavor. AND, you don't have to have a fireplace, or bonfire to do this, just a gas range, or if you don't have that, you could even do it in your oven, set to broil.
Take 2 poblano peppers, and place them directly over the flame of your gas top range, set to med-high. If you're using the oven, set the broil to high, and place the peppers on a heavy duty sheet pan, on the top rack, so the peppers are very close to the heat. Rotate the peppers every 4-5 minutes, or until they are charred on all sides. Yes, I mean charred, as in pretty black. The skin should be completely burnt all over. Its okay to have some areas that are less dark, or still showing some green, as long as they are 90% blistered and charred. Remove from the heat, and immediately place into a ziploc bag, and let sit for 10 minutes. After that time, the peppers should be cool enough to handle. Remove from the bags, and lightly rub the skin of the peppers, the skin should pretty much just slip right off, in pieces. Be gentle not to tear the flesh of the peppers, but you can also hold them under lightly running water to help wash away the tiny bits of burnt skin that are a little tricky to get off the peppers. After removing all the skin, you'll have a nicely roasted darker green/brownish colored pepper. Now, just remove most of the seeds from inside, and thinly slice the peppers into strips, and reserve for arranging on each sandwich later on.

Pickled Red Onion
see recipe here at David lebovitz's awesome blog

Cumin Spice Chicken
Coat a sheet pan with foil, then with olive oil. Take 8-10 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on. Sprinkle liberally with
2 T cumin
3 T salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 T oregano (dried)
1 T chili powder
1 T garlic powder

rub all over chicken, and slightly under skin if possible. Place on sheet pan, and roast in a 375 degree oven for approximately 25-30 minutes. Until juices are running clear and the skin is gorgeously crispy and sizzling and a rich brown color. Allow to cool out of the oven for 20-30 minutes, then pull off the bones and shred. Discard the skin, or save it, and later re-crisp in the oven for a deliciously indulgent unctuous little snacky snack.

Okay peeps that's it. Assemble all together and try not to make too much of a mess. Although ultimately impossible. All these components on this little sandwich work perfectly together. Hawaiian bread sweet rolls are perfect vehicles (slightly toasted) to hold all this goodness together.
Serve em at your next party, they'll be a big hit, I promise. I may not be Cuban, but these are my new cubo-american staples. Just don't go around telling any Cuban grandmothers, or I'll be in big trouble.

Amazing meals

2010-12-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

Once again, I was lucky enough to be invited to The Hyatt Huntington Beach Resort and Spa for another amazing experience. The talented and lovely public relations ladies at Purry Communications Group have once again shown me much love, for which I am always grateful. I can't really say enough good things about the Hyatt Resort and Spa, in Huntington Beach. The people are awesome, the location is beautiful, and the overall experience seems to get better every time I visit. I was invited to share in a special multi-course tasting dinner highlighting their fall/winter menu, along with wine pairings. Now for those of you who know me (and if you don't, lets be friends), you know I don't mess around when it comes to food. I like good food, and I'm not in the business of boosting people's egos, or filling lowly hearts with false hopes and heartless compliments... With that said, The Californian is a damn good restaurant. Pardon my french.
The Californian is the fine dining restaurant at the resort, manned by a more than capable team of creative, inventive chefs. At the helm, is the newest addition to their team, Executive Sous Chef Chris Toth. A native Canadian, he brings a fresh and contemporary flair to their menu. Armed with local farm-fresh produce, a diverse range of fresh seafood, a variable slew of meats and proteins, and an open mind, this chef is 'kickin it up a notch!' Okay, I deeply apologize for the lame celebrity chef reference, I couldn't help my cheesy self...
Okay okay, but in all honesty, the food was good. Really good. As in it's no surprise The Californian is a AAA Four Diamond Restaurant.
Now, I could wax philosophic all night, about how the ambiance was perfectly accentuated by the classic, yet refined styling, and the aromas wafting from the kitchen sparked your senses, as the graceful and attentive servers poured bubbly... however, that's not my style. You'll just have to go check it out yourself. Plus, why read all about it. You can't lick the screen. Well, you can, but I mean, its not quite as fulfilling as actually going to the restaurant, take my word for it, I may or may not have tried before... Okay! Tangents! Sorry!
So, I will tell you what the menu was like...

First course
Pan seared scallops, with a corn hash, lamb lollipop with yogurt sauce, and a fresh little salad with goat cheese and pickled onions. ALL amazing. The seared scallop was perfectly caramelized, tiny flecks of porcini and potato really rounded out the hash, and the lamb chop had a nice earthiness, accented by the tart yogurt sauce. Oh, and a fresh and unexpected hit came from the pickled onions in the salad. I love pickled anything, especially when paired with a richer counterpoint, such as the goat cheese. All very cleverly thought out. Great textures, great flavors.
So, I did mention that there were wine pairing, right? Oh yes folks, wine pairing per course. That/s after the amazing sparkling proseco we started with. I mean, honestly, a meal like this went from being amazing to over the top perfect, when paired with wine. Look, I'll be the first to admit, as much as I enjoy wine, I typically just want to eat eat eat... so why bother with wine, I mean, I really just want to experience the food, right? WRONG! With a meal like this, the wine, when paired correctly (which it most certainly was) absolutely complements the food. In fact, not only complements, but actually enhances the flavors! The little nuances of flavor actually come out, once you take a sip of wine. The sharp citrus and faint grapefruit in the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Brander, brighten the sweet yet rich hash, and play off the flavor of the scallop. The berry in the ZD WInes 2008 Pinot Noir, match to the lamb, and enhance the flavor, making it more robust, more luscious! Yes, I said luscious, this was luscious worthy.
Point being, the wines not only taste great, and make you feel great (um, nudge nudge) but they change the way you taste the food, in a marvelous way. I highly recommend having dinner here with the recommended wine pairings, as per their gifted and astoundingly informative Beverage Manager Gabe Regalado.
Main course
Filet of beef, with a whole roasted baby tomato. Slow roasted baby portabello mushroom served atop a potato and Gouda gratin stack, and grilled swordfish with Avocado Risotto, and grilled Broccolini-- accented with a Blood Orange Reduction. Okay, really? Yes really, and that mushroom nearly brought me to tears. Not. Kidding.
Dang I love a good mushroom, and it was succulent and sweet, but with a little sharpness from an acid, and paired with the rich potato and Gouda baked gratin, it was a real treat. The filet was the perfect temperature, and quite flavorful (this coming from a native Kansas girl, where steaks are easily served three times a week, and always always Kansas born and bred... needless to say I can be a bit if a beef snob.) The avocado risotto was a creative approach to a risotto and very successful, paired with the bright and surprising tender swordfish. I must confess, swordfish is never my go-to when dining out, but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised, for being a fish that is so commonly overcooked it makes me weep, this was well prepared. It could have been because of the blood orange reduction, which, you could probably put on anything, and I would scarf it, licking the plate with no remorse. That reduction was dynamite, one for which I would consider breaking and entering for... As for the wines. This was favorite pairing of the evening. We were poured a the Faust 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley... AHHH!! SO good, so delicious, so amazing. I don't even consider myself by any means a wine geek, but this is one of those wines you can tell, is really really stunning. Perfect with beef. Perfect. We were also poured the Jordan, 2007 Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, which was excellent as well. Amazing nose, great rounded flavor, perfect with the meaty swordfish, and slightly Latin flavors in the risotto.
Final course/ Dessert
I always love sweets, really I do, and this was no exception.
Pumpkin Creme Brulee, assorted Biscotti and surprising take a on Cheesecake, a Goat Cheesecake with cranberry Compote. We were also poured the Dolce, Chardonnay, Napa 2002. A lovely little dessert wine, which having never appreciated ports or dessert wines, I was impressed with its complex qualities, and not overly sweet flavor. The goat cheesecake was original, light and totally delicious. The creme brulee had the perfect and 100% necessary crystallized sugar crust on top. It was appropriately fallish in its spiced pumpkin flavor, without beating you over the head with a cloying pumpkin pie redux persona. Very well done.
I was pretty inspired, I already have a recipe in the works. Definitely something with a blood orange reduction, or the like, might try a roasted chicken variation, with roasted mushroom risotto perhaps? OR something with that corn hash... OR, maybe I'll just make a huge pan of pumpkin pudding and call it a day. Hey, that's inspired, right?

So is your screen smeared and saliva covered by now? Ew, too much? Sorry. :) I do honestly hope you get a chance to checkout The Californian at the Hyatt in Huntington beach, if you're in the area, man its a great place for dinner or drinks, or both. Preferably both. Oh, and by the way, I don't work for these guys or anything, I just like to share the love and try to keep all my SoCal peeps in the know!
Until next time. Eat on my friends, eat on!

Bloody Mary making Contest + unbelievable brunch = Heaven

2010-11-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, I was invited to compete in a Bloody Mary making contest, courtesy of the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa, in Huntington Beach, on behalf of Purry Communications Group. Let me say this... 'Seriously?!' Why in the world would I turn down an amazing breakfast, free booze and a healthy dose of friendly competition on a Sunday morning? That's pretty much my ideal way to start the day. The brunch and contest were held in the beautiful Californian Restaurant, at the Hyatt Regency. Now folks, when I tell you this brunch was amazing, it was A-MAZ-ING! Fresh fruit as far as the eye could see, bacon, sausage, ham, freshly scrambled eggs, lox, cream cheese, ALL the trimmings, a zillions different kinds of breads and pastries, cereal bar, steel cut oats bar, they even had CANDY! OH, and lets not forget the Chef, preparing custom omelets to order. Any other day, I would walk in there, and simply due to my often times crippling indecision, get one of everything... Yeah, its that bad. As in a mushroom and bacon omelet with a side of m&m's, a little lox and croissant, perhaps dome yogurt, with cherries, and a piece of ham...
I know, I know, but everything looked soooo goooood! In the light of my photos, i exercised restraint, and resisted piling all said foods onto my plate... I went with lox and scrambled eggs, with capers, tomato, and onion, and fresh fruit. It was delicious.
Special thanks to Executive Sous Chef, Curtis Toth, restaurant manager Ben Gravelle, and Jeremy Lambert for helping to put everything together, and being remarkable hosts. Additionally, none of this culinary and Bloody Mary deliciousness would have been possible without the talented ladies of Purry Communications PR Group, so thanks to them, they're pretty rad.
So, about this competition business...
My very worth opponent was Marcie, from over at SurfCityFamily. We both concocted what we thought to be our winning cocktails, and passed them off for judgment. In the end, I pulled out the win! I would be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit nervous, um, remember my friendly competition statement at the beginning? Yeah.

Okay, so for the recipe... Which, by the way will be featured as a recommended recipe at the Bar

Becky's Bloody Mary aka, the Hot Ginger Mary

Fill glass with Ice, fill halfway with Vodka (yes halfway, who are we kidding here, lets get serious)
Fill the glass with tomato juice, to fill approximately 3/4 of the glass
Ingredients
**As with just about all recipes I post, these measurements are approximate to my taste, if you prefer more spice, by all means, get crazy with that sriracha, this is simply a guideline, for which you can experiment, if you so choose...

1 T raw horseradish
6-6 dashes Worcestershire
1 T crushed fresh ginger
1 T fresh torn parsley
1/2 tsp sriracha (my favorite)
1 tsp Louisiana hot sauce (my 2nd favorite)
1/3 freshly ground black pepper
squeeze of lemon

Add all spices, sauces, ect into your glass of tomato juice/vodka. Chop stir with a swizzle stick or stirrer for a minute of so, just so everything is well amalgamated.
Garnish with a little sprig of parsley, a baby carrot and a pick with a baby hot pepper and blue cheese stuffed olive.
Now, drink!! Stir every so often, because the ginger and horseradish tend to sink to the bottom, and you wanna get all that spicy goodness in every sip

The bloody mary bar is available to guests, as an all you can drink type of deal, just like the buffet. For 35 bucks you get the full buffet, all you want, and the full bloody mary bar, for making you own handcrafted creations. If you just want the buffet, its $22 and $11 for kids. Not a bad deal at all, especially considering the quality and quantity of what's being served.
This was one Sunday morning spent exceptionally well. I highly recommend trying the Californian for Sunday brunch and breakfast. Oh, and P.s. the resort is amazingly beautiful, and sits virtually right on the beach, with tons beautiful natural light and gorgeous views. Just sayin...
Click on any image to see it larger
All images © Becky Reams Photography,

Chili and other anecdotes

2010-11-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

It's no secret there's more chili recipes out there, than weathered wood spoons. So do you really want to read about another chili recipe? Well, yes, and I'll tell you why. Chili is perhaps one of the most subjective foods out there. Endless possibilities, spicy, not so spicy, vegetarian, Texas style, Cincinnati style, with pork, with turkey, with pork and turkey, runny, chunky, white and creamy, tomatoes-y and zesty... The list literally goes on and on and on. And, I've probably made a good 97% of every conceivable variation. All with tremendous success. Well, maybe not all...Ahem...hey, nobody's perfect.
Today's recipe is for a vegetarian variation. I assure you, its crazy how much depth of flavor you get in this chili, without any added meat. Its rich, and hearty and satisfying, and oh yeah, LOW FAT! Like probably zero fat, if I knew how to do all those calculations. Its just beans and spices, and tomatoes and veggies.
Confession: I don't even have a recipe. I know!! Seems sacrilegious to write a food blog, and post about what to cook, minus a recipe!? However, all I mean is you don't need super specific measurements to make things like chili, and soups and stews. Just wing it. I must confess (again) I do that quite a lot. A lot a lot.

Switching gears. In other news. I co hosted my first ever big time dinner party this month. I've thrown smallish dinner parties in the past, 5, 6, 7 people. No big deal. Well, this bad boy topped off at 30 people!!! Yes people, that's 3-0, THIRTY!
It. Was. Awesome.
My amazing bestie' s birthday was this month, and she desperately wanted to throw a cocktail party. Ofcourse, I was in. When the two of us get together and start planning, and brainstorming... things can get a little crazy. Our combined forces create this ultra, super power of entertaining and hosting. We're like the Martha Stewart alter ego dream team boring-party-be-gone action fighters! Needless to say one thing led to the next, and before you know it, we had a creative and totally personal theme, decoration arrangements planned, menu cards designed, a guest list, and oh yeah, one small little 7 course tasting menu planned... Oh, that's right. 7 courses. AMAZING. Not only that, but they were small plates, so they were super cute and small, and delicious, and super inventive.
Oh, you want to know what we came up with? Okay!

Farm fresh California salad
Red and green leaf lettuces | local heirloom tomatoes | blue cheese | roasted slivered almonds

Maryland lump crab cakes
Blue crab | mirepoix | remoulade

Kansas City style BBQ Pulled pork sliders
Mesquite smoked | KC BBQ sauce

Panamanian Tamales with Fried plantains
Cheese and chili corn tamale | fried plantain | al ajillo tomatillo sauce

Toni's Classic Chili
shredded cheddar | sweet cornbread mini muffins

Fried Chicken and waffles
Chicken drumette | malted waffle | maple syrup

Red Velvet Cupcakes

So, that's it. Everything was pretty tasty, and J and I had a blast putting everything together. We're certainly thinking about continuing the trend. Perhaps a little supper club, once a month??
In any case, I hope you all choose to entertain at some point. Its surprisingly not terribly difficult, its all about planning planning planning. If you have a menu in mind (even a couple things, not necessarily 7 multi-part dishes...ha) And, you do some prep the days before, you'll be fine. Just pour plenty of wine, people won't complain, I promise.
As for pictures from the party, I regret to inform you, I was too busy running around in platform heels and frying plantains, and plating 180 individual plates of food, and chatting it up, and fending off the police... (true story)... that I didn't fire a single picture. [A tear rolls down my cheek.] Sad, I know. However, the silver lining is that the recipes were wildly successful, and as such, I'll be making them again, taking proper pictures and sharing the recipes with all you lovely people. In the meantime, checkout Cereal&Wine for other tidbits and recaps from the evening, as well as the always welcome positive outlooks on life in the fast lane...

Okay, so now for that Deceivingly Rich and Delicious Three Bean Chili recipe
Another DeliciousView original!
Oh, and remember, I winging it here, these portions are mostly approximate
1/2 Medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2-3 garlic cloves (depeding on size) finely minced
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beads
1 can red kidney beans
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 can regular crushed tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
2 T chicken bouillon
1 C water
2 T dried oregano
1 T crushed red pepper flakes
1.5 T cumin
2 tsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
2-3 T chili powder
hefty pinch of salt, probably a couple pinches, and a few grinds of black pepper

For serving: Corn tortillas, diced avocado, diced onion, and shredded cheddar.

In a medium - medium high heat deep saucepan, saute the diced yellow onion, and bell pepper with a touch of olive oil, until lightly colored and soft, add jalapeno, and garlic, saute another 3-4 minutes. Add spices, and oregano, continue to cook for a minute or so. Add tomatoes, beans (rinsed and strained first), tomato paste, bouillon and water. Stir really well, to make sure everything is combined, and tomato paste and bouillon are completely dissolved.
Allow to simmer partially covered for at least one hour. A couple hours would be perfectly fine, assuming you have the time.
When you're redy to serve, allow to cool slightly, and taste for seasoning. If it seems a little flat in flavor, add more salt until the flavor really pops.
I like to serve my chili with a little diced avocado, to cut the spiciness factor--, some diced white onion, for crunch and flavor contrast--, and some melty sharp cheddar cheese for the creamy savory factor. Oh, delicious.
Enjoy friends!!

Honey Caramel Apples

2010-10-26T20:02:00.001-07:00

Okay, I'm going to keep this pretty short and sweet, just like the recipe. Chuckle chuckle chuckle...
Fall is awesome. Arguably my favorite season, and even in LA, where seasons are notoriously vague and unnoticeable, fall has begun. In turn, I inevitability start to to crave apples, squash, soups, roasted anything, and all the usual suspects of fallish-holiday cuisine. Number one offender: Caramel apples. Oh, how I love a good caramel apple. The memories of Renaissance fairs from my childhood are enough to get my butt in the kitchen to satisfy a craving. Now, of course, we all know that the produce section at the grocery store is littered with little plastic wrapped, artificial in every single way, caramel apple impostors. So yeah, that's an easy way out; however, with honestly very little effort, you can make your own, and they're tastier, fresher, juicier, and all around actually better for you.
The ones I decide to make came from one of my favorite food blogs, 101cookbooks. Heidi Swanson is a an all around natural food queen, and always has fantastic healthier riffs, on seemingly unhealthy foods. So today I piggy backed off her recipe from a couple years back, one that I've been dying to try, just anxiously awaiting a break in the California heat...
This recipe has literally 5 ingredients. 5 people. That's it. Apples, honey, cream and salt, and the optional roasted chopped almonds. The only caveat to the whole thing it that you kinda need a candy thermometer, because making caramel is more of a science than an intuition type of thing... BUT, don't be deterred, my thermometer was like less than 10 bucks at Target, they are not difficult to find.

Caramel Apples
recipe courtesy of Heidi Swanson over at 101cookbooks

6 - 8 small apples, cold
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup honey
optional: 1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped

Special equipment: candy thermometer, and lollipop sticks, or wooden skewers, as I used

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Push a stick into each apple - in through the stem.
Fill a large bowl 1/2 full with ice water and set aside. This will be used to shock the bottom of your caramel making pan, once you've reached temperature, and will stop the caramel from cooking.
In a medium, thick-bottomed saucepan heat the cream and salt until tiny bubbles start forming where the milk touches the pan - just before a simmer. Stir in the honey. Bring the mixture to a boil. Now reduce the heat to an active simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 15-20 minutes minutes or until the mixture reaches about 255-260F degrees. To stop the caramel from cooking, very, very carefully set the bottom of the saucepan in the bowl of cold water you prepared earlier - taking special care not to get any of the water in the caramel mixture. Stir until caramel begins to thicken up - you want the caramel to be thin enough that it will easily coat your apples, but not so thin that it will run right off. If the caramel thickens too much simply put the pot back over the burner for 10 seconds or so to heat it up a bit.

Tilt the sauce pan to the side so all the caramel forms a pool on one side, and use your other hand to dunk and twirl each apple until it is thoroughly coated with caramel. Now if you would like (which I definitely did) place your chopped almonds onto a plate, and gently roll the apples around, to get an even layer of nuts. Place each apple on the parchment lined baking sheets and allow the caramel to cool and set.

Yum yummy yummerson.
One small note. These can sit at room temp for like a day or so, however, if there's any moisture in the air, the caramel will start to slowly slide off the apple, and pool around the bottom. Still wonderfully delicious, and great to eat with a spoon (yikes...confession) its just not as pretty :) To keep them in tip top shape, stash them in the fridge. When you're ready to serve them again, allow them to sit at room temperature for like 20 minutes, so none of your guests lose a filling trying to chew through the hardened caramel
Happy fall friends!

fall first date

2010-09-26T14:49:00.001-07:00

fall first date by Becky R on Polyvore.com

Casual, yet kinda dressy, and he'll know you have great style...

This polyvore business is fun fun fun... I could play with building outfits, for hours. Oh, yes, didn't I tell you? My other great love, other than cooking of course, is cloths. Not that I can always afford them, but I look at lots of cloths, and try to put together fun outfits...
Check back in a couple days, I'll have a warm chili recipe for you. Until then, check out polyvore, where you can search virtually every piece of clothing ever made, and put together outfits virtually, without ever stepping foot in the mall, priceless.
P.S. Mad Men AND Dexter (the season premier by the way) are on tonight, so you can expect me to be firmly planted in front of my big screen, eyes fixed for 2 hours. Don't judge, Sunday is the only night I HAVE to watch tv. Its my thing. I know some of you out there are nodding your heads in agreement.

Keep it simple, stupid.

2010-09-15T23:15:00.000-07:00

I've been having a bit of a cooking dry spell lately. I mean, what are you gonna do, it happens to everyone at some point in their lives. I'll admit it, it's a little embarrassing. I haven't cooked in a while. Like, we're going on two plus weeks of no cooking. Eeeek. I feel like I'm at cooks-who-don't-want-to-cook anonymous. I have excuses, oh, believe me I have excuses. I'll spare you, for both of ours sake. I will say, my kitchen was out of commission for at least 10 days due to a series of very unfortunate events. So that started it. And since, its just been hard to get back in the saddle. I've been taking cues from my other, oh so fabulous friend, over at cereal&wine, and go figure, eating a lot of cheerios for dinner. And I think the no-carb-left-behind diet is starting to catch up with me...
Fast forward, today. I decided to fire up the oven, and at the very least, roast something. Anything. When it comes to cooking, we all know that creativity is key, and reinvention is the name of the game for keeping dinner interesting. Grilled chicken and broccoli only lasts so long, before you have a quasi-panic attack and eat your weight in sesame chicken, or three too many bowls of rocky road. Been there, done that.
A simple solution? Find inspiration in the produce department at the grocery store. I find inspiration in the strangest of places, and at the most inopportune times. Just last week, my friend mentioned something about squash, which segued into seasonal squash, which segued into the many many many varieties of squash, and their unique differences. The most unique of all, and possibly most under-appreciated squash, the spaghetti squash.
The most interesting, and appealing quality of this gourd is the way its inside flesh peels away in strands once its cooked. Hence the name spaghetti squash, clever I know. Its an Adkins dieter's go to. Many a low-carb cookbook preach its amazing ability to substitute pasta and satisfy spaghetti bolognese cravings. Um, folks, that's highly debatable; however, spaghetti squash is delicious in its own right. Adkins-schmadkins.
The way I cook it, so obviously, the best way: Chop it in half lengthwise, lightly brush with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper, and roast face up on a sheet pan, in a 350 degree oven for an hour. After about 35 minutes, flip the squash over (so now its flesh side down) and continue to roast for the remaining 25 minutes.
After removing from the oven, allow to cool for about 20 minutes, or until its cool enough to handle. With a large spoon, gently scoop the flesh out, being mindful not to destroy the thin strands that separate and pull away from the outer rind. You can see in the pictures, it really looks like lemon colored spaghetti.

Step two: how to serve it.
Variations are endless here, homemade marinara would be my preference, but even jarred spaghetti sauce works in a pinch. I took the simplistic route. Simply served with cracked black pepper, perhaps a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil, and for a twist, crumbled gorgonzola cheese. Why not? Spaghetti is always married to parmesan, pecorino, mozzarella...boooooring. I mean, don't get me wrong I love Italian food as much as the next gal, but why not change it up? Plus, this isn't really spaghetti anyway, so why not try an extraordinary cheese? Gorgonzola shouldn't be limited to cheese platters and chicken wings. The squash is very mild flavored, a somewhat toothsome, but not gummy vegetable. It definitely needs proper seasoning, which is key, be sure to salt it appropriately. The cheese is full flavored, so you only need a little dabbling. Voila. A simple, yet satisfying and remarkably impressive meal. People don't eat spaghetti squash everyday, so just in case you are serving it to friends or family, they'll praise you in your originality and culinary creativity.
You 1, other schmucks, 0.
Remember when in doubt, check out the produce aisle and gravitate to what's on sale. Typically if it's on sale, it's because its in season, which means its fresher, tastier and cheaper. Boom, win win win.
Hey friends, click on any picture to see it larger

All images © Becky Reams Photography 2010

Cool.

2010-09-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Imagine for a moment, everything cool, new, hip, up and coming, that makes Los Angeles, well… Los Angeles. Now bundle that all up, smack an invitation on it, and mail it. Recently, I was fortunate enough to receive one of these mysterious, power-packed invitations. I am obviously speaking gibberish here, however, I know you know what I’m talking about. LA is one of those cities where you feel like everything is cooler, newer, hipper, and…most of the time… exclusive. LA is the Mecca of so much. Literally, SO. Much. There’s Hollywood, the social scene, the big businesses, you have all the amazing galleries, the small music venues, totally unassuming, packed to the gills, with chart-topping musicians! And, of course the most important, THE FOOD. New restaurants are opening all the time. Food festivals every weekend, everything from Korean BBQ cook-offs, to grilled cheese contests and beer tastings. You can’t help but practically run into farmers markets in every neighborhood, and the catchword ‘foodie’ has become synonymous with the epitome of gastronomic coolness. Eating out is the new clubbing. I’m telling you, LA is chock full of people who want nothing more than say the have found the best pho in town, or the best sushi, or know where certain chefs have taken up house. It’s become like celebrity gossip. Perez Hilton who?! Yeah right, just Google ‘LA food,’ and you’ll only find a mere 7,345,990 pages worth of food blogs, websites, restaurant reviews, food fest calendars…and it goes on and on. New chefs are emerging and everyday, and to experience a new restaurant, or attend tastings in any form, from new culinary talent is one awesome experience.
So what does any of this have to do with that super-exclusive-LA-coolness-invite I received? Well, everything. I was invited to what is known as an underground dinner. No, no, it’s not some creepy food-worshiping event, where we meet in a cave and hover together over a glazed pork chop… It was coined ‘Underground’ because it’s exclusive. Yeah, that’s right, I was invited to an exclusive event. I’m sure I’m completely obliterating any cool-factor I inherited from this dinner, by speaking about it in a such a geektastic way; however, I can’t keep up the façade forever, I’m a self proclaimed dork, and specifically, a food geek. The way these dinner work, is there is a chef, and there is a location, and there is a guest list. The location is chosen by a PR agency, which sets up the event. The Chef is also brought in by the agency, and the chef creates a menu (usually somehow themed). Then, the tickets are made available. Now, here is the tricky part. How do you find out about the tickets? Well, to be honest, I have no idea. No. Clue. AND, I don’t want to know, the mystery is just too much fun. Another cool aspect of this idea is that the location is never disclosed until right before the dinner is set to take place. AND, the locations are insane. Never in a restaurant, or dining hall, or any other lame ass venue. We’re talking beautiful gardens, art noveau galleries, and private residences hidden away in the Hollywood hills… Its crazy to think about, but this is the essence of what LA is all about. Experiencing something unique and unheard of. Something cool and fresh and modern. These dinners bring together people who would otherwise probably never meet, however under the precedent that you love food. So you’re meeting new people, probably quite interesting ones, and moreover, probably really well connected (always a good thing in LA) and you get the opportunity to share in great wine, great food, and a fabulous ambiance which is a welcome change from the norm.
The word got out about this event, by the immensely talented team at Purry Communications Group. And let me tell you when I say these ladies know how to network, it’s a very underwhelming way of saying they know people who know people. In addition, Jonathon Fong, proclaimed decorating and lifestyle guru did all the table décor, and floral design. Joshua Klapper, from La Fenetre wines provided all the wine pairings for the evening (may I recommend the 2008 Sierra Madre Pinot Noir?!) Which, I must note, the wine pairings for each course were quite perfect bearing in mind the particularly diverse menu of traditionally difficult flavors to pair with wine. I mean, do you know what varietal best complements coconut and chili? Or whether a lighter or fuller wine works with pickled cucumber and shiso? No, I don’t either, but Joshua sure does, so we were lucky. All in all, the dinner seemed to come together seamlessly. Which we all know, nothing ever goes perfectly to plan, however, as best as I could tell, these folks didn’t miss a step. It was like watching ants building their colony. Each individual had a specific job, and did it perfectly. The staff of servers, cooks, sous chefs, bartenders, organizers, ushers, they all quietly coast around one another, with little chatter just a keen understanding of the end goal. Every person is taken care of and happy.
The atmosphere was charming, complete with lavish table décor, eclectic ambient music, mood lighting, cute servers gliding in and out of the crowd, handing out dishes of Ahi tuna tartare, and pouring handcrafted Calamansi and mango martini’s. Chicly dressed attendees were chatting it up with one another, admiring the modern art that adorned the walls. Oh, that reminds me. Did I mention the venue? I didn’t, how could I possibly overlook the location? Let me tell you. This place was in-sane. It was held at a private residence, up in the Santa Monica mountains. The epitome of 21st century modern architecture. Honestly, I’m fairly certain somewhere in the world an architecture student died and went to heaven when this place was built. Again, back to my geekiness, I was walking around like a fat kid in Baskin Robbins. Clean lines and modern styling punctuated by with bright pops of color in the furniture, and larger than life pop art on the walls. One clever aspect of this home was its seamless transition from indoor to outdoor. The walls were actually entirely glass along the back wall, so for entertaining purposes (or rather any purpose for that matter) they simply slid the glass doors/walls to one side, and people were free to drift in and out freely. The sit down dinner tables were situated outside in the back yard area, along side the concrete lined infinity pool, and patio longing area, complete with fire-pit.
The theme for the evening was ‘From the Far East.’ This theme was reflected in every aspect of the evening, from the table settings to the food (obviously), even the evening parting gift was a cute little handmade fortune cookie (shaped my Chef Amy herself). The tables were styled with gold and red knick-knacks, fresh flowers, mini twinkle lights, fortune cookies, ceramic chopsticks, and beautiful fabric. If I had to guess, I would say there were 60ish people there. A good-sized group for sure. There were two long banquet tables where everyone sat. The communal table idea served as a great way to meet people and strike up conversation. Sitting down for dinner next to a complete stranger is not typically something we all look forward to when dining out; however, in this setting you are encouraged to introduce yourself to the fellow food lovers around you. Plus, it’s refreshing to carry on conversation with someone who shares your same passion, foodie-ism..
So, to get down to business. The food.

The menu was created and prepared by a serious rising star in the LA culinary scene. Her name is Chef Amy Jurist. She took humble beginnings as a personal chef, and has since been creating a ruckus with her wildly popular Decadent Underground dinners. Her quick wit and charisma is as equally appealing as her cooking. A boisterous and funny woman, who has no problem calling the shots and running the show. Just how a chef should be, in my opinion of course… Her themed dinners have included such inspirations as The Bounty of California, and even Bacon. And you thought you couldn’t throw a party to celebrate the pig’s most delightful gift to the cooking world. I heard they even dished out lipitor for dessert. Okay, okay, I digress. In any case, for tonight’s dinner, Chef Amy created a variable cornucopia of uncommon and distinctly far eastern inspired dishes for us. Approximately 8 courses, including the hour’durves. The horderves included a (before mentioned) Ahi Tuna Tartare, Chicken and Shrimp Lumpia, Beef Satays, and Salmon and Asparagus Yakitori. Side note: a smart addition to this menu was the inclusion of the origin country for which the dish was inspired. For example, as with the Lumpia, on the menu it tells us that that dish is associated with the Phillippines, and the Yakitori comes from Japan, and so on. I appreciated knowing where each dish originated, especially since I am less familiar with Asian cuisine, and many of the signature dishes of different countries.
As we settled in for dinner, Chef Amy was able to pull away from the kitchen just long enough to offer us a warm welcome and a quick run down on the evenings courses. Wine was poured, introductions were made to neighboring diners, and servers began filtering out, arms lined with white porcelain. The first course was a variation on a Laksa, with Shrimp and Crab. A dish originating from Malaysia. It was a coconut and curry broth, accented with, cilantro and a strong sesame oil presence. The flavor was nice, mild, and not too heavy, the shrimp and crab were both beautifully cooked. A nice starter, I think it could have been more heavily spiced, but that may be a matter of taste. The second course was what Chef called a ‘pupu platter,’ which historically, is a dish composed of multiple different components. Something like what us dumb Americans would call the combo plate. Hers consisted of Coconut Fried Shrimp, a Thai Cucumber Salad, a Crab and Shitake Dumpling, and Peking Duck wrapped in a Green Tea Sesame Crepe. It was a nice concept, and a good riff off the classic. The shrimp was a fairly straightforward interpretation, but nonetheless tasty. The cucumber salad was a refreshing counterpoint to the richer peking duck stuffed crepe. In fact that acid in the pickled cucumber was absolutely essential to play off the surprisingly sweet peking duck. It was a little too sweet for me, but this was my first Peking duck experience, so it may very well have been a perfect example of a classically prepared peking duck. The crepe was an inventive way to present the duck, and it was tied ever so cutely with a single chive. Not much green tea or sesame flavor, but those are subtle flavors, and she had a long going on, on the plate. And the dumpling, a nice addition to round out the plate. This course was also served with a beverage separate from the wine pairing. She created a thai iced tea. Now, this was interesting, because in the past (well, my two other experiences having Thai iced tea, by no means makes me an expert) Thai iced teas are commonly lighter in color, slightly herbal, but not strong, and a little creamy . Chef’s tea was unusual in that it had a bright burnt orange color. Striking to look at, and quite curious in flavor. It was tasty, and unique, I just can’t exactly figure out what she used to make it. It was a little sweet, and very fragrant, with an earthy undertone, in fact woodsy. Those seem like silly words to use to describe tea, but I assure you, it would make sense once you tasted it. I have a feeling she used an African red tea, or a roobois tea. That would help to explain both the bright color, and the strong robust flavor, which is common with red teas. The third (entrée) course, was a Miso Glazed Black Cod, served atop a green tea soba noodle salad, with Asian vegetable mélange. Inspired by Japan. Now, this course I can happily say, I’ve had several variations of. Miso glazed Cod is somewhat of a staple in many many many LA restaurants, as I’m sure you’ve all seen. Not even specifically Japanese restaurants. Its been popping up on menus in all sorts of places. Just earlier this week, my fellow diner had Miso glazed Cod at Le Grande Orange, in Santa Monica. So, its not per se, a hugely inventive dish, however, its almost always crazy delicious. I. Love. It. So, as I was not surprised it was featured on her menu, I wasn’t complaining. Slightly sweet, with a faint crispness from the oven roasting and the caramelization of the miso glaze. Quite tasty, and not overcooked, which was a relief. Cooking fish for large groups of people is somewhat like Russian roulette. You kinda just follow your intuition, set the timer, and hope for the best. The soba was a nice accompaniment to the fish, however, slightly over dressed for my tastes, and a bit on the overcooked side. Again, cooking for 100 people, I’m sure components of each dish are modified to accommodate the large quantities and prep time, ect. And at this point, I realize I am being quite critical. And finally, dessert. A dish from the Phillipines, a Turon Saba. Sounds more like a luxury sports car to me, but in my insatiable hunger for trying foods and dishes completely unfamiliar to me, I was oh so excited. And the fact that its dessert, and I never pass on dessert… I was a little banana and jackfruit spring roll, deep fried, and served with a Macapuno Banana Ice cream. It was Jackson pollacked with caramel and dusted with confectioner sugar. The spring roll was a fun idea, and I had never had jackfruit before, so that was great. The best way I can describe it, is just as another tropical fruit, a little sweet, but not citrusy. However, there was also banana in there, and perhaps more sugar, an the caramel, and the confectioners sugar on top, AND the banana ice cream, which was divine, AND I may or may not have been a little tipsy from all the wine…so…in retrospect, the dessert was over the-top opulent and delicious and I loved it, but I rarely turn a cold shoulder to dessert, especially if ice cream is involved, and especially if I’ve had a glass of wine or two…
If you can, you should really make an effort to get to one of these Decadent Underground Dinner parties. It’s a heck of an experience, and its something totally out of the ordinary. You’ll have the best weekend stories and for sure be the coolest cat at the water cooler on Monday.
‘Hey, so you’ll never guess where I went this weekend… a super exclusive-cool-underground-chic-dinner-party-soiree….”
“Huh?’
“Yeah, that’s right, I’m sooo connected, I’m kind of a big deal.”
Of course, I always play it cool.
Don't forget, you can click on any image to see it larger...

Al images are copyright protected and sole ownership of Becky Reams Photography
© 2010

It's a Bund-t

2010-08-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Bundt. Bunnndt. Bunt. Bu-nd-t. No matter how you pronounce it, Bundt cakes are pretty darn awesome. I mean, not only is it a cake, which = delicious, but they are impressive too. People are impressed when you make a bundt cake. Not to mention, the average 6 out of 10 Americans couldn't identify a bundt cake from a cannoli anyway. Allow me to elaborate. For instance, you arrive to a party, bundt cake in hand, and you're greeted with love, excitement...and...confusion. Um, what? Inevitably, I always fall into the same conversation
"Wait, you MADE that?"
"Well, yeah, why?"
"Wow, it, like, looks so good. So, its from a box?"
"No. I made it...from scratch."
"Really?! Whoa."

Cracks me up every time. People SO rarely bake from scratch anymore, and its quite a shame. It can be so enjoyable and truly rewarding. Its an instant sense of accomplishment. There's minimal time spent waiting around, and its not painful (well, hopefully not anyway, if all goes to plan). I mean, why not, right? So, my dear readers, and I know who you are, your homework assignment this week is to bake something from scratch. Yes, that means you have to [GASP] BUY flour and sugar and eggs, and read a recipe, and follow directions, and use your oven... AND THEN once your masterpiece comes out of the oven (whether it be cookies, muffins, a blackberry cobbler, whatever, a dang wedding cake, if that's where your ambition takes you) bask in the sweet sweet joy of creating a beautiful, lovely, sweet, bundle of culinary deliciousness. Okay, you got it? So have fun!

Now, I must preface this by saying when I was growing up, I distinctly remember baking from boxed mixes. Betty Crocker and I were super pals. And my mom too. I remember baking with Mom, making cupcakes for various school events, and we often, quite often, made them with the strong assistance of Ms. Crocker. SO, I am 100% not anti-cake mixes. Just a disclaimer.
However, my mother also was a strong proponent of baking from scratch. And baking something from scratch is different from baking from a mix, as is baking a pre-made frozen dessert, or most obviously, simply buying a ready to eat dessert. I am absolutely not passing judgment, because I've purchased my fair share of pre-made items. All I'm saying is a Duncan Hines bundt cake is not the same as my Mom's (and now my) bundt cake made with butter sugar flour eggs...
I'm sure people appreciate the homemade quality of foods. Whether or not they fully realize it at first, there is definitely something a little different going on. There's always just that little something in the background. Some flavor or essence or texture that is making that particular cookie/cupcake/cherry pie you're tasting a little bit better. I'll yell y'all what it is. Its the love, people.
There is no extra love baked into the plasticized, lacquered version of a cake, displayed under fluorescent's at the super market. No. Love.
I can get down with some Oreo's on occasion, but as far as the grocery store bakery, I steer clear. Word to the wise.

Today's recipe is for a bundt cake that I made to take to friends housewarming party. I recently came into a surplus of maple syrup (long story) and have been itching to put it to good use, in ways other than ladled over waffles. I've been researching the last week, (thank you Martha and Donna, goddesses among cooks and women everywhere) and reading many a cookbook, helloooo Betty and decided on a spin on a spice cake. Tart apples made an appearance, a healthy dose of cinnamon and plenty of rich grade B maple syrup, inside and out. Now, don't let the term fool you, Grade B, in my opinion is actually far superior to Grade A syrup. Maple syrups are labeled and categorized by Grade and according to factor such as richness in flavor, color (light vs. dark), and viscosity. Grade B is a richer, darker and therefore thicker syrup. It's aged and cooked down longer, creating a more intense depth of flavor. We're not talking molasses thickness here, but still a little heavier than your run of the mill 'pancake' syrup. I used the syrup in the cake batter itself, then again in the glaze for topping the cake once its baked.
Also, side note, I know this recipe is a little fall-ish and seeing as its still hitting the 90's on a regular basis here in LA, perhaps you're thinking, this heartier dessert seems inappropriate. Well, yeah, you make a valid point, however, I had all this awesome maple syrup on my hands, so I threw tradition to the wind, and branched out. Plus, now, worst case scenario (that is if you aren't already planning on baking this tonight, which you should) then you've got a killer fall dessert game-plan on lock down. No fuss, No cookbook scouring, and NO Grocery store impostor. Just tuck this recipe away for later, and revisit it during the appropriate chilly months.

Oh, and P.S. I apologize I don't have a picture of the cake in its entirety. Most of it was...ahem, devoured before I could snap the pictures. But I think you get the idea. I used a classic Nordic Ware bundt pan. The Best. I high recommend this version Classic. Great construction. Works perfectly every time. Oh, and if you're anything like me, I can't wait to get my hands on one of these babies. Now if you think a basic bundt cake is mega impressive, imagine what people would think when they sliced into a cake made from this pan! A-maz-ing.

Apple and Maple Bundt Cake, with a molasses maple glaze
And, I'm pleased to report this is a Becky Bakes original

5 apples, chopped to a fine dice (but not mush) in a food pro or electric chopper
3 C flour
3 eggs
1 & 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 C granulated sugar
1 C Grade B maple syrup
1 t salt
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 T cinnamon
1 T vanilla

Set your oven to 350
Spray a 12 C capacity bundt pan with a nonstick spray, this product is my favorite, works perfectly every time. Make sure its a nice even coat, this is like your extra insurance to make sure the cake comes out of the pan in one piece
Cream butter and sugar, then add maple syrup and blend until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl mix flour, and leavening (the baking soda and baking powder, those are your leavening agents in the recipe, i.e. the chemistry that makes the cake rise)
Slowly beat in flour mixture. Lastly, beat, or stir in the finely diced apples pieces. Make sure its all well combined and pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown, and a tester comes out clean, with dry crumbs, no gooey batter.
Let cool in the pan, about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. At this point, you could go ahead and ice it, still warm, or wrap it in foil (once its cool) and wait to glaze it when you're ready to serve. Either way works

For the Molasses Maple glaze

1 C powdered sugar
1 T molasses
2-2 1/2 (approximately) T maple syrup
Stir all together, until it's very smooth, and no lumps remain. If it's too thin for your liking, add a little more sugar, and keep mixing until you reached the desired consistency. Alternatively, if its too thick, add more maple syrup.
Pierce around the top of the cake with a sharp knife, or fork with long tines. You want to create small thin craters for the glaze to seep into a little bit. Spoon the glaze slowly on the top of the cake, all the way around, trying to direct the glaze to drip down the crevasses (its prettier that way). Finally, if desired, sprinkle some sliced almonds on top, for a visual appeal, and textural contrast.

Enjoy
ttfn.
Wow, its been a long time since I said...er...wrote, that.

When I think I don't want to cook

2010-08-24T17:02:00.000-07:00

I always do. In this case, it turned into a full blown tapas extravaganza. Complete with food, music, Mojitos and more food. Oh, and fun people, and oh yeah, my super cute freshly redecorated home. (On a separate note, the house is coming along nicely, more on that, probably post housewarming party, lets say, November)
So what started off as a sleep-til-noon-and-barely-make-my-lunch(brunch)-date turned into an exceptionally satisfying afternoon of shopping. Oh, new cloths you say...how you love new cloths!!? No no, not this time.. ahem. I find more pleasure in the type of shopping necessitated by eminent entertaining. Yes, that is fancy talk for discount home furnishings and grocery shopping. I like this kind of shopping, like really really like it. A brief chat with the roommate, and a friend sparked the dinner get together. At first, "Drinks." "Yeah, we'll just have some cocktails, have a friend or two over...perhaps a mini game night is in our future?" I chime in, "Yeah, I'm not really in the mood to cook...."
A looming glance for my dear friend J, says it all. We both know, that's a crock.
It didn't last long, I was already driving towards the home decor/decorating/entertaining/awesome-discount-cookery-stuffs/mega house... i.e. dangerous waters for someone such as myself. Lets just put it this way; Alcoholics know to keep their butt out of Lucus Liquor... I on the other hand, have no such restraint.
You know its the awesome-est feeling in the world when you're conceptualizing while you're shopping. I'm very ADD like that, so as thoughts pop into my mind, I kinda have to go with. Scribbling on the palm of my hand no less... I was sifting through serving platters and glasswares, and picturing the food resting inside. Then I ran next door to the grocery (yes, its a double whammy, the grocery is literally next door. Its a dangerous strip mall for me. My debit card was actually shriveling up before my eyes. True story)

I decided on tapas. I little Spanish, a little Mexican, anyway you swing it. Its basically dressed up finger food, with a prettier name tag. I did roasted vegetable quesadillas, and spicy chicken quesadillas. I used queso fresca, cojita and a monteray jack blend. OH, and goat cheese. The goat cheese was a fun trick. Something a little different, and not perhaps the first cheese when you think of Spanish cuisine. It was a little tangy, but a little mellow at the same time, and matched beautifully with the sauteed red onion and bell pepper. I also whipped out some black beans with onions and roma tomatoes. Some pico and chips, guacamole, and various other accouterments. Tapas are great because serving roasted nuts, olives and/or roasted and marinated vegetables are all totally viable appetizer options. AND they're virtually hands off. You can grab some super high quality ingredients from farmers markets, or even your nearest grocery store, and serve those items in pretty little dishes, and wham bam thankya mam, appetizers. DONE.
As for the recipes, this is another instance where there was no specific recipe followed. I let the ingredients do the talking. I had an idea, and just ran with it. You can too. Just improvise. I made a couple different kinds of Quesadillas. All with a combo of cheese, some roasted chicken (seasoned and marinated in a jalapeno and tomatillo sauce, with cumin, paprika, garlic, and lime zest), scallions and cilantro. I also did a version with sauteed green bell peppers, roasted red peppers, and red onion. With the cilantro and cheeses.

The black beans were easy, just add two dashes of cumin, paprika, a pinch of salt and crushed red peppers. Diced roma tomatoes, and a half of a red onion, finely minced, and mix it all together. Bake in a casserole in the oven for like 30-45 minutes at 350, and stir in minced fresh cilantro at the end. The Sweet and spicy roasted almonds, I did sort of follow a recipe.

Sweet/Spicy Almonds
2 C Almonds
2 T vegetable oil
1 T cayenne pepper
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
3 (maybe 4) T sugar

Set oven to 350
Mix all together and bake spread out evenly on a baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes. Check half way through, and shake the pan, so they don't over brown and burn. Remember, nuts go from toasty and brown to burnt and inedible in a matter of 2.5486 seconds. So watch out. I've made that mistake more times than I care to count.
Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to your serving dish. Keep leftover nuts sealed in an airtight container, for future snacking.

Oh, and for dessert, I made poached Nectarines, in a cardamom and ginger scented syrup. Now this my friends, is truly simple. Its a great way to make a not-yet-ripe-fruit sweet and soft and delicious, and nifty fresh alternative to dessert

Nectarines, poached in ginger and Cardamom Syrup
Modification alert: If you want you can do this with any stone fruit really, i/e/ peaches would be great, plums m even pears or apples. AND, depending on the season, change the flavorings to say, mint and lemon verbana with pears, or cinnamon and rum with apples, or vanilla and anise. I've also poached with a cup of red wine, or muscat wine in place of one cup or water, and that lends a wonderful aromatic quality.

5 nectarines, halved
5 C water
2.5 C sugar
1 3" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/4" coins
4-5 sliced of oranges peel
1.5 T ground cardamom (OR, if you are really in the know, you keep fresh cardamom pods on hand, and you can lightly crush[bruise] them, and add that to the pot which will intensify the cardamom aroma ever so slightly. I digress, I failed in this department all I had was the ground)
1 T ground coriander (same goes as above with the whole seeds. If you got 'em, use 'em they're a little better than the ground)
a pinch of salt

Okay, combine the water, sugar, orange peel, ginger, cardamom, coriander, salt, and bring to a boil. Stir, to make sure the sugar dissolves. Once boiling, add the halved fruit, and reduce heat to a simmer. Take a heat proof dish, like a ceramic, or glass plate (small enough to fit inside the pot), and place it literally on top of the fruit, t help weigh it down. The purpose here to press the fruit down, below the surface of the water so they're completely submerged. Don't worry, it won't damage the fruit, or the pot (and since the plate is heatproof) the plate will be fine too, it won';t break).
Let the fruit simmer for approximately 30-45 minutes, or until they're rosy in color, and very soft, but not falling apart. Kill the heat, and let the fruit cool in the liquid until they're fairly cool. Strain out the nectarines and transfer to a serving dish. If you want, now yo can reduce the liquid to get a wonderful syrup to serve alongside. Reheat the liquid in a saucepan, and cook (boiling for 20-30 minutes until its reduced by atleast half and syrupy. Be sure to keep an eye on it, if it cooks too long all the water will evaporate, and the sugars will over caramelize and begin to burn. We want a nice syrup, not a heavy dark, borderline-caramel.

Strain out the solids, and drizzle over the fruit.
These are great warm with whipped cream or ice cream. OR (as what I've done, three days later) they're delicious chilled and dolloped with yogurt as a little lighter dessert or snack

All in all, the evening was a hit. A great Sunday evening with friends. Friends and food, and mojitos. And that's all you can ask for. And to think, my original gameplan was a sleepy pajama date with Mad Men and a bowl of cheerios. Ah, don't you love how spontaneous events transpire in memorable, a lovable memories in the making. Special thanks to my always, partner in crime, J, check out her chic wit and classy take on all things fabulous here