Weekend Docket: 8/27/10

Friday August 27th

9PM - It's Miss Kane's Birthday, and as a member of FOKK, I'm obligated to be drinking many a beer with her at the Surly Goat!

 

Saturday August 28th

10:00AM - I'm demanding my breakfast in bed!  Maybe I'll go sleep over at Kristany's house instead.  She seems to wake up to gourmet breakfasts every day. 

6:30PM - Devil's Night Drive In.  Wes Anderson.  Rushmore.  Rooftops.  Downtown.  Kristany Dyakostica.  It will be awesome.  (See below if you have no idea what I'm talking about, but are intrigued enough to investigate & join me)

Sunday August 29th

10AM - Because clearly I'm becoming a Farmer's Market whore... I'm throwing this on my weekend docket.  I'd like to think that I'm going to wake up early enough to get some fresh sea urchin... but after an evening out in Downtown with Kristany Dyakostica & his Gay Cowboy lover, I'm not sure how coherent I'll be at 10AM.

All in all, I'm taking it pretty easy this weekend... considering being on antibiotics + lack of alcohol, leave very little to do.

**** Other Fun Happenings In & Around The City ****

All Weekend

Food & Wine's Taste of Beverly Hills

Thursday - Sunday

Sponsored by Food & Wine magazine, the first annual Taste of Beverly Hills is a four-day epicurean event celebrating the worlds of food, wine, art, and music. Designed to intrigue the palate and engage the senses, Beverly Hills residents—and beyond—are encouraged to come out and experience a wine and food event unlike any other...The festival will include food and wine tastings from celebrity chefs and renowned restaurants—both local and from around the country—live cooking demonstrations, wine seminars from Napa's top vintners, live musical performances from award-winning artists, and more. Discount Tickets on Goldstar: Various Locations www.thetasteofbeverlyhills.com

Everything Is Terrible! presents Everything Is Festival!

Sat / Sun 7:30pm - on

Imagine a weekend where all your fantasies come true. We're talking about the festival to end all film festivals -- Everything Is Festival! For reasons beyond our control, we at Cinefamily are giving the found footage freaks at Everything Is Terrible! free range of the weekend, and letting them do whatever the hell they want. This makes it the official L.A. premiere of their latest mash-up feature-length film, 2Everything 2Terrible 2: Tokyo Drift, not to mention some of EIT!’s favorite movies in their uncut glory, plus dance parties, BBQs, a return of the Cinefamily Found Footage Battle Royal, and top-secret über-rare prints from the vaults of Cinefamily and Austin, TX’s famous Alamo Drafthouse! EIT! will also be playing assorted madness from all their favorite pals they've met on their mystical journey: TV Carnage, Waverly Films, Rob Schrab, Black Magic Roller Coaster and tons more! Swag-bags for folks who buy weekend passes! The only thing we ask is to bring along your old friend...Imagination! Silent Movie Theater - 611 N. Fairfax www.cinefamily.org

Thursday, 8/26 

Hatchi Chef Series: Love & Kisses & BBQ

6pm - 10pm

BREADBAR | Century City welcomes Chicks with Knives for their Hatchi Chef international culinary event, Love & Kisses & BBQ! This selection of 8 plates at 8 dollars each are certain to abide by Chicks with Knives' concept "S.O.L.E."--sustainable, organic, local and ethical--while maintaining the highest quality local ingredients. Breadbar @ Century City Mall www.breadbar.net

** Sidebar: To explain this picture.  Many of my images come from google search, and Breadbar + Hatchi returns this lovely photo.  Thank you Ludo.  So I felt it MUST be shared. **

Saturday, 8/28 

Devil's Night Drive In: Rushmore

6:30pm doors || 8pm movie

Devil’s Night, a Los Angeles production company and radio station, is showing Wes Anderson's RUSHMORE this Saturday night. Located on an elevated parking lot downtown, the drive-in offers a needful escape from summer in the city. Patrons have the option of driving in and staying in the car or enjoying the film on Astroturf provided by staff. According to Devil’s Night owner Morgan Higby Night, the lot, located on Broadway and Fourth, “has this great feeling of seclusion and a great view of the skyline.” 240 W. 4th St. (at Broadway) - 2nd Floor  www.devilsnight.com

Saturdays Off the 405: The Antlers

6pm - 9pm

With a "skyscraping blend of the ambient and the anthemic," the Antlers make music that is at once simple and immense— dream pop with an epic storyline. The critically acclaimed trio crafts its delicately powerful melodies with a fervent, artful earnestness that captivates listeners with lyrical surges, sweeping strings, and starry, sonic layers of postrock.  Also performing: Dublab founder, L.A. stalwart, and host of Celsius Drop and KPFK's Future Roots Radio, DJ Frosty is back again, mixing beautifully genre-bending and progressive new music.  A cash bar serves Getty-tinis and more, and the Garden Terrace Cafe offers sandwiches, salads, and other nibbles (both until 8:30pm). Getty Center - 1200 Getty Center Drive www.getty.edu

Cinespia: Goodfellas

7pm - midnight

Hollywood Forever Cemetery's Saturday night screening is Martin Scorecese's classic, Goodfella's.  Gates open at 7pm, film at 8:30pm.  $10 donation at the gate & $5 parking.  6000 Santa Monica Blvd. www.cinespia.org

Sunday, 8/29 

Los Angeles Times Celebration of Food & Wine

12pm - 8pm

From the epicurean to those who simply love good food, this all-day event has every ingredient to satisfy your appetite for new twists and classic favorites. Make plans now to join the celebration at Paramount Pictures studios this Labor Day weekend. Featuring the best of the best from the culinary and beverage worlds and touching 6,000+ people, the Los Angeles Times Celebration of Food & Wine is a can’t miss event!  Paramount Pictures Studios: Discount Tickets on Goldstar events.latimes.com/foodandwine

Primetime Emmy Awards!!

5pm - 8pm PST 

NBC will broadcast the 62^nd Primetime Emmy® Awards live coast-to-coast on Sunday, August 29 (5-8 p.m. PT, 8-11 p.m. ET), from NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles.  Set your DVRs!! www.emmys.com

Chilled "Adult" Watermelon Soup

On a hot summer day, nothing says relaxation better that a big bowl of ice cold watermelon soup.  Spiked with a little something special to take the edge off.  :-)

• Seedless Watermelon
• Fresh Strawberries
• Simple syrup
• 1 cup Water
• Lemon
• Vodka
• Feta crumbles

Cut the watermelon in half. Divide halves into quarters. Cube the melon, place in large glass mixing bowl. Use the odd shaped sizes for the blender. 1/2 melon cubed, 1/2 melon blended. Add 1 cup water to blender.  Toss in a few Strawberries for an extra boost of color. Result should be a slushie consistency. Add lemon juice & salt to taste. Skim off the foam. Use simple syrup to sweeten to taste. Add vodka as well. Strain, then pour over cubed watermelon. Garnish with feta.

This turned out even better than expected.  I made the soup a day ahead of time & let it chill overnight, so it was perfectly temperatured by the time guests started to arrive.  

Reverse Spherification Mozzarella w/ Pesto & Baby Heirloom Tomatoes

And now for some more science-y fun...

Spherification is the culinary process of shaping a liquid into spherical shapes.  In the traditional method, a sodium alginate is added to a liquid, which when then dropped into a calcium solution will form an encasing around the liquid, thus creating a "caviar" of sorts.

In a reverse spherification, which would apply to a solution that holds calcium, such as cheese, you instead create a concentration of calcium in your mixture, and drop that into a sodium alginate solution to create your spheres.  Confused yet?  I know I am, but aside from going back to high school and taking a chem class, I'm just going to be satisfied by the fact that this works.

To make the Buffalo Mozzarella Spheres...

• 250g Buffalo Mozzarella
• 150g Heavy Cream
• 50g Milk
• 5g Calcium Lactate

In all honesty, the first time I tried this, I stuck to mixing with an immersion blender, but the faster way?  Just blend that stuff up!  I did this a day or so ahead of time so that the mixture would have time to settle & mellow in the fridge.  On the day of, I added a little more milk to soften up the cheese & make the whole thing more soup-y.  It worked well to make the mozzarella extremely smooth.

Setting Bath

• 1L Water
• 5g Sodium Alginate

Also blended up the setting bath & then let it sit for an hour or two so the bubbles could escape.

To form the balls, you drop a spoonful of the mixture into the setting bath & let it "cook" for 1-2 minutes.  Then using a slotted spoon, you scoop out the Sphere, and rinse it in a cold water bath.

I garnished it with baby Heirloom Tomatoes & a delicious pesto I found at the farmers market!

If you want to see me in action...

video via punky express

Caramelized Onion Panna Cotta

After watching some CIA Top Cheffage, and Amanda's failure at re-imagining a French Onion Soup... Chef Colicchio had a great suggestion that stuck with me.

Panna Cotta.

Having never made one before, but assuming that it couldn't be all that hard as all you're really doing is cooking cream, I set out to make my own Top Chef inspired creation.

And so I present...

Caramelized Onion & Aged Cheddar Panna Cotta with a Caramelized Onion base, Reduced Sweet Onion Sauce and a Parmesan and Garlic Crostini.

Caramelized Onion Cheddar Panna Cotta

• Olive oil, to grease
• 375ml (1 1/2 cups) milk
• 375ml (1 1/2 cups) thin cream
• 70g (1/3 cup) sugar
• 80g Caramelized onion cheddar cheese finely chopped
• 2 tbs boiling water
• 3 tsp powdered gelatin

Brush molds w/ olive oil. Combine milk, cream & sugar in saucepan over med heat. Cook for 10 mins or until sugar dissolves. Add cheese and stir until completely melted. Bloom gelatin in the hot water until dissolved. Slowly whisk into cream mixture, pour into molds and let set for at least 6 hours.

Caramelized Onion Base

• 1 large Spanish onion, chopped
• Butter
• Sugar

Caramelize onions, and then press into the molds on top of the panna cotta after it’s set. Run a knife around the edge of the mold to loosen & flip upside down onto plate to serve.

Playing with Fire & Water

Onion Syrup
taken from playing with fire and water...

• 300g sugar
• 100g Vidalia onion juice (about 1 large onion, put through a juicer)
• 200g dry red wine
• 150g red wine vinegar
• 50g balsamic vinegar
• 50g extra-virgin olive oil
• 5g fleur de sel
• 1.5g sichuan pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges and separated into petals.

Place sugar and onion juice in a large saucepan. Stir until sugar is evenly wet. Cover pan and set over medium heat. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove cover and turn heat up to medium high. Cook syrup to 360F/182C, or until medium golden and smells like toasted onions. Immediately remove pan from heat and carefully add the wine to the pan. The hot syrup will sputter and boil, add the wine slowly until it calms down. Return pan to stove and continue cooking on medium high heat. When the syrup has dissolved in the wine, add all of the remaining ingredients. Adjust the heat to maintain a full rolling boil and cook the syrup until it reduces and thickens to the consistency of maple syrup. This can take up to 10 minutes. Allow syrup to cool slightly and strain out the onion pieces. Store syrup in refrigerator for up to one month.

Parmesan & Garlic Crostini

• Freshly Grated Parmesan
• Thinly sliced bread

Toast thinly sliced garlic bread with a heavy coating of freshly grated Parmesan.  Garnish & enjoy!

Cashmere Mafia B Cucakes...

Thank you B! Now I just need to figure out a recipe that fits your personality to fill these adorable cupcake wrappers!  I'm thinking... LOTS of whiskey.

* If you have no idea what she's talking about... check out my little Cupcake Baker of the Week cameo!

Chocolate Cup Fail

For a while now I've been wanting to copy the infamous Bakerella in making these absolutely adorable chocolate cups using a balloon for a mold.  It seems easy enough right?  Especially for a little Martha Stuart in training?

No.  I was wrong.

First, looking at  her pictures, it looks like she used water balloons, right?  Because they're tiny and adorable.  So I went to the store to buy myself some water balloons, but shocker, apparently neither Smart & Final nor Trader Joe's carry them.  And I didn't need 10,000 of them from Costco.  Finally at Ralphs I found a bag.  Mistake 1.

Next, chocolate.  I've always loved the packaging of the pound of chocolate at Trader Joe's, and figuring a pound would be just enough, I went for it.  Mistake 2.

I crumbled up the chocolate, set it over a stove-top & waited for it to melt.  Which it did.  Rather quickly.  Smooth and ready for dipping, I had my balloons all ready to dip.

** Side Story: I've found that IZ... not so much a balloon man.  Clowns would beat him.  He can't blow-em-up nor can he tie them.  This was all very silly to watch him try to attempt. **

So, water balloons.  They're thin.  They have a very high break on impact rate.  Heating up the air inside with no where to expand was probably not the best idea.  Now I have nice melted chocolate littered with bits of burst balloons.  Oh joy.

After scooping them out, I search my closets for some regular balloons (because yes, I'm secretly a clown on weekends.  One who would beat IZ for his balloon incompetence.) and find a box of Winnie the Pooh ones.  I barely blow them up, and then dip them in the chocolate.  It works!  They look adorable!

I've now got a tray that I set in the fridge to harden.

Which they do.  But seeing as how I went with the readily breakable and edible variety of chocolate with a lower melting point, versus a good ole Baker's chocolate which would have actually held it's form, the chocolate cups start to melt the moment I try to break them off the balloon.  Plus I absolutely should have double dipped.  One layer... just didn't cut it.

Oh right, and remember the Winnie the Pooh logos?  Well yep.  They came right off onto the chocolate.  So I've ended up with a tray of chocolate cups that melt within minutes of being outside of the fridge, and laced with (assuming deadly) pooh-ish toxins.  And have holes in the bottom.

This was not one of my better experiments.  And it was going to be so yummy filled with Beer Sorbet & Strawberries.

Next time.  Baker's Chocolate & Regular Balloons.  That should do the trick.  Hopefully.

Fail.

Cheap wine, good eats & a view to die for... Yamashiro Farmers Market

It truly exceeded my expectations! 

That I could even make the tail end of this event made it all the more promising.  Rushing after work, I pulled into the lot around 7:45, and saw a small crowd of people waiting for the shuttle.  Parking was free, but they did Valet the cars... It seemed a little sketchy, but worked out well in the end.

We took a super short shuttle ride up to Yamashiro, and we were met with a stunning view of the last remnants of a stunning sunset.  If only we got out of work just a little earlier.  Sad. 

The very first booth as you walk into the "market" (I put it in quotes, because this was more akin to a foodie tasting event than an actual homegrown farmer's market) is the wine & beer tent.  Assuming it was by the glass, we were pleasantly surprised to see groups walking away with full bottles, and even more surprised by the very reasonable $20/bottle price tag!  They also had ginormous singha beers for $7 a pop. 

We then wandered around, listening to easy music, tried out a bunch of different cheese spreads, hummus & pesto's before realizing that the wine minus food was making us a little tipsy.  Having heard great things about the Yamashiro Taco's we meandered over to the booth, only to find a 30 min line! 

Not going to last that long, we opted for crepes instead.  Yummy, delicious crepes.  You can never go wrong. 

IZ went with the Best of the Wurst, and it came with a smooth & creamy German potato salad which I could eat by the bucket load. The owner even came over after he'd finished to check in, see how he'd enjoyed his Wurst & to see if their new baker was up to snuff.  

This was a great first experience, but next time we're coming with a game plan.  Divide and Conquer, one person rushes over to the taco line to wait, while the other stocks up on bottles of booze at the front. 

Also to note, while the market is officially "over" at 9PM, we definitely lingered until around 9:45 or so enjoying the music & views...

Yamashiro Farmer's Market
Park at the Fifth Christian Science Center
(7107 Hollywood Blvd.)
Complimentary shuttle up to the Market runs from 5:30-9pm.
Returning shuttle runs until 10pm.
http://lacityfarm.com/

Weekend Docket: 8/20/10

Thursday August 19th

Because the weekend's starting a little early...

8PM - Yamashiro Farmer's Market!  Can't wait to sip wine, eat tasty tacos & enjoy phenomenal LA Sunsets tonight!

Friday August 20th

1PM - Costco Run!  Need to do some massive shopping...

4PM - Haircut.  Yep.  I needs it.

9:30PM - Cashmere Mafia B's funeral themed birthday wake.  Time to make use of all my black clothes!  I was originally going to bring along some BlaVod, but as cool as it is, it tastes like cough syrup.  Have to be a little more creative with my boozy beverage addition to her party.

11:30PM - The Magician's Birthday!

Saturday August 21st

2PM - Scott Pilgrim vs the World!  Yay NYU & your free screenings.

10PM - Karaoke in K-Town!  It's yet another birthday.... Asian E!  Hopefully this time our car won't be given away by the Valet. Yeah.  Read that story.

And maybe we'll find ourselves with some SituASIAN by the end of the night.

Sunday August 22nd

3PM - Sunday Funday Molecular Gastronomy BBQ

On the menu...

Lemon & Garlic Steaks Sous Vide
Mozzarella Spheres w/ Pesto & Tomatoes
Roasted Potatoes w/ a Rosemary Butter Foam
Garden Salad w/ a Vinaigrette Gelee
French Onion Soup Panna Cotta
Foamy Strawberries w/ Balsamic Vinegar
Beer Sorbet!
Blueberry Martini Jelly Shots

**** Other Fun Happenings In & Around The City ****

Saturday, 8/21 
SoCal Suds Beer Fest 
1pm - 8pm
Two four hour sessions of beer tasting fun for a $40 entry fee.  I feel like in general these tasting events are hit or miss, but at least this one is on the beach!  Aviation Park, Redondo Beach www.socal-suds.com/

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - Tisch West Cinema Club
2pm
Free screening for Tisch Alumni & their guests.  You must RSVP for tickets.  AFI Mark Gordon Screening Room cinemaclub.pingg.com/ScottPilgrimVworld

Red Bull Flugtag USA
11am - 3:30pm
Red Bull Flugtag challenges the brave and brainy to design, build & pilot homemade flying machines off a 30-foot high flight deck in hopes of soaring into the wild blue yonder... or often, plunging into the waters below.  Rainbow Harbor, Long Beach (Pine Ave & Shoreline Drive) www.redbullflugtagusa.com/LongBeach2010

Outdoor Cinema Food Fest: The Princess Bride
6pm - 11pm
Experience the Outdoor Cinema Food Fest featuring the best food trucks in Los Angeles. It's the ultimate picnic in the park - no basket required! Kick back and enjoy your gourmet street food in a beautiful park under the stars. Watch free movies on one of the largest outdoor movie screen on the west coast!  Tickets $8, La Cienega Park www.outdoorcinemafoodfest.com

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Screening: Willy Wonka
7pm - 11pm
The classic Mel Stuart / Gene Wilder one. $10 tickets at the gate, $5 parking.  Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard www.cinefamily.org 

Sunday, 8/22

30th Annual Sunset Junction Street Fair
11am - 11pm
Featuring live music, arts & crafts, rides & games, local businesses and interesting food vendors. Tickets are $15 online, or $20 at the gate. Sunset Junction, Silverlake www.sunsetjunction.org/

Yankee Doodles @ 3rd Street Promenade

First.  Yankee Doodles?  Really? 

Moving past the silly name, in all my years of hanging out at the Promenade, I've never once thought to venture into what I assumed was a generic sports bar.  Oh boy was I wrong.  This place is amazing!  Yes it does still smell a little like a frat house, but with 20+ pool tables, hot shot, air hockey, and tons of flat screens, it certainly makes up for it's faults.

And then there's the happy hour.

Monday ~ Friday || 3PM - 7PM
Sunday ~ Thursday || 10PM - 2AM
Tuesdays || 3PM - Close

1/2 Price Billiards
1/2 Priced Single Well Drinks
1/2 Priced Pints
+ a Happy Hour Tapas Menu

You know what?  I haven't even gotten to the best part.  I found a coupon online, Free Sliders with any order of $10 or more.  These sliders were unreal!  A juicy burger with caramelized onions, pickles and cheese on top of a lightly grilled hawaiian sweet bread 4-pack.  Even for $10, they'd be worth it. 

So while enjoying a lovely Summer Friday, K, Mystery friend & I nommed on some mouthwatering sliders & got happily sloshed on $3 beers... for a grand total of $21!  Best Deal in Santa Monica.  Hands Down.

Yankee Doodles
1410 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 394-4632
www.yankeedoodles.com/

Spam & Egg Teri Rice Burger

There's this little cafe in Gardena called Manky's Cafe that has become a staple in my go-to rolodex of amazing little restaurants.  I know it's a little out of the way, but it's totally worth it.  An adorable cafe tucked in a strip mall next to a Smart & Final, this little family owned & operated restaurant is very unassuming.  It has the usual listings of cheap curries, burgers, pastas etc, but it's on their "Specialty Page" that you find the true gems.

Rice Burgers.

There are 3 to choose from, the Chicken Teri Rice Burger, Beef Teri Rice Burger & my favorite, the Spam & Egg Terri Rice Burger.

Teriyaki spam, scrambled eggs, lettuce, tomato, & onion with thousand island dressing between grilled  rice patties.  It's absolutely delicious!!

Manky's Cafe

1546 Redondo Beach Boulevard

Gardena, CA 90247-3225

Get Directions

(310) 516-1828

Beer Sorbet

Yep.  You read that right.  Beer Sorbet.  While flipping through my hydro-colloid cookbook, I couldn't help but stop at this recipe.  Fairly easy to make, this is sure to impress even the finest of diners. 

Coconut Stout Beer Sorbet
(adapted from Beer Sorbet in Khymos)
150mL of Water
140g of Sugar
0.85g of Gelatin (about half a packet)
10mL of Balsamic Vinegar
300mL of Beer (I used Maui Brewing Company's Coconut Porter)

Bring water & sugar to a boil & stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.  Add in the gelatin & continue to mix until all the gelatin has dissolved as well.  Remove from heat & add in the Balsamic Vinegar and Beer.  Put in a container and freeze.  Mix after it's frozen a bit and continue to freeze overnight.

Enjoy!!

Weekend Docket: 8/13/10

Friday August 13th 

Friday the 13th!  What a perfect day for debauchery.  Thank god that they've given us Spyglassers a Summer Half Day so all our misfortunes befall us outside of company boundaries.

Thinking about cruising the new Santa Monica Place for a bit & then hitting a few happier hours before heading home.

Free Sliders @ Yankee Doodles?  I'm there.

10PM - It's Ms. Kitada's Birthday tonight!  Happy Birthday!  

Saturday August 14th

Promised the 'rents I'd help them with a day of cleaning out my Grandma's house.  Fun filled family time, but I'm sure I'll swing by Marukai and pick up some exciting & tasty foods.

No game plan for the evening.  Somebody tell me what's going on!  Maybe I will check out the Downtown Art Walk...

Sunday August 15th

Farmer's Market with B!  Maybe this time there will be fresh Sea Urchin, but I'm thinking Sunday mornings @ the Farmer's Market with B is totally going to become a thing.

I'm thinking that Sunday night is a Molecular Gastronomy experiment dinner evening, followed by perhaps the Expendables?

Although I still have a ton of movies that I need to watch on the AFI list that I've been avoiding. 

Choices, choices... what shall I do?
 

**** Other Fun Happenings In & Around The City ****

Saturday 1PM - 3:30PM - Ice Cream Social @ Target in West Hollywood for the "Poketo for Target" Launch (CoC)

Saturday - The Gorbals hosts the the Art Walk Hangover Wine Dinner until 2AM. Think vino from Malibu Family Wines paired with a five course tasting menu for $70. No strict seating, no annoying speeches, but do call (213-488-3408) for a resy. [EaterWire]

Pear, Lavender & Cranberry Vodka Noodles

Now that my collection of crazy chemicals have arrived, and I have my trusty (or not so trusty) scale, injector, squeeze bottles, slotted spoons & thermometer... the crazy experiments can begin!

Amending a Kir Royale Caviar recipe to use things I had lying around my house... I set out to make vodka caviar.

80mL Cranberry Juice
20mL Pear & Lavender Vodka
20mL Lemon Juice
1g Sodium Alginate

However, I haven't quite figured out my scale yet, so what I thought was 1 gram of Alginate was probably closer to 4 or 5.  I ended up with a super thick gooey mess.  Very slowly I added in probably another 250ml of cranberry juice & vodka mixed together (it was handy that I was drinking as well as experimenting.)  The result was still a little too thick for caviar, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway.

2.5g Calcium Chloride
500mL Water

I poured the mixture into a squeeze bottle & then started dropping bits into the Calcium Chloride bath, but because of the density, the caviar looked more like sperm than perfect balls.  Frustrated I gave the bottle a squeeze, and out came a long noodle of Vodka.

Interesting.

I fished it out & rinsed it off.  Firm enough & with the texture of a glass noodle, this seemed promising.   I ended up making myself a whole bowl of Vodka noodles.  For the presentation, I needed something sweet, but chunky enough to seem like a sauce.  Thank god for Raspberry compote!  It did the trick. And with a little flick of magic dust, my nouveau noodle dish was set!

Also being filled with Vodka, I thought I had to for sure put it in a drink as well.  But this is where the caviar version would have been much better suited.  It was a little weird to suck noodles out of a martini glass.  Eh, that's why they call it experimenting!

Cake & Heels Happy Hour Spreadsheet

And now I'd like to intrigue & entice you into figuring out excuses to leave work early... I've made a nifty little spreadsheet highlighting our lovely happier hours all around town.  As this is a constant work in progress, always email me your updates & new places!

Click the link below & Enjoy!!

Cake & Heels Happy Hour Spreadsheet

Yamashiro Farmer's Market

Clearly I am behind the times since this has been going on since March & I'm only hearing about it now.  Magician, why didn't you tell me about this?!

Yamashiro, the stunningly beautiful restaurant just above the Magic Castle apparently hosts a late night Farmer's Market every Thursday from 5PM - 9PM.  It's just enough time for us work-a-holics to rush over & drown a glass (or several) of wine while watching the sunset and wishing we saw more daylight in our lives.

I'm getting together a group to check it out next Thursday August 19th if any of you are interested!!  Wine tasting, music & a sunset overlooking the city of stars... sounds like a magical night.

Plus with vendors like Embrace Sweets Brownies & Best of the Wurst German Foods, I know we'll be in for a treat.

Yamashiro Garden Market
1999. N. Sycamore
Los Angeles, CA 90068
www.LACityFarm.com

Garlic & Teriyaki Edamame

Popping up all over the place in lieu of the plain salted soybean, this new brand of Edamame really hits the sweet & savory high notes.  I know I'm obsessed.  Of course I had to try making this for myself, especially when my mom brought home a fresh bag of em from Marukai.

First, we need to have a little conversation about the work Teriyaki.  In it's correct pronunciation, the Japanese roll their r's slightly.  Teh-ree-yah-kee.



The word teriyaki derives from the noun teri, which refers to a shine or luster given by the sugar content in the tare, and yaki, which refers to the cooking method of grilling or broiling.

So the correct response to me asking, would you like some Teh-ree-yah-kee Edamame?

"Yes please!"

Not

"Um.  Can you please speak American?"

Garlic & Teriyaki Edamame
1 pound of fresh Edamame (or Frozen if that's what you have)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 sugar
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sesame oil
handful of sesame seeds

Steam the Edamame & set aside.  In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the soy sauce, sugar & garlic until combined.  Reduce until it's a medium thickness.  Add in the lemon juice & sesame oil.  Take off the heat and pour over the Edamame.  Mix & top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds for garnish!

Strawberry Calpico & Vodka Gelée

Excited by the prospect of a higher end jello shot, and since they no longer serve the Mojito sampler jelly shots at Bar Nineteen12, creating my own set of alcoholic jelly seemed like the next logical step.

Calpico.  In first presenting this shot to my uncultured friends, they were like wtf is calpico?!  It's an uncarbonated Japanese soft drink that has a light, somewhat milky flavor.  Similar to plain vanilla.  It's made from water, nonfat dry milk & lactic acid.  Recently they've started stocking flavored versions of this drink & seeing as how my boyfriend decided to buy a liter of the strawberry, it was readily available for mixing.

Strawberry Calpico & Vodka Gelée
1/2 cup Strawberry Calpico
1/2 cup water
4 oz Vodka
1 packet of Knox Gelatin
Splash of Cranberry Juice (for added color)

In a saucepan sprinkle the packet of Knox Gelatin over the cold water.  Let sit for a minute to dissolve.  While slowly heating the mixture add in the Calpico, Vodka & Cranberry Juice, mixing for just a few minutes until incorporated.  Turn off the heat and pour into your serving bowls.  In my case I ended up using sake glasses. Refrigerate over night.

Top with a little whipped cream & enjoy!

Huckleberry Cafe: Salted Caramel Bar

After reading about Huckleberry Cafe's Salted Caramel Bar, I absolutely knew this was a must on my Restro to try list.

Caramel has always been a finicky lover...

My first experience making the oooey gooey topping was with my crepe expert best friend from high school, who's sweet tooth rivaled Lamar Odom.  She lovingly measured out the ingredients, and very slowly and carefully mixed the mixture to perfection.  It was smooth, rich, and soft.  The blissful topping to the mound of vanilla bean ice cream she'd dolled out on top of her nutella & strawberry crepes.

The second time I felt more like Wonka.  My mixture bubbled and popped.  It rose and fell.  It was alive with expectation.  I am a slightly more haphazard chef, I think it comes with my experimental nature.  I want to feel the ingredients, and understand how they combine and work by constantly tweeking and changing the amounts I use in baking.  It sometimes works brilliantly.  Other times, a total failure.  This time it was madness.  After mixing and mixing, I ended up with a thick candy caramel, much more apropos for a candied apple instead of a dessert topping.  It appeased the glassy-eyed & starving roommates none-the-less.

But I knew I had to try again.  I wanted my caramel to sing!  This time I was sure I'd get it right.  I simmered down the heat, I patiently waited for the flavors to combine, and eventually I ended up with a nice, smooth & creamy caramel which I laid out in the fridge to harden.

But it being college and all, what would naturally happen?  A box of wine exploding in the fridge and absorbing into the caramel?  Of course.

So I remixed, melted & made wine-caramel-chocolate covered popcorn instead, which was absolutely a hit.

I realized. what I really needed was a candy thermometer, but being on a college budget, I couldn't rationalize it.  (Of course what I was too slow to figure out is that the thermometer cost less than a drink at Avalon.)  So I put my caramel making dreams on hold...

Until the Caramel Steak Experiment.

And now my Caramel appetite has been whetted yet again.  So Huckleberry Cafe, thank you so much for your incredible salted caramel bar.  As well as the instructions on the wall of the restroom.

I can't wait to try this myself!

Once I figure out what Plugra is.

HUCKLEBERRY CAFE
1014 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-2311
www.huckleberrycafe.com 

Santa Monica Dining Deck: First Look

I had a few seconds to finally check out the new Santa Monica Place Mall that opened last Friday.  While I didn't get a chance to enjoy any of the new restaurant offerings (Which I plan on doing with my first Summer Friday!) I did get to walk around a bit.

Having grown up in LA, the old Santa Monica Place was a staple in the pre-driving hang out locales.  I knew that sad mall well, so it was an extremely weird feeling to be walking the exact same infrastructure as the old space, in a totally re-designed al fresco concept.  The escalators were all in the same locations, the walkways and bridges the same... I can even picture the center courtyard, with the ghetto food court in the same spot. 

Gone are the standard mall fare junk stores, and in come the swanky high end retail that have taken over the likes of Beverly Center and Century City.  They have certainly made themselves a destination mall.  Also, by introducing an "adult friendly" Dining Deck, tricked out with tons of bars & hot bartenders to woo the over sunned and cash expendable clientele, it's sure to be a new nightlife hot spot. 

New Logo!!

I've finally gotten around to designing a little logo :-). Not that I could ever walk in those heels for the life of me...

The Buttermilk Truck

And now time for a little food truckage review.  

Thank god there's another foodie in the office who monitors the food truck movements, otherwise I feel like I'd never know when anything is ambling my way.  The Buttermilk Truck was within spittin' distance of the office, well... maybe if you're a llama, but at least close enough that we could make it there & back within the lunch hour. 

It was empty when we got there, which is not a great sign. Are people done with the food truck phenomenon unless it's super convenient?  There are so many new trucks, all claiming to be fantastic, it's really hard to keep up.  And they can't all be great.  I think the only one left that I still have any remote excitement to try is the frysmith truck... their carne asada fries photo totally sucks me in. 

Regardless, we were there & eager to try their buttermilky offerings.  Looking over the menu, you think buttermilk, you think biscuits.  And they had a biscuit breakfast sandwich offering, but sadly for us they were all sold out.  So we settled on their Hawaiian Roll sliders, stuffed with grilled Portuguese sausage, caramelized onions & a soy sauce & egg scramble.  The flavors were well balanced & the serving size was just right.  We were full... but had just enough room to knock down some mini-pancakes.

There were two flavors that day: Red Velvet & Lemon Ricotta. 

The Red Velvet was stuffed with chocolate chips, and extremely decadent.  I loved the color & the light fluffiness of the pancake made a flavor that I normally don't enjoy, quite likable. 

The Lemon Ricotta pancakes on the other hand were exceptional.  The lemon was sweet and aromatic, the ricotta rich and flavorful, and the pancakes soft as pillows.  It was topped with a blueberry compote which added a nice touch of sweet and tart, and some powdered sugar which actually crystallized slightly on top of the fresh off the grill cakes.  It added just a tiny bit of crunch to the dessert.  All in all, an A+ from me!

The Buttermilk Truck
http://buttermilktruck.com/

Heart Attack Cafe

I know I've already covered the basics about the OC County Fair in earlier posts, so no need to regurgitate information.  County Fair's are great.  Corn is great.  Pig Races are great.  Wine courtyard & tasting are always fabulously boozy.

And then there's the deep fried butter.

Last year, one of the newest additions to the County Fair's Heart Attack Cafe was the adorably named Zucchini Weenie, a hollowed out Zucchini, stuffed with a hot dog, skewered on a stick, dipped in corndog batter & deep fried.  While the thing came out of the fryer looking like a brick, you do have to appreciate adding a little color to an otherwise fully chemical filled brown stick of junk.  Tricking people into eating their vegetables by covering it in batter & frying it, why it's the American Way, right?

Jamie Oliver is spewing nasty British phrases somewhere around the world right now.

This year, they've one-upped their game.  Deep fried butter?  Seriously?

How do they make it?  It's created by taking churro dough, and filling it with a butter & cream cheese mixture before frying.  You can even choose your own flavor!  Garlic or Cinnamon-Sugar. Sadly for you, I couldn't bring myself to try this, but luckily the OC Registrar took photos!  So you can see how disgusting this all looks.

On the other hand... Bacon wrapped, chocolate dipped Oreos?  RIGHT up my alley.  We bought a few of these for my friend Wiian's birthday, since I know how much he absolutely loves the bacon/chocolate combination.

"Niki.  I'm going to have to eat AROUND the bacon."

His loss, really.  The rest of the country has come to embrace this extremely decadent and heart clogging treat... well, everyone except Michelle Obama.

Can we talk about the iPhone 4 camera?

While auto-correct & typing on the iPhone still make me long for my blackberry, the camera on the other hand, is absolute magic!  I know my little baby blue Canon is feeling very neglected, and I feel like I need to figure out a way to put them both to use, but the iPhone is absolutely revolutionizing my japanese tourist syndrome. 

I think this picture speaks for itself.  

Weekend Docket: 8/6/10

Friday August 6th

9PM - It's Anthony Marostica's Birthday!  (Not really... it's just like any other day, but with cake!  And champagne!)  Going to dinner @ Manna, our new favorite birthday spot for some fun champagne falls.  Should be highly entertaining to say the least.

11PM - Drinks @ Crazy Hook, a Pirate themed bar in K-Town.  What more could you ask for?  

Saturday August 7th

12PM - OC County Fair!!  A whole day full of amazing foods, sights & wonder.  I absolutely love going to the fair & watching the pig races, seeing all of the amazing floral designs, playing with the puppies (although I don't know if they have puppy corner at the OC, or if it's just an LA dealio) wine tasting & eating massive amounts of grilled corn on the cob. 

+ learning about agriculture in California never hurts.

8:30PM - Yet again going to try for the Cinespia Cemetery Screening.  Although, knowing my luck, there's no way I make it.

10:30PM - It's Wiian's Birthday!  Barney's Westwood, here we come!  Last year I found an inflated pig, which provided much amusement & many scandalous photos the next morning... now I have to figure out a way to top it.  Wish me luck!

Sunday August 8th

11AM - Live Fresh Sea Urchin @ The Hollywood Farmer's Market. 

At the south end of the Sunday Hollywood Farmers’ Market is a stand selling whole fish, crab, lobsters, and sea urchins (uni). sku has discovered that for $7, they’ll crack the shell and you can eat the perfectly fresh uni right there. “I paid, and they cracked. The urchin they handed me was still alive, its spines moving creepily as I held it with a paper towel,” says sku. “They didn’t offer any plasticware (a spoon would have been handy) so I just stood there, scooping uni out with my hand and feeding my face, all the while drawing a crowd of curious onlookers.”
sku says “tasting uni right out of the urchin definitely will make it harder for me to enjoy anything but the very freshest the next time I’m at a sushi bar.”

7PM - THE OTHER GUYS!  I'm very much looking forward to an evening of hilarity with Will & Mark-y Mark.

***** Other Fun Happenings In & Around the City *****

Friday - The Dining Deck @ the new Santa Monica Place Opens Today (EaterLA)
Saturday - Korean BBQ Cook-off & Sojo mix-off (CoC)
Saturday - Outdoor Cinema Food Fest: The Hangover