Starry eyed

A brief and backwards restaurant visit. I dined at a Michelin starred restaurant here in Los Angeles. 1 star. Sweet and efficient service. A lovely, golden, low lit room. And I left feeling hungry and a bit dismayed at the price to food ratio. Hefty check, excellent appetizer, adequate entree and no dessert because they all sounded pedestrian. Only later did I read the criteria for the 1 star; " Stop by if it's on your way." Reminds me of the comment one performer received after stepping off stage; "you were never better." What? Ouch!

Goat cheese spread

I served this appetizer to great acclaim with house made crostini and sliced apples. You can slice your apples in advance and place in a water/lemon juice bath for about an hour prior to serving.
1 goat cheese log/4 oz.
1/3 cup pine nuts
honey
Soften goat cheese to room temp. You can briefly microwave it in a pinch. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet watching carefully so as they can burn quickly. Toss softened goat cheese with pine nuts and drizzle in honey to taste. Approx. 2 tablespoons. Place in serving bowl, provide knives or spoons for spreading and there you go, chilluns.

She Loves Shiitakes

This is an easy and delicious cream sauce for use with pasta or poured over most any protein.
Mince 1 shallot and saute in olive oil until soft. Rinse, pat dry, cut off stems and then slice shiitake mushrooms. (Remember they shrink a bit while cooking so plan for that.) Add mushrooms to pan with shallots and toss. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and simmer until broth is reduced by half. Stir in 2 heaping tablespoons of light sour cream and stir until everything is coated evenly. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss with pasta or spoon over chicken, fish or meats.

DIY Pasta

Making your own pasta requires two things; time and that you dress in white. HA! The flour flies and it's a great bicep workout as you roll. Here's how:
3/4 cup semolina flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS water
Whisk together the eggs, oil and water. Add liquid to flour in a large bowl. Knead for 10 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic and leave for 15 minutes. Cut ball of dough in half. Re-wrap half in plastic. Roll out dough half on a flat surface that has been lightly floured. Also flour the rolling pin.
Keep rolling and turning dough a quarter turn after each roll. Roll out from center and flip dough over as you go. Once you have a thin (approx. 1/8 inch) oval shape, roll up the sheet into a loose cylinder. With a sharp knife cut cleanly across the pasta roll. Thin or thick noodles-your choice. Carefully unravel the rolls and toss lightly with flour. Repeat the rolling and cutting with the second pasta ball. Let the strips dry on a dish towel for at least 15 minutes before cooking. Flour lightly if they seem sticky. Drop pasta into salted (it should taste like the sea) boiling water. Taste one strand for that al dente bite. Drain and do not rinse. Welcome to pasta snob-ville.

Antica Pizzeria

Antica Pizzeria is a gem featuring a warm inside dining room or the casual outside patio. We split a Pizza Capricciosa (artichokes, mushrooms, olives, mozzarella and Italian ham) made in the restaurants' wood burning oven; $11.50. Delicious and an obvious display of their use of good quality ingredients. I also enjoyed the grilled salmon daily special served with mixed veg and roasted potatoes; $ 19.50. They serve wine and beer and can be found at :
www.anticapizzeria.net.
Marina del Rey isn't a culinary refuge but Antica Pizzeria stands out as an independently owned delight.
Antica Pizzeria/13455 Maxella Ave. Upstairs above Victoria Secret and Gelsons Market/Marina del Rey, CA 90292/310-577-8182

Spitfire Grill

When I was a kid my mom would bake brownie pudding. I don't usually crave dessert but I ordered the "Ultimate Chocolate" dessert and was transported back by the warm gooey sweet pieces of dense cake cloaked in velvety melted chocolate sauce. No guilt feelings because it was the dessert I've been stoic for.
This charming spot has inside seating with a small bar and a casual outside patio. I had the Glider sandwich; grilled chicken on sourdough with avocado, lettuce, tomato and melted Swiss. Good. My plate included crispy square cut fries. My side caesar salad had a nice garlicky bite. Beer, wine and sangria are available. The food is fine and they have a fairly vast and varied menu of apps, burgers/sandwiches and entrees. The staff is so attentive and friendly and the space so sweet that I would return knowing those two things are the main reason. Plus I always want to support independent restaurateurs.
The Santa Monica airport is nearby. Occasional jet takeoffs make conversation inaudible. Just a warning in case you go there braving a business or marriage proposal; you may have to ask twice to hear the response.

Spitfire Grill/3300 Airport Ave./Santa Monica, CA 90405/310-397-3455

Grilling and Weary Wine

Grilling corn. Peel back the top husks just a bit to removew silks. Then soak ears of corn in water before grilling; about 20 mins. Lay them right on the lit grill and rotate often. After about 8 minutes, strip back the husks (you are wearing mitts, yes?) and continue to grill until lightly dappled tan to brown marks appear evenly throughout the ear. Remove from grill and brush corn with a mix of lime juice, cayenne, salt, pepper and olive oil. So good , so summertime.
Reinvent the wine. I opened a Cabernet, tasted a sip and discovered that it was a sorry thing. So I poured the bottle into a pitcher, added 1 cup orange juice, several slices of lime, 1/2 cup Citronge and refrigerated. Instant transformation. I now had a great sangria to sip.

Day ahead pizza dough

One advantage to making your own pizza dough is that it is room temperature and much easier to work with as you are rolling it out. This pizza dough bakes flatter than others yet comes out crispy and sweet. Little kneading needed.
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups 2% milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
Whisk the flour, yeast & salt together in a large bowl, then pour in the milk and oil. Mix all the above using a fork or large spoon then knead briefly to form a ball. Dough will be sticky. Oil another bowl & set dough in it. Cover bowl containing dough with plastic wrap and also a towel. Leave bowl undisturbed for 24 hours. Three hours before rolling the dough, knead for 5 minutes and replace it as it was. When ready to roll out dough, flour a board and roll dough out. Makes 1 large pie or cut dough in half for two smaller crusts. Cornmeal can be used in place of flour; mandatory if you are using a pizza stone.

Boutique Cuban

El Rincon Criollo, which roughly translates as "Cozy Corner" is exactly that. I've eaten there many times and can testify that it's a consistently tasty and friendly spot. Corkage is $10.oo if you choose to BYOB and they offer several beers, a few wines and house made sangria.
Recommended - chicken served in a savory, generous garlic sauce replete with sliced sweet onions and served with black beans, rice and plantains. Recently I enjoyed grilled halibut served with the same preparation as the chicken; $11.95. If you've recently sworn off the Adkins diet order the tostones; fried green plantain slices served with a garlic dipping sauce. Subtle garlic flavors make Rincon Criollo is a great place to go before seeing Twilight...
El Rincon Criollo/4361 Sepulveda Bl./Culver City,CA/90230/310-397-9295

Heirloom worth keeping!

This is an easy and super-tasty summer salad. Spend a little on some Heirloom tomatoes and you'll be rewarded! Amounts vary depending on how many servings you need.
Cut tomatoes into wedges or pieces. Place in bowl.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In another bowl whisk together olive oil,balsamic vinegar,and minced shallots. (2 to 1 ratio with oil to vinegar.)
Pour half of the oil mixture over tomatoes tossing gently to coat. Then allow tomatoes to marinate 20 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Keep tomato bowl at room temperature.
Add torn or chopped arugula pieces to tomato bowl. Pour remaining oil mix over tomato/lettuce mix and serve.

Indo Cafe

I keep a list of Los Angeles restaurants where I can take a bottle of wine with little ($5.00 or under) or no corkage fee. The Indo Cafe in Palms is the latest on my list. With no corkage fee it's a recession treat! I recommend the won ton soup; light tasty broth that needed no seasoning with many delicate won tons. Also very good were the chicken tossed thin noodles and the chicken coated in a coconut red curry paste. Chicken thigh and legs pan seared and blanketed in a delicious tangy sauce. Four pieces per serving. The oyster - type sauce mixed vegetables were dull.
As a former server I feel empathize with a waitperson running around trying to fill everyones' requests. One earnest and busy lady hustled to wait on eight tables in the small cafe. Along with your wine and beer of choice, also carry in some patience.

Indo Cafe/10428-1/2 National Blvd./Los Angeles, CA/310-815-1290

It shell be delicious...

On a trip to *Paris I ordered pizza at a lovely outdoor cafe. The pie came to the table with a single fried egg in the center. The server cut the pizza into pieces and the golden yolk split and spilt, coursing across the pie. Fantastic taste and a velvety addition to any pizza. Here at home I've added an egg to many combinations of pizza toppings and the taste is always wonderful.
Last night I baked a Mexican chicken casserole and added two pan fried eggs on top just before cutting and serving. Oh yeah! Try it. You'll feel very continental.
*Due to jet lag we were a bit off schedule. Hungry at 4:30 PM we scouted for a bistro only to find that most places serve just coffee and cocktails between 4 and 6 PM. A open restaurant that was serving French and Italian dishes was an oasis.

Cooking fish

Fish is arguably one of the best protein sources. And eating it often can become a bit mundane. The answer is tasty, zesty, crunchy and easy to prepare-PISTOU! (The French version of Italian pesto.)
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup pistachios; coarsely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup good olive oil
Mix the above in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pistou can be made up to 2 hours ahead. Serve at room temperature on cooked fish with remaining pistou to be passed around the table.

Mariscos Chente Sea Food

For anyone in Los Angeles looking for a super tasty and affordable spot; Mariscos Chente is it. Order the Camarones a la Pimienta; shrimp in pepper sauce. Served without a tail and with the tiny heads on; I double dare you to eat the whole thing. I'm no Andrew Zimmern and I did it. Either way, it's a briny burst of great flavor. I also recommend the Pescado al la Plancha. A fish fillet spiced and seasoned perfectly then grilled and served with rice and vegetables. Most entrees are $11.00 and no corkage fee! This is Nayarit and Sinaloan cuisine so don't expect typical Mexican dishes.
Mariscos Chente/4532 Centinela Ave./LA 90066/310-390-9241

My Cinco de Mayo

I had some time on Cinco de Mayo and delved into a recipe for Mole. I've enjoyed Mole at a few LA spots; Lucy's El Adobe, Lares and the always choice, Gardens of Taxco. I didn't realize the interesting and complex subtlety of the ingredients until I made it on my own. Even the streamlined recipe from Bon Appetit took 90 minutes start to finish. To mention a few ingredients: orange peel, almonds, cumin, coriander seeds, and just a little Mexican chocolate. I served it over chicken breasts with sides of cilantro rice and grilled/charred corn on the cob brushed with a lime/salt/pepper/cayenne pepper /olive oil mix.To find the recipe from May 2009 go to:www.bonappetit.com Happily it turned out to be worth the time invested. Adios.

Ode to Ortolan

Lucky me! I had a lovely brunch at a must do LA restaurant. The tribute is in the form of a Japanese Haiku.
Calm beautiful space
waiters who glide with inventive plates
sublime flavors grace my senses

Ortolan/8338 West Third Street/West Hollywood/323-653-3300
www.ortolanrestaurant.com

Risotto

This risotto turned out so delicious that I have to boast a bit....while grilling a few shrimp, scallops and asparagus outside, inside I cooked some leeks and shallots until soft. Next I added arborio rice, white wine, saffron threads and continued adding chicken broth until the rice was soft and plump. All grilled items were tossed in and then chopped dill and tarragon chiffonade. It put the T in tasty. By the by in past risottos I've used beer or sake when no white wine is in the house. Lastly I tossed together chopped Belgian endive, tiny orange cubes, toasted sliced almonds and diced blue cheese. The salad was dressed with apple cider vinegar, good quality mustard and olive oil. Wish you were here.

Pesto; The Sequel

If I didn't find anything usable in my fridge, I'd go to the market. I had fresh dill, toasted almond slivers, garlic, olive oil and fettuccine. I tossed all the above, except the pasta, into my blender. I added salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. I tossed it with the fettuccine, briefly considered adding white tuna but didn't, and enjoyed. The trip to the store could wait. (Lately I've been experimenting with under cooking pasta to see just how "al dente" I can take it. I'm definitely leaning toward the toothsome cooking time.)
A few nights later I tried this tasty mint pesto recipe from the http://www.greatfood.ie/ website; excellent !
Mint leaves, pine nuts, lemon juice, good Parmesan, salt, pepper and olive oil. Chop the leaves in processor. Add other items except oil to blend. Drizzle in oil until a thick sauce forms. Remember: Pesto loses its virility under high heat. Don't microwave to re-heat. And get your self some killer Pecorino-Romano/Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese even if it means dodging on the rent.

Cookbook & Food Magazines

If you enjoy really flavorful food, get Ina Garten's new cookbook "Back To Basics." ( Food Networks Barefoot Contessa ) I've made several recipes from the book and all have been easy yet sophisticated and super tasty. Also, I'm in the midst of a food magazine shuffle having had bland results with some dishes from Food & Wine. I just got my first issue of Saveur and continue to enjoy Gourmet and Bon Appetite. Recently I made and loved the results from this Saveur recipie.
FENNEL WITH PARMIGIANA-REGGIANO Serves 4 -6 as a side.
Salt
8 small bulbs of fennel, trimmed and quartered
5 tsp. butter ( I halved the butter added olive oil )
Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiana-reggiano
Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add fennel and cook until slightly softened, about 5 mins. Drain. Heat butter in a skillet over med. heat. Add fennel, season with salt & pepper and cook until just tender. (Approx. 15 mins.) Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle and toss with cheese.

Eating Clout

Last year I ate at a lovely, upscale Santa Monica restaurant. A sumptuous setting along with an interesting international menu made for a dining treat. Quite expensive though so I hadn't returned. Last week I did so; drawn back by the memory of their ultra thin and tasty pizza. Please note that the pizzas cost between $9.00 and $18.00 dollars. We split a pizza along with a pear, endive, walnut and Gorgonzola salad for $12.00 In light of these relative bargains, I splurged on an $18.00 glass of Sequoia Grove Cabernet. Yes!
Did I detect a slight acquiescence in the waiters demeanor? Even thought we weren't going for the pricey entrees? Yes, I did. He was quite attentive and sweet. Previously the service had been aloof. My point, my loves, is that this may be one way the current economic slump can feel good. Restaurants these days are glad for our patronage, no matter how penurious we may seem.

Animal Instincts

Over the past seven months, I've eaten at Animal Restaurant five times. Interesting food with big flavor, a friendly staff who really know both the menu & wine list plus consistent great service. I'm drawn back there for the Petite Basque; chorizo with melted cheese served gooey and hot with four generous slices of toasted garlic bread. Ten dollars. The baby broccoli salad featured chicory, grana, a poached egg with pancetta vinaigrette. Also ten dollars. I have a big appetite and these two so called starters filled me up. The menu is so interesting that eating at Animal repeatedly is never cookie cutter; there are always new items or the familiar. Wines by the glass change frequently and are just as captivating as the food. I splurged on a glass of 2004 Layer Cake Cabernet with a velvety mouth feel and a strong cassis-blackberry finish. $20.00. On past visits the entrees were also excellent.
Recently, I left a show at the Coronet Theatre. It was 9:45 PM. I called Animal to confirm that they were still open and serving food. Yes; they are open until 11 PM weeknights and until 2 AM on weekends. Not only open but happy to see ya. Get yourself in there pronto!
Animal Restaurant/435 N. Fairfax Ave/ Los Angeles/ 323.782.9225