Cherry Goodness

Though just the other night J and I were self-righteously congratulating ourselves for the lack of processed foods in our cupboards, I want to share two cherry (flavored) products that have won my heart (and stomach).

First, bourbon soaked cherries. Maker's Mark soaked to be exact. J's parents recently moved to Kentucky and we're the recipient of many a bourbon-flavored item--bourbon coffee, bourbon cookies, bourbon tea, bourbon balls. We keep asking for some bourbon-bourbon, but I think we'll have to pick that up ourselves when we visit in a few weeks.

These Maker's Mark cherries are disappearing fast in our fridge--mainly in my current favorite drink, old fashioneds, but I'm not ashamed to admit that sometimes I just spoon one out for a late night snack.

Second, and more concerning considering the recent New York Times report on the hip-bone-weakening effects of diet soda, I'm in love with Cherry Coke Zero. It's like diet, but zero (no, I don't really know the difference). It's delish. I know my late afternoon work break should consist of just two small, locally-grown walnuts, a blueberry for antioxidents, and a glass of tap water, but dammit, I want me some diet soda. And this stuff tastes like chemical laden cherries, but in a good way. Yum!!!

Chopped Fennel, Beet, Pear and Endive with Ginger-Lime Dressing

Ingredients: Fresh fennel, beets, pears, belgian endive, fresh ginger, lime juice, honey, sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper

After my pork extravaganza at Chung King, and a week on the road for work, last week I faced a veggie emergency. Hurry, hurry, get something healthy into her mouth--stat!

I had a vague recollection of purchasing some big ol' beets at the Larchmont Farmers' Market a few weeks ago, and sure enough, they were still languishing in my crisper. After a wash and a trim, I slicked them with olive oil, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, wrapped 'em in tinfoil and shoved them in a 425 degree oven for about 50 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, I diced a couple of fennel bulbs, chopped some belgian endive, and whipped up a ginger-lime dressing. For the dressing, you grate a 1 inch piece of ginger into a bowl, add three tablespoons of lime juice, a tablespoon of honey, and a splash or two of sherry vinegar and stir. Then slowly add 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil, whisking the entire time to emulsify. Then season to taste with salt and pepper.

When the beets finish roasting, remove from the tinfoil and let cool. Be patient, or your fingertips will regret it! When cool, the beet skins should slide right off with a little tug. Dice your beets the same size as the fennel, then dice your pears as well. On a plate, arrange a line of chopped fennel, about 1 inch wide. Next to it, arrange a line of pear. Then, a line of beets, followed by a line of endive, all the same 1 inch width. Drizzle your dressing over the top, and crunch away.

Photo at top, left to right: fennel bulbs by Year of Eats; beets by Fotodawg; pear by Geishaboy5000; endive by Marc Delhaye

Baby Artichoke Disappointment

baby artichokes by frangrit

Regular artichokes? I find them intimidating, despite excellent online "how to trim" tutorials. They're poky, full of hairy chokes, and I'm always disappointed by the small bit left after pulling off all the outer leaves.

Baby artichokes, on the other hand, couldn't be easier to prepare. Remove a few leaves, trim the tops, you're good to go (pictorial instructions here). I have fond memories of a crispy, sweet roasted baby artichoke dish I made last spring, but did I write it down? Note the website or cookbook where I found it? Of course not. Last night I searched and searched, but couldn't turn it up. I settled on Baked Baby Artichokes instead, and was very disappointed. Perhaps it was my 'chokes, perhaps the recipe, but it was blah, bland, and soggy.

Readers, any baby artichoke recommendations? Perhaps I'll try Spicetart's recipe with bacon and vinegar, or Words to Eat By's artichoke and parmesan salad, a simple, no-cook recipe.

PS--Reason why I love the Hollywood Farmers' Market #245: I get to buy my baby artichokes as this guy walks right by with his weekly produce.

The Spice is Right at Chung King, San Gabriel

Chinese bacon with garlic greens. Mmmm...pork. All photos by Jill of Eye Level Pasadena.

Crispy rice with four delicacies (chicken, fish, mushrooms, ?). At your table, the waitress pours the brothy concoction over the fried chewy rice squares. Eat up quickly before the rice gets too soggy.

After just a few bites of the fried chicken with chilis, we were all sweating and another round of Tsingtaos was promptly ordered, but none of us could keep our chopsticks away from this addictive crispy, salty dish at Chung King, a Sichuan restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley.

fried peanuts and tiny fish (back), pig ear (front)

Other than the beer, the platter of fried peanuts with tiny fish helped mitigate the heat. This was one of multiple cold snacks available--your waitress takes your order for the hot dishes, but you head to the counter in the back of the room for a plate of pre-dinner munchies. The cold pig ears went over like a lead balloon at our table, but the peanuts and salt-laden tiny fish flew into our mouths.

Jonathan Gold, the fabled restaurant guru of the LA Weekly describes Chung King's Sichuan cuisine as such:

The Western Chinese cooking, sizzling with four or five different kinds of chiles, vibrating with the flavors of extreme fermentation and smacked with the cooling, numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns, lies halfway between dentist’s-chair Novocain and the last time you could afford a lot of blow. It never fails to leave visitors exhausted, narcotized and happy, drenched in foul, garlic-laced sweat.

Though a stranger to the numbing effects of blow, I certainly left in a spice-induced daze. Not a bad way to start the weekend. There's a small parking lot out back, and street parking is plentiful. Expect a short wait on a Friday night, and the place seemed to close up shop around 10 or so. Also, it's cash only.

Chung King
1000 S. San Gabriel Blvd.
San Gabriel, CA
626.286.0298

Dominick's Sunday Supper

Something strange happens when you travel west of La Cienega Boulevard here in LA--the blondes get less natural, the girls look like they could use a steak (or 2 or 3 or 4), and the boys put a lot more gel in their hair (though unlike my eastside neighborhood, no one's pretending they didn't spend hours getting ready).

Though we had to navigate our way through the skinny, blonde, gel-laden crowd at Dominick's to get to our lovely table on the twinkling patio last night, the trek was worth it. The $15 Sunday Supper was such a deal, I felt a little guilty as we paid our tab. Our succulent bbq'd duck legs fell apart at the touch of a fork, and everyone at our table eagerly eyed the extra spoonfuls of creamy polenta left on the family-style serving platter that bore the ducks. And though the shells of the tartuffos (small scoops of vanilla ice cream in hard chocolate shells, with a cherry center) were so difficult to cut into, we were afraid of a Pretty Woman-like food-flying incident, they were cool and refreshing on an unseasonably hot spring day.

Next Sunday, Dominick's is serving up fennel and parmesan salad, tortiglioni with sausage and peppers, and blood orange sorbet, so make your online reservation while you can, and be sure to request a table on the patio.

Dominick's
8715 Beverly Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
310.652.2335

Mozza with Moguls

After receiving fabulous news on Tuesday, J and I decided to brave Mozza, the insanely popular Batali-Silverton pizza joint, with no reservations in hope of a seat at the bar. After a mere 1/2 hour wait, prosecco in hand, we settled into our corner seats and realized that none other than Michael Eisner was holding court nearby, surely there to toast my success.

Since nearly every single other food blogger in LA has written about Mozza, I'll keep it short: you should go. It's fantastic. Order the guanciale (cured pork cheek), egg and bagna cuda (anchovy-based sauce) pizza, tastes like carbonara on a perfect crust. The egg yolk is nice and runny, so you can spread it over the pizza yourself. Decadent. For dessert, you must try the fig and fennel biscotti, basically fennel fig newtons. Also, the meyer lemon gelato pie--as fabulous as it sounds. For pictures, visit all those other food blogs I linked above.

Yes, its crowded beyond belief. Waiting for a bar seat? Totally worth it. And the price tag? Really reasonable in my opinion--$12-14ish dollars for an artisanal pizza with excellent ingredients? I'm more than happy to pay that.

Mozza
641 N Highland
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.297.0101

Asparagus, Three Ways

While J's aunt just spent 4 days without power, buried in an Iowa snowstorm, spring has just barely sprung here in sunny SoCal. Two signs: I was able to wear my shorts home from the gym tonight without a chill, and the farmers' markets have begun bursting with all sorts of asparagus, fat, thin and everything in between.

This asparagus-leek soup, which I made and ate plain last Tuesday, had a long life. On Saturday it was mixed with some chicken stock and used in a risotto, on Sunday, the leftover risotto became fried risotto cakes. Using the soup in the risotto, in place of the plain stock, was an experiment with decent results. Due to the beans I'd used in the soup, the risotto was extra starchy and started to thicken before the rice was completely done. A vigorous stir and some extra time on the burner ensured it wasn't goopy, but it was thick, all the better for the next day's fried risotto patties. Just mix your leftover risotto with an egg or two, some breadcrumbs, shape into patties and fry in olive oil until crisp. Fellow bloggers Stephen Cooks and Morels&Musings have their own drool-worthy risotto cake recipes as well.

Asparagus-Leek Soup
adapted from The Herbal Kitchen by Jerry Traunfeld

1 large leek, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
2 tbsp unsalted butter
4 c. chicken or veggie broth
3-4 sprigs thyme, tied together with twine
2 bunches thin stalked asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2-3/4 cup cannelini beans, canned (I had leftovers that had been sauteed with chard and onions--I threw the whole lot in)
salt and pepper
splash or two of cream, optional

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring from time to time, until the soften but don't color. Add the broth. Add the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove thyme leaves.

Stir the asparagus into the soup and cook at a low boil for 4-5 minutes. The asparagus should be tender but bright green. Add the beans and stir.

Puree the hot soup in two batches in a blender until very smooth. Be careful not to overfill the blender. Return the soup to the pan and reheat it. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the cream if you wish.

Asparagus photo by Sarah Baker

Il Capriccio Pizzeria's First Pie, Los Feliz

Il Capricco on Vermont is my favorite any-night-of-the-week restaurant within walking distance of my apartment, and I've been awaiting its new woodfired pizza joint down on Hollywood with bated breath. Thanks to the magic of flickr, we can all drool over the very first pizza coming out of its oven--the owner seems to be not only a successful restauranteur, but a excellent photographer as well. According to him, we only have to wait one more week to try the pies!

il Capriccio Pizzeria
4518 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
323.644.3760

photo by flickrwhikr

Elf Cafe, Echo Park

Our starter, a crock of lentils with carmelized onions and mushrooms. Yum!

Now I love my veggies and cook meatless meals frequently, but a vegetarian restaurant usually sends me scurrying in the other direction. All-vegetables conjurs up images of the spots in my college town of Northampton, MA, earnest but tasteless, or the scary raw/vegan joint in New York that cost an arm and a leg, though I had to bus my own plate because "we're all equal."

Thankfully, the newish Elf Cafe in Echo Park has erased those memories. The menu of this cozy, tiny organic veggie spot, run by local band Viva K, tends toward the Middle Eastern/Persian, and when you step in the door you're enveloped in the scent of fragrant spices and simmering onions. The friendly staff welcomes you with glasses of cucumber water and a ramekin of just-pungent-enough potato-garlic spread and toasts, gratis (pictured, left). As we settled into our corner table and perused the menu, my vegetarian dining companions remarked upon the pleasure of not having to settle for the lonesome veggie item on a regular restaurant menu. Some Chowhounders have complained about "hipstery pretentiousness" but either they're overly sensitive, or I've become a pretentious hipster--I thought it was easy-going and welcoming.

Elf serves up multiple savory tarts served on a bed of greens and a fairly large selection of pressed sandwiches. I went with the special, a hearty vegetarian kibbe (pictured, right). Kibbe is a Middle Eastern meatloaf, full of cinnamon, pine nuts, and of course, beef or lamb. This version was made with potatos, layered with the spice/nut mix, and I gobbled most of it up. The side of green beans in tomato sauce paled in comparison, not bad, but nothing exciting either.

Elf is only open Wednesday thru Saturday, beginning at 6 pm. No liquor license yet, so head to the spot a few doors east (next to the Burrito King) to pick up Trader Joe's-esque wine (though not TJ's prices) and pay the $5 corkage. Also, as ApronNapkin noted, it's very warm inside, so dress accordingly.

More reviews from Epicurean Quest (a haiku!) and Metroblogging LA.

Elf Cafe
2135 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
No phone

Photos by the always awesome Jill

Food By Mail: Steaks, Olive Oil and Spices

From left to right: Penzey's Spices, Alejandro and Martin Olive Oil, Montana Legend Steak

Thanks to the magic of the internet, just about any food item I could dream of can land on my doorstep within days--even supposedly outlawed items like absinthe. However, I can't say that there's much I long for here in Los Angeles that I can't get within a 20 mile radius of my apartment. Surfas and the farmer's markets alone cover most of the bases, and you can't turn the corner in this city without running into a great ethnic market--be it Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Armenian, Korean, French or Thai.

Recently, I've sampled some fancy food products available by mail, and though I liked them all, other than the incomparable Penzey's Spices, I'm afraid I won't be inclined to order them until I move from LA to a remote cabin in the northwoods of Wisconsin.

Montana Legend Steaks: Tannaz of All Kinds of Yum was kind enough to invite me to a sponsored steak-tasting BBQ last weekend. The steaks from this over 100 year-old ranch were tender and tasty, especially the dry-aged ones. Though not officially organic, Montana Legend cows are humanely raised on all natural grassfeed and finished with they call "granola" but is basically corn as far as I can tell. They don't use antibiotics. Though yummy, I'll stick with my local farmer, Greg Nauta of Rocky Canyon Farms.

Alejandro and Martin Olive Oil: Though when tasting these olive oils I refused to aerate them in my mouth as the packaging suggested, it was quite the eye opener to sample the four oils that came in my complimentary gift box (mild and delicate-France; fragrant and fruit-Greece; Olivey and Peppery-Italy; green and grassy-Australia) then taste my everyday cooking Trader Joe's extra virgin olive oil. Blech. The Trader Joe's stuff tasted like motor oil. These oils are great for salads and dipping bread and I'm impressed with the range in flavors. I would definitely send these as gift for a fellow food-loving friend.

Penzey's Spices: The low prices and the ridiculously huge scope make Penzey's a winner in my book. I wrote about my first ever order here, and my sister was kind enough to treat me to their Baker's Gift Pack recently. I've got big plans for the Ceylon Cinnamon this weekend, and was thrilled with the extra bay leaves they tucked into the packaging--they always seem to include an extra treat or two.

Photos from each company's website.

Milk, It Does A Body Good?

Perhaps not, at least in the form of the shakes, malts and sundaes at LA's newest ice cream spot--Milk. But nevermind the body, a banana peanut malt (homemade banana ice cream, fresh bananas, malted milk, roasted peanuts), is certainly good for the soul.

It's especially good for soul after having spent over SEVEN HOURS in the ER the night before. Nothing serious, but something that had to be taken care of, however ridiculously slowly. J and I had tried to erase the memory right away with late night diner food and ice cream at Astro Family Restaurant in Silver Lake, but there we received the most disappointing concoctions ever. My "root beer float" consisted of half a glass of ice(!), one-third of a glass of rootbeer, with a scoop of vanilla resting on top. Huh??

Hence, Saturday afternoon we moseyed over to the recently opened Milk, on the southeast corner of Beverly and Pointsettia. Executive chef and owner Bret Thompson has created a happy, high-ceilinged spot, with plenty of homemade ice creams by the cone or dish (I sampled a divine blood orange), 25 cent bonbons, extra-special treats like my banana malt or J's strawberry shortcake malt (malted milk, vanilla ice cream, strawberry sorbet, and buttery, vanilla cookie crumbles), and a baked goods case starring a blue velvet cake made with blueberry puree. The menu also includes a handful of sandwiches and salads, but clearly the dairy products steal the show. If they'd get some blinds to curtail the hot late afternoon sun, it'd be nearly perfect. Hopefully, it won't take another hospital misadventure before we're back.

More Milk reports from Eating LA and Chowhound.

Milk
7290 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-939-MILK

Newsflash: The Food Network is on TELEVISION

Recently, celeb chef Anthony Bourdain got the foodblog community all atwitter over his commentary on the Food Network's biggest stars. Sure, the comments were mildly humorous, worth a read on a boring workday afternoon, but I'm amazed at the righteous indignation of the comments to his post (and the ones on the follow up posts by Michael Ruhlman, a food writer). Foodies are just disgusted, disgusted I tell you, with the dreck on the food network. It is a moral outrage.

Um, hello? The Food Network is on television. Have ya checked out what's on television these days? Wifeswap, anyone? Desperate Housewives? So NoTORIous? American Idol? Queer Eye for the Straight Guy? Entertaining, maybe. Highbrow, no. And guess what, you grumpy food fanatics, complaining that the Food Network shows are all about selling viewers stuff? DUH! That's kinda the point of the whole medium these days.

Finally, what I find most amusing, are the commenters that complain heartily about the shows, and can complain in very specific detail, outlining every single one of Sandra Lee's ridiculous concoctions on every episode in the past month. Here's a thought--if it's so incredibly horrible, turn it off! Change the channel! Unsubscribe from cable! At the very least get down off your moral high horse long enough to realize it's just TV.

Bright Ideas at The Edison, Downtown LA

A night at the newly opened Edison in downtown LA was a sure cure for last week's jury duty depression. As I sunk into a leather armchair, inside a repurposed furnace bathed in a hazy light from dim antique bulbs, deep in the bowels of a former power plant, bourbon swizzle in my hand, the six hours I'd spent viewing security camera footage in the courtroom slipped my mind. The cavernous space is just so damn cool---lots of cozy corners with comfy chairs, dramatic industrial metalwork and machinery, David Bowie on the jukebox, and friendly, competent bartenders.

Like most of the drinks on the specialty cocktail menu, my bourbon concoction was on the sweet side, thanks to the apricot brandy and ginger ale. So easy to drink, I downed it quickly and moved on to a well-constructed Manhattan, better for sipping. Fellow blogger LA/OC Foodie tried some of the other special drinks on a recent visit, including the Lady MacBeth and Steel Trap (visit her site for the details).

The kitchen's not yet up and running, but the website menu promises some old school treats--deviled eggs, crab louie, shrimp cocktail--as well as basic upscale bar food--sweet potato fries, pressed pork sandwich, fried calamari. In the meantime, you're welcome to head next door to Pitfire Pizza Company, order a pie, and bring it back to the Edison.

It's open Wednesday thru Saturday, and has some "cocktail hour" specials until 8 pm--when we visited all specialty drinks were 1/2 price. Downtown has long been one my favorite LA neighborhoods, and the addition of the Edison is just another excuse to head east, not west. For another report, check out Eater LA's glowing (ha!) review.

The Edison
108 W. 2nd St #101 (in the alley)
Los Angeles, CA
1-213-613-0000

Lightbulb photo by Jason Rowland

Retreat to Hermosa Beach

My parents escaped the Midwestern winter last weekend, and treated J and me to a few nights at the lovely Beach House hotel in Hermosa Beach. Our oceanfront suite was steps away from the surf, and the room's fireplace, jacuzzi tub, abundance of pillows, and stereo system made for a decadent retreat. Though we could have easily spent the whole time alternating between lazing on the beach and lazing in our rooms, we did venture forth for meals, and we found some standouts.



The best was La Sosta Enoteca, a cozy spot on a residential block right on the border between Hermosa and Manhattan Beach. The Italian, specifically Venetian, pasta menu features a favorite of mine, risi i bisi, as well as gnocchi in lobster sauce, multiple risottos and various homemade noodles. My parents went for the lobster gnocchi--light potato dumplings enveloped in a creamy sauce with small lobster pieces. I settled on the risotto with taleggio and speck (smoked mountain ham). Richly flavored, it was one of the better risottos I've had outside of my own kitchen. I also started with a sweetly-dressed salad of arugula and radicchio, a pleasing contrast to my risotto, simple and satisfyingly crisp. Had we not snacked back at the hotel, we'd likely have ordered a starter of meats and cheese--they have quite the selection. With all the hard surfaces, the place is LOUD and the music playing when we arrived (some kind of thump-thump-thump techno type garbage) didn't help, but the soundtrack soon settled on some Miles Davis, making for a more relaxing meal.


Mediterraneo, right on the pedestrian-only strip leading to the Hermosa pier, was a pleasant surprise. Its shady patio was the setting for a lazy lunch comprised of a handful of tapas (which you order like sushi, by checking off your picks on a slip of paper), a Spanish Cobb Salad (serrano ham, cabreles cheese), a gyro and a chicken sandwich--accompanied by some beers and, in my case, a tasty mojito (that traditional mediterranean drink). The prices were right, the food was flavorful, and best of all, we felt like we were on an exotic vacation, less than an hour away from home.

La Sosta Enoteca
2700 Manhattan Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90254
310.318.1558

Mediterraneo
73 Pier Ave
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
310.318.2666

What I've Learned While On Jury Duty

1--One bag of Peanut M&M's, carefully rationed, will get you through an afternoon of testimony.


2--Pitfire Pizza Company (interior, right) serves up a crispy, thin crust, flavorful, individual-sized pie with better-than-usual toppings, such as the artichoke special I savored. Tomorrow I plan to try the folded pizza with fennel sausage, but I'll have to bypass the newly added wine and beer menu.

3--When searching for a good bento lunch box in Little Toyko, don't bother with Sushi&Teri in the Japanese Village Plaza, even if it is full of people (often [but not always, for example: Cheesecake Factory] busy = good spot). For $10, you get a bland bento that'll leave you wanting more.

4--Fiore Natural Italian Yogurt, also in the Japanese Village Plaza, seems to have a new, or perhaps secondary name, If Frozen Yogurt--the signage confuses. It also has a new flavor of froyo--blackberry--which was mighty tasty, though the kiwi and mango toppings weren't as fresh as I'd have liked.

5--A law degree does not equal intelligence or eloquence. Okay, this I had already guessed, but the jury duty? Proves the theory.

M&M picture from M&M website; Pitfire photo from Tales of an LA Addict, who has a lovely flickr photoset highlighting a pizza and wine tasting at Pitfire.

From Mexico to Korea via Paris On Valentine's, a Love Note to Los Angeles

Monday night I was deep in the west valley, looking for a quick bite to eat before a meeting. Yoshinoya? Um, no. Jack in the Box? No way. KFC? Not a chance. Wait, what's that neon light in the strip mall up ahead? Casa de Taco? Open 24 hours? Menudo on Sundays? Sold. $4 bought me two carnitas tacos with a citrus-y salsa verde, rice, beans and soda. I considered skipping my meeting and staying in this cozy joint, listening to Mexican country on the jukebox and joining the other patrons in swapping b.s. with the guy behind the counter, but my Spanish's not so good, and work called.


Fast forward to Tuesday morning. I was actually driving to the office (usually I'm a public transit gal), and decided to take a short detour down Western Ave to Paris Baguette Cafe and treat my coworkers to some breakfast pastries. This unexpected chain cafe comes to LA via South Korea, where over 1500 locations exist. I'd never been, but heard good things from others, and I wasn't disappointed. This self-service cafe (you grab a box, tongs, and go to town) produces a wonderfully flaky pastry and stocks the standards--chocolate croissants, apple turnovers--as well as Asian-influenced treats like a sweet potato pastry twist, and red bean buns. My favorite was the banana pastry, full of vanilla-y, banana cream, topped with banana slices.

This decadent breakfast was just barely topped by Tuesday's lunch at Mapo, a Korean restaurant just around the corner from my office. I snagged a seat among the businessmen and tucked into the best bibimbap (called dolsot, pictured left) I've had in Koreatown. It came sizzling in a big stone pot, and the bottom layer of rice crisped and carmelized on the bottom, adding a crunchy just-short-of-burnt taste to the already flavorful bowl.

Yes, Los Angeles, it's taken me four long years, but I love ya.

Pastry photos from Paris Baguette's website; bibimbap photo from Il Primo Uomo

Casa de Taco
7300 Topanga Canyon Boulevard Suite 8
Canoga Park, CA 91303-3333
818.888.8750

Paris Baguette
125 N. Western Ave.
Los Angeles 90004
323.467.0404

Mapo
Strip mall at northwest corner of Normandie and 6th

Only 5 Ingredients in Haagen-Dazs

An ice cream craving hit late Saturday night, and coffee Haagan-Dazs was the best my neighborhood Albertson's had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the short and sweet ingredient list on my container: Cream, Skim Milk, Sugar, Egg Yolks, Coffee. That's it! Sure, one serving still contains nearly 55% of my daily saturated fat intake, but it's all-natural fat, and since I can pronounce every ingredient, foodie guru du jour, Michael Pollan, would give me a gold star (well, maybe silver since it's not locally made).

Puffed Chai Apple Pancake

apples at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market, San Francisco, September 2006

Looking for a decadent way to start your Saturday morning? You must try this puffed apple pancake recipe from Bon Appetit, but substitute powdered chai latte mix (from Trader Joe's or elsewhere) for the three tablespoons sugar. Your kitchen will smell delightful, and your family members will be in your debt for the rest of the weekend.

I know posting's been light here at Erin's Kitchen over the past few months, but have you read all of my Los Angeles restaurant reports--both east-ish and west-ish? Howabout my San Francisco updates? You have? Well then, thank goodness the internet is endless--you should check out the new blogs I just added to my sidebar--you'll love the veggie recipes at Superspark, the photos at Fer Food, and the latest updates on brand new restaurants at LA & OC Foodventures.

Cheap Eats in Highland Park: Huaraches and More

Anyone who tells you good food is too expensive in Los Angeles isn't trying very hard. Sure, you can spend a fortune at Cut or Urasawa, but you'd have to try hard to spend more than $10 a person anywhere on York Boulevard, the delectable culinary thoroughfare of Highland Park--and you'll likely have more fun doing it.

El Huarache Azteca is a small Mexico City-style eatery specializing in its eponymous dish (LA Times photo, left)--a sandal shaped fried masa (corn) patty, stuffed with beans and topped with meat, queso fresco, cilantro, and a squeeze of salsa, at your prefered level of spiciness (ours: wimpy white person). You choose your meat--J was smart and went with marinated pork, I gambled on the chicharron, which I thought would result in crispy, fried pork skin. Unfortunately, I received gelatinous, sauteed pork skins, which even for a porcine-loving girl like me was a bit much. I lost the skins, scarfed the huarache, and wasn't too put out since it merely cost $2.50, plus $1 for my tamarindo agua fresca.

To ensure full satisfaction, however, we walked a couple blocks east and I finished the afternoon at La Estrella, a permanently parked taco truck, one of multiple locations. Bursting with juicy pork meat and dripping with a spicy-thirty-seconds-after-you-taste-it salsa rioja, my $1 carnitas taco made me roll my eyes with delight, and J jealously eyed it, almost wishing he hadn't liked his marinated pork covered huarache quite so much.

Another one bites the dust on my cheap to-eat list. If you have a recommendation, leave a comment and I'll add it to the list. Must be east of La Cienega.

The 2007 Erin's Kitchen Cheap To-Eat List (in no particular order)

Angeli Caffe (thx, Gastronomy 101)
Annapurna (thx, Kalyn's Kitchen--it's not east, but she's not a local, so it counts)
Casa Diaz (via Taco Hunt)
China Islamic (thx, Chez Shoes)
El Huarache Azteca (thx, Chez Shoes)
Food Garden Restaurant (thx, Melting Wok)
Golden Deli (thx, Anon)
Guelaguetza (via myself)
Halal Tandoori (via Eating LA)
J & J Restaurant (thx, LA-OC Foodie)
La Curva (via Foodie Universe)
Los Balcones de Peru (via All Kinds of Yum)
Noshi Sushi (thx, Rachael)
Paris Baguette (via LA Ritz)
Shin Sen Gumi Ramen (thx, Tableau Vivant)
Soot Bull Jeep (via Colleen Cuisine)
Zeke's Smokehouse (via Best of LA)

Farmers' Market, Firefly and Friends

The Thursday night farmers' market in South Pasadena has long been a favorite of mine. As much as I love the Sunday Hollywood market, buying my produce Thursday night is much more conducive to a weekend of cooking, and the South Pasadena market has more than enough bounty, without the crowds. Plus, there's a couple of patches of green grass to plop down on and enjoy your tamales, buttery sauteed mushrooms, or chilaquiles.

Last night I met my old friend Jill of Eye Level Pasadena and new friend Emily of Superspark for a quick tour of the market, and then tapas and Sangria at another favorite South Pasadena spot, Firefly. Every Thursday, they feature ingredients from the market in a small, reasonably priced tapas menu, under their twinkling tent. Last night's crispy tempura fried asaparagus and pear fritters were standouts--and a steal at around $6/piece. Each dish was more than big enough for each of us to have multiple bites. Topped off with a large $20 pitcher of tangy sangria, a great night all around.

South Pasadena Farmers' Market
Meridian Ave & Mission St
4 PM-8 PM, Thursday

Firefly
1009 El Centro Ave
South Pasadena, CA 91030
626-441-2443

Market photo by Jill; Firefly photo from the restaurant's website