Sometimes I still am amazed by my metabolism. Naturally by being a foodblogger, I am expected to eat a little more than the average food joe but sometimes I do think it can get kind of hardcore.
Got invited to a greek lamb roast tailgate party of some kind over at USC, arrived there with a Lambic Peche in already. The lamb had just gotten carved off the spit:
I get a couple of ribs,
a piece of shank,
a piece of loin,
a rare piece of bloody shoulder,
and of course...four large pieces of garlicky, lemon-pepper skin.
A couple of scoops of tomato-cucumber salad,
a couple of generous scoops of hummus
and a piece of Persian sesame bread.
--two Miller Lights 12oz and a couple of swigs of homemade ouzo to make that go down smoothly.
I spot some spanakopitas someone brought in...I inhale two.
Half an hour later they make falafel, I put away two of 'em with half a whole wheat pita, more tomato salad and babaganoush. Now, a 12oz Tecate.
After bumming a couple more random beers from walking around looking at girls, I get a text saying if I want to meet for korean pork belly.
"sure :)"
My chopsticks move voraciously towards three triangle pieces of greasy vegetable pancake, kimchi's of sorts a chopstickfull of creamy egg and a whole bowl of chestnut jellies--that was panchan.
Five pieces of grilled pork belly, five ladle fulls of spicy black goat soup, herbs, seven pieces of dried fish smoky, sweet chili saute with rice cakes.
"Who wants Dessert!"
Three non-pinkberry-like swirls of a hazelnutty Taro, a nutter butter flavor a little of pistachio and a lot of blueberry tart. I top it off with crushed oreos, sweet red beans, kiwi and raspberries.
Someone brings a pan dulce attempt at a napoleon. I eat some cream filling.
My bowl is clean.
Eventually my group walks in to starbucks.
"what do you want?"
I'm sipping a venti full of tea.
I just got up to get some water, I feel light again and start to feel a little hunger again--
...I'm not even messing around.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Mexican For A Day: Teaching Ludovic Lefebvre the Art of Mole Zacatecano
Ludo and I: United by Our Passion For Food
Since the first time I had Ludobites back in June, I knew Chef 'Ludo' was not like the rest. Put aside his deviant french-fangled approach to food for a bit, I'm talking about his mere dedication to food that got him to where he is now.
It was visible even at that same dinner, asking ever so humbly if I could teach him how to properly make a simple Quesadilla after watching him get the boot from Top Chef Masters live, for a failed attempt at a "Pig Ear Quesadilla" in which he stuffed with Monterey Jack, Pinto Beans, Aleppo Peppers, Smoked Paprika, Chili Powder, Green Onions and served with Lime-Mint Aioli--interesting but...really?
This eventually evolved into him asking me if I can teach him how to make a home-made Mole, Mexico's laborious but dignified National dish of pureed spices, chilies and Chocolate...
Where others would have been satisfied with recipe versions of this dish, Ludo wanted to take in the experience of it all, he wanted to FULLY comprehend the concept of Mole, how it was made traditionally in my family...from point A to point EAT.
Sooner than I knew it, he was outside my house in East LA at 10:00 AM sharp and we were off to the local Tortilleria and Top Valu Super Market to stock up on the 15+ ingredients needed. He had already brought the protein, a fine young Diestel Guajolote (Turkey), the original pre-conquest protein for the famed dish.
My mom is from Yerbabuena, Zacatecas--a desert, ranch-village in between Valparaiso and Fresnillo known for my Aunt's Queso Añejo Enchilado, a raw, hard rind stinky cheese that is dunked in a red Chile de Arbol sauce. To date, there are about seven families in total living there with ours being one of them.
This was not going to be your L.A restaurant acquired Mole of Oaxacan or Poblano descent, this was going to be 100% PURO ZACATECANO, my spanish-only speaking mom clarified that with Ludo several times through out the day...
In addition, I had also suggested that we teach Ludo Pipian to contrast with the sweet and savory Mole. Pipian is a more minimalist but still complex, entirely-savory sauce made up of unhulled toasted Northern Pumpkin seeds, almonds and Cumin, it is more common amongst meals than the extremely labor intensive Mole, which is traditionally only seen Weddings, Quinceañeras, parties etc.
Don't touch anything else with that hand Ludo...
We first started with the personal de-seeding and de-veining of every single one of the chilies. Equal portions of Chile California and Chile Nuevo Mexico are the base of the sauce, California adds flavor, Nuevo Mexico adds heat. Second up is Chile Ancho (aka Guajillo), its raisin-like flesh adds exquisite texture and lends that signature dark crimson hue. A moderate amount Chile Chipotle adds a shadowing heat. And the Chile de Arbol is added lastly according to personal tolerance to fire, with it's instant dry, lip singe-ing heat.
Next was the frying of the nuts and spices: Almonds, Peanuts, Sesame Seeds, Anise, Cinnamon, Clove for the Mole. And just Cumin, Almonds and Pumpkin Seeds for the Pipian.
Blending all this batch-by-batch was a fatal task for my sister's Cuisineart blender, plastic gear underneath the blade actually melting completely off due to the extensive use of it through out the cooking process!
Straining: Just for Ludo
For Ludo's sake, my mom decided to strain both sauces for a luxurious, smooth, velvety sheen but otherwise, we would of traditionally sufficed for a little more rustic texture in honor of not wasting ANY of the ingredients.
Crimson Red Mole and Opaque Orange Pipian.
Of course, both of the sauce's flavors were allowed to fully transpire with the aid of freshly rendered Manteca (lard).
Ludo Drooling
After six hours of labor and about an hour of the final brews simmering and allowing the flavors to gain depth, I could tell Ludo was eager as ever to fully experience Mole and Pipian Zacatecano in all its bounty with its time-honored sides: Garlic-Tomato Fried Arrozito and crisp-tender marinated Nopalitos (cactus).
Mole, Nopalitos and Arrozito: The Heart, Body and Soul of Zacatecano Cooking
All and all, it was an absolute pleasure to share a piece of my rich edible heritage with Chef Ludo...and to watch him swoon to my mom's and my cooking.
My Mom and Ludo: Two Serious Cooks
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Real Rio: Rio Brazil Café
Regional fare of whatever country I think is the main fuel of most food enthusiasts. How food changes via the climate, the terrain, the beliefs, etc. never fails to endlessly fascinate me. Oh, how great it feels to discover a sub-cuisine within a wider known cuisine that caters to your edible whims!
My personal whims happen to be those of the tropical persuasion, EXOTIC, I guess is the more accepted food adjective. Bold, rich, pungent, intense! Things with coconut, fish byproducts, obscure vegetables, exclusive fruits, rare fats…for some reason the food from humid places by the sea. Again, this proved true with the exciting food of the Rio De Janeiro region of Brazil. The preeminent use of the unique-tasting Dende oil (palm seed) is commonplace thorough out its cuisine, along with an elevated love of salt, the food here is definitely not like that of a Churasqueria, the stereotyped Brazilian food here in the U.S.
Rio Brazil Café is located in the newly burgeoning “Little Brazil” district of West L.A, a little area that spans between Culver City and Santa Monica and a little neighborhood known as Palms. In a strip mall, it is actually the 3rd reincarnation of a Brazilian restaurant in the same place and hopefully the last…
Luciene Peck offers her specialty dishes daily but even the foodiest of eyes would have trouble spotting the meek whiteboard outside that nonchalantly flaunts these extrinsic dishes.
Inside, a tropic hue of green welcomes you in, and it’s only a matter of time until your head starts to bob to the easygoing beats of the Samba dancers tooting on the widescreen TV.
Malagueta
To start off, Salgadiñhos are the Brazilian answer to convenience foods, fried savory pouches filled with things that range from spiced shredded chicken (Coxinha) to straight up fried molten cheese (Boliño’s), when moderated, all the better to vastly enjoy with some of that palate stimulating Malagueta Pepper sauce that she makes in house. Now is the perfect time to introduce the drinks, Jugo de Caju (Cashew Apple Juice) is sometimes a bit bland but the tart and zippy Jugo de Maracuya will do just fine.
Feijoada
Aside from the best restaurant rendition I’ve had of Brazil’s more acquainted national dish of Feijoada, a thick stew full with al dente black beans, various salted pig parts and Lincuica sausage, Luciene prepares other Rio standards such as Muqueca, the coconut milk and Dende oil concoction with sweet peppers, onions, garlic and always a little extra love. Here she makes two versions, one with wide flaked Red Snapper fillets and another with tender, bright-tasting Hearts of Palm, both rich in their significant ways.
Heart of Palm Muqueca
She serves all three of these with another personal favorite staple: Farofa, dehydrated Yucca (Cassava) meal that is lightly fried up…starch in its purest, no-frills form. It adds a humble crunch.
Farofa, Rice, Collard Greens & Oranges: Traditional accouterments to Feijoada
Bobo de Camarao is another rare dish, plump shrimp braised with a dende and herbs enhanced puree of that super creamy Cassava root.
Abobora con Carne is another home-style typical plate amongst Carioca families, an exceptionally salty mash up of pumpkin, salt-cured Carne Seca (dried beef) that she prepares herself and more of that illustrious Lincuica sausage. Here, she adapts it by using Butternut squash in place of Brazilian pumpkin unavailable in the U.S. A compromise I don't mind.
If you’re really lucky, you’ll spot Casquinha de siri scribbled on the whiteboard, if you do…GET IT. Who would pass up a Carioca version of a Crab casserole baked in a clay dish?
Sweets get an equal amount of love. A silky, sharp Passionfruit Mousse is presented beautifully, dotted with a couple of crisp whole encased seeds on top and served on a shot cup angled on the bias.
Her Flan de Coco topped with Blackberries would rival even the smoothest of Panna Cota’s, droopy and creamy in texture unlike the more Angeleno-associated molded and stable Mexican Flan, nonetheless equally satiating for the sweet tooth inclined.
And if that still is not enough…she makes her own Brigadeiro, milk chocolate truffles.
A few month’s ago, Rio Brazil Cafe was about to close its doors. But thanks to a steady stream of coverage due to the efforts of the Brazilian enamored Street Gourmet LA, who even started a Twitter account for them, this place has been able to slowly turn around.
And I surely hope that it stays like that.
*Call before for availability of Feijoada, might only be on weekends.
Rio Brazil Cafe
3300 Overland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 558-3338
My personal whims happen to be those of the tropical persuasion, EXOTIC, I guess is the more accepted food adjective. Bold, rich, pungent, intense! Things with coconut, fish byproducts, obscure vegetables, exclusive fruits, rare fats…for some reason the food from humid places by the sea. Again, this proved true with the exciting food of the Rio De Janeiro region of Brazil. The preeminent use of the unique-tasting Dende oil (palm seed) is commonplace thorough out its cuisine, along with an elevated love of salt, the food here is definitely not like that of a Churasqueria, the stereotyped Brazilian food here in the U.S.
Rio Brazil Café is located in the newly burgeoning “Little Brazil” district of West L.A, a little area that spans between Culver City and Santa Monica and a little neighborhood known as Palms. In a strip mall, it is actually the 3rd reincarnation of a Brazilian restaurant in the same place and hopefully the last…
Luciene Peck offers her specialty dishes daily but even the foodiest of eyes would have trouble spotting the meek whiteboard outside that nonchalantly flaunts these extrinsic dishes.
Inside, a tropic hue of green welcomes you in, and it’s only a matter of time until your head starts to bob to the easygoing beats of the Samba dancers tooting on the widescreen TV.
Malagueta
To start off, Salgadiñhos are the Brazilian answer to convenience foods, fried savory pouches filled with things that range from spiced shredded chicken (Coxinha) to straight up fried molten cheese (Boliño’s), when moderated, all the better to vastly enjoy with some of that palate stimulating Malagueta Pepper sauce that she makes in house. Now is the perfect time to introduce the drinks, Jugo de Caju (Cashew Apple Juice) is sometimes a bit bland but the tart and zippy Jugo de Maracuya will do just fine.
Feijoada
Aside from the best restaurant rendition I’ve had of Brazil’s more acquainted national dish of Feijoada, a thick stew full with al dente black beans, various salted pig parts and Lincuica sausage, Luciene prepares other Rio standards such as Muqueca, the coconut milk and Dende oil concoction with sweet peppers, onions, garlic and always a little extra love. Here she makes two versions, one with wide flaked Red Snapper fillets and another with tender, bright-tasting Hearts of Palm, both rich in their significant ways.
Heart of Palm Muqueca
She serves all three of these with another personal favorite staple: Farofa, dehydrated Yucca (Cassava) meal that is lightly fried up…starch in its purest, no-frills form. It adds a humble crunch.
Farofa, Rice, Collard Greens & Oranges: Traditional accouterments to Feijoada
Bobo de Camarao is another rare dish, plump shrimp braised with a dende and herbs enhanced puree of that super creamy Cassava root.
Abobora con Carne is another home-style typical plate amongst Carioca families, an exceptionally salty mash up of pumpkin, salt-cured Carne Seca (dried beef) that she prepares herself and more of that illustrious Lincuica sausage. Here, she adapts it by using Butternut squash in place of Brazilian pumpkin unavailable in the U.S. A compromise I don't mind.
If you’re really lucky, you’ll spot Casquinha de siri scribbled on the whiteboard, if you do…GET IT. Who would pass up a Carioca version of a Crab casserole baked in a clay dish?
Sweets get an equal amount of love. A silky, sharp Passionfruit Mousse is presented beautifully, dotted with a couple of crisp whole encased seeds on top and served on a shot cup angled on the bias.
Her Flan de Coco topped with Blackberries would rival even the smoothest of Panna Cota’s, droopy and creamy in texture unlike the more Angeleno-associated molded and stable Mexican Flan, nonetheless equally satiating for the sweet tooth inclined.
And if that still is not enough…she makes her own Brigadeiro, milk chocolate truffles.
A few month’s ago, Rio Brazil Cafe was about to close its doors. But thanks to a steady stream of coverage due to the efforts of the Brazilian enamored Street Gourmet LA, who even started a Twitter account for them, this place has been able to slowly turn around.
And I surely hope that it stays like that.
*Call before for availability of Feijoada, might only be on weekends.
Rio Brazil Cafe
3300 Overland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 558-3338
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The FoodBuzz Festival: Day 1 Pit Stop (Titas Pupuseria)
It seemed like forever ago I was scrambling around to scan in my signature and email it over to them before the deadline but it was time!
The Foodbuzz festival! Meaning...FOODBLOGGER ROAD TRIP!
It was to be Mattatouille, The Kung Food Panda and I, squeezed into the Food GPS mobile--an Acura RSX for five hours straight...
It was not long before we stopped for our first pit stop while speeding along the sunburnt asphalt of the I-5 North: Titas Pupuseria, a Pupusa truck?
A new potential post or a habituated Double-Double? It was Pupusa time!
Menu wasn't half bad, offering a couple of other cool Salvodorean options
Of course, we all opted for its national dish.
Loroco: A flower bud used as a herb. The flavor is really light and subtle, just a vaguely faint tarragon-like taste.
Each order took around ten minutes to make, then I saw why and did not mind the wait. Each turnover had a guaranteed part of the cheese that would be purposely oozed out and left to be turned into a small crispy piece of golden goodness.
The pickled, shredded cabbage slaw known as Curtido also was a step above others I've had around town. Matt and I agreed that it was not too different than a form of Kimchi.
A surprisingly delectable find in the land of franchise driven "T.A" travelers centers.
Next stop...San Francisco!
Titas Pupuseria
20617 Tracey Ave.
Buttonwillow, CA
93206
The Foodbuzz festival! Meaning...FOODBLOGGER ROAD TRIP!
It was to be Mattatouille, The Kung Food Panda and I, squeezed into the Food GPS mobile--an Acura RSX for five hours straight...
It was not long before we stopped for our first pit stop while speeding along the sunburnt asphalt of the I-5 North: Titas Pupuseria, a Pupusa truck?
A new potential post or a habituated Double-Double? It was Pupusa time!
Menu wasn't half bad, offering a couple of other cool Salvodorean options
Of course, we all opted for its national dish.
Loroco: A flower bud used as a herb. The flavor is really light and subtle, just a vaguely faint tarragon-like taste.
Each order took around ten minutes to make, then I saw why and did not mind the wait. Each turnover had a guaranteed part of the cheese that would be purposely oozed out and left to be turned into a small crispy piece of golden goodness.
The pickled, shredded cabbage slaw known as Curtido also was a step above others I've had around town. Matt and I agreed that it was not too different than a form of Kimchi.
A surprisingly delectable find in the land of franchise driven "T.A" travelers centers.
Next stop...San Francisco!
Titas Pupuseria
20617 Tracey Ave.
Buttonwillow, CA
93206
Friday, November 13, 2009
Part Time Food GPS: Rivera's Honey Tasting
(Taken from Food GPS Website)
Curious I was when I was first asked to cover this event, I felt cloyed after having finished! A four course tasting menu sponsored by the National Honey Board took place at the super hip and happening Rivera Restaurant yesterday. Each dish celebrated—yup, you guessed it—honey and its various uses and effects on food. Only three restaurants around the U.S are chosen for this event every year, this year the chosen theme was Latino cuisine and what better representation in L.A. than Chef John Cedlar’s New Mexican fangled contemporary approach.
Before the meal, Mr. Sedlar came out and spoke briefly about honey’s typical uses on Mexican cuisine as well as his earliest memories of the stuff, involving stories of how he used to smear his Sopaipillas generously as he was growing up. I added a couple of sweet childhood anecdotes myself as he had kindly asked me to do so earlier to add my own piece of knowledge.
Without further delay, we were seated and plopped down with a wide cup full of iced Pineapple and Serrano Licuado with Honey Infused Tequila, a sweet and fiery beginning to the meal, especially after I bit the Serrano and muddled it with the already-spicy juice. Didn’t really pack a punch, but was certainly going to use all that bromelain to help me digest what was coming.
Crostinis of Queso Cotija with Hierbabuena, [pink] Pepper Berry Infused Honey and Figs. Chef Sedlar went on to say how he used to always eat cheese with something sweet, you know…to contrast. He must have really had a sweet tooth back then, the combination of sweet figs and generous drizzle of honey was as sweet as reminiscing in a happy childhood, good thing that subtle pink pepper berry and mint was there to break me out of my sugar daze.
Finish reading rest of dinner at Food GPS
Curious I was when I was first asked to cover this event, I felt cloyed after having finished! A four course tasting menu sponsored by the National Honey Board took place at the super hip and happening Rivera Restaurant yesterday. Each dish celebrated—yup, you guessed it—honey and its various uses and effects on food. Only three restaurants around the U.S are chosen for this event every year, this year the chosen theme was Latino cuisine and what better representation in L.A. than Chef John Cedlar’s New Mexican fangled contemporary approach.
Before the meal, Mr. Sedlar came out and spoke briefly about honey’s typical uses on Mexican cuisine as well as his earliest memories of the stuff, involving stories of how he used to smear his Sopaipillas generously as he was growing up. I added a couple of sweet childhood anecdotes myself as he had kindly asked me to do so earlier to add my own piece of knowledge.
Without further delay, we were seated and plopped down with a wide cup full of iced Pineapple and Serrano Licuado with Honey Infused Tequila, a sweet and fiery beginning to the meal, especially after I bit the Serrano and muddled it with the already-spicy juice. Didn’t really pack a punch, but was certainly going to use all that bromelain to help me digest what was coming.
Crostinis of Queso Cotija with Hierbabuena, [pink] Pepper Berry Infused Honey and Figs. Chef Sedlar went on to say how he used to always eat cheese with something sweet, you know…to contrast. He must have really had a sweet tooth back then, the combination of sweet figs and generous drizzle of honey was as sweet as reminiscing in a happy childhood, good thing that subtle pink pepper berry and mint was there to break me out of my sugar daze.
Finish reading rest of dinner at Food GPS
Monday, November 09, 2009
The Rise of L.A. Food Trucks: A Walking Gastro Tour with Javier Cabral
Big, Bad Trucks
...Still don't know how I came up with that title but YES that is my name and that will be the tour I will be guiding at this upcoming Downtown Los Angeles Artwalk
A guerilla revolution in the Los Angeles food scene has been slowly taking place in the streets and driveways of our brick and mortar habituated restaurant culture: Concept Food Trucks (Mobile Cuisine). Taco trucks are one thing but gourmet food trucks? The hugely acclaimed “Korean Taco” slinging Kogi Taco Truck unofficially started it…but that was only the beginning. Join me as I guide you through South Indian Dosa’s, vintage horror movie themed plant based hot dogs, handmade D.I.Y ice cream sandwiches and many, many more. This will be a walking tour, but don’t worry; there will be plenty of refueling points along the way…
The event takes place on the second Thursday of every month and this upcoming one happens to be it!
If you guys haven't been before, this is a must-do if you live anywhere within the L.A locale, like an all out block party oozing--sometimes literally--with unexampled
performance art and upwards of 10,000 modish Angelenos that are out, loud and boisterously about.
Artlessly, no other event in L.A attracts as many trucks as the Downtown Art Walk, let’s see what we hunt down that night...
Some most likely appearances:
Marked 5 (Japanese/American Fusion Burgers)
Coolhaus (Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches w/ edible wrappers)
The Franken Stand (Vintage Horror Movie Themed Plant Based Hot Dogs)
Nom Nom Truck (Vietnamese Bahn Mi Sandwiches)
The Dosa Truck (South Indian Dosas)
Border Grill Truck (Gourmet Tacos, Tamales, Churro Bites)
Fishlips (Sushi and Rolls)
The Witch: Full sail Ale cooked Tofu dog with customizable toppings from The Franken Stand
Vanilla Bean on Ginger w/ edible wrapper: D.I.Y Ice Cream Sandwiches from Coolhaus
Monday, November 02, 2009
Extra! Extra! Glutster Mentioned in The New Yorker Magazine
Yup!
READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE (only Summary, full article only in print)
It's crazy how it happened really.
It all started at the Jonathan Gold's Zocalo Cocktail Party Fundraiser that I couldn't even afford to go to.
Apparently, someone had brought me up in a conversation the lovely Dana Goodyear was engaged in...and that was that.
The next day we had lunch at Battambang and were talking just how much the Gold meister has influenced and helped my life since I was 16, singlehandedly trailing his every S.G.V find through my high school years while my classmates sufficed for the local burger hut.
I guess things really do happen for a reason...
READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE (only Summary, full article only in print)
It's crazy how it happened really.
It all started at the Jonathan Gold's Zocalo Cocktail Party Fundraiser that I couldn't even afford to go to.
Apparently, someone had brought me up in a conversation the lovely Dana Goodyear was engaged in...and that was that.
The next day we had lunch at Battambang and were talking just how much the Gold meister has influenced and helped my life since I was 16, singlehandedly trailing his every S.G.V find through my high school years while my classmates sufficed for the local burger hut.
I guess things really do happen for a reason...
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)