KITCHY ENDORSEMENTS

BOYLAN'S BIRCH BEER

The first time I tried  Boylan's Birch Beer was at the charming Let's be Frank trailer in Culver City.  I was pondering which soda to get: root beer or cream soda? and the woman behind the counter whispered conspiratorially to me, "Have you ever had a birch beer?" Was this code for something more subversive than soda?  We were in downtown Culver City after all.  All those discount furniture stores can only spell trouble.  So I said "Not yet" and handed over the money.  She winked and turned to the back of the trailer.  What had I gotten myself into?  Was she a cop?  I nervously hovered around the relish and ketchup waiting for her to return.  "Yoo hoo! Your hotdog's ready! I added some homemade bread-and-butter-pickles!" I suspiciously took my hotdog.  "Oh! And your birch beer." I heard the "schoooock!" of the lid popping. "It's like root beer but way better."

Ok, nothing sketchy going on at all.  Just criminal deliciousness! 

Birch Beer is exactly as she described: like root beer but better.  It has a more pronounced herbaceous note to it (mint? anise maybe?) and a creme soda nuttiness that's just perfect.  I can't wait to try it with a scoop of ice cream.  Enjoy!

KITCHY EATS

One-stop-shop is usually a dubious moniker.  Do you really want to eat at the same place you buy your tires? Maybe if you're eating ribs, because somehow that seems like an organic combination.  Donuts too.  Anyway, my cousin Erica introduced me to the Japanese one-stop-shop on Centinela, Mitsuwa Market.  I've always driven past it, curiosity peaked by its monolithic size and my secret yearning for a Momoko doll (they look eerily like those Cobrasnake girls from Silver Lake/Los Feliz), but never explored it.  Similar to the mysterious Mitsuwa Market, I was also unaware of Erica's astounding, abounding (ha, assonance) knowledge of Japanese cuisine.  Why this was surprising I'm not really sure, because Erica studied Japanese in high school rather than Spanish or French.  Going around the market she'd pick up a package, stare at it, and maybe murmur "huh" before moving on.  I thought she was doing what I was: staring at the bright colors and creating pretend dialogue between Koala Yummies and Hello Kitty snack packs.   I figured out that she was actually reading the products when she said a perfect "arigato" to the clerk as we left.  Damn she's slick.

The food stands are just as impressive as the market, magazine shop, and video rental (all under one roof, mind you).  The four cash-only stands serve completely different fair, but all delicious with clean, bold flavors one would expect from good Japanese cuisine.  The Ramen stand is the most popular, but since I've been on a ramen kick, I decided to mix it up.  I went with the soba noodles in broth with scallions and shrimp tempura next door.  You make your choice from the plastic encased bowls on display, pay up front, then wait for your number to be called over the intercom.  I went back later in the week with my boyfriend and his roommate; they went with the bento boxes next to my soba place.  All of our meals were about $7 (Yayo, the roommate, spent about $9, that money bags) and were more than we could eat.  The bento boxes came with a cup of green tea, miso soup, a side of tofu, plus the main.  The meat was aromatic and rich, brimming with flavor. My tempura shrimp stayed crispy on the inside, despite sitting in my savory broth.  The punctuation of scallions brought that crisp spiciness I love so much in Japanese cuisine. So so so good.  Please do yourself a favor and swing by this place, great food and fascinating wares.  Enjoy!

My lunch in plastic.

Peter and Yayo wondering why the soup doesn't spill out of the upright bowls.

The real deal.
I'm a notorious slurper...and these noodles don't help.

Peter's meat!

The delicate side of tofu.
Simichi, a popular Japanese chili spice.  Incidentally, Jonathan at Compartes has a Simichi truffle that's absolutely delicious.

Kikusui Junmai Ginjo, my favorite sake.

I love that the dark chocolate version is for men only.  My feminine taste-buds can't handle the intense bitterness!
Koala Yummies!  Tied with Dunkaroos as my favorite lunch time snack.


Japanese Jonas brothers? (Note the soccer mom hair cuts)
And a picture book of a cat with its eyes closed.  Of course.

TOASTED COCONUT MOCHI ICE CREAM

The Japanese are masters of packaging.  Everything in the Nijia Market (or as my boyfriend calls it, "the Ninja Market") on Sawtelle screams, "Buy me! You don't know what I am? Buy me anyway!" This explains the surplus of seaweed chips in my pantry.  One of my favorite treats when I'm in the Sawtelle area is picking up a 6 pack of adorable mochi ice cream balls (essentially ice cream wrapped in a sweet rice flour dough).  Green Tea are my favorite, though my sister and cousins are more into the mango ones.  They're foreign enough to feel like a departure from the ol' scoop and cone, but they're comforting enough to fill that void only ice cream can.  They also force me to dole out my ice cream consumption in systematic bites, rather than the always expanding "half-cup" that turns into the entire pint.  Funny enough, in one of those "Buy me! Even though you can't read a stitch of Japanese!  Obey the cartoon with disproportionately large eyes!" moments, I bought sweet rice flour.  So here is my version of mochi, filled with coconut ice cream with a savory kick.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

Mochi:

1 cup sweet rice flour (I used Mochiko)

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or 1 1/2 extract)

1/3 cup toasted coconut

(for rolling) Corn Starch

Ice Cream:

2 cups coconut cream

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk (2% or non fat)

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 egg yolks

Directions:

For the mochi:

Mix all of the ingredients together to form a thick paste.  Cover with cling wrap and microwave for 2 minutes.  I know microwaving it takes it from J-Town to your college dorm, but roll with it. Stir vigorously and nuke again for 30 seconds.  Mix a final time and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Put a large sheet of plastic wrap on your counter and dust with corn starch.  Also cover your hands with corn starch (the mochi is super sticky).  Take the mochi dough and form into a ball.  Cut into 10 equal pieces.  For each piece into a circular patty, using the palm of your hand, then roll out with a rolling pin.  You want the circles to be about 3 inches wide.  Be sure to cover everything in corn starch or you'll just get a huge sticky mess.  Set the circles aside.

For the ice cream:

Mix 1 cup coconut cream, salt and the sugar in a pot over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.  Separately, beat the two egg yolks lightly in a medium sized bowl.  Add a 1/4 cup of the simmered cream mixture to the egg yolks and mix.  This is to temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling when added to the whole mixture.  Add a bit more and mix, then add the entire egg mixture to the simmered cream.  Stir with a whisk until the mixture forms a thin custard, about 5 to 10 minutes (or it reaches about 175 on a thermometer).  Take off heat and add the remaining coconut and heavy cream.  Stir, then chill in the fridge. 

Once the mixture is completely chilled, add the milk and stir in.  Add the mixture to your ice cream machine and chill accordingly.

Take the ice cream, and form into ten 1 1/2 inch balls. Freeze the balls until completely hard, this is important because you can' really wrap the mochi around them unless they're completely frozen.

When the balls are ready, wrap each ball with a mochi circle, pinching the ends together.  Put in an airtight container, and freeze.

PUFF PASTRY PIZZA WITH BURRATA, CHERRY TOMATOES AND BASIL

This is ridiculously easy.  I feel almost silly posting it.  But despite the simple recipe, I must admit this took several attempts before I figured out the exact science of a puff pastry pizza.  Want to know the trick?  Cook the pastry all the way or it'll get soggy.  The other trick?  Don't broil puff pastry.  Yeah, I went down that road.  Not a success.  

But this version was!  These make the perfect last minute appetizers or the tasty thing to munch on at a casual get together.  Get creative and throw whatever you like on top.  Sauteed mushrooms, spinach, onions, whatever strikes your fancy.  I went with this classic combination because it's what my sister was clamoring for.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted

1 medium ball of burrata

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 bunch basil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Set the oven to 400 F.   On a baking sheet, place tomatoes face side up and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roll out the puff pastry with a rolling pin until it gains an extra inch, both in width and length.  Place the puff pastry dough on a baking sheet and prick with a fork all over.  This is to prevent a giant bubble from forming in the middle.  Put both in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is a deep golden brown with the bottom clearly cooked, and the tomatoes are looking juicy and slightly shrivelled.

Turn the oven up to 450 F.

Slice the burrata (or bufala mozzarella if you'd rather) into 1/4 inch slices and place on a paper towel.  This is to soak up the extra liquid.  Halve the slices and dot the cheese over the pastry, about 1 inch apart from each other.  Fight the need to cover the whole thing in cheese, as this will only create a soggy mess.  Place the tomatoes on top of the cheese and all over the pizza.  Rip the basil leaves and sprinkle them on top.  Drizzle the whole thing with some olive oil, salt, and a healthy dose of fresh ground pepper.  Toss in the oven on the upper rack for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  Serve alone or with balsamic vinegar.

ZAGAT

More of my photos have been used for Zagat's website.  Click below to check them out!

The Varnish.  Located in the back of Cole's in the heart of Downtown LA, this bar serves meticulously concocted old-school cocktails.  No appletinis here, thank god.  The atmosphere is pulled from a Raymond Chandler novel and the gypsy jazz playing in the background kept me planted in my seat for hours.  The cocktails helped too.

Chaya.  The originators of tuna tartare have opened a new location in downtown.  The space is modern and whimsical, with Asian influences corresponding to its fusion menu.  If you need a location for a high powered lunch or to impress a date, this is a great bet.

The Reservoir.  The food Chef Gloria Felix creates is exactly what I crave when I go out: fresh, delicious, and a little outside of the box.  The star anise pot du creme was a particular favorite, but the panko crusted shrimp tacos looked insanely good as well.  The space is chock full of Silverlake charm with unique touches (imbedded strips of light in a wooden ceiling, a gorgeous copper bar) and windows hugging the walls.  It's intimate without feeling on top of the table next to you.  This place is perfect for a glass of wine on a mellow night out with friends. 

KITCHY SUPPLIES

THE COOKBOOK OF THE STARS

After my experience with the vintage cook book Anne Marie gave me, I started snooping around my parents house for additional sources of inspiration, and boy did I hit the jackpot.  This first one I chose to highlight is allegedly filled with dishes touted by hollywood stars of the 1940s, and surprisingly, the food actually seems good.  Nothing as shockingly bad as "fish custard" or tips for "invalid cookery" here, though a healthy fruit salad containing both cream cheese and heavy cream seems like it would tip the scales more than lighten them.  

What impressed me most about this book, other than the amazing head-shots and captions of my favorite screen idols (Humphrey Bogart in an apron???), is the comprehension and attention to detail that is often skipped over in modern cook books.  Entire chapters on entertaining, what linens to choose, what cuts of pork are best, whatever--all of these add to the home entertainer and amateur cook's experience.  I suppose it has to do with the dwindling of formality and the shift from the home to elsewhere as the social center of one's life.  Though many of the rules are dated and a bit stuffy, there's something charming about the painstaking meticulousness placed on what seems like frivolous minutia.  Who knows, if I get bored enough I might bust out my linen's and see if they're up to snuff.  Enjoy!

Note: Click on the photos to enlarge them so you can read the impossibly small text.  Sorry I can't just post them larger!

I love how food pyramid oriented the menu is, like those posters we used to study in health class where grains made up 50% of your diet.  
GAH! Sam Spade in an apron! Dasheill Hammond must be coming over for dinner. Honk four times when the soup's on.

Actually useful information.
More interesting info...


Well, if Olivia de Havilland says it's swell...

Who knew Ronnie loved peaches?

I love how flat and ugly old food photography was.  My dad jokes that you can't tell it apart from a close up of a crime scene.  Which is it?  Spilt spleen or breakfast?

Once again, kudos hollywood stars for giving actually useful tips.

KITCHY EATS

SCOOPS!

Scoops is the epitome of delicious, local, creative cuisine. Local being the emphatic word. The owner and creative mind behind the always mind-boggling flavors at Scoops, Tai Kim, makes his ice cream fresh every morning (sometimes as many as 18 new flavors) for locals and East LA College students to enjoy. He's created over 700 recipes since he opened in 2005 including such adventurous ones as Black truffle with honey, Bacon Caramel, and Black Sesame Seed. I wish he sold pints of the stuff! He also has an array of vegan and soy based concoctions that are supposed to be fabulous (I haven't tried any yet) so bring any friend on the food spectrum to enjoy.

When I staggered in from the hot sun to enjoy my frozen treat, I was surprised by how tame, though no less delicious, the offerings that day were. Guinness Chocolate, his famous Brown Bread, Pitachio Irish Cream, and Almond Fig were among the group.   I opted for the Pistachio Irish cream and Almond fig together, as my friend Christie taught me that the litmus test for all good ice cream shops is their pistachio. If they can do pistachio right, they've got a handle on things.  Well, having already been to Scoops I knew how outstanding the ice cream was, but I still wanted to test the theory retroactively.  

Success! the pistachio was absolutely delicious.  The Irish Cream gave just a hint of alcohol in the background and provided a rich creaminess to the salty crunch of the pistachios.  The texture too was unique, as alcohol can't freeze at any normal freezer temperature; thus the ice cream had a light, airy quality that doesn't stick to your palette or stomach.  The almond fig was delicious as well, in an earthy, almost honey kissed way.

Be sure to stop by on the next sunny spring day.  Enjoy!

P.S. If the green color and Irish Cream doesn't scream St. Patrick's day, I don't know what does.  So, ha! I can't get pinched today.

Almond fig, Oreo Banana, Pistachio Irish Cream, and Chocolate Guinness, respectively.

I better eat it before it melts!

Me pre-gobble.

Look at the flecks of nuts...so delicious.

RASPBERRY DARK CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU

As much as I keep churning out desserts and baked goods, I don't actually have a sweet tooth.  Quite the opposite.  Sickly sweet dishes that cling to your tongue with the cloying desperation of a mewing cat can cause me to push my plate away faster than anything.  But a balanced sweet dish, with a hint of savoriness, tartness, or herbaceousness...well, that's just heavenly.  And this tiramisu is the precipitation of those tastes.  Tiramisu is one of those sweet, rich dishes that can be generically mediocre or palette-coating-ly overwhelming.  But I love chocolate zabaglione, and didn't want to give it up because of a finicky sweet tooth.  So I upped the dark chocolate and replaced coffee with raspberries, and there you go: creamy, tart, deep tasting tiramisu with the mysterious taste zabaglione in the background.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For cream topping:

12 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 1/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar

For raspberry sauce:

4 half pints of raspberries

1 half pint blackberries

2 tablespoons sugar

24 crisp ladyfinger cookies (recommended: Savoiardi)
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish
3 tablespoons finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate

For Chocolate Zabaglione:
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup grand marnier and chambord (or cassis)
Pinch salt

Directions

Make the chocolate zabaglione first. Add the cream and chocolate to a double boiler and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth. 

In a separate glass bowl set over the bottom half of the double boiler, whisk (I use and electric beater) the egg yolks, sugar, liquor, and salt until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Using a large rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate to chill completely or if you're in a hurry, like I usually am, pop it in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

For the topping:

With an electric mixer, beat the cream and the sugar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Mix in the mascarpone.  Place 1 1/2 cups of the cream topping in a separate bowl, and fold the rest in with the the chilled chocolate zabaglione. Cover and refrigerate.

Meanwhile, put two half pints of the raspberries and the blackberries in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of sugar over medium heat.  Let the berries cook until they have all softened and burst, filling the pan with juice.  Allow to cool until slightly warm (I usually place it in the freezer for 30 minutes).

When the raspberry mixture has cooled a bit, immerse the lady fingers in the mixture, one at a time, and lay them on the bottom of a large dishpan (mine was about 10 x 10 and 4 inches deep).  You want to have three layers of the lady fingers, so it should be 8 lady fingers per layer.  It's fine if there's spaces in between the lady fingers, just be sure to cover the whole pan. Once you've assembled the layer, add some of the extra pulp and softened berries.  With a spatula smooth a layer of the chocolate mixture, about 3/4 inch thick.  Repeat this until you've used up all of the ladyfingers and chocolate zabaglione.  Sprinkle the chopped up chocolate over the pan.  Smooth a thick layer, about 1 inch thick, of the cream-mascarpone mixture over the pan.  Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder, and assemble fresh raspberries on top.

Chill overnight to let the flavors meddle and serve out of the dishpan with a cake knife. 

KITCHY EATS

THE IN N OUT SECRET MENU

The "secret menu" is one of the worst kept secrets ever, and rightly so. It's only a secret of omission, failing to be displayed on the menu hanging above the cash register or glowing outside in the drive-thru. But ask any true west-coaster, and they will go into an exhaustive explanation of "animal style" versus "protein style" versus "extra-crispy" versus "neapolitan" versus a "plain grilled cheese." I remember my first inundation to the secret In-n-Out society, with the double-double shaped fezzes, elaborate thick and creamy hand-shakes, and Bible-verse-revealing decoder rings. It was a youth group trip, I can't remember if it was the "ski trip" I spent eating my feelings inside the cabin or the "lake trip" I spent eating my feelings inside the tent, but regardless, it was, as my brother would describe, a "wild tempest of hormones" filled with guitar-sing-alongs, french braiding, and wistfully dreaming that the cute eighth grader noticed me. He didn't. But the burgers were great!

The secret menu goes as such:

Animal style: this can be done to your burger, fries, or if you're super top secret your grilled cheese. It's basically thousand island dressing, chopped up pickles, and grilled onions on top of whatever you order.

Protein style: skip the bun! Your burger will come wrapped in lettuce.

Grilled cheese: for that lonely vegetarian amongst in-n-out eaters.

Extra Crispy and Extra Extra Crispy: where they cook the fries until they're crunchy or until they're rectangular potato chips.

Neopolitan or Black and White: Mixing your shake flavors any way you like.

The triple triple: Like the double double, but with three patties and three slices of cheese.

The 4 x 4: My brother's favorite, and you guessed it, four patties and four slices of cheese.

The other secrets:

Also no-so-secret is the enduring quality behind the product and company In-n-Out puts out. Started in 1948, it has always been a family institution, never being franchised or publicly traded. Because of this, In-n-Out can pay their employees a starting wage of $10 per hour, which is more than I was paid to be a producer's assistant; they can have a policy where if you can't pay when you pull up to the window, they'll give you the food anyway, just to be nice; and lastly, they can print bible verses on the bottom of every beverage cup and burger wrapper, reflecting the spiritual beliefs of the family.

And I must say, the Lord hath blessed them with a damn good burger.

The animal style double double.

Extra Crispy fries.

Black and White Shake.  

Secret Bible verses.