SiseFromm
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Posts posted by SiseFromm
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Call me crazy, but other than seeing picket lines at my local stores as I passed by, I was completely unaffected by the strike. We shop at small & independently owned stores, a local butcher, Whole Foods, and our local farmer's market. Whatever happens, I'll remain unaffected as usual.
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I'm not expecting much, but I did order some pork breakfast sausages from Omaha Steaks. We'll see. It will be a good experiment but my previous experiences with Omaha haven't been very memorable. By the way, those Fra'Mani sausages, which I assume are delicious, are whopping in at $20/lb. if my math is right. Ouch!
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Nice find! I'm familiar with Fra'Mani and some of their other products (Cowgirl & Cheese Shop at Silverlake both sell their salamis). Ordering up a 5 lb. packages seems a bit much but I suppose I could just freeze the 4 lbs. I wouldn't use in the first go around.
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If I recall correctly Miss Irene at the LA times did a very favorable review a few weeks back.
I didn't know Troquet was officially gone...the fall for the Goodell's has been quite steep.
There was a favorable 3-star review on Cafe Rouge around a month ago or so, give or take. Register gave it 4-stars, but then again, they don't have much on par with Rouge to measure against so they were probably just happy another decent restaurant opened in the OC Metro area. ;-) We're heading to San Diego this weekend with friends but as soon as I get a free weekend I'll definitely check that spot out. Florent's new restaurant, by the way, is supposed to open around 04.01, although I haven't heard anything official.
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Ever thought of making your own?Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only help.
The fork, Jason, use the fork ...
Absolutely. I've made sausages before, but, frankly, I just don't want to again. There are fine artisans out there and they've already gone through all of the trials and tribulations. I just want to find them.
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I've searched high and low on eGullet as well as through Google. I came up empty-handed on D'Artagnan, Dean & Deluca, Neiman Ranch, and Snake River Farms. Amazon.com's searches through the food section were relatively fruitless. Even Aidell's offering seemed questionable (turkey?). All I really want are some absolutely gorgeous, hand-made breakfast links with lovely maple flavor. I can find unbelievable, small-batch bacons with ease, but finding a proper breakfast sausage made from pork is something elusive apparently. Are there any fine-foods markets in the LA/OC area with access to killer, restaurant-quality breakfast links? Bristol Farms makes a horrible fresh breakfast sausage so I'll rule that one out right away.
Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only help.
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So did you ever actually go to Napa Rose or were you just gathering information for a future visit? If you did go, any thoughts for the board?
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We were just at the Cheese Store at Silverlake the other day. We picked up a few awesome Spanish cheeses that were rock stars. I only regret we didn't pick up a bottle or two of Orin Swift's "The Prisoner" (a field blend of sorts). We had a snifter of it at a party over the weekend and it was an epiphany. They had a case stack of it in Silverlake and I ignored the owner's strong recommendation to buy some. But I digress . . .
We're a bit South of Los Angeles but make it up to various LA neighborhoods quite a bit for dining and shopping. There are plenty of great restaurants and you'll be kept busy for years with the myriad of hole-in-the-wall joints that dot the landscape.
Oh yes, and the Santa Monica farmer's markets, especially on Wednesdays, are legendary.
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I don't recall much of the food details from our meal there a couple of years ago but I do remember their very impressive kitchen. They must have spent a fortune on that island they have setup.
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By the way, The Patina Group's newest OC restaurant, Leatherby's Cafe Rouge, has been getting great reviews from fellow foodie buddies of mine in the area. We still have to get over there but with our status at Pinot, it's tough to pull away. On other semi-related news, Florent, the old chef from Pinot (he was recently replaced by a young upstart) is opening a new restaurant at South Coast Plaza in the old Troquet location. That surely will be a must-try for us. He's a great chef and I'm a big fan.
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It's still there in the same exact spot and, I believe, run by the same chef. Golden Truffle is an old-school institution but not normally on my radar. The location leaves a lot to be desired (off Newport Blvd., next to a coffee shop and Black Flys store). There is no view to speak of other than the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest intersections in the city. I've never heard anybody speak poorly about Golden Truffle but I've never had anybody tell me that I simply must go and try out the newest thing the chef is doing. I would expect old-school French food circa 1975 - 1985.
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That LA Weekly write-up is somewhat underwhelming. It doesn't offer much other than to comment on the former resident and the music. I'd like to hear more about the food but I guess a visit is in order if I want to get the real scoop.
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Sounds like Darioush - who used to have a small shack off Silverado Trail - Cabs were in the low to mid forties at tops - now they are up to $70 a bottle to pay for the tacky ornate building they are in today!
Yeah, the Darioush building is something to be seen for sure. I do love their wines but man are they pricey. The huge fireplaces, modernist furniture, and temple of glass and stainless steel have certainly added to that price tag. We were there in December and even though I love that Cab, they've really turned into a huge touristy kind of joint.
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Here are some pics. This is it, no?:
http://la.eater.com/archives/2007/01/09/ea...llage_idiot.php
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Sounds intriguing but I couldn't find a website. Do they have one, and does it have a menu and photos posted?
EDIT: I found it! Unfortunately the site only features a logo. It must be under construction:
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Robert Sinskey (off Silverado Trail) has a full kitchen in the tasting room with a staff chef. Unless the chef has the day off, an array of snacks are served along with their biodynamically produced wines. As for Quintessa, I have a feeling you're paying an extra tax on that tasting to pay for that huge rock wall structure in their driveway. I love the wines of Philippe Melka but Quintessa has never really been on our radar. Search out Seavey for better wines and a much more interesting experience featuring wines from the same maker.
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Actually I think there is a pretty decent Thai population in Orange County so lots of little restaurants and take-out places dot the landscape. That being the case, I don't really know of any actual sit-down or fancy type Thai restaurants in the area but if you want some nice noodles or curry, start exploring right in your own neighborhood. I've had nice meals in the past at Diho Siam here in Costa Mesa (Newport Blvd. @ Harbor).
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Let me do a shameless plug for a fellow eGulleteer in the La Canada Flintridge area, near Glendale & Pasadena:
Cherie teaches a Cooking Basics Series that might work well for you.
I suspect you live more in the Orange County area, ehh?
SiseFromm, thanks for the heads-up! I gave Chef Michael a call. He's a brave man, letting people like me sign-up for this class.
Sadly I can't make that class but you do plan on providing a full review here on the site . . . right? ;-)
I do wish I could attend because fish cookery is my weakness and a constant struggle for me. I would cherish the opportunity to watch Cirimusti work in his comfort zone and I'm sure there is massive value in the lessons you'll take with you. I'm on the mailing list though so if this one proves sucessful I'm hoping more will follow that I can actually attend.
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I see I need to get to LA to eat Italian way more often. This is a big list to work through!
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The entire area is so packed with wineries that there is always another one to check out no matter where you're at. You can check out this Interactive Napa Valley Map to see the clustering of wineries. Silverado Trail is very near Silver Oak and you can head either North or South on it and hit good wineries in both directions.
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Sur La Table also offers courses. I know they have basic knife skills and other introductory type classes, but I also think their program is kind of expensive class by class. I still vote for introduction classes in a junior college culinary program, even if it means you only take the first couple. Making stock is, in my opinion, the most important thing a home cook can do to improve the overall quality of everything that comes out of the kitchen.
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I just received this message via email. Sounds like a great event:
Providence Announces 101 Cooking Class Series
Fin Fish 101 -Sunday, March 4, 2007, 11:00am-1: 30pm
Chef Michael Cimarusti and Chef de Cuisine Paul Shoemaker present their first in a series of cooking classes, Fin Fish 101. The Chefs will dispense their wisdom on methods of selecting, preparing, and cooking fin fish as well as make recommendations for the best pans and utensils for the job. Presented in the kitchen at Providence, Michael and Paul have composed three different fish preparations for you to taste with printed recipes to try at home. Kenny Crowder of Young's Market will also be on hand to offer wine suggestions to taste with each dish (must be 21 or older). Dishes demonstrated will be:
pan roasted striped bass
english peas, nantes carrots, shimeji mushrooms,
truffled lobster juice
poached tai snapper
roasted sweet peppers, cipollini onions, chorizo, basil
slow roasted john dory aux cinq saveurs
artichokes braised in white wine, pearl onions, coriander, black olive
$150 per person, class limited to 20 participants.
Class includes tasting portions of demonstrated dishes, tasting portions of wine, recipes and wine information to take home, and a notebook. Credit card confirmation required.
Please call (323) 460-4170 for details and reservations.
**Next in the Series-Shellfish 101, Hors d' Oeuvres 101**
Providence is located at:
5955 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Phone: 323.460.4170
Fax: 323.460.4491
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It will probably be tough to have proper preparations of each of the things you mentioned all at one time in one restaurant. You might have to explore a bit to get cooked eggs, proper steak, and well-cooked pasta. Expect to make a bunch of visits to a bunch of restaurants. Honestly, I can't even think of where to start since OC and LA are, when combined, so vast in size. Have you thought about taking some intro cooking classes at a local junior college? I don't know where you’re located, but I know OCC near me in Costa Mesa has a pretty decent culinary program. You don't have to commit to a full program but you might do well to take the first couple of courses.
As I think about it, by the way, your perfectly cooked scrambled eggs might differ from somebody else's perfectly cooked scrambled eggs. Maybe you like yours looser? Maybe you prefer them cooked through further with brown edges? That's really a matter of taste. For me, I like my eggs just barely cooked through and slightly wet, but a lot of people would consider that underdone. Lots of butter and a touch of cream is the way I like mine, but some people prefer to lighten the scramble by adding a touch of water which provides air and steam.
For steaks, I generally find that searing to crusty brown on both sides then finishing in a 400-degree oven for 6.5 minutes followed by a 5-minute rest really produces stunning medium rare steaks (usually strip steaks at about 1.5" thickness). An instant-read thermometer would be a great friend to have. Cook the steaks until they're around 120 - 125 degrees internally then let the steaks rest 5 - 10 minutes.
If you browse through the California section of this forum you should find a wealth of restaurant recommendations for a huge variety of restaurant types. Casual, hole-in-the-wall, fine-dining . . . pretty much everything is covered so you should have no problems finding restaurants that will offer you what you're looking for.
Southern California Artisinal Breakfast Sausages
in California: Cooking & Baking
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Just an FYI, those Omaha Steaks sausages arrive pre-cooked and only require gentle reheating in an oven from frozen state. They're okay, but not mind-blowing. Very large and very fatty. The texture is decent enough but the casing doesn't 't have a great snap. They're more chewy than anything else. I think I'm going to bite teh bullet and order up those Fra'Mani sausages. If Bouchon is using them, I really don't need any further endorsement.