rjwong

Janet, a thought occurred as I was reading your recent posts: How about some crab, Dungeness crab? It is that time of year, isn't it? And was something the matter with raisins in the curried rice salad with cashews?

maxrev, Welcome to eGullet! For your information, there are several discussion threads about eating/dining in Las Vegas, from the high-end restaurants down the Strip (and beyond) to the dives of downtown (and more). This discussion thread has been around a while. As for me, I always have a list of Las Vegas restaurants I need to try, when I have the time and money ... <sigh> The place to go right now is Joel Robuchon at the Mansion, over at the MGM Grand. It got rave reviews and there is a separate discussion thread about this restaurant. FYI one of our own eGullet members works there ...

Congratulations, annecros!! So far, you want to cover these culinary traditions: Japanese Italian German Southern Your menu is going to include (tentatively): Key lime pie Cookies (Etwas Gutes mit Schlag oder Spass) Eis Kaffee Here are some suggestions/questions: Are spice cookies (Pfeffernussekuchlein) the same as liebkuchen? If sushi/sashimi is a bit much for your guests, try rolled sushi with cucumber (kappa maki) or fox sushi (inari-zushi) which is seasoned rice in deep-fried bean curd pouches. The great thing about sushi is making it ahead of time and finding a Japanese platter for a beautiful presentation. Just go to your local library & look at a sushi book with pictures for ideas. Have you considered hot green tea? Or green tea ice cream? Has the groom and/or his mother mentioned anything about a Japanese tea ceremony? Mind you, that's getting traditional and a bit off-topic. My apologies ... And it sounds like you got Italian & Southern cookin' down real good, Miss Anne ...

How about some Chinese? Is there a good Chinese market/restaurant in your neighborhood? Or is Chinatown your closest option? If you could, Janet, your mixological background, please. Are you much into wines? Or more into "the hard stuff"?

Working for a transportation agency in downtown LA, I would have suggested "Transit Shopping" or "Bus and Buy", Janet. What wrong idea? That people might mistake you for Sam. For a moment, I thought that was breakfast for you. Will there be photos of Chinatown ... and those little cable cars ... ? I'll be looking forward to your blog this week, Janet!

Food that is fat-free, cholestoral-free, calorie-free, sugar-free, sodium-free, diary-free, and especially ... taste-free. Did I forget anything?

D, which rhymes with B, which rhymes with T, and that spells ... What about you, Gifted Gourmet??

LA Times Food Section -- March 8, 2006 Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration. If that is unacceptable, try clicking this link here, enter the URL address of the LA Times and proceed accordingly. Some content is in the premium section called www.calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee. The sharpest knives in the drawer / by Regina Schrambling And that's just the beginning. Here's how Oxo tools became the gold standard for serious cooks. Beyond the crunch / by Leslie Brenner Sometimes it's the flavors that are right under our noses — or buried in the crisper drawer — that are most worth celebrating. Celery is one vegetable that's taken so much for granted. When's the last time celery was the main ingredient of a dish? Here's three dishes where celery is touted, for a change. Includes three recipes: Celery duo; Cream of celery soup; Dungeness crab and celery salad Got Pinot? Well, throw a festival! / by Corie Brown James Flagg doesn't notice the rainwater puddling around his feet. And he doesn't care that a storm is raging outside the giant tent next to Bien Nacido Vineyards in Santa Maria. At the recent World of Pinot Noir festival in Shell Beach, Flagg & other attendees are Pinot Noir “freaks” like no other wine lovers. Chardonnay lovers might quaff, Cab cultists might collect, but tossing around the latest thinking about esoteric winemaking practices is what rocks the Pinot sphere. Includes the side article, ”For the love of Noir, celebrations toast this compelling grape” With a tender touch / by Donna Deane Restaurant-perfect pork chops, at home? It's as easy as 1-2-3-4 to get juicy results: season, sear, sauce, simmer. Includes four recipes: Weeknight pork chops; Pork chops with fresh tomato sauce; Pork chops with sage cream; Pork chops with wine sauce As welcome as a Caribbean breeze / by Susan LaTempa Hearty home-style Jamaican offerings at Ackee Bamboo are attracting a return crowd in Leimert Park. Proprietor Marlene Sinclair-Beckford has opened Ackee Bamboo a couple of weeks ago and the action is not in the dining room, but at the counter where people from work are ordering these home-style dinners with Carribean flavors to take home. First hint of spring green / by Russ Parsons When life hands you pistachios, make oil. That's what Gail and Gene Zannon decided. It must be mustard season in Napa The multi-month Napa Valley Mustard Festival hits its midpoint next week with an award ceremony for the best mustard and mustard recipes, a masquerade ball and a food, wine and arts festival. WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila Marqués de Gelida Cava 2000 Brut Exclusive Reserva: Penedès; about $10; crisp and dry; goes with oysters, smoked salmon, cocktail nuts, hors d'oeuvres. The blend of Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada and Chardonnay is lively and refreshing and the packaging has a certain bling factor. Letters City slickers like cowboy grub too What a sheer delight, Russ Parsons' article on beans, lamb, cowboys and his own past ["Beans Again? Gussy 'Em Up!" March 1]. Thank you. Eat, drink and make new friends? Interesting photo of the new eatery eat. on sunset ["Eat. Drink. (You Know the Rest.)," March 1]. Sharing the secrets of restaurant faves The Food section is the highlight of my week, especially when you include recipes from our favorite restaurants in L.A. Thank you for publishing it. Cheers to the taste of local beers Great article ["L.A. Brew, Worldly Taste," March 1]! Thanks for continuing the spread of the word on great beer! *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories A real Strip tease / by S. Irene Virbila Il Sole Ristorante on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood is given a 1* rating. The new owners since 2003, Arnold Stiefel and Andrew Hewitt, brought in Bruce Marder of Capo to consult. Marder tweaked the menu a bit. It's as boring as could be, no better or no worse than any other neighborhood Italian. Mind you, one would expect more for its location along the Sunset Strip with its high fame quotient. It is, in fact, the antithesis of trendy. And maybe that's the point. It's a burger, but better / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on 25 Degrees at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Tim and Liza Goodell have started up 25 Degrees, the second of two restaurants at the hotel. The new burger bar is designed by Dodd Mitchell, and these are not ordinary burgers. With real late-night hours (1 a.m. on weeknights, 3 a.m. on the weekends), 25 Degrees is ...fun for a real Hollywood night out. Primo patties / by Leslee Komaiko We like fast-food fixes as much as the next guy. But once in a while, you gotta have a restaurant burger. Includes five restaurants: Pacific Dining Car on W. 6th St., L.A.; Josie on Pico Blvd., Santa Monica; Bandera on Wilshire Blvd., West L.A.; Opah on Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo; Grace on Beverly Blvd., L.A.

If you want something more on the conservative side, Here's the menu to the Dining Room, Ritz Carlton Huntington. Chef Craig Strong is doing wonderful things. The hotel has given him total freedom on his menu. He does have a cutting edge to his dishes, up one notch, not two or three. LA Times gave his restaurant a 3* rating. I did post my dinner experience here somewhere. I'll get back with it later. edited to add: Elie, I found it. Here's the link. Enjoy!

Thanks for the heads up, FoodZealot! Back in Aug. 2005, LA Times food critic reviewed Aqua restaurant (chef Laurent Manrique). At press time, it was mentioned that the restaurant Aqua might be closing because of differences. Sounds like it did closed, and now, Stonehill Tavern took its place. The grand opening was Feb. 8, 2006. Here's a link to St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and the Stonehill Tavern's menu.

Dan has chosen ... wisely ... The librarian within me must ask: Have you photocopied your grandmother's card file? Pardon my anxiousness ...

FYI Kathy, that is not sticky rice, even though it is sticky. That would be called steamed white rice. This is sticky rice. As for the Chinese sausage, have you ever steamed it in your rice cooker for the last 10-15 minutes? Cut the sausages up into diagonally-sliced pieces. Personally, I would eat the Chinese sausages and the steamed rice (with canned creamed corn on top) as a complete meal. Now if that isn't a Chinese-American meal ...

Elie, here are two links for your dim sum possibilities: CBS Seafood Restaurant discussion thread Empress Pavilion Both of these places are located in downtown Chinatown, within a thrity-minute drive from "beautiful downtown Burbank." The best time to have dimsum is before 11:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. is better. Any later and the crowds start coming in, big time. Here's the link to the Lucques website (pronounced "loox", as in lux aeterna). A great alternative is Grace Restaurant with chef Neal Fraser. I've eaten at Grace a few times and I enjoyed it. Now, if you all are into seafood, there's Michael Cimarusti's Providence restaurant. That's probably the new restaurant to go to, and it's all about the food. If you wish to disclose, what are the "few things that she will not eat or does not enjoy eating?"

Elie, I hope you're flying in to Burbank Bob Hope Airport instead of LAX. Your life would be so much easier. From Burbank, you have a little more accessibility to downtown LA, Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley, Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire district & Beverly Hills. Don't discount Asian food in general. You can have a wonderful Chinese dim sum meal for Sunday brunch over in Chinatown or the San Gabriel Valley (Monterey Park, Alhambra, Rosemead, etc.). THEN, you can have your birthday dinner elsewhere ... and eat it too. The question is: What do you want for your birthday, Elie? Go ahead & PM me, if you wish.

rich, Oscar is the one who started the "Crash" diet last night.

Have you considered Border Grill, owned by Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger, the "Too Hot Tamales"? Here are a few photos I took during a Sunday lunch recently: Chips & Salsa Border Classics: 2 green corn tamales, 2 plantain empanadas, and 2 chicken panuchos Chicken Chilaquiles Cochinita Pibil If you want to try another Wolfgang Puck restaurant, go over to Chinois on Main. To read my account of my Chinese New Year dinner there, Click here. A fellow eGulleteer works there as one of the line cooks. Between Santa Monica & the LAX airport, you can eat at Joe's Restaurant in Venice, Calif.

Ah Leung, I'm looking at a recipe called "Sichuan Peppery Chicken" from Clifford Wright's cookbook, "Some Like It Hot." With one lb. of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, the spicy ingredients include: 8 fresh red finger-type or jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped 1 tablespoon Sichuan chile bean paste 2 dried red de arbol chiles 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns In the photo in your opening post, the dish with all those chiles is for show & for filler, IMO. Adding more chiles probably cost less than adding more chicken meat, ehh?

Kathy, quick questions: What kind of pot & what kind of oil were you using to deep-fry the falafels? And what do you do with the oil afterwards? Pour it in a can with a lid & discard? I'll admit it: I have a fear of frying! Please help! BTW, no spicy sauce with your falafels?

Kathy, as one native Californian to another, I must say this: How. Dare. You. Mind you, I do understand your reasons for moving to Oregon, California housing market being as it is ... Are you and Dan et al. planning some family excursions around Southern California before you all head up north? Besides In-N-Out and Indian food, what else will you miss? BTW, Animal style fries? That's a new one on me!! I haven't even ordered the fries well-done yet.

LA Times Food Section -- March 1, 2006 Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration. If that is unacceptable, try clicking this link here, enter the URL address of the LA Times and proceed accordingly. Some content is in the premium section called www.calendarlive.com, which requires an additional fee. Symphony in black / by Betty Hallock Black sesame seeds are captivating the world's top pastry chefs. They're taking the traditional Asian ingredient to new heights. Earthy and nutty, distinctively bitter, with a smoky, almost peppery flavor, black sesame seeds have been a traditional ingredient in Asian desserts, and are now passionately embraced by Western chefs. It's the flavor of the year. Includes the side article, ”Seeds of history”; and four recipes: Layered green tea and black sesame cheesecake; Black sesame tuiles with orange and honey; Patisserie Chantilly petits choux au sésame (Black sesame cream puffs); Black sesame dice Beans again? Gussy 'em up! / by Russ Parsons Rustle up a cowboy cassoulet, sit back and watch the Oscars. It could be 'Brokeback Mountain's' night. Russ Parsons is uniquely qualified to expertly write about cowboys & cooking. And I think I'm probably in a position to know. Well before I ever started to think about writing about cooking, I wrote about cowboys. No arguments here, ... pilgrim ... Includes three recipes: Broccoli chopped salad; Gratin of oranges; Cowboy cassoulet There's a discussion thread about this topic: Cowboys & Beans Tender are the greens / by Amy Scattergood Butter lettuce is so sweet and creamy that you understand the name with your first bite. And it's appearing in salads all over town. One would think that chefs had just discovered it for the first time. Butter lettuce appears under several different names — Boston lettuce, bibb, butterhead, limestone. But it's all the same thing: delicate in flavor, clean and only vaguely crunchy, and enormously versatile. Includes three recipes: Butter lettuce salad with cipolline vinaigrette; Red butter lettuce salad; Butter lettuce salad with melted tomatoes and bacon-shallot vinaigrette L.A. brew, worldly taste / by Charles Perry Michael Bowe leans over a 650-gallon tank, pouring green pellets into boiling wort (pronounced "wert"). That's the sweet extract of barley malt that turns into beer. Right now, it just looks like a lot of insanely boiling latte. Before going commercial with his Angel City Brewing Co. in Torrance, Bowe started out as one of the top home brewers in the state. Now, "I'm making a local beer. I want to be the quality microbrewery of Los Angeles." Peruvian seafood that shimmers / by Linda Burum At José Antonio, the cooking reflects the sophisticated tastes of the Peruvian capital. Proprietor Victor Ricaldi hired some Peruvian chefs & opened up José Antonio Peruvian Restaurant in the quiet suburb of La Mirada. Then, the Peruvian ex-pats started coming in. Queen bee knows her honey / by Pat Saperstein Mary Ellen Mason was a busy music video producer when she first started thinking about bees about 10 years ago. In her Los Feliz apartment, she read book after book about beekeeping. "They seemed like these perfect creatures," she says. "They produce a product you don't have to do anything to." Pozole with tomato twang / by Barbara Hansen Dear SOS: Could you please get the recipe for the vegetarian pozole served at the Big Sky Café in San Luis Obispo? It is delicious. Thick and rich / by Betty Hallock High-quality Japanese black sesame paste has a fine, smooth texture. Look for unsweetened ones without added emulsifiers — Kuki brand is a good one. WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2003 Querciabella Chianti Classico: Tuscany; about $24; concentrated and elegant; goes with pasta e fagioli, pastas with meat ragù, roast pork loin, grilled pork chops. It has both power and grace, a heady scent of cherries and herbs from the Tuscan hillsides along with soft ripe tannins and a bright acidity that makes it sing with food. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories eat. drink. (you know the rest.) / by S. Irene Virbila eat. at sunset is given a 1½* rating. Joachim Splichal, head of the Patina Group, has tapped the young chef Gary Menes, formerly of Firefly in Studio City, to cook his version of American cuisine. With new places popping up in Hollywood, Splichal decided to close Pinot Hollywood and do a makeover, complete with an outdoor patio. Will the restaurant at Sunset and Gower make a lasting comeback? It's hard to say yet: Stay tuned. Come for dinner, stay the night / by Leslee Komaiko There's a flurry of restaurant openings in hotels. Wolfgang Puck's steakhouse, Cut at the Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel; Royale in the old 1927 Wilshire Royale Hotel; Tart in the Farmer's Daughter Hotel; West atop the Hotel Angeleno (the former Holiday Inn at Sunset and the 405); Simon L.A. in the Sofitel; Sea on the 18th floor of Santa Monica's Huntley Hotel. Ford has a better idea / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Ford's Filling Station in Culver City. Ben Ford, son of Harrison, has opened up a gastro-pub along Culver Blvd with a changing menu that's strictly seasonal. With an outdoor patio, a savvy menu and wine list, Ford's Filling Station already has a line at the door. Perfect pudding / by Leslee Komaiko If your experience of pudding is limited to those supermarket snack packs, it's time for an upgrade. Includes five restaurants: The Brentwood on S. Barrington Ave., Brentwood; Baby Blues Bar-B-Q on Lincoln Blvd., Venice; Napa Valley Grille on Glendon Ave., Westwood; Zeke's Smokehouse on Honolulu Ave., Montrose; Blair's on Rowena Ave., Silver Lake.

Beans again? Gussy 'em up! You have got to read this LA Times article by Russ Parsons. It was one of the most thought-provoking, most creative pieces I have read in a while. Russ starts off writing about the movie "Brokeback Mountain" & then to tie the movie in with cooking, he writes: Okay, pardner, what's with genuine cowboy cookin'? Is real cowboy cuisine just nothing more than steaks, game & beans in a pot? Have you eaten the real thing? None of this "urban cowboy" food designed by city slickers. If I start a campfire, we can gather around & hear some stories ...

I got back from my day trip to Santa Barbara, where I had lunch at a place called Joe's. That's Joe's Cafe on State St. in downtown Santa Barbara. It's been in business since 1928 and since 1984 (?) at their current location. I ordered one of their specials today, Chicken Fried Steak, with mashed potatoes & gravy and vegetables. All this for under $11.00, with tax, tip & everything. It was a very decent meal. I was surprised that the CFS was not pre-formed. While I was eating, I couldn't help wonder whether there was a discussion thread about people's experiences ... eating at Joe's. So, I'm starting one now. Has anybody eaten at a place called Joe's? It could be called Joe's Diner, Joe's Cafe, Joe's Bistro, Joe's Restaurant, Joe's Ristorante, Little Joe's, Big Joe's, or just plain ... Joe's. If you have, tell us your story about Joe's. I'm curious how many Joe's there are in the world ...

loremipsum, I'm pondering whether the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco has given chef Ron Siegel complete control over the menu. I know that the Ritz Carlton Huntington down in So. Calif. lets chef Craig Strong have total freedom with his menu. I presume your dinner was not the typical "hotel restaurant" meal, ehh?

Shabu-shabu: the Japanese version of the Chinese hot pot. I ate at Shaab in old town Pasadena. There is one in downtown LA that I haven't tried yet called Ka Ga Ya, that's located next to Sushi Gen & Grill Lyon. BTW, Macarons&Mozart, I still have my print copy of the June 12, 2005 Los Angeles Times Magazine ("Special Restaurant Issue"). When I have some time, I'll list those Japanese restaurants that are "beyond sushi."

In my latest issue of Westways (Mar./Apr. 2006), the front inside cover folds out with a photo of Greg Higgins and an ad for Oregon tourism titled "The Oregon Chef." The ad talks about Greg Higgins, along with Cory Schreiber, Vitaly Paley & other Oregonian chefs, and his goal to create an Oregon cuisine, ... You should see this photo. Greg Higgins is smiling and holding in his left hand an entire cooked leg of pig(?) or some sort of animal. That photo & the words of that ad are doing its job on me very well. "Yes, I'll eat Oregon cuisine." Does Greg Higgins describe his cuisine as Oregonian? And if anyone has that Mar./Apr. 2006 issue of Westways magazine, what kind of cooked animal is he holding?