rjwong

cavebutter (or Jay), Welcome to eGullet! Back to topic, I'm new to this bread making adventure as well, aznsailorboi. I have King Arthur AP flour. Is that good enough to use for baking bread? Generally, what happens to the bread if I use AP flour, instead bread flour? Is there any difference in taste, texture, etc.?

Here's the link (again) to the Los Angeles Times article (25 Jan. 2006): Scene and be seen / by Corie Brown After I read the article, I was struck by the sobering thought of why the LA dining scene is the way it is, and I've been living here since the mid-1980's. Many people go to restaurants to "see and be seen" (SABS). As for me, I just want to say, along with Alton Brown, "I'm Just Here for the Food!" Carlsbad, at least San Diego doesn't have to put up with this Hollywood glitter. Or does it?

LA Times Food Section -- January 25, 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. Mad for mandarins / by Russ Parsons California farmers have struck gold, and so will tangerine lovers when they taste the new varieties available. Tangerines, properly called mandarins, are now growing all over California. The state's tangerine acreage has more than doubled in the last five years; as more and more trees mature in the next couple of winters, brace yourself for a flood of fruit. Includes three recipes: Mandarins with rosemary honey; Mandarin parfait with candied ginger; Tangerine ice cream ; and a side list of mandarin types A simmering mystery / by Betty Baboujon Star anise and other spices unlock the secret to a revered braised brisket that's a favorite at Chinese New Year. Baboujon recalls the Chinese beef brisket of her childhood and decades later, succeeds in replicating it. Includes the recipe, ”Chinese beef brisket” Scene and be seen / by Corie Brown How to get ahead in show biz? Invest in a restaurant. Lately, everyone's doing it. Adolfo Suaya opened up his first Gaucho Grill back in 1986. After fourteen Gaucho Grills and a bunch of commercial properlies whose prices rose during the '90's, Suaya partners with Hollywood industry types who want to invest in their own restaurant to entertain their clients. The concept isn't new; Spago was financed by Hollywood money, as was the Grill on the Alley and Ago. What's new is that Suaya has reduced it to a formula. There's a discussion thread about this topic: LA Restaurants: Who owns the future? A revival of bitters? Sweeeet! / by Charles Perry These aromatic flashbacks that tease the palate hold their own at the bar. And it's not just Angostura anymore. Bitters are apparently making a comeback from its glory days of ... 19th century quack medicines — an evil-tasting liquid that came in tiny bottles with wordy, antique labels. Includes five recipes of drinks: Prom Dress; Savage Sazerac; Old School Manhattan; Grapefruit bitters; Marco Polo; and a side article, “Bitters: Classic to contemporary” Extreme Wolfert? Mais, oui! / by Amy Scattergood Prunes that have soaked in Armagnac for six months, minimum. The blood of a freshly killed hare ... Another dish — salt-cured pork belly with fresh fava bean ragout — took four days to prepare. Welcome to cooking with Paula Wolfert, which is about as far from "30 Minutes With Rachael Ray" as you can get. But once you've experienced it, there's no going back. “The Cooking of Southwest France” by Paula Wolfert is reviewed, with a couple of mentions of that “foodie website eGullet.” Includes four recipes: Creamy bean soup with croutons and crispy ventrèche; Poached chicken breast, Auvergne style; Duck leg ragout with green olives and eggplant; Sautéed eggplant There's a discussion thread about this book: Cooking with 'The Cooking of Southwest France' Cookstuff / by Amy Scattergood A required bean for purist cassoulets and other dishes of the French Southwest, the Tarbais is harvested one pod at a time in the Pyrenees and prized for its sweet, mild flavor, silky texture and ability to hold its shape during cooking. Like French wine grapes, the beans are grown in a government-designated region. Très chic! We'll pass on the cake Saveur threw down the gauntlet. In its "Saveur 100," an annual listing in the January-February issue of the magazine's "favorite restaurants, food, drink, people, places, and things" from around the world, we were startled by No. 25: "Costco Birthday Cake." ... Of course, we had to try it. There's a discussion thread about this topice: Costco Birthday Cake: No. 25 of “Saveur 100” WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2004 Domaine Zind Humbrecht Riesling: Alsace; about $19; aromatic and crisp; goes with chilled seafood, steamed shellfish, grilled fish, roast chicken. The Riesling, which was made mostly with grapes from the famed Herrenweg site, has a delicate floral perfume. For the record Teakettles — A Jan. 11 Food section article about electric and stovetop kettles said microwave ovens heat water without boiling it. Microwaves can heat water to boiling. However, there are safety issues. Water heated in a microwave can become "superheated," reaching a temperature of 212 degrees or above without appearing to boil. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories A splash by the sea / by S. Irene Virbila Ocean and Vine at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is given a 1½* rating. The Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel has changed from the days of Alain Giraud and the Provençal-themed Lavande to a more comfortable, less formal setting with a better view of the ocean. Chef Gregg Wangard, who comes from Wisconsin, has a creative array of dishes, including the cheese fondue, oysters Rockefeller, macaroni and cheese, Berkshire pork chop, and cheese plate. I give the hotel credit for trying something new. All in all, though the menu has its ups and downs, chef Wangard is making a promising start for the new restaurant. Mountain eatery with a touch of soul / by Susan LaTempa Café Aroma in Idyllwild invites travelers to settle in for a warm meal among neighbors. Manager and "conceptualist" Frank Ferro runs this restaurant that's a throwback to the days when Southern Californians took Sunday pleasure drives. The menu consists of inventive versions of Italian standards [that] is supported by all the right details: live jazz, good coffee and a rotating roster of featured wines. Greek? Get serious / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Petros in Manhattan Beach. Owner Petros Benekos, chef Yanni Koufodontis, who worked at Spago and Maple Drive, and the restaurant staff are overwhelmed, since this Greek restaurant has just opened in Manhattan Beach in the new Metlox Block complex. Greek to me / by Leslee Komaiko L.A. may not have a full-on Greek Town, but there are still plenty of spots to get your fix of spanakopita and souvlaki. Includes five restaurants: Mama Voula's on Santa Monica Blvd., West L.A.; The Great Greek on Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; Le Petit Greek on N. Larchmont Blvd., L.A.; Papadakis Taverna on W. 6th St., San Pedro; Taverna Tony on Civic Center Way, Malibu.

There's an article in the LA Times Food Section today (25 Jan. 2006), titled We'll pass on the cake I don't subscribe to Saveur, so I can't really verify if the Costco Brithday Cake is actually listed at no. 25. Can someone find out, please?

Here is a Los Angeles Times book review (25 Jan. 2006) of Paula's book, "The Cooking of Southwest France", and the reviewer mentioned eGullet ... twice: Extreme Wolfert? Mais, oui! / by Amy Scattergood 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. FIRST, please read the entire article to get the whole context of the review. Overall, a very good review.

Nibbs, While there are several threads on Las Vegas dining, here are a couple of threads that include a few words about some steakhouses in Las Vegas: Marlene's Las Vegas thread My Vegas Vacation 2005 thread I like Prime at the Bellagio. I haven't tried S&W, Delmonico's or Craftsteak yet. If you go to Prime, definitely dress up. You'll be paying low 3-digits (Benjamin & Ulysses should cover everything, if you keep it at one glass of wine). Personally, I would suggest going to a one-of-a-kind steakhouse (Prime, Delmonico, Craftseak) instead of a corporate chain steakhouse (S&W, Ruth's Chris , Capital Grille ). Mind you, I enjoy a Ruth's Chris steak very much. Lotus of Siam? Good for you! I hope you enjoy your weekend. Remember, you're going to Las Vegas, mon!

Disclaimer: This post contains explicit content that may be objectionable to some. Viewer discretion is advised. You have been warned. Green Bean Casserole: a step-by-step recipe with photos Start with the ingredients: Two 14 1/2 oz. cans of green beans, one 10 3/4 oz. can of cream of mushroom soup, one 6 oz. can of fried onions, milk Have some of these kitchen tools and equipment ready to be used: One 13 x 9 x 2 in. baking pan A choice of one can opener A choice of one wooden stirring utensil Follow these instructions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. With a slightly wet paper towel, clean the tops of the can of cream of mushroom soup and the two cans of green beans. If you wish, you can clean the bottoms of the cans as well. Use one of the can openers to open the can of cream of mushroom soup. Pour the entire contents of the can of cream of mushroom soup directly into the baking pan. With the now empty can of cream of mushroom soup, fill the can with about 10 oz. of milk. Pour the milk that's in the cream of mushroom soup can into the baking pan. With one of the wooden stirring utensils, mix the contents of the baking pan until they are blended together. Open the two cans of green beans, one can at a time. Some cans of green beans have a pull-off lid, as shown above. If the cans of green beans you're using does not have that pull-off lid, open the can of green beans with a can opener, just like you opened the can of cream of mushroom soup, as shown above. Pour out the water that's inside the two cans without spilling the beans. After the water has been poured out, empty the two cans of green beans into the baking pan. Pour one-half amount of the fried onions into the baking pan. Make certain that all of the ingredients that should be in the baking pan are in the baking pan before mixing: cream of mushroom soup, milk, green beans, and fried onions. Mix ingredients in the baking pan with a wooden stirring utensil. Add pepper into the baking pan mixture, as much ... or as little as you want. Open the oven door, and without spilling the baking pan, put the baking pan into the 350 degree Fahrenheit oven. Close the oven door. Let the casserole bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. After about 30 minutes of baking, open the oven door and pull out the baking pan halfway out of the oven, and with the can of fried onions, pour the rest of the fried onions evenly over the casserole. Be careful not to burn yourself and/or anything else with the 350 degree Fahrenheit oven. Put the baking pan back into the oven. Close the oven door. Let the casserole bake in the oven for five more minutes. Open the oven door and take the baking pan out of the oven. Place the casserole on top of the oven and/or stove to let it cool for a few minutes. Close the oven door. Serve, if and when you're ready. Green Bean Casserole This is just one way of making green bean casserole. Your results may vary.

In the 23 Nov. 2006 edition of the LA Times Food Section Digest, the LA Times food critic wrote about Beard Papa in her "Critic's Notebook." Of course, the secret is to eat them FRESH! (You think that you're going to eat just one, ehh??) Fresh, as in the crispy cream puffs that were just baked right out of the oven, filled with chilled custard that was made less than two hours ago. That fresh!

The changes are beginning to come in. This past year, a couple of major chain restaurants have arrived with great popularity: Daily Grill and Roy's. Hopefully, a major grocery store will open in downtown LA within the next two years. Personally, I'm hoping for Trader Joe's to set up a store here. If you're interested, here's a link to downtown LA's weekly newspaper: LA Downtown News It's pretty exciting watching all these positive changes going on in downtown LA dining.

LA Times Food Section -- January 18, 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. Veni, vidi, vici, vino / by Leslie Brenner Coffeehouses? They're so last year. Now wine bars are conquering the city. They pop up more often while restaurant openings are at a crawl, because Angelenos have fallen in love with wine. For a certain type of enterprising wine lover, there's something irresistible about the idea of opening a wine bar. It's a relatively inexpensive way into the restaurant business, and the result can be terrifically personal. Includes the side article, ”Another round: New wine bars” The deviling made her do it! / by Regina Schrambling It was one of those farmers market moments. I was buying duck legs when the woman next to me asked how to cook them. I started rattling off my technique — brush them with mustard, dust them with bread crumbs — when she interrupted: "So you devil them." I wanted to argue that it was a very particular méthode française, but then I had to concede: They're deviled. The cooking technique of deviling can be used on other foods besides boiled eggs. Includes three recipes: Deviled Dungeness crab; Deviled Cornish hens with potatoes and diable sauce; Grits with deviled shiitakes A passage to Pondicherry / by Barbara Hansen The superb 'La Porte des Indes Cookbook' reveals the glories of the city's refined Franco-Indian cuisine. Mehernosh Mody, executive chef, and Sherin Mody, executive director of La Porte des Indes restaurant in London, are the authors, along with John Hellon, a Brussels-based food and travel writer. Apparently, Franco-Indian cuisine can be traced back to Pondicherry, located along the southeast coast of India on the Bay of Bengal in 1670. Includes three recipes: Scallops in saffron sauce; Smoked aubergine crush; Rose-flavored milk and ground-rice pudding If cooks could kill ... / by Laurie Winer We saw it in 'The Godfather' and now in 'Munich': If an assassin can wield a whisk, he can't be all bad. Hollywood moviemakers don't mind humanizing violent characters with that homiest of activities, cooking. eG member Daniel Rogov is quoted towards the end of the article. Critic's take on the wine bars / by S. Irene Virbila ... [A] wine bar should be a place where you can discover new wines and regions, ... with a couple of exceptions, I have to wonder why so few of the owners seem to have done their homework. These wine bars were reviewed: Bodega de Cordova; Crêpe Vine Bistro & Wine Bar; Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar; La Maschera Ristorante; Madeleine's Restaurant & Wine Bistro; Next Door Tapas Lounge; Sopra Spuntini & Bar; Vinoteca Farfalla; Zinc Bar Hot List - LOS ANGELES TIMES LIST FOR JAN. 18, 2006 Guess who's no. 1 right now? I'll give you a clue: YUM-O! WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2004 Château Guiot 'Numa' Costières de Nimes: Languedoc; about $18; bold and bright; goes with pork roast, braised duck legs, daube with olives. ...nky and concentrated, lush with fruit and perfumed with blackberries and wild herbs. For the record Timballo — An article in Wednesday's Food section about timballo said the dish was featured in the movie "Big Night." The pasta creation commonly known as a timballo is referred to as a timpano in the film. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories Morocco, as seen by candlelight / by S. Irene Virbila Tagine in Beverly Hills is given a 2* rating. Three men from Water Grill -- Christopher Angulo, Ryan Gosling and chef Abdessamad "Ben" Benameur -- took over Mamounia a year and a half ago and created a modern and hip Moroccan restaurant, almost similiar to a Middle Eastern meze. Think Rick's place from "Casablanca" updated for the 21st century, with a trio of savvy young owners standing in for the Humphrey Bogart character. Attack of the salty bites / by Leslee Komaiko Fried olives are la moda at L.A. eateries. Mind you, fried olives have been around in Italy for centuries to be rediscovered by LA chefs ... A sleek new place to eat on Sunset / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on eat. on sunset in Hollywood. Where Pinot Hollywood was comes a Patina Group restaurant with a whole new concept, a cool, modern decor with blues and taupes and a rather intriguing name: eat. on sunset [all in lowercase]. Gary Menes, formerly of Firefly in Studio City, has developed an American menu, neatly divided between traditional and edgier modern, without ever pushing the comfort level of a generation that's just a little suspicious of new and exotic tastes.. Patina Group's no corkage fee (except at Patina) is bringing out the wine collectors with their coveted bottles to the restaurant. Taste of Tinseltown / by Leslee Komaiko A few years ago, you could count Hollywood's decent restaurants on one hand. But these days, Tinseltown has no shortage of good eats. Includes five restaurants: The Bowery on Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; Musso & Frank Grill on Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; The Hungry Cat on N. Vine St., Hollywood; The Griddle Cafe on Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; Kung Pao Kitty on Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

chezcherie, let me get back to you sometime later. I'll be asking around. BTW, what sushi place does No. 2 kid go to? As for the wooden chopsticks, I was told that those disposable pull-apart wooden chopsticks are preferred because they're cleaner.

In the 12 January 2006 edition of the LA Times Food Section Digest, there's a link to an article about the closing of Bastide: That's "provocative," as in experimental and avant-garde. Mind you, it will still be French, I suppose.

LA Times Food Section -- January 12, 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. With timballo, any night is big / by Regina Schrambling For drama, the Italian classic rivals a soufflé. But the truth is, the gloriously rich and savory creation couldn't be easier to make. To make timballo, take some pasta, risotto or even mashed potatoes. Add some eggs, cheese and various savory ingredients. And what you have is ... an entree worthy of a dinner party (especially for vegetarians), or just a great choice for weekend cooking when you want a dish that will keep on giving for another meal or two. Includes three recipes: Tomato-mozzarella tagliatelle timballo; Rice timballo with prosciutto and peas; Potato timballo with fonduta (cheese sauce) All for one, one for all / by Amy Scattergood Mirepoix, the aromatic mix of onions, carrots and celery, is much more than a foundation of flavor. The trinity of vegetables -- onions, carrots and celery -- turns into the French mirepoix. So foundational, its variants are known in other food cultures by different names, such as soffrito, refogado, sofrito, or bumbu. The ratio combination of the three vegetables and the uniformity of cuts make all the difference. Includes three recipes: Flageolet bean, kale and duck soup; Striped bass with mirepoix; Chicken roulade with bell pepper mirepoix Tempest in a teakettle / by Cindy Dorn and Laurie Winer A spot of tea, ... one of the world's great restoratives. How about a cup right now? ... [and] what's the best way to boil water for that tea? Electric kettles or stove-top kettles? Five electrics and four stove-tops were evaluated in a competition of sorts named the “Thrilla on the Grilla.” The four factors that were used in the evaluation were: time to boil, design (ergonomics and aesthetics), workmanship, and value. Heat retention and the weight of the kettle were also taken into account. And the winner was ... the Chef's Choice International Deluxe Cordless Electric over the Oxo Good Grips Uplift stove-top kettle. Includes descriptions of all nine kettles evaluated. There are three discussion threads about this topic: Teakettle Best kettle Electric kettle & thermal carafe combination? When floral goes funky / by Corie Brown Don't let a flawed wine ruin dinner. Here's how to sniff out a bad example. How does one tell whether a wine is corked or not? Well, there's always John Buechsenstein's "Introduction to Sensory Evaluation of Wine' at the UC Davis Extension, where Buechsenstein has taught that class for 26 years. This crash course about wine's worst failings has become a rite of professional passage. Bastide's remake, part deux / by Corie Brown Restaurateur Joe Pytka plans to open a new restaurant this spring that will be, well, less French and more 'provocative.' Bastide is closing the end of January. The décor didn't fit the experimental tendencies of chef Ludovic Lefebvre, Pytka admitted. The name will change. The décor will be more urban and hip. The chef's menu will be more avant-garde. Lefebvre is excited to have a sous-vide machine ... The four discussion threads about Bastide have now been merged into the following discussion thread: Bastide It's like pecan pie, but in cookie form Dear SOS: The Harris Ranch pecan cookies are the best in the world. I'd love to be able to bake them and enjoy them again. Any chance they'd share the recipe? WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2004 Blanc Fumé de Pouilly par Didier Dagueneau: Loire Valley; about $45; crisp and minerally; goes with shellfish, grilled scampi, roast chicken. ...t has plenty of personality and is a relative bargain for a wine of this quality. Especially from M. Dagueneau. For the record Food blog — In last week's section, an article on food blogs incorrectly said "Diamond Dog" was the blogger who posts reviews at a site called Pho-king. The pho blogger is Joshua Lurie-Terrell of Sacramento. BBC Café — In a review of Bistro Baguette Café (BBC Café) in last week's section, Judith Boteach was incorrectly characterized as a co-owner of the café. She is an employee. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories Where barbecue meets bistro / by S. Irene Virbila Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks is given a 2* rating. After his stints at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago and Flying Saucer in San Francisco, chef Aaron Robins is serving up “barbecue and beyond.” His partner/maitre d'/father, Preston, helped finance the place. The “and beyond” section of the menu includes Thai spiced crispy calamari, smoked duck spring roll, porcini-crusted salmon, and venison with foie gras. Despite the casual, loud (boisterous) setting, Boneyard Bistro is a friendly, neighborhood place where you can count on good barbecue along with well-conceived bistro dishes and a menu with something to please everyone. The past, deliciously present / by Linda Burum Yuzu in Torrance creates a vibrant scene with its use of recherché ingredients in flavorful washoku dishes. Chef Kaz Akutsu brings the spirit of washoku, a revival of pure Japanese flavors and traditional cooking methods, to downtown Torrance. The menu, written in English and Japanese, arranges items by their preparation method. A true washoku meal balances dishes from each group. Although Yuzu has only been around for six months, it is advised to make reservations several days in advance. The South rises again / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Memphis in Hollywood. At the site of “Jane's House,” the last remaining Victorian cottage on Hollywood Boulevard, this Southern restaurant in Victorian refinery is the latest effort from Gaucho Grill founder Adolfo Suaya and entrepreneur Michael Sutton. If the kitchen is performing this well this early on, maybe Memphis will take. It would be awfully sweet to have a good Southern restaurant in town, and if it turns out to be a late- night scene, even better. Fry cook / by Leslee Komaiko There's so much good fried chicken in this town, you might think you're south of the Mason-Dixon line. Includes five restaurants: Dinah's on S. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A.; Cameo Bar at Viceroy Santa Monica on Ocean Ave., Santa Monica; Ramos House Cafe on Los Rios St., San Juan Capistrano; James Beach on N. Venice Blvd., Venice; Cynthia's on W. 3rd St., L.A.

For lunch, there's a good local place/diner at Zephyr Cove that my friends from Carson Valley, Nevada took me to once several years ago. And if you find yourself going over the Kingsbury Grade to the Carson Valley, there's a really good Basque restaurant called "JT's" in Gardnerville along Highway 395. All the locals (i.e., Native Nevadans) go there.

Another great dish, Ah Leung! Now I can hear my non-Chinese friends asking me, "Where's the sauce?" What sauce? You know. All those great Chinese dishes come with that ... SAUCE! Is there a sauce or pan gravy or jup that you make from the pan drippings?

docsconz, I'm not completely convinced of that statement. People have always expected constant creativity. You should see all the trendy restaurants (and their copycats) that are popping up in Los Angeles. Rather, it is just plain hard to be a successful chef, period.

Such a pity, Marlene, that the cake photo wasn't taken before the eating, ehh? Mind you, your shooting is getting better. But how did the cake TASTE? As for the prime rib, who helped you this time? The biker butcher or the young man?

Ah Leung, it's the "other" Chinese dessert soup that's served in Chinese restaurants. The soup is white in color, with the tapioca pearls and coconut milk. If you omit the red beans, I think that's the soup I'm trying to describe. Does that help? BTW, what's "burbur chacha?" Is that the next recipe?

Thank you for updating the recipe with photos. Doh jeh, doh jeh. Shieh shieh. Could this recipe be adapted for the crock pot? Does making the white tapioca soup follow the same process? Personally, I like the soup nice & warm.

I agree, philadining. One of my top restaurant meals from last year was at a tempura bar. There's nothing & nobody in the way between you and the chef who just deep-fried a shrimp tempura that's immediately placed on your plate, ready to be consumed.

chocolate soufflé Chinese "Sizzling Hot Plate" dishes (okay, those are more for in-restaurant theatrics)

My top 10 restaurant meals of 2005 are listed in reverse alphabetical order: Water Grill (Downtown LA) Thousand Cranes at the New Otani Hotel (Downtown LA) Sushi Gen (Downtown LA) Ruth's Chris (Beverly Hills) Prime at the Bellagio Hotel (Las Vegas) Noé at the Omni Hotel (Downtown LA) Lawry's (Beverly Hills) La Terza (Beverly Center/Third St., east of Beverly Hills) Empress Pavilion (Downtown LA) Dining Room, Ritz Carlton Huntington (Pasadena) Ciudad (Downtown LA)

I heard good things about R23. Personally, I like Sushi Gen. Lunch is pretty affordable. Yes, it can be crowded. It seems like everyone knows about this place. BTW, Sushi Gen is renovating. So, they're closed for lunch, but open for dinner only right now. Hopefully, by the end of the month, they'll re-open for lunch. Noé is a really good place. As for the frappés, I figure that it's Robert Gadsby's little culinary fixation. One of my favorite dishes is the sea scallop appetizer on a bed of foie gras mushrooms. It's nice when a hotel partners with a professional chef and gives the chef the freedom to create his menu.

LA Times Food Section -- January 5, 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. Warmth of Provence / by Anne Willan Daube, the hearty dish that marries wine and meat, is a slow-simmered winter wonder. Daube (pronounced “dobe”) has its origin in the south of France, in the Occitan, but is closely associated with Provence. Meat & vegetables marinated in wine for three days, topped with seasonings & aromatics, cooked gently for three to four hours. The whole process is quite leisurely. As the Provençal saying goes, "It's as easy as daube." Includes two recipes: Daube d'agneau aux artichauts (Lamb daube with green olives, white wine and baby artichokes); Daube de boeuf Provençale (Provençal beef daube with red wine and black olives) Dark, rich and creamy: California's rising stars / by Charles Perry It's Daylight Losing Time. The days are overcast, the nights are long. It's the season for a glass of a dark, comforting ale: stout or its gentler cousin, porter. Drinking one of these brews, with their mellow coffee- or chocolate-like roasted flavors, is like curling up in front of the fire, only with bubbles. About fifteen years ago, the only stout you could find in this country was Guinness. Today, there's at least 23 California brewers that make a stout. "There's definitely a trend to roastier, darker, more full-flavored beers," says Jason Rosenfeld, owner of Naja's Place in Redondo Beach. Includes two side articles: “The brews with big flavor” and “Sipping California stouts and porters” Humble roots, striking flavors / by Russ Parsons Often combined with other vegetables in soups and stews, turnips can stand alone too. Just give 'em a chance. Turnips look so plain, so homely, usually in a supporting role. There's a hidden side to this root vegetable. Even turnips can be beautiful. This sounds like a Hollywood script, ehh? Includes three recipes: Turnips glazed with sherry vinegar; Pan-crisped duck breasts with turnip pickles; Pasta with prosciutto, turnips and greens Have we gone blog wild? / by Avital Binshtock As Web musings get ever more specialized, it's a good time to be crazy about food. Back in the old days, foodblogs were more generalized (“what I ate for dinner” or “my favorite food magazine”). After a while, that gets a bit boring and just plain dull. The trend now is to specialize. Really specialize. Includes the side article, ”A blog for every eccentric taste” A fast seafood spectacular / by Barbara Hansen Dear SOS: The aroma of the cioppino at Ocean Avenue Seafood in Santa Monica is intoxicating. It's a great dish, and I've tasted some great seafood dishes. WINE OF THE WEEK / by S. Irene Virbila 2004 Château Soucherie Anjou Blanc: Loire Valley; about $12; classic Chenin Blanc; goes with oysters, chowders, steamed shellfish, lobster. Its crisp acidity and minerality, along with the honeyed quality of ripe Chenin Blanc, make it a terrific wine with food. Letter to the editor Robuchon's genius "How does he do it?" asks S. Irene Virbila ["Las Vegas, Lighted by Stars," Dec. 28], of a tiny, crispy egg and potato dish (with a scoop of osetra caviar, true) at Joël Robuchon's new restaurant at the MGM. The answer, of course, is slowly. But you cannot believe how slowly ... For the record Northern wine grapes —In an article on Champagne in last week's section, it was incorrectly stated that France's Champagne region is the northernmost grape-growing region in the world. In fact, wines are made from grapes grown in the Saxony-Anhalt region of Germany on land that is several latitudes higher than Champagne. *********************************************************** *********************************************************** Calendarlive Stories Where life is dolce / by S. Irene Virbila Bella Cucina Italiana in Hollywood is given a 1* rating. Gaucho Grill founder Adolfo Suaya and his partner the Dolce Group (Dolce, Geisha House) have turned a primo corner space on Hollywood Boulevard into this slick retro-Italian. Under chef David Moreno, Bella Cucina concentrates on old-school southern Italian cooking that Americans are familiar with. ...[T]he food at Bella can be quite decent. Memorable, it is not, but the owners have pulled off something very difficult. Out of the blue they've created a restaurant with a sense of place. New-wave kosher with Moroccan flair / by Susan LaTempa From the kefta to the cookies, BBC Café's organic cooking is a revelation. The eatery's quirks add to its charm. Bistro Baguette Café (BBC Café) is a kosher Moroccan restaurant, owned by Judith Boteach, the chef/owner and her partners Jay and Karine Kaplan and Gabriel Azoulay. The place is unique and a bit eccentric. Just remember that it will all turn out well in the end. Oodles and oodles of noodles / by S. Irene Virbila Critic's notebook on Chabuya Tokyo Noodle Bar on Sawtelle Blvd. Chabuya is ”a stylish new noodle bar from a Tokyo-based chain that touts its organic ingredients.” A bowl of steaming ramen soup for under $10 hits the spot, especially for those Japanese students that seems to frequent the place. Sawtelle sizzles / by Leslee Komaiko The stretch of Sawtelle Boulevard between Santa Monica and Olympic is home to some of the best little neighborhood restaurants in the city. It's our favorite restaurant row. Includes five restaurants: Orris, 2006 Sawtelle Blvd. ; gr/eats, 2050 Sawtelle Blvd. ; 2117, 2117 Sawtelle Blvd. ; Hurry Curry of Tokyo, 2131 Sawtelle Blvd. ; Sawtelle Kitchen, 2024 Sawtelle Blvd.

Less-is-More, are you talking about cooking plain sticky rice (short-grain rice, not long-grain rice)? Or are you talking about making Chinese Sticky Rice (Naw Mai Fon) , with all the Chinese sausage, Chinese bacon, dried shrimp, dried mushroom, etc.? If you have access to the cookbook, The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook by Gloria Bley Miller, there is a section on cooking rice, either boiled or steamed. Generally, long-grain rice is more absorbent & needs more water; short-grain rice uses less than long-grain: Long-grain rice: 1 part long-grain to 1 1/2 part water (for boiling) Short-grain rice: 1 part short-grain to 1 part water (for boiling) What gets more interesting is when you combine the two types of rice and start experimenting.