JFLinLA

Thanks for chiming in. I haven't had Western Bagels in a while and I seem to remember it was because the outside didn't have that good crunch I look for. Is my memory wrong? And, since I promised, if you need a lot of smoked fish get it at 3-Star in Factory Place off of Alameda in the industrial area of downtown. Most of you pros probably get your stuff there wholesale but they will sell over the counter to the public with the following provisos: - Call at least 1 day in advance - 2 is better. I think they say "Ocean Beauty" when they answer the phone now but it's the same place. - Cash only, no checks or credit cards - They have minimums -- you have to get a whole side of lox (generally around 3#), 10 lb. minimum of whitefish and they're whole (about 3 fish = 10 pounds), and 5 pounds of BBQ cod. I often get the whole side of pre-sliced lox if I'm having a brunch-type party. Even if I don't use it all, it keeps really well. For bigger parties I'll augment with the whitefish (they call them selkirks) and/or cod. It's all good with one note. If you show up and the only whitefish they have for you was previously frozen, don't take is and perhaps ask them to replace it with something else. They only did that once to me in all the years I've gotten stuff there. As the stuff defrosted in the refrigerator, it ended up sitting in the water of the melted ice crystals and got soggy. The stuff is great and you can't beat the prices. They have other stuff too beside the lox, whitefish and cod. Call them and they'll fax you a list with their prices. A friend of mine did her daughter's entire Bat Mitzvah from them.

Damn.

LA Times Food Section -- August 13, 2004 Note: The LA Times is now posting all of their restaurant reviews in the Calendar section on-line even though they appear in the Food section of the print edition. Further, one is required to register separately to access the Calendar section and pay a fee if you don't already subscribe to the paper. And you thought you knew gazpacho! This week's cover story is by Leslie Brenner who says, "Real gazpacho . . . is one of those simple perfect dishes in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." And, no adding tomato juice. Recipes for Ajo blanco (white gazpacho), Gazpacho Sevillana, and Gazpacho shots. Valli Herman-cohen tells us that Chefs are shedding their whites and starting a revolution. Find out who's doing what and why. All wines look the same in the bottle until you slap a label on. Read James Ricci's piece, And now, a few words from your Syrah to find out the why's and wherefore's of wine labeling. Charles Perry writes An island unto himself. Anyone in LA in the late 1980's will recall chef Roy Yamaguchi and his wonderful and trendy restaurant 385 North. Well the restaurant is long gone, Roy has moved to Hawaii and has been a big hit ever since. Besides catching up on Roy, this article is really about his new book, "Hawaii Cooks: Flavors From Roy's Pacific Rim Kitchen," the companion volume to his current TV series on PBS. Recipes for Seared scallop salad with mango and fruit vinaigrette and Portuguese-style steak sandwich with spicy soy dipping sauce. The strawberry's big night out is this week's Culinary SOS by Cindy Dorn. The recipe is for Cheese-filled crepes with strawberry sauce. Forget the show "The Restaurant." So says David Shaw in his Matters of Taste column. Read his article A better recipe for restaurant reality on TV to find out about "Into the Fire," which airs on Food TV. Upcoming profiles include LA's-own Campanile. Talk about it here. "Crunching through the land of empings" is Charles Perry's Counter Intelligence column this week. He reviews Indonesian food at Asian Deli in Diamond Bar. S. Irene Virbila reviews Firefly in Studio City claiming that it "may be the hippest thing to hit the Valley in years." "Though people are clearly coming for the scene, they are finding a serious Mediterranean menu and an ambitious young chef." The chef is Gary Menes. She gives the restaurant 2 stars. Folks who live south of Mulholland are crossing the divide to get to Firefly. The Wine of the Week is 2000 Angelo Gaja Ca' Marcanda Magari. The Hotlist gives the top 10 books about food and cooking.

So, maybe I have been fooled. (Certainly wouldn't be the first time.) Russ you never did clear up the mystery. Is it really you, your dog, or is it memorex? Inquiring minds want to know. But, what about the fish?

Coffee Chocolate Chip Blondies (with Kahlua) Everybody goes crazy for these. Some people don't want to have these thinking they prefer a brownie but, one taste and their hooked. This is a variation of something that's in one of the Silver Palate cookbooks. These are great to make ahead of time. Before cutting into bars, wrap the whole thing well in plastic and foil and freeze. Thaw, still wrapped and then cut. 3/4 c unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) 1 lb dark brown sugar (light is OK too) 3/4 tsp instant espresso 1 T hot water 4 eggs 2 T vanilla extract 2 c unbleached all purpose flour (plus more for dusting the pan) 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 c chopped pecans 1 c semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips 2 T Kahlua or other coffee liquer Heat butter and brown sugar together in a medium size sauce pan over medium low heat until the butter melts. Dissolve the espresso in the hot water and stir into the butter/sugar mixture. Let cool to room temperature or, to speed up the cooling, put the mixture into the mixer and work with the paddle attachment. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter an 11 x 8 inch pan, line with parchment, butter the parchment, and dust the entire pan lightly with flour. (Okay, I'm a bit compulsive about things not sticking.) When the butter mixture has cooled, beat in the eggs one at a time and the vanilla, stopping to scrape down the sides when necessary. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and stir into the butter mixture. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips just to combine. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 40-50 minutes, until lightly browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Do not overbake. Immediately after removing the blondies from the oven, brush the Kahlua all over the top using a pastry brush. This will sizzle and give a lovely flavor to the blondies and a beautiful sheen to the top. I allow these to cool completely in the pan before turning the whole thing out and cutting them. These make 24 good size bars or more smaller ones. If you don't like pecans, you can substitute walnuts or some other kind of nut. Or, you can leave them out altogether but, if you do, I suggest adding additional chocolate chips to compensate Keywords: Dessert, Chocolate, Brownies/Bars ( RG591 )

I can confirm that this is in fact the same Russ Parsons from the LA Times, and we're darn lucky in LA to have him. While I have not met him in person, we have communicated via PM here on eGullet and as a result of my weekly digests of the LA Times Food Section.

Clearly the eGCI needs to offer a course on everything one needs to know about buttercreams.

Russ -- There are places in Chinatown but I don't know a thing about them.

I've heard good things about Gordon's on Pico. I miss ABC Seafood (not the restaurant in Chinatown). They used to be on the east side of Sepulveda between Santa Monica and Olympic.

And where would you obtain these tortillas, Russ? Russ -- hey, I grew up here and I remember the great Jewish deli's in and around Fairfax. I've had bagels in NY and I've had them here and we can do good bagels. Hollywood -- Grand Central Market is the best, easiest place for you and I to pick them up at lunch.

I work downtown and I always see those places in the industrial area (Alameda, Central, etc.). Some even say normal folks like us can walk in but I assume you'd have to get a whole salmon or whatever. I also assume you are only talking fresh fish, right. I've got a great place for smoked.

Brooklyn bagel is good -- if I happen to be in the area or my brother is coming over but, on a Sunday morning it's a bit out of the way from my westside digs. Who else.

I think we have Red Robin's out here in So Cal? What about Islands? I do like their soft tacos, good burgers, I love the fries. Hamburger Hamlet ain't what it used to be but it's still not bad for the price -- Onion Soup Fondue - yummmmm.

Yes, I'll take your recipe. I'm the family baker so someone else usually does the brisket so it's not something I have a lot of experience with. I can roast a chicken like nobody's business and I've got an arsenal of great chametz-free desserts for Passover but I may make a brisket this year.

And, by the way, I just checked and there isn't one single brisket recipe in the eGRA.

We were discussing the upcoming Jewish High Holidays on the Special Occassions board and I got to thinking about bagels. To specify, bagels are different than bread. In my opinion, the crust should be a bit crispy and the inside should be dense and chewy. Furthermore, let's be clear about real bagel flavors. Water, egg, onion, poppy, sesame, rye, and pumpernickel are legitimate bagel flavors. Berry and jalapeno are not. I used to get bagels and I & Joy before they sold out and then closed. Now, I can't find decent ones. Where do you get yours? In trade, I'll tell you where to get the best prices on great lox, whitefish and cod if you're having a big event.

Never tried the flame method. Put warm water on the bristles of you dishwashing brush. Then squirt a little liquid detergent onto the brush. Scrub both sides of the mesh. Rinse. Yes, you sometimes have to do this more than once.

I'm usually the "break-the-fast" gal. However, I hate coming home and having to cook so we get bagels and great fixings. I do make a mean challah, at all times of the year.

Be sure to tell us how you do.

The LA Times Food Section chimed in too, here.

An explanation -- I want to let you know that the LA Times is now posting all of their reviews in the Calendar section on-line even though they appear in the Food section of the print edition. Further, one is required to register separately to access the Calendar section and pay a fee if you don't already subscribe to the paper. So, for now, I have not provided links for the story about Rocco's, and the reviews of Studio in Laguna Beach and Hamjipark. LA Times Food Section -- August 6, 2003 Chasing the Perfect Peach answers the mystery of why a peach that looks, smells, and feels the way it should, may not necessarily taste the way it should. E-Gulleteer Russ Parsons tells you how to increase your chances of getting a good one. Find out where to Get the Pick of the Crop. Recipes for Gingersnap-stuffed baked peaches, Peach Frangiapani Pie, and Peach Gelato. If you must peel your peaches, this swivel peeler is the right tool. Talk about it on this thread. The greatest quote of the week comes from Regina Schrambling in "Reality at Rocco's, Minus the Cameras." She says, "Rocco's is becoming the 'Gigli' of restaurants -- people are packing in to see if the reality can be as bad as the 'reality' on TV." Find out what e-Gulleteers are saying here. "We came to judge cheese," says Emily Green in her article about the competition at the American Cheese Society, 616 cheeses, 22 judges and 2 days. Find out about the winners in The really big cheeses. Tell us what you think here. Barbara Hansen says you can't find food from the Goa region of Inda in restaurants so you best enjoy it at home in Beyond Vindaloo. Find recipes for Shrimp masala, Sausage rolls, and Potato chops. Still life (or sparkling) is David Shaw's "Matters of Taste" column. He profiles painter Thomas Arvid and the wines for which he designs labels. The Wine of the Week is 2002 Mas de Gourgonnier Rose. Counter Intelligence this week profiles Korean restaurant Hamjipark in mid-City. Barbara Hansen says they have "amazing ribs." S. Irene Virbila reviews Studio in Laguna Beach and gives it 2 stars. The view is to die for. Kobe beef is now for chili. Find out about that as well as Norman Van Aken opening a restaurant in West Hollywood and Eric Klein taking the helm at Maple Drive.

This past Sunday we picked up green beans, peaches, plums, apricots, bread, fresh basil and I can't remeber what else. If I happen to be in the car on Saturdays at 11:00, I enjoy listening to Laura Avery on Evan Kleiman's Good Food on KCRW to hear what's fresh and in season at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market. The LA Times has a list of all of them here.

The LA Times Food Section did about the same thing at the beginning of July. Here's the link to the digest.

This works great for me and no cracking.

Bringing this thread up again to link to this one that I should have posted here. Any recommendations for places in LA?