JFLinLA

What about Bill's on Clement Street? Is it still there? I spent my teenage years in the Bay Area, including living in the City for at least 5, and that was where we went. Had a family trip SF about 2 years ago and had great burgers at Bill's with hubby and the kids -- freshly ground beef, thick shakes. A cardiologists nightmare but delicious and classic.

OK, so we've differentiated between caramel and butterscotch. Now then, what's toffee?

Sweet & natural baking : sugar-free, flavorful recipes from Mäni's Bakery. It's by Mäni Niall

Los Angeles Times Food Section -- April 23, 2003 You may think that California's biggest culinary contribution to the world is Julia Child (remember, she grew up in Pasadena), Alice Waters, or BBQ Chicken Pizza. Well, according to Charles Perry, it's Salad. We love salad in all it's varieties. Maybe it's because not that long ago we were the only one's in the nation that could get really good fresh produce throughout the year. This article gives you the whole history and some recipes -- Jar (the restaurant) chopped salad, Dorothy Lamour's cantaloupe salad, and Salad Encino. Chocolate is so last weekend, or so says Regina Schrambling who claims to have been born without the chocolate gene. But she does love citrus and especially lemon curd. Get recipes for Lemon curd, and Lemon curd pecan bars. They have a file on you according to David Shaw. This article talks about OpenTable software that restaurants are using to keep track of reservations and track customer's likes, dislikes and peculiarities. A tool for better service or invasion of your privacy? You decide. It seems we will continue to have articles about all the great produce coming back to us with the arrival of Spring. Russ Parsons loves sugar snap peas, artichokes and asparagus and tells you about it in From side dish to star attraction. Recipes for Asparagus and Ham frittata, Rice salad with ham, sugar snap peas and provolone, & Artichokes stuffed with ham and pine nuts. In Cookbook Watch, Barbara Hansen profiles "at Blanchard's table" by Melinda and Robert Blanchard with gives you the "best of the beach via Vermont." The article includes a recipe for gingerbread with warm cinnamon bananas and rum. His world in harmony profiles winemaker and musician Steve Edmunds who specializes in Rhone-style blends bottled under the Edmunds St. John label. Cuba through Hollywood's lens is S. Irene Virbila's review of Paladar Bistro Cubano. She gives it two stars. Recommended dishes are Empanadas, rock shrimp sofrito, grilled octopus, marinated hearts of palm, ham and shredded pork sandwich, skirt steak, braised oxtail, spicy frites. Read Linda Burum's Delights of the ancient Persian table to find out about Darban Grill and Bar in Tarzana. Best dishes are : Albalu polo, sabzi polo, fesenjan, kashk-o-bademjan, faludeh. This week's Wine of the Week is 2001 W.H. Smith Wines Pinot Noir 'Hellenthal Vineyard'. In Restaurant Journal, Valli Herman-Cohen discusses restaurants being named for the chef's kids, and that Patina Group restaurants have now dropped their corkage fee and are allowing children 12 and younger to dine for free. The Hot List will let you know about best selling cook books.

Hey Brian -- Two suggestions on the sugarless/low glycemic front. (You and I have discussed this before.) Mani's Bakery in LA (2 locations) has built it's reputation on this stuff. The creator and founder, Mani Niall, has moved on but he did publish at least one book a while back that should give you some good insight. Also, Whole Foods here in LA is carrying a line of sugarless baked goods that I buy for my husband that I think are really good. The company is called Fabe's. Hope that helps. Jody PS -- How was Passover?

Louisa -- Great article. Is that you I also enjoy hearing on KCRW's Good Food with Evan Kleiman? Let us know when you'll be on there again so that e-gulleteers can either tune in live or get the replay online at their site. Jody

Los Angeles Times Food Section -- April 16, 2003 Sprigs of Spring is from Regina Schrambling encouraging all of us to appreciate mint in all its versatility. Scroll down to the end of the article for recipes for Roast lamb with fresh mint sauce, Minted sweet pea soup, Chocolate mint ice cream, and Mint lemonade. To accompany this article, read Emily Green's Kitchen Gardener so you can grow your own. Forget the lamb or ham for your easter dinner. Read Russ Parson's The California Cook and think about pork shoulder roast instead which he claims is "almost too good to be true." Recipes include Porchetta falsa, Green sauce for port, Roast pork with garlic and rosemary, and (of course) Roast pork shoulder master recipe. The 2000 Bordeaux are beginning to arrive in the stores and, according to Corie Brown, it's a good thing. Read A heralded Bordeaux arrives. In The biscuit, only better, Donna Deane will have you rethinking this classic. Keep the buttermilk but here are some twists. Recipes for Salt and pepper sandwich biscuits, Fresh herb pinwheel biscuits, and Strawberry biscuits. Cindy Dorn's Culinary SOS provides a requested recipe for a six-layer coconut cake with lemon filling. Valli Herman-Cohen is Gathering spring bouquets as she profiles all the goodies showing up at farmers markets throughout the southland with the arrival of spring. With the church's blessing in David Shaw's Matters of Taste column, gives an overview of the wines being sold at the gift shop LA's new Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. (OK, I can't resist, some of the nicknames for the new cathedral are the "Taj Mahoney" and "Our Lady of the 101." Sorry everyone.) S. Irene Virbila's review this week is for a restaurant that serves Seafood with an Atlantic attitude. Menemsha in Venice gets one star. Recommended dishes are Oysters and clams on the half shell, lobster roll, fried Ipswich clams, steamed littlenecks, twin steamed lobsters, oven steamed salmon, Yankee pot roast, linguine with clams, banana cream pie. Like southern Bar-B-Q? Read Charles Perry's Counter Intelligence to find out about Big Mam's Rib Shack in Pasadena. Best dishes are Barbecued ribs, fried chicken, jambalaya, chicken Creole. Barbara Hansen's Dish to Go column lets you know some of the best places around town for sticky buns. If you're curious about pickeld eggs, find out more from Charles Perry. This week's Wine of the Week is Champagne Egly-Ouriet Bland de Noir Grand Cru 'Cuvee Vielles Vignes.' Hope everyone has a great Passover Seder, Easter brunch or dinner, or just a great week.

Apart from the basic rules of Kashrut (no milk with meat, no pork or shellfish, etc.) at Passover, in order to avoid "leavened" foods, generally grains are prohibited. The five specifically "prohibited" grains are wheat, rye, barley, corn and spelt. Many Jews avoid other grains as well since, once they come in contact with a wet ingredient, leavening can begin. Some of this is custom. For example, Ashkenazi Jews -- those coming from northern and central Europe -- will not eat rice while Sephardic Jews -- those coming from around the Mediterranean -- will. So, how can matzah that is made with wheat flour be Kosher for Passover? It's made under very strict procedures where it is in a hot oven within a prescribed number of minutes after the water hits the flour. Probably more than you wanted to know.

Suvir -- I second the nomination for the Alton Brown chewy cookie recipe with the following note. After you scoop your little mounds of dough, freeze them. Then bake them straight from the frozen state in a hot oven. Also, Guittard makes a product called Super Cookie Chips. They're about twice the size of standard chips and better chocolate . . . unless you want to make your own chunks. They're great if you can find them.

Julia Child . . . anywhere, anytime!

Los Angeles Times Food Section -- April 9, 2003 "For 40 years, her agnolotti have drawn travelers from around the world. Now, she shares her secrets." After you see the photos, you will want to find out more too. In Italy Beckons, S. Irene Virbila profiles Lidia Alciati from Piedmont who she deems the "undisputed queen of agnolotti." Click here for the link to her pasta recipe, assembly method and how-to photos. Click here for her filling recipe. More from Piedmont is James Ricci's article Overcoming Barolo envy. Find out about the Nebbiolo grape and the "majestic Barolo and Barbaresco" wines that result. You know you're really a grown-up when you take on responsibility for one of the classic traditional holiday meals. In Finally, home for the Seder, Valli Herman- Cohen is ready to do just that for Passover with recipes collected from family and friends over many years. Read through the article for recipes for Sephardic charoset, Passover potato kugel, Sweet & sour tzimmes (a chuck roast recipe), and Passover apricot bars. Another sign of spring is the arrival of watercress. Read Regina Schrambling's The white gloves are off to learn more. Recipes include Watercress and Stilton soup, and Watercress and avocado salad with lemon-soy dressing. Think you can't blame McDonald's for everything? Well maybe you can. In Matters of Taste, read David Shaw's The super-sized culture. S. Irene Virbila appears again this week with her review of Halie in Pasadena. In Finally, a chef to match, she gives the restaurant two stars and claims that with Claude Beltran as chef the restaurant finally "seems to be finding its groove." For a different type of restaurant, read Charles Perry's Counter Intelligence column where he profiles Senegalese restaurant Bistro 4040 in the Crenshaw district. In Culinary SOS, Cindy Dorn reprints film producer Ismail Merchant's lemon lentil recipe. In Cookstuff, find out about Belgian style Easter goodies made from Venezuelan chocolate, artistic seder plates, and a decorative cooling rack with a swirl pattern. This week's Wine of the Weekis 1998 Alvear Fino 'En Rama' Mintilla Moriles, a Fino Sherry from Andalucia, Spain. Have a great week everyone. Jody

Mel's Mother's Fruit Kugel This came from the mother of my husband's best friend from high school via his wife. This is one of those where an accidental mistake produced a better result. Apparently, the original recipe included sugar and only half the amount of prunes. With all this fruit, no additional sweetening is necessary. It's very moist and the perfect accompaniment to your Passover meal. This is not gourmet but good home cooking. 1 c water 4 eggs 2 T vegetable oil 1 tsp cinnamon plus more for topping 1 c matzah meal 1 lb pitted prunes 4 pippin apples Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large casserole dish or lasagna pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, mix water, eggs, oil and teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir in matzah meal. Let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, core but do not peel the apples. In a food processor, or by hand, dice the apples and pitted prunes together. The fruit mixture can be as smooth or chunky as you like. Stir the fruit mixture into the matzah meal mixture and place into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and sprinkle generously with additional cinnamon. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cut into squares. Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate. This can be made ahead and stored for several days and reheated. Keywords: Side, Jewish, Kosher, Vegetarian, Fruit, Passover ( RG320 )

Los Angeles Times Food Section -- April 2, 2003 Yes, times are uncertain so what food do people crave most? Bread. In Staff of Life, by Charles Perry, find out about bread traditions around the world. You can also find a recipe for Brick oven-style bread and a timeline about the history of bread going back more than 10,000 years, Long ago and many bakeries before Wonder was born. Luckily, Charles Perry also tells us how to Turn your oven into a brick oven. Thanks to Russ Parsons' Modern art in a bowl, we can all find out about beautifully, clear consomme which is apparently making a come back. Scroll down to the bottom of the article for a "how-to" with recipes for a shellfish consomme master recipe; consomme with shrimp, arugula and lemon zest; and consomme with scallop sashimi and peas. Sharing the front page with the previous two articles is this week's restaurant review from S. Irene Virbila. Read There's nothing like it to find out about Sona which has been getting a lot of discussion elsewhere in e-gullet. This is a rave review with lines like "eating at Sona is one of the most exciting dining experiences in the city." Chefs David and Michelle Myers come in for high praise, even when they mess up, because they are willing to take risks and, most of the time, get it right. Sona gets 2 1/2 stars and, while many dishes are recommended individually, the six-course tasting menus (at $69 per person) that varies daily is listed as the best choice. For $99 per person you can try the nine-course "spontanee" menu. La Parrilla in Boyle Heights is profiled by Barbara Hansen in A lush menu that's served once a year. A standard for traditional Mexican food, this time of year the restaurant serves "Mexican Lenten dishes that are not available the rest of the year." Okay, so you know how to boil water but, once it's boiling do you really know how to poach an egg? Donna Deane thinks poached eggs are great and will tell you all about it in The magic of hot water. The article provides recipes for Spring herbed poached eggs, Poached eggs with tarragon cream, and Poached eggs with asparagus and prosciutto hollandaise. In this week's Culinary SOS, Cindy Dorn tracks down Bittersweet memories by getting the recipe for chocolate chip cookies from Clementine in Century City. In The other Cabernet, Rod Smith talks about the advances of Napa Valley vintners growing Cabernet Franc vines. In Matters of Taste, David Shaw discusses people who buy wine based on some rating system rather than really discussing what's the best way to go. This week's Wine of the Week is 2001 Two Hands Shiraz 'Angel's Share." Have a great week everyone.

So, we've got two Passover threads going and I don't know which one to respond to. I love cookies and always need something small for the kids lunch boxes and have made it sort of a hobby to gather up recipes over the years. First of all, don't ever eat those crappy macaroons from a can. Real macaroons are not that hard to make. I don't personally like coconut but I make almond ones. All it takes some almonds, sugar, egg whites and maybe some almond extract . . . or you can start with almond paste. If you love coconut macaroons, the recipes are fairly straightforward as well. I also make a "non-traditional" type macaroon with brown sugar and pecans (out of Nick Malgieri's book). I also make a "mini-brownie" type thing made, again, starting with almond paste. Meringue "kisses" in a variety of flavors work well. Bake them less time to keep a chewy center, more for crunchy and holding up better in lunch boxes. I also make a "matzah brittle" that sounds similar to something mentioned elsewhere. Oh yes, and my grandmother's traditional matzah farfel muffins.

For the first time yesterday, I wandered into Sorrento, a "packed to the rafters" Italian deli in Culver City. Shelves piled high with all sorts of goods, great looking baked goods, deli meats and cheeses and more behind the counter, freezer cases with pizza dough, pastas and more. I can't vouch for their cannoli, cheesecake or other stuff but this place is worth going back to. We brought home some great mortadella, cappacola and other stuff. Anyone else familiar with this place.

Sunday Update. This week's Sunday magazine is a travel issue. Since travel and food are often linked, there may be some articles here that interest e-gulleteers. I haven't really had time to go through it in detail myself but I'll list a few that appear more interesting. Cruising the Turquoise Coast, by Amanda Jones, is about cruising Turkey's Mediterranean Coast. Rub It In: Taste Treatments, by Craig Nakano, discusses places around the country where you can have culinary-inspired body scrubs, wraps and massages. Ture Tables of Venice, by Marlena di Blasi, is about the Venice in Italy, not Southern California, and where to eat and drink like a true Venetian. The Inn Thing: My Beautiful Bed & Breakfast, by Joel Grossman, profiles some former Californians who have decided to pursue the life of an innkeeper. I'll check in next Wednesday or Thursday with this coming week's food section.

Los Angeles Times Food Section -- March 26, 2003 If you love cheese, or even if you only like cheese, the photos on the front page of this week's section are enough to make your mouth water. Cheese Course tells about those shops that are owned and operated by people who truly know, love and respect cheese in all its varieties. Eat. Read. Taste. lists the great cheese shops around town. From Milk to Morbier: A Guide is a guide to the cheese making process and how it effects the final product. What Goes with Cheese. Pairings that Work provide even more guidance. Growing the Grapes of Peace profiles Golan Heights Winery, obviously located in the Golan Heights, and their chief wine maker Victor Schoenfeld who grew up in Southern California and learned his craft at UC Davis. Sticking Up for Rhubarb discusses this spring time regular that can be challenging. Recipes provided are Strawberry-rhubarb stained glass cookies, marzipan tarts, and breakfast coffee cake. When dining out means reaching out discusses the uptick in business at LA restaurants since the start of the war. When tapas learn to speak another language profiles Rambutan Thai in the hip Silverlake area of town where you can "graze" on Thai tapas, as well as a regular Thai menu. In the nick of time, a chef from Toulouse is this week's restaurant review. It gives two stars to Citronelle in Santa Barbara. Recommended dishes are porcupine shrimp, broiled eel carpaccio, brûlée foie gras, veal osso buco style, cote de boeuf, duck two ways, and French toast surprise. Feeling like you're in a rut? Read Diary of a chef wannabe. Julia Powell decided to cook her way through the entire Julia Child Mastering the Art of French Cooking and is documenting it all, Bridget Jones style, in The Julie/Julia Project, a blog on the Salon web site. It Only Tastes Expensive profiles Vineyard Express which specializes in wines under $10. This week's wine of the week is 1996 Vietti Barolo Castiglione. This week's Culinary SOS answers a reader's request for a lobster chowder recipe from a restaurant in New Brunswick, Canada. Unfortunately, the on-line version doesn't seem to have a link to a great little article about some places to get yummy hand-made tortillas around town. There are a variety of styles including "freshly made flour tortillas, extra-thick Central American corn tortillas and platter-sized tortillas from Oaxaca. Have a great week everybody.

Okay, okay, it's Oscar Sunday not Monday. That's my goof. It used to be Monday so I guess I'm showing my age. For some reason, my computer isn't letting me edit the original post. Oh well.

Los Angeles Times Food Section -- March 19, 2003 Well this is an industry town and this coming weekend is the biggest annual event for our local biz. In preparation for the Oscar's, this week's LA Times Food section has a few offerings. The Hollywood Lunch is about place, not cuisine. It focuses on the places to see and be seen if you want to be or view Hollywood's power elite. The Grill in Beverly Hills comes in as the number 1 spot but several others are discussed. For a full listing, read Where the Industry Grazes, and so that you don't commit a faux pas when you make it be sure to read Here's How It's Done. Continuing with the Oscar theme is the LA Times' guide for what to serve at your Oscar party. I realize that this is not as big of a deal in the rest of the world, but for many people in LA, Oscar Monday is akin to Super Bowl Sunday, complete with pools to pick the winners. If you need advice to ensure that you and your guests make it to the very last envelope, click on Winners for the Best Oscar Menu. Recipes provided are Cheesy Garlic Bread, Baked Pasta with Spinach and Sausage, and the one that I will definitely be trying soon Caffeinated Cookies. Sharing the front page with the lead Oscar story is Scene Central, New York profiling Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Richard Meier-deisgned, Chinese-themed restaurant 66, including the name-dropping of the "A-list" types that you may see there. To try out one of the dishes for yourself, click here for Black Bass with Green Tea Tempura, Cold Sesame Noodles 66, and Kumquat Mojito. Let Zin Tak You There relies on the prevalence of the zinfandel grape throughout California to discuss various wine growing areas of our state and explain how grapes from each place change the taste of the wine. Pinots, Cab and Chardonnay with a Sense of Place is the sidebar story to this article. This week's Wine of the Week is the 2001 Domane Wachau Riesling Smaragd 'Singerriedel'. Be sure to read Cookstuff to find out about elderflower syrup which is recommended for the sea bass recipe noted above. It also profiles a set of silver-plated, vegetable-themed hors'd'oeuvres picks. This week's restaurant review, Italian Soul Food, Taken to Heart, gives two stars to Alto Palato on La Cienega. Recommended dishes are raw artichoke salad, black mussels and clams in white wine, prosciutto with burrata cheese, Margherita pizza, bombolotti con carciofi, elbow pasta in sausage ragu, chicken cacciatore, costoletta alla Milanese, grilled Tiger shrimp on rapini, and gelato. A Brisket that's Better than Bubbies? profiles Mr. Pickles Deli on decidedly downscale Washington Boulevard. This strictly Kosher restaurant serves Israeli style food described as "European Jewish dishes with Middle Eastern touches." Of course, the brisket is highly recommended. Matter's of Taste this week is David Shaw's Confessions of a Menu Snatcher where he discusses his habit of collecting menus when he has a truly memorable meal. If I've missed anything, click here for this week's LA Times Food Section. This should be available until they post next week's section next Wednesday. Food related items often show up in the Sunday magazine section. If there is anything, I'll try and add it to this. Have a great week everyone.

A Prune By Any Other Name is the food story from the LA Times Sunday Magazine from March 16. It includes a recipe for a Mascarpone & Prune Sundae made with red wine and Armagnac.

I'm still learning how to do this so, in advance of next week's food section, I thought I'd attempt to do a better job of providing links to the articles. This one is from Thursday's LA Times. It is a profile of Leadville, Colorado. While not strictly about food, read down the article for interesting information on the challenges of boiling water and baking at 2 miles above sea level. Jody Breathless Way Up in Leadville

Timo -- Thought I'd fill you in on the sugarless poppy seed filling. Here's what I did: 2 cups poppy seeds 1 cup milk 3/4 cup barley malt syrup 1/2 cup seedless raisins, coarsely chopped zest of 1 lemon I ran the seeds through my mini-chopper in batches but I can't really tell that it made any difference. Stirred the seeds, milk and barley malt syrup together in a pot over low heat till they boiled for a bit and the mixture thickened up some. Then I stirred in the raisins and lemon zest and let everything cool. My husband, who can't eat sugar, tried it last night and gave it a passing mark. He said it tasted like he remembers poppy seed filling tasting. Soooooo, into the hamantaschen this weekend. Hope that helps. Jody

Note: Below you will find the collection of digests in chronological order. For the latest digest go to the end. Los Angeles Times Food Section -- March 12, 2003 The Beer Sleuth -- Cover story by James Ricci looking for the best draft beers around the city and County. Includes a listing of 12 restaurants where "draft beer is a passion." From the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach, and Santa Monica to San Gabriel. Also includes a guide on what to do "Before you sip." Click here for the main story and links to the related story. http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...eadlines%2Dfood Under a Prickly Skin -- The other cover story is Russ Parsons' homage to artichokes. Includes pictures and instruction on how to pare an artichoke, recipes for Simplest Fried Artichoke, Cream of Artichoke Soup & Parmesan Chips, & Marinated Artichoke. Further inside this week's section is another article about growing artichokes. Click here for the main story and to find links to the recipes and related stories http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...eadlines%2Dfood. A Nouvelle Brogue -- As a lead-up to St. Patrick's Day, I suppose, this is Charles Perry's discussion of Irish food reinvented and the new book "The New Irish Table." Recipes for Turnips Anna Livia (a variation on Potatoes Anna) and Accordion Potatoes is included. http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...eadlines%2Dfood Matters of Taste is David Shaw's profile of wine maker Manfred Krankl who began down this path when we was general manager of Campanile (think Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton). http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...eadlines%2Dfood Irene Virbila's restaurant review gives a Satisfactory (no-star) rating to the Spanish Kitchen on La Cienega. The best dishes are quesadilla with huitlacoche, cream of squash blossom soup, black bean and tortilla soup, vegetarian tamale, & barbecued pork in banana leaf. http://www.latimes.com/features/food/cl-fo...eadlines%2Dfood This weeks "Cookstuff" section profiles two artisan vinegars from the Rhone, Cucina hand cream (olive oil based), and the Ashley collection plates from Target. http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...eadlines%2Dfood This week's Wine of the Week is the 1999 Piaggia Carmignano 'Riserva." http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...eadlines%2Dfood All this and more is available at http://www.LATimes.com/features/food/

Timo -- I've got to get through my "assembly line" this Sunday (with the Solo canned poppy seed filling) and then I will experiment next week with making my own, sugar-free filling. Hensonville's description looks like many of the recipes I have been reviewing in preparation for that. In general, they all have you boil the seeds in either water or milk (I'm going to use milk), with sugar and/or honey (obviously I will use something else). Some add lemon zest or orange zest or both (I'll probably do at least one of those). Some also add raisins (I'll probably do that too). Recipes aren't hard to come by and they have other slight variations -- chopped nuts, one I saw added cake crumbs, etc. Here's what I'm wondering. Some say to grind the poppy seeds. I don't have a grinder and I think my mini-chopper or food processor would lead to a different kind of result. So I may attempt to grind at least some of them in a mortar and pestle or I'll skip this all together. One recipe I saw said to run the seeds under boiling water to soften them slightly before grinding. Not sure whether to do this. I'd appreciate any thoughts that anyone has on this. Thanks.

Russ: Haven't been there lately but maybe you, Hollywood & I need to take a field trip. It's a little cool anyway and I think I would really enjoy some good soup.