FoodZealot

Disappointingly, it appears we have been used... or at least forgotten. I know I got some good tips out of it, so thank you, eGulleteers. !El Lay! ~Tad

Food Zaelot- Could you say a bit more about these spots? (Price range, reservations needed, specail dishes, etc) I am not familiar with them, and am always on the lookout for new sushi choices. Thanks! I'm happy to discuss, but let me qualify by saying that I enjoy sushi and fish so much that I have trouble distinguishing at the upper end - i.e. separating the merely tremendous from the absolutely paramount. I enjoy trying, though. I like Hirozen, but I in my humble opinion, it seems more like a neighborhood place. Sushi Ike - small joint in a mini-mall. Can't say as to whether reservations are needed or taken, even. Only been once, as it is not so close to me. It was also a while ago, like...yeesh...4 years ago. Still, it made an impression. I recall my meal being about $65 (1 beer, tip included, just me). I ordered a few things, then asked the younger chef to make me a few things. So, these aren't standard items. One was a handroll with yamaimo (mountain sweet potato, sorta like a long jicama) dipped in a seasoned tuna tartare ground into a puree. Hard to describe well, but delicious. Another dish that is memorable- they were about to close, so he took about two pounds of fresh clams, and flavored a miso soup with it. Best damn miso soup I've ever had. Supposedly, there are hardcore Japanese guys from Japan that like this place better than places in NY, etc, but take that with a big grain of salt. Now that I'm thinking about it, pretty reasonable value. Hamasaku is in a mini-mall just East of Sepulveda on big Santa Monica - North side of the street. Next to Portofino, under that Chinese restaurant that no one I know has been to. It's one of those places that used to change every couple of months, but Hamasaku has been there for about 2 or 3 years now, I think. Not much going on outside, but pretty plush inside. Sorta reminds me of a smaller version of Nobu in Vegas. Not sure about reservations, but it was busy when I was there. Also, only been here once, about a year and a half ago. As I recall, I paid about $80, but that included some beers and toro. This was the first place I had seen cut rolls where they put the little tempura crispy crumbs inside the roll. Pretty contemporary, I liked it. It's a good special dinner, special occasion or date kind of place. On straight food, Mori or Ike is probably better. I just looked at Zagat, and was reminded of Sasabune on Sawtelle. I've only been there twice, both times enjoyable. They do the warm rice thing (Tokyo?), which I don't really get. I didn't pay, but my impression is that it's expensive. Definitely not spending it on decor. Matsuhisa is pretty damn fantastic, and I'd like to have a life where I could go there more often. Progressive, contemporary, innovative. I had a great tasting menu there. Tempura course was perfectly fried, with just a whisper of cumin for aroma after it came out of the fryer - daaaaammmn. Not much in the way of decor besides stars or power players. For a cheaper hit of similar food, he has a noodle shop called Ubon on the North side of the Beverly Center. For purposes of the original question, Mori and Matsuhisa are the places I can personally recommend for someone from out of town. Mori is a little more straight ahead, well executed, really good fish. Prettier inside. Matsuhisa is more of a fusion place (in the best sense of that word), and I would say of nationwide caliber. dfunghi - thanks for your comment on Nozawa. I think if they're in West Hollywood, going to Nozawa wouldn't be too far or too difficult. I'm going to look into a few of your other recommedations as well. ~Tad

It still sounds like we might be talking about 2 different places, but I'm up for checking out either or both of them. Any interest out there? ~Tad

Tissue, are you willing to let us in on it? It'll save me from having to start at one end of Garfield...[grin] ~Tad

I kept looking at the ads before it happened thinking it might be worth going to. But, having little money and not liking to travel more than a couple of hundred miles for something unless it's extraordinary, I didn't. Maybe start a thread that reviews your impressions (and maybe others that went will chime in) for those of us that didn't make it. Thanks for the suggestion, Nick. Will do. fifi - thank you. I was kinda surprised by that reaction as well - more in that new thread. ~Tad

My $0.02: Eminently Watchable: Julia Jacques Pepin Iron Chef - with or without dubbing (I don't speak Japanese) Bourdain Nigella Emeril - pre-Food Network (such a different guy back then) David Rosengarten Great Chefs - all business Shirley Corriher Joan Nathan Much Respect, but Hard to Watch: St Mario - especially the season with the sidekick guy. For the current show, why put him with a live "audience" if he hates being interupted while cooking? Rick Bayless - clearly knowledgeable and passionate, but... Ming Tsai - his parents were the best asset Tyler Florence - seems to know his stuff, but Ultimate recipes don't seem like they'd be better than the originals Emeril - newer studio shows are bearable, but I cringe when he says something in italics Todd English - really great food, just not a TV guy Alton Brown (the Bill Nye of cooking) Wolfgang Puck CIA and CCA shows - b l a n d Burt Wolf Gray & Rogers - Italian Informative, But Looks Like Everything Would Taste the Same Martin Yan Roy Yamaguchi Michael Lomonaco Food Probably Tastes Just Okay, But Show and/or Persona is Hard to Take Sara Moulton (I'm a jerk, I know) Food Probably Tastes Good, But Show and/or Persona is Absolutely Unbearable and Could Not Even Stand to Have a Beer With: Bobby Flay (seems to me like he should know the Spanish word for flavor) Wayne Harley Brachman Michael Chiarello Martha - great guests, though Show and/or Persona is Absolutely Unbearable and Could Not Even Stand to Have a Beer With: Nick Stellino - just embarrasing Ainsley Harriot Home on the Range Only Good as Eye Candy: Padma Losing Respect By the Minute: Rocco Rachael Ray Got No Love For: Emeril - any live audience setting Tommy Tang Surreal Gourmet Donna Dooher-Cookworks on FoodTV -condescending Jamie Oliver Keith Famie Gary Rhodes - That English Guy Who Hosted Masterchef George Hirsch - "take and put your steak..." John Ash Joanne Weir Side note: I was lucky enough to attend the Aspen F&W Classic this year, and it became clear that the majority of foodies who had the means/interest to attend such an event want entertainment first, expertise second. People with lots of schtick and easily encapsulated information get cheers, those with thick accents and recipes with more than 5 ingredients are received with vacant, glazed eyeballs. Thanks for reading. ~Tad

Thank you, torakris. I really like sansho, but I had no idea it's used in these other ways as well. A while back, I had a delicious plate of sashimi salad (halibut?) at a Japanese restaurant where there was an oil and shoyu dressing, with the pickled sansho buds scattered about. Reminded me of green peppercorns, but with an almost pine-like note as well. Now that I'm thinking about it, it seems like it might be related to Sichuan peppercorns...does anyone know? ~Tad

If you haven't seen them yet, there are good suggestions for Los Angeles restaurants on this recent thread and this one. Their criteria might be a bit different, it's worth reading, IMHO. For higher end sushi, I like Mori Sushi at Pico & Gateway, Hamasaku on Santa Monica Blvd, Sushi Ike on Hollywood and Gower and Matsuhisa on La Cienega (pretty hard to get a reservation). Sushi Nozawa is often mentioned, but I have not personally been there yet. ~Tad

It appears that there are two other ...errr... items that are not authentic in that picture. ~Tad Jeez, Tad, next you'll be knocking Hamburger Helper. I think they are authentic, just not original equipment. Hmmmm...I guess that would make her Sushi Helper?? Authenticity is a slippery concept, no? [groan] ~Tad

fresco, thanks for starting this thread! For me, I think growing up in Hawaii gave me a deep appreciation for food. I was exposed to a variety of cuisines, although not the same ones that I'm obsessed with today. Besides holidays and gatherings where food is one of the priorities, the everyday role of food seems to be much more prominent than I find here in California. While I haven't gone to Italy yet, it seems similar in that even people that don't cook very much are pretty discriminating about food. There are several great cooks in my family. My mom cooked most meals for us while we were young, and she was a great baker as well. She made her own baked goods for Christmas, as well as jams and jellies from scratch. We would drive up to the mountains to pick ohelo berries (similar to a blueberry, but small and red) and also black cherries, guava and lilikoi (passionfruit) from our backyard. My dad had been a cook in the Army, so he knew some basic technique and how to cook for a crowd. The grill was his domain, and it became my job to light it when I was about 13. He also showed me how to break down big pieces of meat and how to clean fish. For a few years, we were into fishing, and I'd say that the fresh fish in Hawaii is pretty special. My grandmother cooked in the cold kitchen of a big department store restaurant, so she also had some background in Western cooking, as well as cooking great Japanese and Okinawan food. My grandfather had a large garden with beautiful produce coming out all the time. On the basis of who got better grades in school, my sister and I competed for who got to pick the restaurant to celebrate. In middle school, we had to take one semester of home economics and one semester of wood shop. My parents encouraged my early experiments with omelettes, chili, muffins, etc. When I went to college, I began cooking for myself and roommates. The rule was that the cook didn't have to clean up, and to this day, I still use every dish and gadget in the house. Cooking shows on TV were a huge influence. I can remember watching a locally produced cooking show on PBS called the International Kitchen when I was probably about 13 or so, and it probably set the stage for my interest in Italian food. PBS also aired the Julia Child series that I would watch regularly (JC Entertains at Home? '85 or so) Also, there was a sportfishing show that had a cooking segment every week. Once I got an apartment in college, I got cable and started recording the Great Chefs series and well as In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs, among others. Having some early successes with those, and trying to recreate foods I missed from home, I would make elaborate dinners for myself. I began to develop a sense about food based on palate and technique rather than recipes. From there it became a serious hobby and I started cooking for groups of friends. I have set a goal to at least try everything from scratch at least once. I make bread, spice rubs, sauces all from scratch. LA has it's disadvantages, but it's a good city for developing your palate - lots of ethnic food. A few years ago, some friends chipped in to get me a Texas-style smoker, and perfect barbeque brisket and ribs has become a life goal. Every so often I think about switching careers, but its hard to give up the security and income of my current job. I still feel that I have so much to learn about food, but at least I can take a pretty good stab at any dish if I do enough research and get the right ingredients. Thanks for reading- ~Tad

It appears that there are two other ...errr... items that are not authentic in that picture. ~Tad

Perhaps some discrimination against Canadian restaurants? ~Tad

http://www.fineliving.com/fine/opening_soo...E_11237,00.html ABOUT THIS SHOW: Opening Soon Opening Soon captures the ambitions of restaurateurs, the bustling staff and the inevitable crises that surface before opening the hottest new restaurants. Go behind-the-scenes and into the heart of the action for every step of the process, from designing the space to opening night. Does it seem odd to anyone else that the same people that own Food Network put a show about designing and opening restaurants on a different network? A new channel that has shows about things like antique shopping, travel guides and interior design? No restaurants on FoodTV? What next, no music on MTV?? Oh, wait... ~Tad

I'm no physicist. I'm no scientist. But I loves the Pork. That's right, with the "s". I'm honored to be first on this profound topic. My guess is some sort of critical mass is reached with moisture, kinda like popcorn bursting or when you're steaming sausages and the liquid boils away and they start to fry. ~Tad

I guess I'm a wuss, but the "iced" fish section at 99 Ranch is a little too old world for my taste. I don't have a problem with the live stuff or the cold case - just the fish on ice. Never seems like it would be cold enough, plus there's no sneeze guard or anything. I think 99 Ranch is great in general. ~Tad

Thanks for the clarification! Much appreciated. ~Tad

Daaaaaaaaaammmmnn!! Brilliant job, RN! Definitely an accomplishment worthy of that bottle of wine. If I may jump into your thread here - I haven't had Nueske's. I haven't made my own bacon - yet. But I smoke meats of various kinds. People sometimes talk about grill magic, where meats have that extra liveliness for a few short minutes after being cooked. Well, I think there's something even more compelling for things that are smoked. Sure, there are all those variables that could or maybe even should make a commercial product better than a homemade one - technique, recipe, conditions, other choices made - but making something from scratch, especially something so fundamental and old-world as bacon... somehow, it's just better. Simpler and more complex at the same time. Someone out there can probably explain it better than I could - volatile oils, flavones, phenols, umami, complex compounds, carcinogens or whatever. But it's similar to the phenomenon of how any chicken soup made at home is better than any chicken soup made at any restaurant. Not that this is any news to you folks. Sorry, things like this get me excited. I can't even tell you people how at home I feel on eGullet. [tear welling up] ~Tad

I think I might be getting suckered here, but I'll attempt to answer earnestly. [grin] This seems to be the standard technique, and the site has some animation. It took me a long time to get fluent, but eating is good motivation... I find it's best to think of the top chopstick as if it were a pencil. Bottom one doesn't move at all. My sister is a lefty and can't use this style for some reason. She just figured out her own way. Looks odd, but it works. ~Tad

Thank you Lan4Dawg, but can Bloody Maria also refer to beer and bloody mary mix? Perhaps it's an imprecise term? ~Tad

For being pre-made, the Mr & Mrs T Premium Blend Bloody Mary mix is tasty and appetizing. Maybe too thick for the purists, but for a lightweight like me, it's just fine. I heard a rumor that they developed it with the help of a culinary school? Recently, a la the habanero vodka variation, I use a peppery tequila instead of vodka. Sort of in the same universe as a sangrita chaser, except its a cocktail. Is there an accepted name for this variation? Thanks. ~Tad

I like buying fish at Marukai in Gardena. It's a membership place ($10/year) but the fish department has a variety of cuts for the mostly Japanese clientele. I often walk in and see 2 or 3 grades of toro (otoro, chutoro, etc. - not that I'm buying it!) plus the normal grades of tuna filets, tuna scrape, air-flown yellowtail and so on. Good selection of specialty items like uni, kazunoko, and seaweed. Impeccably clean, unlike some others. Not cheap, but good value, I think. The rest of the market is fun for exploring as well. ~Tad

I just came across this thread. If you haven't seen it yet, there's a great blog at RestaurantSlave which deals with these issues. There's also some commentary throughout the thread as to whether it was right/cool for the owner to handle the situation as he did. ~Tad

I have a little extra step that I do to these prepackaged sausages that works for me but is untraditional and unChinese - sorry, Dad. I throw myself on your mercy. While normally, I'm mindful of building and concentrating flavor, I find that these sausages have ...err... no shortage ... of sweetness and fat. That being the case, I slice them first, then steam them directly in 4-6 tablespoons of water, for just for 2 or 3 minutes, then pour off the water. Then I let any residual water evaporate, and the slices begin to fry in their own fat. They render out some fat, are still sweet, but a little less intense, plus they dry out and get a little browning on them. I suppose if you wanted to, you could defat the liquid in the fridge and use it to cook clay pot rice or something. chengdude's description makes me want to try the homemade spicy/smoky variety. ~Tad edit for puntuation & clarity

I'm a big fan of Lava Cap as well. My former roommate, who is now becoming a sommelier, turned me onto it. I have only had zins of theirs from 2 different years, but I don't recall which. '96 may very well have been one of them. I'm not so fluent describing wine, but I remember them as being fairly concentrated, having good mature fruit and spice, but not overly tannic. ~Tad

I agree, I prefer spareribs over baby backs. Obviously, they're still pork [hmmmmmmm...pork...] and can be prepared to be delicious, but it's funny that they have such caché. My theory is that a large percentage of people respond more to texture than taste. ~Tad