Cupcake Challenge Winners!

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Eat:Drink:Play has announced the winners of the cupcake challenge. Check out the beautiful pics in Emma’s post over at Squid Ink.

Best Traditional
1st Place: Big Man Bakes “Red Velvet”
2nd Place: Blue Cupcake “Sweet and Salty Vanilla”
3rd Place: Southern Girl Desserts “Red Velvet”

Best Original
1st Place: My Delight Cupcaker “Breakfast Cake”
2nd Place: Jus Minis “Caramel Banana”
3rd Place: Two Parts Sugar “Chocolate Covered Strawberry”

Best Overall
1st Place: Jus Minis “Caramel Banana”
2nd Place: My Delight Cupcaker “Breakfast Cake”
3rd Place: Two Parts Sugar “Chocolate Covered Strawberry”

Photo from Yummy Cupcakes, not the Challenge

Posted in cupcakes | Leave a comment

Anthony Bourdain on Yo Gabba Gabba

Posted on February 24, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Weirdly enough Tony Bourdain will be guest starring on Yo Gabba gabba. Maybe it’s because he has “Gabba Gabba Hey” permanently etched on his heart, or maybe because he has a child now.

They could have placed the cue cards a little closer to the bed, but maybe on kid’s shows you’re supposed to talk to the kids out there in TVland. This is a preview of his guest appearance on March 10th’s episode.

Sigh, I feel a little fever coming on…

Posted in humor, video | Leave a comment

Pig Dogs and Purse Cakes

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

There is a bakery on Glenoaks called Paradise Pastry and Cafe. It is a land of wonder, with a hot deli, cold deli. meat market, and import shop. If you need foie gras, veal sweetbreads, back bacon or yogurt soda, this is the place to go. In the Armenian bakery you can get nazook still warm from the oven and a huge assortment of French pastries.

The most amazing thing about Paradise Bakery for me is their cake styling. The two most popular cakes are purses and a little cuddly creature who may be a dog, but has piglike features. To me he will always be the pig dog.

And what is this? A guinea piglet?

And then every once in a while they really go ouside the box.

And some of their cakes are really beautiful

Posted in Bakeries, humor | 2 Comments

Late Night at Pink’s

Posted on February 21, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Tourists in Hollywood always want to hit Pink’s. For late-night eats, giant dogs and the comraderie of fellow insomniacs it’s still worth a stop. But something is in the wind… (foreboding music)

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

To Serve Kittens

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

It looks like there was a little mix-up at the bookstore. Cookbooks and pet care got mixed up to make this serendipitous tableaux. It turned out to not be a kitten cookbook. Kittens are really tough anyways and need slow braising.

Posted in humor | Leave a comment

Happy Valentine’s Day from Rivera

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

On Valentine’s Day the one gift I wanted to give Bob was the experience I had had at Rivera. I wanted him to be amazed by the snails and delight in the piquillos rellenos (STUFFED SPANISH PEPPERS, CHORIZO, GOLDEN RAISINS, GRUYERE).

There was a prix fixe menu, so I ordered those two dishes in addition to our dinners. I also tried a flight of infused tequila. The cucumber-serrano was so refreshing, and the pomegranite was YUM. The grapefruit was a little shocking on the palate right after the chiles.

We were brought an amuse bouche of duck carpaccio that set your mouth on fire. This was no gentle introduction into the meal. There was no lightening up for new diners or your grandmother. This carpaccio said, “You are in MY house now! Prepare yourself for a meal unlike any other.”

The first course was a cooling and refreshing follow-up, fresh, gigantic shrimp alongside a mint sauce and a salad of melon and cucumber.

Shrimp in the sushi-style cooler

I had promised not to take pictures. This evening was about us. I was not on the clock. But of course I just couldn’t stand it. when I saw the beautiful filet mignon with celery root puree I had to take out my little point-and-shoot. At that very moment John Rivera Sedlar came out to say hello and totally busted me!

The dessert was a whimsical delight, with a cocoa powder cupid on the plate. John said it was really hard to find Cupids and they eventually had to download one off of the internet. The gateau was filled with pine nuts, with whipped cream and rhubarb sauce.

We retired to the bar to open up the table and I enjoyed a tequila mujer, the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

My special Valentine

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Happy Mardi Gras!

Posted on February 16, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino


Here is one of my favorite New Orleans-inspired recipes, developed by yours truly. It makes enough for a party.

JAMBALAYA

1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons butter
3 cups raw Uncle Ben’s rice
2 cans beef broth
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups cooked chicken
2 cups cubed ham
4 hot sausages, chopped
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 Tablespoon Tony Chachere’s seasoning
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Hot sauce to taste
¼ cup chopped green onions

In a large, heavy pot, saute vegetables in butter.

Pour in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.

Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid, lower heat and simmer at the lowest heat possible for 1 hour. Do not lift the lid during cooking time. Shake the pot occasionally to prevent burning.

Posted in Cajun | Leave a comment

A Valentine Straight from my Heart to Yours!

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

OK, I found this card really disturbing. The lips are made of foil-wrapped chocolate. Whereas chocolate is normally a good thing, this makes me question my allegiance.

Posted in humor | Leave a comment

dineLA: La Cachette – CLOSED

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

If there is one thing I love, it is foie gras. So naturally, I LOVE La Cachette. The original La Cachette on Little Santa Monica was a little ritzy for a relatively new foodie. I remember standing outside in the rain on the cell phone asking my brother how much to tip a Maitre D’. I always expected to turn around and see Nancy Reagan at the next table.

So La Cachette Bistro down by the beach is a welcome relief. A much more mellow vibe, scaled way down on zee frainch waiterrr ‘tude. BUT it still has the luscious, luscious foie gras, and, as we were to find out, some very hearty and comforting winter dishes. We were invited to test out the dineLA menu during the last go-round.

Fawning all over chefs does have its benefits, one of which is that Chef Jean Francois sent out a terrine de foie gras with rhubarb pearls. Holy Christ! It was silky and fatty and rich and melted on the tongue. We ended up doing that thing where you cut the last bit in half, then the other person cuts it in half, and you keep doing that until you have a ridiculously small dot on the plate, but no one wants to be rude and take the last bite although they can’t stop eating it. let’s stand on the chair and yell BRAVO! for that, and thank you, Jean Francois, that was very generous.

I started with the fish and longostine soup, and Lindsay chose the tartar. I have to quote her here, it is so poetic, “The champion of the appetizers was the tartar, which beckoned with an almost winking come-hither sheen.” Once we got a bite of the grassy, herbal, citrusy and smooth fresh tartar. It was like meatloaf’s cousin that left the farm and became a big success in the city.

For the main course, I chose the Beef Daube, a stew braised in red wine stock. It was hidden under a blanket of pasta rounds, like half-raviolis. A little odd, but original. The stew that peeked out from beneath made you stop and stare at your dining partner in disbelief. All conversation stopped at first bite. The stock was so intense and reduced down to pure beef essence. The meat was tender and flaking apart, making my mouth water at the very memory.

Lindsay’s Housemade Boudin Blanc Sausages were not what we expected. They were so light and finely ground, like won ton filling or gefilte fish. They yielded to the tooth willingly and easily. The little tater tot-like potatoes that accompanied the dish were a capricious delight.

The chocolate cakes, cut into fingers, reminded me of an upscale Devil Dog or Zinger. The chocolate was on the finest quality and treated with great care. Somehow the inside of the cake managed to stay hot while I snapped away with my camera.

Lindsay’s apple tart, which she describes as ” stacked with thin slices of apple on a bewitching, buttery, flaky pastry crust, topped with caramel sauce with creme fraiche on the side.”

I love La cachette, I love Jean Francois, and I will definitely return to the little bistro by the beach for every special occasion.

Posted in French | Leave a comment

Real Men Don’t Make Quiche

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Who says? of course when men make quiche they download the recipe straight from The Food Network site. But this quiche is absolutely praise-worthy. made by a real man!

Ingredients

Short Crust Pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg
2 to 3 ounces water
Dash salt

Filling:
Butter
1-ounce diced ham
2 ounces Swiss cheese
3 eggs
2 cups half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the pastry:

Combine the flour and the salt on your work table. Add the butter and work it into the flour until the consistency is coarse. Stir and work in the egg and the water until the dough becomes a ball. Coat the work surface with a little flour and let the dough rest for at least 5 minutes.

For the quiche:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch pie dish. Spread the pastry out to cover the bottom and sides with your fingers (use flour to help, push dough from middle to sides of dish). Let the pastry stand a bit higher than the dish edge. Bake the pastry for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven before the pastry shrinks, (adjust sides if needed). Place the ham and cheese in the pan. In the meantime, beat the eggs and half-and-half with a fork in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and bake for 30 minutes, until the center is firm. Serve warm with a salad, if desired

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Posted in Recipes | Leave a comment

Recipe Cards on Parade: Fonduloha

Posted on February 5, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino


Keeping current with the exotic Hawaiian fad of the era, these pineapple boats make every meal a luau!

Plus, it has meat in it! Who doesn’t love a pineapple filled with meat?

We have turkey, celery, mayonnaise, chutney (exotic!), curry powder, bananas, peanuts (Go wild, Mrs. Johnson! Go really wild!), coconut, and that staple of tropical cooking, canned mandarin oranges.

Fondu-l-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-HA!

Posted in humor | Leave a comment

Rivera’s Snails Changed my Life

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

During DineLA week(S) DineLA Fortnight? we sampled a number of restaurants, some undercover and some at the invitation of the restaurant. Sometimes being fawned over is an embarassing pain in the ass, and sometimes it is very pleasing, although a lady tries not to gloat. Being a guest of honor at Rivera is right up there in the Queen for a Day category.

When I found out we were dining with the PR person, I was a little concerned it was going to be like a Time Share seminar. But Rivera’s PR is an excellent and fun dining companion. She is a good listener and teased stories out of our childhood that we hadn’t thought of in years — discovering the coincidence of a shared memory of picking wild raspberries along the dirt alleys of Vancouver.

My epiphany

You think the reason people like escargot is because it is soaked in butter and garlic. You can soak horseshit in butter and garlic and people will eat it. Rivera’s snails, which are a result of his childhood housekeeper cooking live snails in wine and garlic and an idea culled from a stint at L’Ermitage don’t mask the flavor of the snail but accentuate the earthy, nutty taste of the garden. I waited for that moment when the Spanish wine and Iberico ham sauce dissipated and the true icky nature of the snail would reveal itself, but instead I found my mouth seeking out more flavor, wanting it and savoring it. It made me consider collecting snails after the next rain and cooking them skewered over an open fire to try their pure charred essence.

The Piquillos Rellenos (Stuffed Spanish Peppers, Chorizo, Golden Raisins, Gruyere), combines the sweet and savory to perfection. The chile is not so hot as to be a challenge, and I seriously think I could eat these all night long.

Then there was just so much food coming at me I became overwhelmed, beets, and a salad, and striped bass that came with a horrible story told with a little mischevious gusto by the chef. The standouts at this point were a side dish of delectable and sweet carrot puree with pumpkin pie spices, and an entree of insanely plump scallops with middle eastern flavors like preserved lemon and eggplant. There is a stringy tendon that runs through sea scallops, and at some point in the meal you are expecting to hit that chewy bit. The scallops were so well cleaned they were meaty and silky right through from beginning to end. It may seem like an obscure detail, but these details are what separate the good from the truly great.

Then I was invited into the kitchen to take pictures and ran completely rampant, climbing up on a ladder and praying that I didn’t lose an earring in the panna cottas as they waited for the oven. I didn’t care about the tender steak, or the flavorful duck, or even the cake. All I wanted to do was get my shot. I was in a photographing frenzy.

Finally I was led back to the table and the only thing to settle me down was the cheese plate and the Estudio en Flan. Was that caramel? Dulce de leche? Sooo goood. We ended the night with John Sedlar Rivera’s private bottle of tequila on our table, feeling like the VIPPiest VIPs ever.

But the true gift of the night wasn’t the private reserve tequila, or the storytelling, or the free reign in the kitchen. It was opening my eyes to the fact that many of the animals and squishy parts I have eaten only out of curiosity before can be celebrated and do not need to be coated in butter and garlic for me to enjoy them. There is a whole new world of little creatures for me to enjoy! They better start running.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

DineLA 2010 Kickoff

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Have you ever gone to a party and you are thinking, “I don’t belong here…this is really awkward…who are these people anyways?” Well, the DineLA party at the Roosevelt was the exact opposite of that! It was like the party I have been waiting to attend all of my life! The Roosevelt a cool venue, the music was cool and non-thumping, and it was not too crowded.

But the most exciting part is that the room was crammed with the best chefs in LA! And I LOVE them! I get all chatty and gossipy over garnishes and game as if we are schoolgirls talking about the boys in class.

I had a conversation something like this with Chef Jean Francois Meteigner of La Cachette (Imagine it all whispered superfast):

“It’s the king of foie gras!”

Did you have the pate or which foie gras?

“I love ALL of your foie gras, but especially seared.”

Oh, you should have come in a few months ago. I seared it with these little kumquats…

“No way! Oh my God!”

Yes! You call ahead and I will get you your foie gras

Can you imagine the balls it would take to call ahead to inform the chef you are on your way for foie gras?

So I was running back and forth between the red carpet and greeting people and trying to make friends with Neal Fraser and I saw my darling John Sedlar Rivera! Now the party could start! He was still laughing about the llama.

When I finally stopped fawning over John, I made my way inside and hung out with Linds and Caroline on Crack. HC, and a bunch of other food writers. We tried a cold corn soup with a little teensy clamful of goodness. The event was catered by Dakota and 25 degrees.

The line for drinks was a long one, and I later discovered that was just for wine and sodas. Wine was provided by Wente.

One place they could improve upon is to have cold bottles of water available somewhere. Cocktails were passed. I tried what I thought was a mojito, but Caroline on Crack reports was not. Still, it was very mojito-ish.

The Cherry manhattan had what I thought was a cherry at the bottom – because that would make sense. But according to Linds it was a shiitake mushroom! It could have been an eyeball for all anyone knew.

They had a birria taco bar

I asked this guy to take a bite of taco for me to photograph. He was like You want me to what?

It just proves if you are nice enough, most people will cooperate eventually

The pork belly was glorious.

The goat tacos were so delicious. The sauce and juice ran down my hand and I immodestly licked it off.

Pupusas

I was handed a sweetbread on a skewer and hesitated. I have had sweetbreads at the Gaucho Grill and was none too impressed. But there are certain places that can make you like things you are unsure of. And this was not a night for half-assed cooking. I told John, who was chatting with other chefs, “I’m afraid to eat the sweetbread.” Neal Fraser said, “It’s brains.”

I said, “Thats what my dad said the grit in clam chowder was when I was little.”

John said, “There’s no grit in that.”

Josie said kindly, “It’s the thymus (and demonstrated on herself where it was). You’ll like it. Try it.

So it only took three chefs to get that thing down my gullet. It was nicely crisped and caramelized on the outside, which made the inner liveriness less pronounced.

The speaker started speaking on the podium, and I was standing taking pictures when I turned and noticed the mayor standing next to me. As they mentioned the sponsor, AMEX, I told the mayor, “I bet you have the black card.”

He said, “What?”

“I said, there is a black AMEX with no limit.”

“He said, ‘Oh, I know. You have to spend an awful lot to get there.'”

Then they introduced him and he said, “Blah blah blah, and thanks to American Express…(pointing in a friendly way at them) Hey, I’m still waiting for my black card guys!”

Hmmm.

I looked over, and was like, “Hey, that’s totally Tom Labonge!” He is so friendly in a big happy dog kind of way.

Desserts were hit and miss

But the party was raging

Neal Fraser was sporting badass shoes

Sherry Yard

Robert from Laconda del Lago

Joachim Spichal

Chef Eric Greenspan of The Foundry

Posted in Events | 3 Comments

CBS Ushers in Autumn

Posted on January 23, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Written with Lindsay William-Ross. And yes, I know it is no longer Autumn. Refer to the Kiki Maraschino Time-Space continuum for further elaboration.

CBS Radford Studios in Studio City held their 23rd Annual Great Chefs of LA last Fall to benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Southern California. Hosted by comedian and TV star George Lopez, the event was supposed to draw a number of celebrities, and I was on the lookout for Paul Stanley.

George Lopez said that the Border Grill truck was an authentic Mexican restaurant because “there is an extention cord leading to the house behind it.”

La Loteria was across the way giving the Border Grill truck a little competition

Neal Fraser and Mary Sue Milliken were honored as umm, great chefs.

A refreshing cocktail made with Right Gin, fresh orange, and blood orange bitters

Neal Fraser’s Braised veal short ribs with polenta. Rich, succulent meat, tender and shredding. It could have used a little more polenta to soak up the delicious meat juices

Ben Ford is so hunky

Brian Moyers of BLT is adorable too

Grilled Hanger Steak from BLT

It was all about short ribs and Fall flavors, as Lindsay puts it so eloquently

Akasha’s sumptuous short rib piled atop a salty-sweet slab of pretzel bread served alongside pantry fodder like pickles and preserves. Down the way were eager ladle-fulls of gooey 3-cheese macaroni and more tender short rib meat from Charlie’s Malibu–how can you resist?

If it wasn’t short ribs, it was definitely game day. I was a little hesitant, in spite of having eaten moose and buffalo and god knows what in Canada and Alaska. But if youre gonna trust anyone with game it’s saddle peak lodge. The meat was tender, not gamey, and the crostini made it into a nice little sandwich

Grass-fed beef sandwiches from Dakota in grass

Meanwhile, across the way, sips of seasonal soups like mushroom (okay, fine, Zuppa di Funghi) from Tanino Drago of Tanino & Panzanella Ristorantes and squash from Drago were welcoming flavors. Chef Celestino Drago was to the soup he offered a rich duck sandwich.

Bottega Louie, who also went the sandwich route, pairing tangy-sweet Blood Orange marmalade panini with a sensuous, quivering dollop of fresh burrata with an earthy pesto.

La Loggia and Bokado Langostinos wrapped kataife which was unbelievably delicious thanks to the crispy wrap reminiscent of shredded wheat cereal, which contrasted with the langostino’s somewhat unusual texture.

Pintxo de Pollo (lamb)by Chef Frank Leon — these were slammin! So intense with Indian and middle eastern-flovored spices (though the word pitxo and pinxo are skewered basque tapas). Nice moist meat, and a handy dandy bread carry-all The heat of the day and the Pinxto could be cured with a sip of their Gazpacho Andaluz, too.

Two oceanic bites courtesy of East. First, a plump scallop served sushi-style with lemongrass sambal, wasabi creme fraiche, shiso dust and micro cilantro in its own charming purple half-shell, was a tangy, smooth, vibrant respite. This was followed by a small piece of Hawaiian Walu, served with a mildly smoky miso mustard cream, micor wasabi, chive essence, and smoked chardonnay sea salt.

I was staring at the scallop, and the next thing I knew the chef was sliding a scallop into my mouth. OK, surrender to the experience. Talk about service! It was definitely one of the best bites of the day.

If you were looking for entertainment, though, you needn’t have gone further than the table of the folks from Jose Andres’ The Bazaar at the SLS. What a show! They brought along the always-enchanting and increasingly popular kitchen ingredient liquid nitrogen. They also had Tomato-Mozarella Pipettes (the mozarella is liquid in a tube that, sorry to say, looks like a tampon and squirts out the cheese juice, so, err, ick!)

Bazaar did pull out the stops with their passionfruit marshmallows

Chipotle-agave lamb loin with jalapeno mint organic grits, This may have been one of the best things I ate all day. A perfect autumn dish. Just enough spice to make it exciting, but not overwhelming

Frank Leon of La Loggia and Bokado

Botega Louie Roasted grape tomatoes, burata and pesto salad

Le Grande Orange Deviled Eggs

Govind Armstrong and Ben Ford

Celestino Drago

Leyna’s Kitchen cupcakes with their strawberry filling are always a welcome sight.

The only star I spotted was Jenny Garth of 90210. No Paul Stanley, and I probably creeped out a lot of tall guys with black curly hair by staring at them while I determined that they were not Paul Stanley.

Posted in Festivals | 1 Comment

Recipe Cards on Parade: Curried Fish in Rice Ring

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino


Curried fish. Mull it over for awhile.

I’m not talking your fancy Thai curries.

No. I mean powdered curry from your mom’s pantry mixed into a thin white sauce and poured over boiled whitefish.

But it is still lacking a little oomph. Thank God for the ring mold! The revered ring mold has saved many a valium-filled housewife from boredom in the kitchen.

And wait, are those kumquats? With the leaves still attached?

Who says mom can’t express her personal creativity?

I’ll be here all week, folks. Drive safely and take it easy on the cream of mushroom soup!

Posted in humor | 1 Comment