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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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

Bouchon’s Grand Opening

Posted on January 16, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Glamour was the order of the evening at Bouchon’s opening event Monday night. After ascending the staircase, we were greeted by servers offering champagne near a caviar station with caviar quenelle and whipped cream cheese-topped bagel crisps surrounding the biggest ice volleyball in the world.

Gliding down the elegant hallway, we came across a full bar on the right serving Bouchon’s signature drink of Grey Goose vodka, Lillet Blanc, and Brizard Peche with an Orange Baton/Lemon Twist. A raw bar around the corner was shucking oysters at lightning speed.

Chef Thomas Keller

The room is reminiscent of a bistro, but on a grander scale. Whimsical murals line the walls and high ceilings keep the rococco touches from overwhelming the eye.

The use of space for the event was practical and imaginative, with cheese and charcuterie being offered in the main dining room, hot appetizers in the kitchen, and cookies in the prep room. The only space that was not being used were the walk-in freezers, but quite a few people were peeking. It was fun to hang around the back corridors where the sommelier was offering a tasting. To add to the fun, there was a bake-your-own-bread station where they taught you to snip leaves of dough with scissors, forming beautiful baguettes.

The raw bar offered oysters, shrimp, clams, and mussels. The Beau Soleil oysters were ruffled, like in The Walrus and the Carpenter, and they tasted briny but clean. They went down gently with a dose of mignonette sauce. You know you are in a great hall of gastronomie when the shrimp cocktail is getting the least attention.

The charcuterie table held an inviting array of salami, pickled vegetables, marinated olives, tapenade and olivade, Pate de Campagne and toasted breads. The cheese table was laden with a selection of imported cheeses including Red Hawk and Fourme d’Ambert to enjoy with fresh Bouchon breads.

But in spite of the high quality, these were all cold apps — where was Thomas Keller’s delicious food? Slip down the hall into the kitchen, and voila! Cue “Fanfare for a King’s Supper”.

The first taste was a butternut squash soup that was comforting, but not memorable compared to the luscious morsels to follow.

Perhaps the most delicious “doot” (as James Beard called them) was Keller’s take on a BLT — pork belly with pesto between two slices of butter-soaked grilled sourdough bread.

Rich short ribs in a dark demi glace were another favorite. The little squares of short ribs may have been on a mashed potato and parsnip puree, but the meat was so intense that anything else on the appetizer spoon was overshadowed.

The pommes frites were a hit with the crowd, and the paper cones were set in an adorable tiered display as well as offered around the dining room in a carnival-like cigarette girl tray. In fact, isn’t that a (truffled) popcorn machine over there? Along with the accordian player and chanteuse Morganne Picard’s silky voice, Bouchon was conjuring up memories of Paris’ Île de la Cité.

Other notable bites turned out by the kitchen were teensy croque monsieurs

croquettes, delicate pastries filled with mushroom duxelles, petit cod brandade, and canapés topped with foie gras quenelles, smoked salmon, or roast beef.

We ended up settling in the back hallways with out goods and some other bloggers (ahem) I mean food writers.

Ryan Seacrest was surprisingly friendly running into us in the back halls

Fred Savage is grinning like that because he just snaked some of my fries.

Down the hall as we were juggling plates, someone mentioned dessert. Dessert? Oh my God! Could there be any more delicious food left out there in the world? Or was it all here in this one building on this one night? Turning the corner into the prep area, we were dazzled by a delight of cookies. Signature TKOs, Keller’s interpretation of an Oreo, were shaped like adorable little daisies.

Their macarons are light as air. The crackle as the fragile outer shell barely breaks between your teeth and sucks up into a little ball of sugar is as satisfying as breaking the top of a creme brulee with the tip of your spoon.

Chocolate Bouchons

The last room was the bakery, where people were learning to fashion baguettes, a lucky few under the guidance of Thomas Keller himself. Comaraderie built as people waited in anticipation for their loaves to be turned out of the oven.

It was a friendly crowd all around, and we chatted with Cheryl Tiegs as easily as with the bartender. Walking out into the early winter cold with our gift bags, Eliza Doolittle could not have felt any more glamorous leaving her very first ball.

Jay Leno garages his cars near my house and I did have this conversation with him.

“Hi. We have almost gotten into like three crashes, so I thought I would introduce myself now so if it ever happens you know I’m a nice person.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. One time I was driving down Magnolia and this really bitchin’ car hung a crazy U-turn in front of me and almost caused a crash. Knowing that you collect bitchin cars, I shook my fist out the window and shouted, ‘Damn you, Jay Leno!” to be funny, but then you turned around and it was you…Another time – you own a car that is all silver, right?”

“Yes. I do.”

Well, I was driving east into the sun, which by the way, makes that car totally invisible, and I turned right in front of you onto Hollywood, barely missing you.”

“See? And did I shake my fist and yell damn you? no.”

The only thing that marred the evening is being interrupted by some kind of PR/manager/handler, requesting that I not take any pictures of Don Johnson. They checked and double-checked my credentials, making me very uncomfortable. I was thinking, “Really? Don Johnson? That’s what you are willing to die over?” But then he became my white whale and every time he passed, my camera finger itched until my friend had to warn me, “Don’t.”

Finally, as we were waiting at the valet, there was Don Johnson also waiting at the valet. My friend said, “If you go over and ask him to take his picture I’m leaving.”

Sigh. But as he jumped in his car, he looked at me, grinned and posed, flashing the peace sign. It was dark and we were moving, so the pic is blurry. But I got my white whale and Don Johnson proved himself to be ultracool.

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Campanile Book Release Event

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Mark Peel and Martha Rose Shulman

Mark Peel has been hosting his famous Monday Night Dinners at Campanile for over ten years. Served family-style, everyone eats the same meal. Not only is the serving style homey, but the dishes are typical home-cooked comfort food, raised just one notch higher by Peel’s deft hand. The co-author of New Classic Family Dinners, Martha Rose Shulman shadowed the chef in the kitchen, measuring the ingredients as he cooked. The recipes didn’t need too much fussing with, as most of them originated in the home kitchen.

Monday night Campanile hosted the book release party. Both of the authors were on hand to meet and greet, provide photo ops and sign books. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres included Southern Fried Chicken Drumsticks, Campanile Beef, Pork and Chicken Meatballs, Clams Casino, Onion, Potato and Bacon Tart, and other “culinary delights” from “New Classic Family Dinners.” The Tonnato Rolls were fascinating, with tuna wrapped around veal. But of all the standard crowd-pleasers my favorite dish of the night was the spectacular Minestrone. I can’t wait until the weather cools down – it is the first recipe I will be making out of this book, and probably not the last.

One of the authors’ intentions was to bring back the forgotten classics like Pasta Carbonara and Goulash to remind everyone why these dishes were once so highly regarded. Host a retro dinner of Clams Casino and Breaded Veal Scaloppine, or serve some of the old-school first courses to go with the retro cocktail craze that is still going strong.

Speaking of cocktails, the signature cocktail of the nice was scrumtuous, as was the bartender.

The cookbook wanders from everyday staples like Bacon-wrapped Meatloaf and Spaghetti with Meatballs to the more exotic Grilled Squid, Potato and Asparagus Salad or Lobster Newburg, the recipes are intriguing and tempting. Using clear instructions. Mark Peel teaches you step-by-step how to disjoint a rabbit, and he finally reveals the truth about mashed potatoes!

The cookbook itself is shiny and appealing, begging to be pulled off the shelf. I have a pet peeve with cookbooks, and it’s that right when I am up to my elbows in pasta dough the cookbook slams shut. I have tried every gadget and gizmo to hold the books open, but none of them works very well. This book was designed and bound to fall open to a page and stay open on that page. Nice. The attractive book is also highlighted by the mouth-watering photography of Lucy Schaeffer.

Thank the holder-uppers

It was touching to see Mark Peel watching his wife speak.

Posted in cookbooks | 2 Comments

Robin Hood’s Fish and Chips

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Having grown up in pubs, I consider myself an expert in fish and chipology. And Bass ale. Bassology. And making sculptures out of sawdust on the floor, but I haven’t done that since I was around 6 years old. Let’s start out with a quick stop at Robin Hood on Sherman Oaks in the Valley

Their version was voted one of the top 5 fish and chips in LA. OK, they were fifth out of five, but still not bad.

Entering the cool interior and cozying into a pew-like banquette brings me right back to the Loch Ness Monster Pub. The Bass is just the right temperature.

What sets apart the fish an chips? First off is flaky icelandic cod Some restaurants give you a choice of fish. The batter is very similar to the batter at The King’s Head, layers of flaky, crunchy coating reminiscent of tempura, panko crumbs (and as a Yelper once put it, crushed pork rinds).

According to Scran, the secret is rice flour and lots of alcohol. I haven’t tried out this recipe, but let me know if anyone has success with it.

So, use 200g plain flour and 200g white rice flour together with 300ml of lager, and 300ml vodka. The beer induces bubbles for extra crunch and the vodka will evaporate quickly to keep things crisp.

Make the batter for when you need it, otherwise the beer will go flat and you will have no benefit from the bubbles. Get everything whipped up, dip in the fish, then get the fish in the hot oil (220C and just enough oil to cover the fish). Drizzling batter little-by-little on top of the fish as the batter is getting crisp and firm will give you loads of crunchy flaky batter – tempura style!

After 1-2 minutes as the fish is getting golden, turn it over and drizzle batter on the other side for about a minute and that’s all it should take!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

When is Panda Express not Panda Express?

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

I wandered into a Chinese place in Pasadena called Chinese Express a few weeks ago for a quick lunch. What I found was an eerie semblance of a Panda Express. Even down to the colors of the uniforms.

Mushroom Chicken

Chicken with Green Beans and Orange Chicken

Tofu and Japanese Eggplant

Even the vegetables are identical to Panda Express

The orange chicken had more breading. It was more like chicken donuts than chicken candy. Interestingly, the one dish that was not a Panda copy was the best – Chicken Curry.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Plastic Lunchmeat

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

I have a confession to make. I LOVE plastic food. It’s one of my favorite reasons for wandering around Little Tokyo. I found of from one restaurant that they have their plastic food custom-made to look exactly like their real food, which amazes me. I have always thought they just ordered “Udon #2” from a catalog. Imagine my surprise at finding a perfect plastic replica of a sub sandwich at the Subway shop. Just in case you aren’t sure what a sandwich looks like.

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Agura opening party

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Last November my friend Ellin and I hit the opening party for Agura, the first US version of a high-end izakaya chain in Japan. It will focus on Japanese and French fusion. Frenchonese? I was excited when I saw items on the menu like Dry Gin Lobster and Foie Gras with Furofuki Daikon-Miso Seame Creamy Sauce. Thanks, Sinosoul for the hookup.

Just pulling up to the valet it was clear the place was a madhouse – a huge crowd, lights, and Taiko drummers in the streets.

This tourbus got an eyeful. Welcome to Hollywood!

There was a ceremony to bless a giant vat of sake

The sake was then served to guests as they entered

There was a sushi bar overseen by a giant Buddha. The sushi chef is Nobu Shishido.

People were descending on the sushi bar and passed hors d’ouvres like vultures. Starving vultures. The tempura scallops were very good, but I am not a huge fan of sushi. The design was interesting and they had a beautiful carved bar

The music was good and the sake was flowing, so we stayed and had fun in spite of the competitive snacking.

I started just chatting and taking pictures of attractive people

Kampai!!!

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Whisky Live: It’s Very Smooth

Posted on January 10, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

Whisky Live was a blast, trying to network, collect info, embarass myself, and not fall down all at the same time. “I feel so warm…this is fantastic, but do you have a pour bucket?”

Why whiskey has an E

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An Overnighter in Anaheim

Posted on January 9, 2010 by Kiki Maraschino

I recently spent two days at the Anaheim Convention Center. While it was not exactly a holiday, I took pictures anyways, because that is what I do. I can’t stop myself.

My choice was between the Anabella Hotel, which looked kind of Marriot-ish and the kitschy Swiss Chalet motel that relatives have been staying in for 40 years. The final decision came down to wifi and white bedspreads. I LOVE white coverlets on the bed. I hate those horrible scratchy orange and brown flowered motel bedspreads. They always make me think of exposes on 20/20 where they use a flourescent blue light to show all the icky spots on the bedspread.

So I spent the day at the convention center, and for lack of time I had to eat lunch at the convention center. The secret spot to eat is at the taco cart. It has real taco truck soft tacos.

Before dinner, I checked in at The Annabella. I was shocked to be given the tiniest room I have seen outside of Europe.

There was also a group of partiers hollering and drinking in the parking lot wearing glow-in-the-dark bobble antennae. My instincts tell me to avoid drunk people wearing anything that glows in the dark. I called the front desk and a young chatty bellhop showed up to move me to a bigger room. The room was gorgeous.

But guess where it was located? Yep, directly under the bobblehead party. The bellhop walked in, the ceiling went “CRASH, THUMP, BANG” and he just turned around and walked out without even asking if I wanted to move. As we walked, the bellhop told me about his other job raising falcons and other exotic birds. I asked him if he had been to the beach in Malibu where all the pelicans are. He said, “Pelicans aren’t birds. They are food for my birds.” Woah.

He also pointed out his bitchin motorcycle. I almost wanted to set up a bro date for him and my nephew but that was too weird. I asked if he could ride the same speed as the falcons and like ride around with a falcon flying overhead. I said, “You must get a lot of chicks with a bike and giant birds.”

He said, “Oh man, I have a four foot-tall white owl. I take that thing to Starbucks, tie it to my chair and i come home with a pocket full of numbers.”

So room number three was inbetween size in a quiet area, but it had that damn orange and brown flowered bedspread. I tried to get housekeeping to bring me a white coverlet but no go. I felt like three was my magic number and I just couldn’t move rooms again.

I called a taxi and tried to find somewhere interesting to eat. The driver was Nigerian, so I asked if there was good Nigerian food nearby. He started driving, then he tries to make a deal that it would be 20 dollars each way. 40 dollars was my whole budget for dinner. No way. I had to argue with him to turn around and just take me to Disneywalk.

He was giving me hell, saying, “You made me drive all this way, and this is right where we were.”

To calm him, I teased, “Maybe I just wanted to spend more time with you.”

He stared at me in the rear-view mirror, considering something, and said, “Maybe.” Luckily we hit Disney City just then and I hopped out of the cab.

Downtown Disney is all chains, like Citiwalk and every other place like it. I was in time to see the trippy Christmas decorations.

The one good place in Downtown Disney is Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen.

According to the website for his cookbook,

Ralph Brennan entered the family business in the early 1980’s…One of eight third generation cousins actively involved in the restaurant industry today, Ralph Brennan and his cousins run twelve New Orleans-style restaurants, nine of which are located in New Orleans.

Ralph Brennan is the owner and operator of Red Fish Grill and BACCO in the New Orleans French Quarter, Ralph’s on the Park in Mid-City New Orleans, and the Jazz Kitchen located in the Downtown Disney® District at the DISNEYLAND® Resort. Ralph is a co-owner of Mr. B’s Bistro, Commander’s Palace and Brennan’s of Houston.

In 2001, Ralph Brennan opened the Jazz Kitchen, a New Orleans-themed food and entertainment venue which debuted in January 2001 as part of the 1.4 billion dollar DISNEYLAND® Resort development which added a new theme park, a new hotel and a new retail, dining and entertainment district to the Southern California Resort. Conceptualized as a savvy representation of New Orleans’ dual legacies – food and music – the 15,000 square foot, French Quarter-inspired venue includes a jazz club, casual fining dining restaurant and Jazz Kitchen Express to-go facility.

OK, so I have never heard of anyone playing jazz there, and I have never heard jazz emanating from the place, but OK. I have looked at the menu at the main restaurant, and it is just too weird. Weird enough that the first time I went there I cancelled my reservation. For example:

Blackened Chicken Spring Rolls
Caramelized onions, fire-roasted corn, napa cabbage, pepper jack cheese, crispy wonton wrapper. Creole honey-mustard, avocado mousse – $9

Filet Mignon Muffuletta
Thin filet mignon, rosemary ciabatta bread, hothouse tomatoes, olive salad, provolone cheese – $10

To avoid the weirdness, I stick to the Jazz Kitchen Express. A few of the selections could use improvement. On at least one occasion the gumbo had a very burnt roux. But they do have a few selections that are fantastic if you order correctly.

Jazz Kitchen Express has one of the best red beans and rice in Los Angeles. And they have genuine shrimp po boys. It is worth the supermall vibe. They also make their beignets by scratch to order.

Besides the Jazz Kitchen Express, the best thing about Downtown Disney is that you can watch the amazing Disneyland fireworks.

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