Foodie Quote

"High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?" - Annita Manning

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

affumicato [Italian] smoked.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

"South Bay's Taste of Japan" - Lunch at Spoon House

When on the lookout for Japanese dining, usually Little Tokyo comes to mind, but unbeknownst to many, the South Bay, primarily the city of Gardena is also home to one of LA's oldest Japanese communities. Presently, it's a city where the population is about one quarter Japanese-American.

What differentiates Gardena from Little Tokyo is that it's still a thriving community where Japanese-Americans work, live, play and eat. For example, Gardena has a Japanese cable station, numerous Japanese churches, stores and newspapers. It's really because of the high concentration of Japanese-Americans still living in cities like Gardena that they are able to maintain strong ties to tradition, especially to authentic Japanese cuisine.

As a part of a dining series that I called "South Bay's Taste of Japan", I set up outings for my dining group to explore some of the tastiest offerings to be found in cities like Gardena and Torrance. First on the list was the Spoon House, known for a style of Japanese cuisine called Yoshoku.

So what exactly is Yoshoku? Yoshoku refers to Western food, but with a Japanese twist. Over the centuries, a large number of Western dishes have been introduced to Japan. Many of them; however, became adapted to use more Japanese ingredients and these dishes are now called Yoshoku dishes. Check out a couple of examples below:

Korokke ("croquette") - breaded mashed potato and minced meat patties. When white source is added, it is called cream korokke. Other ingredients such as crab meat, shrimp, or mushrooms are also used instead of minced meat which are called kani-, ebi-, or kinoko-cream korokke, respectively.

Hamburg Steak - a ground beef patty, usually mixed with breadcrumbs and fried chopped onions, served with a side of white rice and vegetables. Popular post-war food item served at homes. Eaten with a fork.

So what does Spoon House have to do with Yoshoku cooking? Simply, Spoon House is a Japanese-Italian spaghetti house and believe me, you'll see spaghetti dishes there that you'd never expect to see coming out of any Italian Mama's kitchen. While you will see some standards like spaghetti Bolognese or spaghetti with clam sauce, there are definitely other menu items that may just surprise you. So with an adventurous palate, off we went.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, I liked the fact that there was an open kitchen. It was easy to see all the action. In a corner of the kitchen there was even an appliance that cooked the spaghetti in perfectly sized portions. Once you sat down, opening the menu was enough to set you in a tizzy of indecision.

There were 36 different types of spaghetti dishes to choose from. Our choices included spaghetti with tuna, daikon and lemon soy sauce and California style salad spaghetti which included ingredients like mayonnaise sauce, crab meat and avocado. Also available were spaghetti with sea urchin & seaweed and spaghetti that comes with natto & shiso leaf. Mama Mia!

It definitely took awhile for everyone to choose their entrée. I finally settled on the spaghetti with hot garlic, seasoned mushroom, grated daikon and dried fish flakes. As a starter, I also ordered the one dollar salad and yes, it did cost only $1.00.

Soon my spaghetti arrived and I must admit to being a bit disconcerted by its appearance. Red tomato sauce was replaced by a pile of fish flakes, dried seaweed and the rest of the ingredients, but hey, my taste buds were ready for action. So after mixing all the ingredients and noodles together, I took my first forkful.

Simply, I loved it. The sweet-hot-pungency of the garlic added a nice kick to the dish. Then you have the taste of the salty sea coming from the seaweed and fish flakes combined with the subtle earthiness from the mushrooms. As for the daikon, I honestly don't even remember tasting it, but it wasn't missed.

This was definitely a spaghetti dish unlike anything I've ever tried before. Most of my dining partners gave their spaghetti dishes thumbs up with a couple of exceptions. There's one thing to note. When you order spaghetti with sea urchin, don't expect your spaghetti to be topped with the uni. Instead, it's mixed into the sauce. The strong flavors that make uni so popular may be too subdued for your liking.

Also, someone in else in our party ordered the spaghetti with tomato sauce, eggplant and bacon and found it less than satisfactory. Perhaps, the Italian-style spaghetti dishes are still better left for your Italian Mama or a good Italian restaurant.

The real fun in eating at a restaurant like Spoon House is in introducing your palate to true fusion food. In this case, you get an Italian staple like spaghetti melded with Japanese ingredients like uni, fish flakes and even natto. Now that's something you definitely won't find at your local Olive Garden. So when you're in Gardena, stop by for a taste of Yoshoku cooking at the Spoon House. You may just find your new favorite cuisine!

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603316456804/

Spoon House
1601 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 538-037

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

adobo / uh-doe'-bo / [Puerto Rican, Mexican, Filipino] 1. a method of simmering (usually chicken or pork) in a marinade sauce of vinegar, garlic and peper with chiles or soy sauce. 2. [Spanish] popular, traditional recipe for food items cured in vinegar, battered and fried.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

Foodie Quote

"Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn." - Garrison Keillor

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

Adana kebab / ah'-dah-nah-kuh-bob / [Turkish, named after a town] spicy, grilled skewered meatballs.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken, Seafood & Donuts

Now if you were driving down the street and passed by what looks like a real hole-in-the-wall and see a restaurant that goes by the name Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken, Seafood & Donuts, wouldn't you stop by too to check it out? Well, I certainly did.

I walk into a small space with plastic red booths on either side. In front of me, there's definitely a donut case to the right which gives credence to the restaurant name. To the left is the counter where you place an order, which is being taken by the Chinese family that owns the joint. While I was trying to decide what to get and even while I was finally sitting down to eat, there was a fairly steady stream of African-American customers coming in and out. This restaurant definitely gives new meaning to the words, "Melting Pot."

The menu itself consists of a variety of fried items from chicken to seafood like fish and shrimp. Sides included gumbo, dirty fried rice and rice and beans and more. There were also Southern-style dessert options like 7-up cupcakes and sweet potato pies. If it wasn't for the donuts, I'd say that I was in a Popeye's restaurant clone, but it turns out Louisiana Fried Chicken (LFC) does have their own chain of restaurants all over LA County, although I think this is the only location that sells donuts as well.

Since I wanted to try a little bit of everything, I ordered one chicken leg, a few shrimp and one catfish as well as the dirty fried rice and a sweet potato pie. All my food was served on a tray, which also included ketchup, mustard, tarter sauce (which I think was house made) and sriracha sauce, a Chinese chili sauce. The sriracha sauce was a bit of surprise, but apropos considering the owners. As for all my fried goodies, I got to say they were all pretty tasty. Looking at them, I could tell that different batters were used just by the color, but also by the taste.

The fried catfish had what I think was a cornmeal batter. I thought the fish was cooked well. It was light, delicate and not rubbery. The batter was a little peppery which I liked, but it was also a little dry, almost as if it was baked as opposed to fried. There was also a slight tangy after taste, which wasn't unappealing, but unexpected.

As for the chicken, I would have liked it to be a little crispier, but the batter had really good flavor. It had a nice kick to it and when you look at the close-up picture I took of it, you can see all spices that came to play. Also, the chicken meat was moist and tender, which made the eating experience even better.

Let's talk shrimp now. What I liked after my first bite was that the batter wasn't heavy and had a nice light crunch to it that I liked the best of all three of the fried items I had. My bite consisted of shrimp and batter, not batter, batter, batter, than shrimp, if you know what I mean.

Also, the tarter sauce that came with both the shrimp and fish was excellent. I can't tell for sure whether it's house made or from a bottle, but it had a nice tart creaminess to it that wasn't overly done. Usually, I shy away from store-bought tarter sauce because for me it has a plastic, sometimes sour-sweet taste that makes me scrunch my face when a dollop hits my tongue, but the one I had here was just right.

Something else I wanted to point out was that neither the chicken, fish or shrimp were too greasy. The majority of the time when you're eating fried foods, you can get a film on your fingertips, which you can just lick off, but there are also times you just don't want the feeling of having dipped your hands in an oil pan. You'll definitely leave there with much cleaner hands.

In regards to the dirty fried rice, I didn't care for it too much. It was too dry. The sweet potato pie was initially a disappointment because I was expecting it to have been made in-house, but perhaps that would have been too much for a Chinese family's sensibility. As it was, it came from a bakery and in retrospect; its sweetness was the perfect way to end my meal.

I'm glad I made my impromptu stop at Louisiana Fried Chicken, Seafood and Donuts because I enjoyed my lunch at this quirky hole-in-the-wall. Next time, I may even check out their donuts or maybe, I'll put it with one of their fried items. Fried shrimp donut, anyone? Don't look so doubtful! Sweet and savory is a good combo. After all, it worked for Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. :-D

To see pics, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157602833790738/

Louisiana Fried Chicken and Donuts
1515 N Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 791-6229

http://www.louisianafriedchicken.com/

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

ackee / ack'-ee/ [Jamaican (from West African akye)] a soft, bland yellowish fruit resembling scrambled egs when prepared, served host, most commonly with salt fish.

(Note: ackee, which grows in pods, can be poisonous when unripe and must be left in the sun to mature until the pods open.)

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

The 2007 American Cheesemaker Awards

On November 18, 2007, I actually reached my cheese limit and cheese head that I am, that was no small feat. So what brought me to my breaking point? Simply, it was The American Cheesemaker Awards, held for the first time at the Fairmount Hotel in Newport Beach, California, that did me in (at least for that day).

This four day event started off on Thursday with a day of judging. Choosing the best in 11 categories from 26 cheesemakers and their offerings of over 100 different artisanal cheeses sounded like it would be a daunting task. However, a panel of 18 judges consisting of food writers, chefs and other food experts were up to the task and on Friday night, the awards were given out at the American Cheesemaker Awards Dinner.
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It wasn't until the weekend that the public was able to participate in all this cheesy goodness. For the cost of your ticket, you were able to not only sample all the cheeses that had previously been judged, but to also create your own pairings of these cheeses with both specialty food items and wine provided by Sapphire Pantry and Bristol Farms. Specialty food items included everything from gourmet salts to breads to chocolate and more.

Another bonus was what was referred to as "Cheese Academy." On both Saturday and Sunday, there were a series of classes to help you with improving your cheese knowledge, from how to put together a cheese and cracker plate display to a demo on how to make gourmet mac and cheese. My time there was fantastic. I have to tell you that there's no way I could have been a judge.

I tasted so many outstanding cheeses that I think I would have driven myself mad if I had to decide which ones deserved recognition above all the others. I definitely had a full day and for me to tell you about every experience would be equivalent to me writing War and Peace, so I'll just tell about some of my highlights of the day.

Interesting Ingredients Added to Cheese: Roasted Tomato and Basil Cheese, Cumin Gouda Cheese and Cranberry and Cinnamon Goat Cheese. 

The Freshest Cheese I Tasted: Using curds, salt and heated water, the rep from California-based Mozzarella Fresca, made a fresh ball of mozzarella for everyone. After mixing up the all the ingredients, the curd is shaped into a patty or ball and should be put into ice water to keeps its shape.

Afterwards he also showed us how to make a mozzarella appetizer with prosciutto and basil. He puts the mozzarella he just made back into the bowl and pours hot water to soften it back up. Then he takes the mozzarella, flattens it on a board, adds the prosciutto and basil, rolls up the cheese, slices it and it's ready to serve.

Cheese Art: Two rounds of cheddar cheese had a turkey and the logo for the event carved into them. That's food art taken to a different level.

New Twist on Recipe Favorite: Mozzarella Fresca displayed some recipe suggestions and I was really taken by the mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes and basil leaves on a skewer. Now that's easy eating.

 The Most Unique Cheese I Tasted: Barley Buzzed cheese, from the Utah-based Beehive Cheese Company, is hand rubbed with a mixture of lavender buds and the grind of South American, Central American and Indonesian roasted coffee beans.

Interesting Dessert Topping For Cheese: Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese were grilling their appropriately named Golden Greek Grillin' Cheese and topping it with a mixture of honey and lime. Sweet and tart! Yum!

Blue Cheese and Dessert Wine Pairings: At one of the Cheese Academy classes taught by Starr Cornwall, Cheesemonger for Sapphire Lounge and Peter Neptune, Master Sommelier, I tasted how perfectly the salty-pungency of blue cheeses paired with the sweetness of dessert wines.

Jams on Cheeses: From rose petal preserves to spicy fig mustard jam, when paired with the right cheese, you get a duet of fabulous flavors.

Overall, I was in cheese heaven and I was hoping this would be a yearly event, but alas, it wasn't meant to be; however, I certainly learned a thing or two.  Still need more cheese love? Check out more pictures below.

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