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.

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. 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 do cheese and dessert pairings to a demo of 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, Cheese with a Cocoa Rub, 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 you to sample.

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 burnt fig jam to spicy fig mustard jam, when paired with the right cheese, you get a duet of fabulous flavors.

Cheese Making: At another one of the Cheese Academy classes, a rep from Mozzarella Fresca demonstrated how to make plain mozzarella cheese (which he was already doing throughout the day), how to roll up different ingredients in the cheese for great appetizers and also how to make burrata cheese.

Overall, I was in cheese heaven and I can only hope that this event will return to Orange County next year because I'll definitely be there.

For more info, check out:
http://www.cheeseawards.com/

To see pics, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603243151000/

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

achiote / ah-chee-oh'-tay / [Latin American, other] the seeds or paste of a spice that imparts a yellow-orange color to foods.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

achar / ah-char'/ [Indian] traditional tangy, spicy pickled raw fruit or vegetable, such as lemon, mango or tomato, preserved in oil.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

Interesting story yesterday. I went to a Persian restaurant for dinner and when looking at the menu, which was quite baffling, I actually saw a word that I recognized which was the second Ethnic Food Word I posted to my blog. I knew what aash-e reshteh meant! Yaaay!

acar / ah-char'/ [Indonesian] vegetables or fruits preserved with vinegar, for example pickles.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

The Great Burger Quest" at Father's Office

Last May, a friend and I decided to host a series of outings where we would take my dining group for a different "burger" experience every month until the end of the year. For the first "Great Burger Quest", we went to Father's Office in Santa Monica for the famous Office Burger.

Hearing about its small space and how crowds line up to get in, we got there about 45 minutes before it opened and thank goodness we did. Half hour before the doors opened, there was already a long line behind us, even though it was a holiday weekend and it was for lunch. Amazing. What people will do for good beer and goof food.

Finally, the hallowed portals opened and we streamed in towards the counter to place our orders. Everyone in my group went for the burgers and fries, either sweet potato or regular. I did the same, but ordered a starter of spicy olives and almonds, which were quite yummy by the way. Now the thing about the Office Burger is that substitions are not allowed nor can you ask them to remove and/or add additional ingredients. What you get is what they give you.

The only choice you had was how you wanted your burger cooked and even then, those in our group who ordered differently still got their burgers medium (and a couple of instances more medium rare). From what I've heard in the past, the restaurant preference for their Office Burger is medium. Asking otherwise is apparently ineffectual, so you might as well just accept that and move on.

Before the burgers made their appearance, out came the french fries. The majority of the group ordered the sweet potato "frites" a la carte and wouldn't you know it, the lightest, crispiest, most flavorful sweet potato fries I've ever had showed up in a mini metal shopping cart What was sad was I didn't understand at first what the deal was with the shopping cart, but then the lightbulb went on. Shopping cart for "frites" a la carte. Get it? Hopefully, you the reader, caught on much faster than I did. By the way, can you tell by my waxing so poetically about the sweet potato fries that I adored them? Oh my gosh, truly the best I've had so far.

Finally, the famous Office Burger arrives and I have to admit to being a bit puzzled when it was first put before me. In fact, I had to take a peek at everyone else's Office Burgers to make sure that I didn't get the wrong item. What surprised me was the bread. Instead of a bun, it reminded me more of a bread or French roll that would be used for a submarine sandwich. The Merriam-Webster dictionary has two definitions for a hamburger:

1 a: ground beef b: a patty of ground beef

2: a sandwich consisting of a patty of hamburger in a split typically round bun

Hmmm...by using the word "typical", what defines a burger becomes more open to interpretation. Although, when you look at the patty melt, perhaps not. Hamburger meat is used, but between two slices of bread; hence, the different name. Maybe, the Office Burger is more of a Burger Sub or Burger Roll. Oh well, it's amazing how easy it is to question things when the "order of the universe" is somehow shifted, even in something as simple as the lowly hamburger.

Anyway, putting the contemplation aside, the Office Burger was tremendous. The combination of the spicy arugula, the sweetly caramelized onions, the pungent bleu cheese, along with a burger patty that was moist and cooked just right made me a happy burger girl. After my first couple of bites, that whole adage of a "rose by any other name" came to play.

Burger bun or roll, this is a truly excellent hamburger. To be honest, this was my first real experience with a "gourmet" burger and I'm hooked. Not that having a basic burger still won't hit the spot, but when you use ingredients that take food to another level, you look at it with new eyes and simply want more.

Although it's been a few months since my first visit, I can still remember each and every bite of that burger and the sweet potato fries and I am more than ready to take the drive all the way from the Eastside down Santa Monica way very soon. Maybe, I'll even see some of you there as well.

To see pics, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157600993539020/

Father’s Office
1018 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403
http://www.fathersoffice.com/

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

abish / ah-beesh' / [Ethiopian] fenugreek seed, either whole or ground.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

Foodie Quote

"We do not sit at table only to eat, but to eat together" - Greek Author Plutarch

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

abgousht, a gousht / obb-goosht / [Persian ("water meat")] a popular stew made with lamb shank or other meat, beans and vegetables, all mashed together and typically served alongside the broth it was cooked in, with Iranian bread or rice and garnishes.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods.

Baja Culinary and Wine Tour by Savory Safaris

When most people think of the Baja region of Mexico, what usually comes to mind are nights of partying, boozing and jumping from bar to bar by local college kids willing to cross the border to find a good time. Delicious food and culinary finds may not be words you'd associate with cities like Tijuana, Ensenada and any other small towns in between. It wasn't until I took a whirlwind one day excursion with Tasty Tours led by Bill Esparza down to Baja, that my eyes were finally opened to many tasty possibilities.

The morning started with us driving into Tijuana and starting with what I'll refer to as the "breakfast of champions" and what others may refer to as the ultimate hangover remedy. Our first stop was at a taco table called Tacos "Fitos", which is only open from 5 am to 1 pm. Only two kinds of tacos were on the menu, goat or tripe. I decided to go for one of each. Both hit the spot. The carmelization from the grilling and also the marinade that was used for both meats made my mouth sing. If I didn't have to pace myself for the rest of the day, I could have easily eaten a couple more tacos.

After our starter meal, we walked to Mercado Hidalgo to get a feel for a Mexican market. I've visited Mexican markets in LA like Alameda Swap Meet and El Mercadito and what was similar were the bright colors of the signage and the exterior walls of the various shops. I have only three words. Crayons gone wild! Just like back home, we saw foods that you normally wouldn't see at your local Ralphs, but we also saw items that you'd only be able to get while you were in Mexico. I'm speaking specifically to the variety of chili peppers and corn that we saw, in all shapes and colors.

Also present were lots of fresh and colorful produce and other foods like cheeses, big slabs of chicharon, candy, mole sauces as well as pinatas, kitchen ware and herbs and medicinals. While at the mercado, I sampled cactus fruit for the first time. Peeled and doused with lime and chili, it was quite refreshing even with the tartness of the lime and the heat of the chili.

Filled up with tacos and cactus fruit, we hit the road to Guadalupe Valley where we were going to visit 2 of the 27 wineries that are currently in that region. For those of you unfamiliar with the history of wine making in Guadalupe Valley, look below for some info, but click here and here to find out more.

Wine making came to Mexico in 1597 when the Spaniard Don Lorenzo Garcia started his winery in the Northern Mexican state of Coahuila. This winery, Casa Madero, was actually the oldest winery of the Americas. By mid 17th-century, fearing competition from this new world, Spain banned wine making in Mexico; however, many Spanish missionaries refused to obey this edict and continued to plant vines and produce wine on a small scale.

In 1791, Jesuit priests brought over the mission grape and finding the climate comparable to California's Napa Valley and France's Rhone Valley reactivated the production of wine in Mexico by planting them at the Saint Thomas Mission. In 1834, Dominican priests began growing grapes at the nearby Northern Mission of Our Lady of Guadalupe, now known by the abbreviated name of the Guadalupe Valley. Between 1857 and 1888, due to Mexico's War of Reform, the Catholic church was stripped of its holdings and all property became part of the state.

Wine making again ceased until the Saint Thomas Mission was purchased by private buyers to become Bodegas Santo Tomas, the first large-scale winery in Mexico. In 1904, Russian immigrants moved into the area and they started purchasing land and devoting portions of it for harvesting grapes for wine making.

It wasn't until decades later when Hugo D'Acosta, a well-respected and well-known winemaker, started educating interested individuals into the world of grape growing and winemaking. He even established a winemaking educational facility where students can learn the trade and share information. Where before there were about 3 major wineries in the Baja region, there has been a renaissance of sorts where smaller, artisanal wineries are coming into existence. As mentioned before, there are now 27 different wineries that call Guadalupe Valley home.

Our first winery visit took us to La Casa Vieja, family-owned and only a year old. We sampled about 5 reds and roses, paired with cheeses and some of the best olives I've ever tasted. Olive farms also dot the Guadalupe Valley landscape, which is why the locally grown olives we sampled were stellar. As for the wine, I'm not really a wine expert so I can't give you a blow-by-blow account of what each wine tasted like but what I liked was their smoothness and also that the heavy oakiness that I normally associate with red wines was missing, which I appreciated.

Behind the tasting room, their vineyard could easily be seen, including a 200 year old grape vine that still produces grapes. The owner even let us pick a couple of bunches to take with us. There's just something about biting into a sun-touched, sweet, juicy grape from a two century old grapevine that's a little surreal.

From La Casa Vieja, we visited Tres Mujeres, so named because it's a vineyard owned by three women artists whose specialty is painting tiles. To get to this vineyard, you really had to veer from the paved road to a windy gravel road and to help guide you, there were tiles with painted hands to direct you along the way.

Tres Mujeres makes limited batches of wine every year. In fact, when we were led into their wine cave, geometric shelving housed all their wine for that season. The owners actually took classes from Hugo D'Acosta and in this, their second year, applied some of the techniques they learned from this famous wine master. For our tasting, we sampled two reds and when a couple of people in my group purchased wine to take home, one of the owners used a silver metallic pen to write in beautiful script, the name of the wine, its year and the name of the winery on each of the bottles.

After visiting Tres Mujeres, we veered again off the main road to check out La Casa de Dona Lupe, a small winery and gourmet food shop. Owner, Doña Lupe, is one of the first women to run a full-scale wine production, using sustainable practices since the 60's. Along with selling organic wines, this shop also sells fruit preserves, olives, olive oils, fragrant herbs and other items. My interest were geared towards the fruit preserves. I saw combinations there I've never seen before like nopales and green apple, mango and lime and then there was the tomato and chiltepin jam. Chiltepin, by the way, is a wild chile pepper that rate 50,000 to 100,000 scoville units.

The great thing about La Casa de Dona is that they weren't shy with the free samples. There were bread and crackers available to try out with the various jams. The would also pour their olive oil and vinaigrettes over bread and tomatoes so you could try those as well. If you wanted to try their wines, then you'd have to shell out the cash.

Afterwards, it was on to Ensenada. Thankfully, it was a nice little drive because between the goat and tripe tacos, the wines, the olives, the jams and jellies, etc., I needed a little break because what was waiting for us at our destination were true Ensenada fish and shrimp tacos. Yum!

While in Ensenada, we did an A to B comparison between two different taco stands where we sampled both a fish and shrimp taco from each location. One interesting tidbit that I learned from our guide, Bill, is that proper fish and shrimp tacos are double-fried, similar to Belgium fries. They're fried once, set aside to drain and cool and than re-fried right before serving. What you get is golden crispy seafood goodness.

The basic Ensenada fish taco starts off with naked fish on two corn tortillas. Your basic toppings will include shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and Mexican crema, a thin mayonnaise-based cream sauce. Squeeze some lime and you can chow down. However, if you're looking for more pizzazz, you can add any or all of the following: fresh onions, pickled carrots, onions and jalapenos and any number of fresh salsas.

After taste testing the two taco stands, I can say without a doubt that the first one we went to was the absolute best. The batter was amazing and was both light and non-greasy. All the condiments were fresh and even better, there were 7 or 8 different fresh salsas to choose from. I didn't even recognize half of them, but they all looked really good. I have to say that I'd almost be willing to make a special day trip back to Ensenada just for those tacos. They were just so unbelievably good.

Filled with fish and shrimp tacos, we stopped by Black Market, a local fish market, to check it out. Across the fish market were a whole row of taco joints so if you wanted to, you could actually do a fish taco crawl, but we've already had our fill. Whatever seafood fancy you had could be found at Black Market, from octopus with their long tentacles reaching out of boxes to sea snails to an endless variety of shellfish and fish.

Done with our Ensenada explorations, we hit the road back to Tijuana to end our tour with a delicious multi-course meal at La Diferencia. By the time, we got back to Tijuana, I wasn't sure if I could fit anything more in my system, but after perusing the menu, Bill placed our order and somehow, everyone was revitalized again. Our meal started with tamarind margaritas, a perfect combination of sour, tart and salty.

Not including the chips, salsa, black beans, dinner rolls, tortillas and rice, we shared 10 dishes, family-style. The highlights for me included:

Huitlacoche Crepes (crepes stuffed with cuitlacoche on top of poblano sauce) - I've only had huitlacoche a couple times back home and didn't understand the appeal, but fresh huitlacoche really makes a difference, because I really enjoyed the savory-earth flavors as I never had before.

Chiles en Nogada (poblano chile stuffed with ground pork, fruits and spices topped with walnut sauce and pomengranate seeds) - Luckily, this dish was still in season, so we were still able to order it. I recently found out that the poblano chile for this dish can either be battered and fried or not. The La Diferencia version was battered.

What made this dish a standout was a walnut sauce that wasn't overly sweet and with a distinct nutty flavor and a filling that was a great mixture of savory and sweet. Fruit and plump raisins definitely made an appearance; whereas, other chiles en nogada I've experienced in the past were usually too meaty.

Shrimp a L'Orange with Tequila (shrimp with spices, orange juice and tequila) - Normally, I don't really care for citrus sauces, because I find them too sweet, but let me tell you, I'd happily drink a glass of this particular sauce. The tequila added a body, a richness to the orange juice that was just addicting.

Chicken with Chipotle Cream (chicken breast chipotle cream, bacon, garlic and a white wine sauce) - Although I found the chicken itself a little dry, the combination of the other ingredients were like a fiesta in my mouth - savory, a little salty, smoky, a little fruity - simply amazing!

Tres Leches Cake (made with 3 types of milk: milk, evaporated milk and condensed milk) - creamy, creamy and creamy without being soggy, what more can you ask for?

After our meal and in fact, after our entire day of eating and drinking, we all could have been rolled out the restaurant doors quite easily, but we did make it back to the van under our own steam and what better way to rest from a food orgy than nap our way across the border and back home.

Overall, this was truly an unforgettable day and I really have to thank Bill Esparza, owner of Tasty Tours, for this awesome foodie experience. I look forward to doing a longer tour in the future for even more culinary adventures down Baja Way.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157602393781000/

Savory Safaris
Culinary and Wine tours of Northern Baja
(1 day; weekend; or custom tours)
Bill Esparza
310-990-9031
billiard68@yahoo.com

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

aash-e reshteh / ah-she-resh-tay / [Persian] noodle soup

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods.

Foodventures V-W-X-Y-Z

V
Villa Italia (Duarte)
Vito's Pizza (LA)

W
Wolfe Burgers (Pasadena)
Wood Spoon (Downtown LA)
Wraps 360 (Monrovia)

X
Xa Vietnamese Grill (Irwindale) - CLOSED

Y
Young Dong Garden - "Korean Soon Tofu Soup Explorations" - (Arcadia)
Young Dong Tofu - "Korean Soon Tofu Soup Explorations" - (San Gabriel)
Yung Ho (San Gabriel)

Z
Zelo Pizzeria (Arcadia)
Zorba Chicken (Pasadena)

Foodventures S-T-U

S
Saffron Spot - Indian Ice Cream & Shaved Ice Tasting (Artesia)
Saigon Cuisine (Santa Ana)
San Antonio Winery - "Boutique Beer and Food Tasting" (Los Angeles)
Savory Tours - Baja Culinary and Wine Tour (Mexico)
Scarlet Tea Room (Pasadena)
Sea Harbour - "Dim Sum of the Month Club" (Rosemead)
Serrano's Mexican Kitchen (Duarte)
Siem Reap (Long Beach)
Singapore's Banana Leaf (Los Angeles)
Sophy's Thai and Cambodian Cuisine (Long Beach)
South Coast Plaza Food Blogger Event (Costa Mesa)
Spoon House - "South Bay's Taste of Japan" (Gardena)
Street Food: Oaxacan Quesadilla Street Cart and Churro Truck (LA/Echo Park)
Street Restaurant (Los Angeles)

T
T Burgers (Monrovia)
Taco Bell Blogger Corporate HQ Visit (Irvine)
Tacos El Poblano (Tijuana, Mexico)
Tanaka Farms - "Watermelon Tour' (Irvine)
Taqueria Sanchez (Los Angeles)
Taste of India (Long Beach)
Taylor's Steakhouse - "The Great Steakhouse Challenge" (La Canada)
Teri & Yaki (Monrovia)
Traxx (LA)
The Cobbler Lady - Cobbler Tasting (LA)
The Counter - "The Great Burger Quest" (Santa Monica)
The Courtyard (West Hollywood) - CLOSED
The Dining Room in the Langham Hotel (Pasadena)
The Donut Man (Glendora)
The Enchanted Rose Tea Parlour (San Dimas)
The Kitchen (Alhambra)
The Kitchen - "Dim Sum of the Month Club" (Alhambra)
The Oinkster (Eagle Rock)
The T Room (Montrose)
Tibet Nepal House (Pasadena)
Tibet Nepal House - "Himalayan Feast" (Pasadena)
Tom's Drive-In No. 19 (Monrovia)
Traktir - "Soup's On!" (WeHo)
Triumphal Palace - "Dim Sum of the Month Club" (Alhambra)
Tutti Frutti (Pasadena)

U
Umami Burgers (Los Angeles)

Foodventures P-Q-R

P
Pa Pa Walk (San Gabriel)
Paciugo Gelato Caffe (Hermosa Beach)
Patina (LA)
Penang Malaysian Cuisine (West Covina)
Pete's Cafe - "The Great Burger Quest" (LA)
Phong Dinh (Rosemead)
Picasso's Cafe (Irwindale)
Pita! Pita! (Pasadena)
Pitfire Pizza - Pizza & Wine Pairings (Downtown LA)
Pitfire Pizza Company - Pizza Making Party (LA)
Pizza and Chicken Love Letter (Artesia)
Pizzeria Mozza (LA)
Priyani Ceylon Cafe (Northridge)
Project by Project's 7th Annual Plate by Plate Event (LA)
Pollo Campero (Long Beach)
Pondahan (West Covina)
President Square Food Court (Arcadia)

Q
Quan Vy Da (Westminster)

R
Ramen Quartet
Rasraj (Little India - Artesia)
Restaurant Nhu Y (Fountain Valley)
Rivera (Los Angeles)
Ruen Pair (Hollywood)

Foodventures M-N-O

M
Macau Street Food Porn (Monterey Park) - CLOSED
Magic Wok & Saffron Spot (Artesia)
Maison Akira (Pasadena)
Mami King (West Covina)
Manja Resto (Duarte) - CLOSED
Mariscos Chente (Lennox)
Mariscos Chente (Mar Vista)
Maru (Koreatown) & Mayflower Seafood (Chinatown)
McDonald's History Tour
Mediterranean Garden Grill (Monrovia)
Mei Long Village - "XLB Crawl" (San Gabriel)
Mei Long Village - "XLB Journey" (San Gabriel)
Meltdown etc - Grilled Cheese Sandwich Tasting (Culver City) - CLOSED
Meltdown etc. (Culver City) - CLOSED
Melting Pot Tours - Farmer's Market and 3rd Street Tour (Los Angeles)
Metro Diner (Culver City)
Mexican Outdoor Food Stands (Boyle Heights)
Milk - "Got Milk Open House" (Los Angeles)
Mission 261 - "Dim Sum Club of the Month" (San Gabriel)
Mr Pizza Factory - "The Great Pizza Hunt" (Los Angeles)
Mon Land Hot Pot City (San Gabriel)
Mu Dung San (Koreatown)
Mustard's (Long Beach)
My Secret Recipe - CLOSED
Myung Dong Tofu Restaurant - "Korean Soon Tofu Soup Explorations" (West Covina)

N
Nana and Naa (Inglewood)
Natas Pastries - Pastry Tasting (Sherman Oaks)
Natalie Seafood Peruvian Restaurant (Hollywood)
Nevera Fruit Creations - Beverage Tasting (Bell)
New Capital Seafood - "Dim Sum of the Month" (Rowland Heights)
New Paradise (Long Beach)
Nick's Taste of Texas (Covina)
Noi (Los Angeles)

O
Ocean Star - "Dim Sum of the Month" (Monterey Park)
Off Citrus (West Covina)
Oki-Dog (LA)
One World Vegetarian Cuisine (West Covina)
Ondal 2 (LA)
Original Fish Company - "Soup's On!" (Los Alamitos)
Orris (Culver City)
Osteria Mozza (LA)
Otafuku - "South Bay's Taste of Japan" (Gardena)

Foodventures J-K-L

J
J&J - "XLB Crawl" (San Gabriel)
J&J - "XLB Journey" (San Gabriel)
Jagerhaus German Restaurant (Anaheim)
Japon Bistro (Pasadena)
Jar - "The Great Steakhouse Challenge" (LA)
Jitlada Thai Cuisine (Hollywood)
Jongewaard's Bake 'n Broil (Long Beach)
Johnnie's Pastrami (Culver City)
Juliano's Raw - "In the Raw Trio" (Santa Monica)

K
Ketchup (WeHo)
Kingston Cafe (Pasadena)
Kiss My Bundt - "Bundt Cake Tasting" (Los Angeles)
Kogi BBQ Taco Truck (Various Locations)
Kogi BBQ Taco Truck - "Special Tasting Menu" (Various Locations)
Korean BBQ Quartet
Koshiji (LittleTokyo)
Kyochon Chicken - "Korean Fried Chicken Smackdown" (Los Angeles)

L
L'Orangerie (West Hollywood) - CLOSED
La Casita (Bell)
La Espanola (Harbor City)
Langham Hotel - "Chocolate Afternoon Tea" (Pasadena)
Lennox Pollo (Lennox)
Le Roy's the Original (Monrovia)
Leaf Cuisine - "In the Raw Trio" (Culver City)
Little Belize (Inglewood)
Little Sheep (San Gabriel)
Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken, Seafood and Donuts (Pasadena)
Los Balcones de Peru (Hollywood)
Lu Din Gee - 1st Visit (San Gabriel) - CLOSED
Lu Din Gee - 2nd Visit (San Gabriel) - CLOSED

Foodventures G-H-I

G
Gaja (Lomita)
Gardena Bowl Coffee Shop (Gardena)
Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato - "Food Tasting" ( Manhattan Beach)
Golden Triangle - "Burmese Feast" (Whittier)
Gomez's Snap-E Tacos (Covina)
Gourmandise Desserts - Private Cupcake Class
Green Village (San Gabriel) - CLOSED
Grilled Cheese Invitational (Los Angeles)
Guelaguetza - "Oaxacan Feast" (Koreatown)

H
Hadaka Sushi (WeHo)
Henyang Chili King (Monterey Park)
Hugo's (Studio City)
Hunan's Restaurant (Alhambra) - CLOSED
Hunan Seafood (Rosemead)
Hungry Al's BBQ (West Covina)

I
Ice Kiss - Koreatown)
Indo Cafe (Alhambra)
Izayoi (Little Tokyo)

Foodventures D-E-F

D
Dal Rae Steakhouse - "The Great Steakhouse Challenge" (Pico Rivera)
David's Chili House (Azusa)
Din Tai Fung - "XLB Crawl" (Arcadia)
Dino's Chicken & Burgers (Azusa)
Don Rogelio's Tex-Mex Food (Lennox)
Dots Cupcakes vs. Violet's Cakes (Pasadena)
Dragon Mark - "XLB" Crawl (San Gabriel)

E
E. Waldo Ward - Tour of Citrus Farm and Manufacturing Plant (Sierra Madre)
Ebisu Japanese Tavern (Little Tokyo)
Edelweiss Chocolates - Chocolate Tasting (Beverly Hills)
El Gallo Pinto - "Nicaraguan Feast" (Azusa)
El Gallo Pinto - 1st visit (Azusa)
El Gallo Pinto - 2nd visit (Azusa)
El Katracho (Sherman Oaks)
El Mercadito & Lunch at El Gallito (East LA)
El Salvadoreno (Duarte)
El Tepeyac (Los Angeles)
El Zarape (Monrovia)

F
Father's Office - "The Great Burger Quest" (Santa Monica)
Fiesta Sa Barrio (Eagle Rock)
Flappy Jack's Pancake House (Glendora)
Fulfilled - "Imagawa-Yaki Tasting" (Beverly Hills)
Ford's Filling Station - "Cooking by Hand" Dinner (Culver City)
Fukugawa (Gardena)

Foodventures #-A-B-C

#
3 Drunken Goats (Montrose)
101 Noodle Express (Alhambra)
818 JN Kitchen (San Gabriel)
2006 Tofu Festival (Little Tokyo)

2007 American Cheesemaker Awards (Newport Beach)

A
A Votre Sante (Brentwood)
Alameda Swap Meet (East LA) and La Casita (Bell)
Altamed's 4th Annual East LA Meets Napa (Los Angeles)
Alejandro's - 1st visit (Glassell Park) - CLOSED
Alejandro's - 2nd visit (Glassell Park)- CLOSED
All'Angelo (LA) - CLOSED
Andrew's Cheese Shop - "Beer and Grilled Cheese Sandwich Pairing" (Santa Monica)
Angelica's Restaurant (Lennox)
Antica Pizzeria - "The Great Pizza Hunt" (Marina del Rey)
Arturo's Puffy Taco (Whittier)
Asian Noodles - "Soup's On!" (Chinatown) - CLOSED
Atlacatl (LA)
Aunt Rosa Lee's Mississippi Soul Food (LA)
Auntie Em's Kitchen - "Cheese Tasting" (Eagle Rock)
Azeen's Afghani (Pasadena)

B
Babita (San Gabriel)
Bananas (Duarte) - CLOSED
Banh Mi Quartet
Barrio Fiesta (Eagle Rock)
Barrio Fiesta - "Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24" (Eagle Rock)
Battambang Seafood Restaurant (San Gabriel)
BCD Tofu - "Korean Soon Tofu Soup Explorations" (Koreatown)
Bean Sprout Cafe (Arcadia)
Beverly Soon Tofu - "Korean Soon Tofu Explorations" (Koreatown)
Bilal (Inglewood)
Blair's (Silverlake)
Bludso's BBQ (Compton)
Bollini's Pizzeria Napolitana (Monterey Park)
Bon Chon Chicken - "Korean Fried Chicken Smackdown" (Los Angeles)
Bouchon Bistro - "Grand Opening Party" (Beverly Hills)
Bulgarini Gelato (Altadena)
Bulgarini Gelato - Gelato and Sorbet Tasting (Altadena)

C
Cafe Beaujolais (Eagle Rock)
Cafe Mak (Koreatown)
Cafe Pacific for High Tea (Rancho Palos Verdes)
Cafe Verde (Pasadena)
Canadian Cafe (Monrovia) - CLOSED
Capital Seafood - "Dim Sum of the Month Club" (Monterey Park)
Casa Bianca (Eagle Rock)
Casa de Moles "La Tia" (Los Angeles)
Casey's Bar & Grille (Downtown LA)
Chang Thai Cuisine (Irwindale)
Chico's (Highland Park)
Chocolate Box Cafe - Chocolate Tasting (La Canada)
Chop Suey Cafe (Little Tokyo)
Ciudad (Los Angeles)

Clifton's Cafeteria (LA)
Coley's Caribbean-American Cuisine (North Hollywood)
Compartes - Chocolate Tasting (Brentwood)
Cook's Tortas - "Torta Tasting" (Monterey Park)
Coolhaus - "Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwich Tasting" (Food Truck)
Cru - "In the Raw Trio" (Silver Lake)
Cuban Bistro (Alhambra)

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

So I just purchased this book from amazon.com called Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods and in it, there are definitions of more than 1,400 ethnic dishes. When I can, I'm going to post a new word from that book here and that way, we can all learn something new together each time.

aash, ash / rhymes with mosh / [Persian] soup

Cupcake Class with Gourmandise Desserts

A few days ago, I hosted a really fun private cooking class in my home with Pastry Chef, Clemence Gossett, owner of Gourmandise Desserts. So what were we cooking up? Well, cupcakes of course, specifically two kinds: chocolate and vanilla bean.

Before we even started, we were all given the recipe cards so that we could follow along, then we started putting together the ingredients for the chocolate cupcake. Egg whites were cracked into the bowl with flour, sugar, other ingredients and finally the melted chocolate was added later. Once the batter was mixed, portioned scoops were used to pour them into the cupcake liners.

What was nice is that everyone participated in some form or the other, whether it was cutting the butter or melting the chocolate or putting the cupcake tin inside the oven.

While the first batch of chocolate cupcakes were baking, we started in on the vanilla bean cupcakes. Again, everyone had a chance to be hands on throughout the class. Who wouldn't want to be part of the action, especially if you can sneak a finger in the bowl for a lick. Yum!

As both cupcakes were in turn baking and cooling, Chef Gossett showed us how to make a chocolate ganache, which serves as the filling for the cupcake. The ingredients were quite simple, just cream and chocolate shavings. When mixing the ganache, we were told to stir at a slow pace so that we get a smooth consistency. Air bubbles were a big no-no.

Once the cupcakes were cooled enough, the next step was to scoop out some of the cupcake middle so that you can spoon in the ganache inside the cupcake. If you want to put other things with the ganache like cut fruit or candy or nuts, that was the time to do it. As soon as we were done with our task, we learned how to frost the cupcakes using a piper with a delicious Italian meringue.

Throughout the whole 3 hours, Chef Gossett shared a lot of tips with us like the importance of putting a cookie sheet tray under your cupcake tin while it's baking so that the bottoms of your cupcakes won't burn or if your cake recipe comes out too dry, it's okay to add an extra egg yolk next time for moisture.

I also appreciated how patience she was with all of us, even when we peppered her with a lot of questions. She answered them all with a smile. I also have to say that the chocolate cupcakes we made were so moist and delicious, that they were almost sinful.

Along with her cupcake baking classes, other classes she does include cake baking and decorating, making gingerbread houses, learning how to make homemade marshmallows, caramels and funnel cakes and so much more. Along with private classes, she also teaches at Chefmakers.

Overall, the class was a great experience. Everyone who attended really enjoyed themselves and of course, being able to bring home cupcakes that we frosted ourselves is a pretty cool achievement. I would definitely host another class with her.

As a side note, Gourmandise Desserts used to sell pastries to a variety of restaurants; however, Chef Gossett is no longer doing that. Instead, she's concentrating strictly on teaching, although she'll occasionally will do a special cake or dessert if asked.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157602974569864/

For more info, go to:
http://www.gourmandisedesserts.com/

Pizza Making Party at Pitfire Pizza

Last October, a fun time was had by all at a pizza making party at Pitfire Pizza Company in downtown Los Angeles. The event started with us arriving to tasty breadsticks. While we were munching on those, owner David Sandfield, gave us some history about pizza as well as his restaurant. For example, he told us how the name for the Margherita Pizza came to be.

Apparently, in 1889 chef Don Raffaele Esposito honored Queen Margarita with a special pizza topped with the colors of the Italian flag-tomato (red), basil (green) and mozzarella (white) and hence the name "Margarita" was formed. It is the 'base' pizza of any pizza shop worldwide.

David also gave us some background on Pitfire Pizza. He and his partner, Paul Hibler, run a company called Deluxe Motion Picture Catering, a catering company that caters to tv and movie sets. With their pizza, which they normally barbecue on grills, being one of their popular selling items, they finally decided to open up pizza restaurant in North Hollywood. Soon after, they opened a downtown LA location and just recently a location in Westwood.

Their pizza dough is handmade daily from a proprietary recipe. In fact, they trust just one baker to make their dough, and he has perfected the craft over the past eight years. Every batch is handmade and fired in a 750 degree ceramic oven. Their philosophy is to also use fresh local ingredients sourced from farmer's markets.

Soon after his talk, we went behind the line and David gave us more specific information about what his pizza dough is made up and it's not just flour and water. There's a definitely a lot more to it than that. Then we were given a demonstration of how to first shape the dough on a floured board into a "pancake" and stretch it out using our fingertips. Then it's to the air as we were taught to take the now flatter pizza dough and using our finger tips turn it like a wheel, at the same time, stretching it out even more to make it thinner. It's not as easy as it looks and unfortunately, I was all thumbs.

Afterwards, we were able to sauce our pizzas and add whatever toppings were calling to us. Of everyone in the group, I was the only one who wanted a white pizza. Instead of red sauce, my pizza dough had olive oil spread on it before I added the rest of the ingredients. A couple of us even got to put our pizzas in their 750 degree oven.

As part of the event, we also got to tour their downstairs kitchen/commissary. This downstairs kitchen is where all the dough and sauces are made for all three Pitfire Pizza locations. Chefs are there everyday at 5:30 am to start work. Those appliances were huge. We saw everything from their large sauce cooking pot to this one machine that once you put a handful of dough in it, it will shape it into perfectly sized balls of dough.

Eventually, we all sat down to a meal that included our pizza masterpieces, salad, dessert. What was cool was that no had the same exact pizza. Everyone really used different ingredients. There was even some pizza trading going on, which allowed some to do a nice sampling of what other ingredients people used for their pizza. Overall, it was a delicious way to spend a few hours.

To see all the pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157602924411895/

Pitfire Pizza Company
108 West 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-808-1200
www.pitfirepizza.com