Chef Marathe's Santosh (tomato-coconut soup) Recipe
Recently I wrote a post about my Un-Curry Table experience ().
My favorite dish that night was this incredible tomato soup. Well, Chef Marathe has shared this classic recipe in her recent LA Weekly interview.
Allow me to spread the joy of this dish, with this link to the recipe. You will not be disappointed!
बोन अप्पेतित (Bon appetit!)
Recent Finds: A-Frame's Furikake Kettle Corn & Other Treasures
Let me begin by saying that I'm not a huge popcorn person. I rarely eat it, not even at movie theaters.
Recently there has been lost of buzz about Kogi founder Roy Choi's and David Reiss' AFrame. Since AFrame does not take reservations and the wait was said to be 1+ hours, my plan was to let the buzz die down. Until I heard the KCRW Good Food radio segment with Jonathan Gold. The clever concept is described on their menu as a 'modern picnic', with the finger foods served in casual, stylish metal plates. I find it irresistable to eat bite sized food with my hands.
By now, I've been there twice and on the second visit, we ordered two orders of this popcorn among three people (one left early so only two of us devoured the second bowl).
Recently there has been lost of buzz about Kogi founder Roy Choi's and David Reiss' AFrame. Since AFrame does not take reservations and the wait was said to be 1+ hours, my plan was to let the buzz die down. Until I heard the KCRW Good Food radio segment with Jonathan Gold. The clever concept is described on their menu as a 'modern picnic', with the finger foods served in casual, stylish metal plates. I find it irresistable to eat bite sized food with my hands.
By now, I've been there twice and on the second visit, we ordered two orders of this popcorn among three people (one left early so only two of us devoured the second bowl).
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| AFrame - Furikake Kettle Corn |
This popcorn hits the right notes on the palate because it tastes simultaneously sweet, salty, spicy/hot, with a slight ocean vibe and also buttery. The glazed kettle corn is tossed with the Japanese furikake seasoning, often made with toasted nori, sesame seeds and other spices. The flavors meld beautifully. You will most likely lick your fingers clean long after the bowl is emptied into your tummy.
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| AFrame - Blue Crab Cakes |
Another dish I eagerly sought out was the Asian inspired green curry, lemongrass and pancetta Clam Chowder. Alhtough a delicious dish, I found it a bit too rich. What really stole the show for me, besides the kettle corn of course, were the Blue Crab Cakes. They are light yet plump, containing just blue crab without fillers, with notes of ginger and lemongrass. The cakes sit on a bed of creme fraiche sauce, a unique accompaniment for crab cakes. They also come garnished with shiso and baby lola rosa leaves that you wrap around the crab forming a fresh 'taco' like flavor bomb.
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| AFrame - Chu-Don't-Know-Mang |
Normally I'm not a huge dessert type, but there is no denying the great taste and creativity of AFrame's desserts. The Chu-Don't-Know-Mang consists of instant "pound-cake churros". Yes, they are sliced, fried and rolled in cinammon sugar then stacked on the plate to dip into the decadently thick chocolate malted milk with a dollop of vanilla ice cream in the center. Very rich, interactive and reminiscent of childhood comfort treats.
Each of these dishes take very familiar comfort foods and add a that 'modern picnic' touch.
Each of these dishes take very familiar comfort foods and add a that 'modern picnic' touch.
Learning To Step Up My Photography Game
Last summer, a friend and I took a beginning DSLR (digital single lens reflex) photography class, armed with a new camera which I barely new how to turn on.
Many people who know me consider me an 'artsy' type, often commenting I have a good eye for composition and that my photos make them feel like they were 'there'.
What they don't usually know is that until this class I rocked a point and shoot camera and relied on my art history education to capture good shots. Especially with the blog, it was high time to step up my photography game.
One of my ongoing goals was to learn how to use manual settings on a 'real' camera. For the class our main goals were twofold. One was to practice macro photography. More simply put, to have a clear object up front with a blurred background. The photos you see on so many great magazines and blogs. The second goal was to minimize post-editing with Photoshop, and let the camera do most of the work.
During the classroom lecture, it was relief to learn there were four major settings that really impacts the shots: the key controls of ISO, shutter speed priority, aperture priority and shooting mode. Once we were on the field, the challenge of being good at coordinating everything at once hit me.
For the field component of the class, we began with nature, particularly roses. The pink roses we used as subjects revealed subtle color variations, natural patterns and details in the petals. We strove to find the lowest ISO (sensitivity of sensor) to get the highest quality images with a smaller aperture number to capture a shallow depth of field.
My best shot appropriately focused on the buds in the foreground while showing a hazy background. Goal #1 -check.
This shot adds some good color variation to the shallow depth of field.
This overexposed shot, although a mistake, turned out quite lovely. The light looks like a sun ray and the photo feels vintage. Proper exposure does not always have to be the goal. Experimentation often yields interesting shots.
Although it was not part of the curriculum, I strayed from the roses to practice a few architectural shots at Pasadena City Hall that displayed more depth of field. Along with food, landscape and architecture are my favorite subjects.
This shot frames out the relief sculpture on the fountain, which has become slightly dulled over time.
The sun bouncing on the water created some great focal points for this one.
The final exercise during our field work was to capture the feeling and energy of motion by setting the shutter speed, panning the camera while fast moving cars approached a traffic intersection and taking the shot at the right moment.
I totally missed the mark on this one, blurring everything. The vintage car also made a fun subject.
This shot turned out just right by using a slow shutter speed and panning the camera to follow the cars, then choosing the right moment to capture the shot.
Our instructor said that learning photography is like learning a foreign language. I have a new appreciatation of how much artistic and technical talent has to converge at just the right time to capture a great shot.
Armed with the proper tools I am now ready to become a more capable shutterbug, matching the technical skills to my eye.
Ramen Jinya - Broth You Want to Bathe In
A couple of weeks ago, during Los Angeles' 10 days or so of torrential rain, someone had a brilliant idea. Sunny, from Deglazing The Foodie Terrain, suggested Ramen Jinya. A better meal for that weather, I cannot fathom. Her brilliant photography and enticing food descriptions always convince me to try anything. If that was not enough, Ramen Jinya's Hakata Ramen also appeared on Jonathan Gold's 10 Best Dishes of 2010.
I expected only greatness knowing that (1) the restaurant was in a downplayed strip mall in Studio City; (2) it's owned by a Japanese mogul who owns 7 restaurants spread across Tokyo; (3) they have an open noodle kitchen. The food by far exceeded my expectations.
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| Ramen Jinya - Tonkatsu Hakata Ramen, fresh garlic and Tokyo Curry Rice |
The meal began with a fresh green salad with what tasted like miso dressing with strong garlic and daikon flavors. I, somewhat timidly, went with the Tonkatsu Hakata Ramen, described on the menu as "Pork Premium Rich Flavor". It has a deep bone marrow flavor as well as dashi, dried fish and other types of umami goodness. The bowl contains a few slices of tender, juicy, buttery chashu fatty pork. Up front and center is also a perfectly soft boiled egg with vibrant yellow yolk. There are assorted vegetables to round things out and the slightly chewy noodles soak up just enough broth while still maintaining their integrity on their own.
There are several optional add-ons, my favorite being the cloves of fresh garlic that the diner crushes into the broth, adding another level of kick, as if that's even needed. I also turned the meal into a combo by adding a side of Tokyo Curry Rice. It's a solid Japanese curry bursting with complex flavor, clearly made from scratch.
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| Ramen Jinya - closer view of the ramen |
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| Ramen Jinya - the broth |
It's rich, soulful, unctuous. The broth is murky, reflecting the 12 hour cooking time. You just lose yourself in it!
A Shout Out to the Signature Umami Burger
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| Umami Burger - at Umami Burger in Hollywood |
The first time at Umami Burger, at the La Brea location, a couple of friends and I tried several things on the menu and cut everything into quarters. Perhaps there were too many distinct tastes for any one thing to stand out. While everything was tasty, I did not understand they raves and thought it wasn't something I'd try again.
Recently, after a long show at the Hollywood Pantages Theater, a couple of friends and I walked over to the Cahuenga location for a late dinner. It could have been the extreme hunger talking, but the signature burger was magical to taste and delicious to behold.
The burger is based on the savory, meaty fifth taste (after bitter, salty, sour, sweet) of Umami. Umami is attributed to glutamate which is naturally occurring in certain foods. What is unique about these combinations in the burger is that they meld together to create that deep flavor, rather than provide flavor and texture contrasts like In-N-Out burgers' raw onions do in that burger.
The burger looks like their gorgeous logo. And this time I noticed the logo branded on top of the shiny, Portuguese bun that has a light and elastic quality. It soaks up the juices and provides the perfect ratio of bread to the other ingredients. It is one of the few burgers where I will eat both of the buns.
Nobody knows the complete set of ingredients but what can be discerned is the freshly ground beef patty griddled to medium-rare, a parmesan cheese frico, a roasted tomato, carmelized onions, a grilled shitake mushroom and a side of the housemade Umami ketchup.
Like I said, there is nothing new and different about this burger, but they should just keep doing what they're doing.
Salt Chalet - Mining Salt's Benefits
Happy new year! For me there is no need to make dramatic resolutions on January 1st because my focus is on making each day count.
One of my former co-workers and I used to devote 1 day each month to trying something new and adventurous that we wouldn't normally do. In my 20-something days that's all we could squeeze in between going out all the time. Now I think why restrict those experiences to once a month? Why not always look for them? So I do.
A couple of readers and friends suggested I share some of these alternative finds, so for that reason, here is Salt Chalet!
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| Salt Chalet - Encino, California |
Salt Chalet offers salt room therapy, or halotherapy, a holistic treatment for breathing ailments. This innovative therapy recreates the negative ion microclimate found within natural salt caves in Eastern Europe. The treatments are popular in Israel, and Israeli entrepreneurs started this company, bringing this proven therapy to the U.S.
Salt therapy improves conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, smoker's cough, colds and flu, sinusitis, allergies, snoring, eczema, psoriasis and other related ailments. In Los Angeles, the air pollution and car exhaust we breathe in alone warrants huge benefits.
The treatments run $55 per session, with discounts for family members and a series of multiple sessions. 10-15 sessions are recommended for most chronic conditions. Tippr offered a voucher for 3 sessions at 78% off the regular price, which I immediately snagged. With that deal there was nothing to lose.
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| Salt Chalet - Private Room
The treatment rooms are coated from floor to ceiling with layers of untreated salt and salt deposits hanging like stalactites. A generator disperses a mineral rich, Israeli Dead Sea salt dry aerosol into the room. To keep the rooms bacteria free, each person enters the room in their street clothes with a set of surgical socks on their bare feet. Shoes are left in baskets outside the room. The rooms contain ambient lighting and music, zero gravity lounge chairs (the same ones I have on my deck at home) and a flat screen TV.
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As far as maximizing the experience, I tried different methods for each session. My first visit was in the private room. The aerosol is fine and effortless to breathe in. I opted to listen to music, watch ocean waves on the screen and just focus on breathing. The staff told me the salt softens the skin so those in the private room have the advantage of removing some clothing to obtain skin benefits. The salt on the floor is quite jagged against my bare feet so I made a mental note to wear socks during the next visit.
By the end of the session the warm room filled up with a light mist which I could see clearly due to the blue and purple tinted lighting against the white salt.
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| Salt Chalet - Private Room |
After coming out relaxed, the wonderful staff offered me water and gave me a tour of the other rooms. The treatment is so gentle, it is completely safe for children and they have their own sandbox type room (of course with powdered salt instead of sand) with toys and books.
Finally there is a communal room. Just sticking my head inside partially I broke into a fit of coughing. A woman exiting after her treatment was also coughing. It was clear the salt concentration was much higher in that room since the salt is pumped in all day. I made a mental note to try that room for visit two.
By the time visit 2 came around I had been suffering from a sinus infection for 2 1/2 months and had a real condition to test. Neither antibiotics nor nasal sprays made a dent in clearing the congestion and I was exhausted from constant coughing and sneezing.
For this visit I met a friend and we did our session in the communal room. We chatted the whole time while lying on the lounge chairs and the time just flew. What I did notice was that I was effortlessly breathing through my nose by the end of the treatment. My friend, also a longtime sinusitis sufferer, indicated the same benefits. This continued for several days along with sleeping like a baby.
On our way out we met a lovely woman named Orit who told us that she provides massages in the private rooms that can be added on to regular sessions for $35 extra. The deal was sealed for my third visit, which I didn't wait too long to schedule.
By visit 3 my sinusitis was still dragging on with less congestion but heavy coughing and runny nose. I didn't think a 45-minute massage would be too relaxing but Orit has a warm, serene energy and beautiful smile that already began to relax me. She uses Avani dead sea lotions and oils imported from Israel, also sold at Salt Chalet.
Her style was a bit different than typical Swedish massage which focuses on different quadrants of the body at a time. It felt more holistic and she definitely honed in on the tense spots with a fair amount of pressure. Her face and scalp massage at the end was worth the experience alone. She used a quilt to cover me up instead of a light sheet which felt cozy in the already warm room. The experience of having a massage in a cave added to the natural feel.
So in conclusion, what health benefits did salt therapy provide? It killed bacteria, reduced inflammation and broke down the mucus in my bronchial tubes and lungs, which were then either coughed up or expelled by the metabolic process through the bloodstream.
How do I know this? I never once had to take Mucinex, cough syrup or use nasal sprays after my third treatment, after three months of a sinus infection. The symptoms are gradually diminishing. I truly believe the sessions accelerated my recovery process. And the icing on the cake is softer skin, better sleep, relaxation. And a desire to return to Salt Chalet.
Six Taste x 2 = Happy Tummy
Recently, after many positive reviews from friends, I attended not 1 but 2 Six Taste L.A. culinary tours. This company was founded by two entrepreneurial L.A. non-natives to highlight culinary gems in our great city. Even for someone who has been raised in L.A. each tour unearthed some new great spots in a fun manner. Let me recap highlights of each tour.
Tour #1 - Santa Monica Food Tour
I selected this tour to start things off because I've lived in Santa Monica for over 5 years and it was a good excuse to revisit this charming town. The morning tour goes through the abundant Santa Monica Farmer's Market as well as some local spots. I opted for the afternoon tour covering 7-8 Santa Monica finds.
Our first stop was Rockenwagner Bakery, where we sampled some Austrian Coffee along with the baked treats below. I am not a black coffee drinker (which I chalk up to cultural tastes) but this was an ultra-smooth black coffee without the usual acidic bite. I did not miss the cream at all.
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| Rockenwagner's tri-berry scone and croissant pretzel |
The coffee tasted even better accompanied with the buttery yet light croissant pretzel and tri-berry scone. Both were moist and did not need any additions. The berry compote sandwiched within the scone kept it moist unlike most scones I've tried.
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| Therese - our tour guide extraordinaire |
Therese began the tour with an introduction about herself and Six Taste. I did not expect a PhD as a tour guide, but she explained that this fun job helps pay off her grad school debt. She was instantly likable, informative, smart, adorable. She also explained the theme of her tour which was how the establishments we visited were staying 'green'. Along the way she also pointed out architectural treasures and interesting stores in the area. She was chock full of information, answering all questions with grace.
After her intro we shared our names, where we live and our 'last meal on earth' (aka 'death row') meals. That immediately warmed me up because it's something foodies often discuss and think about. Judging from the crowds' responses, everyone had sophisticated palates. Many of us swapped dining suggestions along the way.
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| Border Grill's Amarilla Ceviche Tostadita |
Border Grill was one of our next stops. They prepared for us a taste of 4 bocadillos (small bites) from their menu. My favorite was the Amarillo Ceviche Tostadita topped with a ceviche made from mahi mahi fish, aji amarillo chile, ginger and lime. In addition some of us ordered margaritas. The also gave us a Mexican sugar cookie packed to go with a 'free margarita' card for a return visit. The trip was a mini multi-course sit down meal.
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| Santa Monica Pier - Bay Cites Deli picnic |
Moving on with our tour, we sampled two types of pasties, British crescent shaped meat pies, at the Tudor House - creamy chicken and mushroom, spinach and sharp cheddar cheese. Since the sun was setting Therese guided us to Ocean Street for a lovely ocean sunset view along the pier. And to make the view even better, she brought along Bay Cities Italian Deli's famous Godmother sandwiches. These sandwiches, full of Boar's Head meats and cheese, are all about the fresh, soft and chewy bread. Therese made sure we enjoyed them fully by letting the bread marinate in the sandwich juices for 2 hours before serving them to us. This is the recommended way to eat them and I can see why.
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| Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar - Pinot Wars |
One of our stops was at Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar, which had wines grouped into themes. They gave us a loaded up card which we could use to get a couple of 1 ounce tastings of our own choice. They also offered snacks for the group. The wines and themes keep changing. In addition to the great Pinot Wars, which I never left for my tastings, they had a terroir them among other interesting ones.
We ended the tour at Angelato, serving 100 different flavors of gelato. We all had 3 tastes and chose 3 flavors to enjoy. Their flavors range from black sesame to cola float to durian to green apple to Italian plum cake to spumoni. Therese recommended the Blood Orange gelato (also comes as a sorbetto), which was sublime.
All in all there was a fair amount of walking which helped balance the frequent noshing. Therese collected feedback from the group at the end of the tour and we parted ways.
The next weekend, with a Pleasure Palate group, I tried:
Tour #2 - Delicious Dumpling Tour
This tour covered a much smaller physical space, centered around a popular Taiwanese strip mall in Arcadia. On the day of the tour it was raining heavily and a parade took place right on Baldwin Avenue, blocking access to the parking lots. Many members of the group arrived late and drenched. Our guide Michael was extremely flexible and patient, offering us coffee while we waited.
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| J & J Bakery - green tea red bean rolls, mochi cakes |
We began at J & J Bakery which was not as crowded as usual, so we had full reign of the store and were able to take many photos with ease. Michael explained the Taiwanese delicacies including a ham sandwich with French toast bread and "Taiwanese sushi", a seaweed roll with ham as the protein. We each chose an item to sample later and most of us bought a bag or two of items to go as well.
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| Din Tai Fung - Left: Michael explaining the proper way to eat the soup dumplings. Right: The elusive soup dumplings special. |
I've been to Din Tai Fung over a dozen times but Michael taught me even more about the business, the culture and the tradition of the place. Also, I finally got to try the elusive soup dumpling which usually sells out within the first hour that they open. The soup consists of the miniature soup dumplings submerged in a soup broth. Having tasted it, I prefer the original size dumpling since it contains more soup within the dumpling.
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| SinBala - Chinese sausage with raw garlic |
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| SinBala - chicken rolls and chicken nuggets |
Other highlights at SinBala were the chicken rolls, stuffed with meat and water chestnuts then deep fried, and the tender 5-Spice chicken nuggets which is by far the most exciting and flavorful chicken nugget I've ever had. Both are served with a sweet garlic chili dipping sauce.
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| SinBala - dry wontons |
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| Hanny's - Michael explaining the snack shop |
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| Hanny's - sampling jerkies and Taiwanese dried mangoes |
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| Hanny's - pumpkin chips, mushroom chips |
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| Six Tastes Tour Guide Michael - showing Taiwanese flash cards |
We ended the tour with some group pictures that he kindly emailed to all of us along with a kind greeting and even more information. Overall it was a brilliant tour. I look forward to my next Six Taste adventure!
Recent Finds: Round Comfort Food
During the past two months, with the cool autumn-winter weather, there were a few soulful dishes I had and the common theme is that they all had round shapes in them.
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| gnocchi with morel mushrooms + champagne cream |
A friend kindly invited me to Nic's Martini Lounge in Beverly Hills for a full night out - cocktails, dinner, dessert and finally donning leopard spotted fur coats to experience their unique Vodbox. It was an extravagant evening of feasting for all senses. There were quite a few solid dishes. My favorites were: roasted beets in papilotte with feta and zinfandel vinaigrette, Nic's famous oysters sauteed with herbs, walnuts and garlic and placed back on the half shell with the pan sauces on top.
Yet, the most comforting of the dishes was the above gnocchi with morel mushrooms and champagne cream. It's made up of round disks of carmelized gnocchi that resemble scallops. The fluffy, cloudy gnocchi melts in your mouth. As if that's not enough, the plate is generously sprinkled with morel mushrooms. The whole thing sits in the creamy, decadent sauce which the textured morels and porous gnocchi soak up like sponges.
The other two dishes were from Ludo Bites 6.0 @ Max. This meal was probably my 12th+ time at Ludo Bites, to give you an idea of how exciting the food is to me.
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| marinated mackerel, leche del tigre, baby leeks, verdologas leaves |
During this last round with that particular evening's menu, there were many memorable dishes on the table. What I look for with Chef Ludo Lefebvre's dishes is something that challenges my tastebuds. The marinated mackerel, leche del tigre, baby leeks and verdologas (aka purslane) made a statement from its looks to its flavors. Mackerel is one of the oilier, fishier fishes and the fact that the skin was sugary and torched to a crisp really brought on a vivid contrast of tastes and textures. The greens were baby leeks and verdologas, which both added balance and an earthy to fresh and crunchy texture. The Tiger's Milk sauce is used to cure the fish in a ceviche dish. The citrus tang beautifully complemented and brought together all the complex flavors. The dish tasted best with a bite containing every component together.
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| marinated Korean steak, crispy kimchi, radish, bone marrow, shiso |
Another standout was the marinated Korean steak, crispy kimchi, radish, bone marrow and shiso dish. The beef was superbly tender and well seasoned. In this case the round part was the marrow which was out of the bone and caramelized. It's delightful for a marrow lover to not have to dig inside the bone. Once again the marrow pieces resembled scallops. Due to their exposed perch on top of the steak on the plate, one had to eat the marrow very quickly before they cooled off and congealed. This hearty dish was nicely counter-balanced with a subtle dried kimchi flavor, shaved cauliflower, shiso leaves and pickled radishes. Once again the symphony of flavors and textures really worked.
So whether it was the gnocchi, the purslane leaves or the marrow, each comforting dish contained beautiful round shapes presented in unique ways that heightened the eating experience. Would you also find these dishes comforting?
