Echo Park – 5.22.10 – LA’s Not NYC…But It’s Close

I’ve been missing Manhattan like you wouldn’t believe but seeing that it’s currently 100 degrees with over 50% humidity over there, I *think* I can deal with Los Angeles for a little while longer. Plus, ever since I found out that all my NYC firsts are also easily accessible in LA (specifically Echo Park), I’ve been trying to convince myself that I can satisfy my New York urges in LA. (It’s not a very convincing argument, but that’s another story…)

For example, the novelty of hand shaved shaved ice originally experienced at People’s Pops in Chelsea Market?

(Check it out – Shaved ice, shaved by hand!)

It may not be made from fresh, natural fruit flavors but this cup of sugary goodness may be just as good. The shaved ice man called it vanilla flavored, which basically means it tastes like liquid flan. He even topped the whole thing with condensed milk!

As for my love of Cafe Habana‘s Mexican corn?

(Picture taken by Jin N.)

Not quite as sweet as my first, but it hit the spot. Plus, that monstrous corn on a stick was only $2! (I bought it from a woman grilling corn out of a shopping cart…Oh LA, so resourceful, you are…)

Now if I can just find an LA substitute for the 53rd and 6th Halal Cart…

No Reservations: An Evening w/ Anthony Bourdain – 6.16.10 – *SWOON!*

Sometimes I refer to Anthony Bourdain as “King of my Heart” but jokes aside and speaking honestly now: Bourdain is king of my heart.

Maybe it’s his iconic Kitchen Confidential bad boy persona. Maybe there’s something in the fluidity of his speech or in his distinct choice in words. Maybe it’s that he just doesn’t give a shit about what other people say. Honestly, I don’t know…all I know is that man is so charismatic I can’t help but swoon.

When I heard that Bourdain was going to be plugging his new book, “Medium Raw”, by speaking at Royce Hall at my alma mater, there was no doubt in my mind that I would be going. My heart wanted to get the $175 meet and greet tickets but decided to be cheap and admire him from afar instead. (Hey, I was looking out for his well-being! What if I suddenly transformed into the Bourdain equivalent of a Beliber?! I might have bum-rushed the stage!)

(I wasn’t kidding with the “admiring from afar” – I was siting so far away, I couldn’t get a picture of king of my heart on stage! I photoshopped him in instead.)

Sitting in Royce, listening to Anthony Bourdain made me feel like a girl on her first date with that cute boy she’s been eyeing in class – I sat there, enthralled at everything that came out of the man’s mouth. I laughed excessively at his jokes, made mental notes about his favorite things and ran the night over and over in my head. (A disclaimer: For those that haven’t figured it out, I’m exaggerating for literary effect. I love the man but don’t worry, I’m not really stalking him…and if I were, I wouldn’t be telling you…)

———-

Anyway, a recap of that glorious night:

- The night began with a loving bash on Food Network personalities. The winners? Ina Garten and Giada De Laurentiis made it through the battle, unmarred (although I was ecstatic to hear he also thinks that Giada has an unusually large head). The losers? Rachel Ray (of course), Sandra Lee (meeting her has the honor of being his most terrifying moment in life) and Guy Fieri. Bobby Flay made it through, but just barely.

- Onto TV shows: He likes Iron Chef but not Iron Chef America. He likes Top Chef but not Hell’s Kitchen. He has respect for Andrew Zimmern of Bizaree Foods because Zimmern eats the weird and disgusting, but doesn’t drink (whereas Bourdain drinks the horrors away). He thinks that his network is trying to kill the man in Man v. Food.

- He has a 3-year old daughter and is terrified of her falling into the fast food trap. His solution? “Ronald McDonald has COOTIES.” “Ronald SMELLS BAD.” “Did you hear about little Timmy? He went missing…” “…Was it Ronald again?” (Note: I laughed SO HARD at this one. I’m totally raising my kids this way.)

- Words of advice when traveling and eating: 1) Make the most of it. 2) Don’t worry about dirt; eat where the locals eat. 3) Follow local traditions. Be polite.

- Taping in Russia is dangerous. When he’s there, he drinks 3 shots of vodka for breakfast, 7 for lunch and 17 for dinner.

- Best kid story ever: He took his daughter to a restaurant, ordered the seafood tower. She looked at the top of the tower and saw a crab and screamed, “Sebastian!” (i.e. from The Little Mermaid)…then proceeded to tear “Sebastian” down and eat him.

And a couple good ones from the Q&A session:

- “Nigella or Giada in a knife fight?” (His response.)
- His last meal? The sea urchin and lardo from Marea.

———-

Oh Anthony, I’ll be counting down the months, weeks, days, minutes until I have the chance to see you again…

Petrossian – 4.22.10 – Pictures Are Easy When Food Looks This Good

(For my first two Petrossian reviews, refer here and here.)

I feel a little guilty writing this review because this is my third review of Petrossian. I have 30+ reviews still sitting in my backlogs (including two New York trips and now an Atlanta trip too!), waiting to be written. Is it fair to write yet another Petrossian review while so many other restaurants have been sitting for months in queue, waiting to be typed onto screen?

No, it’s not really fair, but it’s just so easy to write Petrossian reviews. The food inspires me to write and the aesthetics behind Chef Ben’s food translate from plate to picture so effortlessly.

(Picture taken by Liz of Food, She Thought.)

Unlike my previous visits to Petrossian, which were basically planned to satisfy my hunger for fine dining, this visit was for a special occasion – this meal was the one that would later be featured on ABC7′s “Food Paparazzi” segment for both local and national broadcast. (I was very excited.) Given the occasion, Linden the Gastronomnom requested a small tasting menu and, as usual, Chef Ben did not disappoint.

Course 1: Caviar Surprise with King Crab and Apple Cider Jelly

We began our meal with a glass of hibiscus champagne, with its distinct vibrant rose color, and a hearty portion of “caviar surprise”. I was happy to finally taste the surprise, which I had seen on many a food blog, and enjoyed the sweetness of the crab and apple cider jelly against the saltiness of the caviar.

Course 2: Salmon Tartare, Caviar, Quail Egg

The salmon tartare was also delicious, as tartare and caviar have been known to do. (Another example: the steak tartare and caviar referenced in my first review.) As the course was perfectly seasoned, I found myself directly putting fork into mouth, completely ignoring the toast points provided on the side.

Course 3: Crispy Egg, Cipollini Onion Soubise, Pressed Caviar

My favorite component of this dish was surprisingly not the crispy egg but instead the onion soubise. Although a soubise is defined as a bechamel based sauce, I found the consistency to be more similar to a puree or a very thick soup. The runny yolk of the egg spilled into the soubise, making it even richer than originally plated.

Course 4: Skate, Brown Butter Foam, Crushed Potatoes, Sherry Vinegar Gelatin, Capers, Croutons

My first ever taste of skate will not be my last as I’ve never had anything similar in texture; it seemed to flake away in distinct layers. (To borrow an apt description by Ruth Reichl, it has a cordoroy-like texture.) The sherry vinegar gelatin was like a punch of flavor in the face (I mean that in a good way) and, surprisingly, did not distract from the rest of the dish. A complete bite of fish and accoutrements was salty and tart and buttery all at the same time – simply delightful.

Course 5: Sweetbreads, Baby Spinach, Maitake Mushroom

Our last course is typically not found on the menu, although I wish it was. As a lover of sweetbreads, I appreciated the simplicity of the dish because the natural taste of the sweetbreads was allowed to shine.

As mentioned previously, this meal was for a special occasion and Chef Ben outdid himself with this menu. Looking back now – the caviar in excess, the flutes of champagne, the TV crew – it feels a little surreal. This is, in no way, “normal” in my life…but I could get used to it. I just have to find a camera crew to follow me around and I’ll be set!

(Note: Since I’ve had people ask: ABC7 did NOT cover any part of this meal. I don’t think they would have let us splurge on caviar and champagne if they had…)

Petrossian Paris Boutique & Cafe
321 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 271-6300
Website: http://www.petrossian.com/
Twitter: @petrossianweho

DineLA Chef Roundtable – 6.8.10 – Of Puck, Preparation and Produce

(Click for a larger picture.)

Mark Peel of Campanile, The Point and The Tar Pit.
Josiah Citrin of Melisse.
Susan Feniger of Street, Ciudad and Border Grill.
Joachim Splichal of the Patina Group.
Karen Hatfield of Hatfield’s.
Wolfgang Puck.

To listen to any of these chefs would be a pleasure. To hear all six of them speak at the same event? That’s a privilege.

———-

This post was originally going to recap the roundtable and the conversations that took place there – I even took mental notes on specific things each chef mentioned that I wanted to address. However, as you’re probably familiar with my typical lag period, you shouldn’t be surprised that, by the time I got around to actually writing this post, the fine people at DineLA had already posted a video of the entire event online. (Oops.)

Well, since the job of recapper is no longer necessary (*whew!*), I’m going quickly cover the parts I enjoyed most about this whole roundtable.

- I’ve always loved listening to successful people tell the story about their life. There’s something so intriguing about hearing about them before they made it big, whatever trials or tribulations they may have gone through, and seeing where they are now. Wolfgang Puck is no exception – he could have been on that stage by himself, speaking for the entire hour and I would have been perfectly happy.

My favorite Wolfgang story of the night was the one about how he got started in the restaurant business. (Start at 14:10 in the video. Watch it – I’m not gonna recap it for you!) Imagining little 14-year old Wolfgang being told he was good for nothing and then seeing him in person on stage now, governing his empire…It’s surreal to hear him tell his story (and probably even more surreal for him to live it).

- As an accountant, I have a rather practical view on life. Thus, I appreciated the concrete advice Joachim gave when asked about starting a new restaurant (at 27:43 in the video). While the chefs prior (Susan, in particular) spoke of passion for their craft, Joachim asked them to think and prepare and…well, basically be a businessman. I may not know much about running a restaurant but I’ve seen this much from my accounting gigs over the years – you can’t run a business on passion alone.

- I found it interesting that, throughout the roundtable, the chefs repeatedly touched upon the abundance of fresh produce in Los Angeles and the appreciation for food. It was especially interesting because, about 2 years prior, I attended a similar event moderated by Jonathan Gold on the topic of California cuisine and remember taking away one thing from that event: California cuisine is the abundance of produce matched with our variety of ethnic influences. At the time, I almost thought that was almost a cop-out answer – “Yes, I know we have great produce but…what else??”, says the girl who has only lived in California and has been surrounded by fresh produce her entire life – but to hear the same talking points two years later made me re-evaluate my original reaction and how I may take California’s strongest assets for granted.

Anyway, as you can tell, the roundtable was a great experience. I had the opportunity to listen to some of my favorite chefs in person and the stories of their lives. Plus, after it was all over, I gorged myself on Starry Kitchen‘s tofu balls and got to take a picture with Susan Feniger! (Woot woot!)

(Picture taken by Julian of Jewelz, What Are We Doing Today?)

McDonald’s – 6.8.10 – Killa Kali McGangBang

Before the KFC Double Down there was…the McGangBang. Two items from the McDonald’s, sandwiched within one another to create a sandwich where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. We’re talking about a McChicken inside a double cheeseburger, chicken inside beef, McDonald’s inside McDonalds. This sandwich is NOT messing around.

I first read about this monstrosity on folie à choisauce, who personally recreated the McGangBang and lived to tell the tale. She even added her mark on the sandwich by adding fries to the mix, and dubbed it the “Killa Kali” McGangBang (i.e. the KKMGB).

From the moment I read that post, I never forgot about the KKMGB…ever. It was like the thought of the KKMGB was lurking in the back of my mind, jumping out whenever a McDonald’s came into sight. Sooner or later, I had to give in.

I wish I could say that I’ve only tried the KKMGB once but, sadly, that’s not the case.
I wish I could claim I was drunk but, sadly, that’s also not the case.
(If this totally kills my credibility as a food blogger, I completely understand.)

My first time was accidental. I was working in the office and had rushed downstairs to grab a quick bite for lunch. Halfway through my meal, I realized I had all the components for a KKMGB. Did I dare? I dared.

My second time was premeditated. Somehow, during a normal conversation at work, I had convinced others to join me in trying the KKMGB. We made plans to build it the following day at lunch, with one slight adjustment: The original McGangBang was based on two items from the $1 menu, coming together to create something worth more than $2. As double cheeseburgers are now $1.19, we agreed to use a McDouble instead to keep that original spirit alive.

($3.19+tax later, I found myself with all the tools to make a KKMGB.)

With a crowd starting to form in the office lunchroom, eyeing our goods and whispering of the events to come, we built our KKMGBs and took a bite. (Yes, I actually ATE it.)

(“What does it taste like…?”)

If McDonald’s had a generic flavor, the KKMGB would taste like that. The flavor of fake chicken was dwarfed by the flavor of burger. It was a little dry and needed more ketchup, some BBQ sauce, or maybe sweet and sour sauce…SOMETHING.

Afterwards, I felt disgusted. I was completely unproductive the rest of the afternoon. We looked up the nutritional facts – 1040 calories, 47 grams of fat. I told myself I wouldn’t eat dinner that night. (Sadly, I did eat again.)

Note to self: I am NOT doing this again.