Obsessed with Oysters

This is a new obsession. About a year ago, I can honestly say that I had only eaten three raw oysters in my life. In the last month alone, I have probably eaten over two dozen. I’m not sure what brought on this need to feed on these critters on the half-shell. Maybe I just liked the idea of the decadence. Maybe my subconscious was trying to tell me I needed more aphrodisiacs in my life. Or maybe I just really wanted to force myself into liking oysters. In any case, I’m hooked.

 
Now, let me just say, I am no expert. I am learning, but by no means am I an oyster connoisseur. I do know that I like west coast oysters far better than east coast oysters. A knowledgeable server once told me that oysters from the coasts are like the people. East coast oysters are harsher and more hardened; they live in the rougher of the two oceans (The Atlantic) and are generally brinier (read: ocean-y and fishy). West coast oysters are more laid-back and mellow; they live in the calmer Pacific and are generally sweeter and gentler on the palate.

Where have I gone on this oyster binge you ask? Well, let’s see. There’s Santa Monica Seafood, where I’ve enjoyed their Kusshi, Kumomoto and Fanny Bay varieties. Then there is Ocean Avenue Seafood, with their oyster and wine flight happy hour special. I have also indulged at Delphine in the W Hollywood, the Tasting Kitchen in Venice and Blue Plate Oysterette in Santa Monica.

Although I have only uncovered the tip of the iceberg, the world is my oyster for this new fixation. You never know where I may discover my next pearl.

Father's Office Part II??

Lukshon in Culver City is Sang Yoon's (of Father's Office fame) lastest creation. Overrated? Yes.

Although people are all talk about Yoon's newest culinary dining experience, Lukshon hasn’t received the best ratings. Yet everyone wants to check it out.

So off I went with a fellow foodie and beaus in tow to check out this new local creation.

“Haute cuisine,” someone recently commented on a blog- doubtful I think.

Impeccable was also a word used to describe this new restaurant. I would certainly agree on the service element, however, the food has a long way to go. The eggplant side dish tasted more like an old cardboard box and the raw scallop appetizer was less than average .

That said, the black heirloom rice dish was tasty and creative, utilizing the forbidden rice of Nepal.

Although tasty and well cooked, the Lamb entrée dish for $36 consisted of three tiny chops, more appropriately sized as a small tapas plate and certainly not entrée worthy.

Our main peeve was the fact that once we finished our bottle of French Gamay, we were in the mood for just a sip more of wine. When we asked our server to see the list of red wines by the glass, she told us that they had no red wines by the glass, but had rose or white wine selections. I mean, what restaurant in this day and age doesn’t offer a red wine by the glass? Completely ludicrous.

The only redeeming quality was the fact that the service was impeccable and the sommelier was both professional and friendly. The restaurant décor consists of clean crisp lines, both bright and fresh.

Although I can see the patio being a sought after spot in the summertime, I will not be returning to Lukshon anytime soon.

www.lukshon.com

- Jean

Pumpkin Time!

To me, nothing says ‘autumn’ more than a bright orange pumpkin. Of course, pumpkins are associated with Halloween, but looking past Jack-o-lanterns, they are also the perfect fall food. A few years ago, I came across this recipe in one of the many food magazines I subscribe to, and since then, making it has become an annual obsession...er...I mean.... tradition. I have made a few adjustments to the recipe over the years, but this year, I really think I may have perfected this rich and gooey sinful pumpkin recipe.

Pumpkin “Fondue”
Ingredients:
1 12-inch baguette, cut into ½ inch slices
1 5 to 7 lb Sweet Baking Pumpkin
1 c. Heavy Cream
½ c. Chicken Stock (reduced sodium)
½ c. Dry White Wine
 ½ tsp Nutmeg, grated
2 ½ c. Gruyère, grated (about 6 oz.)
2 ½ c. Emmental (or other Swiss cheese), grated (about 6 oz.)
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Method:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lower third.
Toast baguette slices on a baking sheet in oven until tops are crisp, but not browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Remove top of pumpkin by cutting a circle around stem with a small sharp knife. Scrape out seeds and any loose fibers from inside pumpkin with a spoon (including off top of pumpkin). Season inside of pumpkin with ½ teaspoon salt.

Whisk together cream, broth, wine, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Mix together cheeses in another bowl.

Put a layer of toasted bread in bottom of pumpkin, then cover with about 1 cup cheese and about ½ cup cream mixture. Continue layering bread, cheese, and cream mixture until pumpkin is filled to about ½ inch from top, using all of cream mixture. (You may have some bread left over.)

Cover pumpkin with top and put in an oiled small roasting pan. Brush outside of pumpkin with olive oil. Bake until pumpkin is tender and filling is puffed, 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.

To serve, scoop out roasted pumpkin flesh and cheese/bread filling into shallow bowls. Serve with leftover bread slices.

 (Photo by Romulo Yanes from Epicurious.com)

-Katrina

Meeting Mario

I have to begin by saying that I am not one to get all googely-eyed over celebrities. In fact, I am quite the opposite. I would rather just leave people to their own to enjoy their lives, rather than harassing them as so many others seem to do.

 
On a trip to New York last weekend, I made plans with my best friend and our boys to check out Eataly, Mario Batali’s newest restaurant concept. After dining at some of Mario’s restaurants here in LA and watching him endlessly on the Food Network, I was eager to see what it was all about. I read many exciting reviews of this new eatery, describing it as seven restaurant concepts under one roof, along with amazing artisan/gourmet food selections: Pasta, pizza, wine, cheese, cured meats, chocolate, gelato, breads, etc., offered in one unique setting in a loft-style building in Manhattan. Just the thought of this place drove my foodie palate wild at the thought of its deliciousness.

 
When we arrived, it was bustling with people moving between different food stations, each with their own décor, and each offering a different type of eats. We were pleasantly surprised to find a large high-top table for the four of us to hunker down at. Service began attentively and with a smile, but that quickly took a downward spiral. Our server disappeared after we let him know the bottle of wine we ordered was corked, but not before trying to argue with us that it wasn’t. A young, uneducated server leaves a lot to be desired when they try to argue such things. He did finally arrive back with a better Barbera varietal, which we all thoroughly enjoyed, but he remained unavailable to us for the rest of our stay. We had to track down any random server in sight for the remainder of our meal service. But now back to the fun part.

 
As we surveyed the scene, we looked about to see what everyone else was eating and suddenly I spotted Mario behind a counter, casually chatting to a few of the clientele seated nearby! I took a walk over to check out if he was wearing his signature orange clogs. Confirmed. I was half tempted to say hello but decided to refrain and leave the man to his work.

 
We ordered a few menu items to share, including a platter of assorted cheeses and charcuterie and a tomato mozzarella dish. Both were outstanding in quality, presentation and flavor.

 

 After wrapping up our meal, we wandered around the different sections of the venue gazing longingly at the variety of Italian cuisine in each area. The gelato bar and espresso station looked inviting but we refrained. We spotted Mario again, still chatting to guests and staff members throughout the joint.  This time, I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing Lou’s arm and approaching him to say hello. At that point I was fully committed to making his acquaintance and had also decided I would ask him for a photograph. He was smiley and bubbly the whole time and was appreciative when I told him I was a big fan. I guess it’s easy to grin from ear to ear when you have just launched a tremendous new food venture in NYC!

http://www.newyork.eataly.it/index.php/about/about-us/

-Jean

Let's Just Say, I am no Julia Child

After inviting the ‘in-laws’ to dinner, I figured I better pull out the big guns and prepare something memorable. How better to impress, than with some traditional French cuisine? I had recently received Julia Child’s ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking” collection as a birthday gift and was dying to tear into a few recipes. And after watching the “Julie and Julia” movie a while back, I was chomping at the bit to try to be the courageous Julie.

With a trip to Santa Monica’s Farmers Market and Santa Monica Seafood and a pantry filled with fresh produce, I was ready and eager to take on this new culinary challenge.

We choose an entrée consisting of traditional French Risotto and Coquilles St. Jacques A La Provence (scallops gratineed with wine, garlic and herbs) served with Asperges Au Naturel (boiled asparagus).
They say, one should never prepare a meal for the very first time and invite guests to enjoy... now I know why.

We planned ahead and prepped all ingredients the day prior, since it was Sunday and we had time, rather than rushing home after work on Monday evening and having little time to prep. We wanted to take our time to do this just right. Julia’s book had helpful hints as to what could be prepared ahead of time and what needed to be done at service time.

Julia recommends peeling the asparagus but by using a sharp knife and not a peeler. That lasted all of 10 minutes with utter frustration- that method just didn’t seem to be working. She also suggests not snapping the ends of the asparagus off. Another huge mistake, as these ends are completely fibrous and inedible. After preparing, the asparagus stalks were bland and tasteless so I had to spruce them up with a drizzle of good EVOO and grated lemon zest.
 

The scallops turned out like bullets. They were as hard as rubber pucks due to being overcooked in the pan before broiling with a cheese gratinee. Even though we followed the recipes to a T, they definitely needed a cooks’ knowledge to know when to remove items from the heat, etc.
 

The risotto was just to die for on Sunday when we made it, we literally couldn’t stop eating it and had to remind ourselves that we needed to leave some for our guests the next day. Julia recommends reheating the risotto in a double boiler, which we did. This proceeded to change the consistency of the entire dish! The rice was completely dried out and turned into more of a pilaf than a risotto.
 

What a disaster!
 

Thank goodness our guests were courteous and understanding as we presented them with our failed concoctions. We have now learned the well known lesson of never trying something new when welcoming guests into your home.
 

Bon appétit!

-Jean

Just Peachy

For those of you who do not know me, I have to tell you something about myself: I am an award winning pie baker. It wasn’t a large scale contest by any means, but I won first place nonetheless! The bake-off was part of the Brentwood Country Mart Rodeo Days celebration back in August 2007, and it was the height of peach season. As I carefully hand-selected each juicy, fragrant peach from the stand at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market I knew that each one was going to help me bake my winning creation… and that they did. Grand prize bragging rights and a $250 gift certificate to the Country Mart!

In an attempt to relive my glory days, this weekend I decided to bake my award winning recipe. No sharing with the judges this time!

“Just Peachy” Caramel Delight

Ingredients:

2 pie crusts, rolled to cover a 9-inch diameter glass pie dish (either make your own, or, I find that Pilsbury brand pie crusts taste great and save time)

Filling

1 c. Sugar, divided

½ tsp Cinnamon

¼ tsp Salt

3 lbs Peaches, ripe, peeled and cut into 8 wedges each (about 6 large peaches)

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

¼ c. Water

2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

2 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

3 Tbsp Flour

1 ½ Tbsp Cinnamon-Sugar (1 Tbsp sugar mixed with ½ Tbsp ground cinnamon)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place one pie crust in 9-inch diameter glass pie dish. Trim edge to overhang 1”. Fold edges out and under and pinch decoratively. Stick fork in bottom of crust in several places so crust will bake flat. Line the crust with foil and place dried beans for weight on top. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until crust is set and just barely golden.

For filling, mix ½ cup sugar, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Add peaches and lemon juice, stirring to coat. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.

Stir ½ cup sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved completely. Increase heat to medium-high and boil mixture, without stirring, but occasionally swirling pan, for approximately 10 minutes or until caramel is a deep golden color. Remove from heat and add butter and cream. Use caution, as mixture will bubble vigorously. Strain juices from peach mixture into caramel and stir.

Add flour and caramel sauce to peaches and stir to coat. Transfer all filling to the pre-baked pie crust, mounding it in the center.

Cut remaining pie crust into ten ¾ inch wide strips. Place five strips in one direction across the top of the pie, spacing evenly. Beginning in the center, using one strip at a time, weave remaining strips in the opposite direction, forming the lattice top. Press ends of strips onto edge of baked crust to keep in place. Sprinkle entire pie with cinnamon-sugar.

Cover pie loosely with tin foil and bake, covered, for 35 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake, approximately 25 minutes longer, until filling is bubbling and lattice is golden brown.

The pie I baked this weekend may not have won any contests this time around, but it won top honors from me and the select few who got to try it!

-Katrina

Relais de Venice 'Entrecote' Restaurant, Paris, France

After booking our holidays to Paris, I looked to my BFF Louise for restaurant recommendations as she lived there for 5 years during her teen years. She immediately started to ooze about this amazing little gem of a bistro she and her family used to frequent. I added it to my list of ‘things to do’ while visiting the most renowned culinary mecca of the world.

After a few days in London, we arrived in Paris peckish for something local and delish, so we decided to try out Lou’s fave family spot. Taking a metro to the location was the easy part of the experience. The rain had decided to pour out of the heavens by the time we reached ground level but soon enough we spotted the crowded restaurant. It was late, so we were famished by the time we came upon the large group of locals and tourists alike, hovering outside the front doors. No queue was formed, just a mass of people, all trying to cuddle under the canopy to stay somewhat dry from the torrential downpour.

After speaking to a few of the locals in line, we determined that there was no line and that all tables were on a first come, first served basis. Suddenly the hostess arrived and yelled ‘table pour deux’ (table for two). People started flailing their arms in the air trying to manhandle their way to her and take this table for two. It was a total cluster, an unorganized ridiculous mess!

Once we wiggled our way in, ahead of the people who arrived after us, no thanks to them trying to wrangle their way in ahead of us, things changed drastically. Inside was the most authentic french bistro one could find anywhere in France. We were welcomed immediately by the waitress and offered wine or water. No menu provided, just offered the choice of the temperature of our meat, well done, medium or rare.

Taken aback we decided to play along and asked for a bottle of their ‘vin de la maison’ (house wine) seeing as we weren’t offered a list.

Out of nowhere, a plate of greens topped with chopped walnuts and a spicy wasabi mustard vinaigrette landed in front of us, accompanied by a basket of sliced French baguette. It was surprisingly delicious, even though it was 10:45pm and by then, rabbit food would’ve worked. I asked our server for some butter for the baguette but she chuckled and stated that there was enough butter on the entree course that I wouldn’t need it for my bread. I guess my request was denied whether I liked it or not.

Next came a platter with a mound of sliced beef tenderloin, drowned in the most devine garlic butter sauce, served with a pile of skinny French Frittes. We lapped it up like we hadn’t eaten in days. We had never eaten such amazing Steak Frittes and believe me, we have certainly tried many. Our server also wasn’t kidding about the butter, the beautifully cooked tender beef was absolutely smothered in the butter, garlic and herb sauce. The entire meal was polished off with the full bodied bottle of red which paired superbly with the meat. There was absolutely no room left for dessert by the end of the meal but we just couldn’t help ourselves and both went back for seconds of the steak and fries. We rolled out of the place at 1:00am stuffed to the brim and blissfully happy to be spending the next week together in Paris.

Moral of the story? Getting a local’s scoop on where to dine is key to securing a scrumptious meal in a new city.

~Jean.