Slashfood

The Perfect Cheese Platter and Bastide Closes (Again) - L.A. Times in 60 seconds

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:36:00 EST

Filed under: Restaurants, Recipes, In Sixty Seconds, Thanksgiving

Here's what's doing in the Los Angeles Times Food Section for Wednesday, November 26, 2008:

Smile and say Cheese on Turkey-Day: Here's what you need for the perfect cheese plate on Thanksgiving.
Where to buy artisanal cheeses in L.A. (hardly an exhaustive list, but a decent start).
Fuss-free side dishes (mustard rolls, braised cabbage, smashies...who can resist?)
Recipe: Brown butter mashed potatoes.
The day after: Turkey pot pie. Oh yes, please.
Beyond pumpkin pie...pumpkin cake with sour cream ganache. And also roasted pumpkin salad.
Joe Pytka closes down Bastide...again.
Review: S. Irene Virbila isn't terribly impressed with Chateau Marmont's fare these days.

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Gael Greene, The Insatiable Critic - Sacked by New York Magazine

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:36:00 EST

Filed under: Magazines, Celebrities, Food News

All good meals must eventually come to an end. And so it is that Gael Greene, the New York Magazine critic who shaped the taste of a generation of New York foodies, has been sacked.

Greene, now in her mid-'70s, was hired by by Clay Felker in 1968 to be the restaurant critic of his just launched New York Magazine. According to the New York Times, "It was as if New York magazine had found its own version of Colette when it came to food. She created an entirely fresh new voice, one that has never staled."

True, she dallied with more than one celebrity chef. And although that should have presented a grave conflict of interest, Greene embraced the frisson by working it into her copy. Her 1977 review of Le Cirque was deliciously titled, I Love Le Cirque, but Can I Be Trusted?" and let her readers into her fling with chef de cuisine Jean-Louis Todeschini. Her readers loved it.

Over the course of her long career, Greene could be thought of as a early prototype of Carrie Bradshaw: eating and sleeping her way through 70's-80's era New York City. Her 2006 book "Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess" goes into her sensual exploits in detail.

Although she gave up her gig as weekly chief reviewer eight years ago, Ms. Greene continued to write about food for the magazine. Her final column will run in New York's December 1 issue.

Fans of her wit, writing and legendary palate can continue to follow her musings on, where else, her own food blog: called the Insatiable Critic.

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Thanksgiving Edition - Los Angeles Times Food Section in 60 seconds

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:36:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds, Thanksgiving

It's that time of year again. The Los Angeles Times Food section for Wednesday, November 19, has your instructions. To wit:

How to host a successful Thanksgiving meal: Russ Parsons explains it all to you:

Recipe: Cream of parsnip soup with crisp-fried pancetta.

Everyone loves dry-brined turkey.

The potluck secret: Bring a side that stops the show.

More on T-day from the Daily Dish blog.

What wine to bring to dinner on the big day? Bring two. Or more.

Dessert? Pie, of course. And have the kids help, too.

Don't want to cook your own? Here's where to go in L.A. to buy your Turkey-day meal...

Vietnamese street food and the return of the American chestnut - L.A. Times in 60 seconds

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:33:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, How To, In Sixty Seconds, Local Eating

Here's what's doing in the Los Angeles Times Food Section for Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008:

Bonjur, dude. Vietnamese street food, with a French and SoCal twist. Get thee to Westminster or make it yourself. In either case, like, bon appetit!

The slow drip: Because you have to know how to make that delicious Vietnamese coffee. Here's how.

Comeback Kid: Years after dying out, the American chestnut is making a slow and much-welcomed return. Russ Parsons reports.

How to skin a chestnut. Right here.

Recipe: Brussels sprouts braised with bacon and chestnuts.

The craft beer revolution in L.A.

The best beer bars in L.A.

S. Irene Virbila reviews BiMi in L.A. and finds it not just another sushi-bar in L.A.

Where the slow food movement is headed.

Kids make their own pasta, presidential flavors, and more: The L.A. Times Food Section in 60 seconds

Julie Tilsner — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds, Fall

Here's what's cooking in the Los Angeles Times Food Section for Wednesday, October 22:

Put the kids to work: They want to eat only pasta? Let them make their own. Actually, it's a pretty kid-friendly activity. Amy Scattergood investigates.

A political feast: Regional foods from the states of presidential candidates work together to create a sumptuous feast.

Restaurant review: S. Irene Virbila dines at a retooled Max in Sherman Oaks.

Transitions: It's the best of times for SoCal's Farmer's Markets. Russ Parsons tells you what's looking good right now.

The times, they are a changin': And so do smart food retailers. Santa Monica's Goudas & Vines specialty shop expands into tapas.

Cookbook alert: Rick Rodger's Autumn Gathering.

Walla-Walla....wineries? Yep. The region now grows good red.

Bars with parking, banana and Nutella crepes and more: The Los Angeles Times Food Section in 60 seconds

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:35:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds

Here's what's doing in the Los Angeles Times Food Section for Wednesday, October 15:

A better bar -- Imagine a bar in L.A. that's hip, but not too hip, crowded, but not too crowded, good drinks at affordable prices...and best and most improbable of all -- ample parking. They exist in ever-increasing numbers.

Recipe: Creamy green chili and chicken stew.

Culinary SOS: Gotta know how to make this banana and Nutella crepe from Savannah's in Burbank. Here's how.

Wine of the week: 2007 Alondra Chardonnay "Middleridge Ranch Vineyard."

Tasty books: Parker's Wine Buyer Guide #7.

Restaurants pare back, kitchen essentials and making your signature spice: L.A. Times Food Section in 60 seconds

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:34:00 EST

Filed under: Restaurants, Recipes, Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds

Here's what's cooking in the Los Angeles Times Food Section today:

What's hot, what's not: Russ Parsons and Amy Scattergood weigh in on what a kitchen essential really is.

Celebrity chefs will cut some costs to keep their restaurants afloat in this economy. But cutting quality remains verboten.

Spice your own: Combine spices to create something special...and uniquely you.

Recipe: Columbo pork loin curry. Spicy delish!

Recipe: Grilled shrimp skewers with charmoula.

Restaurant Review: S. Irene Virbila writes an open letter to Charlie Palmer regarding his restaurant at the South Coast Plaza.

Culinary SOS: Wither Hans' ginger scones?

Datebook: Culinary doings this week in L.A.

As economy sinks, cookbook sales rise

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Books

Maybe you read about the fact that Campbell's Soup was the only stock on the S&P 500 that didn't fall that fateful day in late September, when the market tanked 700 points. This is like that. Only with recipes.

According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), publishers are betting big that cookbooks will continue to sell even as everyone tightens their wallets significantly. No surprise there. Eating out is one of the first luxuries people cut back on in tough times.

But publishers are hoping this turn of events will help them peddle product during the upcoming holiday shopping season, which is shaping up to look otherwise pretty unappetizing. They are releasing a clutch of new cookbooks from well-known names, including Paula Deen, Jacques Pepin and Jeff Henderson, figuring that as long as people are cooking more from home, they will buy a book of recipes from names they recognize from the Food Network.

Continue reading As economy sinks, cookbook sales rise

Beer babes, exotic mushrooms and big game sandwiches: LA Times Food Section in 60 seconds

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds, Celebrations, Artisan Foods

Here's what's being featured in today's Los Angeles Times Food Section:

Beer Babes: There were never a lot of women brewing their own, but that's all changed. A new generation of young women, hooked up online and in homes, are taking the home brew movement out of the old boy's club.

Mushroom king: Russ Parsons reports that a new partnership between an American company and Japan's largest mushroom grower to build a growing plant near San Diego will soon have California markets awash in exotics.

All that chive: Recipe for chive crepes stuffed with mushrooms and ham.

End of Ramadan deserts end in milky sweetness.

Manwiches: Three recipes for perfect football-game sandwiches.

S. Irene Virbila reviews Gjelina in Venice.

Datebook: The best food events this week in Southern California.

Bodacious! PETA wants breast-milk ice cream?

Julie Tilsner — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Dairy

The vigilant folks at PETA are really straining at the boundaries of good taste.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently sent a letter to Ben & Jerry Homemade, Inc. co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, asking them to consider using human breast milk instead of cow's milk in their products.

How did this idea pop up? A restaurant in Switzerland decided to make soups, sauces and other delicacies using 75% human breast milk. If it's a good idea for one Swiss restaurant, it's good enough for a mass-market, (albeit right-on) maker of ice creams. You have to give credit to PETA for seizing a PR opportunity when it finds it .

"If Ben and Jerry's replaced the cow's milk in its ice cream with breast milk," wrote the animal rights group in its letter, "your customers-and cows-would reap the benefits."

Ben & Jerry's, which made a name for itself in the '90s by running its business on progressive, pro-environment practices, is one of the few mainstream companies that might even "consider" a proposal like this.

Unfortunately, it's got product to push. And eye-popping though this idea may be, it's not exactly lip-smacking. Putting aside the health debate surrounding dairy products, I feel fairly secure in saying that the American public is not likely to find the idea of human breast milk ice cream as titillating as the Swiss might.

But I could be wrong.

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The Los Angeles Times in 60 seconds: Honeycakes and fusion

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds, Holidays

Today in the Los Angeles Times Food Section:

Chef Jose Andres, just back from filming the second season of his "Made in Spain" series, arrives in Los Angeles with a new eating venue...and a lot of other ideas. Preguntas, por favor: When does he have time to eat?
Cookbook watch: Get ready for Rosh? The Book of New Israeli Food shows you how.
Magical honeycakes for Rosh Hoshonna. Also, beet and pomegranate salad.
Fusion in L.A. - We don't think about it, we just do it.
S. Irene Virbila reviews the new Wine Cask in Santa Barbara. New chef de cuisine? John Pettit, late of Melisse.
Beer of the Month: North Coast Pranqster.

Get your kitchen graded by the L.A. health inspector

Julie Tilsner — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: Business, On the Blogs, Health & Medical, Food News

I don't know whether to be charmed or alarmed.

If you live in Los Angeles, you've no doubt seen the large ABC gradings hung outside of every eatery. A large "A" tells you that the county health inspector has deemed the restaurant up to snuff. B's and C's suggest a restaurant has been found lacking in health and cleanliness, although everyone knows that the best ethnic foods in town don't meet this level and are fantastic anyway. One blogger reckons this is because American health code standards are ridiculously, well, American in their fastidiousness.

Regardless. The signs are ubiquitous around town. But now you can get your own home kitchen rated by the health inspector, and if yours rates an "A" - the county will send you your own "A" refrigerator magnet.

Even though I know better than to think my kitchen would cut the mustard, I can't think of a cooler gift for your favorite foodie friend. Unfortunately, the health department doesn't send out "B" or "C" magnets. Somebody will just have to send me one...

Does your kitchen make the grade? Take the quiz and find out!

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The sure thing: Vegetable couscous is THE summer potluck star

Julie Tilsner — Sun, 25 May 2008 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Parties, Grains, Vegetables, Spirit of Summer, Vegetarian/Vegan

Summer's nearly here, and you know what that means: Potlucks.

Everyone needs at least one dish they can nail at a moment's notice. A dish everyone will love, from vegans to carnivores. Something that's cheap, easy, quick, yet delicious. Something that dresses to impress. Something that even bad home cooks can manage.

I got your sure thing right here. Vegetable couscous. It's a simple recipe, but one that's certain to please. I pulled it out of Jeanne Lemlin's mighty Quick Vegetarian Pleasures.

Continue reading The sure thing: Vegetable couscous is THE summer potluck star

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Winemaker Robert Mondavi dead at 94

Julie Tilsner — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:05:00 EST

Filed under: Wine, West Coast, Business, France

The vintner who put California on the wine map, Robert Mondavi, has died at the age of 94, says a spokesperson for the Robert Mondavi winery. Mr. Mondavi died Friday (May 16) at his home in Yountville, Calif.

Though he had little formal training in wine-making, Mondavi has been credited with creating fume blanc, and with popularizing that quintessential Californian white, chardonnay. He was the first one who saw that with proper techniques and a lot of great PR, domestic wines could one day hold their own against the French tradition.

According to the obit in the Los Angeles Times, when Barron Phillipe de Rothschild of Bordeaux first approached him about a Franco-American collaboration in 1970 -- the equivalent, in the words of wine industry consultant Vic Motto, of "Goliath coming to David to learn how to throw stones" -- the resulting Opus One cabernet sauvignon not only sold for a then-unheard of $50 a bottle (in 1979), but validated his vision for the industry.

"He has probably been the most important figure in the wine industry in the last half of this century," Paul Gillette, then-publisher of the Wine Investor newsletter, told the New York Times in 1990.

Ironically, Mondavi was born on June 18, 1913, in Virginia, Minn., just five and a half years before Prohibition.

The L.A. Times in 60 seconds: Cheesecake, tomatillos and online cooking school

Julie Tilsner — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:05:00 EST

Filed under: Recipes, Newspapers, In Sixty Seconds

Here's what you can find in Today's Los Angeles Times Food Section (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)

Former mayor Richard Riordan already runs two iconic L.A. restaurants -- downtown's Original Pantry and Malibu's famous Gladstone's for Fish. But never one to rest on his laurel's, he's added three more to his lineup: Riordan's Tavern, the Oak Room and the Village Pantry.

Love cheesecake? So does Amy Scattergood.

Who needs cooking school? Learn how to cook online.

Cooking with tomatillos.

The wine memoir is becoming drinkable. Three wine writers swirl their memories in book form; Alice Feiring, Neal I. Rosenthal and Sergio Esposito.

Reseda...or Istanbul? It's hard to tell the difference sometimes. A review of Sako's Mediterranean Cuisine.

Wine of the week: It's still possible to find a good bottle of white burgundy for under $30.

My foodie reading list

Julie Tilsner — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Books

I am a budding foodie and reluctant food blogger. I've only recently joined Slashfood, and unlike many of my colleagues, I don't have any particular knowledge about the foodie world. I don't watch the Food Network (that would require me getting cable, and nyaaaah). I don't know much about fine cuisine. I wouldn't know a truffle from a button mushroom (or maybe I would, if somebody would buy me a truffle). And indeed, although I love food, love being in the kitchen and (trying) to feed my friends and family, the learning curve is daunting.

But I want to learn! And since I'm at least another year away from actually taking a cooking class, I've done what most writers do: I've hit the books. I thought I'd share them with you, while I'm educating myself on all things culinary.

Food is the new black. Or at least it seems that way, given the mass media interest in food and its preparations. It's not hard to compile a sizable reading list. I've culled mine mostly from suggestions on the food blogs, and here they are, in no particular order. The list isn't complete by any means, but it's a start.

Continue reading My foodie reading list

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My new addiction: Trader Joe's Black bean and cheese burritos

Julie Tilsner — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Microwaving, New Products, Comfort Food

First, let me apologize to every foodie who reads this blog. I deeply regret making this admission: I do sometimes consume microwavable food.

The new obsession is making me do it.

Black bean and jack cheese burritos from Trader Joe's.

I buy three. Over the course of a week, I eat three. I hide them from my kids. They're perfect for lunch. I work from home, blogging, blogging, blogging, and often waiting until my blood sugar is so low I can barely make it down the stairs into the kitchen. With great effort, I reach into the fridge, pull out a burrito, rip open the wrapper and slap it in the microwave. Two minutes later, I'm shoveling cheesy, beany-goodness into my pate.

I normally turn my nose up at such processed food, but (and I speak here as a native Los Angeleno and lifelong burrito lover), these taste pretty darn good. The cheese melts, the beans taste fresh, the tortilla is firm yet moist....it's the next best thing to running out and buying a fresh burrito. And God knows I'm not taking the time to do that.

Give it a try. Keep a couple of these babies in your fridge for when you need a quick bite. You'll be grateful. And let me know what you think.

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Mother's Day gifts for the mom who can't cook... yet

Julie Tilsner — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:05:00 EST

Filed under: Mother's Day

Pity my poor kids. Forced to eat the slop I make for them. No doubt they'll grow up with horror stories to tell their friends. Like the time their mom made them Rice with chicken crap. Or any one of a dozen other examples. Home cooking may be an expression of love, but in my case, perhaps I'd better content myself with buying them more Nintendo chips.

Then I got to thinking: What could one get the mom who can't cook -- but is forever trying?

The basics: I'd start with a nice new copy of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. It's the Joy of Cooking for our generation, a large yellow tome featuring the basics of roast chicken and chocolate chip cookies. Foodies might sneer at its simple level, but everyone has to start somewhere, right? And if Mom is starting late, gently help her along in her cooking adventures with a book that will hold her hand down the road. The recipes are simple, and more likely to turn out than not.

Continue reading Mother's Day gifts for the mom who can't cook... yet

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I left my (stainless steel grater) in San Francisco

Julie Tilsner — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Food Gadgets, America

There are a lot of sights in the City by the Bay that deserve the epithet "Only in San Francisco." But even in a town where you have a good chance of being knocked down by a transvestite nun on roller skates, this one is a doozy.

It's a replica of San Francisco built entirely with stainless steal cookware.

Actually, noted Beijing artist Zhan Wang has made stainless steel replicas of other cities (working in stainless is what he does), but The City rendered in stainless steel cookware holds a special resonance, given the history of the Chinese worker in San Francisco over the past 150 years. Thousands of Chinese came over to seek their fortune in California's Gold Rush, but were largely left out of the ensuing riches and many entered the service industries instead.

The pots, serving platters, teakettles and flatware that make up this "sculpture" then, hold a duo political message.

Of course, the only message I'm really left with is this: I left my favorite pork buns in San Francisco.

On Gold Mountain: Sculptures from the Sierra, by Zhang Wang, Is on view at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco through May 25, 2008.

The elegant (hic!) tradition of bourbon balls

Julie Tilsner — Sat, 03 May 2008 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Snacks, Dessert, Recipes, Candy, Spirit of Christmas, America, Sugar, Liquor Cabinet

I come from a long-line of Irish alcoholics. And although I myself hold my liquor like a ten-year-old, I have a special place in my heart for alcohol-flavored sweet things. Indeed, I have had a torrid love affair with the bourbon ball ever since my mom first let me try one during the holidays when I was a kid.

See, at my house, bourbon (or rum) balls were holiday fare. But I'm told they're traditional at the Kentucky Derby as well. I've never been to Kentucky, and I know next to nothing about the event, which, I'm told, involves race horses and women in elaborate hats.

But in the spirit of this prestigious event, I offer you my family's decidedly un-traditional recipe for bourbon balls.

Continue reading The elegant (hic!) tradition of bourbon balls

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