I was recently invited to learn how to cook a few Italian dishes at the recently opened Al Bacio Ristorante on Sunset. I attended their opening late 2013 and chef Simionato kindly invited me back to cook with him in his kitchen. It’s the kind of restaurant where the chef works both the back and the front of the house, always making sure you are not only well fed, but comfortable. He is a master of the kitchen and during this intimate class, I got to work with him up close and learn some real tips from the pro.
Watch:
In chef Simionato’s cooking class, guests have the opportunity to learn authentic Italian cooking with the chef in the actual working kitchen of the restaurant. This intimate class takes the intimidation out of cooking, showing just how fun and easy it can be to make sophisticated Italian dishes. It’s one part demo, one part hands-on and it really helped me appreciate all the work that goes on behind the scenes. Chef Simionato has just a two-person kitchen and the space is pretty small, so you can just imagine how much skill and swiftness is needed to feed a full house.
We learned the secret to making soft and tender octopus and also made fresh tagliatelle pasta in a veal bolognese sauce. In addition, we learned how to make gelato and a traditional Italian apple tart cake that is so delicious and ridiculously simply to make.
Tagliatelle Pasta in a Veal Bolognese Sauce
Baked Apple Tart, Orange Cream, Milk Gelato
Learning, watching, doing… sipping Prosecco (of course!) and snacking on fresh Parmesan. After about 2 hours in the kitchen, our cooking class wrapped up with a sit down feast with all the food we learned how to make.
One of his restaurant partners had just returned from Italy and surprised us with super fresh burratta direct from the mother country. It was a silky and creamy treat!
If you are a true food fan and love to cook, this class is a fantastic experience. The next class is scheduled for March 16th and the menu changes regularly. Follow Al Bacio on Facebook to get the latest updates and class schedule. Or simply visit Al Bacio for a authentic Italian dinner or lunch.
Update:As of July 2015 Al Bacio has quietly shuttered its doors. I had some truly memorable meals there and the restaurant will be missed!! Don’t worry though, chef Christian tells me he is cooking up another top notch restaurant concept very soon. Until then, try this super easy, homemade pasta recipe to fill that pasta craving (see below).
Click through below to see the slideshow from our class and read on for his tagliatelle bolognese recipe!
Baked Apple Tart, Orange Cream, Milk Gelato
Finished Bolognese and Tagliatelle
Italian Imported Buratta and freshly made octopus salad.
Aged balsamic for our buratta. Yum!
Imported Buratta. Delicious!
@theminty and @chef_jay document our delicious meal
Chef teaches Tammy La how to make the Veal Bolognese Sauce
Chef Teaches Tammy La how to make the Veal Bolognese Sauce
Chef Teaches Tammy La how to make the Veal Bolognese Sauce
Let the dough rest for 30 mins to an hour
Use a mixer to get it going…
If you don’t have a pasta maker like this, you can use a rolling pin
Even the scraps get used! Nothing is wasted!
Testing the Thickness of the Pasta
Slicing up the pasta by hand
Before…
…After
In case you were wondering, the chefs don’t actually drink in the kitchen M’kay! Just us foodies.
Comparing regular flour to Whole Grain Semolina Flour
Making the Baked Apple Tart
Chef Christian Making the Baked Apple Tart
In the Kitchen with Chef Christian Simionato
Low and slow, just under boiling
Hello Mr. Octopus!
Fresh Tagliatelle Pasta
Courtesy of Chef Christian Simionato
Ingredients
750 gr whole wheat semolina flour
750 gr “00” flour
325 gr fresh egg yolk
325 gr water
5 gr extra vergine olive oil
Splash of vinegar
Preparation:
On a clean bowl put flour and form a well in the center. Add egg yolks and water to the well. Using a fork, gently break up yolks and slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until liquid is absorbed, then knead for 10 minutes. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes.
Divide dough into 3 pieces. Cover 2 pieces with plastic wrap. Flatten remaining dough piece so that it will fit through the rollers of a pasta machine.
Set rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting, then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine.
Roll pasta through machine, decreasing the setting, one notch at a time (do not fold or turn pasta), until pasta sheet is scant 1/16 inch thick.
Cut sheet in half widthwise; dust both sides of sheets with flour. Layer sheets between floured pieces of parchment or wax paper. Cover with paper and repeat with remaining dough.
With the short end of 1 pasta sheet facing you, loosely fold up sheet, folding sheet over two or three times from short ends toward the center. With a large chefs knife, cut folded sheet into ribbons, a scant 1/4 inch wide. Unroll strips and lightly dust with flour; spread on a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pasta sheets.
Veal Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
cup extra-virgin olive oil
100gr pancetta or slab bacon, ground by butcher or thinly sliced and pulsed in food processor until finely chopped
1000gr ground veal
250gr tomato sauce
200gr whole milk
200gr dry white wine
Vegetable stock
fresh thyme, bay leaves
salt
pepper
Preparation:
Cook onions, celery, carrot, and garlic in oil in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add pancetta, veal and cook over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes.
Add white wine and let it evaporate.
Salt and pepper the meat, add the rest of the ingredients, thyme and bay leaves and gently simmer, covered, until sauce is thickened, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
I recently got the chance to check out, Monell’s Southern style, all-you-can-eat brunch in the heart of Germantown in Nashville.
After being told by more than one Tennessee resident about this neighborhood gem, I had to stop by and taste for myself. It’s a southern brunch buffet where guests sit at communal tables amongst strangers and feast until they can feast no more. One set price gets you an all-you-can-eat buffet of traditional Southern favorites like biscuits and gravy, collard greens, creamed corn, sausage, bacon, pancakes, peaches, sweet tea, and on and on. They serve up breakfast/brunch AND dinner during the week, but we were told that local’s love to bring the family after church and “Praise The Laud!” by carrying on their Sunday with some mighty fine Southern food.
It’s a family operated, small chain that is loved by locals and tourists alike. Take a peak:
Just a few of the items I ate during my brunch…
Inside Monell’s – its a big house converted into a restaurant!
The food in London is so much more than just fish and chips!
For the past few years it has become a destination food scene and certainly one of my favorite food cities to visit. Dalston Yard is ground zero for some of the most amazing street food that London has to offer. Street Feast or “London’s Nomadic Street Food Circus” (as they like to call themselves), is a yearly street festival that comes around every May and lasts for about 10 weeks during the hot summer months. Locals, food lovers and visiting out-of-town foodies (like me!) pay the 3 dollar entrance fee and proceed to eat until our heart’s content. Here, I found everything from tacos to BBQ to pizzas, ice cream, spicy fried chicken, lobster rolls and delicious burgers with unique ingredients.
The Bleeker St. Burger. w/ black pudding down the center of a double cheese patty – Ah-Mazing!!
The fest lasts till the wee hours of the night, but not to worry, as the sun sets and the chilly air cools your bones, there’s plenty of beer and fancy whiskey drinks to warm you up.
The festival serves at an opportunity for these small businesses and local vendors to get their product out to the masses, and of course get their names out there. It has opened up opportunities for many of these vendors to open up actual brick and mortar locations around the city and beyond.
Check out what I ate while visiting Street Feast:
Special thanks to FoodieHub for inviting me to check out the fest!
I love the great outdoors. My city dwelling friends, ehh, not so much. Sooo, we decided to compromise and find an outdoor adventure that we could all agree on.
We grabbed our camping gear and headed to a friend’s downtown Los Angeles rooftop. There were no mosquitos, no bears yet we were able to escape the busy urban streets and explore the “wilderness” of LA (with a fully functioning bathroom!).
One friend manned the grill, while the others helped build our “campsite.” We flew a kite, we ran around with sparklers and watched a scary movie under the stars. We basically had an outdoor grill-out / sleepover party and we felt like little kids again. It was probably one of the most fun DTLA experience I have had.
Check out our fun and see if it doesn’t inspire you to have a Glamping adventure of your very own!
Thanks to REI evrgrn for providing the awesome camping gear!
I’ve been doing quite a bit of traveling all around the world these past few weeks and luckily my travel time frame has coincided with one of the largest global food events; Diner’s Club International’s® The World’s 50 Best Restaurants at Guildhall in London, England.
What are the chances that while on a food tour of the City of London, I would also get the chance to attend one of the most prestigious culinary world events too! Definitely a worthy check off my culinary bucket list.
The top chefs from all over the world gathered in London to support one another, and essentially find out who was to receive the highest honor — the award for Best Restaurant (the equivalent to the Oscars of the food world!).
Almost 1000 members make up the Academy of voters, each selected for their expert opinions of the international restaurant scene. 27 geographical regions each have their own chairperson chosen for their global culinary knowledge. These chairs each select a voting panel of 36 (including themselves) – ensuring a balanced selection of chefs, restaurateurs, food/restaurant journalists and gourmets. Then, the winners are decided!
That night, is TONIGHT!
My evening….
6:30 pm, chefs arrive to the famous and beautiful Guildhall and chat with media.
Quite a spectacle!
7:00 pm, cocktail reception with sponsors precede the awards. More schmoozing with the chefs and tasting good food and wine.
Very tasty appetizers from the the event sponsors are passed as we brink a bit of Champagne and mingle.
8:25 pm, awards begin. Our entertaining and cheeky MC promises that the winner of the #1 slot would be announced at 9:25. That’s a long list to get through in the hour. 50 all the way down to 1… here we go…
Various awards are given out, the countdown begins…. In addition to the top 50, there were other awards given as well including:
World’s Best Female Chef – Hélene Darroze (Connaught, London and Hélene Darroze, Paris) She gave a lovely speech about how women are going to start to take over the culinary scene. Yeah! She says her kitchen is mostly women and by next year, it will most likely be only women! Or so, she will try to make it so. Everyone applauded.
Best Pastry Chef – Albert Adriá (Tickets, Barcelona, Spain) The entire room stood on their feet and gave a standing ovation when he went up to accept his award. It was very nice to see how the chefs all support one another. You could really feel the camaraderie in the room.
Best Sustainable Restaurant – Relae (Copenhagen, Denmark) Makes me want to go to Denmark! This award is given to the restaurant on the list with the highest environmental and social responsibility ranking. Over 90% of Relae’s ingredients are 90% fully organic and their simple aesthetic is matched by their environmentally low-impact approach to dining.
Best Restaurant in Asia and #8 Best restaurant in the world – Narisawa in Tokyo, Japan. Wish I had the chance to try it while I was there last week. Dang. Even more the reason to go back to Japan now!
Lifetime Achievement award – Daniel Boulud (Daniel, New York, USA) This much loved French chef gave a lovely speech about receiving this honor perhaps too early… he has “so much more to give and do,” he says. The room of chefs all lauded him and rose to their feet when he came up to receive his award.
Right at 9:25, just as promised… the #1 Best Restaurant In the World Is Announced.
And the Winner is….
Previous winner, now back on top: El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain) – A 55-seat Catalan restaurant with a creative take on modern Spanish food, operated by a charming trio of brothers. Some women around me were so happy for them, some were shaking, others actually cried tears of joy.
The next awards in 2016 will be leaving London (for the first time). They are headed to New York City!
PokeMix in Pasadena shares a space with the popular tea and pastry shop, Flour + Tea and lets you make-your-own Poke bowl for lunch or dinner. It’s a casual space, perfect for locals in the area to grab a quick bite or healthy lunch.
@chef_jay serving it up!
When I visited the big island of Hawaii a few years ago, I had the pleasure of trying Poke for the first time. I was starved, in-between work events, and based off a local’s recommendation, I pulled over to a roadside shack. I fell in poke-love. I hadn’t quite found a place in LA that serves up the classic Hawaiian dish properly… that is until now…
Ahi and Spicy Tuna with Salad and Rice Bowl
Chef Jay Terauchi of Jayeats.com wanted to present customers with the kind of Poke he grew up with in Hawaii. The fish is lightly seasoned with a drizzle of sesame oil and a few Asian inspired secret ingredients. You can order it with rice, salad or both and can choose from ahi, spicy tuna, crab, salmon or shrimp. Ingredients will change regularly.
Japan and other Asian countries have had a large influence on Hawaiian food, and Poke is no exception. Poke is like a Hawaiian version of carpaccio or tartare – A sushi grade selection of raw fish that is cubed, marinated and seasoned with various spices.
It is usually made with ‘ahi (yellowfin tuna) or another raw fish like salmon, shrimp, octopus or other sashimi. Sprinkle in some Hawaiian sea salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili pepper, furikake, tobiko (flying fish roe), garlic or any other type of spice or seaweed and you got yourself a delicious meal!
Add some seaweed, cucumber, garlic crisps — and do yourself a favor and try the wasabi mayo and spicy chili sauce. Not too spicy, but adds a nice kick.
The current form of poke became popular around the 70s and it is served up everywhere in Hawaii — food trucks, roadside stands, fish markets, restaurants etc. You’d be surprised to find poke available at most grocery stores just as regular fish selections are presented here on the Mainland.
Sip on some hot tea or boba and after your meal, grab a sweet bread or mochi for desert too!
Milk tea is a common Taiwanese drink (aka Milk Pearl) and is a good way to test out if the tea shop is legit. If the boba milk tea in a place is good, then you know they know what’s up!
Thanks chef Jay for inviting me to try your new restaurant!
8486 W. 3RD ST · LOS ANGELES, CA 90048 · Neighborhood: Beverly Grove (right near the Beverly Center)
*Note: As of 2017, this location has closed*
So what do you do when you’re a successful Wall Street banker and you decide one day that you want to do something more meaningful with your life? You open up a California inspired, sausage themed gastropub…that’s what you do! Such was the case for Linkco-founders Henry Costa and Thomas Benedict who wanted to bring some sausage sunshine to 3rd Street.
Hungry? Let’s eat…
Instead of a dimly lit, crowded bar with cramped seating (like most sausage gastropubs these days), this restaurant is bright and airy. Communal tables, benches and bar stools make up the interior. There’s a bar, a patio –bonus points for having purse hooks, yeah!
So what makes Link different? After 10 years of working for the “Man” (shakes fist in faux anger), Costa explained to me that he didn’t want banking to be his legacy. Instead, he and his friend Thomas decided to head to the West Coast to try something new. Costa had always had an interest in the culinary arts and having apprenticed many years back in a former Michelin starred kitchen, it seemed like a great new direction. With his devotion to the food and Thomas’ natural front-of-the-house ability, the partnership was an easy one.
(from left to right) Co-founders Thomas Benedict and Henry Costa
While they seem to attract a mostly lunch-minded crowd (discounts offered for Beverly Center employees), Link is also a good casual dinner spot. Costa told me they want to be known for doing sausages differently. It’s not just about the bun – but how may different ways can you present the sausage? They serve it up in a taco, on a roll, in a chowder, melt, salad or a even flat bread “pizza”…
Here are some delicious menu items you won’t be able to resist:
#1 The Sausage Flat Bread
A crispy, light appetizer featuring a crumbled turkey link, mozzarella, picked banh mi vegetables cilantro, hoisin BBQ and sliced jalepeños for a nice kick.
#2 The Sausage Party
The sausages are clearly the star of the show.
Hormone free, nitrate free, antibiotic free and house made. Since I’ve been (impossibly!) trying to cut back on the carbs as of late, I was definitely interested in trying their Sausage Party (insert favorite dirty joke here).
Simply put, it is an array of sausages (you choose), dipping sausages, crostini and pickled red onions and peppers presented beautifully on a cutting board. I bounced back and forth from sausage to sauce trying to remember which I liked best (I think the chicken, no the pork..!?)… in the end, my dining partner and I pretty much cleared the entire board. I loved the addition of the pickled onions and peppers. So good.
Chicken, turkey, hot italian and spicy pork… Now, that’s a party!
#3 The Quinoa Salad
I was most surprised to find that they had a decent amount of vegetarian options. In addition to a vegan link (made with braised red cabbage, caramelized onion & curry aioli), you’ll also find, (the now menu obligatory) brussels sprouts, some broccolini and two hearty salads.
The Quinoa Salad (tuscan kale and mushrooms) was a nice compliment to the meatier dishes. Even though I knew in my head it was a “salad”, I found myself wanting it to be a warm dish. Still good, nevertheless.
#4 OMG Fries
You can’t serve sausages with out a good fry to compliment. These are worthy. Also, the sauces are a force to be reckoned with. I chose the beer mustard and the curry aioli. Cant. Stop. Eating…
Crave worthy
#5 The “Special”
Every few weeks or so, Costa’s kitchen cooks up a special revolving item. The day I stopped in, I tried the New England style creamy bacon and sausage chowder. It was a chunky and hearty melody of both vegetables and meat — I hope it comes around on the menu again soon it was tasty.
#6 The Old Fashioned
You can pick from a variety of California sourced beers, wines or spirits to go along with your grub. Drafts include; Golden Road, Saint Archer, Ballast Point, Lagunitas, Firestone, just to name a few. I tried their version of an Old Fashioned. It’s slightly sweeter than the traditional (they make their own syrup in house). It goes down so smooth, I forgot it had booze in it. Gulp. Oops. Who’s driving?
#7 The Bread Pudding
For dessert, there are options: an array of Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches and other house made desserts including a super indulgent caramel, toffee and whipped cream bread pudding good enough to share.
BYB Tips:
$5 Happy Hour: Everyday from 5PM – 7PM and Every night from 10PM-12AM
Don’t count these guys out for brunch! They offer a weekend brunch from 12PM-4PM (scrambles, breakfast burritos and sandwiches, biscuits and gravy etc.)
Park across the street inside the Beverly Connection ($1 per hour for the first 4 hours), they will validate for you… As it says on their website, “Please keep your parking ticket and show it to your server… they will take your parking charge directly off of your bill.”
Years ago when I was in college, I used to sip coffee late at night to help me fall asleep. While my dorm mates sipped on hot cocoa or tea, I for some reason always liked to drink regular caffeinated coffee. I don’t know if it was the actual coffee that made me drowsy, or the fact that I was probably exhausted from all my classes, but I have always wondered what was up with that. Seemed like an interesting idea… maybe one day someone was going to make a coffee for bedtime.
Well, someone must have been creepily watching me sleep because… TADA…!
Yep. Sleepy time coffee is now a thing. Is it any good? I have no idea. I haven’t tried it… yet. It’s worth a go… at least to see if it’s worth replacing my regular nighttime cuppa jolt. The stuff is not available at your local Starbucks… but you can probably find it at places like Bed Bath and Beyond (yeah, it’s that kind of product) or Amazon. It retails for $12 bucks.
The Vancouver based company was featured on Dragon’s Den (a Canadian version of Shark Tank) last year, and they claim that women tend to drink coffee to help them relax. Huh? So, I guess that explains my urge to grab a cup at nights.
To knock you out, the coffee has Swiss Water® and a blend of decaffeinated coffee and organic valerian root (natural herbal sedative). Cute names like “40 Winks” and “Lights Out” offer varying intensities. I don’t think it’s quite meant for people with sleeping disorders… just weirdos like me who like to drink coffee at night.
via amazon
“The perfect way to start your day is now the perfect way to end it” – Counting Sheep Coffee
What happens when you invite 3 up and coming Hawaii star chefs and invite them to cook for a bunch of foodies and food bloggers in Los Angeles?? DELICIOUS things happen. That’s what.
I was invited by the Hawaii Visitor’s Bureau to a special chef collaboration with executive sous chef Oscar Torres from Acabar. Three Hawaiian chefs shared a kitchen at the Sunset Blvd. restaurant as they brought some much welcomed Aloha along with traditional Hawaiian ingredients and flavors. They were, chef Riko Bartolome from the Montage Hotels on Kapalua Bay, Mike Lofaro from the stunning Grand Wailea and Kyle Kawakami from the relatively new food truck, Maui Fresh Streatery. Each with varying backgrounds and passions, the chefs brought out the best Maui had to offer.
For me, the 8-course meal was a pleasant tease, and a reminder of all the fantastic meals I’ve had on past trips to the Island.
Here is a recap of some of the good food we indulged in.
Beautiful and sweet smelling lei’s. A nice touch — I’m whisked out of LA and off to Hawaii for a few hours…
Everything about the decor at Acabar is lovely. From the giant gold front doors, the decorative walls, and artwork, the intricate Mediterranean decor, colorful tiles and pretty center skylight.
The sky from inside Acabar
An Ahi appetizer to start things off. A nice touch. Poke, is a traditional appetizer similar to carpaccio or tartare and is a MUST when on the island.
From chef Michael Lofaro. This was a lovely introduction to what was to come.
If we didn’t photograph it, we didn’t eat it, right? The bloggers took their plates under the skylight to catch some natural lighting.
Chef Kyle Kawakami of the food truck, Maui Fresh Streatery presented a dumpling with an octopus which he speared himself! It was crunchy and soft with sprinkles of seaweed on top. A perfect bite. I appreciate that the Maui chefs really understand where their food comes from, often sourcing from local farms on Maui or catching their own fish.
Takoyaki Dumplings (octopus)
Charlene Kahuane @kauhaneinc snaps a pic of the octopus!
The fried Chèvre from Surfing Goat Dairy Farmreally took me back to the time I spent in Up Country Maui. The small dairy goat farm provides cheeses and chocolates for many of the local restaurants and resorts. I once tried to bring some cheeses back home with me to LA and they melted in my bag. #Fail. Thus, it was a real treat getting to eat it off island.
Also, the last time I enjoyed liliko’i (passion fruit) was in the line at TSA on my way back to LA (can’t take the fruit with you!). Alas, another lovely taste of paradise.
Bloggers at work: Natalie James @njinla and Jay Terauchi @Chef_Jay
A rich, buttery surprise from chef Oscar Torres of Acabar. So. Good!
First Course: Foie Gras Terrine, Quince + Rhubarb Chutney, Quince Gelee, Petite Mustard Frill, Chinese Long Pepper
This was my first time having Foie Gras in California since the ban that prevented the production in California was lifted.
I sit somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. I’m not a fan of the process… but I must say, this was a particularly satisfying dish. My blogger pal ended up with two plates and she ate them both. It was decadent.
(Side view) First Course: Foie Gras Terrine, Quince + Rhubarb Chutney, Quince Gelee, Petite Mustard Frill, Chinese Long Pepper
Chef Kyle Kawakami’s course of tender beef hearts was especially nice. Combining the local Maui Hana Pohole Fern into the salad and creating a vibrant red, wafer-thin Sriracha topping. It reminded me of Ernesto Urchimura’s fruit roll up-like ketchup leather from Plan Check but with an added zing! a spicy kick, that paired nicely with the heart.
It’s only a matter of time before someone comes up with Sriracha chips. Oh wait, that’s already a thing.
Vietnamese Seared Maui Cattle Beef Heart, Green Papaya and Hána Pohole Fern Pok Pok Salad, Sriracha Crisps
Chef pours a tomato coconut emulsion as we bloggers capture the moment.
Third course… I’m getting full by now but I can’t help but finish this beautiful and decadent, flaky fish from chef Michael Lofaro.
Kona Kampachi fragrant rice cakes, anise, tomato coconut emulsion, hearts of palm
Chef Riko Bartolome presented this explosion of flavor bombs as his final dish — herbed tender grass fed beef — fit for a king. Oh, man. So much goodness going on.
At this point in the afternoon, I’ve made the decision that I have to return to Maui for an Eat-cation…. like soon.
In honor of Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Pancake Day (yes, these are all the same thing), I came across a website for this incredible human being who makes amazing FACES out of pancakes. I only wish I were this creative… or had this much patience!
He appears to do them fairly quickly. I’m not sure how many he has done over the years, but his website is full of so many renditions of famous people and movie references, he has most certainly gotten in his 10,000 hours of pancake art making or whatever you call it.
I do hope that this guy’s children know how lucky they are to get to eat Angry Birds or Einstein or Michael Jackson’s face for breakfast!? The extent of my childhood pancake breakfasts were “the big ones or little ones?” Hey, well at least I got the some blueberries from time to time.