Amy T. Shuster
It’s almost April, and you know that that means… Spring flowers are in bloom, yearly taxes are due and oh, yeah, THIS…
It’s Coachella time! Pick me! Pick me!
The season of Coachella is upon us. This year brings us Outkast, Arcade Fire, Muse, Lorde and Pharell Williams just to name a few hot tamales leading the pack of performers. For those of you who have never been, or haven’t been in a few years, there are a few things you should keep in mind when you go to this 3-day outdoor festival – everything from what to bring – what not to bring to where you can stay.
I went last year and got to experience the lights, the food, and (of course) music in all her shining glory. Allow me to share with you some tips and pointers from my experiences…
The ferris wheel might look like this to you after 3 days in the hot sun.
It had been a really long time since I first went to the fest. Eight years to be exact. Since then, the festival has changed enormously. In addition to the extra weekend, your ticket is 3x more expensive and enables (encourages) you to attend all three wild and crazy days out in the desert heat. That being said, it’s not for everyone… like not for your mom, or people who are anti-music or haters of anything fun. Anyone else… you might actually really enjoy yourselves. Just keep these tips in mind…
1) There is a lot of walking. A LOT. You can hire a pedicab to take you from the parking lot to the grounds if you really can’t walk it, but they don’t take you through the festival grounds just TO it. If you are VIP or a guest of the artist you can get a golf cart apparently. I also saw people getting around by wheelchair, so anything’s possible.
2) It gets hot. Like REALLY HOT. Bathing suits and sun hats (or sombreros) encouraged.
3) It’s really expensive. With the ticket price, ($350) cost of food, lodging, gas (or airfare depending on which side of the world you live on) it adds up. Coming from Los Angeles proper, carpooling with friends and staying in a budget-hotel for 2 nights, my beau and I spent over $1400 for the lot, just to give you an idea (and this was actually a good deal considering the “really” nice hotels jack up their prices and have 4 night minimums for the weekend). If you have friends you can share the cost with, and can get three days off work in a row, it’s an experience that is completely worth doing at least once (or thrice) in your lifetime.
THIS GUY. Nice tactic. Nobody frisks a bear.
4) If you are staying in a hotel, (smart move!) it’s nice to lay your head down in an air conditioned space after a long day in the sun. You will most likely park your car at the venue and spend the whole day walking around. While you CAN go back to your car (there ARE Ins/Outs) you most likely wont. It was approx. 2 miles walking from GA parking to the main stage, FYI. If you have VIP parking or plan on camping in a tent or car camping the distance may be shorter. (A note on car/ tent camping — I have not personally experienced this firsthand, but judging from what we saw, unless you are with a group that is REALLY low maintenance, I might not recommend this, it gets really hot, really cold and really dusty at times. Weekend 1 in 2013 experienced a nasty dust/wind storm on the third day, and it was NOT fun).
5) Water tips. They have smart ways of getting you to recycle your water bottles. Bring empty bottles to exchange for fresh water or things like T-shirts. They also offer free drinking water at refilling stations, but we could never find them. *Hint* They were by the bathrooms!
6) You can’t bring in food or anything, but you really don’t need to since they have upped their food game enormously. This year, they have got every kind of food you could want. Vegan? Check. Carnivore? Check. There’s the plant-based Crossroads, trendy sushi spot Sugarfish, various coffees (Stumptown and the like) and popular dessert pop-ups from Artisinal LA like Creme Carmel and Bon Puf. Not to mention, a bunch of other specialty shops, gourmet chefs and food trucks vendors. I kinda wish I was going this year just for all the amazing food. For the full food list, click here.
Read on for more tips on what you absolutely MUST bring to Coachella.
Or click here to read more on the food and fashion at the festival.
3515 Wilshire Blvd · Los Angeles, CA 90010 · Neighborhood: Koreatown, Wilshire Center
Pot Lobby Bar, located inside the Line Hotel, opened up in early February and is a collaboration between (Kogi Truck) famed chef, Roy Choi and LA’s favorite farmer’s market foraging cocktail chef, Matthew Biancaniello. The drinks are indeed a walk on the wild side (as you might imagine from “Matty B”). In short, they are incredibly adventurous and interesting pairings — Think: Soju cocktails infused with fermented tofu, uni, kimchi or curry. The curry one is sassy – quite fantastic, slightly spiced almost savory.
Soju Curry Cocktail
The white russian is also really fresh and silky on the tongue as you might imagine a white russian to be. This one, however is jazzed up with candy-cap-mushroom-infused vodka, Kahlua, cream, Kahlua foam and grated espresso beans. As a fan of white russians, I can honesty say it’s one of the best I’ve had. Chocolate milk for grown-ups.
White Russian
Remember how much fun it is to drink a Long Island Iced Tea? Now, imagine drinking it with boba… It’s almost scandalous. Like getting to have your cake and eat it too. VERY refreshing and intoxicatingly fun to drink.
Long Island Iced Tea (with boba! – say whaaa!?)
Grab a seat at the bar or in the lobby lounge…
At the bar at Pot
Inside the bar lounge at Pot Bar
Designing the Korean-inspired cocktail menu was a challenge for Biancaniello, but that’s just how he likes it. He’s on point when it comes to bizarre flavor mash-ups. Previously pairing ice creams and booze at Ramekin and then again with oysters with Jason Park at Maru. The cocktails here are quite unlike anything you’ve had before, and are the perfect BFF for the bold, rich flavors coming out of Choi’s connected restaurant, Pot, located right behind the bar.
Oh, and don’t worry if you get too drunk. Just get a room at the hotel and pass out. Go on, I wont tell.
Click here to read about Roy Choi’s newly opened, Pot Restaurant.
The Line Hotel in Koreatown
Outside the Line Hotel
The drinks here are sacred
Bang Bang!
Re-purposed with a purpose
Pot Cafe – a mixture of Taiwanese bakeries, Seoul food markets and Salvadorian panaderias (same level as the bar)
828 W Valley Blvd · Alhambra, CA 91803
A lot of people say that there is no good Chinese food in Los Angeles. Technically this is true. All the truly amazing Chinese restaurants are in the 626… not LA. Namely towns such as Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia and San Gabriel etc. This is where all the good gems are hiding…
Chengdu Taste
The Chinese Cuisine Festival (Think DineLA for Chinese food) rightly celebrates 13 such restaurants for about from March 7th to March 16th and encourages us lazy busy Angelenos to take the long drive (it’s not so bad!) to the 626 to try secret and special dishes.
One pretty legit place is Chengdu Taste in Alhambra. Yelp reviewers complain about the long wait times (45 min-2 hours during peak hours). But locals know it’s worth the wait, and the vibe is just different out here. It’s classic Szechuan, so just assume everything on the menu has the word “spicy” preceding it’s name. If you are the type of person who likes to leave a restaurant with a fire on your face (and in your pants), you will love it here.
Special Chinese Cuisine Fest Menu
Chili poached fish aka water cooked or boiled fish
Luckily, I came with my SGV food-smarty-pal, Michael Lin of the S.O.F.A.T Blog who knew just how to roll. He ordered us a good variety off the menu and some items they were known for like their spicy mapo tofu and red chili wontons with pork.
Mapo Tofu
Red chili wontons with pork
When you’re here, you can get weird and order dishes like ox tripe or pig kidney for the full experience. Or if you want to play it safe, I suggest a familiar dish – I loved the Kung Pao Chicken. It was spicy and as it was the least face-on-fire dish. You could really taste the flavors. The peanuts added a nice crunch to each bite.
Kung Pao Chicken
Also, the double cooked pork fried rice was simple, yet really great too. I could just eat this as a stand alone. Not too oily, fried just right and the pork was very tasty.
Tip: Rice is a MUST 1) because it tastes really good 2) to balance the spicy dishes and fire dance happening in your mouth
Double cooked pork fried rice
Some tips that I learned from my friend: Always have some rice on one side of your bowl so that you can have it readily to mix and cut the spice as you eat. And NEVER leave your chopsticks sticking up in your bowl. This symbolizes death. And is also impolite.
It’s also good practice to pour tea for your meal mates but don’t pour your own. My friend Celeste of the EmpressLA Blog said, “If you pour your own tea, nobody loves you!”
The most spicy dish was a traditional one, dan dan noodles (“tan tan” on the menu).
Once mixed, it was friendly fire in a bowl. It was a tasty-hot mixture of sesame, garlic green onions, peppercorns and peanut sauce. My only qualm was that it didn’t keep for long on our table. Though it had a nice spice that radiated up to the top of your head, the noodles got sticky and soggy quickly. Eat it fast.
A few popular dishes are the spicy eggplant and toothpick lamb in cumin – which we didn’t order this time around. However, we did get the chili poached fish aka water cooked fish which was insanely tender and very good. Tip: Don’t drink the broth, just eat the fish and veggies over rice.
The fish is spicy and as tender as the tofu!
Behold our Szechuan Feast!
The clientele is a good mixture of young and old. The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated, clean with fresh bright colors and has comfortably spaced seating. Just be prepared to wait for your table when it’s lunch or dinner time. The reservation system leaves much to be desired, but I suppose that’s part of the allure.
Inside Chengdu Taste
Backyard Bite getting her Szechuan on!
@backyardbite, @_empressla, @sofatblog
A few weeks ago, I introduced you to Lemonade, one of my favorite go-to spot for quick and healthy meals. They recently released a new cookbook featuring a lot of their fan favorite dishes so you can make them in the comfort of your home. Since I’ve been cooking a bunch more at my house, they were kind enough to lend me the recipe to one of their most popular dishes – Curry Cauliflower. It’s a great compliment to any main dish, and healthy too. I just love it!
Try it for yourself and let me know what you think! Recipe and photos courtesy of the authors.
Cauliflower, Golden Raisin, Almond, Curry Vinaigrette
Makes 4 cups
Cauliflower can be a little bland on its own, but blasting the florets in a hot oven concentrates its natural sweetness and makes the lily-white vegetable transform to a crisp caramel-brown. Tossing the roasted cauliflower with curry vinaigrette brightens the charred flavor. This is a universal side that goes especially well with Harissa Chicken, lamb chops, or for a main meal variation, incorporate shredded rotisserie chicken from the deli.
1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
¼ cup olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole almonds, toasted (see Note, page 000)
¼ cup golden raisins
½ cup Curry Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F.
Put the cauliflower on a large baking pan, drizzle with the oil, toss to coat and spread out in a single layer. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until tender and slightly charred, shaking the pan from time to time. Put the roasted cauliflower in a mixing bowl; add the almonds and raisins. Toss with the curry vinaigrette to evenly coat. May be served warm, cold, or at room temperature.
Curry Vinaigrette
Makes 1 cup
This dynamite vinaigrette starts with making a flavorful curry oil—make the most of it for sautéing scallops or frying potatoes. The vinaigrette will make more than you need for the roasted cauliflower. Drizzle on a flaky piece of grilled halibut or use as a dip for toasted pita bread.
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
1 Granny smith apple, halved lengthwise, cored*, and coarsely chopped (see note)
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 tablespoon curry powder, preferably Madras
Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon orange juice
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
To prepare the curry oil, put a small pot over medium-low heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the apple and onion. Cook and stir until soft and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric and curry, and cook until the spices begin to darken slightly, about 1 minute, taking care not to allow the spices to burn. Pour in the remaining 1 cup of oil and stir everything together. Increase the heat to medium and bring the oil to a boil. Boil for 1 minute then remove the oil from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain the oil into a container to discard the pieces of apple and onion.
To prepare the vinaigrette, in a mixing bowl combine the mustard, honey, vinegar, lemon, and orange juices. Gently blend with a whisk; season with salt and pepper. Pour in the oil all at once and lightly whisk until the ingredients just come together; this is not emulsified vinaigrette. Pour the vinaigrette into a plastic container or jar and shake it up just before you are ready to dress the salad. Keep any leftover vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
*Ingredient Note: Coring an apple
I love the tart crispness of Granny smith apples and they appear many times throughout the recipe. Coring an apple is a kitchen basic worth sharing.
Cut the apple in half lengthwise, from top to bottom. Simply remove the core with the help of a melon baller or teaspoon, giving it a quick twist around the seeds to scoop them out. Cut off the stem and bud end of the apple with a knife. Then slice the apple as directed in the recipe.
I really don’t understand why there aren’t more Musubi shops/ trucks in Los Angeles. With the exception of Sunny Blue in Santa Monica, The Onigiri Truck, and my Japanese friend who happens to be a cook, I don’t have an outlet really to feed my rice-ball-filled-with-meat cravings. Well, at least, for this week, my addiction can be cured at Aburyiya Toranoko where the pop-up Mama Musubi, is hunkering down in Little Tokyo until March 15th.
Brother and sister team, owners Phillip and Carol Kwan are doing us all a solid by bringing their yummy Origiri out from the Wednesday night Altadena Farmer’s Market where they normally set up shop and for one week only, are serving up the goods — for One Week Only! Such a tease!
Open for lunch, dinner and happy hour, you can expect 7 varieties; including “24-hour pork belly” (berkshire pork belly, daikon, karashi mustard, umami sauce), “miso chicken” (jidori chicken thighs, house miso sauce), “mama’s special” (shrimp, crab, jicama, yuzu aoli), “spicy konbu” (seasoned kelp, taberu chili rayu), “miso negi yaki (hacchio miso, grilled scallions), and a “truffule” (cooked tuna, cucumber, onion, wasabi aioli, and truffle oil) made by chef Fujita of Aburyiyi Toranoko.
I ordered one of each for good measure. Here’s some pics from our night. And you can also watch my Q&A with the owners by clicking here.
Tip: Since they are, of course made with rice, you’ll be able to sample more if you share with a partner!
At the bar of Aburyiya Toranoko
Musubi!!!!!
Musubi Madness!!!
Blogger pals @kristiehang @chef_jay
Inside meaty goodness
We be workin’
Delicious sweet potato ice cream courtesy of Toranoko. Thanks Q!
Yummy green tea pudding courtesy of Toranoko!
Today’s Side Dish: Easy Tagliatelle Pasta with Ragu. Recipe courtesy of Andrea Volpini of Enjoy Different Taste!
Watch the Side Dish Q&A below or on Backyard Bite’s YouTube Channel to learn what it’s like for Andrea being a food blogger in Italy. Then read on for the adapted recipe courtesy of Andrea. You can check out Enjoy Different Taste’s YouTube channel to watch how he makes it.
Andrea Volpini is a super cool, self-taught home cook from Castelfidardo, a small town in Italy. I was invited to chat with him about his YouTube channel and the secret behind his recipes – his grandmother’s family cookbook!
I also got to do some cooking with him at the Tastemade Studios. We made together, Tagliatelle pasta from scratch as well as a super easy Ragu sauce you can make in a jiffy. (You’ll never want to go back to using spaghetti sauce in a jar again!) In addition, we also made some crispy-juicy and incredibly easy fried chicken (he’ll post the recipe for this a little later on his blog!).
Tagliatelle al ragù
A typical Italian first dish, usually hand made on Sundays. Serves Four.
FOR THE RAGÚ
1 Celery
1 Carrot
1 Onion
1 lb Ground Beef or Veal
4-5 Bacon Slices
1/2 Stick Butter
(2) 12 oz cans Tomato sauce or Crushed Tomatoes (or one big can!)
2/3 cup Milk
2/3 cup Broth
1/2 cup Red Wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
FOR THE PASTA
4 Eggs
3 1/3 cups Flour
PREPARATION
Clean the onion, carrot and celery and chop finely. Place olive oil and butter in a pot and cook on low to medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables stirring occasionally. Let them sweat.
First: Sweat the vegetables
Meanwhile, chop the bacon and add it, along with the ground beef, to the pot of vegetables. Cook until the meat is browned becomes beautiful. Add the red wine, salt and pepper and add the broth Add the tomato sauce and cook for two hours on low heat, adding the milk at the end.
Add the meat and stir until cooked
While waiting for the sauce to cook, get started on the pasta. Sift the flour and make a dome on a board of wood. Break the eggs into the dome and begin to work it together with your hands. When the eggs are well incorporated, begin to knead the dough by hand for at least 10-15 minutes until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
Work the eggs in by hand
Roll the dough into a ball and let stand 30 minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into two and begin to roll it out with a rolling pin until you get a very thin sheet. Fold the dough at each end and then cut it with a knife to the thickness you prefer.
Perfect pasta!
You can let the pasta rest a few hours (the dough will keep in the fridge for about a week wrapped in saran wrap) or cook it immediately.
When sauce is nearly done, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently drop the pasta into the water and cook for two to three minutes stirring. When the pasta has cooked, drain the water out or use tongs to remove the pasta and add it to the pan with the ragù sauce. Toss lightly to coat with the sauce. Season with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
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Andrea Volpini and Backyard Bite in the Kitchen!
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All our ragu sauce ingredients
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Add the bacon and ground meat
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Milk, wine (of course) and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
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First: Sweat the vegetables
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Adding the meat until cooked
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Close up and personal
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A can of tomato sauce
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After we’ve added the sauce
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Tasting is a must!
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On to the pasta! Eggs and Flour… that’s it!
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Work the eggs in by hand
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Rolling the dough out with care
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Flattened smooth dough
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Handmade with love
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The finished pasta dough
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Andrea at work
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Rolling it out
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Andrea at work
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Perfect pasta!
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Let it rest for 30 minutes minimum
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The pasta is sleeping
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A rolling boil of water for the pasta
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Let it cook for just a few minutes until aldente
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Add the finished sauce
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Delicious home cooked meal from scratch!
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Photograph for good measure
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