Archives
While Christmas shopping for those on my “nice” list, I couldn’t help but find a few nifty gifts for foodies (wink wink!) along the way. Although most of these gifts were found at various small businesses around my local Los Angeles, most of them, if not all, are also available online. There’s only a few shopping days left – what are you waiting for!? Get shopping!
Watch:
All items in the video are found at Paper Source, Sur La Table or OK Store. Read on for more unique gift ideas:
Instant pour over coffee? It exists! And it’s incredibly cool and stylish too. Designed in Portland, Oregon, this Ratio coffee maker believes “You shouldn’t have to be a trained barista to make great coffee.” It blooms! It drips! It pours! And it looks damn cool.
These super cute Toast Hand Warmers by Smoko warm you up while you type! Mmmm toast. Found at Fab.com.
Also from Fab.com try this DIY Kombucha making kit! It’s got everything you need to make the stinky tea at home!
Speaking of tea, here’s some fun for kids and adults alike. Deep Tea Diver and ManaTEA for that loose leaf tea lover in your life:
For that special Muffin Top, I mean, baker in your life:
Found these popcorn makers at Sur La Table. I’m a big fan of popcorn – any day, all day. For someone who doesn’t own a microwave, (like me) this would be a great gift, plus popcorn is a great low calorie snack! As I said, all day… any day!
Another couple of funny food related gifts for that bacon and eggs lover in your life. I found the skull egg maker also at Sur La Table and the “I Love You More Than Bacon” sign at Paper Source.
A cool fishy corkscrew also from Paper Source.
Also, found at Paper Source (and everywhere really), a super cool Corkcicle that keeps your wine chilled and a fun Kitchen Kong whisk.
Found this sleek wine opener at a boutique called Nathalie Seaver on W. 3rd Street in West Hollywood and this awesome in-bottle decanter by Soirée.
A cute macaroon apron from Paper Source! Although, Anthropologie also makes great aprons too. I got one from there last year for Christmas!
Also, love this sparking bling bacon ornament made by Archie McPhee. They have a huge selection of bacon themed items including bacon lip balm, bacon soap and bacon toothpaste.
Love these whisky stones (not to be mistaken for gallstones – yuck!). They keep your whiskey cold without diluting it and sure look cool too. There’s also sleek, stainless steel wine pearls for that special wine-o in your life (ahem). I found them at the OK Store, a cool boutique store on W. 3rd Street, but they are so popular I’ve seen them pretty much everywhere.
Good luck shopping my lovely readers! And remember… “I Love You More Than Bacon!”
[Note: All opinions espresso’ed are my own. I was not influenced or contacted by any of these manufacturers at any time.]
741 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069 · Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Upscale Italian restaurant, Al Bacio quietly opened to the public this past weekend, just across the street from the (also newly opened), Church Key. Blowing the Sunset Strip “a kiss”, Al Bacio replaces the space left behind by former tenant, Osteria Drago. As for the design, I’m told not too much has changed from the layout of Drago (I had never been), except for some new paint and nice paintings. As you walk into the restaurant, you immediately face the glowing bar. The restaurant features a quaint private dining room as well as a small patio at the front. It’s a sophisticated restaurant that well suits this side of Sunset Boulevard.
Ingredients are made in-house, the dishes are simple, yet full of traditional Italian flavors and the chef is actually from Italy. I chatted with the well-travelled chef, Christian Simionato about his food and the meaning of Al Bacio.
Backyard Bite: Where were you cooking before Al Bacio?
Chef Simionato: Before, I was the sous chef at Andrea Ristorante at the Pelican Resort in Newport Beach for two and a half years. It was a beautiful experience and it was a really good school for me to start this new project. Before that, I was in Bejing. Another beautiful country. There, I learned a lot from a lot of good, good chefs.
BYB: Where in Italy are you from?
Chef: I’m from Padua, close to Venice. My family has a little farm, I grew up in a little town. I grew up touching the the vegatables, seeing the meat first hand, milking… I was involved from the ground to the plate.
BYB: What does Al Bacio mean?
Chef: Something made al bacio (“the kiss”) means something is made in a exquisite way. As we say in Italy, if something is al bacio, it means something is really good. The traslation is like a big, big WOW.
BYB: How would you describe the menu?
Chef: We wanted to give guests a taste of authentic Italian food. Simple, but full of taste. I try to give the tradition of my country; the rum babá is from Naples, there’s tiramisu, homemade lemon sorbet, Orecchiette and rapini sauce from Puglia… One year aged risotto and the beautiful piece of meat… Wagyu from New York and beef cheek: it’s the rich part and the poor part (of the cow) combined together. Here, there is a little bit from all of Italy, from south to north.
I was treated to a special tasting menu just before they opened to the public. Here’s a peak at what you can expect:
Our special tasting menu
An amuse in a cute little jar – bacon, something pickled and a little crouton.
Black Label San Daniele Prociutto, Burrata Cheese, EVOO Candied Tomato
1 Year Aged Acquerello Risotto, Quail Braised Ragu
Orecchiette, Sausage and Rapini Sauce
Duo of Beef: Wagyu New York Steak, Cipollini Fondant, Roasted Carrots, Red Wine Sauce, Barbaresco Braised Beef Cheek, “Mulino Sobrino” Polenta, Sauteed Seasonal Mushrooms
Inside the private dining area
Hellooo wine! At the bar
Open Mon-Sat with lunch served Wednesdays – Fridays beginning in 2014. Happy hour is from 5 – 7 p.m. weekdays.
When I first met Sheldon Simeon at the Maui Onion Festival in early 2013, I hadn’t yet seen his performance on Top Chef Seattle Season 10. The Bravo cooking competition show no doubt brought the young chef into the national spotlight, but the locals here in Hawaii were already fans of his hawaiian-filipino inspired cuisine. A local boy, family man, and Rising Star Chef, Sheldon is easily one of the nicest and most down-to-earth, chefs I’ve met.
At the Hawaiian Food and Wine Festival this Fall, I met up with the Fan Favorite who filled me in on what he had been up to since leaving Star Noodle. We chat about his experiences on Top Chef, his advice to aspiring chefs and Migrant Maui, his new restaurant opening this month at the Wailea Mariott.
Watch the video:
The LACMA is known for giving art lovers (like me!) and foodies (me too!) a chance to experience some really special events at the museum. One such event is called Cur-ATE which happens every other month and lets guests experience the museum after hours with their very own tour guide, followed up with a private dinner.
Art and food historian, Maite Gomez-Rejón, gives a walking tour and history of art as it was influenced by food through the ages. After the hour long tour, the second part of the evening takes guests to the Patina Group restaurant, Ray’s and Stark Bar to meet with executive chef Kris Morningstar who explains the inspiration behind a specially curated 4-course dinner.
Click to watch:
Our tour started with objects dating back to 1300 BC in ancient Egypt where the first record of beer surfaced. These ornate and decorative vessels held the “beer” which was believed to contain magical ingredients linking its drinker to the Gods. In other words, the more drunk you got, the more spiritual and closer to God you became!
Our tour then shifted toward wine around 400 BC as it started to become the elite drink of the times. Men would throw “ancient frat parties,” getting drunk and reading poems to each other as their servants would strain the wine, and feed it to them as they lay down. Of course, women were never invited to these parties… (So, not cool.)
Ancient beer can?
Coffee and tea make an appearance at the end of the 16th century and eventually wake everyone up from their drunken stupor. I wonder what an ancient hangover feels like?
This dude…
The philosopher and writer, Voltaire… is the type of guy who would have hung out at the ancient coffee houses – consider him the ultimate hipster.
Tea, which was introduced from China, was considered a luxury. England was way huge into coffee before they got into tea… but then they started to get fancy with it…
People would rent pineapples to put on their dinner tables as it was considered a luxury item – notice the crown on the top … it’s the “king of the fruit!”
We ended our tour in Brazil with the invention of rum. Yum!
On a side note, did you know that the first whiskey distillery came from George Washington after he left the White House? That’s how he made a living after his presidency!
After our lesson in food history, we were off to eat 4 amazing dishes at Ray’s and Stark Bar inspired by the artworks we discussed; coffee, tea, wine and rum… here we come!
Coffee: Beets, coffee infused cream, warren pears, roasted carrots, granola, mustard greens…
White wine: Black cod, chanterelles, gnocchi, beurre blanc, chives…
Black Tea: Liberty Duck, tea soaked prunes, parsnip puree, farro, pepper cress
Dark Rum: Vanilla batter cake, apples, Meyer’s rum-vanilla bean sauce
The 2014 cur-ATE season will begin on January 13th and the theme for that evening will be Parisian Café Culture.
Visit ArtBites or Lacma.org for info and tickets!
[Thank you Patina Group for hosting, and to Wagstaff and Tastemade for facilitating!]
1261 W Sunset Blvd · Los Angeles, CA 90026 · Neighborhood: Echo Park
I love this location of Guisados since it’s much closer to my West Hollywood abode than the original Boyle Heights restaurant in East LA.
If you have never been to Guisados, jump in your car RIGHT NOW and go get some of the best tacos in LA. Do it.
Read about my visit to their original location HERE and what you should get when you go.
Watch me get some tacos:
Spy these pics and try not to drool on your computer…
Last week, in a video, I introduced you to three great artisan vendors which I met at this Fall’s Artisanal LA (aka foodie’s paradise!). Artisanal LA is a 2 day event in which guests can sample from some of the best artisanal food vendors in LA and around the country.
I had the opportunity to taste and purchase handmade goodies and meet some really talented small business owners. I spoke with them and learned about their delicious, often healthy, always tasty, handcrafted edibles and crafty finds.
In this Part 2 segment: I bring you “pasteles,” a Puerto Rican staple, which has been perfected at Old San Juan, a local Atwater Village restaurant. We’re also introduced to Bruce Kalman, a local chef and pickler who’s making people go ape for his prime pickling practices. Lastly, we meet Kevin Glaab who, with his wife Tristan, makes truly cool and eco chick rustic furniture designs right here in California.
Watch Part 2:
Click here to watch part one.
View the slideshow recap from Artisinal LA!
[portfolio_slideshow id=6475]
Make sure you check it out next year. It’s a great way to see who’s up and coming in your local community and… who knows? You may discover an awesome great find or a new favorite treat! I know I did!
At Artisanal LA at the LA Mart in downtown LA, 200 + artisans and craft vendors brought their A-Game for curious foodies and craft-loving guests. I got the chance to taste and purchase some really delicious hand crafted edibles during their two day festival.
In a two part video series, I interview some super cool start-up small businesses who are making waves with their clever and tasty products.
In this video, I talk to Bon Puf, a cool sweet pop-up that’s taking cotton candy to a whole new level, Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate whose decadent dark chocolate Fleur de Sel bar didn’t last the night in my house, and Civil Coffee a traveling coffee pop-up that brings the craft coffee to your party or venue.
Here’s part one. I hope you’re hungry…
Click here to watch day 2!
I recently spent 12 days in Hawai’i. I visited 2 islands and ate countless dishes from chefs from all around the world. I discovered local gems and avant guard restaurants truly pushing the culinary envelope. I ate local. I ate lots of local. I rode a horse and visited the neighborhood markets. I learned how vanilla was grown and how the cherry red Kona coffee fruit made it into my morning cup. I ate malasadas and loco moco and coco puffs and of course, lots of poke.
I sipped. I shopped. I met local chefs, famous chefs, and hard working farmers. I saw countless stunning sunsets and sunrises. I sipped killer cocktails. I saw a Polynesian dancer kiss fire and I ate a roasted pig from underneath the ground. I hiked to the top of a volcanic crater. I slid down a slide. I saw fireworks and drank beer. I got lei’d.
I baked Portuguese Bread and pounded po’i. I tried SUPing (stand up paddle boarding). I kayaked. I swam in a geothermal hot spring. I got hit in the head with a boogie board. I ate frog legs and abalone. I visited an 800-year-old fish pond and hiked to the top of a waterfall. I saw a rainbow and heard the coquis sing.
And yes, I ate spam… and I loved it.
[I was a guest of the Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau and their partners. Mahalo for having me as your guest. All opinions expressed are my own.]
I attended the 3rd annual Glow Festival on Santa Monica Beach this weekend. It was estimated that there were roughly 150,000 people in attendance this year and there was no shortage of kids and families, dogs with their owners, lovebirds on dates and weirdos on bikes. It is truly a spectacle to see, and for 8 hours for one Saturday night every year, it is truly a spectacle. 15 artists lit up art installations along Santa Monica Beach, The Pier and Carousel. There were Octopi people riding the Ferris Wheel and plankton glowing up on the beach sand. Here’s a video recap to show you what you missed.
A fun celebration of light, color, glowing things and of course, Food Trucks! Bring some friends next year and make a night of it. This years fest (gently) raged until 3 AM!
On my recent visit to the Kona Historical Society in Hawaii, I learned how to make the famous and delicious Hawaiian Sweet Bread. We rolled and kneaded the dough and then baked the loaves in a traditional Portuguese stone oven. We also got a little history lesson while we were there! Read on for the recipe and the video recap after the jump.
In the 1870’s when the Portuguese (mostly dairy farmers), originally came to Hawaii Island to work the plantations and dairy farms, they brought with them their special style of stone oven and also the recipe for their delicious sweet bread. What is known to us as Hawaiian Sweet Bread is actually Portuguese Bread. It was often baked for special occasions, and for commercial purposes, the name was changed to “Hawaiian Bread” – what we know of today.
Did you know?
The Portuguese brought to the islands not only an expertise in growing and harvesting bread, but grapes for making wine, and they are also credited with introducing the ukulele and slack key guitar to Hawai`i!
The bread is easy to make and super soft and chewy. Great for sliders, bite sized sandwiches or along side any meat. We spent about 3 hours rolling over 60 + loaves that day, and it was worth the wait! Here’s how you can make it at home:
Portuguese Sweet Bread a.k.a. Pao Doce a.k.a. Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
(recipe courtesy of the Kona Historical Society)
Makes 4 loaves
Mix together in a big bowl:
Warm water – 2 cups
Dry yeast – 4 pkg
Then stir in:
Sugar – 2 cups
Butter, melted – 2 sticks
Eggs – 4
Stir in – one cup at a time:
Bread flour
Approx. 8 cups, slowly stir/knead in up to 2 more cups (if needed)
When the dough is too difficult to stir, turn the dough out on floured table and knead in the rest of the flour for about 3-5 minutes. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the bowl, and cover it with a cloth until it has doubled in size (about 1 hour). Be careful not to over knead the dough!
Punch the dough down and divide it evenly into 4 loaves. Pinch off 7 equal pieces of dough from each loaf, roll and place in greased 9-inch round aluminum pie pans. Cover the dough again with a cloth and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Brush with egg wash (1egg mixed with 2 Tbsp of water). Bake in 400 degree oven for about 20-30 mins.
Originally founded in 1976, The Kona Historical Society is a community based, non-profit organization that collects, preserves and shares the history of the Kona districts. Supported by over 1000 members internationally they offer walking tours through Kailua Village, off-road jeep trips, historical boat cruises and a tour of a 5.5 acre preserved coffee and macadamia farm from the 1940’s. They offer the bread baking classes every Thursday from 10-1pm. It’s a great stop over when in Kona!
BYB Tip: Don’t have time to stay and bake? Drop in towards the tail end of the session (around 12:30 or so) and you can purchase loaves for $7 fresh out of the oven! Aloha!
[I was a guest of the Big Island Visitors Bureau and their partners and thank them for their Hawaiian hospitality. All comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own. Mahalo Lynn, Erin, Missy and all the new friends I made on Oahu!]
Prev1...234...5Next 
Page 3 of 5
