Brad's Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Brad loves cookies and brownies, so he inventively decided to create a brownie cookie the other night.

He initially wanted to use the Double Tree Hotel's famous chocolate chip cookie recipe (click here), but we didn't have the oats that the recipe called for. He decided to go with this Gourmet recipe on Epicurious, but added a pinch of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of lemon juice (just like the Double Tree recipe).

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tiny-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-106172

He also finely chopped a dark chocolate bar and added it to the mix in place of chocolate "chips". He spread the mixture on parchment paper and baked it for about 8 minutes more than the specified time. The result was perfect, and it looked just like a cross between a brownie and cookie! I joked that he should start his own blog called "Brad bakes here". :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips (7 1/2 oz) (Brad used a whole dark chocolate bar, finely diced)
• A pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Molecular Gastronomy at the Bazaar

"Philly Cheese Steak" with air bread and Wagyu beef

Hey everyone! I posted this as my #22 thing to do in L.A. on my blog 365 L.A., but I figured I'd post it here too since it's food related...

Olives that pop in your mouth. A bite sized "Philly cheese steak" with Wagyu beef and air bread. A dessert made with liquid nitrogen...

If you're a fan of the show Top Chef, then you know what molecular gastronomy is. For those of you who aren't familiar with this way of cooking, here's a quote from wikipedia:

Molecular Gastronomy is a scientific discipline involving the study of physical and chemical processes that occur in cooking. It pertains to the mechanisms behind the transformation of ingredients in cooking and the social, artistic and technical components of culinary and gastronomic phenomena in general (from a scientific point of view).

When The Bazaar opened at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills not long ago, it became the hottest thing in town since David Beckham. Brad and I were so eager to dine here.

Stepping into The Bazaar for the first time, I felt like I was in Vegas. The electricity in the air, the eclectic over-the-top decor, and the bustle of servers coming out of every corner like ants in an ant hill all added to the Sin City vibe. And then the girl with the bright neon leotard walked past my table... This is L.A. aiiight.

We ordered:

-Philly Cheese Steak with Wagyu Beef: This made me smile. They are absolutely tiny, but worth the three bites. That's like $2.50 a bite!

-Modern and Traditional Olives: This was an unusual dish that I'm glad we tried. The modern olives pop in your mouth immediately, and fill your mouth with a briny liquid.

-Chicken bechamel fritters: These fritters were anything but greasy, and were small but filling. They tasted like a delicious chicken pot pie.

-Cod fritters: I really loved the sweet aioli sauce that came with the fritters. Like the chicken ones, they weren't greasy, and quite mild in taste.

-Not Your Everyday Caprese: I loved this dish! The server instructed us to put a tomato, mozzarella ball, and pesto all on the spoon and to eat it all in one bite. It was like a roller coaster in my mouth. Things were popping, salty, sweet, crunchy... MMMM... The ride was over quickly, but I felt like I'd just gotten off of Space Mountain.

-Jamon Platter, Flight of all 3: Eating the Jamon Iberico de bellota was like eating Ham Toro. I almost wish I paid $4 more to get the full Jamon de bellota platter, but I then realized that I wouldn't have been able to fully appreciate the bellota as much if I had not tasted the cheaper versions first. The Serrano was ok--I could have gotten something like that at Whole Foods. The regular Iberico was fatty like the bellota, but chewier. And the Jamon Iberico de bellota? Melt in your mouth fatty hamminess. I will be dreaming about this.

We were then escorted to the Patisserie, which made the night even better. It was like being escorted to a whole other restaurant! Sitting on a cozy couch for two, served by a super friendly waiter, we ordered the coffee (free refills, and really really good!). Perusing the cute pink dessert menu, and laughing at the page with 8 types of $10 waters, we decided on the Apple Carlota. This was not a sweet dessert at all. The ice cream was barely sweetened cream, and the saffron sauce was amazing.

After dinner, we hung out in the "gift shop" for a while and gawked at the $120 plastic cutlery and the $950 photo of Justin Timberlake sunbathing. Only in Beverly Hills...

Not your everyday caprese.. Mozzarella balls that pop in your mouth!

Tortilla de patatas, new way with Egg 63 and Potato Foam

(The egg is slowly cooked at exactly 63 degrees)

Click here to view the menu

Bludso's BBQ

Brisket and Beef ribs with mac and cheese and baked beans

The internet has been a-buzzing ever since Bludsos BBQ opened its doors less than a year ago in Compton. Claims of "the best BBQ in L.A." made me want to check this place out for myself! Brad and I were in the area earlier to check out the Watts towers and a jazz and drum festival, so after we got our drum-fix, we headed off for some good Texas style BBQ.

We were surprised that while we were at Bludso's scarfing down our food, there was quite a diverse mix of people coming through those doors. There were the locals, for sure, but there were also out of towners who I'm sure usually never cross the Compton line... Except for good bbq!

We got the brisket and rib combo for only $10. It was enough to feed both of us easily with leftovers. The meat was melt in your mouth, and the sauce (we got it mild) was peppery and sweet and just tangy enough. I loved it.

Finally, I must mention that the people at Bludso's were so friendly and nice. We even got a free red velvet cupcake while we were waiting!

Red velvet cupcake

Oh by the way--if you go here I would suggest take-out; there's hardly any seating at this small place. They take both cash and credit.

811 S Long Beach Blvd
Compton, CA 90221

(310) 637-13421342

Chicken Liver Crostini

This may not be the prettiest picture on my website, but trust me when I say that it is delicious (if you like chicken liver, that is!) I got these livers from the Santa Monica farmer's market. The chickens are all free range and have never been fed corn or soy--amazing, right? The quality comes through when you taste it.

I think the addition of the lemon zest really makes this dish pop. The only adjustment I made to the recipe is using homemade chicken broth instead of canned.

Here's the recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chicken-Liver-Crostini-103418

Ingredients:

• 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 12 ounces chicken livers
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Serve over a French bread baguette.

Note some of the adjustments the reviewers suggest on Epicurious. The main adjustment is to take the livers out and reduce the broth separately.

Chocolate Oatmeal Lace Cookies

While I was out today, Brad made these cookies. They're buttery but so light. Be warned: it's easy to eat a lot of them in one sitting!

Brad made these cookies once by drizzling the chocolate over them, like a regular lace cookie. Today he decided to just put the chocolate in the middle of the cookie.

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
For the cookies:
1/2 cup oats, chopped in food processor
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar (Brad used evaporated cane juice)
6 tbsp melted butter (until the foam subsides)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Pinch of salt

For the ganache:
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp heavy cream

In a food processor, chop the oats. Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

Combine all ingredients for the cookies in a large bowl and stir to combine. Spoon onto baking sheets by the teaspoon, placing each cookie at least 3″ apart from others. Bake at 425 for 6-8 minutes, or until cookies have spread and are just beginning to brown around the edges. Let them cool completely on the baking sheets before sliding them off with a spatula.

For the chocolate topping, melt chocolate chips and 2 tbsp heavy cream slowly on a stove top over low heat (a double boiler is the best method). Spoon the ganache over cookies, or drizzle on.

Makes about 24-30 cookies.

365 Los Angeles

Hey everyone! Here's a bit of non-food news: I've changed the name and domain address of my other blog to "365 Los Angeles".

http://365losangeles.blogspot.com

(There's also a link to it on the right side of the page.)

The premise: 365 days, 365 unforgettable things to do in L.A (and yes, I do all 365 things!).. It's been 19 days, so I'm already up to #19. Only 346 to go!

If you live in L.A. or know someone who does, please spread the word! Thanks and have a delicious weekend. :)

Thai Curry Crock Pot

I'm always on the lookout for great crock pot recipes. This thai curry recipe got 5 out of 5 stars on Recipezaar, so I decided to try it. I altered the recipe a little by using...

butternut squash and red bell pepper instead of potatoes

regular Thai curry paste instead of Massaman curry paste

brown sugar instead of palm sugar

garnished with purple thai basil instead of peanut and coriander

The resulting beef was so tender and juicy, as is true in all crock pot-ted beef. The flavor was great--it was just spicy enough, with a mild coconut flavor. The only problem was that the broth was a bit watery for my taste. Perhaps this was because I omitted the potatoes and added a red bell pepper.

Original Recipe:

http://www.recipezaar.com/Slow-CookerCrock-Pot-Massaman-Curry-242793

Original Recipe's Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 large onions, cut into wedges
• 1 kg beef brisket (gravy beef, or shank)
• salt
• 400 g coconut cream
• 3/4-1 cup massaman curry paste (bought or made)
• 250 ml water
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 4 bay leaves
• 6 waxy potatoes, peeled and diced in 2-3cm cubes
• 2-3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons grated palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste or lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed
• 3 sprigs coriander, chopped

Julia Child's Hamburger

Yup, Julia Child's Mastering The Art Of French Cooking has a section on hamburgers. Let me tell you, these are so moist and savory. The red wine sauce made from the pan brownings compliments the burger perfectly.

The recipe starts on page 300. I added some dijon mustard and parsley too. Here's my abridged version so you get the gist, but please use the book's version if you have it!

Ingredients:

3/4 c finely minced yellow onions

2Tb butter

1.5 lbs lean ground beef (8 to 10 percent)

2 Tb softened butter

1.5 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp thyme

1 egg

1/2 c flour spread on a plate

1 Tb butter and 1 Tb oil to coat skillet bottom

1/2 c red wine

2-3 Tb softened butter

Cook onions slowly in the butter for 10 minutes until tender but not brown. Set aside in a bowl. Add the beef, butter, seasoning and egg to the bowl and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon to blend. Make patties 3/4 inch thick.

Dust patties lightly with flour. Cook over moderately high heat in butter and oil. 2-3 minutes on each side. Set patties aside on a warm plate.

Pour fat out of skillet and add red wine and boil down rapidly until it reduces to a syrup. Off heat, swirl in the butter by half tablespoons.

Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

With over 200 reviews and an impressive "4 out of 4 fork" rating on Epicurious.com, you really can't go wrong with this delicious cookie recipe. I loved the chewiness of the oatmeal mixed with the shredded texture of the coconut. The cookies were moist, light, and just sweet enough--perfection!

Here's the recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Chunk-Oatmeal-Coconut-Cookies-105431

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cups packaged finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 12 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), cut into 1/2-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
• 3/4 cup almonds with skins (4 oz), toasted, cooled, and chopped
• 
  

My version differed slightly from the one on Epicurious--I used chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks. I also omitted the almonds. Some reviewers also mention that you can cut out the 6 Tb granulated sugar, based on your taste. Play with it and see what you like!

Dancing Carrot

Call them what you will: Siamese twins, conjoined veggies, or dancing carrots... These oddities never cease to amuse me whenever I pull one out of the bag.

I used the carrot pictured above to make fried rice for Brad. He said it was one of the best fried rices I've made--it must have been the carrot. ;)

Here's a funny website with pictures of conjoined fruits and vegetables (including more dancing carrots!):

http://www.urlesque.com/2009/09/17/conjoined-fruits-and-vegetables-photos/

Applesauce Multigrain Muffins

We had a can of Country Choice Organic's Multi Grain hot cereal in the pantry, and on the back of the can there was a recipe for these healthy muffins. For one dozen muffins, the total sugar count is only 1/2 a cup plus 2 Tb for the topping. The rest of the sweetness comes from the applesauce. There's also hardly any butter in the recipe--only 1 Tb for the topping!

The muffins are definitely not sweet (they taste like "health muffins"), so if you prefer it sweeter, I would add more sugar. I think that this is a recipe I could definitely play with to kick it up a notch. Perhaps the addition of bananas or chocolate chips would be good next time.

Here's the recipe from the back of the can:

Makes 1 dozen

Streusel Topping

1/3 cup uncooked hot cereal like Country Choice Organic Multigrain Hot Cereal

2 Tb brown sugar

1 Tb melted butter

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Muffins

1 c uncooked Hot Cereal

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 c applesauce

1/2 c fat free or low fat milk

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c sunflower oil

1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line twelve muffin cups with paper baking cups or oil bottoms lightly

2. Mix oats, sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Add melted butter and mix well.

3. Combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon for muffins. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix applesauce, milk, brown sugar, oil and egg. Add dry ingredients and stir until the dry are moistened.

4. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Rachel Ray's Creole Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Crab And Artichoke

Ok, I admit it; I was skeptical about Rachel Ray's promise of 30 minute delicious meals. Thumbing through Rachel Ray's book Classic 30 Minute Meals, I found this recipe. Surprise-- with both Brad and I it only took 15 minutes and the results couldn't have been more impressive.

The combination of artichoke hearts, crab and buttery toasted bread was delicious in the stuffing. Adding the sherry was a great finishing touch. This is a recipe that we will definitely be making again and again. It looked like it took a lot of work, yet it was finished in no time at all. Thank you Rachel Ray!

Oh by the way, if you think that crabmeat is too expensive for an "everyday meal", look for it in a can. At Trader Joes, canned lump crabmeat is only $2.

Here's my version of Rachel's recipe. To make Rachel's exact recipe, add a chopped celery rib to the stuffing.

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 lbs chicken breast cutlets (thin cut), pounded thin

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

A few pinches of poultry seasoning

Crab and Artichoke Stuffing

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 Tb EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped (15 oz)

1/2 cup chicken broth

8 to 10 ounces canned crab meat

2 slices white bread, toasted and buttered (I used rice bread)

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Creole Sauce

1 Tb EVOO

1 pat butter (1/2 Tb)

1 cup dry sherry

1 cup chicken broth

1 Tb cornstarch dissolved in a splash of water or broth

Season chicken with salt, pepper and seasoning. Put aside.

Saute shallots in EVOO over medium heat in a skillet for 2-3 minutes. Add in artichoke hearts and broth, and cook for one more minute. Add the crabmeat and heat it up, breaking the meat. Chop the toast into small cubes and add it to the pan. Add the Old Bay, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well then remove from heat.

Put small mounds of the stuffing in the chicken and roll it up, securing it with a toothpick.

Make the sauce by adding the EVOO and butter to the same pan over medium high heat. Put the chickens in the pan to brown them for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and then add the sherry. Reduce the sherry to half volume (about 1-2 minutes). Add the broth, bring to a boil, then add the cornstarch mixture and stir. This will thicken the sauce. Finally, return the chicken to the pan and cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. This will take about 5 minutes.

Serve with a green salad and crusty French bread.

Sauteeing the Stuffing

Extra stuffing!

The chicken after they're stuffed

The finished dish!

Party in Topanga Canyon

Wow, three posts in one day...

This weekend, Brad and I drove to Topanga Canyon, a little oasis outside of Los Angeles. It's nestled in the mountains and you have to drive down a long and windy road just to get there. The drive is well worth it, though. Once there, you will find breathtaking views, friendly people, and unique wildlife.

Brad and I had the good fortune of being invited to an amazing party in Topanga Canyon, and we were the first to arrive, which gave me a good opportunity to take pics of the food spread.

The house was spectacular and the food and people made it so much fun. Everything was delicious (these pics only show a portion of the food there!), but if I had to choose, I'd say my favorites were the grilled steak, grilled sausages, and the mint, feta(?) and watermelon salad.

Robert Rodriguez's Puerco Pibil

Have you seen the movie Once Upon A Time In Mexico with Johnny Depp? In the film, Depp's character orders a Mexican dish called Puerco Pibil again and again whenever he is in Mexico.

At one restaurant, Depp says to Antonio Banderas' character: "It is a slow roasted pork. Nothing fancy. Just happens to be my favorite, and I order it at every dive I go to in this country, and honestly, this is the best it's ever been. ... It is so good that when I'm finished with it, I'll pay my check, walk straight into the kitchen and shoot the cook. Because that's what I do. I restore the balance to this country." Did I mention that it's a pretty violent film?

Violence aside, I was intrigued by this dish and when one of our friends made it for us at a dinner party, we were hooked. I made my own for a dinner party this past weekend and it came out pretty well. The recipe is from the film's writer/director himself: Robert Rodriguez.

Ingredients:

5 Tb annatto (achiote) seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 Tb peppercorns

8 allspice berries

½ tsp. whole cloves

2 habanero chiles

½ cup orange juice

½ cup white vinegar
2 Tb. salt
8 cloves of garlic
Juice of 5 lemons
Splash of tequila
5 pounds pork butt
Banana leaves and heavy-duty aluminum foil

Place the annatto, cumin, peppercorns, allspice and cloves in a spice or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder.

Carefully remove the seeds and veins from the habaneros and chop.

Place the orange juice, vinegar, habaneros, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor until liquefied. Add the lemon juice and tequila.

Cut the pork into 2-inch chunks. Place in a large, self-sealing plastic bag with the marinade. Seal bag and turn to evenly coat the meat. Marinate for up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove the meat from the marinade and wrap tightly in banana leaves so no steam can escape. Do a second wrap with aluminum foil. Place packet in roasting pan and roast four hours.

The only thing I would do differently next time is wrap the pork tighter in the banana leaves (it could have been moister) and add more salt to the recipe.

Here are some of the steps, illustrated with photos:

Place the pork (this is the leftover bone with some meat attached) in banana leaves and wrap tightly

The wrapped pork

Cover the whole pan in foil

What it looks like after 4 hours

The finished dish over rice

Our friends brought Japanese cream puffs from Beard Papa on Sawtelle!

They also brought cakes from Mousse Factory on Sawtelle.

My favorite was the pear mouse cake (in front)