Dine Out for a Good Cause - 4/17/08

Eating out just to satisfy your hunger? So yesterday. Tomorrow, eat out for a good cause: Dine Out Los Angeles is a one-day LA-wide event where 20% of profits from a bunch of restaurants will go to Aid for Aids. This West Hollywood charity helps prevent hunger and homelessness among people with HIV/AIDS. Participating restaurants in the hood include:

Masa
Cha Cha Cha
Cliff's Edge
Casita Del Campo
Brooklyn Bagel Company (love their fresh out of the oven bagels!)

Go on, get eating!

Dine Out LA

Silver Lake/Echo Park Updates: Andiamo and Two Boots

As we've seen time and time again, everything's ready to go at Andiamo except the red tape. I checked in with Anthony (the owner?) a couple weeks ago and he was still waiting for a series of bureaucratic oks. But the menu looks promising (you can check it out here) and it's Pomodoro-esque inside: cute, small, simple and sleek. I'd say it's any day now and not a day too soon! With Michelangelo's supposedly on its way out, we're looking forward to a new Italian in the hood. Also, my husband noticed orange vespas outside... we're thinking they're the delivery vehicles.

I've been meaning to post about Two Boots for a while now. There's been an enormous dumpster outside the future Two Boots for the past few weeks collecting the innards of whatever was there previously. But it seems like it has a long way to go. Phil Hartman, one of the two owners, reported back in February that they're shooting for a late spring opening. Who knows how great it will be (mixed reviews run rampant in NY) one would think that its location next to the Echo/Echoplex will make it a success.

Bittman's Macaroons

Made these babies while in a Valentine's baking mood last week. While they looked just golden and beautiful naked, I felt the need to enrobe them in some bittersweet chocolate. Hubby and coworkers thought they looked like little volcanos, while two coworkers thought they resembled breasts. As breastfeeding is on our horizon, perhaps that's where my subconscious was.

Anyhow, they were fabulous and incredibly easy and quick to prepare. They are officially on the menu for Passover this year.

http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/recipe-of-the-day-the-ultimate-minimalist-macaroon/

I Love Sue Moore and her Dogs

God, I just love Sue Moore.
Here I thought that pregnancy would mean living without hot dogs for nine months as most are preserved with nitrites/nitrates. But no, here comes Sue, former meat forager for Chez Panisse, of Let's Be Frank with her incredible dogs made from the best grass-fed beef. Not only are they lacking scary hormones and antibiotics and no-no nitrites/nitrates but they're also packed with 600mg of Omega 3's which are awesome for my tiny one's brain development. And the best part? They're really, really good. So good it's almost impossible to stop at just one. Sue serves these beauties with caramelized onions and the softest bun along with other traditional fixins. And she must be one of the friendliest folks you could ever meet. You can find Sweet Sue and her cart in the Helms Bakery Complex.

Helms Ave
between Washington Blvd and Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034 (888) 233-7265

www.letsbefrankdogs.com

Almost Guilt-Free Peanut Putter Parfait

Officially, my new favorite dessert is peanut butter parfait made with Fage 0% yogurt and organic peanut butter. Would I rather have a hot fudge sundae? Most likely. But this little lady is really trying to watch it and so the peanut butter parfait was born. Now I must say that the decadent creaminess of Fage yogurt is certainly the secret to this dessert's success. When I'm craving a little texture, I throw in a couple of Fabe's peanut butter cookies which are sweetened with white grape juice. I'm in love. Try it, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Peanut Butter Parfait
1 5.3 oz container of Fage 0% yogurt
1 small spoonful of organic peanut butter (you don't have to go crazy with the PB to have a strong flavor)
2 Fabe's sugar-free peanut butter cookies (optional)

Stir all ingredients and enjoy.

The Search for Chicken Soup in the Hood is Over: Rodeo Mexican Grill

So my honey had a wretched case of some sort of food poisoning throughout the night. I'll spare you the details. After spending the day sleeping and drinking water, he finally got his appetite back and was craving chicken soup.

But the age old question: where to go in Echo Park/Silver Lake for a soothing bowl of chicken soup? He remembered noticing that Rodeo Grill, a Mexican place he frequents often, had such a soup. So off I went to Rodeo. Honestly, we weren't expecting much. I guess we just think of Rodeo for burritos, taquitos, etc.

Would you believe that they serve an absolutely delicious chicken soup, loaded with hunks of potatoes, squash, and chicken? It's true. Delicately flavored with cilantro and not too salty, we have found our local cold/flu/under the weather potion!

Canele + Neko Case = Pre-Birthday Dinner and a Show

Why had we forgotten about Canele? There's no good reason. After all, it's a superb neighborhood restaurant that's super close to us, affordable, uses farm fresh produce and happy meats (those raised without hormones, antibiotics, free to roam, etc.) and consistently turns out excellent dishes.

Sure, the staff sometimes seem a little in over their heads and there's that no reservation policy leading to waits if you get there at a prime time. But this is a neighborhood spot so I'm not looking for polished perfection. We've been twice in the last week, wowed both times by the food and proud to show it off to my in-laws from Berkeley.

Last Sunday, I started with a silky and sweet winter squash soup with dates and a tiny dollop of creme fraiche. It fit the cool fall night wonderfully. The choice of the roasted chicken with a corn pancake was a wise one. We ended the night with Canele's flourless chocolate cake with a slightly orange flavored candy on top and served with a huge portion of vanilla ice cream. It was soon clear that a second was in order and luckily they were happy to comply.
I have to say it's quite satisfying to be able to say thank you and good night to chef Corina thanks to Canele's open kitchen. Having worked in restaurants where the kitchens were filled with cantankerous characters and almost violent verbal and physical exchanges, it's quite a pleasure to watch the calm and pleasant kitchen staff at Canele.
Last night, I started with the Farmer's Market salad of greens, finely sliced shallots, and a creme fraiche dressing. Simple, yet irresistible. Max tried the Pissaladiere, a lovely onion tart. We shared the pork chop, again just lovely with a smooth apple compote, sauteed greens, and braised cippolini onions. And just to go over the top, we tried the pommes anna, a classic potato dish. Finishing again with the chocolate cake, we were off to Walt Disney Hall to see Neko Case, my birthday present from Max.

Even though we were in the nose bleed section of WDMH, Neko's voice radiated beautifully throughout the space. Her humble demeanor and cute sense of humor made the night feel intimate and small, even though it's a spacious venue. The first time we saw her, she was opening up for Willie Nelson at the Bowl. While her performance was good, the Bowl kind of swallowed her up. At Disney Hall however, Neko was able to beam her voice into every corner and I swear I could have listened to her for so many more hours. After two encores, the show was over and a fabulous pre-birthday evening came to a close.