ADO

This past weekend, I was treated to a lovely and romantic dinner at one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Los Angeles, Ado. Located in the charming and homey space formerly occupied by Amuse on Main Street in Venice, it consistently delivers top notch food and service that makes you feel as if it’s a special occasion every time you go. 

Ado is a joint venture from Chef Antonio Mure (Piccolo, Locanda Veneta, La Botte) and Paolo Cesaro (Hidden , Via Veneto). A few months ago they opened 31 Ten, a bar/lounge just down the street from Ado in Santa Monica. I haven’t been yet—but it’s on my list!

Anyways, back to my wonderful and romantical dinner….

The adorable exterior of Ado

I'm not entirely sure what I am staring at in this picture, but I wanted to show the romantic candelit table. Also, notice the half bottle of wine. I love ordering half bottles, because it allows me to try more wine off the menu, and it's usually a little more wallet friendly than just ordering by the glass.

Watercress salad with Pecorino, Hearts of Palm, and roasted Almonds in a Balsamic dressing

Grilled Sea Scallops on a bed of Parmesan fondue. Note that you will want extra bread in your bread basket to scrape up any remaining Parmesan Fondue!!

Ahi Tuna Tartare served with Avocado, Capers, and Balsamic essence

My favorite item on the menu...Home-made Red Beet Tagliolini pasta in a marsala Quail ragu served on a bed of Taleggio cheese fondue. Unlike anything I have ever tasted, the red beet Tagliolini pasta is perfection. Note that you will also want extra bread to mop up any remaining quail ragu or Taleggio cheese fondue.

They have excellent desserts as well; their Panna Cotta is my favorite. But, this trip I was too full for dessert. I'll have to save more room next time...go a little easier on all that bread I kept mopping sauces up with!


R

MY GARDEN UPDATE

I don’t know if you remember, but a few weeks back I decided to start my own little garden on my balcony. I’m growing Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes, basil, rosemary, mint, cilantro, and a few different varieties of flowers.

To be completely honest, the hardest part for me so far has not been the “growing” part…it has been selecting the right pots to grow my garden in. Because these pots are on my balcony right outside my living room and dining room through a giant glass sliding door, I couldn’t choose just any old pot that would get the job done. Aesthetically, the pots had to flow with the rest of my apartment. I wanted some that were eclectic, modern, and slightly rustic (if that makes any sense). I went to several nurseries and found a few options that I really liked, but my pocketbook didn’t like them so much. Who knew cool, modern garden pots were such an investment?! I surely didn’t!

To make a long and probably uninteresting story to most short, I decided on two large galvanized steel tubs that I found at Osh for twenty bucks. Score! Since you must have drainage in pots for gardening, I took my tubs from Osh to a local nursery and politely asked if they would drill holes in the bottom for drainage. They obliged. I then found a great wooden bench at the Rosebowl Flea Market and decided to use it to raise the pots high enough so they would get enough sun during the day. My mission was finally complete!




The finished product. I actually had the blue pot already on hand and it happened to fit the tomatoes perfectly.





Basil



Mint



Cilantro



Rosemary



Tomatoes



These little yellow flowers will soon turn into tomatoes!




Lavender-smells so good


All in all, I’ve had a lot of fun with my little garden. I actually get excited to go out and water my plants. It’s incredible how fast my tomatoes have grown. I went away for a weekend, came back, and they were huge! Hey, if I can start a little garden, anyone can!



On another note, here’s a great salad recipe I love to make. It’s great because it’s a salad that actually keeps in your fridge. It doesn’t get soggy and go bad after one day! Hallelujah!

My Favorite Cous Cous Salad
Serves 4-5

1/2 cup boiling water
1 ¼ cup dry cous cous (I like to use whole wheat cous cous)
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped finely
2 ½ tablespoons fresh mint, chopped finely
1/2 of a red onion finely diced
1/2 a green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 an orange bell pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon sea salt
juice from half a lemon

Add cous cous, olive oil and lemon juice to boiling water. Remove from heat, stir well, and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes then lightly fluff cous cous and transfer to a large salad bowl.

Add salt, parsley, mint, red onion, green and orange bell peppers to cous cous and toss well. Place in refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

Right before serving when salad is chilled, add tomatoes, feta cheese and squeeze juice from half of a lemon on top. Toss well and serve!

Hope you all have a great weekend!


R

SON OF A GUN

In an effort to keep our blog well rounded, we want to post a variety of interesting food related topics, not just recipes.  Since we're an LA based blog, forgive us for not being able to focus on many restaurants outside of the LA area.   As much as we'd like to jet set around the world to review all the cool new restaurants, unless someone wants to foot the bill (Travel Channel?), we're keeping it close to home.  But hellooooo, LA has SO many cool spots.  And we're selective with the restaurants we choose,  so please keep reading!

This restaurant, Son of a Gun, recently opened with rave reviews...which is very difficult to do in fickle Los Angeles.

Son of a Gun was started by chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo.  Not only were they awarded Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2009, they've appeared on the Food Network's Iron Chef, and now have their own show, Two Dudes Catering.  They still operate a full service catering company, as well as run the ever popular Animal (opened in 2008 to widespread acclaim), where it's sooo hard to get a reservation that's before 10pm.  Such is the case with Son of a Gun.  Great for them, not for us.  

So I went with some friends this past weekend.  We had 11pm reservations and we still had to wait.  Good thing they closed at 1am!  Since Animal is one of my favorite restaurants in LA, when I heard chefs Jon and Vinny were doing a spin-off with a seafood themed spot, I knew I'd have to check it out. Their dishes are quirky and daring, sometimes making even the most adventurous eaters hesitate.  Picky eaters won't have a good time.  I could never date a picky eater.  What a snoozefest that would be!

When we arrived, we were ushered to the back bar, where there's a great specialty drink list and a hot bartender (a dark haired beauty).  But between being pressed up against the wall where the busy waiters push past you on their way to the kitchen or else hovering over the shoulders of people eating dinner at the cramped bar, there really wasn't an area to chill and have a drink.  I was so glad when they finally seated us because I felt like I was in everyone's way!  Which I was.

My pretty and refreshing St. Germain Champagne Cocktail

Walking to our table past the large communal table, I thought how the concept of the community table was becoming more and more popular. Walk-ins get to sit at this table, which I don't particularly prefer because of limited privacy, but if you're single, what a great way to casually meet someone!

The decor is very kitschy with mostly nautical themed items on display: buoys, fish nets, model ships, helms.  Not my style, but it really works here.  I felt a great energy from all the patrons, as if we were part of a secret club where you could only be a member if you were bold and adventurous with your food.  Sorry if I sound like a food snob.  I'm not.  I'm just so in love with food and trying new things that sometimes I'll dare myself to try a new food (not as daring as Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel) just so I can say that I've tried it.  Yes, at times, it's gross.  But you end up laughing with your friends and talk about it for days after!  What's so bad about that??

Since we ate so late, the kitchen was out of 1/3 of their menu.  Sad!  So we told our waiter to bring out whatever he thought were the must-have dishes of the items that were available.  Our dinner was still incredible.

Oysters on the half shell

Benton's Country Ham, Honey Butter, Corn Bread

Colombia River King Salmon Crudo, Beets, Pickled Ramps

Albacore Tataki, Sesame Seeds, Radish, Citrus Soy

Clams and Linguine, Spicy Fennel Sausage, Ramp Tops

Frozen Lime Yogurt, Graham Crumble, Toasted Meringue

What they were out of that we so desperately wanted to try: 

Smoked Mahi Fish Dip, Celery, Radish, Crackers

Portuguese Sardine Escabeche, Parsnip, Habenero

Smoked Steelhead Roe, Maple Cream, Pumpernickel

Neiman Ranch Hangar, Fried Oysters, Béarnaise, Fries

I'll make our next reservation for earlier in the night to ensure the above items are available.  I highly recommend Son Of A Gun for a great night out, whether you're on a date or just out with friends.  Your lives will be a much better place having been there!

M

SOLO SOUFFLE

Last night I couldn’t decide what to make for dinner. I went back and forth, being extremely indecisive when I finally decided on a cheese soufflé. It's something I've always wanted to try, but I've been a little intimidated. Since I was dining alone with my dog, I figured if I screwed it up and ended up with a sunken and botched soufflé, I could just try again and no one would know!

Seeing as this was the first soufflé I have ever made, I went with a trusted and classic recipe by Julia Child.

Cheese Soufflé
Julia Child

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
4 large egg yolks
5 large egg whites
1 cup (packed) coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 4 ounces)

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 400F.Butter 6-cup (1 1/2-quart) soufflé dish. Add Parmesan cheese and tilt dish, coating bottom and sides. Warm milk in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until mixture begins to foam and loses raw taste, about 3 minutes (do not allow mixture to brown). Remove saucepan from heat; let stand 1 minute. Pour in warm milk, whisking until smooth. Return to heat and cook, whisking constantly until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in paprika, salt, and nutmeg. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, whisking to blend after each addition. Scrape soufflé base into large bowl. Cool to lukewarm. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into lukewarm or room temperature soufflé base to lighten. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions while gradually sprinkling in Gruyère cheese. Transfer batter to prepared dish.

Place dish in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until soufflé is puffed and golden brown on top and center moves only slightly when dish is shaken gently, about 25 minutes (do not open oven door during first 20 minutes). Serve immediately.



ready to go in the oven

   

I cut the recipe in half and used a 16oz soufflé dish since I was dining solo. I wasn’t sure how much the cook time would change with the smaller soufflé, so I just kept checking on the soufflé using the oven light—not opening the oven door as Julia instructed above. I watched with baited breath hoping to god the thing would rise as expected. It did!! It still took about 25 minutes to cook, same as the 32oz. Seeing as how I’m a pretty clumsy person, I tried to be as careful as humanly possible when taking it out of the oven. When the soufflé made it to the table, it looked beautiful. Nice, tall, and fluffy. And it smelled incredible—my whole apartment smelled of perfectly toasted cheese.




My dinner date was extremely jealous.

I paired the soufflé with a fresh baguette and dug in! The best way I can think of to describe it is airy and light; a delicate pillow of cheese and egg. Bite after bite of cheesy ecstasy and I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I ate the whole thing!

It was well worth it though and a lot less difficult to make than I thought it would be. I can’t wait to make it again for some of my friends!


R

MY SPECIAL SALSA AND GUACAMOLE

My friend Jeremy came over this Saturday and the first thing he said when he walked in the door was, "Where's that coffee jelly?!"  I laughed because I hadn't mentioned the coffee jelly I'd made on Friday, but he'd read our blog! So thank you, Jeremy, for being a true supporter.  Rachel and I always joke about how few people read our blog (4 in total...our parents).  But as it turns out, there are people out there that do!  And we are very thankful for you. We'll try to simultaneously be entertaining and informative, and hopefully inspire you to cook at home if you don't already!

If you'd like to make a salsa that people will talk about, this recipe below, courtesy of our friend, Terry, is a total hit at get-togethers.  It's hearty and colorful with so many wonderfully textured ingredients:

You're probably thinking, "Red wine vinegar?"  Yup, the secret ingredient. And cucumbers give the salsa the heartiness that you'd normally achieve with red onions, but minus the spiciness and onion breath.  The key is to dice the ingredients into tiny cubes.  Tedious, yes.  Delicious and pretty, yes. You, ultimately, are in control with the size of the cuts, but doesn't this just look amazing?

Serves 10


Ingredients:
4 tomatoes (beef steak or on the vine), seeded
2 cucumbers, seeded
1 red onion
1 jalapeño, seeded
4 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Juice from 2 limes
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 dashes cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicier)
salt & pepper to taste
tortilla chips


Finely dice the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl or tupperware, then mix together the rest of the ingredients, minus the chips (duh).  Cover and refrigerate.  You can make this a day ahead if you'd like. The longer the flavors have to blend, the tastier the salsa.  Now for the guacamole!

Serves 10


Ingredients:
6 avocados
salt
1 - 1.5 cup, roughly, of the above salsa


Easy.  If you make the salsa, the guacamole is so simple and only takes a few minutes.  Mash the avocados in a large bowl with either a fork or a potato masher.  Mash to whatever consistency you like.  I prefer to keep some larger chunks of avocado.  Sprinkle with salt to taste.  Carefully fold in salsa.  That's it. 


You can add more or less salsa.  I, personally, like a lot.  And a tip from my friend, Liane, to prolong the life of the guacamole; throw in a few avocado pits.  I think it tricks the avocado into thinking it's still in its original state and your guacamole won't start turning brown...until about 2 days later.  Let us know what your friends think the next time you make this tasty combo!  


M

DAY PICKLES

I have to give my Dad props for this fantastic recipe/idea. I had no idea it was possible to pickle vegetables in a DAY! These “Day Pickles” are a quick and tasty snack, appetizer, or topping on a sandwich. They are a new staple in my fridge and I can’t get over how easy they are to make!

Day Pickles
2 plastic containers or glass jars (they need to hold about two cups of liquid plus the vegetables)
8 cloves garlic, peeled
6 dried chile peppers (I used Arbol)
3 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 dashes oregano
1 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon capers
1 English cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 1/3 cups cold water
2 cups white vinegar
2 splashes rice vinegar

First, assemble the containers in front of you.

Place 4 peeled cloves of garlic, 3 dried chile peppers, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 shake of oregano, 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, and 1 teaspoon of capers in EACH container.

Cut English cucumbers in three sections, and quarter so the spears are all about 4 inches long. (if the cucumber is 12 inches long) . Remove the seeds/core of the bell peppers, and cut into spears about the same length as the cucumbers.

Stuff the peppers and cucumbers (any combination you like) into the container in an upright position and make sure they are fairly snug.

Pour 2/3 cup of cold water over the vegetables in each container. Add one cup of white vinegar to each container and top with a splash of rice vinegar. Add a couple sprigs of mint to the top and cover with lid.

Make sure the lid is on tight. Shake and turn the container upside down and just let sit for about 2 hours. Turn container on other side and let sit for another two hours. Turn over one last time and let sit for an hour. Now you can move them to the fridge to chill.

They are ready almost immediately after they chill in the fridge! Obviously, the longer they are in the juices, the more flavor they will have. (keep these refridgerated since they are not properly sealed in a jar or can) You can pretty much use any combination of vegetables you would like; green beans, asparagus, onions, carrots, cauliflowers…the list goes on!




R

COFFEE JELLY WITH ICE CREAM

Before you scrunch your noses at my blog entry title, bear with me.  This dessert tastes just like the classic Italian dessert, Affogato, where you pour a shot of espresso over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

So I was on the phone this morning with my girlfriend, Maggie, and she was so excited to tell me that her new favorite snack is Jello.  Yes, Maggie is over 18.  

I can't remember the last time I had Jello (do I capitalize Jello??).  Even a Jello shot.  She was going on about how you can put bits of whatever fruit you want into the Jello.  I told her that when I was living in Tokyo, Starbucks sold this seasonal summer drink that contained bits of coffee Jello in iced coffee, sort of how boba made it's way into milky tea drinks.  It was like a zero calorie dessert in your coffee!

So I got this idea in my head: With just 3 ingredients plus ice cream, I was going to make a version of the Starbucks drink and Affogato for an afternoon treat.

3 cups strong coffee or espresso (I ordered a Venti Americano plus 2 extra shots)

2 packets unflavored Knox Gelatin 

2 Tbsp. sugar

Vanilla Ice Cream

Dissolve sugar and both packets of gelatin into piping hot coffee.  Pour coffee into an 8x8x2 or similar sized dish.  Place in refrigerator for about 3 hours so mixture can cool and firm.  When jello has set, using a knife, carefully cut lines into mixture to create mini jello cubes.  Take a spatula and gently scoop the cubes into a bowl.  Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and voila, a tasty treat!

M