Ambrosia Quest

Junior’s Delicatessen has been one of my favorite Los Angeles deli’s since I first discovered it back in the late 80’s. They have endured 50 years at the same location on Westwood Boulevard in West Los Angeles, and with any luck they will be around for 50 more.

Everything on the menu is made in-house, and is available for pick-up at their full service deli counter and bakery. Their house made pickles are my all-time favorites. They used to sit in small buckets on each table, but now are brought to the table in bowls, as garnish. Do try them, and don’t be shy about asking for more.

Junior’s pickles are nothing less than addictive. I am talking about juicy, halved cucumbers, bursting with a bright, crisp snap. Not too heavy on the dill or mustard seed. Their brine hits you in the mouth with a sharp garlic accent that doesn’t overstep, and instead tingles on the palate with the magic of well balanced spice, and a little extra heat thrown in for good measure.

Tony, who rarely likes a pickle that isn’t sweet and is not a fan of brined foods in general, munches these babies down like they’re candy, and he always wants to buy more to bring home. Now that we live closer, we won’t have to argue about the car smelling like pickles all day on our drive back to the Bay Area.

Aside from the pickles, I am crazy about Junior’s matzo ball soup, which is quite excellent.

The broth is soothing as all get out, teeming with big chunks of chicken and vegetables. The noodles are cooked just right - soft, but never soggy. Most importantly, the matzo ball has the ultimate tooth.

Matzo ball love is a personal thing involving the ultimate balance of moisture, lightness, spring and density. Junior’s version comes pretty close to perfection in my world. There once was a better matzo ball in the L.A. basin, but that deli was sadly short lived and it closed about a decade ago.

When it comes to delicatessen, I am strangely predictable. I almost always order a Reuben sandwich (unless it is breakfast), which I usually split so there is room for the matzo ball soup (’cause my momma didn’t raise no dummie). Thankfully, Tony likes the same thing, including the fact that we both like our Reuben customized with a combination of corned beef and pastrami, so that works out nicely. Both the pastrami and the corned beef are fantastic at Junior’s, and they do a great job with the sandwich, and the fries.

Until this last visit, I hadn’t tasted an egg cream soda - if you can believe that. Since Junior’s boasts a famous egg cream on their menu that I have always been tempted by, I figured it was time to try one.

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I can’t say it enough. In these tough times, we need more comedy. While the TV networks are — thankfully — dishing up more punchy comedic shows this season, sometimes a girl needs more. Sometimes a girl needs a walloping belly laugh that lasts all night.

That’s where The Comedy Store comes in.

For those who may be unfamiliar, The Comedy Store is one of the great institutions of comedy that has been around forever, with alumni ranging from Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., to Robin Williams, George Carlin, Richard Prior, Rosanne, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey David Letterman., and so many more. It sits in a prime location on the Sunset Strip . Of course that means plenty of tall, leggy, fake-tanned women wearing bandaids for dresses, and guys decked in black with dirty hair, but that just adds to the ambiance.

On Saturday nights, The Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard boasts a show in their Main Room called “The Best of the Comedy Store” featuring 14 hilarious comics considered the “cream of the crop.” Like all comedy shows, the comics vary in style, so if one is not to your taste the next one most likely will be. All I know is, we laughed all night long to the point where I almost fell out of my chair a few times. My abs were sore and my face hurt the next day from so much laughter. We finally left after 90 minutes or so, because we couldn’t take anymore - our sides ached. Yet the show continued on, without us.

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It is amazing how a fantastic gem can hide right under your nose, undetected.  For seven years I drove past the sign for Udupi Palace and commented on the name in a bad Indian accent, without once thinking to stop in and check it out.  How could I have been so clueless for so long?  If it weren’t for a recent short blurb in the Metro mentioning the chickpea dosas (Indian crepes) at Udupi Palace , I might have missed the experience, entirely.

That would have been a huge mistake.

I am a fan of just about anything made with chickpeas from falafel and hummus to old fashioned three bean salad, and everything in between.  As an 18 year old music student living near Fairfax Avenue and Olympic Boulevard, one of my favorite pastimes involved strolling up and down Fairfax, and venturing off onto Pico Boulevard, and other such corners and side streets, for rare ethnic delicacies that I had never heard of or tasted before.  I developed friendships with the owners of several small shops in the neighborhood - many of them Indian - and they fed me things they did not even serve at their shops.

They shared with me their own private lunches, dinners, snacks and special holiday treats, and they reveled in my glee over their exquisite cuisine.  A vegetarian at the time, I was thrilled that so many of their recipes were  based on the humble chickpea.   I cherish those memories, and compare all Chana Masala to theirs.  For there was always Chana Masala.

Now that I am avoiding wheat (i.e., Gluten Free), chickpea flour has become one of my favorite ingredients.  Socca and Pappadams (or Papad) are two of my favorite snacks, so I was excited to try a new take on a chickpea pancake from southern India.

What I wasn’t expecting, was that I would fall madly in love with the fried lentil donuts (vada) at Udupi Palace.

Akin to idli (patties made of rice and lentil flours, which are steamed, and sometimes fried), vada are prepared with lentil flour and formed into the shape of actual donuts, and then deep fried to crisp perfection.

The texture of the vada at Udupi Palace is the stuff donut dreams are made of.  No wheat flour could possibly match the light, crinkly consistency crafted from the lentil flour in this flawless donut.  Flaky and moist, with visibly crisped air bubbles encrusted in the tawny golden surface, the flavor is mild and savory with delicate spice.

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Today is the Pagan New Year.  It is a time for exciting new beginnings.  Seeds and bulbs stir quietly beneath the earth, trees shed their amber leaves, and the winds of change sweep away the old and stale, leaving everything crisp, fresh, and new.   I am thrilled to celebrate the New Year in my new home, in my good ol’ home town of Los Angeles.  It has been a long time coming.

Some of you may have noticed my lengthy absence from posting on this blog.  To my loyal (and occasional) readers, I apologize for going AWOL without so much as a word for so very long.

What can I say?  It has been a long four months, and there has been just so much work, life, drama and joy that I had no time or energy left to blog.   So very much has slipped through the cracks, as my focus shifted - almost completely - towards our recent move to Los Angeles.

Leaving Silicon Valley

It only took seven cross-state house hunting trips, three real estate agents, four weeks of negotiating, three trips to Goodwill, one Salvation Army pick-up, a monster yard sale, several trips to the dump, two large trucks - each towing one of our cars stuffed with belongings, over 250 boxes, and a separate trip with a car full of art and Tony on the bike (to drop off the motorcycle at the new house — in 105 degree heat, no less), but we finally arrived, and we are slowly settling into our beautiful new home.  Hurray for Hollywood!

Will I miss Silicon Valley? Not really. Especially, since we will most likely be visiting once a month for business.

What I will miss is the gorgeous view of our neighbor’s home, and our darling little shady lane.  The house across the street from where we lived for the last three years is a historical landmark, and one of the original farmhouses of Santa Clara County.  People drive by, stop to view it’s loveliness, and read the informational plaque out front - every day.  No longer operational, and since relocated from it’s original position at the back of the property, the water tower to the left of the photo provided irrigation to the groves (cherry and apricot, I believe), which were replaced by the surrounding neighborhood, including our house, some 54 years ago.

I will also miss the proximity to this home’s delightful owners.  This gorgeous house belongs to our friends: one of Silicon Valley’s most noteworthy and respected tech writers; a beautiful and  talented artist, and their children.   Hours pass like New York minutes in their company, and while they will continue to be a part of our lives, I will truly miss the simple daily comings and goings, and the comfort of their presence just across the street.

There are many things to share about our fabulous new location and all that Los Angles has to offer, as well some overdue coverage of a few favorite Silicon Valley haunts, some fun things we did over the summer, and even last spring that I have yet to post about.  Therefore, I am taking the plunge to join my friends and fellow bloggers in a national challenge to post on my blog once a day for the month of November.

I realize I have a lot going on right now, what with 200 boxes left to unpack, and so much more, but I will do my utmost to include a little somethin’-somethin’ for you to chew on each day.  If I slip up, please forgive me.  Finding time to post on the blog every single day is a huge endeavor in the most relaxed of times, which is probably why I have never attempted it.

That said, it’s great to be back.  Much more to come.  Until tomorrow, my sweets!

XXXOOO,

~ Paula

A couple weeks ago, Tony and I started a diet, eliminating gluten (mainly wheat and rye flours, and products containing such) and sugar.  We still eat fruit, and certain sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, stevia, and agave.    We are also attempting to eat six small meals a day, and follow the principles of food combining and the Blood Type Diet.  If we cheat on anything, it is the food combining aspect, and only occasionally.  Hey, a girl’s gotta have her tacos (violating the no protein and carb at the same meal rule), and her fruity desserts (violating the only eat fruit alone, and only on an empty stomach rule).  I mean, I want to lose weight and eat healthier, not commit suicide.  Ya know what I’m sayin’?

I have been using agave for a few years now, and was thinking I would rely on it as my main sweetener during this diet, which we plan to stay on for the next few months, but I recently read  this post, which caused me to have concern about using it as a staple, so I have cut back on agave consumption considerably.  In the meantime, I have been turning to honey.  I have always loved honey.

Just because I am limiting the types of food I am eating, doesn’t mean I am willing to sacrifice flavor, or textural pleasure, on any level.  Honeslty, I have been enjoying the food I am eating on this diet more than what I as previous eating.  I am focused on fresh produce now more than ever, and at least five of the six small meals I am eating daily include fresh produce, prepared with creativity and passion.

This pie is no exception.  The apricot season was shorter than usual this year, and these may be some of the last apricots I consume fresh this year (though, I hope not since they are my favorite fruit).  We frequented our local Blenheim apricot farm buying boxes at a time until they were finished .  And they were heaven.   These blushing beauties were acquired from Trader Joe’s.  They were packed in platic cartons.  They are not Blenheims, and they are nowhere near as flavorful as the local ones we enjoyed for three short weeks, but they were delicous apricots, nonetheless.  They were especially flavorful after being tossed with honey and orange blossom water, and placed on top of this fresh ricotta pie.

All that said, the true inspiration for this pie came from David Lebovitz and his recent post on how to make fresh ricotta cheese, which he guest posted on Simply Recipes.  Once I read the post, and drooled over the temping photos of light and creamy ricotta curds, and then saw how easy it was to make, I was hooked.  I dreamt about the stuff last night, and woke up with this morning with the following recipe buzzing around in my head.

The result was a beautiful, light, creamy dessert, with just the right amount of natural sweetnest.  The freshly made ricotta was perfect, and better than expected.  I combined it with mascarpone, vanilla and a little honey, and it tasted like the filling of a really good cannoli from Little Italy or North Beach. 

Tony and I mmmm’d and ahhhh’d throught the generous slices of this pie, which we enjoyed for brunch today.  I am quite pleased with all of it, and even though the crust was not firm, the texture was a perfect match.  I absolutely loved it! 

I look forward to my next gluten-free, sugar-free slice of paradise.  I am sure I will make this for years to come, whether or not I am on a diet.  Thank you, David Lebovitz!!!

Recipes for Apricot Ricotta Pie and Honey Almond Crust after the jump.

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… I launched this blog.  And what a fun time it has been!

How quickly the months have passed!  And, in that time my readership has grown from a handful of devotees to thousands of readers a month.  I have connected with long lost friends, and have even made a few new ones, and look forward to connecting with many more of you. 

My greatest pleasure in blogging is knowing that others have tried my recipes, or followed my travel suggestions.  That is just so exciting! 

It has been such a pleasure documenting and sharing my experiences here.  I look forward to another great year of decadent pleasure seeking with all of you.  Thank you for your following and support!

Cheers to you, my dear readers!! 

XOXOXOX,

~ Paula

Last month, while thousands of people lined up hoping to receive “Great American Food” at nearby Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View only to be tragically let down, I found myself craving a quintessentially iconic American food item that was not included on the menu, which was put together by  Ed Levine of Serious Eats.  

For some reason, I just couldn’t get excited about imported hot dogs, pastrami sandwiches, chicken wings, or PB&J’s.  Instead, I had my heart set on an “ultimate Maine Lobster Roll”.  So, I pitched Tony the idea (an easy sell), and we headed for The Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City - avoiding the crowds and chaos at Shoreline entirely.

And, after a short ride across the Peninsula, we walked right in, ordered, and soon after we were rewarded with these beauties. 

No crowds, no lines, and no waiting.  Just an “ultimate lobster roll” imported from Maine, and served up locally. 

Now, I realize “ultimate” is a word tossed around the food community with such frequency that it has lost much of it’s clout, but when The Old Port Lobster Shack in Redwood City emblazened the slogan “the ultimate Lobster Roll” under their logo, they were not messing around.  This is one “ultimate” that lives up to its claim.

What makes the lobster rolls at the Old Port Lobster Shack “ultimate?” 

Russell Deutsch behind counter at The Old Port Lobster Shack

Meet Russell Deutsch, who hails from Boston, and is co-owner of The Old Port Lobster Shack with his wife, Lynn.  Formerly a top Maine lobster exporter to Switzerland, Russell is an accomplished expert when it comes to packaging, shipping and handling delicate, specialty seafood, and he imports his own live Maine lobsters and other seafood items, including hard to find soft shell and “full belly” clams, “picky toe” crabs, day boat scallops, oysters, mussels, and more - all flown in from fresh from the Altantic three times a week, just for the restaurant.  Of course, everything is harvested from the sea the morning it is shipped for ultimate freshness. 

Russell’s respect for the gorgeous seafood he imports is evident in the kitchen of his Redwood City restaurant, where he steams his live Maine lobsters to absolute perfection and serves them up in generous heaps to throngs of loyal, happy customers.  Which brings me to the next factor in his “ultimate lobster roll…” 

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Sometimes the best made plans are laid to waste and you just gotta be spontaneous, think fast on your feet, and go with the flow.  Such was the case last weekend, when we were unable to make it to our destination for dinner and fireworks on the Fourth of July, which I had arranged for months in advance, ’cause I am that kind of girl. 

As it turned out, the SFPD had other plans.  For some reason they felt the need to close Embarcadero to all citizen traffic, causing us to detour far and away from our destination, with no recourse. 

We pleaded with the unsympathetic police officers to allow us to make the right turn that they were blocking with their own persons, so we could drive the mere half block to our pre-reserved parking spots.  What would be the harm in that? 

Alas, they would have none of it.  The parking structure loomed a stones toss away, tempting us to just floor it, but we resisted.  Fine, upstanding citizens that we are.  So, along with thousands of other poor dopes, we inched along the detour ever so slowly, hoping to find a parking space - any parking space - to no avail, as our holiday plans dimished.  

As for our reservations, the restaurant confirmed that they would hold our table all night, and wished us luck with parking.  We needed more than luck. What we needed was a helicopter.  Failing that, we putsed along in mind numbing bumper- to-bumper traffic over the course of two hours before finally gave up, exasperated and quite hungry.  The fireworks hadn’t started yet, be we were most certainly done.

 Tony does not do hungry well, just so you know.  He was grumbling something about about turning around and driving home, but traffic was at a standstill in every direction and that just sounded like a bad idea.  Meanwhile, I could sense Tony’s inner grouch rising to the surface, and wanted to avoid dealing with that beast at all costs.  So, what to do?

As we eeked along Van Ness, I recognized the familiar Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse sign we seem to pass just about every time we are in the city approaching on the right.  Neither of us had eaten at a Ruth’s Chris before, but it had a good reputation and Tony had always wanted to try it, so I grabbed my phone and called.  They confirmed thay had a table ready at that moment, and in the next instant we pulled over and into the valet parking spot.  Seconds later, we were out of traffic and seated - with glasses of Prosecco on the way. 

Phew!  All was well in the world.  Except for the fact that the ride home promised to take forever, and neither of us could bear the thought of it.

Fortunately, earlier that morning I had read a blurb about a unique and affordable hotel on Bush Street near Chinatown called Hotel des Arts.  So, while waiting for our drinks to arrive at Ruth’s Chris, we called the Hotel des Arts and nabbed their last suite for $130.00.  And, just lke that, we were all set. 

A wedge salad, a couple of beautiful, butter-saturated cuts of beef, sides of potatoes au gratin and asparagus, a lovely bottle of wine, and a rich, chocolatey dessert later, and things were looking up.  Our previous plans and subsequent traffic nightmare a distant memory.  Crisis averted.

After dinner, we made a quick stop at Walgreens for a few overnight essentials, and made off for the hotel.  

The neighborhood where the hotel was located - The French Quarter - was new to us, and it seemed quaint with restaurants and bars located on alleys, the way they have them in Europe.   There was also an abundance of Acadamy of the Arts buildings in the vicinity.   

Judging by the looks of the hotel, which is absolutely covered in art, the local artists are getting plenty of work.  Our room was painted by Chor Boogie and Maya Hayuk.  As you can see from the photos, it was a total psychedelic trip.  All that was missing was an ounce of magic mushrooms, and about a dozen deadheads.

The place was groovy enough, but it was a bit intense for a peaceful night’s sleep, what with the neon red devil’s tongues lunging up the walls, a shamanistic hot tub floating over our heads, pulses of electricity jutting out of towers on either side of us converging overhead, and a giant mountain of tangled tails on the wall facing the bed, and all.  Aside from the peaceful scenery I just mentioned, it was only slightly unsettling to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom in the company of eerily glowing ghoulish faces staring at me from beneath giant ears of corn.  

Clearly, I was far too sober for this bizarre hotel room. 

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Marzipan Cherries at Miette

Miette is French for the word “crumb”.  Is is also the name of three darling cupcake and candy shop outposts located in San Francisco.  One in the Ferry Building, one in the Marina, and the one I visited last weekend in Hayes Valley.

I have been a fan of Miette for a while now.  Every time I am at the Ferry Building, I make a point to stop by their little stall and load up on their delicious caramels and caramel panna cotta pots.  So when I noticed a sign pointing to their shop on the corner of Octavia and Hayes, while enjoying a breakfast of banana pecan waffles al fresca at Stacks (a tiny local chain with great breakfasts, I have loved for years) on said corner, I just had to drop in and see what was cooking.

The offerings at the Hayes Valley shop are quite different from the other two Miette locations, which focus more on baked goods, with only a small amount of candy.  Here. it is all about the candy.

A feast for the eyes of any sugar tooth, endless jars of brilliantly colored glistening confections fill every nook and cranny of the boutique space from floor to ceiling. While there were a few token bakery items displayed in a case, and a few jars of macarons for good measure, that is as far as the cake crumbs go in this cute little confiserie.

The inventory is heavily laden with whimsical items from France, along with a lovely selection of French chocolate Bars.  American artisan candies such as the Marzipan Cherries Made in Washington state (shown above), adorn the shelves alongside French absinthe pastilles and irresistible candies produced in house.  They also have a nice assortment of playful retro American candies like Zots, candy cigarettes and the like.  The entire store feels like a Franco-American throwback mash-up.

On this little impromptu stop, I picked up some of Miette’s caramels, lemon verbena marshmallows, and rose scented meringue drops, along with a tin of French verbena pastilles, and two French marshmallow batons - one lemon and one violet.  It was tough, but I skipped the chocolates since they would probably melt in the car.

I am so delighted by the whimsy of this precious little shop, and will certainly stop by again when I am in the neighborhood.

Visited on Sunday, July 5, 2009

As you leave Miette, walk to the  corner of Octavia and Hayes.  You will pass this little engraving (shown above) in the sidewalk outside of stacks, reminding you to stay cool along the way.  Cross Octavia to your right, and a short ways down on the right hand side you will find Paulette Mararons.  Enter.

Macarons from Paulette: Chocolate, Jasmine Tea, Raspberry, Coconut, Almond, Vanilla and Pecan-Caramel Sale (with salt)

Once inside the shop, we were greeted warmly by Byron Shirley (below), who charmed us immediately.  And, in no time, he had us all set to go with two dozen beauties in a rainbow of colors.

At Paulette, macarons are the star of the show.  In fact, they are the entire show.  Each flavor is displayed in the case for you to choose from.  And, nothing else.  They do offer an assortment of teas from Marriage Freres in Paris, and a few jars of confitures for sale, but that is all folks.  

And really, what more do you need?

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It’s time again for Serious Eats Weekend Cook and Tell.  The theme this week is pasta married with seasonal produce, and was inspired by this article in the SF Gate.

When this week’s challenge was announced last Wednesday, I was still raw, feeling disappointed and bitter about the  Prop 8 ruling.  And so, I found myself craving something bitter to match my mood.   Scanning the seasonal local bounty, radicchio seemed like the perfect ingredient.

Taking the challenge to heart, I utilized four local seasonal produce items in this recipe, including radicchio, basil, walnuts, and garlic.  I have also used local olive oil by Ivers and Sons - Late Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Both the oil and the walnuts are from California’s Central Valley - Chico, to be exact.

The Strozzapreti pasta, Pancetta and Pecorino Romano are from Italy, of course.  But, wait!  The artisan pasta I selected was produced at the Monastery di Montebello in Isola di Piano, Italy.  According to the package, it is organically made with organic duram wheat semolina and carefully ground using natural spring water, then dried in traditional dry rooms, the old fashioned way.  That counts for something, right?

Anyways, as I suspected, all of the ingredients meshed perfectly, playing off each other in an intricate symphony of textures and  flavors - salty and bitter, with a twisted bite.  Molto appropriato!

In the end, my pasta creation was bright, balanced, fresh, colorful, pleasing to the palate, and not the least bit disappointing.  I wish I could say the same for so many of my fellow Californians.

Recipe for Strozzapreti Pasta with Radicchio, Pancetta and Walnuts

Method:

Cook pasta in salted boiling water, according to preference.  Strain, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid.

Heat large saucepan, and add olive oil.  Add Pancetta and saute until golden brown on all sides.   Add garlic and saute for a few seconds, being careful not to brown garlic.

Add radicchio and saute briefly to wilt.   Add basil, walnuts and pasta (reviving pasta with reserved liquid first, if necessary)  Remove from heat and toss to coat.

Add Pecorino, tossing to incorporate.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!