Epic Fail....and I mean Epic

So I hate to say anything about restaurants that I really didn't enjoy.  I guess it goes back to mom always preaching about "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."  Or was that just my southern upbringing?  There are just too many great places to eat to focus on the bad ones.  Anyways, I feel my due diligence to inform you of this epic fail.

Let me start off with, perhaps I am spoiled.  Perhaps mexican food is simply different here.  But in my quest to replicate all the restaurants I loved in Atlanta, I have YET to find a great mexican restaurant.  And this one was the worst one so far.  There is no way that I will step foot near this place again.

The place that I am referring to is Mucho Mas in Burbank/NoHo.  Now if you are surprised that I didn't like it, trust me, I am equally surprised at the amazing ratings the place has on websites like yelp.  While the decor is cute, and its a fairly large place, we rarely saw our server.  It took forever to finally order, but when he was around, he was very pleasant to us.

I ordered two very basic mexican foods, a combo plate with a chile relleno and an enchilada.  Both came out swimming in a pool of refried beans and the red sauce that usually comes with enchiladas.  Everything kind of congealed on the plate when it was cooling, and the effect wasn't pretty.  Not to mention the breading around chile relleno tasted stale when I bit into it.  The portions were huge, but only because the plate was ladled with way too much rice and beans.  The flavor of the enchilada was nice, but there was so much sauce slathered on that it made it hard to enjoy.  Neither my husband or myself ended up finishing our dishes.  I don't think I made it half way through.

But I will say this.  My meal came with a tortilla soup, and it was extremely tasty.  Lots of veggies, cheese and chips in a delicious broth.  When this came out first I was so excited for my meal.  Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed once our plates arrived.

So now I need your help foodies.  For those of you who live in LA, can you PLEASE suggest a great mexican place to try?  We are really looking for a place that has some type of Queso Blanco dip, and freshly made salsa.  I would love your suggestions.  For those of you in Atlanta, be thankful for La Parilla!

Until next time,

Guten Appetit

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Oh October.  Easily my favorite part of the year.  And for several reasons.  Finally the air starts to cool and the leaves turn, which I haven't really noticed a lot of in Los Angeles, but maybe soon right??  I hear the seasons here turn a little later than they do on the east coast.  Second, Halloween, which is my absolutely favorite holiday of the year.  I love the pumpkins and witches and scary movies all over TV. Also, its my birth month!  Yes, happy birthday to me this coming Tuesday!  I'm excited to check out Miru 8691 for my birthday dinner.  Who wouldn't want to go after seeing their episode of Crave on the Food Network!!  I can't wait to tell you all about it on Wednesday.

But my favorite part of October is that all of a sudden the food starts to change.  We start craving richer flavors and warmer dishes.  I know for me, on the first cold day of fall I want to pull my crock pot out of summer retirement and make a huge serving of Taco Soup or Chili.  Not to mention all of the amazing fall desserts that start to come out.

My favorite of all of these is pumpkin cheesecake.  I found this recipe from Paula Deen and wanted to share it with you.  It actually won a recipe cook-off that one of my friend's moms puts on every year around this time.  Such a great alternative to traditional pumpkin pie, which might be another reason I love it so much.  I love traditional recipes that you can tweak a little and make into something just as tasy, but just a little different.

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick melted salted butter

***Or I cheat and use store bought crust, taste the same to me and so much easier!***

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.  ***Or like I said above, use a store bought one...either way***

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

One tip, put this in a water bath when cooking.  I've attached a link below describing this technique in case you aren't familiar.  I sure wasn't and the first time I tried this the cheesecake cracked and didn't look too appealing.  Don't get me wrong, it was TASTY!  but not cute to look at.  So if that is important to you, check out the water bath technique.  

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/tools-and-techniques/what-is-a-water-bath.htm

Check out this recipe, I KNOW you will love it.  What other things do you enjoy adding pumpkin to?  I'm just now starting to enjoy the flavor and texture of pumpkin and would like to try it in other things.  

Until next time!

Guten Appetit!

Pizza Per Tutti - Pizza for All!

So sorry for the long break in posting dear foodies!!  After posting my blog about feel better foods, I actually ended up needing them for about a week.  Stupid head cold turned ugly and all I wanted was chicken coconut soup and the couch.  But now I'm back, just in time for this amazing weather in LA!  So here goes.

When I lived overseas in Germany, my college dorm actually happened to be right in the heart of the Turkish/Italian ghetto.  Lots of low income housing, with tons of people crammed into them.  But the food...oh the food in that neighborhood was amazing!  I had an amazing pizza joint called Pizza bei Gianni, which was 100% authentic Italian style pizza.  Thin crust, bare minimum of sauce, amazing cheese and really great toppings left you satisfied, but not bloated or with heartburn like you tend to get after a night of Pizza Hut.  Simply amazing.  One of the greatest moments in my study abroad was the night I was able to call and order my pizza in German without messing it up.  It's the little things I guess.  I really miss this place.

But I think I might have found a place very near to the beloved pizza dive in my memories.  Located on Lankershim Blvd in Noho is a tiny Italian pizza parlor, Pizza per Tutti which is Italian for Pizza for Everyone!  They have an good sized menu with everything from pizza to sandwiches to a full pasta menu.  But the pizza is simply amazing.

My favorite is their Pizza Margherita.  So light and delicious, and completely satisfying.  It has an olive oil based, with tomatoes and basil...ugh ah.maz.ing.  I added goat cheese to it, and it really added something to the texture.  I wish I had gotten a picture, but I was so hungry the last time I ordered it, there was no chance!  But my husband and I recently went back for our Saturday college football gameday meal.  We ordered the pepperoni, which was equally tasty.

Couldn't Wait...again lol.

The pepperoni can get a little greasy, but what great pizza isn't?  The 14" shown above is more than enough to feed two people, but would order more if you have more people.  They offer tons of options, and even a "build it yourself" pizza that you find in most places.  My favorite thing about Pizza per Tutti is the crust.  It is nice and thin, crunchy, not fatty or greasy at all.  Just the perfect base for their fresh ingredients.  If you enjoy a more authentic style pizza, this is a must try place.  We will certainly be back.

Until next time my foodies,

Guten Appetit!

"Feel Better" Food

Well it was inevitable.  I usually get a head cold at least once of twice a year, and so I guess it was about time.  But this one was thanks to my husband, who caught it from the coughing guy a few rows back on his last trip to Georgia.  With a sore throat, I figured it was a great night to blog.  So, as most of you know, with the best of colds comes comfy pjs, lots of tea with honey and what I call "feel better" foods.

I know what really makes me feel better with a head cold.  But I wanted to pose this questions to a few friends to see what they thought.  What makes people feel good is a bit subjective, so I thought it was interesting to hear some of their answers.  But the thing I noticed in everything was of course warm, hearty comfort foods.

Since the seasons are *crosses fingers* about to change here in LA, here are a few "Feel Better" foods in case you too find yourself needing some comfort food.

My "Feel Better" - Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Coconut-Chicken-Soup-5412

I love this recipe.  It has a ton of flavor.  The coconut milk is creamy and smooth on my sore throat.  And the spice from the chilies and other spices help to clear up my sinus...at least for a few minutes.  Of course, a quick call to your favorite Thai place is easier.  But just in case you wanted to try for yourself, here you go.

Ultimate Comfort "Feel Better" - Chicken and Dumplings

http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-and-dumplings-72963

An obviously great comfort food.  Lots of chicken, creamy dumplings and just a few veggies to make you feel a little better.  But who cares, comfort food is about comfort.  Of course, this southern dish might be hard to find here in LA.  Trust me though, this is deep down "feel better" so give it a try!

Most Unique "Feel Better" - Spaghetti Sandwich

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/spaghetti-sandwich-recipe/index.html

So I've never really heard about this one, but I found it so interesting I had to put in down.  The recipe above got a great rating, but it looks pretty complicated.  I'm pretty sure you can get away with your favorite spaghetti between two slices of garlic bread and some parm.  Either way, sounds tasty, if not slightly odd.

Of course some close runners-up were the classic "feel-better" chicken noodle soup, and a japanese version called udon.  Another was mashed potatoes and I had one vote for 13-bean soup.  All suggestions were great.  Thanks so much.  For those of you who didn't get to chime in, I would love to hear your favorite comfort foods.

Until Next Time, Guten Appetit!

Dr. Atkins Dream Restaurant

This post is dedicated to my Korean cousin, not sure if she wants me to name names, so I won't.  She helped me(the white chick in the family) to understand the finer points of Korean BBQ, such as what the different side items were, how to use them, and what to expect from the servers.  Some of my favorite memories from Atlanta are when we would get all the cousins together to enjoy hours of KBBQ followed by our favorite asian bakery for dessert.  Ah, memories!  I usually had to be rolled home after the food coma ensued.  So I knew of course, that I would need some Korean BBQ in my life once we moved to LA, and I think we found a great spot!

For those of you who don't know, Korean BBQ is basically large plates of marinated raw meat brought to your table, that you cook on your own stove which is usually located in the middle of your table.  This is accompanied by a plethora of side dishes that tends to change from place to place.  But you can usually count on some type of pickled radish, rice paper, jalapenos and garlic and a salad.  So tasty!  

Which leads me to the restaurant we found.  Located on Wilshire Blvd is the Tahoe Galbi Korean BBQ Restaurant.  Pretty typical of what you would expect from a KBBQ place.  Lots of family style seating, most tables can hold up to 8 people.  Pretty large facility, including private dining areas for reservation.  But we usually just show up and enjoy.  I would suggest going with a group of at least 3-4 people to make the experience fun.  And don't go on a Saturday unless you are ok with a good long wait.  It is PACKED on the weekends.  One good thing?  Valet parking in a secured lot.  Very nice!

There are a ton of meat choices.  From seafood, to your typical pork and beef, to the more exotic tripe and tongue, you can find plenty of options here.  My personal favorite is the bbq pork.  It has a really great flavor to the marinate, and is just the right balance of marbling and meat.  So savory!  The other great thing they do, which my cousin taught us they should ALWAYS do, is regularly change out the grill plate for you.  Makes sense, since most people don't want to cook new meat on greasy caked on old meat that is now stuck to your grill. 

 My only complaint with this place, is that service can be really really slow sometimes.  I understand that it is a large restaurant, and there usually isn't one dedicated waiter for your table.  There is a door bell that rings and flashes your table number on a screen in the servers area.  Whenever you need something you just ring that bell, and they should come right over.  Sometimes you have to ring several times.  But, when the conversation is going strong, and there is plenty of soju on the table this is easy to overlook.  

All in all, a great price for all you can eat BBQ, plenty of meat and seafood choices, and a generally fun atmosphere.  I really enjoy going to Tahoe Galbi, but we usually reserve it for when we have guests in town and want to take them somewhere special.  If you are curious and have never had KBBQ before, be adventurous!  It is truly a delicious experience.  For those of you who know, check out Tahoe Galbi, I think you would be pleasantly surprised.  For those of you know REALLY know your KBBQ, do you have a place to you really enjoy?  I would love to hear your feedback on the local carnivore scene.  

Until next time, Guten Appetit!