Author Archives: Anne

Posted on April 13, 2007 by Anne| 3 Comments
Sourdough pancakes, a food blog and love

Is that title confusing enough for you? Here’s the explanation: I happened to catch this little vignette on the Food Network a couple of weeks ago, and it just made me smile. Readers of the beautifully written and well-photographed (and now quite famous!) Orangette know the story of how a search for a cake recipe kicked off a whirlwind romance that will now be sealed with a summer wedding. As an avid reader myself, I couldn’t be happier for Molly (Ms. Orangette herself) and her fiancée Brandon. After reading something about his famous sourdough pancakes on her blog, I commented that I lacked the sourdough starter necessary to make the pancakes, which are a favorite of J’s. Not only did Ms. Molly offer to send me some of her starter, she cleverly dried it on parchment, broke it up into pieces, packaged it up with the most detailed instructions on how to reanimate it and ACTUALLY did it. We’ve had some of the tastiest sourdough pancakes since, and the starter continues to live in my fridge to this day. I don’t mean to sound cynical but it’s so surprising in this day and age when someone is so generous, and to a stranger no less!


Sourdough pancakes…….

So please, sit back, relax, and enjoy the story of how a certain New Yorker fell for a flame-haired Seattle girl and how the power of food brought them together.

And to Molly and Brandon- my heartfelt congratulations to you both.

The Story of Molly & Brandon

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Posted on April 10, 2007 by Anne| 7 Comments

Dylan of eat, drink & be merry tagged me for this “5 Things About Me” meme. A meme (mēm) is defined as: “noun. A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.” So basically, it’s the same concept as a chain letter, and D has passed the torch to me. Anyway, make sure you read his hilarious list here- you’ll never think of The River Dance in quite the same way again (actually, no one should ever think of The River Dance. Ever. For any reason).

#1: I play(ed) piano for almost 18 years

I’m sure it will pain my parents to read that I hardly ever touch the piano anymore, but it all started when I was around 3 years old, living in Kamakura, Japan. They love to tell the story of how they just bought a piano, placed it in a room and waited to see which one of us would gravitate toward it first. Apparently, I did (Hello? I was three years old so I probably was thinking, What is this big, black thing?), so it was swimming school for my sister and piano lessons for me. The lessons continued after we moved to the U.S and went on forever until I finally put the brakes on it sometime in high school. I occasionally think I should buy a keyboard (it must have weighted keys…I hate the plastic feel of regular keyboards) and keep it around so I can start playing again, but we already have one musician in the family (J) and I have no desire for a Sonny & Cher kind of thing. How weird would that be if you came over and J busted out his basses and I’m at the piano? Um, no thank you Partridge Family. Not that I want to play next to him anyway- he’s a brilliant musician and I’m incapable of improvising, thanks to years of classical training during which improvising anything was strictly forbidden.
(Drawing (c) 2001 Dallas Symphony Orchestra)

#2: I lived in Arkansas for three years as a child.

Where does one move from a bustling, metropolitan city like Tokyo when they decide to immigrate to the United States? Well Arkansas, of course. Cherokee Village, Arkansas, to be exact. My paternal grandparents lived there, so naturally we moved there to be somewhere close to family. Being only five years old, I only have great memories of the town and the community extended a warm welcome to us. I remember picking blackberries on the side of the road, seeing deer in the backyard, and listening to the radio to see if we’d get a snow day from school. Although we did enjoy our short stay there, I think the drastic differences between Tokyo and such a small town were too much for my mom to bear so we made our way to Los Angeles after three years of country livin’. I do have fond memories of the place, but I’m a city girl at heart and probably always will be.

#3: I had the celebrity sighting of my life!

Living in Los Angeles and working in the entertainment industry, I see celebrities often enough. I’m not a celeb maniac in the least bit…….quite honestly, unless it was Elvis Costello or Thom Yorke, I don’t generally freak out over seeing someone famous. However, I had the celebrity run-in of my life while working at Tower Records in Shibuya years ago. I was casually doing my thing when suddenly, I saw HIM. Now, keep in mind that I don’t ever approach a celeb when I see one, but this time I just had to. So I walk up to him and say, “Aren’t you Simon LeBon?” [Side note: For those of you who are scratching your heads wondering who this Simon is, I have two words for you: Duran Duran. I can’t believe I’m admitting this but I used to write freakin’ letters to Simon and John Taylor when I was a kid. I watched their 1983 tour documentary, Sing Blue Silver, over 50 times and cried every time it ended (how embarrassingly dramatic!). I knew every word to every song and had photos of them on my walls. OK- back to the story.] So Simon looks at me, smiles, and then pretends to faint. Like, drops on the floor in the middle of the store and plays dead for what seemed like hours (it was actually about 60 seconds). People started gathering around and staring……and I just stood there. He finally gets up, takes off his sunglasses, flashes that famous smile and says “You caught me!” all while oozing loads of British Rock Star Charm as I tried my damndest not to melt into a little puddle on the floor. He then puts his arm around me and TALKS to me for 10 minutes. I couldn’t believe it- he told me about his wife, his recording studio in Tokyo, why he loves Japan, etc. When I offered to give him a discount on his purchases, his business partner looked at me and said “Oh no sweetie, that won’t be necessary,” to which Simon replied, “WHAT? Are you crazy? Of course we want your discount!” which made me like him even more because a frugal rock star is a good thing, no? Anyway, I processed their purchases and he gave me a kiss on the cheek, thanked me and left. My life was complete. I mean, how great is it that one of my idols from my teen years was almost better in person than I could have ever expected?
(Photo Copyright ©2007 Soylent Communications)

#4 I love the ocean

Nothing is better during the summer than the smell and view of the ocean. I don’t what it is, but any bad mood I’m in or stress I may be having are instantly washed away when I see and smell the water. Sunrise, daylight or sunset- it’s all good if you’re standing in front of the vast sea. I couldn’t bear to live in a place where you didn’t have easy access to one!
(Photo © Harold Davis )

#5 I don’t like anything that tastes like licorice

Since this IS a food blog, I figured I’d better include a food-related fact. I can’t take the smell or taste of black licorice, or anything remotely similar in flavor. This knocks out fennel (I can eat it braised, but not raw), star anise and chervil from my cooking repertoire. It’s a flavor that doesn’t really exist in Japanese culture so, not really having had it growing up, I never grew to like it.
(Photo (C) 2000-2003 Aida Opera Candies)

I’ll tag Mikey Hates Everything, Potatomato, Blue Lotus and Kuiadore with a disclaimer that there is no obligation, of course…….

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Posted in Meme

Posted on April 6, 2007 by Anne| 1 Comment

Swiss Chard Gratin


I purchased some gorgeous Swiss chard at the Alhambra Farmer’s Market last weekend. It’s ruby red color makes it one of the most beautiful veggies around, doesn’t it?? I buy it often but always make it the same way- lightly blanch the stems, then toss those in with the torn leaves and sauté with olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. It’s delicious and brings out the natural flavor of the chard, but I wanted to try something different and vaguely recalled seeing something about a gratin on a blog some time back. Since I didn’t have a recipe, I kind of just made it up and viola! I think a new favorite side dish has been born.

After chopping and blanching the chard (blanch the stems for about 5 minutes, then add the leaves for about another 3-4 minutes), I squeezed out the excess water and started on a béchamel sauce. I wanted to make a healthier version of the rich sauce since I didn’t want to coat such a healthy veggie in loads of fat. It’s always risky to try and create lower fat versions of foods like this, but I thought what the hell, may as well try it. I used a tablespoon of Smart Balance spread, melted that along with some minced garlic, added one tablespoon of flour to make a roux and then slowly added 1/2 cup of fat free half and half, a pinch of salt and pepper and stirred until it became nice and thick. After taking it off the heat, I mixed in a half an ounce of finely grated, GOOD quality (it’s key!) Parmigiano Reggiano and then added my blanched, chopped chard and stems and mixed well. I divided up the mixture into three ramekins and lightly topped each with a sprinkle of panko and grated parmigiano reggiano and baked at 425 for 15 minutes.

béchamel sauce

Ready for the oven…….

Bubbling, crisp top…….

It came out pink (the color from the red chard bled into the béchamel!) and bubbling. In addition to this dish I made a seared steelhead trout with a tomato/basil/balsamic salsa and olive oil/sea salt-roasted asparagus for dinner. The Swiss chard gratin was creamy and delicious- it’s quite surprising how well the béchamel goes with a leafy, green veg like chard. I think it’d be a great little appetizer served with crackers and wine; in a larger portion a great vegetarian main dish. I’m guessing that kale or another sturdy leaf veggie would also work in this dish.

Swiss chard gratin, steelhead trout with tomato/basil/balsamic salsa and roasted asparagus………

On that note-have a great holiday weekend! Also, I’ll link to my previous post on questions regarding Greece and Lisbon in case anyone happens to think of any advice to give us for an upcoming trip.

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Posted on April 3, 2007 by Anne| 3 Comments

Have You Been To Greece and/or Lisbon?

I realize that this blog is mainly made up of my incessant yammerings on cooking, food and restaurants. Although I am fairly confident of my skills in the kitchen (and in a restaurant….eating, that is;) I write this post as a request for your advice and assistance.

You see, after falling absolutely head over heels in love with the French Riviera a couple of years ago, J and I have dreamt of a return to the lush, blue waters of the Mediterranean. However, we wanted to go someplace new while still being able to bask in the familiar sunshine that lit up every single day of our last trip. After much thought, we have our sights set on Greece and Lisbon, Portugal, sometime in late June or possibly early July. One of my coworkers went last year with his wife and seeing their photos made me melt. Nothing is set in stone yet, but the research has begun in earnest as I have my heart set on the long days and bright scents of that part of the world.

So, I reach out to you for any insights, advice, must-see happenings, restaurant recommendations, lodging favorites and any other tidbit that will inch us closer to a well-planned-yet-adventurous trip. We’d like to visit two destinations in Greece plus Lisbon….which two Grecian islands have yet to be decided although we’re leaning toward Athens and Santorini. I have to admit, I’m a city-girl at heart, so I can’t imagine a maiden voyage to Greece without a stop in Athens.

I ask now, humbly, for whatever suggestions you can offer. And thanks in advance;)

-TAG

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Posted on March 30, 2007 by Anne| 5 Comments

J’s all-time favorite: KING TACO


Ahhhh, King Taco. I’d heard the stories of the carne asada, pollo and red hot salsa for years from J, who, ironically was a veggie when I met him. No, he wasn’t a carrot – he was a 10-year vegetarian until I lead him away from his misguided ways. Oh now now- before you animal activists start blasting me, that was just an affectionate joke. Of course I respect the vegans and vegetarians of the world- heck, I tried the vegan thing in college (read: lots of bean and rice burritos with guacamole or french fries) and actually do cook vegetarian meals often. It’s just that, being a true lover of all things food, I couldn’t possibly resist the urge to try anything once I get the chance to.

J’s love of King Taco started way before he even thought about vegetables. He was living with friends in East L.A. and would often visit the original King Taco on Cypress for his burrito fix. He’d told me about the burrito over and over again, and did take me once right after I met him but I remember the chile being way too hot for me….and not really much else. I think, at the time he took me, he still hadn’t converted back to meat eating and settled for a non-meat item. Anyway, he did always profess his love for King Taco (and pepperoni pizzas with beer- a combo that he claims is better than life itself) even when he was a veggie.


Now that he’s a few years back in the Land of Meat, we made the long-awaited return visit to the Original King Taco the other day. We were starving…….we got 2 asada burritos (mine sans salsa), 1 quesadilla and an order of chips. There’s a nice, efficient system at King Taco, and only a few menu items, so it goes quickly. Line up at Window #1 and place your order, wait to hear your number and pick up at Window #2. Find a seat, then grub away.

When I saw the quesadilla, I immediately thought, “Want a little tortilla with your queso?” The plate was a lake of melted cheese and somewhere in there, I saw the flour tortilla gasping for air as it drowned in the off-white goo. Oh wait- this will be a good place for my disclaimer: although J is Mexican, I am not, nor will I ever claim to be, an authority on Mexican cuisine. Ok, phew. Anyway, I’m looking at it thinking “????” but we parked ourselves on a bench inside and dug in.

Help me, I’m downing in queso!

J started in on his asada burrito with vigor, but after two Godzilla-sized bites he says “Wait- this is YOUR burrito!” since I’d gotten mine sans beans and salsa. We swapped out and enjoyed our own burritos- mine was good, but it just didn’t blow my socks off. The meat was slightly gristle-y but the rice was well seasoned but again, nothing spectacular. I know King Taco is famous….maybe I’m missing something? J, meanwhile, was as happy as Paula Deen standing next to a 1000 lb BUTTER sculture of Yoda, exclaiming, “This is the %$#!!” The both agreed that the quesadilla was ridiculous as we tried to peel the now-hardened cheese off of the tortilla. The chips were no different than store-bought, bagged chips. Overall, King Taco just isn’t my cup of salsa verde, ya know?

Asada burrito

Anyway, we’ll keep returning to King Taco as long as J has the craving for it. Next time I’d like to try their roasted pollo and see if I fare any better. In the meantime, I think I’ll be hittin’ one of the many taco trucks in our neighborhood to get my taco fix.

The Original King Taco
1118 Cypress Ave.
Los Angeles,Ca 90065

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Posted on March 28, 2007 by Anne| 2 Comments

Everyone Deserves a Third Chance: Mike and Anne’s, South Pasadena


J and I get excited every time a new restaurant opens around our neighborhood. As avid dining-outers (isn’t that what you call them?) we do have several favorites in regular rotation like Z Sushi, Briganti and Cafe Beaujloais, but it’s nice when a new candidate moves in. Nothing wrong with adding a few more good restaurants into the mix.


Unfortunately, more often than not the new restaurant doesn’t really impress and we’re left to make repeat visits to our favorites that always please. I know- you should give each new dining establishment at least three of even four tries before giving up, but it’s difficult to plunk down the dough when the crust just doesn’t cut it. Er, wait- well you know what I mean. Why go back when you can be guaranteed a good meal at one of your regular joints? Because everyone deserves a second, third or even fourth chance, don’t they? Especially a restaurant, which can go through several evolutions before finally hitting a stride that will put them in the running to become Someone’s Favorite Restaurant.

About a year ago, J and I were in South Pasadena (only a stone’s throw away from our ‘hood) getting sandwiches at Buster’s when we noticed a new restaurant opening a few doors down. The next week, we made our first visit to Mike and Anne’s. As you can see by this post, it didn’t impress and we left, disappointed. Of course we did take into consideration that it had just opened, but the space was so open and beautifully decorated that I suppose we expected more. About a month later we returned, only to be disappointed once again. There wasn’t anything “wrong” with the food; it just didn’t jump out at us in any way. The menu seemed incomplete and didn’t offer many choices so we pretty much gave up on it.

Fast forward to last week. We wanted to go out to eat, stay close to home and I, in particular, wanted onion rings. That craving was put aside, however, since we didn’t feel like going to a fast food joint and didn’t want to make a second trip to The Coffee Table that weekend (we had been for brunch earlier). I suppose I always crave onion rings but don’t eat them so I was used to being without. After vetoing Firefly (never had a good evening meal there- only brunch), Bistro De La Gare (wasn’t in the mood) and Beaujolais (we go too often) we decided to give Mike and Anne’s another shot……..if just for the simple reason that we wanted to go somewhere different!

We were surprised (the first of several surprises, my friends) upon our arrival to see the place packed – on a Sunday evening no less. We managed to get a two-top inside (the patio was crowded as well) regardless and once again remarked at how lovely the space was. It’s all wood and minimal touches- very clean. Our very friendly waitress informed us of the new Spring menu, took our wine order and left us to figure out what to order.

And what to my wandering eyes did appear……but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny…..wait, no……ONION RINGS! The second fabulous surprise of the night! I didn’t need to review the list of tasty-sounding appetizers any longer as I knew I’d start with a side order of my favorite fried veggie! I know I may sound waaaay too excited – I mean after all, this is a common food- but in a fine dining establishment that had twice disappointed me? Hooray! I quickly forgot about the past and focused on my new future with Mike and Anne’s. J decided to get the Asparagus Bisque w/ Brioche Croutons and Extra Virgin Olive Oil to start and the Jidori Organic Chicken Breast w/ Fingerling Potato, Mushrooms, Green Beans and Bacon, With Red Wine Sauce. Although I was ecstatic about my onion ring find, I was secretly hoping to try the soup so I was glad he ordered it. I opted for the Basil Risotto with Baby Spring Vegetables and Parmesan after spying the gorgeous green dish being devoured by someone at a nearby table.

Onion rings= fried rings of onion= true love

The appetizers came first, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Actually, they knocked our socks off. The onion rings were piping hot, and although I prefer my rings extra, EXTRA burnt/crispy, these certainly kicked the craving. The coating was substantial enough but not bready, and had a nice crunch to them. I wasn’t too crazy about the accompanying Apricot Mustard but the Cranberry Ketchup was delicious. J’s asparagus bisque was, well, Spring in a bowl and full of bright yet creamy flavor. The croutons and light drizzle of olive oil completed the perfect execution of this simple but refined soup.

Asparagus soup…..light yet creamy, and very green

The mains were just as delightful. J’s chicken was perfectly tender and the mushrooms and potatoes were meaty and satisfying. Once again, the flavor and seasoning were spot on. If J’s asparagus bisque was Spring in a bowl, then my basil risotto was Spring on a plate. Each al dente grain of rice was coated in the vibrant green of aromatic basil, and each baby carrot, turnip, summer squash zucchini and tomato were tender and succulent. J and I ate and just looked at each other like “Why didn’t we return here sooner?!” The bread pudding we shared for dessert was a bit too dense for my taste but then again- it was warm, topped with cool vanilla gelato and drizzled with chocolate sauce, so who can really complain?

J’s chicken= succulent= flavorful= he nuked the leftovers the next day in the plastic container which melted all over the chicken = darn!!!

Basil risotto= fresh= delicious= love the mini veggies

It’s clear that the owners work extremely hard- it’s obvious in the nature of their servers, the cleanliness and organization of the space and the quality of the food. We saw one of the owners (Mike?) meticulously wiping down wine glasses and checking for spots before hanging them from the rack. Watching him work in such a focused manner actually made me feel badly that I had once deemed the place unworthy of another visit, but made me happy that I did eventually find my way back. It was a good learning experience to try and try again when it comes to newer restaurants. Getting surprised by a restaurant is such a rare thing these days, but Mike and Anne’s handed us many pleasant ones that night.

Bread pudding = sweet, but not too sweet, ending to our meal

I’ll be returning!

Mike and Anne’s
1040 mission street, suite 102
South Pasadena, CA
626.799.7199

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Posted on March 26, 2007 by Anne| 6 Comments

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!

Today is my dad’s birthday- and I just wanted to give a nice, big shout out. Out of anyone, I’d have to say he’s been my biggest cooking inspiration and influence. He always cooked dinner on weeknights since he would come home earlier than my mom, and whether it was tuna casserole or chicken with cashews, it was always delicious. His lobster bisque is a Christmas tradition, and the one time he tried to swap it out for a different kind of soup, all of our guests were crushed that they didn’t get their yearly lobster bisque fix! So thanks, Papa, for being such a culinary mentor!

I did manage to make him a cake, but it was more of a breakfast item than a birthday cake. Once I saw a photo of this Lemon Upside Down Cake in the LA Times, I knew I had to make it- it was so beautiful. It was a cinch to make but next time I will put more lemons at the bottom of the pan to create a prettier top. Since my parents loaded me up with blood oranges from their tree, I think I will try an orange version as well. You probably have all of the ingredients to make this cake in your pantry (you can certainly substitute vanilla extract for vanilla bean) so it’s a great cake to whip together at the last minute.

I don’t know how it tasted since I didn’t try it, but hopefully it was good.

You can find the recipe here.

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Posted on March 20, 2007 by Anne| 7 Comments

Cheddar Jalapeno Bread

I have a gazillion cooking magazines. I’m not sure if a gazillion is an official number, but that’s the number that J would probably say if you asked him how many Gourmets, Bon Appetites and Food & Wine issues I have. Every time a new issue comes in the mail, I get so excited like a kid on Christmas Day. I’ll save it until I know I have enough time to sit and really relish each and every beautiful photograph and carefully read every recipe. Sunday mornings are best spent with a big pot of coffee and one, or even better, two, new cooking magazines.


Now actually trying out each and every recipe is something I have yet to accomplish, and will probably not even live long enough to actually do. Of course when I see the gorgeous layout of daikon cakes and spicy noodles, I daydream of having an Asian-themed dinner party…….until I see the spread on Spring’s Most Gorgeous Cakes which takes me to the next fantasy of piping a perfect row of icing onto a cake for a tea party. I’ve bemoaned this fact before and I’ll whine about it once again- but there are simply too many recipes and too little time. Now I’d be dishonest if I didn’t admit that yes, I could certainly devote more time to making a dent into my arsenal of recipes……it’s a promise I’ve made to myself again and again but life’s distractions often get in the way.


There are some recipes, however, that demand your immediate attention, and I came across one the other day. Cheddar Jalapeno Bread. Let’s take a second here. I love cheese. I love jalapenos. I LOVE bread. This is one recipe that had to be tackled now! It also reminded me of all the wonderful savory breads I’d buy at the many lovely bakeries in Japan. You see- here in the U.S. you think of a bakery, you picture cupcakes, donuts and other sweets filling the shelves. In Japan, there are equal rows of savory goodies like kare-pan (deep fried curry bread), rolls filled with ham and mayo (it’s GOOD, trust me), shiny hot dog buns filled with warm potato salad and fluffy buns stuffed with yakisoba. Cheese bread comes in various flavors and shapes, and it was always one of my favorites. The crusty cheddar crown in the photo in Gourmet magazine reminded me of that, so I knew I had to make it right away.

This bread was relatively easy to make and requires no kneading. The extra-sticky dough takes a bit of a light touch to handle, but the results are worth it. I started with 3 large jalapenos which I sliced with a mandoline. I wanted to be able to see the round slices of peppers in my bread, although the end result didn’t have a strong jalapeno flavor and no heat. Next time I will leave the veins in and slice them a lot thicker. I didn’t think about slicing the finished loaf, so I was worried about the bread being too spicy but since you slice the large loaf in order to eat it, you’ll never end up with too many jalapenos in your once slice. After grating some cheddar in my Cuisinart, I went ahead and make the dough, added the cheese and peppers and let it rise in a warm place.

I made sure I didn’t peek at the dough so it could get it’s time to rise……and 90 minutes later it had swelled above the rim of my mixing bowl. I’m going to dork out here for a minute so please forgive me, but there are fewer more satisfying experiences in the kitchen than to see dough that has swelled to double its original size. Why? I can’t explain it but it’s very exciting. Yup. Me = nerd alert nerd alert!! Anyway, after weeping at the beauty of my puffy dough for a minute, I dumped it out of the bowl, divided it in half (I doubled the recipe to make two loaves) and very gingerly folded each half three times, like a letter. After another rise in the bread pans, the puffy delights were brushed with egg wash, topped with grated cheddar and parmesan and popped in a nice, hot oven.

I don’t know if I can even find the words to describe the aromas which floated through the house as the bread baked in the oven. The scent of meat braising in red wine is probably the only other smell that I love as much as that of bread baking. This particular bread warmed the house with scents of rich, sharp cheddar cheese mixed with the yeasty aroma that most breads have. After about 50 minutes, I took the loaves, popped them out of the pans and began the excruciating process of waiting for them to cool. Anyone who’s tried to cut into a loaf of bread fresh from the oven knows that your impatience is punished with sticky, doughy and dense slices. You must wait for the bread to cool and dry out a bit before diving in. *sigh*

After a good two hours, I finally cut through the crusty outer layer, revealing a nice, soft bread. After a light toasting and a minimal swipe of butter, I took a bite. It was very cheesy and the olive oil in the recipe really kept the bread nice and moist. There was only a hint of jalapeno, so, as I stated earlier, I will definitely add larger slices to my next batch. I took one loaf to work and sliced the other one up to store in the freezer for J’s return this Friday. I think this bread is eaten best by itself with a bit of butter, but I may top a slice with some smoked turkey and tomatoes for a nice tartine. It’d probably be a bit too heavy to make a sandwich with.

Hope you get a chance to try it! I’d highly recommend using a good, sharp cheddar as it will come through in the bread.

You can find the recipe (for a single loaf) here.

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Posted in bread baking, home cooking

Posted on March 16, 2007 by Anne| 6 Comments

Refrigerator Supper

What, you say? No, I didn’t eat my refrigerator for dinner. I’m talking about those days when you get home from work, you’re cooking for one, and therefore you don’t feel much like cooking. Thoughts of grabbing a burrito race through your head. “Oh! The corner place has pizza by the slice!” But then you see all of the stuff you purchased last weekend at the grocery store, and you know you should just use what you have. Now what? Hmmmm, I see corn tortillas but no salsa. There are a few stray veggies you have to eat before they go bad, a carton of eggs, Trader Joe’s Eggplant Hummus (a constant presence)……..”Mmmm, a sandwich would be great” but alas, no lunchmeat! Not even a can of TUNA in the pantry (yes, even Tuna Toast runs out of tuna)!

You start hearing echoes of your mom’s voice….”Don’t stand there with the refrigerator open!!!” and you know you have to make a decision. Upon inspection of the freezer, I find a bag of Trader Joe’s Grilled Chicken Strips. “Ok, that could be the meat in my sandwich.” Right next to them lie a few honey-wheat hamburger buns that J must have bought and tossed in the freezer. A peek into my pantry resulted in a can of cannellini beans, and I actually started to feel inspired. I can do this, I think to myself as my cat Cory is just hoping there’s a can of cat food in there somewhere.

After a few minutes, I had dinner- a chicken and hummus sandwich on a whole wheat bun, a side of Kashi crackers w/ hummus (hey, I like hummus ok?) and a salad of greens, roasted beets, cannellini beans and shaved parmesan. Before you wonder where I had time to roast beets, I’ll let you in on one of the best newish products at Trader Joe’s- baby steamed beets. Vacuum packed, perfectly round, sweet and tender beets found in the fresh veggie aisle. They’re awesome, and turn your everyday salad into something special. If you haven’t tried them, I insist you do. They were formerly “Melissa’s” brand, but TJ’s often buys the product and makes it their own, as in this case and with the steamed lentils, another fantastic product.

I sat down with my sandwich/salad meal, turned on channel 13 to watch repeats of That 70′s Show and enjoyed. Definitely better than takeout!

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Posted in Dinner for one, healthy cooking

Posted on March 13, 2007 by Anne| 6 Comments

Daikokuya

J and I love our sake. We love it cold, in a glass overflowing into a masu………..especially if it’s Shichiken brand. Let’s just say that we definitely had a little lovefest with the sake two Fridays ago at Z Sushi. It was fun while the party lasted, but the next day we were both seeing spots and laying in the fetal position, making “uuuuuuuuuuggggggggggggg” sounds. Beloved sake, why must you kick our butts so hard?

The root of all evil……the night before, at Z Sushi……

After we managed to stand upright without wanting to run for the bathroom, we decided that the only cure would be a big, hot bowl of ramen. Funny, since J and I have never gone for ramen in Los Angeles. Never. Seems strange, I know, but I guess it just isn’t on the top of our list when it comes to Japanese food (sorry Rameniac!). We’re usually sushi, soba or donburi people, but ramen sounded like the perfect medicine for our sake-induced hangover. We jumped into the car and headed to Little Tokyo.


Even though it was 3:00 PM, there was still a line outside of Daikokuya. We waited patiently as the scent of ramen wafted through the air. We started getting impatient, however, when we saw about eight people leave the counter at the same time, but there weren’t enough waitresses to clean their messes and seat us. We literally stared at the empty spots for 15 minutes before someone finally wiped them down and seated us. That was frustrating, but where else are two hungover people gonna go at 3:30 in the afternoon?! I was starving and couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into anything at that point.

Gyoza…..man’s perfect food.

We decided to order one plate of gyoza and two Daikokuya ramens. I don’t know why gyoza is a common accompaniment to ramen, but it just is. In Japan, you almost always order a small plate of the dumplings with ramen…..kind of like curry and coffee. I’ve never had the latter myself, but you see “Coffee and Curry” signs all over Japan, as if it’s some match made in heaven. Personally, the combo does not appeal to me in the least bit. Gyoza with anything, however, is a match that suits me anytime, anywhere. I LOVE gyoza and couldn’t wait to try theirs.

We could see everything being made from our counter seats. Even though the vat of boiling tonkotsu (pork bone) soup was right in front of us, we weren’t too hot sitting there. It was nice to watch the guys make fried rice, tontaktsu for the donburi and boil the ramen noodles in the individual colanders. Man, were we getting hungry. Just when we couldn’t stand it anymore, our waitress brought our gyoza, and they looked fantastic. Browned and crisp on the outside, the filling wasn’t nearly as flavorful as Mom’s but it did the trick. We were ready for ramen!

Oh – before we get to the ramen, I must say….there was a family of five sitting at a table behind us. Mom, Dad and three if the biggest little annoying spoiled brat boys I have ever seen in my LIFE! The little rats were bothering EVERYONE in the restaurant- playing with balloons that kept landing in people’s food, screaming while stuffing their faces at the same time…..and Mom and Dad just sat there, helpless. I had half the mind to go pull them out of the place by their ears. Seriously- it was so friggin’ annoying. Don’t you hate it when kids are obviously ruining the dining experience of everyone in the restaurants and the parents just SIT THERE? I should have pulled mom and dad out by their ears. Ugh! Sorry, but when I was comin’ up, my parents would have never even allowed us to create such a scene. Honestly- have some respect!

Char sui….world’s perfect food……

Ok, nice rant eh? Like I said, I was hungover, but even if I wasn’t I would have kicked their little beehinds if it wouldn’t land me behind bars. I mean, who wants to be in jail when they’re hungover? Ok, back to the ramen. The two steaming bowls finally came, and we dug right in. The noodles were great- nice and slightly chewy. I loved the char sui….I mean, it’s pork with pork fat on it…what’s not to like, right? The bamboo shoots were also tasty, but the egg was really dry. I realize it’s hard to keep the yolk soft when you’re making so many bowls of ramen, but it was way overcooked and just broke into a million pieces. The soup, which many Japanese consider to be the most important part of ramen, was good but needed more…….salt. I know it sounds crazy, since most ramen tends to be on the salty side, but I kept resisting the urge to put some soy sauce in my soup. I later found out that J felt the same way. We both finished it all, nonetheless, and did actually feel better. The ice cold oolong tea was the perfect thing to wash it all down with.

Dry egg in ramen……..

I think I’ll have to try the donburi on my next visit to Daikokuya. Although it hit the hungover spot, I think I need the soup in my ramen to be a bit more flavorful. I have to admit though, I was transported back to Japan while sitting in that little ramen shop. The vintage Japanese signs and calls of “irahshai!” took me back to my days in Tokyo. The service leaves a LOT to be desired (i.e., they move like a herd of TURTLES!) but the food was pretty good.


“Oriental Curry”

Daikokuya
327 E. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-1680

Mata ne!

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Posted in Downtown Los Angeles eats, ramen