Gerry Furth-Sides Archives - Page 58 of 82

Chef Danny Elmaleh, sbe’s East-West Mastermind

March 27, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Culinary mastermind, Chef Danny Elmaleh, shines with his award-winning sharable middle eastern plates at the third award-winning Cleo location in Los Angeles, by sbe. Every refined Japanese-Moroccan dish makes a statement, yet feels effortless and satisfying. Even his older, original menu items, such as the shaved brussels sprouts, have staying, if not star, power from the Hollywood and the DTLA location at LA Live.

(photo courtesy of sbe) Second generation Chef Danny Elmaleh, Moroccan and Japanese.

Elmaleh’s work honors the best of his associations with Los Angeles masters, French Josiah Citrin and Japanese Katsuya Uechi. (see below). The Cleo menu categorizes the cuisine into small plates, kebabs, tangines, “from the land” and “from the sea”, desserts. We were told that the food is the neighborhood customer draw in the 6,000 sq. foot Cleo, with posh middle eastern decor, even with a bespoke cocktail bar ($15), and a vertical, compact wine list.

Executive Chef Danny Elmaleh explained his menu officially, “The new dishes on this menu, from our duck matzo ball soup to our meatball tagine (served only at night) are directly inspired by my life, my heritage and the rich flavors of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. We’ve seen a great response from our restaurants where the new menu is live.”

One outstanding Chef Elmaleh’s childhood favorite that he cooked in his father’s Haifa restaurant is the stand-out Duck Matzo Ball Soup with fresh pasta, confit duck, consommé broth, fresh herbs and lime ($9).

Duck Matzo Ball Soup with fresh pasta, confit duck, consommé broth, a favorite from Danny’s family restaurant in Haifa, Israel. Below, fresh herbs and lime for personal adds to the soup. ($14)

Chef Elmaleh trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York and began his career at Jean Moulin in Japan, then worked in the kitchens of Ristorante Giannino in Milan. The classics served Chef Elmaleh well in his first sbe stint in their flashy, two-story, shooting star popular Mercato di Vetro, defunct after two years. His memorable bone marrow with oxtail marmalade spread was so lush I could not eat another for a year.

Chef Elmaleh’s interest in cross-cultural cuisine was first inspired by his experience growing up with a Moroccan father and Japanese mother. The chef’s delicate Japanese hand combined with hearty middle eastern flavors made SBE restaurant fans of us in one meal.

Surprising fusion of ethereal shaved celery on the Grilled Octopus with smoked paprika, lebaheh, grilled baby potato. ($16)

But it is still a gutsy move for a hotel restaurant, usually aiming its cuisine at a common denominator crowd. Katsuya, the jam-packed-at- all- hours, only non-sbe version outside of Studio City and Encino is on the next block. We remember similar smaller bottles on the wall of Mezze, Micah Wexler’s chic, short-lived, very similar concept place before he switched to deli, and designer Jimmy Galanos on opening night despairing the idea.

The gleaming Cleo kitchen viewed from the pass through. (below) Middle eastern spices on the wall surrounding the kitchen passthrough.

How it came about: Chef Danny worked in Josiah Citrin’s venerated Melisse and Lemon Moon in Los Angeles. In 2006, Elmaleh opened his own highly acclaimed restaurant, Celadon. He met Katsuya Uechi there and their relationship led him to his current role at sbe.

Master of the French Technique, French-American Chef Josiah Citrin

Katsuya Uechi of Katsuya fame. Katsuya is so popular there are packages restaurant, two blocks away from each other.

Cleo is a major piece of CEO Daniel del Olmo’s international strategy as new CEO of Disruptive Restaurant Group, a subsidiary of sbe. His plan is to plant and grow both upscale brands like Katsuya and Cleo, and their casual Umami Burger chain (currently licensing 74 restaurants and 42 lounges). Chef Elmaleh, in fact, was in the middle east at a business meeting the day we visited Cleo.

Cleo Third Street, 8384 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048, (323) 579-1600. L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, 424-888-7818.

Chef Danny Elmaleh’s Japanese-Moroccan Family Favorites Reign at Gutsy Cleo (patra)

March 24, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Culinary mastermind, Chef Danny Elmaleh, shines with his award-winning sharable middle eastern plates at the third award-winning Cleo location in Los Angeles, by sbe. Every refined Japanese-Moroccan dish makes a statement, yet feels effortless and satisfying. Even his older, original menu items, such as the shaved brussels sprouts, have stayed, if not a star, power from the Hollywood and the LA Live location in DTLA.

(photo courtesy of sbe) Second generation Chef Danny Elmaleh, Moroccan and Japanese.

Elmaleh’s work honors the best of his associations with Los Angeles masters, French Josiah Citrin and Japanese Katsuya Uechi. (chef spotlight profile bio). The Cleo menu categorizes the cuisine into small plates, kebabs, tangines, “from the land” and “from the sea”, desserts. We were told that the food is the neighborhood customer draw in the 6,000 sq. foot Cleo, with the posh middle eastern decor, even with a snazzy bespoke cocktail bar ($15), and a vertical, wine list. After all the place is named after the sultry Cleopatra.

Our favorite bites: Cleo’s Garlic Shrimp on a bed of gigante bean purée infused with white wine and preserved lemon ($34). The cushiony, gigantes (“giant” in Greek) are a dream, pureed. “Plaki” is a popular ingredient in Greek cooking but usually blanketed in a tomato-based sauce.

Cleo’s Garlic Shrimp on a bed of gigante bean purée infused with white wine and preserved lemon.

Surprising fusion of ethereal shaved celery on the Grilled Octopus with smoked paprika, lebaheh, grilled baby potato. ($16)

Dining as performance: The Harissa Tuna Tartare with avocado, orange, olive tapenade and lavash slabs to DIY ($14) starts as a deconstructed dish mixed together by the server.

The Grilled Octopus above and below

A long list of stand-alone shareable, and compatible “miza” or small plates ($9-10). No combination platters of the hummus, feta & Lebanahen, Babaganoush, Greek Salad, Freekeh Salad here. The laffa bread, with its puffed up pita look, (upper right corner) scoops up every bit of the delectable sauces.

(clockwise starting at 1) Laffa bread, Babaganoush, lavash slabs and tuna tartare, shaved brussels sprouts, grilled octopus).

Textured Babaganoush (smoked eggplant and tahini) with a ribbon of sumac through it.

A Chef Elmaleh’s childhood favorite that he cooked in his father’s Haifa restaurant is the stand-out Duck Matzo Ball Soup with fresh pasta, confit duck, consommé broth, fresh herbs and lime ($9).

Duck Matzo Ball Soup with fresh pasta, confit duck, consommé broth, a favorite from Danny’s family restaurant in Haifa, Israel. Below, fresh herbs and lime for personal add to the soup. ($14)

Lamb kofta kebabs folded into the addictive laffa bread ($9)

For chocolate lovers: Flourless dark chocolate lava cake, roasted banana, salted caramel ice cream and petite hazelnut meringues

Not as successful is the sort of deconstructed Moussaka, and a lackluster Spanakopita ($9). We love minced food, especially a French-Canadian tourtiere, but here the flavors and the textures are muted and muddled.

Moroccan Saffron Grilled Chicken Tagine ($24)with preserved lemon, almond, olives, roasted tomato, saffron on a bed of rice, a sweeter than its Tunisian counterpart.

The gleaming Cleo kitchen viewed from the pass through. (below) Middle Eastern spices on the wall surrounding the kitchen passthrough.

(www.sbe.com) Cleo Third Street, 8384 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048, (323) 579-1600. Cleo, L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, 424-888-7818.

Do You Know the Difference Between Eastern and Western Easter Foods?

March 22, 2018 Comments Off

Basket and photo by Gerry Furth-Sides

(Gerry Furth-Sides, Photos and Kontos Company content are courtesy of the company) Easter is the most sacred holiday for Eastern Orthodox Christians and Western Christians. Each sect celebrates it differently. And the more commercial Western version has the most fun of all, especially this year when takes place on April 1.

A Betty Crocker “cookie” cake with Peeps Easter animals

//localfoodeater.com/new-historic-american-jewish-marshmallow-easter-treats/

A Western-style Easter dinner (meal and photo by Roberta Deen, above and below)

But waiting for the two to take place on the same day is a little like waiting for an eclipse because there are many years in between them. Both Easters aligned last year, but won’t again until 2025.

This year Easter takes place on April 1 for those of Western Christian Church. It is a time of celebration and joy, celebrating life. For recipes to go with this Chef Roberta Deen mean, please see:

//localfoodeater.com/easter-bread-chickpea-flour-cookbook/

The rest of Christianity follows the Gregorian calendar, started by Pope Gregory in 1582 to fix a length issue with the Julian calendar, which had allowed the Holy Day to drift away from the Spring Equinox, a time period in which the early church originally associated it. There is a 13-day difference between the two calendars.

Secondly, early Eastern Orthodox doctrine dictates Pascha must take place after the Jewish Passover to maintain the timeline of Christ’s life and Crucifixion. Western Churches don’t adhere to this doctrine so Easter can take place before, during or after Passover. Eastern Orthodox Greeks are in church services the entire evening and stay up till dawn with family and friends, enjoying homemade savories and sweets. The next day, a whole lamb is cooked over a spit as part of a feast, as shown below

There are other differences between the two holidays. Instead of pastels, Easter eggs in the Eastern Orthodox tradition are dyed a deep red color to symbolize the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. Sometimes those eggs are incorporated into braided bread known as Tsoureki. Every family has their own version of this bread, and the Kontos family’s recipe is available here. Feel free to substitute multicolored eggs into the recipe.

Karidopita is a Lenten Walnut Cake, which translates roughly to “Walnut Pie.” This moist, flavorful walnut cake is flavored with cinnamon, cloves and orange juice; topped with powdered sugar, and is made with oil vs. butter. It’s traditionally served during Lent, the 40 days before Easter, or Easter itself.

Karidopita, Lenten Walnut Cake

Spanakopita (a wonderful light spinach pie made with filo dough) makes an attractive side dish for any meal. Spanakopita can be made any time of the year and has become one of the most popular restaurant items, but it’s often made during the holidays, such as Easter or Christmas.

Spanakopita, Hearty Stew

A Wily (Sam) Fox Captures WEHO with The Henry

March 19, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The Henry is known for being one of the “best neighborhood restaurants” in Phoenix. “Neighborhood” also fits creator Sam Fox’s shiny, big 100,000 sq.ft (!) newest incarnation if you think of chic West Hollywood “neighborhood” as “neighborhood”. The remodel of the huge space took years to complete with a beckoning wrap-around veranda, as visible to drivers passing by as the Ivy Porch across the way.

The enormous Fox Concepts restaurant looks to become a premier player, if not a destination dining choice, in the leafy section of Robertson Boulevard where Cecconi’s and Lisa Vanderpump rule along with the Ivy. You don’t see cooks there in a high energy, gleaming performance kitchen with lots of dramatic company in lively servers and runners striding back and forth through three levels of seating. Even the bartenders are in on the action.

The custom-made lining the front window features a carefully curated wine list, craft beers, homemade sodas and tonics and a bevy of signature cocktails. The second generation restaurant owner, the Fox, hails from the Tucson desert so naturally, a signature margarita comes first. Casamigos Blanco shines through in The Almost Naked Margarita with lime, Cointreau, passoã liqueur and bar spoon honey.

Casamigos Blanco shines through in The Almost Naked Margarita with lime, Cointreau, passoã liqueur and bar spoon honey.

Cocktails are international as well. Jane’s Aperol Spritz and the Classic Boulevardier are joined by versions of a Moscow Mule and Southern bourbon. The Fig & Ginger Mule on the left is prepared with hangar one vodka, figenza fig vodka, lime, and pomegranate. On the right is a Southern City Mischief with brown-butter washed Bulleit bourbon, house marmalade and pressed orange.

A Fig & Ginger Mule and the Southern city Mischief coming right up!

Ethnic touches punctuate the menu, explained as “eclectic American,” with an emphasis on chopped salads, rotisserie items plus upscale bistro steaks and fish. The Spring Vegetable Crudité appetizer features a star of fresh local vegetables topped with whipped tahini and orange Aleppo pepper vinaigrette

Spring Vegetable Crudité with whipped tahini and orange Aleppo pepper vinaigrette

If you missed a buzz-worthy item among the appetizers, never fear. It may just be in an entree you fancy. Ora King Salmon features the striped Chioggia Beet along with toasted grains with sprigs of Sausalito springs cress and macron almond pesto. The beets can also be ordered as a side or an appetizer.

Ora King Salmon with Chioggia Beet and toasted grains

Short Rib is given the Asian treatment in translucent Short Rib Potstickers with toasted sesame and mizuna ponzu. The entree version has more of an English and Italian flair in the Short Rib & English Pea Ravioli with horseradish cream, arugula, parmigiana reggiano (below).

Short Rib Potstickers with toasted sesame, mizuna ponzu

Short Rib & English Pea Ravioli with horseradish cream, arugula, parmigiana reggiano

Middle Eastern flavors are subtle in this Grilled Halloumi salad with cauliflower, cucumber, heirloom tomato, dried olive, pickled pepper, chickpea, and tahini, dressed with an oregano vinaigrette.

Grilled Halloumi

American classics like steaks, seafood, and sandwiches also receive a little bit of the ethnic touch in Jidori (Japanese) Half Chicken with umami sauce and charred lemon. The Rotisserie French Dip gets Swiss Emmental cheese (which actually means Swiss cheese), horseradish aioli, charred onion, and jus.

Rotisserie French Dip gets Swiss Emmental cheese

Desserts are sophisticated presentations of homey, comfort food treats, like Peanut Butter Moelleux (chocolate cake, salted peanut, caramel, peanut butter gelato) and Vegan Coconut & Pineapple Trifle. I really want the All-Clad little pot!

Warm Croissant Bread Pudding with toasted pecan, caramel ice cream, whiskey raisin

Chocolate & Banana Ganache with caramelized banana, candied walnut, vanilla bean cremeux

A gourmet coffee menu and fresh-pressed juice bar, along with a great cocktail bar, and the second bar underneath a TV screen on one wall, synch up perfectly to the chic WeHo area. The banquettes lining the wall transform the center dining area into theatre again.

The servers were eager to tell their story of Fox Concepts going back a few years. But the story goes much farther back that for me as it turns out. “Oh my,” as my stepmother would say. I thought the name sounded familiar. After my parents retired to Tucson, I visited regularly when I was on TV tours. Sam Fox’s WILDFLOWER restaurant was just opening the last time I was there — billed as the “new, hot” place to go. The perky wildflower logo alone was a draw. We, of course, went – with NBC-TV (4) show host, Lupita Murillo. We loved the upbeat welcoming, casual feel. And I’m happy to say, we had the same happy feeling here at The Henry, too.

The Henry Restaurant, 120 N Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048, (424) 204-1595, open 11:30 – 10 PM //thehenryrestaurant.com

To Read about Sam Fox, please see:

//bloguettes.com/sam-fox-genius-behind-fox-restaurant-concepts/

Five Must-Try Old School Pappardelle Dishes to “Gobble Up” (and Why)

March 18, 2018 Comments Off

Pappardelle, the beautiful, large, broad, flat paste noodles fittingly got their name from the Italian verb, “pappare”, “to gobble up”. It works for the paste standing up to heavy sauces or for every diners’ reaction. Architects recognize only the color grey (unless they have to), and I recognize only the paste, Pappardelle, (unless I have to).

Domingo’s Italian Deli offers many of the 310 pasta shapes with 1300 varieties of them total.

Fresh pappardelle may have fluted edges and are up to an inch wide. Dried egg versions that originate in the region of Tuscany have straight sides. Tagliatelle, (Emilio-Romano and Marche regions) a narrower version of Pappardelle and used for lighter sauces (see below) is similar to but a tiny bit thinner than (Roman) fettuccine.

I ask you to try them and decide for yourself. We follow Pappardelle from north to southern Italy here.

At Osteria Bigoli, Chef-owner Claudio Marchesan’s Braised Short Ribs with Pappardelle are slowly baked in red wine, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Melt-in-your-mouth short ribs hold the sauce with an intense depth of flavor, along with endowing it with a rich, royal dark color. The wide Pappardelle does its job of “taking on” the sauce so well it becomes a robust partner adding body to it.

That Claudio Marchesan is a native of (northeast) Grado, Italy is one reason for the perfection. When he attended ENALC, the Professional Cooking School of Rome, he studied with renowned Master Chef Giovanni Caruso, one of the still living prodigies of the one and only “August Escoffier”. Marcheson himself made California restaurant history (and lots of fans) with Pane e Vino and Prego.

Osteria Bigoli, 714 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. Visit the website for hours and menu at bigoliosteria.com

History-making Chef at Osteria Bigoli

Sor Tino and Caffe Roma (and Toscanova and Ago restaurants)are owned by the master chef, Agostino Sciandri. We met this Tuscan chef at the Q for quality Awards honoring Los Angeles restaurants for maintaining high standards of authenticity.

In writer Darien Morea’s report for us, “Pappardelle Cinghiale (Wild Boar Ragu), with an unctuous, rich, slightly tomatoey sauce includes large pieces of the Boar that had been cooked for hours in the sauce, is the equivalent of a rich man’s Bolognese. Sor Tino was the first to offer wild boar in Los Angeles in the early 1990’s, now almost an Italian restaurant staple (LocalFoodEater has even down a roundup on this, our favorite dish)

“Not to name drop (but I will), I had first been introduced to this dish at the home of the father of Leonardo di Vinci in the town of Vinci, Tuscany, and Sor Tino’s version was its equal in every way.”

Sor Tino, 908 Barrington Avenue, Brentwood, CA 90049. (310) 442-8466. (//(www.sortinorestaurant.com)

Augustino Sciandri, master chef, restaurateur

Sor Tino Swings the Pendulum Back to Authentic Italian

Marino Ristorante in East Hollywood on Melrose serves Neapolitan fare. Now operated by Ciro Marino’s sons, there has always been a Pappardelle Bolognese on the menu, that lists the beef, pork and veal meat sauce cooked for three hours on the stove.

Second Generation Continues Marino Ristorante Legacy in LA

Marino pappardelle with meat sauce incorporating the flavors of beef, pork, and veal, simmered over three hours

www.marinorestaurant.net. marino Ristorante, 6001 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038,(323) 466-881.

Last only because it is the most southern, Celestino’s paste is the star of the Drago family restaurants, serving classic Sicilian and other Italian regional dishes with a sure hand. We had been dreaming about the unique Pappardelle on Fabiano e Morelle (Pappardelle with Pheasant and Morel Mushrooms) as soon as we read about it on the seasonal Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu menu at Celestino in Pasadena’s tony south Lake district.

Pappardelle on Fabiano e Morelle (wide Fettuccine with Pheasant and Morel Mushrooms)

It did not disappoint in taste, texture, and complexity. And it is only one of the three sections to try of Morel Mushrooms, Porcini Mushrooms and Fresh Truffles from Italy.

The sauce teased every bit of flavor from the bird and perfectly complemented the fantastical mushrooms capped with the distinctive honeycomb appearance of ridges and pits. They are impossible to cultivate and prized so highly they influence enthusiasts into a madcap hunt for them during the season, no pun intended. And these are the best, from Italy!

The legendary oldest brother Celestino (pictured above at a charity event honoring him), inspired the Pasadena restaurant of the same name, one that translates into a gold standard restaurant since Celestino first opened on Beverly Drive a quarter-century ago. In fact, the inspired, cheery chef is now “Cavaliere Celestino” since the Italian government knighted him a couple of years ago

Celestino Restaurant, 141cLake Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 705-4006. //(//(www.celestinopasadena.com)

Celestino Pasadena Upholds Royal Family Pedigree

The Garum Factory explains how the three wide, flat pasta differs ever so slightly: “Tagliatelle and fettuccine pasta appear identical, but are not quite the same, although you can substitute one for the other. Tagliatelle, of the Emigia-Romagna (which includes Bologna) and Marche regions, is usually made fresh, then cooked. Fettucine, a shade thicker than Tagliatelle, is found more often in Roman cooking. It may be fresh and often dried. (//thegarumfactory.net/2013/11/29/you-say-tagliatelle-i-say-fettucine/)

For example, Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese is a dish on the menu at the Locanda del Lago in Santa Monica. The restaurant specializes in north Italian dishes from the Lake Como area – so northern that they sometimes overlap with bordering (South Tyrol) Austria. “Wheat Pappardelle” is listed in the ingredients along with Roast Garlic, Savoy Cabbage, Yukon Potato, Creamy Bitto Cheese and Sage Fondue. Turns out that Pizzoccheri is a type of short tagliatelle made with 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour.

Locanda del Lago, 231 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica, California 90401, (310) 451-3525. //www.lagosantamonica.com

Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese

And it turns out that dried and fresh pasta comes in 310 shapes and varieties (over 1300 names), So I’m mystified why this one is such a favorite of mine. Texture? Is it because it reminds me of a childhood favorite, an Austr0-Hungarian wide noodle dish with sugar and crushed walnuts? Thai rice noodles?

My own quest for the best pappardelle began only after I (paleo) had a choice of this pasta or a salad entree on a birthday party menu at Lucille’s Trattoria a few years ago. I loved it. (turns out it is the most popular dish on their menu). Next, I ordered it for my own birthday feast at Locanda Veneta, where this and their charcuterie board remain a lifetime memory. At the moment Locanda has only a Fettucine and a Tagliatelle on the menu!

French Technique + Asian Flavors Win LA Cochon 555 Competition

March 12, 2018 Comments Off

Winning chef Brian Redzikowski’s Pig mac BAO with pork belly, lettuce, Secret Sauce and pickle! Who knew French Technique + Asian Flavors could honor a Berkshire pig like this!

(Gerry Furth-Sides) ” Cochon555, the LA stop toward the national finals is still the comprehensive celebration of the pig! We have been honored guests the past three years. For more information, visit www.cochon555.com. For more details on past parties, please see: //localfoodeater.com/this-whole-piggy-starred-in-a-wow-charity-competition-party/

My winner because for the refined, whimsical food and hospitality was THE winner, helped by their fans all the way from San Diego!

The idea: The creators of the series aim to engender discussion and action – to buy, cook, shop and donate in the name of safe, honest, and delicious food. Five notable chefs, earn votes from notable judges, chefs have one week to prepare a 200-pound pig and present a “Judge’s Plate” scored on utilization; technique; and overall flavor.

Sponsor Silver Oak poured at the “gate” to the courtyard while judging finished up inside

How it is done: Five chefs. Five pigs. Five winemakers. Five Somms and five barkeeps. Over one hundred prominent chefs, farmers, sommeliers, distillers, brewers, and barkeeps work together seamlessly to create the best of the best and most exuberant stand-up party.

Chef Thomas Bille of Otium always turns out a favorite bite (top tow) and our new ambitious favorite, Chef Hugo Bolanos of Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air (bottom row) with blood sausage and head cheese! Sponsors El Tesoro and Glenfiddich (middle) with generous pours.

You never lose sight at this event of the mission. A pop-up butcher Shop and SILENT AUCTION featuring beautiful cutting boards and butcher tables from John Boos & Co., as well as wines and liquors from sponsors benefitted sister charity, Piggy Bank, the Open Access Agriculture (OAA) sanctuary for heritage breed pigs. (see below). Piggy Bank, a genetic sanctuary, enables responsive solutions for emerging farmers and supporting communities.

It is a great introduction to the culinary skills of five of LA’s finest chefs, or a reintroduction to them in a new way and this year three entirely new to us, including Philippino Chef Lord Maynard Llera who prepared dishes with Duroc Pork from Rancho Llano Seco.

The winner of the regional competition is announced as “the Prince or Princess of Pork” and earns an amazing 4-day wine and gastronomy experience in Rioja, Spain’s most prominent wine region. They also advance to the national finale, Grand Cochon, where the ‘Best 3 Bites’ from all Cochon555 regional events will be presented in a head-to-tail, winner-takes-all showdown for the crown.

Kettner Exchange table decor

It adds up to each guests enjoying 25 total “pork plates” with five from each chef. Highlights of Chef Brian Redzikowski’s tables are below. His Pig Mac BAO is at the top of the post.

A juicy “Pho” Dumpling with Vietnamese Herbs

Deconstructed Pork “Toro” Lettuce Wrap with Crispy Onion, Nam Prix Aioli

Chef Brian’s Dessert supreme: Budino with Pig Skin added to the Caramel and Creme Fraiche

This is how you do pork belly – right off the Swallow Belly Mangalitsa like Chef Hugo Bolanos of Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air. Chef also cooked the sausage performance style.

A number of “extras” this year included Harry’s Pies, the Punch Kings of Breckenridge and Chef Christopher Ford, Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons with desserts from The Perfect Purée.

Punch Kings of Breckenridge

Harry’s Pies

We will feature The Starter Bar (Trois Petite Cochons, Cello, and Cypress Grove) plus Tartare Bar (Brandon Kida of Hinoki & The Bird) in a future “supporting cast” post.

And “at the end of the day,” at each Cochon 555 events, entire pigs are up for sale. This part of the fundraiser, along with ticket sales, benefits Cochon555’s sister charity, Piggy Bank. Piggy Bank is a start-up farm in Missouri that serves as a Kickstarter for new family farms and a safety net for those in the wake of a disaster (flood, fire, and disease).

The takeaway and the mission of Cochon555 is to provide education to chefs and consumers and to create experiences that guests can sink their teeth into honest food from real farmers. Through education, the Cochon555’s goal is to raise the bar on building a sustainable and profitable relationship for brands and chefs participating in culinary festivals.

Christian (left) and Alana (right) two students from the Art Institute Culinary School (North Hollywood), which supplied high energy, dedicated volunteers this year.

For more information or to donate, visit www.piggy-bank.org or follow @PiggyBankOrg on Twitter. Watch the video //j.mp/PIGGY_BANK.

For more information and to make a reservation, please visit www.viceroyhotelandresorts/en/santamonica or call (800) 622-8711.

Global Travel Drives Expo West 2018’s Top Trends

March 10, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides, images are courtesy of the National Products Expo West, The New Hope Network ) Natural Products Expo West & Engredea 2018 Announces 10 Food & Consumer Products Trends to watch.

One top trend is The World Traveler. The survey reports that “Thanks to worldly entrepreneurs, shoppers don’t have to go far to get a taste of something new so globally inspired foods are booming. Behind the businesses making them are founders with stories and personal connections to their products that emanate a sense of authenticity that consumers pick up on. Product examples: Naughty Noah’s Vietnamese Pho Noodles, Yai’s Thai Spicy Thai Relish, Wünder Creamery Grass Fed Quark.

The 38th annual Natural Products Expo West & Engredea, the world’s largest natural, organic and healthy products event, experienced another record-setting year hosting more than 85,000 attendees including industry pioneers and a new generation of innovators shaping the future of healthy products. The show, produced by New Hope Network, a part of Informa, March 7th-11th at the Anaheim Convention Center, brought together 3,521 exhibiting companies, including more than 600 first-time exhibitors.

Natural Products Expo West is the leading show for tracking the trends that drive innovation in food and consumer products with more than 3,500 exhibiting companies, including more than 600 brands making their Expo West debut.

1) Environmental Awareness: Companies in‐tune with eco‐conscious consumers have an environmental purpose with measurable actions that are crucial elements of their brand storyline. Product examples: Choice Organic Teas Wellness Teas, Kashi Cinnamon French Toast, Cacoco Drinking Chocolate 75% Mint Dark with Spearmint.

2) Stress and Sleep Solutions: A surprising majority of Americans who are sleep deprived, products that encourage wakeful calm and relaxation during the day, and deep uninterrupted sleep at night via adaptogenic herbs, minerals and more. Product examples: Som Sleep, Source Naturals NightWell, Goldthread Plant Based Tonics.

4) Plant‐Based for All: The recent surge in high‐quality meat and dairy alternatives continues as natural brands innovate with convincing swaps for yogurt, cheese, ice cream and burgers made with healthier nuts, legumes, vegetables and grains. Product examples: COYO Vanilla Bean, Your Super Muscle Power, Frill The Frozen Smoothie Intense Chocolate.

5) Resource-conscious products. Food businesses that reduce landfill‐bound waste and create cool new offerings by utilizing byproducts as ingredients in their finished products. Product examples: Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Wheat & Coffee Flour Bread, Barnana Himalayan Pink Sea Salt Plantain Chips, Portland Pet Food Brew Biscuits.

6) Tribal Evolution. New‐wave tribal (paleo) eaters tending to adopt tenets rather than a all-or-nothing attitude toward a specific diet and take a balanced approach to finding products with nutrient‐dense, whole‐food ingredients. Product examples: Applegate Naturals No Sugar Bacon, Base Culture Sandwich Bread, LesserEvil Paleo Puffs.

7)Buzz for CBD. Proven, responsible products with Health‐promoting properties of cannabidiol, or CBD, including topical products and supplements. Product examples: Sagely Naturals Hemp CBD Cream, NuLeaf Naturals Full-Spectrum CBD Oil, Barlean’s Organic Ideal CBD Hemp Oil.

8) Accelerating Success through Incubators and accelerators that assist startups by offering office space, training, connections, mentorship, community kitchens and sometimes funds. Product examples: Crunchsters Sprouted Protein Snack, Snow Monkey Superfood Ice Treat, Bizzy Organic Cold Brew Coffee Double Shot.

9) Supporting Regenerative companies in the agriculture and the food industry with the intention to support the harm that’s already been done to the earth is among the richest opportunities for. Product examples: EPIC Oven Baked Pork Rinds, Patagonia Provisions Buffalo Jerky, Serenity Kids 100% Grass Fed Beef with Organic Kale & Sweet Potato.

10) Products that tell a story plus deeply connect and empower consumers are gaining traction DIY is also about customizing food and beverages so people can achieve their best personal health. Product examples: NutraMilk Nut Processor, Creation Nation Protein Bar Mix, Wildway Smoothie Bowl Starter Mix.

To view these trends and products images, for more information on the exhibition, please visit the online gallery at newhope.com.

Two companies which fit into several of these categories include New Zealand Manuka Honey and Edward & Sons.

Merguez Lamb Burgers from Famed SF Chef at Sun Basket

March 6, 2018 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) The more we use Sun Basket meals, the more we love their refined ethnic inspired recipes such as this week’s Moroccan Merquez Patties with Warm Carrot Salad. What sets Sun Basket apart is the extraordinary quality of their ingredients for the professional quality, inventive, ethnic-inspired meals from none other than Chef Justine Kelly, who helped make San Francisco’s Slanted Door restaurant famous.

The finished meal is flooded with color and texture along with flavor

The merguez sausages are prepared as patties rather than as long, hot-dog style. Chef Kelly adds interesting herbed “carrot slabs” rather than shredded or horizontally sliced carrots She adds her own informative note: “Baharat, the Arabic word for ‘spices,’ is a blend that typically includes coriander, cumin, black peppercorns, and cardamom. It’s commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking for everything from roasted meats and stews to salads and curries.”

Sun Basket is a meal delivery service that rightfully prides itself on “making healthy cooking easy.” It incorporates organic and non-GMO ingredients into their Paleo, Vegetarian, Seafood, Poultry and Family meal kits. One App allows a subscriber to view all recipes, skip weeks, and manage an account.

We start with a box at our door, with a carefully packed brown “grocery bag” and a package of ground lamb with its own insulation. The insulation alone seems to be worth the price of admission. The pieces carry thoughtful instructions to separate and recycle.

Sun Basket’s Solid insulation with recyclable bags gives instructions to pour out the water into the (green) recycle bin, the wrapping in the blue (paper) recycle bin

Marquez Patties with Warm Carrot Salad.

Ingredients in the bag serve 2 (2 bags serves 4)

3 tablespoons roasted almonds
1 teaspoon baharat
3 or 4 carrots (about 10 ounces total) (see Market Watch note)
10 ounces ground lamb
3 or 4 sprigs fresh cilantro
Merguez spice blend (fennel seed – sweet paprika – granulated garlic – cumin – coriander)
1 wedge preserved lemon
3 ounces baby greens (such as arugula or spinach)
2 tablespoons golden raisins
Sun Basket creamy tahini dressing (lemon juice – tahini – paleo mayo – fresh garlic)

Contents of the bag. Sauces are prepared and bottled in plastic jars

Our notes: Preparing the lamb patties a day ahead, and refrigerating overnight also infuses the flavor more whether it is done as a time saver or not.

We also found that the carrots with their thinner ends were a challenge to cut into the slabs.

Market Watch
Another helpful note regards market availability. When whole carrots are in short supply, organic baby or shredded carrots may be substituted.

Instructions

Wash produce before use

Prep and toast the almonds

Coarsely chop the almonds.
Measure out ½ teaspoon (1 tsp) baharat; set aside the rest for the carrots.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 teaspoon (2 tsp) oil until hot but not smoking. Add the almonds and ½ teaspoon (1 tsp) baharat, season with salt and pepper, and cook stirring frequently, until toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Do not clean the pan.

Prep and cook the carrots

Scrub or peel the carrots and trim off the ends; cut the carrots lengthwise into quarters, then on the diagonal into 2-inch lengths.

In the same pan used for the almonds, if dry, add 2 to 3 teaspoons oil. Warm over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the carrots and remaining baharat, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are lightly browned and crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Do not clean the pan.
While the carrots cook, prepare the lamb patties.

Prep and cook the lamb patties

Cut a small corner from the ground lamb packaging and drain off any excess liquid. Transfer to a plate; pat dry with a paper towel.
Coarsely chop the cilantro; set aside half for the salad.

In a medium (large) bowl, combine the lamb, merguez spice blend, and half the cilantro. Season generously with salt and pepper and mix gently until just combined. Using wet hands, form the mixture into four (eight) ½-inch-thick patties.
In the same pan used for the carrots, warm 1 to 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches if needed, add the patties and cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Add more oil between batches if needed. Transfer to a plate.
While the patties cook, prepare the carrot salad.

Carrot salad

Remove any pulp from the preserved lemon; finely chop the peel.
In a large bowl, toss together the carrots, preserved lemon, baby greens, golden raisins, remaining cilantro, and half the creamy tahini dressing (set aside the remaining dressing for serving). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve

Transfer the carrot salad to individual bowls and top with the lamb patties. Garnish with the almonds. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Kids Can measure the baharat, scrub the carrots and remove the pulp from the preserved lemon, toss the salad.

Chef Kelly graciously acknowledges Mediterranean food guru, Paula Wolfert in her notes with another Morrocan-inspired meal, Spiced lamb patties with Cauliflower Tabbouleh and Tahini dressing. She writes, “Paula Wolfert was one of the first American cookbook writers to write about the meze and pantry staples of the Eastern Mediterranean. She even had a hand in importing the first Marash and Urfa biber flakes from Turkey to the US.

Chef Justine Kelly’s respired are inspired from “the kind of food she learned from “her pops” cooking family dinners and what she cooks for her daughter – and from her experiences honed over two decades in professional kitchens with the best Bay Area chefs blazing the path in the local food movement. It comes as no surprise that Kelly has had a longstanding role as the corporate chef de cuisine at (one of our most favorite) the famous Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco (two chefs now at Phorage in LA.

For other home delivery services, please see:

//localfoodeater.com/sun-baskets-new-orange-chipotle-glazed-pork-coleslaw-roasted-sweet-potato/

//localfoodeater.com/sun-baskets-new-indian-inspired-steak-au-poivre/

//localfoodeater.com/new-pangea-nutrition-brings-mediterranean-diet-to-usa/

“Savor Italy” Introduces New Wine and Food Regions

March 4, 2018 Comments Off

Gerry Furth-Sides) Savor Italy’s came to town on a wintry, rainy day, bringing the sunny flavors and essence of Velenosi Winery in Central Italy and Lombardy through interactive tastings and seminars

Laura Donadoni reintroduced us to Marche, known as The Hidden Gem of Central Italy by way of Velenosi Winery, which represented the new food and wine gateway

Straw colored transparent Verdiccio Classico

Villa Angela

(Gerry

“Do the Chinese Just Look Like They’re Smiling?”

March 1, 2018 Comments Off

Our extraordinary and charming friend, ABC Patricia Tsai, the owner-founder of Choco-Vivo, whose lovely smile comes often.

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Editor’s Note: This was a true experience though I was always welcomed effusively and genuinely at The Panda Inn and I was there often. When I handled Special Projects for the Panda Corporation soon afterward, I had the same pleasant experience. And while filming in China with Chef Tommy Tang, the people we met (possibly with the exception of the military guards and the people “in line” at stores and the airport, which was usually a continually moving horizontal one), I found the people to be warm and exceptionally friendly, especially when you greeted them in Chinese!

Want to put a smile on an immigrant’s face? I’ve found that one sure way is through even the feeblest try at communicating in their native language. After all, your attempt signals an enthusiastic interest in their culture and that is a happy reaction.

However, one exception is the Chinese; it might look like they’re smiling, while that might not be the case at all. The trick is not to mistake the “Face-saving” smiles of the Chinese for being happy.a happy reaction. And it is a trick that took me months.

“Thank you” and ordering food in French or Italian or Spanish or even Japanese wasn’t that hard. But it took me months to even get a Chinese to even correct me. When I finally did one evening at a restaurant after the owner had thrown back his head in obvious delight, he followed it up with “That was the last thing I expected out of you, an American!”

Then I remembered that the Chinese have a reputation for being “rather brisk with foreigners, when they are no longer needed,” as Paul Theroux put it in his marvelously observant book, Riding The Iron Rooster.

The Chinese also make a practice of not reacting to any sort of hospitality. Not exactly what is taught in Western-style Hotel Schools, which is why so many of the greetings in an American- Chinese restaurant seem forced. The Chinese are out to serve the best food they can to please a patron and collect the money. Finished. The Chinese expect their customers to come back for the good food, not the coddling We westerners (me among them), on the other hand, will eat inferior food if we’ve given exceptional service.

The red of the wallpaper might mean “good luck” to all Chinese, which is terrific subconscious marketing since it has been proven that the color red psychologically increases appetite, — so much so that at one time most American restaurant interiors featured red. Otherwise, we view a Chinese restaurant as bland while the purpose of a restaurant to the Chinese is to serve good food, not show off their interior decorating or provide “atmosphere.”

One good reason for not exactly welcoming foreigners is the strangers’ history of “borrowing” ideas from the ingenious Chinese and making them their own. So what about the Chinese in America? Not surprisingly, the many considerations depend on age, birthplace, and upbringing. After all, until very recently, it was illegal for a foreigner and a Chinese citizen to converse in China.

On the other hand, the Chinese are totally forthright. This too has to do with survival in a harsh environment; every Chinese has a purpose and fulfills it. No frilly explanations needed. For example, when I pre-interviewed a dedicated, young Chinese chef for a television show about how he became a chef, there was none of the usual family lore of the kitchen. He simply answered, “It was my fate. There was nothing I could do to change it.” And that was that.

When another prominent chef was asked whether his children would follow in his profession, he laughed and said, “I hope not.” This was not because of the arduous work and long hours, often the concern of American chefs who are parents. Instead, this chef emphatically continued, ” I want them to be a doctor or a nurse. When I was a boy my father, who was a cook, looked at me and said, ‘There are five thousand people in our town and 500 places in the university. You better learn a trade, and a cook is best because it allows you to work anywhere.’ And that’s how I became a cook, then a chef.”

We’re also talking mere survival is the game in a country almost too large to comprehend and with as much of it as possible dedicated to growing food.

Maybe this is why every Chinese whom I have gotten to know has been eager to share food, especially the eight (for good luck) course classic feasts. For example, one young Chinese lady I worked, wealthy enough to have a servant accompany her everywhere, would take me to such feasts or sumptuous meals in American restaurants, pay the bill and without a word simply disappear immediately afterward.

The feast always includes toasting with cups of wine and many, many toasts to the hosts, with an enthusiastic “Kan-Pei” or “bottoms up!” It is only one of a range of social

Amenities, beginning with the guests being summoned several times to the table — and it is rude to be in a hurry to eat your host’s food! The signal to begin the event is when the host toasts back his company and announces, “Serve yourselves.” Then the meal is underway. (And don’t clean your plate when you are full; that signals another serving!)

The beginning of the meal usually consists of an array of eight dishes: roast pork, mushrooms, abalone, white chicken, cucumber salad, juicy chicken livers, ham and jellied fish. Most of the foods or their names have a double meaning. For example, the phrase for dried oysters and “good times” are the same. Mandarin might be the common language of China but it is the Cantonese greeting, “Gung hay fat choy” announcing the new year with wishes “to accumulate wealth ” that is becoming most familiar to Californians.

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Gerry Furth-Sides