sweet successes for the eat my blog bake sale 2010

once in a while, you might get an offer that you cannot refuse. so when cathy of gastronomy blog asked me to join her and the eat my blog committee (consisting of diana of diana takes a bite and laurie of g-ma's bakery) to become the fourth member, i COULD NOT refuse. charity, baked goods, a fried farro lunch meeting with rendered bacon bits at canele? yes ladies, sign me up!

so i did. i quickly found myself swept up in a whirlwind of eat my blog logistics, helping internally and blogging for the sweet cause as needed. i also brought back my one hit wonder, my yummy rummies for my third stab at baking for the bake sale (they were sold out of course, thanks to my shameless promotion of them and empty threats at customers with fists shaking. yes, i'm quite persuasive ;)~

though the day was exhausting, it was a truly wonderful experience to behold. the camaraderie i witnessed between food bloggers, sweet eaters, and plain ole charitable peeps was a warming sight indeed. furthermore, our common desire to contribute to the los angeles regional food bank whose main mission is to "fight hunger" resonated deeply within all of us and we are proud to say that the winter 2010 edition of eat my blog has raised over $3,700 adding to a grand total of over $12,000 for this three timing bake sale.

too many yummy goods to choose from!

watching your waistline? no problem.

the long but successful day ended with a glass of ice cold hard apple cider at the burger kitchen and a ramen dinner at robata jinya (to be blogged). although barely alert at that point, i knew in the back of my fuzzy mind that my participation in the eat my blog planning committee was an offer i truly could not refuse. so glad that i didn't.....

my yummy rummies for the eat my blog bake sale

what do you think vanilla ice, biz markie, and the roaming belly have in common? (other than the ability to rap of course).

we are all ONE HIT WONDERS. yup, that's right! this is my third time baking for the eat my blog bake sale and i've decided that THE ONE baked good that seems to be a hit are my rum cakes. here are a few past GLOWING reviews as i attempt to convince you to come by and purchase a few on december 4th at tender greens in weho.

hari says, "I was one of the lucky ones to get your rum cake. It was really good and reminded me of one of my favourites, the rich plum cake, from back home in India. It was that good!"

harriet b. said, "the BEST rum cake ever!!! bought it at the bake sale and just started in on it today. fabulous topping, not too much rum and cake was velvety moist and delicious. YUM!!!!"

um, if those aren't glowing endorsements for my rum cakes, then i have no future in sales. but seriously, i AM stoked, and i hope you are STOKED, too. not only do you get to satiate your sweet tooth, you can also feel warm and fuzzy knowing that your money will be donated to the los angeles regional food bank! so please come by and say hi, then buy, and then eat...and possibly repeat.

also, visit the eat my blog blog for a complete list of baked goods available for purchase AND sneak peeks of sweets that will make your teeth ache. AND i hear a kitchen aid stand mixer donated by tastespotting and wine shop certificates to domaineLA will be raffled off as well. the whole event is getting tastier by the minute! i'm excited!

see you soon!

swimming with the sugarFISH

bitterMONKEY, sourPUSS, sugarFISH? i think sushi master kazunori nozawa and his team of sushi enthusiasts picked a winner with the name sugarFISH. nommmm...and this sugarFISH is not your average swedish fish either. more than anything else, it is like sexy, grown-up sushi candy for your tastebuds, seriously.

this past friday, i was invited to a media tasting at the newly opened SUGARFISH by sushi nozawa in downtown l.a. we were warmly greeted by emanuele massimini, one of the partners in the steadily growing SUGARFISH empire. the dinner was a treat for my mouth and my ears as all sorts of nozawa secrets were leaked out, none that can be told to you unfortunately unless you want to end up sleeping with the errr....sugarfishes.....

our meal promptly began with the theNozawa menu ($35- $38) which is comprised of ten items. the organic edamame, the quintessential starter for most sushi meals, were al dente salted pods. what a great way to busy the hands and the mouth as we waited.

next up was the big eye tuna sashimi which lounged in a shallow pool of tangy ponzu sauce.

the trio of albacore, salmon, and snapper sushi were delectable as they laid on delicate mounds of fluffy, warm rice. the quality of the fish were duly noted as i popped them in my mouth, slowly savory them one bite at a time.

very quickly, the toro hand rolls and the crab hand rolls were presented to us. the fragrant nori sheets reminded me of korean laver which instantly tickled my nose in the most delightful way. as soon as these hand rolls were brought to our table we were urged to consume them since the softened nori would ruin the taste and texture of the hand roll itself. (below is a pic of the crab hand roll).

the large scallop sushi was the "daily special" of the night. sweet, tender, and plump, just the way scallops were meant to be appreciated.

the toro sushi was unctuous in a most delightful way. the buttery, fatty fish intermingled with the tart rice perfectly. a wonderful bite for any sushi lover.

the halibut fin sashimi ($7.50) was a textural surprise. the strips of sashimi rested in a light ponzu sauce and were slightly crunchy and limey to the tongue. if you get the chance to order this, i urge that you do. it is a nice departure from the typical dishes one finds at a sushi restaurant and to up the exclusivity factor, it is not always available either.

look at this beautiful, translucent strip of fishy flesh.

one of my favorite sushi items of the night was the halibut sushi. the yuzu ponzu sauce was tart, tangy, and delivered a subtle prick of heat to my tongue. this particular sushi definitely left me craving for more.

i ended my tasting as i do with all sushi dinners by popping two pieces of uni into my mouth. the delicate, creamy, sea tofu was the perfect way to cleanse my palate at the end of a yummy sushi meal.

thank you emanuele for your invitation. sugarFISH is an absolutely chic and tasty addition to dtla and for sure this visit will not be my last. the value and quality i find here is hard to beat!

SUGARFISH
600 W. 7th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 627-3000

www.sugarfishsushi.com

verdict: tasty, try it!

fall prix fixe menu at roy's

do you know how to speed up a slow work week? lottsa alcohol and a media tasting at roy's restaurant in downtown l.a., that's what. woot! an invite back to roy's to try their fall prix fixe menu was a breath of much needed fresh air especially after painful meetings that run themselves into the ground. yes. renew my tastebuds and my spirit please? roy?

my spirits were immediately lifted with a glass of these spirits, the original hawaiian martini which encompassed a whole lotta vodka and a touch of rum...not to mention a tasty splash of pineapple juice that's always a welcomed element. this is definitely a drink one drinks when one is drinking on a beach. preferably on the lovely sands of hawai'i and wearing a tiny drink umbrella behind the ear....

or perhaps this one? the 1988 tasted like a naughty version of ocean spray grapefruit juice. the delicious combi of pomegranate and grapefruit juice, lychee liqueur, and vodka makes it dangerously addictive. without divulging too much info, let's just say smuggling a water bottle of this stuff during one of my meetings may actually make it an interesting and productive one. hmmm.....

the tasting started off with the delicious "elaine's" kabocha squash salad. yums in the tums. imagine a thanksgiving turkey dinner sans the turkey and a whole lot healthier. i really enjoyed the traditional cranberry vinaigrette, toasted pumpkins seeds, and a hearty piece of kabocha squash to start this fall meal.

the blackened rock shrimp and red bean soup was a favorite amongst a lot of folks that night. the petite cup was an explosion of favors, one that reminded me of a happy orgy of flavors between a bowl of chili, salsa, and gumbo.

the artichoke and goat cheese crusted salmon laid on a bed of sauteed spinach. although the salmon was tasty, the sauteed spinach clearly stole the show for me. seriously, make the spinach into a side dish please? if it's good for popeye, it's good for you roy! come on....

my favorite bite of the night was the cilantro grilled tiger shrimp with stewed curried lentils. the shrimp was perfectly cooked and the lentils was love, love. i kinda wished i inhaled two or ten.

the tender braised short ribs was indeed tender. tender like a lover's kiss but a lot beefier than one. yum.

the night ended with a plate of dessert, just like how all yummy dinners should end. the signature roy's melting hot chocolate souffle provided the perfect chocolate touch and the pumpkin and ginger cheese cake was spicy and creamy to the tongue.

and of course, no roy's restaurant posting would be complete without an uber cute pic of chef partner garrett mukogawa, the captain of this downtown l.a. branch. to the embarrassment of my dinner companion, i HAD to snap an adorable mug shot of chef garrett while calling him a cutie. yes, that's what two cocktails will do to this belly! thanks for humoring me chef!

so a delicious fall prix fixe menu at roy's for $35.95....so what the heck are you waiting for?! i told you the secret to speed up the work week, now didn't i? so go now and get it rolling!

Roy's Restaurant
800 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 488-4994

www.roysrestaurant.com

verdict: tasty, try it!

french comfort food at petrossian

after an epic meal of fat belly proportions, one must take a certain amount of time to digest all that was heifed down. once digested, the words and the pics of this belly adventure can then be regurgitated for your reading displeasure. ahh, so is the vicious cycle of eating and ruminating about food.

first off, thanks to kung food panda for the invite to an all out heif-fest at petrossian. danny (or mr. panda if you're nasty), convinced chef ben bailly to create an extensive tasting menu of french comfort food for a group of food bloggers to enjoy. was it comforting? oh yes, it was. it was as comforting as getting smushed into grandma's boobies after a lousy day at school. oh how i love grandmas....*cue in warm fuzzy feelings....*

we first started off with buttermilk fried frog legs. if i knew kermit's legs tasted this good, he would have been amputated a long time ago. crispy and froggy...what isn't there to love about this snack? (excuse my jaundice-like photos. i was gifted a new camera and um...don't know how to use it. me sucka? yes.).

a verrine of crazy beautiful smears came out next: salmon rillettes, chicken liver parfait, eggplant caviar, and brandade de morue.

holy crap! forget about everything else. once the chicken liver parfait graced my tongue, like an arrow locked to the center of a bull's eye, all i could nom was "chicken liver parfait." oh man, what a lusciouly smooth, creamy spread for the corner of my bread. and the slightly bitter twang from the red wine gelee provided the absolute perfect contrast to the creamy liver that i mounded on my slice of carbs. i was head over heels in love with this one. if you can have a harmless crush on food, then i certainly found what made my heart go pitter patter and thumpity thump.

of course, one must wash down the decadence with a caviar-tini. the small cube you see was a compressed block of caviar. that olive...also stuffed with caviar. to top that off, there was enough alcohol in that drink to give your dining companions a nice buzz after sniffing your caviar-tini burp. no really. you know i don't jest.

my belly got no rest as the truffle pomme croquettes were rolled out. just as quickly, i rolled them into my mouth and bit into the crispy spheres of fried batter. the lovely truffle aroma rose quickly to my nose when the soft creamy insides exploded in my mouth. YUM.

next up were the petite cups of chilled potato and leek soup. creamy. heavy. man, my belly won't be getting a break from the decadence now will it? when i felt the soup coat my insides, i also felt the first button that held my jeans together go *pop.*

the warm lentil salad with crispy egg was not jenny craig approved either. just.look.at.it. dang! if you think you spotted bacon...you did. jenny craig spotted the bacon too and wept a little.

the poutine which had peppercorn gravy, grafton cheddar, and sharp cheddar cheese with a sunny-side up egg ON FRIES was probably the weakest dish of the night. two words: salty lah.

our palates were cleansed with the calvados granite which in pedestrian terms was a heavily spiked applesauce amongst other things. if i had four thumbs, all four of them would be up. the wine-ho in me approves.

a duo of gratin de coquillette came out, one with ham and wild mushrooms and the other with dungeness crab and sweet corn. think of decadent mac & cheese in a giant's bowl. right about this time, i was ready to roll over and take a nap. truly, too much of a creamy thing will kill you. delicious? yes. over the top? yes, yes.

thinking that i couldn't stuff another thing in my mouth, the desserts came out. goddamn! the caramel pot de creme was delicious as are all things that are pots full of cream. flanked on the sides were the vanilla creme brulees.

and to stretch our bellies a little more, chef bailly also made PISTACHIO creme brulee. omg, i wished i had enough belly real estate to eat a whole one on my own. alas, a spoonful was enough to take me over the top.

the night ended with a lot of smiles, belly rubs, and discreet burps. thank you danny for your invite and oh how grand it was to see gastronomyblog, hong of ravenous couple, gourmet pigs, catty critic, the food ledger, two hungry pandas, and will from fooddigger amongst other lovely guests...all who made this gorge-fest a truly comforting night.

Petrossian
321 N. Robertson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 271-0576

www.petrossian.com

verdict: omg, i love it!

a froyo high at blanc haute yogurt

not too long ago, i tasted froyo sophistication. this experience did not require me to stand in a long line to squirt my own froyo in my self-selected medium sized paper cup, nor did it require me to ask my server to give me an extra squeeze of their watermelon puree during froyo happy hour time. it did, however, require me to look up the word "haute" because i did not know how to pronounce it. yes friends, do not laugh, but in my world, the letter "h" is rarely silent.

after conquering the task of learning the correct pronunciation for "haute," i was off to the haute-est place in town for some classy yogurt eating. thanks blanc haute yogurt for gifting me a froyo tasting AND a new word to overuse in my not so haute vocabulary bank.

anyways, this dapper looking gentleman is leo leonard, founder and owner of blanc haute yogurt a.k.a. organic deliciousness in beverly hills. his mission to provide organic frozen yogurt free of high-fructose corn syrup with the decadent options of exotic toppings makes his froyo boutique a must-try for all you haute folks out there.

i also appreciated the nutrition info available as i made my choice amongst all the decadent, organic flavors offered in his little shop. yummmmm....what to choose, what to choose. what would you choose?

and the toppings. oui oui! the decadent imported haute chocolate toppings will make your lips quiver with anticipation. it sure made mine quiver as i whispered the words "chocolate truffles leo...don't forget the chocolate truffles...."

after some hemming, hawing, and haute-ing, i decided on the organic madagascar vanilla froyo with chocolate truffles, chocolate pearls, and chocolate coconut toppings. i waited patiently as leo assembled this frozen masterpiece for my belly.

normally, i can heif down quite a large serving of froyo, but a petite cup was enough this time around. it was a truly decadent full bodied yogurt maxing out on the creamy and dreamy parts of a dessert daydream. if there was a blanc haute yogurt club, i would totally join it just to taste these flavors over and over again....

...and because god listens to fat bellies enamored with quality chocolate, my prayers were answered on the spot. now you and i can belong to the haute-est froyo club around.

and if you're haute but your wallet doesn't support your lifestyle, blanc currently has happy hour prices from 4-6pm for their non-organic froyo. here's a list of prices during normal non-happy hours so you can budget accordingly.

go and get it, you know you want some. and while you're at it, can you please bring me back a petite serving of the madagascar vanilla? thanks! and don't forget the chocolate truffles...pretty please???

Blanc Haute Yogurt
9465 Charleville Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 283-2611
blancbeverlyhills.com

price: $
verdict: tasty, try it!