Whiling Away The Weekend

Over the last few months, I have come to cherish my weekly 48 hour cube farm furloughs. This is due, in part, to the fact that I recently discontinued my weekend knit/crochet teaching duties (nine hours of yarn store play every Saturday just became too much atop my weekly full-time cube farm commitment). It is also due, in part, to the fact that I now have my own space, chock full of my own things, a new locale filled with the delightful hustle and bustle of a mother/daughter duo going about their respective lives. Combine those ingredients with a heap-load of good friends, a busy urban setting providing lots of events to partake in at week's end, the new found psychic space in which to spread my wings and I've got a recipe for weekend scenarios that have become nothing short of a delightful respite from my work week stress-test-like schedule.

As such, last weekend's menu o' fun stuffs began with a lovely Friday eve dinner amongst friends at Hae Jang Chon in K-Town. (Got to love a restaurant that sports a grinning pig on the sign!) Our little foursome partook in the all you can eat meatfest where we sampled HJC's Bulgogi (BBQ beef), Black Angus beef brisket, marinated beef short ribs, thick slices of Canadian pork belly (mmm...bacon...), and BBQ pork.

Does anyone see a knit Canadian pork belly kilt on my design agenda? Methinks that might be a must...

*Ahem*

Anyway, all of the usual yummy Korean BBQ sides were also present: Kimchi; cone tortillas; rice cake; bean paste soup; and lettuce with sesame paste for constructing your own, uh, Korean tacos. The quality of the meat was stellar, sides were delish, price per person super reasonable in addition to something you don't see much of in my hometown...FREE PARKING. Oh, and my new buddy, Heather, and I drank many a bottle of pomegranate wine too.

Bellies full, our little party headed over to the Wiltern for a screening of one of my all time fave films, The Big Lebowski, for none other than Lewbowskifest. White Russians, I mean, uh, Caucasians all around! By the way, many a said beverage could be obtained throughout the screening from the bar...Nice!

Saturday, I had the opportunity to join a group of friends for an evening cooking class at Simple Gourmet in Redondo Beach. We spent the evening drinking wine and playing with knives. It was great! At the end of the evening our little group of novice chefs enjoyed the fruits of our labors...a three course French-inspired vegetarian meal. I would go into more detail and oh, show a few pictures, but I seem to have lost the camera I was using that evening. You see, my brain seems to be a bit muddled these days. Oh well, at least I still have my little point and shoot.

Easter Sunday involved, yes, you guessed it, more food. Brunch with family and friends at Luminarias followed by a lovely motorcycle ride traversing a handful of SoCal canyon roads. Nice way to spend the day to be sure...

A New York Foodie Fable

Mom and I flew into Manhattan on Sunday and we've eaten some tasty treats since our arrival in one of my favorite cities on the planet, let me tell ya. For me, the culinary arts are right up there in the creative pantheon next to the artsy and crafty. However, I don't get much time to cook because (i) I'm on the road a lot, (ii) in the air just about as much, (iii) hole up in my office when not on the road or in the air, and (iv) knitting, crocheting, weaving, dyeing and spinning during my waking hours. There's not a whole lot of room in my schedule for cookery. However, I girl's gotta eat and well, I'm not one for missing meals.

So, where does this crafty maven eat while in the Big Apple?

Buddakan.

Let me just open with the fact that Dale was nowhere to be found. In spite of this fact, Mom, my friend and colleague, Amanda, and I still managed to have a wonderful supper filled with outstanding dishes. Let's just see what tantalized our taste buds, shall we?

Appetizers included Edamame Dumplings in shallot-sauternes broth, Hoisin Glazed Pork Belly with spicy shallots, cabbage and steamed buns, General Tso's Dumplings stuffed with chicken, ginger and garlic, Tuna Spring Rolls and Chili Rock Shrimp. Main selections included Shrimp and Lobster Chow Fun, Charred Fillet of Beef and Twice Cooked Long Beans. For dessert we indulged in Chocolate Mille Feuille. Oh, and we also polished off two bottles of Leitz Reisling (2006).

I loved the Hoisin Glazed Pork Belly served sliced atop a bed of tangy cabbage slaw, alongside split steamed buns, encouraging the eater to build his or her own bao. The pork was cooked perfectly, tender, juicy, the glaze a wonderful balance of sweet and savory. Also of note were the Chili Rock Shrimp (batter dip it and fry it and I'll pretty much love it) and the Charred Fillet of Beef in all of it's buttery goodness. If you're a culinary adventurer like me, you will enjoy the Chocolate Mille Feuille, which combines bananas, chocolate and avocado. A lovely and unexpected dish to end a truly outstanding meal.

The restaurant itself is a feast for the eyes. Gorgeous, dark, rich surroundings. The service was prompt and on point for the entire meal. Dishes were brought out steaming hot from the kitchen when ready, providing diners with a constant onslaught of food. Hey, works for me!

Buddakan
75 9th Ave. (Bet. W. 15th & W. 16th Streets)
New York, NY 10011
212-989-6699

Next up, Prune.

Mom and I grabbed a cab to the East Village Tuesday night in order to dine in a little bistro that I'd heard nothing but good things about. And I'm happy to report, everything I had heard was absolutely true. Prune is something special. Owner/Chef, Gabrielle Hamilton, creates food that is all at once, spirited, homey, rich and resonant.

Mom and I started our meal with Roast Marrow Bones, atop a parsley salad, accompanied by toasted hunks of fresh baguette and a small dish of sea salt. I like dishes that require a little work. With this dish, the eater is required to extract the rich marrow from the bones with spoon or knife and then spread the fatty goodness atop bread. Well worth the effort.

Our main courses consisted of Grilled Quail with Braised Escarole and Raisins on the Vine and Lamb Ribs with Braised Dandelion Greens and Skordalia. The quail was smoky and tender. The greens, equally tender as the quail with a hint of sweetness from the raisins. A good dish. Although, the lamb ribs were better, rich and perfectly cooked. The ribs were crispy on the outside, while the meat itself was tender and falling off the bone. We also indulged in a side of braised leeks and greens. They were buttery and soft. Yum!

Mom and I rounded out the meal with a shared dessert of Ricotta Ice Cream with Butterscotch Croutons. Heaven in a bowl.

The restaurant itself is a quirky and quaint little joint, cozy and comfortable, filled with light, albeit small. Service was spot on. I will definitely be making ressies for Prune each and every time I find myself in NYC.

Prune
54 E. 1st Street (Bet. 1st & 2nd Avenues)
New York, NY 10003
212-677-6221

Third stop on the food tour, Blue Hill. This was not my first visit to this lovely little spot in Washington Square and it was absolutely a pleasure to be able to feast there again.

Mom and I were seated in a comfortable table along the east wall. We began with a bottle of Rose (the name is escaping me and it's not listed in this wine list available on their website!), our current fave. Got to love that Rose is making a comeback AND its not that sickeningly sweet junk found in a screw top bottle or in a box with a tap (FOR SHAME).

Service was a bit slow at first. Someone finally caught on that we were sitting for quite some time, sucking down more than one glass of wine apiece, without having placed our order. From then on, service was smooth.

We began our meal with Gazpacho (fresh, tangy and GREEN) and Maine Crabmeat, shredded atop a compote of fennel, apple and Stone Barns panther soybeans in an apple mustard broth. Both dishes were quite good. Although if I had to choose my favorite, it would be the Gazpacho, hands down. Big fan of the chilled soup.

Mom and I both had the Potato and Green Garlic Ravioli for our main selection. The ravioli itself was rich and the flavors clean. Actually, this was probably one of the more interesting raviolis I've tried. The pasta pockets were served tossed with baby collards, roasted chicken wing pieces (boneless and crisp) and shiitake mushrooms. We both inhaled everything on our plates.

For dessert we indulged in the Chocolate Bread Pudding and the Ricotta Souffle. The bread pudding was served warm topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate oozing from it's center. Need I say more? The Ricotta Souffle was also served warm, every spoonful light and lemony. So good.

I love Blue Hill. It is seasonal dining at its best.

Blue Hill
75 Washington Place
New York, NY 10011
212-539-1776

One last night for dining. I'll keep you posted!

London - Day Two

When I was told that I was to go to London and Paris for work, I asked (insisted actually) my boss if I could pad the trip with a bit of free time as a 10 to 12 hour journey each way via airliner is a commitment to be sure. He agreed (thankfully) and my colleagues and I hopped a flight last Friday, arriving in the late afternoon last Saturday, leaving us free to explore the city on Sunday before putting noses to the grindstone on Monday at the office.

Sunday was a beautiful day in this fair city, sunny and warm (hot really), perfect for taking to the streets on foot and exploring. Random exploration would not do however, as I had an overall plan. I longed to go to Tate Modern and peruse floor after floor of creative genius, much of which I'd only seen previously in my art historical texts during college. This was my day to experience the work in person!

In the morning, I grabbed one of my travel companions and we set off for a bit of breakfast before crossing the Waterloo Bridge to the opposite side of the Thames in order to make our way to the Tate. Upon reaching the facing shore we were inundated by throngs of people enjoying the sunshine, watching any one of the many street performances taking place, clamoring to hop aboard the London Eye for panoramic view of the city, just generally enjoying the touristic riches available to them on such a fine day. Despite the crowd, I was able to discern a few banners flanking the front of the County Hall Gallery emblazoned with the name Dali. Intrigued, my colleague and I moved to investigate.


One of the many performers along the water.


London Eye.

Upon entry to the building, we each forked over 11 pounds and made our way to the entrance of the Dali Universe. Mind you, my expectations were quite low regarding the happenstance we were about to partake in. Fortunately, I was more than pleasantly surprised once moving through what could only be characterized as a tunnel, painted black, marked by both image and the ever-quotable verbiage set forth by the Surrealist master, to the exhibition. The space beyond was literally filled with paintings, prints and sculptures made by the hand of Salvador himself.

How did I not know about this place?

We perused image after image ranging from the tight, expertly detailed work Dali is most known for to lose, painterly fare that took me by surprise. Wicked wit, erotic machinations and clever unconventions, image after image. Dali was a genius.

Art appetite moist, I was ready for the lengthy tromp along the Thames to the Tate. Along the way, my colleague and I stopped into many a waterside pup for a pint of cider in an effort to stave off the humidity and heat, which was fast becoming oppressive. (It was actually hotter in London than in hometown Los Angeles last weekend!) An hour and some change later we were standing in front of the mighty Tate Modern (my new favorite place on the planet)!


Tower at the front of the Tate.

The edifice alone is awe-inspiring. Yet strolling among the works contained inside was positively astounding. Now, I'm not exactly an art neophyte. To the contrary, I have two degrees in fine art. I've been to museums and galleries around the globe. Actually, I'm pretty jaded when it comes to looking at, speaking about, experiencing art in all of its many forms. However, as "old hat" as the world of art is for moi, I did, in fact, lose my ability to form words at the mecca of modern as I feasted eyes upon some of my favorite creations by some of my favorite artists: Duchamp's Fountain and Nude Descending a Staircase; Kapoor's Ishi's Light; Judd's untitled steel homage to the rectangle (hey, just call me a square); Giacometti's Standing Woman and of course a little Bacon. There was so much to see. So much that I loved, have always loved for that matter. The experience will stay with me for some time to come.

One really works up an appetite when one is in the presence of great artistic wonders. It was finally time to hit the hotel, wash off the heat of the day and ready ourselves to tie on the feedbag! Eating well is a feature of all my travels, business or pleasure, and Sunday evening's spectacular meal was a perfect example of this essential experience.

Hubby's flight had arrived just in time to join my co-workers and me for a lovely meal at Veeraswamy. This legendary locale is an outstanding example of east meets west decor. The place is beautiful, filled with color, glitz and glam. Very cool space, indeed. We sat adjacent to one of the floor to ceiling windows, allowing our party a bird's eye view of the bustling street below.


Veeraswamy's grand interior.

We began our meal with round of cocktails. While half our party chose to imbibe some fairly pedestrian alcoholic fare, two of us felt a bit more adventurous, choosing to indulge in lychee and rose water martinis. Can you say sweet and refreshing?

Next up a host of family style dishes such as Nizami Murgh (a Hyderabadi dish consisting of chicken breast and koftas with pine nut, lemon and rose petal), spicy Saag (by far, my favorite spinach dish ever), Sukhe Aloo (you say potatooo, I say potaaato), Kolhapuri Kofta (deep fried veggie croquettes in a savory brown sauce), Bombay Dal (mild yellow lentils spiced to perfection) and multiple orders of Naan. We ended the meal with a plump pot of chai, mango sorbet and banana kulfi to share. Another good meal to be sure.

As we strolled back to the hotel after dinner, I reflected upon the days events, feeling blessed to have had the experiences and readying myself for the week ahead. More to come folks!

London - Day One

It's actually the beginning of Day Two, Sunday. However, seeing as we flew in yesterday at around 2:45, spent an inordinate amount of time (at least an hour and some change!) in the customs queue at Heathrow, drove into city center and got settled into our hotel, finally taking off on foot for dinner at about 6:30, I was just too damn tired to post last night after inhaling my meal.

However, I will always endure the rigors of a 10 hour flight to this destination as it 'tis one of my favorite cities on the planet! As long as I can stay awake upon arrival until a ripe-for-bedtime hour, I can enjoy London's pleasures relatively jet-lag free the rest of the week. I know, I have to actually go into work Monday through Thursday, but that will not stop me from enjoying myself!

Speaking of enjoying myself, I didn't do much of that last week. Hence, no posts. I was busy readying myself for two weeks worth of travel, tying up loose ends at the office, oh, and crocheting six enormous items for Crochet Today magazine! Literally, no free time. I plan to make up for last week's misery, by painting the town RED this week. Yes, indeedy.

Now, back last night. My two work colleagues and I were, needless to say, famished upon our arrival at the hotel. So, immediately following brief dates with our respective showers, we three met in the lobby and proceeded to a lovely restaurant around the corner from our home away from home, Al Duca, on recommendation from the hotel's concierge.



Nothing like kicking off two weeks of travel with a fine meal. Al Duca's delights were just the sort that the god Hermes would have partaken in upon exiting his chariot after a long journey!
We began with glasses of chianti and an amuse bouche consisting of a dollop of gorgonzola cream atop a roasted walnut with a sprig of dill. Lovely.

Our second foodie delight was Melanzane grigliate con burrata e olive nere (Char-grilled auberine with creamy mozzarella and black olives). This dish consisted of a generous slice of warm grilled eggplant topped with a healthy portion of THE most creamy burrata I've had the pleasure of tasting. Drizzled with olive oil tinged by its grassy origins, freshly ground black pepper and dotted about with olives nicoise, it was heavenly.

I had the Saltinbocca di branzino con patate n ovelle e scalogno marinato (Sea bass fillet wrapped with Parma ham, sage, sauteed new potatoes and pickled shallots) as my main course. Just remember, everything is better wrapped in bacon! Sea bass is hardly an exception. Cooked and seasoned flawlessly, I inhaled my perfectly portioned fillets. The skin of the fish was as crisp as the ham it was wrapped in, while the meat was tender and sweet. Underneath the fillets were lovely golden shallots and tender browned new potatoes. Mouthwatering.

I ended my meal with two small crepes, one filled with my daughter's fave toast topper, Nutella. The other infused with a lemony sweet ricotta. Yum!

This little bistro is definitely worth a try should you find yourself near Picadilly Circus AND you'd like to avoid some of the more tourist infested locales.

Okay folks, got to jet. Day Two awaits!

Marching into Spring...

...with a duel-handled blade!


My newest toy, the mezzaluna.

Yep, I spent my Saturday immersed in craft and the culinary arts as well as in search of the perfect materials suitable for both activities. After a mid a.m. Saturday morning coiffing, I was joined by my girl Jenna for some shopping just south of our usual stomping grounds.

First stop was Melt Down where grilled cheese is king, or queen, depending upon your preference. Ah yes, nothing like beginning a shopping binge tanked up on melty, cheesy goodness.

At any rate, upon first glance, the menu was pushing and prodding me toward ordering one of the sweet melts. I mean who doesn’t want a hot and delicious brie and apricot sandy on grilled walnut bread? (Note to self, have to order that one when next gracing the doorstep of cheesy pavilion.) However, upon full perusal of menu offerings, I ended up ordering this sodium enriched wonder, the Italian Deli melt. Yeah, yeah, I know! Not good for the chick with the lofty blood pressure. Whatever. It. Was. Good. Crunchy grilled focaccia, slathered with balsamic and olive oil, cradling layers of thinly sliced cured meats and spongy fresh mozzarella. Hot and savory. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Jenna seemed to equally enjoy her appropriately named sandy, the L.A. Chick.

Tummies full, we were off to our first shop stop, Surfas, the “Chef’s Paradise”.

Oh. My. God.

I really had to restrain myself! I was walking around the place, glassy-eyed, wallet at the ready, feeling the overwhelming need to purchase huge vats of gold and silver sprinkles for the millions of disco ball sugar cookies I was planning to make upon my immediate return to my own humble kitchen. Really, it was scary. I don’t know what came over me while traversing the isles containing miles of culinary treasures. It was like a spell had overtaken me the minute I stepped foot inside the building. Literally, I was planning my graduation party from culinary school by the time I had made it to the register to purchase my wares. Oh yeah, it was THAT bad.

Needless to say, I showed a modicum of restraint and left the building with only one bag in tow containing a nifty mezzaluna (always wanted one), a glass condiment jar with flip-top lid for my stovetop stock of kosher salt, a small stack of flexible cutting boards, oh, and, um, a 1 lb. jar of gold sprinkles. Hey, I don’t see any reason to deprive my sugar cookies of their much deserved bling. So there.

Our final stop for the afternoon took me to my primary shopping danger zone…yarn AND roving. Culinary, schmulinary! This is my true downfall. However, I felt that Jenna really needed to be introduced to one of our most beloved Westside yarn haunts, A Mano Yarn Center. The fact that I have no self-control regarding stash acquisition should have no bearing upon the situation at all. Let’s just say I was providing a service, a charitable service, by acquainting a dear friend with a resource previously unknown to her. Yep, I’m a Good Samaritan through and through. A Good Samaritan who happened to leave the store loaded down by several balls o’ mohair and wads of roving. Jenna loved the store though, so the fact I dropped a little cash while simultaneously helping out a friend is quite acceptable. Quite acceptable indeed!

Ahem.

After Jenna and I parted ways that afternoon, I went straight home and occupied myself in a little nautical themed yarn play. Okay, “little nautical themed yarn play” is a euphemism for one large knitting project, two crochet projects and possibly a bit of embroidery too. Yeah, it’s all striped with anchors and such. I will probably want to burn all things navy and white when I’m done with this stuff, but well, right now I’m having a blast. You know, I tend to be a bit spirited with my efforts.

What brought on this sudden need to be at one with the sea? Well, I just came off three design projects for Crochet Today mag, which were as you might have guessed, notedly nautical! Oh yeah, there will be crocheted lobsters in your future, people!

I need to go back to Surfas and get some crustacean themed cookie cutters…oh, and some red sparkly sprinkles…