Endless Chocolate Indulgence at Oliverio's Chocolate Salon

I'm a self-professed chocoholic, and so was my companion. Yet we both had to wave the white flag after morsels and morsels of chocolate desserts were brought out to us at Avalon Hotel's Oliverio. I don't think I've indulged in so much chocolates in a while!

Photo courtesy of Oliverio

About a month ago, Oliverio started Chocolate Salon, a chocolate buffet spread out next to the pool of the Avalon Hotel every Friday and Saturday nights. For $28 per person or $50 per couple, guests can partake in offerings such as the triple chocolate truffle pizzetta, chocolate martini, white hot chocolate, spicy chocolate pot de creme, and all manners of chocolate dipped goodies.

I was invited by the restaurant's PR to try it myself, and my companion and I came ready for battle. It was raining so instead of setting up a buffet at the pool, the restaurant plated everything. We sat at the small lounge/bar area which extended from the restaurant instead of in the cabanas.

We thought we should have a light dinner before digging into dessert, so we ordered some appetizers. On one hand, it was good to have something savory first. On the other, if we hadn't we would've had more room for more chocolates.

When you go for dinner, do try the smooth and creamy Tortino di Cavolfiore (cauliflower souffle, parmesano sauce) - $14

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Crudo Finds a Home at Culina in Beverly Hills

Let's face it, I love raw seafood. Even after watching The Cove, I still went to Culina to try their crudo (but I have been avoiding tuna more, and definitely am not planning on eating whales or dolphins). While I managed to indulge in crudo heaven at Marea in NYC, in LA this dish is still relatively hard to find. I was bummed when the now-shuttered Blanca in Newport Beach stopped serving crudo.

Luckily, the new restaurant at The Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, Culina, moves in to fill the gap.

The place is large and swank, of course, being Four Seasons and all. Dimly lit, dark leather chairs, the whole lot, with an almost equally large outdoor dining area.

They also have a crudo bar where you can watch them slicing your raw fishies a la a sushi bar.


To start: breadsticks and olives.

By the way, the olive oil here is supposed to be so good that they sell it by the bottle in case you want to take it home.

I wanted a glass of wine and asked the sommelier what would work best with the crudo I'm ordering. She recommended the 2007 Vermentino (Tuscany), which did work well for some, though not all, the crudo.

I can't go to Culina and not have the crudo. Unable to make up my mind, I just ordered the Crudo Sampler: three choices, $22.
My three choices:
Salmone - loch duart salmon. caper salt. blood orange.
Ricci Di Mare – Sea Urchin, Lemon, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Yellowtail, Star Anise Oil, Orange Sea Salt
I liked the acidity and sweetness that the blood orange lent to the fatty salmon. The olive oil added another layer of richness to the sea urchin. The yellowtail was prepared simply which worked even better, focusing on the wonderful flavor and texture of the yellowtail itself.

Another crudo order: Aragosta (lobster. pink peppercorns. grapefruit & chive oil. $13)
It's amazing how food changes texture between its raw and cooked state.

Polipo Harissa – Baby Octopus, Harrisa, Ceci Beans ($14)
This was easily my favorite dish besides the crudos. The harissa gave the little tender octopus a wonderful flavor. I would definitely order this again.

Ravioli (sweet corn packets. mascarpone. sage brown butter, $18)
Stuff anything with sweet corn and I will eat it. This was made even a tad bit sweeter with the brown butter coating. We enjoyed this dish quite a bit, although $18 for 4 corn raviolis did not seem as good a deal as the previous $14 octopus.

Gnocchi Di Patate, Lobster Knuckles, Pea Shoots, Black Truffle
I found this way too "mushy" for me - I felt like I was eating mashed potatoes. It was meant to have that texture, however, and my dining companion enjoyed it, so it may just be a matter of personal taste.

We also ordered pappardelle with lamb ragu, which was good albeit a bit salty.

A couple of mignardises to end the night.

The strength of my Culina meal was definitely the seafood, both the crudo and the polipo harissa. The pastas were more hit and miss, and even the hits weren't as high as other Italian restaurants around town. But there's nothing wrong with a restaurant with a specialized strength. I know where to go for crudo in LA, and that's enough for me.


Culina at Four Seasons Beverly Hills
300 S Doheny Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 273-2222
www.culinarestaurant.com

Marea: Seafood, Pasta, and My Latest Fave NYC Lunch

Oh, Marea ... Your Michelin 1-star, NYT 3 stars, and best new restaurant are all well-deserved.

But that wasn't why I went. I went because Sam Kim of LAist said I should, and I'm more than glad I did.

Business lunch at Marea runs $34 for 2 courses and the bright and spacious restaurant across from Central Park was a pleasure to dine in.

My lunch buddy got a tasting of three crudos for the first course ($8 supplement).
All three of the crudos we chose were wonderful but in particular I really enjoyed the delicateness and simplicity of the PASSERA which is the long island fluke with lemon thyme and olio nuovo.

For a better view: SEPPIA and PASSERA

I (surprise, surprise) ordered the ASTICE containing Nova Scotia lobster, burrata, eggplant al fungheto, basil and basil seeds.
Get it. Get it, get it. The burrata and the light basil seed sauce wonderfully accentuates the fresh lobster. Never overwhelming in any way, this was a lovely and balanced dish.

Moving into a more flavor-forward dish with the POLIPO (grilled octopus, insalata di riso, fava, yellow tomato).
Another highly recommended dish with the chewy and meaty octopus. The rice salad nicely mellows out the saltiness of the octopus and if that wasn't enough texture contrast for you, combine it with the pine nuts on the side.

In contrast to the delicate and meticulous plating of our first courses, the pasta courses looked decidedly simple but they were just as masterfully executed.
For my second course: Spaghetti with Santa Barbara uni, crab, and basil.
The creaminess of the uni really shone through with this al dente pasta. This was a dish bursting with flavor.

You can actually get some meat or fish dishes as your second course, but we both got our pasta this late afternoon. My companion had the equally delicious MARE (acquarello risotto, scallops, gulf shrimp, lobster - $5 supplement).
A much more subtle dish than the uni spaghetti - this is perhaps the best risotto I've had in a while.

Both of the desserts we initially ordered were nice but they were shadowed by the brilliance of our two courses.






The dessert portions were small and we were somehow unsatisfied, and so we ended up getting another one. Our server recommended the Torrone and it proved to be more satisfying than the first two.
Still, since the desserts range about $14 each, if you're like us foodbloggers trying to squeeze 50 eating places in a 5-day NYC trip, you'd be better off getting your dessert elsewhere.

For their crudi, antipasti, and pasta, however, there is no reason not to go to Marea. Just go.


Marea
240 Central Park South
New York, NY 10021
(212) 582-5100
www.marea-nyc.com

पास्ता - Pasta

Pasta in English

२ जणांसाठी
वेळ: ३० मिनीटे

साहित्य:
१ कप होल ग्रेन पेने पास्ता
१/४ कप लाल भोपळी मिरची, छोटे चौकोनी तुकडे
१/४ कप हिरवी भोपळी मिरची, छोटे चौकोनी तुकडे
१/४ टिस्पून लाल तिखट
३ टेस्पून ऑलिव ऑईल
१ टेस्पून पार्मिजान चिझ, किसलेले
२ चिमूट ओरेगानो
आवडीप्रमाणे रेड चिली फ्लेक्स
पास्ता शिजवण्यासाठी मिठ
३ टेस्पून पास्ता सॉस

कृती:
१) एका मोठ्या खोल पातेल्यात ५ ते ६ कप पाणी उकळवावे. त्यात मीठ घालून ढवळावे. पाणी उकळायला लागले कि त्यात १ कप पास्ता घालून १५ ते २० मिनीटे किंवा पाकिटावर दिलेल्या वेळेनुसार शिजवून घ्यावा. शिजवताना झाकण ठेवू नये तसेच मोठ्या आचेवर शिजवावा. त्यामुळे पाणी उतू जाण्याची शक्यता असते म्हणून एकदम खोलगट आणि मोठे पातेले घ्या. तळाला चिकटू नये म्हणून मधेमधे तळापासून ढवळावे.
२) पास्ता शिजला कि एका चाळणीत काढून घ्यावा आणि त्यावर थंड पाणी घालावे. सर्व पाणी निघून जाऊ द्यावे.
३) पॅनमध्ये १ टिस्पून तेल गरम करावे, त्यात भोपळी मिरची घालून १/२ ते १ मिनीट परतावे (टीप २). चिमूटभर ओरेगानो, लाल तिखट आणि मिठ घालावे. लगेच ३ टेस्पून पास्ता सॉस घालून लगेच शिजलेला पास्ता घालावा. गॅस मंद ठेवून १/२ ते १ मिनीट निट मिक्स करावे. वाटल्यास पास्ता सॉस वाढवावा. लगेच सर्व्हींग बोलमध्ये काढावे.
सर्व्ह करताना १ चिमूटभर ड्राय ओरेगानो चुरून भुरभूरावा. तसेच पार्मिजान चिझ घालावे आणि पास्ता सर्व्ह करावा.

टीप:
१) रेड चिली फ्लेक्स गरज वाटल्यास तिखटपणासाठी आवडीप्रमाणे घ्यावे.
२) भोपळी मिरची ३० ते ४० % शिजवावी पूर्ण शिजवू नये. भोपळी मिरचीचे तुकडे थोडे करकरीत राहिलेलेच चांगले लागतात.
३) पास्ता शिजताना जर पाणी कमी खुप कमी झाले असेल तर गरजेपुरते पाणी वाढवावे.

Labels:
Tomato Pasta, Pasta sauce, Homemade pasta sauce

पास्ता सॉस - Homemade Pasta Sauce

Pasta Sauce in English

साधारण १ कप पास्ता सॉस
वेळ: ३५ मिनीटे
साहित्य:
६ टोमॅटो
२ टेस्पून रेडीमेड टोमॅटो पेस्ट
३ टेस्पून ऑलिव ऑईल
४ मोठ्या लसूण पाकळ्या, पातळ चकत्या
१/४ कप कांदा, उभा पातळ चिरून
१/२ टिस्पून लाल तिखट
१ टिस्पून ड्राय ओरेगानो
२ चिमटी मिरपूड
मीठ
पास्ता कसा बनवावा?

कृती:
१) प्रत्येक टोमॅटोचे दोन तुकडे करा. मोठ्या बेकिंग ट्रेमध्ये १ टेस्पून ऑलिव ऑईल घालून हाताने पसरवून घ्या. टोमॅटोची चिरलेली बाजू प्लेटला लागेल अशा रितीने ठेवा त्याच भांड्यात लसूण पेरा.
२) दुसर्‍या छोट्या बेकिंग भांड्यात कांदा आणि थोडे तेल असे मिक्स करा. ओव्हन ४०० F वर प्रिहीट करून टोमॅटो आणि कांदा-लसूण १५ मिनीटे बेक करा. दोन्ही भांडी मधल्या कप्प्यावर ठेवा. मधेमधे कांदा आणि लसूण जळत नाहीत ना हे चेक करा.
३) बेक झाल्यावर टोमॅटोला पाणी सुटलेले असेल. कांदा लसणीचा रंग किंचीत बदलला असेल. सर्व गार झाले कांदा बारीक चिरून बाजूला ठेवावा. टोमॅटो आणि लसूण मिक्सरमधून बारीक करून घ्यावे.
४) पॅनमध्ये ऑलिव ऑईल किंचीत गरम करावे त्यात लाल तिखट, कांदा घालून परतावे. नंतर टोमॅटोचे मिश्रण घालावे, ढवळावे. टोमॅटोची पेस्ट घालावी. निट मिक्स करावे आणि मंद आचेवर १०-१५ मिनीटे शिजू द्यावे.
५) सॉस थोडा दाट झाला कि त्यात ओरेगानो, मिरपूड आणि मिठ घालावे २ मिनीटे मंद आचेवर उकळू द्यावे. काचेच्या बरणीत काढून ठेवावा.
हा सॉस साधारण ५ ते ६ जणांच्या सर्व्हींगसाठी उपयोगी पडेल.

टीप:
१) टोमॅटो पेस्टमुळे रंग छान येतो. जर टोमॅटो पेस्ट मिळत नसेल तर थोडा टोमॅटो केचप जो फार गोड नसेल असा वापरू शकतो. पण यामुळे चवीत किंचीत फरक पडेल.
२) जर ओरेगानो हर्ब मिळत नसेल तर बेसिल किंवा थाईमही या सॉसमध्ये वापरू शकतो, प्रत्येक हर्बची चव वेगवेगळे असते त्यामुळे चवीत हर्बच्या फ्लेवरनुसार फरक पडेल.

Labels:
pasta sauce, tomato pasta sauce, Oregano pasta sauce

Ado: The Ultimate Neighborhood Italian

While looking for a place to eat in Venice, I remember reading about Ado, a small new Italian eatery on Main St, the brain child of Paolo Cesaro (formerly of Via Veneto) and chef Antonio Mure (formerly of Locanda Veneta).

As I walked up to the two-story yellow building, my first thought was "How cute!!"

The first floor held the kitchen and one table (seats two). Everyone else is ushered upstairs to a dimly lit, cozy dining room.

The menu had a small but satisfying selection of antipasti, paste, and secondi. The homemade pastas caught my eye in particular.

We started out with Insalatina Tiepida di Carciofi, Granchio e Vin Cotto (Warm Baby Artichokes Hearth with Dungeness Crab Meat, Mache salad and Grape Must Reduction - $14)

A great light and clean start. The baby artichokes are sliced and mixed in with the dungeness crab meat - a great texture and flavor combination. Lightly doused with olive oil and vinaigrette, a great dish.

Tagliolini Rossi con Ragu di Quaglia in Fonduta di Taleggio (Home-made Red Beets Tagliolini pasta in a Marsala Quail Ragu served on a bed of Taleggio cheese fondue -$15)
Even the smell of it already made me so happy. Ahhh, cheese. Al dente beet pasta, savory quail ragu, and rich cheese fondue all mixed together. If this doesn't "hit the spot" I don't know what will. For me this is a must-get and a must-get-again dish.

Pappardelle al Coniglio, Porcini e Prugne (Home-made Pappardelle served with Rabbit Ragu, Porcini Mushrooms and Dried Prunes -$17)
A much more subtle dish than the previous, but again very well done. The pappardelle was again perfectly al dente, the flavor of the ragu was subtle but pervasive, and the sweetness of the dried prunes was quite a nice touch. My companion likes this dish better than the previous (if you're not a cheese-person, you will too)

Agnello domestico Ripieno al Pesto (Grilled Colorado Lamb Chop stuffed with Pesto and served with a Red Wine and Mustard Sauce - $32)
The lamb was very flavorful as it was stuffed with pesto. The meat was quite moist and tender, although the lamb did have quite a bit of fat.

There was no written dessert menu, but one of the two knowledgeable waiters will spill out what's in store for you. After much debate and tiramisu being out that night, I went with the recommended Pasteria (ricotta cheese cake) This was denser and richer than I had expected, perhaps a bit too rich with nothing to cut it. My companion said it was too rich -- my fault since I veto'ed the 3 chocolate mousse (white, milk, dark) for this one. Fine, we can get the mousse next time!

Semifreddo torrone (ice cream cake with hazelnut)
Also not what I had in mind for "ice cream cake" :P Think of it as a thick ice cream with chocolate chips and hazelnut bits. I liked this one better though, rich and sweet but not too thick.

Oh, those lucky Venice dwellers. If Ado was in my neighborhood, I'll definitely be there quite a bit. We had a great first impression (cute building, cozy space, great service, great food), so even though it isn't in my neighborhood, I'll still keep coming back.

Ado
796 Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90291
(310) 399-9010
www.adovenice.com

Bottega Louie: Continuing DTLA's Revival

I was greeted by the pastry case when I entered Bottega Louie, cupcakes in gold containers on gold trays on white marble counter. I've been hearing about Bottega Louie as a great neighborhood joint so this expanse of sparkly bright white marble space was not what I had in mind. But I liked it. Being a Friday night at a new restaurant, the place was crowded. The wait for a table was about 35 minutes, and all the stools/tables at the bar were taken. Yet the immense space makes it feel relaxed and airy. After about 10 minutes we managed to snatch a table near the bar.

Most of the food is reasonably priced, with $8-12 pastas, $8 appetizers, and ~$15 entrees. The only expensive item seems to be the $40 osso buco.

I ordered a side of Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese - $8
These were excellent beets. Very fresh and sweet. The goat cheese was pretty smooth and creamy and the portion was not bad. My only quibble was that I felt the greens they picked were a bit too bitter for this dish. From this dish I already got the impression that they are using high quality ingredients.

It's hard to say whether or not one pasta dish would be enough for a meal since as it turns out the size of the portion varies between each pasta dish and not really correlated with the price either. This night we all went with the house-made pastas.

Trenne (braised prime rib-eye with Tuscan black kale) -$12
I think trenne gets the name from triangle+penne. The pasta was firm and was actually a bit browned outside - it might've been sauteed. I personally thought this made the pasta too firm and making it tiring to chew ... There was not much meat in this dish but the sauce and the kale was excellent - although some may think it a bit on the bland side. Despite the lack of meat, this pasta could've filled me up for dinner, but our next dish would not have.

Ravioli (homemade pasta stuffed with spinach and ricotta in a light cream sauce with pancetta, sage & peas) - $12
Compared to the trenne, the portion for the ravioli was noticeably smaller, but I did enjoy this dish better. The pasta was al dente but not too firm and the filling was pretty generous. I love the creamy sauce and particularly the aroma from the sage.

The flavors of their house made pasta are subtle. They do not burst with flavor or kick your tongue with sodium, but I found that the taste is lingering and satisfying.

Definitely another great addition to downtown LA, and so close to Seven Grand too! There have been so many new places in downtown recently, I sure hope our city can support them. Bottega Louie is different. The space is nothing less than magnificent and who doesn't want a grab-n-go gourmet market near their office? The food is also held to high standards, though how much to order to get full seems to be a trial and error deal. Still, hope this one is here to stay.

Bottega Louie
700 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 802-1470
www.bottegalouie.com

Pan-Seared Scallops and Leek Risotto (and Blackberry Vinaigrette)

Now that spring is in full swing, Steven and I reenrolled in our CSA program from last year. It was definitely a good decision because our first box had lots of goodies, including sugar snap peas, my all-time favorite vegetable, leek, strawberries, and salad mix just to name a few. Since the quarter just started, I don't have to study 24/7 just yet, or at least I don't think I have to study... Of course I could be very delusional and falling behind as we speak. But while I'm still procrastinating, at least I have time to make a nice meal. And when it comes to risotto, you need plenty of time.

Back in the good old days of only working part time, I had the time and patience to pull up a chair next to the stove and just sit there stirring absentmindedly. But nowadays life is way more frenetic and I have to be multitasking at least three things or I feel unproductive, which means I no longer tend so diligently to the risotto. I know you're technically supposed to stir risotto for the entire cooking time, but luckily I discovered, it's not the end of the world if you do stop. I know Marcella Hazan would be very disappointed but honestly, who has the time to sit around and stir a pot of rice for 30 minutes. While the risotto was cooking, I: put away the dishes, stirred, washed the dishes, stirred, cleaned the kitchen, stirred, made the dressing, stirred, cooked the scallops, yeah you get the idea. The risotto was maybe slightly less creamy but I couldn't tell. (From watching all those seasons of Top Chef, I just know that it's cheating to add cream to risotto, downright culinary sin!) And after you add the cheese and butter it's all good to me.

I would normally welcome leftovers, but risotto is something that just doesn't reheat well, so I scaled the recipe down for two, but feel free to double it for 4.

Leek and Bacon Risotto
*note: omit the bacon for a vegetarian version

2 slices regular thickness bacon or 1 slice thick cut bacon *omit and replace with 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil for vegetarian
1 leek, white and light green part only thinly sliced and washed
1 C arborio or carnaroli rice (do not rinse!)
1/4 C dry white wine
2 1/2 - 3 C homemade chicken stock
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp butter

In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a low simmer and keep it warm.

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium low heat until crisp and the fat has rendered. Turn up the heat to medium and add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook until the leeks have softened. Add the rice and cook the rice until the rice is evenly coated in the fat and toasty. You will be able to see an outer opaque ring around a white center on the rice grains.

Add the white wine and cook until it has absorbed. Reduce the heat to medium low and add a half cup of the chicken stock and freshly ground black pepper to taste. At a low simmer, cook the rice, while stirring continuously, until all of the stock has been absorbed. Add another half cup of stock and stir continuously. Repeat adding the stock and stirring continuously until the rice is al dente. You may not need all of the stock, or if you find yourself running low on stock, use some hot water. Start tasting the rice after 20 minutes of cooking. It should be tender with a slight firm bite in the center. When the risotto is finished cooking, take it off heat. It will be creamy, moist, and somewhat runny but it will thicken after adding the cheese and while it cools.

Off heat, stir in the Parmesan and butter and taste for salt.

Made these for Valentine's Day. They're perfect on this risotto.

Pan Seared Scallops
3 - 6 Scallops per person
Salt and Pepper
Oil

Keep the scallops in between two sheets of paper towels before you cook them. This will help absorb any moisture from the scallops. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a stainless steel or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add a tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil.

When the pan is hot, add the scallops, giving them about 1 - 2 inches of room in between each other. Cook them undisturbed for 2 minutes then using a spatula, gently flip the scallops to the second side, cook for another 1 minute or until the second side is nicely browned also. Take off heat and serve with your favorite side.

For the salad mix in our CSA box, I made a blackberry vinaigrette with the blackberries I painstakingly picked last summer. I still have about a gallon of frozen blackberries and I better hurry up and use them before they start tasting like freezer. Wouldn't that be a waste! I mean, my sweat and blood went into picking those blackberries! This is a great summery, fruity dressing that really relies on fresh berry flavor.

Blackberry Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp fresh blackberry puree
fresh lemon juice (to taste)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

If your blackberries are very ripe, sweet, and potent, you can get away using just two tablespoons of puree and add some lemon juice for tartness. My blackberries were not picked at their absolute ripest so they were still on the slightly tart side and I didn't need to add any lemon juice at all. Don't add any acid in the the beginning and just taste as you go.

Whisk the blackberry puree and Dijon together to mix, slowly whisk in some extra virgin olive oil until you get the consistency you like. Add lemon juice for additional tartness. Season with some salt and pepper.

Backpost: Osteria Mozza and My Mozzarelas

This is a backpost from ... oh I don't know months ago. This was my trip to Osteria Mozza and after loading the photos I lost access to my desktop due to many reasons. But now here it is! See if I remember anything.

We made a reservation and got there right on time but the table wasn't ready anyway, so I had to wait at the bar for 10 minutes. Oh, well :/

First I ordered the mozzarela tasting appetizer since I am at Osteria Mozza after all!

Bufala, burrata, and fior di latte. This was waay too much cheese for 1 person (or 2 when one of us doesn't really like cheese). They also put lots of olive oil on it as you can see. I mean, it's yummy but seems a bit too fatty.

I couldn't really distinguish the tastes, but the textures definitely had noticeable differences. I liked the bufala a lot in the beginning but after eating a half of it, I found I liked the burrata's texture better.

We also split an order of gnocchi (this is a half):

The gnocchi was great and the sauce was tasty. It was supposed to be "wild boar ragu" though which was the reason I ordered it, but there was not much wild boar to it. Still tasty food though.

We also shared the Crisp Duck al mattone.

Impressive presentation, IMO :)
Duck was definitely crispy. Pretty juicy, flavorful. But ... a weeee bit too overcooked - just a wee bit dry ...

Now ... I'm so sorry but I don't remember what I had for dessert. Whatever it was it wasn't anything too special.


Overall I liked the food, although I would wait until the hype has gone down before coming back, so that 1)I can get reservation semi-last-minute and 2)I can eat in peace ...

Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
1.323.297.0100