AK Fest 2010

I have been eating off of roach coaches ever since they were solely viewed as unsanitary vehicles serving heart-attack inducing food.
Suddenly, just as the cupcake craze and fro-yo frenzy swept LA, the truck trend invaded the streets (starting with Kogi).* Now you're cool if you stalk and chase after food trucks (thanks, Twitter). You're hip if you stand in a ridiculously long line and pay $5+ for a small taco and a drink. "Meals-on-wheels" doesn't sound so unappetizing anymore. Everyone wants in on the truck action, including Food Network { link }. I find nothing wrong with this -- rather, it amuses me.

Anyway, let's get to the meat of this entry -- Abbott Kinney Street Festival, aka - Food Trucks Galore! { link }

1) The Grilled Cheese Truck { link }

Brie Melt (double cream brie, sliced pears & honey on cranberry walnut bread) - $6.75

2) Border Grill Truck { link }

(Left) Carne Asada Quesadilla w/ fresh guac, caramelized onions and guajillo salsa - $6; 

(Right; top down) Yucatan Pork Taco (roasted achiote pork, pickled onion, orange salsa on handmade corn tortilla) - $2.50; and 2 Crispy Baja Fish Tacos (chipotle honey, cream salsa fresca on homemade corn tortilla) - $3/ each

I was impressed with the sweet flavors of the pork taco -- the orange salsa + daikon combo really brings out the spices in the pork. The fish taco was equally delicious -- the cream salsa brings out the freshness in the fish, but the chipotle honey complements the fried batter. Overall, the balance was on-point.

I really wanted to love the quesadilla; really, I did. While there was nothing particularly wrong with it, I found it underwhelming. I will say that the manchego, panela, and cotija cheeses added an interesting dimension to the overall taste.

Up close and personal:

3) The Dim Sum Truck { link }

 Har Gow (shrimp & bamboo) - $2.50 for 3

 Turnip Cakes w/ sweet garlicky dipping sauce - $3

 Sticky Rice (sausage, muchroom, shrimp hiding underneath), served wrapped in a Lotus Leaf

Shu Mai (pork, mushrooms, shrimp) - $2.50 for 3 

Considering it's off a truck, the food fares pretty well. Since SGV is no longer a 20 min. drive away, this will sufficiently give me my dim sum fix. Must try the pork buns and duck taco next time!

4) Tapa Boy { link }

Tocino Pork Bowl (sweet cured, subtly caramelized pork pieces over garlic rice with celery, pickled radishes, and tomatoes on the side and a fried egg)

The pork was surprisingly tender and flavorful. Filipinos, represent!

And now the meat:

I'm not quite sure what that is exactly... but a carnivore's dream come true, fosho. 

Unfortunately for us, the line for Nom Nom Truck was down the street, literally. Next time, T! :)

BBQ Pork Banh Mi from last year's AK Fest - yumz!

And... that's a wrap! Keep truckin', folks.

---

*Supposedly, SM is giving the food truck lot idea another shot { eater LA } Better luck this time around?

Find your favorite food truck by city here: { mobi munch } { find food trucks }

Pillow Cookies

I've been baking a lot lately. That usually means two things: 1) I'm stressed and/ or 2) There are a ton of events going on. Either way, it's great because it allows me to try new recipes, or one that have been on my to-bake list for ages like this one!

Hello Pillow Cookie!

Brownie Bites

Pillow-y

Since all the Pillow Cookie recipes out there [ via Bakerella ] involve chocolate chip cookies, I decided to go down a different route and envelope delicious brownie bites in plain sugary goodness. (I'm such a rebel child, I know). My advice? Go the chocolate chip route. The path less traveled did not fare well, at least in my palate. My roomie apparently loved 'em, but I think she'll say she loves everything that I bake (what a good roomie). :)

First off, baking these cookies will consume a lot of time. With that said, it's a pretty easy recipe. 

Ingredients

Brownie

• Ghiradelli brownie mix (yes, I partially cheated)

Sugar Cookie

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Follow instructions on brownie box. Cool and cut into 1/2 inch squares
2. Set oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
4. Store in fridge for ~ 1 hour.
5. Depending on how big or small you want your cookie to be, take some sugar cookie batter and put an indentation where you will place a brownie bite piece. 
6. Smoosh it and cover it with some more sugar cookie batter until brownie is nice and snug and cookie batter is in a ball.
7. Bake for ~12 min. or until the tops become slightly golden. Be careful not to overbake because the bottoms will harden because of the sugar. 
8. Allow cookies to sit in tray for ~5 min. before transferring them to cool on cookie racks. 
9. Serve with milk, chocolate milk if you're feeling extra fancy. :) 

Good luck!

yield: 2 dozen
type: cookie

difficulty: Moderate
cost: $

Carrot Cake

I don't usually bake cakes, but when I do, it's usually carrot cake, and according to my "guinea pigs," it is "uh-mayyy-zing." I'll take their word for it. ;)

The mess

Before

After 

(don't mind the gash in the middle -- had to use a knife 'cause I didn't have toothpicks)

The making of homemade cream cheese frosting (pre-confectioners' sugar)

Frosted and decorated (don't judge)

Ingredients

Cake

• 4 eggs (room temp.)
• 1 cup veg. oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (a great substitute because it provides some texture and helps retain moisture without oiling up your hands)
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened (go with regular)
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans, coconut flakes, or anything else you'd like to top your cake

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. 
3. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans/ raisins. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
5. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans/ other toppings. Frost the cooled cake and decorate to your heart's content!

via All Recipes

yield: 1 9x13 cake
type: cake

difficulty: Moderate
cost: $$

Hinano's Cafe

Cheeseburger w/ chips and peppers on the side - $6. (not pictured: Fat Tire on tap - $4)

Psst, this is Venice's well-kept secret, but lucky for you, you're in on it.
With an unassuming exterior and your typical dive-bar scene in the interior, Hinano's probably does not initially make the top of your dining list. Well, don't ever let looks fool you!

Because quite honestly, I think their burgers are up-to-par with fellow overpriced, overrated gourmet burger joints that have infiltrated LA... for half the price! I don't want to hype it up, but you really should give it a chance before you judge. Plus, with a cold beer in a frosted mug in hand, you really won't have much to complain about.


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cuisine: Dive Bar

location: Venice, CA

hours: Mon-Sun: 10am - 2am

website: { yelp }

attire: Casual

parking: street, but I highly suggest biking or walking (that's what the cool kids do anyway)

Word to the wise: They check ID at the door.

C&O Trattoria

C&O Trattoria is great for family-style eating with large groups in an al-fresco seating. If you're looking for more of a date place, I'd suggest C&O Cucina, which is down the street and away from the Venice hustle-bustle. Both places are great... the food is fresh, the waitstaff is accommodating, and best of all -- the garlic knots will win you over after bite one. Check it out!

Garlic Knots drowned in basil/ garlic. 

These little devils are the bane of my existence. So addictive.

Pappardelle Pasta with Shrimp & Wild Mushrooms (Delicious Wide Noodles Tossed with Shrimp, Portobello Mushrooms, Asparagus Tips, Fresh Roma Tomatoes and Shallots in our Chef's Brandied Lobster Cream Sauce) - $15.95

Pappardelle Pasta with Boneless Beef Short Ribs (Wide Noodles Tossed with Tender Pieces of Boneless Beef Short Ribs, Asparagus Tips and Fresh Roma Tomatoes in our House Chianti Wine Sauce) - $14.95

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cuisine: Italian

location: Marina Del Rey, CA

hours: Mon-Thur: 11:30am - 10pm; Fri: 11:30am - 11pm; Sat: 8am - 11pm; Sun: 8am - 10pm

website: { C&O | yelp }

attire: Casual

parking: street, but I highly suggest biking or walking (that's what the cool kids do anyway)

note: They serve gluten-free pasta!

Bread & Porridge

Brunch is a beautiful thing. Some of my awesome friends and I checked out B&P just down the street. Overall, not too shabby. One thing is 1/2 the menu consists of egg dishes so if you're not a fan, your choices are limited.

Super Florentine Omelet (spinach, spicy chicken sausage, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, onion w/ a side of roasted red potatoes) - $11.80

Breakfast Combo (choice of 2 buttermilk pancakes, 2 eggs, prepared any style, and 2 pieces of gourmet sausage - cilantro verde and spicy cajun) - $12.75

Shepherd's Omelet (spinach, mild goat cheese, mushrooms, onion w/ tomato slices on the side) - $11.80

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cuisine: American Brunch

location: Santa Monica, CA

hours: Mon-Sun: 7am- 9pm

website: { B&P | yelp }

attire: Casual

parking: street, but I highly suggest biking or walking (that's what the cool kids do anyway)

How To Throw An Amazing Brunch

Waffles? What waffles? Pass me the chicken wings, sistah!

a) Invite cool and fun people.
b) Have delicious food (the more homemade, the better!)
c) Leave all your worries, anxieties, and obligations at the door.
d) Chill, relax, laugh, enjoy.
e) All the above.

Fortunately for me, the answer has always been E. Today was no different. After nearly four months of being our busy selves, the old W&C crew (plus a couple of honorary friends -- hi Marissa and Jenny! ;)) reunited and boy, did it feel good! Here's a glimpse of the glorious food we shoveled in our mouths... daintily, of course.

First, a diabetic's nightmare...

Walnut Tarts (a family recipe... one that I need!)

Paradise Bars (chewy, caramely, pecan & coconut goodness in square form)

Oatmeal Coconut Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Lemon Poppy & Blueberry Muffins

Rice Krispie Treats

Red Velvet Cupcakes (off-white frosting = homemade recipe; white frosting = Betty Crocker)

We had the usual brunch choices too!

Waffle Bar (that actually went untouched. I think all the fruit scared people away ;))

Veggie Quiche (very tasty, Sobi!)

Uh oh, whose hand is that and what is she reaching for? 

Caught, red-handed.

Carrot Cake (I can be a baker, but I could never be a cake-decorator... ick)

Congrats to T AND M!!

I'll post recipes for the red velvet cupcakes and carrot cake soon.
Thanks for being such huge fans of my baked goods. Yes, one day I will open up a bakery... one day...

Soon!

Dear Faithful Readers,

Sincere apologies for being MIA. The last couple of weeks have been rather insane, to say the least.
This leaves me back-logged several weeks now, but new entries will be coming very soon!

Thanks for your patience... and your readership :)

Pot & Pan

Good Thai restaurants are a dime a dozen, but delicious Thai places are hard to come by. On the spectrum of the most delicious (in my opinion, Jitlada), the good, and the nasty, Pot & Pan stands at the "good" mark.

This unassuming, hole-in-the-wall joint serves big portions of standard food for reasonable prices. If you got a Thai craving, this place will most likely satisfy your needs. However, don't expect anything extraordinary. In fact, don't expect any desserts at all... (no desserts?!).

My hunt for delicious Thai on the Westside continues...

Pad Thai (pan-fried noodles with extra chicken, bean sprouts, cabbage, green onions, egg, tofu, and peanuts) - $7.95

Prik King (spicy green beans stir-fried with chicken and green pepper) - $7.95

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cuisine: Thai

location: Santa Monica, CA

hours: Mon-Sat: 11am- 10pm

website: { P&P | yelp }

attire: Casual

parking: street, but I highly suggest biking or walking (that's what the cool kids do anyway)

Word to the wise: They do accept MC and Visa (not Amex) if your purchase if over $10, but bring cash to avoid hassles.

lunch specials: $6.75 on weekdays between 11am - 3pm

Product Reviews

Aside from sharing recipes and restaurant reviews, I also post product reviews. Here's an entry just dedicated to those:

Breyer's English Toffee ice cream [ link ] - $3  thumbs up!

My roomie is in love with this ice cream flavor. I am just in love with ice cream in general so it worked out well. This Heath-inspired ice cream was delicious with a capital D...

Pretzel M&Ms [ link ] - $1  thumbs down

I wish I could say the same for these pretzel M&Ms. Maybe it was because the M&Ms were small in size, but I couldn't really taste the pretzel part, which kind of defeats its whole purpose. They reminded me of malt balls so if you're not a fan of those (or that texture), you'll want to pass.

 Dunkin Donut's French Vanilla Coffee [ link ] - $7  thumbs up!
(also pictured: 10-min avocado egg-white scramble)

Boston introduced me to Dunkin Donuts, and for that, I am forever grateful. Since the closest DD is in Vegas, I had to resort to this to get my fix. Fortunately, it did its job. DD's not the best coffee, but it sure brings back tons of fond memories.

Tomato & Pesto Flatbread (frozen food from TJ's) [ review ] - $3  thumbs up!



Quick, easy, surprisingly tasty. Pop it in the oven for a few minutes, cut it up, and you got a yummy appetizer. Would supplement this with an actual meal.

Sage, Proscuitto-stuffed Chicken

Once in awhile I'll hear some ridiculously chauvinistic comment like how "women are meant to be in the kitchen" or "leave your hard work for the kitchen" and the like. First of all, I'm not quite sure how to respond to that. Second, we live in the 21st century now, buddy.

One of my new favorite sights -- because of its rarity -- is seeing a man work the kitchen, and work it well! Mr. Link, I was thoroughly impressed. He (along with the help of his lovely assistant, Lana) took command, in my brightly-colored cupcake apron no less. He tenderized, carefully layered, fried, broiled, boiled, sauteed, garnished, and plated -- the whole 9 yards!

Chicken breast fillets ready to be wrapped (sans toothpicks!) and fried in a herb-crusted batter

Oh hello, you beautiful thing, you

Garlic-infused spaghetti with crushed tomatoes, herb-crusted chicken stuffed with fresh sage, parm, and proscuitto, and garlic ciabatta slices. YUM!

Romantic candlelit dinner for three. Also in good company: Hofbräu München, delicious German beer!

Marmalade Cafe

For awhile, I've complained about Malibu's lack of good food. This is still true to a certain extent, but over the summer Cafe Habana moved in, and in Jan., Grom is coming. Gradual improvement - good. Food for reasonable prices - needs work.

I've been to Marmalade once before dinner and I left without complaints, but without raving delight either. It was just a cozy place with decent food. When I went back recently for our APALSA dinner, the food and incredible service exceeded my expectations! Try this place, but be nice to receive nice treatment and order the right things. Here are some "right things":

Take a good look at this sammie -- it's stuffed with veggies. But the veggies were so meaty and the provolone cheese so tasty! The pesto and sun-dried tomato paste on either side of the 7-grain bread melded the rich tastes perfectly. - $11.95

Grilled Chicken Curry Salad - easily my new fave salad. This mixed greens salad with grilled chicken breast is tossed in this ginger curry vinaigrette (not too heavy, not too light) and garnished with pineapple, currants, dried cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, raisins, tangerines, fresh tomato and toasted coconut - $11.95 (half size)

Warm Seafood Cobb - mixed greens, tomatoes, bacon, provolone cheese, bleu cheese, avocado and diced egg topped with a bed of warm shrimp, scallops, and ahi tuna and tossed in an Italian vinaigrette - $17.95

Other winners around the table included: Chicken Dijonnaise - chicken breast sauteed with artichokes, asparagus, mushrooms and tossed in a light Dijon mustard cream sauce and served with roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Yumz!

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cuisine: American
location: Malibu, CA (also in SM, El Segundo, Calabasas, LA, Sherman Oaks)
hours: Mon-Thurs/ Sun: 7:30am - 9pm; Fri/ Sat: 7:30am - 10pm
website: { Marmalade | yelp }
attire: Casual
parking: lot (free)
specials: Lobster specials every Tuesday! Also, if you are a Pepperdine student, show your ID for a 20% discount!