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August 30, 2006
How many Dodger dogs can you eat, mon frère?
It turns out that Farther off the Wall's Tom Hoffarth can put away a whole lot of 'em during the course of a Dodger game -- especially when all the ballpark food you can eat is included in the ticket price. Yep, for $35 ($40 on the day of the game) you get into the right-field pavilion and can start upping your nitrate count right away.
Think you can pack it in like Daily News columnist Tom? "Pavilion Party Pack" nights returns on Sept. 21. The menu: Dodger Dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, soft drinks and water.
Not all is free. Want beer? That'll be $8 per cup. Those iconic chocolate malts (my favorite Dodger food item from when I was a kid), $4.50. But stick to the freebie menu and that's all (if not) water (then some kind of undetermined liquid) under the bridge.
Tom gives a dog by dog, inning by inning, and even belch by belch account of his all-you-can-eat ballpark frank experience -- better reading than eating, if you don't want to be hospitalized that is.
Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 3:05 PM | Comments (2)
August 28, 2006
Gaming the menu at La Salsa
I've always thought of La Salsa as Baja Fresh's lesser cousin. Most of the La Salsas are in malls, and they just don't offer the value of Baja Fresh or Sharky's.
And gaming the menu in visits past hasn't been as satisfying.
But no longer. We were at the Northridge Fashion Center mall yesterday, and it was time for lunch. Since both Ilene and I love the California Veggie Burrito, we got a couple of those (with black beans, although according to La Salsa's excellent calorie-counting feature, the pintos have fewer calories and less fat). For our 3-year-old Lulu, I ordered a side of rice, a side of black beans and a side of flour tortillas. Usually they do a couple of small bowls, but this time I was surprised by a full plate, half beans and half rice, with tortilla chips. The little girl was hungry and ate all of the tortillas and almost all of the beans. So even though she was "full of beans," after a trip to her favorite place on earth, the Disney Store, she fell asleep in the car holding her new Sleeping Beauty doll and had a pretty long nap that continued once Ilene got her inside and into bed.
But back to the beans. I think the whole rice/beans plate was about $3 (wish I'd saved my receipt), so another successful episode of "Gaming the Menu" -- and at a mall, no less.
And those California Veggie Burritos are pretty great, though at $5.99 each could be cheaper. But they do have a nice blend of cheese and avocado with the beans and rice.
As Ilene observed, mall food is pretty bad for you -- Tommy's burgers and the like being pretty popular. It would be nice if there was a way to eat at the mall and not add to the stress our arteries are already feeling. Things got worse since the Catch 21 chain disappeared from local malls -- their salads were great. The California Crisp at the Westfield Fashion Square mall looks promising, though I haven't eaten there yet. If it turns out to be not fatty enough, it's next to the Cinnabon outlet, where there's a window in front of the prep area so you can see just how much butter and other sugary gunk goes into those famously gooey buns.
A search for Cinnabon nutrition information on their Web site yields nothing. Perhaps it's too frightening.
Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 2:50 PM | Comments (1)
August 26, 2006
Wine and Indy cars
As most of you know, I also cover auto racing for the newspaper. This particular weekend I happen to be in Sonoma for the Indy Racing League event at Infineon Raceway.
The Friday night before the race, the IRL held a Media Appreciation Party at the Roche Carneros Estate Winery.
There was lots of wine, meats on sticks, olive pates, shrimp cocktails and bacon-wrapped grapes.
Now I am a fan of anything wrapped in bacon. I believe every great sandwich ends with bacon. The BLT has to be one of the greatest sandwich inventions ever. It's simplicity alone garners praise. Toasted bread, crispy lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and of course sizzling bacon. Some people insist on putting mayonaise on their BLTs, which is of course a major flaw in the sandwich design.
While I am all in favor of a condiment that consists of eggs and oil beaten and whipped into a near-liquid state, it has no place on a BLT. The bacon grease alone should provide enough moisture to give any toasted bread the proper squishiness to make a sandwich enjoyable. Adding mayonaise to the mix can over-moisturize the bread, not to mention distract from the taste of the bacon.
The BLT ranks second among my favorite sandwiches. The fried egg sandwich, perhaps the most underrated sandwich, ranks at the top, of course with bacon.
But back to the bacon-wrapped grapes...
I know nothing about wine. But I do know I like bacon. This particular bacon was one of those Italian-style eat-it-raw bacons, prosciutta perhaps. I'm not even sure. But I picked some bacon-wrapped grapes, went over to the wine counter and asked what they recommend. The lady working the wine counter looked at what I picked out to eat and suggested I try a 2003 pinot noir. Apparently the wine she picked goes well with food. I had no idea that this was a requirement when choosing a wine. I know enough that red wine goes with red meat and white wine goes with white meat. Now I know that bacon-wrapped grapes go with a pinot noir, apparently from 2003, although I had a 2005 that seemed to blend well with my food, too.
As for the wine, and I am not an expert in wine at all, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't too strong. A little on the fruity and sweet side. I must say it was a nice compliment to the bacon-wrapped grapes, which were inherently a unique blend of sweet and salty to begin with.
Still, after eating my share of bacon-wrapped grapes and drinking pinoit noir, I was still hungry after the party. I stopped for a pepperoni pizza on the way back to the hotel I was staying at. Being in wine country, I discovered that wine is also a preferred beverage at pizza parlors. Where I come from, beer is usually the preferred beverage. But not here. As I am still a novice in the wine area, I had no idea what kind of wine goes with pepperoni pizza, so I played it safe and had a Diet Coke.
Posted by Tim Haddock at 8:28 AM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2006
If you have tomatoes ... make this stuff
The tomato season continues for gardeners, and for the rest of us, too. There are plenty of tomatoes -- heirloom varieties and others -- available straight from garden plants, at farmers markets, even from supermarket produce sections. And if you haven't tried a true heirloom variety, you owe it to youself to sample the flavors that your grandparents talked about -- you know, that whole, "The tomatoes these days don't taste anything like they did when I was a little boy/girl/other."
They were right. My Brandywine plant has yielded only about a half-dozen tomatoes -- albeit ones that weigh about a pound each -- and they taste like nothing I've ever had before.
If you have the good fortune to be overrun with homegrown tomatoes, Daily News food editor Natalie Haughton this week wrote about what to do with them:
No longer just the darlings of restaurant chefs, these delicious-tasting, brilliantly colored tomatoes in a wide array of oddball shapes can be found at farmers or specialty markets, select supermarkets and in home gardens. In fact, we just recently spotted packages of heirlooms in Trader Joe's, an indication of their mainstream status.
Natalie also offers tomato tips, including this one:
Use your nose. A ripe tomato should be fragrant, with a classic tomato perfume. Never refrigerate tomatoes. Leave at room temperature (out of sunlight) to ripen (they should yield to gentle pressure like an avocado when ripe) and until you're ready to use them.
And turn those tomatoes into these tasty dishes:
Baked Tomatoes Stuffed With Couscous
Five-Minute Brandywine Tomato Sauce
Southwestern Heirloom Tomato Salad
Heirloom Tomato Bloody Mary Shrimp Salsa
Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 2:53 PM | Comments (0)
August 21, 2006
Gaming the menu at Baja Fresh
Hungry but don't want to spend a lot of money? (Or .. why is a burrito $6?)
Game the menu and save.
You can eat a lot at Baja Fresh for about $3. Order the Rice and Beans Plate (black or pinto beans -- your choice, 425 calories and 5 grams fat) and get a side of tortillas (flour or corn, nutritional information unknown). Then make your own vegetarian tacos with the pico de gallo and other items from the salsa bar.
Most Baja locations give you a full plate, half of it beans, half rice, and that's plenty for a meal. And you avoid all the fat from the grilled vegetables (or meat, for that matter). The tortillas taste handmade and are always too hot to touch -- they must have some kind of tortilla steamer. Bring your reusable Baja Fresh cup and guzzle soda endlessly for an additional 99 cents.
How do you game the menu at your favorite restaurant? Let me know.
Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 4:51 PM | Comments (0)
August 15, 2006
Starbucks Gossip
I haven't been to the excellent Starbucks Gossip site in a long while. It's packed with interesting news about your favorite local coffee-dispensing conglomerate. The site comes from Jim Romenesko, whose Romenesko media blog is a must-read for journalists.
Some of the more noteworthy items:
Starbucks fires co-founder of union claiming to represent workers at six NYC stores
A coffee giant like Starbucks can't supply its stores with demitasse cups?
Why Magic Johnson chooses to work with Starbucks instead of opening "Magic Johnson's Coffee Shop"
Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 5:40 PM | Comments (0)
Natalie Haughton goes Midwest
Bigger than Bon Appetit, giants next to Gourmet, and don't even try to measure them against Martha Stewart Living. These cooking publications dwarf them all.
Daily News food editor Natalie Haughton today reports -- direct from the suburbs of Milwaukee -- on the biggest cooking magazine empire in the world -- Reiman Publications, whose publications include Taste of Home (3.5 million in circulation) Light & Tasty (800,000), Cooking for 2 (800,000 in circulation) and Simple & Delicious (formerly Quick Cooking, relaunched with a face lift in March and with circulation of 1.5 million).
The company's philosophy is to draw on reader-submitted recipes -- they get 90,000 a year -- to find out what America really cooks and eats. Those recipes are tested and whittled down to 2,500 to 3,.500 that are published per year, some of the best of which we present here.
Natalie also writes about their extensive Web site, which you can access here.
Here are the recipes selected by Natalie Haughton from the Taste of Home magazines:
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Southwestern Corn Chowder
Cream Cheese Finger Cookies
Four-Cheese Spinach Lasagne (the magazines' most popular recipe)
Eggs Lorraine
Makeover Fruit Pizza
Southwestern Bean Patties
Coconut Ice Cream Torte
Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Shrimp Cantonese
Cinnamon Raisin Strata
Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake
Anybody out there want to make some of these and tell us what you think?
Daily News online exclusive: What locals think of Taste of Home.
Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)
August 14, 2006
A Grecian ode
Who says there aren’t any honorable people left in the world?
Recently, I had lunch with a friend at Alexis Greek Restaurant, 9834 Tampa Ave., Northridge. She had the vegetable plate; I ordered the gyro sandwich with a side of french fries.
The gyro was like none I had ever seen: instead of wafer-thin slices of meat, it came with slabs of deliciously spicy meat that must have been a quarter-inch thick, tucked in a soft, warm flour wrap with a generous dollop of yogurt sauce. Don’t ask me how I ate the whole thing, but I did -- every blissful bite.
About 9 p.m., while working a late shift at the office, I got a call from Frank, my fiance, who was cat-sitting. (My three spoiled furballs still expect to be fed on time.) I had left my cell phone behind at the restaurant, and someone at the restaurant had found it, looked up “HOME� in my phone’s address book and called to tell me about it! I picked it up the next day (and left a tip for the finder.)
Posted by at 2:47 PM | Comments (0)
August 4, 2006
EMERIL KICKS IT UP A NOTCH -- IN SPACE
Those lucky astronauts on the International Space Station!? Maybe. They’ll finally they’ll have a chance to dine on some delicious real chef-designed food. But we’re not so sure what these freeze-dried disheswill be taste like in space.
This is a first. Restaurateur, celebrity chef and television food show Emeril Lagasse will have some of his recipe creations consumed in space Aug. 10 from approximately 10:30 to 10:50 p.m. Pacific time, Emeril will speak live via satellite on NASA TV with the astronauts while they feast on the fruit of his culinary labors.
“This is a tremendous honor,� Lagasse said: “It is rare to have this kind of opportunity and obviously we hope that our meals make a difference in the quality of life for our men in space.�
More than 18 months ago, discussions began with NASA and its food lab to launch his food into space. Lagasse selected five recipes -- Mardi Gras Jambalaya, Kicked up Mashed Potatoes with Bacon, Green Beans with Garlic, Rice Pudding, and Mixed Fruit -- for the crew to sample.
In addition to Lagasse’s satellite chat with the astronauts, a special October episode of "Emeril Live" will be produced by the Food Network that documents the process of how Emeril’s food was tested, freeze-dried, packed and launched into space. Should be interesting! Interviews with astronauts who have been in space help explain the importance of food and flavor in terms of morale and their overall sense of well-being.
Posted by Natalie Haughton at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)
August 3, 2006
Sharky's says "Sí" to tofu, low-fat wheat tortillas
Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill has dared to do what no other Mexican-food chain, to my knowledge, has done before: offer tofu as a burrito filling AND give the option of a low-fat wheat tortilla.
We went to the Sharky's on Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Erwin Street recently and were pleasantly surprised to see that the Grilled Vegetarian Burrito now includes a very spicy tofu (it's cooked in some kind of rub -- and it might be too spicy for some) and can be ordered with the traditional white-flour tortilla or a new, low-fat wheat variety. 
Lots of grilled vegetables, along with rice and beans make for a very satisfying burrito experience. You'll need a fork, because by the last third of the burrito-eating experience, the moisture of the grilled vegetables is pretty much doing away with what I like to call "burrito integrity." Just the same, it's good eatin' for $6.29.
Also available, the $5.99 Tostada Salad to which tofu can be added for $1.99.
Check out the whole menu via this PDF file.
It can't cost much to keep a bit of tofu and some wheat tortillas around, and it makes for a very tasty and healthy vegan meal. And Sharky's already uses organic rice and beans, so it's even better for you -- and the environment, too. Thanks to Sharky's for offering a wholesome, meat-free, protein-rich alternative. Every Mexican restaurant offers beans to non-meat eaters, but adding tofu (and preparing it so well) is good thinking indeed.
I'm always comparing Sharky's and Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, and Baja Fresh used to come out ahead, but now Sharky's has skidded right past it, and into my burrito-lovin' heart.
Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 4:13 PM | Comments (0)
August 2, 2006
Pez: Lock and load
There is nothing like vintage candy to reduce a staff of professional (and grown-up) men and women to squealing 7-year-olds. Today, a colleague here at the Daily News brought in a collectors set of Star Wars Pez dispensers and the swarm of people who came to marvel at them was, frankly, embarrassing.
And just like 7-year-olds, we didn't bother to consider the potential investment in such a collectors set. We didn't bother to consider that perhaps 30 years from now this set, if left unmolested, could be worth a mint. No, we ripped it open in a frenzy of excitement, divvied up the dispensers like jackals to a dead animal, and within seconds, I was the proud owner of a Death Star Pez dispenser complete with the strawberry version of confection locked and loaded.
One colleague commented that Pez tastes like children's aspirin, which makes me wonder how on earth this candy has such a devoted following, but then again who cares how it tastes when it's coming out of Chewbacca's neck.
Posted by Sharon Kaplan at 3:34 PM | Comments (0)
August 1, 2006
Bubba Gump Shrimp Vegan Co.
Let's sing it together, shall we: "Only in Santa Monica."
Not that I'm not happy about it, because I am, and not that I'm going to be hot-footing it over there, because I'm not, but the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. location in Santa Monica has gone vegan, as reported by L.A. Observed via the Santa Monica Daily Press.
It seems that former Santa Monica mayor (and current vegan) Michael Feinstein (I take it this is a different Michael Feinstein than the piano-playing, Gershwin-singing guy) noticed there was NOTHING FOR HIM TO EAT at Bubba Gump, excepting fries and a side salad, and he remembered that Bubba's MUST serve vegan food or be in violation of its Santa Monica Pier lease.
Now on the menu: tofu fajitas, balsamic tofu salad and a Boca burger, plus a more extensive vegan menu on request.
Now that wasn't so hard. If only ALL restaurants had onerous leasing agreements that would make it better for me to eat there. Here's what I say: Offer the vegan alternative, and they will come. They meaning me. Ever been to Millennium restaurant in San Francisco. Fine dining AND all vegan. Why can't they do that here?
That said, if you tire of the vegan fare at Bubba Gump and want to explore Santa Monica's other, real vegan restaurants, there's no better place to go than Real Food Daily, 514 Santa Monica Blvd.
And if you want to stay in the good ol' Valley, it's practically a clause in your lease agreement (for your space on the planet, dude) to try Follow Your Heart, in what's called "The Sherman Way Corridor." (FYH is not totally vegan -- so don't have a cow.) Check out this recent review from Laist.com. Shop for some overpriced antique junk down the street, then step back in time to the 1970s at 21825 Sherman Way in Canoga Park, and have a nice meal. You can't go wrong with the Follow Your Heart Burger. Have a smoothie to go with it. Peace and love to y'all, brothers and sisters.
Posted by Steven Rosenberg at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)