Monday, October 25, 2010

Blogger Prom 2010: If High School Was ...

Blogger Prom is what your prom might've been like in high school ...
If you were of legal age of drinking during high school and the organizers of your prom secured alcohol sponsors and a signature cocktail.

If said organizers had access to Yamashiro, the restaurant with the best view in the city.


(and when there's a giant screen showing our tweets all night long because we're okay being geeky like that)

If everyone dressed their best and ended up on the LA Times blog!
Nastassia from Let Me Eat Cake and one half of the Manila Machine


If prom came with duck or black cod tacos for dinner!


If no one judged you for stuffing yourselves with truffles from Chocobox and two Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches.

... plus a selection of cheese and dried fruits from Barrie Lynn, The Cheese Impresario, including her infamous "cheese sex" (a 10 year old cheddar from Hook's Creamery).


If prom kept feeding you for the next two weeks with coupons from Manila Machine, Border Grill, Sprinkles, and 7-11 (and kept you smelling good too with all the shampoos and deodorants).

The best part? We all raised $2,400 for Operation Frontline!

Many thanks to the Blogger Prom committee members LA & OC Foodie, Caroline on Crack, e*starLA, Happy Go Marni, Liquid Muse, LAist, ShopEatSleep, and When Tara Met Blog for putting on a great party.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Celebrate Fall: Pumpkin Pinkberry (FREE mini today 4-7 PM)

Today Pinkberry launches their new Fall flavor: Pumpkin Pinkberry!

Pumpkin Pinkberry

They delivered small sized cups of the new flavor to my office this morning so I can sample it with my coworker. The new yogurt, made with real pumpkin puree, was topped with their featured toppings: crunchy honey graham crackers, Pinkberry Swirly Whip and a dusting of cinnamon.

It reminded me of pumpkin pie for obvious reasons, but was much lighter and more refreshing since it still had the sour flavor characteristic of Pinkberry. Bottom line: we all really enjoyed it.



The Pumpkin Pinkberry, as well as graham crackers, cinnamon and pomegranate seeds will be available through the end of the year.
But just for today (Friday, Oct 22), if you go to a Pinkberry between 4-7 PM, you can get a FREE mini pumpkin pinkberry so you can sample the new flavor firsthand!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Table20 Celebrates LA's Best Bartenders

My personal opinions aside, Table20's contest on LA's Best Bartenders certainly brought some of the city's best together at downtown's Elevate Lounge with some mighty rum punches.

The night had started slow and since I overestimated traffic, I arrived 30 minutes early (in LA? Impossible!). I ended up waiting at Takami and had one of their $4 bar snacks, calamari with rice krispies crust. Not a bad portion for $4.

Since the bartenders were still preparing their punch, we first had to wait outside the lounge, but the management graciously provided a drink ticket for the bar at Takami.

Sure, some of my other favorites were missing from the contest, like Julian Cox and Pablo Moix, but 5-6 glasses of punch are enough for a night. I say 5-6 because there were supposed to be 6, but The Edison's Joe Brooke went MIA that night.

A special shoutout to the only female finalist, Dee Ann Quinones from STREET, The Parlour Room, and Philippe Chow.
Dee Ann Quniones


IMG_4013My favorite drink of the night ended up being Cole's bartender Max Diaz's Red Sparrow Punch.

I might have been biased towards this cider-like hot drink as it was raining outside, but it was definitely a great drink regardless!
For this punch Max Diaz combined the Don Q Anejo rum (one of the sponsors) with apple cider, cabernet sauvignon, green chartreuse, and a "secret syrup" that, alas, shall remain a mystery.

At the end of the night, Matt Biancanello was crowned Best Bartender in LA. The skills of Matt Biancanello are already well known in the city from his creative concoctions at the Library Bar such as the Shiitake Manhattan and Arugula Gimlet. Congratulations to Matt, all the other finalists, and the other great bartenders of Los Angeles!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Kōloa: The Rum of Kaua'i

Kōloa Rum is the first rum to be distilled in the island of Kaua'i, combining the best resources in Hawaii (sugar and pure water) in copper pot stills. Founded in 2001, Kōloa started producing unaged rum last year and is currently aging some in bourbon barrels.

They produce four types of rum: white, gold, dark, and spiced. During a recent tasting event, I got to try the first three along with some great cocktails made from them.

IMG_3728

Sunday, October 17, 2010

An L.A. Pilgrimage: Langer's Deli

I finally made it to Langer's and one visit was enough to see why everyone loves their pastrami.


Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Oink (Edinburgh, UK): Scottish Hog Roll and Crackling!

What better way to get customers in the door than a whole roasted pig on the window?

That's exactly what Oink, a little shop on the similarly-little Victoria St, does to get you to try their Scottish hog roll.

Not that the gourmet pig could've passed by a pink pig-shaped sign that says Oink without going in. 

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Pantry (Santa Fe, NM): Breakfast with the Locals

The Pantry was probably the most memorable breakfast I had in Santa Fe.
The PR for Taste of Santa Fe set us up for breakfast at The Pantry. When we arrived the place was bustling with locals. The Pantry is a Santa Fe institution that first opened its doors in 1948. Since then it has changed ownerships a few times but it seems to be doing quite well under the current owners, the Singley family. The son had just graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Scottsdale and is on track to take over the business.

As most meals in New Mexico, The Pantry provided one big, heavy, breakfast.
After waiting a day and a half, I finally got my sopapillas!


Wednesday, October 6, 2010

My New Pasadena Lunch Spot: Cham Korean Bistro

I've heard of Cham many times before but it was Jonathan Gold's piece on their sizzling bibimbap that converted me from "a Korean bistro?" to "oh I want to try that." Now it's one of my favorite places to eat lunch in Pasadena.

Monday, October 4, 2010

A Second Chance: VIP Tickets to Pasadena Wine Festival Giveaway

Yes, it's another giveaway for Pasadena Wine Festival. This time they're upping the game and giving out TWO PAIRS of VIP tickets (worth $85 each), which gets you all the wine you'd care to drink in both the main and VIP tasting area, plus some food provided by Pala Casino.

The requirements are more demanding this time though. To enter to win, they want you to post on Pasadena Wine Festival's facebook EVENT page the following message:
"Gourmet Pigs, I want VIP tickets to the Pasadena Wine Festival!"

Now, the message has to link to both my facebook page and their facebook page, as above, which means you'd have to "like" both facebook pages if you haven't already and add an @ in front of the page names!
Once you post the message, let me know with a comment here.

The contest will end at midnight Wednesday Oct 6th and I will let the winners know on Thursday. Good luck!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Preview Lunch at Obikà Mozzarella Bar

How much love does Los Angeles have for mozzarella?
First there was Mozzarella Mondays at Jar. Then there was mozzarella tastings and bar at Osteria Mozza. Now welcome Obikà, a mozzarella-centric new restaurant in the Westfield Century City mall.


Friday, October 1, 2010

October Food Events

October is going to be a pretty crazy month filled with not only Restaurant Week but all kinds of food and wine events. That's not even counting all the Oktoberfest goings-on. Hope you're ready!

Saturday, Oct 2. Santa Monica Food and Wine Festival
Sample food from various Santa Monica restaurants all in one place accompanied by some wine. The website is not too clear on how the "food vouchers" work but if it's anything like Taste of Santa Monica I visited 2 years ago, it is technically all you can eat but you have to get stamps from all the restaurants before you can go back for more from a particular vendor.
11:30 AM-7 PM. Barker Hangar. 3021 Airport Avenue #203, Santa Monica, CA.
Tickets are $40 or $65 for VIP.

Sunday, Oct 3 marks the start of DineLA Restaurant Week, which goes on from Oct3-8, and Oct 10-15. The restaurants are divided into three tiers where three course lunches will run $16/$22/$28 and dinners run for $26/$34/$44.
Check out their site for a list of restaurants and don't forget to register your American Express card so you can get $20 cashback when you dine out 3x.

Wednesday, Oct 6. Choctoberfest
LearnAboutWine bring together chocolates from Valrhona and Marche Noir Foods with wines from Spain, Paso Robles to Malibu and beer from The Bruery and more.
7-9 PM. The Grove.
Tickets are $80 at the door or $39 advance purchase (or get it for $35 from Goldstar).

Thursday, Oct 7. Macy's Culinary Council with Takashi Yagihashi
Watch a cooking demo by Chef Takashi Yagihashi, who won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in 2003. Chef Yagihashi opened Okada at the Wynn Las Vegas and now has his namesake restaurant, Takashi, in Chicago.
6:30 PM. Macy's Pasadena (Furniture Dept). 401 S Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101.
Suggested $5 donation to benefit the LA Regional Food Bank. Seating limited to first 200.

Saturday, Oct 9.

History of the Green Fairy, Absinthe
Culinary Historians of SoCal will present Ted Breaux speaking about the history of absinthe. Ted Breaux is Founder and President of Jade Liqueurs, LLC.
10:30 AM. Mark Taper Auditorium, Downtown Central Library. 630 W 5th St.
Free. Reception with themed refreshments will follow at 11:30 AM.

Pasadena Wine Festival
General admission tickets get you inside the Arboretum plus a tram tour where you can sample food from food trucks or buy food from purchase, taste wine for $1, and listen to music. A Deluxe Pass includes tastings of all the wines in the main tasting area.
2-10 PM. Los Angeles County Arboretum. 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.
General admission tickets are $28 and Deluxe Passes are $55.

Riboli Family's Winemaker Dinner
This four-course wine-paired dinner is offered once a year and hosted by Anthony Riboli. The menu lists marinated albacore salad with avocado and ginger, grilled five spice marinated quail and bacon fried rice with orange hoi sin sauce, and herb roasted veal strip loin with sautéed porcini mushrooms and baby turnips. Eight wines from the Riboli Family Library will be tasted throughout dinner.
6-9 PM. San Antonio Winery. 737 Lamar St., Los Angeles, CA.
$78 per person. Call (323) 330- 8771 or reserve online.

Sunday, Oct 10.
L. A. Beer Float Showdown
This year the LA Beer Float Showdown returns twice as big. Four teams (Boneyard Bistro, Simmzy's, Tony's Darts Away, and Ladyface Alehouse) will battle their beer floats to benefit Share Our Strength. The Manila Machine and Mandoline Grill trucks will be in attendance to serve your savories.
5:30 PM. Verdugo Bar. 3408 Verdugo Road, Los Angeles 90065.
$25 in advance or $30 at the door.

L. A. Chocolate Salon
This is the event that would put your love of chocolate to the test, with over 35 chocolatiers, confectioners, wineries. How much chocolate can you eat in a few hours? Even when it leaves you feeling chocolated out by the end, you'd want to come back year after year for Amano Artisan Chocolate, Essential Chocolate Desserts, Ococoa Chocoveda, Moonstruck Chocolate and much much more. Here's last year's report.
11am-5pm. The Pasadena Center. 300 Green St, Pasadena, CA
$20 advance purchase, $25 at the door.

Dionicess VII
Gev Kavanchyan and Randy Clemens bring you the 7th Dionicess where food and beer come together. This time, beer from Dogfish Head will be paired with food from Chef Eric Greenspand at The Foundry.
1 PM. The Foundry on Melrose. 7465 Melrose Ave Los Angeles CA 90046
$79 all inclusive.

Savor the Season
This annual event benefits Break the Cycle, a national organization to end teen dating violence. With food and wine to sample all around, the event will feature NINETHIRTY, RH Restaurant+Bar, Reservoir, STREET, Jer-ne, Saltistry, VeeV, DRY Soda. Here's a post from the 2008 event.
6:30-9:30 PM. Global Cuisine by Gary Arabia at The Lot Studios. 1041 N Formosa Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90046.
Tickets are $100 and can be purchased online or by calling (310) 286-3383.

Saturday, Oct 16. 2nd Annual Taste of Italy
Taste of Italy benefits the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles and features Angeleno's
Italian restaurants like Claro's, Il Fornaio, and Porta Via, Ventura Limoncello, Gelato Bar, and Italian wines sponsored by San Antonio Winery,
4-9 PM. 424 N Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. General admission ticket is $35 (8 tastes of food, 8 tastes of beverage) and VIP is $75 (unlimited tastes). Contact (213)485-8432 or marianna@italianhall.org

Sunday, Oct 17. 2nd Annual LA Beer Week Beer Festival
This festival will cap off LA Beer Week with a bang. Admission will get you unlimited 4oz tasting from over 70 breweries. To soak it all up, there will be food trucks, Mignon Chocolates and Portola Coffee Roaster to keep you awake.
12-4 PM. Union Station.
Tickets are $40 and limited, so get it early.

Saturday-Sunday, Oct 23-24. Artisanal LA

The ladies who brought you the LA Street Food Fest now bring you Artisanal LA, where over 100 local artisans will exhibit their sustainable, handmade edibles. There will also be demos from some great chefs including Chef Ben Bailly of Petrossian Caviar and Chef James Overbaugh from the Peninsula. Attend workshops all the way from pickling to how to deal with a whole hog. There's also a Craft Beer Panel on Sunday and craft beer and spirit tastings are included in your admission ticket.
11am-6pm. The Cooper Design Space Penthouse. 860 S Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA. $10 advance purchase or $15 at the door. Partial proceeds benefit LAUSD Edible School Garden Programs.


Sunday, Oct 24. Los Angeles Magazine's The Food Event
This annual event at the beautiful 1000-acre Saddlerock Ranch is always one of my favorites. Sample food from some of the best restaurants in LA like Eva Restaurant, Mo-Chica, Palate, The Foundry, gelato from Bulgarini, and cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. Taste some wine from Malibu, Paso Robles, and beyond. Watch cooking demos and competitions from celebrity chefs. This year's chef lineup includes Marcel Vigneron from Bar210, Laurent Quenioux from Bistro LQ, Mark Gold from Eva Restaurant, and Susan Feniger from STREET. Here's my coverage from last year's event.
1-4 PM. Saddlerock Ranch. 31727 Mulholland Highway Malibu, CA 90265. Tickets are $95 ($100 if including subscription to LA Mag) advance or $110 at the door.



Disclosure: As thanks for posting about the cooking demo with Takashi Yagahashi, Macy's and Everywhere is sending me a $25 Macy's gift card.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Nyotaimori, or "Naked Sushi." You've Been Warned.

WARNING: This post should be rated ... at least PG-13. NC-17 maybe.
If the thought of eating sushi off an almost-naked woman offends you, I'd suggest you stop reading this.
Oh, and of course: NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

I'd like to say I did it out of journalistic duty, but in the end it was mainly because I was curious.
(And maybe this is a good time to point out that I'm a girl, so you don't get the wrong ideas about my intention :p )

I had read about nyotaimori (a.k.a naked sushi, a.k.a body sushi) before, then again on Deep End Dining's post about it at Hadaka Sushi (now closed).

The thought of it is definitely wrong. Can one objectify women even more than using a woman's naked (well, almost naked) as a plate?

Still, when a certain friend asked if I'd like to go try it, I was curious enough to say yes.
No restaurant I know of is offering nyotaimori, so the event offered at something called the Asianmodelpalooza (for unknown asian models to break into the biz, from what I can gather. That biz.) seemed to be a rare chance.
Apparently though, it was provided by ... let's say a very specialized catering company, simply named Naked Sushi Entertainment. Subtle.
The person in charge said that you can actually get these services starting from $65/ person depending on the menu, the model you chose, and um, how nude you want her to be. Anyway ...

Sushi served on banana leaves on an almost naked girl (she was wearing a g-string).
Earlier I wondered if we were allowed to talk to her, but she (I believe her stage name was Akira Lane) was actually quite talkative and lively. That made me feel better since she seemed less of an object.
Getting close-up shots of the food was rather dangerous, though...

Food porn takes on a new meaning.
The sushi itself was surprisingly not bad. It was better than I had expected although I wasn't expecting much at all. Yes, a lot of rolls here and it's no Mori.
It's sushi that you can expect at a standard sushi restaurant and I actually enjoyed the spicy hamachi roll. The sushi was provided by Queee Sushi in Chinatown, although of course, at these events the sushi isn't made right there on-site, so it isn't as fresh as sitting at a sushi bar.
But, really, does anyone expect this to be about the food?

Now I can at least say "been there, done that."
OK, stop staring.

If this is your thing, now you know where to get it (I'd imagine it'd make a great bachelor's party.)
Me, I'm bracing myself, waiting for my mom to read this and call and scold me, for people I've offended to leave hate comments, etc etc.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Laksa, Santa Monica Night Breeze (Chef Amy's Underground Dinner)

As we walked to the home in Santa Monica Hills on that breezy evening, I fell in love with the modern house. One of the coolest things about some underground dinners is the locations that they are held (of course, some are smaller in scale and are held at the chef's house). The sleek and spacious house that night's dinner was held at belongs to the brother in law of Chef Amy Jurist of Amy's Culinary Adventures.

Al fresco dining in their large backyard.

The decoration was provided courtesy of Jonathan Fong from Clever Floral Decor.
I like the colorful fortune cookies, and the embroidered chinese take-out floral arrangement!
Yes, I took one home. What?

Chef Amy Jurist and her team were furiously preparing the food. Thankfully, the house had a pretty big kitchen.
When we walked in, I noticed Joshua Klapper of La Fenêtre wines, whom I had just met for the first time at his fifth anniversary tasting. Coincidentally, he had met Chef Amy and he was doing the wine pairing for this dinner.

The night started with a sweet, fruity blended cocktail made with Filipino calamansi juice, mango, vodka.
This went down very easily, I had to be careful not to gulp it down as it was a smoothie.

Salmon and asparagus yakitori, Ahi tuna tartar with wasabi tobiko, Chicken and shrimp lumpia, Grilled beef satay with thai peanut sauce

Laksa (curry coconut) with rice noodles and shrimp
Wine: 2008 La Fenêtre A Cote Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County
I haven't had laksa since my last visit to Singapore. I've been looking for a good version of this dish in Los Angeles but hasn't succeeded. Chef Amy's version was surprisingly good. The flavors are not as rich and bold, but the essence was there. There's no squid or cockles but the shrimp was nicely cooked.

What it looks like to prepare food for 80 people at once:
Pupu Platter: Coconut shrimp, Thai cucumber salad, crab & shiitake dumpling, Peking duck in green tea sesame crepe. For this dish they also served a glass of Thai iced tea.
Wine: 2008 La Fenêtre A Cote Pinot Noir, Central Coast
I enjoyed everything on this plate except for the Thai cucumber salad which I found to be too vinegary for my taste. The green tea sesame crepe was a great unique touch to Peking duck.

The main entree: Miso glazed black cod with green tea soba and Asian vegetable melange
Wine: 2008 La Fenêtre Sierra Madre Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley
Miso black cod is a pretty common dish and probably for pretty good reason: It's a good combination. Cook your cod propery and everyone will enjoy it. That was the case here. The texture of the cod was spot on. There was too much sauce on the soba though, making it too sweet and a little soggy.

Dessert: Turon Saba (Banana and jackfruit springroll with macapuno banana ice cream) - Philippines
I had to google it but apparently macapuno is what kopyor in Indonesia is: a mutant coconut with more tender and crumbly meat. The macapuno banana ice cream was definitely the highlight of the dessert - now I have to wonder where I can possibly get more.

The other aspect of this dinner that we enjoyed very much was meeting interesting people from all walks of life both during the cocktail hour and sitting next to them at the big communal tables.

These underground dinners aren't exactly cheap at around $100 (depending on the dinners and when you purchase the tickets) though it does include all the pre-dinner drinks and wine pairing, but I like how her dinners are held at cool locations like this house, or art galleries. You won't know where it will be until a few days before though, and you won't know the full menu either. Since the themes of dinner change every time, from Asian to Cheese to Bacon, choose the one that's enticing if you're planning on trying Chef Amy's underground dinner for the first time.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Giveaway: Tickets to Pasadena Wine Festival

The second Pasadena Wine Festival is coming to the Los Angeles Arboretum on Saturday, October 9 from 2pm-10pm.

There will be wines from many regions in California, Spain, and Australia (see the participants here).

To soak up all that wine and fuel you up for a walk around the arboretum there will be samples and food for purchase from World Fare Bustaurant, The Dosa Truck, The Grilled Cheese Truck, Crepe 'N Around, Border Grill Truck, and Sprinkles.

I really wanted to go, walk around the arboretum while drinking wine myself but alas, I'll be out of the country. YOU can go though!

They're giving away FIVE PAIRS of general admission tickets ($28 value per ticket) to the festival which gets you:
admission to the arboretum to enjoy a tram tour (usually arboretum admission and tram tour would cost you $12), live music, food samples from the vendors, and you can sample wines from all the participating wineries for $1 each.

To win a pair, just leave a comment below with your email.
Get extra entries by tweeting: "Win tickets to Pasadena Wine Festival @PasWineFest via @gourmetpigs http://bit.ly/9E5eCW"
Leave another comment letting me know you did so though, so I can keep track!

Contest ends on September 30. There are five pairs to give away so you have pretty good chances. Good luck!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Mariscos El Teto's: A Gem of a A Seafood Trailer

Mariscos El Teto's isn't a food truck. It's a food trailer.
Parked throughout the day in front of a floor demolition store on Lankershim Blvd in Sun Valley, a couple of foldable chairs and table sit at the edge of the curb.

Street Gourmet LA has shared his find months ago and brought plenty of bloggers here, including me, to enjoy the amazing Ensenada-style seafood (I just never got around to blogging until now).

The real reason I made the trek to Sun Valley was this: the sea snail (caracol). I haven't had sea snail since my first trip to Baja where we encountered La Guerrerense. El Tetos will cook your sea snails concha preparada (in the shell) many different ways and they were well worth the drive.

The manta ray tacos with black olives, octopus, cilantro, onions are another reason to visit El Tetos. A meaty, seafood experience in your hands.
A table on the curb holds all the salsa and condiments, onions, and lemons.

El Tetos have a "large" menu though for the most part they are different preparations of the same protein.

The fish taco here can truly stand up on its own, challenging Ricky's as the best Baja fish taco in town - perhaps the only one around who can.

If manta rays aren't your style, they also have a solid carne asada ...
... and crispy empanadas rather overwhelmingly topped with chopped tomatoes and cabbage.

Bill and I were just talking about this amazing marlin "ham" he had in Baja, and all of a sudden, what did they bring out? Marlin ham!
This "ham of the sea" was like nothing I had tasted before. Its meaty and flaky, like you would expect from this type of fish, with a whiff of the ocean naturally, but it was the smokiness that made it so very special. I think this was a rare treat for Bill and I was lucky enough to be there. I'm not sure how often they'd have something this special there again. Hopefully I'll get to have some more in the near future.

For most of us, Mariscos El Teto's is far, but it is undoubtedly worth a try. As always, props to Street Gourmet LA for driving all over the state finding gems like this.

Mariscos El Tetos
8854 Lankershim Bl.
Sun Valley, CA
(818)335-3157
Mariscos El Tetos on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Padang Food 101(Sari Nusantara, Surabaya, Indonesia)

Padang is the capital of West Sumatra (which is mostly known for the earthquakes and tsunamis that happened nearby).
When you go to a Padang restaurant, an array of dishes will be placed on your table. Rendang (beef curry), curried vegetables, egg balado, and many more.

It's not all you can eat, though. You pay for what you take and eat, so if you don't think you really want to eat a particular dish don't touch it.

Padang cuisine is known for their spicy dishes and a variety of curries can always be found. Rendang is so popular everywhere now, including in LA. Simpang Asia's rendang actually won the curry competition a couple years back. Padang food is usually cooked once a day and mostly served at room temperature. That's why when you go to a Padang restaurant, they will display everything and let you do the pick and choosing at the table.

When Mattatouille and Glutster visited my home town, we went to Sari Nusantara, a Padang restaurant in Surabaya, for their first Padang meal.
That day the three of us plus my friend and my dad pretty much ate all the dishes. The tour de force: fish head curry
The body of the fish was grilled but in my opinion the fish head curry is superior with its much more tender meat.

When I was little and couldn't eat spicy food (still can't today but I'm getting way better) I used to eat ayam pop, chicken cooked with garlic and butter. I loved ayam pop but I'm not sure if it was because now I can eat spicier food or because the version at Sari Nusantara wasn't that good, but the one we had that day was pretty bland. I would have to try ayam pop at Rumah Sederhana again to see which it really is.

daun singkong (cassava leaves)

To calm my palate down, I had a glass of kopyor. Kopyor is actually a coconut with a genetic defect. Instead of the smooth, meaty flesh in a regular coconut, the flesh of kopyor is tender, easily peels off from the inner layer of the skin, and is crumbly. There usually isn't much water inside kopyor, and the flesh is made into a drink using syrup. Es kopyor is a very popular drink in Indonesia and costs more than regular coconut.

There's a folklore that says that when there is a lunar eclipse, the moon comes down to earth and eats coconuts. The leftovers of those eaten coconuts become kopyor.

If you are in LA and want to try Padang food, I'd suggest Raso Minang in West Covina.

Sari Nusantara
Jl. Gubernur Suryo No. 24
Surabaya
Jawa Timur (East Java)
Phone: 031-5348638

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Taste of Santa Fe 2010: Gala Dinner

Returning to the Santa Fe trip that I took along with some bloggers for Taste of Santa Fe, the annual fundraising gastronomic event for the New Mexico History Museum...

The gala dinner was actually held inside the New Mexico History Museum. The wall facing the entrance bore a quote from Abraham Lincoln:

We cannot escape history. We ... will be remembered in spite of ourselves.
The cocktail reception was delayed a bit by a short thunder storm (the locals told us this happens pretty much every day around 5-6 pm. Wow!) but once that ends attendees mingled, ate, and drank on the damp grass.
A tequila cocktail made by mixologist Daniel Gonzales from Secreto Bar at Hotel St. Francis was garnished with a parmesan crisp.
Chef John Sedlar of Rivera Restaurant in LA was a guest chef at both the gala dinner and the main event the next day. As appetizers at the gala dinner, chef Sedlar prepared his famous tortillas florales. Here he infuses flavors from the other Indian cuisine. You know, the one with the dot. One of the tortillas were topped with cucumber raita.

Chef Mick Hug from Buffalo Thunder Resort started the night off well with some appetizers:
Seared scallops served alongside crispy goat cheese with dried cherries poached in a spice wine.
During the gala dinner they had chefs from four restaurants prepare a couple of dishes each, and attendees will vote for their favorite.


We grabbed food from the different stations and went to find a table. There were quite a few people in attendance, occupying both the first and second floor of the museum.

I loved the creative centerpieces they had made with celery stalks and red chile.

The highlight of the meal was the Chile Relleño del Cielo from Hotel St. Francis’ Tabla de Los Santos Restaurant. The green chiles were stuffed with mushrooms and served in a pinto bean-garlic sauce.

For desserts: chocolate cupcake with local wild cherries from Embudo Station was so good, I think I had three (what? they were small!). The flavors of the cherries really came through even among the chocolate and frosting.
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More coverage of Taste of Santa Fe:
TravelLady Magazine (with a lot more on the history of New Mexico and Santa Fe)
FoodGPS

My post on the main event.

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