Monthly Archive for December, 2010

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Sugared Cranberries

Published by Gastronomer on December 11, 2010 in Candy, Dessert and Recipe. 19 Comments

I first admired these sugared cranberries on the front cover of this month’s Cooking Light magazine. They were used to garnish a festive holiday cheesecake, and though they shimmered quite prettily, I doubted that they would taste as good as they looked.

As luck would have it, one of The Astronomer’s colleagues brought these jewel-like fruits to our Sunday brunch a few weeks back. I was seated next to the tub and couldn’t keep my paws off them the entire meal. Whereas cranberries are usually much too tart to eat straight up, these sugared ones, which were soaked in simple syrup and dusted in superfine sugar, were balanced and delicious. The sweet bath and even sweeter coating improved upon the fruit without taking away any of its freshness or characteristic punch.

I made this batch of sugared cranberries soon after The Astronomer and I polished off the ones left behind from brunch. I didn’t have superfine or turbinado sugar in my pantry, but found that granulated sugar made a fine substitute. Sugared cranberries are fantastic eaten straight from the bowl like candy or used as an adorable garnish atop cakes and cupcakes. ‘Tis the season for sparkly fruit!

1 cup water
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup superfine sugar or turbinado sugar

Rinse the cranberries under running water. Remove any bruised or mushy fruit and discard. Set aside.

Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat.

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Lotus of Siam – Las Vegas

Published by Gastronomer on December 9, 2010 in Chain / Multiple Locations, Las Vegas, Restaurant Review and Thai. 15 Comments

The Astronomer and I made an impromptu trip to Sin City this past October in search of food and fun to satisfy my wander-lusty ways and insatiable appetite. Vegas makes a great getaway because it is only four short hours away and hotel rooms are practically free! Since I am as risk adverse as they come in all manners of gambling, The Astronomer and I spent our days exploring food destinations on and off the strip and wandering the casinos people watching. We even fit in a Cirque du Soleil show at The Mirage—LOVE.

We arrived in town late Thursday night, but didn’t eat our first meal until Friday afternoon. The number one restaurant on my list of places to try was Lotus of Siam.

I can’t recall when I first heard about this off-the-strip gem, but the buzz surrounding the place continues to be immense and intense. Upon walking into the restaurant, we were greeted by a wall of press clippings, including the August 2000 issue of Gourmet where Jonathan Gold proclaimed Lotus of Siam the “single best Thai restaurant in North America.” Pretty impressive for a joint located in a desolate and dusty Vegas strip mall, wouldn’t you say?

Lotus of Siam serves Northern Thai cuisine, which according to its website is “generally milder than those of Central and Northeastern Thailand.” It is influenced by neighboring countries including Myanmar, Laos, and China.

A Thai meal isn’t complete without a tall glass of sweet and milky iced tea to sip on.

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Old Country Cafe – Alhambra

Published by Gastronomer on December 8, 2010 in Alhambra, Los Angeles, Restaurant Review and Taiwanese. 7 Comments

I’ve mentioned my friend Sharon once or twice on the site, but she deserves more than a brief sentence in passing. You see, she’s my SGV guru. Sharon grew up in Alhambra, one block north of Valley Boulevard to be exact, and has had a lifetime of meals in the area under her belt. Try as I might to learn the lay of the land, I’ve barely made a dent in the scene during my two years of delectable explorations.

Lucky for me, Sharon happily takes me to her favorite haunts whenever she flies in from North Carolina, where she currently resides. On our most recent outing, we headed to Old Country Cafe to satisfy her serious hankering for Taiwanese-style fried chicken.

Old Country Cafe, one of the oldest Taiwanese restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley, is a charming hole-in-the-wall tucked inside a not-so-charming office-plex. The tiny space is heavy on the Formica and looks like it hasn’t been updated since its first day of business—I love places like these! We grabbed two stools along the counter and settled in with sweet drinks: salty plum for me and passion fruit for her.

We started off with a dish of snappy and chilled “flavored cucumber” ($2.25) at Sharon’s urging. She adored the vegetable’s garlicky undertones and salty kick. I admired its jagged edges and irregular shapes; it was as if the cucumber was hacked by a clawed animal.

We may or may not have ordered the bean curd ($2.50) that followed, but we were very happy to eat them nevertheless. Lightly marinated in sesame oil and soy sauce, the bean curd was savory and characteristically toothsome.

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Ludo Bites 6.0 at MAX – Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks)

Published by Gastronomer on December 7, 2010 in Asian Fusion, French, Los Angeles, Mexican, Molecular Gastronomy, Restaurant Review and Sherman Oaks. 13 Comments

Three days before the sixth iteration of Ludo Bites came to a close, The Astronomer and I finally scored a table due to a last minute cancellation. It was a bit of a nightmare driving from Pasadena to Sherman Oaks during rush hour, but a little traffic couldn’t stop us from experiencing Chef Ludo LeFebvre’s latest creations.

We arrived a little frazzled, but on time for our 6:30 slot. Krissy seated us immediately and presented us with the evening’s menu and a wine list. The tables were packed quite cozily in the dining room, but I didn’t mind because my neighbor to the right was the incomparable Jo of My Last Bite—I love how she brings good cheer wherever she goes. My neighbor to the left was sporting a DSLR camera and a little cell phone light, which helped to forge an instant bond between us too.

With so many enticing dishes on the menu, we decided to forgo adult beverages to save precious real estate. I was also thinking about forgoing bread, but thankfully, The Astronomer talked some sense into me. To start, we shared a warm baguette served with smoked butter and sardine-Laughing Cow cheese ($5). The bread and butter were both solid, but the highlight upon the wobbly plank was the sardine-laced Laughing Cow cheese. Fishy flavored cheese? Yes, please!

About midway through the bread course, the Vietnamese-style hamachi ($15) arrived. The presentation was reminiscent of the confit pork belly with Thai-style choucroute from Ludo Bites 5.0. However, the flavors and ingredients in this dish were much lighter.

Tucked underneath the jicama slaw were the most pristine slices of hamachi. Lightly dressed in a nuoc cham-like dressing, the plate was brimming with fresh, clean, and bright flavors. This was definitely one of my favorite dishes of the evening.

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Eat My Blog Winter 2010: Nourishing Our Community One Cookie (and Crack Pie) at a Time

Published by Gastronomer on December 5, 2010 in Food Event and Los Angeles. 17 Comments

The Los Angeles food blogging community came together this past Saturday for the third annual Eat My Blog charity bake sale. Even though the weather conditions were downright wintry by southern California standards, the turnout was strong and we raised over $3,700 for the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. It’s awe-inspiring to think that our humble baked goods have yielded over $12,000 between the three events [See: Eat My Blog Winter 2009 and Eat My Blog Summer 2010]. Yowsas!

Food insufficiency is a very real problem across the country, and I am incredibly proud that the money raised through Eat My Blog goes toward relieving the issue in our city. As long as I’ve got my merry band of baking bloggers, we’re gonna keep on nourishing our community one cookie at a time.

As always, Eat My Blog featured a killer array of baked goods. Here are some of the delicious and creative treats that lined the tables at Tender Greens. Clockwise from top left—pink piper Champagne cupcakes from The Cupcake Diary, walnut sea salt caramels from Diana Takes a Bite, bubblegum flavored marshmallows from Hungry Passport, and Maui Wowie cookies from Isabella’s Cookie Company.

Clockwise from top left—Idgie’s dog biscuits from Tien of Blogging LA, coconut jelly served in a fresh young coconut from Ravenous Couple, catnip cookies from The Catty Critic, and pinenut tarts from Life with a Whisk.

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