Randomness

raw mohair

2009-11-19T09:50:00.001-08:00

raw wool
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

this bag of loft cloud-like soft hair was somewhat expensive, but clean. i always wanted curly hair. now i have a bag full purchased from a woman at the spinning & weaving festival. i'm really tempted to make a sheep costume for the cat, but no matter how cute, he doesn't deserve it. the dude sleeps all day while i'm hard at work cleaning sheep hair.

what i did last weekend

2009-11-19T09:46:00.001-08:00

washing raw wool
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

sheep are dirty. i don't even want to think about what the pieces of non-vegetable matter i pulled from this little lamby's coat. 6 1/4 lbs of wool may be a lot, but i have 9+ lbs to look forward to. the bathroom finally stopped smelling like a farm.

lunasia

2009-11-16T23:59:00.001-08:00

lunasia
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

here's a tip. if you're a hardcore dim sum lover, you arrive early. I'm talking 9am or whenever the restaurant opens. it's never too early for dim sum. besides, doesn't the early bird get the worm? our large group of 8 had no problem getting a table because we arrived early. no fuss. no wait. they even started seating us before the entire party arrived.

i'm surprised to see this place received such poor reviews. after trying 25 or so of their dishes, i found the food to range from good to excellent. there was only one dishi didn't think was good, the xiao long bao, but this is not a dim sum specialty, so i'm not surprised. ordinarily, i wouldn't order this at a dim sum restaurant, but we love dumplings so much we couldn't help ourselves.

excellent:
tofu with abalone sauce - fried tofu, softened by a flavorful sauce stuffed with a seafood ball
pork & shrimp siu mai - large, plump, juicy
vegetarian rice noodle - crunchy, tasty vegetables rolled into sheets of rice
shrimp rice noodle - delicious, springy freshness to the wrapper
salt and pepper chicken wings - crispy, slightly spicy & so good
salt and pepper tofu - the vegetarian version consists of super crunchy small cubes of tofu
green onion pancake - crispy
roasted pork belly - crispy strip of skin, nice balance of fatty flavor with lean meat
roasted duck pie - a flaky pastry filled with sweet, marinated duck
wolfberry jello - light, refreshing

good
har gow - plump shrimp dumplings in a glassine skin
cilantro rice noodle - not as strongly flavored, but good
bbq pork buns - perfectly cooked, sweet and juicy
pumpkin pie - sweet pumpkin dumplings filled with red bean & sprinkled with sesame seeds
sticky rice wrap - sticky rice with a filling of pork & mushrooms, wrapped in a banana leaf
steamed rice noodle with pork spare ribs - nice flavor to the meat
sauteed eggplant - sweet, spicy glazed stir-fried fresh japanese eggplant
chinese broccoli with oyster sauce - fresh greens, rich oyster sauce
fro gura (foie gras) dumplings - a little strange to be eating a dumpling filled with foie gras, but it was good, though kind of rich.
mashed dumpling - typical
pork meatball

don't recommend
xiao long bao - lacking in soup, and kind of dry
taro cake with chinese sausage - kind of dry

one of the nicer, cleaner dim sum places i've been to in sgv, lunasia's dim sum was solid. although the carts can be fun, ordering from a menu means the food is hot and fresh when it gets to the table. you can also get what you want right away instead of hoping it will show up on the next cart. service was pretty good.

camping at point mugu

2009-11-16T23:54:00.001-08:00

camping at point mugu
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i bought my first sleeping bag, and we slept on the beach. the full moon made for a nice evening, and though we didn't fully get away, it was different waking up to the sounds of the ocean.

csa box oct 30

2009-11-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

- green leaf lettuce
- romaine lettuce
- squash
- russet potatoes
- huge head of cabbage
- parsley
- carrots
- apples
- strawberry jam

abandoned kittens

2009-09-24T12:47:00.001-07:00

abandoned kittens
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

someone found these precious kittens by the sculpture studio. i almost took them home, but lucky for mike, someone was able to take both of them. we fed them applesauce, then some turkey, which the devoured. after that, they fell asleep under a towel. so cute.

LED dress

2009-09-24T12:44:00.001-07:00

LED dress
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i sewed my first dress then proceeded to afix LEDs (only 128 this time) and electronics to it. we video'd it around midnight on monday down by the marina. my body is ready for daylight savings time, or at least an extra hour.

there are still technical issues to work out as i wait on additional chips for making the LEDs brighter and programming issues, but i reached a milestone. it lights up. it animates. it's battery powered. it responds somewhat to my movements. i'm still getting over shyness at being filmed. i'm exploring the female body and light. that's all for now.

csa box 9/18/09

2009-09-24T12:29:00.001-07:00

csa box
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

almost a week late, but here it is. in the midst of the havoc that has been wrought by my latest project, i have been eating lots of veggies.

- romaine & green leaf lettuces
- celery
- zucchini & squash
- cucumbers
- corn
- carrots
- apples
- basil
- beets

azuma

2009-09-10T11:44:00.001-07:00

azuma
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

in a section of gardena where most signs aren't in english, the warm glow of azuma invites you into a cozy diner-esque japanese restaurant whose authenticity and down-to-earth feeling is almost startling. we sat at one of the two seat tables huddled against the wall beneath vertical strips of paper with kanji and numbers. i really should learn some japanese as i often feel like i may be missing out on some special morsel reserved only for those in the know or who can read the signs.

there is one small eraserboard of specials in english and menus come in both english and japanese. how nice that you get a small dish of EDAMAME to snack on while you wait for your food. they are perfectly seasoned, where the salt has been absorbed into the beans themselves.

their AGEDASHI TOFU was a little disappointing. although i enjoyed the lightly toasty skin encasing delicate silken tofu insides, i thought the broth needed more flavor. luckily, everything else we had was quite good. the GINDARA, a piece of broiled black cod with miso, was the highlight. it was sweet, salty and full of flavor infused into the buttery flakes of white fish. the skin was lightly crispy. some parts were a little more burnt than i liked, but overall, very tasty.

the CREAM CROQUETTE-an oval ball of shrimp, vegetables and cream that has been deep fried--was standard, good.

somehow, i ended up ordering quite a few deep fried dishes without really noticing until the food came out. the EBI-FRY, is a dish of panko crusted deep fried whole shrimp prepared well.

i think i like the YAKI ONIGIRI here better than at torihei. you have a choice of salmon, fish eggs, bonita flakes, seaweed or plain, which is nice. the salmon adds a lot of flavor to where they could have cut back on some of the soy.

glad i discovered this place. the main sign is in japanese, and you can just make out the lit green Azuma sign in the window, so you have to be on the lookout to find this place. there's a lot of variety, and even the combination dinners look good, which i usually steer clear of. i'll definitely be back to try other dishes soon. the place is small, and the staff seems limited, so service was mostly ok, but sometimes slow. it wasn't slow enough to bother me though.

torihei

2009-09-08T09:41:00.001-07:00

torihei
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

torihei specializes in yakitori and oden dishes. the lightness and warmth of the oden pairs well with the fat and smokiness of yakitori. though you can easily find good yakitori at several places in the area, i'd never had oden until torihei.

we started with the daikon oden, a delicate section of braised daikon topped with seaweed and a generous helping of bonita slivers waving about in a light broth. the subtle sweetness of daikon spoke comfort and reminded me of some of the squash and melon soups my mom use to make. some people seem to think this is bland, but i think it is in the nature of this dish to be subtle and accent the more natural flavor of the daikon. a strong broth would have overpowered it.

then came the beef tongue, which was surprisingly tender and juicy. of the izakaya places i've eaten, i think this is the best preparation of beef tongue. so simple. so good. it didn't need any seasoning. just the flavor of beef with a hint of wasabi.

in terms of flavor, the fish cake oden, was stronger than the daikon, being sweet with a slightly chewy texture and subtle hints of the sea. this one definitely tastes homemade.

i recommend the chicken thighs--also tender, juicy, and the not surprisingly flavorful half raw egg with cod roe. eggs are delicious. also excellent are the petite tomatoes, which consist of grilled cherry tomatoes bursting with sweetness and slathered with sauteed garlic. the shitake mushrooms, which come with bonita flakes, are one of the better preparations i've had. some places burn it, and it ends up being bitter.

i liked the combination of crunchy and soft rice in the "robata" rice ball, a fried triangle of onigiri seasoned with soy sauce. the whole shrimp on skewer, was probably my least favorite. i enjoyed the grilled flavor of the shrimp, but it was not especially exciting for the price compared to the other dishes.

overall, i found torihei to be skilled in preparation of the foods. i like the yakitori at shinsengumi and kappo honda, but sometimes, some of the skewers have partly burnt bits which add bitterness. i was impressed with how even the cooking was on the skewers here. the whole restaurant has a refined air to it even though it's not particularly fancier than any other japanese restaurant in the area. service was friendly and good. if you get there early, there may be little to no wait.

knitting machine

2009-09-07T22:26:00.001-07:00

knitting machine
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

it's not like i need any more hobbies, but i've been dying for a knitting machine. the mechanization of a hand process is intriguing, and i really wanted to figure out how one of these things works. so here i am with a vintage knitting machine, which i spent the weekend cleaning then researching possible avenues for hacking it to connect with a computer.

the 930 model has it's own computer with built-in stitch patterns, but i would really like to be able to load in my own. a mini-computer was made to allow creation of patterns, as well as a floppy disk drive to store patterns, but those are hard to come by, but there's a port that allows for connecting to the machine, so there's some promise of communication. this one is in good condition, but it still needs a new sponge bar. no play time for me until it arrives. besides, i will be too busy until next weekend to do anything more with it anyhow. i don't expect to be cranking out sweaters any time soon. also, it is not as automated as one would think, and much more complicated than a sewing machine.

tomatoes from the csa box

2009-09-04T12:00:00.001-07:00

tomatoes from the csa box
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

this week's box was the first box i was disappointed with. the tomatoes were all crushed to varying degrees. not sure if it was due to the small watermelon inside. we received tomatoes and watermelon last time, and they were fine. the box seemed emptier as well, and some of the basil looked a little wilty. there were more of each type of produce in the box. is it already the end of the season for a lot of produce?

- romaine lettuce
- squash
- basil
- cucumbers
- yellow beans
- tomatoes
- watermelon
- strawberry jam

i've emailed rockview who delivers the box with milk to see if they will do anything about the tomatoes. in the mean time, i guess i'll have to make more gazpacho.

sunday supper @ lucques

2009-09-01T08:20:00.001-07:00

sunday supper @ lucques
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i really enjoy suzanne goin's rustic cooking. that warmth and earthiness is further embodied in the ambiance and interior design of lucques. i came to appreciate the time and effort that goes into food that at first glance seems so simple yet is so delicious and comforting after getting her cookbook "Sunday Suppers at Lucques" and cooking from it.

recently, i tried one of her sunday suppers, a three course prix fixe dinner at a very reasonable $45, and must say that though AOC is my preference for it's variety and lightness, Lucques, is worth a visit. you'll not find minimalist portions nor sculpture on a plate, but you'll enjoy mediterranean-inspired california blended cuisine made with fresh local produce.

what goin does with salads is amazing. the GRILLED EGGPLANT AND PEPPERS WITH BURRATA, CURRANTS and PINENUTS seems like a typical italian salad made more geographically broad with the addition of currents that i've encountered at numerous restaurants, yet it stands out as one of the best of its kind. the inclusion of rosemary to the smokey flavers of the grilled vegetables adds not only to flavor but body. this is one hearty salad with its large globule of partially melted burrata.

though not mind blowing, my GRILLED PORK CHOP with farro, mustard greens, sherry and sautèed plums was a classic dish that was prepared well. the crust on the juicy porkchop was especially tasty, and the sweet cooked plums were an interesting addition. my only complaint was that there was not enough mustard greens.

however, of the two choices, i'd have to say the PANCETTA-WRAPPED MARKET FISH fish with yellow tomatoes and aïoli was the far better choice. dessert was a rich BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TART with candied almonds and salted caramel ice cream. it pretty much was as good as it sounded.

service was inconsistent, which is too bad. i've never had bad service at AOC. our waitress was fine, mostly unnoticed, but the one guy clearing our table was like an elephant in a china shop, breaking the serenity of the dimly lit hushed restaurant with the clanging of plates and silverware, and on several occasions picked up plates that still had food on them without asking. my brother was too nice to say anything. it didn't affect the quality of the food, but was surprising for a fine restaurant.

vermiposting

2009-09-01T08:19:00.001-07:00

vermiposting
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the arrival of our new "pets" has inspired maternal instincts. i feel like a nervous mother hen. their journey wasn't far, but it's been a hot week or so, and plenty warm in the shipping container i'm sure. the bin didn't take too long to set up. soak coir in water for 15 minutes. assemble bin. add coir to bin. add worms to bin. add moistened shredded newspaper. that's pretty much it. for their first week here, i've been worrying about what i'm feeding the worms. will they like it? will they eat it?

my worse fear is killing the pound of worms. that would suck and make me sad. so far so good. they've been wriggling around, crawling over and under the newspaper and back into the dirt when i open up the lid to feed them our kitchen scraps. there are too many to name, which is probably a good thing. only one has lost his way and ended up on the side of the bin. i gently nudged him back down into the dirt. i should thank mike for his cappuccinos. the espresso grounds make the bin smell good. i wonder if they get buzzed on it?

csa box 8/21/09

2009-08-21T12:11:00.001-07:00

csa box 8/21/09
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

i guess i haven't been the only one complaining about variety in the csa box. from their newsletter, tanaka farms has indicated that they will try to change out what goes into the box from week to week. it definitely shows in this week's box.

- romaine & green leaf lettuce
- tomatoes
- orange bell peppers
- corn
- cucumber
- edamame
- carrots
- watermelon

curious palate

2009-08-20T17:05:00.001-07:00

curious palate
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

we were meeting up with friends across the street for bowling and needed to grab a quick bite to eat. i didn't want to eat unhealthy bowling alley food, so we ate here when we spied it on the way. the word artisanal emblazened on the building made me a bit apprehensive, but the place is a casual and unassuming cafe inside, and indeed, the ingredients are gourmet. food ranges from ok to good depending on what you order.

the curious salad gets mixed reviews from me. parts of it were good, while some did need some seasoning. i liked the light dressing, the fresh artichoke hearts, and marinated beets on crisp greens. the pretty purple lima beans were nice to look at, but bland, and the red peppers could have used a little seasoning as well. you get a pretty good sized portion for a small, if you just want a side salad to go with soup or something else.

the chili, which is made with flavorful pieces of pork rather than ground meat, was delicious. full of smokey flavor and chunky with beans and pork, it had the right amount of heat.

the bf had the wasabi shrimp wrap, which was more like a shrimp salad flavored with horseradish. i'm not a huge fan of wraps, but it was decent.

they offer fresh mixed juices. the day we went, it was rosemary lemonade and strawberry. since they were almost out of the strawberry, i had them mix both, and it ended up being a tasty beverage.

everything sounds good, and they use quality ingredients. prices are on the higher end for cafe food (from $7 - $10 for a sandwich), but they seem appropriate for the ingredients. service was super friendly.

weekends fly

2009-08-17T09:05:00.001-07:00

lacma @night
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

what a weekend--moving into a more spacious storage space, bowling match, composting workshop, screening of handmade nation at silent movie theater, visiting lacma at night to see chris burden's urban light installation, walking for miles at the long beach antiques market, barely enough time for the farmer's market.

SPACE i like our new storage space. you can actually walk inside it without having to remove anything. sometimes i think storage spaces seem like such a waste of money. every month, you pay for space just to keep your stuff. there is an invisible cost of having stuff--what you paid for it was only a down payment. if we moved into a larger home, we'd be paying more rent instead--again, the cost of owning stuff. i can whittle down my ownership of stuff, and we desperately need to do that, but some stuff, i can't get rid of. i keep making art, and right now, it's not going into anyone's collection but mine. then there are all the things that could potentially become "art"--my excuse lately for being a packrat. i realize that i have the power to get rid of it all, yet somehow, i can't. in the meantime, i've got to look into making ephemeral art.

of course, we celebrated our new space by going to the lb antiques market. i found a permanent sewing table for my sewing machine piece. i'm hoping to incorporate the piece into the table and use the actual treadle to activate the piece, but that second goal is more of a nice to have. primary is making the table a part of the piece and vice versa.

my knitting machine arrived, but i've had no time to do anything but open it up.

sp vs. rios

2009-08-17T08:51:00.001-07:00

sp vs. rios
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

we kicked a$$ once again. actually, the match was pretty close. my first one didn't go as well...trying something new, and it seems a bit inconsistent, but i bowled 118 on my second game. not bad for someone who has sucked at bowling all her life.

the magic of worm poop

2009-08-16T18:56:00.001-07:00

composting
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

long beach offers a free workshop every month on composting, but the class fills up fast. we finally were able to attend one this weekend. a nice introduction to how to compost at home, it makes me wonder why more people don't do it.

the workshop covers what is required for composting, and at the end, you can select from four different bin options at discounted pricing through the city. three require a yard, so we went for the vermiposting bin, which is composting by worms. the bin can be stored inside and doesn't require outside insects or yard matter to help with the process. we still need to order our worms, but it sounds relatively easy to set up, and requires minimal maintenance once set up. the bin costs $45, and for $20 through mail order, you get a pound of red wiggler worms. with all of the trimmings from vegetables and fruits we have, it always seems like such a waste to throw in the trash, so doing this seems only natural.

i found out something interesting through the workshop as well--why long beach does not pick up green bins for composting. apparently, most cities (at least the ones around here) that pick up the green bins don't actually compost the materials they pick up. instead, these go onto the top layer of the landfill where the regular trash goes. unlike other cities, long beach incinerates its trash instead of adding to landfills. there is no composting facility in long beach, and trucking all the composting to a facility would add more to the carbon footprint, they do not pick up the green bins.

from what i gather, it shouldn't smell or attract any bugs if done properly, but i think we will start by keeping the bin on the front porch in the shade. apparently, the resulting fertilizer, a dark, moist soil-like concentrated additive, from the vermiposting is magical stuff for plants. i can hardly wait to get started. who knew worm poop would be so exciting?

marked5

2009-08-16T18:34:00.001-07:00

marked5
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the recent spate of food trucks spurred by the success of kogi has brought about some interesting portable food creations. the whole east meets west burger on a rice patty intrigued me, so when a friend arranged a tasting of all of marked5's offerings, i had to check it out. i liked their aspirations of stimulating the five senses as being the inspiration for their concept. good food does that. everything was good, but i didn't find any of the burgers distinctive.

the first burger we tried, the PORK KATSU, which had a sweet spicy sauce and came with cabbage, turned out to the the group favorite of all the burgers. comparatively speaking, it was one of the better ones. i think everyone, myself included, really liked the sauce. the problem for me though was that mine was overwhelmed by it. i didn't get any of the crispyness of the katsu nor the flavor of the pork. all i could really taste was sauce. the katsu didn't have a strong enough personality neither in the meat nor the light batter. i did like the grilled rice buns which had a nice smoky flavor.

supposedly, the BEEF TORAKKU, made with a less sweet sauce than that on the pork, is a favorite among customers. the disc of meat was too well done for me and a little chewy. the idea of wrapping it with seaweed was interesting in thought, but the flavor didn't work that well. also, the problem with seaweed, and in handrolls, is if it soaks up liquid as it did with the sauce, it gets chewy and hard to eat. that's why with handrolls, you eat them quickly. this is much harder to do with a burger. the best part of this burger were the caramelized onions, of which there weren't enough.

the CHICKEN CURRY was ok, though a bit boring. nothing about it really stood out. the chicken meat could have used a little seasoning. i was thinking that this would have been so much better with a fried white fish. maybe they will add a fifth burger with fish.

the last burger, the TOFU TORAKKU, was pretty good. the tofu had some smokyness to it, and in this case, the seaweed flavor with the tofu and rice paired well.

along with the four burgers, marked5 offers two sides, SHRIMP ROLLS and FRIED SHRIMP & LOTUS CHIPS. the shrimp rolls were basically shrimp egg rolls with nothing but shrimp. the lotus chips were a little more chewy but interesting, and you can't beat those puffed shrimp chips. both sides were great for snacking on.

i liked the rice patty, but i found that only the first burger tasted grilled. not sure if it was because of our large group and their feeling rushed to get the food out to us quickly, so i don't fault them for that, but i liked it when the rice was more grilled. i also didn't care for the cabbage, which didn't add anything except texture. lettuce or some other veggies would have been better. my favorite turned out to be the tofu as none of the meat options were tasty enough to warrant the death of the animal.

the guys and gal organizing the tasting were all very personable and kept the food coming at a steady pace. i wish i had liked the food more, but it did not blow me away.

grilling

2009-08-13T23:35:00.001-07:00

grilling
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

though not full-size, the weber q100 is plenty big for all of our grilling. this summer has been milder than most, but there are still warm days. cooking outside keeps the house cooler, and as it turns out, gives me more options for cooking up all the veggies in our produce box. the other day, i made a grilled corn and lettuce salad with parmesan. i don't know if i'll be able to eat corn that is not grilled because of how good it is grilled--so sweet and fresh.

cleaning has been relatively easy. i learned quick to line the inside with foil and coat everything with oil. a good steel bristle brush works wonders. having an enameled cast iron grate helps not only in maintaining the temperature for a good sear but makes for easier cleaning.

mom's cooking

2009-08-12T22:41:00.001-07:00

fish soup with dill, tomatoes
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

yesterday, my mom flew home to texas. growing up, especially during adolescence, i did not get along very well with my mother, but now i miss her, and her cooking. one thing we always did as a family was eat together. no matter how busy her day was, my mother made dinner ninety percent of the time, and we ate at the same time at the same table, communing over a bowl of rice.

it's well documented that in asian cultures, emotions are rarely expressed outright. it took me some time to realize everything that went into her homemade soup. i do most of the cooking these days at home, which i love, but some days, it's nice when someone else does it for you. just yesterday, leftover eggrolls and a soup with asian melon and shrimp that mom reheated in the microwave equaled happiness.

hatchi - unfamiliar conflict: roberto cortez

2009-08-09T14:28:00.001-07:00

smoked shitake terrine
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

the genius of breadbar's hatchi series removes the fluff of fine dining, leaving the substance and offering a great opportunity to sample inventive culinary creations at affordable prices. the words "unfamiliar" and "conflict" are not what you'd want associated with your food, but roberto cortez has cleverly assembled contrasting flavors in such a way as to inspire a hyper-awareness to the sensual experience of eating. the best part is that these conflicting tastes mostly work well together.

we began our journey with a carribbean inspired cocktail consisting of orange juice, ginger, basil oil and spiced rum. the flavor intensity sat in the foam that topped this drink. i couldn't really make out the basil, but the rum was strong, and as i worked my way down, it became more subtle. if you like tropical rum drinks, you'd probably like this one. i found the rum and the drink too syrupy sweet for my taste.

it was not long before the white asparagus cappuccino arrived in a set of two glasses, complete with undeniably cappuccino-esque foam atop a creamy divine soup. the comforting essence of asparagus, this soup came with a surprise in the form of a firm little ravioli that burst through the alkaline warmth with a tart and aromatic liquid of grapefruit and mint. the experience was so fleeting, it left me wanting. the perfectly timed explosion of tastes was like a punchline delivered at just the right moment.

soups must be the chef's forte because the liquid onion ring, a shot glass of onion soup separated from crispy crunchy onion bits sprinkled on top by a layer of foam almost as thick was amazing--salty sweet onion flavors. the rye bread with cheese and sesame seeds that came with it added some body though it couldn't really compete in flavor with the onion.

prepared well and delicate to the tongue, the herb stained salmon was the epitome of light, summer fare. the saltiness of the stacked slivers of salmon over a viscous and refreshing cucumber sauce, contrasted with the pops of tartness with a slight zing in the circles of passionfruit chili decorating the plate as well as the creamy whipped jasmine rice, which was like whipped cream with the nuttiness of fragrant rice.

next up, one of my favorites of the night, the smoked shitake terrine transformed the word veloute into a magical thing in my mouth of sweet, creamy market fresh corn, now and then accented with a fragrant and sweet cinnamon oil surrounding a disc of earthy flavorful mushrooms with a crunchy crust. little leaves of microgreens added some lightness to an otherwise thick soup.

the lemon lacquered chicken put the "unfamiliar conflict" concept to the test. the surprisingly strong lemon flavor in the trio of the sweet, salty, super tart of the gravy that acted as a glue for the texture of crushed almonds blended with coriander seeds and oatmeal gave every bite a punch. in contrast, the foam balanced out the acidity with some creaminess, while the cubes of soy gelee added more meatyness.

the mesh of flavors in the sweet dishes didn't work as well as in the salty. i enjoyed the texture of the malt with the rich chocolate cream in themanjari chocolate dessert, which was delicious, but ultimately all was drowned by a sea of sweet cherry sauce that reminded me too much of cough syrup. the cherries were fresh, but i didn't like them with the chocolate, and though they looked interesting, i couldn't taste the guinness in the guinness pearls. the basil didn't pair well with the other parts of the dish either.

the other dessert, the sparkling lemoncurd mousse was much better, though more novel for the effervescent white powder concoction that fizzed and reacted on the tongue with mouth puckering tartness. the lemoncurd was good, not great. the strawberry water with mint oil was an interesting mix.

entrees were phenomenal. dessert was ok & good. service was inconsistent, with problems figuring out what table ordered what. our server was nice, but kind of a space cadet, at one point, returning to our table to ask if we wanted dessert after taking our dessert order 7 minutes earlier. service is nowhere near what you'd get at a fine dining restaurant, but i didn't expect it to be.

hatchi series @breadbar: michael voltaggio

2009-08-08T10:40:00.001-07:00

hatchi series @breadbar: michael voltaggio
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

breadbar started a series of single night dinners by different chefs in which they would prepare 8 dishes for $8 each at their century city location. i was impressed but not blown away by the ludobites meal we had in june, so was excited but not expecting to have my socks knocked off. as it turns out, my feet may be a little cold tonight.

we ordered 7 of the 8 available plates, some of which turned out to be wonderful not only in flavor combinations but curious experiences in perception. the first dish to hit the table, the crispy chicken thigh was more like a rectangle of tender meat with a crispy crust topped with the most delicately, perfectly soft, chewy cuttlefish, yummy mushrooms with a dab of sweet and sour sauce and some olive oil garnish. having watched a program on cuttlefish a few days earlier, i was feeling guilty about eating it, but the preparation of this arthropod was so divine, i feel it did not give it's life in vain. it's such a travesty when animals die to make crappy food.

our wonderful meal continued with the japanese tomato tartare, which turned out to be a tromp l'oeil. what arrived appeared to be an egg overeasy, whose yolk spilled out when split, sitting on top of ripe chopped tomato bits, but after taking a bite, i realized that the yolk was a flavorful yet light yellow puree of what i think was parmesan and tomato that looked convincingly like an egg yolk. the bits of tapenade powder added some complex saltiness, while the basil added some fresh flavor.

i liked the balance in sculptural qualities of the artichokes "barigoule" and enjoyed the flavors, but this dish was one of the lesser favorites. the salmon belly and smoked salmon roe stacked and sprinkled on the plate were excellent, but the flavors overwhelmed the simple preparation of minimally seasoned artichokes. however, the powdered philly cheese, which looked like powder yet transformed into a wonderful creaminess in your mouth, was a nice surprise.

what looked like tuna in the stack that was the hamachi crudo turned out to be sweet watermelon. the sweet and salty flavors along with rich spots of egg yolk worked well together. crispy puffed wild rice added texture.

the wagyu beef, cooked perfectly medium rare, was amazing. even better, though, the paper thin pastrami underneath which could easily be forgotten, so hidden was it, but once i put it into my mouth, its moist juiciness melted into my tongue an array of complex fatty flavors. the broccoli textures and horseradish "styrofoam" was not only amusing in concept but equally rich in flavor. florets had been cooked to intense sweet broccoli flavor and crunchiness. along the plate, a thick stroke of creamy broccoli puree. i couldn't really taste the horseradish, but it was an interesting texture and not unlike styrofoam in appearance. luckily, it didn't taste like it.

for dessert we had the miso cake with jasmine "rice cream", strawberry, yuzu and the fool's gold, consisting of layers of hazelnut praline and salty carmel accented by a large creamy ball of nitro coffee mousse. the miso cake was good, and the spoon of ice cream did taste like rice, while the glazed strawberries were sweet. but i thoroughly enjoyed the fool's gold which had crispy cookie flakes dusted with gold. i enjoyed the coffee flavors in the nitro constructed ball, but also found some unexplained tartness.

adding to my lovely food experience was the introduction to deus beer, a belgian beer full of complex fruit flavor. fermented with two yeasts and following a process similar to champagne in the champagne region, it possesses a bubbliness not unlike a champagne. my palate wasn't partial to its sweetness, but i could appreciate it's richness.

service was great until it slowed at the end, when it got busy. even though it was in a mall, we forgot about the location once we started eating.

ramen california

2009-08-08T10:19:00.001-07:00

ramen california
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

ramen california looks like your typical ramen house, but it's not. you'll not find the heavy, salty pork broth here. if that's what you want, go to santouka or shinsengumi or one of the many restaurants in the greater los angeles or orange county that offers traditional ramen. ramen california offers a different experience, one that basks in the abundance of local, fresh produce that us californians are so lucky to have. despite the unorthodox approach to ramen, the noodles are still perfectly al dente with a nice springiness characteristic of quality ramen noodles.

their namesake california ramen has a light broth and is piled high with a variety of brightly colored vegetables that included cauliflower in three colors, beets, and wax beans. with a simple broth, this particular bowl is a celebration of the natural flavors of the ingredients. the heirloom tomato ramen is a fusion of italian flavors which include a delicious olive oil, fresh sweet tomatoes and basil with a light broth accented by tiny fragrant flowers. the rich, earthy broth of the curry ramen may be what you're looking for if you want something a little heavier. it will be a good option when the weather cools.

one of the pluses here is the option for three different sizes of ramen bowls, so you can have more than one kind or stick with the favorite in a large or medium sized bow. to my disappointment, they didn't have the cheese tofu ramen on the day we visited, and the selection of small plate appetizers which sounded like intriguing izakaya type dishes is only offered for dinner.

a couple weeks later, i returned. ramen california called to me with it's fresh, local produce in a bowl. rarely do i visit a resto within six months much less one, but i wanted to try some of their appetizers and sample ramen bowls missed on previous visits. while we waited, they brought us complimentary bread rolls. though simple, these were not ordinary rolls. they had a lightly oiled, thick skin with bits of sea salt and a soft chewy center.

the snapper kanpachi, which was delicately sliced and sprinkled with black sea salt, was simple and delicious. the lobster ravioli with mushroom sauce, sounded more interesting than it was. flavor-wise, it was fine, but the mushroom sauce consisted of little more than sauteed mushrooms. i like mushrooms, but i thought more could have been done with the sauce. the other dish we ordered, the mushroom saute was just that, and after already getting something similar with the ravioli, it was a little disappointing. for some reason, i thought they would be different based on the descriptions. i really do love mushrooms and the natural flavors of ingredients, but these were a tad boring.

the much-touted cheese tofu ramen was indeed rich and evidence that fat does indeed equal flavor in this case. it added a slight creaminess, but i also found that i was reluctant to eat an entire bowl of it. this is probably the closest you'll get to the traditional pork broth. i also enjoyed the smoky flavor of the chicken, which was juicy and seasoned well, in the grilled chicken ramen.

the pescetarian bf is happy he can enjoy ramen with me. even though the appetizers didn't wow me, i still found that i really enjoyed the freshness and lightness of the broths. we're headlong into summer finally, and call me crazy, but the thought of eating a hot, heavy bowl of pork broth doesn't appeal to me as much as having a refreshing bowl filled with lots of vegetables. those cute little flowers that they throw in there are a nice reminder of where the food comes from. so for get for a moment what you think you know of ramen. their enjoyable bowl of soup won't leave you feeling heavy and will lighten your carbon footprint.

service was good, although the place is not large and fills up quickly.