The Hostesses with the Mostesses....

Jaden, the guest of honor, shows off some caviar

A good party has to have a few essentials: Great food, fabulous drinks, a good mix of guests and some form of entertainment. And I do believe that nobody knows this better than Diane and Todd, who are getting as well-known for their magnificent parties as they are for their much-beloved blog, White on Rice Couple.

A beautiful evening on the patio in downtown LA

Case in point: The celebratory party for Jaden Hair and her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook. The party started off on the gorgeous patio of Diane and Todd’s downtown loft, and featured Pama Liqueur cocktails that were mixed up by Jaden herself. It was the perfect way to unwind from the day, mingle with the guests (who were mostly food journalists) and get to know each other a little bit. The hosts served up Jaden’s chicken eggrolls by the dozen along with everybody’s party favorite, blinis with caviar and crème fraiche.

Local Flavor: Ludo and Krissy Lefebvre Talk Urasawa, Sprinkles and...KFC?

Ludo & Krissy - photo credit: Jo Stougaard

Welcome to “Local Flavor,” a new bi-weekly column on Rainy Days and Sundays. Every column will feature a local chef, sommelier or tastemaker talking about his/her local favorite eats. This week: Chef Ludovic Lefebvre and his business partner and wife, Kristine, who are currently working on the next incarnation of their roving restaurant LudoBites (coming to Royal/T Café in Culver City for 13 days in December), sit down and share their favorites (and not-so-favorites) from the SoCal food scene.

1) Favorite neighborhood joint?

Ludo: Kaya Sushi in El Segundo. When we lived in Venice we used to go to the location in Marina del Rey all the time. I love Asian food and they have a great mix of Japanese and Korean.

Krissy: I agree with Ludo on Kaya, it is definitely a favorite. I LOVE the Japchae noodles. Although it is a bit further away (closer to my old neighborhood), Typhoon is still my ultimate favorite neighborhood joint.

2) Favorite high-end restaurant?

Ludo: I have not been to a high-end restaurant since I returned from Las Vegas. I had many great high end meals in Vegas, but now back in LA I mostly focus on exploring new different cuisines. I am always looking for new inspiration. If I had to pick a high-end restaurant it would be Urasawa, and I loved my meals at Hatfield's.

Krissy: Unlike Ludo, I have a really hard time going to high end restaurants. Ludo is simply happy to have someone else cook for him, but I can't help myself and compare every meal to his cooking. I am so spoiled. I have eaten probably 100+ meals at L'Orangerie and Bastide. How do I ever enjoy anything else? My favorite high-end restaurant is definitely my own kitchen when Ludo is cooking. Nothing tops it.

That Pork Used to be A Pig, Ya Know...

Gordon Ramsay photo courtesy of the Mail Online

There’s been a lot of talk lately on the topic of whether or not we, as humans, should eat meat. About a month ago, the New York Times published a frightening article about one woman’s health crisis after consuming tainted hamburger meat, and of course there’s Jonathan Safran Foer’s recently published and much-ballyhooed book, Eating Animals, which takes a firm stand against factory farming and makes a strong case for vegetarianism.

I eat meat, and I have no plans to give that up. I choose free-range, cruelty-free meat, which costs more but is ultimately better tasting, better for the environment and for the animals themselves. In my mind, an animal that’s had a happy life tastes better (I realize many vegetarians will disagree with me on this one!).

One chef who seems to be putting his money where is mouth is on the subject is Gordon Ramsay. Don’t get me wrong: Ramsay, with his piping-hot temper and inability to articulate himself without the use of the word “f*ck” every five seconds isn’t exactly the most beloved chef of our time. There have been allegations of an affair and other personal and professional missteps. Frankly, I could give a toss about those things. What I do admire about him is that on his BBC show – appropriately titled “The F Word” – Ramsay is showing the world where his food comes from, and isn’t afraid to get personally involved with it.

Of Gumption and Gumbo

It's undeniable: There's just something special about New Orleans. Even before the will of its people was tested by "The Storm," as locals call it, even before being completely abandoned by its government, and nearly forgotten after the other storm (the one of the media variety) died down, it was something else. And after all that? To say that the hardships endured by this city and its loyal residents brought out a kind of character and might and determination that us outsiders didn't think existed would be an understatement.

Bring on the Cold! Spicy Thai Curry Soup

I love cold weather, probably because it's so rare here in Los Angeles. While my friends back east and on the other side of the pond envy our near perfect, SoCal weather, I find myself craving cold, crisp breezes and, occasionally, bitter, freezing rainstorms. Do you know how depressing it is to wake up every Christmas morning to 82-degree warmth and blue, cloudless skies? Just once, I want to open my presents wrapped in a cozy, velvet robe in front of a roaring fireplace while the weather outside is frightful.

Happy 100th Birthday to my Obaachan!

My sister and me with Obaachan and Ojiisan in 1987
 
My Obaachan (grandmother) was born on October 16, 1909 and is 100 years old tomorrow, which is pretty amazing. She lives in Osaka, Japan, where she’s lived the majority of her life. She was married to my Ojiisan (grandfather) for 73 years before his death at the age of 95 in 1998, and has survived two of her five children. She lived in the same rented house for about 50 years, and now lives in a home close to her old neighborhood. Though she’s quite frail and has become somewhat forgetful in her old age, she still loves to eat and still manages her chopsticks very well – especially when eating her favorite salty black seaweed condiment, which she always eats with her rice.


Obaachan, 2008  

Though I spent most of my life in the United States, I have great memories our summer visits to Obaachan and Ojiisan in Japan. I remember how much they spoiled us, especially Obaachan, because she didn’t really get to see my sister and I that often. I laugh when I think about the time that, after drinking a bottle of Kirin Lemon soda and telling her how much we liked it, she had a case of the stuff delivered to her house so that we could have as much of it as we wanted. Whenever we were at her house, she’d make sure to stock up on cookies and other treats.

I also recall how she would always have a nice sushi lunch delivered to her house whenever we’d visit, and how she took us to her local food arcade to show us off to her merchant friends. If we so much as looked at something, she’d ask if we wanted it and try to buy it for us (it got to a point where my parents warned us about not taking advantage of this!). She gave us little envelopes of money but was always discreet about it so that our Japanese cousins wouldn’t get jealous or feel left out. My grandparents weren't wealthy, but they were always generous. Obaachan had a cabinet underneath the staircase where she housed many unopened presents that were given to her, and in turn give them to us or her friends.

Obaachan always gifted us with one nice piece of jewelry on our visits, whether it was a pair of pearl earrings or a gold ring. She had impeccable taste and to this day I still have all of the beautiful jewelry she gave me. Obaachan always told my sister and I how pretty we were, and how young we looked, and would stroke our hands and talk about what pretty skin we had; she’d hold her tiny, wrinkled hand next to ours and say, “Look how much younger your hand looks!” Pretty funny since she’s 64 years older than we are!

Though she hasn’t a clue what the Internet is, and probably doesn’t even know what a computer is, I wanted to dedicate this day to my Obaachan on her 100th birthday. I’m sorry to say that I won’t be with her to celebrate, but my parents are going to see her next week and I look forward to seeing the photos of her intimate birthday dinner celebration. Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu Obaachan!

Best Deal in Town: Drago Centro Bar Menu

Things I love about happy hour: Catching up with friends after work. Good deals on drinks and food.

Things I don’t love about happy hour: An array of cheap, fried foods. Good deals on bad drinks. Loud crowds, with lots of “woo-hooing” going on (see the Yard House). The very small window of opportunity (5 p.m. – 7 p.m.) for the good deals.

The reasons above are why I am utterly in love with Drago Centro’s bar menu. The bar menu is pretty damn cheap, and includes some good wines for $5-$6 a glass, German beers for $4 a glass and a variety of specialty cocktails at $5. Wine choices like the Quattro Mani Montepulciano, Abruzzo, a great medium-bodied red with a hint of fruit, and cocktail selections like the Passione 5 (vodka, lychee, fresh peach) are always a hit with my friends and me, and at five bucks a pop, it’s a great deal as well.

Chef Celestino’s bar food menu is even more impressive, with tasty shareable small plates like the la bruschetta di mare (marinated anchovies, onions, tomato on crostini), due kobe hamburgers and the la pizza ai gamberi (shrimp, corn, mozzarella pizza on a very thin crust). Most items are under $5, with a few priced $7 - $9 (still very reasonable). Though the bar menu is served only in the bar area, you can order items off the restaurant menu at the bar if you prefer.

I like Drago Centro’s bar space because it’s laid-back and elegant without being fussy or snooty. There is a plasma television for those who want to catch whatever game is on but it’s never blaring or intrusive. There are lovely cheesy breadsticks along the long, marble table of the bar area and the service, while it can be a bit slow at times (typically all orders in this area is handled by the bartender, so it’s understandable), it’s totally worth the wait.

On a recent visit, my friend Steve and I each had three drinks (wine for me, cocktails for him), and shared three plates. Our total? $45 total, plus tax. What a steal! Oh, and this menu is available during restaurant hours - not just happy hour.