Need Your Help, Utah!

I'm going to be in Orem (near Provo), Utah, next week and am in need of some great restaurants to try. I'm there for business, and am completely unfamiliar with the territory. It's about 45 minutes outside of Salt Lake, but unfortunately that city is not an option for me as I will not have time to drive back and forth from Salt Lake to Orem.

If anyone has any suggestions for good dinner places, and, better yet, if anyone wants to meet up with a fellow food blogger for dinner, please let me know!

Thanks!

P.S. I drink alcohol...so dry restos aren't really my thing.

The Perfect Salad

I'm always looking for a great salad, one that has a good balance of healthy, leafy vegetables and a little something you can sink your teeth into. Cesar salads are good, but there are about a zillion calories in the dressing alone, not to mention all those buttery croutons. This Thai Beef Salad, from the Bonaventure Brewing Company, has it all: chopped cabbage, lettuce, carrots, scallions, tomatoes and bean sprouts, topped with tender marinated beef and creamy avocado slices and all dressed with a light Thai lime dressing.

Now this is a salad I can feel good about eating!

My First Allocation

Last year, my boss gave me a bottle of SeaSmoke pinot noir. I only knew the name from the movie, "Sideways," but I was eager to try it. I ended up serving it at a girl's dinner at my place, and I can honestly say it was one of the best pinots I've ever had.

I buy wine regularly. Heck, I even know a thing or two about wine. My philosophy on choosing the "right" wines is based on a) what I like; and b) what goes with the food I'm eating. I don't follow the "rules," per se, and if I think a rich cab sav goes with my flaky white fish dish, then so be it.

I usually buy my wine from Trader Joe's, Bev Mo, Whole Foods and occasionally at Silverlake Wine and the Cheesestore of Silverlake. Some of my favorites include the Hess Select cab, the Cloudy Bay savignon blanc and the Brophy Clark pinots. But rarely do I spend more than $20 a bottle (unless I am at a restaurant). However, the SeaSmoke changed my mind, and - late last year - I signed up for their allocation list.

I recently got my allocation notice, and will be getting four bottles of the Southing, one bottle of the Botella, and one of the Ten. It's a small number of bottles, which is fine since it's my first wine allocation ever. It's also more than I usually spend but these wines are absolutely worth it. Too bad they won't be ripe for another year or so - more waiting!

I feel so grown up.

Mozza My Heart

I realize just about every food blogger and his/her mother has written about Mozza, so I will try to keep my review short and sweet. In a nutshell, I now know what all the hype is about, and why, at noon on a Monday, there was a line of hungry people waiting for the restaurant to open.

Thoughtful yet rustic appetizers like the chicken liver crostini (above) and the Mozza caprese (burrata with roasted tomatoes and basil olive oil - below) are exactly the kind of dishes I crave when at an Italian eatery. It's basic food made with the freshest ingredients, and there's no fuss with presentation or garnishes or froufrou plates. By the way, the caprese picture was taken after we'd eaten most of it; I kept forgetting to take photos before diving into the food, if that's any indication of how good it was!

We also ordered the Prosciutto di Parma, which was light and started with a mild sweetness before finishing with a salty bite. My boss thought it wasn't salty enough, but I liked it just fine. It was great on its own, or wrapped around the long breadsticks that Mozza provides on every table.

My coworker Joey's favorite appetizer was the cauliflower gratinate. This is like taking a plain ol' cauliflower, dressing it up in a silky robe of cream and adorning it with caramelized bits of goodness. Who knew cauliflower could be so decadent?

Of course Mozza is known for their pizzas, so we did our duty (it was so difficult!) and ordered one each. My boss got the Coach farm goat cheese, leeks, scallions & bacon pizza, which was the group favorite. The leeks work like cheese on the pizza crust; light, soft and full of flavor; and the dabs of fresh goat cheese offset the salty bacon ever so perfectly. It's pretty much everything I've been looking for in a pizza, and now I've finally found it. To quote a Kenny Loggins song, "When true love appears, everything you think you know is wrong." Kenny, you speak the truth, brother.

I stuck with the old standard, the Margherita with mozzarella, tomato & basil. It was very good, with tangy, fresh tomato sauce and a super crispy crust, but I would have liked a tad bit more cheese on it. I didn't mind that some of the crust was quite dark, because it didn't affect the flavor at all and I expect a few black blisters on a pizza made in a 700 degree oven.

Joey chose the fennel sausage, panna & red onion pizza, which he liked. His only complaint was too much fennel in the sausage. Both the boss and I liked his pizza quite a bit, but we all agreed that the goat cheese/leek/bacon was the favorite.

On to dessert. Yes, I know what you're thinking: How could you possibly have room for dessert at this point? It's Mozza, and I cannot leave without trying the butterscotch pudding. It was everything I've ever wanted and more, and that is not an exaggeration. The pudding was incredibly rich, but not too sweet, and the added sea salt just made the dessert. The best dessert I've ever had was a pine nut tart with buttermilk gelato, and that was at Babbo in NYC. I can honestly say that this dessert is now tied with that for my all-time favorite dessert at a restaurant.

We also ordered the strawberry gelato pie, which was good though not great. It is what it is; strawberry gelato in a cookie crust. We also got baked cherries with vanilla ice cream, which had great flavor but poor execution. The cherries came with stems on and seeds in, which is odd considering they were hot. Who wants to pick pits out of hot cherries?

Overall, however, the Mozza experience lived up to all of my expectations. And, for full disclosure, I should note that I do know the executive chef, Matt Molina, and am also acquainted with Mozza's general manager, David Rosoff. That said, I am a true foodie and would never be swayed to write a good review on a restaurant that I didn't think was worthy.

Mozza is undeniably fantastic.

Leftover Muffins

What do you do when you have a bunch of leftovers? Make muffins! Just think of it: You usually have some eggs, flour and milk laying around, and therefore you have the base ingredients for muffins. You can throw in that leftover ham lunch meat, bit of cheese and some rosemary to make a batch of savory muffins for your coworkers. Or maybe you have some smoked salmon and chives - what better presentation than in the form of a muffin?

In this case, I had some leftover strawberries, blueberries and lemons, so in they went into my base muffin recipe (lemons = lemon zest. The juice was used for some fish I made.). I went the extra mile and made a struesel topping with some butter, brown sugar and flour. The result? Deliciously moist, very berry muffins that were suitable as a gift.

I used my leftovers, and came out looking like a gift giving fool! Who woulda thunk it?

Harold from "Top Chef" Finally Opens Resto!

Season one's "Top Chef" winner Harold Dieterle has opened his restaurant in New York City. There's not much information on the restaurant's website, but I called and the place is officially open for business. I'm calling on all you NYC bloggers to go and check it out and give us a report!

Pernilla

9 Jones Street

New York, NY 10014

(212) 929-6868

Sunday Cooking: A Roasted Farmer's Produce Feast

For lunch this week, I made my usual fish (I eat fish pretty much every day!), and a bunch of veggies I got at the farmer's market. My favorite was the round zuchinni, which were the size of baseballs and roasted up quite nicely with a bit of pepper and parmesan cheese. I also roasted a batch of yellow and orange carrots, red bell peppers and some cauliflower. Finally I blanched a batch of my all-time favorite vegetable: sugar snap peas.

In a word, fabulous!

Mother's Day Brunch

As you may have guessed, I love cooking for other people. Since last August, I have been lucky enough to be the proud renter of a relatively large condo - complete with a formal dining area and a huge patio - so entertaining has never been more fun. So, for Mother's Day, I invited the gang over to my house for a Sunday morning brunch.

I wanted to keep it simple and fresh, and make use of all the fabulous produce I'd purchased the day before at the Pasadena Farmer's Market. I made two salads: one of sliced red and yellow tomatoes, sweet corn kernals and fresh basil, all drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette; the other a green salad with radishes, endives, cucumbers, carrots, aged parmesan slices and a lemon/garlic vinaigrette.

But the showstopper would have to be the la tarte à l’oignon, a beautifully simple yet luscious onion tart that I saw on Orangette a while back. Of it, Molly wrote, "Every onion comes into the world hoping to find its end in this tart." I believe the onions I used were quite happy to end up in this creamy, rich and deliciously savory tart, and we were happy to devour every last morsel. Thanks, Molly!

The tart; and the final plate - lots of color!

Though I normally do not have dessert in the middle of the day, I wanted to make something to mark this special occasion. Well, and I needed an excuse to make this lovely Lemon Pudding Cake that I saw in Food & Wine magazine the day before. AND it happens to be low-fat, so even more reason to indulge, right?

This cake is simply sugar, lemon juice, zest, skim milk, butter, eggs and a touch of flour, and the result is a moist, tangy, rich pudding cake that is sure to please just about anyone. The cake separates so that the center is like warm pudding. Served with blueberries, it's a tangy, citrusy delight of a dessert, and one that I will definitely be making again and again.

All in all it was a wonderful little party, and I was most grateful and happy to be able to host it at my place. Everything was easy to make, so I didn't spend a ton of time in the kitchen - it was like an episode of "Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello," which is definitely my idea of a great time!

Izayoi: Yoi, This is So Good!

There are many lunch options in Little Tokyo, but the most popular is probably the lunch "sets" at Sushi Gen. Patrons line up an hour before opening to get their famous sashimi plate, complete with all the fixins' (miso, seaweed salad, etc.). I can't remember the price, but it's really cheap.

We stopped by Sushi Gen yesterday, but didn't have time to wait, so we opted to go to Izayoi instead. I'd heard that they, too, offer good lunch sets, so my bro-in-law J and coworker Jackie decided to check it out. J started with one order of kohada (Gizzard shad) sushi, then chose the sashimi lunch set. It had yellowtail, tuna, salmon, squid, scallop, egg, octopus and a couple of other fishes I can't recall. Like all the lunch sets, it came with miso soup, rice, pickled cabbage and a small seaweed salad - all for $11.50.

Jackie and I both ordered the sushi set. It came with three tuna rolls, three cucumber rolls, then more tuna, salmon, yellow tail, shrimp, unagi, egg and one other fish I can't recall. Everything was incredibly fresh and delicious, especially the salmon, which literally - I mean literally - melted in my mouth. Ours also came with all the extras, and also only cost $11.50.

Because my sister had mentioned that Izayoi serves cream korokke, we had to get it. It's basically like a creamy croquette, with bits of shellfish in it. So I suppose it's like a really creamy crab cake, but way better. It came with a spicy mayo, and tonkatsu sauce for dipping. It really is a bit of heaven. As Giada would say, "It's crispy and light on the outside, and creamy and warm and rich on the inside, with bits of crab meat and shrimp...it's salty and creamy and amazing!"

I recommend getting there early-ish, around noon, as by the time we were wrapping up our lunch at 1 p.m., there were several people waiting for tables. It's no Sushi Gen madness, but you'll be better off if you come early.

Izayoi

132 Central Avenue

Los Angeles, CA

90012

Dinner at the Folk's House

Asian apple and spring mix salad with balsamic reduction

My friends often ask me, "Where did you learn how to cook?" I always say that I was raised in a foodie family, who valued the art of cooking. My sister and I grew up cooking; from our lemon meringue pies to our tator tots and fish sticks, we took pride in preparing meals.

I went to my parent's house for a casual dinner this past weekend, and, as usual, the food was fantastic. It was Sunday night, not a dinner party, but I'd say this meal would be well suited for just about any occasion.

Teriyaki filet mignon, baked potato, salad and grilled vegetables

Sunday Cooking: Lemon Chicken; Roasted Brussel Sprouts

As most of you already know, I try to spend my Sundays cooking for the week. Though I work near about a million fast-food restaurants and cafes in downtown Los Angeles, I'd rather bring my lunch and use my mid-day break for something more meaningful like buying the face wash I keep forgetting to get during the weekend. OK, maybe it's not meaningful, but the extra time allows me to not squeeze all my errands into the weekend.

Since I've been eating fish for lunch for the past several weeks (much to the chagrin of one co-worker, who actually took a survey at my office in an effort to try to ban fish from the office - it didn't work!), I decided my lunch this week would be chicken. But don't worry, the fish will be back, I promise you - and the complainer! I made a simple marinade of lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, dill, salt and pepper, and let the chicken soak for a good few hours before tossing it with some red bell peppers and Texas sweet onions and baking it for 20 minutes. For my veg, I roasted some gigantic brussel sprouts with just a touch of baby carrots.

Simple, healthy and delicious.

Tart Fest: Tawny's Birthday Party

Smoked salmon on potato rounds with sour cream and dill

For my friend Tawny's 34th birthday, I wanted to do something different. Usually I use dinner parties as an excuse to indulge; you know, you start with a cheese plate, maybe have a little pate, then go on to a rich and naughty dinner of braised short ribs and an extra creamy potato puree. Maybe the finish comes in the form of a luscious flourless chocolate cake with caramel sauce. Everyone feels happily stuffed afterward, albeit a little guilty.

Spinach salad with peas, scallions and sunflower seeds

Though I'm all for a little indulgent enjoyment, I wanted to have a healthy dinner party. Mind you, I did not want to count calories or anything of that extreme nature, but - at the end of the night - I wanted to feel satisfied and happy and healthy. I think everyone was on the same page as they all responded with glee when I changed the Evite to note that this would be a healthy dinner party.

For an appetizer, I made little potato rounds and topped them with a dab of lite sour cream, smoked salmon and dill. I could have used bread but dinner involved a lot of breadiness, so I opted for the potatoes. It really creates that perfect bite: the creamy potato against the salty salmon and that little burst of sour freshness from the cream. Yum.

Tomato, basil and corn tart with caramelized onions

For our main course, I made two tarts. Both had a puff pastry crust, which was our one indulgence for the evening. For the tomato tart, I covered the baked crust with caramelized onions, then topped it off with a salad of cherry tomatoes, basil, sweet corn and a balsamic vinaigrette. The second tart was baked with a layer of artichoke and lemon peso, topped with a salt and pepper marinated shrimp. I sprinkled chopped chives after the tart came to room temperature.

Shrimp and pesto tart

I made enough for everyone to have a few pieces of the tart, and plenty of salad. It was great having no leftovers, and everyone commented that they all felt satiated but not stuffed to the gills. (BTW, I must apologize for the the blurry photos - those were taken after a few glasses of wine!). The tarts were light but flavorful and delicious.

Chocolate tofu tart

For dessert, I made a chocolate tofu tart. Now before you go "ewwww!" hear me out. I didn't tell anyone that the tart was made with tofu until after they gleefully ate it. You really can't tell that there is no dairy in this easy and fabulous tart. The only ingredients besides the chocolate graham cracker crust is tofu, melted chocolate, honey and vanilla. So simple, and so good!

After a few rambunctious rounds of the game Taboo, we all called it a night. My friend and birthday girl Tawny called the next day, and said, "Thank you SO much for making us a healthy dinner! I can't remember the last time I came home from a dinner party feeling this good."

Feeling good - now that's what parties are supposed to be about, right?

Inspiration at the Farmer's Market

Gigantic sugar snap peas

After a debaucherous week of eating in San Francisco, I needed to get back to fit and fiber. So last Sunday, I went to the Alhambra Farmer's Market in search for some cooking inspiration. What I found was an enormous variety of produce, and a renewed excitement for the simple goodness of vegetables.

Roasting beets with sea salt

Beets, jalapenos, cilantro, lemons, artichokes, sugar snap peas, green beans, sweet corn, red bell peppers and spring mix all went straight to my head - so many ideas! I just had to get home fast else risk forgetting all the wonderful combinations and recipes that were flooding my brain.

With the jalapeno and cilantro, I made a paste to rub on some red snapper I had purchased the day before. I let it marinate for a few hours then popped it in the oven. The beets went straight onto a roasting pan and got a good dash of sea salt; they went perfectly with the spring mix I bought and the goat cheese I already had in the fridge.

Quinoa, corn and pepper stuffed hearts

The artichokes, red pepper, onions and sweet corn became a stuffed artichoke heart dish. I mixed the vegetables with some spicy quinoa I had made and added a bit of lemon zest for balance and flavor. The lemon also came in handy for the hearts; add them to the boiling water to avoid discoloration of the tender artichoke hearts.

Beet and goat cheese salad

The snap peas and green beans? They served as the perfect side dish to my snapper and artichoke heart dinner. After a week of eating like this, I felt back to my normal self.

Snap peas, spicy snapper and stuffed hearts

Tomorrow I will go again for more fresh inspiration. Let's see what next week brings...

Last San Francisco Post: Dining Out for Life SF

My seared Ahi sandwich at Thirsty Bear

Since I was leaving to go back to Los Angeles early last Thursday evening, I knew I would not have the opportunity to go to ACME Chophouse for Sam's Dining Out for Life dinner. In fact, the only meal out that day would be a business meeting with a potential vendor, and they would be choosing the restaurant.

So I was very happy to find out that the restaurant they chose, Thirsty Bear Brewing Company, was a participant in Dining Out SF. As we walked in, I noticed the sign on the window and excitedly told my lunch companions that they'd made a great choice. 25% of our bill would be going toward a very good cause.

Sadly, I found out later that Thirsty Bear was only going to donate money from their dinner receipts, not lunch. Such a bummer!

San Francisco: Citizen Cake and the French 75

I used to live in Hayes Valley, a great little neighborhood in San Francisco. It had it all: outdoor cafes, a mom-and-pop bookstore, a wonderful Jewish deli and lots of boutiques. But my favorite place in Hayes Valley is a now-well-known restaurant called Citizen Cake.

I think that Citizen Cake has always been popular, even before the restaurant's chef and owner, Elizabeth Falkner, got national attention for her deliciously avant guard cakes and cupcakes. Back in the day, I used to go for breakfast, which for me consisted usually of an almond croissant and a cup of coffee. But it wasn't just any croissant; Elizabeth's creation is almost crunchy on the outside, and soft and buttery on the inside. Unlike most almond croissants, it's not doughy or filled to the brim with chalky almond paste. Every time I go back to San Francisco, I call ahead to ask them to save me one (or two). Yes, it's that good.

When my friend Adam (he lives in Austin, and, lucky for me, was in SF for adtech) wanted to meet up, I was eager to give him the Citizen Cake experience. But it was lunchtime, and though I can happily eat breakfast for lunch and visa versa, we were both in the mood for light, savory fare. So Adam chose the Chinese Chicken Salad with peanut emulsion, pixie-mandarin, orange-ginger vinaigrette and wonton crisps. The chicken was juicy and tender, and the dressing was divine. Really, a perfection on a plate.

I went with the Warm Spinach Salad with poached egg, Yukon Gold potatoes, bacon and mustard vinaigrette. The spinach was just slightly wilted from the warm dressing, and the salty bacon really balanced out the sourness of the vinegar. And the potatoes made the salad a meal. Elizabeth, you are a goddess! Oh - the best part was that she was actually there. I got kind of giddy with star struck-ness, and would have loved to take a photo with her for this blog, but she was in a meeting the whole time we were there. Ah well.

After lunch, we walked over to another favorite, Absinthe. Though it's a restaurant, they have an amazing bar with some of the best drinks I've ever had. Their signature is the classic French 75, a gin, champagne and lemon juice concoction served with brandied cherries. Upon hearing the ingredients, Adam was a bit skeptical, but one sip and he was converted.

Sitting at the sidewalk table, sipping French 75s and enjoying great conversation really took me back to my days in Hayes Valley [insert long sigh]. Fantastic food, great drinks and a wonderful friend - what more do you need?