Dining with the Wolf & Wolvesmouth

After three and a half months of reservation requests, I finally got invited into the Wolvesden this weekend for an unforgettable meal cooked by head Wolf, Craig Thornton, and his crew of misfit wolves. The meal was amazing in every way and defied easy categorization. The food wasn't Italian, French, Southern American or Chinese. There were no crazy foams, liquid nitrogen or the balls of some animal. It's Craig Thornton cuisine and it's damn delicious.

Dana Goodyear at The New Yorker did a fantastic job last December in her article about Thornton and his underground supper club, Wolvesmouth so I won't wax poetic here. I'll just say that I really admire Craig's focus on taste which translated into an eye-opening and delicious experience for me (who knew borage flowers could be so sweet!). The communal table setting and BYO policy was also a great way to meet new people and not pay exorbitant prices for alcohol (money that I was happy to put towards my donation for the meal instead). If this same 9-course meal was transferred to a restaurant, it'd likely be a stiffer experience that would cut into my dining-out budget for many months.

So, thank you to the Wolf and the whole Wolvesmouth gang. This was a revelatory meal I won't easily forget and it was inspiring on many levels - the combination of flavors, ingredients, and technique, the artful presentation and of course, your enthusiasm, creativity and dedication. I hope I'll be invited back soon as the season changes.


Here are some photos I took in the minimally lit Wolvesden...every dish was so good that it defied me the ability to pick a favorite!

Ribeye Cap

(broccoli jalapeno slaw, broccoli cheddar puree, broccoli tempura, pink lady apples, rapini flowers, lime)

Crab

(apple, turnip, sorrel, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cider, cabbage)

Ocean Trout with Belly

(carrot, beets, wasabi pea, calendula flowers, squid ink, yuzu)

Rabbit Meatball

(cilantro, cilantro flowers, chipotle, avocado, sopes grapes, radish, green onion)

*Finally! A rabbit dish that isn't dry and bland. More rabbit meatballs please.

Pork Belly & Lobster

(tostones, mint lime aioli, celery root & snap pea remoulade, pina, banana chip)

Squash

(borage flowers, cocoa coffee, walnut, parmesan frico, mushroom, beet top)

*Craig said this was his most challenging dish - having to form the cooked squash into balls and dipping them into semolina flour without losing its shape. Then it has to sit for 24 hours before further preparation.

Fried Quail

(piquillo, candied peanuts, cucumber, green tomato, grilled baby gem lettuce, blue cheese buttermilk)

Dessert 1

(pistachio, blueberry meringue, chocolate tofu mousse, raspberry, raspberry tofu sherbet)

Dessert 2 

(olive oil meyer lemon steam cake, olive oil lime parfait, lime curd, citruses, FD mandarin salt)

Donations in the crocodile head at the end of the night. I love that they gave us Chinese lucky red envelopes to put the donation. What a nice touch!

Best (Hidden) Bakery in Los Angeles

In my last post, I raved about the pretzel bread buns used at the Hole in the Wall Burger Joint. I was chatting with the owner when I was there and he said they used Dolce Forno Bakery. All the lights in my head immediately went flashing like an ambulance. I know Dolce Forno also supplies the bread at the wonderful LA-based sandwich mini-chain, Mendocino Farms. Now, I'm seriously motivated to seek out Dolce Forno!

Dolce Forno Bakery is owned and run by the Drago Group (in the same family as the famed Downtown restaurant Drago Centro). It wasn't easy finding the bakery. It's tucked in a street that has to be accessed via an alley behind a Del Taco off of Venice Ave. and Robertson Blvd.! But once you find it, you'll be rewarded with heaps of pretzel bread, classic Italian breads, pastries and desserts. 

The bakery is not your typical retail shop. It's sparsly decorated because it's really just the front counter of an entire baking operation in the back that supplies some of the best restaurants and hotels in Los Angeles. Here you'll find several kinds of dinner rolls, baguettes, classic Italian breads like ciabatta, focaccia, panini, pagnotta, filone, casareccio and more. I read that Mom's Whole Wheat Loaf is a must-try too so I have to get that next time. If you go and it's late in the day, call ahead to make sure they still have what you want.

This is their must-buy Pretzel Twist. Dolce Forno has replaced Rockenwagner as my pretzel bread go-to. Use the Pretzel Twist as a hamburger bun or just eat it plain and enjoy it's slightly salty and chewy exterior and moist, doughy center. Or, enjoy it the way I do which is to slice it in half horizontally, heat it for ten seconds in the microwave and then spread some salted butter on it. PURE CARB INDULGENCE. Oh, and did I say it's only 85 cents each?!

Dolce Forno also carries a small variety of muffins, danishes, Italian cookies and my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie (after the ones I make of course, haha). It's crunchy around the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. I almost want to call it a Chocolate Layer Cookie because its got ribbons of chocolate layered throughout the cookie. I can probably eat ten of these in one sitting especially since it's only 95 cents each.

Besides breads and pastries, Dolce Forno sells their housemade dried pastas (i.e. linguini, fettuccine) and 2 to 3 varieties of frozen ravioli. I bought a 5lb bag of their mushroom ravioli and divided it myself when I got home. One pound will serve about 3 to 4 people depending on what else you're serving and it only takes 5 minutes to cook. I love having restaurant-quality food at home.

I can't believe Dolce Forno doesn't have a bigger retail shop. There are some good bakeries scattered around Los Angeles but with our infamous traffic, it is insanely hard to get to the handful or so good bakeries to buy good fresh breads and pastries. I refuse to believe the market doesn't demand more amazing bakeries like this. Are we really such an anti-carb obsessed city?


Dolce Forno Bakery
3828 Willat Ave.
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 280-6004
Mon - Fri: 8am to 5pm
*Direction Tip: If you follow the directions on Google Maps, you will not find the bakery. I've filed a bug report with Google but while they're fixing it, it's best to use Mapquest which has it right. You access the alley right behind Del Taco on Venice/Robertson and you'll see street signs for Willat Ave. and Hoke Ave. Limited street parking and the Dolce Forno sign isn't very big so don't blink!

A few of my other favorite bakeries
Amandine
12225 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 979-3211

Angel Maid
4542 S. Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 915-2078
*They specialize in cakes though they do have some pastries, cookies and great cream puffs. They have the best cakes in the city! They use whip cream frosting instead of heavy, sugary buttercream and have done wonderful cake designs for me.

Farmshop
225 6th St.
Santa Monica, CA 90049
(310) 566-2400

Huckleberry
1014 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-2311

Rockenwagner
12835 Washington Blvd.
Mar Vista, CA 90066
(310) 577-0747

Susina Bakery
7122 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 934-7900

Best Burger Under $10 Alert! Hole in the Wall Reopened!

Philly Cheese Steak Burger of the Week @ Hole in the Wall Burger Joint. 

I've heard a lot about this joint and I finally got to try it last week in its newly reopened location in Santa Monica (across the DMV, by the Water Garden). One word: AMAZING. My burger was the perfect marriage of a medium-cooked beef patty, thinly-sliced steak and melted provolone cheese bound by a heavenly pretzel bun. I admit my Burger of the Week was a little messy to eat and my friends who ordered regular beef and turkey burgers didn't have to go through three napkins like I did but it was totally worth it every time I sunk my teeth into all that juicy goodness.

You go in and they have a list for you to put together your burger. Grab a pencil and start ticking off your delicious burger journey. The list of choices may seem short but don't let that fool you because the chef has given you his careful selections. They work! Don't forget those fries and if it's a Friday, treat yourself to a milkshake or cupcake for surviving the week. Then give the list to the cashier, pay and in less than 10 minutes, you'll be enjoying one of the best burgers in Los Angeles. 

One visit to Hole in the Wall and it was enough for me to come to the conclusion of what I've suspected all along. The more ubiquitous Counter Burger gives you a gazillion choices to put together your burger but no matter how much thought you've put into it, somehow your carefully put together ingredients will still result in the same mediocre taste. And that is regardless of how you've changed your cheeses, sauces and toppings. Sadly, the Counter Burger also tend to overcook their beef patties even when you order it medium or medium rare.

Between Hole in the Wall and The Counter Burger, I would choose Hole in the Wall any day. They use never-frozen grass-fed Angus beef, source their breads from a local bakery (more on that awesome bakery in my next blog post) and make their own spreads and ketchup. That soft pretzel bun alone is worth driving to Hole in the Wall for.

Hole in the Wall Burger Joint

2200 Colorado Ave

Santa Monica, CA 90404

(310) 449-0147

11am to 10pm daily

Parking tip: Metered street or 2-hr free at Arboretum Plaza, entrance on Colorado Ave., right off the Starbucks.

Staycation: Favorite Places to Eat in Los Angeles

I hate staycations. Why stay in the city you see everyday when you can jet to Tokyo, Paris or Hong Kong? 

That used to be my attitude until I really started to feel really ragged this year from the demands of work and life. So, I resolved to use the time during the holidays to discover and re-discover my favorite LA eats and complete all my personals tasks! I will not bore with you with my personal tasks but here's a list of some of the best places to eat if you too should decide on a staycation or you're visiting Los Angeles for the first time. They are organized geographically for the sake of maintaining sanity while driving in LA.

Happy New Year and may we all find many delicious eats in 2013!

DOWNTOWN LA

$15 sashimi lunch special @ Sushi Gen. 

Sushi Gen has been in LA forever (at least 20+ years) and it's a beacon of delicious fish. This lunch special is a steal and I guarantee you'll be full. There's always a long line but if you're a planner like me, call and make a reservation at least a week in advance. Arrive 15 minutes before your reservation to get in the long line. When you get to the front of the line, there will magically be a table waiting for you. 

Best Fish Tacos @ Ricky's Fish Tacos

Ricky Pina's Baja-style fried fish and shrimp tacos are worth braving cross-town traffic for. It's crazy delicious and won't hurt your wallet - $12 should fill your belly. Located in Silverlake (adjacent to Downtown LA), Ricky serves out of the same parking lot on most days of the week and his hours can be tracked on his Twitter feed. I've written about Ricky's fish tacos before (post here) and he's just too good not be mentioned again.

Italian Dinner @ Bestia

Nestled in the Arts District of Downtown LA, this new darling of Italian cuisine will leave you smitten with Chef Ori Menashe's food and the beautiful dining room. Parties of two should try to nab a seat at the stylish long bar and watch the charcuterie get plated or the bartenders do their magic. I can't wait until the it gets warmer so I can sit in one of their long tables outside while sipping one of Julian Cox's kickass cocktails. A must-get on the menu is the housemade pasta: Cavatelli alla Norcina which comes dressed in an umami-rich suace of pork sausage, black truffles and grana padano cheese. Make sure you have some pizza crust or grilled bread on hand to soak up that extra sauce.

MID-CITY LA

Donut Heaven @ Bob's Coffee & Donuts (The Farmers Market / The Grove)

It's worth waking up early and beating the crowd to park at The Farmers Market / The Grove and settle in with a warm Apple Fritter and coffee from Bob's on the weekends. Their Apple Fritters are rich and perfectly caramelized. And if you want to get fancy, there are plenty of other coffee shops in the market that'll serve you a espresso or a cappuccino instead of the regular cup of joe.

Nancy's Backyard Burger @ Short Order

Hey, get some shopping done while you're at The Grove. Guys can hit the Apple Store while the gals can see what all the fuss is about at Madewell. I personally prefer Anthropologie (hint, hint for the boyfriend).  All that shopping will make you hungry for lunch and Short Order is the perfect place to feed that hunger. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Chef Nancy Silverton's food. I think Short Order is spot on with the medium-rare burger and extra-thick malted shakes. 

Epic seafood @ Son of a Gun

Can Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo do anything wrong these days? In Son of a Gun, they've given LA a place to eat creative seafood dishes without breaking the bank. Finally! That Lobster Roll is reason enough to keep me going back. One of my favorites is the Linguine & Clams smothered in a rich uni butter sauce. And there's even an amazing Fried Chicken Sandwich on the menu. 

Korean BBQ @ Genwa

Sure, there's Parks and the slew of AYCE joints in Koreatown but Genwa has won my heart with excellent prime beef, delicious banchans, a variety of bibimbap, jap chae and Korean dishes and top-notch service (the servers all speak English!). Best of all, I don't feel like I need a Silkwood shower after I eat there.

WEST HOLLYWOOD

Hipster dinner @ The Hart & The Hunter

Every food blogger and writer in LA was sweating with anticipation until The Hart & The Hunter finally opened its doors in October 2012 and since then, it has topped all of their lists for favorite restaurants of the year. Hailing from the chef duo Kris Tominaga and Brain Dunsmoor who previously ran the Venice pop-up, Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, this new incarnation features Southern comfort food bathed in a hipster aura. 

The most outstanding item on the menu are the deceptively plain Biscuits. The biscuits were so buttery good, I ordered it as an appetizer and dessert and luckily someone in the party had raspberry jam in her purse! The rest of the menu are small plates meant to be shared and the Hangar Steak, Chopped Steak Tartare and Fried Green Tomatoes were all good. The scene is indisputably hipster - mismatched, chipped porcelain plates (taken from grandma's cabinet?), vintage-like decor, servers in tight pants, hats and grungy hair and of course, the effortlessly cool crowd. The dining room is way to loud to carry serious conversations (please get rid of those tiled walls!) but I'm still recommending The Hart & The Hunter for the service, the biscuits and overall menu, which I suspect will get better and better judging from their food at Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.

Burning dinner dollars @ Ink

I'd like to make a special note about Ink even though I didn't go recently. I went earlier in 2012 and the meal never left me. Well, how could I when we spent almost $250 per person? But seriously, Michael Voltaggio puts out amazing food and the tasting menu was a great way to try the favorites. We went before the foie gras ban and the foie gras was served sandwiched between two waffle cookies and dots of sriracha sauce. Sadly, the foie gras has since been replaced by something else thanks to that numbskull ban in July. The only thing I don't recommend is the dessert. There was too much "molecular gastronomy" going on and the dessert part got lost in the techniques. 

WESTSIDE / WEST LA

Delicious shared plates for dinner @ Fundamental LA

Run by a couple of chefs who've put in time with some of California and New York's best restaurants, this blink-and-you'll-miss-it restaurant is not to be missed if you're in the Westwood/UCLA area. Lunch features hearty gourmet sandwiches and dinner is a variety of modern dishes reflecting these chefs' fine-dining training but the food never gets lost in the technique. Favorite dishes include the ultra-smooth chicken liver toast, a new take on gnocchi topped with a sous vide egg and anything featuring duck.  Their thoughtful wine and craft beer list is a big plus.

Japanese Cuisine @ Shunji

Shunji is not your usual sushi bar. Sure, you'll find very good sushi here but the star is Chef Shunji Nakao's omakase tasting menu featuring anything from unusual vegetables like lotus root, monkfish liver, sashimi to squid-ink pasta dressed with uni and a quail egg. The food comes artfully plated - almost too pretty to eat and demanding at least moments of admiration before you dive in with your chopsticks. Shunji's location in a former grungy rib shack with limited parking and restroom facilities you have to access from outside the restaurant might be unsettling to some but their fear is our gain!

(photo from Mercado website)

Excellent contemporary Mexican @ Mercado

It's really hard to find good Mexican food on the Westside, especially if you don't want to be sitting on the curb while chowing down on tacos. Chef Jose Acevedo makes a mouth-watering variety of small plates (Dos Gringas al pastor tacos, an addictive Choriqueso dip) and large plates (slooooow-roasted Carnitas, Carne Asada and Pollo Chipotle) and you can enjoy it all while sipping a cocktail in their stylish dining room just off the Santa Monica Promenade. And do yourself a favor, order the Flan dessert even if you're full. If I'm watching my wallet, I go to their Happy Hour from 5pm to 7pm which features some of the menu favorites like the Dos Gringas.

(Pork Tsukemen from Tsujita)

Noodle Joints

I inhale noodles. The Westside is weirdly and luckily well-populated with excellent ramen shops and recently, I've been happy to add a Vietnamese pho shop to the list. Seriously, I'm thankful for that every day! Here is short list of my favorites.

• Santouka - I'm referring to the one on Centinela Ave., inside the Mitsuwa Market.
• Tsujita - Ramen is only served during lunch and the line gets very, very long for good reason. The noodles are thick and al dente - unlike it's many competitors - and the pork chashu is tender with just the right amount of meat to fat ratio and just look at that egg! Dinner is completely different menu and it's not worth it but do keep telling them that we want noodles for dinner. Tsujita has the most beautiful dining room of the bunch.
• Ramenya - This is the only one on this list that doesn't specialize in some kind of pork bone broth boiled for a million hours. I've been coming to Ramenya for at least 15 years when they were pretty much the only ramen joint on the Westside and I appreciate the variety and simpler noodle soups, especially the Shrimp Omelette and Tan Tan Ramen. 
• Nong La - Without Nong La, I would be forced to brave at least an hour of roundtrip traffic each weekend to inhale some decent Vietnamese pho, banh mi and egg rolls. This is not the bland, "inoffensive" pho that you'll find elsewhere in the Westside. The broth is strong, the beef is thinly sliced and served still pink when it reaches your table and there's even a good Bun Bo Hue on the menu!
• Jinya - Thanks to Jonathan Gold's ringing endorsement, this ramen shop has exploded with its rich, pork bone broth noodles from one location to four locations in LA in a little under two years. 
• Daikokuya - Just kidding! All ramen-lovers wish Daikokuya was on the Westside. The closest location to the Westside, is located in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA. That doesn't stop me from wishing every day that they'd open a Westside shop. 

Under Pressure for a Valentine's Gift for Your Foodie Honey? Sous Vide!

Need the perfect gift for your food-loving girlfriend or boyfriend? Want to give something that will benefit your belly too? May I suggest the Sous Vide Supreme?

I got one for Christmas and I finally got a semi-quiet weekend to try it out recently. The results were amazing. Everything you may have heard is true. Meat (especially tough cuts) comes out super tender, juicy and flavorful. You can end up using less fat to cook and less money buying expensive cuts of meat. It's easy once you read through some sous vide instructions (this site is a good place to start) and you can get a decent vacuum sealer from Coscto. Even my boyfriend, who never cooks, said he'd like to cook with the sous vide machine because the prep and cooking work feels less daunting.

Pork tenderloin seasoned with a bit of kosher salt, fresh-ground black pepper and fennel pollen. I didn't marinate it overnight or anything. Just seasoned, vacuum-sealed it, put it in the sous vide supreme for 2 hours and then seared it on all sides when it was done. I even had a second tenderloin cooking in the machine for another night's meal.

Homemade Pho Ga (Chicken Pho)

My favorite Vietnamese noodle joint, Nha Trang, recently pared down their menu and got rid of one of their best items on the menu, the Pho Ga (aka Chicken Pho).  It was a sad, sad day. As I've said before, Nha Trang's Pho Ga is Vietnamese chicken noodle soup for the soul. It'll cure hungry stomachs, bad moods, colds, and flus. I swear!

Deprived of my delicious, all-powerful cure, I decided to take matters into my own hands today and utilize some of the skills I picked up in Vietnam this past December. By the way, if anyone is interested in cooking classes while visiting Ho Chi Minh, go check out the Vietnam Cookery Center.

The prep work was easy. Rich smells of chicken, cinnamon and sweet onions filled my house after 2.5 of cooking and we were ready to eat!

Homemade Pho Ga

I declare this first attempt a success even though I'm missing 3 spices.

 My large vat of chicken soup. There were 4 chicken carcasses in that pot.

I used thin rice stick noodles (about the size of angel hair) because it was what I had on hand. Usually, you would use slightly wider flat rice noodles. This noodle brand (Lucky Co.) can be found in all Chinese supermarkets in San Gabriel and they make a variety of quality rice noodles.

Yes, I was surprised to learn there's fish sauce in Pho Ga. The Vietnam cooking school and two recipe books I bought in Vietnam both suggested using fish sauce. I was skeptical at first but I became a believer once I tasted the great umami flavor the fish sauce added to the soup.

This recipe is a combination of what I learned at the cooking school, what I gleaned from the two Vietnamese cookbooks I got in Ho Chi Minh and some of my own instincts. I ended up with enough food to serve three bowls of Pho Ga and enough soup to serve three more bowls tomorrow if I had more noodles and chicken.

So, how close was this to Nha Trang's Pho Ga? Well, it is not the same especially since I'm missing some spices to balance out the cinnamon but I think the leeks gave the soup a sweeter kick. Judging from the slurps and the empty bowls, my boyfriend and sister approved of my first attempt at Pho Ga. Heck, I thought it was delicious and pretty darn close to Nha Trang's. I can't wait to buy the rest of the spices I need and cook it again.

Ingredients (Serves 3 big eaters or 4 small eaters)

1          3 to 4-lb whole chicken (preferably freshly butchered and free range/organic)

100g    ginger 

1          brown onion 

6          stalks of green onions

2          bulbs of shallots

3          sticks of cinnamon

1 to 3g      star anise

1g      cardamon

1g      cloves

1.5lb    chicken bones

16oz    rice noodles 

*You'll need sugar, salt and fish sauce which you'll add to taste

**I didn't have star anise, cardamon and cloves on hand so I substituted with 2 stalks of trimmed leeks and 5 cloves of garlic which worked pretty well. When using the spices, the ingredient list is just a guidance. Trust your taste buds and feel free to use less or omit if you don't like a certain spice.  Some recipes also suggest adding blanched pork bones, dried shrimp, turnip and black pepper to the broth which I didn't like so I omitted it. Cooking is not rigid so let your taste buds guide you and have fun experimenting.

Garnish

1/2      bunch of cilantro

3         stalks of green onion

1/4      brown onion

1.  Bring a large pot of water to boil. Use a pot that's large enough to submerge a whole 4-lb chicken.

2.  While waiting for the water to boil:

• Wash and smash half of the ginger. Peel and cut onion in half. Wash and cut the stems of 6 stalks of the green onions. Then, add smashed ginger, 1/2 onion and green onions to the pot before the water comes to a full boil.
• Cut the head/neck, feet and wing tips off your whole chicken and reserve. No need to wash the chicken.

3.  When the water boils, submerge the whole chicken into the pot. Make sure it's fully submerged and no meat is sticking out of the water. (If you're like me and like to eat the chicken liver and gizzards that comes with the whole chicken, you can toss those into the boiling water with the whole chicken.) Then turn off the heat and put the pot lid on. Allow the chicken to slow cook in the water's residual heat (it'll give you meat that's more tender and juicy) for 50 to 60 minutes. You can check for doneness by sticking a chopstick into the thigh and if clear juices flow out then the chicken is done. More time may be needed if the chicken is bigger than 4 pounds.

4.  While the chicken is cooking, lightly grill on open flame (or broil if you don't have a grill like me) the other 1/2 onion, 1/2 ginger, shallots, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cardamon and cloves. If broiling, remember to turn it and broil on both sides until you get a very light char. If it gets too charred, just scrape/clean if off - no need to toss the ingredients. When done, the spices can be put in a mesh soup material bag if you have it but it's not a must. (I broiled the leeks and garlic since I didn't have the star anise, cardamon and cloves.)

5.  When the chicken is ready, have a large bowl with ice water ready. Lift the chicken out of the pot with tongs and plunge the chicken into the cold water. This helps return a "crunchy" texture to the chicken skin and also helps quickly bring down the temperature so you can proceed with the next steps. 

Note: Do NOT throw away the pot of of water that the chicken was cooking in. That will be the base of your soup.

6.  Bring a medium pot or large wok of water to boil. If you're a multi-tasker in the kitchen like me, you can have that going about 10 minutes before the chicken is done. In this pot, you will blanch the chicken bones for a couple of minutes and then drain the and reserve the bones.

7.  Add blanched chicken bones and the grilled/broiled ingredients to the pot of chicken water. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to medium-low to low and boil for about an hour.

8. Meanwhile, your chicken should be cool by now. Have a gallon-size ziplock bag handy. Lift the chicken out of the cold bath and lightly pat dry with paper towels. Put the chicken in the ziplock bag and salt generously with kosher salt. Don't forget to salt the cavity too. Seal the bag and put it in the refrigerator.

9. When soup is done simmering down (the pot's water level will go down by 1.5 to 2 inches), add 2 of teaspoons each of salt, sugar and fish sauce. Taste it and add more of whichever ingredient suits your taste. Let it continue simmering on low while you finish the rest of the prep work.

10.  Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and debone the chicken either with a sharp knife or shredding the meat off the chicken with your hands. If deboning, cut the chicken into manageable bite-sizes. Toss the deboned chicken carcass into the simmering pot. (No bones go wasted in my kitchen.)

11.  In a separate medium pot or large wok, bring some water to boil (enough to blanch all 16oz of noodles at once).

12. While you're waiting for the water to boil, make the garnish by chopping up the cilantro and green onions and thinly slicing the onions.

13.  Arrange three large soup bowls side-by-side.  When the water boils, quickly blanch the noodles according to instructions. (Depending on the width you buy, it could be 10 seconds for the thin type or a minute for the flat type.) Drain and divide the noodles amongst the bowls.

14. Garnish the noodles with the cilantro, green onion and sliced onions. Top with pieces of chicken. Ladle hot soup into the bowls. Serve and enjoy right away.

A note on garnishes and condiments

You can also add slices of jalapeno, bean sprouts, mint, basil, shredded banana leaf blossoms to the garnish and serve a garlic chili fish sauce for dipping the chicken but I chose to forgo those. Instead, I added a Cantonese touch by making a simple ginger and green onion dip beforehand. Fine chop 3 stalks of green onions and fine grate a piece of fresh ginger about the size of two thumbs. Mix both in a small bowl with some salt (start off easy like 1/4 tsp to see how salty you like it). Heat 3 tablespoons of canola/vegetable oil and when hot, pour the oil into the onion/ginger mixture and stir. Taste and see if it's salty enough. We Cantonese folks like to dip our chicken into this mixture before eating.

A note on butcher shops

I have yet to find a grocery store or carniceria on the Westside that sells chicken bones and freshly butchered chickens for a reasonable price. I usually head to Chinatown or San Gabriel where fresh chickens are about $10 and bones cost $1 to $2 a pound at the Chinese butcher shops. The nice thing about these butcher shops is that the bones you get are the entire carcass of the chicken - not odds and ends. I guess these shops fillet a lot of white and dark meat for the supermarkets and then keep the carcasses for folks who need bones for stock.  How awesome is that?

Lee Wing Fresh Poultry

3015 Central Ave.

El Monte, CA 91733

(626) 279-6633

Superior Poultry

750 N. Broadway

Los Angeles, CA 90012

(213) 628-7645

Poultry shop (forgot English name)

It's hidden behind Monterey Palace BBQ

114 W. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel, CA 91776

Lindy & Grundy

801 N. Fairfax

Los Angeles, CA 90046

(323) 951-0804

*It'll be pricier but these are nice ladies doing awesome work and they are closer than Chinatown.

A Love Song for the Tomato at Mozza

Tomato worship is in full force at Mozza's Scuola di Pizza Tomato-themed dinners right now and it's so good it has inspired me to finally write again! Many varieties of heirloom tomatoes are featured in this multi-course dinner and all the tomatoes are from the legendary Chino Farms, just north of San Diego. I went with three friends yesterday, one is a tomato monster who has practically adopted tomato as her middle name, and we all loved the dinner.

I'm not a tomato monster but I do love tomatoes at the peak of the season, fresh from the farm. Every mouthful bursts with layers of complex savory, sweet and acidic fruit flavors. If you only eat the supermarket varieties that look like a tomato, then you haven't had a great tomato. That can easily be rectified by visiting your local farmers market this month or next month (and maybe read this too and you'll never want to waste money on a supermarket tomato again). Better yet, call Mozza right now and get yourself into their Tomato dinners before the season is over and Mozza moves on to its next theme.

Mozza BLT

 This is a salad a meatatarian can dream about. Different heirloom tomatoes are tossed with ripe avocado, watercress, a bit of aioli and topped with the most amazing bacon breadcrumbs. Every bite of this deconstructed BLT was rich and savory, almost like eating tomato "steak."

Di Stefano Burrata

I sent this picture to my boyfriend and his response was "I hate you with a fiery passion." Poor thing, he loves burrata and had to work late and I went to this dinner with friends. (I did make it up to him by buying some burrata to-go for him.) Di Stefano's burrata cheese is amazing and this local dairy makes this giant ball of burrata especially for Mozza. We couldn't finish the whole bowl even though eight of us shared one bowl and my friend and I took second helpings to eat throughout the rest of the meal.

This burrata course was especially fun to eat because it was interactive. Four of us shared a potted basil plant and we could snip off as much fresh basil as we wanted for our burrata. What a great idea! Can't wait to steal it for my next dinner party at home.

I layered a giant spoonful of burrata on a slice of perfectly toasted bread and two thick slices of Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato and then I sprinkled it with some sea salt, the fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. This open-faced sandwich was about the size of my face. The sweet creaminess of the tender burrata melted in my mouth instantly and swirled with the savory, meaty flavors of the Cherokee tomato. The subtle hints of salt, basil and oil enhanced every creamy, savory bite. I was in heaven!

 Rustichella D'Abruzzo Spaghetti

Years ago, I ate the best spaghetti I've ever eaten and it was when Scott Conant was still cooking at L' Impero in Manhattan. I never forgot the taste of that spaghetti and he left L'Impero and now of course, owns the Scarpetta empire which still makes that wonderful spaghetti. However, this spaghetti at Mozza can give Scarpetta's famous spaghetti a run for its money. Frankly, this one is so good, I think it has finally taken Scarpetta's place in my heart. The chef slow-cooked tons of cherry tomatoes with garlic. Before the pasta is cooked, he takes it out and drops it into the sauce to cook together and the starch from the pasta gives the sauce a nice velvet thickness that coats every surface of the pasta. This spaghetti tastes really good combined with a bit of creamy burrata too.

Roasted Veal Rack

Having been to many Scuolo di Pizza dinners at Mozza now, I know that I can easily be stuffed by the fourth course. I thought I had wisely avoided eating too much of Nancy Silverton's amazing foccacia bread (only 1 slice this time) to save room but then I was greedy with the burrata and spaghetti so by the time we got to this wonderful veal dish, I had to get up and walk around. Boy, it was worth it though. Nothing makes steak better than tender baby cows.

 Olive Oil Gelato with Tomato Plum Compote

This blew our minds. Olive oil on gelato? Tomato on top of my gelato? After tasting it, I threw my skepticism out the window and declared it awesome food genius! Mozza often serves gelato at these dinners and this one is easily the creamiest, richest gelato I've ever had. The most impressive thing about this dessert is the sweet tomato plum compote - great texture and perfect balance of plum sweetness with the fruity tomatoes.

Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

This is another favorite dessert often served at Mozza. This light cake went very well with the rich gelato and sweet tomato plum compote.

You can't go wrong with these themed family-style dinners at Mozza. It's the best $75 you will spend on amazing food in this town. I love the casual atmosphere too. Chef Chad Colby preps the food in an open kitchen right behind the communal table and he's always happy to chat with diners about his ideas, the ingredients and how he cooked each dish. The service is attentive without being too fussy or stuffy and if you're open to chatting with the diner next to you, the chance is high that you'll meet someone interesting and fun to talk to.

And congratulations to Chef Colby for winning Cochon 555, the heritage pig competition in LA back in May! So, while you're reserving your tomato dinner, reserve a spot for Chef Colby's whole-hog dinners too. Trust me, you'll thank me later.

Mozza Scuola di Pizza
6610 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 297-1133
Dinner Calendar