Category: Chefs/Restaurants

An Extraordinary Dinner with Fellow Bloggers


A Salad of Steamed Baby Beets, Frisée , Cumin-Paprika Fried Organic Garbanzos, Shallots and Greek Feta

The inspiration for this dish came from our dinner at AOC. Here, organic garbanzo beans are fried in olive oil with diced shallot, smashed garlic clove, hot paprika, and ground cumin.


Organic frisée is layered with very thinly sliced shallots, steamed baby beets splashed with good red wine vinegar and sea salt and freshly ground pepper, topped with Greek feta cheese. Warm garbanzo beans with the cumin-paprika olive oil is spooned over the top. The red wine vinegar on the beets plus the fragrant olive oil on the beans makes a great “deconstructed” vinaigrette. (I am excited to submit this dish, too, to “My Legume Love Affair” Event by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook Blog).


Last week, the folks at Foodbuzz invited Featured Publishers to dine at Suzanne Goin’s awesome AOC restaurant in Los Angeles. Ben of Château Petrogasm blog selected the refreshingly esoteric wines to pair with this extraordinary meal including one of the few domaines that make excellent red Sancerre, Domaine Vacheron 2005. Ben’s wine blog of tasting notes through images is pure genius…

We dined together on a fabulous multi-course menu of:

  • chicken liver crostini with pancetta
  • roasted dates, parmesan and bacon
  • marinated beets, olives, fried chickpeas and feta
  • leek and cantal tart with thyme and pancetta
  • smoked trout, persimmon, endive and creme fraiche
  • petrale sole, split peas, ham hock and truffle butter
  • grilled skirt steak with roquefort butter
  • rabbit ragout with dijon, chestnuts and tarragon
  • chanterelles, ricotta gnocchi and sherry cream
  • sweet potatoes with bacon, romesco and spinach
  • sheep’s milk cheescake with cassis compote and almond croustine
  • chocolate and hazelnut dacquoise with gianduja mousse and salted caramel ice cream


    • Strangers just a few hours earlier, we departed after hugs and well wishes.

    Wonderful photos of all these dishes are posted at Foodbuzz Los Angeles by Jen of eating plum blog. If you think these dishes sound delicious, you must see her outstanding photography.
    You absolutely must visit Evie, she is hilarious. In her post on Mushroom Barley Soup, her advice on serving the soup is to “use a bowl, not a plate. These decisions can be so difficult.” Go to Hot Dish! to see what I mean.
    And Kat of Dirt Cake blog is the Pastry Cook at Spago Beverly Hills, lovely and very passionate about her craft…be sure to check out her yummy post on Oatmeal Cream Pie with a crème brûlée center.
    What is Foodbuzz?
    Foodbuzz: the first-ever community site devoted exclusively to food and dining content—an unparalleled resource for searching, surfing and sharing with fellow foodies everywhere.

    Maybe you already know Ryan the Girl, of The Pink Spoon blog and Managing Editor at Foodbuzz.com? If the future of Foodbuzz is determined by the quality of the people involved, it cannot help but be a smashing success.
    Before leaving AOC, I bought Suzanne Goin’s cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques in which she penned, “Don’t wait til Sunday.” In addition to her fabulous recipes, she tells many charming personal stories. Her cooking style is pure and fresh and the book is an inspiration to cook local, organic, seasonal dishes using all the senses.


    A heartfelt thank you to the folks at Foodbuzz for hosting this event and especially for fostering a unique camaraderie among strangers with a like passion for all things food related.

    Cha Gio

    Cha Gio: Imperial Rolls also called Vietnamese Spring Rolls


    We enjoyed our Cha Gio at the tiny, six table restaurant Nam’s Red Door in San Pedro, California where the menu hasn’t changed one bit in over 30 years.


    Chopped pork, crab meat, black mushrooms, cellophane noodles and Asian spices wrapped in rice paper, then fried.


    To assemble: wrap the spring roll in a lettuce leaf, add cucumber, mint, and cilantro, then dip in nuoc mam and, if fond of heat, add the ubiquitous Chili Garlic Sauce.
    Beverage pairing: Cold Vietnamese Beer “33” Export

    Also try:
    Mi Xao Ga – crispy egg noodles topped with chicken and vegetables

    And for dessert:
    Bánh Flan

    Caramel custard became part of Vietnamese cuisine through the French colonization of Vietnam. The Vietnamese way is to steam the custard as opposed to the French method of cooking in a bain-marie. Delicious, very light and fluffy.

    Ăn nào! Bon appétit !

    Water Grill – Los Angeles


    Hamachi Crudo with Champagne Grapes Preserved Meyer Lemon, Lemon Verbena and English Pea Puree

    Chilled Maine Lobster with Saffron Aioli

    Blue and Dungeness Crab Cake with Harissa, Herbed Couscous and Yogurt-Lime-Cucumber Sauce

    Foie Gras Duet: Seared with Cherries and Cassia Gastrique

    Foie Gras Duet: Parfait with Orange Cognac Gelée

    Sumac Coated Australian Barramundi with Linguicia and Grilled Calamari Strewn Israeli Cous Cous with Castelvetrano Olives

    New Zealand John Dory withTomato-Date Chutney, Tiny Summer Squash, Cumin Scented Zucchini Puree and Chick Pea Panisse

    Blueberry Mascarpone Cake served warm with Lemon, Candied Corn, Créme Fraiche Ice Cream and Blueberry

    Red Velvet Pudding served warm with Mascarpone Ice Cream, Cocoa Nib Streusel and Raspberry

    Warm Cinnamon Doughnut and Lemon Doughnut Hole

    The End.

    We enjoyed this meal with an absolutely fabulous bottle of Peter Michael La Carrière (French for “the quarry”) Chardonnay 2004 recommended by Sommelier Cara Bertone. Tasting notes: A terroir-driven minerality dominates the aroma: crushed stone, baking flour and sweet pear. The minerality is highlighted by notes of citrus oils, William pear and lemon. Touches of tangerine and sweet vanilla complete the elegant bouquet. Rich and intense, the 2004 La Carrière presents on the palate wonderful concentration and elegance.

    The entire staff was outstanding, thank you to all, especially Chef Ted Hopson who even took us on a tour of his kitchen!

    From the website: “Inspired, adventurous and inventive sums up the Water Grill. Praised by Zagat Survey as Los Angeles’ top seafood restaurant since the day it opened, Water Grill has become an institution of excellence. In service, food, presentation, décor, ambiance and overall guest experience, this Downtown favorite exceeds all expectations.”
    We agree.

    And thanks, Rob 🙂

    A Birthday Bouquet for You, Julia


    My Julia Child floribunda roses (butter yellow) with French Perfume hybrid tea roses (pink with yellow center) and 5 fresh herbs from Gail’s Garden: rosemary, basil, sage, mint, and flowering oregano.

    Julia Child writing about 1949:
    “On August 15, I turned thirty-seven years old. Paul bought me the Larousse Gastronomique, a wonder-book of 1,087 pages of sheer cookery and foodery…By now I knew French food was “it” for me. I couldn’t get over how absolutely delicious it was.”