i8tonite

Year: 2015

i8tonite: A Cheat Sheet for Dining in Los Angeles’ PicFair Village
Pic Fair (Pico-Fairfax) Village is a demographically rich neighborhood, one of Los Angeles’ true and last assemblies of people with different cultural backgrounds — African-American, Latino, Asian, and Caucasian, middle-class and poor – some very wealthy. It’s not one of the communities that LA decided to christen by its ethnic majority, such as Koreatown, Little Ethiopia, Thai Town, Historic Filipino-town, or Little Armenia. It’s a quiet microcosm of the United States and is a showcase of classic Southern California architecture along its wide, tree-lined streets with stunning Spanish duplexes and red-shingled single family homes built in the 1920s. At one time, the area was home to many upper-class African American families.

Extending from Hauser Boulevard on the east, Crescent Heights to the west, Olympic Boulevard on the north, and to the south, Venice; I lived the longest in this area – meaning that for seven years of my life, I lived in one building, one spot – so I hold this place very dear to my heart.

Bloom

In the early to mid-aughts, the region started to become youth-oriented and a small coffee shop opened — Paper or Plastik — along with a restaurant called Bloom. Both of these places focused on local residents for support. Neither had a public relations campaign or had the local papers tout how good they were, although it did happen eventually. They became a part of the community’s multi-cultural quilt by just being there.

Pic Fair is a great neighborhood for an afternoon stroll or a quiet place to get away from the rest of City of Angels. You won’t find the paparazzi hiding behind bushes. This is the real L.A…young families with their strollers, same-sex couples walking their dogs (and strollers), a diverse mix of people in a quiet urban enclave getting along with the rest of the world….peacefully.

CJs Cafe
- Breakfast: CJ’s Café. This is an institution. I can’t be for certain but at one time it was an African-American owned diner, much like its highly-touted neighbor Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles down the street. There are two locations, Pico and Baldwin Park…but this is the rock-star. They make up fresh juice smoothies. Saturday and Sunday the place is packed until after 3pm; during the week it’s easier to get a table.
- My suggestion: Huevos Rancheros or Chicken Wings (with honey) and Eggs.
- Price: Varies. Nothing over $12.95
- Hours: 7:00am – 4:00pm
- Address: 5501 West Pico Boulevard
- Phone Number: (323) 936 – 3216
- Website: http://www.cjscafe.net/
- Lunch: Olson’s Swedish Restaurant. Opened since 1948, it was recently purchased by Christian Kneedler, the former maître‘ d of Dan Tana’s, a famous Hollywood, checkered table-cloth eatery. A Swede by birth, he took over the place and has transformed it into a Southern California outpost of Swedish tastes. Along one wall is a bulk bin of Swedish
  Olson’s Deli
  
  candies and the menu offers better than Ikea Swedish meatballs and, of course, house-cured gravlax. They also have a large menu of cheeses and deli meats such as the dense and meaty goteborgskorv, a form of Swedish pate.
- My suggestion: Their Swedish pancakes – which are more like a thicker crepe or a thinner pancake – are stunningly delicious. Served warm with preserves such as lingonberry on the side just like in Sweden.
- Price: $8.00
- Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Sunday
- Address: 5660 West Pico Boulevard
- Phone Number: (323) 938 – 0742
- Website: www.olsonsdeli.com
- Snack Time: A family-owned neighborhood place, Paper or Plastik is the coffee joint that started it all. Like the song goes, “my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard”…so it is with coffee and hipsters. Each time I go in here, the eatery has small changes – such as the pastries have gotten better, a little flakier and more butter; although they don’t make them here. The iced-coffee is heavy and will put hair on your chest…just the way I like it. With great Wi-Fi, it’s easy to do research and write your next screenplay, to meet a
  Paper or Plastik
  
  friend for a mid-afternoon snack, get a caffeine fix or an afternoon glass of wine. At one time, the menu had been created by Chef Jeremy Fox, a one-time chef of Napa Valley’s Ubuntu and winner of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef”.
- My suggestion: The iced coffee. Although, they now have a beer and wine license.
- Price: Expensive, clocking in at around $3.50 for a 12 ounce cup. But really black and really caffeinated. It will make you the Energizer bunny.
- Hours: 7:00am – 10:00pm
- Address: 5772 Pico Boulevard, LA, CA 90019
- Phone Number: (323) 935 – 0268
- Website: http://paperorplastikcafe.com/
My Two Cents
- Dinner: My Two Cents. Healthy soul food.
- My suggestion: Soul food normally conjures up images of heavy-battered fried chicken, grits and collards with bacon. Here, Chef Alisa Reynolds removes some of the butter and lard by using a lot of vegetable stock. It’s quite good and doesn’t have the heavy richness that you expect of a soul food restaurant – but make no mistake, this is soul food. My Two Cents serves up gluten-free fried chicken, small tender shrimp and grits…and my favorite, the grit fries. There is nothing like these grit fries….I know they can’t be that healthy…but they are sooo delicious.
- Price: $5.00 Grit Fries
- Hours: 12pm – 10pm. Closed on Mondays.
- Address: 5583 West Pico Boulevard, LA, CA 90019
- Phone: (323) 938 – 1012
- Website: www.mytwocentsla.com
Pin for later:

The End. Go Eat.
September 11, 2015
i8tonite: with Raw Food Chef Diana Stobo, The Retreat Costa Rica and “Naked” Mac-and Cheese.
Food has transformative powers. There is no denying it. It can make you feel better but it can also make you feel terrible. That’s what makes Chef Diana Stobo’s story – a tale in eating naturally — fascinating. After attending Cornell University with a degree in the culinary arts and food chemistry, she had a career as a food professional. It was at that time, Stobo topped the scale at 247 pounds while she was pregnant with her twins. Once giving birth, she found the medications she had used to become pregnant – via in-vitro –they had perpetuated serious health issues. Furthermore, she states on her website and YouTube channel, that her weight was a proverbial yo-yo throughout most of her life. She is now a fit mother of three and defies age categories with her glowing taut skin, lean frame and healthy chestnut hair. She pulled this feat by transforming her diet and becoming a “vegan raw” chef. She now writes about her transformation and how she maintains it with her book such as Get Naked Fast and Naked Bliss. Matter of fact, the Southern California-based entrepreneur has fashioned a mini-empire discussing how she became fabulous and fit.

Recently, Stobo opened up The Retreat Costa Rica situated in a mountain area 45 minutes outside of San Juan, the Central American’s country capital. It’s a hotel – nay, a retreat — to provide calming sanctuary, yoga and amazing food. The secluded and verdant town of Altos del Monte is her backdrop, while Stobo’s fitness and food philosophy become realized with farm-to-table dining and daily yoga sessions. It provides visitors the opportunity to slow-down and experience the beauty of the country as well as quench the desire to become healthier through fitness and eating. All the food is provided by local farms including the meats and seafood. There are a variety of food menus – omnivore, carnivore and vegetarian — for guests to choose from and yes…there is even wine.

As I’m witness to my own family and their eating habits – my mother and stepmother are both severely diabetic — food can be quite toxic if not consumed with clarity, wellness and appropriately. There are all a variety of ways to be healthy and consumers need to be find the best fit for them.

How long have you been cooking? I’ve been cooking since I was a little girl. My mother and I would make specialty cakes, very decorative and festive. I remember one cake where we crystallized grapes and created a sugar crystal sculpture on top of a shaved coconut cake.

What is your favorite food to cook? Well, I am truly an artist, so many of my items need to have an art form, so baking and chocolates were my go to when I was in my early years, but now, I play with healthier version of everything- so making classic food with a healthy twist is my favorite go to now.

What do you always have in your fridge at home? I tend to have tons of produce, greens and fruits, almond milk (home-made of course), Kefir, green juice that I make fresh and tons of condiments. I’m sort of a grocery store addict, I love finding new condiments that add punch and flavor to a new dish when cooking on the fly.

What do you cook at home? I’m a simple eater but love throwing dinner parties. So when it’s time to party, anything goes. Again, I tend to take the classic home-style favorites and give them a healthy or what I call “naked” twist. Naked means substituting classic dairy, wheat, and sugar, with healthy alternatives. I just made ribs, with mashed yams, sautéed spinach with shallots and honey glazed carrots last weekend. What was new and unusual is that I made a broccoli coleslaw using cashew butter as the cream base instead of mayonnaise. Everybody loved it.

Thai Lettuce Wraps

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? The unwillingness to try something new.

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? Openness to new things.

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Pyrex- Glass ONLY!

Beer, wine or cocktail? Tequila or bust! And, only the best.

Your favorite cookbook author? I can’t say since I don’t follow cookbooks.

Your favorite kitchen tool? An 8” chef’s knife. (Global)

Your favorite ingredient? Goat cheese and coconut milk.

Your least favorite ingredient? Soy sauce.

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Grate cheese ….. and dishes.

Favorite types of cuisine to cook? From all regions and international cuisines, I call them component meals. Making several different flavors and layering them on top of each other to make the perfect dish. Imagine Sprouted Quinoa Moussaka with Bean Béchamel, or Butternut Squash Lasagna, layered with Pine Nut Ricotta, Pistachio Pesto and Sundried Tomato Puree. I’m just making this up but you get the idea.

Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? None of the above.

Favorite vegetable? That’s a tough question, because I am a vegetable lover all around.

Chef you most admire? Jamie Oliver- not because of his food, but his message.

Food you like the most to eat? Totally embarrassed, but I love Mexican food. (It’s) mostly the beans — but what can I say, it’s the ultimate comfort food.

Food you dislike the most? I’m just not into meat. Once in a while I crave it, but really- it’s not my thing.

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? Not a one.

“Naked” Macaroni & Cheese

Diana Stobo says of this recipe, “I’m a lover of rich sauces so a good, old-fashioned macaroni and cheese is at the top of my list as a decadent and delicious treat. If you like “mac and cheese” like I do, I know you will be delighted at this “Naked” version my daughter affectionately named “mac-a-faux-ni”. The butternut squash adds a bit of sweetness as well as creaminess. The macadamia nut butter and coconut milk provide a richness and the ghee gives it that buttery taste. The rest is magic.

Ingredients:
- 2 heaping cups of butternut squash cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 ½ tablespoons of ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 ½ tablespoons of sea salt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 12 ounce package Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta elbows (or any gluten-free pasta of your choice).
For the topping:
- ¼ cup walnuts, pine nuts or sunflower seeds
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper (optional)
Directions:

In a 4-quart pot, prepare pasta according to package directions. Cook al dente, strain and run under cold water to immediately stop the cooking process. Pour cooled pasta back into the pot.

In a medium saucepan over the medium heat, melt ghee and gently sweat the squash, do not brown. Add sea salt and coconut milk, simmering uncovered for 10 minutes. Carefully pour hot squash into blender and add macadamia butter, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Blend on low with the machine’s center cap lid removed to release the heat while blending. Slowly increase speed until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Pour mixture over pasta and stir.

This can be served immediately with topping sprinkled over the macaroni or baked in a 350 degree over for 15 minutes until browned.

The End. Go eat.
September 9, 2015
i8tonite: Any Day Spice Rub-A-Dub Dub
After doing a bit of research on the history of spice “rubs” there really isn’t that much. I did discover that the United States is number one importer of spices in the world. That’s a pretty significant claim. Thus, in our country we have all the spices at our fingertips to make our own “artisanal” housemade rub just by going to the store or local spice market. The most basic of rubs is plain ol’ salt and pepper. Just massage a couple of grinds into any piece of meat, fish or tofu. Roast, pan sear, grill and you have yourself a mighty fine meal.

If you start to add other things to the salt and pepper, you begin to create your own. For me, I like to add some brown sugar, cayenne, a little smoked salt, paprika, cumin, fennel seed, dry mustard and a little more sugar….like turbinado. You can experiment…and that’s what cooking and life is all about exploring, experimenting…trying something new.

To make your own rub:

Use a tablespoon of each dry ingredient. If you decide to add a little more of one and less of another, it’s okay, you won’t be graded.
- Brown sugar (I like a little more so I normally do two tablespoons)
- Cayenne
- Paprika
- Ground cumin
- Garlic powder (for me, two tablespoons)
- Onion powder
- Fennel seed
- Salt (Kosher salt or Maldon flaky salt)
- Black Pepper
Or make a Curry Rub. Again starting with the salt and pepper, add to that:
- Curry Powder (I like a lot of curry. I go with 3 or 4 tablespoons)
- Ground coriander
- Ground ginger
- Ground Cumin
- Brown sugar
So this Labor Day, you’ve labored by looking at two different rubs. Take a couple of tablespoons of the mixture and massage your protein (tofu works too)…front and back. Work your way into it. Ahhh…and let it rest for about 45 minutes to an hour. Turn on your oven, light up your grill, melt some butter in your cast iron pan – and sear, bake, broil or roast. It’s like getting all “jiggy wit dit” without removing an ounce of clothing. Store the extra in an air-tight container in a cool dark place and pull it — ahem — out when you’re feeling like a quickie….meal.

The End. Go Eat.
September 7, 2015
i8tonite: with New York City’s Chef Joey Campanaro, The Little Owl featuring his Eggplant Parmigiana
Meatball Sliders, photo courtesy of Little Owl

The Little Owl is one of the New York City’s quintessential and great dining institutions. Sitting on the corner of Grove and Bedford, this West Village establishment is romantic in it’s atmosphere yet serves up lusty food. On the outside, with its scarlet-painted window panes and large blue awnings it seems like a colonial Manhattan bistro or tavern and comforting as if it’s been there forever. You almost expect to have Woody Allen or Martin Scorsese yell, “CUT!” it seems that familiar. On the inside, in the 28 seat dining room with vaulted ceilings, Chef Joey Campanaro creates seasonal American menus for which he has become known. Some of the restaurant’s signature dishes include Campanaro’s Gravy Meatball Sliders (featured on the website), Pork Chop with Butter Beans and a burger which was called by The London Observer as one of the “50 Best Things in The World to Eat.”

The burger; photo courtesy of The Little Owl

He is co-owner with Chef Mike Price of Market Table and still maintains his own catering and consulting firm, Blackfoot Consulting. Not far from The Little Owl is The Little Owl Venue which can host up to 40 people for receptions, meetings and assorted gatherings. Campanaro has appeared seemingly on every Food Network show and been interviewed by every food writer….and now this one. (Small aside: Campanaro was also the Executive Chef of The Harrison, which used to be Hows Bayou, a Cajun restaurant in Tribeca. Hows Bayou was the restaurant in the late 80s where I waited tables for about 3 years and met some of my greatest friends – whom I still know today.)

Like each one of these Chef’s Questionnaires, we learn something a little interesting about the person at the stove such as his love of pasta and that his favorite cookbook author is Donna Hay.
- How long have you been cooking? 25 years.
- What is your favorite food to cook? Pasta.
- What do you always have in your fridge at home? Butter and grated cheese.
- What do you cook at home? Pasta.
- What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? (People) with no expectations.
- What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? Know-it-alls.
- Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Tupperware.
- Beer, wine or cocktail? Beer.
- Your favorite cookbook author? Donna Hay.
- Your favorite kitchen tool? My hands.
- Your favorite ingredient? Clams.
- Your least favorite ingredient? Heavy cream.
- Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Washing lettuce.
- Favorite types of cuisine to cook? Italian.
- Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? Pork.
- Favorite vegetable? Onion.
- Chef you most admire? Jimmy Bradley.
- Food you like the most to eat? Blue claw crabs.
- Food you dislike the most? Falafel.
- How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? Zero.
90 Bedford Street, corner of Grove

New York, New York 10014

Website: www.thelittleowl.com

Hours:

Lunch:

Monday to Friday 12 – 2:30pm, Saturday (Lunch) and Sunday (Brunch) 11:00am – 2:30pm

Dinner: Monday – Saturday 5pm – 11pm, Sunday 5pm – 10pm.

Eggplant Parmigiana, photo courtesy of The Little Owl

Eggplant Parmigiana at little owl restaurant by Chef Joey Campanaro

Note: I loved the way Campanaro wrote out this recipe. It was beautiful — reading it, I felt like I was watching him cook — so I just left it with very few edits.
- Canned whole peeled tomato
- Medium eggplant
- Garlic (chopped)
- Onion (diced)
- Basil
- Parsley
- Olive oil
- Chili flakes
- s/p
In an ample sauce pot, add olive oil and garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, then add the tomatoes. I simply squeeze them (with my hands) before adding them to the pot. Add the cleaned chopped parsley and basil, season with salt and pepper and simmer for up to 2 hours. Cool and reserve.

Slice the eggplant, sprinkle with salt and layer on paper towels for 3 hours, this removes the bitter liquor. Prepare to bread the eggplant, you‘ll need, flour, eggs and bread crumbs mixed with grated parmesan cheese. The slices get dredged in the flour, then dipped into the beaten eggs and then finally in the mixed bread crumbs to coat thoroughly. Layer on to a baking sheet, drizzle the breaded slices with olive oil and then bake on very heat until lightly browned, remove from the oven and all time to cool. When cooled and the sauce has had time to cook and taste delicious, prepare the cheese mixture.

I mix grated fontina, parmesan, aged provolone and pecorino romano. The slices are layered each with sauce and cheese and stacked and baked.

The stacks get re-heated until the cheese melts, plated with a bit more of the sauce and then topped with a tomatoes salad. The tomatoes are diced and tossed with olive oil, a splash of sherry vinegar basil leaves, salt pepper and basil.

The End. Go Eat.
September 2, 2015
i8tonite: Vegetable alla Fontina
I revel going into local bookstores which sell both new and used cookbook titles. Normally, they’re independent sellers like the historic City Lights in San Francisco, Bart’s Books in Ojai, which claims to be the largest outdoor bookstore in the world, downtown LA’s The Last Bookstore or New York City’s The Strand. I know there are still many – limping along in some cases and others, alive and well. I’ve purchased some of my favorite cookbooks in them. For example, where else would I locate a copy – probably the last surviving — of Mary Meade’s Magic Recipes: A Cookbook for the Electric Blender written by Ruth Ellen Church? (Mary Meade was Church’s nom de plume.) The first chapter is “What is a Blender?” Another great find was Isaac Hayes’ (yes…the late musician) and his book entitled, “Cooking with Heart & Soul: Making Music in the Kitchen with Family and Friends.” That was $4.50 but on the half-price rack. (It came to $2.25.) His chapters include “Jammin’ to the Barbeque Beat” and “Over the Fire, Into the Fryer: Chicken for Sunday and Any Day.” Hayes accumulated a selection of guest recipes from stars such as Jenna Elfman (remember her?) with her Chocolate Pudding Cake and John Travolta and his scrumptious sounding, Hamburger Royale with Cheese. (Isaac Hayes was a Scientologist after all…I’m only sorry that Tom Cruise didn’t contribute his Spaghetti Carbonara.)

I’ve also unearthed classics from notable chefs such as Monday Night at Narsai’s by Narsai David and Doris Muscatine. (When originally purchased – not by me – it came with a free issue of Food & Wine Magazine. It says so on the jacket cover.) Narsai David was a chef-owner of his namesake restaurant in San Francisco. It opened in 1972 and closed in 1985. For thirteen years, it was one of the Bay Area establishments to eat expertly prepared dishes and drink beautiful wines. His cookbook encompasses international menus and cuisines like Creole, Austrian, French, Argentinian, and Polish and so on. I have cooked from the book here and there, although the recipes are slightly dated. It features a lot of consommés and stuffed loins (beef, veal and pork).

I went to Half Price Books, Phoenix’s local cheap bookseller located on Camelback near the Arizona Biltmore – the somewhat ritzy area. It was there I hit my pot of gold — Amanda Hesser’s New York Times Cookbook at $11.95 in pristine condition. I’ve wanted it for long time but just never purchased it. I now how it! It’s from this book which is where I found the recipe for asparagus alla fontina which I adapted to use any vegetable. Amanda Hesser states that she adapted it from former New York Times’ food writer Mimi Sheraton so this is an adaptation of an adaption. Sort of like Cinderella which was written by the Brothers Grimm and then adapted into a movie called “Cinderfella” with Jerry Lewis, which then was turned into “Ever After”, a movie produced and starring Drew Barrymore.

Vegetables (or whatever) alla Fontina

Ingredients:
- 1 or 2 zucchini or other summer squash (cut into half-moon shapes). Other options include cooked asparagus, peppers, onions, kale, spinach…you name it.
- Butter
- Fontina or gruyere (Or whatever cheese you have).
- Parmesan, Asiago or other hard cheese.
- Prosciutto or cold cut ham (optional, if you want…hell you can use any protein including baked tofu, seitan)
- 3 Eggs
- Freshly grated nutmeg….a few rubs will do.
Let’s make this puppy:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sautee whatever vegetables you are making in a couple of pats of melted unsalted butter to al dente. Don’t cook it through.
3. Using a glass pie plate, layer the following: sautéed vegetables, protein – slivers of prosciutto, salami or seitan — and shaved fontina.
4. Beat the three eggs and pour over the layers.
5. Shake the pie plate so the egg is distributed evenly. Coat the top with the parmesan.
6. Bake for 35 minutes until puffy, golden and melty and stuff.
If you have any leftover…take it with you to the park the next day and eat it with a lovely glass of rosé. Sit in the sun or underneath a shady tree. A bite of crusty bread…scrumptious.

The End. Go Eat.
August 31, 2015
i8tonite: with Chef Thomas Gosney featuring Kale Pesto Chicken and Zucchini Pasta

One day in 1994, former Los Angeles Laker Shaquille O’Neal – then with the Orlando Magic — found instant gratification in a hotel club sandwich. It was Chef Thomas Gosney who made that double-decker and on the spot O’Neal hired him as his personal chef. The first thing Gosney implemented on O’Neal’s diet was a change to a diet of athletic performance, high-carb and protein, so the basketball player had the energy and thought processes to stay in the game. Throughout their time which included winning several championships, Gosney was able to keep Shaq away from his fast food fix. While working for the basketballer, Gosney become such a staple to the Lakers and O’Neal that he was given his own NBA championships rings to prove his time working with the mighty “Shaq”. At one time, they had planned on writing a cookbook together.

Red Thai Curry Shrimp

After O’Neal, along with too many flights and hotels – Gosney stayed in Scottsdale to raise a family. His next and second client had 26 different food allergies. “Cooking for him”, stated Gosney, “was not a lesson in micro-gastronomy but in foods that would taste good without creating a reaction.” Hence, food became science which was incredibly low in processing and high sugar carbs, but prodigious in natural ingredients; essentially, it was Paleo without naming it as such. Gosney liked the term nutritional cutting edge cuisine. He felt that these words conveyed eating well and deliciously without stigmatizing the specialized menu or making people fear healthy-eating.

With only two clients over 22 years, Gosney wanted to create a thought-provoking cookbook on eating and cooking. He came up with a Method of Procedure, a term about the process of cooking well. These are the recipes he designed with both of his clients in mind. Smart guy.

How long have you been cooking? Thirty years.

What is your favorite food to cook? Nutritional cutting edge cuisine.

What do you always have in your fridge at home? Kim chi, fresh pickles, coconut cream, a ton of vegetables and flax milk.

What do you cook at home? All kind of ethnic foods, depending on my mood.

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? Someone who is open to try new things, experienced in cuisine, and shows a passion for what they like.

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? Boring, closed minded and just likes boneless chicken breast.

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Definitely, Pyrex. No plastic, please!!

Beer, wine or cocktail? A good micro-brew like Telluride Face Down Brown.

Your favorite cookbook author? James Beard, both in theory and practice.

Your favorite kitchen tool? Kitchen Aid with all the attachments. Very versatile.

Your favorite ingredient? Onions. They are needed in almost any savory dish.

Onions, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1840 – 1919 (Kimball Museum of Art)

Your least favorite ingredient? Caviar. Simple to serve and you really don’t need a chef to enjoy eating it.

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Haven’t found one yet.

Favorite types of cuisine to cook? Korean, French, Italian. Healthy. No high-sugar carbs.

Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? Beef, definitely, or bison

Painting by Nancy Glazer

Favorite vegetable? Fennel.

Chef you most admire? Thomas Keller.

Food you like the most to eat? Comfort food.

Food you dislike the most? Sushi, so easy to make, hate eating it out. I think it is a rip-off. All you need is fresh fish.

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? None. You got the wrong guy for that or maybe it just wasn’t my era.

Kale Pesto Chicken with Zucchini Pasta

Kale Pesto Chicken w/ Zucchini Pasta (excerpted from Method of Procedure by Thomas Gosney)

“Kale pesto can be used for many different things. If you’re not a kale person, I urge you to try this recipe. You might be surprised. This is one way to eat kale without making salad. The spiral cutters (for the pasta) are easily obtainable and are really fun to use. Once you get one you will use it all the time. There is also a vegetable peeler that creates the same result. The zucchini pasta is excellent and you’ll never miss the traditional, but you can use the real stuff as well. I love them both.”

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, leave whole

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

KALE PESTO

2 cups kale, stems removed

1 cup fresh basil

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp. pine nuts, can substitute walnuts

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup water

2 tbsp. grated pecorino romano cheese, can substitute vegan rice parmesan cheese

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

VEGGIE PASTA

3med. Zucchini, cut into spiral pasta shape, or julienne cut into long lengthwise slices

1 onion, julienne, cut

1 red bell pepper, julienne cut

10 sugar Snap Peas, stringed and cut in half lengthwise

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. fresh chopped garlic

½ tsp. kosher salt or to taste

½ tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper

1 tbsp. fresh chopped chives or green onion

Place kale, basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, water, cheese, salt and pepper in blender. Blend on high until everything is pureed smooth and creamy. You might need to stop blender once or twice to get the basil and kale to incorporate. Take ½ cup of pesto and place into mixing bowl. Add chicken breast and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator while you chop the vegetables. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat vegetable oil in sauté pan over medium high heat. Sear chicken breast for 2 minutes and turn over. Place into preheated oven. Bake for 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. While the breasts are in the oven, heat olive oil in another sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté onions until browned. Add red bell pepper, sugar snap peas, and zucchini. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper, Pour remaining kale pesto and toss lightly, place onto serving dish. When chicken is cooked remove from pan and let rest 4-5 minutes. Slice chicken on an angle and place over top zucchini pasta. Sprinkle chives over top. You can grate additional romano cheese for our liking. Serves 4 pp.

– The End. Go Eat. –

Next week: Chef Joey Companaro, New York City’s The Little Owl

August 26, 2015
i8tonite: Country Captain, a Carolina’s LowCountry Dish
By now, dear reader, you’ve ascertained I’ve moved from the City of Angels (Los Angeles) to the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix). And, it’s been pretty stellar. I’m loving the constant dry heat, no traffic and beautiful horizons. Moving takes you out of your comfort zone and encourages exploration whether you want to or not. So that’s what I’ve been doing exploring – discovering new foods, markets and restaurants in Phoenix –determining my own growth, both professionally and spiritually. (Yep…I said it.) I know my cooking is now reflecting that change.

In the month that I’ve lived in the Southwest, I’ve cooked with all sorts of peppers that I wouldn’t normally use: pasilla, ancho, Anaheim, hatch, jalapeno and habanero. I’m also trying to find different recipes – not so much for techniques but unusual combinations that I haven’t heard. This brings me to a dish called country captain, a low country Carolina poultry tradition that I had never, ever heard of. (Even though my grandmother lived in South Carolina and cooked lowcountry food.) Since making this the first time, it has now become one of my top ten favorite things to eat. I’m not even going to get into the history of this recipe as writer Robert Moss details it incredibly well on the blog Serious Eats. The Southern-based culinary siblings’ team of Matt and Ted Lee do the same during a “throwdown” with Chef Bobby Flay on this dish.

Country captain is a gastronomic flavor treasure and can be made in one pot or deep skillet which is also one of my favorite things about making it. It’s also not something – although I’m not certain — you will find in hip foodie restaurants. In my opinion, it would be hard to make it “restaurant pretty”. It’s a thick, lovely sauce poured over buttered rice …or noodles, mashed potatoes or a delicious toasted bread. (Although, I can see it plated in individual cast iron pots.)

I’ve tested out three different recipes and as always, I find the simplest way to be the best. You can make it a little leaner — for the calorie counters — by using pounded skinless and boneless chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken. I found that the butter used to crisp the chicken was enough fat. Ultimately, the resulting dish is a cross between an Italian chicken cacciotore and a simple Indian tomato-based curry. Regardless, the aroma, sapidness and textures are extraordinary, making it great for family meals, parties and gatherings.

Ingredients:
- One whole chicken, cut up into pieces or skinless boneless chicken pounded into uniform thickness.
- Seasoned flour for dredging
- Half a stick of butter for frying. (Keep the other half close…you might want to use it.)
- Chopped onions: Spanish, yellow or Maui.
- Fresh thyme.
- Green peppers – lately, I’ve been using poblano. I find the dish is a little more pepper pungent – not spicy – but greener tasting with the poblano but use whatever is on sale at the farmers market.
- Yellow curry. Go to an Indian market. The stuff at your local market is dreck. It needs to be as fresh as possible.
- 1 large can of San Marzano tomatoes or other can without salt. (Please make sure you get it without the salt. With the salt….OMG, horrifying…it was like a sodium cocktail with tomato.)
- Chopped parsley
- Chopped blanched almonds
- Raisins or currants.
- ½ cup or so of white wine for deglazing (or chicken broth).
- Optional: Garam marsala. (Also, if you do use garam masala, get this at your Indian market too. The stuff at your local market is adequate….but just that, adequate. You will taste a difference. But don’t let that impede you from making this dish before running out and getting the curry and the masala.)
Let’s make this puppy:
1. Melt half stick of butter. While this is going on rinse and dry chicken and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, big enough to toss the chicken, eyeball out 2 cups of flour. Season heavily with salt and pepper. Stir.
3. Throw in the chicken and coat well with the flour. By this time, the butter should have melted. Place the chicken into the skillet or pan. Depending on the size of the chicken, you might need to use two pans. Overcrowding doesn’t allow for the browning.
4. Brown the chicken well on both sides. While chicken is browning, slice up the peppers, onions and garlic. Cut the vegetables into quarter inch strips and mince the garlic.
5. Once all the chicken is browned – you can strain, removing the burnt flour and re-use the butter. Either way, deglaze the pan with a little wine or stock. Add the butter back to the pan or refresh with that butter I told you that you might need.
6. Add pepper, onions and garlic. Cook until softened.
7. Pour in the can of tomatoes. Stir in the curry, thyme – adjust the seasoning and if wanted…add the garam masala.
8. Stir until bubbly. Turn down the heat, add chicken back to the pan and cover until cooked through about 20 – 25 minutes.
9. Chopped parsley for garnishing. Serve chicken on top of rice with parsley, currants/ raisins and almonds.
10. F******g AWESOME!!!
– The End. Go Eat. –
August 23, 2015
I8tonite: with Chef Hugh Acheson featuring Butter Lettuce Salad with Feta, Radish and a Dill Pickle Vinaigrette

Southern chef Hugh Acheson is the cooking star of the moment…albeit one who is humble and has a really good sense of humor. He proclaims on his website, “To Athens, (Acheson) is the guy who owns those restaurants, has one eyebrow, a wife far better looking than he is and two young children who are the apple of his eye.”

Photo Credit: Emily B. Hall

And yes, with humor, there is always a modicum of truth but Acheson isn’t just the chef with one eyebrow, a beautiful wife and children and the guy who owns those restaurants – four to be exact — in Georgia which include his newest, The Florence (pictured above), the National, Empire State South and the one that started it all, 5 X 10. The Canadian-born but Southern food adopted Acheson is the chef who published an award-winning James Beard cookbook “A New Turn in The South” and won the prestigious award from the culinary organization for “Best Chef, Southeast”. In addition to these impressive accomplishments and many more, he has been awarded Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef” (2002), StarChefs.com “Mentor of the Year” (2012) and his town newspaper, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, presented him with “Restaurant of the Year”.

Photo credit: Emily B. Hall

Currently, Acheson is promoting his book “The Broad Fork: Recipes for the Wide World of Vegetables and Fruits” (Clarkson Potter, 2015) which showcases his love of vegetables, his family and cooking in the Southern with simple and easy to use recipes.

If you don’t live in the Atlanta/ Savannah, Georgia area, you have the potential of meeting Mr. Acheson in Los Angeles. He is cooking as the “All Star Chef” – along with “Local All Star Chefs” — Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo – for the James Beard Foundation’s “Night of Culinary Stars” on November 6, 2015. On November 7, he will be signing copies of his cookbook as well as demo-ing recipes at The Grove’s Sur La Table.

Chef’s Questionnaire (with a nod to Proust):

What is your favorite food?

Carrots.

What do you always have in your fridge?

Feta, carrots, eggs, prosciutto.

What do you cook at home?

Roast chicken with gravy and rice.

What marked characteristic do you despise in your customer?

Everyone is different. I rarely despise anyone.

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer?

Adventurous eating.

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex?

Pyrex.

Beer, wine or cocktail?

Wine.

Your favorite cookbook author?

Paula Wolfert.

Your favorite kitchen tool?

A bench scraper.

Your favorite ingredient?

Farro.

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen?

Dishes, just like everyone else.

Favorite types of cuisine to cook?

Middle Eastern.

Chef you most admire?

Mike Solomonov.

Food you like the most?

Middle Eastern.

Food you dislike the most?

None.

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food?

Six. One radish is the only culinary one.

Recipe: Butter lettuce salad with feta, radish, and dill pickle vinaigrette

Clean the lettuce. Dry and set aside.

In a blender, puree 1/2 a dill pickle and then add two tablespoons of cider vinegar and 1/3 cup of olive oil. Season with salt. Crumble some feta and slice some radishes, and then add those to the lettuces, lightly torn up to the size of your mouth. Dress to your taste. Toss well. Eat.

The End. Go Eat.

August 19, 2015
i8tonite: Rajas con Crema

I’m living in Phoenix and yes…it’s very strange seeing that in black and white. My first touch of it, besides driving through it with my mother at the age of seven and a highway Stuckey’s, was Mesa Grill, celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s first restaurant on Manhattan’s lower 5^th Avenue. Housed in a large store-front with soaring 40 foot ceilings, it was the place to dine in the early nineties. Everything had a touch of chili, lime, avocado, cilantro and …crema! The room was festive with bright reds, muted browns and rusts, touches of oranges and greens with splashes of yellow, evocative of the Sonoran desert in bloom. I remember eating a nachos variation of six or seven massive house-made tortilla chips, beautifully plated. The appetizer which we had with some cactus fruit margaritas had a drizzle of black bean sauce in one direction, an avocado crema going in the other, and a melted cheese swirled somewhere. In the center of that action was a roasted chopped chicken and pico de gallo which diners dipped into. It was a living large experience and very much of the moment. Big hair, bold jewelry, bright colors with larger than life personalities.

Much of the urban world, was undergoing the AIDS crisis and New York City was very hard hit. We needed color. We needed it in our clothes (Stephen Sprouse), in our art (Keith Haring) and on our plates. We needed bold statements to say that we were alive and weren’t going anywhere. Or that we were dying and celebrating life as much as we could.

I was in my twenties, working in an art gallery and waiting tables…and Mesa Grill was truly a culinary torch. The restaurant itself was loud and cavernous. Clanking and clinking of glasses and silverware were louder than the conversations. Hand-blown pendants lights hung from loft-ceilings. Dusky yellow walls, and pillars painted red. The banquettes were printed with lively cowboys on horses. It was a scene of the right out of the southwest minus the cowboys. (They could be found down in the Meatpacking district or the West Village.)

Now that I’m living in the Arizona, I’m starting to really look at southwestern recipes in a new light as something to explore. The food originated in Arizona, New Mexico, western regions of Texas and southern Nevada and Colorado is a marriage of foods and cultures from Native American (Hopi and Zuni), Mexican, Spanish settlers and European Anglo Saxons settling in the Wild West. Caucasians addition to the food was mostly with the use of dairy, specifically, butter and cheese. The Spanish showcased how to raise cattle. The Mexicans brought in the use of vegetables and the Native Americans had corn. These confluences, essentially created another distinct cuisine which are as American as fried chicken and barbeque or jambalaya and clam chowder. Consumers – of both of Southwestern recipes and in the area — will find lots of peppers, black beans and corn including red, blue and yellow. I think it’s about to make a comeback.

Rajas con crema (The word “raja” means slices)

This dish will make enough for essentially two people to use as tacos or for four people to use as a topping for poultry or fish.

2 – 4 Poblano/pasilla peppers, cut into strip of about a ¼ inch in length (Alternatively you could use sweet bell peppers including green, red or yellow)

Roughly a tablespoon of vegetable oil

1 half of a large onion

Heavy cream

Two cloves of garlic slivered thinly

Cut the onion into half-moon using a sharp knife or mandolin. Sauteé the onions in a in a large enough pan to hold all the ingredients. Get the onions soft but not browned. Add the peppers, cream and garlic. Cook at a low temperature, stirring the proverbial pot until everything is softened and Cream is reduced by about a quarter. You can toss in some fresh cilantro or parsley for color.

Serve with tortillas as tacos or as an accompaniment on top of fish or poultry.

-The End. Go Eat. –

August 17, 2015
I8tonite: Chef’s Questionnaire with Kelly Chapman, Chef and Creator of Studio City’s Macolicious
Chef Kelly Chapman is a rare find in the culinary world. Her Macolicious, a restaurant serving up the comfort of macaroni and cheese, located in Studio City, California is from the heart. She has an earnestness not seen in the restaurant industry showcasing “paying-it-forward”, honoring recipes from her elders and good old-fashioned, taste-bud loving cooking. Chapman’s pasta and cheese started off as a food truck which road-tripped throughout the Los Angeles, Santa Monica and San Fernando Valley before becoming a brick-and-mortar in September 2014. Currently, her menu features over 12 different variations of macaroni and cheese, all of it baked with it’s base being a sharp cheddar. (” …although The Dreamy Creamy Mac is prepared stove top because that’s the way kids like it”.) There are fancy versions such as “Frous Frous” which is made with blue crab; “5 Cheeses” which includes Asiago, Fontina, Gruyere, Parmesan and cheddar and “American Mac” which combines asparagus and bacon two of Chapman’s favorite ingredients. Some of the proceeds of her restaurant goes to Kelly Chapman’s Ministries Mobile Pantry which has fed over 20,000 people in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio including low-income families, battered women and single mothers.

How long have you been cooking?   Since I was 7 years old making breakfast pancakes with Mom.

What is your favorite food to cook? Macaroni and cheese of course!

What do you always have in your fridge at home?   Cheese, blackberries, raspberries and pecans

What do you cook at home? Bacon, eggs, pancakes and cheese grits

What marked characteristic do you love in a customer? They appreciate the little details, like our pillows, the grass, the mac’n’cheese covered lamps or the noodle knobs in the bathroom.

What marked characteristic do you find unappealing in a customer? Cheap and uninformed. They don’t know the difference between “cheese” and “cream”, or “fresh squeezed juice” and “bottled fresh squeezed”. Even worse? The customer who is miserable. They arrive miserable and want to make everyone else suffer.

Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or Pyrex? Pyrex all day long because it cleans easily, and withstands various temperatures.

Beer, wine or cocktail? Wine because it tastes great in a glass or in your food.

Your favorite cookbook author?   My late stepmother introduced me to Norma Jean and Carole Darden, Authors of Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine.

Your favorite kitchen tool? A fork and knife so I can eat; second, my Crofton electric wine bottle opener.

Your favorite ingredient? I put cheese on everything.

Your least favorite ingredient? Curry.

Least favorite thing to do in a kitchen? Grate cheese.

Favorite types of cuisine to cook? Southern cuisine, soul food or Italian.

Beef, chicken, pork or tofu? Eat Right for your Blood Type says a B- needs red meat. #lovebutton

Favorite vegetable? Asparagus but I just heard that it makes your pee a bit stinky. Oh well…

Chef you most admire? First, my mom and second, B. Smith.

Food you like the most to eat? Cheesy baked potato skins.

Food you dislike the most? Any type of fish.

How many tattoos? And if so, how many are of food? None, but if I did you would see 4 noodles at the nape of my neck with the words #maclove.

Kelly Chapman’s Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:
- 1 pound of Hot Sausage
- 8 slices of bread
- 4 cups of Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 5 Eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 can mushroom soup
Layer in an baking dish starting with the bottom layer:
- 8 slices of bread – cubed
- 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 pound of sausage cooked and drained
Second layer
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 5 eggs (beaten)
- 2 cups of milk
Third layer
- 1 can of mushroom soup mixed with 1 can of evaporated milk
Forth layer:
- 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese
Bake at 300 for 1 1/2 hours. Cut into squares. Serve with fresh fruit, Cheese Grits, and banana bread or a muffin.

Extra: Freeze squares in individual sandwich bags placed in one large freezer bag. Thaw overnight and broil for 5 minutes. If you must microwave — you can.

-The End. Go Eat. –
August 12, 2015