Delancey on Sunset

Tonight we went to Delancey on Sunset. This is our second time to this new Italian restaurant and we recommend checking it out. This restaurant was opened by, George Abou-Daoud of  The Bowery (a tiny little bar restaurant with super yummy comfort food, love the mac and cheese). We started with an appetizer of burata mozzarella over pumpkin and topped with pine nuts. If you have never had burata it is a creamier smoother version of bufala mozzarella. It absolutely melts in your mouth and was accentuated by the creamy pumpkin and crunchy pine nuts. Then we shared a romaine salad in a lemon vinaigrette dressing, toasted pine nuts, and giant slivers of parmigiano reggiano. It was very light and delicious. We finished the meal off with the Bleeker pizza. It was topped with Leeks, Bacon, Mozzarella, and Parmesan. This is right up there with my favorite LA pizza's, Il Capriccio and Pizza Mozza. The toppings on the pizza were perfect. I like the crust better at Pizza Mozza, but it is still right up there and worth trying. We also didn't have to wait for a table since this restaurant is still new. Get there soon and check it out before it gets overwhelmed with the Hollywood crowds. 

The website is:

www.delanceyhollywood.com/

5936 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles CA

(323) 924-2093

Squash Soup with Sage and cheese

This week I was inspired by our purchase of a pumpkin to make a pumpkin soup. Little did I realize that pumpkin soup is normally made with different kinds of winter squash instead of pumpkins you buy at the pumpkin patch. I learned this after I opened my pumpkin, scooped out the inside, and separated the seeds. After I finished, I was left with a small amount of pumpkin goo. So I re-read my recipe and it recommended at the bottom of the page under "Chef's tips" that you normally don't use pumpkin, but butternut, acorn, or other kinds of winter squash. So I ran to the store and bought some squash. I roasted them in the oven for a little over an hour. When they are done they turn brown and shiny. After roasting they are super soft and you just cut them in half take out the seeds and scoop the fleshy part of the squash into a separate bowl. Then I followed the recipe for Pumpkin Soup from "The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook." It is super simple.

The ingredients are:

1 Large Onion, Chopped

3/4 cup chopped celery with leaves (I used 3 stalks)

5 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped + more for garnish (I forgot to use the extra for garnish)

Kosher or sea salt and ground pepper

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing

5 cups roasted pumpkin or winter squash

4 to 5 cups vegetable or beef broth (I used vegetable)

Grated cheese such as Winchester or super aged Gouda or Parm Reggiano for garnish

In a big pot saute the onion, celery, and chopped sage, a little salt and oil over medium heat until the vegetables soften, 5-7 minutes. Add the squash, more salt, and some pepper, and 4 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes. Then you can use an immersion or stand blender to puree the soup. (We just got an immersion blender for a wedding gift and we love it!!!) If the soup is thick you can add the extra broth. Then you just ladle it up top with a drizzle of olive oil, sage, and  cheese. 

We served ours with grilled  cheese and arugula salad. It was delicious. Oh and I recommend tossing in a little Tapatio or hot sauce if you like to heat things up a bit.

Local Restaurant, Silver Lake

Sunday for Brunch we checked out a new diner called Local. This great new brunch or lunch option is on Sunset in Silver Lake right before Silver Lake Boulevard. We loved the little location with the outside corner seating and the food was amazing too. I had the vegetarian mushroom rueben. This was so yummy! I love ruebens and this tasted very similar to a normal rueben without all of the heavy meat. The rueben combined the perfect amount of sauerkraut and sauce mixing it with every bit of mushrooms. This battled one of my biggest problems with ruebens of never having enough sauce. They also serve the sandwiches with a side salad or my first choice french fries with spicy dipping sauce. Evan and our friend, Amaris, had the grilled portobello mushroom sandwich stuffed with goat cheese. It was amazing. It looked like a giant crab cake, but is a breaded portobello mushroom. There is also a salad bar if you want a healthier option. I definitely know we will be heading back. We saw people sitting next to us eating the most delicious looking waffles. You could tell everything was made from super fresh ingredients and there was a lot of care put into the cooking. Check it out! Here is the Daily Candy post about it:

www.dailycandy.com/los_angeles/article/38404/Close+Encounters+of+the+Food+Kind

The address:

2943 West Sunset Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA

323-662-4740

Alegria on Sunset

Friday night we went out to dinner with our neighbors to Alegria on Sunset. We love this place for several reasons. Most importantly Carnitas and BYOB. This restaurant has the best carnitas. Evan and I crave this dish and usually just get this dish and split it. It is  just a large plate of pork, but they fry it in its own pork fat and it is so juicy and flavorful with that crisp carnitas crust. This plate comes with beans, rice, corn or flour tortillas, and salsa. We tried the Tortilla soup last night which wasn't our favorite but the carnitas made up for it. When they do have the Pozole as the soup of the day it is very good. They also make fresh fruit drinks. You can mix and match the fruit flavors and add a shot of ginger to spice it up a little. The best part about the BYOB is you can bring any kind of alcohol you want. For example last night my husband and our neighbor where drinking "Wild Turkey." Personally I like to opt for beer with my mexican food. This place is tiny so if you coming during a popular time say 8, be prepared to wait. We had a party of 6 and had to wait 45 minutes, but we were able to pass the time in a van watching David Bowie music videos and drinking beer (not to shabby). Even though you may wait a while the service is always great and the people never seem to be overwhelmed. Check it out and definitely if you eat pork try the carnitas plate. There website is www.alegriaonsunset.com

Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

Tonight Evan made Chicken Mulligatawny Soup. This recipe is courtesy of Williams Sonoma and their "Food Made Fast, Soup" cook book. We love this recipe, it is fast easy and delicious. It is a curried chicken soup with vegetables. This soup includes yogurt as one of its ingredients which adds a nice thickness to the soup. The ingredients are fresh and easy to obtain and it is super easy to put together. 

Ingredients:

3 Tbsps Unsalted butter

1 1/2 lbs chicken (you could also use turkey breast) cut into bite size cubes

1 finely chopped yellow onion

3 stalks of celery finely chopped

2 carrots finely chopped

1 clove of garlic minced

1 Tbsp of curry powder

4 cups of chicken broth (we like the campbells soup cans or swansons)

1/2 cup of long grain white rice

1 cup plain yogurt (we prefer greek yogurt)

1/4 fresh  cilantro minced

salt and pepper to taste

First Evan melts the butter in our Dutch oven over medium heat. Then he adds the chicken and sautes until brown on all sides. He removes the chicken and sets it aside when thoroughly cooked. Next he adds the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic to the pot and sautes until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Then he stirs in the curry powder and cooks for 2-3 minutes longer to blend the flavors.

Next he adds the chicken broth and chicken to the vegetables in the pot and brings them to a simmer over high heat. Then he reduces the heat to medium. The next step in the recipe calls to add the rice and cook the rice in the soup. We prefer to cook the rice in our rice cooker and toss it in. It makes it go a little faster, but it works either way. After it simmers for 10-15 minutes stir in the yogurt and simmer over medium for 10 more minutes. Then season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish each bowl with cilantro.  

Even though it was 90 today we still continue are week of comfort food. I must admit this one is delicious and I am glad I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Comfort Food

Ever since the weather cooled down a tiny bit and it barely sprinkled, I have been in the mood for comfort food. Evan and I planned our weakly menu as we usually do on Sunday. I ran to the farmers market bought all of our fresh produce and bread and picked up our other ingredients at Trader Joe's on Hyperion. 

This weeks menu (in no particular order):

1. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans

2. Chicken Mulligatawny (a type of hearty stew)

3. Hamburgers, corn on the cob, asparagus

4. Something with turkey, we haven't sorted that one out yet

This menu does sound heavy, but we are good about portions and only buy what we need for one meal. Also as I said, "Comfort Food"

Tonight I made Fried Chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

I always start with the potatoes since they take the longest to cook. For Evan and I we only need 8 small to medium potatoes. I put a large pot of water on to boil and after they are clean toss them in. Tonight I left the skins on. Then I set up my plates and bowl for dredging my chicken. I prepare one plate with flour and seasoning, this time I used paprika and some black pepper. Then in a bowl or pie plate I beat one egg. On the third plate I mix bread crumbs (already bought) and toss them with chopped cilantro and  a little parmesan cheese. I heat up a frying pan with about 1/2" of vegetable oil. I use medium heat (a 5-7 on your range). If the oil is too hot it will instantly burn the chicken. If it is too low the chicken will not cook fast enough and turn into an oily mess. I then clean my chicken (we usually it 1/2-3/4 lb. between the two of us). It is important to always rinse any chicken and dry it off with paper towels. I use boneless skinless chicken breasts and slice them into chicken tenders. First I run the chicken through the flour plate and make sure it is completely coated, then I dip it in the beaten egg mixture and coat all sides, then I finally toss in the breadcrumbs and pat on until they are all covered. When they are all ready begin to fry. If you over crowd your frying pan it will also lower the temperature of the chicken, be sure to watch that it is frying and not just sitting in the pan. If it is not sizzling turn it up a little.

For the green beans I toss a little butter in a saute pan with crushed garlic. After the garlic has cooked a little, I toss in the beans. I let them saute for a second and then add some chicken broth. I turn the heat up a little and put a lid on and let them cook. Then I check the potatoes if a fork easily goes in they are done. I take the potato pot off of the heat and place a kitchen towel over the top of the pan(this prevents them from becoming mealy). I flip the fried chicken to make sure I cook it evenly on both sides. I always set a plate a side with a few paper towels for when the chicken is finished. Then it is time to mash. I add a little milk and butter to the potatoes. As I mash, I continue to add milk until they reach the desired creaminess. I also always toss in salt and pepper. Then I check the chicken in the center with a knife and fork to be sure it is completely cooked and no pink remains. I Pull out of the oil and place on the paper towel plate. The green beans are also finished. Then I plate it up and we eat. We also usually make a mixture of mayo and mustard to dip our chicken fingers in. 

I won't lie it was exactly what I had been craving. I hope you enjoy.