Giveaway: Tickets for 2 to Le Grand Fooding Paris-LA Crush Preview Dinner, 4/25

from Wolvesmouth's crawfish-themed dinner in June 2012

Le Fooding, a French culinary movement described by The New Yorker as "what the New Wave was to French cinema. The hidden goal was to Americanize French food without becoming American, just as the New Wave, back in the fifties and sixties, was about taking in Hollywood virtues without being Hollywoodized" will be making its mark on L.A. on April 26 and 27 a series of events melding "eleven incredible chefs, a fine Champagne, gutsy fromages, acclaimed DJs and graphic designers to feast your senses and do some conscious good."

While two-day gastronomical affair is sold out, thanks to an opportunity sponsored by Mastercard's Priceless.com campaign, you and a guest will have an opportunity to attend a preview dinner on April 25 at 7 p.m., where you can mix and mingle with the chefs of the event while enjoying a meal prepared by Craig Thornton of Wolvesmouth and Miles Thompson of Allumette.

To enter simply follow me @LAOCFoodie and tweet:

"I've entered @LAOCFoodie & @Mastercard @Priceless' #giveaway for @LeFooding LA preview dinner on 4/25 http://bit.ly/11vwJh9"

I'll pick the winner at random around noon PDT on Wednesday, April 24 and direct message the winner with request for name, contact info, etc. (solely for fulfilling the giveaway.) In the event that the winner doesn't respond promptly, I'll pick & contact an alternate winner from random as well. Good luck!

Official disclaimer: “These tickets were given to me by MasterCard for promotional purposes to award to a reader of my blog & twitter, but I am responsible for this promotion.”

Recipe + Giveaway: Whole Wheat-Ricotta-Almond Pancakes

Ever since I got a new two-burner griddle a few months back, I've been obsessed with pancake making. So when Hodgson Mill held their Have a Grain Holiday contest, there was no doubt what my entry was going to be.

While it's not as winter festive as, say, gingerbreads or fruitcakes, these whole wheat-ricotta-almond pancakes are not only delicious but also incredibly easy to make--perfect for the morning after that labor-intensive holiday feast (or honestly, any time of year!) The whole wheat flour gives it a hearty texture and a distinctly "wheaty" flavor while the ricotta cheese keeps the pancake moist, fluffy and tender, and sliced almonds in the batter gives it that pleasantly soft whisper of a crunch.

Ingredients (for approx. 10 palm-sized pancakes):
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (as part of the contest, Hodgson Mill provided me with theirs)
2 oz. sliced almonds plus an additional handful for garnish
2 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
8 oz. ricotta cheese (I used Angelo & Franco's)
3/4 cup full or reduced-fat milk
3 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Directions:
1. Whisk/beat the 3 egg whites until soft peaks form, set aside.
2. Preheat griddle/skillet to medium heat
3. In separate bowls, combine the dry ingredients (flour, almonds, sugar, salt, baking powder) and wet ingredients (milk, cheese, egg yolks, extracts) in separate bowls before mixing them together.
4. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
5. If your griddle is not non-stick, lightly grease it with cooking spray or oil before each batch.
6. Using a ladle or large spoon, drop palm-sized dollops of the batter onto griddle.
7. When the edges of the batter start to bubble (approx. 2 minutes) flip them with a spatula and let it cook for another 1-2 minutes.
8. Garnish with sliced almonds and serve with your choice of syrup or compote (I'm partial to my express raspberry syrup, which is simply combining roughly equal amounts of frozen raspberries & maple syrup and heating - on stovetop or microwave - until the berries give off their juices--sometimes I blend it afterwards for a smoother texture.)

In addition to generously providing me with the flour for this recipe, Hodgson Mill is also holding a contest for 50 lucky folks to win a "Holiday Gift Pack" assortment of their flours and baking mixes.

And in an almost infomercial-esque fashion "But wait, there's more!"

U.S. readers of this blog get an additional opportunity to win a Hodgson Mill assortment (valued @ $25) by commenting here with your e-mail. I'll randomly draw a winner for this giveaway by Saturday, December 8, at noon PST.  

And even if you don't win, Hodgson Mill has a $1 off coupon towards any 5 lb. package of their flours.

Good luck!

Recipe 30: Chives n Cheese Cream Scone

As I noted time and again, while I love to cook, I don't fancy myself as much of a baker--a craft that's finicky with exact measurements and pretty much a done deal once you pop it in the oven. So when Hodgson Mill approached me to do a Grain Day contest featuring their flours, I was flummoxed for a baked good that's simple, delicious and a wee bit playful.

But then I remembered a simple Cream Scones recipe that turned out well for a brunch with preserves and clotted cream, so I adapted a savory version that will be great on its own (or perhaps with a pat 'o butter or some gravy.)

Sure enough, the Chives 'n Cheese Scones came out wonderfully - a little savory backed with a truly wheaty flavor and crumbly texture. But what makes it truly heavenly was its slightly onion-y aroma and the gooey, melty cheese strands when you bite/pull it apart while it's still steamy-warm out of the oven. 

And if even I can make them, they are pretty much foolproof for any "I don't bake" types. So here's the recipe!


Ingredients (for 12 scones)
3 cups flour (I used Hodgson Mill's Stone-Ground Whole Wheat)
2 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/3 cup (6 tablespoon) unsalted butter
1 & 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped fresh chives

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and onion powder

3. Melt the unsalted butter, combine with heavy whipping cream and fold into the dry ingredients with spatula -- it will have the texture of a slightly sticky dough.

4. Pour cheese & chives onto the dough and knead in with your hands until they're evening distributed throughout the dough.

5. Pull out pieces of dough and hand roll into individual spherical scones (or whatever shape you prefer, really) and place evenly across baking sheet.

6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (it will be a golden with slight browning on top.)

7. Remove, let cool for a few minutes and enjoy (they are great the day after too, just reheat in the microwave for half a minute.)

**Giveaway Contest Closed**

In addition to providing the flour for this recipe, Hodgson Mill is also graciously offering a giveaway with a $25 gift certificate to their online store. To enter, simply comment with your e-mail address & favorite baked good to make @ home. I will choose the winner at random by tomorrow, Dec. 16, at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time. Good luck!

Quick Taste of Abbot Kinney Giveaway Reminder

Deli salad sampler & original lemonade from Lemonade during last year's Taste of Abbot Kinney

Just a quick reminder that my giveaway for Taste of Abbot Kinney will be closing this Friday, with three lucky winners drawn to get a 'Delicious' package ($60 value.) And entering's a cinch with 3 easy steps: comment, (re)tweet & facebook 'like'. Easy peasy, right?

Of course, it's never too late to buy tickets too (there's a pre-sale discount until Oct. 22) -- proceeds will benefiting Inside Out Community Arts to help underserved & at-risk youth.

Giveaway for Taste of Abbot Kinney, Oct. 24

Mini desserts sampled at Intelligentsia Venice during last year's Taste of Abbot Kinney, more photos on flickr set here!

With so many tasting events squeezed into a parking lot, sterile-looking studio and borderline-pretentious loungey venues, the Taste of Abbot Kinney is literally a breath of fresh air. Instead of being cramped in a confined space with long lines, this tasting event takes advantage of the great SoCal Autumn weather and pedestrian-friendly Abbot Kinney Blvd., allowing attendees to stroll up and down the famous street while [window] shopping from chic boutiques and enjoying food and beverage samples from its numerous eateries, cafés and bars. It's great for vendors too, who don't have to worry about transporting, storing and prepping foods in an unfamiliar space.

And like last year, Taste of AK will benefiting the wonderful & worthwhile Inside Out Community Arts to help out underserved or at-risk middle school youth.

I had a fun time last year with fellow blogging and foodie friends revisitng some of my favorite eateries in the area (Jin Patisserie, 3 Square) while discovering new ones (Tasting Kitchen, the food trucks that park by the Brig.)

And once again, Taste of AK & I are doing a giveaway for this year's event on Oct. 24 from 3 to 7 p.m., where three lucky winners will get a "Delicious" package (30 tickets, worth $60) to use at Abbot Kinney's various vendors (and not just limited to food & drinks!)

To enter:

1. Comment on this post with your favorite Abbot Kinney place to eat/drink OR the one you're most looking forward to try, along with twitter username and email address (if I don't already know it.)
2. Tweet " I want to win @LAOCFoodie's @TasteofAK giveaway: http://bit.ly/agODH4 " (following either of us is optional, but appreciated)
3. "Like" Taste of Abbot Kinney on their official facebook page

I'll announce the lucky winners around noon on Friday, Oct. 22 (alternates will be drawn around 2 p.m. in case any do not respond in time.) So good luck (and while you're in a giveaway-entering mood, be sure to check out the Popchips one on my Foodie Fitness blog too!)

Giveaway Time: Four course whiskey-paired dinner for two at Villa Sorriso on Wednesday, March 24

The early bird may get the worm, but a lucky last-minute meal planner can score a free four-course dinner for two (a $120 value,) with each course paired with a different Jack Daniels whiskey*, at Villa Sorriso on Wed., March 24, 6:30 p.m.

Here's the menu planned for that evening:

First Course
Roasted pear wrapped with proscuitto and sage
paired with Original Old No. 7

Second Course
Baby spring greens medley with dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts, aged balsamic vinaigrette and caramelized goat cheese
paired with Gentleman Jack

Main Course (two choices)
Grilled filet mignon topped with demi-glace alongside gratin potatoes, baby vegetables and caramelized onion-gorgonzola tart
--OR--
John Dory filet w lobster sauce, herbed risotto and baby vegetables
both paired with Jack Daniel's Single-Barrel

Dessert
Warm bread pudding with bananas and pecans and a Jack Daniels whiskey sauce
paired with Woodford Reserve

To enter:
1) leave a comment here with your name, twitter username and e-mail address
2) Tweet "I want to win @LAOCFoodie's four-course Jack Daniels-paired dinner for two at Villa Sorriso! http://bit.ly/bmEO68"

I'll randomly draw the winner on Tuesday evening around 6 p.m.; if the winner doesn't respond by Wednesday noon, another lucky person will be chosen.

And in case you didn't win, but still want to go -- the paired-dinner is $60/person and you can RSVP by calling 626.793.2233.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Amber Bechtel (@ambiggity) for winning this giveaway, everyone else, thanks for reading and playing and keep your eyes peeled for more giveaways in the future!

*I would link to the individual J.D. whiskeys offered, but their Website has an odd linking policy that reads like I cannot link beyond their opening page. So, if you wish to find out more about the less-common Gentleman Jack and Single-Barrel varieties, just go to their homepage, confirm your age, and go to their "Family of Blends" section.

Another Giveaway to Taste of Abbot Kinney . . .

Tea & Cake set at Jin Patisserie

Ok, for those who missed out on winning the Taste of Abbot Kinney tickets on the last giveaway, here's your SECOND chance at them, as I'm giving out another five pairs to five lucky readers for the Oct. 11 feast. Once again, the $60/person event benefits Inside Out Community Arts, and it will feature tastings and discounts at some of the most popular eateries along the street (NOW including sweets tastings Jin Patisserie, and a 10% discount off purchases at Intelligentsia Venice as well as other additions) along with discounts at numerous AK boutiques and shops.

Tweaking the rules a little for this drawing, here goes:

1) Tweet "I want to win @LAOCFoodie's ticket giveaway to @TasteofAK on Oct. 11! http://bit.ly/ToAKTix" (Goes without saying, create a twitter account if you don't already have one -- follows to TasteofAK or my twitter account appreciated, but not necessary and won't improve odds . . .)

2) Leave a comment on this blogpost with your twitter account name AND e-mail address (during last giveaway I had to pass up on some winners because there wasn't a way to contact them.)

3) I'll draw out of the correctly-made entries end of tomorrow, Oct. 7, 11:59 p.m. PST -- winners will be e-mailed/tweeted to the morning of Oct. 8 with a deadline to reply by 10 p.m., after which I'll start drawing alternate winners if I don't receive a reply.

So good luck and enter away! And of course, spread the word to others about this fab inaugural event (which, again, I love since it's a walking tasting tour to each of the eateries and bars as opposed to some offsite venue.)

P.S. Just found out via Caroline on Crack that fab events-at-a-discount site Goldstar is offering Taste of AK tickets for a reduced price of $36/person (plus $5.50 processing fee) so in case you didn't win -- and you can still score some serious savings . . .

Giveaway Time: Five Pair of Tickets to Taste of Abbot Kinney on Sunday, Oct. 11

Pork Belly with Sunny Side-Up Eggs on Brioche with Tomato-Bacon Jam and Avocado Mousse at Joe's

It's everyone's favorite posts -- the ones with giveaways!

This time, thanks to the organizer of Taste of Abbot Kinney, I'm able to give out not one, not two . . . but FIVE pairs of tickets (which are worth $60 per ticket) to the Sunday, Oct. 11 event from 2 to 7 p.m. To enter, simply comment to this post with your e-mail address/contact info and tell me what you love about the Abbot Kinney neighborhood or if you have a particular favorite eatery on that street.

Benefiting Inside Out Community Arts, a non-profit that empowers youth through visual and performing arts, what I love Taste of Abbot Kinney is that it's an actual walking tour into the street's various eateries, bars and shops (instead of other tasting events where it's at some off-site venue and all the restaurants have to worry about pre-prepping the food or cooking in an unfamiliar, makeshift "kitchen.") With this "Taste" you get mix and mingle (and eat and drink) in the actual restaurants with the staff and owners.

Eat/drink participants for this year's event include Joe's (where I had a thoroughly delicious brunch last year), 3 Square (another nice spot for an AM meal), Lemonade, Lilly's French Cafe & Bar, The Tasting Kitchen, Capri, Elvino Wines, Beechwood and more!

Furthermore, the ticket also gets you some sweet discounts at those uniquely-Abbot Kinney retailers such as Equator Books and Urbanic Paper Boutique, where you can score swanky-chic goods at a fraction of the price.

Anyhoo, spread the word (pre-shortened URL for you twitter-saavy folks: http://bit.ly/Vwn3w) and comment away, 5 will be chosen at random to win a pair of tickets by the end of September (Wed., 11:59 p.m.) And of course, if you didn't win, consider buying a ticket -- between all the food, wine, spirits, discounts AND supporting a great cause, it's totally worth it!

Friday Quickies #57: Springtime Sweetness...

The delicious Black Orchard beer from the Bruery, enjoyed at Riva!

I love weeks like this when my Friday Quickies practically write themselves, lots of tasty going-ons just over the horizon so without further adieu...

Found out via FoodGPS and Caroline on Crack, the Bruery is having their 1st anniversary celebration party tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For $25/person you can enjoy foods from Beachwood BBQ while enjoying this craft brewer's various concoctions (I, for one, am ga-ga over their light and flowery Black Orchard) as well as the Trade Winds Tripel from Craft Beer Fest. Oh yes, there'll be goodies to take home too!

And to give some representin' to my local 'hood - Old Town Pasadena is having their restaurant week from June 1st to June 8th, with three-course lunches for $15/$25 and dinners for $25/$35. For those who think Old Pas has nothing edible to offer, I beg to differ, especially with exhibits from the menus of POP Champagne & Dessert Bar and La Grande Orange Café (and a few other solid choices, such as Vertical Wine Bistro and Red, White + Bluezz, whose menus aren't up yet). Anyways, this is one of few restaurant weeks that actually goes into the weekend too (unlike others that blackout Fridays and/or Saturdays) so do use this opp to give some of those restos a try!

A little more west, Cube Marketplace has a fantastic menu this week featuring fried soft-shell crab with sweet corn puree and arugula salad, seared diver scallops with lemon risotto and asparagus w bacon vinaigrette and raspberry pavlova with stewed mulberries. Delicioso indeed! And get there fast since this menu is only till May 20, when at least a few fab items will surely rotate out.

Also, LA Mill Boutique introduced a few new things in light of the season and the economy. Their spring drinks menu will feature sweet basil julep (or as I call it, a "detox mojito" with white tea and basil instead of rum and mint -- tried it during a warm afternoon and it was utterly refreshing!), caramel corn (with housemade peanut milk, espresso, popcorn, sea salt and caramel sauce! oh my!) and a recession roast that's cheaper option by the cup ($2.50) or the pound ($11.75). The recession roast will rotate, when I was there last weekend it was Ethiopian Limmu, a citrusy, winey brew that is very smooth and just easy-to-drink. Oh yea, I tasted their spicy-cheesy jalapeno-cheddar biscuits that's so heavenly fluffy; as if I needed yet more reasons to go there.

And last but not least, the winner of the McCormick&Schmick gift card giveaway, drawn at random, is Mike from FamishedLA. Congrats!

10 Under $10 Lunch at McCormick & Schmicks and Gift-Card Giveaway!

some of the 10 under $10 lunch specials, photo courtesy of McCormick & Schmicks

McCormick and Schmicks is well known with my circle of frugal friends because of their famous Happy Hour specials - between the 2.95 cheeseburger with fries and their trio of oyster shooters for around $5, it's definitely a wallet-friendly way to unwind after punching in the ole 9-to-5. And a great promo to get people in the door to check out the space.

Now M&S is introducing another option that's easy on the budget: the 10 under $10 lunch specials, where ten items are available for 7.95-9.95 each. As is the M&S's style, the menus will rotate seasonally and the selections vary between locations, but some locally available items include Oregon Bay shrimp mac 'n cheese, a gussied-up tuna melt with fresh ahi and albacore tuna and salmon skewers with jasmine rice and vegetables (and for the fish-wary, there's a variety of land meat and vegetarian items such as caprese sandwich w fresh mozz on foccacia bread and tri-tip and ground chuck beef chili.)

And as part of their 10 under $10 promotion, their PR folks teamed up with me to hold a giveaway of a $10 McCormick & Schmicks gift card, so you can have an opportunity to check out their lunch deals. To enter, simply comment and I'll draw the winner at random by midnight Friday. Good luck!

P.S. goes without saying, if your e-mail contact info isn't readily available (on your own blog or profile) do leave your addy in the comment too. You can even mangle it up - use (at) instead of @, for example - if you're scared of bots and more spam (Mmmm... spam...)