Got Listeria? A Foodventure No One Wants

Just read this Associated Press story about Jamba Juice/FDA issuing a warning about smoothies sold in the Southwest region (SoCal included) from November 25 to December 1(yes, a week ago) may contain strawberries that has the disease-causing Listeria bacterium.

Granted, like most foodborne illnesses, for most healthy people it probably means a 'bout of cramps and irregular bowels and some cold-like symptoms, but yea -- great heads-up (for more info - or if you did get a tummy ache recently after a Strawberry Wild - you may call & complain at the Jamba Juice consumer help line: 1-877-464-5689.)

I'll also be fair to them and note that there should be no problem with going there now as all [remaining] potentially-contaminated fruits are recovered & shipments from that supplier have been halted.

Thankfully, weather has been a bit chilly as of late for me to want a smoothie.

According to the site's press release, I also found it funny how their "limited number of stores" [affected by this] is a list of almost 200.

Special Foodventure #20: Ghetto Gourmet Hits LA again (Silver Lake)

After being bummed out for missing Ghetto Gourmet's L.A. tour last month (the one that attracted a slew of writers & bloggers, who wrote about it here, here, and especially here) - imagine the thrill when I found out that they're doing another LA round this week! (and I didn't even find out about it through their official mailing list, but rather from a e-mail/posting by DailyCandy LA) - so feeling spontaneous - I paid my dues (~$40), packed a bottle of wine (Foppiano 2003 petit sirah, from Russian River Valley [Mendocino County]) & floor cushion, and off I went.

For those not familiar, Ghetto Gourmet started as an informal dinner party at someone's house up in the Bay Area with everyone chipping in for the bill, plus a little extra for the chef & staff. Like a rave or an underground party, exact directions are not provided until the near last minute (you do know which the neighborhood, big plus for commuter-crazy Los Angeles) and sometimes even the menu is a surprise.

This particular event was hosted at a lovely house in Silver Lake (at an undisclosed location - ;) ) - where we dined on low tables in a very chic and artsy den/living room. I was one of the first to arrive at around 7:45 p.m., but within 15 minutes the room was packed, and my table mates and I were already chatting up a storm and sharing our bottles of wine (my petit sirah was very good with chocolately-berry-spice flavors, as were my table mates' cabernet sauvignon and tempranillo, both of which had very good cherry-berry notes and pretty soft on the tannins.) At my table was an actress, a private chef, a tour guide, professional organizer/blogger, interior designer & a sound (for films) professional/instructor - all of us found out about this through DailyCandy.

Soon the event organizer & founder of Ghetto Gourmet, Jeremy Townsend, introduced himself and the gracious hosts that opened up their home for this, as well as our entertainment for the night (a pianist that I swear has a caffeine IV underneath his jacket with his energetic playing styles - and a comic that's charismatic and slightly abrasive) and the chef behind the dinner: Anita Bergmann.
Then started the plates of pass-around appetizers: apricot-stilton grougere, which were basically savory puffs of rich cheese with a slight fruity tang and a sprinkling of chives. Almost everyone at the table, including me, went for seconds.
Second course is a endive/celery root/green apple salad in a curry vinaigrette with curry fried shrimp, which I thought tasted OK - the combination was crisp and cool and you can tell and taste the freshness of the greens, but lacks a Wow! factor (mostly attributed to the dearth of curry flavors, which my tastebuds & nostrils barely picked up.) If I'd known ahead of time the spices was going to pretty mild, I'd probably pick a less peppery red wine (or even a white). The color was a bit bland too. After we finished the salad the musician & comedian had their turns entertaining us with songs & routines, and the audience seemed to have fun - not sure if that's due to their skills or to the alchy we've all downed thus far.
Then came the main dish: Beef short ribs braised in red wine with winter veggies & herbed gnocchi - a wonderful winter dish (would be even better if the night's colder) - it was a steaming plate of comfort-food goodness: meat that barely needs a knife to fall apart, chewy pieces of dough with a tinge of flavor, and wonderful veggies that are thoroughly cooked (one of my food pet peeves: not caring for veggies to be prepared "seared-ahi" style) but not mushy. The reds we had on our table paired wonderfully with this dish.
Finishing off the menu is what Anita dubbed crispy lemon alaskas - which looks and tastes like a sweetened & crisped wonton skins, alongside lemon granita/sorbet with a dab of pepper jelly. A simple dessert, but one that was very refreshing and fun for my mouth (with the contrasting tastes and textures from the three things), and one that I'd wish I had seconds of.

Jeremy wrapped it up with some more fun and games, my table-mates and I exchanged contact info & biz cards (the private chef being interested in throwing something similar) and in the night we went - it's a little past 11 p.m. and a work day, but it was an exhiliarating and fun experience & all in all the menu was good (though the beef dish did feel out of place in the menu, considerably heavier than the other light courses). Can't wait to participate (or even volunteer -- polishing up on my foodservice skills) in another one for the upcoming months.

Ghetto Gourmet
www.theghet.com/website

for those interested, Ghetto Gourmet has a few more events going on this week before hightailing it for their next set of events at Chicago, so visit their Web site, check it out, and sign up.

P.S. - wow, this week's L.A. series of GG has sold out already - I'm told. Guess DailyCandy has a greater reach than I expected.

Special Foodventure #19: 15th Annual International Tamale Festival (Indio)

There are only a few things that would get me out to Coachella Valley - Palm Springs resorts & nearby gambling (a habit I've cut off long ago), wonderful medjool and deglet noor dates (though I can easily order that online), the Indie music fest, and of course - the International Tamale Festival - a food-crazy affair that takes up four to five city blocks & goes on all weekend long (always the first Sat-Sun in December), and one that I'm gladly driving out two hours for, in fact this is my own fourth annual trip. Of course, while there are dozens of tamale boothes about (I guesstimate 50), there are plenty of other things to check out too, including:

cheap trinkets . . .
bamboo plants . . .
even oxygen bars -- for those going to an inland rave in the night ;)

But my first stop upon arriving at 9:45 (15 minutes before the festival officially opens) is Grandma Lupe's Authentic Tamales stall - where the line is already half a block long.

And went on longer and longer as the day passes on - making this place a favorite camp-out for news crews asking people why they are waiting 3-4 hours for the tamales . . .
. . . because they're da-yum good! This stall consistently wins "best tamale" awards at the festival, and Lupe herself (the cutest little elderly woman you ever did see) only makes tamales for this event.

Fortunately, with my early arrival I waited only about 90 minutes (and had a pleasant time chatting with fellow line neighbors, listening to iPod, surfing on the BlackBerry) ~ but when I got to the front I loaded up at least dozen of those frozen suckers to bring home, as well as 2 freshly steamed ones (and I'm nowhere near the largest single purchase record of 72).

I started off with the pork tamale - fluffy moist masa with just enough red sauce and meltingly tender shredded pork with potatoes, carrots and an olive for added juiciness and flavor -- followed by the . . .
Strawberry & cream cheeese tamale - by far my favorite tamale of all time! (I don't care if it's a bastardized version) - strawberry-soaked masa with a rich creamy center ~ tastes like an insanely delicious combo of strawberry pie, cheesecake & cornbread!

As I was having my religious moment with Lupe's tamales, the next-door stall, and its respectable line, caught my attention . . .

A closer study of the Holy Guaca-moly revealed that this place's guac won awards at 15 different festival, include a "best" award from the avocado festival. Ok! I'm sold . . . but wanting I bought a to-go container to enjoy in the comfort of home, saving my stomach today (almost) strictly for tamales. When I did dive into them with my unsalted corn chips, this thick green dip did live up to its hype - great avocado flavors and buttery textures with a perfect acid touch from lemon juice & tomatoes and the slightest flavor kick from cilantro & spices. My only grievance is that it's maybe a bit too thick; I broke quite a few substantial chips trying to scoop.

But onward with my tamale quest, which brings me to . . .

The Original Shrimp Tamale, which, again tickled my curiosity . . . I like shrimp tacos, and shrimp burritos -- and quesadillas, maybe shrimp tamales will fare just as well.
Or maybe not - the tamale itself isn't bad, but having shrimp (a few measley small pieces, no less) and a somewhat spicy sauce did not endear me to this dish. But at least I gave it a try (and learned to avoid it in the future.)

My next stop? Nini's! That fabulous Whittier-based joint I discovered at the other tamale festival. And the guy recognized me. "You drove all the way out here for tamales? You must be crazy about them . . ." why, yes, yes I am--
Being too full to eat anything else but remembering how well they kept in the fridge from last time, I bought two beef tamales - yes, made with shortening - and stuffed them into my bag. If they taste anything like their porky variants from last time, I have much to look forward to.
Afterwards, I stopped by Gourmet Tamales - which was the Best Commercial Tamale winner of 2005 ~ and I couldn't figure out why. I got a sweet corn tamale to take home, it was rather grainy masa and there was no filling, so just tasted sweet & corny but otherwise a bit bland. Spreading some Holy Guaca-moly on it did improve the dish though--only if because it reminds me of the guac-laden sweet tamale cakes that Cheesecake Factory serves as appetizers (but more than filing enough to be an entree.)

Finally, my last 2 tamale stops . . .

Mecca Apostolic Church (best non-profit tamale of '05) and Indio-based Ricon Norteno Restaurant, where I got the Cheese & Chicken-Tomatillo tamales, respectively. Have yet to try but can't wait to dive into.

And of course, before actually leaving I let myself get tempted by the dessert stalls -

and the Glazed Almonds lady coerced me into buying a small bag of sweet, glazed, fragrant almonds by offering me free samples. The nerve! But really, who can say no to a healthy dose of healthy monounsaturated fats and vitamin E? (especially when it's covered in sugar, vanilla & cinnamon.)

While I wanted to make a stop at a few more stalls (namely Corn Maiden & Molly's), I had no vendor booth directory and my wallet is feeling empty & the bags full (not to mention wanting to race home to catch the Big Game!). So concludes my somewhat abridged annual journey to the Tamale Festival. But like the previous three years, I left with much preciousness - that I'll devour two at a time throughout this month.

PS - tamales here cost around $2.50 - $3 each, but even then it shouldn't cost more than $10 to fill yourself up with masa goodness!

Indio International Tamale Festival
Indio, CA
www.tamalefestival.net

Recipe Time #4: Tangerine-Vanilla Panna Cotta

A delicate but substantial dessert, panna cotta is literally "cooked cream" and is pretty simple to make, despite its fancy name. My version, tangerine-vanilla, is a little tangy (from tangerine & sour cream), a little sweet and very aromatic. Paired with a citrusy granita or sorbet, this can pretty much be a grown-up's creamsicle.

This dish should be made day/night before serving because it needs a bit of time to chill and set. And of course, the panna cotta can have a myriad of other flavors -- but I am not as adventurous as some other folks (like the good chefs at Opus and their celery seed & chive version) so I went for something classic, but still slightly jazzy.

Ingredients for about 6 servings:

~3 cups heavy whipping cream
~little over 1/2 cup sugar
~2 tsp. vanilla extract
~1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise
~little over 1 tsp. tangerine oil (available @ specialty food markets, alternatively 2 tsp. of tangerine zest will work)
~1/2 envelope (1/8 oz.) unflavored gelatin powder
~3-4 tablespoons cold water
~8 oz. sour cream
~tangerine segments (canned or fresh)

First, measure out the cream and heat in a saucepan -- stirring constantly and keeping it barely simmering during the whole time it's being "cooked." You can add the sugar & scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream before it simmers. Also, while cream is heating you can combine the gelatin & cold water in a glass to let it set.
After cream is starting to simmer, you may add the vanilla & tangerine extracts, as well as the set gelatin (below). If you want a softer panna cotta, use less gelatin. Beat fairly rapidly to blend all the ingredients thoroughly, while still keeping just a simmer.

After the cream mixture is well-blended, set aside from heat. Put sour cream in a large bowl - and slowly incorporate & whisk the cream mixture from the saucepan (I did it one ladle-full at a time.)
After fully incorporating it, give it a taste test and make adjustments as needed (mine could've used more vanilla, so I added another 1/2 tsp. in addition to my original 1 1/2.) Then ladle them into the container of your choice (ramekins, tart pans, plastic cups, glasses...)

Cover the containers and put in fridge for at least 3 hours to let the panna cotta set (overnight is optimal.) After that, this velvety, creamy delight is ready to serve! (I personally added more color to the dish with tangerine segments and a raspberry puree.)

Enjoy!

Mini Foodventure #18: Violet Restaurant (Santa Monica)

(caution: restaurant may not be definitely not as violet in real life)

I've only discovered Violet about half a year ago, and while our relationship hasn't been smooth sailing all the way -- I keep finding myself returning to this place, particularly if I'm looking for good contemporary food on the cheap. And this time is no different . . .

Launched in late 2004, Violet's exec. chef & owner Jared Simons (who you'll find often as host, showing off his well-toned, intricately tattooed biceps from his punky T-shirts,) aims to make dishes approachable for everyone and does it in an affordable manner and small plate fashion, definitely unusual for an industry that's been dishing out larger dish, bigger portions and more calories over the last half a century.

Dining on an early Wednesday evening (and still adjusting to the fact that sunlight goes *poof* by 6pm), my dining companion and I went to Violet to enjoy their 7. before 7 menu - where from Tuesdays to Thursdays they offer 7 dishes (and 2 wines) for $7 each, a discount from their normal prices of about $8-$14. Of course, true to theme & title, this offer only lasts until 7pm. So my DC and I splitted 2 of their discounted dishes, and two courses from their regular menu.

Starting things off is their Za'tar spiced fries with honey curry aioli (around $5.50) which is just as good as I remembered it from my previous trips here. Crispy shoestring fries tossed with a good dose of freshly-fried herbs (rosemary & sage are the only ones I IDed) and served with a curious tasting dip - we finished this dish off with relative ease, the guilt and exercise after is very much worth it.

Moving on to the next small plate: serrano ham slices, ramekin of chicken liver paté and garlic toasts - which was quite yummy, given how I don't care much for liver. DC enjoyed it wrapped up in the paper-thin slices of the cured serrano ham, whereas I prefer to spread it on thick on the toast slices -- followed by us eating it straight out of the ramekin (too bad for us for sending the bread back when the fries arrived.) Not a pretty sight, given how crumbly the dish was.

Somewhere in the middle of our serrano ham-garlic toast-chicken liver dish we got served our "big entree": Lake Superior whitefish in brown butter, leek fondue with baked melon - a mixed dish that evoked mixed feelings - DC thought the fish was a bit off-tasting, I thought the fish itself was fine but too much brown butter & too salty - and both of us love the leek fondue and wished there was more of it and to do away with the melon. Generally, this dish wasn't bad, but certainly not as good as we hoped - filets of well-cooked, flaky fish in a pool of warm grease.

Finishing off our dinner of small plates is a small dessert, key lime custard tart, sandwiched between orange slices - something we both enjoy for not being overly tart or sweet. Simple, creamy goodness.

And of course, in the Violet tradition, our bill (about $31 total for all the dishes & 2 cups of coffee) was served up with cute little shot glasses of milk and chewy, warm chocolate chip mini cookies - which could've came from the Trader Joe's across the street for all I know, but an appreciated lil' something extra, nonetheless.

So concludes my Violet experience, which went pretty much as I expected, overall good with a mixture of perfect hits and near-misses. Can't wait to return with my camera for some great pics. (for those looking for a deal, Violet's also offer a 3-course Sunday dinner for $25 - have yet to try myself, however.)

Violet Restaurant

3221 Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica

310-453-9113

www.violetrestaurant.com