'God in a Cup' winner

Sorry for the delay in announcing, meant to post on Friday but got distracted by too many things (including a Vegas foodventure that mostly gone awry, more on that later).

And so, the randomly-drawn winner of the 'God in a Cup' book giveaway is...

Loving Annie of the Travel Treasures blog!

Annie, when you have time - please email me when you have time and we can coordinate the pass off.

Thanks for playing everyone, hopefully there'll be more giveaways soon so keep an eye out.

Recipe Time #15: Cranberry-Orange Rice Krispie Treats

A elegant spin from the childhood favorite, these are cheap and fast to prepare (under 20 minutes) and great if you're contributing sweets to a potluck.

Ingredients to make about 16-24 rectangles:
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted
10 oz. marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies cereal
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. orange oil (can substitute with extract or zest, but may need adjusting with quantity)
6 oz. dried cranberries

1. In a saucer over stovetop or in a giant bowl for microwaving, combine marshmallows and butter; heat (if using microwave method, watch out for the puffing of the 'mallows).
2. Once the marshmallows are melted and soft, mix in vanilla extract and orange oil
3. Alternately incorporate rice krispies cereal and dried cranberries one third at a time.
4. Spoon out into a 9 x 13 baking dish and press it into even thickness; allow it cool and cut and serve when ready.

Mini Foodventure #91: Joe's Restaurant (Venice)

A missed connection last week quickly turned into a brunch at Joe's Restaurant, a Cal-French eat on Abbot Kinney I've been meaning to try for well before its slew of rave reviews from the critics since '07, though have always been distracted by Jin Patisserie or 3 Square in the past. After finding out that my morning meeting in Venice got re-scheduled, I seized the moment and took an hour walk along the beach and Abbot Kinney before plopping myself at Joe's right when they opened.

The brunch is slightly pricier than what I would normally pay, but it is a two-course affair and bread service too so worth the extra price - with a homemade strawberry-rhubarb compote and banana-walnut bread that really hits the spot.

The starter I chose was a seasonal fruit plate with a honey yogurt sauce. Rather than the long-lasting and overdone melons and pineapples, I got a pretty and tasty plate of apples, citrus and berries. The yogurt had just a tinge of honey but worked well with the fruits.

Then came the main: pork belly confit, Shaner Farms organic eggs on top of brioche, tomato-bacon jam and a side of avocado mousse. I can already tell when this was served that it was going to be a treat, and that it was. The belly, with it's stratified layers of muscle and fat, was a wonderful combination of richness and meatiness (though towards the end was a little too fatty for me). The mousse was light yet buttery, and the tomato-bacon jam reminded me of a smoky, sweet barbecue sauce. But what really made this dish were those luscious suny-side-up eggs, totally like ones I read about in the Omnivore's Dilemma, these were vibrantly colorful and equally tasty, spreading across my tongue like rich luscious silk. These are eggs a hen (and the farmers) would be proud of producing!

Consideraby less successful was the cocktail I ordered, Lady Stardust made with Grey Goose La Poire vodka, citrus and bubbles. I was wondering whether the fizz came from soda water or sparkling wine but that turned out to be a moot point since there were no bubbles at all. Nonetheless, I could've overlooked that since the drink was pretty light regardless, but it also tasted pretty gnarly, like I'm drinking juicy fruit gum. Maybe the pear and citrus combo just doesn't work that well, and so I'll add a corollary to the "you can't compare apples to oranges" saying: you probably shouldn't mix them together either.

The drink aside, this little meal was surely a hit. $11-18 for brunch isn't bad considering I've paid more (and tasted worse) for brunch before (the $10-12 cocktail is another story...) But in short, I can't wait to return again to try their other brunch specialties (the Maine peeky-toe crab hash and their house granola with spiced milk sounds intriguing) or for dinner.

What Do Others Say?
Food Destination thought it was nice, but lacked the finesse to be a Michelin-starred
Triplecreme called the greatest lunch deal in town (something I can never make unless I take a weekday off)
The Delicious Life had it on the "Dine: Again and Again" list
KevinEats thought it provided great food in a casual setting, but like me, didn't care for the cocktail
Jonah from LA.Foodblogging consider Joe's one of his favorite spots

Joe's Restaurant
1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice
(310) 399-5811‎
www.joesrestaurant.com

Coffee Talk with Author of "God in a Cup" and Book Giveaway!

One of funnest aspects of being a food and drink blogger is all the doors that have opened and the people I am able to connect with, and all the wonderful conversation we can carry on and the things we can learn from each other. Case in point, my brunch and discussion last week with Michaele (pronounced "Michael") Weissman, author of "God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee," a wonderful book about specialty coffee owners (think Intelligensia, LA Mill, etc.) and their quest to find that flawless brew -- whether it means traveling to isolated villages in Africa and Central America to negotiate with directly with farmers, holding cupping ceremonies for hours at a stretch to evaluate 60+ samples for the best brew and, of course, getting the best equipment (yes, the Clover machine was mentioned) to extract the purest flavors.

Being a daily caffeine addict and an enthusiast of good coffee in general, it was great to talk to Michaele about coffee culture, trends she has seen and coffee-related travels she's experienced (her drinkventures make mine look paler than an espresso-free latte). And of course, I am thankful to her and her publicist (a similarly named Michael Weisberg -- yes, I was confuzzled a bit in my correspondence) for generously providing me with a copy of the book (a gift I will pass along, see end of post). Here's some of the highlights of our discussion:

Given the focus of my blog, we started off talking about local coffee culture, to which she replied that, "I think L.A.'s coffee culture is fascinating, like the cuisine, it's always putting on new hats, happily explorative and very image-oriented," noting how that's reflected not only in the drinks themselves but the design and aesthetics of the coffee houses and even in how the employees and regulars project themselves (I particularly loved the skinny, androgynous hipster image that she painted of the typical indie Angeleno barista and clientele). She also loved Los Angeles' low-rise retail scene, and independent coffee shops fit beautifully into the boutique, boho-chic atmosphere in neighborhoods such as Venice and Silver Lake, where the populace is sophisticated with their tastebuds but casual with their vibe.

What specialty coffee purveyors are looking for: "There's over 60 countries circling the equator that coffee can grow in, so that are many relatively unexplored regions that can yield really wonderful coffee such as Peru, Rwanda and Burundi and even Indonesia" And Michaele notes that while the coffee buyers are definitely keeping an eye out for the next Hacienda la Esmeralda, they are mostly looking for farms that consistently produces high-quality beans to sell directly or incorporate into their blends.

Speaking of coffees like the Hacienda (which fetches $150 a pound, or $22 for a 16 oz. cup at the local Intelligentsia), what gives?: Michaele notes the high prices are due to a combination of factors, from the high quality of the beans (in cupping competitions/ceremonies it consistently holds an unheard of mid-90s out of a 100), the limited quantity produced due to size of the farms, a dash of good marketing, and ultimately -- supply and demand as specialty coffee buyers auction bid to snap up the best of the best.

What does she see in the future for coffee?: Michaele notes that with the current economy the specialty coffee sector will definitely be challenging, but hopes the three companies she profiled and followed in her book (Intelligentsia, Stumptown and Counter Culture) weathers it through. As for further down the line, she really hopes that the restaurant market picks up on the craft of serving fine coffees at restaurants as well. "Too often, coffee is an afterthought at eateries, and that's a pity." She's not necessarily advocating for coffee-paired menus or even a selection of brewed coffees, but that the coffees are least serve with the same care as other beverages. Just like one wouldn't let a wine sit out in the open air, one shouldn't have coffee continually burning and losing flavors in the auto-drip maker.

And for making good coffee at home, her advice rang loud and clear: "Get rid of that automatic coffee maker and invest in a good bean grinder instead!" noting that auto-drips usually don't get the water hot enough and that the burner plate, obviously, ruins the coffee flavors; with a cheapy manual coffee maker that costs as little as $6, you have much better control of the water temperature and the extraction process -- yielding a better cup. As for bean grinders, lower-quality ones tend to be inconsistent, making some grounds that are too coarse and fine that consequently gets under- and over-extracted and again, producing off-flavors in the final brew. Other tips are pretty obvious, such as using beans and especially grounds quickly and buying from a quality source. Finally, Michaele notes (and I agree) that one doesn't have to spend a lot for good coffee, specialty purveyors sell great-tasting blends and even single-origins at around $12-15 a pound, which is comparable to what the national chains are selling at.

And so, as we finished the last of our German apple pancakes and weisswurst at 3 Square Café (along with a cup of deep, smoky Meinl coffee from Austria), I asked her for a must-try coffee in L.A. After a few feeler questions to see what I like in food and drinks, she pointed me to try the Clover-brewed Esmeralda at L.A. Mill ~ so after dropping her at the airport, that's exactly what I did.

A little more learned and a lot more curious and aware of the nuances, I definitely enjoyed this $5 cup. Very smooth and citrusy, a little floral and almost tea-like in bouquet and a rounded body, and definitely none of that burnt, bitter, super-acid taste of the standard office (and even sub-par diner) coffees. A beautiful brew indeed.

"God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee" is out and available right now at all the major bookstores -- great for the coffee-lover in you or any that you know. To find out more about her coffee adventures, check out her God in a Cup of Coffee blog here.

And also, I also have one gently-read, signed copy to give away! If you are interested in receiving it, leave a comment and I'll draw a name / spin a carrot / roll a D&D die around noon Pacific Time Thursday, December 18.

Friday Quickies #40: Breadbar events, food trends for '09 and critics go cheap

I must be psychic, hitting up two '09 trends in one meal with brunch at Joe's

Breadbars are at it with fun food events: Tomorrow the Santa Monica Blvd. location will do A(nother) Chocolate Tasting with master chocolatier Patricia Tsai providing a tasty seminar on chocolate's history, the processing it goes through to turn the cacao beans into luscious edibles and things to look for in quality chocolate. Of course, it'll come with plenty of samples, tastings and other sweet treats (more deets from FoodGPS here). $30 a person from 6-8 p.m. And then next week the Third Street outpost is collaborating with Adam Sobel, former chef de cuisine at Vegas' Guy Savoy, for their CRUSH event, featuring refined street cuisine using seasonal foods. The $55 five course menu feature items such as liquid-center potato gnocchi with fontina and chanterelles; marinated nantucket bay scallops with young coconut and kaffir lime vodka and "stoner sandwich" with warm belgium waffle, nutella and pistachio gelato. RSVPs are needed for both events either by email at events@breadbar.net or phone at the respective Breadbars (Chocolate tasting at Century City: 310.277.3770; CRUSH at West Third: 310.205.0124

End of year means everyone's predicting 2009 food trends: Most of the food news sites seem to link to Epicurious / Bon Appetit and Hotels prediction lists. The long and short is, due to the economy, expect lots of scaled-back comfort foods (read: homestyle meals on the cheap) and that reflects throughout from peanut butter as *the* ingredient of '09 (bummers to all those allergic to it) to noodle bars being the new sushi joints (no surprise, $10 or less for a big bowl of pasta and soup vs. two pieces of nigiri . . .) and breakfast all-the-time. Personally, I expect small plates dining, which can be economical and healthful, to hang around -- as well as a resurgence in beer at bars and in restaurants, and more folks being more adventurous and value-savvy overall (cava and prosecco instead of champagne, for example). Also hope that this means chefs are getting innovative in turning out delicious, creative dishes w/o having to rely on gourmet labels as selling points; name-dropping wagyu, foie gras and truffles are nice and dandy, but for me they aren't as big a selling point as how foods are combined / prepared / seasoned and where they came from.

And speaking of economical dining: the critics definitely took their readers' diminishing discretionary income to heart. LA Weekly's J Gold hit the streets of South El Monte and dined on the cheap, comforting beef noodle soup at seven pho shops. LAT's S. Irene hit up Robata-ya in Santa Monica. Not necessarily cheap for stuff on skewers, but definitely more easy on the wallet compared to the places she usually reviews; a ten-skewer omakase is only $25.

Finally and only tangentially food related, RIP to NPR's 'Day to Day" and "News & Notes" -- both produced from their West Coast outlet in Culver City and got the axe in the latest round of cutbacks (earlier this year they eliminated the "Bryant Park Project", another one of my faves.) Both programs have done pretty good food-related segments, a notable one recently included a segment with Noah from Man Bites World during his Afghanistan day. *sigh*