July 6, 2009

Mozza 2Go!

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.comSince our very first visit to Pizzeria Mozza (Christmas Eve 2006), Peter and I have continuously wished for two things: That Mozza would offer a Pizza-to-go / Delivery service, and that Nancy Silverton would make a pizza with chicken liver, guanciale and burrata. If you love Mozza’s Chicken Liver Bruschetta, then you’d understand how amazing this dream pie could be.

Last Thursday, when I learned (via @Foodwoolf on Twitter) that “Mozza 2Go” was OPEN, I immediately texted my husband and wrote, “DO NOT MAKE PLANS TOMORROW!” 

Peter had Friday off from work, and up to that moment, we had no actual plans for the 3rd of July. I searched online to find an opening time for Mozza 2Go, but the closest thing to actual hours listed (at that time) was an Eater LA article stating that, “the first order accepted at noon and the last order at 11:00 pm”.

Thinking there would be a line around the block (hey, it’s Mozza after all!), I told Peter we should plan on getting there by 10:30 AM. I figured we could order a pie, eat it there and then do some shopping at the Grove afterwards. There’s a Mac Store at the Grove… and Peter was obsessed about getting his new iPhone. All I wanted was to check out the new Mozza 2Go. It was a “win win” situation for sure.

By 10:45 am, the only people visible at Mozza 2Go were locksmiths working on the doors to the Scuola di Pizza (Pizza School) next door. I took several photographs of the exterior and called the Mozza 2Go phone number. The lovely voice on the recording noted that they were open Tuesday through Sunday, and that the phone lines opened at 11:00 am, with the first order availalable at noon. The message also said to check the Mozza2Go.com website for more details, but as of that morning (Friday July 3rd), the site was not yet online (Peter kept checking with his old iPhone).

So, we waited. “Mozza Groupies”, just the two of us. I kept calling the number and got the same recording… over and over again. At 11:30, we (meaning Peter) decided we should drive to the Grove and come back afterwards. My iPhone-obsessed husband traipsed off to the Mac store, while I impatiently shopped at World Market and Sur La Table (both stores are near the parking lot).

At about one o’clock we finally got back in the car (Peter flying high from his 3Gs iPhone purchase), and drove back to Highland and Melrose. The sidewalk was still empty, but Mozza 2Go was finally OPEN! Yes, some wishes do come true!

No crowds yet, just us and another couple waiting to order pizza. For some reason (hunger?) I thought we could order a pizza and have the choice of either eating there or taking it home, but of course it’s called “Mozza 2Go”! After a quick look around (they sell the chicken liver AND the Budino to go!), we decided to try to get a table at Pizzeria Mozza around the corner. Having skipped breakfast, we were both, by then, famished and a little cranky (at least I was, Peter was playing with his shiny new toy). 

During the end of our lunch at Pizzeria Mozza (photos & link below), Peter called Mozza 2GO and ordered a Fennel Sausage Pizza for us to pick up afterwards. We figured we may as well try the 2Go service since we were there, and heck… we never get sick of Mozza!

When we got back to Mozza 2Go, I was curious about the Pizza School next door. “Where do I sign up?” was the first question out of my mouth, but it turns out it’s for private events only, with a max of 45 “students” per class. A press release was recently sent out that noted, “In addition to pizza training the Scuola will be home to a variety of cooking demos, wine tastings and other culinary exploits”. I asked about the cost for a private pizza class (with 44 of my nearest and dearest), but no one had any answers yet. My birthday isn’t until March, so there’s plenty of time for Peter to sort that out.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
 Mozza 2Go Entrance / Awning

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Scuola di Pizza front window (to the left of Mozza 2Go).

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Mozza 2Go Entrance.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Imported goodies for sale.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
That’s Butterscotch Budino on the top right shelf!

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Mozza 2Go Menu.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Butterscotch Budino to GO! Make sure you get the Rosemary Pinenut Cookie with it.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Monini Olive Oil used in the Mozza kitchens. (Nancy participates in this olive oil coop in Italy).

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Counter goodies. (Partial of Nancy Silverton) 

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Peter paying for our treats.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
At the counter.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Scuola di Pizza (Pizza School) next to Mozza 2Go.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Looking from Mozza 2Go into Scuola di Pizza.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Pizza boxes on the shelves at Scuola di Pizza.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Our pizza (Fennel Sausage, Panna, Red Onion $15) outside of Mozza 2Go.

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
I love Nancy’s signature on the pizza box sticker! (Yes, I saved it)

Mozza 2 Go, MyLastBite.com
Fennel Sausage, Panna, Red Onion Mozza 2Go Pizza –
PERFECT 
at home!

Mozza 2Go
Scuola di Pizza

6610 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323 297 1130

Website

Hours: 12pm – 11pm
Closed Monday
Free 15 minute parking for take out orders available behind Mozza 2 Go.

Dining date: July 3, 2009

All Mozza 2Go Photos on Flickr

Mentioned above:

Lunch at Pizzeria Mozza

@Foodwoolf

Eater LA

The Grove

World Market

Sur la Table

iPhone

July 5, 2009

Pizzeria Mozza – 7/03/09

Pizzeria Mozza, MyLastBite.comWhile waiting for the new Mozza 2 Go to open last Friday, my husband Peter and I decided to get some lunch at Pizzeria Mozza, which is right around the corner. We’ve never gone to Mozza just for the pizza, although they certainly do make our favorite pies in town.

If you were to ask us separately, what our favorite pizza was at Mozza, there is no doubt we would both say, “Chicken liver and Guanciale”. It doesn’t actually exist, but we pretend like it does by each ordering our own serving of Bruschetta with Chicken Livers, Capers, Parsley & Guanciale (three pieces each). It’s the one dish that Peter and I always crave, so whenever we sit down for a bite at the pizzeria, we treat the chicken liver on bruschetta like the “main course”, then split a pizza “on the side”.

I want to note here that the bread that comes with the chicken liver is beautiful. The bruschetta is warm, crispy and is a sturdy vehicle for the creamy chicken liver. I have no complaints about the bread, but I just think the chicken liver mixture would be stellar on Mozza’s light and airy pizza crust. The dough could be cooked with just a little olive oil in the wood-burning oven, then topped with chicken liver, guanciale and burrata while still warm. 

This brilliant idea of ours hasn’t made it on the menu yet, even though we hint anytime we see Nancy at a food festival or at the restaurant. I was thrilled to learn that Mozza 2 Go will be selling their chicken liver for take-out as well, so you can bet I’ll be having some fun whipping up my dreamy concoction at home!

The pizza (that we shared) on this visit was a luscious Egg, Bacon, Yukon gold Potato & Bermuda Onion Pizza. We also each had a quartino of Bastianich Tocai Friulano wine, and it was a perfect start to the holiday weekend.

Pizzeria Mozza, MyLastBite.com
Bruschette: Chicken Livers, Capers, Parsley & Guanciale

Pizzeria Mozza, MyLastBite.com
Egg, Bacon, Yukon gold Potato & Bermuda Onion Pizza, Photo 1

Pizzeria Mozza, MyLastBite.com
Photo 2

Pizzeria Mozza, MyLastBite.com
Photo 3

Pizzeria Mozza
641 N. Highland Ave. Los Angeles,
California 90036
(323) 297-0101
mozza-la.com

Dining date: July 3, 2009

Mozza 2 Go (my first visit)

Bastianich Tocai Friulano

Mozza 2 Go (website)

About Guanciale

July 2, 2009

4th of July Recipe – Bacon Wrapped Baby Potatoes

Bacon-Wrapped Baby Potato by MyLastBite.com

These bacon wrapped baby potatoes are an easy side dish that I make over and over again, simply because they’re requested over and over again! A tasty and comforting addition to any Fourth of July get-together. Enjoy!

The Recipe:

4 lbs. of baby potatoes, washed & patted dry

1 pack of regular bacon (not thick)

1 package of fried, crispy onion bits: the kind you find in the produce section (optional)

1 tablespoon of chives (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

Toothpicks. Soak in water first to prevent burning.

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.

Depending on the size of the potato, cut and wrap the bacon around the potatoes and secure with a toothpick.

Place potatoes in a baking dish and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and bacon is cooked to your liking.

Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

Optional: Top with fried crispy onion bits, chives and sour cream.

 

Note: This is was originally posted on 12/3/08

Recipe adapted from Australian About.com

June 29, 2009

Use Twitter For Inexpensive Marketing

This morning on Twitter, @ZagatBuzz posted a link to an article on the Boston Globe titled, “Restaurants using Twitter for cheap, effective marketing”. Of course I instantly retweeted (if you’re unfamiliar with Twitter, that just means I resent it to my followers), and also decided to add the link here on MyLastBite.

Over the past few months I’ve been urging my chef and restaurant pals to get on Twitter because as the article notes below, it’s “INSTANT AND FREE MARKETING” (it’s also faster and more effective than Facebook). For food writers and frequent restaurant goers like myself, Twitter is the information portal of the moment. Hey, even Michael Jackson’s death was reported there first (via @HarveyLevinTMZ ).

From the Boston Globe article, Devra J. First writes:
“What can you do with 140 characters or less, the length of each tweet? A lot, restaurants are discovering – everything from posting daily specials to luring followers with offers of free appetizers to offering a glimpse of kitchen life. It’s all good for business. It’s instant and free marketing,’’ said Chris Barr, a manager at L’Espalier, which joined Twitter this month.

Most of the people I follow on Twitter are food photographers, food writers and fellow bloggers, but more and more of my favorite chefs and restaurants (from California to New York and beyond) are realizing the power of “tweeting”. 

Recently, I started compiling a list of chefs and restaurants on Twitter and have been posting them on a new blog called, “Chefs Who Tweet”. The project is just in the beginning stages and I’ve been happily overwhelmed with “add me” requests, especially in the past week. It’s exciting and I’m so glad to share it with my friends and readers.

Needless to say, if you’re not on Twitter yet, and have something to market or promote, you’re missing out on a great opportunity. If the problem is that you don’t understand or “get” Twitter, then check out this short video clip called  “Twitter in Plain English”.

More about Chefs Who Tweet

Full Boston Globe Article

@GlobeDevraFirst

About Twitter

@ZagatBuzz

@HarveyLevinTMZ

L’Espalier Restaurant

June 23, 2009

Gangadin Indian – Lunch

I love when my ex-husband comes to town, because it’s always a fun afternoon of catching up and eating really good food. Perry flies a private jet for a company in San Diego, and on occasion he and his co-pilot have just enough layover time for lunch in L.A. 

Perry and I were married almost 22 years ago and I think it’s pretty amazing that we remained friends after divorcing. When I met my husband Peter (in ‘94), he liked my ex so much that he insisted on inviting him to our first Thanksgiving dinner. And when my nephew Cody graduated from High School two years ago, Perry and his wife Karen came to celebrate at my sister’s house. We’ve got quite the special extended family and I’m so grateful for it.

When I look back at the years I spent with with my ex, there is only one MAJOR regret that still, to this day, annoys me. Even though he was (and is still) one of the best cooks I’ve ever known, there were times when I didn’t let myself enjoy his food. Back then I was a foolish twenty-something dieting fanatic and would COMPLAIN when he spent hours in the kitchen cooking dinner for me.

On some days I’d choose dexatrim and diet coke over his slow-cooked curries. And when I think about all the times I passed on his crispy deep-fried spicy potatoes or his home-made sausage, I want to go back in time and slap myself silly. Perry not only mastered Indian recipes, but he also whipped up platters of Indonesian, Japanese, Chinese, Greek and South African delights. His kitchen was an absolute foodie paradise.

When he called last month about getting together for lunch (with his co-pilot in tow), I suggested we meet at my favorite Indian restaurant, Gangadin. I’ve been going there for years, but hadn’t tried the traditional Tiffin Service lunch specials yet (photos below).

These lunches start at just $8.95 and come with five items served on a traditional tiffin tray. Besides your main course, you also get a side of daal (split lentils cooked with spices and creamy sauce), salad, raita (yogurt and cucumber) and basmati rice, all served on cute, metal dishes and trays!

It’s always fun reminiscing with old friends and family, and it’s even better sitting around a table of spicy goodness (at least for me). I don’t think I’ll ever redeem myself for those non-eating-dieting years way back when, but you can bet that nowadays I finish every last bite.

Gangadin Indian, MyLastBite.com
Chicken Tikka Boneless juicy chicken marinated in homemade yogurt, spices and grilled in an authentic Tandoor oven.

Gangadin Indian, MyLastBite.com
Chicken Korma Tender pieces of marinated chicken with spices, onions, yogurt, and assorted nuts.

Gangadin Indian, MyLastBite.com
Aloo Gobhi Cauliflower and potatoes sautéed with tomatoes, ginger and special ground spices. This is SO SPICY and comforting at the same time.

Gangadin Indian, MyLastBite.com
Keema Samosas Indian pastry stuffed with mildly spiced lamb. (ordered separately)

Gangadin Indian, MyLastBite.com
Garlic Naan garnished with freshly chopped garlic and baked in the 900 degree Tandoor. (ordered separately)

Gangadin Restaurant
12067 Ventura Place
Studio City Ca 91604
818-509-0722
WebSite

Dining date May 11, 2009

More about Perry on “About” page.

My awesome husband, Peter!

Gangadin’s 900 Degree Oven

Gangadin on Urbanspoon

June 20, 2009

Taste of the Nation 2009

TasteBanner1

What exactly is Taste of the Nation?

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite“Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation Los Angeles is one of 55 events across America dedicated to ending hunger in America. Each summer, LA’s hottest chefs and mixologists donate their time, talent and passion at the Taste of the Nation event at Media Park in Culver City to raise the critical funds needed to end childhood hunger by supporting our local recipients.” more info

Tickets cost $125 this year. Where does the money go?

“In Los Angeles, 100% of ticket sales will be divided among five charities that are working to end hunger. Among them are Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness.” more info

Was it worth it?

ABSOLUTELY. Besides supporting the wonderful cause, we got to eat some delicious samples from some of L.A.’s top dining spots including (to name a few): Akasha, Angeli Caffe, Animal, The Bazaar, Beso, BLT, Church & State, Craft, Fig, Ford’s Filling Station, Fraiche/Riva, Gelato Bar, Grace/BLD, Jar, Katsuya, Mozza, Rivera, XIV Michael Mina and more!

If you missed it this year, please enjoy these photos… and definitely think about joining the fun in 2010.

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite
The first booth at Taste of the Nation? My pals at the Bazaar!

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
The Bazaar’s Jamon Iberico

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite
The Bazaar’s Felix Meana next to the Liquid Nitrogen!

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite
Lucas Paya making the Nitro Margarita with Salt Air

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite
Nitro Margaritas with Salt Air

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite
Tomatos with Liquid Mozzerella Pipettes, Liquid Olives “Ferran Adria”

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite
The Bazaar’s Chef Jorge Chicas

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite
First row of restaurants at Taste of the Nation

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Ford’s Filling Station’s Booth

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Ford’s Filling Station’s Meyer Angus Beef Sliders with Hook Cheddar Cheese

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Confit Duck with Farro and Cherry by Fig Restaurant

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Locanda Del Lago’s Vitello Tonnato: Roasted and Sliced Veal Tenderloin in Creamy Tuna-Caper Aioli

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite
The always cheerful Chef Walter Manzke (Church at State) with his awesome PIG burgers!!

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Rivera’s BEAUTIFUL Tortillas Florales with Verde Shrimp Salsa by Chef John Sedlar

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
On the grill: Rivera’s Tortillas Florales

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Katsuya’s deep-fried roll of Tuna & Foie Gras with micro greens

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Katsuya’s Tuna Chirashi

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
XIV – Michael Mina’s Sweet Corn Soup (with pork belly)

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Craft’s CRISPY Pork Belly with Summer Corn and Tomato Medley

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Nobu’s Famous Miso Marinated Black Cod with Butter Lettuce

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Lobster with Caviar and Potato Gaufrettes

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Simon LA’s Ahi Tuna with Fava Bean Puree and Tomato Olive sauce

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Gelato Bar’s Allessandro Fontana, Gail Silverton and Joel Gutman (love the Lemon-Basil)

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Akasha Restaurant’s Meyer’s Hanger Steak, Mcgrath Farms Red Butter Lettuce, Heirloom Tomato, Mustard Oil, Shaft Blue Cheese Bacon Dressing

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Chef Akasha Richmond of Akasha Restaurant.

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Jar’s Chef Suzanne Tracht (currently on Top Chef Masters) : Roasted Pork Belly with watermelon salad

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Jar’s Crispy Roasted Pork Belly

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Animal’s Amberjack, Nectarine, Jalapeno, Citrus and Mint

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
My favorite dessert in Los Angeles! Mozza’s Butterscotch Budino (with the rosemary pinenut cookie on the side). It’s sweet, it’s salty and the cookie crunch make it perfection!

Taste of the Nation '09, MyLastBite.com
Mozza’s Nancy Silverton in photo.

Event Date: Sunday June 14, 2009

Share Our Strength / Taste of the Nation

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness

Suzanne Tracht on Top Chef Masters

Akasha  |  Angeli Caffe  |  Animal  |  Bazaar

Beso  |  BLT  |  Church & State (website error)

Craft  |  Fig  |  Ford’s Filling Station

Fraiche  |  Gelato Bar  |  Grace  |  Jar

Katsuya  |  Mozza  |  Rivera  |  XIV Michael Mina

All my Taste of the Nation ‘09 Photos on Flickr

June 16, 2009

ChefsWhoTweet.com

I love Twitter. It’s where I currently get the majority of my restaurant, food and chef news. My first two reads of the morning are my blog and news subscriptions via Google Reader and Twitter (links below). 

One frustration I’ve been dealing with though, is trying to find out which chefs and restaurants are actually using Twitter. Many I’ve found by randomly searching names (like Babbo in NY), but most were accidental finds (like Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea).

twitchefIconSmOne of my favorite L.A. chef tweeters is Akasha Richmond. I wish all chefs and restaurants would embrace Twitter as well as Akasha does. Her messages are always about what she’s cooking that day, or what ingredients she’s just found at the farmer’s market. For example, her latest tweet from today:

“OMG Weiser melons at Santa monica market, so many types, very excited alex is choosing for me (image)

Maybe that doesn’t seem very exciting to you, but as an avid restaurant goer it really makes me feel more connected to the chef, as well as the food. A quick text message via Chef Akasha’s phone to Twitter probably took less than 30 seconds to send. It’s a once-a-day brilliant (and cheap) marketing plan really.

On the other side of the pond, St. John Restaurant  in London (home of the famous Fergus Henderson) usually tweets a photo of the day’s menu specials. How fantastic is that for a food-obsessed fan like me?

San Francisco Chef Chris Cosentino uploads photos of plated dishes from the kitchen of his restaurant, Incanto: Local halibut, summer squash, cockles & dragoncello salsa (image)”

And let’s not forget Kogi. The popular taco truck used Twitter to revolutionize the way feeders reach out to their hungry eaters. I used to love reading the Kogi tweets via text on my cell phone (late at night in bed) when they first started using Twitter. Such a simple idea that continues to grow.

“Chefs Who Tweet” is simply a list of chefs and restaurants that use Twitter. I started the list primarily for myself but figured others would find it helpful too.

Please note: This is an ongoing project, and currently I’m adding users by city (LA, NY, Chicago, etc). Future categories will include: Celebrity Chefs, James Beard Award Winners, Young Guns (under 30), Masters, Food Bloggers and more. 

I also plan to breakdown the categories within each city: Fine Dining, Casual, Fast Food, Bars, Specialty, Caterers, etc.

Please feel free to forward any tweeting chefs or restaurants not yet on the list.

Email the following:
1. Restaurant Name & Location
2. Restaurant Website
3. Chef’s Full Name (if you know it)
3. Twitter @ username

Email to TwitterChefs@gmail.com or add to comments on this page

ChefsWhoTweet (the official site)

@ChefsWhoTweet (on Twitter)

MyLastBite on Twitter @MyLastBite

Mentioned Above:

Twitter – Getting Started

Google Reader – About

@AkashaRichmond

Akasha Restaurant (official site)

@BabboRistorante

Babbo (official site)

@sjRestaurant

St John Restaurant (official site)

@KogiBBQ

Kogi (official site)

@Gachatz  (Chef Grant Achatz)

Alinea (Grant Achatz Chicago Restaurant)

@OffalChirs  (Chef Chris Costentino)

Cosentino’s Restaurant Incanto

June 9, 2009

Nobu

Nobu LA, MyLastBite.comPeter and I haven’t been to Nobu IN YEARS, but we used to love going to Matsuhisa (also in the Nobu family) on dates when we first met. As a matter of fact, it was in Matsuhisa’s dining room where my sweet husband proposed to me back in 1994.

While reading a recent issue of Bon Appetit magazine, I was pleasantly surprised to read that Nobu (in Los Angeles) was on a list of America’s Top 10 Sushi Spots. 

Bon Ap’s Andrew Knowlton wrote:

“Twenty-two years after he launched a raw-fish revolution with his restaurant Matsuhisa, pioneering chef Nobu returns to America’s capital of sushi and opens another branch of his empire. Expect all the trademarks—Hollywood A-listers, cutting-edge design, and signature dishes, including yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño, black cod with miso, and rock shrimp tempura with butter ponzu.”

We had a wonderful evening rediscovering why we fell in love with Nobu’s food (way back when), and also reminisced about those precious date nights too!

Nobu LA, MyLastBite.com
Nobu sign (in front), Shishito Peppers and Edamame.

Nobu LA, MyLastBite.com
Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno.

Nobu LA, MyLastBite.com
The famous Miso Glazed Black Cod with hajikami. (I still LOVE this)

Nobu LA, MyLastBite.com
Rib-eye with crispy onion, Lobster Inaniwa salad with spicy lemon dressing.

Nobu LA, MyLastBite.com
Rock Shrimp Tempura w/ Spicy Aioli and Salmon with Yuzu and Sesame.

Nobu
Website
903 North La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90069

(310) 657-5711

Bon Appetit’s Favorite Sushi Spots

Nobu LA, MyLastBite.com
The ever-present TMZ out front of the restaurant!

Paparazzi at Nobu (identities protected) just like TMZ!
Identities protected (thanks Peter!)

Dining date: 3/19/09

Nobu on Urbanspoon

June 3, 2009

Gourmet Institute (save the date)!

The official dates for the 2009 GOURMET INSTITUTE event in NYC.

SAVE THE DATES: October 23-25, 2009.

Peter and I had a great time when we went, especially mingling with the likes of Eric Ripert and the great Mario Batali!

Peter & Ripert, MyLastBite.com  With Mario Batali, MyLastBite.com

Check out the promo video from last year. I was totally surprised to see myself and Peter featured on the video! Actually, him more than me… I’m standing behind him (tipsy from wine tasting!) when he’s speaking on camera.

Promo Video

Gourmet Institute

I’m definitely going again this year!

May 31, 2009

Chimichurri “Air” – Adventures in Molecular Cooking [7]

After learning the simple recipe for making flavored “air” at Molecular Gastronomy Class, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to aerate first. Multiple visits to the the Bazaar by José Andrés had me familiar with Bar Centro’s “salt air” topped margaritas, and my favorite “new way” martini with spherified (Ferran Adria) olive is topped with a tangy brine “air”. 

Peter and I love grilling flatiron steak, and I make homemade chimichurri sauce at least once a week. But in our house it’s not just for beef. We also add it to eggs, quesadillas, pastas, and even tuna salad.

Chimichurri "Air" photo 10 by MyLastBite.comTo make the “air”, there are actually only two ingredients needed: some sort of liquid and the lecite (aka lecithin), a natural soy-based emulsifier (links below).

Traditional chimichurri is usually made with two liquids: olive oil and acids, usually limes or vinegar. To make my chimichurri air, I left OUT the olive oil and just drizzled the oil on the steak directly, BEFORE adding the “air” on top.

I like my chimichurri REALLY spicy and wasn’t sure the heat would remain after straining and aerating, but it did. The light (and well, airy) texture was a refreshing change from the standard sauce. 

I certainly don’t plan on going crazy with the lecite (although I do think a Heinz 57 “air” would be an awesome return to my childhood). To me, it’s simply about learning yet another delicious (and fun!) cooking technique at home.

My Recipe for Chimichurri Air:

Chimichurri "Air" photo 2 by MyLastBite.com9 oz liquified chimichurri sauce (recipe follows)
1.5 g lecithin (aka lecite), food grade
Olive oil (to drizzle on steak) 

To make the chimichurri sauce:
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 medium jalapeno chilies (or more if you like it spicy)
8 oz of fresh lime juice or red wine vinegar
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
Fleur de sel (or sea salt) 

Place all ingredients in a mini-chop or food processor and blend until liquified.

Chimichurri "Air" photo 3 by MyLastBite.comMeasure 9 oz of liquid (add vinegar or water if needed). 

Then pour the liquid through a fine strainer to remove any large pieces.

Make sure it’s 9 oz of liquid to 1.5 g lecithin (again, add vinegar or water if needed).

Place the chimichurri sauce and lecite into a large bowl and blend with a stick-blender until foaming. Note: I have a large, plastic container that I use for this. It can get pretty messy in a standard bowl, so wear an apron!

Chimichurri "Air" photo 9 by MyLastBite.comPrepare the steak:
Grill steak to desired doneness and let meat rest for at least ten minutes.

Cut and plate then drizzle olive oil directly on steak.

Add salt then scoop out whipped “air” from bowl and gently place on meat.

If the “air” becomes watery, simply blend again (not too long) until foamy. Serve immediately!

Chimichurri "Air" photo 11 by MyLastBite.com

Mentioned Above:

Bazaar’s Martini w/ Brine “Air”

About Texturas (in English)

Albert & Ferran Adria Textura site (spanish)

About Texturas – Lecite (airs)

Where to buy molecular ingredients

Molecular fun at home

My ChimiTuna (tuna salad with chimchurri)

My visits to the Bazaar

Ferran Adria’s “Liquid” Olive

El Torito’s Deep-Fried Ice Cream photo

Adventures in Molecular Cooking 6 (Trisol)

Adventures in Molecular Cooking 5 (Class)

Why I call it “Molecular Cooking”

All my chimichurri “air” photos on Flickr