Crêpes

I have very fond memories of walking the cold, damp streets of Paris with a warm crepe enveloped in my hands.

I explored with all types of fancy toppings until I settled on my personal favorite--"beurre et sucre" (butter and sugar).  A "crepe Suzette" (butter, sugar and lemon juice) is a close second.  And I can't leave out nutella!  My favorite crepe stand in Paris was across the street from the Centre Pompidou Museum and Library.  The guy making the crepe would paint my nutella on, as if it were a work of art..    

There is a restaurant in Los Angeles that makes wonderfully authentic crepes--Creme de la Crepe.  My favorite location is their Hermosa Beach one.  The owner is a young French guy who has been so successful because the food is so good and the service is so French.  I often go to brush up on my French, as all of the waiters are native French speakers.  My favorite is the "crepe splendide"--a crepe with strawberries, honey, whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream.

All of this leads me to my recent endeavor--to make crepes at home. I found a wonderfully simple recipe, and the crepes came out rather good.  

Recipe: Crepes

1 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk, room temp.

3 large eggs, room temp.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl.  Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine.  Whisk in butter.  Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least two hours (or up to one day).

2. Heat an 8" or 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Brush with butter.  Ladle 3 tablespoons batter (for smaller crepes)  or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) onto the skillet, turning and tilting the skillet to coat the bottom evenly with the batter.  Cook until the tops of the crepes appear set, about 1 minute.

3. Run a spatula along the edge of the crepe to loosen.  Slip the spatula under the crepe and gently flip in one swift gesture.  Cook until the bottom is firm, about 45 seconds.  Transfer to a plate.  Repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately.

The Chaya

The Chaya recently opened a location in downtown Los Angeles. The eclectic Japanese/French/American menu is matched by the decor. This trendy restaurant shows off its casual atmosphere with the chandelier in the main dining room--made of colorful, plasic trinkets.

I had the chopped Cajun shrimp salad. It featured loads of shrimp, asparagus, corn, cucumber, tomatoe, avocado, Asiago cheese, and flavor! It is topped with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. Though I wouldn't consider the salad autentic "Cajun," it was so delicious and flavorful!

But, the thing that has brought me back to this restaurant was the dessert--Milk Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding with Caramel Ice Cream. This dessert is incredibly rich, and I could not stop eating it! The flakiness of the croissant is the perfect texture to counter the creaminess of the custard and ice cream. Another fun dessert on the menu is a red velvet cupcake with a "shot du jour."

In addition to downtown, the Chaya has locations in Venice, Beverly Hills, and San Francisco.

The Yard Gastropub

Earlier this week, I attended the Grand Re-Opening of The Yard Gastropub in Santa Monica. To all of the Top Chef lovers, you will recognize the chef as "CJ" from Season 3.

Only feet from the Santa Monica promenade, the Yard is the perfect spot for lunch, happy hour, or a late night gathering with friends. The decor is whimsical, yet fun and casual. The large table inside encourages mingling and conversation. The smaller tables on the periphery allow for a bit of privacy.

The menu is as fun and sophisticated as the decor. Some of the small plates that are not to be missed are the pan-seared diver scallops with mandarin, the crispy fried cheese with a chili fig sauce, and the "Ain't No Thang" Chicken wings.

Despite the sophisticated flavor profiles, the ambiance and service is as warm as your own backyard. The signature drink, "Backyard Lemonade," comes in a mason jar, reiterating the casual neighborhood atmosphere. Also, local DJs spin on Friday and Saturday nights. Check out the website for details on weekly events!

The Yard Gastropub
119 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA
310.395.6037
www.theyardsm.com

Dining in the Dark

Dining in the Dark is a new craze that is gaining popularity. This concept forces us to put all of our prejudices based on sight aside. The night is a sensory adventure! After about 20 or 30 minutes, I really noticed that my other senses were heightened. You will hear the wine being poured into a glass like never before... Also, I smelled everything. It's often considered "gauche" to smell your food, but *You taste with your nose.* If you don't smell food or wine, you're not getting the full flavor.

The first course was a seared scallop in curry, paired with a Napa Valley Chardonnay. The scallop was rather large, and not being able to see, I ended up with the entire scallop on my fork--and I ate the the entire scallop in one bite. I also had to use my sense of touch. Using your fingers can be helpful in finding the food on your plate!

The second course was seared polenta and a roasted tomato, with a Rose wine. The seared polenta was so delicious that I will be making polenta this weekend! The third course was duck, paired with a Rhone varietal from Avignon, France. I have actually been to Avignon and drank wine--and I'm not sure how but for some reason I thought this might have been a Rhone Valley red. I was really surprised when the sommelier told me that I was correct. I think I may have some wine intelligence after 5+ years of wine tasting! The last course was panna cotta, paired with a Canadian dessert wine. I had actually had this wine a couple of years prior and recognized it as a Canadian varietal.

Overall, this was a very enlightening experience. I felt like I appreciated the food so much more without being able to see it. I ate things that I would have otherwise avoided. The ambiance was very casual and relaxed. At one point, I was about to knock my entire plate of food on my lap, and someone working there prevented it.

The price was reasonable ($45). Several venues offer this experience under slightly different circumstances (pitch black rooms instead of blind folds). I thought the blind fold was ideal because I was able to shut my eyes and relax--instead of straining to see in total darkness. You can check out the place I went to last night at http://www.themustbar.com and look under the "events" tab. The staff was incredibly friendly. The sommelier was very knowledgeable, and the chef was passionate about his food. It was refreshing to have such an interactive experience with the chef and sommelier. Don't worry--I didn't spoil the menu for you because it changes for each tasting.

Restaurant at the Getty Center

This restaurant can be part of the *perfect* date--wandering through the gardens and art buildings, then sitting down and having a wonderful meal with an AMAZING view of L.A.

My lunch started with an amuse bouche--beef tartar on a Parmesan crisp with pesto. I have something against eating raw meat. Had I not been on a "business lunch," I would not have eaten it. However, I was practically "socially forced" to eat it. The Parmesan crisp and pesto was quite good. The beef tartar was a thin, shaved, raw piece of beef. The beef tartar was not something I would eat again.

As an appetizer, I ordered a fruit salad with nuts. Since I ate this salad as an appetizer, I was grateful they skipped on the fatty cheese. For an entree, I enjoyed the striped bass. It reminded me of catfish. It was accompanied with green beans, sugar snap peas, and potatoes. The snap peas were absolutely delicious--so much fun when the peas would pop into my mouth! the potatoes and fish were well-seasoned and well-prepared.

Skipped out on dessert but overall very, very tasty.

I definitely recommend this place. I recommend lunch over dinner so that you can enjoy the view (and the lunchtime prices). Walk-ins are welcomed but it is probably safer to make a reservation the day before. If you make a reservation, ask for a table by the window.