These chips must be had unadorned. I mean, you can use them to spoon salsa or guacamole if you'd like but you really don't need to. Why is that, you ask? Well, this recipe calls for your homemade tortilla chips to be soaked in seasoning prior to being fried but hey, I can't tell you what to do. If you want to go to town on a bowl of tasty dip, do it. If you don't want to, you don't have to because these are dang tasty. I had a bag of corn tortillas that I had no idea what to do with; then I wondered if I could make my own chips. Lo and behold, the internet held the answer and soon I was on my merry way. I made a mistake here or there in the process but definitely learned from them. The fixes are, of course, reflected in this post.

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 40-48 chips)

• 10-12 fresh corn tortillas, quartered
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tsps kosher salt
• 2 cups grapeseed oil
• ghost pepper salt (optional)

Step 2: Prepping the tortillas
The longest part of this recipe will be in the preparation. Slice your tortillas into quarters. In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice and salt. I took me about four limes to get what juice I needed. Once the salt has dissolved, place wire racks on top of baking sheets (about two each). Then dip each tortilla quarter into the juice, let excess drip back into the bowl, and lay on the wire racks.


Step 3: Frying
You'll be leaving the tortillas on the wire racks for an hour or longer, depending on how quickly they dry. You want there to be no remaining moisture on the quarters because that can lead to splattering oil when you fry them up. In a small stainless steel saucepan, heat up oil on medium high. Test if it is ready by flicking a small piece of tortilla into the oil; it should bubble quickly. When hot enough, reduce heat to medium or medium low to allow for a thorough crisping and avoid burning. Place quarters into hot oil to fry and turn when the facedown side looks to be crisping up.


Step 4: Finishing
As you remove the chips from the saucepan, place them onto newspaper to best soak up excess oil. They should come out as a nice golden brown and take about 20-30 seconds each. I used chopsticks, actually, to get them out of the saucepan but if you have a wooden slotted spoon, that should work too. Duc wanted to season some of our finished chips with ghost pepper salt so we did; it was a kick in the mouth and on the lips! We enjoyed these with some fruity beer and chill conversation. Hope you enjoy making yours!


Photography by Minerva Thai and Duc Duong (because Minerva was trying not to burn the chips while frying!).

"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel. We're just trying to get people the flavors of northern Italy - cooking from the home, cooking from the heart." - Chef De Cuisine Christian De La Vara, Brunos Trattoria

On June 26, 2013, the Golden Foodie Awards association hosted another Golden Chef Series Demonstration at the Sub-zero and Wolf Showroom in Costa Mesa, this time featuring Chef Christian De La Vara of Brunos Trattoria. Up for nomination for Best New Restaurant for the 2013 Golden Foodie Awards after 8-9 months of being open, Brunos Trattoria is located in downtown Brea at 210 W. Birch St and features homestyle Italian cuisine. Their goal in bringing the classic dishes is "to provide a relaxing dining atmosphere with soul-satisfying fare." We were in for a treat that night for his instruction and to taste his creation.


It is always a joy when these events are hosted by emcee Charlie Plummer, Sommelier with Jackson Family Estates Winery, who kept the live audience engaged and laughing. As Chef Christian was preparing his meal, guests were able to enjoy fresh produce by Melissa's, artisan bread by Sadie Rose, Addington Toffee, Cabot Cheese, and wine by La Crema. We learned about the chef's training in Pasadena after having grown up in the San Gabriel Valley and how the restaurant is associated with Cha Cha's in Brea as well. Did you know that Chef Christian's first restaurant venture, Bistro Pasqual, was with his wife when he was just 25 years of age? Brunos is now his place of culinary residence though, and they have been quite popular in their short operating period. The restaurant's philosophy that governs the ingredients results in nearly homemade everything from the pasta (nearly all of them) to the sauces to the stocks. They also try to capitalize on the seasonality of ingredients for freshness and on using authentic imports (when needed) such as their cheeses.


On the menu for the evening was the Pappardelle Brunos ($16.95 - braised short rib ragu with wild mushrooms and housemade pasta), chosen for being the most popular pasta dish at the restaurant. Chef also highly recommended the fresh gnocchi, lasagna bolognese, and carbonara for anyone looking to visit Brunos anytime soon. When asked what other type of pasta would work well for this dish, penne was the choice. Another reason to showcase this recipe was for its relative ease to make at home - a good reason for all of the audience members to attend. As we watched him put together the dish, he talked about the power of a good satchet of herbs in any dish and how to cook pasta properly (in his way - boil salted water first before adding pasta and then cook until texture preference, not necessarily "al dente"). Chef Christian also spoke on how the best quality of olive oil should be used to finish a dish and not to cook with so that the flavors are at their peak when consumed.


The result was a beautiful, aromatic pasta dish with soft and succulent chuck boneless short rib. Of course in proper Italian fashion, wine pairings were in order and so Charlie chose two types - a Chianti Classico for its provincial Italian roots and ties to the dish in similar herb and terroir and a Pinot Noir for its versatility and complementary fruit notes. The guests were able to taste a bite as well, and seeing as pappardelle is my favorite pasta, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The wild mushrooms added a savory touch that married together the smoothness of the pasta with the heavy ragu well. A tip for those recreating the dish: the inside "ribs" of a mushroom cap will bleed out black and brown if you do not scrape them off with a spoon.

Want the recipe? Use 2 oz olive oil, 5 lbs. beef short ribs in 3"x2" pieces, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp black pepper, 3 whole garlic cloves, 1/4 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup diced carrot, 1/2 cup diced yellow onion, 3/4 cup Italian tomato paste, 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary with 1 bay leaf in cheesecloth, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, 3 cups red Italian table wine, 3 1/2 cups chicken stock, and mushrooms of choice (in amount too).

• Season ribs with s+p and sear in braising pan until caramelized & dark brown all around. Remove from pan.
• Cook garlic, mirepoix, and satchet until translucent; add tomato paste for another 3 minutes.
• Deglaze with wine for 2 minutes before adding tomato sauce. Braise meat on low heat in sauce for 2-3 hours until fork tender.
• Break up meat and remove from pan. Save ragu  for pasta base - add mushrooms to it.
• Cook pasta and then add in short ribs and ragu for 3 minutes. Serve with fresh parsley, EVOO, and grated Parmesan.

In addition to the pasta dish were bites of the seasonal Torte (this time with blackberries) and the Budino al Caramello (caramel custard with hazelnut liqueur, caramelized sugar, honey, kosher salt, dark chocolate ganache, and hazelnut ganache) as served by Pastry Chef Stevie Sandoval and Chef Dylan. Both were excellent but the budino truly stood out; I can easily see it is the best-selling dessert and almost always ordered at every meal.


Another treat in store that night was a demonstration by Master Roaster Martin Diedrich of Kéan Coffee on how to pour the perfect cup of coffee. Of the only 3-4 Master Roasters in Southern California, we were honored to see one of them that night. However, it is without surprise that Martin was in the coffee business having grown up as a coffee farmboy with 150+ years of coffee growing on his mom's side and 100+ years on his dad's side.


The audience was taken through the full process of coffee from beginning to end during the demonstration. Martin had brought in his own young coffee tree to show guests what one would look like. Every table had a display of different stages of coffee so we cupped little coffee cherries in our hands, pushed out the fruit, and separate the "seeds"/beans to take a look. Light green beans were the next step and most definitely not yet edible (though the fruit meat is!). With quality roasting, we found ourselves face to face with the much more familiar coffee bean, dark and aromatic.


Each cup of coffee from these Guatemalan Atitlan beans produced a creamy, fruity taste with some hints of nuttiness. They were additionally paired with the Midas Tart of Blackmarket Bakery to round out the evening well. My thanks to everyone involved in making this happen for all of us eager to learn and to those who attended because profits from the event went to Share Our Strength! Don't miss the next event in the Golden Chef Series on July 31st!

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos to be available on Facebook.

714 Traction Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90013 (Neighborhood: Arts District)
Pricing - $ | Dining - Casual, To-Go | Cuisine - Bakery, Coffee
http://www.thepieholela.com/


Shut your pie hole and eat a tasty dessert! I've heard that The Pie Hole in downtown LA was just about the best place around to get pies, sweet and savory. In honor of tomorrow (my friends have designated it as "Double Pi Day" at 6/28), here's my review of the pie place that had me wanting to hold out a pie plate. I didn't know where it was until one day when my friend told me we'd hit it up after eat.drink.Americano; curious I wondered how far it would be but what do you know? It was just around the corner, quaint and nearly hidden among the Arts District buildings. I've been there twice now and have enjoyed each visit but alas, have never had a savory pie. I hope to return soon someday to give another review of their savory offerings.


So the neat thing about The Pie Hole is that they offer you the option of sitting in to enjoy your pie on little plates and wooden tables or taking it to go. I've done both and find the eating in part better just because of the environment (and no risk of pie getting smooshed in a box!). I like how they do change their menu daily but still keep around crowd favorites. From $4.50-$6.00 per sweet pie slice, it's on par in price with restaurant pies but loads better because they specialize in the stuff. One day I'll be back for the savory stuff which run just $.50 more in general.


Pictured are the Mexican Chocolate Pie and Earl Grey Pie. Both visits included ordering the latter of those two because it was just so gotdang delicious. The Mexican Chocolate was smooth in chocolate and had plenty of light cinnamon cream on top. There were also crunchy flecks of cacao nibs (I think?) that gave a texture to the creaminess. The Earl Grey definitely made me want to pour a cuppa the same next to it because it had the strong flavors of the tea. You'd think that turning it into pie form would lose some of the strength but it didn't! Topped with crushed pistachios, the slice was quickly dispensed of. Another that I've had but isn't pictured is their Maple Custard, a heavenly custard pie that reminded me of egg custard tarts (dan ta) from Chinese cuisine. Sweet with a brulee-d top, I'd say this was something you shouldn't miss. We are absolutely coming back and hopefully in time to get something savory before it runs out.

Photography by Duc Duong and Minerva Thai, depending on the visit.

The summer breeze and sunny skies that stereotype Southern California easily find their way into making Huntington Beach a picture-perfect place to be. They also make it easy for SeaLegs Wine Bar in HB to become quite the destination spot for good wines and good times. I had first heard of the place last year at the Golden Foodie Awards where they managed the magnificent feast of taking home an award after only being open a few months. What an accomplishment! After they had just passed their one year anniversary, we were invited to a media dinner there and enjoyed a pairing menu selected by Executive Chef Alexander Dale and owners Alicia Whitney and Lisa Nonemaker. Each of the dishes chosen are also available to regular guests and craftily labeled under sections titled "Whites," "Reds," "Greens," and "Sweets" to help with your own wine pairing choices (also assisted in by the knowledgeable staff on hand).


With what looked like careful consideration, the decor and design of the restaurant was chosen to follow the restaurant's nautical reference and to create an environment befitting of the HB clientele that would likely drift in. Cream and navy blue highlighted the place where wood didn't touch, and the glass windows inside sported the names of wine regions and varietals. I felt like we had walked into a deconstructed and condensed version of a ship with the lounge near the outside (a room that looked reservable for large parties) and a darker wooden bar with chandeliers in the innermost corner of the space. Of course the brilliantly large ceiling-to-floor windows also let in the blessed sunshine that gave the place a true beach feel. It was obviously well thought-out and a space that we could see many indulging in.


Unfortunately for the remaining pictures in this post, the sun went down quickly after we sat down for our meal. Granted, the summertime light is still great at 7pm but given that it doesn't last too long, we only managed to snap non-flashlight shots of our first round. We started off with the White Haven Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand ($10/$36) and dishes of their Heirloom Caprese ($11 - spinach, pickled onions, and radish salad with balsamic vinaigrette on top of heirloom tomato and grilled Ricotta Solata finished with an herb oil and balsamic reduction) and Lump Crab Cakes ($16 - served with lemon tarragon aioli and micro celery). A bright and light wine, the Sauvignon Blanc went well with the light dishes which still featured bold flavors. I found the salad to be an enjoyable starter but only if you had all of the elements together in a bite; taking apart the ingredients, as sometimes happens in a stacked salad, yielded unbalanced flavors as some parts were tossed in a vinaigrette and others in a heavier reduction. All together, it was very clean and fun, especially the hard-pressed grilled ricotta which left little hints of smokiness on the tongue. The crab cakes were fantastic when eaten with their paired aioli but perhaps lacking when standing alone.


Rounds two and three were more on the savory side of the menu and gave us a chance to sip on some reds. For Round Two we had the Molnar Family Poseidon's Vineyard Pinot Noir Carneros ($15/$54) and plates of their Pig & Fig Flatbread ($13 - papaya gastrique, prosciutto, applewood smoked bacon, figs, caramelized onion, Bleu cheese, Mozzarella, and arugula on a grilled flatbread) and their Bruschetta ($10 - marinated tomato, melted Mozzarella, prosciutto, basil oil, and paprika oil on a chargrilled baguette). Though the two dishes shared similar ingredients, they accentuated different areas of the palate with the flatbread hitting sweet notes while the bruschetta took care of salty inclinations. I found the natural spiciness of the arugula on the flatbread a nice offset to something that could have leaned on the overly sweet side with its figs and caramelized onion. As for the bruschetta, it was just about my favorite for the night because the saltiness of the prosciutto underneath the vegetable topping took it to a whole other level. It's exactly what is missing when we crave just that "oomph" more needed from a bite of traditional bruschetta. Addictive.

Round Three toppled into the heavier side of the menu. We clinked glasses together of the Obsidian Cabernet Sauvignon Lake County ($15/$50) while staring at our plates of the Monte Cristo  (North country ham, melted Brie, and mustard aioli in a housemade brioche that has been deep fried and topped with powdered sugar, served with berry coulis), Charred Filet Medallions ($15 - charbroiled with pickled onions served with a red wine demiglace), and Stinky Fries ($9 - fresh cut fries with Parmesan and garlic served with a three-cheese fondue with truffle oil). The Monte Cristo was just about as over the top as you could get that night and just as messy; our fingers picked up the oil as we held the deep-fried sandwich that was a bit too much for me. Our medium rare medallions were well-seasoned on the outside but could have been a tad rarer. As for the fries, it is no wonder that it would be a restaurant favorite considering just how pungent the fondue was. By this point in the meal, we had just about given up on finishing any one dish so these were picked at but not swallowed up completely (more so due to our stomach capacities than any inability to sate the savory tastebuds).


What came by to finish us off in the Dessert Round was a Salt of the Earth Muscato and the SeaLegs Tiramisu (whipped mascarpone layered in a wine glass with rum-soaked ladyfingers and topped with a chocolate anchor medallion). The wine was pleasant by itself and could have served as dessert alone! As for the tiramisu, its sheer size was daunting at first but we managed to pull through to enjoy most of it. The whipped mascarpone gave a smooth and light taste in contrast to the ladyfingers so there was a nice balance overall. Be aware though that their desserts (and their sizes!) are not for the person without enough space to finish another "entree" of sorts!

Our thanks go out to the crew over at SeaLegs for their hospitality and hard work. Congratulations on your anniversary, and here's to hoping that you'll be able to defend your title for the Golden Foodie Awards this year. Readers, if you are interested in visiting SeaLegs Wine Bar, they are located at 21022 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92648. Prices listed beside the food items indicate the menu listed price as of our June 2013 visit.

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

When I posted up curly mustard greens last week as my Test Kitchen ingredient, it seemed to stump my most active of Test Kitchen fans at first. They're the ones who are always throwing suggestions my way of how they want to see the ingredients play out but save for the thought of just sauteeing the hardy greens, it was a little more perplexing. Because I didn't want to opt for a regular saute nor did I want to deep-fry anything anytime soon, I thought about the peppery flavor of the greens and wondered how it would hold up in a soup. To find out my answer, I had to (of course) give it a try and hey, this soup has a spicy kick to it indeed. By incorporating spicy pork sausage and letting the flavors speak for themselves, I ended up with a soup to warm you up in no time with its inherent heat. Give this recipe a try yourself!

Step 1: Ingredients (yields 3-4 servings)

• oil
• 1 lb. spicy pork sausage, ground
• 1 large white onion, halved & sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, 1/2" dice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 large bunch curly mustard greens, roughly chopped

Step 2: Prepping ingredients
Slice onion, dice potatoes, and chop up mustard greens. In a large pot, add a smidgen of oil to heat before adding in spicy pork sausage. The sausage's own fats will release more oils into the cooking and help with browning the meat. Once the meat has started to brown, add in onions and potatoes.


Step 3: Making the base
Once the onion has started to become slightly translucent and the potatoes are clearing up along their edges, you can add in the broth and water. I opted for chicken broth over beef broth because I didn't want the soup to become overwhelmingly meaty and heavy. The contents were "heavy" enough as they were. Cook this on medium until it just begins to boil. Then add in mustard greens and reduce heat to medium low.


Step 4: Finishing
The greens will wilt almost right away under the heat and with the moisture. To help the process, push the greens into the soup and let simmer on low for 5-10 minutes before turning off the heat. Enjoy!


This week's Test Kitchen ingredient: white truffle salt
My older brother who lives in Brooklyn decided that he wanted to send a care package home full of interesting foodie gifts from a recent local market he visited. Included in that package was a pack of four different and somewhat unique salts from The Filling Station NY. I decided that I wanted to incorporate one of them soon into my cooking so picked the white truffle salt as a Test Kitchen ingredient. Don't worry - you'll see the others popping up sometime in the near future as well. There's plenty to play with!

Described as "Fragrant with a hint of sweetness, this rare Northern Italian Alba truffle is blended with hand harvested grey sea salt, lending a beautifully earthy flavor to your dishes." on their website, this salt sure sounds lovely. Let me know by commenting on the Facebook picture when it goes up of what I should do with it!


Photography by Minerva Thai.