From This Month's Saveur:

"'When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,' said Piglet at last, 'what's the first thing you say to yourself?'

"What's for breakfast?' said Pooh, 'What do you say, Piglet?'

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?' said Piglet.

"Pooh nodded thoughtfully, 'It's the same thing,' he said."

Don't go to a dinner party without them

"Are you bringing the cream puffs?," Cliff asked hopefully. Then drolly, "Don't bother coming if you're not."

So prized are the cream puffs of Chantilly Patisserie that I believe my dinner party stock value has tripled because of them. (But I want you to love me for who I am!)

***********

Despite the fact that Los Angeles is an ugly city and the south bay cites of Torrance, Lomita and Gardena are its uglier and most placeless places they do embody a Zen-like truth. In the space of nothingness, something magical can arise.

In normal cities, a sense of place is usually evenly distributed throughout a region. San Francisco, Boston, Manhattan all feel a certain way. In Los Angeles, however, placefulness is much more concentrated. You can drive for endless blocks down relentlessly ugly boulevards, like Ventura, Crenshaw or Pico where any given slice resembles any other given slice. Welcome to the Great Emptiness of Nowhere. But in certain highly charged locations, like the secret train platform to Hogwarts, you step into an unexpected zone of placefulness.

A dramatic example of this is Polka restaurant in Eagle Rock. One minute you're standing outside a faceless mini-mall. Step across the threshold and an unseen teleporter has instantaneously zapped you to a different universe. Is that Rod Serling eating pierogi at the corner table? You have entered another, much more Polish, dimension of space and time. Eagle Rock seems a distant memory as you gaze at the intense volume of lace, tschochke and dumplings that has materialized before you. You wonder to yourself whether you should have brought your passport.

Another place that has been outfitted by the same Serling Industries Teleporter is Chantilly Patisserie in Lomita ("The Friendly City"). For miles and miles, you drive through ugly suburban scrub, and pull into a flavorless mini-mall. Open the door to the chic bakery and ZAP! You've stepped over the threshold to Shinjuku or Ginza. Suddenly, everything FEELS different.

You walk up to the case and peer inside. Jeweled edibles present themselves and you wonder whether it would be too embarrassing to order one of everything. But, being in the know, you know there is only one thing to order: The Cream Puff.

In the past few years, Los Angeles has been living through something of a cream puff boom, spearheaded by the arrival (invasion?) of Beard Papa, the Japanese chain.  Beard Papa is the Toyota Corolla of the cream puff world--high volume, flabbily non-descript and perfectly fine for those with low thresholds for gastronomic satisfaction.  

Sometimes, however, the grass IS greener on the other side of the fence. In this case, the greener side is in Lomita and takes the form of a taut, disciplined confection handcrafted by Keiko Nojima, the reigning master of the Los Angeles cream puff.

There are three forms that temptation can take--vanilla custard, black sesame and the newest--chocolate. Black sesame is the most original flavor with kinako sweet soybean powder sprinkled on top and honey swirled into the black sesame cream. It is simultaneously earthy and transcendent. Custard, their bestseller, is refined, adult and completely addictive. Comparing it to the Beard Papa version is like putting an elegant geisha next to a gum-chewing bar girl. No comparison. Chocolate is high quality and a welcome addition to the trio. But somehow not as original as black sesame or as satisfying as the traditional custard.

No matter what, these are glorious things and your dinner parties will never be the same.


Patisserie Chantilly
2383 Lomita Blvd
#10
Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 257-9454
www.patisseriechantilly.com

America Eats!

Sixty years ago legions of writers fanned out across America to capture the role that food played in the everyday lives of everyday people. Stories were collected from ocean to ocean of how communities congregated around sharing and preparing large meals. These events often revolved around civic events, church socials, agricultural harvests and political campaigns. The stars of the show, however, are less the recipes for Burgoo, Booya, or Brunswick Stew and more the interactions between neighbor and neighbor. The events were an essential part of the social fabric that tied together a largely rural, and often isolated, population who relied on shared common bonds for survival, companionship and entertainment.

The stories were collected under the aegis of "America Eats!" sponsored by the Works Progress Administration, a Rooseveltian New Deal program intent on employing artists, writers and other cultural figures in a post-Depression America. It was not without controversy and the "American Eats!" project was eventually shelved. The stories stayed sequestered in archives until Pat Willard unearthed them and spent a year driving across the country finding good things to eat.

Part of her mission was to see in an age of foreshortened time and diminished attention, which, if any, of these local food traditions survived. Many did not. Canning, preserving and salting, once a necessity for survival, is now a quaint hobby evoking the simpler days of yesteryear. Whole genres of social gathering simply don't exist anymore--the fun feasts of Nebraska, where neighbors congregated to feed and entertain each other; the Polk County Possum Club of Mena, Arkansas where club members drank raucously, sang risque songs and hunted a certain rodent; pie socials, and harvest festivals featuring sauerkraut or watermelons all have fallen by the wayside. The gatherings were part of a quieter, less sophisticated world unconnected by geosynchronous satellites and "entertainment" was a local responsibility not a global industry.

In many ways, its not all bad. These gatherings were as much a survival necessity as they were choices for pleasure. We are certainly a materially richer society than we were many years ago, and the burgs of rural America could be narrow and bigoted places. Certainly, due to the spoils of globalization, today our diets would seem to be far more varied with fresh sushi, year-round tropical fruits and "gourmet" culture. Yet, fast food monocultures, a loss of local traditions and the growing presence of obesity and diabetes point to an unexpected poverty.

However, what moved me deeply about this book, often to the point of tears, is the resilience and pride that Willard found in the people she met on her travels. Below the radar of the fashionable press, still beats the heart of a country who yet maintain traditions that tie them to a cherished past. When told the story of the federal writers who once visited their town Willard writes, "It always took them aback, how someone--anyone--would have paid enough attention to what they were doing, what they ate, how they lived, to have written it all down...but then they would look at me straight and say, 'Make sure you get it right.' Almost all the people I met and talked to, whose stories I scribbled in notebooks as I peered into their pots, or walked quickly by their side: almost all of them said to me, 'Make sure you tell it right, then.'"

"Pay attention. That's what they meant. Write about what it means to us. How important these rituals are. These traditions we hold lightly but dear, because we've always done them this way and know how important they are.--As one man said to her, 'People think we don't care anymore. But we do and that's important to us. To the country, I mean. It's a link to the past, this food, this ceremony we have every August. Look how far back we go! What we've lived through! And we're still here.'"

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie (From the NYT, July 9, 2008)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published: July 9, 2008
Adapted from Jacques Torres

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt.
1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

Bravo for Brunello Trattoria!

Okay, so how to explain to loved ones that you've eaten at the same place three nights in a row?

Well...how about warm, familial service, a check that doesn't hurt and food that is simply out of this world?

While others may slobber mindlessly over an over-hyped, snot-nosed, mortgage-the-house Mozza, why not just slide into a welcoming table at Brunello Trattoria?

You can do so without waiting a month for a reservation and paying a king's ransom for a pizza. Run by the ultimate foodie family, the Morra's, Brunello is one of the few LA Italian spots that's entirely a family affair. Sister is in the kitchen, Uncle mans the register, Brother crafts the bread and pizza, Nephew waits tables. To top it off, the Food Channel, not ESPN, broadcasts from the LCDs at the bar.

I am so addicted to this place and hope that one day soon you will be too. First, there are specials on the menu and off the menu. Knowing what to ask for is part of the fun. The special I had (two nights in a row, since I kept obsessing about it the next day) was a flat, thin fettucine with veal and fresh porcini in a chianti-beef broth reduction. This one dish will transform your understanding of pasta. Call ahead and ask for it! Be careful, it will so dominate your consciousness for days after that your life will no longer be your own.

My friend had Chicken Piccata, a standard Italian lexicon dish, but this one was so well crafted it was like discovering the flavors for the first time. It was delightful. There is subtlety to the cooking that is hard to find. Plus, the potatoes it comes with take to the sauce like ducks to water. Your dog parts will want to roll around in it.

On night number two, Visiting Mother tucked into Spaghetti with Capers and Artichokes--a celebration of summer flavors.

Night number three, Trusty Dining Companion had a magnificent Linguine with Shrimp and Mushrooms, which I generously finished. We shared a Pizza Quattro Stagione which was so fantastically delicious it lasted about 2.5 milliseconds on the table. ("Pizza of the Four Seasons" NOT "Pizza of the Four Stations" ...Crucifixion of Jesus is three doors down, dude.)

There's a room in the back that will host a nice party of 16. The atmosphere is warm and friendly.

Bring your Loved Ones.

6001 Washington Blvd,
(@La Cienega)
Culver City, CA 90232
310-280-3856

Be Like Water

What if you were 13, a kung-fu maniac, bit of a tomboy and mentored by the ghost of your hero Bruce Lee? This is the premise of a fantastic new play set to debut at East-West Players in Little Tokyo. Tracy is a Chicago city kid trying to find her way in the world, navigating between her demanding, status-conscious Japanese American mother and supportive, shop-owning Chinese American father. Her best friend, also named Bruce Lee, finds his freedom in the modern day body art of disco. They both face the wrath of the Angry Jeremy who externalizes his pain making theirs and his own life a hell. The ghostly Bruce appears to her one day, fascinated by the prospect of a Kung-Fu loving girl, and guides her to her own inner wisdom. "You've made yourself strong by making yourself hard, that is not true strength," he imparts. "There are choices beyond the ones you've always chosen." Like Yoda, Bruce is the Wise Other from Afar come to help us find ourselves.

The success of the show rests on the immense talents of its adolescent cast, while the creative stagecraft is a pleasure to take in.

The show starts September 11th and runs through October 12th. September 18th is "pay what you will" night. Please don't miss this chance to see a wonderful production by a skillful group of artists.

Shelves Coming Into Being

Kerry, WoodWorker Extraordinaire, wrote to say that the shelves I designed are almost done. He skillfully gives form to a sketchy napkin drawing I eagerly present to him over a late Saturday breakfast. We go buy the wood, he retreats into the workshop and then a few weeks later the photos start trickling in. Slowly, I see the design take shape.

This time around the design is based off a Rudolph Schindler table from the 1945. I took the theme and turned it into a pair of book cases. The vertical pieces holding up the shelves are recessed several inches back from the front. When the shelf is full of books, this piece will disappear and hopefully make the shelf look like its floating in space. I like the gravity-defying quality of cantilevers and reducing material use to the absolute minimum to do the structural job. Kerry says they came out great.

Hooray for Bashan Restaurant!

Though the name and graphics make you think you're walking into a kebab shop, in reality, Bashan serves up fantastic contemporary global cuisine in an intimate setting nestled in one of Los Angeles' most under-appreciated districts. Located in the former Bistro Verdu spot in the quiet mountain hamlet of Montrose, Bashan serves dishes of unexpected flavors that satisfy the palate.

Bashan is the kind of place you want to be a regular at. Its rare that a restaurant hits all notes with excellence and Bashan doesn't fail to miss the bullseye. Service is warm and friendly, knowledgeable and competent. One thing is clear: these people love food and they love to serve it to you. Details pepper the meal like a good novel, right down to the small dish of honey that comes with an order of tea. "Its a lavender honey made by our sommelier's father who is a beekeeper."

My trusty dining companion and I ventured into the menu full bore. We're presented with a subtle amuse of watermelon juice and french feta. The sweetbreads were crispy, tasty morsels of glandular goodness--supported by the piquant notes of capers and sun dried tomatoes. My field green salad was a tasty combination of the season's flavors-earthy jicama, summery nectarines, mini tomatoes, manchego and a bit of vinaigrette laced with truffled exotica.

The menu is small but excellent, with dishes sourced from sea to sky. I ponder the Maple Leaf Duck Breast or the 21 Day Dry Aged New York Steak..... The menu is a celebration of delicious decadence enjoyable through airlifted treasures brought to you by the waning days of the global economy. Both of us elected for sea--Alaskan halibut and Australian barramundi. The halibut was a solid, fleshy preparation with squash and eggplant; while the barramundi was crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. The fish from Down Under is paired with creamy shrimp, crispy chorizo, Jerusalem artichoke and sweet and unctuous Italian cipollini onions, the global range of unexpected flavors harmonizes happily on a single plate. It is the culinary equivalent of Barack Obama.

We declare the cheese plate to be one of the best we've ever had. Small dollops of creamy flavors arranged on a rectangular plate, come paired with figs, walnuts and toasted walnut bread. We innovate and add the honey that came with the tea. All is well with the world.

Bashan is the place you want bring someone you care about. Not only that, the staff and chef are lovely people, passionate about food, and you want them to succeed.


Bashan Restaurant
3459 North Verdugo Road
Glendale, CA 91208
818 541 1532
818 541 1538
bashanrestaurant.com

Nadav Bashan
Chef/Owner


PS. This lovely note came into SAM HQ from Bashan-land:

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your kind words.
Thanks to customers like you, we get the word out there. I'm thrilled that
you and your dining companion enjoyed yourselves. Bashan is here for the
long run, I'm glad that you were able to see the heart, love and soul that
enables this restaurant to keep succeeding. Thank you again and we look
forward to your next visit.
Romy and Nadav Bashan"

Announcing Edible Los Angeles!

A recent visit to Skylight Books on Vermont yielded a new treasure: the premier copy of Edible Los Angeles, a full-color, quarterly journal celebrating the joys of local food culture. It is the latest addition to a larger web of publications celebrating locality and gastronomy all over North America. (www.ediblecommunities.com)

As can be expected with any initial outing, some of the writing was spotty and over-written, but some was absolutely thrilling.
The journal features a comprehensive list of all the certified farmer's markets in the area, interviews with local chefs (Josiah Citrin for this outing), and a beautiful excerpt from Patricia Kindienst's book "The Earth Knows My Name" an exploration of immigrant culture and food production. I ordered the whole book right away.

Another worthwhile feature was an article on the latest Farm Bill, an immense piece of legislation that comes around every 5 years or so and effects nearly every facet of US food production. Its nice to read about heirloom tomatoes and finding good manure, but understanding the deeper policy stories behind what we eat is important too. Bravo to Edible LA for covering this topic!

Of course, there are recipes, restaurant reviews, interesting foodish tidbits as well.

You can download an E-Copy of the magazine here:

http://www.ediblelosangeles.com/issues/Edible_Los_Angeles-Summer_2008.pdf

In the meantime, don't forget to stop off at Skylight.

Have fun!

Help for Postum Fans

Postum Fans,

I have solved our Post-Postum problem! (Actually, my Japanese operative has solved it and I'm merely reporting it to you.)

We found a Polish product called INKA Instant Grain Beverage that is about as close to the taste of beloved departed Postum as one can imagine.

It is truly delightful.

A little research yielded the fact that it is imported into the US by a firm in Brooklyn, called Adamba Imports.

Details below:

New York Office
585 Meserole St.
Brooklyn, NY 11237
phone:718.628.9700
fax: 718.628.0920

www.adamba.com
Labels: Postum Substitute
Link: www.adamba.com

What if you're living in Japan and want some?
Problem solved!

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/kinmei/inka/