Tuesday, March 29, 2011

FAGE (Greek Yogurt)

Good Morning Everyone!! 

For the past 3+ weeks, I've been eating greek yogurt for breakfast every single day. I have never eaten something for that long without getting sick of it, but this yogurt is way better than the rest. First off...FAGE is all natural and packed with flavor. Second of all, I love love love the consistency. Greek yogurt  is a little thicker and creamier than your standard yogurt. Do I really need another reason? Nope.  I don't know what it is...but I'm completely ADDICTED.

FAGE Total 2% (lowfat) yogurt comes in many flavors, but my favorite ones are:

Blueberry
Strawberry
Peach
Honey

For those of you who prefer nonfat yogurt, there is FAGE Total 0%. My favorite flavors are:

Honey
Mango Guanabana
Blueberry Acai

Lowfat or Nonfat...it doesn't make a difference to me. The flavor is not compromised at all. FAGE seriously has ruined all other yogurts for me. You know when you try something that is so good, you start to compare it to the best you've had. This yogurt totally set the bar. 


FAGE is AWESOME!!
FAGE Total 2% - Plain yogurt w/ blueberry
The container separates the yogurt from the fruit


When I first tried this yogurt a few weeks ago I took my first bite, and said out loud, "Are you serious!!" I couldn't believe how good it was. I looked down at the container and read that it was pronounced Fa-yeh! I thought to myself...its more like F*#@ Yeah!!! I'm happy camper. 



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Sunday, March 27, 2011

Olive & Thyme Part Deux

Olive & Thyme
4013 Riverside Dr
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 557-1560
www.oliveandthyme.com



My husband and I decided to stay in the local area the other night, and ended up going to Olive & Thyme for dinner. I've been wanting to come here since my first visit last month. I remember seeing that they had a Braised Short Rib sandwich on the menu, and eating that was definitely my goal for the night. 

My husband and I arrived one hour before closing and it was pretty busy. I was happy to see that they were doing well. We ordered two Braised short rib sandwiches and two beers. My husband took a seat at the communal wooden table and waited for our food to come while I browsed around and looked at all the goodies. Before our dinner had even arrived, I had already purchased two tubs of marcona almonds, a jar of Tutto Calabria, and two Salted Caramel Budinos. I'm telling you....it's hard to leave this place empty handed. 


Braised Short Rib Sandwich $13
with horseradish crème fraiche & caramelized onion on country sourdough

If you love Braised Short Ribs, this sandwich is a "must try"! It is just so tender and juicy, and the horseradish creme fraiche is perfect. It definitely opens up your sinuses but its not overwhelming at all. I love this sandwich so much that I doubt I will be able to order anything else the next time I come here to eat something. As much as I like to try new things, I am very loyal once you have won my heart...and this sandwich did just that.

Another shot of the Brasied Short Rib Sandwich
Hofbrau Original $5
This was my beer. It was nice and light. It kind of reminded me of a Stella. 

Erdinger Champ $6 (or it could have been $8 - I don't remember)
My husband got this wheat beer. It was a German Hefeweizen. It would have been nice to have an orange slice with this beer, but he enjoyed it as is.  


Salted Caramel Budino $8
This was also another thing that I will make sure to get every time I visit O&T. Budino is basically pudding, and this is a damn good one. I have a slight fixation with salted caramel. Salty and Sweet is my favorite combination. You have to try it to understand. 

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My Experience @ The Bazaar



The Bazaar
SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills
465 S. La Cienega Blvd. 
Los Angeles, CA 90048
310-246-5567
www.thebazaar.com

There is a restaurant in Spain called El Bulli that is helmed by Chef Ferran Adrià. He is well known for creating culinary foam and often referred to as the founder of molecular gastronomy. I've been dreaming of going there to experience molecular gastronomy at its finest. Unfortunately Spain is a bit out of reach, and even if I did go, it would be very difficult to get a reservation. They are only open 6 months out of the year, and is booked well over a year in advance (sometimes longer). In January, I read that El Bulli will be closing it's doors for 2 years (opening back in 2014). I'm not quite sure what Chef Adrià has up his sleeves, but I'm positive it will be nothing short of genius. 


My curiosity of molecular gastronomy does not stop at El Bulli. When I heard that Chef José Andrés (he trained under Chef Ferran Adrià at El Bulli) was opening The Bazaar, I was excited to finally get a chance to experience something completely new. I'm not sure why it took me sooooo long (over 2 years since it opened) to eat at The Bazaar. I think it was partly because I was waiting for a special occasion and I assumed that it would be really expensive. 


Anyhow, the opportunity finally presented itself when my sister and one of our closest friends decided to meet for dinner. It had been over a year since my sister and I had seen her, so we were all excited. Luckily they were both up for a "dining experience" and this special occasion was marked by a reservation at The Bazaar. I was so happy to be able to cross this restaurant off my list. 


The great thing about taking pictures is the ability to capture moments that you can look back at a later time and be reminded of how you felt at a particular moment. Here is a look into my dining experience at  The Bazaar.
Bellini ($16) Fresh Peach Juice,  a very cute Japanese peach and sparkling wine
We all started off our night with a bellini which tasted absolutely wonderful. It's exactly what I needed after a long day at work. There was a small little Japanese peach inside which was definitely a treat when you reached the bottom of the glass. We had a few of these. 
Japanese peach inside bellini
This is the peach inside the bellini. It had a wonderful sweetness to it, and was especially good after soaking in the sparking wine.
Apple "Nigiri" ($13) Yellowtail, compressed apples. ginger foam, shiso and lemon
Whenever I order raw fish, yellowtail is always one of my choices; however, I wasn't a fan of this dish. I loved all of the components separately, but in my opinion, it didn't work well together.  It wasn't the best way to start off the meal that I had been looking forward to for so long, but the dishes that followed made up for it.
Mussels with olive oil, vinegar, and pimenton ($8)
I'm really a big on seafood, so I was excited to try this. I loved the presentation of the canning, but I think the olive oil drowned the mussels in this dish. I would have opted to get the sea urchin, but unfortunately due to the tragedy in Japan, it was not available at the time.
Sea scallops w./ Romesco Sauce ($14)
Now we're talking!!! This was the first dish that made me smile. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the romesco sauce was the perfect pair.
Cotton candy Foie Gras ($5 each)
I love love love Foie Gras. I've had it prepared in so many different ways, but never would I have imagined it being paired with cotton candy. The interplay of sweet and savory was well executed, and I really appreciated this dish. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this dish since I tried it, and will probably continue to think about it until I have it again.
Not your everday Caprese ($12) Cherry tomatoes, liquid mozzarella, pesto, and fresh basil
Pure genius. This is definitely "not your everyday Caprese". It was AMAZING. This is the reason why I came to The Bazaar...to experience something completely out of the ordinary. Chef Andrés takes the most simple dishes, dissects the natural components, and creates a complete masterpiece. The combination of the skinned cherry tomatoes, pesto, and liquid mozzarella was like a party in your mouth. The flavor was spot on. It seriously is the best Caprese salad I have ever eaten.  The next time I dine at The Bazaar, I will be ordering this dish for myself. There will be no sharing.
American caviar cone ($9 each)
This was delicious. It was served in a wafer thin cone that had a touch of creamy creme fraiche underneath the roe. I can't wait to go back and try the bagel and lox cone.
Philly Cheesesteak ($8 each) Air bread, Cheddar, and Waygu Beef
This was another highlight of the night. This is the most sophisticated Philly Cheesesteak that I have ever had. The air bread was hollow. It pretty much crumbled when you bit into it, and what you find inside is white melted cheddar that goes perfectly with the waygu beef. I could have eaten five of these on my own.
Sauteed shrimp ($14) Shrimp with garlic and guindilla pepper
This dish was pretty solid. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the chili had a good kick to it. My only regret is that I didn't ask for bread to sop up the sauce. Yum!
Speciality Drink served table side
My sister saw the people dining next to us have a drink prepared table side, so she decided to have one of her own. The liquid nitrogen that was used created all that smoke. It was really cool to watch. 
Caipirinha ($20) Brazilian cachaca, fresh lime and sugar frozen by using Liquid Nitrogen
This was the finished product. The liquid nitrogen turned the alcohol into a smooth slushy consistency. It was quite delicious, and refreshing.
Braised Waygu Beef Cheeks ($18) California Citrus
Waygu beef is known for its marbling characteristics which makes for a very rich flavor and tender texture. While this dish was definitely tender, I wasn't in awe with the taste. It wasn't as good as I had expected it to be. I'm a red meat eater, so next next I will definitely try Beef Hanger Steak. After dinner, our waiter asked us if we wanted anything else. We mentioned that we wanted to try their desserts, and he told us that they would set a table for us. A few minutes late, we were escorted to the Patisserie. Wow! Now that's what you call service.
Salted Chocolate Caramel with Edible Paper ($3 each)
This was delicious. It was a bit much for $3 a pop, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Red Velvet Cupcake ($6)
I'm not a fan of red velvet anything. I went though a phase in my life where I was in search of the best red velvet cupcakes and ate way too many for my own good. Naturally,  I got so sick of it and never ate another one. Since there were three of us, we each picked a dessert, and my friend picked the red velvet. It was surprisingly delicious. The cream cheese frosting on top was good, and the cupcake reminded me of a filipino dessert called "puto". I can't believe I'm saying this, but I would definitely order this again. I could have sworn that I wrote off red velvet a long time ago, but I was clearly mistaken. =)
Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta ($12) Served with Apricots and Muscat gelatin
I was recently introduced to Greek Yogurt, and have been addicted to it every since. I've been eating it for breakfast for the past 3 weeks. It's just that good. Anyways, every time I see Panna Cotta on a dessert menu, I always order it. I'm a sucker for it, so you could only imagine how happy I was to see Greek Yogurt and Panna Cotta together as one. I really enjoyed the tanginess of this dessert. The apricots and muscat gelatin was a nice touch.
Another look at the Greek yogurt panna cotta

Nitro Coconut Floating Island ($12) Passion fruit and vanilla
This was an interesting dessert. I'm digging the whole nitrogen thing. This was basically coconut ice cream that was frozen with nitrogen which made the outside look hardened. When you break it open, it was soft and fluffy inside. The caramelized bananas, and passion fruit puree combined with the airy coconut worked well together. It was a good ending to our dinner. 
Overall, I was very happy with this experience. There were definitely some dishes that stood out more than others. I would highly recommend the cotton candy foie gras, not your everyday caprese, philly cheesesteak, and the nitro floating island for that OH MY GOD experience. It's definitely out of the ordinary. I thought that the meal would be a lot more expensive than it ended up being, but I thought the price was definitely reasonable. I don't mind spending money on good food, especially on things I've never tried before. This was definitely one experience I will never forget. 
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Monday, March 21, 2011

Empanadas & Pandebono

Cafe Columbia
222 S. Glenoaks Blvd. 
Burbank, CA 91502


My work just relocated and I've been searching for something good to eat in the local area. After surfing the web for a while I decided to try this little hole-in-wall restaurant named Cafe Columbia.

The cafe had an incredibly cheap 2 course lunch special. For $7.50 you get:

1st course: Choose between a soup or salad
2nd course: Chicken or beef served with rice, maduro (fried sweet plantains) and veggies. 

I ordered the soup and the beef which turned out okay. It was definitely a generous portion for the price. Although I don't have pictures of the lunch special to share with you, I do have pictures of the things that "wowed" me at Cafe Columbia. Here goes:

Columbian Soda
When I asked the nice lady who worked at the restaurant what Columbian sodas they had, she said that they had two kinds. One that had a bubble gum flavor and the other that had an apple flavor. I chose the bubble gum flavored one, and it was good. It reminded me of the Japanese soda "Ramune" that I used to drink as a child. Anything that brings me back to my childhood is a plus for me. =)

Empanada with Aji Sauce $1.50

This is by far the best empanada that I have ever tasted. It was filled with a mixture of beef, potatoes, and hogao. The outside was made of cornmeal and cooked perfectly. It was very crisp and flaky. I loved ever bite of it. 

The green sauce on the side is called Ají. It's a mild sauce made with cilantro, green onions, garlic, and 
Ajíes (medium hot chile peppers). It was the perfect match for the empanada....but then again, I'm a sucker for sauces. 

Inside of the empanada
Pandebono $1.25
Pandebono is basically Columbian cheese bread and it is soooooo good. The texture is kind of chewy due to being made with tapioca flour, but I love that about it. The cheesy flavor really came through. After one bite, I had a huge smile on my face. 
It reminded me of French 

Gougères, which I am a big fan of. 

These little babies are ADDICTING! 
The first thing I did when I got home was look up a recipe. I can't wait to make these at home. 

Inside of a pandebono
I would definitely go back to Cafe Columbia so I could explore the rest of their menu. The empanada and the pandebono alone is enough to make me a return customer. 
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