I'm pretty sure this guy is at least partly responsible for my cheese obsession. These PSAs were a regular fixture during Saturday morning cartoons in the '70s.
Mmmm, I'm hankering for an Epoisse wagon wheel right now!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Whiskey Wednesday: Born in the USA Part 10 - Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
Well, we made it to number ten. The final (for now) whiskey in our Born in the USA series, which turned out to be mostly Bourbon. And for number ten, I've picked a Bourbon I had been wanting to try for sometime.Since it's introduction in 2002, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon has been one of the most widely acclaimed Bourbons on the market. The Birthday in question is that of George Garvin Brown, founder of Brown-Forman, the liquor giant that now owns Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, Korbel Champagne, Herradura Tequila and Finlandia Vodka as well as Old Forester.
This was the 2007 Birthday Bourbon, a thirteen year old which is still available at some on-line retailers, but the 2008 should be out any day now.
Tasting
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, distilled Spring 1994/bottled 2007, 47% alcohol (owned by Brown-Forman), $38.99.
Beautiful aroma exuding toffee, honey and other sweet things with a bit of a floral scent, with water it becomes more of a Cognac scent. The taste is less sweet than you'd expect from the nose, though it definitely has an underlying sweetness, including some tropical fruit(pineapple). Almost Scotch, like; it has some of the rugged notes of a Dalmore, some real savoriness there that comes out more with water. On balance, a very nice Bourbon, but I would say it didn't quite live up to the high expectations I had for it. Very good, though, for the price range and certainly one that would make a find gift for a birthday or otherwise.
Next Wednesday: Born in the USA Wrap Up
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Burning Down the Haus: Haus Dessert Boutique
If you call something a dessert boutique and open it in my neighborhood, you know I'm going to go. Haus Dessert Boutique opened about two months ago right across Sixth Street from KyoChon Chicken.
A Korean establishment featuring continental desserts and coffee roasted on site, I thought it might have potential. The dessert menu, though, is pretty standard: tiramisu, creme brulee, various cakes, chocolate souffle, chocolate fondue. There are also a few entrees and appetizers for people who need something savory before their dessert. The decor is typical hipster Koreatown coffeehouse chic. It's open late (midnight on weekdays, 1:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday) and has free WiFi.
The dessert selection immediately struck me as odd. All of the Korean coffeehouses have something similar to this display of desserts (minus the fondue); what is it that made Haus a "dessert boutique" as opposed to just another of the 5 million coffeehouses in Koreatown?
Unfortunately, I still don't know the answer. It's true that they make these desserts in-house, but most of the things I sampled fell flat. Tiramisu was dry and uninteresting as was the quattro-berry cake. I did enjoy the cheesecake, which had a nice, tangy flavor with an Oreo cookie crust. All of the portions, however, were quite small, though nicely presented. Alas, I left unimpressed - a good concept poorly executed.
Haus Dessert Boutique
3826 W. 6th St. (between Serrano & Hobart)
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 388-5311
A Korean establishment featuring continental desserts and coffee roasted on site, I thought it might have potential. The dessert menu, though, is pretty standard: tiramisu, creme brulee, various cakes, chocolate souffle, chocolate fondue. There are also a few entrees and appetizers for people who need something savory before their dessert. The decor is typical hipster Koreatown coffeehouse chic. It's open late (midnight on weekdays, 1:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday) and has free WiFi.
The dessert selection immediately struck me as odd. All of the Korean coffeehouses have something similar to this display of desserts (minus the fondue); what is it that made Haus a "dessert boutique" as opposed to just another of the 5 million coffeehouses in Koreatown?
Unfortunately, I still don't know the answer. It's true that they make these desserts in-house, but most of the things I sampled fell flat. Tiramisu was dry and uninteresting as was the quattro-berry cake. I did enjoy the cheesecake, which had a nice, tangy flavor with an Oreo cookie crust. All of the portions, however, were quite small, though nicely presented. Alas, I left unimpressed - a good concept poorly executed.
Haus Dessert Boutique
3826 W. 6th St. (between Serrano & Hobart)
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 388-5311
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Left Behind
It's happened to me numerous times at my local farmers' market. I'm juggling my wallet, bags of produce and one to two children. I pick out some delectables, submit them for weighing, pay...and leave the bag sitting there. Only later, when I get home, unpack, and find I'm missing valuable items, do I notice.
I've done it so many times I can't even begin to count. Possibly the most disappointing was when I left a bag of two excellent balls of my favorite buffalo mozzarella which was to go into a sandwich that very night.
Somewhere, I imagine, there is a heavenly place for the produce that was left behind, a cozy little kitchen stuffed full of all of the forgotten items that have been left over the years. A place where you could make a really good sandwich.
I've done it so many times I can't even begin to count. Possibly the most disappointing was when I left a bag of two excellent balls of my favorite buffalo mozzarella which was to go into a sandwich that very night.
Somewhere, I imagine, there is a heavenly place for the produce that was left behind, a cozy little kitchen stuffed full of all of the forgotten items that have been left over the years. A place where you could make a really good sandwich.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Whiskey Wednesday: Born in the USA Part 9 - A.H. Hirsch
Some myths are so ingrained in the collective psyche that no matter how many times you issue corrections, no matter how often you try to set the record straight, the myth endures. These are not just urban legends told in gullible emails, but factual contentions that are wrong but constantly quoted, even in newspapers and on TV news programs that should know better.
So, it is always worth repeating that you cannot see the Great Wall of China from space, that Nixon did not win the debate on radio and that Bourbon does not have to be made in Kentucky.
So where else is Bourbon made if not in Kentucky? It's made in Virginia, New York and Indiana, among other places. And it used to be made in Pennsylvania. More precisely, it used to be made at Michter’s Distillery in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. The distillery, one of the last remnants of the booming mid-Atlantic whiskey industry, closed down in 1991. The remaining stocks were purchased by Preiss Imports, and once those are gone, that will be the end, for now, of Pennsylvania Bourbon.
There are several bottlings of Hirsch, but we will be trying the easiest to find in California, the 16 year old reserve with gold foil cap. As the product of a closed distillery, it is expensive, and the price is likely to keep rising. I was able to find this one for $170 at Wine & Liquor Depot in Van Nuys, which is about as cheap as I've seen it (you'll pay almost $100 more at some places).
Tasting
A.H. Hirsch, 16 year old reserve - Distilled 1974, (gold foil) 45.8% alcohol.
This is a beautiful and unique Bourbon. It is smooth, with a lot of vanilla; it's not too sweet, almost Cognac like. In the finish, you pick up some wood, which is accentuated with a drop of water. This is another wonderful Bourbon that I keep coming back to.
If you've got it in your budget, get some of this stuff before it's gone.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
It Takes a Kitchen: The Village Kitchen
I don't know that many people would consider the stretch of Beverly around Union, just west of downtown, to be a village, but village or not, they are putting out some great food at the Village Kitchen.
The Village Kitchen is a storefront cafe founded by the Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children. The cafe, which is open for breakfast and lunch, is staffed by recently homeless or imprisoned women who are learning the ins and outs of cooking and learning it well.
The Kitchen offers an assortment of sandwiches, salads and baked goods which daily specials. They have a commitment to natural, made from scratch food. Best of all, the food is great.
Among my favorites have been a sausage sandwich with nicely stewed onions (a gourmet take on the NY red onion sauce you get on street dogs) and a salmon blt with a big chunk of salmon, excellent bacon and homemade mayo. I also enjoyed the grilled chicken sandwich and the giant Thai beef salad, an extra healthy rendition of the dish you can find all over nearby Thaitown. This version has mesclun mix, mango, avocado, big hunks of warm, marinated beef and a nice lime-garlic dressing.
The desserts are also fabulous. The red velvet cupcake is more died-red than it should be, but has a good flavor. The chocolate cake, while it had a great buttercream frosting, was much too dense.
While there are a few chairs outside, Village Kitchen is largely a take-out lunch business (along with a small breakfast menu that I have yet to try). It's, quite simply, one of the best things to hit this neighborhood in years. So give it a try.
Village Kitchen
1667 Beverly Blvd. (east of Union)
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 235-1487
Hours: M-F 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
The Village Kitchen is a storefront cafe founded by the Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children. The cafe, which is open for breakfast and lunch, is staffed by recently homeless or imprisoned women who are learning the ins and outs of cooking and learning it well.
The Kitchen offers an assortment of sandwiches, salads and baked goods which daily specials. They have a commitment to natural, made from scratch food. Best of all, the food is great.
Among my favorites have been a sausage sandwich with nicely stewed onions (a gourmet take on the NY red onion sauce you get on street dogs) and a salmon blt with a big chunk of salmon, excellent bacon and homemade mayo. I also enjoyed the grilled chicken sandwich and the giant Thai beef salad, an extra healthy rendition of the dish you can find all over nearby Thaitown. This version has mesclun mix, mango, avocado, big hunks of warm, marinated beef and a nice lime-garlic dressing.
The desserts are also fabulous. The red velvet cupcake is more died-red than it should be, but has a good flavor. The chocolate cake, while it had a great buttercream frosting, was much too dense.
While there are a few chairs outside, Village Kitchen is largely a take-out lunch business (along with a small breakfast menu that I have yet to try). It's, quite simply, one of the best things to hit this neighborhood in years. So give it a try.
Village Kitchen
1667 Beverly Blvd. (east of Union)
Los Angeles, CA
(213) 235-1487
Hours: M-F 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
What, No Prize? Long Beach Caramel Corn
Flavored pop corn is almost always disappointing to me. Cheese corn isn't cheesy enough and kettle corn smells better than it tastes. Caramel corn may be the most disappointing of all. It tends to be sweet and sticky, but with no real caramel taste. In fact, I hadn't really had a caramel corn I liked until I stopped by the Long Beach Sunday Farmer's Market last weekend.
As you know if you are a regular reader, I'm a farmers market junkie. So spoiled by farm-fresh produce am I that I will seek out farmers' markets wherever I am. So when I was visiting Long Beach this past Sunday, I stopped by the market at the Long Beach Marina, just off 2nd Street, right before you hit PCH. It was a goodly sized market. The produce and prepared goods were pretty standard LA farmers' market fare.
As in many markets, there was a kettle corn stand doling out free samples. Without thinking, I sampled some caramel corn. This was not your average caramel corn. The popcorn was dark brown and had the true flavor of caramelized sugar. It was only marginally sticky and didn't get caught in my teeth. I can't finish a box of Cracker Jacks, but I couldn't put this stuff down. The small sized bag was $2.50 and was enough for the whole family to snack on.
The only thing missing was the prize.
As you know if you are a regular reader, I'm a farmers market junkie. So spoiled by farm-fresh produce am I that I will seek out farmers' markets wherever I am. So when I was visiting Long Beach this past Sunday, I stopped by the market at the Long Beach Marina, just off 2nd Street, right before you hit PCH. It was a goodly sized market. The produce and prepared goods were pretty standard LA farmers' market fare.
As in many markets, there was a kettle corn stand doling out free samples. Without thinking, I sampled some caramel corn. This was not your average caramel corn. The popcorn was dark brown and had the true flavor of caramelized sugar. It was only marginally sticky and didn't get caught in my teeth. I can't finish a box of Cracker Jacks, but I couldn't put this stuff down. The small sized bag was $2.50 and was enough for the whole family to snack on.
The only thing missing was the prize.
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