Osso Buco

For Mothers' Day I made osso buco. I think I've only made this dish four other times in my life, but it's always good. It looks like a fancy restaurant meal, but it's not particularly difficult to make, although it is pricy and labor intensive.

For the sides I made risotto alla milanese and glazed carrots. The other four times I made this dish, these were probably the accompanying sides as they compliment the osso buco well.

I guess the dish is pretty impressive though, since most people don't eat veal shanks all the time.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I only make spaghetti carbonara about twice a year on account of it has all the things that contribute to heart failure and a shorter life (bacon, bacon drippings, heavy cream, cheese, egg yolks). I usually end up using bacon rather than pancetta because we always have bacon regularly available. I also prefer to add onions so that there is a little more texture.

Overall this is one of the lighter iterations of carbonara I've made. Normally it's very heavy, but this dish was deceptively lighter. It will still probably knock a year or two off my life, but those are the diaper years and I really don't need to be around for those.

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Blackened Catfish and Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts

I wanted to eat either lamb chops or fish, and seeing how lamb is pricier than fish, I went with catfish. I usually fry catfish, but I wanted to go slightly healthier so instead I went with a Guy Fieri recipe for blackened catfish. To be honest, his was one of the first recipes that came up and I didn't feel like looking further. It was easy enough though with a blend of spices that I already had on hand.

Quinoa is super healthy for you, so I found another simple recipe that could accompany the fish. It wasn't unlike some of the rice pilafs I'd made in the past.

The fish wasn't bad, but it was too spicy. The heat didn't obliterate the taste, but it did make it difficult to find. Next time, I'd cut the cayenne down by half.

Surprisingly though, the whole meal came into its own when I took it for lunch two days later. The flavor in the catfish bloomed with the heat quotient dropping, and the pine nuts had found a way to better blend with the quinoa. It was actually a lot better two days after the fact.

Megasandwich

I didn't have a name for this, so I just used Megasandwich. I'll probably use that name a dozen more times in my lifetime to describe other sandwiches.

Following last week's Italian cold cut extravaganza, I thought I'd come up with something special based on my research. Behold, an Italian cold cut sandwich forged with the help of the Greek gods and Pavilions.

A quarter pound of provolone and nearly a half pound each of capicolla, sopressata, and mortadella on French bread. But lo, greater secrets lie hidden within its bowels—Italian stewed tomatoes on the lower bread loaf, olive oil & vinegar and salt & pepper on the upper loaf, golden pepperoncinis between. As a mere mortal, I could only consume a third of this mighty sandwich at any given time.

The stewed tomatoes lent a moisture and sweetness that gave way to the saltiness of the meats before being overcome with the tanginess of the vinegar and spiciness of the pepperoncinis. The flavor profile was like hitting a home run and rounding the bases, if first base was sweet, second base was salty, third base was sour, and home was spicy. Gone was the lettuce and sliced tomato that so often make eating an Italian sandwich an exercise in planning and engineering. Ousted was the less than puny roll or baguette foundation. Instead arise, Megasandwich!

Mathematically, Megasandwich=(capicolla+sopressata+mortadella+provolone)*2+(French bread/2+stewed tomatoes+(olive oil+vinegar)+(salt&pepper)+pepperoncini.

Tere's Mexican Grill

Originally I was going to try the Larchmont Bungalow on Larchmont Blvd, since I had heard from my mother that they serve Poutine (a Canadian treat). However upon checking out their menu, I learned that they serve their Poutine topped with shredded mozzarella. Now I'm not Canadian, but I do know this much about real Poutine—real Poutine is topped with cheese curds so fresh that they should squeak when you bite into them. So discouraged I decided to go elsewhere, although it's quite likely I'll go back to the Larchmont Bungalow some other time, just not for the Poutine.

My backup option was Tere's Mexican Grill on Melrose. I had read on Chowhound that they had really good nachos. I find nachos to be the best value on most Mexican menus since you get a usually get a good portion of meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables all for a decent price.

I ordered the carne asada nachos which came served on a hot plate, a good indicator that the cheese was allowed to melt under the broiler. Now the various comments about Tere's had noted their fresh, homemade chips, double thick and lightly salted. The chips were indeed robust, and there was no mistaking these for an inferior, store-bought brand. They were topped with jalapenos, sour cream, fresh guacamole, fresh pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and beans. The overall portion was quite sizeable, and I would venture a guess that the whole plate weighed about a pound or so. Of course none of this would matter if the product itself wasn't tasty, which it quite favorably was. There's a strong sense of quality in the construction of these nachos. The chips stood out as did the cheese which was quite liberally layered on top. Overall, these were very good nachos.

I also ordered a pork taco on the side. Now the cashier specified that this was not carnitas, so if that's what you're looking for, you're going to be surprised. However that surprise would still be welcome, since this was the highlight of my meal. The pork comes as large chunks of what appeared to be either lean grilled or roasted pork, smothered in a chile verde (green chile). The chile is mild, but has a nice tanginess that pops in your mouth. I plan on having this again.

I liked that the place had a very casual, laid back atmosphere. There were only about 7 or 8 tables accompanied by a soda cooler, a tower of Mexican Cokes, and a soccer game on the TV. So many of the restaurants along Melrose tend to be fancy and overly pretentious as they seek out a bourgeois clientele looking for the next big thing. At Tere's they're really just trying to put out relatively simple food with just a little more care, and that's the type of place I'd want to eat at.

Some other interesting notes about Tere's Mexican Grill:
-While the nachos are good, I'll have to admit that I'm perfectly fine with Baja Fresh's nachos. They're probably about just as much quantity-wise and slightly cheaper, with just some minor drops in overall quality. But then again, this is coming from a guy who also enjoys Lucy's nachos which are little more than tortilla chips drenched in canned steak and red chili.

Tere's Mexican Grill
5870 Melrose Ave. #101
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 468-9345

Celebrity Sightings - Tim Roth

To celebrate Sister C's birthday, we went to Houston's in Pasadena. While there, who do you think came up and sat in the booth behind us? Why, Mr. Orange himself, Tim Roth. Actually it was my sister who spotted him, and I confirmed after hearing his British accent. I tried to tell Brother G, and the whole time he thought I had said, "Kid Rock." To get a better glimpse, I casually made my way to the bathroom with the video screens in the urinals. He was there with a lady friend.

Afterwards my brother and I admitted that we both wished he had been Gary Oldman instead. That way we would have had a lot more to talk to him about. Things like, "I know who Batman is! It's millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne!" Or, "how can you be a crazy DEA agent and also be the commissioner of Gotham City?" Or "why did you have such weird hair and why were you so mean to Bruce Willis?" Or "who would win in a fight, Harry Potter or Batman?"

Whhhy? - Regulate

The hip-hop world lost one of its greatest contributors when Nate Dogg passed away on March 15, 2011. Originally partnered with Snoop Dogg and Warren G, he went on to collaborate with a number of artists and helped shape the music landscape with his deep vocal stylings. So it is only fitting that I break down one of his greatest hits performed along with Warren G, the seminal song, Regulate.

Let me start off by saying that this is one of my all-time favorite songs. I owned both the "Above the Rim" soundtrack and "Regulate ... G Funk Era" because of that song. That being said, why would Warren G and Nate Dogg want to rap about what happens in Regulate?

First of all the song opens with a sound bite taken from "The Untouchables" television show explaining what a regulator is: someone who takes care of his property and is handy with a gun. And the song does in fact reinforce this idea, but meanders around this point rather than focusing in on it.

Warren G is just chilling by himself, looking for some girls. But Mr. Nate Dogg is determined to find Warren G. The priorities here seem muddled, but get even more so when Warren G is quickly distracted and decides to join in on a corner craps game which already sounds like a bad idea. Surprise, surprise, instead of letting him in on the game, the brothas decided to rob him at gun point, to which Warren G points out the obvious: "I'm stuck." They start shaking him down and taking all his bling, including his Rolex. (Now why would you pull up to a street game with a Rolex unless you wanted to get jacked?)

Meanwhile, Nate Dogg, so dogged in his quest to locate his fellow rapper Warren G, has to fight the urge to pick up on some girls that pass him by. He does so successfully, turning his attention back to Warren G just in time to see him getting held up. With his sidearm, Nate Dogg subdues, or "regulates," Warren G's robbers. Then, quite generously he mentions that both he and Warren G "had to regulate."

Obviously Nate Dogg is devoted to his friend, for how else could you explain his focus in not chasing after the girls, not getting sucked into other local betting games, locating and rescuing his friend, and giving him credit for helping to regulate the busters? If anybody did any regulating that night, it was clearly Nate Dogg and Nate Dogg alone. Warren G spends most of his time rapping about how pathetic his situation is and how quickly everything devolves. Furthermore even after the fact, he continues to dwell on it, bringing it up later in the song ("Before I got jacked I was on the same track"). He doesn't know when to leave well enough alone.

The second act so to speak sees Warren G and Nate Dogg turning there attentions back towards the honeys. From this point on, the song really has nothing to do about regulating. And if you pay close attention, it's really Nate Dogg who picks up the chicks and not Warren G. Warren G acknowledges that "Nate got the freaks," and it's Nate Dogg who says "I got a car full of girls and it's going real swell," not "we got a car." It sounds like Warren G is just along for the ride at this point.

The third and final act of the song has Warren G and Nate Dogg waxing philosophical. Warren G breaks down the meaning of G Funk and from whence it derives. The "rhythm is the base and the base is the treble" is some deep, impenetrable stuff. Not to be outdone, Nate Dogg starts going off on some esoteric shit about G Funk (If you know like I know/You don't want to step to this/It's the G Funk era/Funked out with a gangsta twist"), then quickly shifts back towards reality ("If you smoke like I smoke/Then you high like everyday"). The song concludes that "if your ass is a buster/213 will regulate." However if this song is any indication, only one of two people will regulate a buster, and sadly that man has departed. Rest in peace, Nate Dogg, it seems the streets of the LBC will be a little more crowded with busters from now on.

And so I ask why, Regulate? Whhhy!

Sorrento Italian Market

In my quest for Italian cold cut sandwiches, I learned about Sorrento Italian Market from L.A.'s Chowhound boards. I used to pass it all the time when I worked in West L.A. I like small delicatessens and markets like these. They have a local neighborhood feel that is sometimes hard to find in a big city.

The sandwich that I get here has mortadella, cotto salami, cappicola, provolone, lettuce, mayonnaise, mustard, and their special ingredient, stewed tomatoes. I'm still not sure what it's called, since today when I asked the man behind the counter for "that sandwich that has Italian cold cuts and stewed tomatoes," he replied the "three meat combo with mustard and mayo?" I don't think that's the actual name, but more of an expanded description of what's in the sandwich. Whatever it is, it's good.

Compared to the Original Rinaldi's which I had earlier in the day, this sandwich had a fresher taste which is difficult to describe. Perhaps it was the mustard and mayonnaise that made the difference. Because of the combination of meats, this sandwich has a more rounded quality to the flavor, as the mortadella is milder and fattier than the salami, while the cappicola isn't as salty and is spicier than the other two meats. But the key ingredient in the sandwich is really the stewed tomatoes. The stewed tomatoes make the sandwich moister as well as easier to consume, and because they are sweeter and less bitter than raw tomatoes they further add to the flavor mix.

The sandwich is pretty substantial, but what puts it over the top is it's price: about $4. It's too bad that it's out of the way for me now and doesn't have ample parking, as I could see myself going there more often. I would also learn the actual name of the sandwich if that were the case.

Some other interesting notes about Sorrento Italian Market:
-2 out of 7 on my mess-o-meter. This sandwich is surprisingly self-contained. I suppose that is owing to it's excellent construction which prevents spillage and meat overflow.
-Currrently ranked #6 on my Italian cold cut sandwich list.

Sorrento Italian Market
5518 Sepulveda Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230
(310) 391-7654

The Original Rinaldi's: Part 2

This is a quick follow up to my original review to the Original Rinaldi's.

After my first time going to the Original Rinaldi's I wanted to try it again, so on my way to Gardena I made a quick stop in El Segundo.



This time I ordered the USC Trojan, prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, oil & vinegar, lettuce tomato, Italian dressing, and provolone (I didn't get the UCLA Bruin because I don't like ham and roast turkey as much as Italian cold cuts). This sandwich was like a dry, salty, meat bomb. In contrast to the Italian combo which was a little more rounded flavor-wise, the Trojan was very focused as all of the meats were somewhat similar. Again it was very meaty which almost necessitated that it be eaten open-faced.

Between the Trojan and the Italian combo, which would I pick? Well, that's a difficult decision, since both were good, and both were a little different. If I don't order the Godfather next time, I'll probably have to flip a coin.