Casa Mono, NYC + 4th Blog Anniversary!

First, let's get this out of the way: Wow, four years of Tuna Toast! Four years ago today, I started this little blog with a post about chocolate macarons, and it's been sporadic postings about food, wine and travel in varying degrees of quality ever since! So thank you to everyone who has ever read this blog, I couldn't have done it without you.

Do any of you "tweet?" I suppose if you know what that means, you do. If you don't, you've either been living under a fairly large rock, or have taken a stand against social networking replacing in-person communication. Although I do, at times, empathize with the latter group, I have joined the masses on Facebook and Twitter and have come to the conclusion that we, as humans, may never have to speak using our voices to anyone ever again. Pretty soon we'll be hugging on Twitter or kissing over Facebook. All you have to do is purchase a lips avatar, and there you go. Virtual kiss, delivered right to your Facebook wall. Smoochie goochies!

Ok, I'm over exaggerating, and I certainly don't want the human race to cease all physical contact with each other. Sure, there are downfalls of social networking, but there are some pretty cool benefits. Case in point: while preparing for my recent trip to the East Coast, I asked the Twitter universe where I should eat in NYC. I did get many good recommendations, but a certain food writer sent me numerous restaurant recs, all via direct messages on Twitter (for those not in the know, a direct message is something intended just for you, not everyone on Twitter). Who was it? Well, none other than Pulitzer Award Winning writer and author Jonathan Gold. In what alternate universe is Jonathan Gold going to see my question, much less answer it? Welcome to Twitter, where stars, well, they are just like us. Take that, US Weekly!

In all seriousness, I felt Mr. Gold was very kind (as he is to many Twits, Twitterers, Tweeters, whatever you want to call us) to answer my query and of course wasted no time in making reservations to Casa Mono, a place he mentioned. J and I were meeting good friends for dinner so we made our way to the small tapas joint which was just a short stroll from our hotel in the East Village.

Casa Mono's menu is quite large, and we decided that each of the four of us would choose two dishes, then we'd share the bounty. My friends K and P ordered the duck egg, foie gras, pork belly and bone marrow. I look at them and say, "Uh, don't you want any veggies?" and K looks at me like I just stole her firstborn baby. "No, WHY?" seemingly exasperated at the horrid thought. What makes it worse is that K and P always look like they stepped out of the pages of a J Crew catalog, all blonde hair, flat tummies, clear skin and perfectly pressed clothes. Disgusting, isn't it? Don't get me wrong- I love eggs, never met a foie I didn't like, everyone on earth loves pork belly and bone marrow is going to be my Last Meal, but I generally try to balance out the fat with something other than more fat. Not to say I didn't toss a phat dish into the ring by ordering the pork croquettas, but I did get the scallions with romesco to add a bit of green, while J went with the scallops and skirt steak. We also all decided to finish off the order with some razor clams. At least they're sort of healthy. Here's the damage:

Duck Egg with Mojama

Veal Cheek Tagine with Sweet Potato Cous Cous

Skirt Steak with Onion Mermelada

Scallops with Blood Oranges and Rainbow Carrots

Scallions with Romesco

Razor Clams a la Plancha

Bone Marrow with Radishes

Foie Gras with Cinco Cebollas

Hudson Valley Pork Croquetas with Green Tomatoes

Crispy Pork Belly and Apple Salad

Everything was muy delicioso, particularly the razor clams which were steamed and swimming around in a mix of garlic, brine and olive oil; and the foie gras which melted on my tongue like good, rich chocolate. The scallions were delicious as well- I'd seen them on the Spain episode of No Reservations and had always wanted to try them- charred scallions are stripped of the black outer layer and served with romesco, a sauce made of roasted red peppers and almonds. We finished off the meal with a cheese plate and some sorbetto.

When you end up with a table filled with empty plates and so many corks that you aren't sure how many bottles of wine you went through, it's the sign of a great night. Thanks to Mr. Gold for the recommendation, and thanks to K and P for teaching me that any friend who insists on ordering pork belly, bone marrow and foie gras together is the best kind of friend a girl could ever have.

Boston, I Think I Love You

Boston, you're a lovely town. I'd never had the pleasure to visit you until last month, and what can I say, you had me the minute the cool, fall breeze blew through my hair.

You have rows of brownstones on tree-lined streets dotted with cute boutiques and coffee shops……….



And everything has an old-town, historical feel to it……….



A place where everybody knows your name……….



Fenway Park……………



You have B&G Oysters, where J and I sat down to glasses of prosecco and a plate of beautiful oysters of different varieties………..







And where I had my very first lobster roll, which was so rich that J and I shared. Oh, and those fries……..o m g………





Cute puppies (ok, not exclusive to Boston but when you see a dog this cute, you find ways to get him into your blog post, ya know?)



Mike's Pastry, where people stand in loooong lines just to buy one of your many flavors of delicious cannoli and other goodies………





and a lovely, nighttime skyline……………….



Other memorable things about Boston that I unfortunately didn't get photos of:

The Liberty Hotel: quite possibly one of the most gorgeous hotels I have ever had the pleasure of staying in. It used to be the Suffolk County Jail and some of the bars and exposed brick from that time still remain, but interwoven beautifully with the new architecture. I can't wait to stay there again.

Conversation I had in a clothing store:

Lady: "So, where ya girls from?"
Me: "Los Angeles"
Lady: "Oh yeah, so whaddaya do?
Me: "I'm in entertainment television"
Lady: "Ohhhhh, so ya workin' with that Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz- they're shootin' up the street here ya know."
Me: "No, not here with them."
Lady: "Oh ok, so ya with that Matt Damon, he's from here, ya know."
Me: "No…not that either."

The North End area, basically their "Little Italy." There were so many amazing smells coming from the multiple Italian restaurants in the neighborhood, we couldn't figure out which to eat at.

My only regret about Boston is that it took me so many years to finally get there. I'm glad I did, and look forward to many more trips there.

Memories......

I love to cook for several reasons. It's relaxing after a stressful day, it's fun, it's one of the few areas in my life where I feel like a Mac instead of a PC. One of the best things about cooking, however, is the reaction you get from people when you feed them. Feeding someone is SO basic, but it's one of the most gratifying things you can do. If the person really enjoys what you feed them, it's even better. People usually react positively if whatever you give them tastes good, but I've found that the most profound reactions come when you feed someone something that triggers a memory of some kind. Maybe it reminds them of a place they used to live, or a person who once cooked for them, or a time in their lives they felt carefree and happy.



Which brings us to these little cupcakes. They're familiar to almost anyone who grew up in America. I always think of lunchboxes when I see these, not because they were in MINE, mind you (my parents were more Fig Newton types) but because I'd see them in other kids' lunchboxes and secretly wished that one day a Hostess cupcake would magically appear in mine. I think these cupcakes and the foil-wrapped Ding Dongs were the most desired among my classmates at St. Luke's Elementary School; a hot commodity when trading for other popular items like Capri Sun (juice in a pouch?!?! We thought it was so cool).

The easiest way to fill a piping bag is to set it in a glass first so you can scoop the filling into the bag

Ta-da!!!!!!

It's ok if a little bit of filling peeks out because these are about to take a chocolate bath!

I'd seen these on a few blogs in the past and finally got around to making them today. The recipe is pretty straightforward- there are a few steps in constructing the final product but it's really easy, and really fun. I especially looked forward to filling the cupcakes. Although many others used the "cone method" of cutting out a cone from the top of each, then filling the cupcake and putting the cone back in, I just shoved the tip of my piping bag into the top of each and squeezed. I think it worked well enough, although next time I will squeeze a little longer so more filing gets into each cupcake. I was afraid if I filled it with too much I'd have a Hostess Bomb on my hands.



I'm looking forward to the reaction I get from coworkers tomorrow- I wonder if a bite of these cupcakes will propel them back to time when life was about kickball, Family Ties and Slip N Slides. I hope so.




I think the logical next project is to try my hand at homemade Fig Newtons! Anyone ever made them?

Drago Centro Small Bites: Best Deal In Town!

Ed note: All photos were taken by J's iPhone since I forgot my camera. Not bad for a camera phone right?

I rarely use this blog to blatantly promote a restaurant, but I have to take this chance to tell you all: Run, don't walk, to Drago Centro in downtown. Sit at the bar, order yourself one of four wonderful wines by the glass (all priced $6 or under) and order off the small plates menu. You'll be eating some of the best, most well-prepared bar food in Los Angeles and feeling like you're getting away with something when you get the bill.

Half-drunk glass of wine...trust me, they pour a lot!

Our first visit to Drago Centro was shortly after the restaurant opened, and we sat in the restaurant, had the tasting menu and enjoyed every single bite. It's expensive but worth it- the service is impeccable, the view of downtown from the large, glass wall is gorgeous and the food delicious and beautifully presented. It's fine dining at its best and the kind of place you think put on your list of where to go on a special occasion. So when we discovered that the bar area of the restaurant offered a small bites menu, we decided to go on a random Wednesday night and have been back four times in as many weeks.

The bar is adjacent to the main dining room, separated by the huge, plexi-glass wine cellar which runs all the way to the ceiling. There are chairs at the bar, a long communal table in the middle of the room, a couple of smaller two-tops, plus outdoor sofas and tables. You get a decent view of the kitchen and can watch one of two flat screen televisions which remain silent as jazz music streams quietly over the speakers. Elegant, yet relaxed. Another major plus in my book: all of the bar seating have backs on the chairs so you aren't sitting on a stool for hours.

J and I always get two (each) glasses of the Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi Bianco from Campania- a light, refreshing white wine priced at only $5 a glass- and it's always a generous pour....6 or 7 ounces at least. It's a perfect accompaniment to the long, peppery cheese straws set in tall, silver vases that are all over the bar area so you can simply help yourself. Perfect to munch on while deciding what else to order.....

Having tried almost everything on the small bites menu, we have our favorites, but all of it is delicious. On this particular visit we went for:

La Bruschetta Mediterranea: a thick slice of peasant toast topped with roasted eggplant, smoked scamorza, roasted grapes and a hint of mint:

Not the prettiest of dishes but muy delicioso!


The Due Kobe Hamburgers: Mini Kobe beef burgers with mushrooms, arugula and fontina cheese on tiny brioche buns:



The La Pizza Ai Gamberi: a thin-crusted pizza topped with a pile of fresh shrimp, corn and mozzarella: (Ed note: We'd eaten 2/3 of it before realizing we needed to take a photo!)



We also always order this salad off of the regular restaurant menu- the Le Verdure e Lattughe Novelle: a gorgeous salad of assorted baby vegetables, young lettuces dressed with white balsamic (Ed note: again, being piggish we basically finished eating this salad by the time we thought to take a photo so this is the tail end of it!)



The quality is unbeatable- the salad is a perfect plate of the loveliest baby vegetables- zucchini, patty pan squash, Japanese turnips, golden carrots and radishes all cooked just a bit so that each element retains a nice, bright crispness. The shrimp on the pizza couldn't be fresher and the Kobe beef in the sliders is always moist, juicy and brimming with flavor. Nothing is over $9, with most of the items priced at $4 or less.

It's great to be able to eat at Drago Centro on any weeknight and get out for under $60 for two- with the four glasses of wine, pizza, bruschetta, salad and sliders our total came to just over $52.00. I hope you'll all get a chance to check it out; we rarely see more than a few people at the bar and, selfishly, I want this to stick around, so go on- get yourself some Drago-quality food at Subway prices!




Drago Centro • 525 South Flower Street, Suite #120, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Plum Kuchen

There are some recipes that take the internet by storm, and I think this one is well on its way. I mean, just look at this photo:

(c) 2009 Gourmet -CondeNast Publishing

I don't know about you, but the minute I spotted this in my August issue of Gourmet, I fell in love. It's just so dang beautiful, I had to make it mine. So I set out to bake in my un-air conditioned house in August. Love makes you do crazy things, doesn't it?

My heart went pitter-patter once again when I saw these plums at the Pasadena Farmer's Market:



Be still my bejeweled heart!

I went about making the yeasted "dough" although the consistency is a cross between a bread dough and a cake batter. After letting it rest/rise I cut up the plums and got ready to bake.



So this is where the love story sours just a bit. I swear I don't know WHY I sometimes choose to ignore that little voice of instinct when it starts talking to me, but each time I pretend not to hear it, I regret it. I mean, it's downright stupid really. Trust Your Instincts. I should write that in large red letters and post it on my fridge........or my forehead. You see, for some reason I went against my better judgment and decided to bake the kuchen in glass bakeware instead of aluminum or a cast iron skillet, even though that little voice kept nagging me that I probably wouldn't get great caramelization or browning with glass bakeware. It kept saying, "Don't be a fool, you're gonna get checked if you bake it in glass," and I said, "Who gonna check me, boo?" Wait, sorry that was a quote from Sheree of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Anyway, you get the point.


Not to say that the cake was a failure by any means: the plums, sugar and butter had created a wonderful syrup that dribbled down the sides of the cake, which was moist, sweet and delicious. I was just disappointed that most of the top didn't really brown very well, and we all know why. Oh, well. Based on looks, I'd give it a 5 but it had great personality overall. Next time: cast iron!



Have a great weekend!

Something Out Of Not Much

6:00 PM, Saturday night: Despite having an 8:30 PM reservation to one of Los Angeles' most beloved restaurants (Sona- to which neither of us had ever been), J and I found ourselves in a heap on the sofa, exhausted from running around in unusually muggy weather all day. We got into the do-you-wanna-go-well-I-don't-care-what-do-you-wanna-do? conversations which basically made us realize that a pricey restaurant like Sona should be saved for a time when we were totally feeling it. J tuned into the Raider game while I stared glumly into the refrigerator (I know mom- I shouldn't stand in front of the fridge with the door open!) wondering what to make. Since I'd assumed we'd go out for dinner I hadn't really done my grocery shopping, I was looking at a few veggies in the drawer, plus an array of condiments, some random nubs of cheese and one baked chicken breast that sat alone in a Tupperware. Not very promising.

Upon further investigation (read: I looked in the freezer) I found a badly beaten up Whole Foods ready-made pizza crust that was bent out of shape and hiding underneath bags of frozen corn and a bottle of vodka. At least I had a jumping off point now! I took it out, saw that it was intact and let it thaw back into its normal flat shape on a cutting board.



Since I didn't have any marinara or pizza sauce, I decided to do a kind of white pizza with what I had. After combining some sour cream, grated parmesan, grated gruyere, 1 egg yolk, lots of cracked black pepper and chopped basil into a paste, I spread it onto the thawed crust all the way to the edge, then covered the whole thing in thinly sliced zucchini which I'd salted and drained. Dinner was starting to come together! A grating of parmesan finished up the "flatbread" as I like to call it, and I popped it in the oven.



I was lucky enough to have one ear of corn and one gigantic tomato which came together, with some basil, to form a simple salad. Then I took the lone chicken breast and made a chicken salad and thinly sliced what I had left of a baguette to serve with it. I normally don't do the carb/carb dinner combo, but it seemed to make sense!



So, this is the dinner that came out of having to create something with what was there, and it turned out pretty well!



I think I'll try to do this more often- instead of buying more groceries, just try and create a meal out of what's already there. It forces you to be creative, and is a good way to use up leftovers.

What's in your pantry/fridge?

Non-Dairy Salmon & Corn Chowder

I hadn't really planned to make this for supper the other night; I actually had something more along the lines of a grilled salmon with a side of veg on my mind but as the day wore on it just didn't appeal to me. I knew I had the frozen salmon thawing in the fridge, plus a drawer full of veggies that I'd bought at the Larchmont Farmer's Market, but I felt.......uninspired.




Once I started to take a mental inventory of what vegetables I had, however, I started to put it all together and came up with this chowder. I'd purchased three ears of sweet corn, a bag of white onions, some really nice asparagus and had leftover basil, thyme and chives. The idea of a salmon and corn chowder hit me, and after a pit stop for two yukon gold potatoes and a pint of Silk soy milk, I was off to the races.



Basically I started this soup as I do with most others I make- sauteeing a mirepoix in a bit of olive oil before adding the corn which I cut off the cob. After the corn cooked a bit, I took about 1 1/2 cups of the vegetables and blitzed it in a blender along with about a cup of soy milk. After adding low sodium chicken broth to the remaining veg in my pot, I swirled in the corn/soy milk mixture- this thickens the soup and adds a creamy consistency without dairy. Not that i have anything against good, fresh cream, but shoveling large spoonfuls into my mouth is not something I should do too often. Sound fun though, doesn't it? After bringing the soup to a simmer I added the potatoes and let them cook, then added the herbs, asparagus, chives and green onion at the end. Right before serving, I folded in the salmon which I'd seasoned with salt and pepper, roasted for 10 minutes and flaked with a fork. Dinnah is served!



A sourdough baguette and chopped salad was all we needed to make a meal out of this....oh, and a bottle of rosé, of course! Wine always makes the meal.........or sometimes, IS the meal....but that's a whole other blog post........



TGIF, and have a great weekend!