where the image is meant to titillate and inspire the cook
Peace. Love. Light. Latkes.
I received a most meaningful card from one of my dearest cherished friends today,
on this first day of Hanukkah in the year 5772.
May you be strengthened by tradition,
Warmed by the Hanukkah lights,
And may your life be touched with miracles.
I hope these days are filled with great light.
Thanks for being a great light in my life.
With love and prayers…
Could one possibly receive a sweeter gift than that?
Thank you FA, and Merry Merry Christmas to you.
“Croque Madame”
What is it that makes one restaurant stand out from the rest?
Food: Where every dish hits the mark. Imaginative, original. Expertly crafted. Executed with finesse. Harmony of color, texture, and taste.
Wine: An interesting wine list that synergizes with the menu. The wine selection accentuates the food. The food selection accentuates the wine. Fairly priced. We adore a sommelier who listens to us describe what we are looking for in a wine, then nails it. “We’re in the mood for a pinot noir that is fruit forward, bright and juicy, complex. We would also love to try something new. In a white. No oak. No grapefruit flavors. Something rich.” (See below for the superb wine picks).
Service: Professional service that is polished, warm and engaging without being overly chummy. Anticipatory with flawless timing. Ultimately knowledgeable.
Hospitality: Gracious hosts. When learning of our crazed appreciation for food (maybe the camera gives it away?) we were invited for a peek behind the glass-walled kitchen at the end of the night.
Ambiance: An intersection of architecture, decor, tableware, lighting, and music. A room where we as guests feel comfortable, glamorous, appreciated.
We found a stand-out restaurant recently, in Hatfield’s.
What makes a restaurant stand out for you?
Curried Mung Bean Soup, Kimchi, Chili Oil
and
A Trip to The Dish Factory
Neither this soup nor a trip to The Dish Factory are for the faint of heart. Asian-fusion-style mung bean soup is flavored with hot muchi curry powder, garnished with pungent kimchi, and dotted with chili oil. Located in the center of Downtown LA, The Dish Factory is housed in an old four-story building with rickety flooring, steep stairwells, and dark hallways.
Carrying the largest china inventory in the Western US and all sorts of restaurant equipment with 60,000 sq. ft. of merchandise at heavily discounted prices, I was absolutely ecstatic when my dear friends and fabulous restaurateurs Scott & Gina Lee invited me to join them on a dish excursion. I had been lusting after top restaurants’ super-wide rimmed plates and bowls for a while, as the portion-size is petite but the presentation is dramatic. Perfect, in fact, for this vibrant soup.
Continue reading “Curried Mung Bean Soup, Kimchi, Chili Oil”
♡ heart-healthy olive oil oatmeal walnut cranberry blueberry raisin cookies ♡
Taste With The Eyes is four-and-a-half years old and it’s time to celebrate! No, not because of the mini-milestone, we’re celebrating the first cookie recipe on this blog, ever. And they’re not colorful, festive, nor particularly sweet…and they are definitely not tied up with ribbons and bows. I’ll leave those fabulous gussied up holiday cookies to the baking experts. These are brown, irregular, crunchy, a little chewy, heart-healthy, and great with black coffee. My kinda cookie. I know this is a long shot, but perhaps, yours, too?
After all these years without a cookie in sight, what motivated me, a rather savory gal, to bake cookies?
Well, I received a generous gift of fancy holiday cookies from a client at my office the other day. They were shipped from a popular local bakery. And they were very very pretty. With lots of icing, and red and green sprinkles. They were aptly named “Sugar Rush.” The label indicated each serving contained 25 mg of cholesterol. I gave them away to a delighted colleague, then sent a thank you note to that gracious client.
JAPCHAE
Korean Sweet Potato “Glass” Noodles
Spinach, Beef, Shiitake, Carrot, Cabbage, Onion
Sweet Garlicky Sesame Soy Sauce
The following note was in my mailbox at work:
Lori Lynn – Please bring a COLD PASTA SALAD for the party on Thursday.
Thanks!
At our school, we have a festive monthly themed luncheon for the faculty and staff who are celebrating birthdays. This past month’s theme was football. With hot dogs and chili. And I was (happily) one of a handful of people asked to bring a dish. But I couldn’t bring myself to make the “cold pasta salad.” No farfalle. No rotini. No mayo.
I had a hankering to make japchae, Korean glass noodles with beef, vegetables, and a sweet garlicky sesame soy sauce – a perfect dish to feed a crowd. It’s transportable, economical, and one large bag of dangmyeon (glass noodles made from sweet potato starch) makes over 20 side-sized servings. And since it is often served at Korean celebrations, I thought it would make a great dish for our birthday party. It takes a little while to prepare because all the ingredients are cooked separately, but it is awfully easy.
On that Thursday morning I stir-fried veggies and beef, cooked the noodles, whisked together the sauces and had my dish in the teachers’ lounge by 11:15 AM, in time for the first lunch period.