Farewell Agent 2-007!

Well, I have officially finished my first semester of law school and am currently enjoying a much needed break. So, I would like to post some of the memorable good eats and sweets captured from the last few months of 2007. Let's get to it!

While visiting my sister at UCLA, we enjoyed some really fantastic Indian fare at Ambala Dhaba in Westwood. So, if you're ever find yourself in the Westwood area and craving Indian food, I highly suggest Ambala Dhaba.

During the same LA trip, my sister, Mr. Tall and I also waited in line for an hour (!!!) to get some Sprinkles cupcakes. We bought half a dozen cupcakes, which cost nearly $20. We got Red Velvet, Strawberry, Black & White, Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Chocolate. The shop was quaint and stylish (and located right next to a Monique Lhullier boutique). In my humble opinion, I thought the cupcakes' flavor offerings were creative, and their signature look of the dots and sprinkles definitely made them more fun and unique. They were all tasty but my personal favorites were Strawberry and Black & White.
I would wait in line for maybe 15-30 minutes for them but would think twice about waiting any longer than that. I am a cupcake fiend though so who knows I might just tough it out the next time I'm in LA and get some anyway!

Mr. Tall returned from the mall once upon a weekend while my head was buried in the books and had a sweet, little surprise of a Sprinkles Pumpkin Cupcake Mix from Williams-Sonoma ($14). The mix makes a dozen cupcakes and also includes their signature sugar dots and a recipe from Cinnamon Frosting. The cupcakes were almost as delicious as they ones from the shop so if you don't make it to LA or don't feel like waiting in line, the cupcake mix is the way to go!

It was not Sprinkles that LA Magazine named the best cupcakes in LA, but it was Dainties "It's All About the Cream" cupcakes.
Right after I told her about this exciting news, my sister brought some down with her from LA when she came to visit for Thanksgiving, to my pleasant surprise! All their cupcakes are chocolate with various creams which is topped as the frosting and also inside the cakes. I believe we had Raspberry, Mint, Banana, Caramel, some sort of candy bar cream, and chocolate chip, I think. Anyway, the cake itself was good and the creams were all very delightful, especially the raspberry and mint ones, but my only complaint is that if it's "all about the cream" then they should give you more cream! My sister said that she pre-ordered the cupcakes on their website, after which the chef personally emailed her to confirm the order--and the owner even gave her some extra cupcakes to take home with her order!

Is that a good-looking turkey or is that a good-looking turkey?! I am officially declaring Mr. Tall the Turkey master because so far he has handled our Thanksgiving turkeys like a champ! This year, we went for a fresh turkey instead of a frozen one, and I think it tasted a little bit better. Mr. Tall had a simple dry salt brine, which made the turkey flavorful but not salty. Since we invested in a roasting pan that came with a "v" rack, our bird turned out with the most wonderfully crisp skin, and with the meat thermometer we were able to ensure that it wasn't overcooked.

Our little feast for 4: creamy mashed potatoes (recipe from Tyler's Ultimate), brussel sprouts with crispy procuitto, mashed acorn squash with butter and brown sugar, and, of course, whole cranberry sauce. Oh, we also enjoyed homemade pumpkin pie and apple-cranberry pie. Yum!

My plate: I made a vegetable gravy (a recipe from Cook's Illustrated) to accompany the mashed potatoes because it is relatively healthier and lasts longer for leftovers than traditional gravy made from drippings. I could use another plate of that right about now!

Mr. Tall and I had a small, celebratory 2-year anniversary dinner at The Prado at Balboa Park. (We actually had to postpone the dinner plans because it was during the fires.) Mr. Tall was a little hesitant to try a Cohn Restaurant for many blogs did not greatly review them, but we thought that the atmosphere at Balboa Park should help make it a romantic dining experience. For the first course, I enjoyed the Warm Farmer's Salad (romaine hearts split and grilled, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette with pickled red onion, feta cheese and marinated tomatoes) and Mr. Tall got the Tortilla Soup. I really liked the salad because I love the acidity not only from the balsamic dressing but from the pickled red onion, and Mr. Tall liked his soup as well.

For our main course, Mr. Tall ordered the Adobo Braised Pork Osso Bucco served with sweet plantain mash, sauteed white corn, tomato and zucchini, with tomatillo cilantro sauce. Although osso bucco is traditionally made of veal shanks, Mr. Tall thought that this Latin-inspired version was flavorful and the meat was moist, but the presentation of the mash and sauce underneath the shank was a bit messy. I ordered the Roasted Sea Bass served atop organic baby argula, roasted fingerling potatoes (I'm a sucker for fingerling potatoes!), and a white truffle infused beet puree.

The dish was delicious, and even though the beet puree was more like a sauce and did not have as much of the white truffle essence as I would have liked, I still enjoyed it. The acidity from the beet puree and the peppery argula perfectly complimented the meaty fish. I also had a glass of a dry and delightful Pinot Grigio with dinner, which was just a great accompaniment to the meal. We ended the lovely evening with the Chocolate Souffle Cake served with triple espresso gelato capuccino with bruleed Italian meringue peaks (those were so good!), raspberry coulis, and tuille cookie spoon.

The combination of the warm cake and the cool gelato were fantastic, but we could have totally done without the tuille cookie spoon. All and all, Mr. Tall and I enjoyed a nice dinner with a reasonable price tag and a lovely view of the wishing well and terrace of The Prado.

A friend of mine was visiting San Diego on a business trip, so Miss Andrea suggested that we go to Urban Solace in North Park because she had read so many good reviews on Yelp and I had also read a few raves on other blogs as well. We started with the Sweet Potato Fries, which by the way is my new, absolutely favorite thing! This version was awesome and its accompanying Maytag Blue Cheese-Buttermilk Dressing was mild enough not to overpower the sweetness of the fries.

Wisconsin White Cheddar Mac n' Cheese topped with caramelized bacon and (not so) charred grape tomatoes

Sweet Corn Spoon Bread

Potato Gratin. Not your traditional scalloped potato au gratin, but it was still delicious.

Char-Grilled Hanger Steak with homemade steak sauce, caramelized parsnips and celery root mash. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try this as there was so much food on my own plate (and the sweet potato fries were tempting and filling). But Andrea said that it was very good.

Cinnamon Brined Center-Cut Pork Chop served with braised Swiss chard, shallot sauce and sweet corn spoon bread. The pork chop was well cook and tender. Mr. Tall and I will definitely be making a trip to US some time this week as I am craving the sweet potato fries, and Mr. Tall wants to try their take on the American comfort food trend.

I shall end 2007 with a toast of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Low-Fat Frozen Yogurt with fresh raspberries--cheers!

Happy 2008,
Little Miss Contrary

The Adventures of Pinnerton and Little Miss Contrary

It has been unbearably long since my last post. Not by choice exactly. I just did my second and last round of the LSAT (because I sucked the first time around), so all of my free time was devoted to burying my head in prep books and sample tests. But now that’s over with, I’m free as a bird! Well, almost, now I get to worry about law school applications. Oh, what fun!

Anyway, I have been meaning to blog about so many things! First and foremost, Mr. Tall’s dad was in town a while ago, and he graciously took us out to dinner. Mr. Tall took him to Mama Testa the first night, which he really enjoyed. Can I please mention just one more time about how much I am in love with that place? Because I am! The next night, Mr. Ornelas took Mr. Tall and me to Rei de Gado, which is an all-you-can-eat Brazilian barbecue restaurant. Mr. Tall had taken me there once before for lunch. The price for lunch is less expensive, but the dinner generally runs about $35 per person. And let me tell you, I got my money’s worth. Although lunch was more of a bargain, the dinner had a much larger selection of meats and salad bar offerings. If you have never been to a Brazilian barbecue, waiters walk around with a large metal skewer with a freshly cooked chuck of meat and cut you an individual serving right at your table. Each table is equipped with a wooden knob of red and green on opposite ends—green if you want more meat your way and red if you’ve had enough of the protein. The salad bar is probably more than most would expect. It has a variety of vegetables, sides, fruits, etc. But the best thing at the salad bar is definitely the fried baby banana. They’re probably pan-fried without a batter; what you get is soft but not mushy little banana that are great as a break between the proteins or to end your meal.

Among their variety of meats were chicken, lamb, pork and various cuts of beef. One of their popular items if probably the filet mignon wrapped with bacon, but my absolute favorite this time was the garlic roasted lamb. It was so good beyond what I would ever attempt to explain to you. They also offer desserts in addition to the all-you-can-eat meal, but even a dessert lover like me does not have any room after I shook down, Kobayashi-style, the last fried banana.

The following week, my sister visited for an entire week for her Thanksgiving break. Yes, I know Thanksgiving was so long ago; I’ve obviously been lagging on updating my blog. Anyway, it was so fantastic having her around, and we indulged ourselves quite thoroughly. After Mr. Tall and I picked her up from the airport, we took her to, where else, Mama Testa! Of course, I got my usual Mojados de Carne (see previous post for its gloriousness) and I think my sister had the Bistec (grilled steak tacos). Pinnerton really enjoyed the food, especially the salsa bar.

From a coupon in the Uptown Magazine that we receive at the apartment, my sister and I did Sunday brunch at the LEI Lounge, located in the heart of University Heights. Upon entering the restaurant, the front is fully exposed into the bar area with a wall of waterfall. Once we passed the bar section, we enter the rectangular, hard-wood floored patio with table and booth seatings. The tables are draped with white table cloths and topped with a pink lei. The atmosphere was very lovely and chill … You feel as if you’re vacationing in Hawaii. I ordered the Ahi Tuna Benedict with a Gorgeous Geisha, which is a cocktail of champagne, strawberry liqueur and lychee juice. Pinnerton ordered the Stuffed Brioche French Toast with a side of sausage with a cranberry spritzer aka cranberry and soda water. The Ahi Tuna Benedict was served on an English muffin with poached eggs and topped with a generous amount of chipotle remoulade, which I really enjoyed. Pinnerton’s French Toast was served with a variety of berries, rum raisin syrup, and whipped cream. We both shared the dishes and enjoyed them thoroughly. My only small criticisms are that the food wasn’t particularly warm enough for some reason (even though the food arrived relatively promptly) and the sausage was far from impressive. Oh, and the Gorgeous Geisha wasn't as tasty as I had hoped; I could barely taste the strawberry liqueur and lychee juice. Overall, I would definitely make another trip to LEI Lounge (they also have an attractive dinner menu).

On Monday, I took my sister to audit a class at UCSD and made a stop for lunch before heading to the San Ysidro outlet. And guess where we went? McDonald’s! For some reason, I remembered having a McRib a long, long time ago, and for some reason, liking it. Pinnerton and I both order the McRib meal, and all I have to say is that I’m definitely never ordering it again. For those of you who don’t know what a McRib is—it’s basically processed pork, pressed into a shape of a small piece of rib, slathered with barbecue sauce, and served with onion and pickles on a bun. So for those curious about the McRib, I think the only thing that attracts people to them is the fact that McDonald’s only sells them for a limited amount of time. I’ve concluded that I am not a fan of the McRib or McDonald’s for that matter.

Since I know my sister likes sushi, I definitely wanted her to try Sushi Deli. We walked over to Sushi Deli 1 from my apartment (it's only about a 10-minute walk), but there was a very long wait so we decided to order for take-out. While they were preparing our order, Pinnerton and I made a grocery trip for some Thanksgiving items. Definitely a good use of our time. We got a couple of rolls (I don't quite remember), the Hot Hot California Roll (my personal favorite), and the Dynamite seafood appetizer (picture shown). The sushi were good as usual, but the appetizer was very disappointing. The seafood was mostly pieces of fish and imitation crab. Still, my sister was amazed with how much food we got for the money. That's a Sushi Deli deal for ya. Some people may not like the Americanized style of sushi that they serve, especially when sushi is slathered with the spicy sauce (I believe it's a combination of Sriracha chili sauce and watered down mayonnaise), but I love it! My sister and I both share the love for spicy foods so much that we used Sriracha, instead of wasabi, with soy sauce to dip our sushi-it was actually really good! I agree that perhaps the quality of the sushi at Sushi Deli may not be necessarily be premium, but for common folks like myself, the prices keep you going back.
Finally, our Thanksgiving dinner arrived! Our small celebration consisted of Mr. Tall, Taurin, my sister, and me. Mr. Tall was responsible for our 10-pound turkey, and I was responsible for the sides and dessert. He brushed it with melted butter and seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and just threw some herbs in the body cavity. It took only approximately 2 and a half hours to cook, and it was actually, really good! The sides were relatively simple. I cooked up some green beans, sweet potato casserole with lots of butter and brown sugar, and Brussels sprouts with pancetta (a recipe from Giada DeLaurentis’ Every Day Italian). And a must-have item was the whole-cranberry sauce from Trader Joe’s, which is my favorite. Taurin brought over some sparkling apple cider and whole wheat dinner rolls. We ate almost the entire turkey! Pretty impressive. We ended the meal with Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Pie with freshly whipped cream, which was quite tasty especially for the pumpkin lover, Mr. Tall. All in all, we had a very nice Thanksgiving.

Before my sister departed, we made yet another trip to Mama Testa. Apparently, they started having lunch specials! There were about 5 items, with a side of rice and beans, and a drink—all for $5.95! I had to order my usual (I really think I am addicted to it) and the lunch special of a Steak "Cesar" Salad. The salad was a very good size topped with a grilled thin strip of steak, tossed with a kicked up Caesar dressing. It was definitely more than a good deal. I am officially declaring myself an ambassador of Mama Testa!

I’ve got more foodies to blog about, but it shall be the next post! Coming soon—Little Miss Contrary’s Favorites List of 2006!

Enjoy,
Little Miss