M Cafe – West Hollywood, CA

What’s left when there’s no refined sugars, eggs, dairy, red meat or poultry? As bizarre as this probably sounds to most diners, there’s still a long list of other ingredients and intensely flavorful dishes to eat without these overused 5. I really think that we are so used to automatically reaching for these items without thinking about it and forget all the other great things to eat that are better and more delicious. Break the rut, open your eyes and expand your taste buds to a more interesting and diverse world of eating. The easiest and very motivating way to start is by heading over to M Cafe, the contemporary macrobiotic cuisine cafe with a global menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and more. Their kitchen uses wholesome, ecological ingredients like heirloom-varietal whole grains, organically grown beans, fresh fish and locally-grown fruits and vegetables. [...]

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Market Restaurant at the Cooper Building – Downtown Los Angeles

There’s a new breakfast/lunch spot in Downtown L.A. where you can get the best molasses cookies around along with other fresh and hot items. Bret Thompson of MILK in Hollywood partnered up with Pablo Ramirez and opened up Market Restaurant at the Cooper Building in the Fashion District. The catering menu is impressive as well as a promising 30 minute delivery service. Other than their molasses cookies, some of my favorite dishes to try are the Feta-terranean Salad with romaine hearts, cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, black olives, pita chips, garbanzo beans and lemon vinaigrette, the Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding with fresh fruit and granola, and Turkey Burger with cheddar cheese, vine ripened tomato, green leaf lettuce, pickles and secret sauce. See below for more menu items.
Here is more info from Market Restaurant:
Chef/Partner Bret Thompson (co-founder of MILK in Hollywood) and Partner Pablo Ramirez opened Market Restaurant [...]

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Real Food Daily’s Organic Cuisine Menu Update for Jan.18-31

Here’s an update to Real Food Daily’s weekly specials for the 2nd half of January. I’m ready to find out what the forbidden black rice is all about in the Madame Wong’s Stir-fry Palace. My favorites include the Country Vegetable Miso Soup, perfect for this rainy week,Faux-stess Cupcake with gooey white filling, chocolate cake, and fudgy icing, and Peanut Butter Cookies!
Monthly Special Jan 4 – Jan 31
Hippie Love Loaf
Lentils, millet, butternut squash, carrots, onions, herbs, gravy and roasted parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts
WEEKLY SPECIALS Jan 18 – 31
Madame Wong’s Stir-fry Palace
Spicy, stir fried Chinese long beans, miso glazed tempeh, eggplant, onion, carrots, forbidden black rice, peanuts
Fajita Chop
Black beans, seitan fajitas, vegetables, corn, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, guacamole, salsa, romaine, chipotle ranch dressing, spicy tortilla strips
Week Jan 25 – 31
On the Mexican Riviera
Pecan-cornmeal crusted tempeh, coconut yams, sautéed chipotle greens, spicy black bean sauce, mango salsa
Pippi Longstockings
Chickpea polenta, corn, roasted [...]

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Real Food Daily’s Organic Vegan Cuisine Menu for January

Good for you food and yummy comfort food can both be delicious and drool-worthy. Vegan and vegetarian food has come a long way but most people still think of them as tasteless boring vegetable dishes. That is so untrue and the complete opposite, especially with the abundance of choices in Los Angeles. So for 2010, I’m promising myself to remember to try out more new healthy delicious dishes. One of my favorite and very popular restaurant for this occasion is Real Food Daily. This place has done all the work for you in preparing yummy high maintenance food for vegans, vegetarians, macrobiotic dieters, organic eaters, kosher certified, low-calorie low-fat and low-sugar, and all foodies. My favorite is the Cold Soba Salad with soba noodles, julienne vegetables, cucumbers, cilantro, sesame seeds, peanuts, peanut dressing, and marinated tempeh. Check out their new menu [...]

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Holiday Lattes by Got Milk? and Heather Perry at Le Pain Quotidien – West Hollywood, CA

Heather Perry, the National Barista Champ, teamed up with Got Milk? to share her homemade latte recipes for a festive holiday event at Le Pain Quotidien in West Hollywood. It’s amazing how you can take just a few simple ingredients that you already have in the kitchen to make several different holiday drinks. Check out the recipes below. My favorite are the Eggnog Latte and Tres Leches Latte. There are even non-coffee drinks too such as the Holiday Frozen Hot Chocolate.
Enjoy some of the pictures below taken from the event. We got to enjoy several yummy sweet treats – mini brownies, blondies, custard tarts as well as fabulous Got Milk! giveaways including an apron, electric frother, Moka coffee pot, insulated grocery bag, and a $25 Amex gift card!

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Recipe Review: Orange Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls

Hot buttered rolls are something I want morning and night. It’s comforting, satisfying and makes the perfect pairing with either a hot cup of tea/coffee or any entree. These adorable Orange Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls have a hint of sweet holiday spices with the most amazing aroma that’s just right for the season.
Recipe: by Ruth Cousineau
Yield: 1 dozen rolls
Time: Total 4-3/4 hour, 40 minutes active
Ingredients:
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from a 1/4-ounce package)
1/4 cup warm milk (105–115°F)
1 tablespoon mild honey or sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
2 large eggs, divided, plus 1 yolk
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon water
Equipment:
a muffin pan with 12 (1/3- to 1/2-cup) muffin cups
Butter muffin cups with 1 Tbsp melted butter.
1. Stir together yeast, warm milk, and honey in a large [...]

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Grocery Bag: December Strawberries in L.A.

If you see strawberries in the store, you’re gonna wonder what’s going on. I did think it was weird to see them in my local grocery store and didn’t think they would be good. Even though strawberry season is long gone, L.A. somehow is still going strong with incredibly sweet ones. Yup, I was not disappointed with my risky purchase. So go pick up these special treats if you see them in your local L.A. store or farmer’s market!

Click here to see more Grocery Bag items.

(Bottom Photo:latimes.com)

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Recipe Review: Tiramisu

Wake up guys, here’s the one recipe you should know if you want to truly win over someone’s heart. This Tiramisu recipe comes directly from the single most romantic place on Earth – Venice. Put aside any dairy fears, pop in some lactase, and dig in. This only takes 30 minutes, the fridge does the rest. A friend once told me the secret to an amazing Tiramisu is a top-notch mascarpone cheese. So do not skimp and pick the best mascarpone selection that your cheese guru recommends. Let the love begin..
Recipe: by Enrica Rocca, Venice, Italy
Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Time: Total 5 hours
Ingredients:
19 to 21 savoiardi biscuits (Italian dry lady fingers; from a 7-oz package)
2 cups freshly made strong coffee
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup mascarpone cheese (an 8 ¾-oz tub)
1/2 cup sugar
a 3 oz piece bittersweet chocolate
1. Arrange the biscuits in one [...]

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The Sweets Truck – Los Angeles, CA

The Sweets Truck is almost a dream come true for me – candy, pastries and a cafe on wheels! Now I just have to figure out how to make them follow me.
This truck also has a sweet heart with a commitment to supporting the global and local community. So it’s not entirely self-indulgent to enjoy their daily baker specials and hand-picked seasonal treats. Check out some of their menu items below.

BROWNIES & BARS
FROM OUR BAKERS
Embrace Triple Chocolate Chunk Brownie • Peanut Butter Blitz Brownie
Toffee Almond Crunch Brownie • Chunky Walnut Brownie • Caramel Pecan Brownie
Double Chocolate Brownie • White Chocolate Chunk Brownie • Blondies
Cookie Casa Chocolate Fudge Cookie Bar • Cookie Casa Coconut Walnut Bar • Cookie Casa Pecan Shortbread Square
BEAUTY PAGEANT BROWNIES from Xtreme Desserts
Black Forest • Boston Cream Pie • Cappuccino Mocha • Chocolate Malted • German Chocolate
Mint Chocolate Chip • Pistachio Chocolate Chip • [...]

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Recipe Review: Molly Killeen’s St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

It’s pastry season. I’m thinking of all the cakes, pies and cookies I’ll get to surround myself with thanks to the upcoming holidays.
Here’s something I can’t wait to try out. I basically drooled all over myself while reading about it. The magic of butter, sugar and eggs creates this cake that’s as irresistible as the “center of a pecan pie” without the oversweetness. It hardly resembles a cake with it’s sticky and flaky texture – so my friends who happen not to like cake should like this (that’s crazy and I don’t understand how someone doesn’t like cake).
Recipe: by Melissa Clark
Yield: 16-20 Servings
Time: Total 4 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the cake:
3 tablespoons milk at room temperature
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the topping:
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light corn [...]

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