Piccolo Ristorante – Venice, CA

I had one of the most delicious romantic dinners the other night at Piccolo Ristorante in Venice Beach. This cozy little Italian haven is in an unassuming spot right off the beach, tucked into the neighborhood. The place was busy before it was even open. The proprietor, Vittorio Viotti, made sure we had a perfectly comfy corner table in one of their dining room wings. Everything from the room, seating and considerate attention to the bread basket, Branzino Marinato (top pic) and Doppio Raviolo di Pesce Halibut (pic below), was as blissful as you would ever want a dinner to be. This is definitely a new favorite restaurant for me. Check out some of their menu items below.

(Doppio Raviolo di Pesce – Spigola, Halibut, and Eggplant with Mascarpone and Caviar)
Chef Bobo’s seasonal menu:
ANTIPASTI CALDI
Quaglia Arrosto – pan-roasted quail, stuffed with foie grás, Marsala reduction [...]

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Buttermilk Food Truck – Los Angeles, CA

Calling all fellow breakfast food lovers, those of you that consider french toast anytime of the day or night. Thanks to Gigi Pasqual and Buttermilk Boy Klippy, Buttermilk Truck brings us our favorite breakfast dishes all day and late night long. Some of my favorite items off their menu include Hawaiian Bread Cinnamon French Toast Sticks served with butter and syrup, Southwest Veggie Omelet with cornbread, Buttermilk Biscuit Breakfast Sandwiches with applewood smoked bacon and rosemary hash browns, Fried Chicken with Housemade Cinnamon Waffles. See below for more menu items and deets.
Find them participating in the Food Trucks for Haiti, Saturday Jan.23, 12-3pm, at TLofts – 11500 Tennessee Ave at Butler Ave, West LA with 20 other fellow foody trucks. Event runs from 11am-4pm. Portions of the proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross International Response Fund in relief efforts for the Haitian people.
More [...]

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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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dineLA Restaurant Week is back for 2010

dineLA Restaurant Week is coming up starting Jan 24 – 29 and Jan 31 – Feb 5. Their live to eat line-up includes over 200 restaurants across Los Angeles offering up special lunch and dinner pixe fix menus ranging from $16-$44. Reservations fill up quickly so book yours right away.
Below are some of my favorite menus – Campanile (Grilled Duck Breast with fennel, lemon-thyme potatoes and crisp leeks), Susan Feniger’s Street (Susan’s Mother’s Peanut Butter and Jelly cookies), Joe’s Restaurant (Santa Barbara Black Cod with mushroom soy dashi, baby shiitake, and mezuna lettuce crispy rice) and Sugarfish by Sushi Nozawa (dinner for only $26).
To get the most out of the event, register and use your American Express card to get a $20 statement credit. See below for more details.
CAMPANILE
624 S. La Brea
Los Angeles, CA 90036-3568
323.938.1447
LUNCH $22
Choice of Appetizers:
Soup of the Day
Warm Beluga Lentil Salad – [...]

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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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Recipe Review: Pappardelle Veggie Bolognese

I’ve been planning a holiday party menu for a group of friends with some vegetarians. It’s almost impossible to please every taste bud, but it’s fun trying. Here’s a dish that hit the right spot for me. This Papparadelle Veggie Bolognese is a lusciously rich and hot dish but also vegetarian. Top it off with some fresh shreds of basil and a heavy hand of parmigiano-reggiano for some extra love. The best part is that it’s all ready to serve within an hour!
Recipe: by Melissa Roberts
Yield: 4 Servings
Time: Total 55 minutes, 20 minutes active
Ingredients:
1 oz (28 g) dried porcini mushrooms (1 cup)
1 cup boiling-hot water
2 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 1-inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium shallots, quartered lengthwise
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 [...]

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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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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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