I love kimchi

Kimchi is one of my favorite things to eat especially on top of rice with a sunny side up egg on top :) Takes 5 minutes and fills me up nicely.

Pizzeria Mozza

I can't believe I haven't made a post about Pizzeria Mozza in LA yet! It has been one of my top restaurants this year and I get hungry just thinking about that amazing meal. The Mozza restaurant group is owned by Nancy Silverton, Joseph Bastianich, and Iron Chef Mario Batali. I have heard amazing things about both Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza but we decided to go to Pizzeria because my friend Annie and I were looking for a more casual evening and heard that the food was equally good at both branches. Osteria Mozza is more dressy and just right next door to Pizzeria. The atmosphere was very sophisticated yet cozy with dim lighting and a lot of dark wood and wine displayed on the walls. One note of complain was that although we had a reservation we had to wait for around 15 minutes before our table was ready which was quite annoying. Luckily the food was so amazing that I soon forgot about the slow speed of seating us.

The utensils and napkin were tucked into this envelop along with a postcard. Very cute idea. 

Started off with White beans alla Toscana with extra virgin olive oil and saba
Initially when I heard the words "white bean" I was not too excited about this dish but boy was I wrong. This toast was absolutely heavenly. The white bean paste had amazing flavor and the olive oil and vinegar on top of it just created the most amazing balance of flavors. The toast was perfectly crisp and hearty and held up the creamy texture of the bean paste perfectly.  

Prosciutto de Parma and bufala mozzarella 
What could possibly go wrong with such a glorious paring? The prosciutto was cured expertly and the bufala was creamy and scrumptious. I could eat this all day. 

Bone marrow al forno 
I absolutely adore bone marrow. This was such a simple yet amazing dish because it was executed perfectly with quality ingredients. The roasted garlic with the rich fatty bone marrow on top of that crusty bread was unforgettable. 

Funghi misti, fontina, taleggio, and thyme pizza 
Have been hearing many good things about their pizzas. They have a great selection but I knew I had to try this. The crust was not as thin as New York style pizza yet it maintained an amazing level of crunch on the edges. The mushrooms were cooked to smoky perfection along with gooey cheeses. The flavors were spot on and once again you can taste the quality and freshness of the ingredients. 

Was on the brink of bursting but my friend was raving about this one dessert all night. Definitely cannot pass this up! 

Butterscotch Budino, sea salt, and rosemary pin nut cookies
Oh. My. God. This dessert is sent from the heavens. The caramel budino was exquisitely creamy and rich with intensive caramel flavors in every bite. The sea salt added another dimension to the sweetness; unexpected combination but it literally blew my mind. Annie and I giggled foolishly as we ate this dessert because it actually was so delicious that it made us giddy with excitement. 

Our romantic little table amidst the wine 

Definitely one of the best meals I've had in LA and I had the food fortune of going to many delicious places during that trip! The food was absolutely splendid and I would definitely make a conscious effect to return the next time I am in LA.

Pizzeria Mozza 

641 North Highland Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90036 

Apple Banana Marmalade Phyllo Tart

After a glorious meal of my housemate Adam's beef brisket I was in the mood for something sweet and delicious. I remembered that I still had some phyllo left from making baklava earlier and also noticed some apples in the fridge. My thoughts instantly was to make Apple Strudel! But then some bananas also caught my eye and then I thought that it would be even more delicious to make it a mixed fruit strudel. The reason it turned into a tart instead of a strudel (which would be rolled up), was because I neglected to allow the frozen phyllo to warm up a little and therefore it was all cracked to pieces and I had to layer then instead of roll them. The final result was delicious though and I will definitely make it again! This was a great example of using what you have in the kitchen and spontaneously thinking up more ideas to improve a dish.

Ingredients: 

- 1 Banana
- 2 Apples
- Crunchy Oats bar or any other granola bar would work too
- Almonds
- Marmalade
- Sugar
- 1 stick of butter
- Cinnamon
- 1 packet of phyllo

Directions 
1) Slice the apple into thin sliced and put in the pain with a knob of butter over medium low heat. Also, take out the phyllo and place a damp towel over it.

2) Slice the bananas and toss in with the apples in the pan

3) Sprinkle in 1 tsp of cinnamon, or more if you like :)

4) Add in 1 tablespoon of marmalade and stir well 

5) Give the mixture a  taste and add sugar accordingly. I used about 1-2 tsp.

6) Smash up the almonds and the granola bar

7) Take out the phyllo dough and add 4 layers to the bottom of a buttered pan. Melt a stick of butter in a bowl and brush each phyllo sheet with butter.

This is what happens when you don't leave the phyllo out long enough and its too dry. Therefore make sure you take it out and leave a damp towel on top. 

8) Pour the fruit mixture over the bottom phyllo layer and add on another phyllo and butter layer. 

9) Sprinkle on the granola and nut mixture and add on another phyllo and butter layer on top. 

10) Bake in an oven at 350 F for 25-30 or until the top is crispy and golden brown.

11) Cut into squares and enjoy! I personally felt that it tasted even better overnight after putting the tart in the fridge. We didn't have any whipped cream or ice cream in the house but I felt that that would have made the dish! 

College Style Nikujaga

Nikujaga is a classic Japanese comfort food and a prime example of "mother's cooking". It is a food that is cooked commonly at home and reminds one of childhood and the coziness and warmth of home. I have always loved Japanese food and can definitely relate to how a dish can stir up the memories of family and home (my personal favorite is my mom's chinese beef brisket). The weather was pretty disgusting today with lots of thunder and rain and I wanted to make something delicious and warm. Nikujaga is a dish composing mostly of potatoes and meat simmered in a sweet soy based broth. I called this my college version of Nikujaga because I did not have many of the ingredients to make the sweet soy based broth yet I improvised with what I had in my pantry and it turned out amazing!

Serving: 2 people

Ingredients

- Stewing beef
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp of garlic
- Olive oil

For the broth 
- Soba dipping sauce
- Packet of udon soup seasoning (mine was seaweed and vegetable flavor)
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
Note: In traditional recipes dashi and mirin is used, I did not have these so I had to make do with what I found and thought fit the flavor profile of the dish.

Directions 
1) Dice up the onions and chop potatoes into small irregular pieces

2) Cut the pieces of stewing beef into small pieces, around 1 inch all around. Hint on buying good stewing beef: look for pieces of meat that have a even marbling of fat distribution amongst the meat. This will ensure that the beef is tender and not tough.

3) Brown the onions in the pan with some olive oil over medium heat. When onions are slightly translucent add the garlic and continue sautéing.

4) Season the beef slightly with some salt and then add into the pot. Turn up the heat slightly when the meat is added in order to achieve a nice browning of the meat.

5) Continue browning meat until the pieces are seared on the outside.

6) Add in the potatoes and stir around

7) Mix the udon soup mixture with a bowl of hot water (approx. 1 and a half cup of water, I eyeballed this sorry!), and pour into pot with beef and potatoes. Make sure there is enough water that all the meat and potatoes are covered. Stir.

8) Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce (depending on how salty you like your food) and 1 tablespoon of soba noodle dipping sauce.

9) Stir everything until well mixed then turn the fire on low heat and put the lid on. Stew for around 2 hours or until the meat is tender and the broth has thickened slightly and has a rich flavor.

10) Check on it after 30-45 minutes to ensure that the broth is not boiling too quickly and that there is still a sufficient about of liquid left.

Yum.

11) Nikujaga is usually served with rice but I decided to serve it over soba noodles. It was absolutely delicious and I would definitely make it again!

The Butcher Shop

After a raging good time in Miami for Ultra, I am back in Boston and pretty miserable about the weather and normal life overall. The weather has been utterly terrible but fortunately today it started to look a little better with some sunlight. I decided that I had to keep myself occupied in order to avoid descending into a post Ultra depression therefore I went to try out The Butcher Shop which was a restaurant that I have been looking forward to. I love the concept of having a refined butcher shop inside the restaurant. The weather was lovely and the restaurant had large windows to allow the sunlight in and for diners to engage in some street/people watching.

The large bar table that dominated the majority of the restaurant's space 

Great idea with the large windows to let the beautiful sunlight in 

Steak Tartare with Pickled Onions and Toasted Brioche
The steak tartare came premixed in a generous portion. The pickled onions added a nice kick to it and the brioche was toasted to golden perfection. I liked how the brioche was used for it was thicker and heartier as compared to normal toast and more suitable for something so strong in flavor such as steak tartare. The tartare was seasoned very well and full of bold flavors. Very delicious but I must say still not as good as the tartare I had at Sportello! 

Ricotta Gnudi with Bolognese and Parmesan
The gnudi had a nice bite to it, not too soft but still maintained that light delicate feeling. The bolognese had a rich meaty taste and one could tell that it was made with care. I felt that it was lacking a tad bit of salt yet overall was a very satisfying dish. 

Merguez
Failed to note down the full name of the dish. Felt that the presentation was a little bit off on this one, the dish looked scattered and disorganized. The arugula and nuts along with the sausage made for a very interesting and enjoyable texture and flavor combination. Although delicious, felt that the sausage was rather large and one would get tired of eating a entire dish of this as a main course. 

The butcher shop at the end of the restaurant. The chopping board area also served as a waiting area or a place where people could grab a casual drink. I thought this entire concept and set up was very innovative and charming. 

Overall the meal was enjoyable yet there weren't any specific dishes that blew me away. I think it is worth it to come here for the experience and perhaps it was lunch time therefore we were unable to taste the true strength of this restaurant which is its meats. The dinner menu consists of items that uses meat as its main component such as steaks and lamb chops therefore I will try and come back for dinner to taste whether the quality of the meat is truly of high standing. The store had honey, chicken stock, truffle oil, pâté, and of course, many cuts of meat. Will definitely buy some to enjoy at home if I return again to The Butcher Shop.