Anne's Land

Ummmm....Umami burgers!

For those of you who appreciate a great hamburger and despise pretense and expensive valet service, this a jewel!  Umami is a small, casual, BYOB spot where you can find street parking or opt for the $2 valet.  The next difficult decision is choosing between the Truffle burger or the Port & Silton burger. 

Be forewarned:  you will start craving this food!

<++These are just the pickles

What is umami?   It’s called the fifth flavor and tastes like a roasted shiitake mushroom; it is not sweet, salty, sour or bitter.  If you are curious and want to learn more, check out www.umamiinfo.com.  The flow chart of “How Humans Experience Their food” is fascinating.

Owner Adam Fleischman is frequently on site interacting with his customers and genuinely enjoying his vocation.  With hundreds of restaurants to choose from in this city, there's nothing better than great food served by friendly owners and wait staff.  Adam is partial to French wines and recommends bringing a bottle of Chablis or Gamay to enjoy with your meal.

Eating at Umami might just be as satisfying as watching Roger Federer win his first French Open!

Umami Burger
850 S. La Brea Ave.
L.A. (323) 931-3000 or www.umamiburger.com.
Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.-9 p.m.
Takeout. Lot parking. MC, V. Burgers, $8-$11.

Church & State

A GREAT FIND!

The LA Times food section wrote a fantastic review a few weeks ago for Church & State, the latest  co-creation of restaurant owner Steven Arroyo (Cobra & Matadors) and chef Walter Manzke (Bastide & Patina).  A VERY interesting combination for a new venture.

Friday night my friend and I found ourselves downtown for a show at Disney Hall and decided to try a late french dinner Church & State, located a few minutes away on Industrial Street at the Biscuit Company Lofts.  As expected after such a favorable review, the place was humming at 10:30pm.  To avoid a wait we sat at the bar for a late dinner and a glass of wine.  We shared tarte flambee (thin pizza like tart with caramelized onions, bacon & Gruyere cheese).  He had a steak with Bearnaise sauce and french fries and I had the vegetable cassoulet and we finished with a warm berry crisp.  Everything was delicious and the suggested wine pairings were perfect!

The friendly staff made us feel at home instantly and we learned that the grand opening was last September.  Great eclectic crowd of various ages and styles...similar to what you might find at Fraiche in Culver City, but a little more urban.

In some respects we felt like we were in Chicago's West Loop or NYC for dinner.  Definitely a fun adventure and worth a repeat!

Ample street parking or neighboring parking lot for $5.

Church & State
1850 Industrial St
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 405-1434

www.churchandstatebistro.com/

Recessing-fighting machines

The Crock-Pot.  Seriously?

Last Wednesday the LA Times food section featured a fun article entitled "Slow Revolution". Vaguely remember these from the 1970s?  Fast forward to the early 1990s and I recall receiving one from a professional mentor who swore by hers. The results were good but truthfully staying home to cook was not a priority then.

Cuisinart's 3.5 Qt Slow cooker is LA Times favorite.
About  $60 @ Bed, Bath & Beyond, Macy's & Crate & Barrel

Times are different.  Many of us adore good food and would rather have a home cooked meal any day.  The new and improved crock pot is sleeker looking on the counter top and offers a convenient way to prepare dinner, especially on weeknights.  The recipes covered in Times covered include: Cuban-style pork shoulder, Lamb tangine with dried fruit and While chocolate bread pudding with whiskey caramel sauce.  Yummy! 

Courtney uses hers often with great results. You might enjoy this recipe:

Braised Beef Brisket

Ingredients:
•    4-5 Brisket, Flank Steak or Boneless Chuck Roast (trimmed of as much fat as possible & blotted dry)
     (Courtney uses Flank)
•    3 medium Onions, sliced in thin half moons
•    1 cup prepared Chili Sauce
•    12 oz. bottle Beer (not dark, use Amstel Light)
•    ½ cup water
•    1 package Dried Onion Soup mix
•    1 teaspoon Salt
•    ¼ teaspoon Pepper

Directions:
1.    Put Roast in Slow Cooker.  If the meat is too big to lie flat in your cooker, cut in half & stack the      pieces on top of one other. 
2.    Add sliced Onions.
3.    In a bowl, combine: Chili Sauce, Beer, Water, Onion Soup Mix, Salt & Pepper.
4.    Pour over Meat & Onions.
5.    Cover & cook on LOW for 6-9 hours
6.    Skim off as much fat as possible from sauce, remove & shred meat & serve with sauce.

Great with yukon potatoes and a salad!

New on the Block

For those of you who have not been to Larchmont Village in awhile, we have a fantastic new addition!

      

The Larchmont Larder cafe and market had a "soft" opening just before Christmas and have been fully operational since January.  It's my new favorite place for lunch and to pick up gifts. 

If you are use to going to Joan's on Third give the Larder a try.  The food is fresh and tasty and the ambiance is welcoming.  It's MUCH easier to park and you'll likely see a friend and meet a new neighbor in the process!

     

Aside from clever promotions like the one below on Inauguration Day, owners Katie and Michael are hands on and go out of their way for their customers.  Katie had 10 gift certificates hand written in calligraphy for me over the holidays and Michael chased me down and handed me a free salmon sandwich just because I thought it looked good!  I'm forever loyal!

Ronald Regan's jelly bellies                      Obama's chili he makes the girls
     

Here's a sample menu:
Download Menu front
Download Menu back

See me there and I'll buy you dessert ;)

February Already???

Where did January go?   Just 34 days ago the Christmas tree came down, I packed up all the trimmings and ushered in the New Year.  I started writing thank you notes, dreaming up goals for 2009, preparing for tax season,  eating better…then bam!

Obama was sworn in, the government gave away more money, the Fed dropped rates again and business picked up.  More visitors came to town, the Cardinals nearly won the Super Bowl and Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer again.  A very exciting month indeed!

Benjamin Franklin observed "Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance".

With this top of mind I must share the most clever (and tasty) gift I received for Christmas.  The prize goes to my friend Jim for introducing me to Wine Cellar Sorbets!

Former chef at Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn and his business partner had planned to open a wine bar and restaurant in Brooklyn but in the process created a wine sorbet that kept their friends coming back for more.  They knew they were on to something “hot” and a new brand was born. 

Wine sorbet is not a new concept; it's been written about and used in fine dining settings for a  long time.  What IS new is packaging the concept, creating a story and making it more accessible to more people.  Brilliant marketing! The pint size packaging is fun and engaging for someone like me who has a love affair food and wine. Wine Celler Sorbet’s line includes 6 varietals and is slated to introduce more!

Check out www.winecellarssorbet.com and learn from the Sorbet Sommelier.

Thanks again Jim for such a thoughtful gift!

Happy eating in 2009!