Mariel and Me

The Fissler foodies made a trip to New York recently to participate in a housewares show for media people put on by the International Housewares Association. While in New York we visited the famous Zabar's which is probably New York's oldest, largest and certainly most fun gourmet shop/deli. And there on a shelf, amidst the lox and pickles and cheeses and rugalach, were my pal Mariel's Blisscuits. See that picture: not the one of the tea and Blisscuit: the other one. That's Mariel and me. Okay, we're not really pals, but I met her briefly at the Natural Products Expo back in March, and she's really one of the nicest celebrities you'll ever meet: truly friendly and down-to-earth. And she's on the right track when it comes to food and nutrition. She's written an excellent cookbook and now she's making Blisscuits. Mariel's Blisscuits are gluten free snack cakes made with ingredients like almond meal, organic agave nectar, organic coconut, egg whites and other good ingredients. They take a reasonable approach to snacking. In other words they are made from real food ingredients so they are not fat-free or sugar-free or carb-free or anything like that. But they are good for you and they come in four flavors that happen to taste great. If you aren't near Zabar's you can find some other places to buy them at the Blisscuit website.

Spring Rolls for the beginning of Summer

I was invited to Ojai for a Memorial Day weekend afternoon of food and friendship. Ojai, as you may know, is a gorgeous green valley of orange and lemon groves surrounded by beautiful hillsides with vineyards and oak forests leading up to rocky peaks. Down in the valley is a little village that epitomizes California charm. Our hostess, Catherine has a lovely home overlooking the valley, and that's where she invited a group of friends for a fabulous Italian influenced meal. I hadn't gotten the Italian message so I brought along a package of frozen Vietnamese Spring Rolls from Spring Kitchen. Well, good food is good food, so the spring rolls made a nice appetizer before the pasta and baked fish, despite the cultural dichotomy. I have three packages of Spring Kitchen spring rolls in the freezer, in three different flavors. Actually, I have two now, since I brought the shrimp spring rolls to this event. Pork and chicken and pork and shrimp are the other flavors and I'm saving those for the next party and a future blog post. Tina whipped together a dipping sauce with a Hoisin base and some other things she found in the fridge but if you order some spring rolls for your next party you can use the easy recipe for a dipping sauce at the Spring Kitchen site. We loved these spring rolls: easy and delicious.

A different kind of grilled cheese sandwich

I picked up a pack of Yanni grilling cheese the other day, made by Karoun Dairies. It's their version of Mediterranean Halloumi cheese, which has the unusual property of not melting at high temperatures. Instead it develops a browned crust making it great for cooking on the grill, or in a grill pan, like the Fissler Crispy Steelux. Wow: it came out great. I cut a slice about one fourth of an inch thick. It has a high enough fat content that you don't need to add fat to the pan. Just heat the pan on a high flame until a drop of water bounces and bubbles in the pan, lay down the slice of cheese, lower the heat to medium and cook until browned (this only takes about a minute). Flip it over by carefully getting a metal turner under the cheese, without disturbing the browned crust. Then allow the other side to brown for about a minute. As you can see from the photo, I ate it with tabbouleh salad, half an avocado and whole wheat pita. So easy and delicious. For extra "cheese" put on a Yanni CD while eating.

Win a Fissler Solea saucepan in the VT 2010 Foodie Awards

Vegetarian Times has a really fun contest called the 2010 Foodie Awards, in which you can vote for your favorite foods in 30 different categories. The foods are things that you can find in most Whole Foods or other health food stores. And the best part is that you can win a Fissler Solea Saucepan. Enter before the contest ends on 06/09/10.

Giada's a Fissler Foodie!

Check out Giada De Laurentiis' new book, Giada At Home. She chose Fissler's Original Pro Collection pots and pans in her kitchen "at home". Yup, those are the same pieces you can buy on Amazon or at a kitchenware store near you.

Fine Food Found: LA Food Truck Madness

I don’t know what possesses me to do it. I don’t like crowds and I don’t like heat. Because I drink green tea non-stop all day, I can never be too far from the ladies room. Yet still, I’ve eagerly plunged into food truck madness twice this year in L.A.

The most recent foray was the “Street Feast” at the Americana at Brand in Glendale this week. Food trucks from Asian-inspired to French fries to American barbecue couldn’t keep up with the overwhelming demand for their sweets and savories.

It was madness, best described as Disneyland for foodies. Instead of waiting hours to get on the most popular rides, it’s a different kind of sensory thrill that comes from the tortuous victory of scoring a dish from a food truck.

Knowing I’d make it through no more than three lines, I tried to be methodical in my approach to the madness and check out all the trucks’ menus beforehand. Wedging through the crowds became too tiring and the lines were building, so I just jumped into the line for Indian food from Dosa Truck. It was the beginning of the festival and my wait was an extraordinarily short 30 minutes.

My food was only fair. Here’s what I ordered: the “Slumdog” dosa, which they describe as containing “Indian ‘pesto’ rubbed inside a dosa with paneer, spinach and masala potatoes.” It was decent but not remarkable.


Then I opted for the insanely long line at the Grilled Cheese Truck. I’m almost afraid to admit this publicly, lest someone dispatch medical personnel to cart me off to a padded room. It was 3½ hours from the time I started in line to the time I took my first bite. Just process that for a moment. Now if it’s any consolation, I wasn’t the only one to partake of such lunacy.

I ordered the Harvest Melt, which comes on six-grain bread with “roasted butternut squash, Gruyere, agave, fresh thyme and a balsamic reduction.”



It had a more sophisticated flavor profile than the Indian dish, but it was obvious the cooking had been rushed and tender loving care was lacking. Ultimately not worth an insane wait, but a fine experience nonetheless.

All told, I was prepared for the adventure because I had been baptized by fire in February at the infamous LA Street Food Fest in downtown L.A.

That one was more crowded and more chaotic, insofar as it was a grassroots event without precedent. The one this week was organized by the Americana at Brand, which had the stage management and crowd control down pat. Everything was orderly to a fault, with polite concierges and security officers telling you exactly where to stand and how to curve the queue.

For further reading (and yummy pictures), check out these stories on this week’s food truck madness:

Brand X
Glendale News-Press
LAist.com

With regards to the L.A. madness from February, I’m especially fond of Jonathan Gold’s piece in the LA Weekly. Like Gold, I waited f........o........r........e........v........e........r for the Ludo Bites fried chicken and deemed it maddeningly worthwhile.

BOMBAY PALACE RESTAURANT CELEBRATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY

We were amazed to find out that one of our favorite Indian restaurants is 25 years old. You would never know it by the look of the Bombay Palace interior. The restaurant has a remarkable space that doesn't look dated at all. But more importantly, the food still achieves a level of quality that you just don't find at cheaper places. We got to the party early, before the crowds arrived, so we didn't have to compete for the fabulous appetizers that were being passed. The highlight was the Indian stuffed mushrooms: so good. They don't seem to be on the menu but the fish pakora is, and that was our other favorite. Bombay Palace 8690 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310-659-9944. www.bombaypalace.com

Saveur savors Suzanne's flavors

Saveur magazine had a party last week at Lucques, to celebrate the special Los Angeles March issue. It was wonderful to see the LA food pros mixing with the home chefs that are always a feature of Saveur magazine. Saveur treats four star restaurant chefs and church ladies who cook the Friday fish fry, equally, which is what makes it such a great magazine: it's about good food no matter where it comes from. And that's what made Los Angeles a natural candidate for a dedicated special issue: we've got it all here, from haute cuisine to street food from every corner of the globe. But we were glad the party was at Lucques and not next to a taco truck. Lucques chef/owner Suzanne Goin, in her signature black headband, popped out of the kitchen to say hi to Saveur editor James Oseland, seen smiling above. In the meantime Brendan Francis Newnam, of the Dinner Party Download, and Alan Rosenberg listened to Noura Samimi, who was profiled in the magazine for her famed Persian home cooking. Click here for her recipe for Kuku Kadoo!

Pickle Power!

Jen Smith is an artist, but not a starving one. She’s been packing pickles that she makes herself and sells by monthly subscription. Forty dollars a month (plus a $15 joining fee that goes towards reusable jars) gets you five big jars of fermented and pickled vegetables, preserved fruits and sometimes even spicy condiments like Moroccan Harrissa. Currently on hand are: Bread and Butter Pickles; Brussel Sprouts, Fennel and Onion in a citrus brine; Curried Cauliflower; Pickled Cactus; Meyer Lemon Marmalade and a variety of fermented Krauts, Kim Chi and quick cucumber pickles! A side of sauerkraut would go great with pork chops and potato cubes.

Jen had a pickle tasting party at Statler-Waldorf Gallery in Los Angeles recently, where guests munched on pickles, looked at art and drank an intoxicating punch, after a few glasses of which, the colorful array of pickles began to look like a contemporary sculpture installation. Everyone was amazed at how incredibly good the pickled veggies were. Jen may expand to local Los Angeles farmers’ markets but in the meantime you can get fresh pickles for LA pick up or delivery, by contacting Jen at tenderwilding@gmail.com

Valentine's Day Recipe: Mary Ellen Rae's Poulet aux Fines Herbes

News flash – Valentine’s Day is in two weeks. What are you doing? What are you buying your sweetie? Most importantly, what’s for dinner?

We asked Chef Mary Ellen Rae to suggest a special home-cooked meal. Chef Mary Ellen toiled for years as a chef in the Los Angeles Times test kitchen and now owns Personal Touch Gourmet, a full-service foodie operation for catering, cooking classes, freelance recipe testing and more.

Here’s her recipe for Poulet aux Fines Herbes, a richly flavorful main course that she suggests pairing with roasted asparagus and buttered egg noodles sprinkled with fresh minced chives. A version of this recipe previously appeared in the Times.



As a variation to these sides, I used corn-quinoa pasta as shown in the picture above. On a related note, Fissler USA is about to debut a new line that makes pasta preparation a breeze. When introduced in March, the Solea line promises to dazzle and inspire with its sophisticated, visionary and individual approach to fine cookware. Solea lids are engineered for straining, so there’s no need for a colander when cooking pasta or vegetables. Combined with the renowned CookStar base and other high-tech features, Solea can help you cook pasta Fissler-style — i.e., “perfect every time.” Your pasta — and your Valentine — will love you for your discriminating taste in cookware.

The thoughtful editor/publisher of SeductionMeals.com has posted many more suggestions for enticing Valentine’s Day food, drink, music and other mood setters. Wishing you a lovely evening … ♥

Poulet aux Fines Herbes
Recipe by Chef Mary Ellen Rae of Personal Touch Gourmet

Serves 4

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely ground fresh breadcrumbs
¾ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup minced fines herbes (a combination of chives, tarragon, chervil and parsley)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed
½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese

Heat oven to 375°. Line a small roasting pan with foil and set aside.

Stir the Parmesan cheese into the breadcrumbs and place on a shallow plate. Stir the flour and salt together on a second plate and pour the egg into a shallow bowl.

Combine the butter and fresh herbs in a food processor and process until smooth. Pound the chicken breasts to flatten to ¼ inch. Place one chicken breast on work surface and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon 1 tablespoon of butter mixture in the center of the chicken. Put 2 tablespoons of Gruyère cheese on top of butter. Fold in the sides lengthwise and roll up jellyroll style so the mixture will form a bundle. Set aside and fill remaining chicken breasts.

Dip each chicken bundle into the flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg mixture and finally into the breadcrumbs. Place in the roasting pan or casserole. Press the sides of the chicken to form a round shape, ensuring the bottom sides are tucked under. This will help to keep the butter-cheese mixture inside the bundle. Finish with remaining chicken breasts.

(Chicken can be frozen at this point and placed in an airtight container. When cooking frozen chicken, add an additional 10 minutes to the cooking time).

Bake chicken for 25-30 minutes or until thermometer placed in the chicken (not butter center) reaches 165°.

One more week of Dine LA

One week down and one more to go of the now biannual Dine LA restaurant promotion. Participating restaurants offer a three course prix fixe menu at one of three price points that are a reduction from their usual menu price. This is a great opportunity to try a restaurant that might otherwise be beyond your usual price range, and to get a selection of food that goes beyond what you usually choose. I would rarely get an appetizer, main course and dessert but at these prices, it's worth the dietary splurge. And frankly, the restaurateurs tend to keep the portions reasonable; neither too skimpy nor too excessive. So you walk away feeling very satisfied but not overfed, and with a happy wallet.
We went to Palate Food & Wine last night and the meal was exceptional. The chef at Palate finds a way of making the food unpretentious, and yet, extremely sophisticated. Unusual flavor pairings leave you guessing at the recipe's ethnic origins but the combinations totally work. Go between Jan. 31 and Feb. 5 for the Dine LA deal. (Thanks to EaterLA for the photo)

Fine Food Found: Soleil Westwood

Introducing “Fine Food Found,” short dining reviews by Fissler Foodies in Los Angeles.

Les deux moules



Soleil Westwood interpretation




Fissler interpretation


A French-Canadian bistro on LA’s Westside was offering a generous bowl of moules frites for $10 as part of its 10-year anniversary celebration. How could I (or anyone) resist?

This was my first visit to Soleil Westwood, a charming little spot on Westwood Boulevard just south of Wilshire. From the décor to the service and naturally the food, it was delightful on all fronts.

We began with the parmesan cheese fondue, which is not at all what you may think. A tempting square of baked, breaded cheese appears artfully plated. As the gracious host/chef/owner explained, Canadians spread it on bread with a dash of butter and salt. Simple perfection, pictured below.



My guest ordered crab cakes on farfalle pasta, an unusual combination enriched by a lusty Dijon cream sauce.

The moules frites is pictured above before I devoured it. When the server cleared the dishes, there wasn’t a thing left, not even little scraps of frites. Magnifique!

Coincidentally, Fissler’s new Solea line uses a pot of mussels to illustrate its mouth-watering versatility (pictured above). Described as “visionary, individual and sophisticated,” the line will make its US debut in March at the International Home and Housewares Show. Stay tuned for the details and prepare to be inspired! (If you just can’t wait, click here.)