Hey Los Angeles Times – you're looking thinner these days

Los Angeles Times, it’s like I don’t even know you anymore.

My hometown paper is going through yet another change. Pretty soon I won’t be able to recognize it – I fear it won’t be long before it’s reduced to a Post-It stuck on to a stack of coupon circulars.

In another move that can most likely be attributed to cost-cutting, the Los Angeles Times is closing its stand-alone Thursday Food section (which would be 50-years-old in a month), combining it with the Home and Health sections into a new “lifestyle” section that will be published on Saturdays. The name of the new section is ‘Saturday,’ which leads me to believe they’ve also fired the guy who names the new newspaper sections.

Food section editor Russ Parsons told LA Weekly via email, “Of course we will miss having our stand-alone section. But this new Saturday section will incorporate the best of our food and dining coverage, including recipes, restaurant reviews, wine recommendations and everything else, and it will deliver it on a day when most of our readers are actually thinking about going out to eat, visiting farmers markets and throwing dinner parties. And, of course, our website will continue as it always has.”

So, hey, goodbye beloved Los Angeles Times Food section – it’s been fun, and I’ll see you on Saturday. I’d tell you to “Don’t go changin’” but it’s too late for that.

Los Angeles Times
202 W. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 237-5000

When she’s not reading what’s left of the newspaper, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: Stock.xchng | lusi

Wine with a view: The Napa Valley Wine Train

I’m not sure if there’s anything better than a nice glass of wine and a lovely meal. Oh wait, there is – having that wine and meal while on the Napa Valley Wine Train traveling through the gorgeous wine country. Better than that? Maybe having Ryan Gosling as your sommelier, but let’s not get carried away.

Recently I was lucky enough to be a guest on the Napa Valley Wine Train. For any of you unfamiliar with this iconic attraction, it’s a three-hour trip – via gorgeously restored vintage rail cars – through the beautiful Napa Valley. While traveling you’re served a gourmet lunch (or dinner) and wine from the local wineries. If you’re fortunate like we were, your wait person will have extensive knowledge of the surrounding region and can give you a quick education on the various vintages – this was pretty helpful for a wine novice like me.

You would think that with everything going on – The train! The scenery! The wine! – the food would take a backseat, but you would be mistaken. Their menu is first-rate, and I was impressed to learn that they are committed to using sustainable foods in all their dishes. I had their excellent Coriander Breast of Chicken with Baby Arugula that was in a light peppercorn sauce – a very generous portion that I could barely finish (especially since I wanted to save some room for the desserts that I’d heard everyone buzzing about.) For my wine choice, I went with their suggested pairing, a 2008 Romililly Pinot Noir that was the perfect accompaniment to my meal.

(I should note that wine is not included in the price of your meal, but their prices are fairly reasonable. The wines in their suggested pairings that day were priced from $9 to $15 per glass.)

Dessert on the Napa Valley Wine Train is an experience in itself – you change cars for the return trip, where you’re given a choice of a few very tempting and unbelievably rich-sounding dessert dishes. In spite of it being one of the safer and more predictable choices, I ordered the Crème Brulée since I’d been craving it for days. I’m glad I did – deliciously caramelized and topped with a few fresh blueberries, it was the absolute best way to end our journey on the Wine Train.

I’ve been to Napa only a handful of times, and this time was the first with my teenage daughters. I wasn’t quite sure if the Wine Train would be an appropriate activity for them, but they enjoyed it and I was glad to find something we could do as a family. My older daughter’s favorite part? Getting an entire teapot to herself on the dessert train. Although she did mention she would have loved it even more if Ryan Gosling had served it to her.

Napa Valley Wine Train
1275 McKinstry Street
Napa, CA 94559
800.427.4124

When she’s not riding the rails with a nice pinot noir, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photos: Marsha Takeda-Morrison

Zankou Chicken: Yet another reason to move to L.A.

I posted two short sentences on Twitter the other day, and got the following responses: “You suck.” “I hate you.” “JUST STOP IT.”

What could I have tweeted that would elicit such vitriol? Here’s what I said:

“Zankou Chicken, extra garlic sauce, pickled turnips. Don’t be jealous.”

Because if you are a Zankou Chicken lover, you know this: One of the most painful things to hear is that someone else is sinking their teeth into that crispy chicken slathered in garlic sauce, and you’re not.

What is it that makes Zankou’s rotisserie chicken so special, that has charmed the finicky palates over at the Zagat Guide to name its chicken dinner “the single best takeout dish in town?” That made one of my Northern California friends say that Zankou Chicken was the only reason he’d move to Los Angeles?

First you have the chicken – the crispy skin surrounding the perfectly cooked chicken inside – so deliciously moist, never dry, and never undercooked. Then you have the side dishes – the aforementioned pickled turnips (bright pink, and looking like they should be bad but they’re so, so good), the fresh, slightly tangy hummus served with lots of soft pita. And then – the garlic sauce. What is this irresistible, addictive, unbelievably tasty paste that makes every bite of chicken seem like the best chicken you’ve ever eaten in your life? That will have you licking the inside of the little plastic cup so that you can get every last morsel of it into your belly?

I’ve heard for awhile that the secret to the sauce is potatoes, and after a little internet searching I’m finding that, along with copious amounts of garlic, the potatoes are the key ingredient to the palate-pleasing, pasty consistency. Here’s a recipe for a knockoff of their famous sauce, for all of you that don’t have the benefit of a Zankou around the corner. Buy a rotisserie chicken, a tub of hummus and a package of pita, and serve up with this homemade magic elixir. That should stop the hostile tweets for awhile.

Zankou Chicken Garlic Sauce (copycat recipe)

Ingredients

3 small russet potatoes
1 head garlic (12-14 cloves)
1/3 cup, fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon, salt
1/2 cup, canola oil

Peel the potatoes and boil in water until potatoes are very soft. Mash the potatoes and allow them to cool.

Crush and peel a whole head of garlic. Cut the garlic cloves into thirds or quarters. Place the raw garlic in a blender with the salt and lemon  juice. Pour a light layer of oil onto the garlic. Puree the garlic mixture on “high” ” and, with the blender running, begin pouring a slow, steady stream of the remaining oil through the blender’s top opening until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

NOTE:  At this point, you’ll have an extremely garlic-y sauce which can be used as is. But to mellow the flavors and create the trademark pasty texture of Zankou’s sauce, you’ll need to add the potatoes.

Add the mashed potatoes, about 2-3 tablespoons at a time to incorporate evenly.  Continue adding potatoes to the blender until the sauce is mixed well.

Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and allow it to chill completely in the refrigerator. After about an hour, the flavors will blend together nicely and the texture will take on that thick, pasty consistency like Zankou’s sauce.

Zankou Chicken
See website for locations (Only in Southern California)

When she’s not tweeting about what she’s eating, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: ZankouChicken.com

FREE pancakes, for a good cause.

In case you’re looking for another holiday to celebrate, Tuesday, February 28th is National Pancake Day at IHOP. The best thing about this holiday is that it requires no gifts, cards or expensive bouquets of flowers. All it requires is an appetite for pancakes. FREE pancakes. And the icing on the (pan)cake – it’s all for charity. What’s not to like? Here’s how it works: On February 28, 2012, guests from around the country are invited to enjoy a free short stack of Buttermilk pancakes at participating IHOP restaurants. In return, pancake lovers are asked to consider leaving a donation for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other designated local charities. Did I mention FREE PANCAKES? I confess – pancakes don’t do much for me (I know, I know) – I tend to be more of a bacon and eggs kind of person. But my teenagers love pancakes, so we make it to this event every year, usually dropping in for an after-school, not-quite-dinner meal. Apparently true pancake fanatics can eat pancakes at any time of day, and the lines at this annual event prove it – there is no ‘good’ time to go to avoid the crowds, just wait patiently with everyone else and keep repeating your mantra, “Free pancakes, free pancakes…”

For details, see the IHOP National Pancake Day website. For an IHOP location near you, see the IHOP home website.

When she’s not watching her teenagers eat free pancakes, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com Photo: IHOP.com

Komida - Best Performance By A Taco

In a few days Hollywood royalty will descend upon the Kodak Theatre* for the 84th Annual Academy Awards. They’ll arrive in their limos, hit the red carpet for a few interviews and some chatter about what they’re wearing, and then get whisked up the grand staircase of the Hollywood & Highland complex for their entrance into the theater.

But here’s what I think should happen: Right before they head through those double doors, I’m hoping they’ll veer to the left, and take a few minutes to wander down the seemingly-deserted walkway in their impossibly high heels. Because at the end of that path they’ll find Komida, and some of the best tacos they’ve ever eaten. And they’ll be glad they did, since it’ll be hours before they’ll be able to stuff their faces on hors d’oeuvres at the Governor’s Ball.

My husband works across from the Hollywood & Highland complex and has been raving about Komida’s tacos for awhile. I finally got a chance to try them out a couple of weeks ago and they absolutely did not disappoint – although the place was just as hard to find as he had described, even without the stiletto heels.

The first taco on my plate was made with Black Cod that had been marinated in a sake-miso glaze, and it was mind-altering good. Do not call this a fish taco, because it’s so much more and will be insulted to be grouped into those other concoctions made with heavy, battered fish. The miso flavor was subtle, and went perfectly with the Ginger Pico salsa it was served with. (They have a selection of different salsas that you can choose from, but I let them do the pairing for me.) I was singing the praises of the Black Cod taco, and planned to write a musical about them starring Jean Dujardin.

I didn’t think it could get any better, until I bit into my Short Rib taco and had an epiphany – that I’d been making tacos wrong all these years, because they never tasted as good as this. The meat has been braised in a combination of red wine and soy, making it so delicious I immediately pledged my undying devotion to the Short Rib taco.  Black Cod taco was still mighty fine, but there was something about Short Rib that made me swoon like I was standing next to George Clooney.

Until, I had the Duck Confit taco.

At this point we were pretty full, but neither of us had ever had a taco made out of duck so this was our big chance. And boy are we glad we did. Served inside a warm tortilla, the duck was unbelievably tender and flavorful and perfectly blended with a hoisin and plum nectarine salsa. This taco was served alongside a cup of my new favorite food in the entire world – wasabi guacamole. For me, Duck confit taco was my favorite of the night, but honestly – all of the tacos were winners.

*By Sunday’s telecast, Kodak will have ended its sponsorship and the theater will have a new name

Komida
1739 N Orange Drive
Hollywood CA 90028
323.466.5124
brock@komidala.com

When she’s not sitting around wishing she had a duck confit taco, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: Marsha Takeda-Morrison

Museum food? Getty in mah belly!

What comes to mind when you think of the Getty? For me, it’s not just about the 18th century rococo tapestries or the anatomically correct bronze sculptures. I love the Getty because of the food. And I’m not talking about a Fabergé egg.

Both the Getty Center and the Getty Villa are great places to go to satisfy your artistic soul as well as your belly. Along with spectacular views and beautiful grounds (perfect for a post-meal walk) both locations offer first-rate dining that you might not expect to find at a museum.

I love the Cafe at the Getty Center and their daily changing selections. I’ve had excellent udon from their Global Dish menu as well as a great turkey burger with homemade balsamic aioli, and their cafeteria-style setup means you can wander the different food stations and check out what’s on the menu before you decide. And of course you can’t beat their cavernous, airy dining room for a gorgeous view of the surrounding hills. I also love to end my meal with a cappuccino from the outdoor coffee cart, that I take with me while I wander the famous Central Garden.

The Getty Villa has something even more unique – Tea By The Sea, an authentic Mediterranean tea that’s inspired by the herbs, vegetables, and fruits that are grown in the Getty Villa’s own gardens. Along with a variety of teas, a nice selection of sandwiches is served (my favorite was the prosciutto and brie with fig jam) and a variety of delicious scones and breads. It’s the perfect ending to a leisurely day spent wandering the gorgeous grounds and watching the sun set over Malibu.

Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 440-7300

Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Highway
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
(310) 440-7300

When she’s not eating a sandwich in the sculpture garden, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: Marsha Takeda-Morrison

Clifton's original facade was uncovered last week after nearly half a century.

Clifton’s Cafeteria is back! Well, it never really left, but last week the grate-like aluminum covering that has been in place for nearly fifty-years was peeled away to reveal the South Broadway building’s original 1904 facade. The landmark is undergoing a long-awaited restoration, and new owner Andrew Meieran plans to reopen the cafeteria to the public when renovations are completed in about 18 months.

Anyone who grew up in Los Angeles will remember Clifton’s Cafeteria. What I remember best is going there with my parents, and being allowed to choose what I wanted to eat from the rows of carefully arranged dishes. Food never tasted so good, even if it was a plastic bowl of quivering red Jell-O topped with a dollop of canned whipped cream.

The new Clifton’s will feature an updated menu along with classic cafeteria fare. There are plans for a ‘tiki bar’ on one of the upper floors, and Meieran said he is also considering a 24-hour menu, which would be ideal for the downtown post-clubbing crowd.

At last week’s ‘unveiling’ Meieran gave the attendees a little history of the famous eatery, telling how Clifford Clinton opened the restaurant in the midst of the Great Depression, hoping it would lift the spirits of the people in the city. According to Clifford’s son Don, the name “Clifton’s” was a combination of Clifford Clinton’s first and last names. Don, who started working at the cafeteria when he was 19 and spent 65 years there, said he was pleased that Meieran was keeping the restaurant’s fanciful redwood forest motif since he was under no obligation to do so. Don Clinton, now 85, said his father chose the forest theme because of his love for the Santa Cruz Mountains.

I can’t wait until the Clifton’s reopens. I’ll be one of the first in line, reliving my past through all those dishes from my childhood. First on my tray: a nice big bowl of that red Jell-O.

Clifton’s Cafeteria
648 South Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90014

The restaurant will reopen to the public in late 2013.

While she’s patiently waiting for Clifton’s Cafeteria to reopen, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: Clifton’s Cafeteria

Does bacon really go with everything?

I love bacon. I mean, really love it. I can’t imagine a world without bacon, and I can’t think of anything that doesn’t go well with bacon. Bacon donut? Bring it. Bacon-wrapped hot dog? Grill me two of those bad boys. So you would think that rumblings of the new Bacon Milkshake from Jack In The Box would cause me to smear myself with bacon grease and do a convulsive, hysterical bacon dance in the streets.

But no.

I never thought I would hear myself utter these words, but there is actually something that shouldn’t be allowed to get into bed with bacon, and that thing is a milkshake.

So here are the facts: According to the Jack In The Box website, the Bacon Milkshake is made with no actual bacon, just real vanilla ice cream, bacon-flavored syrup, whipped topping and a maraschino cherry. Which means you aren’t even getting the satisfaction of having an actual piece of bacon with your dairy concoction. How gauche! I might have been sold if they had ditched the cherry in favor of that fatty, chewy end piece from a slice of perfectly cooked bacon. I said might have.

And here’s the kicker: a 16-ounce bacon shake will fill you with 773 calories, 28 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of trans fat and 75 grams of sugar. And if you feel the urge to super-size it to a 24-oz cup, get ready to ingest 1,081 calories, 37 grams of saturated fat, 3 grams of trans fat and 108 grams of sugar.

I think I’ll stay healthy, and have my bacon sprinkled on some fried dough, or wrapped around a ground-up-pork product.

Jack In The Box
See website for locations

When she isn’t looking for things that go with bacon, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: JackInTheBox.com

Super Bowl: It don't mean a thing if you ain't got some wings

I have a confession to make: I don’t like football. Yes, which means all of you people who’ve had me over for Super Bowl parties over the years – I’m sorry but I was really just there for the food. Shocking, I know, but I’m sure you had an inkling when I kept asking questions like, “Who’s playing?” and “Why are all those people chasing the guy with the oval ball?”

But let’s face it – the food really is one of the best things about a Super Bowl party, right? More specifically, the hot wings. You really can’t have a party on the big game day and not serve up a big platter of these mouth-watering, tongue-searing poultry gems. I’m not saying I won’t come to your party if you don’t have hot wings, but if you see me leave in the middle of the game because I “have to run an errand,” you’ll know where I went.

You might just find me over at the Hot Wings Café in Hollywood. This place has been here forever – their website says they’ve been open since 1986 – so you know their wings must be something special. I remember it being the pre-club grub of choice for my friends and I (nothing like a big plate of saucy chicken before you hit the dance floor) and they’re still good after all these years. I order my wings ‘Hot’ although they do have ‘Extra Hot’ on the menu as well for you truly masochistic types, and their Lemon Pepper wings are also surprisingly good. They also have quite an extensive menu of sandwiches and salads, but why you would go somewhere called the Hot Wings Cafe and order a French Dip is beyond me. (Extra bonus: They’ll be showing the big game this Sunday on one of their four flat-screen TVs.)

If you do find yourself wingless this Super Bowl Sunday you can always whip up a batch yourself using this recipe. I like this version (from the Food Network) because it only has a few ingredients, and here’s my secret: I substitute the hot sauce with Sriracha sauce mixed in with a pinch of coriander, cumin and cinnamon.

Ingredients
* 12 whole chicken wings
* 3 ounces unsalted butter
* 1 small clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup hot sauce (or 1/4 cup Sriracha sauce mixed in with a pinch of coriander, cumin and cinnamon)
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place a 6-quart saucepan with a steamer basket and 1-inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings into the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Replace the paper towels with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

While the chicken is roasting, melt the butter in a small bowl along with the garlic. Pour this along with hot sauce and salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken and stir to combine.

Remove the wings from the oven and transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

Hot Wings Café
7011 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 930-1233

Also locations in Glendale and Pasadena. See website for details.

When she isn’t sitting in front of the TV with a big plate of hot wings (not) watching the game,  Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: Flickr | MoneyBlogNewz

Don Cuco, why'd you have to up and leave us?

A few weeks ago the teenagers were craving Mexican food – as they do six out of seven days of the week – so we headed to one of our favorite restaurants, Don Cuco in Glendale. We’ve been going there since the kids were little – the roominess of the place, the distracting fountain, the excellent salsa and bean dip were great for little ones. Not to mention the killer margaritas to keep the adults happy.

So imagine our despair when we drove into the parking lot and the attendants told us the restaurant had closed six months earlier. Yes, I used the word ‘despair’ because that accurately describes our emotions. I’d use the words ‘distraught, hysterical and inconsolable’ but no need to get too dramatic here – after all, it was just a restaurant. *wiping away tears*

It wasn’t the best Mexican food in town, but it was near the top of our list. (‘Best’ is so subjective, though, isn’t it? Recently I put out a call on Facebook for Mexican restaurant recommendations in our area and  got such impassioned comments it was clear that people are fiercely loyal and opinionated when it comes to their tacos, queso and margaritas.) Don Cuco was just one of those places that we knew would be worth an extra few minutes on the freeway. Their homemade albondigas and sopes and carnitas were our favorites and with their generous portions we always knew that there’d be plenty leftover to have for lunch the next day, which is a lifesaver when you have teenagers who usually only speak to you to ask, “What is there to eat?”

According to reports, owner Blanca Salazar said she made the decision to close the restaurant after a dwindling lunch crowd, parking issues in the area and an increase in corn prices (which jumped 30% to 40% in the past several months) made it impossible for her to cover her overhead. There are four other Don Cucos, owned by Salazar’s ex-husband, Augusto, that remain open. (The couple divvied up the restaurants when they divorced five years ago with Blanca taking only the Glendale location.)

I’ve tried one of the other locations, which proved to be too loud, cramped and chaotic even for the party crowd I was with that night. I suppose I could try one of the other two locations, but in my opinion there’s no substitute for Don Cuco in Glendale – ‘our’ Mexican restaurant.

Have you ever had one of your favorite restaurants, bars or eateries close down?

Don Cuco
See website for locations in Toluca Lake, Burbank, Acton and Simi Valley

When she isn’t trying to find a new favorite Mexican restaurant, Marsha can be found at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: Flickr | PetroleumJelliffe