Hatfield's

Sunday, August 22, 2010
I have been wanting to go to Hatfield's for years now.  Ever since I saw the husband and wife team; Quinn and Karen Hatfield, featured on Late Night with Daniel Boulud.


Apparently the place has gotten quite a facelift since the old digs.  They used to have a small space on Beverly and now they have quite a large spacious dining room with a fun glass wall where you can watch the exquisitely run kitchen from your table.

Old Hatfields

New space
pics from google images


We finally went last night and had a wonderful experience.  I was a little bummed I couldn't have a cucumber and mint gimlet, but I had a half of a glass of an Italian white called Arneis with my trout salad and barely half a glass of a super yummy, fruit-forward Italian red called Preluddio alla notte.  We of course were too hungry to remember to take pictures of our appetizers, but luckily found these beauties from  here and here.

FRISÉE AND SMOKED TROUT SALAD with Apple, avocado, warm fingerling potatoes in grainy mustard butter
“CROQUE MADAME” - Yellowtail sashimi, prosciutto, sunny side up quail egg, grilled brioche
We were both in a meat eating mood so I went for the date and mint crusted lamb with roasted heirloom root vegetables, fava beans and potato chive puree, and honey had the braised short ribs with horseradish potato puree and seasonal veggies.



I ate all of mine and some of honey's.
We were too full for dessert!

google images - all pics

We met a friend out afterward at the super lively Village Idiot which is like a hybrid New York bistro meets British pub.  We definitely want to come back and have dinner there.  It was super loud and fun and they make a killer brussel sprout, or so our friend raves.  I was way too stuffed to even sample one.

Kitchen Confidentials...

Friday, August 20, 2010
This will be my weekend activity.  Hope for a beachy day!

Google images


Kitchen Confidential Updated Edition: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.)

Friday's Farmers Market

Monday, August 16, 2010



































 On Friday s I like to go to the Hermosa Beach farmers Market.  Its my favorite.  Its on Fridays, so everyone is in a good mood.  They have a great selection of fruits and veggie vendors and my favorite prepared food; Dave's Gourmet Korean.  They have the most unbelievable tempeh, which I normally hate but this stuff is hard to keep in the fridge.  It disappears within a day or two.  This week I got some corn, a bag of blue lake green beans, a perfectly ripe cantaloupe, nectarines, tomatoes and some roses for my troubles.  I love to support local farms and business and whats could be better than ripe tomatoes in the midst of this cold summer?

Cafe Pierre

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Last night we went out to dinner with some friends.  It started out as 4 of us and then moved to 5 then a reservation for 8.  'Cause that's just how Tasha is.  The more the merrier.  We had a really enjoyable meal and a ball of a time.  We went through 4 bottles of cab and various cocktails.  I was impressed with the range of the cocktail choices mostly.  I didn't hear a lot of "chopin and sodas" but more Moscow Mules, Pimm's cups and this rad martini with rum, champagne, lime and french mint.  I was impressed and my respect for Cafe Pierre has been building by the minute.  Cafe Pierre has been around as long as I have lived here (10 years) and you always see restaurants go through some changes, up and down in their quality.  I don't know what they're doing lately, but the menu is exciting and daring for our little beach town (tripe, pig's feet..) and food backs it up.  



I started out with the escargots and arugula with grana padana cheese, baby heirloom tomatoes and lemon and olive oil - perfect start.   The escargots came two ways - traditional, in the little dish holding each individual with tons of butter and garlic, or in a little ramekin with what they call a garlic flan and ever-so-slightly wilted frisee. We nibbled at the grilled octopus salad with fennel and had a nice taste of the boys' pork belly - it was sublime.  I shared the double thick pork chop with my friend and a side of shoestring french fries.  They really tasted of deep fryer remnants - I like that.  Can't speak for anyone else.

Pork Chop with Onion Compote - puhleez 
Parpadelle with Wild Boar Ragu - just stop it
Calamari alla Siciliana

CAFÉ PIERRE MENU – STARTERS
Escargots. Garlic flan, parsley 12. Foie Gras Duo. Pear compote, mini brioche 23. Ahi Tuna Tartare. 14. Grilled Octopus. Fava beans, mint, watercress, shaved fennel 13. Hamachi Crudo. Melon, tarragon, spicy lemon dressing 15. House-cured Tasmanian Trout. Lemon, serrano, honey mustard 13. Brandade Provencale. Salt cod and potato puree, toasted bread crumbs, olive oil 12. Calamari alla Siciliana. Israeli couscous, tomato broth 13. Frisee Salad. Fiscalini Farmstead cheddar, soft poached egg, pancetta 12. Roasted Red and Yellow Beets. Capriole goat cheese, pickled onions 11. Wild Arugula. Lemon vinaigrette, tear drop tomatoes, aged grana padano 12. Romaine Heart. Anchoiade brioche toast, caesar dressing 10. Tripe Toscana. Tomatoes, parmesan 12. Crisp Pork Belly. Mache and carrot salad 12. Roasted Marrow Bone. Pickled radish, red wine onion compote. 11. Provencale Fish Soup. Gruyere toast 14. FRENCH ONION SOUP GRATINEE. 13.
 
MAIN
Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Pangrattato. Garlic, oil, toasted breadcrumbs 15. Wild Boar Ragu. Papardelle, portobello mushrooms 22. Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioloni. Basil sauce 18. Loup de Mer. Oven dried tomatoes, herbs, Pee Wee marble potatoes 28. Tai Snapper. Green tomato compote, saffron jus 27.
Barramundi. Lady peas, watercress, prosciutto and basil jus 27. California White Bass. Fennel, spinach, jewel tomato 26. Moules Frites. Sauce poulette 20. Roasted Jidori Chicken. Baby artichokes fricassee, scallions, sweet garlic jus 23. Veal Sweetbreads. Roasted carrots, parmesan jus 28.
Veal Breast. Shelling beans, arugula, jalapeno veal jus 24. 70-hours Beef Short Ribs. Cipollini onions, swisschard, large fries, red wine sauce 28. Steak au Poivre. Cognac flamed filet 32. Cote de Boeuf. Braised potatoes, spinach and bone marrow (for 2) 60.
Braised Rabbit. House-made gnocchi, wild mushrooms 28. VEGETABLES
Panisses Provencale. Chickpea fries 5. Double-cooked Pommes Frites 7. Caramelized Cauliflower 7. Haricots Verts. Crème fraiche 7. Sauteed Mushrooms. Shallot and herbs 9.
 
PRIX FIXE - SAMPLE MENU
FIRST
Blue Lake Beans Salad. Shaved fennel, chive, lemon dressing
Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad. Brentwood corn, wild arugula, shallot vinaigrette
SECOND
Tasmanian Trout. Roasted peppers, eggplant, basil
Slow Cooked Pork Belly. Roasted carrots, herbs and jalapeño sauce
Sauteed Beef Tenderloin Tips. Braised shitake, ginger, scallions, snow peas
FINALE
Roasted Rieger Peach in Phyllo. Persian mint, butterscotch sauce
$35 Prix Fixe
 
MARKET INSPIRED - SAMPLE MENU First
Shelling Beans Fricasse 7. Brussels Sprouts 6. Cavolo Nero with Lardons 7.
Potato Gnocchi, lobster mushrooms and hen of the wood 14. SECOND
Sauteed Skate Wing, Cippollini onions, roasted peppers, ginger jus with parsley 27. Risotto Del Bosco, beef Bolognese, Portobello mushrooms 25.
Tenderloin Tips, roasted Pee Wee marble potatoes, Roquefort and confit shallots 26.
 
Executive Chef/Owner, Guy Gabriele Chef de Cuisine, Remi Lauvand

 I ask you, what is better than a delicious meal that's eaten locally with good friends (and wine)?  Simple pleasures...


By The Way....

Friday, August 13, 2010
I really, really, really, really, really miss bread.

weheartit
google images
That's all.

I am so into soup...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010




The making for gazpacho, quite possibly the most refreshing summer meal invented.  I ripped out the recipe from Us magazine.  It was Bethenny Frankel's.  You can find it here.

The finished product along with oven-baked, almond flour coated chicken tenders and spicy broccoli over crispy polenta.  I took Penny Luxe's chicken recipe and de-gluten-ized it.  I also made my own BBQ sauce with honey and tomato paste.

Chili which cooked for 2.5-3 hours made with humanely raised, hormone-free flank steak from Trader Joe's.  It sounds awesome but it was a little too heavy for honey and I.  I will stick to my old recipes.      

Don't it look good with all the fixin's though? 



Chicken stock that I finally made with everything I've been keeping in the freezer for a few months; heads and bottoms of celery, a few lingering carrots, 2 sprigs of parsley, 1/2 an onion quartered, 2 whole cloves of garlic, and carcasses (ugh, such an awful word) of 2 organic chickens we had consumed and saved the bones for.

Palm Springs Weekend Ace Hotel & Miramonte

Thursday, August 5, 2010
vespas lined up and ready for a joyride
desert plants
i loved the dark and dank los amigos bar
mod hip accents
our personal outdoor patio

He's so happy to be leaving he he
kings highway diner


Miramonte Hotel
Lime trees on the property. we stole some. shhh
I love the hammocks everywhere - just asking for a midday nap.
Dinner at Castelli's

My 22oz bone-in ribeye


we stayed at the Ace Hotel on Friday night.  it was super hipster paradise but a little too rough around the edges for us.  the room was minimalist to the 9's. honey likes a valet, bellhop, round the clock pool cocktail service, etc so i didn't complain when he yanked us out of there on Saturday on account of "my 7-months-pregnant-wife didn't get an ounce of sleep with these paper thin walls and the raging going on upstairs".  i try not to abuse it but its kinda fun being pregnant because you get to use the excuse to get out of some stuff, like mediocre hotels.the miramonte was much more resort-y but we just wanted to lounge in a big cushy air conditioned room and eat overpriced breakfast buffet food.  aaaaand listen to grocery store muzak at the pool...not.
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