First Course Los Angeles

Spice Up Your Valentine's Day with Aphrodisiac Tea

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:41:42 -0500

DAVIDsTEA, the tea shop that originated in Montreal, Canada and recently opened two shops in New York on the Upper East Side and West Village, is continuing to expand their loose-leaf tea collection by creating a special one for Valentine's day. DAVIDsTEA uses ingredients from all over the world to make exclusive blends that have interesting flavor combinations.

They are offering two "Love Elixirs" for Valentine's day as well as a Sweetheart Collection. Their "Love Elixirs" combine ancient aphrodisiacs from around the world to get him or her in the mood for love.

The Love Elixir for Him has vitality enhancers to get your man going. It is an herbal blend with muira puma, which is meant to increase your desire for love. It also includes hibiscus, damiana leaf, and wild yam root. Schizandra berries are also part of the mix. They are not only an aphrodisiac but this berry will also increase brain function, give a boost of energy and is typically used for medicinal purposes for longevity.

The Love Elixir for Her is a black tea that combines what every woman wants, cocoa nibs and dried strawberries. It is combined with sarsaparilla, to increase stamina, and damiana leaf, to boost sexual potency.

The Sweetheart Collection is a mix of five loose-leaf seasonal teas meant for the cold weather. Hot Lips is a green tea with cinnamon and pink peppercorns. Snuggle up with your loved one on the couch with Love Tea #7, a blend of black tea, cocoa nibs, dried strawberries and rose petals.

For more information or to order these teas, please Click Here to visit their website.

Behind the Plate with Chef Bernie Matz

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:30:00 -0500

I arrived at the modest restaurant on Alton Road crammed between a Starbucks and a sushi place. Bernie's L.A. Cafe is pretty plain with the exception of colorful signage on the window, and a bright red tile wall, but edible treasures await for all who venture inside.

Bernie arrived wearing a casual gray t-shirt and immediately greeted me with a smile and a handshake. After a brief anecdote about Castro's Cuban takeover, his parents emigrating to Miami and his subsequent upbringing in a Cuban-Catholic neighborhood, we started to talk about his passion-turned-business. Matz said he's been cooking since he was a kid. His metaphorical bread and butter used to be a media company, which he says went downhill after 9/11. So, after that he went to culinary school. And hated it.

Fast forward to 2010, when Bernie's LA Cafe opens and becomes his second successful restaurant in South Beach; the first being the Cafe at Books and Books with prime location on Lincoln Road. Despite its huge success, Bernie says the Cafe at Books & Books happened by accident. Bookshop owner, Mitchell Kaplan, sampled his cooking one day and insisted Bernie start a restaurant on his property. They joined forces and the Cafe was opened in 2005.

Although there are plenty of meat dishes on the menu, Bernie recommends eating Vegan as often as you can. (No doubt his mother, Vegan for several decades, might have had some influence.) And try to stay away from processed "meats." (With the exception of Bernie's vegetarian chicken. It's the best meat substitute I've ever eaten. Ever.) Fresh, whole natural foods are simply the way to go.

Cooking isn't just a business for Bernie. In fact, he wishes it wasn't a business at all, rather, a hobby. (I wish my hobbies were half as successful as his.) "Food should be an artform," he muses. "People aren’t just seeing or smelling your art, they’re consuming your art.”

What's his secret to delicious, healthy food-art? It's not something he does, it's what he doesn't do. In Matz's menus and recipes, you will find no butter or cream, no frozen, canned or processed food, no dry herbs, and no preservatives. Then, it's just a matter of making the plates look pretty - which they do quite well here at Bernie's and Books & Books. For locals, both places are welcomed oases from the surrounding overpriced, tourist-targeted eateries that dish out heavy, fatty "authentic" Latin food like it's going out of style. And you know how stylish people want to be in South Beach.

If you want to try your hand at cooking Bernie's SoFlo cuisine, you can purchase up a copy of his 'fresh & healthy family style' cookbook Bernie's Kitchen online or at either of his restaurants. It even comes with a DVD if you'd rather watch Bernie in action.

The Café at Books & Books
933 Lincoln Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33109
(305) 695-8898

Bernie's LA Cafe
1570 Alton Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 535-8003

bernieslacafe.com

Pork Cheek Tacos at Mercadito for Share Our Strength

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:30:00 -0500

Stop by Mercadito this month and try Chef David Blonsky's smoked pork cheek taco as part of Chef Patricio Sandoval's Tacos for Strength campaign.

“It’s the taco lovechild of the best of Mexican and barbeque flavors," says Chef Blonsky, of Bull & Bear and Public House. More complex than many of the other tacos on Mercadito's menu, tender pork cheek is nestled in a housemade corn tortilla and topped with salsa verde and crispy shallots, queso fresco and espelette pepper. An order of four tacos is $16.50 at dinner and a lunch order of three is $12.50. Five percent of the proceeds from these tacos will go to Share Our Strength, dedicated to ending childhood hunger.

Here's the recipe for you ambitious home cooks, but I'll just swing by Mercadito to satisfy my taco craving:

Smoked Pork Cheek Tacos with Salsa Verde Pistou:

Ingredients:

5 pounds Pork cheeks, cleaned

2 each Carrots, peeled and rough chopped

2 each Spanish onion, peeled and rough chopped

6 stalks Celery, rough chopped

5 sprigs Thyme

3 each Bay leaves, fresh

1 sprig Rosemary

¼ bunch Parsley

3 tbs. Smoked paprika, dolce

½ cup Mezcal

2 quarts Pork demi glace, made in house

Hickory wood

Apple wood

Espelette pepper to garnish

Queso fresco, grated for garnish

Salsa verde pistou

Directions:

1. Smoke pork cheeks at 200 degrees with 3 parts hickory to 1 part apple wood. Allow to cool.

2. Heat a large sauté pot with oil, sear the pork cheeks, remove and set aside. In the same pot, caramelize the onions, carrots and celery. Add pork cheeks and deglaze with mezcal, add in herbs, season with salt and pepper and cover with pork demi. Cover pot with aluminum foil and place in 350 degree oven for 3 hours, or until pork cheeks are fork tender.

3. Remove pork cheeks and then strain the sauce. Place pork cheeks back in sauce and cool down together.

4. Slice pork cheeks and griddle to add a nice crust, place back in braising liquid and keep warm.

5. Place meat in tortillas, spoon some of the braising liquid on top then add salsa verde pistou and garnish with crispy shallots, queso fresco and sprinkle the esplette pepper on top.

Salsa Verde Pistou

Ingredients:

½ cup Bread crumbs

2 tbs Red wine vinegar

1 cup chopped parsley

½ cup Olive oil

1 tbs. Capers

1 tbs. Pine nuts

10 each Pitted olives

2 each Anchovies

1 each Cloves of garlic

1 each Hard boiled egg yolk

Directions:

1. Stir together breadcrumb and vinegar in a bowl.

2. In food processor, mix parsley, oil, capers, pine nuts, olives, anchovies, garlic and egg yolk until smooth.

3. Stir mixture into breadcrumb and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Foodie Approved: Gourmet Super Bowl Parties for Food Lovers

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:05:00 -0500

We understand that for some of you foodies out there with a love for football, Super Bowl Sunday poses a dilemma on where to watch the game. Well, you have come to the right place for the solution. Here are some places that you can dine-in or take-out food during the game while satisfying your taste buds.

Restaurant Marc Forgione

134 Reade Street 10013 212 941 9401

Iron Chef, Marc Forgione, will be turning his two-star restaurant into a casual bar by bringing in flat screens to watch the game on this Sunday. The menu will include a burger, spicy chicken wings, suckling pig sliders with $5 Miller High Life beers to wash them down. A DJ will also be part of this scene to get the party started.

Riverpark

450 East 29th Street 10016 212 729 9790

Riverpark is hosting a fancy Super Bowl party which includes access to their open bar and buffet for $100 per person. They will be providing football favorites like nachos and wings. In addition, they will also be serving food that will honor each team's hometown ranging from Italian sandwiches to a raw bar.

Maialino

2 Lexington Ave 10010 212 777 2410

Looking to avoid a crowded bar/restaurant on Sunday? Host your own soiree and order in. Nothing gets the party started like a pigskin pig roast from one of Danny Meyer's joints. Maialino is offering their "Pigskin Classic to take out on the day of the game. Half and Whole pigs will be available to pre-order for $180 and $300. Place your order, these pigs are flying and they're limited.

La Birreria at Eataly

200 Fifth Ave. 10010 646 398 5100

Get the party started at Eataly where they are hosting a five-hour Super Bowl party for $100 per person starting at 5:30 p.m. This deal will include unlimited beer and artisanal food items like crispy pork skins, braised pork shoulder sandwiches and chicken wings. Come join the scene and watch the game on one of their 8 flat screen TVs.

The Best Part of Waking Up, is a Celebrity in Your Cup

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:01:00 -0500

New coffee blends and trends are already roasting in the new year as Starbucks switches from dark roasts to blondes and multiple celebrities, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, filmmaker David Lynch, Dave Mustaine from Megadeth and Lcd Soundsystem star James Murphy, enter the profitable industry.

After years of everyone being told by the coffee connoisseur that dark roasts are superior, coffee companies decided to attract a new market of coffee drinkers during this economic slump. This trend has already become a norm in many European countries, where they brew the blondes strong.

Let's face it, although "real" coffee drinkers enjoy the strong, bitter taste of dark roasts, they will not step away from their addiction and boycott light roasts completely. It could also be a healthier option, considering you do not need to add as much milk or sugar due to its natural sweetness. Blonde Roasts are available at Starbucks, Blue Bottle Coffee Co. and Peet's.

James Murphy, musician and coffee aficionado, has become the latest celebrity to expand their knowledge on the coffee-making process and is now creating his own espresso blend after his girlfriend bought him a training course for his birthday.

Already to jump on the bandwagon of coffee creations is Will Oldham, singer-songwriter/actor, aka Bonnie Prince Billy. He was inspired to make his own blend while in Hawaii. According to the press release posted on his record label's website, Bonny Billy Blend Kona Rose has notes of chocolate, tobacco and leather.

Leonardo DiCaprio has a different approach of joining the industry. He paired up with Philadelphia's La Colombre Torrefaction to develop a high-end coffee blend named LYON. But that is not it, the superstar plans to donate all the profits towards environmental causes. His blend will be available at Williams Sonoma and Whole Foods.

NYC Restaurant Roundup

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:50:00 -0500

Pampano Botaneria

209 East 49th st. between 2nd and 3rd avenue 212 751 4545

Executive Chef Richard Sandoval opened a new tapas lounge located under another one of his venues, Pampano. This newly designed Mexican tapas bar offers 30 small plates, that are perfect for sharing, to go with their Latin-inspired wine list, tequila menu and eight different flavored sangrias.

Spring Natural Kitchen - Columbus

474 Columbus Ave. 646-596-7434

The highly anticipated Soho’s Spring Street Natural opened a spin-off of their downtown location, uptown where progressive Executive Chef Direk Srongloop can implement his menu filled with fresh and organic ingredients.

Baluchi’s – Brooklyn Heights

46 Henry Street near Cranberry Street 347 343-5343

The Indian super chain is now open to bring some flavor to Brooklyn Heights. Baluchi’s is now one of the three Indian Restaurants located in this neighborhood. To go against their competition, they are offering 50% off their “executive lunch special,” which includes an appetizer and entrée. This deal also comes with naan, rice, cucumber raita and mango chutney.

Dorado Tacos

28 East 12th St., near University Pl. 212 627 0900

Dorado Tacos, a Boston-based taqueria, has opened another location in Greenwich Village. This Baja California style shop specializes in fish tacos, soups, salads and quesadillas with Mexican beer to wash it down. Although not listed on the menu, Dorado will also be serving egg-filled breakfast tacos on the weekends, according to Grub Street.

ABV

1504 Lexington Avenue (at 97th Street) 212 722 8959

Earl’s Beer and Cheese tests the waters with wine in their new project ABV. They serve four wines on tap along with a list of over 100 wines-by-the-bottle showing off products from small rural producers along with organic and biodynamic wines. Some innovative dishes include roasted heritage pork with butternut squash and crispy smelt served with fried pickles.

Pie Face

1691 Broadway, near 53rd Street 212 247 9065

Looking for a treat from down-under? Pie Face is now open serving pies in their flaky, golden crust with a sweet or savory filling. Available in both 4-inch and three bite minis, you can stop in for either a snack or a meal.

New Granola on the Block

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:45:00 -0500

My new favorite part of waking up is a breakfast of crunchy granola from Nature's Hand. Their flavors include Maple Pecan, Wild Blueberry, Cranberry Delight, Raisin Hazelnut, and Cinnamon Apple, my favorite of all. Nature's Hand is made in Minnesotra and they use quality ingredients, like real sugar, molasses and honey to sweeten the whole grain wheat and oats. I especailly love the plentiful sunflower seeds in the mix that add a sublte nutty flavor. None of their granola includes unpronounceable ingredients that look like they belong in science experiments.

I've heard so much contradictory news about whether or not granola is healthful - yes, there's fiber and protein, but sometimes an awful lot of sugar. After a little investigating, I determined that Nature's Hand has a very similar profile to my other favorite granolas, from Nature's Path, Bear Naked and Kashi. Nature's Hand tends to have 10-20 calories more per 1/4 cup, but that doesn't bother me too much. Eating a small bowl, with 2% milk, keeps me full until lunch. The granola is sweet enough to perk me up in the morning and satisfy my sweet tooth, but not so sweet that I feel like I need to immediately brush my teeth.

I tried making Granola Muffins with the French Vanilla Almond granola and they turned out splendidly. The granola added a nice crunch to the soft muffins. For a simple breakfast, I love layering Nature's Hand with plain yogurt and fresh berries to offer a nice juicy contrast with the dried fruit in some of their flavors.

Nature's Hand Granola is available at Jewel, Mariano's Fresh Market, Whole Foods and more retailers.

The Most Underrated NYC Restaurants

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:56:00 -0500

Eater recently did a poll of the most underrated restaurants in NYC, according to their readers. After they mapped out a list of the Top 20 Most Underrated Restaurants in NYC, readers got a chance to give their opinion on the subject. 85 restaurants later, foodies got a view of what they're missing. The list definitely strikes a chord with us, especialy when it comes to Barrio Chino (some of the best Mexican food in NYC) and Rucola. We also love how the poll introduced us to dozens of restaurants that we haven't tried. What do you think of the list? Are some of your favorites on here?

1) Little Muenster
2) Barrio Chino
3) Capri Caffe
4) Degustation
5) Traif
6) Roc
7) Bar Pitti
8) Commerce
9) Keg No. 229
10) Frankie's and Johnnie's
11) Caviar Russe
12) Tocqueville
13) Sho Shaun Hergatt
14) Hearth
15) Kasadela
16) Sushi Zen
17) Roman's
18) Bistro Petit
19) Corton
20) Sugiyama
21) North Square
22) Convivium Osteria
23) Via Della Pace
24) Sarge's Deli
25) Hakata Ton Ton
26) La Mangeoire
27) Vandaag
28) La Ramblas
29) Mesa Coyoacan
30) Park Italian Gourmet
31) Yaki Tori Shin
32) Rosanjin
33) The Brooklyn Star
34) Jungsik
35) Cercle Rouge
36) The Farm on Adderly
37) Nha Toi
38) Les Enfants Terribles
39) Esca
40) Benoit
41) Mercato
42) Rouge et Blanc
43) Betel
44) La Silhouette
45) I Sodi
46) Lincoln
47) Sasabune
48) Apiary
49) Jo's
50) The Brindle Room
51) Lot 2
52) Public
53) Gazala's Palace
54) Metaphor
55) B Cafe
56) Masten Lake
57) Pepolino
58) Umi No Ie
59) Respite
60) Sant'Ambroes
61) Battersby
62) Alias
63) Perkins Pancake House
64) Barbuto
65) Romero's
66) Spicy & Tasty
67) Daddy-O
68) Hana Food
69) Chuko
70) Inside Park at St. Barts
71) The Wright at the Guggenheim
72) Kyo Ya
73) Dovetail
74) Kanoyama
75) Novita
76) El Parador
77) Soba Ya
78) Wasan
79) Kamui Den
80) Remedy Diner
81) Arturo's
82) La Superior
83) Cafe Riazor
84) Rucola
85) Frank

What Am I Drinking?

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:12:00 -0500

I’ve been in a Riesling mood lately. This is probably due to the fact that I recently got to meet the makers of Donnhoff and Leitz Riesling, who were generous enough to host a guided, sit down tasting at the wine shop I work at. And by meet, I mean that I shook their hands, gushed like a total weirdo about how much I love their wine, and watched on from the sidelines while they made their presentation. I was entranced as I gathered dirty glasses and rang people up at the register. I can only imagine how great it was for the people sitting at the tables. What’s that saying about bridesmaids and brides, “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride”? Well, I guess I’m always the servant, never the guest. This servant doesn’t give a damn, however, because I was just happy to drink all the left over wine the next day.

Riesling is really interesting, because contrary to what most people think about it, it is about more than just sweetness. The Leitz (pronounced lights) 2010 Eins Zwei Dry is a prime example; it is a bone dry expression of Riesling. Sort of like licking a rock that has a fruity core of apples, peaches, and magic. This wine is really fantastic. Wonderfully refreshing to drink alone or paired with stone crabs. It retails for about $18. The Leitz 2010 Rudesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Spatlese is also drinking beautifully. What a mouthful that name is, right? “Magdalenenkreuz” translates to “Mary of the Cross." This name was given to the wine because the vineyards were once controlled by the historic Abbey of St. Hildegard, in the area of Rudesheimer. This Riesling is very soft and lovable. Think smooth, ripe honey dew melon. So yummy, it retails for about $26.

I have to play favorites though, and admit that Donnhoff is the clear winner for me. It’s like love in bottle. I really loved the Donnhoff 2010 Oberhauser Lesitenberg. It is a wine that is shows wonderful minerality and fruit so ripe that the sweetness is concentrated and rich. It is complex, and balanced, with great acidity. This wine has an awesome, lingering finish that practically begs you to take another sip, so you can get to that moment of bliss again. I could drink this all day. Try pairing this succulent, juicy Riesling with spicy food. Both your food and the wine will be transformed. Suddenly the sharp edges of the spice will be softened and the musky, fleshier notes of the wine will be singing. In fact, someone bring me a bowl of curry and get me a glass of Donnhoff, stat! Also, Cornelius Donnhoff is pretty adorable, so that’s another reason to drink the wine- just saying. It retails for about $32.

Super Pop Cakes!

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:26:00 -0500

The artisanal ice cream extraordinnaires, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, is coming out with a new collection, which will be available from February 3rd through April and is called Super Pop Cakes!, featuring 5 new flavors.

Sink your teeth into southern-inspired Hummingbird Cake loaded with bananas, pecans, pineapple, and cinnamon.

Tres Leches is a custardy coconut with cherries.

Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake features a combination of skyr cheese, sweet oat biscuits, and rhubarb compote.

Mango Kiwi Special Cake contains just what it sounds like, strewn with angel food cake.

Magnolia Mochi includes the classic flavors of Japan with chewy, buttery mochi.

All of Jeni's signature seasonal pints will also be available, as well as special ice cream sandwiches. Her new collection will sell for $70 or $12 for individual flavors. Order it up at www.jenisicecreams.com.