Dad is 82!

I do hope I scored some of those anti-aging genes the man seems to possess in spades. Seriously. He is looking good, right? I guess it helps to sport a fly demin vest and punky military-style cap. yup. He be cool.

The celebration wasn't much different from last year's celebration. Except MUCH better restaurant.






I am fully aware of how lucky I am that his mind is sharp and his body, though a little slower, is still relatively hale. He has been this way all my life and I can't imagine him a different way. When asked what he wants for his birthday, he always replies: "Let's just have a nice meal together."

Full set here.

Dinner with the Gotches

Judging by the fact that nearly all of the few photos I took have Jen in them, I'm obvs obsessed with the girl. We bonded over our mutual favorite brand of pasta - gluten free! I think I prefer it over normal pasta. Instead of tossing everything together, Jen put all the accouterments on the side: toasted pine nuts, prosciutto, shaved pecorino, sea salt flakes. This allowed guests full control over the flavor to fit exactly what their tastebuds wanted. I rather liked this concept and may try it myself!





We ended the meal with a Date with a Unicorn - basically a boozy date shake. The dreamiest drink I've had in ages. In fact, methinks I need to recreate this heaven in a sea salt rimmed glass A to the S-A-P!


P.S. I LOVE that first photo of Jen and Phil.

Red Hill Restaurant

Red Hill just opened in the old Phoenix Bakery site in Echo Park. It's right next to where Pioneer Chicken used to be but is now a Little Ceasar's pizza. (Elsie trivia: That Pioneer is the first place I remember eating fried chicken!) They tout a reasonably priced, creative menu of dishes made with organic, local ingredients. And their pasta is freshly made.



We had originally planned on dinner elsewhere but I received a Daily Candy email describing some of the menu items at Red Hill, which prompted a quick switch. When we arrived, all the tables were full but we waited comfortably at the (wine/beer only) bar. Once seated, Sergio ordered the carbonara, I got a ravioli made with squash. Liz ordered the pork belly over potato pancakes, Nelson got the mussels AND pulled pork pappardelle. All of our meals were quite flavorful and tasty. The pappardelle was a tad soft and I felt the portion on my dish was small. Though delicious, it could have benefited with an accompaniment. The mussels were OUTSTANDING. Yum. Sergio really liked his carbonara. I have to admit, the menu was a little confusing as there was not clear indication of whether a plate was meant to be an appetizer, a main or a side. Everything on it looked so good but we weren't sure how much or little, to order.



The place itself is snazzy. Dark woods, open kitchen, candles. Pretty. I kind of dug being able to see the people making my food but the concept seemed to eat up precious floor space. I think the counter is meant to actually seat diners, however the space is so tight, it would be kind of awkward to sit so close to the behinds of counter diners. Now, full warning, I seem to be turning into a crotchety old lady when it comes to these things, but to me it seemed a little too dim and a little too loud. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Also, romantic lighting is terrible for food photos. Sigh.



I gave up on the food photos. Here are a few of us chatting after dinner instead. Sergio seems to have loosened up these days.



We hadn't hung out with just Liz and Nelson in quite some time. It was really so nice to catch up. As for Red Hill, we'll be back. There's a ton of stuff on the menu I'm eager to try. Probably on the early side though. I'm too old to hang with them noisy youngsters.


Red Hill
1325 Echo Park Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90026

(213) 482-0886

Year of the Dragon

The Dragon is considered to be the most fortunate and revered in Chinese astrology symbols. This is a pretty big deal in China and other Asian countries. Chinese New Year traditions our family observe include making savory turnip cake, putting fresh flowers in the home and enjoying New Year's Eve dinner (tuan nian/reunion dinner).

Instead of cooking at home, we decided to eat out at ABC Seafood in Chinatown. It recently reopened -- refurbished, refreshed and under new ownership. Rumor has it David Lam sourced Master Chef Chui all the way from Hong Kong! Without reservations, we waited about an hour for our table of seven. And it was worth. every. second. The food was so fresh and perfectly seasoned. From the soup to dessert, each morsel was perfect. The service was also quite good - which is somewhat of a rarity in Chinatown.

• Abalone and sliced chicken soup
• French style X.O. filet Mignon
• Honey walnut shrimp
• Fried tofu
• Fresh lobster with ginger and green onion
• Poached chicken with garlic sauce
• Pea shoots with garlic
• Calamari with pickled mustard greens
• Green bean soup dessert

I'm lucky to get two New Year's celebrations. Growing up bi-cultural is kind of awesome. And just think, thanks to my Italian/Russian-Jewish-American husband, our future children will have their pick of up to FOUR cultures! ha.



Full photoset here.

Hasta luego Rob Lee

Rob is going to cook in San Sebastián, España, for three months. Martin Berasategui is a three Michelin starred Basque restaurant on the northern coast, two cheek besos away from the French border. (I know, right?) We gathered to say farewell at Honda-Ya, an Izakaya in the Little Tokyo Shopping Center. Sergio and I were pleasantly surprised to come across a cool art show on our post-dinner stroll.





Full photoset here.

Dinner with an old friend

Discovered my new favorite drink at the Tam O'Shanter last night. It's whiskey based and came in a half martini, half coupe glass that's also got me smitten. The problem is I don't remember the name. I guess I need to go back and order it again.

Thanksgiving 2011

We opted to purchased an already roasted turkey. Mom had a hook-up from work and it was the best turkey ever! Also, dad made the best hot & sour soup ever! I didn't even know he knew how to make this dish. Mental note: Get this recipe!


Hot & Sour soup
Honeybaked ham
Roasted turkey
Sticky rice
Mashed potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Candied pecan yams
Madeleines
Sponge Cake

Rosemary champagne cocktail
Lots of wine

Friends Thanksgiving 2011

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! Are you ready? I'm hosting at our house but only contributing veggies this year. :) I did make gravy for Friends Thanksgiving, a tradition Liz and Nels started before they moved temporarily to Australia. It was restarted last year when Liz and Amy hosted at Liz and Nels' old loft. Now that they all live together, we headed over to Amy & Omar's last Saturday to continue this delicious tradition.











Of course, one of the best parts of Thanksgiving dinner is the next day. We scored some amazing leftovers!


Full set here.

What a yummy and cozy evening. I am so thankful to have these friends with whom I get to make such wonderful memories. What are you thankful for this year?

Oh, and psst! Gobble Gobble Give!

Afghani Food and Champagne

The birthday girl and her man at Azeen's Afghani Restaurant.



Pop Champagne and Dessert Bar




Decadence.

Dad's birthday: 81!

How does Dad like to celebrate his birthday - or any other festivity for that matter? Eat. That's it. He likes to eat. So we happily oblige.

This year, we went to Top Island in Alhambra. Service was very odd and even frustrating at times, but the food was tasty. The cake was from Taipan Bakery, just down the block from the restaurant. It was already 6 PM and we had not ordered a cake so we totally lucked out with this one. The only other cake they had was chocolate and Dad prefers the fruit kind. It was very good - the almonds were toasted and fluffy frosting just right. If you don't know already, the usual Chinese style birthday cakes are spongy moist with an uber-light, non-buttercream frosting. It's usually loaded up with fresh fruit on top and inside, and adorned with almond slices all around.

Dad rockin' the patriotic look.




That stylish yet practical reversible fleece vest was once mine. I picked it up during my last year in college. It was from the outside sale rack at City Sports on the BU campus. (Is that still around?) I wore it everywhere, including my first time to Italy, a week before I met Sergio. It has these perfect nearly hidden pockets for traveling.