Sundae in the Park

Do the East Coast stores stock Golden Island jerky? Ours has it, usually in the 2nd row of snacks near the front. We're big fans of the KBBQ-flavored pork jerky. It's a bit sweet for my taste but otherwise just about my Platonic ideal of jerky in taste and texture (thin pieces, easily pulled into long strips, moist but not wet and dry enough to have a nice, firm, chewy bite). Their beef jerky is just OK (much tougher and the flavor is nothing special) - it's really the pork version that shines.

A couple other snacky products we usually buy now (always if they are on sale) are the Parmesan Whisps (crunchy parmesan-only baked discs, sized for snacking or topping pretty much anything) and the almond Barkthins (dark chocolate almond bark, broken into fairly thin pieces). Both are also found in the snacking section.

For all you Chris Bianco fans, here's an interesting article from the LA Times talking about his new LA project and book.  As one of the folks who has made the Pizzeria Bianco pilgrimage, I'm super excited about the anticipated opening of a location in the ROW DTLA, a developing high-end, mixed-use area next to the Arts District. Excited enough, probably, to make the trip down with two kids under 3 (yeah, that excited)!

Grand Central Market gets a lot of discussion on Slate about the fancification of food halls: Artisanal Tacos on Paper Plates.

I still haven't been, but it's been on my list of to-dos since I moved here (trouble is that I'm only ever downtown for work, and don't have time then to play!). Friends have enjoyed the pupusas and the offerings at Sticky Rice and there is a McConnells (out of Santa Barbara) stand as well!

23 hours ago, ktmoomau said:

But of course it would be better to eat more calories at lunch than dinner, but that just never works for me.  Hoping that I can make some small changes that will have an impact.  Any good tips from people, on changes they make to their meal from their spouses to make them a bit more healthy besides just different portions?  

I make more, and more delicious food. I'm on a low-carb diet at the moment that my family doesn't need to share. Typically, I'll add a veg-heavy side or two that I know I'll like that my guys may or may not like (last night's meal: steak, mushrooms, and potatoes for all of us; spinach and cabbage mostly for me, though the guys ate a little. Also, the cabbage turned out surprisingly tasty so it was easier to eat more!).  I cook in large batches so the food lasts for a few days and I'll have lots of options in rotation in the fridge for odd snacks or to take for lunch.  But the food has to be good enough that I want to eat it (this is especially key for getting good lunches in), otherwise the system all falls apart and I waste time, $, and food  So I'd say now is a splurge time for you in terms of ingredients you love/crave and go to town. It is definitely a bit more effort but I find it worthwhile.

Oh, and while it is still cool, keeping a big pot (or frozen portions) of a low(er)-cal soup around (veg and/or bean-heavy) makes it really easy to add a course, just for you if need be, to every meal that will help you sneak in more fiber/nutrients and fill up.

Finally, whatever it is, put an egg (or 2, or...) on it  Adds a delicious (well, as long as you like eggs) healthy protein, is cheap, and takes very little time to cook.

To stay on the original topic, I have a few friends who have had a lot of success with intermittent fasting and are able to maintain the diet and their losses, though the fasting intervals go way down in maintenance mode unless they need a reboot. Finding delicious low or no-cal beverages (really complex and/or fruity teas, it seems) seems to be key.  

Tonight: Steak with creamed spinach, curried cabbage, potatoes fried in bacon fat, and sauteed mushrooms

Earlier this week: Pesto chicken; grilled sausages, peppers, and zucchini; quesadillas; and beef stew 

15 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Christine, do you know who the individuals are responsible for the lists? (The individuals are (to me) far more important than the publication - when it comes to restaurants, there's really no such thing as "corporate knowledge" - it's the individuals who either are good, or aren't (which is exactly why you're our LA Forum Host, btw - likewise Josh in Houston.))

We're damned lucky to have both of you.

Aw, thanks. Besha Rodell is LA Weekly's food critic who came in 2012 as the heir to Jonathan Gold. She's got a few Beard nominations under her belt plus a win in 2014. A lot of the writeups seem to come from her, and the rest come from other staff members..."This year I was helped by our Food Editor Katherine Spiers, our Managing Editor Drew Tewksbury, our contributor Garrett Snyder and our Editor-in-Chief Mara Shalhoup. As always, our food photographer Anne Fishbein has provided beautiful art to illustrate the issue."

I've been reading this list since about 2011, slightly before I moved here and I've noticed that some of the reviews for long-standing listees don't get updated every year. That is not to say this is wrong, because the focus of the list is the "essential" nature of the restaurant to the Greater LA food scene/specific neighborhood/cuisine. So the essential nature of the spot is less likely to change from year to year. Though it is nice to see a refreshed review or mini review! I don't know about their methodology, but I can say that, while the places I have tried haven't always been "the best of" they are almost always worth visiting for the item or reason highlighted and just generally good places to check out. Many experiences have been quite outstanding. I don't actually get down to LA all that often so I'm appreciative of this list as a resource that allows me to spend my dining capital wisely. I particularly like it in terms of seeing LA through a tourist's eyes - the "essential" nature of the list means that the listees aren't necessarily the newest, hottest, or even best, but might be the originator or proudest standard bearer of some local and/or cultural tradition, which YMMV but is something I'm seeking out when I visit.

The 2017 edition of LA Weekly's 99 Essential Restaurants has dropped!

This year they also have inaugurated a Freshman 15 list of newcomers to watch.

In the past I've found their lists to be interesting and the majority of recommended restaurants I've tried have been worth the visit for the reasons described.  For the 99 List, I especially appreciate their mapping and sorting-by-neighborhood features. 

I found this tidbit about the prohibition of Irish butter sales in WI to be interesting. Poor Wisconsonites, no Kerrygold for you! Hope their lawsuit works out!

Well, the story has been picked up by the LA Times and the WaPo, so I'd say that it's making the rounds nationally. A quick skim of the comments on both articles are…interesting and disheartening…per usual folks don't seem to be reading the articles before spewing strong opinions.  So far the whole stew seems to have been set off by the waiter-with-border-control-delusional-fantasies without support from management/corporate culture, but it is odd that the restaurant's response and apologies have been, for the most part, scrubbed from social media. Their Yelp page is under active management for trolling reviews and the owner does have a response to a question about the incident in the questions section.  

Heh, note that not all Southern California deserts are created equal, conditions in Death Valley were not optimal for creating a superbloom this year, and folks trekking there for flowers have been disappointed. If looking for this year's superbloom, see the thread on Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Another year, another Superbloom! Hooray for a wet winter  Flowers came up about a week ago and will last a few more weeks in a "rolling bloom" if anyone is interested...

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

California Deserts In 'Super Bloom' Thanks To A Wet Winter

Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers Update

NYT video of flowers

Pretty flower pics to brighten your day courtesy of the Orange County Register

We've been making for the past few weeks a cinnamon-raisin french toast bake (that I don't get to partake in at the moment ), which is a nice option for making several days' worth of breakfasts in one easy go. Basically we layer (standing up or at an angle) half-slices of cinnamon bread in a casserole dish, pour over a bunch of beaten eggs and heavy whipping cream, and sprinkle the whole mess with cinnamon, brown sugar, and other warming spices/vanilla as the mood hits. Leave in the fridge overnight to soak in and bake in the morning until appropriately toasty (it smells divine!!!). It is obviously NOT a light breakfast but keeps well (we rewarm in a toaster oven) and has been universally beloved by all that try it. 

13 hours ago, PollyG said:

Don't read the reviews for those with a mouth full of liquid.  I sent 5lb of an off-brand (same results if eaten in quantity) when the occupiers of the Malheur wildlife refuge asked for snacks.  Following the arrests, I contacted the local food bank to warn them to beware of any sugar free items that might be donated by that group.  That was an interesting exchange, but the food bank rep was gracious about it.  

? and also ? because I love Haribo Bears so this is a great and useful warning!!!

Oh my goodness, you guys, this is probably TMI and maybe everyone else already knows, but as a PSA, don't eat too much food made with fake sugar!! After chalking up a few days of misery to resurgent pregnancy symptoms, it turns out that lots of the ingredients in sugar-free stuff - e.g., sucralose, xylitol, sorbitol - work precisely because they can't be digested, which can lead to an uncomfortable GI system, especially if you eating a significant quantity of these ingredients. Everything in moderation or carefully controlled portions is still the rule of the day - there are no tradeoff-free shortcuts to eating sweets!!!! (Unless there is and then please tell me!!!)

Eater article on the new location in Buena Park with some nice links to an opening day video (the line!) and the history of the chain. More links to local TV coverage. There's supposed to be a location opening up in West Covina next year. Wish they would move up my way!

On 1/4/2016 at 8:03 AM, eatruneat said:

My brother moved from the southern edge of San Diego to a more central spot in Bankers Hill so I was able to explore a lot of new restaurants over my trip there for Christmas. Unfortunately, much of it was mediocre but some of it was great. The standout of trip was Crack Shack in Little Italy, affiliated with and adjacent to Juniper and Ivy. The place specializes in chicken -- fried chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, lollipop chicken -- served with a myriad of different housemade sauces. A fun outdoors place to eat and drink the day away. I only had the chicken nuggets and the lollipop chicken on my one visit there, and really liked it. A similar place in DC would go gangbusters!

I wanted to go here while in SD but it was raining and my dining partner didn't want to brave the elements! Instead we hit:

Jimmy's Famous American Tavern - nice view of the water and the Harbor Drive location is right across from the Holiday Inn. My red snapper (catch of the day) plate was fresh and simply dressed and the accompanying asparagus and mashed potatoes were worth eating. My dining partner enjoyed her spicy shrimp salad. It's a good place for a work dinner and super convenient when staying at the hotel, though I probably wouldn't return of my own choosing.

The Kebab Shop - not as good as last time, but still perfectly adequate for fast, cheap, and good food.

Ironside Fish & Oyster.- beautiful, soaring space in the heart of Little Italy with a carefully curated menu (seems to change and be freshly printed daily) of raw bar, classic fish-house eats, and daily specials. It's a shame I don't eat shellfish, because that really seems to be the draw here. I ended up with the fancy set of the night and it was a pretty, smallish portion of a tender white fish with some tasty vegetables (all good, all rather forgettable). My dining partner was happy with the calamari and we both enjoyed the broccolini (the green garlic, Fresno chili, and soy sherry glaze was terrific). It can get really bustle-y and loud and Happy Hour $1 oysters seem to be the best deal.

I've tried quite a few low-carb/sugar desserts lately, and thought I would post on my impressions:

Halo Top - too expensive for its icy texture and uninteresting add-in crunchy bits - pass.

Breyer's CarbSmart Vanilla & Almond bars - not bad at all. They aren't super creamy but aren't icy at all and don't have much of an fake sugar aftertaste. I like the portion size because you can eat the whole bad so won't feel deprived. I keep buying these.

No sugar added Popsicles - have a bit of a fake sugar aftertaste but decent when you're craving an icy fruity treat.

Dreyer's slow-churned no sugar added ice cream - terribly chemical ingredient list but decently creamy without a fake sugar aftertaste so yay science??!! Available at regular grocery stores and the same price as the regular ice cream. Still can't eat a lot in a sitting if you're carefully counting carbs but you can have more. This will probably be my go-to until I can have real ice cream again!

***

Also made a red curry chicken soup (basically my regular red curry with a lot more broth and even more vegetables), which was delicious and low carb but doesn't keep well, because the vegetables turn all mushy

For all the La La Land die-hard fans:

You Can Visit the Café From La La Land in Real Life

It's only through March 6, but for the Friends fans, Central Perk is there all the time. I've taken the Warner Brothers studio tour and it's really interesting. Can't compare with other studio tours since I haven't done any, but we enjoyed the glimpses into both the indoor studio sets - Ellen, Big Bang - and also the incredible magic they can make with the most ordinary-seeming of outdoor spaces a la Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. Plus there is a ton of Harry Potter paraphernalia in the museum. 

Meh. I've tried four flavors now, and they are getting less, not more appealing. The sea salt caramel is probably the best, followed by the mint "chocolate chip." The almond crunch and cookies and cream both taste strongly of almond extract and coconut, respectively, and I'm really only finishing them because they were expensive. The icy texture (their admonition to wait a bit before eating to let it come up to temperature reminds me of Cakelove's re: their buttercream, with similar effect - I got the ice cream out because I want to eat it now) isn't improving on acquaintance. I do like the ingredient list, which is a whole less synthetic than a lot of the low-carb/sugar stuff I'm eating these days, but not enough to keep buying them (it doesn't help that I have to go to a separate store to get them). 

Thanks, guys! Yes, I'm pretty motivated so learned a lot last time that I'm putting to good use this time without having to go back to the (rather useless) nutritionist (at least the knowledge wasn't wasted!!). If only I could keep up the motivation to keep to this kind of diet when not pregnant!!! It's ridiculously effective for my body type, but alas, I can't keep this strict when I don't have the proper motivation. There are certain recipes/approaches that have stuck with me afterwards, though, like roasting All The Vegetables and these mini turkey garden loaves (when I'm diabetic I mess with the bread crumbs and sugar proportions, and when I'm not I make them as is).

Thanks for all your suggestions! I think they'll all make it into my rotations. The cucumber salad prompt, in particular, is great because I've always meant to learn a good Chinese cucumber salad (a la the A&J spicy garlic cucumber dish) and now is an excellent time to try it! Yes, I eat lots of avocados, mostly with my  morning hard-boiled eggs as a sort of egg salad (v. easy to take to work several days' worth at a time), and could absolutely incorporate them in other meals. 

We made fajitas the other night, with some grilled marinated steak; a sautéed vegetable medley of mushrooms, peppers, and zucchini; cheese quesadillas; salsa; and guacamole. We and our guests all loved it (I ate 1/4 quesadilla so wasn't totally deprived), so that will definitely be gracing our table again. Because we (used to) eat tacos out fairly often, we almost never think about making Mexican food at home and this was a good reminder that it's tasty, easy to make, and great for a crowd with fussy palates (in this case kiddos, gluten-free, diabetic, and pregnant). 

A bit back, we went out to all-you-can-eat KBBQ for dinner, and that was decadent without a sense of deprivation. MEAT! and pickles and salad mostly, with a little bit of jap chae on the side. Nothing to complain about there!!

Hahahaha, have you ever looked at the ingredient list for "light" juice (e.g., grape juice)? Mostly the same stuff, just with water as the first ingredient. It's literally diluted juice with extra sugar/additives to make up the flavor. Quite remarkable from a marketing perspective!! So yes, I'd expect that air is a main component of the light versions of fatty stuff like ice cream. The trick is whether they can keep up a decent mouthfeel, even with all the air whipped in. I actually find that Dreyer's/Edy's slow-churned ice cream is decent tasting for light ice cream, though they have lots of junk as ingredients. The net carb counts and ingredient lists for Halo look really promising so I'll have to try some! 

Whelp, I'm gestationally diabetic again, so back to the low-carb drawing board. It's been a month-ish so I'm looking to branch out from the mainstays thus far:

Meals:

everything egg

(very) stuffed shells 

eggplant parm (so far with breading, but later on will be without)

curried chicken salad (eaten over salad or with cucumbers, or even plain)

roasted chickens and pork loins

Cuban or Hawaiian pork

pan-fried fish and chicken

roasted veg (mostly cauliflower!! but also some carrots, a few potatoes, and various squashes)

curries without the rice (or a very small amount)

pureed vegetable soups (squash, broccoli, mushroom)

beef stew

meatballs, sausages

salads

Snacks and treats:

almonds and cashews

berries

string cheese

Crystal Light "lemonade" and seltzer (thanks Squidsdc!)

Breyers CarbSmart vanilla and almond bars

dark chocolate 

edamame

15g carbs or less of any cookies or sweets. I can typically have 1-3 small cookies (I stick with packaged cookies because they are easier to count - usually Trader Joe's speculoos or butter almond thins), so it's portion control rather than avoidance. This is not a lot of cookies, but it's better than nothing!! I take a similar approach to ice cream, which I have every night to pump up my base level of carbs before bed. I pick a flavor with fewer carbs (usually the more chunky add-ins, which I love, the more carbs ) and then have about 2 small spoonfuls to come in at <1 serving. 

****

I'm probably going to make tortilla-less fajitas and zoodles soon, and I see some sugar-free jello in my future. Once we start grilling again, I'll probably be doing meat/eggplant/zucchini/mushrooms with Vietnamese fish sauce again. We've been getting a lot of Chinese takeout (usually szechaun eggplant and tofu, sauteed greens, and fried fish) and when I skip the rice, I'm fine. Ideas are welcome, but I'm mostly documenting here in case others find this info useful. 

The tempura green beans are great! Lightly seasoned, crispy, tempura coating, without too much batter, makes for a tasty, lower-carb choice than fries or onion rings (which have a much heavier batter). The steak salad (sub tri-tip in for chicken - I think the price differential is about $0.50 and that specific option is not on the menu) is decent (they ask how you would like your steak cooked!) but obviously doesn't compare with getting a burger.

OK, this line of thought piqued my curiosity and all the nutritional info is online so here are the calorie and carb breakdowns for the sides:

french fries w/ salt: 440 calories and 60g total carbs

onion rings w/ salt: 500 calories and 62g total carbs

sweet potato fries: 374 calories and 50g total carbs

tempura green beans w/ salt: 250 calories and 34g total carbs

Interesting, right??!! So onion rings are actually the worst choice for both calories and carbs by a little bit and the green beans are a more virtuous treat, though they still have a significant carb load (so I was right to get the salad instead of trying to eat a burger with half the bread, like I was contemplating) and having them with the ranch sauce obviously doesn't help the calorie count (120 calories, 2g carbs). I wonder how the fried stuff at other chains/meals compare with these #s.

The double-double is on the menu, so you would think ordering a triple-triple from the "secret menu" would make sense when you want a 3 X 3 (3 burger patties and 3 slices of cheese). Not so; instead, they will smile and gently correct you. It comes prettily displayed like all other burgers and is a BIG bite. Since I was eating mine with only half the bun and lots of extra lettuce and tomato, like a burger salad, this was an appreciated but unnecessary nicety. It's a really hearty meal - low-carb but definitely not healthy or low-fat. I don't really care for the fries here so that wasn't much of a loss but I was really wistful about not getting a shake (the chocolate flavoring is rather gentle so I usually get the vanilla). 

While the In-N-Out website features a few items from the not-so-secret menu, here are a couple fun articles I found with much more comprehensive discussion of "secret menu" items:

The Ultimate In-N-Out Secret Menu (and Super Secret Menu!) Survival Guide 

The Ultimate In-N-Out Burger Secret Menu (Some of Which Will Save You Money)

From batch cooking on Sunday:

• White pizza with mushrooms
• Red pizza with salami
• Chicken and wild rice soup

Should hold us another day or so.