Black Truffle Butter Spread

This Black Truffle Butter Sauce can be had from Trader Joe's. My friend Cynthia already experimented by melting butter to make a nice pasta sauce.  It was my turn to experiment so I melted the whole tub of butter and sautéed some dried Mixed Wild Mushrooms imported from Italy that I found in my pantry and thank God it has not expired. I first soaked them in hot water and within 10 minutes, they all came to life.

After a few minutes, I added some whipping cream enough to serve with my half a pound of Farfalle. Being me and not being patient enough to wait until the sauce thickened on its own I took some of the liquid from the mushrooms and a bit of pasta water and added some Wondra (quick mixing flour) and proceeded to pour it into the cream. Within 3 minutes, my sauce was ready. I added salt and pepper to taste and voila, it was ready. It tasted like something I would have had at an Italian restaurant that would have charged me at least $20.

I had some leftovers from last night so this evening I decided to have it again with 2 pieces of Chicken baked in Jabanero sauce which I bought from Von's Market. The pasta was still delicious and the chicken was a nice addition after all one cannot or should I say, "should not" live on pasta alone.

Birthday at Dominique's Kitchen

December makes Sujata the birthday girl. She decided we would celebrate at one of our favorite restaurants, Dominique's Kitchen. Only three of us could attend as two were MIA out of state. More wine for the four of us!

Sujata inquired about the Mediterranean Fries. We decided to be adventurous and skip the usual Truffle Parmesan Fries.   Sujata, a vegetarian wanted to try the Kale Salad and split it among the four of us. Since it was her birthday, we all agreed. The fries were, in fact, delicious served with a sauce that was a bit spicy with what tasted like saffron. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the Kale Salad was which had tomatoes, watermelon, farro, goat cheese, and candied walnuts.

For dinner, Sujata had the Sole with lemon and capers. Amy ordered the Lobster Ravioli. Cynthia decided on the Pork Tenderloins and I opted for the Lamb Chops. Everything was cooked to perfection as always.

Sujata was presented with a Panna Cotta for her birthday which she had to make her wish and blow out her candle. She purposely didn't eat much of that because she was looking forward to ordering Baked Alaska. We did order one to share and I sacrificed and finished the rest of her wonderful Panna Cotta. The things I do for friends!

As we left, Liza gave me her medical advise for a cough I have had for 2 weeks. She told me to have a Gin & Tonic twice a day. I forgot about it yesterday so I just started today. It worked for her so I am hoping it will work for me.

Benihana

I can honestly say that 2 decades have passed since I have been to a Benihana restaurant. I was invited a few days ago and was in for a treat.

My friends suggested I order the Hibachi Chicken Rice and I courteously accepted their suggestion.  I also left it to my friend Paul, the Benihana expert to order for me. I ended up with the Hibachi Steak. Josephine ordered a Tempura Soft Shell Crab as an appetizer to share which was quickly consumed. The salad with a ginger dressing was nice and refreshing.  We were constantly entertained by Chef Pepito with his tossing the shrimp tails and flipping them into his chef hat. He also made a flaming volcano which he created with the onions. The Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice and Steak were very good. Paul's suggestions were spot on!

I had forgotten how delicious the food can be with the simplest of ingredients like butter, onions and of course some soy sauce. Benihana is always a good choice for a group as you not only pay for the food but for the entertainment. Service was very good.

Burgerim

I had to go back to this relatively new burger joint in Lomita. I knew my vegetarian friend Sujata would find something other than beef burgers. She ordered the Salmon for her pretend burger. She chose the classic style which had American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and a house sauce. I suggested she order the onion rings for us to share and I would order the Burgerim fries. Sujata loved her salmon!

I had the duo: My #1 choice was a Lamb patty which s a blend of the succulent beef and tender lamb; and the #2 choice was the Wagyu Beef, their ultra-premium beef. I loved both. I was pleasantly surprised at how the lamb was so juicy and tasty. We both enjoyed the wonderful fries and onion rings.

I previously met the owner Rashid, and this time I got to meet his wife Ayesha who is very sweet.  I appreciate the idea of the owners being present at any establishment which is a sign of caring about how the business is being run. Ayesha also explained to me the system they have when ordering multiple burgers. The receipt is taped on the top of the box. It shows #1 and #2 accordingly. The #1 would be the burger on your left and next to it #2.

I know I will have many more visits at Burgerim in the future. Watch for one opening near you. This Burgerim is located at 24218 Crenshaw Blvd. in Torrance.

Lunch at Bettolino Kitchen

Yvonne has been to Bettolino a few years ago but couldn't remember how she liked the food. I suggested that we meet there for lunch. We were greeted by Andreanna, the owner whom I haven't seen in a long time. Yvonne is one of my friends that eats octopus so I was excited to have her try the  Polipo; Spanish octopus served with cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes in a lemon garlic sauce. It never ceases to amaze me how tender they are; not at all chewy as most people have had them elsewhere. Andreanna wanted us to taste a new Fall item; Meatballs on top of Polenta with a Parmesan fonduta (sauce made with cheese, eggs, milk or crème fraîche, and butter) basil oil. Yvonne enjoyed both polipo and the meatballs and so did I.

For our entrée, we split an order of Tagliatelle Bolognese; ground beef, Berkshire ground pork, pureed tomatoes, white wine, parmesan fonduta and an order of Parmigiana di Melanzane; layers of eggplant, homemade tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella, parmesan with a pesto drizzle on top. Both entrées were just delicious and perfectly cooked.

Though we were pleasantly full, we did leave room for dessert. Yvonne wanted to try the Crostata di Pera; caramelized pears in a pastry crust with vanilla sauce. We managed to inhale that. Our server Tess asked how we liked it and all we had to do was show her the clean plate!

Bettolino Kitchen has not disappointed the last couple of years I have dined there. They have upped their game and they are just getting better. Yvonne was excited to rediscover Bettolino and can't wait to take her husband there in the near future. They are located at  211 Palos Verdes Blvd. in Redondo Beach, California.

Panera's New Baby

Yes, the new kid in town is Brittany.  It is a pastry made with croissant dough and is filled with cream cheese. For the non-purist, there is one with cherries on top. I tried them both and thought it was quite edible. I myself preferred the plain one. It is not too sweet and it does make a great breakfast with a strong cup of coffee.

I would call this the poor man's cronut. It isn't nearly as flaky as a cronut but it will do! Now available at your nearby Panera.

Birthday Feast

I was privileged to be invited to a friend's birthday party. When I asked her how many people she was having, her response was: " Just a little dinner party of 15 people". I got to their house at 5:30 p.m. A beautiful table of assorted hors d' oeuvres immediately caught my eye. Everything on the table went well with my glass of champagne which was refilled promptly before my glass went empty.

It was nice to see my fellow gym friends, some whom I haven't seen in a long time. Zohreh's family was present which included 2 darling little girls and a toddler boy. It almost felt like Christmas because of the celebration and family milling around.

Zohreh cooked several dishes. She made a dish called Fesenjoon, chicken made with walnuts and pomegranate sauce. It was reminiscent of a chicken mole only this was more delicious. She also made a green salad. The other item she made was Baghali polo which is rice with dill and fava beans. The crusty part of the rice is called Tahdig. We have something like it in the Philippines, which we call tutong. This was better since it carried the flavor of the dill and fava beans.

There was a dish of square items which looked like brownies. It was Kookoo Sabzi which was made with herbs, parsley, cilantro green onions, eggs, salt & pepper. I have never had any of these and what a great introduction to "new" cuisine. Since it was her birthday, her family did not want her to slave away in the kitchen so they ordered some food which was delivered.

I have never seen so much food for 15 people. These would easily have fed 25! We had Beef and Chicken Koobideh, Kebabs, Salmon, a Creamy Eggplant dish which was so good. At the table, she had a bowl of Sumac which is a Middle Eastern spice. I never knew what it was for. It is supposed to enhance the meat and it balances everything according to Zohreh. I didn't want to leave her house limping all imbalanced so I sprinkled that baby all over my meat.

There was an abundance of berries and gigantic grapes and an assortment of sweets decorating the table; it was as beautiful as it was delicious. Of course, I sampled everything. Then a birthday cake made an appearance. It was a Tiramisu from Assal Pastry. Zohreh was once again 29! The tiramisu was nice and light and not at all too sweet. Even her granddaughters loved it

After 4-1/2 hours, it was time to go. Parting was such sweet sorrow. I wasn't sure if I would be able to go to sleep as I felt like a pregnant hippopotamus! I had to relax for a few hours before I went to bed. That was some birthday party. Happy Birthday again to Zohreh.