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Monday, June 23, 2014

Bottega Louie Lunch and MOCA

As some of you may know, I went to boarding school in New Hampshire for high school and made some truly incredible friends during my time in the most boring state capital in the country. Naturally, it's hard to keep in touch with some of them, being in California, but I'm lucky that Cara goes to school with me still. We somehow became friends in my freshman year, when she was a junior, and have stayed friends until now. She is just about to start her fifth year at USC for her second degree and she and I try to get together every month or so to just catch up.


Now that it's summer, she and I both had a totally free Friday to do with as we wished. We concurred that we should try and get cultured, so we took the Metro downtown and started the day at Bottega Louie for an early lunch. I started with an iced tea, which was accompanied by lemon, mint, and orange on the side. 


Cara went for a soy milk latte, and found it fantastic. I regarded the foam with great interest, since it was particularly thick and delicious-looking! 


She and I split the bruschetta for a starter, and it was truly delicious. The bread was crunchy, the tomatoes fresh, and there was a great garlic flavor. The garlic still had a pretty raw flavor, but it was tempered with the tomato and bread, and didn't overpower the rest of the dish. It was a little messy to eat, but so good!


I ordered the Louie salad without shrimp. It consisted of iceberg lettuce, hearts of palm, avocado, sweet onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and dijon vinaigrette. I was impressed with this salad! The avocado gave a great deal of creaminess to the salad, even though all the ingredients remained very crisp and fresh. The hearts of palm were also a fantastic addition--I rarely encounter them and have actually never cooked with them, so it was nice to be reminded of an ingredient that I'd like to add to my homemade meals.


Cara chose the Ceppo Gamber, which was made of jumbo shrimp, ceppo pasta, broccolini, cherry tomatoes, and garlic, with a fleur de sel and pepper topping and an olive oil broth. She really enjoyed it! It looked very fresh, and while an indulgence, not too heavy.

We sat in the restaurant eating and talking for well over an hour, until we finally decided to mobilize and walk over to the Museum of Contemporary Art, or MOCA. I understand very little regarding contemporary art, and Cara's the same, but since it is an important museum in Downtown Los Angeles, we figured it would be good to experience it. Also, tickets are only seven dollars with a student ID!


This painting here was created by Andy Warhol--while he's obviously famous for other more psychedelic works, it was fascinating to see a more technical and simple painting of his.


Cara and I both stopped to admire this wall of photos, and in particular, their arrangement. We almost simultaneously said that we'd decorate our future houses like this--birds of a feather, perhaps? The photos displayed were all black and white subject photography pieces, ranging from a gas mask to a grandfather clock.


These little carved dogs were created by Jeff Koons, the artist most famous for his giant balloon dogs. I looked at this piece for a few minutes--they were intricately carved and their expressions, minutely different in person, give each of the dogs such a genuine and real personality. 


This is why I don't understand contemporary art--it's pretty and I love string lights, but I find it hard to discover more meaning behind lights hanging from the ceiling and pooling on the floor. Folks, that's why I stick to science!


This is simply a painting of Jane Fonda with the feminist logo coming from her eye. She has been known as an active supporter of feminism for a long time, so this was an interesting conceptualization of her opinion.

After we wandered through the gallery, we headed on foot to their other gallery downtown, the Geffen Contemporary, which currently houses an the largest exhibition of artist Mike Kelley's work to date. No photos were allowed in the exhibit, but trust me when I say that this is worth a visit. It's weird, unsettling, and thought-provoking, which I truly believe is its point. Both weird and cool at the same time, I enjoyed walking through and experiencing the mixed-media art, but Cara and I agreed that returning to the quiet sunshine was certainly welcome after such an immersive experience.


Since the Geffen Contemporary is right in Little Tokyo, Cara and I decided to grab an afternoon coffee and people-watch at Café Dulcé, which specializes in various coffees and pastries. We decided against their crazy doughnuts, which range in flavors from fruit to Cinnamon Toast Crunch to bacon!


However, I got a delicious (if not overpriced) Vietnamese Iced Coffee... after I ordered, I immediately turned to Cara to explain that I had no idea what I just bought. Luckily, it was delicious. Vietnamese Iced Coffee consists simply of a dark roast coffee with sweetened condensed milk, and it's addicting. It's quite sweet and rich, but the depth of the coffee makes it extremely pleasurable.


Cara went for an iced soy milk latte, which she really enjoyed as well! Café Dulcé had a lot of very good reviews on Yelp (my best friend) and I think its main strength was in its well-executed coffees and creative, unique combinations. If you factor in its location in a bustling square in Little Tokyo, it's very easy to see why it's so popular!


After we finished our coffees and people-watched to our hearts' content, we walked back to the Metro and parted ways. According to my FitBit, she and I walked 15,000 steps and about seven miles together! I always enjoy spending time with Cara, and the added culture and delicious food really made it fantastic. However, she and I have had great nights alone and with takeout, so maybe it's just the company!

She's actually moving downtown soon, so we're planning on exploring more of what Downtown LA has to offer. Stay posted for some more delicious eats and cool sights!

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Friday, June 13, 2014

Crispy and Chewy Garlic Knots

I’m going to start this one off with a bit of an explanation–I made these knots over a week ago and was happily writing the post below when my computer froze. I turned it off, tried to restart… and waited for seven hours. After a long day in stores and driving around LA, I discovered that my hard drive was completely shot. I lost everything on the drive, and had to replace it with a new one. Somehow, luckily, I had uploaded all these photos onto WordPress before The Incident, so here we go. Probably the most stressful post I’ve written to date, but here it is!
There is nothing I love more in life than starch. It’s a fact. If I could eat pastries and bread and pasta for every meal, I would be so happy… but sadly, that’s not really the way life works. Why do I have to be a responsible adult sometimes?
garlic knot closeupLuckily, I believe in balance in my life. There is a wonderful time and place for gluten, and when it involves butter and garlic? Count me in. I made these on a lazy afternoon in my apartment and shared with friends–they were greatly appreciated by all. My garlic knots, from this recipe, are easy to make and even easier to eat. They made your house smell lovely and are such a wonderful treat.
garlic knot ingredientsYou will need:
  • 1 and 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 packet of instant yeast (you can use regular yeast, but instant yeast will eliminate the first rise)
  • 3/4 cup of warm water (110˚-130˚ F)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup parsley, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
garlic knot dry ingredients
Start by combining the flour, salt, sugar, and instant yeast in a large bowl.
garlic knot pre rise
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and then pour the water and oil into that well. Use a fork to loosely stir the mixture around, until it’s shaggy and starting to stick together. Once it holds together loosely, take it out of the bowl and put it on a lightly floured surface. Knead for about five minutes, until the dough forms a smooth, springy ball. It should bounce back when poked. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise for ten to twenty minutes in a warm place.
garlic knot post riseAfter this time, the dough should have about doubled in size. Using a sharp knife, cut in half. Work with one half at a time for simplicity’s sake!
garlic knot rectangleTake one half of the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, push the dough into a rectangle. Knife is for scale–it should be about six inches long and maybe three inches wide.
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Using your sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/2″ to 1″ wide strips. The edges will be very sticky, but use a little flour as you see fit.
DSC_0020 Take one strip at a time and stretch it out a bit until it’s maybe eight inches long. Then, cross the ends over each other, and pull one end through the hole in the middle. Place the knot on a lightly greased baking sheet, and continue with your remaining strips.
DSC_0021 When they’re all knotted, cover with plastic wrap and leave somewhere warm until they’ve doubled in size. This is their second rise, and it’s crucial! I preheated my oven to the lowest setting, turned it off, then opened the door for a few minutes. I then put the dough inside, and left the door cracked so that it wouldn’t be too hot in there.
DSC_0023
After this rise, take the rolls out of the oven, and preheat that oven to 400˚F. When the oven is hot, take the saran wrap off your sheet, brush your rolls with a bit of olive oil, and place them in the oven. Bake the knots for 13-16 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and brush your garlic butter over the top.
DSC_0022
I recommend making your garlic butter while the rolls are in the oven. Start by melting your butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium heat. When it’s melted, add your garlic, and cook for a minute or two, until the garlic is fragrant. This is just to take that raw garlicky bite out of the butter. Finally, add the salt and parsley, and stir to combine it all. Turn off the heat, cover, and wait until the knots are out of the oven.
DSC_0026Spoon or brush your garlic butter over each knot, then dig in. They’re crispy yet chewy, deliciously starchy, with a nice depth of flavor due to the garlic butter. I inhaled two, then gave the rest away to coworkers and friends… the knots are simply addictive! While the two rises of the dough do take up a bit of time, they’re dead simple to make and absolutely worth the effort. You could also cut down on time by using pre-made pizza dough–it will still need the second rise though! Also, if you do manage to ration these and have leftovers, I would recommend maybe ten seconds in the microwave. These knots, when warm, are absolutely amazing.
I’ve finally moved into my new place, and I’m thrilled to say that there is a ton of natural light and a well-appointed kitchen. Also, I just bought an awesome new cookbook, so prepare for some creative recipes! If you’re looking to see more regular, delicious updates, follow me on Instagram @__katherinew.

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