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For me, one integral aspect of the joy of cooking, and eating, is the part that comes before. Finding that perfect recipe, or honing in on that dish that’s going satisfy the craving you’ve been having for days, is where the fun begins.

Then comes the part where you write the list and set out to get your ingredients.

I am not a huge fan of supermarket chains. I understand their necessity for things like Kleenex and band-aids. But for other things - the important things, the food, their cold impersonal nature, their hermetically sealed meats and cheeses, their slicked up veggies and perfect fruits just leave me feeling, to put it mildly, underwhelmed.

What I love about visiting and shopping in New York City, Rome or Paris are the small neighborhood stores. They’re personal, the food is lovingly picked out and placed on the shelves. There are no glaring fluorescent lights, no sounds of “ping, pinging” as food is “scanned” through a computer system. Shopping in these kinds of places is a much more intimate affair.

The Valley, for the past 20 years has gotten a pretty bad rep. And I’m not saying some of it isn’t deserved. But there is a incredible ethnic diversity here, and some great mom and pop markets to to serve that population. Once I started paying attention, I found there were some such gems, right under my nose.
I’m definitely on a hunt for more, but for now, here are some of my favorites.

Valley Produce
18345 Vanowen St. Reseda, CA 91335

There is one in Reseda and one in Simi Valley. This is a place where you can find unusual fruits, nuts and veggies for unbelievably cheap prices. They had the not unusual russet potato on sale for 10 cents a pound not too long ago. Hello!?

Their ethnic offerings are also, as my boyfriend and cook Todd would say, off the chain! You want Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese? You will most likely find the ingredients you are looking for.

Their meat and fish counters are crazy (in a good way) with every part of every animal you might like. If you are into trying the more “unusual” bits and parts of a creature, you will be in heaven.

Cheeses are limited, but Feta is $3.99 a pound, about half what you’d pay at a major chain. Although, for my day to day cheese purchases I still think Trader Joe’s is a pretty good bargain.

A few caveats: it isn’t always as spotless as one might like (more of a Farmers Market kinda feel), there are no oiled up fruits and veggies at this place, a good thing in my estimation, so you’ll have to pick and choose amongst the piles and it’s beyond busy on the weekends - be prepared.

But if you are an adventurer in the kitchen - go for it!

Vallarta Supermarkets

This isn’t exactly a “mom and pop” place, it is a larger chain, but, you may have overlooked them, and that would be a shame.
I love some good Mexican food - grilling up a little Carne Asada con todo on the weekend is all good by me. I’ve driven by Vallarta’s Markets for years but finally stopped in a month or so ago. Mariachi music pumps from the speakers to accompany you while you shop.

Produce? Check! There are inexpensive peppers and chilies of every kind imaginable. Lemons, plantains, yucca and more are also there in all their glory. You want jalapenos? You’ve got about 10 brands to choose from. The meat and fish are of great quality as are their pre-made offerings - like pickled carrots (the spicy kind, yum!) several kinds of salsa and guacamole.

There there is the Taqueria - Oh yeah. So far we’ve only picked up a bag of their “hot off the presses” corn tortillas, but if you don’t want to cook you can buy a huge variety of hot food - carnitas, tortas, enchiladas, you name it.

It’s not a place I shop for coffee, dairy, paper products - but when I get the itch to cook Mexican it’s the only place I’ll go. Besides they offer shuttle service so the ladies can come and do their shopping - how stinkin’ cute is that?

Find A Vallarta Near You

Tarzana Armenian Grocery and Deli
18598 Ventura Blvd. Tarzana, CA 91356

If you are hankering for some dolmathes, a little kasseri cheese or maybe some hummus then look no further. This small market has a good variety of Middle Eastern ingredients but most people come here (some from OVER THE HILL) to try their freshly made sandwiches and salads.

Q Market
17259 Vanowen St. Van Nuys, 91406 Phone:
818.345.4251

Hankering for some Turkish Delight? This is an interesting little Middle Eastern Market. From my limited understanding of the regions represented in this market, there is a Kosher section and a Halal section. Halal is food that is “permissible” by strict Islamic standards and Kosher is the same for Jewish standards.
In any case, the market has some really interesting and unusual Middle Eastern ingredients. Don’t let the scruffy exterior scare you away - it’s well kept inside.

Domingoes Italian Grocery
17548 Ventura Blvd. Encino, CA 91316
818.981.4466

Pancetta from Domingoes…Yum.

This is one of those places I’ve driven by, literally, hundreds of times. When I first walked in the other day, I almost kicked myself for having missed this hidden gem for so long. I just returned from my first trip to NYC. One of our favorite things about the city, was among other things, the little markets we lingered in while in Little Italy. Tucked away, with goodies galore, they seem to be waiting for you to find them. Domingoes, for me, had a little bit of that vibe, right here in the big ‘ol Valley. I picked up some pancetta, some great Italian cookies, and then spent a half an hour drooling over their spices, oils, wines, and yes, freshly baked bread. They have a full service deli making sandwiches and other goodies, definitely on my list of “things to do.”
I may have missed this placed before, but I’ve found it now, and I’ll be back!

It excites me to discover my part of the world in a whole new way, looking for those places that, sadly, may go unnoticed. I’m done doing my shopping at some big, cold chain store. For me, the independently own shops are the way to go.

By Erinn (see more of her posts). You can find more of Erinn's writing at her own website Sunday Dish.

The family and I went to Green Village for dinner over the weekend. The place was fancy compared to most of the Chinese restaurants we go to and the prices certainly reflect slightly more upscale decor.

We started off with a cold plate of koufu (vegan). It’s a famous Shanghainese dish made out of wheat gluten, bamboo, mushrooms, and other vegetables. This version at Green Village was really good. The texture of the wheat gluten was soft and crispy at the same time and the flavors were just right.

Then came the soy sheet roll (vegan), which I thought was one of the better dishes of the night. The rolls contained chopped up baked tofu and was served on a bed of cooked spinach with edamame on top. It’s a pretty common vegetarian dish, so I’m not surprised they could do this well.

My dad ordered the fish with Chinese spinach. It wasn’t anything special. The fish was some generic white fish and the Chinese spinach definitely wasn’t fresh. It tasted the same as the Chinese spinach we buy frozen from the market.

For a vegetable dish, we ordered the eggplants with long beans (vegan). Other than the sauce being a bit too sweet, these were great. They must have some crazy heat in the kitchen because the eggplants were cooked to perfection: slightly burned on the outside, soft on the inside. Only a wok with high heat can do that. The string beans weren’t bad either.

Lastly came the Shanghai short ribs. I think they forgot to put in this order because we didn’t get it until ten minutes after we asked about them when we were almost done with our meal. These were pretty generic tasting and nothing special; I can see them being served at PF Chang’s.

Overall, I thought our meal at Green Village was disappointing. Shanghai has a lot of famous vegetarian dishes, but there weren’t a lot of them on the menu. Considering the quality of the food here, I’m glad I didn’t order the xiao long baos. I’d rather ditch the fancy decor and high prices and go across the street to Mei Long Village for much better Shanghainese cuisine.

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Green Village
250 W Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 576-2228

Louise absolutely LOVES filthy, cheap places! (See more of her posts). You can also find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

It’s time for Chinese Breakfast Showdown Part 2. Part 2? Where and what is Part 1? It’s Yi Mei vs. Yung Ho. This time, I will compare Yi Mei Monterey Park (review) to Four Sea in Hacienda Heights.

First and foremost is the savory dou jiang (soy milk). There was a bit of misunderstanding at Four Sea after I ordered a vegan version (sans meat floss) because they brought out the normal version, but after informing them of their mistake, they brought out the vegan version. Even though they left out the green onion, the dou jiang at Four Sea is creamier and has a richer taste than the one at Yi Mei. There was also more you tiao (oil crueller) in this one, which I like.

Next was the fan tuan (rice roll). As usual, I ordered the vegan version of this as well. It had the oil crueller inside, crushed peanuts, veggie meat floss, and dried nori. I thought this was comparable to that of Yi Mei even though Yi Mei’s version doesn’t have the nori. While Yi Mei’s fan tuan is delicious when it comes with a freshly fried you tiao, I have to say that the addition of nori in this one at Four Sea taste better.

The BF ordered cold sesame noodles (len ban mien) at Four Sea and they tasted about the same as they would at Yi Mei. It was impressive that the noodles were still firm after sitting in the plastic to-go box for so long, but the sauce wasn’t anything special.

Last but not least was the egg crepe. It’s basically a crepe with scrambled eggs inside. I prefer the one at Yi Mei to the one at Four Sea because there’s usually more green onion in Yi Mei’s. The one at Four Sea tasted a bit bland and the crepe was a little too oily.

The ambiance at Four Sea is nicer and there are a lot more tables — I might take a bigger group (or a hot date!) there, but if it were just me and the BF, I would rather save the gas and stick with Yi Mei in Monterey Park. It’s closer and a bit cheaper.

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Four Sea
2020 S Hacienda Blvd
Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
(626) 330-3088

Louise absolutely LOVES filthy, cheap places! (See more of her posts). You can also find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

To celebrate our anniversary, the BF treated me out to a wine and tapas restaurant called AOC. The food is roughly mediterranean and comes out in small dishes to be shared with the whole table. The space itself is sleek and modern while still being cozy and warm. We were seated upstairs in the back room, which ended up being a great idea once the restaurant filled up because the rest of the restaurant was really noisy.

Upon being seated, the waiter brought out some bread and spread. The black olives that accompanied the harissa spread were delicious. They weren’t overly salty and had a great savory flavor to them. The spread was a bit spicy and smoky, but went well with the olives and bread.

Our helpful waitress suggested the Valencay Loire Valley goat cheese from France and it was delicious. The rind had a peppery taste, the outer layer of the cheese was creamy and melt-in-your-mouth, and the inside was savory and chalky. It took me a few tries to get used to the inside, but it definitely tastes better with the rest of the cheese. If I could just get a huge chunk of that cheese, some figs and a nice glass of wine, I could eat it all day.

The BF, an olive fiend, ordered the marinated olives. The small green ones were good and had a fresh spring taste to them, and there was a big one that was stuffed with something like a smaller olive with lots of small seeds in it, which was interesting. I’m still not sure if I like olives yet, but these tasted alright. The really big olives were awkward to eat because the seeds were also large and hard to maneuver out of my mouth.

The endive salad with fava beans and meyer lemon dressing was refreshing and a fitting spring dish. There could have been more fava beans, but considering how much of a pain they are to shell, I could understand why there were so few. The dish was good, but not that easy to eat because it’s so hard to spear a crunchy endive with a fork.

I ordered the marinated beet salad with fried chickpeas and feta on the side. The beets were sweet and tender without being too soft. I thought the lighter colored beets were great and not that heavy. The white sauce that came with it was confusing because I couldn’t tell what it added to the dish. It tasted a bit like sour cream, so I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to dip my beets in it or pour it over my salad. The fried chickpeas were great and added a nice crunch to the salad.

I love fish, but I’m always scared of ordering it at restaurants because I’m used to fish prepared the Chinese way. Despite that, I thought the halibut with bacon, sorrel, and gribiche was delicious. The halibut wasn’t too overdone or dry and the bacon definitely added to its flavor. The fish was topped with chopped sorrel, which gave it a fresh lemony taste without the acidity. It also came with a side of gribiche, which I suppose is a fancy way to say ‘delicious hashbrowns’.

Then we had some young broccoli, which sounded simple and boring, but was surprisingly good. It looks just like young broccoli cooked with some garlic, but it had a lot of depth to it. It tasted so much more than just broccoli.

After that came the farro and black rice with pine nuts and currants, which was satisfying and comforting. I thought it was a bit heavy on the pine nuts, but that might be because pine nuts have such a bold flavor. I really liked the farro, which was plump and chewy, and the currants which lent a smoky sweetness to the dish.

The waitress later suggested the long-cooked cavolo nero, which she described as a black cabbage that tasted like cooked kale. It was an accurate description, but I was surprised when it came out because I had it before in Chinese cooking. In Mandarin, we call it mei gan cai and we usually only get it dried here. It’s soft, but dry at the same time and tastes really earthy. It doesn’t look pretty, but it has a satisfying savory taste to it, like a delicious autumn leaf.

For dessert, I had almond cake with strawberries, candied rhubarb, and vanilla ice-cream. The almond cake was unexpectedly dense and moist. It tasted great, but I would describe it as more of an almond bar. The rhubarb was good, but since it was my first time having rhubarb, I thought it was a bit weird. It was like a cross between a celery and a tart apple.

Lastly, the BF had the blood orange sorbet, which was what you would expect blood orange sorbet to taste like: tart, rich, and delicious.

The food at AOC as a whole was good, our wine was good, the cheese was great, and they were accommodating to the BF’s vegan-ness, which is always a nice thing. I wouldn’t mind going there again, maybe for our next anniversary to try some of their other cheeses. I saw that they had something called a Stinking Bishop cheese from England that I’m curious to taste.

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AOC
8022 W 3rd St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-6359

Louise absolutely LOVES filthy, cheap places! (See more of her posts). You can also find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

I’m not really sure what the English name for this restaurant is, but it’s on the corner of Life Plaza. It initially was just a dessert place specializing in Chinese desserts like mango pudding and shaved ice, but now it’s on the hand-shaved (dao xiao) bandwagon.

The BF ordered the house special vegetarian noodle soup. The noodles were decent and chewy, but the broth tasted like a boullion cube. It seemed like someone just threw in a bunch of vegetables like bok-choy and tomatoes into a pot of water and powdered vegetable stock.

I got the house special beef noodle soup. It was supposed to be spicy, but I couldn’t taste it at all. There was a bit of the Szechuan peppercorn taste, but it was pretty weak. The broth was also lacking in depth. I had to dump a bunch of chili oil and vinegar in it to make it taste better. The beef was surprisingly tasty though and had just the right amount of seasoning.

For dessert, we shared the peanut rice-ball which is just glutinous rice balls (like mochi) covered with sweet crushed peanuts. It’s simple, but delicious.

I don’t know if it’s because they’ve only started branching out into non-dessert food, but I thought both of our noodle soups were mediocre. Next time, I’ll go somewhere else to get my noodle soup fix and go to Benser for dessert.

Louise absolutely LOVES filthy, cheap places! (See more of her posts). You can also find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.

Last year my feelings about Indian food went from 0-10 in a matter of one week. Prior to that time, I ignorantly assumed all Indian food was “covered in curry,” which was, in my mind, a thick, pungent green sauce I’d tried in Australia and quite disliked. Eventually a friend convinced me to try Electric Karma, telling me there is so much more to Indian Food than curry, which really just means “sauce.” I’ve tried many Indian restaurants around the greater LA area, but this place remains my absolute favorite … not only because of the authentic food and kind hospitality, but also because of the exotic outdoor/indoor patio area. A few low tables are surrounded by fluffy over sized pillows and couches. Candle light makes the entire room glow, highlighting the warm reds and rich oranges that blanket the room. A gurgling fountain lets the sound of running water sooth the soul, while you sip fine Indian wine. There are gorgeous murals painted on the golden yellow walls, my favorite being the “blue goddess.”

I’m moving to Aspen Co. next week, where there is no Indian food to my knowledge, so I’ve been eating as much of it as possible before I head to the mountains. I took my friend Anna to Electric Karma last week and here’s a delicious account of our meal. I began with a glass of their white wine from India … it’s slightly fruity, but not too sweet. She ordered mango sangria which tasted like white wine with mango juice in it … not amazing but ok if you like really sweet drinks.

As a true eggplant lover, I could not pass up the sautéed Japanese eggplant covered with tomato sauce and ginger yogurt. Each bite melted like butter in my mouth. The tart tangy yogurt and tomato paired perfectly with the sweet eggplant. You’ll find it under salads on the menu, though it seemed more of an appetizer to me.

Next we ordered samosas, because how can you not when you’re eating Indian food, right? 3 little packages of crisp dough arrived fried to a deep golden brown and filled with creamy potatoes, peas, and herbs. The tamarind chutney served with was savory, spicy, and sweet. Addicting!

They brought out the olive naan with the raita sauce, and mango chutney. The naan bread, baked in their tandoor, is fluffy, chewy and slightly crisp on the edges. They have a large variety of flavors including cheese stuffed and a coconut cherry naan! The refreshing raita made from plain yogurt, grated cucumber and onions is so divine I could (and do) eat it as a cold soup. Spread a piece of naan with a little raita and the spicy, syrup sweet mango chutney, sit back, close your eyes and taste heaven.

For our entree … yes we still had more food arriving because it’s all so good I can never order enough … the chef/owner Paramjit Singh Khinda recommended we try the Nirvana Chicken, but replace the chicken with Lamb Tikka. This was the very best lamb dish I’d had so far at Electric Karma! The lamb, which is marinated in yogurt and 17 spices, was perfectly tender and drenched in a velvety coconut masala curry with chili. To die for! I’ve never been able to indulge in dessert at this wonderful Indian eatery, since all the savory food is so flavorful, it’s difficult to even think about saving room for something sweet. Electric Karma will always be on my list of “must visit” restaurants whenever I’m back in LA.

Electric Karma
8222 1/2 W Third St
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: (323) 653-2121

Speaking of Karma … I am writing a new blog called KarmalizedLife. Feel free to check it out!
With gratitude for great Indian food - FoodFlirt90210

By foodflirt90210 (see more of her posts). You can find more of foodflirt90210's writing at her own website foodflirt90210

Do I like Greek food?  As my best gal pal Vanessa would say:  does a one legged duck swim in a circle?
The answer is a resounding  Ne! (which sounds like no, but is actually yes, in Greek.)

Now that my Grandma has passed I don’t get Greek food cooked for me nearly as often as I used to.  I still cook something Greek at least 3-4 times a month, but once a year I know there is a place I can go, to get home cooked, quality, Greek food. 

That place is the Valley Greek Festival hosted by St. Nicholas Greek Church in Northridge.

Every major city, it seems, hosts a Greek festival at some point in the summer, but for my money, the Valley version is one of the best.  There is a large Greek community in Northridge and Reseda and the food here is all homemade by loving hands, of members of St. Nich’s Greek Orthodox Church.

If you do go here are my suggestions:

Loucanico:  Greek sausage, grilled and served with a hunk of bread, feta, some lemon and kalamata olives.  This is delicious with a little sip of Ouzo on the side.

Greek Chicken is going all day on large open grills.  It’s served with rice, salad, bread, feta and other fixins.  I like their version, it’s really well made, so if you’ve never had it, give it a try.  For me, I find Greek Chicken is so easy to cook at home, I often go with the dishes, that, due to their complexity, I don’t often cook at home…like…

Pastitsio or Moussaka:  Pastitsio is like a Greek Lasagna made with bechamel sauce.  I’ve made this on numerous occasions, and let  me tell you it’s a bitch to make!  Their version often dries out a little bit, but it’s the nature of the beast.  It’s still worth a try.  The nutmeg flavors in the rich sauce are so damn yummy.   Their Moussaka is delish as well, and usually not as dried out.  I love egg plant, don’t you??

The Gyro (pronounced “Year-oh”  not “Jeye-ro  or Guy-ro”) is also really fab.

For desserts, well, when it comes to Greek desserts they’re all pretty much some version of flour, nuts and honey (my Nouna would kill me for saying so, but people, it’s true!).
The ladies of the church, though, create something crazy, like 48 THOUSAND pieces of pastry.

The most fun dessert, hands down, are the handmade Loucoumathes. 

Little donut holes they cook right in front of  you!  Yum.  I feel so sorry for the poor soul who has to man this station on a hot day.

When you are done eating, you can dance…

watch cooking demonstrations…

play games and shop.  It’s just a nice atmosphere, and for me, I always get a little nostalgic, for my childhood, when big Greek family gatherings where a regular thing in my life.  These days, I still embrace my Greek-ness, and my friends (my extended family) have embraced it with me. 

I plan on spending a good few hours at the festival this weekend, and I’ll let  you know how it went.

Click here to check out The Valley Greek Festival website
 

Photos courtesy of Valley Greek Festival Website

By Erinn (see more of her posts). You can find more of Erinn's writing at her own website Sunday Dish.

Sitting in part of an unassuming building next to a Foster’s Freeze was the most delicious bowl of soba I have ever had in my life. It may be a hyperbole, but the soba I had at Ichimiann Bamboo garden was life changing soba; I will never look at these buckwheat noodles the same ever again.

The restaurant is very small with only a handful of 4-seat tables inside and two tables outside. There’s also a counter that faces the wall which was where I chose to sit.

Upon entering, I was greeted by a friendly Japanese man. His English was as good as my Japanese, so we had a bit of trouble communicating. Luckily, there’s a menu with pictures on the back wall as well as a place-mat type menu in English by the cashier machine.

I ordered the mentaiko orochi with cold thin soba noodles. It came with grated radish, mentaiko (spicy fish roe), seaweed, green onions, and the cold dipping broth already mixed in with the noodles. I mixed all the toppings together with the noodle, took a bite and it was like Orff’s O Fortuna exploded in my mouth.

I’ve always been a fan of soba, but this was unlike any soba I’ve had before. The noodles were crisp and chewy without feeling underdone. I thought the broth was too salty at first, but as I ate more of the noodles, I appreciated the taste more. The radish and green onions brought a fresh, spicy bite to the broth while the mentaiko gave it a subtle umami taste. The small dish of pickles on the side was overkill, but I couldn’t stop eating them.

I couldn’t stop thinking about the noodles after lunch. Ichimiann also offers thick soba, udon, and different types of rice bowls, but I will definitely be back for more soba noodles. If you really want to appreciate the chewiness of the fresh noodles, I would suggest ordering the cold broth instead of the hot, since hot broth might negate the perfect done-ness of the noodles.

The bowl of noodles is definitely worth battling the 405 around LAX during lunch time and the price is just right too. The mentaiko orochi only cost me $6.50 (including tax, sans tip). The only inconvenience is that they’re cash only, but there’s a Well’s Fargo on the other side of the block.

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1618 Cravens Ave.
Torrance, CA 90510
(310) 328-1323
http://www.ichimiann.com

Louise absolutely LOVES filthy, cheap places! (See more of her posts). You can also find more of Louise's writing at her own website NakedSushi.