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Mix N' Munch, South Pasadena

Comments (0) | Tuesday, January 11, 2011

A very good friend of mine, who is basically a younger brother to me, took me to Mix N' Munch, a cereal and grilled cheese cafe located in South Pasadena. He was quite secretive about it at first, refusing to dish out any hints other than, "it makes you feel like a kid again." So when I first saw the sign, I immediately felt giddy about grilled cheese sammies.

They have a gianormous menu, with over 25 cereal brands to choose from...and you can mix them up! Does that NOT make you feel like a kid?! They also serve custom made grilled cheese sandwiches, so as you can see, if you come in not knowing what you want, it can feel quite overwhelming. They have several types of bread, as well as many kinds of cheeses and add-ons, so the math nerd in me immediately thought of permutations and combinations...until I saw that they also serve...(drum roll, please)...tater tots!

Ultimately, I ordered the Mix n Munch Cristo, which comes with Gruyere cheese, turkey and ham on egg bread french toast. Each bite was cheesy and savory, the saltiness from the turkey and the ham was a great contrast to the slight sweetness from the custard. However, I think that the bread may have been a little too soggy.


I also ordered a cup of tomato soup, which was a great disappointment to me, because I love tomato soup. It tasted really bland - it wasn't seasoned well at all. However, the tater tots more than made up for the soup's inadequacies. The potatoes were crunchy, and seasoned well. It was the perfect potato bite.

The next visit definitely calls for a good ol' bowl of cereal and milk. I love this place - they serve comfort food that take you back to happy childhood memories. Did I mention that they also play cartoons? I would definitely recommend this cafe for kids and for the kid in you!

Mix N Munch, 1005 Mission Street, Unit A, South Pasadena, California
http://www.mixnmunch.com/


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A SLYFoodie Thanksgiving

Comments (0) | Thursday, November 25, 2010

'Tis the season...to give thanks for family, friends and abundant blessings. Moreover, with Thanksgiving, the internal need to stuff one's self beyond imagination kicks into overdrive. This year was no different. We served a traditional, homemade Thanksgiving meal for 2.5 people, which means leftovers galore.

On the menu:
Roasted Turkey
Cornbread Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Macaroni and Cheese
Cranberry Fruit Conserve
Turkey Gravy
Pumpkin Pie

First up, the turkey. I purchased the bird the day before, so it just chilled in the fridge (pun intended) overnight. Took it out, rinsed it, patted it dry, and then proceeded to stuff its cavity with an onion, a head of garlic, some thyme sprigs, one orange and one lemon. Make sure to season the cavity first, before placing the aromatics in it. Did I mention the butter? A stick of butter also goes inside the cavity. I've been told that it is supposed to help make the bird moist as it cooks. Afterwards, the skin is liberally seasoned with salt and pepper, and then the legs and wings are tied close to the body before it's placed on the roaster. A little chicken broth on the bottom of the roaster, and the turkey is ready to be roasted in a 350-degree oven for about 2½ hours or so, until the juices run clear when you cut between the thigh area.

Next, was the cornbread stuffing. I made my own cornbread, following the directions on a box of cornmeal. I then proceeded to brown some maple sausage in a pan, setting it aside once it was cooked. Then, sauté some onions, celery, mushrooms, an apple in the same pan with the sausage drippings. I added finely chopped fresh sage and thyme leaves, and seasoned to taste. Once that was done, I combined all the ingredients in a large bowl and just added enough chicken stock to moisten the mixture and break down the cornbread. I placed the mixture in a casserole dish and baked in an oven for about 30 minutes, at 350 degrees.

Mashed potatoes are incredibly easy to make. Cut up some potatoes and place in a pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 12-15 minutes, or until a fork or knife easily cuts into the potato. Drain, then place in either a bowl or the same pot and start to smash using a potato masher. I added butter, sour cream and a drizzle of heavy cream, and seasoned to taste. One can get pretty creative here at this point and add ingredients such as caramelized shallots, crispy shallots, roasted garlic, parmesan cheese, wasabi, horseradish, etc.

Macaroni and cheese was also fairly easy to make, as well. Cook pasta according to box directions, set aside. Melt some butter, add a few tablespoons of flour to start the bechamel sauce, add milk and some ground nutmeg and ground mustard, then season to taste. Whisk until mixture is smooth, then add desired amount of cheese (I just used cheddar on this dish). Once the cheese melted into the sauce, I added the pasta into it. Ideally, this would be baked with bread crumbs on top, but since we were hungry (and ran out of bread crumbs), we ate it straight out of the pot, which was just as good.

I followed the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for Cranberry Fruit Conserve, except I didn't add raisins or walnuts. This is something I do every year, and it's awesome on turkey sandwiches for leftovers.

Turkey gravy was another simple thing to make. Once the turkey is done and resting on the platter, I took the roaster where all the yummy drippings are, and skimmed off some of the fat. Then, put it on the stovetop and added a couple tablespoons of all purpose flour. Whisk for a couple of minutes, allowing the flour to cook, then slowly add chicken stock. It thickens after several minutes, and just season to taste. You could add a little heavy cream to make it richer. Some add brandy or cognac or white wine to add a depth of flavor. I was just going for simple.

You can see all the elements on the plate pictured below:
The pumpkin pies were also homemade, following Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe. Honestly, I think next time, I would add a little less ground ginger, and maybe put a little nutmeg into it instead. But the pies also came out pretty good. Don't mind the crack in the middle; I was a little overzealous checking it for doneness. =/
All this was done in about 5 hours or less - totally doable, relatively stress free. I would do it all over again...tomorrow. No, seriously, I have to cook another meal tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving, all!


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Longboard's Ice Cream

Comments (0) | Friday, July 30, 2010

After lunch at Starry Kitchen, we headed over to the Longboards Ice Cream truck that was parked conveniently outside on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles. The guys from Longboards were also at the LA Street Food Festival, so we definitely wanted to give them another try.

If the other ice cream flavors were as good as the Cookies and Cream ice cream at the Food Festival, then we were definitely in for a treat. I got the Strawberry Ice Cream with a healthy dose of caramel, dipped in chocolate and topped with peanuts. It tasted like everything a strawberry ice cream bar with caramel, chocolate and peanuts should. The only complaint I have isn't even against Longboards; it was so hot that it melted too fast!


Longboards Ice Cream, http://www.longboardsicecream.com/


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Starry Kitchen

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We first heard of Starry Kitchen at the LA Street Food Festival, and because we weren't able to make our way to their booth that night, Hubbs and I decided to give it a try since it was very close to work. Located at the Water Court in Downtown LA's Financial District, Starry Kitchen serves up pan-Asian fusion cuisine. Now, you may be scratching your head, thinking, "Huh?" but trust me, it all works.

The menu at SK changes frequently, save for a couple of staples like the Free Range Lemongrass Chicken. So the way it works is: 1) Pick your meat - there are usually four to choose from. 2) Pick your vessel - i.e., how you want to eat your chosen dish (in a sandwich, as a lunch plate, as a wrap) and 3) Choose a side, maybe two. The side choices also rotate on a regular basis.

On this day, I chose the crab cakes on a lunch plate, which came with a salad, the Japanese Garlic Noodles and Shallot Fried Rice. The crab cakes were excellent, perfectly fried with panko bread crumbs, and drizzled with aioli. I honestly loved every bite of it, so much so that I was a little sad when it was all gone. The Shallot Fried Rice was great, very flavorful. The Japanese Garlic Noodles delivered on the garlic - definitely not breath friendly, but so worth it.


Hubbs ordered the Bulgogi Kobe Meatballs on a lunch plate, also with the garlicky noodles, plain rice and a salad. Although the meatballs were very good and full of beefy Korean BBQ flavors, I loved the crab cakes much, much more. I must say, however, that I wasn't totally digging the salad dressing, so I really didn't partake of the salad.

If you work Downtown, SK definitely merits a visit...or two...or three! Robust flavors at decent prices, what more could you ask for?

Starry Kitchen, 350 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles



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Birthday Cupcakes

Comments (0) | Saturday, July 24, 2010

For my little guy's birthday party, I decided to add an extra special touch by baking cupcakes for his shindig. If you know me well, you would know that I hate food that comes from a box, and feel strongly about foods being made from scratch. I wish I could say that I pulled out all the stops, dressed to the nines, well, you get the picture. However, these are the typical Betty Crocker mixes with the typical Betty Crocker frosting.

I know that it is not that much harder to bake cupcakes from scratch, just a few extra steps. But I was working against the clock, and quite frankly, it was more cost effective to use the box. That said, simply follow the directions to bake the cupcakes. For the frosting, I used the stuff from the jar. The extra special touch came from food coloring - just add enough to get the desired color, then put it in a pastry bag with your desired tip, and frost. Add some sprinkles for a more fun look. I also made some with blue and green frosting, but forgot to take the picture.


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Ten Ren's Tea Time, Arcadia

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BFF and I went on another eating excursion, this time to Ten Ren's Tea Time in Arcadia. I love this place because it sells the best boba drinks in my opinion, plus it also sells spicy, fried mushrooms.

Alas, this specific trip does not have any fried mushrooms, but we did have some Salt and Pepper Chicken Nuggets, which are chicken pieces that are breaded, fried and seasoned with salt, pepper, and some spices, one of which I will venture to say is cayenne pepper. I've always liked this dish as a snack/appetizer, but I wouldn't really recommend it as an entree.

BFF ordered the Wonton Noodle Soup, which are ground pork, maybe a little shrimp, inside a very thick wonton wrapper and cooked in broth with noodles and Chinese greens. I must say that although I liked the broth's flavor, I wish that the wonton wrappers weren't so darn thick. The thin noodles were not quite al dente, but still had a nice bite to it.

I ordered the Minced Pork with Rice. It comes with the soup of the day, and two small side dishes. The soup, which had some nori and egg, was a little bland, which is typical of the soups for the day. One of the side dishes, a vegetable and tofu concoction, had firm tofu cooked with celery and carrot, which was just ok. The other dish had marinated bean sprouts cooked with julienned carrot, which was also just ok, although I preferred it over the celery dish. The highlight of the meal was the minced pork, which is almost stew-like, and full of flavor. Steamed rice was the perfect complement.
Overall, Ten Ren's Tea Time is great for a quick, sit down Chinese meal. It also caters well to the "To Go" crowd, and for those who want to get boba drinks and hang out. If you are the latter, I would highly recommend the iced coffee with boba - it is excellent.


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LA Street Food Festival 2010

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For a good friend's birthday, we decided to go to the Los Angeles Street Food Festival, a premier event in the food truck industry. This was held at the Rose Bowl in beautiful Pasadena, a place I have never been to, although I consider Pasadena my hometown. Getting into the event was pretty much a zoo, but once within the gates of the formidable stadium, a good strategy to get food is essential, because the lines get super long, super fast. So here are all the foods I've sampled... are you ready?

First up, Antojitos Carmen, which served us potato taquitos, pork tacos and vegetable enchiladas. The taquitos were awesome, crunchy, well seasoned, and perfectly complemented by a chipotle salsa. All the other samples were simply okay, typical Mexican food flavors.
Next, we waited in a long line for Dogzilla hotdogs, which were basically hotdogs with exotic toppings. The one pictured below is a Yakisoba, a hot dog topped with Japanese yakisoba noodles. Although I only had a small bite of this, it was really good, and I can certainly understand why the line was so long.
Then we got some from the Dim Sum Truck, which was serving pork shumai and (shrimp) har gow. It was served with a soy-garlic dipping sauce. Delish! I will admit, however, that it is not the same as the real deal served in Chinese restaurants throughout Los Angeles.
Next booth over was Dumplings Deluxe, serving a potato dumpling, as well as a cheeseburger dumpling. I didn’t think that it was a successful fusion of East and West, as the cheeseburger dumpling tasted pretty bland. I personally thought that the potato dumplings had more flavor.
The Manila Machine served some tasty Filipino street food. Pictured below is Pork Belly with Pineapple Adobo (I ate the pork belly party already), served with steamed jasmine rice and one piece of lumpiang shanghai. The lumpia was crunchy and flavorful – there was no need for the standard sweet chili dipping sauce. The pork belly was very tender, with the perfect soy sauce and vinegar flavors that define adobo. I thought of the pineapple more as a nuisance to the dish.
Fresh Fries offered some fries with guacamole and sour cream, but I disliked the guacamole, and maybe the fries had been sitting out too long, because it tasted soggy. I couldn’t say the same about their sweet potato fries, though. It was crunchy, and went so well with the Nutella and the peanut butter – I don’t even like sweet potatoes.

We also got a sample from the Kebab people. It was chicken marinated with herbs, skewered with some yellow squash, red pepper and onion. I’m thinking that they ran out of marinating time because the chicken was flavorless. A little salt would have gone a long way for this.
Crepe’n Around made two kinds of crepes for us, a savory and a sweet sample. We sampled the Maple Braised Pork crepe with apple chutney, and served with a green salad dressed with honey-dijon vinaigrette. I loved the tenderness of the pork, and the apple chutney did not disappoint, either. The salad served to cut the sweetness of the crepe, but quite honestly, it didn’t really need that. The fine folks at Crepe’n Around were kind enough to allow us to wait for the sweet crepe sample of fresh berries with pastry cream. The tartness from the berries contrasted against the rich and sweet cream made this sample one of the better dishes I tasted that night.
We got to sample some tequila infused mini tacos from the Camarena Tequila truck. The meat was flavorful, but I think was overpowered by the flavors of the tequila. In other words, I tasted the alcohol more than I tasted the actual taco. It also didn't help that the "promoter" was rude.
Next, we sampled some pineapple coconut goodness from the fine folks at Sedthee Eatery. Pineapple combined with coconut flavors just worked, and the toasted coconut was an added bonus. Pictured below are two more samples, but honestly, I have completely forgotten what they tasted like, so it wouldn't be fair to give a description of something I don't even remember.
We also got to try some potato rajas from Border Grill of Susan Feniger fame. It was really cheesy in a good way, and bland in a not-so-good way. But I was still left satisfied.
The star of the evening was the fried shrimp tacos from the Mariscos Jaliscos truck. They were the rightful Best-of-Show winner of the Festival. It was crunchy, spicy, savory, and zesty all in one. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, and the avocado on top provided a cooling effect from the spiciness of the salsa. A great way to end the evening.

Kudos to Mr. and Mrs. Clark Kent for the recommendation - definitely a great way to celebrate good friends and good food.


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