Lucky Devils - Hollywood

Do you remember this Diet Coke commercial from the early 90s? Do you ever wonder what happened to the hunky model that starred in it? Well, his name is Lucky Vanous and he opened a restaurant in Hollywood that bears his name. Lucky Devils has been on Hollywood Blvd. for five years slinging what can best be described as "man food" in a fun and casual environment. A few weeks ago, I was invited to sample many of their offerings.

To get the evening started. We had glasses of The Jug, Mercury Geyserville and of Eccelstone, Tangent 2007. Both were light and fruity on the palate in each of their wine ways. The Jug in particular paired well with many of the foods we tried.



You can order The Jug by the glass or by the bottle. We agreed, the bottle is so cute.



Right off the bat, we noticed that almost all of the dishes had some sort of spice to them. The sweet potato fries come with an addictive pasilla garlic aioli.



The jalapeno hummus is served with the restaurant's house-made flat bread. The bread is done every day and grilled to give it a smoky flavor. You can also get the bread as part of the Flaming Goat. I'm not the biggest fan of goat cheese, but I love when it is transformed with a few herbs. I almost didn't mind the bell peppers on top of it too since the goat cheese was so good.





We sampled two of Lucky Devils most famous burgers, The Diablo and the Bacon Bleu. The Diablo is topped with white cheddar, double smoked bacon, avocado, arugula, 1000 Island sauce, and lucky devil hot sauce. It's a mouthful to say the least, but so good and of course spicy. I actually preferred the Bacon Bleu burger better with the sweet caramelized onions and bleu cheese providing a nice contrast to the bacon.



The white pizza is topped with herbed ricotta, mozzarella, grana padano, Parmesan, portabello mushrooms and wild arugula. By the time we got to it, the pizza was a bit cold and the arugula had wilted to the point of sadness, but we could see how it would have been better if we hadn't waited so long.



The hickory smoked baby back ribs arrive on a plate with fries. They have that signature Lucky Devils sweet and smoky flavor. This is certainly "stick to your ribs" food. Not pictured are the BBQ Chicken sliders with almost indiscernible "spicy" and "sweet" sauces. They both tasted spicy AND sweet to me. Also not pictured is the Lucky Pig sandwich with beer braised pork and spicy pickled vegetables on the side. I expected this to be spicy and sweet like the other meaty dishes, but it has a lovely smoky flavor with none of the sweetness. It was really good the next day and the pickled vegetables helped cut through the smokiness.



I should have been a good blogger like HC and written down the names of all the beers we tried, but I can tell you, my favorite was the Belgian Pale Ale. With it's medium body and fruity notes, I could have sipped it all evening long if it weren't for all that food.



Chili cheese fries and rosemary fries to soak up some of the beer. I could only manage a bite of the chili cheese fries because at this point all of the meat items were starting to taste the same to me, but I became addicted to the rosemary garlic fries. The rosemary was strong, but not overpowering and I think by now, we all know that I am a garlic fanatic. I loved them. Another picture I didn't get was the onion rings...beer battered of course and paired with a habenero ranch sauce. These onion rings were way better than the ones we tried at Nic's just a couple of weeks before and were well seasoned with that great oniony flavor.



 

By this point, I was unsure as to how I would fit more food in, but we were then presented with the Liege Sundae. This was a bit too rich for me and the waffle had a funky texture, but I really enjoyed the vanilla custard with the Belgian chocolate sauce and salted caramel beer sauce which helped cut through the sweetness of the waffle.



So. Much. Food.



We left the restaurant loaded down with bags of leftovers. The bacon and bleu burger made an excellent breakfast the next morning. In an ideal world, I would have a work schedule that would let me attend happy hours and I would certainly suggest Lucky Devils. Though the wine selection is limited, they have some interesting craft beers and the food can be easily shared with a group. Despite the nightmare parking in the area, I would go back and sit on the patio to sip some brews. I'm looking forward to checking out the restaurant again after the remodel.


*All food and drinks were comped. Opinions are my own

Lucky Devils
6613 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 465-8259
Website

Prosciutto and Cheddar Pretzel Bites with Jalapeno Mustard

This was my other contribution to the slumber party. I figured we would be in the mood for something snacky and indeed we were. Chips are fine, but here is a way to kind of class up your snack table. After my successful pass at pretzels a few months ago, I was interested in making more. The only thing is that pretzels are kind of a time consuming process. Much of that period is downtime so you can do other things like make donuts, but I think these are even more of a treat because of the work that goes in to them. That said, the work is totally worth it because these are delicious. They definitely curb a salty snack craving, but there is a hint of sweetness in the pretzel itself and more than a hint in the honey mustard dressing.

Prosciutto and Cheddar Pretzel Bites with Jalapeno Mustard
(Adapted from Gourmet, October 2009)

*Note, I used a smoked prosciutto because the original recipe called for country ham which I did not have, but smoked prosciutto is similar in flavor.

Makes about 36 bites

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar, divided
1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees)
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped prosciutto
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar
6 cups water
4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons wildflower honey
2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded fresh jalapenos
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pretzel salt or coarse salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl, stir together the yeast, 1 teaspoon brown syagr, and warm water. Let it stand for 5-8 minutes until foamy. If the mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.  In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar into the warm milk until dissolved.

Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and the milk mixture to the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until soft dough forms. Add additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time if necessary. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it to form a smooth ball. Transfer the dough ball to a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hanfs with flour, then gently roll and stretch one piece of dough to form a 12-inch long rope. Flatten the dough and arrange so a long side is nearest you, then roll out to a roughly 12x4-inch rectangle with a lightly floured rolling pin. Press one quarter of the proscitto and cheese into the lower third of the rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the bottom edge. Stretch the bottom of the dough up over the filling and press tightly to seal, then roll up as tightly as possible to form a rope. Cut the rope into 1-inch pieces and transfer to the baking pan. Make 3 more ropes with the remaining dough, prosciutto, and cheese and cut them into pieces. Let rest at room temperature, uncovered, for 30 minutes. The dough will rise slightly.

Bring 6 cups of water to a gentle boil in a 4 or 5 quart saucepan. Reduce the heat and stir in baking soda. Cook the pretzel bites in batches in gently simmering water, turning once until slightly puffed, about 20 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pretzel bites back to the sheet pans.

Bake the pretzel bites until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.

Brush the warm pretzel bites with butter and sprinkle with salt. Meanwhile, stir together the Dijon, honey, and jalapenos. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve the pretzel bites warm or at room temperature with the jalapeno mustard for dipping.

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Blueberry Pomegranate Donuts

Last week I got together with a few close friends for a potluck/slumber party. I love the idea of a bunch of thirty-somethings hanging out in PJs sipping cocktails and catching up. A fun time was had by all and my friends are really good cooks. We ate like crazy and tried to work off the calories by playing various games on Kinect. Too much fun! These donuts were one of my contributions to the party. I saw them a few weeks ago on Foodgawker and could not stop thinking about them. Now that blueberries are back in season, I could not pass up the opportunity to make these. I didn't have the regular pom juice called for in the original recipe, but a while back POM Wonderful sent me some of their new pomegranate juice concentrate. I particularly find this ingredient helpful because it takes a loooong time to make pomegranate molasses and the concentrate gets the job done in no time, but it can also be used in other recipes like these donuts. The donuts are not too sweet and have a slight tartness from the pom. The glaze is a good mix of sweet and tart and if you add sprinkles, it just makes them that much more fun. I dare you to eat just one.






Blueberry Pomegranate Donuts with Pomegranate Glaze
(Adapted from All Day I Dream About Food)

Make 32 mini donuts

For the donuts:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon POM Wonderful pomegranate juice concentrate
3/4 cup whole milk at room temperature
1 cup blueberries, roughly chopped

For the glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate juice
*if you are using the POM wonderful concentrate, mix 1 tablespoon of concentrate with 1/4 cup of water. Use some of the juice in the glaze and drink the rest!

To make the donuts:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and lightly spray a donut pan.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, vanilla, pomegranate concentrate, and milk. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Fill each donut whole 2/3 full. Bake for 8 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center donut comes out clean. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Clean out the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.

To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and pomegranate juice until smooth. Dip each donut with glaze. If desired, top the donuts with sprinkles before the glaze hardens.

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Parmesan Truffle Popcorn

I recently came across a popcorn recipe I wanted to try. Unfortunately, by the time I got around to attempting it, it seemed a bit too involved and I wanted something easier to kick back and watch the Lady Gaga concert on HBO. I'll get around to the other recipe eventually, but this was really great in the meantime and satisfied my immediate snacking needs. It tastes more indulgent than it is and you feel like you're in one of those fancy theaters with a waiter instead of your barely furnished living room curled up on your big comfy arm chair while eating.

Parmesan Truffle Popcorn
(By Esi)

Makes about 3 cups of popcorn

1/4 cup popcorn kernels
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black truffle salt

In a large saucepan or skillet that can be fitted with a cover, heat the oil and 2-3 kernels of popcorn over medium heat. Once the kernels have popped, add the remaining kernels and pop, shaking the pan constantly, until the popping stops.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter, Parmesan, and truffle salt. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

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Nic's Beverly Hills

I'm not sure how it started, but a few months ago, several LA bloggers, including myself started tweeting about our love of whole grains. The nickname Quinoa Club was born and every so often, we tweet random quinoa facts to each other. Recently, it was brought to our attention that Nic's in Beverly Hills was now carrying quinoa vodka. We had to check it out. A couple of Friday nights ago, I joined H.C. for a vodka and culinary journey.

It had been approximately eight years since I last visited Nic's even though I worked down the street from there for years. Since we were both running on empty, we decided to share a few appetizers before indulging in the Vodbox (more later).

I love olives, and I think I hogged most of them on the Spanish platter that also came with Pata Cabre, Manchego, and Serrano ham. The herbed bread was a perfect accompaniment.



Nic's oysters sauteed with walnuts and garlic ("very famous" according to the menu). These were indulgent and flavorful, tasting of the sea.



The roasted beet salad arrived surprisingly cold, but the beets had great flavor with the tangy feta and vinaigrette.



After we'd lined our stomachs, we were ready for the Vodbox. On the side of the restaurant is a specially designed room kept at a frigid 28 degrees for tasting all sorts of interesting vodkas. Of course you can't go into a cold room like that with whatever clothes we wear for the perpetual sunshine in southern California so Nic's kindly provides guests of the Vodbox with faux fur jackets and hats to keep you toasty inside the box.





Vodkas from all over the world.





I normally prefer vodka in cocktails for it's tastelessness to highlight the flavors of fresh juices that I mix it with, but my eyes were opened in this experience. Our favorite, and apparently one of the more popular offerings was the Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka. Described as "Christmas in a bottle", it had hints of cinnamon and pumpkin and made quite an elegant presentation in the bottle with a single sprig of bison grass. They were out of the quinoa vodka because it is quite popular, but Fair also makes a Goji liqueur that we were able to try. Normally, I'm not a fan of goji berries, but this was smooth and flavorful.



After the vodka we needed some food to soak it up. By this point I was ready to switch from the hard alcohol and thankfully Nic's has a good wine list. A glass of Cabernet and a glass of Riesling accompanied each of our entrees. The fillet mignon was unfortunately not my favorite dish. I found the blueberry sauce to be a bit too sweet and the crispy onion rings were pretty flavorless. I'm sure the whole dish could have been improved on with just a bit more salt.



Fortunately the halibut special was much better. The wasabi cream was not too overpowering and the pea shoot slaw kept things fresh.



After all that food and vodka, dessert was the last thing on my mind, but we managed to share a rhubarb tart. It was light and sweet with just a hint of rhubarb's signature tartness.




Nic's is great for a low key night out with friends. One of my friends recently celebrated her bachelorette party during one of their jazz nights on a Saturday and I'm told it was amazing (I was out of town). I'm definitely going to suggest it as an option when dining out with friends who work in the area so hopefully now I'll visit more than once every eight years.


*All food and drinks were comped. Opinions are my own


Nic's Beverly Hills
453 N. Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 550-5707
Website

Asparagus and Garlic Scape Stirfry

A couple of weeks ago, I had a lovely Sunday afternoon wandering around the farmers market with JenFinn. I love visiting the market with her because we spend so much time there, I often find ingredients I've never used before. I've been visiting farmers markets for so long, I sort of have tunnel vision and only focus on what I need. Spending a little extra time can bring me new discoveries. In case you've never come across a garlic scape before it looks like this:



Garlic scapes are the green stem that develop in the middle of a garlic bulb. When you cut into them they are just as fragrant as a clove of garlic, but without the sticky feeling. I wasn't quite sure about how to use them, but a fellow shopper suggested I try a stirfry. I saw many recipes for garlic scape pesto and pickled garlic scapes, but no stirfries so I had to come up with something on my own. The flavors here are simple and highlight the fresh vegetables. I prefer crisp, vibrant vegetables, but if you prefer yours softer (I'll try not to judge), try blanching the vegetables first or cooking them a little longer in the pan.

Asparagus and Garlic Scape Stirfry
(By Esi)

*Note, garlic scapes are quite fiborous in the thickest part. If you prefer a softer vegetable, try blanching them briefly before adding them to the stirfry or cooking them for a few minutes longer than the asparagus.

Makes 2 servings

1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1 small shallot, minced
20 thin asparagus spears, cut into 1-2-inch pieces on the diagonal
8 garlic scapes, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon honey
Pinch red pepper flakes
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

In a large skillet or wok, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 1 minute.

Add the asparagus and garlic scapes to the pan. Cook, tossing frequently, until the vegetables are cooked through, but still crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, and red pepper flakes and toss to combine. Serve warm, garnished with sesame seeds if desired.

Printable Recipe

Pork Tenderloin Salad with Warm Strawberry Dressing

Last summer was definitely a summer of luck for me. Long before Charlie Sheen made the word popular, I was "winning". I won tickets to see Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, I had a winning 30th birthday, I won tickets to see Rent at the Hollywood Bowl, and I won a copy of the book The Berry Bible from Lisa Is Cooking. By the time I received the book, some of the berries I love were out of season, but I would look through it every so often and bookmark recipes I wanted to make the following year. Now that berries are back in full swing, I'm finally getting around to making full use of this book. Although there are no pictures (the horror!), this book is really informative and interesting. As an added bonus, it contains some truly fantastic recipes. The balsamic vinaigrette enhances the flavor of the sweet berries, but manages to retain it's savory notes with the rosemary-garlic pork loin. I'm fairly certain I could eat this salad every day if given the option.


Pork Tenderloin Salad with Warm Strawberry Dressing
(Adapted from The Berry Bible)

*Note: The original recipe calls for sliced avocado as a garnish to this salad. I omitted because of an allergy, but it would certainly add creaminess and a nice color contrast to the greens and strawberries. 

Makes 4-5 servings

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus extra for the dressing
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of the silver skin
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 pound mixed fresh greens

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix the rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pat the meat dry with paper towels then rub with the rosemary-garlic mixture. In a large, oven proof skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145-150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the tenderloin to a plate and cover with foil to keep it warm while you cook the sauce.

Put the skillet over medium-high heat and pour in the balsamic vinegar. Use a wood spoon to loosen the caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the vinegar by about half, then gently stir in most of the strawberries and the olive oil. Stir to combine and season lightly with salt.

Carve the meat into 1/2-inch slices. Pour any collected juices into the dressing and stir to blend.

Spread the greens onto a plate or platter. Arrange the pork on top of the greens. Drizzle with the warm strawberry dressing and serve immediately, garnished with fresh strawberries if desired.

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Strawberry Crisp and a Blogiversary

A few weeks ago, I went to a wedding that was so beautiful in it's simplicity. Among the highlights were a talent show at the rehearsal dinner and the newlyweds opting for pie instead of cake at the reception. It got me thinking about celebrations and I realized my third blogiversary was creeping up on me. In the past I've made a party cake and cookies, but this year I opted for something even more simple. A gently spiced strawberry crisp with a generous scoop of pistachio ice cream signifies how I want my life to be right now. Simple and delicious. It's been another great year and I feel so fortunate. Thank you.



Strawberry Crisp
(By Esi)

Makes 2 servings

Filling:
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons, packed, brown sugar
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup old fashioned oats

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

In a small bowl, mix together the filling ingredients. Divide the mixture between two ramekins or one 5x7 oven-safe pan.

To make the filling mix together the lemon zest, flour, salt, and both sugars. Cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles peas. Stir in the oats and mix until combined.

Spread the topping evenly over the strawberry mixture. Bake the crisp for 30 minutes or until the strawberry mixture is bubbling and the topping has browned. Let the crisp cool for 5 minutes and serve warm with ice cream if desired.

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Boho - Hollywood

Despite living just minutes away from the center of Hollywood, I tend to avoid the Hollywood and Highland intersection at all costs. Overrun with tourists and Spiderman impostors, it's not an area I would choose to be around. That said, there is some excellent shopping in the complex, and a few restaurants have certainly piqued my interest of late. One of the newer restaurants in the complex is Boho, which actually isn't a new restaurant at all. It used to reside next to the Arclight and was a great place to have a bite and a cocktail before seeing a movie in the plush surroundings. Now that it is just slightly further north, it would be a great place to grab a bite before heading to a show at the Hollywood Bowl.

I recently attended a dinner to try some of the restaurants offerings. While nothing was exceptionally amazing, it was a great evening made even better by the company of some fun bloggers.

There is a good mix of appetizers with everything from tuna tartare to pizza, to soup. 







Almost all of the entrees were a mix of salty and sweet. I think the combination worked best with the glazed salmon. I was also partial to the brussels sprouts that overshadowed the pork chop they were paired with. Sweetbreads...yes, I had them again and they worked surprisingly well with the blue cheese bread pudding.















Even though I'm usually one to turn down dessert, these were the highlight of the evening for me. The chocolate peanut butter cake, coffee panna cotta, and balsamic strawberries in the shortcake were all delicious and difficult to stop at just one bite.





I definitely would return to Boho for some pizza and bottomless mimosas on their unpublished brunch menu. It's so close that a cab ride would be fairly inexpensive. I hope they grow into their new larger kitchen and return to the roots that people grew to love at the old location.

*All food and drinks were comped. Opinions are my own
Boho Restaurant
6801 Hollywood Blvd.
#411
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 465-8500
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Fish with Saffron-Tomato Cous Cous

I'm always on the lookout for interesting, healthy dinners where the leftovers will be just as good for my work lunches. I'm not big on sandwiches (although I won't turn away a wrap). This is a super flavorful recipe that comes together in mere minutes. I tend to overcook cod but this still came out well for me.  If you desire, this can be more of a soupy dish for cooler spring nights like the evenings we've been experiencing the last few days. It is hard to keep up with our ever changing weather patterns. One day it's 90 degrees and the next day is cool and drizzly. Welcome So Cal spring!
Fish with Saffron-Tomato Cous Cous
(Adapted from Seafood alla Siciliana
as found on Serious Eats)

Makes 4 servings

4 cups vegetable stock (or fish stock if you have it)
4 fillets mild white fish (I used Alaskan cod)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup Israeli cous cous
1 pinch saffron
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Salt and pepper as needed

In a pot big enough to hold all of the fish, bring the stock to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove the fish from the pan and transfer to a plate. Cover with foil to keep warm.

In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and cous cous. Stir constantly until the cous cous is lightly toasted and the tomato paste is beginning to caramelize, about 2 minutes.

Slowly pour the fish poaching broth into the cous cous. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over low heat. Cook until the cous cous is tender, about 12 minutes.

Divide the cous cous amongst plates or bowl. Top with the fish and garnish with the almonds and parsley.

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