Watch Tina Fey and Jerry Seinfeld Take a Ride in a Snazzy Volvo for Coffee and Cronuts

Tina Fey and Jerry Seinfeld cruisin' through New York

I love Tina Fey, not as much as coffee, but almost. If I watched TV I would just watch her and Discovery Channel. I wasn't really into Seinfeld when it was on. That's probably because I've never really been into TV. I spend most of my free time cooking or eating or drawing while eating. Tina Fey loves eating too. I'm guessing she would probably love me as much as I love her after I fed her some of my delicious treats.

Tina Fey sipping on the syzurp Wheat Puff Juice

 In another episode of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee", Jerry Seinfeld and Tina Fey roll in a sweet, red Volvo to Floridita in Harlem for a cup of coffee. Where in fact they end up getting a "Wheat Puffs Juice". What is that you may ask? It's not fresh juice as the waitress describes, but it is amazing. It's cereal blended into a milkshake. I'm totally going to make it. I'm sure it's not as delicious as the avena (oat drink) I enjoyed in Colombia, but it will definitely pass as an Americanized version. Very much like a Taco Bell taco. Which we all know is nothing like a real taco!

After making the mistake of not getting the Guanabana juice, Jerry drives Tina to the Dominique Ansel Bakery where Tina tries her first cronut! Everyone's nuts for cronuts... I have yet to try one.

"Pine & Crane Noodle Co" Taiwanese Food Restaurant Opening Soon in Silver Lake

Pine & Crane Noodle Co. Logo via Facebook

I'm very excited for Pine & Crane Noodle Co to open in Silver Lake. It's next door to the cafe, Morning Nights in the Sunset Triangle, where I often sit to sketch and get inspired by neighborhood friends. I've seen the construction going on since the end of last year and I'm getting anxious for the opening of this Taiwanese food restaurant. It's going to bring some new flavor to our hood. We have plenty of Thai, Vegan, American options. I don't think I've ever had Taiwanese food per se. I've had Chinese but I know Taiwan is an island that likes to think of it's self as an independent.

According to About.com:

Mainland China's position on Taiwan is that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China; the People's Republic of China is awaiting reunification of the island and mainland. However, Taiwan claims independence as a distinct State.

With a mix of Chinese, Japanese and aboriginals, Taiwanese food is bound to have some interesting flavors.

Beef Noodle Soup Spice's via Pine&Crane Facebook

The owner is a young Tawainese woman. I've only met her breifly, but I've seen her buzzing about like a hard-working bee with her family and friends close behind to help. The facade of the old Cru restaurant along with the space next door is shaping up with a fresh look quite quickly.

Tea Tasting via Pine&Crane Instagram

I think this restaurant is going to be special for so many reasons - it's family owned, supporting sustainable, local, seasonal produce. According to a sign in their window nearly all the produce will be from their very own family farm. The menu will consist of "noodles, dumplings, scallion pancakes, beef rolls, plenty of seasonal vegetables, a few of our signature Taiwanese dishes like Three-Cup Chicken and Twice-Cooked Pork. Beer, wine and Taiwanese Teas served alongside."

Pine & Crane Noodle Co
Taiwanese Restaurant
Silver Lake
1521 Griffith Park Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Pine & Crane Instagram

Pine & Crane Twitter

Pine & Crane Facebook

Note in Window

Yuca's Burrito Love

Mexican food is at the top of my list and Yuca's is at the top of my Mexican food. I was fortunate enough to be near the original Yuca's yesterday on Hillhurst in Los Feliz while doing a little baby gift shopping. So how could I pass up a carne asada burrito, torta or carne asada anything from Yuca's? I almost always automatically go for the Torta there because it is pretty amazing. This time I went for a carne asada burrito. I am never disappointed. The burritos here are so simple, yet so satisfying. Burritos here, unlike Northern California burritos are made with a combination of four simple ingredients, well five if you include love. Each burrito consists of stewed pinto beans, your choice of meat (ASADA!) and their pico de gallo salsa (to give it a little kick) carefully folded into a flour tortilla. When you unwrap your burrito, there is it is - a perfectly wrapped pack of delicious. Don't forget to ask for a roasted jalapeño if you like spicy heat!

Check out Yuca's if you are in the Los Feliz, Silver Lake or East Hollywood neighborhoods. They have two locations:

Yuca's
Los Feliz

2056 Hillhurst Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90027

(323) 662-1214
The original Yuca's is a tiny taco hut on Hillhurst Ave across from the Albertson's Market. Order at the little window and go next door to the liquor store to pick up a beverage and come back just in time for your name to be called. There is a small outdoor patio for seating.


Yuca's on Hollywood
East Hollywood

4666 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 661-0523
The second Yuca's in located on Hollywood Blvd near Vermont across from Umami Burger. They have more food options on the menu and also have indoor seating as well as a patio.

Yuca's on Hollywood is also a MOGL Partner, so if you pay with a credit card linked to MOGL, you will receive 10% cash back on your order. It totally works, I've already gave it a try! Sign up for MOGL and see participating restaurants here.

Panini Party!

Today I gave a Panini Party at Chase Design Group in Los Angeles. It was a surprise for all the amazing designers and staff at one of the best design firms in the universe. Everyone had a grand time and got down on some mean grilled cheese sandwiches. There was assortment of ingredients and everyone got to make their own combinations of bread, condiments, gourmet cheeses and other tasty toppings. People really enjoyed tasting new things and creating their own custom flavor combinations. If you're in the Los Angeles area you can book a Panini Party with me, just send me a message for details!

The full spread! via Xhico Instagram

Panini's on the press! via Xhico Instagram

Todays Menu Choices:

Breads: German Shepherds Bread, Olive Oil Ciabata Roll, Bolillo Roll, Udi's Gluten-Free White

Cheeses: Basil Gouda (Oakdale, California), Le Marechal (Switzerland), Prima Donna (Holland), Durrus (Ireland) - All imported cheeses can be purchased at Cheese Store of Silverlake.

Meats: Lomo (Spain), Spicy Soppressata (Calabria, Italy)

Veggies: Heirloom Tomatoes, Arugula, Basil, Carmelized Red Onions

Condiments: Sarayo, Sarayo Sweet, Wasabi-yo, Apricot-Garlic Spread, Gulden's Whole Grain Mustard, Sundried Tomatoes

Xhico mans the Panini Press. via Paula Instagram

Fruit Freak: Meyer Lemon

Citrus is among my favorite fruits. Well, I am a fruit freak, so I love all fruits near equally. However in the lemon universe there is one lemon that is galaxies beyond the others, the Meyer Lemon. It's sweetness overcomes the acidity of other varieties of lemons. It's soft skin is an intense hue of yellow and very fragrant. The Meyer Lemon is a cross between a regular lemon and an orange (possibly a mandarin variety).

It's delicious over chicken or fish. I also use it often with my vegetables.

Meyer Lemons, California

Summer Salad in Winter: Heirloom Tomato & Arugula Salad Recipe

The one thing about living in Los Angeles is that we even have summer weather in the winter. We haven't seen a hint of the "polar vortex", unfortunately we're having quite the opposite situation as we are experiencing a drought here in California and should all be doing our part to conserve water.

Even though we are having a drought, there is still beautiful California produce available. Here's a quick, delicious and healthy salad I threw together from some fresh veggies from the market.

Heirloom Tomato & Arugula Salad

Heirloom Tomato & Arugula Salad

Ingredients:
1 Large Heirloom Tomato (or 2 Small Heirloom Tomatoes)
1 Handful of Arugula
Juice of Half a Lemon
1-2tbsp of Good Olive Oil
Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Method:
Put a handful of arugula on a plate. Top with sliced tomatoes. Add a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil. Top with Pecorino cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. This is more of a method and nothing is really done by measurement, but more to your personal taste.

#sharepocky... Pocky Truck is Coming to LA!

via Pocky Instagram

I'm so excited that one of my favorite snacks is going to be wheelin' around LA this week. The Pocky Truck is going to be cruising around Los Angeles handing out delicious biscuit sticks dipped in chocolate! Oh me, oh my! Now I just have to track them down on Twitter and Instagram.

I always have a Pocky in my hand!

Fruit Freak: Longan

Longan Fruit

While at the Farmers' Market this week, I stumbled across this fruit I was unfamiliar with. It's the longan. It's a relative of the lychee but listed as "near threatened". I decided I'm going to save the seeds and try to grow a tree, though they will not likely be true to seed. This means, I won't necessarily get the same tree exactly that these came from. This is why fruit trees are usually grafted.

Once peeled, you can see why they call it "Dragon's Eye"

Like it's relative the lychee, they are both in the soapberry family. The shell of this fruit is soft and leathery. The flesh is translucent white and slightly gelatinous in texture. You can see the black pit at the center through the translucent flesh. This is why the Chinese often referred to this fruit as the "Dragon Eye". The longan has a dry sweetness and a very subtle taste like a bland, white grape. It's not as sour or juicy as the lychee, but just as refreshing on a hot day.

Xhico's Choice: Krave Jerky

Xhico's Choice this week is Krave Jerky.

I love Krave Jerky! Of course, I first gravitated toward the sack of meat because it had a bangin' package design that bounced off the self. It's bright modern western branding filled with typography and playful icons brought it's unique flavors to my attention. I now found myself standing in front of a wall of beef and turkey treats marinated with gourmet flavors. I ended up picking the Sweet Chipotle Beef Jerky and It's still my favorite! I haven't tried the Black Cherry BBQ Pork Jerky yet because they don't carry it at my local store, but I will but them until they do.

Krave Jerky is unique to the jerky world because the meat is super soft, tender and moist. You don't get "Jerky Jaw" pan from chewing the same piece for hours like most jerky brands. They have beef, turkey and pork jerky varieties and an assortment of gourmet flavors that will tickle your tongue.

For you hardcore jerky lovers, they even have a Krave Klub to deliver #jerkylove to your door every month!

Krave Jerky flavors:
Basil Citrus Turkey
Lemon Garlic Turkey
Black Cherry Barbecue Pork
Grilled Sweet Teriyaki Pork
Chili Lime Beef
Garlic Chili Pepper Beef
Sweet Chipotle Beef
Pineapple Orange Beef

ORDER KRAVE JERKY SAMPLER TODAY!

Recipe: White Sapote Oat Porridge

I've always loved oats. But growing up, I only ate them one of two ways - cooked up hot with butter, brown sugar or whatever I was desiring that day - and the other way was in an oatmeal cookie. I never thought of eating oats cold until I tried soaked oats by Zen Monkey. It's a blend of yogurt, soaked oats and fruit available in the yogurt section of Whole Foods. The apple flavor was delicious. So I did some research and recreated the recipe at home in a mason jar. This cold oat porridge has become one of my favorite go-to breakfast recipes. You can make it quickly at night before you go to bed and in the morning you have a delicious and healthy breakfast to get you going.

I will be posting a more traditional Apple Oat Porridge recipe soon, but for now here's one made with an exotic fruit. Learn more about White Sapote.


WHITE SAPOTE OAT PORRIDGE RECIPE

Ingredients for White Sapote Oat Porridge

Ingredients:
2 Small White Sapote Fruits (diced small)
1 Cup Instant Oats (I recommend Quaker Oats)
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
1/2 Cup Apple Juice (you may need to add more depending on the consistency of yogurt and the consistency you prefer for your porridge)
1/4 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
Squeeze of Lemon

Combine ingredients in mason jar.

Method:
Combine Yogurt, Apple Juice, Vanilla Extract in Mason Jar. Stir until smooth. Stir in Oats then stir in White Sapote Fruit. Add a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon to taste. If you feel it's too thick add a little more juice or water. Put the lid on the jar and give it a shake. Let sit overnight in refrigerator. Oats will swell up up with flavor. The mason jar makes it convenient to take out a serving or take it on the go. Keeps up to 5 days in refrigerator.

You can always substitute Apples for the White Sapote. You can omit the coconut and vanilla and add cinnamon or nutmeg instead. I like to try other little additives too. You can add things like raisins, dried cranberries, other dried fruits, slice almonds, chopped walnuts or chia seeds.

Refrigerate oat porridge overnight in mason jar.

Fruit: White Sapote

White Sapote Fruit, California

I picked up a variety of fruits this afternoon at the Silver Lake Farmers' Market. One interesting fruit was the white sapote. White sapote is a drupe fruit with a very thin, delicate skin that can be scratched off with your finger. Inside the fruit is a soft creamy flesh with a taste that is slightly like a pear and pineapple. The flesh usually contains four pits (seeds) that easily separate from the flesh. When ripe the fruit is soft like an avocado when ripe. These fruit are relatively small - about 2inches in diameter. Wikipedia claims the skin is inedible, but I eat it. It's slightly more tart and tangy than the flesh. Eating much of this fruit can make you feel drowsy. The aztec word for the white sapote was "cochitzapotl" - meaning "sleep sapote".