Travels Abroad: Prague 2009

Alas, I haven't written in quite some time due to two weeks in Europe and then a new job- but here I am back with so much to write about. I should start off first and foremost with my trip to Prague, Czech Republic then off to the Amalfi Coast in Italy. So, for anyone that doesn't know me, I am Czech. My mom is from Prague (moved here when she was 20) and my dad was born in London (so I am a British citizen too) but his parents were Czech and Austrian and something else...but mostly they were Czech. Anyway, my grandmother (to whom I attribute my love for food) currently resides in Prague (she's 91! and still pounds beer!) so every year I go with the fam to visit her. This year I decided to add a week on to my trip before starting my new job, so part one was Prague followed by part due, Italy. Unfortunately, and as is usually the case, Prague was quite cold and dreary. Day one we went to this restaurant that always has good Czech roast duck (one of my fave things in Prague) which also comes with two types of dumplings, flour and another kind made with bread in addition to purple and white sauerkraut. The 'kraut was a bit too sweet for me, I like the sour tangy stuff.


I don't remember what my mom had but I do recall her potatoes melted in my mouth- the Czech are big on potatoes and always know how to serve them- usually tossed with chives in melted butter. And because Europe doesn't have horrific GMO crops- because they actually do still farm- these potatoes taste like real potatoes- not like the cardboard stuff mostly sold in this country. Anyway. Oh yes, and the sausage was delish too, almost a crunch on the outside and juicy porky situation inside alone with some pickles cippolini onions and cucs. Also served with a spicy mustard and fresh horseradish, yum! Another food-related item I like to consume in Prague is marzipan.


Oddly enough, Czech marzipan tastes less sweet than the American kind and also sort of tastes like white chocolate- anyway its yummy and comes in fun shapes.


Typically, my day started off in my grandmother's apartment where we would have breakfast with some bread, Czech yogurt (delish- super creamy and thick), pastries (the above has poppy seeds in the center), her homemade jam and some fruit. While I was there we also made apple strudel (the recipe for which I will post) in addition to her amazing goulash- plus recipe, might post this too...its ridiculous. She is an amazing cook and when I was first born she came to NY and lived with my parents and we would literally cook all day long together. All sorts of czech cookies, bread, soups, dumplings (sweet and savory), so so many things. Anyway, at 91 she lives in a 6-floor walk up in the center of Prague, cooks for herself every day and cooks for me when I am visiting- amazing. But back to the apple strudel.


So, this is a very typical Czech dessert/pastry and while I was there my grandmother taught me a recipe so simple ANYONE could make it- seriously. So, I'll post the recipe along with photos- I made it last night for thanksgiving and will make it again for christmas.


I highly recommend it, plus once finished it seems much more complicated than it actually is. Stay tuned...

Tasty Bites

The Date: October 20, 2009; 2:35pm
The Dish: Ghost cupcakes
Why: I actually didn't eat there but they were so cute I had to take a photo.
Where: Thyme Market & Cafe


The Date: October 27, 2009; 9:24 pm
The Dish: Concord grape sorbet
Why: Probably the best grape sorbet I've ever tried. Tasted literally like chilled concord grapes- refreshing, tangy, delicious.
Where: Zimzala at the Shorebreak Hotel


The Date: October 31, 2009; 3:15 pm
The Dish: Raspberry Pop tart
Why: I have a sweet spot for pop tarts because I used to eat them while at tennis camp back in the day (ew). This house-made version is wayyyy better than the store bought kind with a flaky dough, crisp icing and sweet raspberry jam.
Where: Nickel Diner


The Date: October 31, 2009; 3:15 pm
The Dish: The donut tower
Why: I couldn't not include this. I tried the famous maple bacon and red velvet- maple bacon was tasty with crunchy bits of salt bacon on the outside.
Where: Nickel Diner


The Date: October 28, 2009; 9:45 pm
The Dish: Bakalva
Why: Rose-scented baklava- crunchy chewy- the real deal.
Where: Javan


The Date: October 30, 2009; 1:48 pm
The Dish: 2- ounce white truffle
Why: This thing is major. It's kept on a pedestal under a glass lid and it smells so strongly like white truffle that the aroma seeps under the cracks of the glass and before the lid is lifted your nose will detect white truffle wafting through the air.
Where: Cecconi's

Recipe: Craft's Sweet Corn Ice Cream & Polenta Cake

I've been meaning to post this for MONTHS now, ah. The first time I ate at Craft in LA was about five days after it opened. I was writing about the restaurant for a mag and truly had a very subpar dining experience there. As I recall food was overcooked, undercooked, and bland. I did not return until this last August where I ended up enjoying a GREAT lunch. However, the highlight of the entire meal came from pastry chef Shannon Swindle both with his amazing peach polenta cake and his sweet corn ice cream. The polenta cake used locally-grown peaches so sweet and juicy they epitomized the way a peach should taste. The cake part was moist, not too sweet, and melted in your mouth. As for the corn ice cream, once again a total hit. When I was little my parents would buy farm fresh corn from a tiny stand in East Hampton and I frequently found myself on corn-shucking duty. My friend Sarah and I would peel the corn and break off the husk, but I remember once taking a bite of the raw corn, realizing it was sweet and delish raw, and became completely confused as to why corn was cooked at all and not simply eaten raw. From that day forward whenever we shucked corn I would eat half a piece raw. And coming back to the ice cream, it tasted just like fresh sweet corn but cold and creamy. Anyway, these are two superstar recipes which I can't wait to recreate at home.

Peach Polenta Upside Down Cake

3 – 4 ripe peaches, quartered, but not peeled

1 cup granulated sugar
2 ounces unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Place the sugar in a small saucepan with enough water to moisten so that the mixture looks like wet sand. Swirl the pan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and caramelizes into a dark amber color. Add the salt, and swirl. Pour the caramel into an 8-inch cake pan and allow it to set for 5 minutes. Place the peach sections on top of the caramel in a circular pattern, covering the entire bottom of the pan in a single layer. Brush the sides of the pan with butter, or spray with vegetable spray, and set aside.

8 ounces browned butter, cooled to room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, pod reserved for another use
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
6 eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup stone ground cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Sift the flour and baking powder, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the sugar, salt, ginger, cardamom, vanilla seeds and browned butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 1 minute between each addition. Add the sifted dry ingredients and the corn meal, and mix well. Add the buttermilk, and mix well. Pour the batter on top of the peaches, and bake at 350F for about 1 hour, or until the cake is just firm to the touch on top. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to rest for 10 - 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate while the cake is still warm. Serve warm or room temperature.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream

3 cups whole milk
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
15 egg yolks
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
3 ears of fresh corn, shucked and washed


Place the whole ears of corn on a baking sheet, and roast in a 350F oven for 12 minutes. Allow the corn to cool, and cut the kernels off of the cobs. Roughly chop the cobs. Combine the milk, cream, salt, corn kernels and cobs in a large saucepot, and cook over medium heat to a boil. Remove the saucepot from the heat and allow the corn to steep in the cream base for one hour. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar to combine. Bring the dairy mixture back to a boil and pour into the eggs and sugar. Whisk to combine and immediately place the base in an ice bath to cool. Stir frequently until cold. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain the ice cream base through a fine mesh strainer and freeze in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Ice cream is best eaten within two days.

Clamming in the Hamptons

The highlight of my last trip to NY involved clams. I had a great clam pasta at Frankies 17 on Clinton St. (my new fave low key nyc spot), but the real peak of my trip was at my summer house in East Hampton.


My parents' friends decided to go clamming in the bay beach across the street from my house and they had freshly plucked SOO many clams and oysters. Naturally I freaked out when I saw the huge metal basket of fresh clams sitting on their back porch, and because they had picked so many, they happily offered me some.


I graciously accepted and made a quick dish of steamed Long Island clams with Thai basil, white wine, and sauteed shallot. SO yum. If you want to steam clams here a quick recipe.


[This hand device pictured about is a clam measurer. If the clam you pick fits in the small metal box, it's too small and you are supposed to toss it back.]

Add a few tablespoons olive oil to large pot add a chopped shallot or leek or 1/4 onion, sautee until fragrant add the clams and white wine (you can also add some chicken broth) then add the Thai basil and cover the pot.


Steam until clams are open- discard any that don't open (that means they are dead and you don't want to eat those ones). Enjoy!

Really Yummy Craft Beers and Where To Find Them

In addition to eating a lot lately, I've also been drinking a lot...of craft beer. I am big sour fan, as well as a Belgian fan, so here are some great finds I have stumbled upon as of late.

Name: Oud Beersel Oude Kriek Vieille
What is it: Sour cherry beer but not overtly cherry-flavored. Champagne body, dry finish, not too sweet or sour.
Where to find: I had this one at Fifth Amendment Alehouse in SM, but it was a beer that was being tested out for potential sale- so not sure if it made the cut because it's pricey.
Price: Upwards of $14 per bottle


Name: Hitachino XH
What is it: I LOVE Hitachino beers, especially the white ale. This beer is aged in sake casks and has a slight rice wine-y taste. Overall complex fruity flavor (same way the white ale is fruity) touch sweet but not overly sweet at all, hint of caramel.
Where to find: I had this above pictured beer at Animal but you can buy it for less than half the cost at Cap 'n' Cork in Los Feliz.
Price: $14 at Animal of $6 at Cap 'n' Cork.


Name: Coedo
What is it: Japanese sweet potato beer, complex flavor not overtly sweet.
Where to find: The new Umami carries this beer.
Price: About $13


Name: Rodenbach
What is it: Flemish Red/Sour, sour bit of cherry flavor, malty
Where to find: Whole Foods
Price: Not Sure

Name: Lips of Faith
What is it: Sour brown ale- brewmaster from the above (Rodenbach) left and came to New Belgium and created this beer- sour apples, earthy- more sour than Rodenbach.
Where to find: Whole Foods
Price: Not Sure

Dine: Vittorio Ristorante & Pizzeria

So, a while back I received an email with something to the extent of "best garlic knots in la" in the subject line. Firstly, I love garlic, I love dough, especially chewy dough, so naturally I would love garlic knots, and I do. I agreed to check out the restaurants which is located in the Pacific Palisades called Vittorio Ristorante & Pizzeria. For the outside Vittorio's looks like a total mom and pop shop, and it is.


Totally casual interior definitely the place to pop into for quick, inexpensive bite. Once you sit down, you are immediately brought a piping hot dish of garlic knots that emanate that fresh garlic perfume- kicks those salivary glands into action. The garlic knots are definitely good, and best I've come across in LA, though my fave are sill in East Hampton at Fierro's.


Small, chewy, garlicky- definitely a score. However, while the garlic knots were tasty, so was pretty much everything else we ordered. Clams casino (very fresh), asparagus with vinaigrette, mussels in a white wine sauce (I have been on this big shell fish kick lately), and then Brad ordered chicken piccata.


Seriously, if you are looking for solid good homestyle Italian, spot this is absolutely the place to go. The interesting part is that it's not owned by an Italian. Rather the owner, Mercedes, is from Portugal and purchased the restaurant from Vittorio a while back and she has been running it ever since.


As I recall the restaurant has been around for over 20 years. Also down the block is one of my absolute favorite spots Giorgio Baldi, and Giorgio is a friend of Mercedes and comes in to eat from time to time. She told me she actually gets many of the same customers that dine at Giorgio, "you go to Giorgio Baldi to dine, you come here to eat dinner."


So, I haven't even gotten to the best part of the meal which boils down to dessert. Before Mercedes took over Vittorio's she owned a bakery- so most of the baked goods on the dessert menu are made by Mercedes. You MUST try the cannoli. IT IS AMAZING. The shell is a typical cannoli shell, but Mercedes gets this amazingly fresh ricotta cheese which goes into the filling- it's like eating a creamy cloud but not too heavy, actually still very light and quite milky- absolutely the best item on the menu by miles.


For all you cannoli loves out there, you will flip out over this one.

Vittorio Ristorante & Pizzeria
16646 Marquez Ave
Pacific Palisades, CA
(310) 459-3755

SC Plaza and More

When I think about OC, I think breweries. Some of my faves, The Breuery, is located there. I've been to the South Coast Plaza a few times, ate a bit and walked the mall (part of it), but that's where my SC Plaza experience ends. I was recently invited on an overnight tour of the mall +environs and was pleasantly surprise by the quality of restaurants that exists...in the mall.



We started off at Hamamori, a sushi spot that was pretty solid. I dug the scallop and fried shiitake. If you're in the mood for sushi, this is definitely the spot to go. Next, we walked over to Michael Chiarello's William-Sonoma-esque home store NapaStyle to sample a variety of colorful salts and Chiarello Family wines.



We tasted all red from Zin to Cab and I was surprised by how much I liked most of them (the Zin was by fave, very fruit forward) but I thought the price point was too high. Out next stop was Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's. I've eaten at Aureole, Dry Creek Kitchen and this Charlier Palmer, and do I have to say that by far the best was Dry Creek Kitchen in Sonoma.



Anyway, the items to order in CP at Bloomies are the marrow with caramelized onion marmalade atop and the mussels mouclade. When I lived in France during high school I took a cooking class in Royan and we made Mouclade, which is essentially a cream sauce flavored with saffron and white wine poured over steamed mussels, it's absolute heaven. Anyway, to round out our night we lastly stopped by Marche Modern for some desserts- I would advise you to go with the beignets if you are ever in the area.

After spending the night at the Westin across the street, we met downstairs at Pinot Provence for an early AM breakfast then went over to Pizzeria Ortica for a quick pasta demo.



I've been wanting to try out Ortica for some time and was really glad this was a stop along the way. Plus, rumor has it that PO is coming in LA next year, yay! After the demo we sampled a trio of pastas, my favorite was the pear and Pecorino ravioli, I would definitely get that one again!