The King of LA Cooking

One man is deciding how Los Angeles eats and that is restaurant maven Roy Choi.He is responsible now for how the West coast metropolis eats.His ideas are a combination of both traditional and stoner new wave.It's down home and hipster all rolled into lists of tasty menus. It won't be long before he hit here,in the New York metro area. Chef Choi's story was a front page one on today's New York Times Dining section"Dining regular contributor ,Jeff Gordonier, wrote about this unique and truly only in America story.Only a few years ago Chef Choi wwas selling tacos out of a typical LA food chef.The service called Kogi featured tacos stuffed with Korean barbecue.This is pretty common fare however ,in like other food trucks.Kogi had a huge following onTwitter.Fans raved and promoted this fusion quick food on almost an epic scale.This led to his second venture,Chego,a fast food stand located in LA's Chinatown.Here Chef Choi sells rice bowls,comfort food from his Korean American childhood.He has also embraced truly American classics such as beer can chicken, cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes and cornbread at another of his restaurants, The A Frame, a former refurbished IHOP.He then went into Caribbean cooking with the shack called Sunny Side, a homage to those Jamaican and Bahamian beachfront eateries.He serves rum drinks that go well with the mofango and oxtail stew along with blueberry pancakes.To top that off this food mogul also supplies the joshed at at bar called The Alibi.His versatility comes from his background,a family of restaurant owners, an education at the Culinary Institute of America and a stint at Le Bernardin You would think Chef Choi would be busy enough with all these eateries, but he still has the energy to run his own trendy hotel in downtown LA?The Sydell Group backed him up and he created.It's trendy but thankfully not pretensious (unlike some Greenwich Village ones)People can walk in, and feel welcomed no matter how they're dressed.The hotel is home to yet another of Chef Choi's list called Pot and features the food of his childhood.It's combined with a bakery to produce Asiansweet buns amd hipster baked Mac and cheese.The hotel also houses a vegetable driven restaurant called Commissary.Not only that he tailored room service not to those traditional room service dishes but to what. People would actually eat such as Spam and eggs and a twist on Ramen soup.This last can easily be copied at home.It's just the famed Ramen soup pack that has a poached egg, butter and a slice of American cheese to it(this will be attempted later but with Parmesan cheese instead of the American).The refurbished soup is popular with Korean American kids, a sort of comfort food like baked Mac and cheese. Roy Choi is one of the newer wave of chefs.They mix their culinary heritage with hipster influence and American culture.The result is what American wants to eat.

Sweet Low Calorie Heaven

Warm weather brings about the craving for something refreshing and icy.Unfortunately the one food that fulfills those two requirements is ice cream.The problem is that it's a fine treat every now and then.Yet summer calls for a blissfully cold and sweet every night.Don't worry. there are some great low calorie treats that are both tasty and chill. One of the best of the frozen treats is Greek yogurt reconfigured into ice cream.One outstanding one is Oikos.It may be low fat but it tastes as good as any creamy, rich ice cream.The dark cherry is full of tender , large bits of fruit.It is even better with syrup,tasting like a sinful bonbon.Their cafe au lait is rich in flavor too.When it's this low in calories you can give it a drizzle of hot fudge and whipped cream.Other yogurt companies also have put out frozen yogurts ,both in bar and Popsicle form. Stomeyfield Farms has their yogurt in classic bar form drenched in a dark chocolate coating.If you're concerned about artificial additives, then you can make your own.It's easy .Just add sweetener and vanilla(or any other flavor )".You can put it through an ice cream maker or just freeze in a container for more of an iced milk kind. Another idea is frozen fruit piece es.Dole has come out with Dippers in both strawberry and banana.These are chunks of fruit coated in deep dark chocolate.These are a treat after a hot day.They're both refreshing and flavorful.They"re also sixty calories for the strawberry and eight forvthe bannas.You can make this yourself with Smuckers's hard shell topping or melted dark chocolate.This you can havevwith, especially now that it's cherry season.You can also freeze melon chunks and grapes too for a refreshing variety.Another idea is ice.Ther's no dairy and it's low in calories and cholesterol.Most pops are between twenty five and fifty calories? You can even have two or three without feeling guilty.If you want a more sophisticated version think about a coffee granit.This is simple frozen and forked sweetened espresso .It's another refresher , especially served with a low calorie topping such as Cool Whip. Y ou can have a cold icy low calorie treat.In fact you'll like these you'll forget about ice cream.When you crave something cooling , you'll head for something that won't mess with your diet.

Roger Mooking:The Man of Man,Fire ,Food

Chef Roger Mooking truly is an adenturous cook. This Trinidad born , Toronto raised chef has a new show on the Food Network Man Fire Food. He travels around the US , obsrving and participating in fire based cooking techniques.It's an interesting culinary ride, especially when he gets to try pine needles. Foodie Pantry was honored to have a recent interview with him

Foodie Pantry-What exactly is the show about?Who thought of the concept? Who is your audience?

Roger Mooking:Man Fire Food is all about cooking with fire in its various ways – we smoke, we grill, we bake, we boil; everything you could imagine and then everything you couldn’t imagine as well. The show was born from the brain of Irene Wong of Irene Wong Productions, the Executive Producer and more than occasional Director of the series. I got involved when the Cooking Channel brain trust put us together. Our audience is very broad, I get a lot of emails and social media comments from all walks of life, broad range of ages, gender, race, income, and any other kind of marker. Food is universal and man has been cooking with fire for a VERY LONG time now.

FP: What was the most unusual fire cooking method you’ve seen on the show so far?
RM:There are too many to hone down into one definitive answer but later this season you will see some truly unusual techniques. No spoilers.
FP:What was the most dangerous?
RM:Fire is potentially always dangerous so I suppose they all are in some way.

FP: What were the most unusual ingredients used? Did you try them?
RM:Pine Needles. And of course I did.

FP: What was the most low tech grilling method? The most hi tech sophisticated one?
RM:Low tech was also Pine Needles, you will have to keep watching to see that one; its pretty amazing actually. Most high tech was...not sure you can get very high tech when cooking with fire. There have been some impressive contraptions but Im not sure I would call them high tech. No rocket launcher chicken...yet.

FP: Who was the best griller on the show? Did you like his or her offering?
RM:This is a loaded question but we don’t just cover grilling. I do all things with fire from grilling, smoking, steaming, direct coal cooking, etc...Cant just limit the scope to grilling.

FP: Did you pick up any marinating or grilling tips?
RM:Countless. The universal one being – put the cold thing on the hot thing and take it off when its done. All cooking can basically be summed up into this idea. Check out my social media feed and I;m posting weekly grilling tips. Check 'em out.

FP: I have to ask this - did you finish any meals with s”mores?
RM:Not yet. Not yet.


Man ,Fire ,Food will be on the Food Network Monday night at 8PM EST.

A Feast For Dad

Tomorrow is Father's Day and it"s the day to not only shower the guy with gifts but also with food.There are many ways to celebrate.You could go grill, Dagwood or total bacon.Any way is sure to please the fathers and the men in your life. Men love to grill and eat any meat grilled.This phenomena could be a vestige left over from our Neanderthal or Cro Magnon days.Nothing beats dogs and burgers with toasted buns.Add some cheddar strips along with a chile sauce and you have a great warm weather lunch.Steak is another barbecue must have.If you want to give Dad the perfect one choose a lean cut with little or no fat( you may want to go to a butcher for this) .Marinate in olive oil and dust lightly with freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Lamb is making a surprising come back and it is delicious when fire roasted.It can be served with the spicy Harissa sauce ,popular in North Africa or crusted with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Pork is another meat not really grilled that often and that's a shame. Grilled pork chops are wonderfully rich in flavor as well as being versatile. Pork too can be ground into burgers or marinated with a Chinese sauce that features the famed five spices. Finish the meal with s'mores dad style.Add crumbled bacon on the chocolate for a sweet and salty treat or make a bacon sundae.Startvwith vanilla or chocolate ice cream, add hot fudge and then toss on a few very crisp bacon slices An old fashioned Dagwood sandwich is another good meal choice if you're taking the man of the day to the beach or mountains.Nothing beats a customized sandwich made with love.Pick out his favorite cold cuts, and layer them with a host of different veggies from tomatoes to avocados.Cheese is another must have. You can go with the usual cheddar and American cheeses but for bite try the Montery Jack or Vermont super sharp cheddar.These can shake up an otherwise boring sandwich.To keep it moist , you can sprinkle the bread with oil and red wine vinegar but you could also add mayo or mustard or both.Russian dressing is another spin that adds zing to an ordinary sandwich.To really add flavor add bacon to the sandwich.This works well with ham or roast beef.Bacon is another Father's Day treat and the whole day can be dedicated to it.Think of bacon laced omelets or Eggs Benedict with a few strips instead of Canadian bacon to start off the day.Lunch could be bacon cheeseburgers while dinner could be a relatively healthy spinach salad, decorated with crumbled bacon.Bacon can even be an ingredient or part of the icing in a rich stout and chocolate cake or cupcakes. Nothing says love more than being served a favorite food or a meal made woth mich loved ingredients.Treat Dad to whatever hecwants, whether it's a burger, sandwich or just a plate of bacon.He'll not only appreciate it but he'll enjoy it too! Happy Flag Day to all my American readers!

The Best Cake Decorating Book Ever.

Everyone thinks that cake decorating is an art.Many home bakers would love to create a fancy cake or whimsical cupcakes but are deterred by the complexity of decorating.Never fear.There is a great how to book out now that not only guides step by step but has great ,hints ,suggestions and recipes.Even a novice can create a truly professional looking gâteau with this how to. Carey Madden'Manhattan baker , is the author of this amazing decorating guide and dessert book.It is called Sensational Buttercream Decorating (Robert Rose Press,New York) and it is perfect for any baker.There are many things to like about it,One is that she gives scratch cake recipes from simple vanilla and chocolate to the more complex pink lemonade and sweet potato spice cake.She also includes gluten free and vegan recipes too.(understandable ,since her client base includes Madonna ).Another plus is that actual book is more like a notebook where you can wrote notes in the margins.It also has templates to cut out to insure you have a picture perfect cake. The book is chockfull of good advice.She spells it out what you will need for decorating and shows how to use each tool.Ms. Madden also shows how to create different kinds of flowers from the classic rose to mums and hydrangeas.She also gives pointers on how to write in various fonts, as well as giving suggestions on what lettering to use for different occasions. The showcase of this book are the highly detailed pictures of gorgeous cakes and cupcakes.There are fifty projects to try.One of my favorites is a basket weave icing so named because it looks like an actual basket.This simple looking design is a series of intricate short lines of brown or chocolate icing around the cake's sides.It is the perfect sort for a summer or spring bridal shower.Another breathtakingly beautiful cake is the bow and swag.It is reminiscent of a Victorian hatbox with small exquisite pearl drops of icing. Another design in this vein is the calico cake, reminiscent of a sprigged muslin that a Jane Austen heroine would wear.This is a series of random deep pink rosebuds with sugar pearls. It is a perfect cake for a girl s only brunch.There are also downright fun designs such as the hot pink and black zebra design and the totally neat cheetah icing ,done in the mottled spots of the big cats.Cupcakes are well represented in the book as well.They can be topped with peach colored buttercream rosettes or hydrangeas petals.These would be the perfect little cakes for an afternoon tea or funraiser Fundraiser.There are also whimsical ones with buttercream bumblebees and lady bugs.Ms.Madden also throws in easy decorations with simple ruffled and combed effect. These are lovely in their simplicity. Carey Madden's book is a must have for home bakers longing to create that most beautiful cake or cup cake. Any one can create a picture perfect creation with simple buttercream, dye and tools. The icing and decorations will certainly take the cake!

An Unusual Cheesecake

June is here and with it comes strawberries.Those lush, juicy gems are everywhere They are the best in cheesecake"Nothing beats the blended flavors of the earthy berries with the sweet tanginess of cheese.It is as perfect marriage of flavor and texture. Melissa Clark discovered this in her column, A Good Appetite in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.She makes the ultimate strawberry dessert ,the cheesecake.This isn't your average diner one, a big almost Edam looking round with jellied clots of the fruit on top.This is a cheery pink one,made sophisticated with a mix of tart goat cheese and creamy store bought cream cheese.(I imagine you could use marscapone if need be). Also gelatin is used as the binder. red wine is also used to intensify the pink color and is first mixed with the gelatin. You can use orange juice instead or better yet strawberry juice ,fresh made or bought.Coarsely chopped fresh strawberries are used however frozen ones are also good.One of the best points about this cheesecake is that it is a no bake one.The mixture is poured into a waiting crust and then refrigerated for four to six hours. The crust is another matter.Ypu can use an already pre made Graham cracker crust.It makes sense, given the easiness of the recipe.However Ms. Clark goes purist with making her own.This is a raw dough baked until it"s crisp.The cheesecake is then poured into it.Is it better to go a step above and create a from scratch crust?Yes, if you have the time to spend on it.The cookie crust requires honey along with dark brown sugar and two kinds of flour.Since it is cookie dough it does have to be chilled for at least two hours.If you don't have the time,but still want a homemade crust,then grind up regular store bought Graham crackers.Crush these and mix with melted butter.Another idea is using chocolate wafers mixed with melted butter or margarine, Let it set and then pour the cheesecake into it.The finished product can be decorated with whole or halved berries. A strawberry cheesecake is a treat.This one goes beyond that as it becomes work of art.It is a different spin on the most classic of June desserts!

Coffee Cocktails, Anyone.?

Can a cup of Java be as intoxicating and complex as a mixed drink? The answer is a surprising yes.There are an elite grouping of coffee bars that are taking the average cup of coffee to new levels.It's coffee but for the coffee affection ado. These spruced up brews were the subject of an extensive article in today's Wednesday New York Times Dining section.Oliver Strand, newcomer to the section, got the lucky chance to taste a variety of different shots.A Los Angeles coffee shop has the honors of being the most innovAtive and the best (although some New York City coffee shops come in close).The owners, Charles, Babinski and Kyle Glamville, are the owners of two places, G & B Coffee and GoGet Em ,Tiger.Where they make coffee with only whole milk and real sugar.Any thing even vaguely diet related is not allowed.This simply creates a better cup. They do add a homemade almond macadamia milk to their lattes.It's first shaken over ice with espresso,then strained into a chilled Mason jar.Ice is then added and it's not must any cube.The ice is made from a Kold Draft ice maker, a machine only found in cocktail bars.The result is more a cocktail dessert hybrid, elevating it to a new level of Joe?they also are the ones behind the coffee milkshake, two double shots of espresso blended with fresh made vanilla ice-cream that has also been dusted with espresso grounds. Babinski and Glanville have gone a step further.They have mixed homemade Ginger beer, exciting on , with espresso to create a drink called The Dark And Stormy.Mr.Babinski has also toyed with the idea of carbonating the coffee to create floats.They have already broken new ground with a trio of drinks called The Business And Pleasure.This is a shot of espresso ,carbonated ice tea,with the fizz made with citra hops and an iced almond macadamia milk cappuccino. Their idea for these new creations came from when both worked at different coffee companies.While doling out cookie cutter cappuccinos and lattes both men talked to regulars about what they really liked and wanted. Their first two creations were a nod to the. Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays.They infused cream with fresh mint for their peppermint mocha while the pumpkin spice latte has freshly ground spice base of nutmeg,Ginger, allspice clove and cinnamon.The eggnog latte started off in a growler, a canister where mixed drinks are made.Other coffee companies around the US are trying similar recipes.Intelligentsia Coffee inManhattan has a coffee drink based opacity fave, the egg cream .Black and Blue Curee Coffee in Austin, Texas puts coffee in kegs and serves it like a frothy stout.In San Francisco,tonic is added to the brew at Saint Frank to create a fizzy Brazilian tonic.while Washington DC Mockingbird Hill has a Kenya Cola .It also has an extra kick of bitters to it. Thanks to coffee innovators , a cup of Joe will be an experience and not just a daily jolt to wake up.There will be new ways and new methods to turn this ancient brew into something sophisticated and modern.It won't just be aborting cup with froth anymore.